"Aluxious, I want to talk to you." Freya stopped him when he was about to exit the dining hall. He was still smiling as he stole looks at his charming mate. His little fireball surprised everyone at every turn.
His features turned to stone when he turned to address Freya. He had a soft spot for her. Because she wasn't only his friend, but he grew to like her more than that with time.
But things have changed and he now had a mate. When Freya walked to greet him that morning he too greeted her. He was being polite and careful not to hurt her any more than he did already, but she pushed the boundaries too far when she took the chair beside him that morning. He allowed it before because he promised a mating.
He was at fault. But that didn't mean he would let his mate down. Reyna didn't deserve that. While the need to do the right thing for both females tore him, he was also an alpha first.
Freya not only broke the rules, but also refused to leave the seat
Reyna lounged in the open balcony of the bedchamber. With her mate's third-in-command watching over her, no one dared approach her. She gazed into the distance admiring the setting sun. The skies of Selene held a golden tinge that in the evening. The floating clouds simmered creating a magical moment. Her mate left her earlier to handle a few things. She cradled her stomach as she leaned on the couch. Danger surrounded her. Unlike her kingdom, she didn't know the demons lurking around. That made her nervous jittery. A familiar sensation tugged at her heart. She knew immediately her mother was trying to reach her. Relief flooded her knowing her mother still breathed. She closed her eyes and regulated her breathing as she reached out to the invisible string pulling at her. Her conscious spiraled the moment she touched the string. The next time she opened her eyes was to see her mother waiting at the riverbank. This time the sun shone brightly at
Daryn didn’t like what he witnessed. Freya convulsed. Her fingers scratched the table and her nails dug into the wood. Claws embedded into the wood, leaving a deep trail. Deep claw marks appeared on her body. Her blood dripped on the floor. He stepped forward. “No.” The elf placed a hand on his chest pushing him back. “You touch her and you both will get lost in the oblivion.” “She’s dying!” “Every time one visits the past, they cross the boundary they must never cross. She must face the consequences.” “You should have denied her request. Or spurted some shit about the future and sent her away.” The elf quirked her brows. “That’s not my job. You must know I don’t care for the mutts. I care for what you pay. Daryn snarled and lunged for her. The elf moved so fast that his trained eyes missed her and he crashed into the wall. He recovered soon and turned to face her. “You’ll pay for this.” Freya bled from her nose, mouth,
Aluxious sat in the armchair that overlooked the king-sized bed in his chamber. In the bed, his mortal body lay curled around his mate. He gazed down at his corporeal form. He could wander anywhere and no one will know. Thanks to his beloved mate. Her blood made him stronger and nearly invincible. Despite Reyna's assurance, he didn't trust anyone to keep them safe. So, ever since they came here he guarded their mortal bodies in this form. A sigh slithered past his lips as he reclined further in the chair and stared at the ceiling. His gaze swung back to the balcony when something moved in his peripheral vision. Aluxious relaxed when he noticed it was just the wind. A soft, feminine moan drew a smile from his lips. Even in her sleep, his mate reached for him, snuggling into his body as much as possible. A sigh of contentment left her once she settled. Never in his nine lives did he think he would mate a vampire. But as surreal as the moment felt, he re
Freya stumbled on her feet. Her head reeled from the recent time travel. Nausea rolled her stomach. Aluxious' pain-filled screams still echoed in her mind. She flinched every time his bone cracked and realigned as he shifted for the first time. First shifts were always painful, but shifting at a tender age of six, he died thrice and came back. His heart had stopped and his screams wrenched her gut. Freya always thought Aluxious was closed off. He never showed his real emotions outward and it took a while for him to warm up to her. Even when they started the relationship it was always her, who initiated the kiss or any intimate action. He proclaimed his love for her only before leaving for Barrmount. She held her stomach and leaned on the nearest tree for support as she looked around as nausea subsided. The missed the recent enhancements. The pack members surrounded their training yard. An elder wearing a red loincloth and an animal fur robe marched in
They attacked in the darkest hour of the night. A blade sliced through the curtains. The swish sound woke the sleeping beast. Or rather it woke the beast pretending to be asleep. Aluxious caught the blade between his thumb and index finger. The poison burned his skin. He swallowed the pain and sent the blade in the same direction, catching the assassin off guard. Beside him, Reyna stirred. He patted her arm and she relaxed. More assassins poured in as they saw him awake. Swords glinted in the distant moonlight that slipped through the gap between the curtains. The cold wind blew through the now open balcony doors. Aluxious slipped out of the bed. One assassin lunged at him with his sword outstretched. The lycan king dodged the pointy edge and grabbed his arm. He twisted the arm, breaking bones with a crunching sound. The alpha caught the sword before it fell on the floor. He lifted a finger to his lips, silencing the others. He snapped his neck as the
Chaos. Growls. Murmurs. Aluxious slumped in his throne as the ministers furiously debated the issue. They had rushed to the castle when they learned about his return. They demanded an audience with him, which he had postponed since he expected this long since he mated with their mortal enemy. They had barely kept it to themselves during the feast. “The mark must have stayed and the king might be willing to fight an entire army, but we can never accept her as our queen,” one minister stated. The hall quieted down to listen to him. Many agreed with him while the others still raged. If their reddened faces and fisted hands weren’t enough, the telepathic bond he shared with the pack radiated their fury. The imperial guards surrounded him, ready to take action if someone acted on their anger. “Calm down, gentlemen,” the youngest in the court tried to pacify the others. Aluxious recognized the wise minister as Vanluren. At 23-winters-old, he
"What's this place?" Reyna asked as they descended the ancient stone stairs. Her head reeled as its never-ending spiral took them several feet under the ground. "This is a secret chamber that belonged to my ancestors. Only the firstborn of the alphas has ever been here." Reyna coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. Dust and cobwebs surrounded the place. She held him for support to avoid the dusty railings. Their feet made no noise as they continued. Darkness shrouded the place in its thick blanket. "This is where my father, his father, and his forefathers kept note of their life. In their time, wars were waged often." Aluxious stopped when she paused to take a breather. "They often didn't meet their offspring and most of the time died in the war. So they used this place to record their memories and pass their teachings to their younger ones." Reyna covered her nose with her flowing sleeves. "Why are we here?" "The answers to our questi
The shadow hovered above the altar. "I'm not against love. Now don't take me wrong. But who you fall in love with is very important." Aluxious' father sighed. "Falling for a wrong person can destroy everything for you." There was a short pause. The smoke moved again, this time facing away. "The woman, I fell in love with was a Fae. I was only sixteen when I met her in the woods right outside the Selene border. She was exquisite, an exotic beauty with green eyes and long curly hair. But...she was also my enemy." Aluxious's hand tightened around hers. "The fae were treacherous, cunning, and manipulative. I didn't know at that time it was a trap. The beast in me saw an enemy, but the human side saw a wounded and helpless female. I should have left her and gone my way." He exhaled again. "My sixteen-year self was bewitched by her beauty. Her tears forced my feet to move her way." Another chuckle slipped out as if laughing at his own sillin
Aluxious found Healer Moon in the clearing by the invisible border that connected Selene and Stobia. He stood tall with his troops behind him, most of them hidden from the view. But the alpha could sense them, hear their heartbeats and smell their different scents that molded with nature. The dark cloak he usually wore framed his broad frame and the hood covered his face. “Ah, here you are. Right on time, Brother. I thought you’d make me wait,” the alpha’s voice stressed on the word brother as he advanced. He was alone. Daryn and his trusted warriors lurked around. His blood boiled with fury and the beast within raised its hackles at the sight of his enemy. “Aluxious…” Orien growled, his voice deep and gravelly, unlike the usual voice he used as a healer. “I want to say it’s a pleasure, but it’s not. I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long.” “No, you’re not,” Aluxious scoffed. “You tried to discard me without getting your hands dirty. And I’m not even
They came at night, just like they came for his uncle and the others. Moonlight filtered through soft white curtains in the corridors, drowning everything in a silver glow. Three silhouettes advanced swiftly, their movements only a blur to mortal eyes. Their poisoned blades slit the throats of unsuspecting guards, leaving lifeless bodies in their wake. When they approached the royal chambers, one of them paused and lifted a hand before approaching the door. To their surprise, the door was slightly ajar no movements coming from the inside. The assassin in the front motioned his hands in a positive gesture as he pushed the door wide with little to no noise. His eyes found his target sound asleep on the bed. The alpha’s chest barely moved, his steady beat of heart the only sound in the entire chamber as they approached. His dark hair fanned out on the white pillows and silk sheets pooled around his waist. The assassin lifted his blade, getting ready to deliver t
“Let me guess, the old goats would rather let the bloodshed happen than doing anything to stop it.” Selene huffed, folding her hands across her chest as she glared at the fellow goddess of nature, Gaia, her only friend and confidante. “It’s worse. They want the war to happen.” Gaia cursed under her breath. Another war like that would wipe the races. And who knows how many years it would last. The lycans were outnumbered and at its weakest phase with majority of their females pregnant. The vampires might join the war now that Reyna was the queen, but they never got along with the lycans enough to fight together. So it would only lead to more bloodshed and force them to turn against each other. As for the elves, they currently held the upper hand in numbers, but they were no match to the lycans in strength. No matter how much she tried, the outcome wasn’t in their favor. The lycans will lose. Even if Aluxious managed to defeat Orien, the war would consume
Reyna couldn’t have been happier than she was as she sunk into her mother’s embrace. “I missed you,” Reyna sniffled. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her mother until she saw her in person. The last time they met wasn’t under good circumstances and she was busy fighting her father. The moment her mother walked into the room, she had attached herself to her like a koala. “I’m glad you’re here.” “Me too, sweetie.” Her mother rubbed her back fondly. Reyna relaxed more, the pent-up tension and worries ebbing away at the tender touch. A mother’s touch had the power of healing like no other. “I know you wanted me in Barrmount, but Saber told me to trust him and come to you. I’m glad I listened.” Reyna nuzzled her mother’s neck, inhaling the calming scent. “I owe him,” she mumbled. “It’s good to have someone I can trust when I’m most vulnerable.” She released her mother and led her to the bed, making her sit before occupying the spot beside her. “I was starti
“Once more.” Aluxious flexed his arms as he beckoned Daryn. They spared with each other just like the old times. His beta avoided his punches with a smirk. “You’ve gotten stronger.” Daryn barely avoided his fist aimed for his jaw. “Your reflexes are on next level.” He beamed as he blocked his kick. “You’ve gotten slower,” the alpha teased. Daryn scoffed. “That’s unfair, my friend. You’ve always been at advantage as an alpha.” “Guilty.” Aluxious shrugged with a smile now stretching his lips. The bright sky lightened his mood and the fresh breeze refreshed his beast. He enjoyed teasing his best friend since childhood. Sweat coated Daryn’s dark skin, but the beta matched his stamina even though they were at it for the past hour. He stopped after a few more minutes and dropped to the ground. The peak had always been their favorite place. A safety haven away from all the politics. It offered a beautiful view of Selene and it was also a plac
“Useless Nymph!” Freya simmered with fury. “You can’t even bring yourself to finish a simple task.” Flora’s thin lips trembled. Her rosy eyes, wide and full of tears stared at the furious lycan as she huddled in the corner where she was thrown earlier. She dared not to avert the gaze to check her aching shoulder. Her breath came out in pants as she curled her five-inch frame appearing smaller. “Please… Appease your anger, Your Majesty.” Her shaky voice was barely audible above the growls resonating across the room. She squeaked when Freya lifted her and carelessly tossed her across the room. “I want to kill you,” she hissed. “But killing a little thing like you would bruise my ego. You worthless piece of shit!” Flora covered her mouth, afraid her sobs would attract more beatings. She tried to get up, but fell down. Someone pulled her away. Cradled in a warm embrace, she let her tears fall. The hands that carried her dropped her softly on a flowerbed.
Selene has changed a lot over the past couple of weeks. The land once was so dry now grew greener and became more fertile. He was no fool. Micah might be young, but his mother taught him well. The books he borrowed from the library had given him enough insight to sight the changes of this land. He limped to the garden. Flora usually came early in the morning when the flowers bloomed. He saw the pink streaks in the sky, grinning to himself. She should be here. Did she realize that she missed the most important thing? Soon, he found her in the very spot she missed the parchment. Seeing her, lifted his spirits considerably. “Are you looking for this?” Micah waved the tiny parchment in the air, noticing the flower nymph who flew frantically all over the garden. She crashed into a plant at the sound of his radiant voice and sat with a groan. Her eyes rolled to the back before she shook her head and stood, gently swaying to her sides. “Where did you find that?”
The lycan castle of Selene stood tall with the Selene peak in the background. The afternoon sun scorched his skin. Moon pulled the hood over his face, his calculative gaze accessing every citizen that walked past him. Some acknowledged him with a curt nod and moved away from his path, the others didn’t bother. The village bustled with everyday activities. Women chattered eagerly with their neighbors. The words queen, curse, and pregnancy resonated in his ears. A group of men gathered to play some stupid board game with a drink in their hand. The castle had no fortress-like Stobia or Barrmount. Villages and farms surrounded the castle. They had a village square, where people accumulated to sell their goods. He expected Aluxious to erect a wall around Selene when he ascended the throne, however, the lycan showed no interest in it. Perhaps, it was because they were wild beasts themselves. They needed no protection from the ones that lived the forest like the oth
“Healer Moon, where have you been all week?” The healer’s lips lifted forming a half-smile as he gazed at his trainee, the young omega who turned seventeen this summer. The juvenile male, Leo was full of energy and too wise for someone at his age. “Do you know every mated female in the kingdom went into heat all of a sudden?” Leo continued as Moon dropped the satchel on the floor beside his workstation. Without further word, he continued to spill the contents of the satchel that was filled with rare herbs. He knew Leo won’t stop until he finished what he wanted to say. “Healer Enna worked all night to concoct the potion that helps the juveniles to stay level headed. It was chaos. Even the alpha was out here, guarding the village with the unmated males.” Moon continued to categorize the herbs. Leo chattered excitedly as he brought over the appropriate empty bottles and storage containers. He sat cross-legged on the floor and leaned closer. “Do