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 Twenty-seven Talon Maverick I left the castle that morning with Mother’s words echoing in my head, though I’d already decided I wouldn’t waste another second thinking about hers and the pack Luna obsession. My life, my decisions. Women were only good for one thing, which was pleasure. And I wasn’t about to tie myself down to one permanently just because my mother wanted a crown for her grandchild. She had said, “If you can’t find a woman of your choice, we can just pick the daughter of one of the alphas to be the Luna, Talon. We can’t keep wasting time.” I just told her I’d handle it and make things work, but I had no plan to do any of that. At least not now. I wasn’t ready to be tied down to any woman. I wasn’t soft, never had been. Control was everything to me. I dominated in every aspect of life, especially when it came to women. They were there to serve, to satisfy whatever need I had at the moment, and I wasn’t interested in anything beyond that. But Thalina
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
Chapter Thirty-six Talon Maverick “Solace." I couldn’t believe I’d said that to her. I’d always made a point of not making any woman feel special; they weren't worth that. But this time, I knew the word hadn’t just slipped out — it came from somewhere deep within me. She was my newfound solace, and I didn’t want it to be true. She was supposed to be just a woman to satisfy me when I needed, not someone who could burrow under my skin and make me break my own rules, make me feel and say things I’d never even said to Seraphina. I was slipping. Losing my grip, going past boundaries I’d set to cage the part of me I’d only shown to Seraphina — the part that paid the price with everything I once held dear. I couldn’t afford to let that happen again. Love? That was weakness. It wasn’t for a man like me. I opened the car trunk as she placed the shopping bags inside. There were about nine or ten, filled with dresses, bags, shoes — things I couldn’t believe I’d just bought for a woman
Chapter Thirty-five Thalina “Are you ready for more, my little slut?” “Yes… yes daddy.” I shuddered. With a swift move, he lifted me up the table, my legs wrapping instinctively around his hips as he pressed my back against the wall. The hard surface behind me only made every sensation more intense. His mouth found my neck, his teeth grazing over my skin, and I gasped, my head falling back as he held me firmly, his rhythm unrelenting. My hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate to feel him as deeply as possible. He moved again, shifting us to the floor, his body blanketing mine as he settled between my legs. He raised my hand above my head, pinning it to the floor, and then leaning up to kiss my neck, my ear, until he got to my mouth again. He pressed his lips on mine, a deep owning kiss that made me lost in the passion of it all. “Hmm…” I breathed as he shoved into me with a punishing pace, his hips moving slowly against mine, his cock straining har
Chapter Thirty-four Thalina He chuckled darkly. “But don’t think you won’t get punished for holding back on me.” His breath grazed my neck as he leaned closer. “You don’t know what it did to me, seeing you come into my office, looking like that, knowing exactly what I wanted, how I wanted to put you in different positions… and having to wait.” His hand came down sharply on my ass, a stinging slap that jolted me forward. “God…” I gasped. “Apologize,” he commanded, his voice dripping with control, that I was left with no other choice than to do as told. “I… I’m sorry—” I barely got the words out before another smack landed on my bare skin, pulling a sharp gasp from my lips again. “That,” he growled, “is for keeping me from what I want.” Another sharp smack followed, and I could feel the length of his fingers and broadness of his hand making contact with my skin, hard and sharp. “And that’s for keeping yourself from what you want.” “Yes,” I breathed, my body arching insti
Chapter Thirty-three Thalina What will it be? What will it be? My eyes traveled over the shelves, lingering on each tantalizing, pussy-dripping options laid out before me. He had promised intense pleasure no matter which one I choose, but I was still confused. My hand moved almost on its own, reaching out to brush my fingers over a slim leather paddle, but then I hesitated, my gaze shifting to a set of silken bindings hanging nearby. Every choice felt like a promise, one he’d undoubtedly keep. I moved through the space between the shelves, with him following right behind me, and I lost concentration. Heck! Why did he have to follow me? Now I can’t pull my eyes away from his enormous cock that was still glistening with the remnant my cum, moving slightly with each step he took. Damn! I wanted that inside of me again, I wanted him to fuck… it was like I’d pass out did I didn’t get him to do that in the next minutes. “Take your eyes off my cock, and choose, Lina.” I coul
Chapter Thirty-two Thalina Tasting myself on his lips was dizzying, like a heady, forbidden wine that left me clinging to him. My fingers laced into his hair and then tighten around his neck as though he were the only solid thing in a storm. Every movement of his fingers inside me, the deliberate way they pressed against that sensitive spot, sent shivers racing across my skin, a raw, uncontainable desire igniting with every shift. When he paused, his lips barely brushing mine as he pulled back, frustration flared hot in my chest, an unsteady whimper slipping from me before I could stop it. A sly, knowing smile played across his face as he raised my legs, his fingers slipping under the waistband of my panties, teasing me. His gaze never wavered from mine, each second dragging as he slid the fabric down my thighs. He lifted them to his face, inhaling deeply, his eyes flickering dark with satisfaction. “God, that smell,” he muttered, his voice husky, and for a moment, I could onl