Zain’s POVThe last time I tried to open up to new things, I almost got killed and dragged everyone else in my pack down as well, but there was no way I could tell Samiya that.I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a warm and slightly fuzzy feeling at the thought of Samiya being my second chance mate. I couldn’t get the woman off of my mind ever since the first night I spent with her and I knew that I wanted her close to me at all times, especially if she had somehow managed to crack the code to calm Ralph down.However, there were two powerful emotions that showed that fuzzy feeling right down my throat. They were fear and guilt.I was terrified that this second chance the goddess had granted me could turn out just as sour as the first and the guilt stemmed from the fact that I had almost killed my mate. The goddess had been so kind to grant me a second chance and I had almost let my ego ruin it all for me.What was I possibly thinking?Rubbing my hands against the fabric of
Zain’s POVIt was only when she redirected the question to me that I began to understand just how hard this task could be.Ransacking my brain for something or anything I could easily open up to Samiya about without revealing insanely precious information was proving difficult, and so I let out a breath. “Ask me anything. Go ahead, Samiya, question me, but I will have to plead with you to stay within reasonable limits.”She leaned further into the small bed and rested her back against the wall just like I had done earlier. “I’ve been told that one of my biggest flaws is that I don't always understand how to stay within my limits, but just like you said earlier, if you do not want to talk about it, we can always discuss something else or look up another method in the book.Well… there is one thing that I have always wondered about you, even before we met. I’m sure it’s the one question that everyone in the pack would like to have answers to. I would like to know more about your mate… yo
Samiya’s POVWay to dullen the mood, Samiya.The room went silent, and I found Alpha Zain looking at me a little differently than he had before. In those midnight blue eyes, I found a mix of concern, worry, and if I wasn’t wrong, sympathy.I cleared my throat and moved closer to Alpha Zain, forcing my lips into a smile. “And what else does the book say about the tests we could do?”He put the book away, giving me his full attention. “Samiya, you don’t have to run away from your feelings, we can confront them together, you know. If that is what you want.”Smoothening my dress, I contemplated his offer for a short while before I turned towards him again. “I’m okay, alpha. Let’s just move on with the next test.”Alpha placed his hands on his thighs, with a nod. “Well, the next test involves physical touch and I think it should be simple enough for us to do.”The first place my mind went to was sex. We had done it before and seeing as it wasn't something new, I was sure that it wouldn’t b
Samiya’s POVWith that last comment, Alpha Zain aimed for my lips, and I eagerly welcomed him. All of him.The kiss we shared now was different from all the kisses we managed to share on that night when I first met Alpha Zain. Instead of rushed, this was patient, like we were trying to learn and understand each other with each stroke. Each caress. Each tilt of our heads.And goddess, I wasn’t ready to stop. I wasn’t ready to lose this feeling, but it seemed that Alpha Zain was more than ready to take this to the next level.His movements on my thighs increased in pressure and with each repetition, I could feel his hands slowly passing the barrier of my gown until they completely went in and began to explore my inner thighs.Our kiss broke and we both leaned away slightly to catch a break. “Do you feel anything new, alpha?” I panted and Alpha Zain nodded, his lips slightly parted.“The things I want to do to you, Samiya… I… Ralph… I… we… I… don’t think Ralph can hold back anymore,” h
Samiya’s POVI was done with allies.No matter how much Jenna tried to beg or convince me to work with her, her idea of working together couldn’t help but sound sour. For all I knew, she could have wasted even more of my time by bringing up conspiracies for the next few challenges.Once I told her off, she left without a word. However, the woman developed a new way to communicate with me by dropping bars of chocolate by my door with a note every morning. If she thought that she could win me over with sweet treats, then she was terribly wrong.As for my relationship with Alpha Zain, it had been two days since I last saw him and he had almost marked me. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to see him, but I was well aware that pulling too much could as well push him away, so I waited and pushed away all hopes of seeing him till the day of the third challenge, that was until it was time for breakfast.Like Jenna had done every other morning since I had told her no, she walked p
Fuck my luck! “Of all numbers, you really just had to go ahead and yell ten didn’t you Scarlet!” I hissed, mind linking my stubborn wolf as I watched all the other contestants get paired with much better partners that just didn’t happen to have terrible pasts with them!“How was I supposed to know that ten would be an unlucky number? If I remember correctly, you said that the best things happened to you when you were ten,” Scarlet argued.This wasn’t the time for any arguments, but with the frustration bubbling inside of me, it became hard to think or even process what was going on properly. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be anywhere near Meidran Hall. His presence brought back too many terrible memories.“It doesn’t even matter anymore Scarlet. Let’s just try to get through this next challenge together,” I mindlinked her, trying to be as calm as I possibly could be and she went quiet.Taking in a deep breath and gently exhaling, I refocused my thoughts on the present and what
Samiya’s POVHis question took me by surprise, leaving my feet rooted to the floor. Of course, he would want to know why I chose to enroll in this contest. It was unheard of throughout the entire history of the Etrana pack. No one had ever seen a prostitute as a Luna or a prostitute attempt to get the title of the Luna of the pack. Much less a slut that just happened to be an omega.The most anyone would expect a woman like me to go for would be the alpha’s concubine and nothing else.I cleared my throat. “For the same reason, every other woman chose to participate in the contest. For status. Wealth. A better name. Does that answer your question, Meidran? Can we now go into the booth?”Meidran’s eyes searched mine for a few seconds before he finally nodded and joined me in the booth before shutting the door.He grabbed the amethyst stones and placed one of them in my hands. “These are already crushed amethyst stones mixed with some herbs and remolded back together, so crushing them
I spent the next few minutes throwing commands at the simulation master.Adrenalin surged through my veins rapidly, and I began to feel like I could actually have a shot at this. Like I could finally win this challenge and get as far away from Meidran as possible. I could taste the victory dancing on my taste buds until Meidran grabbed my arm, holding me in place.A sense of panic bubbled inside of me and I turned to meet Meidran’s venomous, piercing gaze. “Destiti!” he yelled, and the simulation froze once again.Behind my panic was an annoyance that had already begun to fester. “Meidran, for a beta, you sure as hell like to make stupid decisions,” I said through gritted teeth before I turned toward where the frozen simulation stood and muttered, “Incipiam.”Just like before, after my one command, the simulation resumed, and I was more than ready to finish the game once and for all. I had an inkling that with an extra decision or two, the simulation could finally come to an end, but
Samiya's POVSo much time had passed without any pressure from my mother rolling down my neck, but now everything we had discussed all those weeks back came rushing back into me like a tidal wave.We were all sat at the dining table, Zain, Miss Shuzen, my mother, and myself, and while from the outside looking in it seemed as though everything was okay, I had absolutely no idea what my mother’s sudden appearance meant and Scarlet’s constant nagging in my head wasn’t helping matters either.However, the feeling of a calloused hand touching my thigh quickly brought me back to reality. Turning to the source, I saw a slightly worried Zain. “You haven’t touched your food, Samiya. Are you okay?”My eyes fell to the untouched roast duck sitting before me and I swallowed. “Oh, I-”“Miya has always been a special child. She has this habit of being too caring as well. She was probably thinking of new ideas to help the people of Etrana, isn’t that right, Miya?” My mother cut in.Grabbing a fork,
Samiya’s POVFLASHBACKTwo years.It had been two years since Meidran rejected me in the largest market square in Etrana and two years since I had begun plotting my revenge. If the wench of Etrana was all everyone chose to see me as then, the title would just have to work for my good in some way or the other.“Miya, you can’t screw this up. You have one chance and one chance only and if things go to shit then you might as well settle for Enzo,” my mother reminded me as she ran a brush through my thick ginger-red hair.An exhausted sigh escaped my lips. “That will not be happening, mother. So you can kindly forget about the stupid man now.”Through the mirror, I saw my mother take a pause. She let my hair go and dropped the hairbrush on a nearby table. “The stupid man as you call him was the one who bothered to pay for the nice house we live in and give you money for the nice clothes you wear.”My mother was right. It was because of Enzo’s kindness that we could find a place to live t
Samiya’s POVLast night, I confirmed that Zain was indeed a man of his word.Once we fucked the first time and his mark had fully formed on my neck, he made sure to make good on his promise. We kept going at it like mad rabbits until the sun rose, and we couldn’t anymore.Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, I couldn’t help but admire the mark that had formed on my neck. If a week back someone had told me that Zain’s mark would manifest in the form of a moonflower, I would never have believed it. I would have imagined something a bit more rugged or bold, but this felt perfect. Out of everything that had happened recently, I saw the mark had the moon goddess finally trying to apologize and make things right.This was her true blessing for our union.Other than the mate mark, Zain had made sure to leave other marks on my body as well.My ginger red hair was in a disarray on my head and hickeys were littered all over my body, mostly around my chest area.But none of that matt
Samiya's POVPerhaps that answer wasn’t good enough for Zain because he wasted no time in tearing off the rest of my dress until the barrier between him, and I was my undergarments.His eyes darkened as he took in my almost bare form, his fingers tracing a slow, tantalizing path over my exposed skin. The heat between us was unbearable, the air charged with the kind of tension that made my pulse pound in my ears.Zain’s thumb grazed over my nipple, rolling it in a way that sent a sharp jolt of pleasure straight to my core. My body arched instinctively, a breathless moan slipping past my lips.“You’re so damn responsive,” he murmured, his voice thick with approval.A thrill shot through me at his words. I was his. Every touch, every sensation—he controlled it, ignited it. And I wanted more.His hands traveled lower, gripping my waist before sliding down to the thin lace that still separated us. His fingers traced the band, teasing, his heated gaze never leaving mine.“Zain,” I breathed
Samiya’s POVZain was right.The pain that emanated from my neck was enough to make my vision blur, but besides the pain swirling through me, some other feeling was introduced to my body.Need.Desire.Lust.I was in heat, and I could barely register what went on for the rest of the mating ceremony until Elder Gordon finally instructed us to conclude the last part of the mating ceremony, which involved the actual mating process.As soon as the instruction left Elder Gordon’s mouth, Zain lifted me bridal style and began moving to only the goddess knew where.“Z-Zain…” I called out, but he only pulled me closer and, for some reason, it helped.It helped with the pain I was feeling.It helped with the dizziness that was slowly beginning to overcome me.It helped with how horny I felt at that moment.“I told you it was going to hurt,” Zain reminded me, with a hint of humor in his tone.Shutting my eyes and leaning further into his embrace as though I needed him to breathe, I replied in a
Samiya’s POVMy heart skipped a beat.Just how much of my conversation with Miss Shuzen did he hear?But then again, there was no way on Etrana that Miss Shuzen would allow just anyone to eavesdrop on a conversation as important as the one we had just had. Straightening my back, I tried to mask my fear as much as I could. “I have no idea what you’re talking about and the only demon I have had the unfortunate fate of meeting since I got here has been you Meidran.”Meidran scoffed, placing his hands behind his back as he took a few steps toward me.“Fair enough. You look dashing, by the way. Almost too dashing for Zain, I would say.”So he didn’t hear anything then.My nerves relaxed.“Flattery will get you nowhere, Meidran. Now tell me, what exactly are you doing here?”He shrugged. “Ever since you’ve been announced as Luna, my duties have been reduced to those of a common help, Samiya,” he took a slight pause as if contemplating what to say next, but quickly shook his head before any
Samiya’s POVAfter the cleansing, all the other rituals felt easier to put up with and a lot less daunting as well.It was only when the sky was blanketed in black, and I had a dozen maids helping me get dressed for the mating ceremony that was supposed to happen in a few hours that I saw Miss Shuzen again.The woman made herself comfortable waiting by my door and only moved an inch when she noticed that I was done.“Samiya is ready. Your job is done. You can now all leave,” her sharp voice met my ears and in less than a minute there were no maids in sight.Turning to face my soon-to-be aunt-in-law, I mustered up a smile. “Good evening, Miss Shuzen.”With her nose stuck in the air, she shut the door behind her and sauntered towards her. “I like what they did with your hair, it makes you look… oddly innocent.”One of the maids suggested that having my hair in a mixture of waves and braids that flowed down my back would be perfect for me and looking at the result now, I couldn’t help bu
Samiya’s POVWith that one statement, the bath went from a sensual one to a panicked one fast.I knew the story of Helene and Artemis the first. I had studied everything I could on the mating ceremony, but nowhere had I ever seen a Luna-to-be bearing Helene’s mark, and as far as I knew, I wasn’t born with any birthmarks on my back.The only birthmark I had was the one on my thumb, so whatever was going on, it either meant that the goddess was yet again pulling one of her cruel jokes or the werewoman behind me had gone mad.“What mark?” I managed to ask in a controlled voice, although control was the one thing I knew I lacked at that very moment.“Th-the design on her necklace… you have boldly drawn on your lower back. L-Luna, is this something you got tattooed on… but it doesn’t feel like a t-tattoo.”Although the female’s voice was shaky, her hands were very much steady, and they refused to stop rubbing the skin where the supposed mark was.“Mirror. Get me a mirror. I want to see it
Samiya’s POVBefore we even got enough time to register anything that Meidran had just said, Miss Shuzen came rushing in as though she was scared that her nephew and I had been getting it hot in the secret room. Did we really make her that uncomfortable during dinner?With her head held high, and her hands folded in front of her, she cleared her throat. “You heard him. I will be taking care of Samiya while Meidran sees that you’re ready for the mating ceremony which will be happening tomorrow night.”The mating ceremony could happen in the next hour if Miss Shuzen really wanted to. I didn’t mind. The one thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about was the spark.“I felt it,” I blurted out quickly, rushing forward.A small frown formed on Meidran’s face and I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if the werewolf had already concluded that I was crazy in his head, but he was the least of my concerns.Diverting my attention to Miss Shuzen, I saw her back stiffen and in an instant I k