“She’s the Malikah. A traitor. Born to do one thing. Kill me and take over my pack, my throne.” I was sure that my heart had stopped at his words. I had no intention of killing him. Why would he think that? Even if I wanted to, I didn’t know I could bring myself to do it. There was something in my gut, in my soul, that pulled me to him. I couldn’t go an hour without thinking about him. I craved his touch. My entire essence revolved around him—and then the realization hit me. Was the King of Guardians, the Alpha King, my mate? Did he honestly think that his mate would kill him? Cody took a cautious step forward. “Conri, she’s your mate.” He reminded him. The King stared at me for a long moment as he bared his teeth. He looked like he was deciding whether to kill me on the spot. “I don’t care.” Conri finally breathed. “Get her out of my sight. She’s no longer welcome in my home or under the Guardians’ Protection.” “But, my king, she’s your mate,” Cody repeated. “She’s the future q
Connor had brought me to a little room in the west wing on the other side of the manor from Conri. I curled under the bed, the only place I felt safe. I curled into a ball with my back pressed against the wall. It was secluded under the bed; no one could hurt me there. Or hurt me more than I was right now. I laid my head on the cold wood floor and stared into the darkness as Connor left, promising he would return. Silent tears streamed down my cheeks as my chest tightened with sorrow. He just tossed me aside like it was the easiest thing he ever had to do. I was so stupid. So incredibly stupid and naïve to think that this would last. Whether we were mates or not, it didn’t matter. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. The bedroom door opened again, and Connor’s scent flooded the room. His face appeared on the side of the bed, but I continued to stare past him, slowly disconnecting from this world. “What did I do wrong?” My question came out hoarsely, but Connor heard m
“She never shifted.” He finally said. I tilted my head back and sighed in thought. That was impossible. She was eighteen, and it was a full moon; she should have shifted. “Probably because she was too busy trying to figure out why she was tossed away like a stray when she had done nothing wrong. Or maybe it’s the fact that her idiotic, stupid, self-centered—” “Watch it.” I snarled at him, growing slightly irritated at how he spoke to his king and alpha. Cody continued speaking as if I hadn’t said anything. “—mongrel of a mate is trying to break the mating bond, which will destroy her. I can guarantee you, Conri, that you messing around with this mating bond is what is delaying Rieka’s shift.” I snorted. “Unlikely. She’s eighteen, and it was the full moon last night. It’s probably because she’s the Malikah. Maybe their shifts are different.” Cody ran both hands down his face. “There are those half-ass thoughts and what’s ifs again.” He moved to my bed and grabbed my comforter a
It felt like my very soul was dying inside my chest. Connor didn’t talk much, but his presence brought me little comfort, knowing I still had one friend. I felt sick to my stomach, and I knew I would drown myself in this sorrow and defeat. Bile burned my throat, and I thought I would throw up. I whimpered at this sick feeling in my gut. No matter what I felt, Conri never appeared to comfort me. Pain rippled my chest as I struggled to shift and cope with Conri’s rejection. If this heartache got any worse, I was sure death would have been a mercy, and hours dragged on as I prayed to the Luna Goddess that death would come and take me. Soon. CONRI’S POV I was in a piss poor mood as I took a scolding hot shower and changed clothes. Rieka’s sorrow and hunger through the bond drove me insane to the point where I wanted to roar with irritation. Being on the fence like this would be the end of me. It had been three days since I rejected her, but I still longed for her. I missed her fresh,
A low, warning growl echoed through her. I had rejected the mating bond, but she was still clinging to it, turning her into a feral animal. Pain ripped through me as I took her in. I did this to her. I tossed her aside and turned her into this. I could see it in her eyes; she was slowly turning from the light. I pushed the food to her, which caused her to snarl and lunge, but she never went past her barrier of blankets. She cautiously sniffed the food, never taking her eyes off me. I inched it closer to her, and her teeth clicked as she snapped at my hand. I purred, hoping it still worked on her, and calmed her down enough to eat something. She snarled at the sound like she was trying to fight its effects, but reluctantly, she lowered her head back on the blankets and stared at me. “Come here,” I ordered as coolly as I could. She shimmied her way out of her nest and army crawled towards me, her eyes pleading for affection. “Stop,” I ordered once she had reached the plate of food bef
“I don’t see why not.” Cody opened a side door by the bay windows that led to a small patio before blending into the grass. I stepped into the grass, the blades cool and soft against my bare feet. The warmth of the sun felt peaceful and good upon my face. I closed my eyes and smiled as another breeze rush by. And the pain, sorrow, and despair eating at my soul were gone, chased away by the wind. I could do this. I could survive this. I have survived much worse. If Conri wanted to toss me aside, then let him. The only one I could count on was myself. As I bent down to feel the grass between my fingers, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked up to a ridge on the other side of the yard and saw a black form. I instantly recognized that wolf. A more petite grey and black marble wolf stood next to Conri. The King stared at me momentarily before continuing his walk down the ridge back toward the manor. I didn’t care. Let him ignore me. It was me who made a mistake, not him. I made
This was wrong. Cody was right. Treating her like this was wrong. I couldn’t damn her if she didn’t do anything wrong. Hadn’t even shown any signs of it. I laid my head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I was a fucking idiot. A stupid, ignorant, self-centered mongrel. So, as I stood up, I grasped at the remnants of the mating bond and held on tightly. Grabbing my blanket off the bed, I went to the west wing. RIEKA’S POV I awoke the following day feeling refreshed and rested for the first time in a week. I stretched and breathed deeply, only to inhale a familiar scent. I looked down to see a blanket over the top of me, and I grabbed it, bringing it up to my nose. I sniffed and snarled at the citrus scent of Conri. It was a vicious snarl that was typically heard from a rabid animal. Quickly, I tossed it to the floor. I didn’t want his scent. I had just gotten rid of it. I rose from the bed and stood up to notice that Connor was no longer at the foot of it. I ran my hands u
Did that mean that I was born in the Hunters Pack? Was that another reason they hated me and thought I was a traitor? I raised my head and stared into the trees as if I could see the Hunters border. I abruptly stood to my feet, looking frantically around. I was dead if the Guardians found out I had Hunter's blood. If I returned to the Hunters' pack, would they kill me? Why didn’t I remember that they were my pack? How did I end up here? Eighteen years and nowhere to call home? I ran my hands through my hair as I looked between the trees and my bedroom. Dropping my hands to my sides, I made my decision. I looked back to the manor. This place wasn’t my home, and I was no longer under the Guardians' Protection, according to Conri. The King didn’t want me. The agony in my heart was beginning to return from him leaving me every morning. I barely survived the first time he tossed me to the wolves, and I didn’t think I could make it through it if he did it again. This wasn’t a life. This w
“You’ll never be able to stop us, little queen.” The Hunter snarled quietly. “You can pretend all you want, but the Malikah belongs to the Hunters.” His weight vanished as Conri called out for me once more, and in the next instant, he was a wolf again, racing off into the darkness. I scrambled to my feet and struggled to get a breath. My lungs felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen in my body. Branches cracked and snapped as my mate barreled through the undergrowth, skidding to a stop beside me, breathing heavily. His blue eyes were wild and crazed as he looked me up and down for any signs of injury. “I’m fine,” I said hoarsely, my throat feeling raw. I grabbed a handful of Conri’s neck fur, and he raised his head to help me stand. After realizing that I was lying and indeed all right, Conri snarled angrily at me, his iced eyes now blazing. “What were you thinking, Rieka?” Conri snapped at me as I leaned against him. “You could have been killed.” I laid my head against his neck, c
“Yes, my queen. The King and Cody should be here soon. Stay put. Don’t wander off.” I nodded my understanding before watching Connor weave through the pack, checking on everyone. I slowly turned my head, looking around at everyone, when I heard a faint noise in the darkness of the woods. My ears perked as I strained to listen more carefully. The slight whine came once more. Cautiously, I stepped towards the sound, curiosity taking over every nerve in my body. I didn’t realize how far I had strayed from the pack when a sudden force barreled into my side, and I was knocked off my paws. A vast, muscular wolf loomed over me, his red eyes bloodthirsty. I scrambled to my paws quickly and launched myself at him. Something clicked inside of me, some ancient instinct. It was like some part of me knew that I had a pack, no, I had packs, wolves to protect. I had wolves that needed a queen to rely on to protect them. And I was going to be that queen. I latched my teeth to his scruff and used my
“You want to pull rank and be the queen. So be the queen. Lead them.” I swallowed hard as I looked back at the pack. My voice shook as I tried to speak as loud as possible for the wolves in the back. “As many of you know, we were giving sanctuary to the Wolfsbane Pack. Before they could cross the border, the Hunters ambushed them. Once again, the Wolfsbane Pack needs our help. The King is not here, but I am. Help me protect what all you have sworn to protect. We are Guardians, and we will not back down from a fight. We will not let anyone take away what we stand for.” As I finished speaking, my heart beat so hard I was sure I couldn’t feel it. One by one, each wolf threw their heads back and let out a unison of harmonious howls. “Very nice, my queen,” Connor whispered, brushing his shoulder against mine. “Let’s go.” Connor took off running towards the trees, and I followed him with the pack behind me. For once, I was running towards something, not away from it. CONRI’S POV Ever
“He had some business to take care of with the Nightshade pack,” Connor answered. “Threats were being made against them. Cody and the king went to ensure their safety.” I sighed heavily. This was getting worse by the day. “May I go outside?” Connor blinked at me as if I had just asked a stupid question. “Of course. You’re going to be queen. You may do whatever you wish.” I rolled my eyes. “Of course, I have to go with you to do whatever you wish to do.” He gave me a coy smile, and I huffed a laugh as I rolled my eyes again. “Well, then, I’m going outside. Feel free to join me.” I walked back into my room to the side door that led to the yard. It was a little hot, with the sun blazing across the sky, but there was a gentle cool breeze to balance the heat. “I want to walk to the pond.” Connor fell into step beside me. “You don’t want to run?” I shrugged my shoulders and frowned as I looked up at the sun and squinted my eyes. “Nah. I don’t think I need to run. I just want to wal
My stomach grumbled with hunger, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat anything without Conri here. It was late into the night when the door swished open, and Conri stepped back into the room. My heart immediately started to flutter at the sight of him, and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I sat up in bed to greet him. My core instantly heated and throbbed as my want for him grew more assertive. I could tell he could smell my arousal by how his hazel eyes darkened with lust when he inhaled deeply. I wanted to pull him in and kiss every inch of his hard, muscular body, but my motherly instincts also kicked in. “What did Devil want?” I asked, concerned for the packs flooding through me and almost drowning out my arousal. “Asked for sanctuary. There’s a section of my territory just southwest of here. I offered it to Devil and his pack.” “Will they be safe there?” Conri sighed and ran a hair through his dark thick hair. “I hope so.” “And if the Hunters att
CONRI’S POV I stared at my mate in disbelief, her words echoing through me. She never once showed interest in being Queen, and now suddenly, she was throwing it up in my face. I was the Alpha King, and she was challenging me. Her steel grey eyes were hard and dark, like a thunderstorm was brewing in them. I could feel her uncertainty down the bond as she tried her best not to cower under pressure, but a part of me admired her sense of bravery for standing up to me. I inhaled deeply to try to stop my temper from boiling over. No matter how much I admired her courage, I did not appreciate her defying me. “Go back to the bedroom, Rieka,” I told her as calmly as possible. “I will discuss this with you later.” I didn’t think her eyes could harden anymore, but they did as she narrowed them at me like she was trying to decide whether to push the matter or not. When I thought she would argue some more, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the study with Cody following her. Once she
“You look so beautiful when you cum.” Conri whispered to me, which caused my abdomen to tighten once more. He rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom as I lay there on my back with limp limbs trying to come back down to earth. I must have fallen asleep because it was early evening when I opened my eyes again, and Conri was nowhere in the room—stretching my sleepy muscles and feeling utterly satisfied. I crawled out of bed and brushed my hair before going to the closet to grab some clothes. A sinking hollow feeling began to form in my gut, and something told me that it was because Conri wasn’t near me. Opening the bedroom door, I looked to the right to see Cody standing guard. I was mortified as I prayed to the Luna Goddess that he hadn’t been out here while I screamed Conri’s name. “Please tell me that you weren’t—” I started to say, but Cody’s chuckle cut me off. “No, my queen, but from the smell of you—” He sniffed loudly. “I can tell what you and the king have been do
I must have fallen asleep by the fire because hours later, a warm hand was slowly caressing my bare back, coaxing me to wake up. The purring from Conri’s chest reverberated through me, and I sighed in contentment at the sound. I moved my cheek to rub my eyes to feel something firm and solid under my face. I opened my eyes to find I was lying on Conri’s bare chest in the bed. He must have carried me over when I had fallen asleep by the fireplace. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t want to move away from him. I rubbed my cheek deeper into his chest and growled affectionately. I gingerly ran my claws down his chest, inhaling his natural scent deeper. His purring became louder as he gently pushed me onto my back and pressed himself between my legs. He supported his weight on his elbows as his forearms lay on either side of my head, caging me in. Conri lowered his head and dragged the tip of his tongue along the seat of my lips. I involuntarily shuddered at the sensual jolt the
“If she is the Divine Queen, then she wouldn’t need to be a guardian. Her power will come from the Luna Goddess.” Cody said. “Are you headed out? I can take the first shift.” Connor offered. “No. I’m headed back to her.” I turned and walked back down the hallway. “Don’t forget to check her eyes,” Cody called after me. When I opened the door to the bedroom, I saw Rieka standing by the window and staring out across the yard at the trees. I could feel that she wanted to go running down the bond. “You like running, don’t you?” I asked her quietly, and she started at the sound of my voice, spinning around to look at me. She relaxed slightly as I approached her, closing the door behind me. “There’s just something about the wind running through me that makes me feel so…” her voice trailed off in thought. “Alive.” I finished for her, and she nodded, looking back outside as a small smile appeared. I stood behind her and slowly wrapped my arms around her waist. She melted back into