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: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
Ember's POV: The next morning, I woke up to find myself spooned in Nicholus's embrace. One of his arms was under my head while the other one was wrapped around my belly. I fucking loved mornings like these. Waking up to the warmth of my mate was worth every difficulty I'd survived till now. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have his body tightly pressed against mine every morning. I shifted slightly and froze as something poked in my ass. His morning wood. Did I fail to mention that while counting the morning blessings? Something hot exploded in my lower belly as heat pooled between my legs. My heart started racing excitingly as I shifted slightly to have the perfect angle to rub my ass on his hard dick. As I slid my ass up and down his hard-on, I felt slick wetness leaking out of my pussy. Fuck, it felt so amazing that I could do that all day without a pause. And suddenly, my heartbeat turned erratic as I heard a deep, morning voice, "You again?" It was so sensual that a new wave of
Ember's POV: The next day while we were all gathered around the dining table during lunch, Nicholus's phone started ringing. One glance at the screen and my breath got stuck in my lungs as the name 'Mabel' flashed as the caller ID. Mother. Quickly grabbing the phone off the table, Nicholus excused himself and hurried outside. For a long minute, I stayed stuck in that moment. A ball of nervousness inflated inside me. Yesterday, I asked Nicholus to contact her and tell her I wanna meet her. As much as I was curious, I was also dreading the moment he would walk back inside and explode the bomb on me. I couldn't believe I was actually sitting there, with a stomach tightly coiled in a knot of fear, wondering whether my own mother would agree to meet her only daughter after abandoning her all those years ago. For the first time ever, I was questioning my worth. Would she see me worthy enough to meet me? Or was I going to be shunned once again? My stomach churned. The taste of my mouth
Ember's POV:Ethan, however, still seemed reluctant to comply with my plan but instead of outrightly denying it, he turned to his Alpha who was rooted to his spot with his intense eyes fixated on me.Clearing his throat, Ethan said, "Umm, what's your take on this, Nicholus? Do you think this is a good idea to go ahead with?"Without averting his gaze, Nicholus ordered his Beta and Gamma, "Leave me alone with my mate."The way he said that in his deep, rough voice coupled with the way he was staring at me, a chill ran down my spine along with a flame of desire igniting deep within me.Ethan shot up from the chair and nodded once before making his way to the door. Darius, who assessed the look in Nicholus's eyes and assumed God knew what, stood and winked at Nicholus before smirking, "Don't go so rough on her."At that, Nicholus finally shifted his gaze to glare at him before grumbling, "Close the door on your way out, Beta."Snickering under his breath, Darius sauntered out of the offi
Ember's POV:After breakfast, Nicholus and the boys made their way to the office, and having nothing else to do, I resigned to my room to escape reality.But I had just read one chapter when a sudden knock jerked me out of the world of faes I was wandering in.Flipping the book close, I hollered, "Come in."As the door creaked open, I saw a maid slipping inside. Bowing her head, she started speaking politely, "Good Morning Queen. King Nicholas has sent me to give you a message."Even though she didn't ask I could see the question lingering in her eyes. Why did King have to send a message through a maid instead of mindlinking?Well, the answer was that I'd been blocking him out of my mind ever since he played his pillow trick. Petty and childish, I know, but I had no idea how else to make a point that I was really upset with whatever he was doing lately.I nodded slowly, "What's the message?""He is calling you to his office," she was staring at me and I don't know what she saw in my e
Nicholus's POV: As Ember retreated to our room, I jerked around and slammed my palms on the stone railing while staring at the vast empire sprawled in front of me. Things weren't going the way I'd imagined. Ember and I...we were the most unexceptional thing to ever happen in this universe. But still, even after all the generational enmity and hatred, we found our way to each other. In our earnest attempts to hate each other, we somehow fell in love. But is loving her enough? Since the last few days, I'd been constantly feeling miserable. I couldn't fathom what she felt at being the target of so much hate. And the fact that I couldn't hide her from all that only enraged me even more. My shoulders slouched as I turned around and walked back to the bedroom. It was dimly lit and eerily quiet in there. Ember was lying on the bed. I took in the wall of pillows in the center of the bed she had set up to show how upset she was with me. But for some reason, everything this 5'8" woman did
Ember's POV: It was past midnight and I lay wide awake on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as hundreds of thoughts swirled in my mind. Nicholus was soundly asleep on his stomach beside me with his arm over my belly. My body was tired and my mind was fully exhausted. I needed sleep but it was nowhere to be found. Feeling suffocated and restless, I wrapped my fingers around Nicholus's wrist and gently nudged it away from my abdomen. Quietly getting out of bed, I grabbed the silk nighty off the couch and slipped it over my shoulders. Knotting the ribbon at the front, I padded toward the balcony. Stepping out, I inhaled a rush of fresh air and let it do its work to calm my jittery nerves. Reaching to the back of my mind, I called tiredly, "Aria?" Her voice was soft as she responded, "I'm right here. And I know what you're feeling." Exhaling loudly, I sighed, "At least now I have someone who can understand me on a deeper level." She paused for a minute before saying in a low voice
Ember’s POV:As Nicholus and I entered the dining hall, everyone was already seated around the table for breakfast. Luna, who used to sit right next to Alpha’s head chair, was now sitting on the chair next to that.I had always disliked the change in ranks and positions just because of a change brought by one person. I was now the King’s wife. Rightfully, that place was mine now, but how could I feel good about lowering the rank of Luna who had been sitting there for decades? Soon, she'd have to pass down the title of Luna to me. Was that even fair?Stepping forward, Nicholus pulled out the chair for me to sit. Mumbling good morning to everyone, I settled down. Nicholus followed the suit and sat down on his chair.Moving his head toward the maid beside him, Nicholus nodded lightly. All the maids started moving quickly around the table, carrying the trays, and serving us breakfast.There was an awkward silence in the hall, just like it had been for the last two days since the reception