Ember's POV:My heart pounded in my chest as heat sparked in Nicholus's dark eyes. A rush of thrill coursed through my body as a dark, devilish smirk crept over his lips.Bending slightly, he hooked his hands around the back of my thighs and a gasp escaped my throat as he suddenly lifted me in one swift motion.I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. His lips crashed mine and my stomach coiled with temptation as he slowly moved his hands upward and sprawled them on my ass cheeks.Breaking the kiss, he brushed his nose along my cheek and when his mouth reached my ear, he whispered in a deep, guttural voice, "Did I ever tell you how fucking amazing your ass is?"I arched my back as his fingers dug into my ass cheeks while he brought his mouth down to my neck. His lips roamed all over my neck while he placed raw and rough kisses there as if marking his territory.Turning around, he carried me effortlessly into the bedroom and walked over to the bed without moving his lips away from m
Ember's POV:I woke up in a room so dark I had to squint my eyes to focus. The lack of sunrays peeking through the curtains told me it was already evening.Even after a deep, long slumber, I was still feeling tired and drained. Every muscle of mine ached with fatigue and my stomach growled with hunger.As I tried to roll over, my pussy throbbed with a lingering pain at the movement. But I welcomed the pain as a sweet remember of what happened just a few hours ago.The images of us tangled together, his hands roaming all over my body, him sliding his cock deep inside me, giving me unrelenting pleasure as I chased orgasm flooded my mind.Suddenly, I started craving the warmth of his body but as I rolled over, I found the bed cold and empty beside me. I strained my ears to hear any rustling or movement in the washroom but what I caught instead was the voice coming from the balcony.Sliding my legs down the bed, I heaved myself up and winced at the pain between my legs. I was sore even t
Nicholus's POV:The two days I spent with Ember at the lake house, far from anything to distract us, were the best fucking days of my life. Forgetting about my responsibilities for two days, I was drowned in the world of ecstasy with my beautiful mate beside me.Every moment spent in that lake house was an unforgettable memory engraved in my brain.Sliding my gaze off the road, I glanced at the alluring beauty dozing off in the passenger seat. We spent the morning together on the bed, tangled in the sheets, and chasing orgasm after orgasm.Well, that explained why she fell asleep as soon as we hit the road.I wish I could manage to take some more time away from my responsibilities to spend more blissful moments with her but I couldn't afford any more time away from the castle.Plus, who said we couldn't do the same in the castle too? If anything, it was now practically impossible for me to be away from her for long.__________As soon as the car came to a screeched halt in front of th
Ember's POV: Bowing at the waist, Nicholus offered me his hand, "You are always welcome, milady." Sliding my hand into his palm, I smiled brightly, excited to see the throne room. The whole of Alastai castle was majestic with grandeur architecture and splendid interior. Every corner screamed royalty and that only made me curious to see the throne room, the visual representation of the King for his people. As we stepped inside, the whole place was dimly illuminated by the moonlight. Moving closer to the wall, Nicholus flipped a switch and I watched in awe as the lights turned on, basking the whole room in golden lighting, which was the perfect contrast to the throne room's golden, beige, and brown theme. The floor, walls, ceiling...everything was pristine and clean without even a speck of dust. Tilting my head upward, I watched in astonishment at the ceiling adorned with multiple paintings. "Mind-blowing," I blurted out in shock. I felt Nicholus stepping closer as he informed me
Ember's POV: My body was drained after having so many orgasms in the last hour. I was tired and sleepy but even after lying for hours on the bed, sleep was nowhere to be found. It was way after midnight but I lay wide awake in Nicholus's bed, staring up at the ceiling for so long. I could hear the soft, rhythmic breathing from the other side of the bed as Nicholus slept peacefully beside me. As the days passed and we got closer to claiming each other as mates, I felt a weird kind of restlessness. Hundreds of doubts whirled inside my head as I questioned everything. Rolling over, I faced Nicholus and stared at the gentle rise and fall of his chest. In an attempt to steal his warmth and feel secure, I slid closer to him. Planting my elbow into the soft mattress and my hand on my temple, I heaved myself up and loomed over his sleeping form, so many conflicting thoughts churning in my head. My other hand trembled as I lifted it and brought it closer to his head. My touch was feather-
Ember's POV: Taking a deep breath, I looked straight ahead and whispered softly, “What I want is to bury the past and move on with you. I want to be with you, Nicholus. Forever. I want us to go ahead with the claiming ritual, claim each other as our mates, and be bound together for eternity.” Leaning down, he kissed the sensitive skin on my neck, setting my whole body on fire, before whispering roughly, “Uh-huh, what more do you want?” My breathing hitched and my brain melted as he continued kissing my neck, sucking and leaving a trail of love bites as his mouth roamed down. Grabbing my chin, he tilted it upward, giving himself more access to my skin. Grazing his teeth on the spot where his mate mark would soon be, he licked the spot after biting it softly, “Tell me, huh? Tell me what you want, little princess.” I stammered as I tried to think of a response, “I…I want…to be…a good wife.” Palming my boobs from over my robe, he gave them a tight squeeze before growling in my ear, “
Ember’s POV:That night, I slept like a corpse and when I finally returned to the land of consciousness, the first thing I felt was a throbbing pain between my legs. My pussy ached from soreness and as I tried to move, my muscles screamed with fatigue.Rubbing my eyes, I slowly opened them only to find the King of the North staring down at me with adorable eyes. He was inclined upward on his elbow, gawking at me, for God knows how long.Giving me a sweet smile, he chirped up, “Good Morning. How are you feeling today?”I rolled my eyes. Yeah, as if he didn’t fuck me like a beast last night.I stretched my arms and said groggily, “A bit tired and a lot sore.”He let out a deep chuckle and I looked at him in awe as the rich voice of his laughter made my heart do a quick flip-flop.Dipping down, he pecked my lips softly before trailing his nose down my neck, taking a deep sniff.I grazed my fingers through his hair and asked him, “So, what are the plans for today?”He groaned at being int
Ember’s POV:The next day in the afternoon, I was cooped up in front of the window with a romcom in my hands and a platter of fruits on the table beside me.I was so engrossed in the story that I jerked as a sudden knock sounded on the door. Grabbing a bookmark, I inserted it between the pages before flipping the book close.As I got up from the couch, the knock became louder and urgent. With quick footsteps, I jogged toward the door and flung it open.As soon as it opened, Darius blurted out hurriedly, “What took you so long? I’ve been knocking for an hour!”I rolled my eyes, “Don’t be overdramatic. It was literally the second knock.”As he stepped into the room, I turned around and inquired, “By the way, what’s so urgent?”He looked around my room, his eyes scanning the messy bed, a night robe placed on the chair, books scattered on the coffee table, and Nicholus’s clothes sprawled on the mattress.“Umm…the room is a little messy,” I said sheepishly.He turned around to face me and
Ember's POV:Darius stayed by my side as we took a quick tour of the packhouse before settling in the living room. After a few minutes of talking about random things, a maid strolled inside with a rolling tray laden with a kettle, cups, and all sorts of desserts.“Aw, Carolina, you didn’t have to do so much. Only tea would have been enough,” I said with awe.She shook her head, “You requested us not to arrange for the lunch. Even though we wanted to but we decided to respect your request. So, please enjoy the tea.”Pouring the tea in the cup, the maid placed it on the table in front of me before picking a plate, “What desserts you want me to serve you, Your Highness?”Sliding forward, I grabbed the plate from her hand and smiled up at her, “It’s okay, dear. I’ll serve myself.”She went still for a moment before finally straightening up, “Sure, Your Highness.”My mouth watered as I greedily eyed all the pastries, donuts, custard pies, and fruit tarts. I was about to pick the chocolate
Ember’s POV:As soon as I stepped out of the castle, I came to a sudden halt while gasping aloud.With wide eyes and a shocking voice, I screeched, “What the hell is happening here?” while pointing at dozens of black SUVs parked outside with almost half of the North army standing guard beside them, ready to hop in at their Alpha’s command.Nicholus raised his eyebrow as if there was nothing ridiculous going on, “I only agreed to this plan of yours because you agreed to go with high security, remember?”I sucked in a sharp breath, “I definitely didn’t think you were talking about this ‘high security,’” I groaned while waving my hand toward the guards.Nicholus took a deep breath and twisted his neck, “You refused to take me along with you. If I’m not going, then they’d all go instead.”I rubbed the back of my neck, already tired of discussing the matter for infinite times, and gritted out through clenched teeth, “In case you forgot, let me remind you again of the purpose of my visit. I
Ember's POV: The next morning, I woke up with Nicholus's arm wrapped around me. As I tried to wriggle out of his hold, he squirmed in his sleep and tightened his hold, "Mmhmm, where are you going?" I glanced over my shoulder at his adorable, groggy eyes he was squinting at me with. "I have to go," I replied. He groaned, unhappy with the answer, "No, don't go anywhere. Just stay here and give me morning cuddles."At that, I burst out laughing loudly, "People would call me crazy if I'd ever tell them that the ruthless alpha of the North just said those cheesy words to me."Moving his hand to my bottom, he spanked my ass playfully, "You naughty, little princess, why would you tell anyone about what happens in our bedroom?"I giggled under my breath, "Good thing that the room is soundproof or otherwise I wouldn't need to 'tell' them about what exactly happens in our bedroom."Snuggling closer, he licked my earlobe and whispered roughly, "Yeah, because your loud screams and hot moans wou
Ember's POV:Knowing that I had a long day ahead, I hit the bed earlier than usual. I just wanted to restore my energy to appear fresh and energetic while making my first public appearance.But despite everything from lighting the candles with soothing aromas to drinking the herbal tea, I was unable to find sleep. Hours passed and I still found myself tossing and turning on the bed as restlessness zinged inside me.There was a ball of nervousness inflating inside my belly as I thought about tomorrow. Even though after careful consideration, we've shortlisted the smallest and most welcoming pack for our first visit I just couldn't help thinking about the worst outcome.I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the door creaking open. I glanced over my shoulder to find Nicholus closing the door behind him.As he turned around, a slight frown appeared between his brows, "Why are you still up? Is everything okay?" I caught a hint of worry in his voice as his eyes roamed over all over
Ember's POV:The next day after breakfast, we all gathered in the conference room to discuss the plan and schedule of coming days.I was sitting on a chair next to Nicholus's head chair with a file of pack names and descriptions opened in front of me.Darius, who was sitting accross from me, inquired curiously, "So, what pack are we going to visit first?"My eyes scanned the contents of the file while my mind was busy making a strategy.Just when I opened my mouth to answer him, a breath got stuck in my lungs. I felt electricity rushing through my veins as Nicholus sprawled his hand over my thigh.Slowly, I clamped my mouth shut and swallowed hard as his thumb stroked my thigh. Why a mere movement felt so damn sensual was beyond my understanding.Darius who was still waiting for an answer raised his eyebrow, "Well?"I swallowed again and huffed out a huge breath, "First, we'll..."Once again, my mouth clamped shut as Nicholus's hand started moving up my thigh, letting tingles break al
Ember's POV:Tears were already brimming my eyes when I reached the door. My insides were swelling with so much rage that I had no idea how to keep them inside anymore. Without sparing a glance over my shoulder at my sobbing mother, I threw the door open and stormed outside only to come to a sudden halt when I spotted Nicholus leaning against the wall.As soon as he saw me, he straightened abruptly. His eyes roamed all over my red, angry face before settling on my eyes crested with tears.I was on the verge of crying but I didn't want to do that in front of him. I didn't want him to perceive his mate as weak and vulnerable who didn't know how to handle a situation or navigate her feelings.His jaw clenched tightly at seeing me in that state. I jerked my face to the other side, unsure of when these traitors of tears would decide to betray me.Nicholus took a quick step toward me but before he could take another, I raised my palm in the air and choked through the lump in my throat, "Don
Ember's POV: Unable to look at her being hurt by my words, I averted my gaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down and think rationally. Pulling her hand away from my face, she fumbled her fingers together, "Never apologize for speaking your mind." That coming from her made so much sense. That actually made me realize that my mother wasn't some weak woman, indeed. For years, she faced Father's oppression and finally, did find a way out of his clutches. Father had often reprimanded me for having too many opinions or always speaking my mind. He perceived my fierce personality as a sign of arrogance. But hearing these words from my mother made me wonder whether I got this fierceness from her. Moving my gaze to the couch, I waved at it, "Let's have a seat." I waited for her to start moving and then followed her to the couch. As she sat down, I followed the suit and sat on the couch adjacent to hers. She was still fumbling with
Ember's POV:With my heart stuck in my throat and gaze on the floor, I stepped inside the Guest Hall where she awaited me.She? Who? Even in my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to give her any title. And that got me wondering what was I actually supposed to call her. Mom? Mummy? That would sound so weird. It wasn't like we had some deep bond of love between us. Alas, it would have been if she hadn't left me.Mother, maybe? Like Father. I never called him dad or daddy because I never felt like that. Pain shot through me as I suddenly realized this lady standing in front of me was even more of a stranger than I considered my Father to be.At least, he stayed with me despite everything. Even though deep in his heart, there was hatred for me but still, he never left me. I don’t care whether that was because I was his only heir or what, he did remain with me, and brought me up. Even though he couldn’t give me his love, he did give me all the facilities one could ask for. And still, despite al
Ember’s POV:Today was the D-Day. And that fact was hanging over my head since the moment my body recovered from the hard-core orgasms my mate had bestowed me with all morning.Nicholus had offered to stay with me but I didn't want him to stop everything and babysit me while I fretted over meeting my mother for the very first time.To calm my jittery nerves, I decided to go for a long and hot shower. The maid even lit up some candles with soothing aroma but unfortunately, even after half an hour of leisuring in the bathtub, my mind was still stuck on my mother.With a ball of anxiety rotating in my stomach, I let out a loud sigh and hopped out of the bathtub. Wrapping the bathrobe around me, I strode out of the bathroom.While making my way toward the closet, I heard a knock on the door. Halting, I turned toward it and hollered at whoever was on the other side to come in.I watched as the door slid open and a maid stepped inside. Bowing at her waist, she started speaking politely, "Go