Marissa is a beautiful woman from a privileged family, but has no mate. Everything changes at the annual festival when her gaze collides with Justin, the devastatingly handsome and ruthless son of the Lycan King. The pull of the mate bond hits her like fire, but Justin doesn’t acknowledge her as his mate. Instead, he offers something far crueler: he wants her to be his toy, his distraction, while he prepares to wed someone else. Forced to work for him under the shadow of their bond, Marissa wrestles with her pride and desire. She won’t beg for love, but how can she resist the man who sets her soul ablaze—even if he’s the one who might destroy her?
View MoreJustin's POVTwo weeks laterBloodied and weak, I staggered out of the torture chamber. The metallic stench of blood clung to my skin. My vision blurred, but I blinked back the haze, determined not to collapse again. The physical pain was killing me, but none of it compared to the ache of seeing my mom cry. Her heartbreaking, silent tears cut deep.“Son, please, your physician must administer the last set of needles.”Each session in the chamber felt like another blow to her spirit, and that made my suffering all the harder to endure. I clenched my fists, feeling the sticky warmth of my blood coating my palms.“I can’t keep doing this. There has to be another way—something that doesn’t make me feel like I’m losing my mind.”She swallowed hard, trying to choke back her tears, but the pain in her eyes was undeniable. Every week, wolfsbane was pumped into my veins, designed to cripple my wolf. I was forced to inhale the milder version as a cigar in my human form.My body burned with an
Gathering every ounce of courage, I stepped away from my hiding spot and walked toward the living room. I wasn’t timid by nature, yet here I was, acting like a nervous schoolgirl. If I kept behaving this way, Justin would think he had power over me. He was my mate, and my bond with him was undeniable. But I needed to get a grip on myself, to appear calm, not pitiful. Memories of my past crept into my mind. The image of my ex-boyfriend Alan and my ex-best friend Genevieve flashed before me. They had been seeing each other behind my back, and I had been the last person to find out.They claimed they’d found out they were mates on Genevieve's eighteenth birthday. All our mutual friends knew before I did, making me look like a complete fool. When I finally discovered their betrayal three years later, during college, I saw them in bed with my own eyes.I hated the feeling of rejection so much. I needed to show Justin that I could handle myself.The scent of cedar and rain filled my lungs
Back home, I stood at the top of the stairs, gazing at the scene below. My dad's voice boomed through the room, warm and eager to please. “Welcome! My king, my queen!” He gestured dramatically. My stepmother clung to his arm, playing the perfect hostess. The Lycan king and his wife inspected our home with disgust as if we lived in the gutter. Despite my dad spending months decorating the house for this visit, they were unimpressed.Shame and desire mingled hot in my throat the moment Justin stepped into the foyer. He was probably not even thinking about me. The thought made me feel pathetic as if I was grasping something that wasn’t there.The Lycan royals moved slowly while my dad kept up his over-the-top act. “Can I get you something to drink?”The king barely looked at him. “Champagne, of course.” His tone made it clear that anything else would be unacceptable.Like magic, the butler appeared with a tray of sparkling glasses. The royals took them without so much as a thank-you. Wa
In my world, the males acknowledged the mating bond first, accepting or rejecting it. Justin didn’t glance my way. His indifference hurt me. Was I that bad?I fought against the sting of tears, blinking furiously and pressing my fingertips beneath my eyes to stop the tears from falling.The idea of anyone seeing me cry filled me with disgust. I could already imagine the gossip spreading like wildfire. Taking a shaky breath, I moved back from the crowd and created distance between myself and the Lycan who had become the source of my pain.My nails bit into my palms as I fought to steady my emotions. Throughout the festival, I stayed on the sidelines. Nobody noticed or cared. The world moved on without me, as though I didn’t exist.Except for Brian, my younger brother. He was busy making sure the festival went smoothly. As the future alpha, Brian worked extra hard to prove himself. At just nineteen, he already had a mate, and they were the picture of perfection. Brian spotted me as he
"Gentlemen, feast your eyes on my beautiful daughter!" my dad's voice rang out loud enough to make heads turn from every direction. "She carries the proud blood of an alpha and will make the perfect wife for any deserving male!"Pack mates eyes burned into me, and I fought the urge to shrink away, but my dad didn't mind the spectacle he was creating.We were at the annual Werewolf and Lycan Festival, a huge celebration meant to honor traditions. For me, it was a nightmare. My dad had turned it into the perfect stage to parade my single ass around."Dad, this is ridiculous, "I whispered harshly and tried to pull my hand away from his grasp.He shoved me forward toward the first man who approached us. My stomach dropped when I recognized him—my ex-boyfriend’s father. A man ten years my dad’s senior. His gaze roved over me, assessing my body.His eyes darkened with displeasure as I stood rigid, refusing to turn around. “She’s twenty-five,” he scoffed, shaking his head. “Old and expired.”
"Gentlemen, feast your eyes on my beautiful daughter!" my dad's voice rang out loud enough to make heads turn from every direction. "She carries the proud blood of an alpha and will make the perfect wife for any deserving male!"Pack mates eyes burned into me, and I fought the urge to shrink away, but my dad didn't mind the spectacle he was creating.We were at the annual Werewolf and Lycan Festival, a huge celebration meant to honor traditions. For me, it was a nightmare. My dad had turned it into the perfect stage to parade my single ass around."Dad, this is ridiculous, "I whispered harshly and tried to pull my hand away from his grasp.He shoved me forward toward the first man who approached us. My stomach dropped when I recognized him—my ex-boyfriend’s father. A man ten years my dad’s senior. His gaze roved over me, assessing my body.His eyes darkened with displeasure as I stood rigid, refusing to turn around. “She’s twenty-five,” he scoffed, shaking his head. “Old and expired.”...
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