I tilted my head, observing my father. His back was turned, shielding his face, yet his tense posture revealed so much.
For the first time, I witnessed my strong stepfather trembling in fear. The man who always exuded power and intimidation was now scared before the beast he wants me to live with."I... I've arrived, Alpha Sebastian, but not with the money," he stammered."What do you mean by that? you didn't come with money? Does that imply you're ready to face the consequences, perhaps having your throat torn out?" His words sent a chilling shiver down my spine, inducing intense fear.My wolf recoiled at the ominous threat. Would he truly go as far as ripping my father's throat out? The unsettling thought churned my stomach, and I raised a trembling hand to my still-bowed face, wiping off the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead.My father dropped to the floor on his knees. "Please, Alpha Sebastian, I don't want to die. I didn't come empty-handed."He looked in my direction, touching my leg with his trembling hands. "I...I...came with my daughter; please accept her as payment for what I owe. She's a virgin, never been touched by any man. Take her in as your slave," he stammered.The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The Alpha king walked from behind me to the front. His footsteps screeched in my ears as he stood before me. My face was down, staring at his shoes."Look up!" he commanded. I slowly lifted my face until my eyes rested on his. In that moment, part of the fear I felt melted away. Standing before me was the most good-looking man I have ever seen.His hair was long and silver in color. He was draped in a black lovely night robe, but it did nothing to mask his muscular, finely-toned body. I could see the muscles perfectly bulging from his robe. He looked 6'3" tall. He was an epitome of a Greek god. My big brown eyes were locked onto his sharp green ones.I swallowed hard. I had never been with a man before. It was funny how I fantasized at that scary moment just how it would feel to be with a man that good looking."Calm down, Athena. He might be devilishly handsome, but remember, he's still the cruel Alpha king everyone talks about," my sense of reasoning kicked in, and it was right.I couldn't afford to let my guard down. He stepped forward, standing just an inch away from me. Reaching out to my face, he nudged my chin upward, as if examining me. His touch sent waves of pleasure throughout my entire being.My heart pounded against my ribcage so loudly that I could feel the blood pulsating in my ears.Then, the realization hit me. He was my mate! The cruel Alpha King was my mate! I felt a mix of pleasure and terror at this revelation. What in the world? How was that even possible?"Yes! Yes! Today must be my luckiest day," my wolf exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. Finally, it had discovered its mate.On my birthday, I didn't sense my mate, and it was disheartening. I had hoped to experience the joy of smelling my mate on that special day. Now, several months later, it was happening.He abruptly withdrew his hand from my face, as if sparks of electricity had coursed through his body, a frown replacing the earlier cold expression.Did he feel what I felt? Could it be that he also sensed I was his mate?He turned away from us."You can leave, Robert. I will accept her as payment for your debt," his voice remained as cold as ever. My father was overjoyed, leaping up to thank the Alpha king."Leave!" he snapped, his head slightly tilting in my father's direction, a low growl escaping his lips. He appeared visibly angry, leaving me to wonder why.Was it because of me? It was hard to tell if he had discovered I was his mate. My father glanced at me one last time before hurrying away.I was now alone with the ruthless king, he abruptly turned towards me, seizing my hand and pulling me close. I collided with his robust frame, it felt like hitting a solid wall.His burning desire was palpable. His angry gaze fixated on my lips before he claimed them. Struggling against his unyielding body, resistance proved futile.Eventually, I surrendered. My body craved it, responding to the pleasure he stirred within me. This was an unfamiliar sensation, something I had never experienced before. Heck! I had never been this way with a man.He withdrew, growling in anger, fury glaring in his eyes."No!" he screamed, my eyes widening in shock as I swallowed hard"Is there a problem, King Robert?" I managed to stutter, wondering if I had somehow erred.He promptly seized my hair, forcefully yanking my head back. The pain was excruciating."Please, I am in pain." My pleas fell on deaf ears as his grip on my hair intensified."I know you felt it too, the connection between us. I want to make one thing clear," he lowered his head and whispered into my ear, "Don't get any funny ideas. I can never mark you as my mate! You are a mere slave, and that is all you will be to me—a slave I can bed whenever I want."His finger trailed down my face and neck, pausing briefly at my bosom, which responded involuntarily. "Just like I will tonight," he snarled before releasing my hair. I immediately crumpled to the hard ground.Stunned, I tried to process everything he just said. The pain in my head throbbed as much as the one in my heart. I could feel the wetness on my scalp. Raising my trembling hands, I touched it.Blood!It was smeared in blood! I closed my eyes. "Moon goddess, this can't be my fate, can it?" A tear trickled down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me cry.He stared at me coldly. "Now, you will accept your rejection.""I, Alpha Sebastian, king of the Crimson pack, reject you as my mate!"I stared at him blankly, my lips parted slowly, and out of it came the words i had never thought i would say soon after i found my mate."I, Omega Athena, accept your rejection," that was all I could mutter."Good, now that is settled." He said feeling satisfied.He summoned the palace guards and directed them to take me to the head maid for cleanup before bringing me to his chambers in a couple of hours.I was led away by the men, their grip rough as they pulled me along. My legs felt weak. I glanced back briefly at the Alpha king, his face was cold and menacing as he stared at my retreating figure.His words echoed in my ears, crushing my spirit and soul. I sensed my wolf was equally sad.The men introduced me to the head maid as a new addition to the slaves. She took me to a hall filled with girls, all engaged in various tasks."Stay here; I'll be back shortly to get you ready for the king," she scanned the room with her eyes."You there! Why are those flowers not properly placed?" The girl she referred to turned around, fidgeting."I... I'm sorry, ma; I'll arrange them now," with trembling hands, she adjusted the flower that was at the edge of the table to the center. It seemed they were decorating the hall for an impending event.The head maid stormed out, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she left, one of the girls approached me. She was tall, slender, and very beautiful, with red hair and brown eyes. Clearly frightened, she rolled up her shirt sleeve, glancing anxiously from left to right as if there was an imminent danger lurking in the shadows."Hi, my name is Gia; what's yours?" she whispered as she drew near. Despite her fear, she seemed like a nice, innocent girl."I'm Athena," I replied, still puzzled by the fear in her eyes."I see you're new here; you seem like a very nice girl. This is no place for you; terrible things happen here," she glanced towards the door to ensure it was still shut.Her eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on me. "One of us died yesterday here in the palace," I froze at her words.Someone died here in the palace? My throat immediately went dry as I swallowed."She was the king's favorite," she scanned the surroundings, "the only one among us he slept with."A cold shiver ran through my body."I overheard the head maid saying she'll prepare you for the king. I've witnessed that too often; I thought it necessary to warn you." She placed a cold hand on mine. "Please be careful and watchful. It's believed that it was the king who killed…"The door swung open, revealing the head maid. Gia promptly began dusting the table in front of us with the rag in her hand.The head maid eyed me suspiciously. "You, follow me," she commanded, then turned around, heading outside the door. I quickly trailed behind her, stealing a backward glance at Gia, who gave me a warning look.I sensed she was watching out for me. It surprised me how someone I had just met could be so kind as to caution me about an approaching threat. No one has ever done something as considerate for me.The head maid led me down the brightly lit hallway until we reached a room at the far end. She knocked lightly on the door and waited. After a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing the Alpha King.The head maid bowed and exited. He assessed me with his piercing green eyes, and I felt uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze. He widened the door, revealing his spacious, well-illuminated room."Get in," he commanded.Athena's POV I hesitated before reluctantly dragging my feet into his room. Once inside, he shut the door. I stood still close to the door. I was alone with the monster, alone with the rumored cruel beast. "Remove your clothes!" His words cut across my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. My eyes widened as I clutched tightly onto my clothes, shaking my head in fright. He advanced toward me in anger, and I took shaky steps backward. Instincts kicked in—run! I spun around, heading for the door, but he was too fast. He grabbed my clothes and flung me across the room. "Where do you think you'd run to?" he took steady steps toward me, wearing a smirk that surprised me. "Please don't hurt me," I cried when he stood a few steps in front of me. "Who said anything about hurting you, my dear? As long as you stay a good girl, I can assure you no harm will come to you," he smiled wickedly before lowering himself until he was at eye level with me. "Only disobedient people face the consequ
Athena's POV Two months have already passed, Gia and I still haven't been able to escape. We have been carefully plotting our escape, observing the patterns of the guards, noticing they had specific routes and timings. We had even begun to study them meticulously and had learned how to pick locks. We also observed the palace layout, memorizing secret passages and potential hiding spots. Tonight was finally going to be our night of escape; everything had been put in place. The palace was not a safe place for young ladies like us. I was the only one treated a little bit differently from the other girls because I was the king's sex slave. I was fed quite well and was not really overworked like the other slaves. Alpha Sebastian had his way with me every single night. The trauma I had to face each time I lay with him caused me to cry myself to sleep every night. To make matters worse, I was carrying his child. I noticed I had missed my period last month, and this month too it didn't c
AthenaI opened my eyes as soon as the man who carried me on his shoulder stopped moving. Squinting to adjust to the bright light in the hall, I realized we must have arrived at our destination. The man who held me on his back carefully placed me on the floor. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I sat upright, taking in the beauty of the magnificent hall we had just entered.Then, I felt his ocean blue eyes on me—the man who had saved me. Meeting his gaze, there was something about him, something I couldn't quite place my hand on. He was shrouded in mystery, very unreadable. His stare carved a hot path down the front of my chest. I shouldn't be feeling this way; I knew I shouldn't."Get a hold of yourself, Athena," I muttered inwardly. Despite his resemblance to a Greek god, there was no telling if he was any different from the beast of my recent past in the form of Sebastian. The mere thought of him and the way he forcefully violated my body every night for his pleasure made me shudde
~ RichardI couldn't get the thought of the fair lady out of my head. Her pleas kept replaying in my mind like a horrible symphony I desperately wanted to get rid of.I wondered just who exactly she was, who she was running from, and how she had ended up in the bush. I narrowed my eyes as a frown creased my face. How could a girl dressed in tattered clothes, looking no more than a slave, have such a great hold on me?I had been in the bush, close to our territories with James, my beta, hunting late at night when I caught a scent. It was too strong; I had to follow it to its source.That was when I saw her!A fair lady in rags, lying helpless on the floor; she smelled of a mix of Lavender and Vanilla. My wolf jumped at the sight, an act that infuriated me. I immediately suppressed whatever feeling was forming within me and focused on the wolves before me. It was obvious she was in danger and needed saving.I was infuriated at her pursuers, the nerve of them to dare try to invade my ter
~AthenaI felt so downcast and dejected. I believed it would be better to leave this world for the one beyond, where there would be no hurt or pain, where I could finally see Gia again. The thought of seeing her brought a faint smile to my lips. Maybe, just maybe, I might even see my father there. I pray he recognizes me.I would tell him all that I went through at the hands of this cruel world, and he would console me, assuring me that I was finally in a peaceful land far from the wickedness and cruelty that marked this world.I rose to my feet and weakly covered the distance between the broken glass and I. As soon as I wielded it in my shivering hand, I brought it close to my wrist. I couldn't bear to watch. Gritting my teeth to endure the pain, I slit my wrist. I slowly became lightheaded, falling to the ground with a thud as I watched blood trickle down from my wrist. I smiled painfully; it was finally over.Just as my eyes were about to shut, I saw a tall, beautiful man with thi
~ Sebastian I had just returned from conducting a ritual at the lake with my beta, Kain, and some of my guards when I noticed how different the atmosphere in my mansion was. It began upon my entrance; I noticed how frightened the two guards outside the iron gate were. It wasn't unusual; in fact, I have gotten used to being feared and revered. That is the way it is supposed to be, but today, I could smell their fear. It was very palpable in the air."Good evening, Alpha," they stuttered. I scrutinized them without saying a word and proceeded in, wondering what could be wrong. Maybe nothing was wrong; perhaps it was just me having an unnecessary inkling.Once inside, it became clear that my instincts were right. From he way the members of staff scampered away from afar upon sighting me, as if the grim reaper had come to claim their lives. Well, I could be that, but no life would be claimed unless it is well deserved, to the way the ones unable to run froze in fright, with their heads
~ AthenaI was startled; my mouth gaped open, intending to utter some words, but no words came. I could feel a large, unsettling lump in my throat."Uhmmm, nothing, your Majesty," I finally replied to his question, shaking my head vigorously as I watched him.He could sense my fear; I knew he could. I didn't know if it was that or the fact that he was already weary of me that made him step back, tilting his head slightly to issue James a command."Take her to the chief maid, ask her to get her cleaned up and well-fed, then bring her to my office," he turned towards me, assessing me with his ocean blue eyes, "we need to know everything about her before deciding."With that, he turned and left. Before deciding? I guess he probably meant deciding what to do with me. I felt my heart constrict with pain as I wondered what the fate of a helpless Omega would be."Well, can you walk, or do I have to carry you?" James uttered, startling me, pulling me from my thoughts."I…I am fine; I can wal
~RichardThe door to my office swung open after a light tap. I knew it had to be James. It had only been a few minutes since he left to fetch the fair lady.I lifted my face and swallowed at the sight of her. If I had thought she was beautiful previously, she was drop-dead gorgeous now with little effort. Her scent hit my nose, the same Lavender mixed with Vanilla scent. I felt something stir within me. I knew it was my wolf feeling excited; I could feel my hard-on bulging in my pants.James cleared his throat, snapping me out of my reverie. I realized I had been staring for too long, and he had caught on; that infuriated me a bit, the effect this strange woman had on me. Thankfully she had not noticed me staring lustfully at her as her eyes were everywhere else but at me."You're here, nice, now let's get down to business!" I said, my blue eyes locking onto her big brown ones as I ignored the way my body reacted to her. I wanted to stand, but I couldn't, not when I had a boner."Are
~AthenaA feast was being held at the mansion with the whole pack in attendance. The gardens were filled with people from the resettlement area while the king, his dignitaries, and elders were in the great hall dining. There was plenty of food and drinks for everyone.It has been one month since I gave birth to my three little warriors. On the day i gave birth to them, my life changed completely. I felt a kind of inner peace that I had never felt before as they were laid beside me on the bed. All the pain I experienced while birthing them suddenly disappeared and was replaced with an unspeakable kind of joy.I had thought I was going to have just one kid. Throughout my pregnancy, I never went for an antenatal checkup even though Richard had suggested it a few times. I was very healthy and strong, so I didn't feel the need to go…maybe if I had, the doctor would have found out I was going to have triplets.My father and stepmother arrived a day after hearing the news, and my stepmother
~RichardSitting at the head of the dining table, I looked to my right and left at the two most important people to me in the world... One was heavily pregnant, looking like she was about to pop any minute, and the other was infectiously cheerful tonight because he had made a bold move, disregarding his fears, and it paid off big time.A few months ago, per my advice, James had told Nuella about his strong feelings for her. To his utter shock, she had revealed she fell head over heels for him from the first moment she set eyes on him in that dungeon. Their relationship blossomed quickly. I saw my best friend become the best version of himself. Nuella completely changed him and made him so much happier than I had seen him in years. I was eternally grateful to her. Fast forward months down the line, James told me he was finally ready to make that big move. I was so happy for him, and here we are now.He asked her to marry him, and she accepted his proposal. Two young bloods specially
~AthenaIt was a Monday morning. Richard drove me to the hospital after I complained about being sick. He left me in the care of the doctor as he had an important errand to run with James."I will be back in two hours, love," he said as he kissed my forehead.After he left, the doctor asked me what exactly was wrong with me, and I told him the symptoms I had been having for the past few days. I had kept them to myself as I didn't want to trouble Richard or anyone else. Today was quite different, unfortunately. I felt very lightheaded and weak and was unable to get out of bed until Richard came to my rescue and insisted on taking me to the hospital himself.The doctor took a sample of my blood and left.After a few minutes, he came back, a bubbly smile stretching his lips.I sat upright on the bed where I was resting, wondering why he was looking happy."Queen Athena, I bring you good news," he said cheerfully. I narrowed my eyes at him in surprise, as I thought of what good news he c
~RichardThe effects of the war have taken their toll on my kingdom these past few weeks. It will really take a long time to get over all that has happened, all because one silly man thought it was wise to avenge the death of his wicked, soulless brother.All the men who surrendered during the war have been put to good use rebuilding my pack, which they helped destroy. They have been allotted different duties in the pack. Some were sent to farms to become laborers and help the people in rural areas till the lands, plant crops, and harvest them. Others were sent to labor in building infrastructures, some of which were destroyed during their attacks with explosives, and so on.As for Alpha Gerald, after keeping him locked up for a week, I set him free, along with his men. He cried in appreciation, and we signed a peace treaty to seal the fact that we had now become allies.Today was the day of the scheduled meeting with the elders, and I still had no clue what they wanted to discuss, a
~AthenaToday, my father and his Luna will come to Black Knight Pack for my mother's burial, which is tomorrow. When he called and told me he would be coming with his Luna because she wanted to see me, I didn't know how to react to the news.All I said was, "Oh… Great.""She is a good woman, Athena. You will love her," my father had said.She was supposed to be my stepmother, but I was feeling quite nervous about seeing her.It has already been two weeks since the war was fought. Nothing is the same anymore. There is great grief all over the pack, in the resettlement area, and even in the mansion. Scores of people had lost their lives. I heard Richard and James discussing the other day, and they mentioned that the death toll had risen to 600 as bodies were still being found in different places. The only good thing about this fight was the fact that more people from the enemy pack had died. For every one lycan that was killed, four werewolves were killed too. So the ratio was 1:4, wh
~AthenaI was so tired but also excited about the fact that I had finally been saved by the two most important men in my life. If only my mother were alive to witness this moment, then my joy would be complete.It seemed as though the war had come to an end. Everywhere was a bit too serene. I didn't ask any questions on our way home as I was too tired to do so.When we got to the mansion, I was surprised to see a whole lot of people in front of it. They were scattered everywhere, sitting on grass and from the way they were being loomed over by some men wielding guns, I just knew they had to be from our enemy pack. We were about to make our way inside when three men from the crowd spoke one after the other.They were begging Richard to set them free. When the first had spoken, I felt a familiar dread curl up at the pit of my stomach. I brushed it off. No way! It just can't be.The second person spoke, and I still brushed it off. However, when the third person spoke, I felt that famil
~RichardI rose to my feet and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. Where has Athena gone? Why wasn't she in the cave as she was supposed to be?"No! She has to be there! I told her to stay there until I come," Alpha Kendrick bellowed in denial as he got to his knees, peering into the cave."Athena!" he screamed, his voice laced with pain. I could imagine how he felt as a father, and that was because I felt even worse. I didn't want to give in to my fears, though."Athena is safe, wherever she is," I internalized, trying to be positive.I checked the ground for fresh footprints that might belong to her, footprints I could trail to her new location, but I didn't find any."Athena!" Alpha Kendrick called out in shock. I immediately spun around."Come to me, my child," he added, extending his hands.With my heart in my mouth, I rushed towards him and went on my knees, peering into the small cave.There she was!She looked so frail as she staggered. I immediately rushed into the cav
~RichardHearing that Rebecca was dead was a very hard pill to swallow. Her death was especially painful because she had just made peace with her daughter, and they both needed time to create long-lasting, happy bonds. The moon goddess should have allowed her some more time, for Athena's sake! I sighed.I was looking out the window as we drove through the woods when my eyes suddenly latched onto something…someone…No! It can't be!I ordered the driver to stop the car, which he immediately did."Richard, what's the problem?" James asked, and I ignored him, rushing out of the car and towards the body lying on the ground, my heart racing rapidly.It was her! It was Jessica!"Fuck!!!" I screamed into the air, raking my hand through my hair in frustration as I sank to my knees, clamping my hand over my mouth as my body surged with emotion and pain, finding expression through the hot tears streaming down my face.I hardly ever cried, but for some reason, I couldn't help but do so at the go
~KendrickI was almost at the territory of the Black Knight pack when I got a call from Alpha Scott. My heart had been very heavy since receiving the second call from Athena informing me of her mother's death.All through the night, I had relived the years we shared, recalling pleasant memories from our past that I haven't seemed to let go of after several years. She was the first woman I ever truly loved, and I have never loved any woman as much as I loved her. Now she was gone. She didn't deserve to die.I answered the call from Alpha Scott and found out that King Richard was there with him. From his questions, I realized that he didn't know anything about Athena's whereabouts nor what had happened there.I told him I had some bad news, and his first inquiry, as expected, was about his wife. He wanted to know if she was okay.I paused, trying to find the best way possible to break the news about Rebecca's death to him."Alpha Frederick! Are you there?" he called out at my silence.