-NIA’S POV-Thunderstruck, I began hyperventilating.Shivers sped down my back. My hands trembled uncontrollably, fingers twitching with nervous energy. The unexpected revelation had sent shockwaves through my entire being.I must have blinked a thousand times in this single moment as my mind struggled to reconcile reality with the shock.Jessanne.That name curdled my blood. Have I heard it before?“I don’t understand.” The words I uttered next were shaky and low.“What use would you have for your body if you are dead? I made you resemble Jessanne so that Lykoan would easily accept the mate bond.” Selene’s candor was shooting from both barrels, wounding me in many ways.But that made no sense. “But I was born this way and mated to Dalton at first.”“As I mentioned, eventually you would have met Lykoan and become his mate, too. Dalton would not have objected since he would have strong ties and power to Volkecrest Krowns.”I flushed and held up two fingers. “Two mates?” I pointed the sa
-NIA’S POV-My heavy eyelids blinked open to meet a plain white ceiling. My dry throat hurt so bad that whenever I swallowed, it was like a shrimp was stuck in my windpipe. I couldn’t even muster a groan.Dazed and weak, with leaden limbs, I couldn't feel anything from my waist down. I felt like death.“Technically, we died, Nia.” Starr huffed.Go figure.I took a long, shaky breath, hyperaware of the pain ricocheting against my ribcage as my lungs expanded, and finally hauled myself onto my elbows. My body groaned in protest.Seashell white blankets surrounded me like a blessed cocoon and a sheen of the moonlight passed through the open window, pooling on my skin.Managing to swivel my head, I vetted the surroundings. The room was dark and quiet with only the sound of slow, even breathing and light snoring cutting through the silence.Why was Gawain sound asleep beside me? He was lying shirtless in black sweatpants on his back with one arm folded behind his head and the other resting
-NIA’S POV-"You’re finally here," I rasped with a small smile, clearing my throat after hearing how foreign I sounded.Lykoan stepped forward, entering the room a little more and shutting the door. My eyes watched him carefully. His dull lilac hues stared skeptically.Using my abdominal muscles, I tried to sit up but was met with searing pain that radiated up my side. The sensation forced a heavy breath and a whimper as I fought against my own body, trying desperately to move.My side stung and sent a deep pain up my side near my ribs every time I inhaled. Yet I was determined to. I winced as I sat up in the bed, anxiously pulling my silk strands over my shoulders, awaiting him.The tension built minute by minute as this scenario corners us. My stomach grumbled, moaning in hunger. Then a heart-pounding silence descended.His lilacs were fixated on my orange orbs. Hurt flashed through his eyes. The outer ends of his eyebrows drooped, and his hands were shaking. He was nervous. Why?"I
-NIA’S POV-The doorknob rattled before it swung open to reveal Lucidora with a wooden tray in her hands. Her timing was totally shit, leaving me shaky and anxious.Our well-needed conversation was disrupted, but I perked up because my stomach rumbled for the food that she brought. Whatever was in that white bowl sure smelled damn good, making me drool.“There she is. My goodness, look at you!” She exclaimed, with a wide grin as she laid eyes on me. “It’s delightful to see you, Nia. I brought my special remedy.”"Sounds yummy. I miss your cooking and I can’t wait to get out of this bed. Feels like I’ve been in this room forever." I smiled back as I looked up at Lykoan who hadn't allowed me to leave this medic room. It was worse than being stuck in a safe house."Don’t worry. You’ll be good as new by the time I’m done taking care of you,” Lucidroa piped. “Just let me know what else I can get you.”"Bring any wine?" I laughed as she took a slow step forward, thinking I would need it aft
-NIA’S POV-The doctor saw this as an opportunity to lay the cards out. “We could contact the Quintessa Witches to help us find the gateway to the elf’s realm. You can enter their territory because you have their blood, and no werewolf would be able to cross the vale.”“Kenzie—” Lykoan pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes while his other hand fondled my right hand.However, Kenzie did not stop her smug rambling. “It might take some time, but guess what? We could make it happen.”I tilted my head, listening keenly with brows raised and my face void of emotions. I did not want her to know she was getting to me.With a hand on her waist, the other gesticulated as she spoke. “Rabastan’s RiftDregs Pack is a refuge for hybrids that Lykoan himself created. You could make life there.”“Kenzie—” Lykoan snarled her name, trying to get her to keep her forked tongue behind her teeth!“The point is if you stay here, the overlords will continue to attack this pack, which will make you
-NIA’S POV-Damn him.I studied the dangerously handsome man in front of me and knew I had grounds to reject him.No one could blame me if I ended things right then and there, not even Lykoan. In fact, I thought he was expecting it— bracing himself for the final blow.His brows were high and drawn together with pure despair in his eyes, looking at me like I was sentencing him into a pit of loneliness. Curse those blasted lilacs that tend to suck my soul right in.Damn the mate bond. Damn this life. Damn the moon goddess too.Yet, I wanted him. It made that stubborn part of me that repudiated this bond agonize like hammering nails on my heart. I turned my head away to think.Kenzie had the bandage in one hand and rummaged through her medical bag, taking out a syringe that she dropped into her pocket. My eyes widened, and a bile rose in my throat as panic gripped me. After being injected with poison, another needle was the last thing I wanted to see. My stomach clenched and my deep-root
-NIA’S POV-Lykoan hummed and it vibrated against my chest. My hands strayed up to his hair and I marveled at how soft it was. His tongue intertwined with mine and I tugged on his hair gently.Liquid heat scorched through my veins. We got lost in the pleasure as something ignited in the silence before painfully separating. My cheeks bloomed like roses. I bit my lower lip and glimpsed at the tented bulge under the throw blanket.“Um,” I began, smiling shyly, "You're not like anyone I've ever known, Lykoan.”His face lit up with a beautiful smile. Not a broken smile, a real, lewd one. "And you, Nia, are the most beautiful person I've met. Your light has brought me to the surface of an ocean that I was drowning in."Blushing profusely, I struggled to hold his gaze. "Are you saying that I saved you?"His lilacs twinkled, and his smile grew, and he cupped the side of my face. "I'm saying that you brought me back to life." He cleared his throat. “Now repeat after me.”I nodded.“I, Nia Rava
-LYKOAN’S POV-Jacques has the shittiest timing. It’s fucking ridiculous.It took everything to leave Nia and crawl out of that bed. Her flushed, sexy, sprawled out image lingered in my mind, tugging at my heart to blow the Alpha off and resume our hot session.Knowing I had to take care of business, her plump lips pouted. Red, succulent, and full. Her sad eyes pleaded, clutching to an area of my soul that felt like a broken ceramic. All I wanted to do was stay in the medical room.But a very annoying and determined someone had to show up. After desperately longing to be alone with Nia and making plans to make up for her pain, this asshole had to come and darken my day.“Lykoan!” Jacques roared three times, outraged. “Old Pops, come out! Come out!”Jam-packed with fury, my wolf paced back and forth, huffing out hot puffs of breath. He wanted to permanently disable the uninvited visitor who was causing us to desert our mate. He did not like him raising his voice at us either. He saw it
NIA’S POV-“We're not done yet, Alpha,” Caliste politely interjected, stopping the advancing footsteps that had made my golden ears perk up.Using my left hand, I gripped my right wrist, thrashing on my chair as I tugged and pulled, harder and harder. Yet nothing happened, only more coughing and more smoke that puffed out of my ears.My throat felt chafed, dry, and aching. Hissing from the shortness of breath, I clasped my neck, blinking my wet eyelids excessively, and I nearly passed out.My heart instantly ached for my mate. Wanting Lykoan to be at my side and make it stop. My first instinct was to scream for his assistance. However, my voice was lodged in my throat, as if some sort of imaginary block had been placed where my vocal cords were.I gripped the side of my head as a splitting headache ripped through it. The pressure built. Sweat stung my eyes like vipers. I yelped in agony. When will this terrible spell end?Then it happened.I was somewhere else, alone and petrified. I
NIA’S POV-“Nia, we invited Caliste, our pack witch.” Olsen addressed me in a cautious tone with his hazel eyes settling on mine. “To gain our trust, we require that you pass a minor test.”“Are you for real?” Lykoan scoffed. I groaned internally, reeling from the unexpected sting of that one word.“Okay.” I acquiesced with fake composure. Inside, I was freaking out. Test? What bloody test?"Excellent!" Olsen exclaimed with a nod. "I'm glad for your consent. It’s an amicable solution." He smiled, but it never touched his hazel eyes. He was hiding something.Alpha Jacques and his Beta exchanged snarky glances. He gave him a flick of the chin and T.K. moved from his spot, strolling down the table, and going towards the door. It was too late to back out without arousing more suspicion. For a piercing minute, I regretted my decision. Now, I had no choice but to see it through. To steady my heart, I forced myself to remember my initial motivation for doing this…to be acquitted of all the
-NIA’S POV-Lykoan began to grit his teeth, and I squeezed his hand gently. Starr was antsy, more agitated as these lycans spoke in opposition to our mate. It was absurd to deny Lykoan the natural right to open his heart to whomever he pleased and to wreck his life just because of his curse.Irritation wrapped itself around my throat. “Lykoan and I met under unforeseen circumstances that bound me here. The moon goddess herself bid that I become his Sigma Spade. To go against us is to go against our deity. So, all this hostility is extremely unnecessary and aggravating."“Impossible,” ejaculated from Agnes in a high-pitched raspy voice, disbelief cloaking her timeworn features.Korbeck snorted. Thebian raked a hand through his canescent brown hair.At the same time, Jacques threw his head back and laughed out loud. “You expect us to believe you spoke with the moon goddess.” He spat bitterly. “The gods don’t bother with your kind.”Low growls reverberated around the room, to which Lykoa
-LYKOAN’S POV-Dawn's honey-peach glow awakened me from my quiet slumber. A new freshness stoked within me as if the world had been enhanced to a higher plane. That’s because Nia has lit up my life in many ways.She was sleeping soundly and wrapped around me with her head on my chest, an arm thrown over my waist, and our legs entwined. I lay there, memorizing every detail of this moment.We were both naked, too tired last night to get any clothes on. Besides, the tingling feel of our skin-to-skin sated the physical need to be near her and to touch her, not necessarily in a sexual way, but in a way that just made me feel content.Feeling Nia starting to move and stretch against me, I caressed her side, making sure she knew I was still there as she became fully awake and aware.Her eyelids fluttered, making one of her dark lashes feathered against my skin, and my chest jolted at how much it tickled.Without lifting her head, she looked up at me. Her stunning orange eyes peeked through th
-NIA’S POV-Lykoan’s dark eyebrows furrowed and a small frown adorned his lips.Torment filled his lilacs when he uttered, “The Quintessa witches tried and most of the illusions stopped except that I see her at nights. I know she’s not real but, it’s kept me sane. Our nightly talks gave me something to look forward to. It was as though she was still around. So I haven’t slept in years because I couldn’t miss one night without her.”My chest tightened, and I squeezed my eyes shut. The pain in his voice lanced through my very own soul. But, I did not want him to stop talking to me. I opened my eyes and tilted my head up to find him solemnly gazing down at me.To console him, my fingers massaged the back of his neck, making him groan and roll his shoulders.Lykoan’s throat bobbed. Then he explained with a heartbreaking tenderness. “Although, all I feel is guilt when she visits. The guilt that I couldn’t save her. The guilt that I lived, and she died with my son.”Listening keenly, I inte
-NIA’S POV-With slow butterfly strokes, I swam towards Lykoan. The water moved around my body in swirls as a rippling eagerness to satisfy my curiosity surged forth.His sexy lips held that devilishly attractive smirk and his sinful eyes darkened with lust. Danger, my mind screamed, well aware that he was naked, and I was naked.It was clear our wolves desired to be mated. The threads of the bond strive to connect at all endpoints. Perhaps that’s what accounted for how I yearned to open up to him.Gliding through the water, my actions surprised even me as I held his raunchy lilacs—the silver light reflecting off his skin. For the first time, after a long while, I felt light and unburdened as the water refreshed both my mind and body.Once I was close enough, he snagged me around the waist and pulled me toward him. I wrapped my legs around his torso to keep myself above the water. My hands snaked around his neck with my breasts pressed against his taut chest. Our eyes locked, and the
-LYKOAN’S POV-Shuffling through my cards, I cursed under my breath. I was barely winning this Gin Rummy game against Nia.I was surprised I could concentrate right now, let alone win. I stole long glimpses of her over the top of my cards more than I managed to obtain these triple jacks.Nia had on a cerise pink cami shorts set. The curve of her chest flowing down into her small waist before billowing outward to her full hips was imprinted in my mind.The tiny, impractical, shorts showed off her smooth legs. At the same time, the frilled edge top bunched up her breasts into two mouth-drooling mounts that had me going almost feral in this chair.Oh my God. The things I would do to this woman if she would let me."You alright?" I asked her tightly as she took her time sifting through her cards.She appeared flustered as she shifted in the gray woven rope chair around the breakfast nook."The heat is maddening. It’s hard to function," she groaned, fanning herself with her hand.It wasn’t
-NIA’S POV-‘Continue the blood.’ A feathery voice played in my head. It was the moon goddess again.Lykoan’s blood was the key, but how? I still couldn’t understand what I was supposed to do.My eyes blinked as I racked my brain. I need a helping hand here, Selene. Like maybe some hints and tips for starters.Then I found Lykoan observing my facial expression from his chair. I immediately straightened my face. Acting nonchalant, I avoided his probing lilacs.“Hybrids feast on the DNA of other shifters,” Gawain explained, pulling the needle out of Lykoan’s flesh. “They think that mixing genes by cross-breeding and experiments make them unstoppable—that it’s supposed to gird them with additional abilities.” He sealed the tube with a blue cap. “The truth is combining more than three genes corrupts their DNA, and eventually they break out with diseases. Do you remember ebolipox?”“Yes,” I recalled that nasty disease that wiped out a large variety of people in the neutral territories.“Th
-NIA’S POV-“Why not today?” I asked Lykoan as he piggybacked with me through the neatly cut backyard of Arrondale.That’s the name of Lykoan's property where the mansion was located. He insisted that I ride him in this uncomfortable position. It was the only way he would let me accompany him to wherever he was going.Apart from that, he smelled so good. My hands rested on top of his broad shoulders, and I kept my nose close to his neck to keep the scent dominantly constant.“You can’t open that bank account until Jacques completes your filing. Your information will be uploaded as an official member on the pack’s server. The banks screen and do their know-your-customer diligence to ensure your membership is validated and approved by the Alpha. So, even though they’ll feel the pack link within you, it’s against protocol to go ahead without the verification,” he told me as he walked past the pool in long quick strides. “I’m sure that will be done after you meet with the Elders.”Similar