Ember's POV:Eyes back on the journal, I continued reading, “After years of mourning at the loss of his true mate, King Alexander was lucky enough to meet his second love. Mabel Frostwood, a young and beautiful lady who belonged to the West region. Alpha Alexander met her when he was there to attend the annual conference of alphas. Even though it is the deepest and darkest secret of Alpha Alexander's life but it must be mentioned in this biography that Mabel Frostwood was not one of our kind. She was not a werewolf."I jerked my head toward Sophie who was already gawking at me. My heart was thudding loudly in my ribcage. I thought that she might be of some low rank and that's why I was not a purebred but her being of another kind? I never thought about it.I let out a whooshing breath. It was simply the most brutal thing fate could have done to me. Even more brutal than to choose the King of North as my fated mate. I pinched my eyes and sighed tiredly, "This revelation alone has the
Nicholus's POV: I was staring hard at the navy blue liquid in the glass that I was clutching in a tight grip. I was never like this. Never before had I depended on the alcohol to keep my mind away from something but ever since the night of the party, one particular pair of brown eyes was continuously messing with my head. For that, I would like to blame my childish wolf. Right then, Xoro snapped at me, "Yeah yeah, put all the blame on the innocent Xoro." I rolled my eyes, “It’s true. You can’t stop sulking around like your world has ended.” As if tired of arguing on the same topic again and again, Xoro sighed, “Whatever, Nicholus. I’ve tried my best to make you understand the things. So don’t blame me when I won’t be able to take it anymore.” “You up?” came Darius’s voice through the mindlink. I took a long sip, “Yep.” I could imagine his smirk as he said mockingly, “Another night of lover boy not being able to find sleep, huh?” I groaned, “Shut up.” He chuckled before asking
Ember’s POV:“Do you want to wear anything particular to the Royal Ball, Your Highness?” Ms. Stacy asked me with a big, bright smile which annoyed me even more.“I’m sure you have it all planned, Ms. Stacy. So I’d rather go with whatever you have already decided.” I shot back a reply.She bowed her head when the door to my bedroom flung open and in came a storm a.k.a Sophie Wilson, “After what we got to know a few days ago, I can’t believe that you are still going on with the Royal Ball.”I jerked around and glared at her. She clamped her mouth shut and took in the lady standing beside me. I turned toward Ms. Stacy and stretched my lips, “Kindly leave me and Sophie alone for a while.”She stayed rooted to her place and said hesitantly, “But…Your Highness…you have to get ready for the Royal Ball.”Not having the patience to play all polite and kind at the moment, I just stared into her eyes and channeled my hypnotizing power, “Just go.”Her shoulders slouched and her eyes dimmed as she
Nicholus's POV:The next morning, Xoro woke me with an excited screech, “Hey, Nick, wake up. Let’s go and get our girl.”I opened my eyes with a groan and sat up on the bed. For the next five minutes, I stayed there, just like that, staring into the distance, wondering why I actually agreed to do such a stupid thing.Xoro defended his stance, “It’s not stupid to claim your destined mate tho.”I slid the covers away while mumbling under my breath, “Yeah, the same mate who doesn’t give a fuck about us or the mate bond and is going ahead to find another potential mate tonight.”I shut him off before Xoro could be her lawyer again and left the bed. I padded to the washroom and took a long, hot shower.I donned a crisp black suit with a white dress shirt when Xoro perked up in my mind, “Wear that red tie. The one you wore at the formal alpha’s meet-up. You look handsome in that one.”I sighed and told my idiot wolf that I wasn’t getting ready to impress my mate. I was actually getting ready
Ember's POV: I was stunned out of my wits to see my mate, the King of the North, standing in front of me. Despite the panic gripping me, my eyes still didn't fail to devour him in all his mighty glory.He was looking deliciously handsome in the black suit that was hugging his bulky body, accentuating the muscles beneath. And that tie…wait…why did that match the shade of my dress?My eyes roamed up to his eyes and I looked into the darkest pools of pitch-black.I was jerked out of the trance when he whispered, “Hello, Little Princess.” My eyes moved to his perfect lips as he mouthed, “Or should I say MATE?”I sucked in a sharp breath and frantically looked around me to make sure no one heard him.I stared back at him and gritted out through the clenched teeth, “What are you doing here?”Was he insane? The ballroom was literally filled with the male alphas who were desperate to get his blood on their hands. What type of maniac was he to step into the hall full of enemies?“I’m not afrai
Ember's POV: As soon as I was done with the dances, I excused myself, and after a little while discreetly slipped away from the crowd. My pace was fast and steady as I took a turn leading to the hallway. My footsteps halted as I took in a large figure standing at the end of it. His broad frame was leaning against the wall.With arms folded at his chest, his eyes took me in from top to bottom and his lips contorted into a snarl. After all those dances, I must be covered in other males' scents from head to toe. But...his problem, not mine. As soon as I approached him, he opened his mouth but before he could utter a word, I blurted out, "Not here." His mouth clamped shut. But not on my command. It was more because of a shock which was kinda understandable. Being a King and all, he must not be used to being interrupted let alone cut off mid-sentence.Well, there's always a first time for everything. And if he had expected me to bow down in front of him and that too when he was in MY te
Ember’s POV:His hand lunged upward and clutched around my upper arm. His eyes were wide with madness and crazy rage. It was evident that rage had consumed him whole.His grip around my arm tightened. Searing pain rippled through my arm but he kept exerting force. The more pain I felt, the more content he seemed to be.I glanced down and saw his knuckles turning white whereas my arm was reddening.I looked back up into his scalding eyes. Jaw set tight, when he opened his mouth, his voice was dripping with hot venom, “I, Nicholus Dicaprio, the King of the North, refuse to accept your rejection, Ember Valdez.”I didn’t want to appear weak in front of him but I couldn’t take it anymore. At last, a whimper escaped my lips as the pain became unbearable.All of a sudden, the black of his eyes was replaced by a golden glow. Soon, they started to glow brightly. His wolf had surfaced as a result of my whimper. No matter the situation, the wolves can’t see their mate suffering.Slowly, his hold
Ember's POV: My heart was pounding erratically in my ribcage as I waited for his answer. His gaze was fixated on me and he was breathing through his nose. He opened his mouth twice to say something but he couldn't utter any word. After another little pause, he opened his mouth again and blurted out, "I want us to claim each other and complete the mate bond between us." Suddenly, a chuckle escaped my throat as soon as his words hit my ear. Laughing, I shook my head, "Are you even hearing yourself? Just how absurd your words are." I then stopped laughing and crossed my arms over my chest, "By the way, if I remember right, just a moment ago you made it pretty clear that making me your queen and Luna of your precious pack was nothing more than a disgrace for you. And now you are asking me to accept our mate bond? Are you out of your wits or is it me who's going crazy and hearing all sorts of things?" He answered in frustration, "Yes, it's true that I hate you, your father, and everyt
Ember's POV:After Nicholus left my room, I stayed rooted to my spot for a long minute. I was too stunned to process what he just said. He sounded so detached, so unbothered like killing his brother wasn't a big deal for him.After a few minutes, the door creaked open and Darius rushed inside. He came to a sudden halt as soon as he saw me pacing the floor."I've come to tell you about it but by the looks of your pale face, it seems like you already know," he stated.My hands flew in the air, "Tell me it's nothing but bullshit. I mean, there is no way he could be serious about killing Damon, right? He is his BROTHER. No matter how much hate, enmity, or misunderstandings they have between them, they are still brothers," I rushed out in one breath.He let out a tiring sigh, "You know how they are, Ember."I let out a loud groan, "How could either of them even think such a horrible thing is beyond my understanding."He remained silent for a few minutes to let my anger cool off before spea
Ember's POV:After Nicholus was gone, I slid down to the floor as the walls I had built around my heart cracked and the dam just broke apart. Uncontrollable tears rolled down my cheeks. My shoulders shook as my body rattled with ugly sobs.How could a mother be so cruel to her only child? What did I do so wrong to deserve that? All my life I craved for my parents' affection but what did I get in return? Their betrayal...?Father failed me miserably but I had my Mother's thoughts to keep me going. Even though I had no memories of her but I still thought that she must have loved me. I used to find comfort in the fact that the only reason she wasn't with me was because she just couldn't. It was better when I thought her to be dead. Because the thought that she had abandoned me was killing me bit by bit.Was I really that bad of a person? I've heard...heck, I've seen parents always loving their children no matter how bad of a monster their kids are. Was I even worse to be depraved of both
Nicholus’s POV:Watching her looking at me with nothing but hatred shattered my heart into so many pieces that I didn’t know how to pick them all and make it whole again.I don’t know how the hell Damon got his hands on the confidential inside information about military and state matters and I absolutely had no idea that he’d be twisting that information to sow a seed of doubt in Ember’s heart.But I couldn't really blame him. I should have been cautious. I should've foreseen it. I shouldn't have taken his long silence so lightly. I let my guard down and was witnessing the results now.But as far as the matter of the South was concerned, I had it under control. I had no bad intentions and I'd keep telling her even thousands of times if that would make her believe me.But the irreversible damage occurred when that fucker told Ember about her mother. He shouldn't have gone there. He had created a big mess which I had no idea how to come out of.I knew I’d lost all fight when Ember yelle
Ember’s POV:Despite the turmoil raging inside me, I waited patiently as Nicholus wiped his hands through his hair before starting, “First of all, I want you to know that the army has nothing to do with marrying you, okay?”My eyes widened horrifically, “So it means you ARE planning to take over the South…?”He shook his head, “What? No.” He walked closer to me but I lifted my palm, making him stay wherever he was. I need a little distance between us to think rationally.“Tell me about the army first,” I said in a sharp tone.Nodding slowly, he started speaking, “Do you remember when you were on bed rest, you heard Damon, Ethan, and I talking about the war looming over us?”I nodded curtly, thinking back to that night when they were all worried about Nicholus’s wolf weakening while the war was close.A slight frown appeared between my brows along with a relief. But I told myself not to grow any more hopes before going to the bottom of it.“So, the army is for that war?” I couldn’t kee
Ember’s POV:Grabbing my hand, Damon had just taken a step toward the door when an ear-piercing roar boomed in the air. “Enough!” Nicholus growled.My feet came to a sudden halt as I felt the sudden shift in the air. Damon pulled me forward, more urgently now. But before he could another step, the doors to my room flung open and dozens of warriors spilled into the room, blocking the exit.My head whipped around as I heard warriors jumping in through the balcony.In a few seconds, my room was brimming with warriors closing in on us, surrounding me and Damon. My gaze shifted from one to another as I blurted out in shock, “What’s happening?”Damon bared his teeth and pointed behind me, “It’s him, of course. He must have mindlinked his minions. That's why he was silent and still.”Damon shook his head and said amusingly, “Really, Nicholus? Are we really doing it?”Nicholus shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered by everything happening around us, “Warned you time and time again to shut that fuc
Ember’s POV:I stole a glance at his fingers brushing over my necklace and heard his shocking whisper, "The Celestial Stone."My head whipped up to him and saw his pupils dilating as he looked at me, “You are…what the…”I felt Nicholus going rigid behind me. His voice sounded menacing as he warned his brother, “Damon, no, not this…not now.”A deep frown appeared between my brows. Closing my fingers around the necklace, I stepped aside and watched the brothers exchanging heated glares.An eerie feeling of unrest settled in the pit of my stomach. My throat felt constricted as I sobbed, “What…what is it about my mother?”Nicholus was slowly shaking his head in a threatening manner. At that, a wicked gleam twinkled in Damon's eyes as if he had stepped closer to his victory.My heart lurched to my throat as a devilish smirk tugged over Damon's lips before he chuckled coldly, “Dark, dark secrets between the mates are crazy.”It felt like my heart just dropped all the way to the floor. Fear
Ember's POV:With my pulse a ticking bomb waiting to explode, I stood there, waiting for him to deny all accusations, assuring me that whatever Damon was spewing out of his mouth was nothing but bullshit.But all hopes trembled to death as Nicholus stepped backward. All of a sudden, he seemed so tired as he rubbed the nape of his neck and sighed, “Ember, I…listen…”More tears streamed out of my eyes. Angrily wiping them away, I screamed at his face, “Is that true or not, Nicholus?”I already knew it was. But still, I waited pathetically for him to deny it all so that we can go back to our fairytale wedding we'd been so excited about.His gaze flickered to Damon standing behind me before shifting back to me. Slouching his shoulders, he breathed out, “Just a half truth.”A gut-wrenching sob escaped me as I took another step away from him only to walk closer to Damon.Nicholus took a quick step forward and grabbed me by the shoulders. His voice sounded urgent as he spoke, “And you need
Ember’s POV:I could feel the anger oozing out of Nicholus but on the outside, he appeared calm and composed as if he were almost expecting his arrival. Twitching his eyebrow higher, he asked in a blank voice, “What are you doing here?”Straightening his shoulders, Damon tightened his hold on my hand before uttering, “I’m here to take Ember with me.”Hearing that, I again tried to twist my hand out of his, wincing as a sharp shot through my arm as his grip tightened defiantly.That’s when Nicholus’s eyes flickered down to our joined hands. His gaze narrowed viciously and his fists coiled tightly at his sides. Baring his teeth, he snarled menacingly, “Leave her hand right now, Damon.”Damon paid no heed to the warning ringing in Nicholus’s voice and took a step toward the door.Before he could take another, Nicholus lunged forward. His voice was a loud roar as he growled, “Touch her again and I’ll fucking rip you to pieces.”His body thudded into Damon’s and they both stumbled backward
“Damon…?” I whispered into the darkness, gawking at him with wide eyes.As soon as he heard me saying his name, his shoulders slouched and he took a breath of relief. He seemed like a traveler who had finally reached his destination after an eternity of traveling nowhere.Suddenly, he lunged forward. Sliding one of his hands around my waist and the other around the back of my head, he pulled me into a tight hug.Sticking his nose to my neck, he inhaled deeply and I could feel his body relaxing against mine. His hot breath washed over my ear as he whispered with a raw emotion I couldn't decipher, “God, I missed you. I missed you so much, Ember.”My mind was a jumbled mess of chaos and confusion as I tried to process what exactly was happening. Breaking the hug, I stared at him with frantic eyes, “Damon, what are you doing here?”Placing his hands on my shoulders, he squeezed lightly and said with a hint of excitement, “I am here to take you with me. Away from here.”My heart was thuddi