KAANI wrapped Asena in her cloak, lifted her in my arms, and gently carried her back to the castle. This wasn't supposed to happen. I had made my decision. I had even forced Delmira to prepare separate chambers for Asena. I wanted to have a reasonable excuse to stay away from her. But my fabulous plan had fallen apart as soon as I'd found that damn lake. Suddenly, I was writing that idiotic message. I wanted to bring her here. I needed her to see this…That had seriously been a dumb thing to do, and tearing her dress and giving her an orgasm was even more idiotic. Now I was going for the record of stupidity by taking her straight to my bedroom. Of course, my wolf had never been more helpful. He wanted me to do this. He wouldn't even mind if I marked her as mine here and now… but the worst part was that I wouldn't mind that either.I wanted Asena to become mine in every way, and every instinct within me told me that being with her was right. It was my brain that still resisted. Too mu
ASENAI stood in the middle of a throne room—a place with dark marble flooring and gold ornamenting every corner. Warriors dressed in black mantels formed a circle around me. Sneers twisted their faces as they all muttered something too unclear for me to hear. I looked to the other side of the room and saw Kaan walking toward me.“Don't come any closer!” I exclaimed although I wasn't sure why.Pain surfaced in Kaan's expression. “Asena, don't do this. We'll find another way.”Heat flooded my body, the sensation far from pleasant. Something within me was changing, something was spreading fast. I stumbled back, struggling to draw a breath.“Asena, I can take this from you.” Kaan extended his hand, and I stepped back, rejecting his touch. “I won't let you do this!” he shouted, but I only gave him a faint smile.I had already made my choice. Drawing a deep breath, I locked my eyes on his. “Kaan Ardens, I, Asena Jordart, reject you as my mate!”“No!” he roared, two warriors restraining him
My eyes widened as I stared at Lelah in disbelief. “Could you…say that again?” She cleared her throat. “They're coming tomorrow.” Delmira threw her hands up in frustration. “But the banquet isn't ready!” “The date of the banquet remains as it was,” Lelah said, and both, Delmira and I, gave her a confused stare. Lelah sighed. “General Nathair and his sister are coming tomorrow, and they're going to stay here for the entire week.” I muttered a curse before shifting my attention to Delmira. “Seriously? Can they just arrive whenever they want?” She shrugged. “They can. They're Alpha King's nephew and niece… which kind of makes them royalty, and we are their subjects.” “That's bullshit!” I growled. “That it is,” Lelah agreed, smirking. “Doesn't change the fact that we can't do anything about it.” I thrust my fingers through my hair. “So what now?” Delmira shrugged. “I guess our lesson's over. I need to prepare the rooms for our special guests.” A moment later, she and Lelah were
I stared at Caspian, my eyes widening. “Me? How the hell should I keep General Nathair occupied?”Caspian smirked before clearing his throat. “Well—”“You don't have to do anything,” Kaan interjected, tossing Caspian another cold glare. “In fact, it would be better if Asena stayed away from the General.”Caspian sighed. “Arrange a dinner for the four of you, and you'll see whether I'm right or wrong.”I shifted my gaze from Caspian to Kaan and back to Caspian. “Wait… Do you want me to seduce Nathair?”A low growl resonated through Kaan's chest, and I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy those little signs of his possessiveness.Caspian gave me a thin-lipped smile and nodded. “Kind of. I believe that Nathair will try to seduce you just because you are Kaan's. He'll treat you as a challenge, and frankly, you won't have to do much. Just pretend to be open to his proposals.”“Caspian, I'm warning you,” Kaan growled, but I kept my eyes on his Beta.My chest tightened as I processed his words.
My heart hammered against my chest. I could feel my insides rattle as I walked. Every breath became a struggle. And yet, I kept my chin high and back straightened as I passed the long hall where Kaan and our two guests awaited me at the opposite end.My eyes fixed on Kaan, and my stupid heart began to flutter. He wore his usual black pants and half-unbuttoned shirt, teasingly exposing a decent part of his muscled chest, but tonight he was also wearing a black fitted jacket, emphasizing his broad shoulders. I resisted an urge to run into his arms. I knew we were being watched, and one false move could have ruined everything Kaan hoped to achieve.Slowly, I shifted my attention to the guests. Standing next to Kaan was Jalissa, a brunette with alabaster skin and eyes as blue as mine. Her beauty surely was mesmerizing. I bet that she could have had any man she desired… which only made me dislike her more. She was wearing a dress resembling the one I had, but hers was color of red wine. Li
KAANRage coiled at the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sure what kind of game Nathair wanted to play with me, but he wouldn't have traded two hundred warriors for a woman, even if that woman was mine.I drew a slow breath as I glanced at Asena. Her eyes widened, and I could see the dread digging its way out to the surface, no matter how carefully she tried to hide her fears. I wanted to punch that fucker just for scaring her that way…I held his stare and saw his eyes gleam in excitement. Slowly, a smirk tugged at my lips. He was testing me. He wanted to know if Asena mattered to me or not. If I objected, he would have every right to suspect that Asena meant more to me than what I had told them. Then again, I would have never jeopardized Asena's life just to call his bluff.I scratched my chin and let out a cold chuckle. “That's a tempting offer, indeed. But like I said before, Asena is not my slave. She decides whether or not she wants to be with someone.”Nathair burst into cold laught
ASENABreathe in. Breathe out. I straightened my back and forced myself to keep my eyes forward, even though I knew that his—General Nathair's—eyes remained on me. We were walking in silence from the moment we left the dining hall, heading to the gardens. With him being so close to me, I figured I should choose the place where his presence would be the least suffocating, and the gardens were the best idea I could come up with.“You're quiet, Asena.” Nathair chuckled as we exited through the castle's main entrance. “Aren't we here to talk?”I stopped, making him all but stumble as he tried to line up with me. Drawing a deep breath, I covered my irritation with a mask of nonchalance. “You said you wanted to talk in private. I figured that we should begin our conversation with no guards around.”That wasn't entirely a lie. If I were to play my role, I would want no additional audience. Furthermore, I hadn't recognized at least a few of the men we passed by on the corridors, and I could o
My heart kept pounding long after I returned to my chamber. I kept pacing about the room while rubbing my chest. I was restless. I couldn't stop thinking about Kaan and Jalissa and about everything Nathair had told me. What if Kaan was wrong about Jalissa? What if making a deal with her would be worse than trying to side with her brother?A knock on the door pulled me out of the daze. “Kaan,” I breathed out, rushing to open the door, but my excitement faded when I saw it was Delmira who was standing outside my chamber. “Come in,” I muttered, failing to hide my disappointment.She pushed past me and walked straight to the wall by my bed, where a large cabinet stood. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she pressed an engraved symbol I hadn't even noticed before, and suddenly, the wall cracked open, forming a door.“Hurry. We need to go,” she said.I frowned. “Go where?”“It's a passage that can take you to a few places without being noticed. Alpha's chamber is one of those places
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