My eyes flutter open, and I find myself in an unfamiliar place. Terror courses through me as I take in my surroundings — cages lining the walls, each holding a variety of creatures: humans, werewolves, lycans, mermaids, and more. The air is heavy with fear and desperation, and I can feel the palpable sense of despair emanating from my fellow captives.
An ache in my arm draws my attention, and I discover my wrists bound tightly to the ceiling. Panic surges through me as I try to piece together how I ended up in this nightmarish predicament. Memories flood back—the encounter with the strange man, the drugged haze that clouded my senses, and then nothingness. He must have brought me here, but for what purpose? The question gnaws at my mind, but in this moment, I can only focus on finding a way to escape.
I consider reaching out to Marie f
NICKOLASI hang from the ceiling, arms spread wide. My wrists cry out as the chains, laced with oak tree venom, burn me down to my bones. I can barely feel my back whipped until there is no skin left. Short breaths escape my mouth as my head hangs low. This is a typical day for me, but today is worse. I don't react today. I don't cry, wince, or yell in pain, and she is angry. My back bears the brunt of it. I used to cry when I was 10, but once I turned 12 today, I told myself I wouldn't give her the glory of seeing me shed tears or whimper in pain anymore. I can't hurt her, as she made sure I was always weak. This is my way.I force my eyes through the blood dripping from my wrist to see her. Her blonde hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail, her blue eyes ablaze with anger. I smile, the corners of my mouth curving into a dangerous
Amelia’s chest rises and falls slowly as she lays on my bed, her breathing shallow and fragile. I sit perched in an armchair nearby, a glass of whiskey in my hand. My heart clenches, recalling Beatrice's words earlier tonight."I don’t need to tell you. You already know she was tortured, and in order for Amelia to survive, her wolf healed them, but that has also put their lives in danger.""What do you mean?""While undergoing her abuse, Amelia’s wolf, drugged with silver, struggled to heal her as much as it could to keep her alive. That has caused her wolf to go into a coma, and she is now unable to heal her even with treatment administered. Amelia is practically human now, fighting for her life like a human would. This makes things complicated because a human only has a 10% chance of surviving wh
AMELIAMy brows furrow as I awaken to the intoxicating scent that has become synonymous with my mate. Slowly opening my eyes, I discover my head cradled against a familiar chest—Nickolas's chest. Confusion sets in as I survey my surroundings, realizing I'm in Nickolas's room. Questions flood my mind: How did I end up here? Did Nickolas rescue me? The realization dawns upon me as I notice my wounds have been carefully tended to. He must have, but even if he did, it doesn’t explain why we are cuddled up together.Nickolas stirs in his sleep, his eyes fluttering open."You're awake," he exclaims, his eyes lighting up with an intensity that catches me off guard. Confusion clouds my expression as I attempt to shift away from between his legs, but Nickolas gently stops me. His hand moves into my
"Didn’t you just eat, dear? Why is your stomach growling?” Beatrice inquires as she tucks me under the covers, her fingers grazing over my stomach as it rumbles beneath her palm. She's insisted that I remain in bed for the next 24 hours. My muscles ache from the brief excursion downstairs and back up, ensuring I won’t attempt that again soon.“No, I haven’t,” I reply, and my stomach growls again.“Why? I thought creamy shrimp pasta is one of your favorites.”“You remember,” I smile, reminiscing about the numerous times I asked her to make it for me after the first time. She nods.“It is, but I didn’t want to eat it because his majesty served me.
AMELIAI grimace, sitting up on the cold concrete floor. I survey the room with my only good eye, as my right eye has been busted shut. Touching it, I wince, both from the pain in my eye and the countless injuries covering my hands. My body is a canvas of bruises and aches beyond words. Moving my hand to my head, my bottom lip trembles as I feel my ball-shaven head. Tears spill from my eyes. I endured torture upon my arrival in the lycan territory, but nothing like this. Ember and Adam have subjected me to unspeakable things.I run my half-opened good eye over my battered body, and more tears flow down my swollen cheeks. My shoulders tremble as pained wails rip out of me, but I suddenly freeze upon hearing my name softly called.I whip my head
“In all my years of existence, I have never hated someone as much as I hate you,” Ember declares, pulling me from my thoughts as she takes off her jacket and hands it to the man who dragged me.“You don’t even love Nickolas,” I say, pulling at the restraints on my hands. I didn’t succeed in freeing myself yesterday, but that doesn’t mean I won’t today. I also plan to stall her by talking while I try to figure out something.“That’s true, but I don’t have to love him to see you as a threat,” she responds, taking off her heels and slipping into sneakers with the man's assistance. I tug on the ropes around my legs hard, not caring as my skin burns from the action.“But I
The early morning light filters through as I descend the stairs, determined to break free from the confines of my room. Seeking solace in the company of Beatrice, I make my way to the maid quarters, a desire for fresh air propelling me forward. A soft knock on her door precedes the anticipation of her response.The door swings open, revealing Beatrice and her words hang in the air with unexpected weight. "Great, both of you are here together," she declares, and suddenly, the strong scent of my mate envelops my senses.As her words linger in the air, I spin around in a desperate attempt to validate if the reality matches the unexpected revelation. In a swift turn, my head collides with his broad chest. His powerful arms encircle my waist in that instant, drawing me close. Held securely against his chest, the warmth of his body spilling into mine.
The following morning, I awaken to the sound of a gentle knock on my door. As I peel the covers off my body and approach the door, my mind is already filled with worries about Marie's recovery. Despite her awakening from her coma, she is still far from fully recovered. A run in wolf form could aid in her healing, but I know Nickolas would never agree to it."Nickolas?" I murmur in surprise as I open the door, hardly believing he's the one standing there. I didn't even know he knew how to knock."Good morning, Amelia," he greets me, straightening his shoulders and flexing the muscles there slightly. I'm momentarily speechless, trying to process if I heard him correctly. Did Nickolas just say good morning to me?"Amelia," he repeats, waving his hand in front of my face to snap
Ten Years Later“Aidan, please stop pulling your sister’s hair,” I plead, my voice strained as I descend the stairs. Aidan, my firstborn, attempts to rip raven locks from his twin sister Aliyah’s scalp.For nine-year-olds, Aidan’s death glare is already perfected as his black hair falls over his face and emerald eyes shoot daggers at Aliyah. “She called me ugly, Mummy!” he huffs. I turn my gaze to my daughter, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. “And why do you do that, Aliyah? You know better than to do that.” Her own green eyes narrow at her brother. “He called me fat!”“I did not—” Aidan begins to argue, and I close my eyes, rubbing my temples as a familiar headache threatens to take hold. I adore my children, but sometimes...The pattering of tiny feet makes my eyes shoot open. “Liam, Lily, be careful!” I rush after my second set of seven-year-old twins, who have inherited their father’s striking features just like their older siblings.“And you too,” a deep, British voice mur
AMELIA Ember's fist connects with my ribs in a blindsiding blow, the impact sending shockwaves of pain through my body as I crumple to the ground. Gritting my teeth, I force myself onto all fours, circling her warily, my wolf form bristling with fury."Pathetic. You couldn't even fight me in your real form," she spits, her words dripping with disdain, baiting me to shift back and risk further injury. I bare my fangs in a feral grin, lunging at her, my jaws snapping for her throat. She reacts instantly, grasping my muzzle in her hands, struggling to keep my razor-sharp teeth from her flesh. Seizing the opening, I rake my claws across her chest, shoving her to the ground with a powerful kick. Pinning her beneath me, I tear at her face, my claws seeking to blind her, to rob her of her sight, and leave her vulnerable.Ember's screams of agony pierce the air as I gouge at her eyes, blood welling beneath my claws. But before I can finish the job, an invisible force seizes my heart, squeez
NICKOLAS I take off sprinting in the direction I'm picking up Callum's scent, my heart pounding with a mixture of rage and anticipation. The bastard knew he stood no chance against me, so he fled, but there's nowhere for him to hide today. I will hunt him down and make him pay for everything he's done.I risk a glance over my shoulder at Amelia, my chest tightening as I watch her shift into her wolf form mid-leap, ready to face Ember in battle. Every instinct screams at me to turn back, to fight by her side and protect her, but I force myself to keep running. This is her fight, and as much as it tears me apart, I know she needs to do this on her own. She wouldn't want me to interfere, no matter how much I longed to keep her safe.Gritting my teeth, I push myself harder, Callum's scent growing stronger with each stride. Before, I wanted to kill the bastard for driving Amelia to the brink of suicide, but now, with the deaths of Uncle Leo and Ava weighing on my soul, my thirst for venge
We burst out of the castle, our suspicions confirmed as an arrow whizzes through the air, aimed directly at Nickolas. He snatches it out of the air before it can pierce his flesh, but the contact burns his skin, the telltale sign of Oak Tree venom. Lord Easterlin is really here, and the battle has begun.Nickolas tosses the arrow aside, his eyes flashing with rage as he moves toward the lycan who fired it, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. With a snarl, he plunges his hand into the attacker’s chest, ripping out his still-beating heart. Blood drips from Nickolas’s fingers as he watches the light fade from the lycan’s eyes, a grim smile playing on his lips. In an instant, he’s back at my side, his hand grasping mine tightly.“Let’s get you to safety,” he urges, his voice laced with concern.Despite allowing me to train, Nickolas is still reluctant to let me fight. I understand his worries, but he needs to realize that this battle is as much mine as it is his.“I want to fight
I rush downstairs, my heart pounding with anticipation, not just for breakfast but for the chance to see Nickolas. Being in the same house but sleeping in separate rooms has been torture, especially with Mom still not trusting him, even though a month has passed since our arrival. She also discovered my pregnancy, thanks to my growing bump and unexplainable morning sickness. Despite her reservations about Nickolas, she's thrilled to be a grandmother again and can't wait for the new addition to our family.The past month has been eerily quiet, with no word from Lord Easterlin, which troubles us all. But we've been using this time to prepare diligently for the impending war. Nickolas is adamant about me staying out of the fight, even though I've assured him I'm fit enough. His men have been training relentlessly alongside our werewolf warriors. Today, we plan to discuss taking the fight directly to Lord Easterlin.As I approach Nickolas' room, a smile spreads across my face the moment I
I tap my feet against the floor, my nerves fraying with each passing second as I wait for Dad to say something. We arrived back in the werewolf kingdom an hour ago. Nickolas just finished pouring his heart out to Dad, explaining everything that happened. He apologized profusely for nearly killing him on his birthday. He declared his unwavering love for me and his desire to build a life together. But Dad remains silent, his expression unreadable as he stares at Nickolas, who stands rigid with tension, his shoulders taut as he awaits Dad’s judgment.When Dad finally rises from the couch, Nickolas and I follow suit, the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I interlock my fingers with Nickolas’, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Everything is going to be alright,” I whisper into his mind. Since we have completed the mating process, we can send messages down our bond.“Welcome to the family, son,” Dad says, his voice warm as he pulls Nickolas in for a hug. Relief washes over me, a
“What the fuck did you just say?” A familiar voice booms from the bottom of the stairs, startling me. I spin around, my heart leaping into my throat, to find Caleb standing there, his eyes wide with shock. Oh, heavens above! How could I have forgotten about Caleb? He must have been worried sick about me. I wonder how he found me here, of all places.“King Nickolas!” Caleb adds, his brows furrowing in confusion as he takes in Nickolas standing by my side. Panic grips me, and I quickly move to stand before Nickolas, shielding him with my body. I can only imagine what Caleb must be thinking - that Nickolas survived somehow, and now he needs to finish the job.“He’s real?” Caleb asks incredulously, pointing at Nickolas after noticing my protective stance. “Yes, and before you try to do anything, please hear me out,” I plead, my voice trembling slightly.Caleb closes his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief before crossing his arms over his chest. “You have one minute,” he grits out, his j
The living room is as breathtakingly beautiful as the rest of the house, all plush fabrics and gleaming surfaces that speak of wealth and taste. I make my way to the nearest couch, ready to sink into its inviting cushions, but before I can even sit down, Nickolas sweeps me up into his arms and deposits me on his lap.“Whenever we’re together, this is where you sit,” he murmurs, adjusting me on his thighs, his arm wrapping securely around my waist, his hand splaying possessively over my belly.A soft smile tugs at my lips, warmth blooming in my chest at his casual display of affection. If someone had told me even a few short months ago that Nickolas would be this clingy, this openly demonstrative with his love, I would have laughed in their face. But now, feeling the solid strength of his body beneath me, the tender way he holds me close, I can’t imagine anything feeling more right.“Let’s hear it,” Eric prompts, settling into the armchair across from us, his eyes alight with curiosity
“Can I see them again?” I ask, my voice breathless with anticipation, a giddy smile stretching across my face as I wait for Nickolas to reveal his back once more, to show me the tattoo of my lips adorning his scars. Even now, the reality of it steals the air from my lungs, making my heart flutter wildly in my chest.His answering smile is soft and indulgent, his eyes glowing with warmth as he slowly turns, baring his back to me. I suck in a sharp breath at the sight, my fingers itching to trace the delicate lines of ink, to map the ridges and valleys of his scars. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to seeing this tangible proof of his love, this permanent declaration etched into his very skin.“Can I touch them?” I whisper, my voice hushed with reverence, knowing how sensitive he is about anyone laying hands on his scars, even me.Nickolas turns to face me, his gaze locking with mine, the intensity in his eyes stealing the bre