-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-The sunset blossomed in its boldest blaze of red and gold across the sky. The forest would be dark soon, and I was scouting for a cave or something to rest for the night. A twig snapped in the distance. My wolf’s whole body jerked around.We were no longer alone.Rogues.Starr dropped the clothes in her mouth on the grassy ground and assumed a protective stance. I was not too far from the main road and stopped by the stony brook to drink water. My wolf growled at the two strangers who emerged from behind the tall trees.The bigger brown wolf halted and shifted into a bald man, no more than in his mid-twenties with ear piercings. His body was toned with little muscles and his arms and chest were covered in tattoos. My heart pounded frantically, pulsing in my ears.“Hey beautiful, we won’t cause any trouble,” the man approached, sounding out of breath. “We were on a run and heard you.” His creole eyes admired my golden fur. “Your wolf is quite unique.”The pit in my stomach
NIA’S POVDalton was raising an Alpha Cabal for Subjugation. No doubt, it was the advice of his council to use the alphas to show Lykoan that he had no authority, similarly to what the ten alphas who died had done.What a night!This battle of power could escalate all the way to the fearsome Lycan Diabolyn.Did I predict any of this? Certainly not, but with Lykoan, he always went overboard. I could see the sheer rage bubbling inside him, just waiting to burst out like a volcano.“Isn’t this more trouble than we wanted?” I leaned towards Lykoan and asked, “I thought we were going to do things the right way. Will fighting him clear my name?”“No, but it’s more fun,” he answered surprisingly soft, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear coyly. “Don’t you think I know he’ll attempt to seduce you the moment you are alone with him?”“You overestimate his charms.” I released a tense breath, sitting back.“He doesn’t even look like the lovemaking type,” Lykoan groused, deeply analyzing the Alpha
NIA’S POV“Your lack of manners is a flaw,” Lykoan said coolly, yet a subtle, lethal undertone bled into every word. “Do not recklessly disturb us. As you can see, this is a Volkes table, and yet you want to drag away my date without my consent.”“Consent is not required when an APB is active for her, so thank you for bringing Nia home. Now that you have delivered her, I will take her out of your hands.” Dalton shot back, hands tightening into fists at his side.Lykoan’s arm went around my shoulder. He shrugged and muttered, “That won’t be necessary.”“Listen,” Dalton’s expression grew murderous. “I don’t care which Volkes you are. You’re not the Alpha of Volkecrest Krowns. That makes your inferior stance quite irrelevant, so take your reward and leave.”He grabbed the black briefcase from Chase’s hand and flung it onto our table. The glasses tipped over, liquid spilled on the tablecloth. Silverware and plates sailed through the air, smashing to the floor. A deep chasm of worry opened
NIA’S POVShellshocked, Ramona froze, blinking once, then twice.“Let’s not air out family business here,” Haynes replied with a sheepish smile, trying to de-escalate the situation he aggravated. “All this nonsense is ruining the evening.”“She’s the one disrupting the harmonious environment,” Ramonda grumbled, dipping her chin. “Offer her the money and she’ll take it. A low class like her is nothing but a woman digging for gold from a sugar daddy. A mutt trying to cash out.” Then her expression dulled, offering a regretful look when she lifted her head, her voice softened sympathetically. “You’ve endured so much already. Maybe you need more time in seclusion. I’m just helping you to keep bad she-wolves away from you.”Gritting my teeth, I laughed bitterly. “It's odd how you know to penalize other people for things you don't have concrete proof of, but disregard it when it comes to your father's obvious theft, your mate's flagrant attempted murder, and the most famous one,” I paused a
NIA’S POVOn impulse, I placed my hand on Lykoan’s thigh, gently patting him. In response, he put an arm around my chair to draw me close until the chairs bumped. Immediately palming my face, he rested his forehead on mine, taking large whiffs of my scent. Lilac eyes locked mine in a fierce, consuming gaze.“I’m not his anymore. He can never have me again,” I whispered some assurance. My words were nothing but the truth, and I gave him a coy wink as my hands coasted up his chest to rest on his broad shoulders. “You have me.”That eased the growing tension in Lykoan, whose features relaxed. It was as though the rest of the universe had faded away, leaving just the two of us gently in the quiet.“Mine.” The deep raspy rumble from his chest lured out ripples of shudders from my core as his nose brushed against the rim of mine.My fingers comb through the ends of his hair, curling the soft strands around my fingertips.“That’s right. Breathe slow and steady,” I cooed, stroking his cheeks,
NIA’S POVLycans.“Alpha General, have you been well? I'm glad that you're done convalescing and could make it to Evangeline’s big day. If I had known you were coming, Ramonda and I would have paid our respects sooner.” The man in his forties with the dark balbo beard greeted with a crooked smile. “I’m Haynes Volkes, by the way.”Lykoan’s smile dropped, and a displeasing shadow passed over his face. He leaned back in his seat and straightened his back as he pinned the man with an icy stare.Haynes extended his arm across the table for a handshake.A stony indifference set in Lykoan's features. He maintained hostile eye contact with Haynes, showing no appreciation for the salutation.“Am I the only one at this table, Haynes?” Lykoan reprimanded in an offended tone, sipping his drink.“Um. No.” Haynes’ aubergine eyes reluctantly swept to me and quickly back on Lykoan as he retracted his hand. He opened his mouth, but the pregnant woman sitting beside him rushed to interject.“Words are f
NIA’S POV“Is there something fascinating at that table, Nia?” Lykoan’s jealous voice drew my attention to him. His eyes were demanding and possessive as his hand reached across the table for mine. “Is there space in your mind for me?”“It is a bit funny,” I admitted, chuckling lowly, “It's like they are having their own isekai plot, and we are the side characters in this drama.”“Side characters?” Lykoan scoffed, and I did not miss the brief flicker of amusement that passed across his face when he lifted my hand and softly kissed my knuckles.He did not want my eyes wandering to my ex, even though he knew this wasn't some incredible, romantic reunion. But I’ve mentally checked out of that old fling. Dalton was not on my bingo card anymore.Then he removed his hand to pick up my wine glass, handing it to me. “In their small world, it’s quite clear that the fuss is over you.” Holding my gaze, he flashed that million-dollar smile. “Sultan’s Starr will always be my shining star. No one ca
NIA'S POV“If we must.” I nodded hesitantly.Lykoan helped me down from the vanity and I linked my arm through his.My nerves wound tighter as we left the room, going into the elevator to head down to the ballroom. It dinged, opening up to the elaborate lobby. We take the left and walk down the hallway on a lavish gray carpet.My wolf knew we would see Dalton again tonight, that we would see the male who rejected us. The one who didn't care to save our baby. The same man who made us rogue. The instigator of my downhill life.A part of Starr loathed him. Once again, he has declared to the world that he never intended for me to be his Luna. Only to be used until I was no longer useful. My disdain for him churned.On the other hand, tonight was mine and Lykoan's first debut as a couple. It was also my first time attending such a grand function. My first time going in public with my arm looped around a man's own. A man who proudly owned me. A man who walked along my side, with his head hi
NIA’S POVIn awestruck wonder, I gasped. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes overlooked the two pairs of gold earrings to gawk at— “My jade triskelion.”Blinking my shock away, I reached inside the box and snatched my triskelion, running my fingers over the shiny surface. After noticing the slender gold chain necklace attached to it, I realized that the jade was too big for a pendant. It was practically the size of my hand.Looking up at Lykoan, I gaped at him accusingly. I wondered when he removed it from my room. Going into my personal belongings and taking out my stuff was an invasion of privacy. Was he searching for the Weloganite stones? Either way, he should have asked.“You had no right to take my triskelion. This is dear to me.” Bemused, I narrowed my eyes, searching his. “How could you?”Part of me feared what he had to say. Upsetting thoughts rolled around in my head, sowing seeds of doubt where there had once been burgeoning hope and intrigue. It was self-preservation—a defe
NIA’S POV-Not even flinching, I sucked in a calming breath. Thinking quickly with the slyest smile, I beamed, “One of your favorites.”He halted his strides to swerve a dangerous look to the girls. “Which one of you told her that?”Panic flashed in Tameka’s and Kourtney’s eyes. Their bodies went into seizure mode, shaking their heads vigorously because they had nothing to do with it.“Lucidora,” Lykoan muttered in realization, cursing silently. He returned his stormy eyes to me, resuming his steps. “Then wear it only for me. You are not leaving here looking like you’re up for grabs. Please change into something more conservative.”I tried not to roll my eyes.“We are going to, um…” Kourtney trailed off, moving sideways towards the door with a firm grip on Tameka, dragging her along.The girls scurried out of the room to avoid his wrath, leaving me alone with this puffing beast. Kourtney made sure to close the door behind them.When I did not move, Lykoan’s patience wore thin. Stoppin