Crystal was here, and everything felt real. Everything we had planned—the revenge, the hatred that had fueled us for years—was standing in the middle of this castle.A small part of me doubted if I could go through with this anymore. My stomach twisted, but I shoved the thoughts down.As we reached the kitchen, Crystal’s eyes swept over every inch of the room, taking in the cabinets, the counters, and the stone hearth where meals were prepared. Then she turned to face me and smirked."I still can’t believe that fool was stupid enough to tell you about Shahar’s proposal," she said, running her hand along the counter, pretending to admire the space."He had one job, to keep his mouth shut, and now he’s single-handedly destroyed the surprise. Selfish brat.""I don’t even want to think about it. I have no idea how I will say no to Shahar," I said.She tilted her head dramatically. "Oh, I think you should say yes."My head snapped up. "What?" I asked, genuinely shocked. "It’s not like I’m
Axel Since sleep had decided to betray me, I figured I might as well betray my liver in return. A bottle of Jack Daniels seemed like the next best companion for a sleepless night.I made my way to the pantry in my room, grabbing the familiar glass bottle. At first, I drank slowly, savoring the burn as it coated my throat. But patience had never been my virtue, and soon enough, I was drowning myself in the amber liquid.The stupid thing wasn’t even working.The curse of being a Lycan: no matter how much poison I poured into my system, my body refused to surrender to the bliss of intoxication. Other creatures had it easy. A few shots and they were spilling secrets and making poor decisions. The worst thing that would happen to me was waking up with an exhausted spirit.And just as I anticipated, I woke up feeling like shit. My limbs were heavy as my body sank into the mattress. I didn't have the strength to get up, much less go downstairs and pretend to be interested in breakfast. I l
Eve Something was off with Crystal, and I couldn't put my finger on it. It was like standing in a room where something unnatural had sucked all the usual energy out of it.She wasn’t her usual teasing self, enough to set off alarm bells in my head. I had been mentally bracing myself for her usual commentary about my upcoming marriage, expecting her to have a full-blown monologue about how I was walking straight into a circus act.There was nothing. Not even a halfhearted jab.Just silence.I watched her carefully when she visited the castle, waiting for some sign of her usual mischief. But she barely replied when I spoke. Her responses were clipped, and her smirks were absent; that was a red flag. I might have let it go if it had been anyone else, but this was Crystal. The woman who could turn a funeral into a roast session if given the chance.Was it PMS? That could explain her brooding mood. She always turned into a storm cloud in heat: moody, irritable, and insufferable.If that
Eve Crystal was biting into a cake when I returned to the kitchen. I stood before her."What the hell was that about?"She turned her gaze to me, completely deadpan. "What are you asking me for?"I shot her a look. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You attacked Shahar."Crystal leaned back, faking surprise. "Oh, my bad. Did he run to you complaining that I hurt his feelings? Maybe I should send him an apology basket with scented candles and a handwritten note that says, ‘Dear Shahar, sorry for treating you like the disposable pawn that you are.’""That's not fair. You didn't even go after Axel like that."She shrugged. "That's because I don't have to. We know what Axel is. We know what he did. But you're getting too comfortable. I see it, and it's dangerous. We didn't come here to make friends or get married.""Let's take a walk. Fewer ears," I said.She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."We headed out and walked along the stone path. The estate's garden was always peaceful, and I
Eve Our lips met in a passionate embrace. The kiss was deep and hungry, with our tongues entwined in a dance that mirrored our growing desire.My hands roamed over his broad chest, tracing the contours of his torso under his lab coat. While his thumbs brushed against my nipples, already stiff with excitement, the sensation sent a jolt of pleasure through my body, causing me to moan softly into his mouth."What are you doing to me?" He breathed against my ear. "You're so fucking irresistible.""I know."With each passing moment, the atmosphere grew heavier and thicker with desire. My movement became more purposeful as I began to undress him, with my fingers unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his sculpted torso.My eyes traced the lines of his shoulders and the ridges of his abdomen. One by one, his garments fell away, and soon he stood before me, with his damned body a work of art, hot and ready."So needy, huh?" He whispered against my ear as I reached for his belt, deftly unbuckling i
Eve "I have to go," I said to Axel, watching as he finished his meal with a satisfaction he didn’t bother to hide.He never openly admitted how much he liked my cooking, unlike Shahar, who would shower me with exaggerated compliments and bounce like a kid. But I knew. Axel was getting addicted. The way he scraped his plate clean, the way he always finished before everyone else, the way his eyes lingered on the food before he even took his first bite—it was all the proof I needed."Stay," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I'll be rounding up soon."I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. That smug look on his face irritated me because he was fully aware of why I was looking at him like that."So why did you make me go through all this stress if you were coming home tonight anyway?" I asked, crossing my arms.He shrugged, feigning nonchalance, and went right back to eating, not even sparing me another glance. Sneaky, arrogant, huge-ass bastard.Here I was, a woman about to marry
Axel's POVA mad giggle burst from Shahar as he lunged at me again with fast and wild strikes, like he had something to prove. I gritted my teeth, blocking him, but his speed had doubled since we started. I was sparring, he was fighting like his life depended on it."Admit that I won," Shahar taunted, breathless. A grin stretched across his face as he tried to pin me down."Fuck off," I grumbled, shoving his hand away when he tried to pull me up.It was all lighthearted, nothing serious, but even the warriors watching knew he had put in twice the effort I had. A few of them chuckled, shaking their heads even when we both knew I was naturally stronger. Shahar had always been this way, competing with me in ways I never invited."I smell like shit. I'll freshen up before coming back to see Eve," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.Something sharp twisted in my chest, and I forced a smile, pretending his words didn’t sink into my bones like a curse.Envy.It burned through me like a
AxelThe wind carried the scent of salt and damp earth as I made my way toward Priestess Gaia’s hut. The water crashed against the rocks and the chill bit at my skin, but my mind was too heavy to care.Approaching the hut, my steps faltered. There, half-buried in the sand, was the priestess—only her head visible, her long silver-streaked hair tangled with bits of seaweed.My arm clutched my chest as I frowned. “What the hell are you doing?”A raspy laugh bubbled from her throat. “Ah, the mighty king is afraid?”“Not in the slightest,” I muttered, stepping forward. “Do I even want to know if this is some sort of ritual?”She grinned up at me. “A cleansing ritual,” she said simply. “Submission to the earth, to the ancestors. You should try it.”“
Alec I caught her scent before I saw her.Sweet, primal and alive.It hit me as I rounded the corner of the second-floor stairs.My heart slammed hard enough that I felt it in my throat. The bond snapped awake between us, yanking tight across my ribs.And there she was.Vanessa stood a few steps above me, gripping the railing, breathing like she had just run a mile. Her skin glowed under the lights, damp from a heat that hadn't touched anyone else. Her wolf was awake, I could feel it reaching for mine.Every muscle in my body locked.I wanted to take the last few steps and grab her.Bury my face against her neck.Mark her until she couldn’t belong to anyone but me.She took another shaky step down. Her knees wobbled like a newborn pup’s.I stayed rooted where I was.Her eyes found mine, like she'd been caught in the middle of a nightmare.Something primal shoved against my control.My wolf surged, howling for her.Take her. Now.Vanessa’s lips parted. She staggered. Her scent punched
Vanessa’s POVI couldn't let Nina's words slide without knowing what she was up to. I pushed through the servants, ignoring the stupid whispers.Nina was halfway up the stairs leading to the third floor, acting like she had no idea she’d just thrown a torch into dry wood. I ran up the stairs and caught up with her. She turned, calm as still water with a smile on her lips. “What are you up to?” I cried out, exasperated.Nina looked around and whispered, “Walls have ears. You don't want Isabella and Maya to hear this.”She smoothed her skirt and turned back to the stairs. Without glancing back, she said, “Follow me.”Rage crawled up my neck. I stood there with clenched fists, before forcing my legs to move.We didn’t speak as we climbed. When I stepped inside her quarters, my eyes widened.It was nothing short of beautiful and eccentric. The walls were painted deep blue, like the sky right before it surrendered to the stars. A colorful rug sprawled across the floor, alive with shapes
Vanessa The stench of blood hit me before I even reached the laundry hall. The metallic smell clung to my nose and throat, making every breath taste like iron.We were waiting, heads down, buckets lined along the wall. When the hunters dumped the bloodied clothes in front of us, the pile steamed in the cold air."Move," barked one of the guards.We dropped to our knees and started sorting. Thick leather cloaks soaked through, ripped and dark with blood. Some had claw marks. Others, deep slashes. My hands found a warm shirt. My stomach clenched. I bit the inside of my cheek and shoved it into the basin.The head servant, Marga, stormed past. "You're slower than a pack of drunk pups. Hurry up!"My fingers worked fast, scrubbing, rinsing and wringing. The water turned red instantly. A film of blood coated the surface. Every time I dipped the cloth back in, it felt like bathing in ghosts.The memory slipped in before I could fight it.I was thirteen years old, and my dad had just given
AlecThe morning after Olga's prophecy was awful.I woke up with a pounding headache, like my skull was about to split open. But as memories of last night came flooding back, the headache was nothing compared to the deep ache in my chest.My mate.The one person destined to be my perfect match was Valen Hunter's daughter. Entirely unsuitable for me.The thought of being bonded to an enemy felt like punishment. I rubbed my forehead, trying to shake off the fog, but my mind kept circling back to the impossibility of it all.How could the goddess be so cruel?I’d always thought I was blessed and destined for power. Life had spoiled me with luxury, and now I was crowned alpha of one of the most powerful packs on the south coast. People envied me. But now, luck had turned its back on me.It felt like the moon goddess herself had said, "You’ve had enough blessings. Time for a change."And she had changed everything.A bond with Vanessa was unthinkable. Packmates would revolt and use it agai
Vanessa The bruises had faded, but the ache remained. It was so deep nothing could touch it. My wolf was still weak from Olga’s wolfsbane. She wasn’t silent, but her voice and cries were faint.I felt sorry for poisoning her in the first place. But if I had to do this over and over to suppress this bond, I wouldn't hesitate.The memory from last night rushed in. Lucas had tried to kill me, and Alec had stopped him, saved me, carried me... then stood over me and said I was a threat.He kept sending mixed signals, confusing me. He needed to pick a side already.Picking a side wouldn’t change the fact that he killed my father. I got dressed and headed out. The morning gong had rung earlier to wake the servants, but no one had woken me. They had all witnessed the horrifying event last night.No high-ranking wolf ever came down to the servants’ quarters.That changed yesterday because of me. Because of me, the Alpha punched his trusted Beta.As I stepped out, everyone stared at me like
AlecLucas slammed the door without knocking."If you’ve lost your damn mind, just say it out loud so I can send for the psychiatrist."I didn’t look up from the blade I was sharpening."Get out.""No. Not until we explain what the hell that was last night."He paced around the room like a rabid dog, chest out, pride bruised."You punched me in front of that servant girl!"My jaw tightened. "Stop whining, Luc. I warned you not to kill her.""And why should I listen to you? She's a traitor's spawn. We should’ve gotten her the moment the bond snapped into place. You think you can hide her? This isn’t about your feelings—it’s about what the Kingdom sees.""Stop it," I said flatly. "You’re beginning to sound like a broken record. I have a mind of my own.""Then use it," he snapped. "You’re showing weakness: This is not like you. I’ll keep reminding you every fucking minute if it keeps you from wrecking your life."I shot him a sharp look. "I hope you haven’t told your loudmouth wife anyth
Vanessa The pack house was riddled with immorality.The sounds of sex echoed off the marbled walls. Every corner reeked of wine and sex.Usually, I found my escape. It was a miracle I hadn’t lost my virginity while living in this immoral pack for eight years.Except for that one time when one of the servant boys, Zachary, tried to lure me into his bed. I always counted myself wise and lucky. My being in the main court was on purpose. I wanted to see Alec's reaction to someone manhandling me. "On your knees, traitor bitch," a drunken gamma slurred as he grabbed a goblet of wine, spilling it down my breasts. "Were you not trained to please?"I smiled, because that’s what servants do, and because I had caught Alec watching.Across the hall, he watched me. He stood at the throne, surrounded by well-wishers. His fiancée, Maya, clung to his arm like a jewel. I was glad that he saw me."I’m sorry, sir," I said softly, taking my time to unzip the drunken gamma.My heart fell. Alec's reactio
AlecShe was gone, but her scent was everywhere.Vanilla, honey, and pure heat underneath.I could smell her need. That scent of a bonded female aching to be claimed. And fuck, my wolf wanted to chase.Before she revealed her name, my heart leapt with excitement. It reminded me of easier times, before the weight of everyone’s expectations had crushed the part of me that used to feel alive.I pressed my back to the wall, breathing like I’d just come out of a fight. The goddess hadn’t given me a mate. She'd shackled me to the daughter of a traitor. Pain twisted in my chest. My wolf was restless, howling for her. I was one second away from losing control."Go to her," he cried. "She’s ours."I ripped the ceremonial robe and tossed it into the flames. Then I began punching the wall repeatedly. I punched until my knuckles bled. Still, the feeling didn’t leave."Shut the fuck up," I bellowed at my wolf, who was starved for our mate’s touch. "Do you even realize what you're asking me to do
Laughter echoed through the halls as they crowned Alpha Alec.He was the heir to a throne built on my family’s grave.I used to walk these halls in silk. Now I scrub their floors with raw hands and silent tears.Alec had been away for six years, training with Northern warriors. He was so ruthless that his bites could break bones. In his years of absence, I had plotted my revenge."You're wasting soap, rat."I flinched as cold water splashed against the side of my face. Laughter followed. Two maids, always eager to bully me whenever the head maid was busy, were at it again.“She thinks scrubbing harder will clean her filthy bloodline,” one of them sneered. Her broom handle knocked over the bucket beside me, spilling soapy water across the floor and into my lap.“Please stop,” I said, keeping my head down.“I hope Alpha Alec throws you into the dungeon so we don’t have to look at your evil eyes anymore.”They had no idea how dark my mind was. I played the meek servant, took all the abu