~Theo~Slowly, I began to strip her clothes. Her zipper slid down and the black gown slipped from her body, and pooled at her feet, revealing the most perfect creation that I’d ever seen. One that makes me have wild thoughts even when it’s all still covered up.When I saw her this morning walking out of that hall, I hadn’t been able to hold myself back from accosting her. I’d almost lost my composure when our bodies touched again, but it was the fire in her eyes that nearly undid me. Dressed in that ridiculous mourning attire, she looked like sin wrapped in sorrow, a queen even in grief. My queen. The one woman I could never claim.Not openly, at least.“What are you doing?” she asked when I paused for some time.I exhaled and shook my head. “You’re just too beautiful. I don’t think I can stop looking at you.”“We don’t have time for that.” She breathed impatiently, trying to unbutton my shirt. “All I want you to do right now is touch me. Do more touching than staring.”She fused her
~Karen~“I’m so sorry, My Lady, please forgive me.”I glared down at the shivering mess in front of me, my fists clenched so hard that my nails dug into my palms.The back and forth was becoming tiring. How difficult was it supposed to be to carry out a simple task? My patience was already slice thin, and would snap at any time now.It’s already been two days since my encounter with that slimy, pretentious, unfaithful bitch. She was supposed to be dead by now. At the very least, she should have been on the floor, writhing in agony, gasping for breath as the poison works through her veins. But she was still here, alive. Untouched. Walking around the palace like nothing had happened.And Grace… Grace stood before me with her head bowed, her body trembling like a pathetic leaf caught in the wind. Was she such a loyal dog who can’t bear to bring harm to her owner?“And why should I forgive you?” I asked, slamming my hand on the desk, the thud sound echoing throughout the silence of my ro
~Theo~The discussion between my father and me was dragging longer than necessary. Matters of the Tribe had a way of doing that. It was always endless disputes, trade agreements, and border tensions. My patience was wearing thin, but I kept my composure, responding when necessary, even though my mind was elsewhere.The forces against Storme and I were getting stronger, and it was only a matter of time before we were publicly called out in the Tribe. My refusal to marry Karen wasn’t helping issues at all. She was already threatening Storme’s life, and knowing the kind of personality that Karen had, it wouldn’t take her a blink to eliminate whoever she saw as a foe.The whole matter was driving me insane.A sharp knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Before my father could answer, the door swung open, and in walked Karen, dressed in her usual arrogance, a sly smile playing on her lips. But what caught my attention wasn’t her.It was the girl trailing behind her. I recognized he
~Storme~“Your Highness!”I glanced up to find an omega hesitantly peeking inside as she creaked the door open. I was surprised to see that she had managed to find me when I’d tried to hide myself in this place. I’d felt suffocated for some time, and decided that the best place for me to breathe would be in the library, sheltered from the world, tucked away between shelves lined with books that I loved more than anything. It gave me a sense of escape.“Is there a problem?” I asked, giving a reassuring smile when she lingered at the door without stepping in.She looked nervous, casting quick glances behind her before finally coming in. She bowed low and leaned in. Her voice was shaky as she murmured something in my ear.I froze. My grip on the book tightened.“What?” I mouthed, not understanding anything that she had said.She nodded in confirmation, and I didn’t wait a second longer. Abandoning the novel on the table, I pushed to my feet and stormed out of the library, my pulse racing
~Storme~“You shouldn’t think so much about this, baby. Grace will be fine.”No, she won't. And I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities of what could happen to her while in Karen’s care. This whole palace was starting to feel even more suffocating than it used to be.Absent-mindedly, I swiveled on the chair in Theo’s personal study. There has to be something that I can at least do about this. There had to be something…“It’s strange that she decided to pull this card immediately after the mourning ritual. Do you think Grace refused to do something that she ordered her to do and now she’s trying to punish her?”“That might be possible,” Theo agreed, stopping the swiveling with a block of his hand. “Can you stop turning? You’re beginning to make me dizzy.”“And now she’s trying so hard to make one of her Pack girls my personal maid. Is she trying to get some kind of information or what?” I leaned back on the chair and grabbed both sides of my head. “This is driving me crazy.”T
~Storme~“What the hell!”I quickly scampered to a sitting position and flung the cover around my body. The girl who had barged into my room had her eyes down, and her hands clasped together in a beseeching manner.“I’m so sorry, Your Highness. I thought you’d be with the alpha king now, so I decided to come and arrange some things for tomorrow.”Hugging the cover tightly to my body, I glared at the girl. She looked unfamiliar, and I was so sure that she wasn’t a member of this Tribe because her scent was a bit different. Almost identical to Karen’s.“Who the hell are you, and who gave you the permission to barge into my room?”She looked up then, and I was able to see her features properly. Her eyes were sharp and eager, a round face that screamed innocence, and an attitude that I couldn’t decipher yet.“My name is Mona. I’m the new maid that has been assigned to you.”That explained the scent. Karen had really gone ahead to make do on her plans, and the king had indulged her. Things
~Theo~“Tell me the truth, Fred. You can either tell me, or I’ll summon her and ask her myself. You know that she would never lie to the crowned prince of this Tribe.”Fred’s eyes darted everywhere around us, and he tried desperately to avoid my eyes. After our sparring session this morning, I’d tried to make him spill the relationship between him and Grace. But it looked like he would rather chew leather than say anything to me.The moment I mentioned summoning her however, his stance had changed. I guess he didn’t want his beloved lover to be held in my clutches after all.“She’s my mate, Theo.” He looked like a man who had been fighting a war inside his own head and finally lost. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked as if he expected me to lash out.My jaw almost dropped. “What?”He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "I tried, Theo. I tried to fight it, to pretend that it wasn’t real. But it’s too much. I can’t take it anymore. I need her." His voice cracked slightly, and I
~Theo~I burst through the doors of Storme’s room, my heart pounding with unregistered fear. I pushed my body against the door, throwing it open. The moment my boots hit the floor, I froze. Droplets of blood littered the floor like scattered rubies, leading toward the place where she should have been.My wolf howled in rage at the gruesome sight. A cold, unnatural chill crawled up my spine, suffocating me in dread."Theo, calm down—""Storme!" Her name left my lips before I could even think. My voice was rough, desperate. But the room was silent. She wasn’t there.Fred stepped in behind me, gripping my shoulder. "Theo, you need to calm down."Calm down?I turned on him with a glare. "Who did this? Who the hell dared to poison the queen?"He opened his mouth, but before he could answer, "Where is she?" I grabbed the nearest guard by his collar, my grip tight enough to choke the breath from him. "Where the hell is she?""Th-The pack hospital!" The guard stammered, his eyes wide with fea
~Storme~It felt like I’d just signed my second death sentence when I noticed Marcellus and the guards behind him. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes had turned red. There was no denying what had happened between his son and me. there was no way I could deny it. Not with my dress almost off my body, and Theo’s shirt thrown away in a corner. The truth was just too glaring.“I can explain—” I started, trying to adjust my dress as decently as possible, my voice trembling as I stared at Marcellus’s wide, enraged eyes.But he didn’t let me finish. What happened next felt like it was edited in an extremely forward motion. I barely saw his fist before it slammed into Theo’s jaw with a crack that echoed throughout the room. I let out a gasp as Theo staggered backward, blood spraying from his lips.“No!” I rushed forward, but Theo caught himself before he fell. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then looked up at his father.“Don’t,” I whispered to him, begging with my eyes. “Pl
~Karen~The thanksgiving feast was an utter disaster in my eyes. From the moment Storme walked into the hall, basking in the attention of the alphas and dignitaries, to the Alpha King’s half-hearted speech thanking the Moon Goddess for sparing his queen’s life, every single second grated on my nerves.I’d kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was seething. I could tell that the Alpha King’s words were nothing but a formality, lacking any real emotion. His tone was dry, detached, as if he were merely checking off a duty on a long list of royal obligations. I almost rolled my eyes as he finished the dry speech.Favor? From the Moon Goddess? What a joke. If Storme had truly died, I would have personally made an offering to thank the heavens.But Theo had to push things further, of course, forcing me to say a prayer for my sworn enemy, someone that I would have snapped her neck as she sat pretty on that table if I had the opportunity.The prayers tasted like bile to me as I spoke, but
~Storme~{A WEEK LATER}Karen walked into the sitting room like she owned the place. She moved with an air of entitlement, her expression rigid as she sat across from me, smoothing her gown as if she were settling in for a long chat. I didn’t trust her presence, but I forced a polite smile expected from a queen."How are you doing?" she asked, her voice falsely sweet."I’m okay," I replied evenly.I knew better than to let my guard down around her. The event of the past days had made me know that Karen and I were sworn enemies who do not have a chance at coming together for peace. For someone who was willing to incinerate me even when it was obvious that I was alive, I wouldn’t put anything past her anymore.She offered a slow smile, tilting her head. "I must say, congratulations. You have quite the talent for cheating death. I’m almost envious."I gave a small, meaningless smile, but said nothing. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction."Are you ready for the feast this e
{NOTE: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DUAL POV FROM BOTH THEO AND STORME. HAPPY READING.}~Theo~A collective gasp rippled through the room. My own breath caught in my throat. I rushed closer, my hands shaking as I reached for Storme. I pressed my fingers to her throat, feeling for the impossible.And then I felt it. The faintest, most fragile thump beneath my fingertips.She was alive.The room erupted into chaos. Karen shrieked in protest. The king’s eyes darkened with an unsatisfied emotion. The guards shifted uneasily, looking to him for orders.“This is a trick,” Karen spat. “A game. You saw her, Theo! She was dead.”I barely heard her. My heart was pounding, my mind racing. Storme had been cold. Still. Dead. And now…Geenie turned to my father. “My king, this is a great omen. She was taken by the spirits, but they have returned her.”My father’s expression hardened. “Then we must finish what we started.”My blood ran cold. “What?”“If she was meant to live, she would not have been declar
~Theo~I wiped my hand clean on a white handkerchief, shaking off the last remnants of the blood clinging to me.“What’s going on?” I asked, turning to the guards.One of the guards who had gone to check out the alarm, stumbled forward. “The palace vault, My Prince. It’s on fire!”My body stiffened as I listened to the guard speak. The vault was close to where Storme’s body had been taken. If that was where she was, then there's a huge possibility that the fire might burn her body as well.Without another thought, I broke into a sprint.“Theo!” Fred’s voice rang out behind me. “It’s dangerous! Storme is already dead. The fire burning her body won’t matter now.”But it mattered to me. Even in death, she deserved peace. Not this.I shoved past the chaos, dodging the guards as they worked hard to put out the fire. The heat seared my skin, but I didn’t stop. When I reached the room, I heaved a sigh of relief.The fire hadn’t touched her yet.Storme lay on a tiny bed, draped in ceremonial
~Storme~“Per radicem et saxum, per ignem et mare, scutum lucia me circumdat clare. Nullum Malum transeat, nullum maneat, Haec custodia nocte dieque stet.”(By root and stone, by fire and sea, A shield of light encircles me. No harm may pass, no ill may stay. This ward shall hold both day and night)The murmurs surrounded me, rhythmic and steady, their cadence weaving through my half-conscious mind. The words felt familiar, yet distant, as if they were buried deep in my bones, waiting to be unearthed.I felt a hand on my chest as the chants continued, and it felt like someone was retracing the birthmark on the back of my wrist. A little pain permeated through my skin, but it stopped almost immediately. The chanting stopped as well.My eyes fluttered open. A dim, flickering glow illuminated the space around me. The scent of burning herbs and something earthy filled the air. A woman stood before me, stirring a bubbling pot over an open flame. Her face, lined with wrinkles that somehow m
~Theo~The glass of alcohol in my hand was nearly empty, but the burn in my throat wasn’t enough to drown the rage consuming me. I paced up and down, my brain reeling of the sort of pain that I would mete out to the target that I had coming into the dungeon soon enough.She would taste exactly how it felt to die in the most painful manner. I would make sure of that.Keys jingled, and Fred and his men dragged in a figure covered from head to toe. They threw the body at my feet, and Fred yanked the leather bag off her face. The second she saw me, her eyes widened in horror, and she began to plead.“P-please, My Prince, spare my life, please!” Her voice was shrill and desperate. Her hands trembled as she reached for me, but Fred shoved her back down.“Shut your mouth!” he barked.He handed me a small leather bag. “We caught her trying to leave through the back of the palace. It looked like there were some unidentified guards trying to help her escape. We also found the bag on her.”I to
~Karen~I limped down the corridor, my head held high despite the pain throbbing in my leg. The scent of blood clung to me, but I ignored the questioning glances from the passing servants. Let them look. Let them whisper. None of it mattered. I had won.The ragged cloth that Mona had managed to find for me reeked of dampness and was undeniably dirty, but it was better than walking through the palace halls completely naked.“Theo tried to kill me.” I muttered to myself incessantly, as if saying it over and over again would make it become a lie.I hadn’t believed that he would be able to do something like that to me, his childhood sweetheart. If I hadn’t escaped as quickly as I had, then I would have been the second body that would have been incinerated tonight alongside that witch’s body.His rage, his grief, him fighting me, it had all being for that wretched woman. Even in death, she clung to him like a curse. How else was I supposed to get rid of this darn disease that had infected
~Theo~The world stopped. The air in the room turned suffocating. I heard nothing. Felt nothing. It was as if my body had shut down completely. I couldn't process what I had just heard. My mind rejected the words, my body refused to accept them.My breathing turned ragged as I turned to the doctor, my voice dangerously low. "Check again."The doctor swallowed hard, his face pale. "My Prince.. I've checked multiple times. There is no pulse. She has stopped breathing."Something inside me snapped."NO!" I bellowed, grabbing him by the lapel of his coat and shaking him violently. "She’s not dead! She’s not dead, you hear me? You’re lying! Do something!" My voice cracked as I shook him harder. "Bring her back! Bring her back right now!""Theo!" Fred grabbed my arms, trying to pull me off the doctor. "Theo, stop!""She’s not gone! She can’t be gone!" My vision blurred. My chest ached with unbearable pain. "Storme! Storme, wake up! Wake up!"I fell to my knees beside her bed, clutching her