Serena's POVI had just retired to my cramped room wanting to rest after a long hour. But the door cracked open and the familiar figure scared me as fear overtook my heart.It was Ardan, his arrival made my body vibrate with panic. What has he come to do? It was hard to read his mind, one could predict what his intentions were, no matter how I tried.He was the Lycan King, he didn't care about other people's opinions, and you could never come up with possible ways to defeat him argumentatively even if you tried.For all I know, I was not important to him in any way, I was just a slave he acquired according to him, and he was a cold and cruel king, he could dispose of me whenever he wanted and no one would dare to stand somewhere to question his actions.It was what I had heard about him long before now, and it has even been proven to be true judging by his disdain towards me since my arrival. But it was truly difficult to understand his mind.During midday, he sent Cynthia away just b
Serena's POVWhile I maintained a firm opinion that Arden is cruel and cold, Sally believed otherwise.Maybe because she could connect with his wolf Alf, but I was the one with eyes, the heart, and the flesh that was being tortured, so I could tell for a fact that he was not different from Derek.But Sally insisted that he was different. I did not agree with her, she stood on her opinion too, and we both disagreed with each other's view.In the royal palace, there were maids to do almost everything for the members of the royal family.Everyone had their roles and duties for each day, but I was particularly assigned to the kitchen to carry out a little support by Beta.The next day, I woke up and began my day as I put on my maid dress.“That's the slut” “You don't mean it! How cheap!” “Do you see her walk of shame?” I could hear the intentional whispers that were thrown for me to hear. The other she-wolfs were mocking me.“She just got here and she already managed to seduce the king su
Serena's POVThe man lifted me, and I could barely stand on my own, my body was tired and weak from the beating.The man was called Alpha Zone, he was Ardan's cousin, the Alpha of Pack E.When I looked up at him, his handsome face and strong body were charming and attractive. I was lost in his eyes for what seemed like endless seconds.I was glad he arrived just in time, these god's forsaken she-wolfs would have shredded me into pieces.Alpha Zone ordered everyone to stand by, but then he realized that these other maids had shifted into wolves, so he asked the security guards to take them to the dungeon after he interrogated us and realized that they were the ones who bullied me and I was the victim.The universe was on my side after all, who knows what would have happened to me if he had not shown up at that moment, meanwhile, I promised my parents that I wouldn't give up or die easily. I could have failed on the promise.After the security guards took them away, I limped forward to
Ardan's POV.Even as a king, regardless of my position, I can not deny that I still look forward to seeing and bonding with my family.And yes! It was the time of the year when everyone would come around, it was tagged an annual training, but we all understood that this was a chance for a reunion and a moment to reconnect with each other.I have always looked forward to it, although I could never show my excitement as I was the King.My cousin, Alpha Zone, was the Alpha of E Pack, and he was around for the training too. I was glad to receive his presence.He had gone away briefly, maybe to use the restroom, but he was taking longer than expected.Out of curiosity and concern, I could have sent someone else, but I decided to go to his room to check on him by myself.However, once I opened the door, I was greeted by a shocking surprise.Zone and Serena were in an awkward position, they were seated intimately on his bed. I was furious and if he was not my cousin I would probably have him
Serena's POVEmma was in charge here, whatever she said was the final verdict.As my punishment, she had said that I should not be given dinner. I was alone in my room, I was hungry, and pain had dominated my body from the fight from earlier.My stomach kept making a rumbling sound. It was already getting late, I could not go out to the kitchen to get food on my own because I never wanted to run into Arden.His terrifying eyes were scary and I wasn't ready to see them again. Moreover, I didn't do anything wrong, he had simply misunderstood me, without a chance to explain myself.After I returned to the dormitory, I picked up the few things I found in the scanty first aid kit to tend to my wounds.It was burning like I had just returned from war. My heart was broken, I was alone, and my mate didn't care if I died or lived, he wasn't even aware of the the way I was bullied.How long do I have to live like this? I couldn't believe I was brought here to continue to live in a hellhole. My
Arden's POV.I was in the shower taking in every grace of relaxation the warm warm releases on my nerves.More like the shower was my comfort place, no matter what happened to me in the outside world, once I was in the shower, my nerves relaxed and I was calm.It was a walk-in shower and a few steps away from the bedroom, sharing a wall with the walk-in closet too.If there was someone in my bedroom, I couldn't tell.But then, I perceived a familiar scent, it was as though it was trying to taunt me, it was not stable, making me desperate.However, after a few minutes, the scent was stronger and closer to me than before.While I was wondering where it came from and why was it so close to me, the door was pushed open. And then, my thoughts were confirmed.The scent belong to who I thought it would be.It was Serena.When she opened the door, she was in a daze to find me in the shower with my bare body.I was naked and her eyes which had already seen my third leg were shut quickly, but i
Serena's POVI guess it was another unlucky day for me.When I opened the door to the shower, I was stunned by the sight before my eyes. Arden was naked and subconsciously my eyes went down to his big d*ck.However, he demanded that I stay naked to prepare the room. I had to do it because he threatened to invite more people to watch me. I could feel his eyes feast on my body and it made me feel pathetic.I finished preparing the room on time and I was done, I was getting ready to leave when Arden asked me to stay.My heartbeat accelerated, and pain coursed through my chest. I was disappointed and dissatisfied.I could not believe that Arden would make me stay to watch him have sex with Sylvia.What could be more heartbreaking than this? It was painful, I was deeply hurt.There was no difference between him and Derek. Back at his pack too, he used to make me watch him having fun with his prostitutes, sometimes he would even bring two women at a time.I was used to this life, but I didn
Zone's POVThe Lycan King, Arden, was my cousin, the one I admired most. My father's clan was not powerful, but my mother, Ardan's father's sister, happily accepted her mate who was an alpha from a small pack when she found out.My father was content with his circumstances, easily satisfied, but this was a deadly danger in a wolf pack. Lycans took pride in occupying more territory than others. My little sis passed away in a rogue attack due to my father's weakness. So I trained rigorously from a young age. I would not allow the same tragedy to happen again!I was grateful that my abilities were noticed by all the packs, allowing me the opportunity to train in the palace, a plan proposed by Ardan himself.I was delighted to see him again, as he embodied who I aspired to become. However, I did not expect to fall for an omega, and it seemed something had occurred between her and Ardan.Her name was Serena and she was an Omega. The situation was not so pretty. And Arden somehow found us t
Author PoVThe woods was dark as Marcus and Luca passed through the underbrush in silence. Marcus’s heart thudded against his ribs, with a steady caution. He glanced toward Luca, who had graduated from one stern face of determination to intent.They had been trudging through the woods for hours on nothing more than scraps of intelligence and the stubborn pull of hope. Ryan's rogues had pointed them in the right direction but were ultimately not adventurous enough to try to approach the Red Blood Moon pack directly. After all, Odessa's territory was a death trap of sorts. Even the most adventurous rogues knew better than to cross her borders without sufficient cause.The moonlight was just enough to see the outlines of makeshift tents and some shadows on watch. Marcus motioned for Luca to keep it low and crouched behind some ferns to take in the camp."Do you see her?" Luca whispered in a voice so faint it was almost a sigh."Not yet," Marcus ground out, struggling to make each breath
Serena’s PoVTears stung my eyes, and I woke up in a start with broken breath as the persistence of the dream clung to me. In this muted room, shadows danced upon the wall; for a second, I was hardly certain of where I stood. The dream had borne the reality—Odessa, her eyes bright with evil gleam, standing atop a heap of bones. Her army, a roar of growling rogues and defiled creatures spread out to the last sight. And then there was Evelyn... Evelyn was there, firmly standing by the side of Odessa, the empty look on her face an undercover of madness.I put my trembling hand over my forehead, it was sweating. This dream wasn't just a figment of imagination; it was a warning.I pushed aside the thick furs, stood, and went to the unbarred window. The pack grounds lay quiet, a deceitful calm before a storm. My instincts screeched like a mother's intuition that something far worse than what we had imagined was in the making.If only I could make Ardan see it too.But Ardan... he was no lon
Evelyn’s PoVThe dagger felt heavy and cold in my palm. Odessa’s cold demand rang in my ears. Kill Callum. Bring me his head. This wasn’t a test or ,twisted game to see how far I would go to prove my loyalties. I just had to do it. I knew I had to do it.If I turned it down, she would turn against me. If I carried out her order, I would lose the only ally I had managed to win over. Either way, she would win.Not this time.Finian walked beside me as we traveled through the thick forest. His expression was a mixture of concern and determination. He had not questioned me for warning Callum. He had not hollered when I insisted we needed to fake a death, to give like a disguise for the purpose of tricking Odessa into believing I had done my job. Instead, he nodded, affirming my sense of loyalty."Are you sure it will work?" he asked softly."It must." I responded. "If Odessa realises we lied to her, we would be dead."
Evelyn PoVThe air in Odessa's camp grew thicker with every step I took, like the very ground beneath my feet was crying out in warning for me to turn back. I walked in with a smile that forced itself on my face, burying the reality under layers of lies. I had to put on a show-pretend that the mission had gone as expertly as planned, that Callum's blood was still warm on my blade.Every rogue I passed seemed to look right through me. I couldn't tell whether it was suspicion, or merely the paranoia that clawed at my insides. Odessa's camp had always had a place of hard edges and cold shadows, but now it felt, knowing I was living a lie in a den of wolves, as if I were walking on a frozen lake, with every step about to crack the surface and plunge me into darkness.Odessa was seated at the main fire with her figure surrounded by flames. She didn't move when I approached, but I knew she'd sensed me from long before I closed in. One could call her a predator. Her in
Author PoVLuca ached with every breath he took. The iron shackles had rubbed a nasty patch on his wrist. Every single muscle in his body was screaming at him to stop moving, but push through he would. Not when he could see freedom close enough to touch.The plan hardly had a chance from the word go. For days, he and his fellow inmate, a fierce, rogue girl, Lyra, whispered between the bars of their cells, keeping a close eye on the guards and drawing up a mental picture of their movements. Though men of Odessa had hardly shown much compassion, they had also been very much arrogant-they thought the prisoners were broken and quite incapable of fighting back, which was a mistake they would regret.Tonight was their only chance.The moment the guard opened the door to bring their rations, Lyra lunged, yanking the guard towards her. With her rusty chain, she started to choke him. Luca did not register the pain biting all over his limbs as he withdrew the dagger hanging on the fallen guard'
Evelyn’s PoVThe moon sank in the sky and bathed Odessa's encampment with a relatively eerie light. I felt my hands curl into fists as I stood before her, listening to her outline yet another command: a mission to wipe out a rogue faction that would not swear allegiance to her. Another pointless war; yet another bloodbath to stoke her insatiable thirst for power."This is your chance to show me what you're made of," Odessa said in what might be described as a thick mocking tone, leaning her back against the large wooden table in her tent. "I have been very lenient with you, Evelyn; but this is where I expect your commitment."It was a lie, of course. It was not proving myself. It was about her control. She hoped that I would become a weapon, which she could point at her enemies and let them have it without hesitation.I gritted my teeth. "What if I refuse?"Odessa's eyes became dark. "You won't."A grin from her caused my body to tremble from head to toe.She was right: my survival an
Author PoVThe chains that bound Luca were terribly heavy, and every time he moved, they cut into his skin. Bruised and battered, he was stuck in this dank underground prison which reeked of rot and spoilage. He had lost track of time-and that felt like an eternity-or days, possibly weeks. Each moment in the dimly-lit cell felt endless; every second was a reminder of how he had failed.He had been so sure it was going to work.So sure he would finish off Evelyn and make her pay for what she had done.Yet now, as he sat in the filth of Odessa's prison, he was sure of nothing anymore.A soft chuckle traveled from the adjacent cell soon afterward, pulling him out of his thoughts.“Well, well," drawled the voice. "Looks like you're still kicking."Luca turned his head toward the voice. A girl was sitting with her back against the wall of the cell bide the one he occupied, both knees drawn to her chest. Her eyes were alive and sharp, glistening blue in the torchlight. A ragged smear of dir
Evelyn PoVThe cold steel glinted in my grip, heavy as never before. My heart sounded in my ears almost mythically, nonetheless my hands were steady. The silence stretched itself unbearably long, choking me as all eyes fixed on me.In one swift motion, I brought the knife down.A gasp went up from the crowd. A sharp wave of blood rushed into the air. I could hear Odessa approach slowly, her breath almost audibly eager against the still of the night.Yet Luca was still on his feet.Breaths ragged, around all that pain in his bones; he was alive. I had not touched him.It was my blood that trickled onto the ground and pooled at my feet, which I had crudely sliced. My fingers were stiff with pain as I raised my chin.Murmurs went through the gathered rogues. They were not expecting this. None of them were."Evelyn," Odessa cried out, calm together with a fright. "What are you trying to do?"I swallowed the burn in my throat and met her gaze head-on. "You wanted a sacrifice," I said with
Evelyn PoV“One, two, three, four…. Fifty, sixty-nine, a hundred…. No, no, no…” I breathed.I had stopped counting how many lives I had taken.At first, I would wave it off with justifications such as "they're all enemies, threats to my survival", or "I'm doing what I had to, to stay alive." But the excuses had become stale.Now, in the stark silence of my cell, their faces haunted me.There was the young warrior who had drawn his blade just as I struck him down. His eyes had been filled with terror, pleading, as though he had something to live for. I hadn't hesitated.There was the woman with that desperate look in her eyes, hands bloody and reaching for my clothes in an appeal for mercy. I had felt a flicker of hesitation that night. But Odessa had been watching, satisfaction shining in her golden eyes. I couldn't allow weakness.So, I had done what was expected of me.With each kill, I felt t