/-RAVEN-/ “Mate!”The words escaped my mouth before I realized what I'd said. My wolf growled within me, excited, as the minty scent intoxicated me. No! No! No! This can't be real. There had to be a mix-up. The moon goddess couldn't possibly do this to me. It has to be a trick! Here I was, on top of my father's rival, hands clutched around a silver blade, raised in the air to gut him in the glory of our pack, the Bloodfang Tribe… But somehow he was my mate?My hands trembled as those silver eyes fluttered open.I had barely recovered from the shock when he flipped me over, trapping me underneath him. A dark smirk played on his lips, “Hello, little mate.” My body tensed at the electrifying contact. I could easily have performed a thousand counter moves to get back on top but my brain and my body betrayed me. He knocked the knife off my hands, pinning my hands above my head. “Lady Ariella of HallowClave or perhaps you prefer Raven Ampleton, Alpha princess of the Bloodfang Tribe
/-ALPHA DECLAN-/I woke up feeling like a king, or rather, an alpha. The memories of the previous night's encounter with Raven flooded my mind, and I couldn't help but grin. That woman was something. I'd had my fair share of crazy but Raven was different. Thought of her occupied my mind. After a refreshing shower, I made my way to Raven's cell, curious about her morning mood. She was ready to gut me last night. Who knows maybe she'll be willing to have tea this morning. As I approached, her angry voice echoed through the corridor."Let me out of here, you beast! I'll never submit to you!"That's a no to the tea then, I thought grinning.I chuckled, anticipating the sparks that would fly between us. The attraction we shared was the realest thing I've felt in a long time. "Good morning, sweetheart," I said, leaning against the cell door.Raven's eyes blazed with fury. "Don't call me that!""Ah, but it suits you perfectly," I teased, admiring her tangled hair and sleep-creased face. The
/-RAVEN-/I paced the back and forth in the cold cell, my mind racing with escape plans. Every plan I could think of had a blind spot that would definitely get my ass caught. I needed something extreme. As time went by, it was starting to feel like I'd been locked there forever. The guards' silence was deafening. I could hear them and smell them so I knew they were there. I'd asked them repeatedly about the letter, but they just ignored me."Any update on the letter?" I asked again, trying to keep my voice from showing my frustration.The guard, a big man with enough beard to make Santa Claus envious, grunted. "No questions. Just eat your food."I glared at the stale bread and watery soup. My stomach growled, but I refused to touch it. If they wanted to kill me, then a sword through the heart would have been preferable, not food poisoning. I refused to die shitting out my guts. Just as I was about to ask again, a hissing sound echoed outside the cell, followed by multiple thuds whic
/-RAVEN-/I paced my cell, convinced Declan was lying. Eric would never betray me like that. Never. Eric was the most incredible man I've ever met. He was noble and trustworthy. This kind of behaviour was beneath him. Determined, I scribbled another letter, pouring my heart onto the page. Declan must have torn up the first letter out of spite and had his people draw up the fake wedding invitation. He could have convinced me with the Ampleton seal but any moron could forge that with the right tools. "My dearest Eric,I'm trapped, but my love for you remains unshaken. There are some nasty rumours—never mind about that. I'll escape, and we'll reunite soon.Yours always,Raven"As I finished writing, Declan walked in with a smirk on his face. He eyed me then his eyes shifted to the letter. His expression changed but the annoying smirk stayed in place. "Another love letter?" he teased. “Who knew you were such a romantic?" I glared angrily at him. "Just take it." My eyes grew vicious as
-RAVEN-As Eric Ampleton often warned, my pride would inevitably lead to my ruin. Declan wasn't someone to be trifled with. Behind all that charisma and pleasant smiles lurked a ruthless, cold-hearted man.And here I was, practically serving myself up on a silver platter. My gaze shifted to the towering man in front of me.If I wasn’t shackled, I could have easily taken him down with something as small as a penknife. Though, his axe seemed designed for someone far beyond average.“So…” I attempted to break the silence. “Do I get to deliver a solitary speech, or are you just going to lop off my head?”There was a brief flash of amusement in his eyes, though curiosity was more dominant.“It’s not too late to reconsider,” his rough voice exuded such overwhelming masculinity that I momentarily questioned my decision.He had promised a quick, painless end, but was it really worth it?Without warning, he lifted the axe, and I flinched. Dying hadn’t seemed all that terrifying until this very
/-Raven-/On arrival at the slave chambers, I was met with three other women. I was tempted to walk back outside and ask Tiny Tim if they were all Declan's slaves, but I remained rooted to the spot. The hostile gazes they cast at me were already a huge clue pointing to the fact that they didn't want me here. Good thing, because I didn't want to be here either."That's her?" The blonde in a silky white dress asked."Definitely. Lisa said she had full, messy red hair and calculating green eyes," the brunette responded like I wasn't in the same room with them. The one with dark hair walked to me."I'm Othelia, nice of you to join us," she introduced warmly. I made to take her hand but she retracted it. "I'm sorry, I got tired," she smiled and the others giggled. My eyes narrowed at them. I wasn't here to play their childish games. "What's your name?""Raven," the blonde responded on my behalf. "Haven't you heard of her? The dreaded wolf assassin. The one who men fear across kingdoms."
/-Raven-/I sat in the garden, staring at the dark starless skies. The moon was nowhere to be found. Just plain cold darkness, like my sad miserable life. All my life, I have been caged. Lived by the rules and did all I was told. I trained hard and sought Ampleton's approval in everything, and this is what I got.I shut my eyes, fighting the tears that were stinging my eyes. ‘Have you seen her skin? As rough as a man's!’ Eric's words replayed in my head. I lifted my arms and the palace lights flashed on it. He was right. There were scars all over it, but only one of them stood out. I could still remember that day like it was yesterday. Eight-year-old me, frightened to the bones as he ordered me to jump.Flashback“Please don't kill me… I didn't do it, I swear,” I sobbed, trembling like a leaf before the huge men before me. Their expressions were stern and cruel. Besides them stood the scowling woman, hands on her hips as she glared at me. “You little shit! Are you calling me a li
/-Raven-/“No! No! Let go of me you assholes! I'll fucking kill you!” I growled, struggling against them. Lisa knew how to play the cards. She knew a guard or two wouldn't be able to stop me so she brought five of them. We got outside the palace and they shoved me to the ground. A big mistake on their part. It would have been easier for them to do whatever they wanted if they had me in their grip. Now, they just fucked up. I stood slowly, clenching my fists as I took in all their movements. “What are you waiting for? Seize her!” Lisa yelled and they came closer. In one swift motion, I kicked the sand in their faces, momentarily blinding two of them. I lunged forward, elbowing one in the git and twisting another's arm behind his back.For a moment I felt a flash of satisfaction. I'd rather die than let those bastards strip me. “What are you morons doing? Hold her down!” Lisa yelled in panic as more guards scrambled to suppress me. “Don't go for her one at a time, you fools. Gr
/-Declan-/Raven will fucking murder me. She would feel it through the mate bond and the pain… she won't be able to handle it. I couldn't do that to her. But before I could pull away from Hannah, Rolfe forcefully took over, pushing my member deep into Hannah's mouth. I tried to take over but he blocked me off. Stop it, Rolfe. We can't take her. It will hurt Raven!‘So what? How many times do I have to spell it that we don't need her? Raven is too broken for you. Relax and enjoy this. Can't you feel the pleasure…’ he shot back. I hated every second of it, so I fought back. Apparently, the struggle was in Hannah's favour because thrusting in and out of her mouth became easier, with Rolfe fisting her hair and letting out small grunts. I knew it was only a matter of time before Raven would burst in and she wouldn't forgive me this. Rolfe…‘Do you want to return to the dark, Declan? If not, keep shut and let me enjoy this. The more you struggle, the harder it becomes to keep you h
/-Declan-/“What happened to her?” I demanded.“We don't know, Alpha. We found her and the guards like this in their cell this morning,” the prison guard informed me. Othelia and the guards lay before me, eyes wide, tongues stuck out like they were epileptic. They couldn't move any parts of their bodies or even talk. The sight was very disturbing.“What about Lisa?” I asked him. “We found her cell open so we assume she must have escaped. However, I highly doubt she was the one who did this to them. Whoever helped her escape must have done this,” the guard said. He was right but who could have done it?“Do you have any leads on who could have done this?” I asked him. “Whoever did it must have been close to Lisa. Possibly the second person who aided her in stealing the safe. Either that or it could be…” he stopped talking as if he knew his next words would anger me. “Or who?” I insisted. “Commander Tim,” he muttered and I shot him a thick glare. “I don't mean to get you upset, yo
/-Lisa-/“No! No! No!” I yelled, slamming my palms against the iron bars of the cell. “You have to let me out of here! I am innocent! I didn't do anything!” Yet the stupid guards still walked away ignoring my pleas. I groaned inwardly and cussed.Why couldn't that stupid guard just take the blame for me? I mean, he tried to, but of course, the Alpha didn't believe him, and that stupid assassin just had to stand up for him, didn't she?I let out another curse. What on earth even made me agree to take that safe? I should have left it hidden where it was, at least no one saw it then. “Looks like you're finally where you belong,” I heard Othelia's words. She was in the cell next to me, thanks to her stupid luck. Otherwise, I would have bashed her head against the bars for daring to speak to me that way. “Where I belong? You were the one who let yourself get caught on camera. They just found a stone on me with no other use but marriage. You took the royal emblem, and I assure you that b
/-Raven-/I found myself melting away in his arms as his lips moulded with mine. He wasn't rough or demanding. It was a slow, compelling kiss, luring me with its soft deliciousness to accept it. My wide eyes slowly fluttered shut as I dropped my defences, allowing him to explore my mouth. The erratic beating of my heart, the nervous fisting of his shirt, the churn in my stomach, told me that there was no coming back from this. He pushed in further and our tongues glided against each other. A small moan fell from my lips as his hands made it up to my neck while the other steadied on my waist to prevent me from escaping. “Declan…” I protested in between the kiss.“Don't think about it, princess. Go with the flow,” he whispered harshly against my lip as I tried to pull away. Go with the flow…How could I when my body was betraying me like this? When did this feel so wrong yet right at the same time?Wasn’t I repeating the same mistake with Eric? I mean, if I couldn't get him to love
/-Raven-/“What do you mean by you took it?” Declan's surprise was plastered on his face. The poor man didn't know what was going on. I wasn't even sure he would believe it if I told him unless Tim opened up. “I… I know how much Lisa likes the idea of being Luna, even though she can't. I just thought if I got her the stone, it would make her feel better,” Tim went on. “Do you think I'm stupid, Tim? Do I look like a fool to you?” There was an underlying irritation in his voice. “You are twice the size of every person in the pack and you think I wouldn't have immediately recognised you from the footage?”Lisa's panicked expression caught my attention. She knew things were going to go sideways faster than she anticipated. Tim stuttered, unsure of what to say. “He didn't do it himself,” Lisa cut in. “Yes, that's right. I got two of the maids to do it for me,” Tim answered. “Really?” Declan's brows furrowed. “What are their names? I'll send a guard to fetch them.”Tim glanced at Lis
/-Raven-/“Oops! Trouble in paradise?” I snorted, watching the heated glares pass from Declan to me. “I just wanted to tell you that you're a shit caregiver. My arm feels like I lifted a building.”Declan gave me a look and I threw him a sweet smile. I knew what I was doing, of course, and I enjoyed every bit of it. “What happened to your arm?” Hannah's deviation spun me. I didn't peg her as someone who cared if I was trapped in a burning building. “Well… a chandelier came crashing on me,” I told her. “I see you didn't die. Quite fortunate,” she drawled, a sinister look crossing her eyes. “or maybe you did it so you could get in his bed.”My mouth went agape. What kind of psychopath did she perceive me to be? Why would I set myself up for death just to get attention?“I'm sorry, what?” I sat up properly.“You heard me. You could have completely left the way if it was indeed crashing but you just had to let it injure you, huh? Just so Declan would take care of you,” Hannah spat. I
/-Asiah-/“What news do you bring?” I asked.“He is Alpha Declan of the IronClaw pack, Your Highness. Breaking in is not an option for us,” Tarius, my commander said. “Lucky for, one of our own is already living amongst them. Not just anywhere, but in the palace.”That immediately caught my interest. “A dragon blood is within the walls of IronClaw?” I asked. “Yes, Your Highness. Although she is not a pure breed, she is one of us, nonetheless,” he answered. I frowned. “Hybrid?”“Yes.”My frown deepened further. “How do we know she is not working for them?”“After we discovered who he was, we sent spies into the pack at night to report everything to us. Information reaching us is that she stole the Luna Eclipse stone from Alpha Declan using the form of another,” he said. “I don't understand,” My impatience was overflowing with confusion. “Is she a shapeshifter? And how does this information benefit us?”“She is your majesty. It benefits us because she wants to be Luna and Raven's pr
/-Raven-/“What happened to you?” Declan asked. It was weird and almost adorable to see that he came to me immediately he felt something was wrong. I wasn't sure if he was aware of the mark yet but his presence here brought me some form of comfort. “A chandelier crashed next to me. I guess it was aiming to hit me, but I just missed. Tough luck,” I smirked but he frowned.“Does this look like a joke to you? Have you seen your arm?” The seriousness in his tone was new. This had to be the first time since I met him that he was serious about something involving me. He picked the arm carefully as if it were a gem and examined the bandaged wound as he sat next to me. “The doctor said the cut was very deep and could get infected very easily if not carefully treated. I understand you are wolfless, but can you not at least heal?” He asked. His voice held nothing of the mockery I was used to when someone talked about me not having a wolf. If anything, it was genuinely concerned and my stu
/-Raven-/“What if she's innocent?” I whispered to Francesca. “You're suggesting that the CCTV is lying?” She asked me with furrowed brows. Right, it didn't make sense when she put it like that. “I just have this nagging feeling that she is innocent. Did you see her eyes? I can boldly say that she had nothing to this,” I said. “You better not say it out loud before this people without evidence,” she whispered harshly. “let's leave it to the Elders and mind our business.” “I guess you're right,” I sighed. But if she was indeed innocent, it would be really sad. “What do you think they will do to her now?” “She is still denying it so they will probably torture the truth out of her. Either way, the truth will come out , whether she likes it or not,” Francesca shrugged.“Can we go back to the library now?” She asked. It was surprising how casual and unbothered she was about Othelia's arrest. They had been staying together long before I came here and even if they didn't like each oth