Cassiopeia Nyx "Please, i didn't do it," i begged, my knees scraping against the bare floor. "I'm sorry." My father's eyes gleamed visciously as he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, pressing me into the wall with brute strength. My legs dangled in the air as i gasped for air, pushing against his steel like grip. My efforts proved futile and i could feel my heart pushing against my chest like it was ready to abandon its owner and flee for its life, leaving me in the grasp of danger. "They are all going to have fun with you." He sneered into my ear, bounding my arms and legs to the chains he had specifically attached to the wall of my cell just to turture me. My fear was molten, running through my bloodstream with a paralyzing speed. My mouth immediately grew dry as my neck pressed to the side of the wall, my arms and legs chained with silver, a metal that burned at my skin. My entire body shivered as i antcipated the torture, whipping wasn't as harsh as branding or searing
Cassiopeia Nyx Mate.The moment I uttered that word out, I could feel a change in the air and the dynamic. The Alpha Kings aura was usually consuming and present but never so potent as it was in this moment, it saturated the entire room, making it thick with power.Suddenly, he moved.In a blur of motion, he was on me, pinning me to the bed with his weight, his face inches from mine and his fangs slightly caressing my collar bone. His eyes, glowing red with a feral intensity, stared down at me, and I felt his presence receding leaving behind just the feral and unrestrained lycan and I could feel his hunger, his desire, and it terrified me.I gasped, my breath hitching as his scent flooded my senses, igniting something primal inside me. Something in me howled with need, but my fear— and soul shattering —was stronger. I thrashed beneath him, panic swelling in my chest as I screamed, “Let me go! Please, just let me go!”However, he remained immobile. His hold grew stronger, and I ob
Xeros Romanov I faced the council of elders, their curious eyes gleaming, excited to learn about their future queen. Their inquiries lingered in the atmosphere, escalating in urgency with each one.“How is she adapting?”“Has she shown signs of accepting her role?”“When will we meet her?”My jaw tightened as I gripped the table's edge, my knuckles turning white. Everyone was aware that she was not prepared for this situation.Not after what she had been through. And yet still, they pushed.“I will not answer any more questions,” I growled, the deep rumble in my chest silencing the room.“Your Queen is unprepared for any of that and will be taking her time until she is ready.”They shared worried looks and furrowed brows, but not one of them had the courage to confront me.They knew better.“She has been through enough,” I continued, my voice steady. “She needs time.”“Certainly, Your Majesty,” one of the older and more sensible elder ultimately stated, lowering his head in obedience.
Cassiopeia Nyx My fingers shook as I caressed my cheek softly, my wide eyes stared back at me from the clear bathroom mirror, I couldn't recognize myself, my eyes had changed from the regular dull brown to something entirely different, it looked identical to the Alpha Kings when he wanted to mark me earlier. I looked so different, almost as if I was looking at someone who looked really identical to me but wasn't me. My shock still remained as I stood—bare and naked before the full-length mirror, the large expanse of this extravagant bathroom swallowing me whole. I couldn't help the shiver or disgust that racked through me as I stared at my frail and fragile body. My ribs jutted out like a sore thumb, legs too thin, hips too wide and chest too small. But it wasn’t my body that made me feel disgusted. It was the scars that littered the front of my chest and my abdomen, a few on my legs but quite so many on my arms. I couldn't even dare to turn around to glance at my backside, If
Cassiopeia Nyx"I can never accept him Hera".Her presence was like a low hum, persistent, ever-present in the back of my mind. "Mate... bond," Hera growled softly, her voice echoing in my head with a raw, primal edge. "Him. He is ours. We are his. Forever."The way she spoke... it felt like i was talking to a different voice-different from the one earlier, her aura had changed and i could feel it, my words had evoked something in her, It was something deeper, more instinctual, something that tugged at the core of me. The Alpha King seemed to bring out her true and uncontrollable primal nature and that itself reflected in her speech and voice.I recoiled slightly, shaking my head even though she couldn't see me. "What does that even mean?" I muttered, my voice laced with frustration."Mate bond," Hera repeated, her voice lower now, almost a rumble. "Strong. Stronger than fear, stronger than pain. His soul calls to us. We must answer."Soul? Bond? I felt a wave of confusion and disbeli
Xeros Romanov"What do you mean—impromptu shift?" I barked in frustration, my heart already racing at the mere thought of Cassie's life being in danger.My mind reeled as I played the doctor's words over and over in my head. "She's weak for now, Your Majesty. If her wolf initiates a shift without her consent, her body may not survive the transformation. The strain could be too much." His tone was hesitanat, but the weight of his words felt like a blow to my chest.Cassie's body was fragile—she could barely eat, always struggling to stay awake. The scars she bore ran deeper than her skin. Hera—her wolf—had been dormant for so long that I wasn’t sure how either of them would handle this sudden resurgence. Cassie would resist Hera's primal urges, but Nox could feel Hera’s power, wild and restless, clawing for control.But Cassie… she wasn’t ready. Her human form was too broken, and the thought of her enduring a full shift terrified me more than any battle ever had. The shifting process i
Xeros RomanovHe didn't have to repeat himself before I was up and on my way, sprinting through the first floor. When I reached the balcony, without thinking twice, I leapt from the height, the cool night air rushing through my skin and hair before landing securely on my feet, Cassie still clutched tightly in my grasp.I shook her desperately as I knelt on the grass, making sure to place her directly under the moonlight.Her eyes fluttered open for a second, almost empty—devoid of life. "Am I going to die?"I couldn't help the anguish that swallowed me whole at her words, at the hope that lingered in her eyes at the thought of death."I won't let you die, love," I whispered, nuzzling my skin against her cheek. "Stay with me."The pain racked through her again, her body twisting in anguish as she writhed under me. A guttural growl escaped her lips. I could almost feel her anguish, her pain as she pushed away from me, scrambling to get to her feet only to fall back down. This time her e
Cassiopeia Nyx My world was spinning and i was desperately trying to stay afloat, my hands were clawing at the surface but the currents of the water was too strong. Hera had taken control, but even she couldn't fight off whatever had just happened. I couldn't remember how long I'd been unconscious or where I was, but the cold, damp earth beneath me felt foreign. Distant. Nothing like the woods near the Alpha king's pack lands.One moment I was in the most torturous agony, it was worse than any pain I had ever felt in my life and then the next, I was flying through the air in the arms of a foreign presence.I was so tired. Of everything. Of Life.Slowly, my senses started to return back to their respective positions and immediately the stench of rotting flesh and damp dirty soil hit me wave after wave. I had push back the viscious liquid threatening to spill from guts. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Hera had receded, her presence barely a whisper in the back of my m
Cassiopeia Nyx"You can’t handle it."My heart constricted painfully in my chest as I leaned against the wooden door of his office. I wanted to run back into the room and implore him to tell me he didn't mean what he said, but the way he enunciated it, without hesitation… it made me believe that he really meant it.I had assumed that he didn't care that I wasn't strong enough, that his love for me had absolved me from all guilt, but now I see that wasn’t the case. It took a lot for him to slip up and show his true feelings.I thought I knew pain. I thought I had endured everything that could be thrown at me. But this? This felt different.It wasn’t physical, like the scars that marred my skin. It wasn’t something I could fight with persistence or defiance. It was deeper, more personal—a wound to the very core of who I was.I could handle him.But he didn’t believe that.Fuck. Even I didn't believe it. I was trying so hard to be strong, and his support made everything feel easier, but
Xeros RomanovThe moment she nestled into my arms, everything unraveled. The heat of her body, the soft tremble of her fingers as they wrapped around my torso, the scent of her filling my senses—it all became too much. Cassiopeia. My mate.My queen.Immediately, I recognized Nox's desire. I tried to run away, to put some distance between us, but it was futile. She was a force I couldn’t resist, pulling me in, tearing apart every shred of resolve I had left. And now, she was here, standing in front of me, despite me telling her to stay away... looking up with those eyes—filled with longing, trust, and something else… something dangerous.Desire.I could feel the heat radiating off her, searing my skin as if it were my own. My wolf, the primal force within me, roared in approval, clawing at the edges of my mind, desperate to claim what was ours. To mark her, to bind her to me in every way.But I couldn’t.The images flashed through my mind, unbidden and relentless—the scars that marred h
Cassiopeia NyxSomething was wrong.Not with Xeros—but with me.An unusual burning sensation spread through my entire body, starting from my lower abdomen. It was beyond what words could describe. It spread like a raging prairie fire, doubling in intensity with every wave of the wind and every second I remained still, threatening to swallow me whole. I could barely think straight as I watched the elders file out of the meeting hall, still whispering amongst themselves about Xeros's sudden and urgent disappearance.At the thought of him, my body began to ache even more. Hera growled ferociously from her position at the back of my mind. It was more feral than anything she had ever expressed to me, even when she tried to take over my body. The more she growled and pushed at me, the more the pain increased.My knees shook as I pushed myself up from the seat, beads of perspiration trickling down my chest and stomach.Where was Xeros?A groan tumbled from my lips as I forced myself to my fe
Cassiopeia Nyx"Who could be so daring to attempt an attack on the king's private quarters" Elder Yousef asked, his dark face marred with worry lines, Whispers floated all through the large space of the meeting room. They looked apprehensive, this was the first time someone had brazenly attempted an attack on the king's private quarters.Xeros and i remained quiet as we watched them mull over the information we just shared, there was nothing more to say, Xeros was unconcerned but i seemed to drift towards the worried questions the elders seemed to throw at one another.Who could it be? What made them so fearless? Could it be an uprising?The more they spoke the more my anxiety levels spiked. Xeros's grip around my wrist was firm and comforting but he was distracted, his calloused thumb circled around the soft skin of my wrist. I didn't know what exactly had consumed his thoughts. His eyes were focused on me but they were dazed."Xeros" i whispered, shifting in my seat beside him. He b
Xeros RomanovI slipped through the door with pristine agility only to be met with Cassie’s terrified gaze. She stood right before me, her eyes widened in shock before morphing into relief. Her grip around the candle stick was fierce, as if she’d been ready to fight off whatever threat she imagined might follow me in here.A sigh left me as I took in her stance, her anxiety, and the hint of fear in her gaze. My eyes swept over her form, checking for any sign of injury even though I knew without doubt she’d been safe here. Finally, my gaze settled on the candle stick, and despite the situation, a flicker of amusement surfaced.“You were going to come after me?” I asked, my voice soft but edged with amusement.Cassie nodded, her expression shifting as she let out a breath she’d been holding. “I… you were taking so long, so I thought… something had happened to you.”Without hesitation, I crossed the room in a few quick strides, reaching out to gently ease the candle stick from her hands.
Cassiopeia Nyx The room was quiet. The kind of quiet that made even the slightest sound amplified. i was curled into Xeros’s chest, my face pressed into his bare skin and his arms wrapped tightly around me. Normally, nothing brought me as much comfort as this,but as much as I tried to relax into his embrace, sleep danced just out of reach, like a strip tease, no matter how hard I tried to reach out for it, it eluded me.Something felt… wrong.My skin prickled, the hair on my body standing on edge. A strange sensation crawled its way up my spine, making the air in the room feel heavier, pressing down on me. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, maybe it was because tonight had been emotionally exhausting. But the feeling wouldn’t leave; it only grew more intense, like invisible eyes watching from somewhere in the shadows.I shifted in Xeros’s arms, careful not to wake him. His breathing deepened, but even in sleep, his arm tightened slightly around my waist, as if some part of him
Cassiopiea Nyx"It's me, Demetria." "What is she doing here?" Hera growled, her anger pushing through.Demetria nervously poked her head through the door, her dark hair cascading around her shoulders as she spotted me. Her eyes widened when she noticed who was at the door, and she took a few steps back in surprise." uhhh, good evening, your majesty," she bowed in apprehension.Xeros scowled, his eyes flashing red before he sighed, turing around to glance at me.I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to act around her. "The queen is very tired after having a long day. She doesn't want to see anyone," Xeros gritted, ignoring her greetings. Demetria nodded in understanding, but i couldn't help but notice that her shoulders drooped in dissapoinment, and her eyes grew clowdy. I hated this part of me, the one that just couldn't ignore."I'll come back some other time," She mumbled before bowing to Xeros and then to me."Goodnight Alpha, Goodnight Luna."She turned around to leave,
Cassiopeia Nyx My knees wobbled as Xeros led me back to the room. I could barely keep up, my body slumped against his as we walked. I had tried so hard to hold on during dinner, I tried not to cower away, I forced the food down my throat. The only thing helping me was Xeros, his grip around my hand grounded me, like he was sending surges of confidence through my skin. The problem wasn't the pack members or the food or the role itself, I was the problem. I just couldn't detach myself from the anxiety hovering around me.These past few days, I realized that whenever I was anxious , I seemed to close up my mental barriers. I shut Hera out. I couldn't help it, I didn't realize I was blocking her out until a few moments ago, when I wondered why she had been silent for so long. That was the same thing that was happening to me, the anxiety that I had pushed at bay, the uncertainty swirling around me—everything threatened to hold me down,to choke me. We finally reached the door and the
Xeros RomanovThis was the last step and the most difficult of all for Cassie. The first dinner. More like an introduction.The smell of spice, roasted meat and gravy wafted throughout the air as we made way towards the dinning hall. The pack members strictly adhered to rules i had set regarding Cassie but now that she was the Luna, i couldn't give them any excuse as to why they couldn't meet their Luna without tarnishing her image. Cassie’s hand shook softly in my grasp as we pushed through the doors and stepped into the dinning area, i knew she was doing her best to keep her head upright and her gaze levelled. I could tell she wanted nothing more than to cower behind me, hide away from their expectant gazes. Tonight would be our first real appearance together, a chance for Cassie to show herself to the pack, to become part of the world I’d grown up in. They all stood up as we approached, i spotted Anakin at the far end of the room, a small smile on his face. “Don't be scared,”