I sat and tucked against the fragile mud wall, shivering as the cold ran down, even with my knees pressed against my chest. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Abel, shirtless, not even flinch as he cleaned our used glasses. My hands were shoved in between my thighs—in an attempt to warm them up.
The wind was howling outside, occasionally making the front door of the hut creak and shake - which initially freaked me, but I was used to the eerie sound.
We had no other choice but to stay indoors, wishing for the time to pass sooner. The older Alpha visited us again, suggesting to use the rolled-up mattress and alone blanket. I had the urge to scream and clarify that we were not a couple.
Peeki
The sounds of my limbs stretching and bones crackling echoed around, my ears ringing. I rarely shifted, not by choice, but all the years of my childhood trauma forced me to keep my wolf hidden. Landing on four legs, I shook my head, leaping in the wolf's direction.As if the Alpha sensed my motive to fight, he dropped the pup, causing it to run and hide behind the trees. With a low growl, he raised his brow, challenge burning in those orbs; it made the ground underneath vibrate. The sound did not lock me into place like it would any other omega. I was not going to cower in fear like biology dictated.It didn’t do a thing other than resonate around and make the nearby creatures hide, alarmed. I paced myself, ignorin
My vision blurred, blackening out towards the corners as Axel carried me to the hut. Unable to bear the harsh light of the rays, I closed my eyes, relaxing in his arms."We are here." He murmured before placing me on the blanket."Give me a minute.""Not like I can move." I joked, but it fell flat as he rushed to the kitchen counter. With my knees folded, I watched him in acute interest as he effortlessly glided along; his back facing me.The Alpha crouched down in front of me, but I did not want to stare at him and make it obvious. Only some moments later, there was a glass underneath my nose, hints of sweetness and tangy. Blinking, I stared at the greenish liquid.
As the door shut behind me, I sagged against the nearest wall and watched Axel walk away. From the looks of it, it seemed like the Alpha was still trying to process every single thing the tribals complained about. He had no prior knowledge of the wrongdoings happening except for the killings. "Alpha...." "Give me a minute." He exhaled while dragging his feet to the other side of the room. I shrugged. Slumping down on the blankets, my knees were pulled to my chest again. There was a deep gash on the side of my leg; although the blood flow had stopped, it still stung to look at it. Why did that Alpha run away like that?
I never spent a lazy morning in bed for no particular reason, especially not in the last couple of years. If my memory served me right, I faintly remember having the flu as a pup and sleeping through mornings. At the moment, I don’t think I could ever muster up the strength to slip out from underneath the scented, warm sheets. My body was heavy yet weightless, and a pleasant ache stuck to my limbs.I didn’t have the strength to detach my legs from Axel, my pointy cold toes brushing along his bare ankles, or untangle an arm laying heavily on my waist. My eyes fluttered, realising we were tangled together again, my head resting on his chest, hearing the solid and steady heartbeat right against my ear.Each thud was like a nail in the coffin of my common sense.
At the sound of steady, approaching footsteps, my eyes widened, turning to where the sound came from. The Alpha let out a furious snarl, his lips pressing against my jaw, tongue teasing the skin there. I gaped at that, expecting him to pull away, but Axel continued his sinful behaviour.“A-Alpha, stop,” I whispered in a low tone, worry gnawing at my insides, scandalised at the thought of being caught again. The obvious embarrassment from last time was still etched in my memory.“My Luna? Are you still there?”It’s Maria. I could recognise that voice amidst the hissing of trees and the howling of wind around us. Oh no. I cannot let the poor omega find us in such a position. 
/Axel’s POV/Embarrassment clouded my face as soon as she pointed it out. I tried my best to appear unfazed by the scrutiny of her stare, back straightwhile legs pulled together. Turning the file, I cleared my throat.“That is a new method to read…you must be unaware of it, Princess Lana.”I mentally scoffed at my excuse, wishing the carriage to drive off the cliff.“Oh really?” She said in a mocking tone, an arrogant tilt of her lips as she stared blankly into my eyes. It’s silly, but I could not avert my stare, a frisson of heat forming inside.
As the carriage neared the fashion street, the green of the Castle faded into the bustling, concrete, narrow streets. Although it took quite some time for us to navigate the way, my dear friend Athea. She had kept all conversation about on dits from the ton and various other nonsensical gossips I did not bother with. The omega had been impatient to spend time with me and bought her family carriage for us to travel. We walked arm in arm on our way to the boutique. It was one of the most classy, high-class shops nestled on the elite side of the town with glass doors and a guard at the main gate.My head whirled most pleasantly as we slid through, inhaling an essence of rose and vanilla. “What do you think?” “It’s certainly something.”Athea was here to get a dress for her cousin’s birthday. She wanted me to tag along so we could explore the street together and have lunch. A stranger's movement from the corner caught my eye as I looked up from Athea’s words. Upon further inspection,
/Axel's POV/There's a panic curling around in my chest; a lump lodged in my throat. I was close to the edge, but it was not the time for me to be melodramatic. Though I had no idea where and how to begin, I was so out of depth that I was this close to completely losing it. Digging my fingers into my sides, I looked up at the dark, hunched-over figure in front of me. "I-I d-don't...What are you saying, Jade?"She went still for a few seconds, but I saw the dark eyes sharpen and narrow. "You can see for yourself.""Huh?""I got a special crystal, my lord.""What do I have to do?""Stand in front of it and keep looking at the glass...""Okay."Leaning down, I held my breath as the witch produced a white crystal in front, steadying it. I exhaled, feeling the throbbing between my temples slowly but steadily move down my throat. "Keep your eyes focused, drown out all the noises..." Jade's voice got lowered, a haze surrounding us as she shut off all windows and doors, making the room dimm
My head hurt, and so did my throat, like there were iron bands around, squeezing until it was close to breaking and poking. I had no intention of prolonging the pain, staring at the person in front of me. So quickly, I stepped towards the double french doors leading towards the alley and threw them open. On my way, I could feel the prickle of his stare on my back, but I ignored it. As soon as the gust of fresh air greeted me, I sucked in a deep breath. It nipped at my overheated skin in a gentle caress as if it knew of the pain I was going through.My vision blurred again with tears as I gathered the courage to pull myself together and get away from Axel. I could feel nothing except a terrible hollowness, the emptiness inside left by Axel. As if it’s a void, sucking in everything that made me who I am. For a second, I thought I could quickly fill in the gap by finding someone else, having someone else. I could go to another Alpha and let him press tender kisses to all the worst parts
/Axels POV/“Axel! Axel!”“Hmm?”“Are you even listening to me?”“Yes…I apologise for….”The omega shook her head with a choked-off scoff, a half-aborted toss that made a long strand of hair fall in her face, curling over her wild, doe-shaped eyes. Eyes shone in the dim study room with more than just the soft glow of the candles. Her jaw flexed, knuckles turning whiter with how hard she clenched her fingers.I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and lifted my chin, meeting her gaze and holding it. For a moment that seemed to last forever, we stood there, surrounded by the heavy silence that Lana had created with her words. Why would she say that?I assure you this Lana would kill herself before harming you.No. I curled my toes, trying not to let the perfect composure slip. It’s the gratitude, I thought internally while looking at the omega in front of me. After all, I agreed to mate her and get her out of that Palace. “You don’t believe me?” She sounded wounded, a hurt noise sli
“What do you mean by problems?” Ethan beat me to it, curiosity written all over his face, leaning forward. “It doesn’t end well?” I winced as those words slipped out of my mouth, biting my tongue. “Well…yes. It’s a tragedy buried so deeply that rarely anyone alive knows about it.” The hardcover burned in my hands the longer I stared, tears blurring my vision. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ethan, hawk-eyed, lips pursed in a single line and brows furrowed. The Alpha had difficulty taking all this, just like me, but he handled it better. At least for now. I thought shakily, averting my stare toward Daniel. He leaned against the stone wall and bought his knees to his chest; chin propped down. “The book…you can take it with you and read when you get back.”On instinct, I tightened the grip on the cover, nails digging around the bounds. “T-Thank you.”“It was the only existing copy after the great war fifty years ago. There are no more copies.”The way he worried his bottom lip whi
/Axels POV/I shook my head, watching as the omega walked away, trying to eliminate the unwanted thoughts as I wandered into my chambers. As if on a whim, I let the thick coat draped over unceremoniously fall on the side table, an audible sigh leaving my lips. Why did she seem in such a hurry anyway? What was Lana hiding? Or perhaps the omega had no interest in taking a walk with me.The last part stung. It didn’t matter if that was the result I wanted from her side; it still hurt. Rubbing my face, I decided to relax in the bathtub with scalding water, a mountain of bubbles piled onto my chest. To soothe the turmoil, I also added some scents but nothing compared to her natural scent. Sweat beaded down the side of my face, and fingers were pruned as I tilted my head back, shifting my legs. The water swirled around. I hadn't realised that I was bone-tired, almost in a zone between falling asleep and becoming awake, in the incoherent moment when one was too tired to close one's eyes. T
My heart didn't stop pounding the entire time I walked away from Axel, hands sweaty and throat wilted with guilt. It was for the best; I kept telling myself. Just one little lie so I could sneak out with Alpha Ethan to see his friend. As the commander asked, I stood patiently by the fire, wearing boots tied on tightly and my cape clipped. My arms came to wrap around the torso as a gust of cold wind blew by. I squinted my eyes while noticing a dark figure approaching me, body stiffening. When I got hold of his scent, my body automatically relaxed, staring at the Alpha. He was dressed in a black sweater over top of his white button-up, a thick black cape pulled on with the hood over his head as he approached me. Ethan was also carrying a satchel thrown over his chest; his shoes switched to thick black boots. "Should we leave?" "Yes." The Alpha guided us to the room on the other side of the wing, the table in a far corner standing out. I watched as he pushed away, pulling the car
/Axel's POV/My beating heart fell to my stomach like a dead rose petal, watching the omega speak with Ethan, eyes crinkling and mouth curving at something he had said. I could feel my stomach boil, an irrational surge of feelings taking over, and the utter negligence from inside had my feet moving towards them before my mind comprehended it. This was not the same Lana I chose to mate; overflowing with sweet, earnest innocence made her intentions towards me clear as the night. She was yielding in all ways, except in her stubborn decision. This was not the same one who had laughed at my silly attempt of humour, who stared at me as if I hung the moon and stars for her.I was lucky if she spared me a glance in my direction now. How did it come to this? I fought down a strangled, choking sound, whirling around, marching purposefully through the nearest open door in a drastic attempt to get away. I needed the cold wind whip on my face – a firm, strict reminder that this was my choice.I
My mouth gaped at his crude statement, and I recoiled on the spot. Rage filled my insides, my back stiffening as I narrowed my eyes into slits. I took a deep breath, resisting the urge to scream at him.How dare he accuse me of such a thing? Especially since he was the one to set the boundaries from the beginning. Axel reminded me time and time again that I meant nothing to him. “Why do you care?!” The words slipped out before I could stop myself, biting my tongue. A chuckle burst out of him, hollow and empty. “Why do you I care? You are still my omega, for moon's sake!”My toes curled at that, and I didn’t know what to think of the strange stirring in the bottom of my belly, and the permanent lingering of his scent did little to help me.“Oh, am I? Cause last time we slept together, you made sure to remind me I meant nothing.”He flinched as if he had been slapped by my words, teeth grinding. The Alpha's harsh breath fell on my face as he merely leaned closer, the vein in his foreh
It's been a few days since the last time I saw Axel, so I had a lot of time to think with a clear mind. There was no point in denying that his absence affected me; the marks left on my skin wholly faded. It gave my omega enough nightmares, waking up to look for his arms only to find myself all alone in the bed. I didn't know when things switched from vehemently hating being anywhere near him to wanting to get as close as I possibly could without being too obvious.But his words stung. The wound was still raw, and I had no intention of making the same mistake again. For all I know, the Alpha rejected me without actually saying those words. Despite his long stares in my direction and wanting to talk, I had completely shut down the attempts. I had no interest in hearing the exact words again. Pinning after a mate who doesn't even care about relationships is the possibly highest act of stupidity. Shaking my head, I stood up, noticing the cape Amy had placed on the bed for me. Ethan was
/Axel's POV/Liam stayed behind as I slipped inside Jade's place, feeling on edge. The beta kept quiet the entire way as if he understood my inner conflict. It’s been a lot; ever since I woke up to Lana sleeping next to me, looking very angelic and sculpted by the moon goddess, guilt swarmed my belly. During my rut, all I saw was how she would look up, lush, her long curls a mess and matted on her forehead and tear tracks streaming down her reddened cheeks as she whispered back softly, urgent and unsteady to knot her. I felt my breath catch sharply at the memory, the jolt pulling me straight back to the present. Still, despite everything, I coerced her into sleeping with me, a sick feeling taking over my body. If not for my rut and the Alpha taking over, I would have never let her near me. Why did she give in? Maybe…No! I completely shut the thought before it started forming, fully aware of its danger. Our relationship was a facade, a mere convenience for both of us, and I made t