“It doesn’t have to be this way, you know.” He says. “We don’t have to be this distant.”“I don't get what you're trying to say.”“It could be just the two of us, no fighting, no whores, just us — as mates.”I was silent. He was offering me a life as his mate and his Luna, when we didn’t have to hate each other. Cas would have wanted this; this would have been to her a dream come true, but I didn’t know if this was what I wanted.Maybe I was afraid. Alexander was a charmer, no doubt committing to a man like him could never end well. What if this all turned out to be another game to him? What if breaking my heart was his master plan?Yet, a small part of me lusted after something… different, something new, but then there was the other part—the other part that told me love was never meant for me.“No. It can’t. What happened tonight doesn’t change a thing. I only agreed to this to prove my point, but… You are better off with your whores; things are better off left how they had been.”“Y
Kaida remained at the very edge of the bed, the sheet wrapped tightly around her body. She was still very much alert. It was clear she didn’t trust me; neither did she like to be placed in such a vulnerable position.I rose in the early hours of the morning, doing my best not to wake her. I got dressed, giving her one last glance before leaving the room.I headed down to the dungeons to where the rogue had been kept; I needed to return his body to Grayson for whatever ritual they did with their dead.Turns out, the man was not yet dead, but he was no different from a corpse. I couldn’t help the smirk that formed on my lips. It wasn’t all talk without truth; my little mate was every bit as dangerous as they claimed..Stark, one of my advisors, met with me in my office.“Alpha Grayson is furious.” he began.“He should be.”“Did you really have to kill the rogue?”“Yes. He had to die.” I responded, the rogue to me was a breathing corpse, he would be fully dead in a few days. “Where is
Kaida’s POVI met Aric in the training grounds.The moment he saw me, a small frown appeared on his face, “Are you alright?” he asked.“Come with me.” I said, avoiding his question. I, on the other hand, was happy to see him unharmed; perhaps Alexander had chosen to let what happened earlier slip—at least I hoped so.The moment we were out of sight, I stopped walking.“What was that stunt you pulled earlier?”“What?” he asked, acting innocent.“Don’t play the fool – why did you kiss me?” I asked and he looked away. “Look at me Aric.” I demanded but he wouldn’t.“I have feelings for you, Kaida.”“For how long?”“How long?” he repeated. “I don’t know; since I watched you grow into the woman you are today.”“But… you never said anything, you never told me.”“I had been waiting for the right time—it never came.”“Aric, you have to let it go—whatever you feel for me, you have to push it aside because it cannot happen, not now and not anytime soon. You are better off with any other woman.”
~“I know you want me—more than you will ever admit.” He whispered.“Stay away from me.” I said, but my voice shook.Alexander walked closer. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” I opened my mouth to tell him off, but no words came out. He was so close… too close. “You say one thing, Kaida, but your body, it says another.”~It had been a dream.The first dream I had ever had about Alexander. The dream felt so real… In this dream, I had wanted him to touch me, to satisfy a need he had awoken in me. I could still feel the wetness between my legs.Alexander walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his lower waist. I found my eyes lingering on his toned abs; his hair had also grown out a bit. I couldn’t deny that Alexander was a very good-looking man, and he also had a reputation for it.He stared at me, a small smirk playing on his lips, his eyes slightly darkened.“You are on your ‘heat’,” he says.“What?”“I’m sure you know what that means.”I was familiar with the word; I k
A day passed, and I hadn’t cracked—that’s what I made him believe. The few hours of sleep I managed to get were the only escape from the pain, and even then, I dreamt about him.Now I couldn’t help but wonder how people were so in love with the idea of finding their mates if this was what they had to bear. But I guess many of them won’t see this as torture; they would give in easily.I had an idea, quite a crazy one.I had never touched myself before, but perhaps… I could try.I slowly lowered my fingers, watching as my hands slipped beneath the waistband of my panties. I rubbed my finger around my clit.I groaned, frustrated; it wasn’t working either.The knock on the door drew my attention. Aric. I just knew it had to be him.I didn’t make a move to go to the door but he didn’t go away either, he knocked once more.I managed to rise to my feet, stagger to the door and pull it open.“Kaida, are you alright?” he asked, alarmed.“I do remember telling you to send a maid, if there is an
Slowly and gently, he slipped a finger into me, going in and out. A moan escaped my lips. He added in a second finger and this time he went a bit faster, I moaned out, the pleasure was unlike anything I had ever felt and then… he pulled out.I wanted more and this time I let him take me to the bed. I took off my clothes, stripping naked, but he didn’t take his off.He kissed my collarbone, and then he took my nipple in his mouth; my back ached as I gripped his neck. With his other hand, he caressed my hardened nipple. He proceeded to kiss down my stomach, my belly button, and… lower.I stilled. “No.” I tried rising, but he forced me down. At this point, I wanted him so bad and yet… I didn’t like being so exposed to him.Then I felt his tongue.I couldn’t hold back the sensual sound that escaped my lips. He nibbled at my clit, and I spread my legs even wider. His tongue slipped into me, I gripped onto the slick sheets; he went in and out with his tongue, and slowly I began matching pac
I hadn’t spoken a word to Alexander in days, and I wasn’t planning to. I shouldn’t have let him touch me; I should have endured the pain longer, but once again, he won. . “So you could come visit me, but I can’t do the same?” Aric asked the moment he saw me by his door. I pushed past him and walked into the room. “Not bad.” I say, looking around. It was smaller than the one I shared with the Alpha King, but elegant and nicely furnished. “Why are you here, Kaida?” “Do I need a reason to visit my beta and friend?” “I’m not the Beta anymore; I am a Commander and Chief.” “You will always be the Dawn’s pack Beta.” “Well the Dawn’s pack is no more; you are a Luna now…” “Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? If you don’t want me here, all you have to do is tell me.” “I’m a man who had just been rejected by the woman he had been in love with for years; how do you expect me to react?” “Aric… It can’t work.” “I know that—at least now I do. I’m not a fool; I know when to draw back,
“Where have you been?” Alexander asked the moment I entered the room.“Not your business.”“You must keep me informed about your whereabouts.”I turned to him. “I must not. I don’t try keeping up with your whereabouts now, do I?”“You are mad at me. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier.”“Oh, an apology from the high and mighty Alpha king; that should solve everything.” I said, rolling my eyes.“Usually, it does solve everything most of the time.” He said with a smirk. “And I do like the term ‘high and mighty.’.” He added.“Unfortunately, pretty boy, your words don’t mean shit—not to me.”“I expected my Luna to be less profane”I flipped him the middle finger.“I spent the day with my Beta. I plan to be out there more often; I get sick of this place and also—you.”“Come on, let’s not lie to ourselves. I don’t infuriate you—I scare you, and that’s what’s got you all riled up.”“You would have liked it, wouldn’t you? If I was afraid of you?”“I mean, I’m liking it now. But that’s
About five minutes passed, and there was still no sign of her.“Empress!” I called out. “Empress…”Just then, she broke through the surface. Her face looked different—youthful. She had entered the pool looking to be in her forties, but when she emerged, she appeared to be in her late twenties.“Empress, you look…”“Beautiful, magnificent… I know.”“How?”“The water, many believe the god of light once bathed in these waters; it’s called the Lake of Youth—It was once bigger than this, but, well, this is all that remains of it.”She put on her clothes..“It was like time had reversed, and she was given her youth again.” I said to Trian when we were back in my room.“It seems to me that you would like to take a dip in the Lake of Youth one day.”“Of course, not… the Empress would never let me.”“You fear the Empress like she is a god.”“She is a powerful woman.”“I agree, not many men alive could build a community as big as this one. But have you ever thought about how exciting it would
ALIYA’S POVTrian rarely speaks.I wish he did; he stood there, day and night, but never uttered a word. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. The last time we spoke, he said he was from the North, which explained his pale skin; the Aureonnas had darker shades.“What is life in the North like?” I asked him.“Cold.” Was his only response. It was clear he didn’t want to speak to me.I picked up a book and began reading. I hadn’t even heard him move, but he was right before me.“You move very quietly.”“Do I?”“Yes.”“Every soldier should possess that skill, don’t you think?”“You are right.” I said, not comfortable with a man being this close. He sat beside me on the bed, and it took everything in me to sit still.“The North is more than just a cold place. As I told you before, there are humans, a lot of them, but there are also… werewolves. In the North, the werewolves still live in medieval times, doing things the old-fashioned way—just like the Aureonnas, your people, still do. T
It was a dream. That much I could tell.I watched a younger version of myself lying on the bed, sickly thin. Her skin was pale as snow, and her breaths came in labored gasps. Beside her was my father, Alpha Trent, in his prime. He was handsome as I always knew he was, but he had a pained look on his face as he watched me; I was dying, and I could see that.“Nothing can be done for her—we’ve done all we could, but the sickness… we don’t understand it; we’ve never seen a thing like it.” a female healer said to him.“She can’t die.” My father says, “She’s all I have, and she cannot die. There has to be a way.”The healer walked closer to him. “There might be another option—the healer's lilies. But I would never recommend it; if it doesn’t work… she would die.”“Do it,” my father says without even a single hesitation.“Alpha, are you sure?”“Yes. She would die anyway; do it.”“The flowers are up the Everveil mountains—my grandmother told me about them. I know how to pluck them and keep th
Alexander was in a fresh pair of pants, though I didn’t think he minded being naked.“You should join me for a drink, Kaida.” he offered.I did need a drink. I walked to him, trying to hide the discomfort I felt between my legs. I had asked for it, and I was given just that. It was fun; it was exciting, but now, all I could feel was pain. I had no regrets, though; I would do it all over again if time was taken back.Alexander helped me to the stool beside him.I accepted the glass filled with a light brown liquid. I didn’t mind asking what it was; I drank it all. He stared at me. “I’m a very bad influence on you.” He said.“You are.” I agreed, adjusting on the seat.“You are sore and in pain.”“I’m not.”“You don’t have to lie; I can see that. Perhaps I went too hard.”“I asked for it.”“You weren’t ready. I shouldn’t have listened to you.”“I was. I was ready.” I said and his eyes fixed on me. “I… I wanted to give you everything ‘they’ would give, so you won’t have a reason to want t
Alexander wasn’t in his office; neither was he in the meeting room.I walked into Phil’s—one of the council members and the eldest among them all."Luna," he called, bowing.“Phil. I wonder if you have an idea where the Alpha is now.”“He is in the bar, Luna— I don’t advise you go to him now.“Why?” I asked.“He is a bit… occupied.”“Point me in the direction to the bar and I’ll be on my way.”.If he was having sex with a whore, I would feel it.I stopped before the 'bar.' The only thing blocking my view of the room was a curtain made of beads. I took a deep breath and walked in.The place reeked of alcohol as expected. I spotted Alexander; he had a bottle in his hand, and sitting beside him was Austin, another council member.Three naked women danced on poles; the one in the middle had her eyes trained on Alexander. The strange feeling I had felt earlier in the Gray Moon Pack resurfaced. Jealousy. I didn’t like the fact that Alexander watched them, though he made no move towards her
In a few days, the wolfsbane was completely out of my system, I could finally walk without any support. So I decided to pay Aric a visit. I knocked on the door to his apartment, and as if he had been waiting right there, he opened it immediately and pulled me into a hug.“I wanted to visit you and see how you were doing, but Alexander is a bit more possessive of you now.”“It’s alright; I’m fine now.”Finally, he pulled away and shut the door behind him. “You would have died—I should have gone with you.”“But I didn’t. All thanks to Alexander.”“I might not like the Alpha very much, but I will always be grateful to him for this.”"He saved my life, and that’s why I’m here. I want to know what happened to the Gray Moon Pack and how I was able to make it here alive."I don’t know all the details, but I heard that every pack member at the Wedding Feast was burned alive—none survived. What’s strange is that the fire didn’t spread. It never went past the hall; it just... quenched."“And wh
I rolled over on the bed—wait. Bed?My eyes snapped open.“Alexander?” I called, but there was no one in the room. Just then, the door creaked open, and a familiar scent filled the air. His scent. “Alexander!” I called again, and finally, he appeared before me.“I went to get you some food.” He said a smile—not a smirk, a smile on his face. I stared down at his hands; he held a tray of food. He was in a black t-shirt and jeans—I had never seen him in casual clothes before, and… damn, was he hot. “Are you… are you okay?” he asked.“Yes, I am.”I pulled off the covers and rose to my feet. A sudden dizziness overcame me, and I lost my balance. Before I could fall, Alexander caught me. The tray still remained in his other hand.“You should rest some more and eat too.” He said, leading me back to the bed. I accepted the tray of food. “I am glad you are awake; the past two days were not very exciting. I spent the last forty-eight hours worrying myself to near death."I had been asleep for t
Grayson finally walked out of the room after what felt like hours; the girl's sobs still stung my ears. I sat and I did… nothing.An elderly woman rushed into the room, perhaps to nurse the girl—that’s what I thought until I saw her walk out with the white sheet that was now stained with blood. A lot of blood. She threw the sheet into the air, and many reached for it, cheering for their Alpha.“A screamer she is… but I do like screamers.” He said with a smile.Grayson walked up to us. “Join us; the feast is about to begin.”Alexander rose, stretching his hand for mine; I rose without his help. Grayson led the way to the hall where we were meant to eat, drink, and party like a girl hadn’t been violently taken just a while ago. Our soldiers walked a good distance behind us.“Please, take your seats! Enjoy!” Grayson says, and we took the two chairs at the head of the table; he sat on the single one opposite us. The others joined in, taking their seats. Our soldiers took the first five ch
The moment I set my eyes on the man named Grayson, I felt an instant dislike for him; something about him was uninviting, and now I could see why. I couldn’t help but watch as he drank and laughed in his loud, unpleasant voice, even attempting to crack jokes. His pack members laughed—not because his jokes were funny, but because they felt they had to.Grayson grabbed one of the naked girls, and she giggled as he pulled her onto his lap. Without hesitation, he cupped her breast. “I think you have pretty tits, but I have to save myself for my wife at least for tonight.” He said, and everyone laughed at that. “I remember telling my father about my intentions to marry as many beautiful women as I could. He called me a fool; he said ‘one would have to do; you don’t need so many wives’… But guess what? He is dead, and I am Alpha now.”People laughed even harder like that was funny; I, on the other hand, was doing my very best to hide my grimace.“It’s time!” The Alpha called with a loud voi