Chapter Nineteen Talon Maverick One more thing, Thalina was the first woman I’d fuck without imagining it was Seraphina I was fucking. To me, Thalina was just Thalina, nothing more, and it was the first. All my life, I had been stuck with Seraphina. Maybe, just maybe I could push her to my past by using Thalina. I got to my room and took a quick bath, dressing in a sharp black suit, I took one last look in the mirror. The image reflected back at me was one of power, authority, and control—exactly how I liked it. But no matter how much I tried to focus on the day ahead, Thalina’s face, her body, and the way she moaned for me crept into my mind. “Get it together, Talon!” I told myself. I wasn’t supposed to fuck her again, yet here I was, obsessed with her after only one day together. As I headed downstairs, I stopped the head maid. “Make sure Thalina’s comfortable when she wakes up,” I instructed her. “She’s going to be coming more often. You know what to do.” Normally
Chapter Twenty Talon Maverick “Arguing with your wolf again?” The familiar voice that always managed to calm my nerves echoed in my ears. I turned just in time for her to crash into me. “Brother!” Vaelora Maed Ashford, my seventeen-year-old younger sister. When I was younger, I used to wonder why the age gap between us was so wide. Mother would always say Vael was conceived when they hadn’t planned for another child. At first, I thought she was too much to handle, but now she was my solace. I had no worries whenever she was around. “I missed you, brother. Why won’t you let me into your estate?” she whined, adjusting her arms around my neck. “I was away from the castle on business, and it could’ve been dangerous. I didn’t want to put anyone in danger…” “What could be dangerous?” Mother joined us, her voice laced with suspicion. “Are you hiding something from us?” I set Vael down and moved to Mother’s side. “Of course not. I have nothing to hide from you,” I replied with
Chapter Twenty-one Talon Maverick It just couldn’t be! There must be something this damn soothsayer wasn’t doing right. I felt the rage swell inside me, burning like wildfire. Before I could stop myself, I surged forward, gripping the old man by his neck and slamming him against the wall. "You think I gave you all this royal treatment, all this time, just for you to tell me there's no way out?" My voice came out in a low, dangerous growl. I could feel my wolf stir, the darkness of the curse feeding into my anger. "Do you expect me to live like this forever? Do you expect me to rule this kingdom cursed, without a Luna, without an heir?" The soothsayer gasped, his eyes wide with fear, clawing at my hand as I held him in place. He was frail, weaker than I realized, and that weakness only fueled my frustration. He should have been smarter, stronger—he should have had the answer I needed. “Please, my lord,” he croaked. “I… I will find a way. I just need more time!” I released
Chapter Twenty-two Talon Maverick “Watch and learn.” I managed to say, before my eyes flickered close. But instead of the usual rush of pleasure and the floating waves of excitement that coursed through my body whenever I have my cock in the mouth of these whores, all I could see was Thalina, and all I could feel was her presence. It was like she was there with me. I opened my eyes again, only to see the courtesans in front of me, one moving her hand through my chest and trailing invisible lines through my body, while the other kept moving her head, popping and pushing my cock in and out of her mouth with so much strength and vigor, yet, I couldn’t feel a thing. I closed my eyes again and all I saw was her—Thalina. That day in my office came rushing back, vivid and intense, replaying again, like she was right here with me, like it was happening once again. Even though these women were still on their knees, doing exactly what I’d ordered, all I could think about was her. W
Chapter Twenty-three Talon Maverick My heart pounded wildly in my chest, each of my breaths coming in ragged gasps as I ran. Sweat dripped down my skin, cold against the heat burning inside me, my legs carrying me as fast as they could, but not as fast as I needed them to be. And no matter how hard I pushed, no matter how fast I moved, I couldn’t escape the darkness chasing me. It swirled around me, suffocating, heavy, aiming to consume me whole. And it was her. The darkness was her. She was faceless, but has an aura that makes my heart leap into my throat. Sometimes it was in the forest, sometimes it was in an unknown place, being chased by a faceless woman with different kinds of weapons. This time, it was inside the same castle I believed I had power and control over, the usual faceless beast chasing me with a knife that has a sharpened edge that glowed under the lights. I ran through the corner and corridors of the castle, hoping to find a way out soon, but as I ran tow
Chapter Twenty-four Thalina I swirled around in the bed; it felt so relaxing and calm, like a fish that had been confined in a small tank finally being released into the ocean. The coolness was a stark contrast to the soreness that radiated from my legs every few minutes. My eyes flickered open, one after the other. I’d been awake for a while, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the bed—it felt like a comfort zone I didn’t want to abandon. When was the last time I had slept this well? Maybe before my mother’s death. Everything turned sour after my stepmother and stepsister moved in. I was forced into a smaller room with a bed I could barely fit in, while Ember took my old room. Father never complained. He said I was older and had to sacrifice for my sister. Well, I had sacrificed nearly everything—my room, my clothes, my happiness, my comfort, and even that bastard I once called my mate. Lying here now, it felt like all those worries and problems had been lifted, even if
Chapter Twenty-five Thalina I matched to the long table like a royal, I took my seat, my eyes scanning through the luxurious dishes beautifully laid out in front of me. It was like those kind of presentations made by professional chefs that you only see in TV shows. Every dish on the plate looked too beautiful to eat, but I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. What if it was going to be just this once? I took my chance. I started slowly, savoring each bite, making sure I tasted every dish, from the savory meats, the sea foods, to the delicate pastries. The flavors were incredible and juicy, so rich and indulgent. I had never tasted anything like that. I continued until I was completely full and no longer had space for any other food, feeling like I had experienced a small piece of heaven. The flavors were incredible—juicy, rich, indulgent. Each bite was like something out of a dream. I had never tasted anything so decadent in my life. By the time I finis
Chapter Twenty-six Thalina I couldn’t move. My mind raced, my heart thudding as Evander’s words echoed in my head: four other ladies before me. I wasn’t special. I was just another woman to him, another body, another contract signed and forgotten once my time was up. The euphoria I felt moments ago vanished, replaced by a bitter mix of emotions—disbelief, confusion, anger… and something else I couldn’t name. I swallowed hard, feeling a knot tighten in my throat. How did I let myself get swept into this? It wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. It was just supposed to be fun—a thrill, something reckless. And yet, here I was, my heart aching in a way that it shouldn’t. I forced myself to breathe, trying to steady the whirlwind inside me. I had to leave, to think. If I stayed, I’d only spiral deeper into this emotional mess. I needed space. I needed to get away from here, away from the overwhelming luxury, away from him. “I need time to think,” I murmured and handed the c
Chapter Forty-five Thalina The night air was cool against my skin as I stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at him. Professor Maverick leaned casually against the sleek black car, his signature cocky smirk tugging at his lips, though his eyes held a softness I wasn’t sure he was even aware of. What was he doing here? At this hour? "Hey, baby girl," he drawled again, his voice low and velvety, making my heart stutter in a way that was both infuriating and exhilarating. I crossed my arms, trying to appear unfazed. "What are you doing here?" He straightened and closed the distance between us with measured steps, his height and presence effortlessly commanding. Before I could process it, his hands were on my waist, pulling me close, so close that I could feel that intoxicating bulge pushing against my stomach. "I couldn’t get my mind off you," he murmured and stopped, his lips brushing my ear as his warm breath sent shivers down my spine. It wasn’t just his breath, but th
Chapter Forty-four Thalina The rest of the days dragged by, each second stretching into what felt like an eternity as the dull ache of that time of the month refused to ease. The cramps, the discomfort, the irritability—it all piled on, making me wish I could sleep through the week. But something strange happened whenever I was around him. Just a few moments in Professor Maverick’s presence, and the pain seemed to fade away, as if his very existence was a balm to my body’s rebellion. His deep, piercing gaze and that frustratingly smug smirk had a way of pulling me out of my misery. Yet the moment I stepped away from him, it all came rushing back—the ache, the exhaustion, and the endless reminder of why this was my least favorite time of the month. Still, if there was a silver lining, it was this: I wasn’t pregnant. Not that I’d expected to be, but the relief opened up all kinds of possibilities. Fun possibilities. Professor Maverick possibilities. “You’re off in your lit
Chapter Forty-three Talon Maverick The hunger to devour her lips, the thirst for the heat of her folds, the ache to bury myself between her legs—it was consuming me. I had held it all back for days, biting down on my own desires, waiting for her to come crawling back. But Thalina? She wasn’t like anyone else. She wasn’t the kind of woman who crawled. She was more than what I had imagined, more than what I thought I could handle. Thalina wasn’t like any other woman I’d known. She didn’t fall in line, didn’t break the way I expected. She had this way of looking at me, of moving, of existing that made me feel like every woman before her had been a blur. She wasn’t just different—she made me feel different. Hell, she made me feel like I hadn’t lived before her, like I hadn’t fucked a number of women into forgetting their own names. That thought alone should’ve terrified me. I should’ve wanted to walk away, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I wanted to know more. I wanted to see more. An
Chapter Forty-two Talon Maverick I had been fuming for days. Thalina was driving me insane, avoiding me like I was some damn plague, acting as if what happened between us hadn’t meant anything to her. It pissed me off, more than I’d like to admit. I don’t chase women. They come to me, and I take them how I want, when I want. But this girl…this infuriating girl, had been toying with my head. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of her—her body, her taste, the way she moaned for me, the way her tongue wraps around my cock… Fuck! She was driving me crazy. Yet she had the audacity to ignore me, acting as if she wasn’t the same one who kept asking for more. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had been patient, waiting for her to come around, but my patience had run out. I stalked through the hallways of the college, my mind set on one thing. Finding her. She wasn’t getting away this time. I found her walking into the restroom, of all places. Perfect. I followed her, shoved the d
Chapter Forty-one Thalina Hide the knife under my dress, play the perfect obedient servant to the Alpha King, wait until he’s distracted, and then stab him. Or maybe slip a sedative into his drink, wait for him to pass out, and end him while he sleeps. Simple enough, right? Wrong. I snapped my eyes open, grounding myself back in the cold reality that nothing about this would be as simple as I wanted to believe. Father always thought everything was easy—everything except me. To him, I was lazy, irresponsible, too soft to do what was needed. He was wrong. It wasn’t that I couldn’t; it was that I shouldn’t. Yet here I was, with a knife hidden beneath my dress, about to prove him right. The Alpha King. The greatest ruler of them all. The one whose voice alone sends shivers down the spines of even the bravest. The man whose legend is drenched in blood, whose reputation is carved from vengeance. He doesn’t forgive. He doesn’t forget. And if I failed? No, when I failed, becau
Chapter Forty Talon Maverick My lips still burned from the brutal scrub after that terrible mistake I made, but the ache went deeper, clawing through my chest, digging into something I didn’t know could hurt this much. All from a single sight: Thalina stepping out of a sleek, tinted car just few steps from her dorm. The memory of her words slashed through me immediately—“I have a meeting with another professor.” Was that it? Was this him? Another man? Another professor? My jaw clenched. Was she cheating on me now? No. It wasn’t like this was some real relationship, for it to even be called “cheating.” But damn it, she had more pride than that, didn’t she? Jumping to someone else, right after… Why was I even here, lingering outside her place like a fool in love? I was no man to give in to such weak emotions. Why did I care if she walked off with someone else? And why couldn’t I just step out, confront her, demand the answers to the multiple questions disturbing by peace? “
Chapter Thirty-nine Thalina Was this a dream? A twisted nightmare I could still wake up from? Or some cruel joke he thought would be funny? Because the man who just yesterday had told me I was different—the only one he’d ever wanted to kiss this badly—was right there, kissing someone else. Not just anyone. My roommate. The same man who asked me to sit on his face, who had looked at me like I was his sole obsession, was entangled with her now. How could he say all those things, make me feel so much, then betray me like this? But was it really a betrayal? Did I mean anything to him at all? My chest tightened, my heart twisting in that awful, familiar way. Just like when I’d walked in on Finn with Ember. Why did this keep happening to me? Was I not enough? Wasn’t I giving him everything he wanted? Or was it because of the contract? Because I wouldn’t sign? But no… even without signing, I’d been doing almost everything he wanted. Why did he have to do this? Tears pricked at my
Chapter Thirty-eight Talon Maverick The phone buzzed, yanking me out of the thoughts I wasn’t supposed to be having. I grabbed it off the nightstand, the screen flashing with my mother’s name. Great. Pack business, no doubt—something that could wait, in my opinion, but it never did with her. I slid a finger across the screen. “Mother.” “Talon,” she said in that tone that told me I didn’t have much of a choice in whatever she was about to say. “You need to come to the Royal castle. There’s a situation with the pack that requires your attention.” “Is it really necessary?” I fought to keep the impatience out of my voice. It wasn’t like her requests were optional, but a man could try. She was quiet for a second, maybe trying to decide how much of this I’d push back on. “Yes, Talon. It is necessary.” I pushed a hand through my hair, glancing at the door, my mind drifting back to Thalina once again. Yesterday at the mall, the way she looked at me… that damn dresses I’d bou
Chapter Thirty-seven Thalina I watched as Professor Maverick’s car disappeared down the road, the tail lights fading into the darkness. And yet, I stood there, with my pulse still racing, my body still tingling from the memory of his hands, his mouth, and the way he made me feel. The last few hours replayed like some fevered dream: his intimate hot touch at the Ford’s mall, the stolen passionate kisses by his car, the tension filling the air in the car, so thick between us it was hard to breathe. I couldn’t believe I was the girl who had just shared all that with a man who was practically a stranger, but it still felt right. He was a man who saw me, not just some wounded version of myself. My fingers tightened around the handles of the shopping bags, heavy with things he’d asked me to pick. I glanced down at them, barely able to believe it. How did I get here? How did I get to this point where I was being treated more special than I could have ever imagined. After Mom passed