--NIA’S POV-Letting out disgruntled puffs of breath, the barbaric rogue crouched beside Mom’s inactive, slender body. I struggled to throttle the echoes of my darkest fears.I wrestled against Layton’s grasp. I wanted to stop Gossart, but Layton gripped my throat, squeezing the air out of me. Gasping for breath, I clutched at his hands, digging my nails into his skin and tearing his flesh. It was useless.Gossart picked up my Mom. When the monster stood, his bumpy eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of me. He traipsed towards me. Coming to a stop, he gurgled his throat and spat slimy saliva on my forehead.Layton chortled.My red-rimmed eyes jittered restlessly and watched the horrid scene even though they were getting blurry. I coughed and wheezed, feeling less and less air. My heart beat so fast that I could pass out any minute. My struggle grew feeble and subsided.“Money,” Gossart growled monstrously like Hulk, turning to Brooke, and cradling my limp mother in his arms. “Now.”Br
-LYKOAN’S POV-Loneliness was a monstrous enemy with deadlock tendrils that sucked the sprightliness of one’s will to live. However, tonight was a special night. Years of pain and misery would finally come to an end. For I, the man known as the Lycan Diabolyn, was cursed.Nightfall arrives quickly when you've lived a long mateless life. Hours were an empty void, and the silent times that fell in between were horrendous.Tonight was the ashaze night that accompanied the igneo moon. Indeed, it was the dark hour of my demise’s big finale. After years of searching the earth for all the magical ingredients required for the Nasphyxia of Soul ritual, at last, I’ve done it.The glowing, full moon hung high in the dark sky above the sacred old reliquary temple grounds. The stars were so bright that their illumination brewed optimism within my soul.It had begun.The ancient chants of the Quinto Quintessa Witches graced my ears. The five voices blended harmoniously with the natural sounds of th
-LYKOAN’S POV-With a finger, I nudged the animal’s muzzle. No response. Apparently, she was still blacked out.“We do not know her,” Lisandre, Bernadette’s youngest daughter, replied.The circle remained unbroken. No one moved but the witches exchanged knowing glances. My nostrils flared. Although I was irate at this she-wolf, strangely, I liked her body being on mine.How odd. As I tried to elevate my back from the ground, I noticed that the blood scent disappeared. All her wounds had healed.“How do you feel?” Leah asked with concern.Tenderly pushing the wolf to rest on my legs, I managed to sit up. “I'm fine. I'm just disappointed. Now tell me how to redo this ritual.”All pairs of teal eyes widened before they looked at each other and then Bernadette glanced at me. “All the ingredients were used up, and it will be next year before the igneo moon reappears. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to live with the circumstances.”The way she spoke hinted that she was afraid to tell me
-LYKOAN’S POV-I awoke around 7 a.m. with a snarl on my lips because of Jacques mentally yelling in my head.“Vampires are at the border!”“It’s your pack ― your problems.” I hissed and blocked the mind-link. I had bigger things on my mind.The stunning she-wolf still lay there on my chest. She slept like she had no care in the world. Yet, every fiber in my being admired her; desired her. Kudos to her. My tongue darted out to wet my dry lips.“Wake up.” I whisper-yelled.She did not stir. I used a finger to trace the outline of her pretty face. Sultan purred, begging me to stay in bed with her. No. I couldn’t. There was a lot of work to be done. In opposition, he began whimpering, which annoyed me.“I’m keeping her.” He huffed.“Don’t start with me, Sultan.” I rebuked him.Slowly, with much care, I hugged her with both arms and rolled her over. Briefly, I hovered above her. Again, lewd thoughts infested my mind to snare me in a super-enticing world like a beacon. I shook my head to ad
-LYKOAN’S POV-Sheer terror and panic overwhelmed her. Frantically, she scraped up the blue duvet sheet to wrap around her nude top. She shivered like a scared bunny. Tears trickled down, and she stared at me as though I was the demon imp, Blitzo.With a hoarse croaking voice, she hissed, “Get the hell away from me!”A pang of pain slashed my chest at her sadness and fear. I held my hand up in the air and took two steps backwards. I remained calm. “Hey, I’m not a monster.”Well, not anymore, but it’s not like she would know about my past.“Gossart. Where is he?” She cried, pressing herself into the tufted bedhead.Anger bubbled up from Sultan’s stomach. He was pissed that she was missing another guy. Howbeit, my heart was aching too.“I do not know who that person is,” I admitted, trying to keep the vexation down. “Don’t you remember what happened in the forest?”Controlling her weeping, she sniffed, wiped her eyes, and then shook her head. Seemingly in pain, her hand reached up to he
-NIA’S POV-Mate!My wolf's loud announcement jolted me out of my slumber.Mate! The blurry environment became moderately visible. Strange room.This wasn't my home.Where was I?As the light of the morning sun hit my eyes, I covered them with my hand and tried to sit up in the large bed. I turned my head to the shaded side of the room to open my eyes safely. Then the unfamiliar alluring scent hit me. This new inebriating aroma of snapdragon and lemon.Aside from that, memories began flooding my brain. Dalton, Brooke, Layton, Chase, Dad, and Mom. I gripped the sheet as grief and anger rolled over me. How did I end up here when I was chasing after Gossart? My Mom was in danger. At least, I prayed that she was alive.Sitting up in bed, an ache jabbed me right between my eyes. I brought up my hand to the spot and waited for it to subside. When it did, I surveyed the area.The large, elegant room had colored tones of light gray, blue, and black. There was an eye-catching starry night 3D c
-NIA’S POV-“Nia,” I muttered and pursed my lips with immediate regret. Maybe I should have given him a fake name.Taking up the pizza bread, I took my first bite. Delicious!“Call me Lykoan. This is your new home,” he remarked. Gosh. Despite his rugged appeal, he looked no more than a twenty-two-year-old.I choked on food and protested through three coughs. “Absolutely not.”“Is that so?” He chuckled tauntingly and gave me a hand towel.“Was the man you were talking to the Alpha?” I asked because he mentioned earlier that this was his pack.“Yes.” He sipped his coffee.I shifted uneasily in my seat and swallowed my food. “He does not want me here.”Lykoan shrugged. “Who cares?”“He's your alpha.” I cut into my bacon.“Do not worry about unimportant details like that.” He replied in a calm and collected tone.Confused at the disrespect, I inquired, “Are you his Beta?”He shook his head with eyes trained on me. He was evaluating my reactions with every small piece of information that l
-LYKOAN’S POV-“Boss, we’re here.” Tank marched into my home gym when the morning sun was hot and high in the sky. Its yellow glow flowed through the row of floor-to-ceiling glass windows with bright natural light occupying the space.“What’s on your mind, boss?” Hogan strolled in behind him.The relatively large room was equipped with every possible workout equipment that existed. Low, modern rock music played through the surround speakers. Eyes Closed by Imagine Dragons set the right ambiance as I burned muscles on the pull-up bar.Buzzing thoughts of Nia created tension in every fiber of my being. I could barely think straight through these wretchedly frustrating days.Just because Nia was angel-like and could pass for Jessanne’s twin, making my heart pound faster, I wasn't going to fall for her. Past experience taught me a hard lesson.But, the cloying memory of having Nia in my arms drew a desire so intense that an ache registered in my groin. My shaft hardened just imagining her
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
-LYKOAN’S POV-“Shouldn’t we stop her, Lykoan? The brute might try to hurt her.” Sultan cautioned.“Absolutely not. I want to see where this is going and if she shows him that she’s not a pushover, he’ll have to let her be.” I reasoned, eyeing the man keenly.“I might not be an Alpha-female, but I’m somebody’s daughter and blood runs through my veins too.” Nia’s lush breasts were rising and falling, and she lifted her chin. I sensed some anger bubbling in her. “Without us bottom-feeders, you don’t have a pack to rule. So showing a little more courtesy might do you some good.”A warning echoed in my mind. Jacques’ nostrils flared and he began breathing heavily.To exert my dominance, I squared my shoulders and assumed a power pose in a wide stance, letting Jacques know that if he attacked my curvaceous woman, I would retaliate. He noticed and clenched his jaws as vertical lines formed between his brows.Determined to gain some respect, Nia held her ground and continued with a daring goi