The wolf slowly stepped forward, his red eyes fixed on mine. Another low growl rumbled in his chest, and my palms began to sweat. Why was this wolf here? He couldn't have—My breath caught as I noticed the thick drops of blood staining his onyx fur. I stepped back, corrected my stance, and swallowed. “You… You killed them,” I croaked as tears fell down my cheek.The wolf's lips peeled back, exposing a row of sharp, still-bloodied teeth. A cold-blooded killer—that was who he was. He raised one paw and stepped toward me as if ignoring the fact that I was aiming at him with a wolfsbane arrow. Still, he didn't attack.I sucked in a breath and shifted my fingers around the bowstring. I knew that I had to kill him. He was one of those who murdered the villagers. “Attack me,” I strained through my teeth. “What are you waiting for?!”The wolf snarled but didn't move. Why the hell didn't he attack?! He had no problems with killing the innocent, so why hesitate now?! “Attack me!” I yelled hoars
I shifted in my bed, lying on the side. Drawing deep breaths, I hoped to relax my muscles. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth. I repeated it once… twice… Citruses. I smelled citruses. I had no idea where this scent was coming from, but I found it oddly soothing. Someone's strong hand slid through my side under my resting arm and stopped on my stomach. Fingers splayed on the thin fabric of my nightgown in a sensual caress. The stranger's touch should have terrified me, but it didn't, although I couldn't explain why. Then the hand on my stomach moved to the other side of my waist, and I was pressed against the body lying behind me—the definitely male and definitely firm body.I bit my lip at the feel of the stranger's chest against my back and a certain bulge rubbing against my buttocks. I could feel his body shift, and I shivered as his lips kissed the crook of my neck. I gasped as more kisses followed on his way up my neck. Goddess… I wanted those lips on mine.I s
Three hours later, our forces crossed the Moonshine River Pack's borders. No one stopped us. Those who survived were either severely wounded or too terrified to leave their shelters. Another massacre. I had seen the villages or even bigger towns burned to the ground within those three years, but this seemed different. It looked like the gods of death laid their fury upon this land…Many of the wolves living in this pack were scumbags and Kylar-type bastards, but there had to be innocents living here as well. Now those jerks and innocents shared the same fate...“Are you OK?” Aeron asked when I let out a slow, ragged breath.I shook my head. “I'm not. Actually, I'm terrified. If the same happens to Eastern Valley Pack, I—”“Your sister will live,” he said, and my eyes widened.“How can you say that? You don't know—”“She and you have this all-badassness running in your veins.” He looked at me and winked. “She'll find a way to survive this.”I wanted to believe him, even if it was highl
I had been trying to convince Aeron of my plan for over an hour. I almost pulled the authority card and told him that was an order. Luckily, he finally agreed that I had a better chance not to be seen and to do this quietly if I went alone. Let's face it, compared to me, he was a red-haired giant. That pretty much disqualified him from sneaking in anywhere. I found him a different, equally important task. I needed him to lead those terrified people out through the tunnels. They would have better chances of surviving outside the Eastern Valley Pack's territory than here, where the General's soldiers could kill them at will. “I'm not OK with us separating, Asena,” Aeron grunted, shaking his head as I put more daggers into the sheaths of my leather jacket. “I'm a badass, remember?” I winked at him. “I can take care of a few guards.” “These aren't some regular shifters,” he argued. “Most of them have been training their entire lives.” I drew a deep breath and locked my eyes on him. “I
I was going to die. Without an ounce of doubt, the General was going to kill me. I should have shuddered with fear, cried, and begged for mercy, instead… I felt aroused. There definitely was something seriously wrong with me because I couldn't force myself to stop looking at him, at his gloriously naked body. Normal people shouldn't feel excitement when they're about to be ripped apart by a deadly predator!The curve of General's lips stretched, forming a sultry smile. “I usually am not against women on top of me, but I prefer them naked by the time it happens.” Then his head dipped, and those fiery eyes locked on mine. “I also prefer when they are not trying to put a blade to my throat.”I gasped. “I wasn't trying to—"“Liar,” he purred, and a wave of shivers rushed through me.A part of me was still oddly aroused, but the other was in absolute panic. “Please,” I breathed out, but then realized he didn't even restrain my hands. Instinctively, I reached for the dagger in the sheath of
Chills ran down my spine, and everything inside me froze. “That's... that's your offer?” I choked out.Alpha Kaan nodded. “You must know that they can either join my army or die. I doubt that they'll choose to join so…”My whole body began to rattle. All my life, I wanted to be free. I thought that I had regained that freedom three years ago, and now I was going to lose it again? I looked at my cuffed hand and suddenly felt as if I were underwater, drowning. Was I bound to live my life in chains? As this man's PET? I fisted my hands and shook my head. “That's not enough,” I said, locking my eyes on his.He held my stare for several heartbeats, then chuckled. “Not enough?”I sucked in a sharp breath. “You have to release at least a dozen people for me to stay.”He laughed hard and loud, and I flinched. I knew that I was playing with fire. I had no value for him. He wanted me because of a whim. But if I was about to lose my freedom, I had to try.There was a beat of silence before his m
I stared at the long line of chained prisoners standing several steps away from me. How many were there? Forty? Fifty? How could I possibly choose a mere twelve and sentence the rest to die?!A knot formed in my throat as my eyes caught Ellaria's. Even from a distance, I saw her trembling and shaking her head. She must have been confused and terrified to see me stand next to Alpha Kaan himself. I tore my gaze away from her and stepped closer to the General. “Can I”—I swallowed, staring into his dark eyes—“talk to them?”One side of his lips curled up. “Go ahead, little one.” He gestured, allowing me to walk toward them.Goddess… I wished I could use the mind link. Even though I was allowed to approach them, I was fully aware that everything I said might be overheard. Alpha Kaan raised his hand, and the whole field turned silent.Cursing under my breath, I stepped forward. The General's army watched me like hawks, ready to strike and kill their prey. Ellaria's eyes widened as I walked
I was forced to watch that sick bastard walk to his new squad with a faint smirk curving his lips. He joined the other four who had already proudly joined Alpha's Kaan army. Those who unquestionably deserved to die lived while those who remained loyal were brutally ended by a few of the General's bloodthirsty soldiers. I struggled to follow Beta Caspian's advice. Fury stormed within me, and perhaps only Caspian's firm grip kept me from darting to the other side of the field and clawing Kylar's eyes out. Again, I wished I had my daggers with me.“You did good,” I heard Caspian whisper as the last corpse hit the ground.A humorless chuckle escaped me. “Because I didn't vomit yet?” I asked, doing my best to ignore the coppery odor filling the air.He snorted. “That too. I'm kind of impressed.”I looked at him with a crooked smile. “Thank you?”“Any of them friends of yours?” he asked dryly, pointing at the bloody pile of corpses.I shook my head. “I didn't know any of them,” I said and f
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