The week went by in a flash, and next thing I knew, Susan and I were walking into the dance hall for the Full Moon Ball.
The stage was lined with a red carpet that flowed down a few steps to the center of a well-polished dance floor. Golden chandeliers were heavy with candles that lit the room with a warm white glow. There were huge bouquets of red roses everywhere.
A band was playing quietly at one end of the stage. The conductor was leading them to a slow tempo, waving his arms in a way that made them look boneless.
“Thank you,” Susan said to me. “Thank you for this amazing dress. I knew you were good, but this is really next level.”
She did look amazing. The dress had a fitted bodice onto which I’d hand sewn what felt like a million garnet colored beads that shimmered in the candlelight and almost looked alive. The skirt was crimson, floor length with a slit up one leg that stopped just below the knee.
“It was nothing,” I replied. But the pale purple circles under my eyes betrayed that I’d been pulling long nights this week, and my fingers were covered in needle pricks.
The other girls in attendance all looked gorgeous. Their dresses were designer, obviously expensive, and ornate. I spotted Caryn, who was wearing a long lace gown as bright white as her big teeth.
I fidgeted with my own dress, which I’d made using scraps left over from a school project. It was black, cut in layers and draped in a way that flattered my hourglass curves, with long sleeves and a gold lace overskirt.
The hall was packed. People were clustered together, whispering excitedly.
I followed Susan to where the concubine selection party was preparing for the prince’s arrival. To my surprise, there were a few human girls in the group, which was otherwise made up of noble female werewolves. Unlike me, though, they were at least noble humans.
“They don’t have much hope for actually being chosen,” Susan whispered to me, eyeing the human girls. “But I guess they just want to try their luck. Good for them.”
As far as I knew, only Lycans and werewolves had ever inhabited the royal palace. It was hard to imagine a prince or king choosing a human mate. They married female werewolves from noble bloodlines — that’s just the way it was.
Susan had insisted on wearing red lipstick that night for the first time, but now she kept asking me to check and see if any had gotten on her teeth.
“You look perfect,” I told her. I gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
I noticed Caryn watching us, whispering to her friends and snickering. She liked to make fun of our friendship, calling me Susan’s sidekick or assistant. I didn’t really care, especially that night — I was just there to support my best friend.
A sudden trumpet tune sounded. The ceremony was about to start.
The conductor turned to face the crowd and called out in a loud voice, “I present to you, heir to the Lycan throne, Prince Nolan!”
The crowd went crazy as the prince walked out onto the stage. Three other tall and handsome men followed him, walking in perfect unison. All of them were dressed in black suits, but the prince stood out easily at the front of the pack.
Nolan was indeed shockingly handsome, with dark features and a stern posture that commanded authority. As he descended the stairs, he turned to look in our direction, and for a brief moment we locked eyes.
My body reacted before my mind could form a complete thought.
I felt sick, faint, thrilled and full of dread all at once.
Nolan’s eyes were dark green, deep set, and intense. They looked right into my soul.
I knew in that instant it was him.
The stranger.
But the prince looked away and I took a deep breath, telling myself I had to be mistaken.
The bloodied werewolf that fucked me in a cave last week could not be the same man I saw before me now — a stately royal with perfect posture, neat hair, and chiseled cheekbones.
But, I remembered, the stranger’s features had been swollen from his injuries. Maybe I had touched those cheekbones when they were buried under bruises.
I couldn’t be sure.
#
The selection party was like a pageant. The girls took the stage for only a few minutes each, walking slowly to show off their bodies.
The prince watched from below center stage, with his attendants seated beside and behind him.
Some of us passed through our turns quickly. Others showed off talents, offering short performances for the crowd. One, a dancer, turned a beautiful pirouette; a few others attempted musical performances that ranged from dull to downright embarrassing.
Susan was last on stage.
She sang a tune I’d heard her practice before. In a clear, sweet soprano, she wowed the audience with a short melody and earned enthusiastic applause.
I’d asked Evan to meet me here with flowers, so we could bring them to Susan after her performance and act like her fans. I thought it might help her odds of attracting Nolan’s attention.
Evan met me near the stage and we rushed over to Susan as planned, throwing wildflower bouquets at her feet while she bowed before the crowd.
The prince clapped politely. The neutral expression on his face had not changed once since his arrival.
The applause died down. Susan and I took our places, lined up onstage in a row with the other contenders.
The prince stood and walked up the steps to the stage. Whispers ran through the anxious crowd. All eyes were on Susan, who trembled beside me.
The prince paced the stage slowly.
He came to a stop in front of me and Susan.
Then, inexplicably, he reached out and touched my hand.
It felt like a fire ignited inside me.
Before I could process what was happening, the prince pulled me forward.
We faced the crowd, hand in hand.
“Thank you all for coming to the Full Moon Ball,” he announced. His voice was deep and commanding.
“I believe,” he continued, “that I have found my future Luna.”
I couldn’t understand what was happening.
I tried to pull my hand free from Nolan’s, but he held on tight.
Looking at him standing there, his princely stature and simple confidence gave him an appearance of softness and grace. But his grip revealed an incredible, unmovable strength.
I stood beside him helpless for what was probably seconds but felt like an eternity. The crowd began to stir and grumble.
I turned to Susan. All the color had drained from her face.
One of the prince’s men paced over to us, carrying a golden laurel crown studded with sparkling emeralds, atop a red velvet pillow.
Nolan finally released my hand. He took the crown from the attendant and turned to face me, lifting it over my head.
Suddenly a blur of red rushed past me.
Susan stormed forward on the stage, stood at its edge and spun to face us.
Her face was no longer pale, but flushed red with anger, matching the crimson glow of the glass beads on her gown.
“My Lord,” she said, her voice shaky and loud. “There is something about Yena that you should know.”
My stomach sank. This could not be good. The crowd fell silent, as if everyone were holding their breath. Evan, still near the stage, stepped forward. “Susan,” he said. His voice echoed in the now eerily quiet hall. “What are you doing?” Susan’s eyes, wide with rage, were fixed on me. “My dear friend Yena,” she continued, her volume increasing with every word, “has a dirty little secret. She told me she had a one-night stand with a rogue wolf just last week. She’s no longer a virgin.” All the air left my lungs. I felt like I’d been sucker-punched. Over and over again, by a swinging pendulum I couldn’t get out from under. Every moment, the reality of this situation felt more and more unbearable. I began to shake. My legs felt as though they were about to go limp. Everyone was looking at me. Then I was hit with a wave of that specific kind of anxiety I’ve felt often in public — the shame about my weight, my appearance — and had the strange thought that if I’d have known this w
“But she’s a human, not a wolf. How can she possibly marry a Lycan?” It was Caryn. She asked her question loudly, but with what could be mistaken for a polite and reverent tone. She flashed me a cruel, toothy smile before stepping back into the crowd of girls that were now encircling me and Nolan on the stage. Whispers coursed through the audience. Then a single voice rang out from the far end of the hall, crying, “This fat human girl has tricked and seduced our prince!” The crowd roared in outrage. Another anonymous voice shouted, “The Gamma warriors should arrest her! Lock her up at once!” A cry of support rang out amongst the nobles. The armed guards posted at the entrance paced a few steps forward into the hall. They were members of the king’s guard, known as Gamma warriors, and they were heavily armed. I swallowed hard. My palms were sweaty. Nolan smirked at the crowd. He withdrew his hand from mine, reached up, and ran it through my hair, letting a long golden curl sli
I couldn’t help it. I kept thinking about that night in the cave. The shockwaves of pleasure the stranger sent through me. The primal sounds he made. It was hard to reconcile that memory with the man I saw before me now. I remembered the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around me. His big hands on my hips. His hot breath on my neck. And his big dick. He seemed to have a good idea how to use it. “Wait…” I said, snapping myself back to reality. “Were you really a virgin before that night?” “Yes,” he replied flatly. “Seemed like… you knew what you were doing.” He raised his eyebrows. “Are you complimenting me?” His mouth twitched, resisting a smug smile. I hadn’t really meant to do that. “Alright,” he said, “If that’s the case, then what’s the problem? I would guess that this” — he gestured to the laurel crown, which he’d set aside, having missed the opportunity to put it on my head during the ceremony — “is the best offer you may ever receive.” I cleared my throat and said
His face was close to mine, and I felt his breath on my neck. It sent a shiver running down my spine. The reporters, kept at bay on the sidewalk, were snapping away with their cameras and talking loudly into microphones. I turned away and reached for the front door, but he kept pace with me and slipped his arm around my waist. It felt like it belonged there. His hands fit themselves around my curves so naturally. I guess because… he knew them. His arms were so strong. Every muscle along the whole length of them bulged. He smelled like pine and sandalwood, like he’d just stepped out of the forest. I remembered this smell from the morning after our night together in the cave. But no. I had to stop letting my thoughts drip down into that memory. Every time, it made me feel like I was melting. Every time I thought about the feeling of his hot, rough hands all over every inch of my body. The way he’d fucked me. Shameless and giving and desperate and wild. His incredible strength.
“You stop right there,” Tina said. She put my coffee down on the table in front of me, a little too hard. A blob of whipped cream slid off the top and started melting down the side. “Peter, you are not going to sell our daughter to settle a debt,” she said, staring daggers at him. “It’s okay,” I said, and I reached out to Tina. She pulled away. “It’s not okay,” Evan snapped. I already had the gold business card, and my cell phone, in my hand. “It’s actually my choice, alright?” I said. That got them to quiet down. I made the call. While it rang I took a few shallow breaths and tried to prepare what I was going to say. I didn’t plan to, but when the line picked up I just started talking before the prince could answer. The words just rushed out. “Hello Nolan — I mean, Your Highness — I changed my mind and I’m so sorry about what I said last night. If you’ll still have me, I’ll marry you, but I’ll need your help with something first and I just have to get it out, I need ten millio
YENA We hid out in the house all morning. Peter had been taking calls from his lawyer, his partners, and his creditors. He told them he was doing everything he could, but that he needed more time. Then they showed up at the house. Evan went around and locked all the doors. Tina pulled the curtains closed over every window. Men were knocking on the door nonstop — banging it hard — trying to wear us down, get us to open up. Peter told us not to be scared. They’ll go away, he said, if we ignore them. I was pretty sure he was wrong about that, though I really couldn’t guess what would happen if we just kept on hiding there in the dark. Peter turned his phone off. He hadn’t told anyone the whole story yet. Hopefully, no one besides us and the prince knew yet that I’d rejected his proposal. Not that anyone would believe it, anyway, if we told them. How could an ordinary girl — a commoner, and a fat girl at that — not take the prince up on such an undeserved offer? I stared at the phon
Evan’s face flushed, going beet red. “My relationship with Yena,” he said, is none of your business.” Nolan knew full well what kind of relationship Evan wanted with Yena. He could smell it. It almost made him laugh, to think that the boy actually felt he was fooling anyone. The way he followed his sister around, watching her every move… Nolan’s blood felt hot. It gave him a tight, unpleasant feeling in his chest, thinking about Yena and Evan. He took a step toward the door. Yena was still standing there on the porch in an embrace with her adoptive mother, oblivious to the conversation taking place inside. The prince turned back to Evan and looked him dead in the eye. “Why is it,” Nolan asked, “that you are so obsessed with her?” Evan was silent for a few seconds. The two stared each other down, neither one flinching. “Yena,” Evan finally said, “is the most beautiful girl in the world to me. If you can’t see that — if you can’t see how amazing she is, then let her stay here wi
YENAOn some sort of embarrassed impulse, I actually reached up to my mouth and wiped it with my hand.There was no drool.I felt my face get hot.It was unbelievable. He had such a skill for pushing my buttons. And could do it so fast.He took one step forward and leaned against the door frame. We were face to face at a sort of four-way intersection of dark, empty hallways.Nolan was tall and broad, and cast a shadow that enveloped me in darkness.“Stop fucking with me,” I said.“Well,” he replied, “you were the one eye-fucking me first.”The dim moonlight drifting in through the windows hit his eyes and lit them up. They were hard like stone, deep green in shadow, and staring down at me with the prince’s signature brand of smoldering condescension.A rush of desperate desire surged through me, starting at my throat and flooding downwards.I swallowed as quietly as I could and thought about turning around. I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of being rewarded for this kind of behavi
YENANolan took one look at me, as I stepped out into the surprisingly bright morning light, and placed a hand flat on his chest. His mouth dropped open, releasing a sigh.I watched as his keen eyes roved the entire length of my body, taking in every detail. From the clear glass peep-toe high heels on my feet, to the dress, the earrings, the hair, and… the finishing touch: my golden laurel leaf crown. The one Nolan gave me the first time we married, which marked me as his Luna.I had to stop in my tracks and catch my breath, myself. This, I realized as I took everything in, was the wedding of my dreams.To my surprise, our friend Cindy was standing under the very center of the vine-laced archway – she was clearly all set up to be the officiant for our ceremony. She grinned and winked at me when our eyes met, as if to say, Surprise! The King and Queen stood to one side of the aisle, eyes on me as I walked down with my parents, each with approving expressions and slight smiles. At Nola
Evan smiled broadly at the sight of me and Lucy in our dresses, our hair and makeup all done up. “Whoa,” he said, going wide-eyed. “You girls look incredible.”“Oh my Goddess, back at you!” I cried, making my brother blush. Evan was all cleaned up, had even gotten a haircut, and he was wearing a gorgeous, expensive tuxedo with a boutonniere in the lapel that matched my bouquet. “What is all this?”“Oh. Didn’t you know? I am the Best Man.” He grinned guiltily, cheesing with his teeth clenched.“Oh, that is so…” I felt tears pinging at my eyes, thinking about Nolan making the gesture of asking Evan to stand beside him at our ceremony. That must have been what they were discussing at Tina’s. “That’s sweet, Evan. I’m sure it means a lot to Nolan. Thank you.”He shrugged, starting to look awkward.“Be right back, guys,” Lucy said, heading for the fancy little half-bathroom that was directly across the hall from my studio.“Yena, I’m really happy for you,” Evan said to me quietly once she w
“Can I see it?” Nolan asked. His green eyes lit up with curious excitement.He and I were just finishing dinner together, and I’d told him all about my day with Lucy and how hard we’d worked to finish my wedding dress for tomorrow. I was absolutely thrilled with the end result, but my eyes were also tired from all the focused work and lack of breaks, and my fingers were stiff from so much sewing. It had been a while since I had done this much detail work in such a short period of time. “Hmm.” I thought over Nolan’s request. “Can you wait? I think it’ll be more fun if you see it on me tomorrow for the first time.”He nodded reluctantly. “I can wait. If I must.”“I’m so excited.” I beamed. I didn’t mean just about the dress. “This is going to be really fun. Thank you for doing this with me.”Nolan offered me one of his own big, beautiful smiles in return. “I’m excited, too. And listen, I had an idea…” He pushed his dinner plate away and turned his full body to face me.“Oh? What’s that
Nolan shook his head and mumbled “no” between soft little kisses. “I don’t want to do that to you too much, Yena. Not if I don’t need it.”I hummed out a reproving, “Hmmm…” and used a single finger to gently guide Nolan’s face up to mine. “You don’t have to hold back with me, you know.”Suddenly, while he held my gaze, I felt Nolan’s big dick starting to swell, tapping against my thigh.“Bite me. Drink my blood. Please.”My voice took on a silky quality.“I want you to. I think you do need it.” I moved my mouth to his strong neck, planted a soft kiss there and then dragged my lips up to his ear. “And you know that it feels good for me too, right?”I teased his ear with my tongue, and Nolan groaned.I angled my hips up toward his, and soon he was easing himself inside me while I breathed deeply and mumbled lot of little begs for him to keep going.He moved one hand to the back of my head and fisted a sloppy bunch of my hair.My eyes flew open—I didn’t realized they’d fallen closed. His
YENAWatching my adoptive mother embracing my giant husband right now was hilarious.Tina did this to everyone she loved – and who knows why? – tried to show them how much she cared by embracing them in tight, smothering bear hugs. If I hadn’t known it before today, I knew now that she loved Nolan like family, because she appeared to be trying her best to strangle him to death.The look on my Alpha’s face was what was killing me. Nolan didn’t know what to do, how to escape Tina politely and with dignity. So I sacrificed myself to save him, squishing between the two and taking the next big hug from Tina for myself.“Oh, I was so very happy to hear from you, sweetheart! To what do we owe this visit?”Tina released my bear hug and started playing with my hair, fluffing it up and pulling loose curls forward over my shoulders. I could tell she was admiring how long it had gotten.“Well, we have something to invite you to,” I said vaguely. “But I’d rather wait to talk about it till we can a
NOLANThick morning fog rolled through the cemetery in a hurry, kissing the edges of headstones that cluttered its path. It dissolved under the slow footsteps of three black-clad mourners crossing the dewy grounds as they picked their way toward the yawning mouth of an open grave.A lone priest in a long black cassock stood waiting near the casket. In one hand he clutched an old book, a fragile artifact bound in soft purple cloth. The other hand rose in greeting as first Nolan, then Yena and Cindy came into his view, stomping out fog in their wake.Nolan let go of Yena’s hand when they reached the old man’s graveside. He exchanged some words with the priest, with whom he’d earlier spoken on the phone, and then made introductions between the holy man and his wife and good friend.“An honor to meet you all.” The priest bowed his head. “I am very sorry it is under these circumstances.”The man was middle-aged, but his voice sounded weathered, perhaps permanently hoarse from decades of ov
YENAI’m not sure how exactly, but I felt Nolan’s presence as he approached from down the hall. I looked up, expecting to see him in the doorway, but he was not there yet.The sound of his footsteps on the marble floors hit my ears next. Then finally my prince appeared, pausing at the threshold of my studio and raising his hand to knock on the open door. He met my eyes instantly, since I’d been watching for him. “Hey.” He lowered his arm and stepped inside.“Hi. How’s your mom?”“She’s good. She seems to like the idea of the vow renewal ceremony.”I stood as Nolan reached my desk. He bent to kiss me, his arms wrapping around my waist. I circled his neck with my forearms and let him lift me up off my feet for a second.He put me down, pulled away and smiled. “You’re in a good mood.”“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.”He shrugged. “Maybe I am. Kind of strange.”“Being in a good mood is strange?”Nolan stepped away and started a slow stroll around the room. “Honestl
Nolan teased me with his fingertips till I was writhing, unable to stay still though he had a tight hold on my body and kept me seated in his lap. His mouth was busy on my neck, alternately breathing heavily to take in my scent and giving me hard, sloppy bite-kisses that felt like they’d leave bruises.I ran my fingers through his hair, slid my hands down his neck and all across the broad muscles of his shoulders.And grumbled impatiently, “Oh, fuck me.”“Thought you’d never ask,” he said, then he stood up with one easy step, turned, and threw me down onto the bed.He climbed on top of me. My legs wrapped back around his middle like they belonged there. His mouth went my ear and he licked the edge of it, giving me a chill.Then he whispered, “Any other requests?”“Hmm. Just a question.”He arched one of his dark, thick and lovely eyebrows. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”“Do you want me to be quiet this time?” I asked. “Or do you want everyone on this train to hear what you can do to me?”The
I had not meant to bring up the subject of sexual fidelity. But that’s what I did, by accident.That’s what a wedding ring represents, isn’t it? And here I had gone and asked my husband if he ever took his ring off. Just after we reunited after being separated.“No,” I answered, shaking my head. “I’ve never taken my ring off, not since you gave it to me. When I thought you really wanted to divorce me, I thought about it. But it seemed wrong and sad and I never could do it. And I didn’t mean to imply anything by asking you that…”He arched an eyebrow. Said nothing. And kept watching me, with less and less patient curiosity, as I continued on with my efforts to remove his wedding ring.My little plan was not going super smoothly so far.“Yena. Why are you trying to take that off?”“Hush,” I said, giggling nervously. “I will explain in just a minute. I only want to take it off for a second, okay?”“Okay.” An amused smile tugged at his lips, but his eyebrows still looked stern.“Why didn’