AxelWith my arms crossed over my chest, I watched Shahar and a few of the warriors demonstrating different techniques to the younger recruits under the shade of the archway, while the others trained in the field.The young Lycans loved this challenge—an exhilarating test of their strength against seasoned warriors.Shahar laughed, easily dodging a boy's reckless swing and knocking him off balance with a mere flick of his foot."Come on, you’ll have to be faster than that if you want to win a real fight," he teased, offering his opponent a hand.The recruit took it, shaking his head in good-natured embarrassment, while the others waited, eager for their turn.I exhaled, adjusting my stance.Watching my warriors train had always brought me a sense of peace.Discipline. Order. Strength.But something about watching Shahar today made my chest feel tight.Guilt.That was it.I could feel it—dragging me down, refusing to be ignored.Every time I saw him, it reminded me of last night with E
EveI knew Axel was listening.He flipped through his puzzle book like he wasn’t paying attention, but I knew better.He was too calculating not to be listening, too intelligent not to be connecting the dots.That’s why I deliberately mentioned it.I wanted to see if he would react—to catch even the slightest shift in his gaze, anything that would confirm he was paying attention.My heart drummed in my chest as I waited for his eyes to betray something.Nothing.Not a twitch, not a glance, not even the faintest acknowledgment.I swallowed hard, hating the growing ache of disappointment.His fingers glided across the page as he solved whatever problem was in front of him.Maybe I was shooting myself in the foot, revealing too much too soon. Every word I spoke felt like a reckless gamble. I was playing with fire by mentioning my estate so openly, dangling a thread that, if pulled, could expose everything I had so carefully hidden.If Shahar dug deeper, my cover could be blown. The thoug
EveStanding in the shadows of the corridor, I watched Axel seated at the head of the table, speaking to his advisors. The plate of snacks I had placed before him earlier sat untouched.He hadn’t spared me a glance.Was he avoiding me?Of course, he was. Since that unholy night.Maybe he was regretting it, realizing it was a mistake. Maybe I should care less.I stacked the dishes for cleaning. He wasn’t silent with others. He still spoke to them, brief conversations, acknowledgments with his guards, even some of the maids.He was busy, but not too busy to speak to others.Just me.I hated myself for feeling frustrated. I should be relieved—his attention was dangerous. I had seen what happened to women who got tangled in his world, and I was not here for that.I was here for revenge.I wasn’t supposed to care if he ignored me.I thought I had at least a few days of peace, but then Nina walked back into the castle like she was reclaiming a throne.The moment I spotted her entering the h
AxelThe corridors were quiet, save for the murmurs of servants beginning their day. I descended the staircase, following the scent of food wafting from the dining hall. Instead of the usual rich aroma that stirred my appetite, there was an unsettling, burnt scent that made my stomach turn.The moment I saw Nina standing by the dining table, adjusting the placement of cutlery, the answer was clear. Eve hadn’t cooked this.At the mere thought of Eve’s name, my stomach twisted. I had been avoiding her on purpose, trying to pull my mind out of the madness of wanting her. Again and again.Nina turned at the sound of my approach, and her eyes lit up with excitement."Good morning, my love," she purred, stepping aside as she gestured dramatically toward the meal before me.My stomach clenched. Warning bells rang in my mind.I lowered myself into the chair, removing the lid from the plates. Eggs, toast, and what looked like some kind of stew. It looked passable enough, but the scent was off.
EveI woke up to a sharp, twisting pain in my stomach, dragging me out of my sleep like a cruel hand yanking me from a dream.Gasping, I pressed a hand to my abdomen, hoping it was just a cramp, some indigestion, anything but what I already suspected.I sat up and forced myself to stand. My body protested, the hot, uncomfortable sensation in my stomach making me feel like I was burning from the inside out.“No. No, no, no.”I shuffled toward the table where I had left a glass of water from the night before. I barely took a sip before a wave of nausea slammed into me.Stumbling backward, I choked on air. Then, the pain flared, hotter and sharper.Maya whimpered inside me.Or maybe she howled.Or maybe it was both.My fingers dug into the fabric of my nightgown
EveThe road stretched ahead of us, winding through the remnants of a once-thriving land. Nostalgia wrapped around me, suspending me between past and present.Everything felt different now.Even the air seemed thinner, lacking the same fullness it once had when I was a child, running barefoot through the Market Square, dodging merchants, stealing warm pastries with Crystal.The air smelled like rotten eggs now. Still, it was home.And I missed it.Beside me, Crystal linked her fingers with mine. She always seemed to know when my mind drifted too far, as if we shared some unseen bond."Remember when we were little? How we used to hold hands like this all the time?" She swung our hands between us, and a wistful smile played on her lips.I smiled. "Back then, we didn’t have to worry about politics. Or betrayals. Or
AxelThe mid-year party was in full swing. Music played in the background, setting the mood for celebration, but to me, it was nothing more than noise—distant, irritating.Nothing beyond that.I had already done my duty—acknowledged the elders, exchanged empty pleasantries, and offered a few words of wisdom to the warriors who had recently risen in rank. But now, I was trapped.Surrounded by a cluster of noblewomen who reeked of desperation and expensive perfume.Ever since Nina had made our supposed engagement public, the women had taken it as a challenge—thinking they still had a chance.It was pathetic and exhausting."It's shocking, really," Beatrix purred, tilting her head, her sharp gaze laced with jealousy. "We thought you weren’t the type to settle down, yet Nina managed to—how should I say it?—
EveThe moment I stepped off the transport system and onto the streets of the Lycan Pack’s capital, I knew something was wrong.The air was too still. No moving vehicles. No industrial sounds.Nothing.The entire city seemed to have been drained of life.I adjusted the bag on my shoulder, taking slow steps forward. My eyes scanned the silent streets. Maybe it was a holiday? Or perhaps a royal decree for silence?If something like that had happened, I would have heard about it before I left. Shahar would have informed me.My heart pounded as I glanced around. No cars. No buses. Not even a single bicycle moving through the streets.This was very unusual.My instincts sharpened and my wolf stirred inside me.I passed by a storefront, catching the reflection of my face
EveThe lack of light made it impossible to tell day from night. The shackles that bound my wrists bit into my skin, and I trembled as the door creaked open for another round of weeping. They struck me with leather-strapped clubs, and my screams were muffled by the cloth gag jammed between my teeth.Traitor.Dirty little werewolf.Slut.They flogged me while demeaning me with every word. Each blow left bruises shaped like knuckles across my back and arms. My gown hung in tatters as the whip cracked through the air and kissed my skin, searing ribbons of flesh.But I was grateful—because I had heard worse. From the neighboring cell came the moans of a man they had mutilated, his tongue cut out.Once finished with me, they walked away, and the clang of the iron door made me scream.The only light came from a porthole high above—too small to see the sky. My fingers found the stone walls, slick with slime and my own blood.A wooden bowl of unidentifiable gruel was shoved under the door. I
Axel My long journey was full of trials and haunting stillness, felt like a pointless march into madness. I stopped at the place where all vehicles were forbidden. From there, I began to walk. Each step dragged on, slow and heavy. Shifting into my wolf was not allowed—though not like I could even do that anymore. I carried my luggage by hand, water sloshing inside the pouch, and a few folded bills. My tunic’s hood shielded my face as I pressed forward, alone. The guards had been forbidden to accompany me. This pilgrimage demanded isolation.The first village I reached resembled a painting from a child’s sketchbook—mud huts with intact thatched roofs, placed too neatly, too still. Strangely, every window had black cloth nailed across it. The smell of rot and stagnant water rolled through the air like a fog. A woman pounded millet beside a well, and I called to her. She didn’t turn. A man leaning against a goat pen chewed without blinking. No one spoke. My voice echoed back like it ha
EveA relaxed smile crossed my face as I headed to Axel's closet suites which could be best described as a private showroom than any ordinary wardrobe. He had been in a hurry to pack and had made a mess of the place. It wasn't that messy, but I was bored. It had been more than a day since he travelled, and since I had no reason to be cooking and preparing recipes, I needed something to keep my mind busy.My ga scanned rows of drawers, racks, shelving units, and a relaxed smile crossed my face when I stared at his custom boot trunks. Everything about him was powerful. I began to unfold garments from his set of leather suitcases lying open on a velvet bench and separated his regalia from his casual wears and his battle dress uniforms. I was organizing his cufflinks and brooches when I remembered my ordeal with Crystal and Shahar.Crystal had called back after Gaia left, panicking."He's going to suspect that we are playing him," I said to her, feeling so frustrated."I know, I know!" sh
Eve“So…” a familiar voice drawled behind me, full of amusement. “How was the proposal?”I turned to see Gaia trailing behind me into the kitchen. Her brows did some kind of mischievous dance.“Did he go down on one knee?” she asked, barely suppressing her grin. “I know he didn't. His kneecaps would probably shatter from the sheer offense.”I laughed, despite myself. “Please, Gaia.”“I’m just curious. You're royalty now. We want to know how the King of Stone Hearts melted.”I groaned, dropping the tray on the counter. “Let’s just say I don’t know what I’m doing.”Gaia raised an eyebrow. “You seemed pretty confident back there, standing beside him like you were ready to snatch the crown yourself.”“I was winging it,” I muttered.“Winging it with grace,” she corrected, following me as I headed toward the private living room. She made herself comfortable on the couch across from me while I flopped into the seat.I rubbed my forehead. “Everything feels like it’s spiraling. One second I’m
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.