Eve The kitchen was wrapped in the comforting aroma of roasted vegetables and sauces. Axel and Shahar’s voices filtered through the hallway. Shahar was louder, his words carrying a carefreeness that came naturally to him. Axel, on the other hand, sounded distant. But when he laughed, it didn’t sound like it belonged to him. It was too smooth, too easy, too human for a monster.Curiosity got the best of me. I moved cautiously, pressing my ear against the surface of the wall, listening.“Nicolas and his goons are just a bunch of noisemakers,” Shahar said. “He’s been so busy flapping his mouth, he didn’t even realize his cabinet member was fucking his wife.”A low chuckle drifted from Axel. A chill slithered down my back, causing my breath to halt in my throat. Was this the same laugh he let out when my family was murdered? When my parents begged for their lives?My heart pounded faster.“The numbers aren’t looking good for him,” Shahar continued, enjoying their rival’s misfortune.Axel
AxelThe simplicity of a full stomach quieted the storm in my mind. Shahar sat across from me, leaning back in his chair with a contented sigh, his hand lazily rubbing his belly. “You look like a dog who just found a hidden feast,” I quipped, and he cracked one eye open, grinning“What can I say? Eve is a great cook. Admit it, you enjoyed the food.”I let out a low chuckle but didn't reply. The calm didn't last long. It never did. A familiar dark voice in my head reminded me not to get comfortable. Nothing good lasts for people like me, a cursed, unfortunate soul.“You're brooding again,” Shahar said, breaking through my thoughts. “Am I?” I asked dryly.My gaze wandered toward the open corridor beyond the living room, where his fling walked by. Her transformation was undeniable.A self-assured woman replaced the frail, sickly figure I’d glimpsed days ago. She drew attention as quickly as the sun drew flowers. The sway of her hips commanded attention.She was just a woman, like the c
Eve When I heard Axel mention he would marry someone to spite Shahar, my entire world came crashing down instantly. There was someone else in his life. He was willing to leave me, his fated mate, for her.He was discarding the bond as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the pain consume me. I needed to prove to him that I was strong. That I didn’t need him. That he was nothing.Shahar returned after seeing Axel off. When I heard the door close, I rushed to the kitchen, gathering the dishes and wiping down the countertop. He padded, trying to sneak up on me, but I had already noticed. I didn’t turn back—I wanted to see where his moral compass lay.Surprisingly, he didn’t do anything foolish.“Did you enjoy your meal?” I asked, keeping my tone light.“Hell yeah,” he said, dropping into a seat. “You’re excellent.”I wiped my hands with a towel. “I heard you mention a council meeting. Has he agreed for me to cook?”Shahar chuckled. “You
Eve The castle workers lived in a world different from what I had imagined. Comfort was a standard. They were well-dressed, well-fed, and, from what I could tell, highly content with their lives. But what shocked me the most was their pay.When my appointment letter was drafted and I caught sight of the salary and benefits listed under my name, my mouth nearly hit the floor. I was certain Shahar had pulled some strings, but he hadn’t.Not that I needed the money, but I couldn't ignore that the castle’s staff, mere servants in the grand scheme of things, earned better than some professionals in my pack. Even more shocking were the added benefits—medical coverage, housing allowances, and retirement bonuses. Retirement bonuses for a cook were insane.But it explained a lot.Like why Victoria hated me on sight.She was threatened and shot daggers at me from across the kitchen. If looks could kill, I’d be ashes by now.Axel made no sense.Everything about him was a contradiction. How coul
EveThe day of the cabinet meeting had finally arrived. It was a long and exhausting day for me and the other staff, but Victoria, as usual, strutted around like she was in charge, snapping out instructions and acting as if she had everything under control, when in reality, she was doing the bare minimum.I didn’t mind. If anything, I saw it as an opportunity to prove her wrong. She had gone on and on about how I was just some newcomer who didn’t belong in her kitchen. I poured every ounce of effort into my work, paying close attention to detail, making sure every dish was cooked to perfection.By midday, I was already exhausted. My apron was stained with the colors of spices, and my arms bore the marks of splattered oil from roasting the rib of the deer. But I refused to slow down.Victoria, ever the peacock, marched over to me. “You have to make sure the rib is roasted to a perfect golden brown crust on the outside and tender within,” she said in her usual snappish tone. “That’s how
Fourteen AxelThe sight of Nina sprawled naked on my bed gave me a nasty headache.She wanted more than sex. She always did.Nina was a thorn in my flesh, acting as if I had made her promises when all I had done was make a passing remark to her father, Prince Jaxon of the Northern Province, that he had raised a fine daughter. That simple statement had somehow morphed in her mind into a marriage proposal.She lounged on my bed, and her manicured fingers lazily traced patterns on my chest as if she had any right to claim me. The entitlement in her posture made my jaw tighten.I poked my tongue lightly into my cheek and inhaled a long breath, trying to push down the irritation bubbling beneath my skin. My patience for Nina had long run dry, but she refused to see it. She dismissed every rejection, ignored every dismissal, and kept showing up as if I owed her something.“Axel, my love,” she purred, lifting her head with an exaggerated pout. “I don’t like the way Shahar talks to me.”I res
EveIt was torture having to calm Maya down, but she wasn’t even attempting to stay relaxed. The first time she had felt a wave of pain was when we both discovered that our mate had slept with that stupid nurse. That pain had been sharp and unbearable—but nothing compared to the agony ripping through us now.It felt like someone was slicing through my intestines with a jagged blade. The sharp pain tore me apart from the inside. My body ached, and my stomach twisted violently. It was killing me. Maybe if I had let Maya take control when we sensed Axel cheating, it wouldn’t have hurt this badly. If I had let her lash out instead of running away, would the pain have been more tolerable?Shahar had been right—I never should have gone to serve Nina.I wiped my eyes, but it was useless. My tears wouldn’t stop. Crying solved nothing. It wouldn’t erase the pain or change the fact that Axel had betrayed us, that the bond between us was a cruel joke. I could feel Maya’s pain intertwining with
EveI ran as fast as my legs would carry me, faster than a cheetah, as the dogs chased me relentlessly through the garden. Their paws pounded against the earth, as if their sole purpose in life was to sink their teeth into me. Maya was screaming inside my head. If she had the option, she would have swapped owners in a heartbeat. She must have been wondering why on earth a werewolf—one of the most powerful creatures alive—was running from a couple of mere dogs.But no matter how ridiculous it was, I couldn't stop. And strangely, the more I ran, the more excited I felt. The wind rushed past me, the cool night air against my skin, washing away all the other burdens I carried.Then I spotted a mango tree with thick branches sturdy enough to hold my weight. A smirk tugged at my lips. If these dogs thought they had me cornered, they were in for a surprise. Growing up in a pack house surrounded by cousins and friends, I had spent my childhood climbing trees, scaling fences, and engaging in
Nina's POVNina pressed her ear against the door, trying to catch every word that Eve was saying to Gaia. She had always wondered why the priestess was so interested in an ordinary cook. Well, it seemed she wasn't so ordinary anymore—judging by the unexpected turn of events.Nina didn’t want to call what she felt jealousy, but that’s exactly what it was. Spiteful bitterness clawed at her. She believed this stranger—this harlot, this swat—had taken away Herman. It was clear she had slithered her way halfway into Axel’s life. Perhaps she fulfilled needs, styles, kinks, and fetishes Axel loved—ones that once led Nina to suspect he might be secretly homosexual.Nina gloried in her beauty. She was superior to other girls in talent, looks, wealth, and importance—and she was fully conscious of it. Women in the park and beyond humbled themselves before her. She was like a precious egg—darling in her parents’ eyes. She was supposed to be the one to win Axel, fair and square. She deserved to be
Eve“Axel, stop,” I groaned, struggling in his hold, though part of me wasn’t trying too hard. His arms were like iron bands around my waist, keeping me caged against him. I twisted, trying to free myself, but it was pointless.When Axel wanted something, he didn’t ask, he took it. His lips brushed the shell of my ear. “Why are you fighting me?” “You’re supposed to be holding court right now. They’re waiting. I can't go with you.”“Are you scared of the people who fear me? Those trembling cowards who shake in their boots the second I walk into a room?”His gaze on me was intense, that piercing hazel that seemed to burn straight through me. “I’m not scared of them. I'm not scared of you either.”A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and before I could say another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips to my neck. His kiss was hot, just above the place where my pulse jumped like a wild thing. I shivered.If he just opened his mouth and sank his teeth into that spot, jus
ShaharI drank from bottles, one after another. The liquor poured down my throat until I became drowsy and my head hit the table.Hours later, my eyes opened and I groaned. My neck hurt. My hand wiped the drool on my beard and mouth. The mattress sagged as I lay on it and my eyes closed as I hit the pillows.I woke up the next morning with one clear decision burning in my chest: to go find Crystal.The Wild Fangs Pack was about a four-hour journey by road from here. If I left before sunrise, I could make it there in time. I could’ve cut that time in half by air, but I hated flying. Something about being in the air, detached from the ground, felt unnatural. Most Lycans didn’t like it either. We were creatures of earth and instinct, grounded and primal. The air felt like a lie. You couldn’t scent your surroundings. You couldn’t feel danger. You couldn’t trust the skies. No matter how convenient air travel was, it always stripped me of control.Crystal knew her friend betrayed and manip
Shahar Axel's car screeched away. The sound slammed into me, igniting a fire that burned through my veins. I felt the urge to shatter something and unleash the fury that threatened to consume me.My growl echoed through the living room. It was a primal call that summoned the anger from the depths of my chest. My heart pounded hard.How dare they think they can waltz in here and police how I react?Axel truly hurt me. This was a deeply personal betrayal. The bond we shared went beyond familial ties. We were closer than brothers.We had fought side by side, bled together, and buried our dead together. He knew every dark thought I kept hidden, and I knew his. We didn’t need words to understand each other; a look and a twitch of the jaw was enough. That’s what made this so unbearable.The fact that he knew exactly what this would do to me and still did it anyway made me hate him. And until things took this ugly turn, I could’ve sworn I’d take a bullet for him without blinking. Now, I was
EveAxel had long since fallen asleep, but I lay wide awake, my thoughts running in circles.I hadn't even spoken when he told me he loved me and wanted to marry me. I couldn't. If I had, I might have cried,or worse, let the weight of it all crush me.So instead, I kissed him.I let my body speak for me.It was slow, deep, intense—the most passionate we had ever been. Maybe because, for the first time, my body recognized that Axel truly loved me. And despite everything, despite him not being perfect—despite me not being perfect, despite the secrets we both hid that could destroy us—there was something comforting about knowing that his love was for me and not just the mate bond.A small victory.Slowly, I sat up, careful not to disturb his peaceful slumber. The sheets slipped down, exposing my bare skin to the moonlight.I turned my gaze to Axel, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The lines on his forehead softened in sleep—creases that deepened when he smiled or frowned.
Eve I paced around Axel's chamber like a lunatic, a hot mess of emotions with no idea what I was even feeling.Angry. Sad. Relieved. All of the above. I was a walking emotional roller coaster, spiraling without a safety bar.Axel had exposed our intimacy to Shahar—just like that. No warning, no consideration, nothing. And yet, this same Axel had stood up for me, had my back, and sent Nina away without a second thought. It was distracting. I should have been focused on how unbelievably annoyed I was at him. I needed to get it together.Calm down, Eve. Pacing around the room like a caged animal isn't going to change anything.I shot him a glare. "Oh, so now you're a therapist? Mind telling me how I should feel—especially since you are the cause of all this?"Axel grinned, thoroughly amused. "Me?" He placed a hand on his chest in mock innocence. "I'm innocent. I just think you might get dizzy and make an anger track in my carpet."I narrowed my eyes. "This isn't funny.""It isn’t," he a
AxelNina could not take a hint. I didn’t want to talk to her. I didn’t want to sit beside her. I didn’t even want to be near her. But that didn’t stop her from shoving herself into my space like an overeager puppy, pretending not to notice how stiff my posture was or how my answers had been reduced to noncommittal grunts.My annoyance grew with every word she spewed. I wished she would just go away.It wasn’t just that I wasn’t interested—I had gone out of my way to introduce her to several nobles, making it painfully obvious that I was trying to push her toward someone else. But she played dumb, batting her lashes and pretending the entire room couldn’t see exactly what I was trying to do.I couldn’t wait for the night to be over.Eve was still furious with me, and I had no doubt she planned to bear this grudge forever. That pleased Shahar—he looked downright smug every time our eyes met. And a small, irritated part of me wondered if it was worth it in the end.But knowing Shahar ha
EveMy heart dropped into my stomach the moment I saw Shahar. He had caught Axel and me kissing.I had never felt such dread in my life. I had seen Shahar angry before, but this was different—he looked pierced, betrayed in a way that sent me running behind Axel like a coward.I broke into a sweat, silently begging the Moon Goddess that he wouldn’t cause a scene. People were moving back and forth through the hallway, and the last thing I needed was for the entire kingdom to witness its king tangled in a scandal with his best friend’s fiancée. If Shahar lost control, this could turn into a disgraceful mess, one that no amount of damage control could fix.Shahar’s voice was low but filled with restrained fury. "What the hell is this?"He wasn’t looking at me—his burning gaze was fixed on Axel, demanding an answer, demanding an explanation that would make this not what it seemed.Axel didn’t speak.His silence only made it worse. Shahar took a step closer, his fists clenched, his entire f
EveI was in heat for the next three days. It was messy. The worst kind. The kind that had me clawing at Axel like some insatiable animal, unable to get enough. I climbed him every chance I got. He didn’t complain, of course. He enjoyed it—loved it even. He loved that, for once, I was the one reaching for him, dragging him into me, kissing him first, begging to be ravished, instead of the other way around.It felt like a live wire was buzzing in my body, demanding more. I couldn’t stop. We did it everywhere—the garden at night, his study, the kitchen storage, the garage, his car, but mostly in my room, night after night, until I was sore, but still needing more.It had never been like this with Lance. Not even when we were good. Not even in the first year of our marriage when we were trying. The difference was so painfully obvious that I almost felt stupid for ever believing I had loved Lance. With Axel, my body responded before my brain even had the chance to argue. With Lance,