Hey Lovelies, I know the updates are slow these days and I apologize for that. I am dealing with some personal matters and I am not in a great state of mind right now. I am trying my best to do the most that I can. I hope you understand. I will try my best to continue with the regular updates and come back with a bang like I usually do :) P.S. I know that the chapters feel like fillers too but I can't just finish the story in 10 chapters and be done with it. Backstories and emotions are what make up a story. Right now, Avery and Aleister are on the way to character development separately because that's what they need the most. But soon (get the hint), they will be together again and it won't be as disappointing as you think. Love you all! ❤️ ~S.Y
AVERYThe forest darkens until I can’t see anything.Fearfully, Renee holds onto my arm as we walk forward with slow strides.I have a hunch that I wasted too much time in thinking. It feels like Aleister has already turned into the Beast.This only makes me think one thing…How stupid is he to let this happen? Agrona drugged him and he let her. He didn’t even punish her for it. Now, he has fallen for the trap the villagers set for him. Did he not detect the hint of potion in whatever he ate or drank? I scoff inwardly. What a bad luck! I am doomed to have such a stupid mate who goes around getting drugged right and left. “ Princess— ”“ Let’s find Draven first. ” I murmur.“ What are you planning to do with him? ” She whispers.“ He told me that Aleister is drawn to fear. Draven fears him…to some extent and he is also a powerful… ” Lycan, it almost escapes my mouth but I shut it before I can slip up.“ He is what? ” Renee steps closer.“ A powerful man. He won’t get caught easily.
AVERY “ I don’t know why I am listening to you. ” Draven whines before he goes to take his position beside a tree. I sigh, standing beside the lake. The Beast aka Aleister Anasazi is nowhere in sight. But I can still sense eyes on me as if someone is watching me from the shadows. I won’t be surprised if it’s Declan, the mysterious brother keeping an eye on us to ensure nothing serious happens. After sending Renee back to the cave, Draven and I stay there, waiting and watching silently. Every second brings a new wave of anticipation. Where did he go? What is he doing? When will he be here? And what if…Draven and I miss our chance? I can just hope that the villagers haven’t figured out that I know the truth. The same goes for Nellie and Sara, the two women I didn’t expect to be partaking in something like this. I thought…they were void of any hate. That they didn’t want revenge. That those women didn’t seek to cause harm to anyone. Turns out…I am still a bad judge of char
AVERYI recall learning to swim.The North was the House of Sea. The salty waters. The depths.I had to be excellent at navigating my way through those depths, to be better than all others who resided North. That was the duty of a Princess.But...I was always scared of it. Water—the sight of it made my heart clench. The fear of the unknown, the noose that tightened around my throat every time I held my breath to take a dive, the memories that swarmed my head—of blood and pain...It all scared me.But I had to get over that fear.I watched the sea everyday, dived in even if all I wanted was to run away, and kept doing it until the fear was pushed somewhere at the back of my head.It was not easy to do it. It took endless days of torture, of pounding heart and trembling hands to finally find the ability to hide the fear behind a neutral smile.The dam that I built on that fear seems to have broken.As I sink to the depths, my survival response kicks in. I try to swim up, strug
ALEISTERThe light was there again. Amidst the darkness that surrounded us, a bright light illuminated her body and spread everywhere.I didn’t get the time to register it and I didn’t want to. All I needed was to grab her and take her out of the water. Right when my hand closes around her wrist, I tug her body up with full force. Instantly, she is in my arms and the light disappears. It’s dark again. But it doesn’t matter. As long as she is in my arms, everything feels right. Forgetting about the exploding pain all inside me, I swim towards the surface. My lungs threaten to give out, like my weakening limbs. But the desire to keep her safe takes the reigns and pushes me up until my head is out of the water.Immediately, I place her on the ice and drop beside her. It feels like the past again—when she fell in the lake and I barely got to her in time. But my panic is not the same. Now, it just feels like there is no point for this world to continue if she is not in i
AVERYIt feels like I was dreaming for a long time.The words spoken, the warmth, the way my heart beat…It all felt real but I know it was a dream.There is no way Aleister just said that.‘ I love you. ’I blink my eyes open, staring at the blank white ceiling. It matches the one in Nellie’s home. I am there and not with him.“ It’s too late. ” A familiar voice says.“ What do you mean it’s too late? ” Another voice yells.“ Draven. ” “ No, It’s impossible! It’s not too late! Wake him up. Save him. ” He is yelling again. It seems this is all he can ever do. Shout, scream, yell—As if this response is the only thing keeping him afloat in life.“ It’s just that you don’t want to save him. That’s right! You hate him for killing your daughter and now you are getting your revenge. That’s why you are not saving him. But I—I will find someone else! Someone else will— ”“ There is no one else, Draven. No one is more powerful than her here. ” Declan’s quiet voice interrupts. Silence engulfs
AVERY“ You know what needs to be done. ” Noelle whispers.Draven was screaming at me again. He is starting to believe that there is nothing that can save Aleister. That’s why Declan took him out of the room and closed the door.Now, it’s just me, Noelle, and the man on the verge of death. “ Is that why you were telling me there is nothing you can do? ” I mumble under my breath.My heart is hurting. The slower his breaths get, the slower my mind works. I just know that I don’t want him to die, but I don’t want to mark him.I am already marked. If I mark him too, there will be no rejections later. The deal will be sealed for a lifetime. I won’t be able to escape him after that. That makes my heart tremble with dread. I don’t want him to treat me like he did again. I don’t want to kneel or feel like I am some…insignificant woman who must do everything the King asks. I don’t want to be reduced to nothing.“ Do you know why I helped you? ” Noelle asks. I shake my head, my eyes still fi
AVERYRandom memories keep appearing in my vision.I watch as amidst the conversation, Agrona spills wine on Aleister’s clothes and he goes to take a bath there. Nothing feels out of the ordinary. It’s as if they had done it a thousand times before, with no awkwardness and no questions asked. Then, I am there.Fuming, hurt, and red-eyed. In Aleister’s sight, I appear someone like that—a woman consumed with rage, so lost that she doesn’t care what others think or feel. A moment later, I find myself in Aleister’s office. Draven goes on and on about the possibility of me being a spy just like the other spies of my brother. He is eager to prove that I have an agenda against Aleister like my brother must have. After all, I can have a change of heart but never a change of nature—I am an enemy and will always remain so. After Aleister’s supposed revenge for the humiliation he had to face because of me, the days become dark. When he goes to my room, I find his mind filled with different w
AVERYThe loss of energy makes me lightheaded. One moment I am sitting in the bathtub, and the next he is picking me. I gasp before my mind blackens.When I grasp my sanity again, I find myself under the warm blankets. And the sparks are buzzing under my skin.I try to open my eyes, but my efforts go in vain. His front is pressed to my back, the hard muscles molded into my curves, fitting like the missing piece of a puzzle.Everything goes black once more.I feel like I am traveling in an empty space. My body is cold, but it’s hyperaware of his presence behind me.“ Aleister. ” I breathe softly. The thought of something still wrong with him breaks me out of the daze. I shift to my back just so I can have a look at him.Like me, he appears dazed too. His eyes are hooded, barely open. But they are dark, just like I remember them and he can still peek into my soul as if he is a Grim Reaper after that deep part of me. My breaths stutter. His palm rests on my stomach, making me realize
AVERYLife is unpredictable, they say.I caress the cheek of the newborn, my finger trembling softly. I am awed and reduced to a teary-eyed, half-conscious woman with nothing more meaningful in life than the bundle lying on the bed beside me. So, I believe now…Life is unpredictable. If someone had told me that I will give birth to a beautiful girl, with glassy grey eyes and a sharp cry…I would have told them that I didn’t need them to fool me into believing things that would never happen.But it has happened.“ You have the right. ” Aleister lays on the other side, watching the girl lying between us with similar expressions. He looks dazed as if he is in a dream and scared of touching this beautiful creature.“ We decided on that. You will get to name her if it’s a girl. ” I pull my knees to my chest, trying hard to forget the pain I felt during labor yesterday. People say something else too—they say giving birth is no easy feat. It’s like dying and coming back to life after seei
AVERY“ Was this really as necessary as you make it out to be? ” I ask, moving across his room, smoothening down the non-existent creases in the dress.It’s the same gown that I wore to the festival. Back then, Aleister sent me away without even looking at me but he carried this dress with him wherever he went when I left him.Now, he wants me to wear it on my initiation. I told him it’s unnecessary, but he insists that I must wear this.“ I can get you a new dress if you want, my Princess. ” Aleister says, stepping out of the dressing room and pulling me into his arms immediately. I notice the dark suit he is wearing, the material fitting every bulging muscle and making him appear bigger than he already is. Our eyes meet and warmth spreads in my insides—It’s instant and soothing. “ How do I look? ” I whisper, reaching up to press my lips to his mouth gently.“ Like my Princess. ” Aleister tilts his head, connecting our lips again. “ Like the greatest star in the sky or the beautif
AVERYIt was not as bad as I imagined it. Aleister did stick out from the others, but no matter how wary they were, they couldn’t say anything about it or him anymore.We had breakfast together, and then I showed Aleister around. As expected, Dustin gave us a side eye whenever we stumbled across him but he couldn’t do anything about it which left me giddy.For the first time in my life, I have my own team. Aleister and I are together, and I don’t care if the whole world is on the other side. He is enough for me.But I like that my former friends and acquaintances have accepted him as my mate.“ You have been smiling from the morning. ” Aleister mumbles, pressing a kiss to my neck from behind.“ Do you not like it when I smile? ” I inquire playfully.“ Of course, I love it, Princess. ” He trails a path of kisses up my neck as his hand rests on my stomach, caressing it softly. “ I want you to keep smiling like this forever. Will you do that for me? ”“ If you don’t make me mad, I will. ”
DUSTIN“ What are you thinking now? ” Lenora asks curiously.“ That’s not the right question, Lenora. ” I tell her and place my palm over the edge of the window. The sea appears calm today, or maybe, it’s just me. I am calm, inside out. There is no noise inside my head right now. After seeing Avi genuinely happy, I think I will be better for some time. “ Did you always know that King is her mate? ” She inquires and stands beside me.“ Does it matter? ” I wonder. Why does everyone make a fuss about it? If I know, so what? Does it change anything?The loser thinking makes me want to roll my eyes. If you jump into the ditch after knowing that it’s not deep or you jump without knowing it’s not deep…it’s all the same. In the end, you still have to jump in the ditch. “ How did you know? ” She turns her head and studies me curiously.“ Moon Goddess told me. ” I vowed to not lie to Lenora before, so she gets all the honest answers.She snickers. “ I am serious, Dustin. ”It’s another thi
ALEISTER“ Levian…can tell when someone is lying. If you had stayed back, he would have found out about your child. You don’t realize how brutal he can be when it comes to getting what he wants. And right now, it’s not the time for the war. It’s time to hide that you are pregnant, Avi. ” Dustin explains to her.“ You want to hide my child? ” She huffs. “ that’s not happening. ”“ That’s why I didn’t tell you before. Now that your mate here has told Levian that you are not pregnant and that he is not allied with the other three Kingdoms, Levian is not desperate to snatch your child. He will wait. Because he believes we are weak when we are not united as the four Kingdoms. ” He says and wipes the dried blood from under his nose again. “ He will wait for you to find your mate. ” I conclude neutrally.“ He will wait for me to break and join him. Or he will wait for a mate to come to break me and get me to lose my mind like the rest of you. ” Dustin replies, and smirks. “ but that’s never
ALEISTERI have a hunch that Dustin Landric—the twat let me hit him intentionally. I would have preferred if he fought back. I don’t enjoy hitting those who want to get hit.“ Aleister. ” My Princess nuzzles into my neck, and peer at me with her puppy eyes.My throat feels heavy as I stare into those eyes. I came here to be mad at her. Her friend sent me a letter and informed me that my Princess hadn’t left me and it was all her brother’s plot. He drugged her and kidnapped her.But she could have let me know about it.And she didn’t.I was mad, but what do I feel right now? The heaviness in my throat increases. She loves me, she is carrying my child and she is showing me that she cares about me without giving a fuck about the watching eyes.It’s like I am in a dream. Maybe, I lost my mind back in the South and this is a part of a beautiful imagination.If it’s that…I slide her stray hair behind her ear and watch as she smiles at me brightly. Her blue eyes are moist, and they still l
AVERY“ Once we are done, do you want me to give you a visit to the Wolveshire Citadel? ” I wonder, clinging to Aleister’s arm.He glances at my eyes, slowly looks down at my arm wrapped around his bicep, blinks, then looks away. From where I walk beside him, I can see his neck turning slightly red.“ I don’t think your brother would like that. ” Aleister grumbles under his breath as we step into the sitting area.“ I think the same. ” I nod quickly. “ but I don’t mind. He can be broody about it and go sulk in his room. ” My eyes wander off to my brother who is standing in front of the window, his back to us. “ Ava. ” Nora squeaks, grabbing my attention.I look to my right and find the rest of them standing beside the couches stiffly. Their wary glares filter towards Aleister, making me frown.Subtly, Tyson pushes Amelia behind him and stands in front of her protectively while the girl looks as horrified as a dying fish. Nora and King Striker are beside them, all in their defensive s
AVERYI fake a gasp and roll on the bed. Instantly, Aleister halts and turns to me worriedly.“ What happened? ” He asks, approaching me hurriedly.I clutch my head until he is standing in front of me. When he leans in, I grab his shoulder and sit him on the bed again.My eyes narrow. “ I liked what we did but I don’t want anyone to see this view. ”I point towards his abdomen before rolling out of the bed and grabbing his pants to throw them at him.“ You faked it? ” He rolls his eyes.“ I know what works with you. I just used that information. ” I shrug, searching for my dress. The look of disbelief comes back on his face. He leans back, dropping the pants on the floor again.“ I am not wearing them. You wanted to fuck me in your room. Now you can’t hide me, Princess. ” He chuckles, balancing himself on his palms.“ First of all, we didn’t do what you said we did. We— ”“ Made love? That’s the same as fucking. My cock goes in and out your— ” A knock silences him. Gasping, I drop t
AVERYI am getting worried now. Aleister hasn’t said anything for like an hour after what I told him.I am comfortably lying on top of him now, and I am so tired that I want to sleep. But the hundred different emotions that keep surging back and forth in my mind keep me wide awake.I yawn, snuggling into his neck. “ say something. This silence is irritating me now. ”Silence meets me as a reply again.I huff and draw my face out of his neck just to glare at him. But he looks lost and his eyes see right through me.“ Are you that shocked? Did you not want— ”“ You said…it’s not possible. ” Aleister finally mumbles, his heart beating like a loud drum under my palm.My gaze meets his wide eyes as I sigh. “ Well, my Mom lied about that. I am perfectly fine. I confirmed with a Healer. ”“ What? ” Aleister whispers, his eyes still holding disbelief.“ Yes, Mom lied and made me believe I couldn’t get pregnant. ” I shrug, dropping my head back. “ but who knew…her lie would get me pregnant mor