KAANThe Fates had always found the cruelest ways to ridicule me, and perhaps I shouldn't have expected this situation to be any different. The Goddess must have cursed me when I was born. All my life, I felt as if I had been tainted by a demon's mark, bringing nothing but death to those closest to me.A few years ago, I had learned that the cure for my curse existed. I had been trying to find it ever since, and I had almost lost hope… until the one who might be the key to righting all the wrongs in my life literally broke into my chamber.I would know for certain in about two and a half months, and I had time until then to convince her that I was more than the monster the world believed me to be. Unfortunately, I might not have had enough time to gain her trust, especially when she still believed she was my prisoner, and I didn't know how to explain why I needed her to stay by my side.I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable around me… and I had to pay a painful price for her comf
ASENAEyes widening, I pulled the sheets closer to my chest. Why did he want me to witness all that cruelty?! I didn't think I could stomach watching innocent people die while I sat and did nothing. Not to mention that I would observe it all from the side of our enemies. I felt sick just thinking about it. Goddess knew that if I only had my bow and arrows, I would have gladly shot every fucker from Kaan's army.“Please… don't force me to go there,” I whispered.His features hardened as if it pained him when he said, “I have to. I know that it is hard for you to understand it all, but the safest place for you is by my side.”I lowered my head and swallowed a thick knot that rose in my throat. A sudden burst of anger spread a searing wave throughout my body. It felt almost like an itch that rose until it began sneaking through the pores of my skin. “Why are you loyal to that tyrant? Do you have a conscience at all?” I strained through my teeth, mustering my coldest glare.He moved back
I had hardly seen Kaan for the entire next day since he was busy preparing another attack. My stomach churned every time I thought about what he was doing, and I felt a crush of guilt whenever I realized I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop the slaughter. Thinking about it was slowly driving me insane, and the fact that I was locked in the chamber did little to redirect my thoughts elsewhere.Fortunately, Kaan hadn't left me without company. The two women dressed in gray robes took care of my meals and made sure I didn't lose my mind while sitting in Kaan's warded rooms. As I now knew, the older one, Delmira, used to serve at Shadow Mountains Pack's castle, and the younger one, Lelah, was Delmira's niece.“We prepared your clothes for the travel and something to change while you're in the tent,” Laleh said, placing a long cream-white gown and a hooded cloak trimmed with fur on the bed.My lips twisted into a wry smile. “The clothes are beautiful, but can't I ride in pants? Wearin
“I will not ride with you!” I mustered my best glare while my heart began to thunder at the sole thought of being so close to him for countless hours of riding.“That's not up for discussion, little one,” he said curtly, taking Than's reins from Caspian and turning him toward the main gate. “You can climb on his back on your own, or I will put you there.”Frustration within me rose. “Please, can we just—”Kaan scooped me from the ground and settled me on Than's back before I could even gasp, leaving me with no choice but to grab the pommel of the saddle and swing my leg over the horse to sit astride. He joined me a heartbeat later, quickly positioning himself behind me, so close I could feel his warmth on my back. Then he leaned forward, grabbing the reins with one hand and placing the other on my stomach. My whole body turned rigid.A soft chuckle escaped him, his breath fanning the shell of my ear. “It'd be much more comfortable if you relax and lean against me.”Relaxing was curren
KAANI could feel Asena tense as her eyes locked on the new guy. I had put the fucker on the Elite Squad because he was the son of an Alpha, but seeing Asena's reaction, I realized that I might have made a mistake. It was obvious that she knew him; he would have become her Alpha if we hadn't destroyed the Eastern Valley Pack. She might have hated him solely because he had chosen to save his skin by joining us, and for a moment, I believed that was her reason to react this way. He surely was a traitorous piece of shit. Then again, so was most of this squad and the army I led…Asena's knuckles whitened as her fists continued to clench. Then my eyes turned to the fucker… The way he looked at her made me want to claw his eyes out. It became obvious that whatever was between him and Asena seemed personal, and I would have lied, saying it hadn't turned the blood in my veins into lava.“Quit staring at her, or I will make sure you die in the first upcoming battle.” If my words hadn't carried
ASENAPerhaps after three years of fighting in war, I should have gotten used to long rides in the saddle, but that wasn't the case. I had a feeling that my butt would fall off at any moment. My thighs were sore, my back stiffened, and my shoulders felt as if they were covered by stone. I was exhausted, and I could almost hear the bedroll lying in the center of the tent calling me to lie down.I used the moment when Kaan wasn't inside the tent to strip off my clothes and change into something more comfortable to sleep in than a tight bustier and a long skirt. I also wouldn't mind taking a hot shower, but for now, a basin with so-called fresh water had to suffice.I washed myself the best way I could given the circumstances, but it quickly turned out to be less problematic than finding something even seemingly appropriate to sleep in the bag packed by Delmira and Lelah…I wasn't sure how many times I cursed, pulling out another piece of see-through fabric. I wouldn't wear most of it as
We were riding for more than six hours without stopping, but at least we finally managed to pass the mountains. Kaan told me that we were an hour away from reaching the Sombra Valley, where the rest of the army should gather and build the war camp. My stomach churned at that thought. Traveling alongside a few assholes was exhausting enough, and I could barely imagine staying in a place filled with more than two hundred bloodthirsty bastards who might be even more brutal than those from the Elite Squad.Our second day of travel seemed different than the first one, but I had yet to determine whether it was a good thing or not. I felt as if I had let Kaan tame me; that was what he did. I wasn't sure when I had gotten so used to his touch that it became something natural. I casually leaned into his embrace as if it were the safest place to be. And the strangest part was that I could no longer convince myself that staying with him was wrong.“So…” Kaan started when we found ourselves at a
I stood on the hill, watching the army of shifters build a war camp. My whole body shuddered as I realized the true power of the enemy. Compared to them, the forces of our resistance group seemed ridiculously small, and I had to find a way to tell Garren about it. I knew that at some point our group would meet this army in the battle, and when that happened, we stood no chance of survival…My hands fisted into balls. There had to be a way to defeat them. Maybe if we somehow got in contact with other resistance groups on the continent. Maybe if we joined our forces. Maybe if we attacked together...“They're almost done,” Caspian informed me as he joined me on the hill. “Kaan's tent is already set, so you can either go there or come with me and grab something to eat.”Truthfully, I wished I could just lock myself in the tent and stay away from all those hordes of bloodthirsty savages, but my stomach had a different opinion on that matter, growling at the sound of the word “eat.”Relucta
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