KAANI had a sense of déjà vu as I walked the corridors of Aurumville castle, surrounded by Alpha Khaos's guards, and this feeling had a rather bitter taste. Back then, I had just been defeated by Alpha Khaos. He had wounded me and put me in shackles. This time should have felt different, but it didn't. I had merely created a better mask to cover my true disdain and hatred toward the so-called Alpha King. Every inch of this place was rightfully mine, and the sole fact I could smell my father's killer as I walked through those corridors filled my blood with raw fury.The Aurumville castle used to be my home. A magnificent and powerful edifice had been raised on the Shadow Cliffs. One side of the castle overlooked the Shadow Mountain Pack's capital, while the other was a stone wall that went three dozen feet down, falling into the wild currents of the Tenebris River. This place had been thought to be an unpenetrable fortress. A place worthy of an Alpha King—just not the usurper who curr
ASENAI could barely breathe as I staggered inside the throne room. With nothing but a thin nightgown on, my body was frozen to the bone, but it was the stare of the so-called king that caused me to rattle. His fiery eyes, the wickedness darkening his features, and the venomous aura around him—it all made me struggle to resist a flinch.I wanted to stay strong. I wanted to show them how fierce I was. I was going to face whatever this dreadful man had planned for me with my chin held high, but as a powerful surge of emotions traveled through the bond, my head snapped toward my mate.I looked into his beautiful, dark eyes and saw fear. My insides twisted. Goddess… They were going to torture me and force him to watch. They would use me against him. Panic exploded faster than I could draw another breath.Kaan lurched toward me. “Let her go!” he thundered, his voice soaked in rage. He pushed through the guards surrounding him, slitting the throats of the two nearest before storming forward
KAANThe venom corrupting my blood nearly took away my senses, but I would have conquered it. I had to. I would have done it for her. Yet she decided differently. She decided to sacrifice herself… for me.The golden thread glimmered in front of my eyes. It traveled from my heart to hers. It was beautiful and strong, just like my mate… until it snapped and disappeared.I stared into Asena's blue eyes in agonizing disbelief. I had never heard words more painful than her rejection. Panic erupted, violently traveling through every piece of me. I shook my head, or at least I thought I did. I refused to accept her decision. My mouth opened, releasing a nearly soundless gnarl, “Why?!”Her bottom lip trembled as she whispered, “You are stronger, and I… was bound to die—” Her voice cut off with a painful croak. A powerful shudder coursed through her body, causing her to fall to the floor again. Dread locked me in its clutches as the pain I had taken was now returning to Asena.“No! You can't!
ASENA‘Wake up!’An unknown female voice came like a storm, rattling my body. I didn't want to submit to the harsh command. I wanted to sleep. I needed to keep my eyes closed. I knew what would happen as soon as I opened them.‘Wake up, Asena!’The voice was relentless, tormenting me even now after all that suffering. I didn't want to feel the pain. I begged the voice to leave me alone, but its power only grew.‘Open your eyes! Now!’‘It will hurt if I do. Please, don't make me suffer again…’‘Would you rather die?’Would I? A deeper, other than physical, kind of pain resurfaced—heartache, an excruciating kind of longing. Love. My mate. Kaan. I was ready to die for him, but given a chance to live, how could I refuse?‘I want to… live.’‘Good.’ Pleased with my answer, the voice softened. ‘She thinks you're worthy.’‘She?’‘Your wolf spirit,’ the voice said, the sound laced with a breathy chuckle. ‘She can heal you, but you need to shift. Do it as soon as you open your eyes.’‘I don't k
I needed to focus. I had to remain calm. None of those warriors could have recognized me in my wolf form. Hell, I wouldn't have recognized myself in this form. They knew me as a shadow wolf, an Omega—a currently dead Omega. They had no reason to find me suspicious… Unfortunately, the tips of their swords pointed at me claimed otherwise.“Show your mortal form,” the one closest to me commanded.Well, shit. So much for remaining unrecognizable. Resisting the urge to bare my teeth, I stepped back.A smug grin curved the man's lips. “What's the matter? Are you too shy to show us your body?”Icy laughter pierced the air as all the warriors advanced at me. Bastards. They didn't care who I was or why I was by the Tenebris River. It was my naked body they wanted.“Don't make us force you to shift,” another one warned. “No one without the Alpha King's permission is allowed to enter this area. You're trespassing, and as Alpha Khaos's warriors, we have the right to serve the punishment of our ch
KAANA Few Hours EarlierThe savage currents tossed my body for thousands of frantically drawn breaths before I was thrown closer to the shore. No doubt that my mortal flesh wouldn't have survived the wild ride courtesy of the Tenebris River. Fortunately, my wolf's strong body withstood the vicious flow… most of the time.My claws stabbed the half-decayed wood of the fallen trunk as I worked my way out of the water. Exhaustion hit me as soon as I dragged myself onto the rocks. I would have gladly spent the next few hours lying on that shore, waiting for my body to heal, but I had no such luck. I knew that Khaos's warriors were probably already looking for me, and I wouldn't be surprised if Acyn sent his men as well.Groaning in pain, I rose to my paws and started moving along the rocky shore. The wound on my side was still open, but thankfully, the bleeding lessened. It would have been better if I could wrap my wound with a piece of fabric, but unfortunately, I had torn my clothing to
ASENA“I love you, my little one.”Perhaps I had only imagined hearing those words, but my heart lurched in my chest at the mere thought that it might have been real. The warmth of his body, his strong arms around me, his kiss on my lips—it all felt real to me.Then I heard other voices, but they quickly became a blur of distorted sounds. I was safe; my wolf told me so. I shifted slightly, nuzzling the strong body that held me. As soon as I found comfort in the familiar, citrusy scent, I drifted into a sweet unawareness…When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying on a soft mattress, and my body was covered with delicate fur. Gentle streams of daylight fell through the large window on the right side of my bed. An armchair was placed beside the bed. Someone sat in it…I blinked, adjusting my sight. Then my heart tripped. “Kaan,” I breathed out hoarsely.He was there. This wasn't a dream. He was alive. A powerful surge of emotions rushed through me, sending a shiver. A knot rose in my
We were still in bed when the bond between us began to rebuild. I could feel it as if someone weaved the broken golden thread, joining our hearts again. Hours later, other aspects of our connection appeared. I could hear his thoughts, and he could hear mine… It was quite embarrassing for the first few minutes until I learned how to control the mind link between us. It might have been nothing new to Kaan, but I had never experienced hearing someone in my head before.Kaan explained that usually only the Alpha of the pack had the ability to block the link, but since I had been of Alpha lineage as well, I could shove him out of my thoughts whenever I wanted. I couldn't help but find this a useful piece of knowledge.“As my Luna, you can also mind-link everyone who was originally from the Shadow Mountain Pack,” he said as a smug grin parted his lips.My eyes widened. “Does it mean I can mind-link Caspian?”“Yes, you can.” He carefully traced his mark on my neck with his fingers. “You can
ASENA Three Weeks Later A soft gasp escaped me as the wicked tension began to coil between my thighs. I bit my lip and drew a deep inhale. Citruses. Another gasp escaped me, one followed by a shudder that coursed through my body. I opened my eyes, chasing away the remains of sleep. I was lying on my back with my legs spread and my King between them. He lifted his head, and a sly grin spread across his face. “Now that you are awake, my little one, shall I stop or continue?” I tilted my head back and groaned. My skin was already feverish, and all my sensitive parts demanded immediate attention. My humidity grew. My chest rose and fell erratically as his fingers splayed on the inner side of my thighs, inches away from where I needed them. “Your choice, my Queen,” he purred. “Don't stop,” I murmured, pushing my hips toward him. He laughed before dipping his head and drawing his wicked tongue along my sensitive center. I cried as he teased every nerve within me, pulling me closer to t
KAAN‘Fucking Fates!’ Caspian shouted through the mind link, his voice laced with laughter. ‘Are you seeing what I'm seeing?’I surely did. I stepped back, lining up with my little one—my Luna and a future Queen. Undoubtedly, she already was the Queen in the eyes of those who bowed down before her.Asena smiled nervously, gesturing at them to rise. They looked as if they had woken up from a long, dreamless sleep, slowly acknowledging where they were and who they were. It was sort of tragic that the oath that was supposed to be the highest privilege had become their nightmare.Nathair chuffed, making a sound resembling a chuckle, as he looked around at the battlefield. What had just happened could only be described as a miracle. Asena managed to stop the bloodshed mere minutes after she entered the grounds. With all the enemy warriors either killed or switching sides, there was only one thing left to do…I motioned my chin, pointing at the hill. ‘Get her,’ I commanded, and several wolv
Aeron and I made it back to Inberville alive. Of course, we both needed a healer to patch us up, but we were going to recover in a matter of hours. Aeron barely talked to me from the moment I opened the hatch and entered the passage. I saw his relief when he made sure I wasn't severely wounded. Still, he was sulking because I didn't let him fight and protect me.When we returned to the city, it already resembled a huge war camp, with armed warriors running back and forth, securing every inch. Nathair was the first person who spotted us as we exited the passage. He ran toward us, and we briefly told him about everything that happened. He instantly passed the news of General Acyn's death to a few of his men so it could spread through the battlefield. Undoubtedly, Acyn's commanders and warriors had yet to be informed about the death of their leader, and the sooner they heard it, the faster their morale and will to fight would break.“I still cannot feel whether the blood spell worked or
I could barely keep my eyes open as Aeron all but dragged me deep into the forest. Arrows kept flying. A few missed us by an inch; two scratched Aeron's arm as he shielded me. I begged him to leave me and save himself, but he only growled in response.The good news was that the arrow hadn't pierced my heart. I knew that because I was still alive. The bad news was that it pierced through me and that it was coated with wolfsbane. The bleeding in my chest increased, and I knew I was about to reach my limit. I clenched my teeth, pushing through the pain, but I couldn't force my feet to move faster.“There's a rocky hill with a few caves ahead of us,” Aeron said as he tightened his grip on my waist. “We'll hide there.”I didn't argue. I had no strength to do so. Instead, I concentrated on running. The arrows stopped flying above our heads, but we didn't dare assume we were no longer being chased. I tried to hear the pounding footsteps somewhere behind us, but the wolfsbane weakened my sens
I convinced Nathair to include Zeno and Aeron in the emergency meeting in the war room. The three of us sat among the commanders of General Nathair's army. Surprisingly, none of them dared question our presence. There were no signs of disrespect or hostility, even though some of them must have already known that we were from the resistance or that I was Alpha Kaan's mate. Instead, their heads bowed before me, acknowledging my Luna status.Nathair shocked me even more when he decided to announce that I was Alpha Vardan's daughter. Again, no one asked me to prove my lineage; they believed their General as if his every word was sacred. I highly doubted that Jalissa could have counted on such loyalty from her warriors had the blood spell been broken.“We straightened every post from each side of our territory, General,” reported Zander, one of Nathair's commanders. “Still, I'm afraid that without a solid backup, the enemy will destroy our defenses in less than three days.”I glanced at Ze
I became more restless the closer we were to the Dark Lakes Pack's territory. I could no longer feel Kaan's emotions or mind link my mate, and this strange emptiness inside me filled me with an urge to turn back Atius and return to Alento. Only now did I fully understand why the mated couples could barely stand staying away from each other for more than a day. I felt as if I couldn't breathe a mere hour after we parted.Surely, I didn't mention anything about my emotional state to Aeron or Zeno. Aeron would have probably laughed his ass off, and Zeno would have most likely ignored everything I said. Letting out a quiet sigh, I shifted my focus to the road ahead, where Inberville's ramparts came into view.Aeron sucked in a sharp breath as we neared the massive gates with at least six guards protecting the city's entrance. “Are you sure that Nathair will let us into the Dark Lakes Pack's capital?”A nervous chuckle escaped me. “I guess we're about to find out.”A few heartbeats passed,
Fear turned out to be a better motivator than any logical argument we could have come up with. The icy terror satiated the air in the meeting hall. It took a few minutes for everyone gathered to realize that only we could give them what they truly wanted, and that was survival.Of course, some would rather hold on to their hatred even though they would risk the lives of their families that way. The insults and curses were still audible in the hall. I could sense that Kaan was at his limit. His urge to end those who spoke ill of us grew. His patience was about to run out, and I had to admit that so was mine. Surprisingly, it was Vidarr who spoke up first.“If you think that you can insult Luna Asena or Alpha Kaan just because they came here in peace, then I suggest you think again!” he growled. “You will show them respect, or we won't blame them for the bloodshed your stupid tongues caused!”Standing by my side, Kaan breathed out a chuckle. “I think I like him,” he whispered in my ear.
ASENAOne side of my lips curled up as I listened to Dritan's speech. I lined up with Kaan and smiled at my mate. He instantly grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. My chest swelled, and I felt hot tears gathering in the back of my eyes. Kaan had blood on his hands. He had killed for Alpha Khaos, but he had also saved many lives. He had chosen to become a villain because it had seemed like the only way to gain leverage in this war. He had allowed others to hate him for years. It was time for those who hated him to know his reasons…Garren scratched his beard, processing Dritan's words. I knew that he was a reasonable man who would never be blinded by general beliefs. Unfortunately, the warriors around him still oozed hostility, and none of Dritan's words softened the anger written on their faces.“For now, I believe that you didn't come here for bloodshed,” Garren said, his eyes shifting from me to Kaan and back to me. “You need more than a few words to gain my trust, and you c
KAANI watched my amazing Luna pack her clothes into a leather bag. Mine was already packed, so I just sat on the bed, enjoying the view, while I talked through the link with Caspian.‘He regained consciousness mere hours ago, and now that idiot insists on coming with us,’ Caspian groaned.I blew out a breath. ‘I didn't tell Asena that you found him a few days ago. No one could tell whether or not he was going to wake up, so…’‘She'll understand, Kaan,’ Caspian assured. ‘She needed to cope with Delmira's betrayal and Lelah's death. It's understandable you didn't want to tell her about Dritan.’I breathed out a curse and dragged my fingers through my hair. ‘So where is that idiot now?’‘Most likely on the way to your chambers. Angus and Damien tried to stop him, but he threatened to punch them when they blocked his way.’I pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘Fuck… I guess I will need to let Asena know before this fucker parades inside our bedroom.’A rough chuckle came through the link. ‘G