|| ELINDA'S POV || " You look stunning, Elinda. I envy you! You got everything that you wanted. A good grade..A FUCKING hot boyfriend..hmm.."My best friend, Kiana threw her arms at me. She was most likely half-drunk. I smiled back at her before grabbing onto her. She was stumbling but the words that came out of her mouth were sincere. Kiana and I had been best friends since our childhood. The other people in my small party were most likely closest to Leonid.Yes...my perfect boyfriend.The thought of him annoyed me and pleased me at the same time. The positive fact was that he was the perfect boyfriend that one could ever ask for. Rather than that, it came as the best gift from the moon goddess to me that he had turned out to be my mate, my one true fated mate. What could I ask as a present more than this on my 18th birthday?The annoying part was that Alexis was taking too much time to arrive at my party. It surprised me since he was never late anywhere. Even on our dates or hangou
|| ELINDA's POV || His rejection tore my heart into pieces. Another howl built from the pit of my stomach. My eighteen-year-old heart couldn't take the pain of rejection.Alexis paused in his tracks, his face staying indifferent. He didn't show any remorse or pity on me. I asked again in a whisper, the voices on my back seeming non-existent," Why...??"We were an example of a perfect couple. I had never disrespected him or disobeyed him in any way. Even I didn't do anything that could upset him. We barely had any quarrel and I naively believed that it was love which reconciled us.Alexis breathed his words out slowly," You don't deserve me."That statement went deep into my heart. He believed that I wasn't worthy of him? Then what about the times when he saved me from the school bullies?Memories of the past began to play in my mind. When I was just a newbie in school, I encountered many bullies. No one had ever protected me except him. It was he who stepped in and pulled me out.H
6 YEARS LATER.... || ELINDA Vasiliev's POV ||" Is my brother coming tonight?"I asked in a polite voice, using the fork to cut the steak that had been served hot to me. My mother, Ginny shot me a cold glare as if I had asked for a bomb to blast in this house.Being part of the Royal family was exhausting. They had a thousand rules including the one that civilized people didn't talk to at their dinner table. Sometimes I wished that I didn't know my biological family ever. At least, I was a carefree soul with my foster parents.Papa, Alberto Vasiliev, the king of the Royal Lycans gave me a cold glance. He took the initiative to reply since my mother was too afraid to break the dinner table rules," We have notified him. It's up to him now."A little sigh escaped my lips. After coming to this family, I was close to one person only, Alberto Vasiliev,my twin brother. My life history was way more dramatic than any drama. Papa told me that I was born with Alberto and was stolen from the ho
|| ELINDA'S POV || The whiskey felt bitter in my throat. Nausea threatened to come out of my mouth. The party became non-existent to me. All I could see was the pair of blue eyes that haunted me in my dreams.Was I dreaming?Alberto's voice cleared the least amount of uncertainty that I was holding on to," Aah! Alexis. Sorry, you know that I forget everyone when I am with my sister."Alexis's eyes weren't leaving mine. He stood there numbly, his eyes darkening as if I was the worst thing that could happen in his life. My heart was pounding hard against my chest. Alberto pulled him up to me, his hand hanging around Alexis's neck," Elinda! Meet my favorite buddy, Alexis Kozlov, the Do...Aah...He is my best friend and the head of Dark Crescent Mauranders. We went to the same university."Fuckfuckfuck!Why did I have the worst luck?Alexis Kozlov? Why did I feel like I had never heard this surname of him before?I bit my lips together, unable to keep the rage and pain within me. Albert
|| ELINDA's POV || " Don't worry the paparazzi is here. This place is secured."I cracked a weak smile on my blind date, Edward Jones. He was next in the line to become the Alpha of the second-largest pack in this town. My birthday party was a disaster for me. All the while I had to tolerate the heated eyes of my ex-mate. Coming to this blind date would hopefully help me out.Edward looked nervous as he replied, grabbing the wine awkwardly," No. I am just nervous..in front of the Royal Princess."Fuck! Can someone please stop me from reminding me of that?Nobody dared to approach me before because of my Royal status. Even my blind dates were terrified whenever they found my identity. I didn't want to date someone introduced by my family. They always preferred social status over everything. After breaking my heart, I had only one wish in my life. To find someone who truly loved me!I avoided Leonid throughout the party. He seemed okay with my behavior. My brother was the only best th
|| ALEXIS's POV ||" You shouldn't be out there with some guy, Princess!"I grumbled, closing the door with a bang. She was startled by the sound but remained seated. Her expression said though it was better to be killed than riding with me in the same car. Elinda replied with a scoff, staring at the street ahead," You aren't my guardian. Stop acting like one."My jaw clenched tight in anger. I would have never come if her brother didn't request me. I owed Albert too much. If I knew about her real identity, I wouldn't have screwed her anyways. I replied patiently, gripping the steering wheel," I am saying for your own good. You could have been photographed by the papparazi."The words didn't settle right into her ears. She turned black before spurting with mockery," At least it's better to be photographed with a Commoner than a monster in disguise?"It took all the strength away from me. My veins turned white in anger. Before I could know, I had grasped her by her head, pulling her
|| ELINDA'S POV ||" I AM NOT LEAVING YOU, ALBERT! NO FUCKING WAY!"I couldn't believe my own ears. Albert had decided to send me away for a few months. He refused to explain why it was necessary for me to hide.Alexis and Albert had been talking secretly ever since Alexis brought me here. He had managed to escape the group that was aiming bullets at us. I was pretty sure that it was all because of Alexis. Albert was never a man who attracted troubles or had any dark business like Alexis. I just couldn't understand how they became friends.Albert spoke in a firm voice, looking at me stressfully," You..Listen to me, Elinda. Whatever I am doing, it's for your own good. Trust me, no one in the family cares for you more than me. Be a good girl and join me in the family dinner tomorrow."I opened my mouth to say something but Alexis cut off between, shooting me a longing look," I hope, you remember the gunshots, Princess."A chill went down to my spine at the mention of gunshots. I decid
|| ALEXIS's POV ||" Give me the name, Hector!"I spilled it out threateningly, holding the shovel close to me. Hector refused to answer, his eyes sliding between me and the shovel. He understood that I wasn't kidding with him anymore. Hector muttered, his eyes darkening with fear slowly," It's.. just me..no one else..I wanted to kidnap the princess.. that's it..."He was lying again. The mastermind might have held something against him. But I had no mercy over the man who tried to hurt Elinda. Rejected mate or not, I was fucking possessive over that girl. I replied with a smirk, pulling out the gun from my waist," It looks like I am wasting my time."Hector finally looked terrified. He kept shaking his head nervously, trying to stop me," No..no.. listen to me, Don. You can't do this. No!!!"I ignored his pleading, commanding with a low growl," SHIFT!! I SAID SHIFT, HECTOR!"At first, he wasn't complying. When I placed my finger on the trigger, he began to shift into his ash-furre
Chapter 76|| Alexis's POV ||The moment the servants ran and told me Elinda had headed to the nearby island on the speedboat, my heart hit my stomach. I didn't even pause. I was already moving, struggling through the crowds, disregarding the gasps, the widened eyes. She had set out alone, midnight, into nowhere. My wolf roused in my flesh, restless, sensing anxiety for her."Where are you going?" Lysa shouted after me, her tone accusing.I turned around. "To find her," I stated without slowing down.Lysa chased after me, her heels clicking against the dock. "She's not a baby, Alexis! You can't keep running after her every time she has a tantrum!"Her words pierced harder than they should have. Maybe Lysa was correct. Maybe Elinda did need room. But it made no difference. I could not simply sit and wait. Not when there were dangers outside of these waters."Mind your own business, Lysa," I growled under my breath.But of course, she took no notice. When I stepped aboard the small purs
Chapter 75|| Alexis's POV ||The world appeared to be groaning underfoot.When I woke up that morning, it was not the sunlight or the pain in my heart that welcomed me—it was the crushing weight on my chest, the dull throbbing in my bones, and the unusual weakness that had me gasping for air. For an instant, I thought I was dreaming.Or dead.Actually, I would have taken either of those options over this miserable reality.I attempted to sit up but my body wouldn't cooperate. All of my muscles were crying out.My skin was covered in sweat despite the cold in the room.The door creaked open slowly.There were footsteps coming. Light, tentative."Alexis," said a gentle voice—our former healer, Master Dorian. "Don't move."I hated how pitiful I sounded when I croaked out, "What the hell is going on with me?"He put a gentle hand to my forehead, his expression stern."You're sick because of the Royal magic that was put on you. Your bond—" He hesitated. "It was broken by a Royal bloodli
Chapter 74|| Elinda's POV ||The forest echoed with the pounding of our feet on the earth, but all I could hear was the continuous rhythm of my own heartbeat. The moon hung low and full above us, its silver light infusing the endless sea of the trees with an otherworldly radiance. I didn't dare slow down. Not yet. Not until it was too late for him to overtake me.I heard Alexis behind me—his growls of confusion, his body's struggle to keep up. I could smell him too, that familiar intoxicating scent that once made me feel safe, now pulling at me to break all the promises that I had made to myself.But not tonight. Tonight, I would not be held back again.Finally, when my legs ached and my lungs burned, I slid to a stop on the riverbank. Moonlight had turned the water into shimmering liquid glass, and for a moment, I simply stood, gazing into it, searching for what courage I could find.I heard his paws stop behind me, confused and leaden. I could feel his confusion radiating from him
Chapter 73|| Elinda's POV ||The moment I heard the door slam downstairs, I knew it was Alberto.His footsteps thundered down the stone corridor like thunder. I sat still on the velvet couch in Alexis's study, fists tight around a half-full teacup, pretending to read the same page for the last ten minutes. Alexis stood at the window, staring out to sea as though it might be able to give him answers I couldn't."He's here," I said.Alexis didn't respond. He didn't need to.Alberto stormed into the room with the weight of a thousand unspoken frustrations. His dark eyes locked onto Alexis first, then flicked to me, then back to him. “You said you’d find him,” he snapped, without any resistance. “You promised you’d find Elinda’s first mate. It’s been months.”Alexis remained calm, his voice low. “We’ve followed every clue. It has been years. So it's hard to find him..”"Hard?" Alberto echoed with a bitter laugh. "How does a mate just disappear? You're not some lone Alpha. You run the lar
|| ELINDA'S POV ||I did not say a word on the return boat trip to the island. The sea was calm—ironically so—as if the world had become silent for me.Alexis stood beside me, silent too, arms crossed, expression unreadable. I did not ask him why he refused to look at me every time our eyes met. I did not ask because I already knew.Something had changed.The sky was dirty gray and dark when we arrived, with the air heavy with dampness. There was a storm surging inside me and above. I pulled myself up from the boat, my heels clicking as I walked on the wooden dock. I did not wait. I marched straight into the house.The next morning came with an unexpected guest. I had barely made it down into the kitchen when I could hear the sharp sound of a woman's voice ringing from the hallway. Her perfume hit me first—artificial roses, the sort of scent trying to seduce the men. This was followed by the clicking of heels and a werewolf aura."I'm here for Alexis," she said to the maid, loudly enou
Chapter 71|| Elinda's POV ||The smell of fresh herbs and pine hung on through the open corridor, light footsteps padding down shiny stone. I hadn't intended to overhear, but the maids were whispering in that obvious manner, speaking out loud to be heard."He's going to choose a mate," said one of them, her tone low but with an excitement to it."From the ancestor clans, no less. The elders pushed him. It's only a matter of time now."I froze, halfway down the corridor that gave access to the east garden, fists clenched so hard that my nails cut into the palms of my hands. Something in me snapped silently—not dramatically but an obvious pain to my heart.A mate. Of course, he would. Why wouldn't he? He was Alexis Kozlov—the respected and feared Alpha Don. He had responsibilities that exceeded my understanding. I was just. A mistake. Past. Regret.I turned on my heel to leave but almost ran into someone."Elinda."It was Alberto.His voice had been different of late, not brotherly and
Chapter 70|| ALEXIS'S POV ||My grandfather's words rang in my head like a curse I couldn't ignore."He won't wake up, Alexis. He was hit with spell-coated claws. It's not physical damage—it's dark magic," she said, wiping sweat from her brow as she examined my grandfather's motionless body.I gripped my palms in my fists. My strongest human being alive grandfather lay unconscious, his chest rising and falling shallow, unusual l breaths. I could sense Elinda standing behind me. Her cologne—sweet mix of wet roses and attitude—was oddly calming through the pain growing inside me."I can help," she whispered.I didn't look at her. "No.""Elinda—"I said no. Finally, I turned. "You're Royal. You don't just bleed for commoners. You know the rules. Your blood. it's not for everyone."She stepped forward anyway, her eyes burning into mine like fire on cold metal. "I don't care about the rules.""Elinda—"I said—" I was cut off by her with a ferocity that froze the entire room, "—a life is m
Chapter 69|| ALEXIS'S POV ||As soon as Elinda got out of the car, her eyes narrowed like blades. "Tell me you didn't call those neighbors," she said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.I didn't respond.I couldn't. Because honestly, I had no idea that they would be gone so fast.But if I said it out loud, she would never believe me. Her trust was already on a broken—torn and ready to snap at the slightest pull.So I let the silence hang there. Let her fill it with whatever she wishes. Disappointment. Accusation. Hatred.She snorted and whirled away on her heel, mumbling something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch—but I heard the tone. She was done. At least for now. I watched her stalk into the hotel, shoulders braced, back straight. Like she was off to war.I huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose between two fingers, trying to allow the pressure building behind my eyes to bleed off. I turned to enter myself when my phone rang. I looked at the screen—Leo.
Chapter 68|| Elinda's POV ||I knew something was suspicious the moment I saw Clara pass Alberto like he was a stranger. She didn't look his way at all, didn't smile—nothing. Her cold, calm eyes zeroed in on the tall man who stood near the entrance. She approached him, her arms hugging him like she belonged there. And maybe she did.Alberto remained there, stiff, shoulders tightened, lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something… anything. But nothing escaped. I placed a gentle hand on his arm, attempting to question him."Who is she?" I whispered.His jaw tightened. "It's complicated."That was all he said. And I could tell he wasn't about to tell me—either because it was too painful or because uttering it aloud would make it so. I didn't push. Not now.The rest of the night was foggy. I remember little of the talk or the string quartet in the corner or the scent of wine drifting through the air. My head was still thinking around Clara and Alberto. When at last I was info