After confining Lyra in her room for a few days, Nile arrived with news of a royal banquet.“This is your chance to show me whose side you are on,” he told her after presenting her with the gown she was to wear for the occasion. “I have invited Alphas, Lunas, and Elders from all around the kingdom. The banquet is in your honour as the future queen, so I expect you to act the part. Will you have a problem with that?”“No,” she said, eyeing the gown. It was a red gown, embellished with glimmering gems. Alongside it was a beautiful diamond tiara which Lyra recognised as being one of the royal family’s heirlooms.“Good,” he said, holding her chin and lifting her face. “If you help me get through this banquet, you'll have done your job well, and I'll make sure Julian continues getting the best medical care. But if you make a mistake…” He trailed off, moving his hand to her throat and resting it there. “...you'll pay.”“I understand,” she told him. Such a gathering could go very wrong for h
“Julian?” Lyra whispered, an overwhelming relief washing over her.Julian jumped down from the examination table and met her halfway. Their arms went around each other. When they pulled back, her eyes were shining with tears.She raised her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks, examining his face. It felt like it had been forever since she had last seen him. This was the same face that Nile was parading around, and yet, there was such a huge difference.This was Julian. Her Julian.“Are you okay?” she asked him, lowering her hand to his chest and moving his robe aside. There was a dark mark where he was stabbed, but the wound had healed up.“I’m fine,” he told her, taking her hand. “Almost.”Feeling relieved, Lyra embraced him again, resting her face on his chest.“What about you?” Julian asked, palming her hair.“I’m alright,” she told him. “Don’t worry abut me.”He pulled her back and looked at her with a concerned frown. “Are you eating well? Where are you staying?”“I’m staying
“It worked,” Julian said in awe, lifting his hands in front of his face. He could feel his wolf’s power surging through him, potent and unrestricted.“Really?” Lyra asked, rising on her elbow. They were lying side by side on the examination table after a frantic lovemaking session that left their bodies slick with sweat and out of breath.“Yes,” Julian confirmed. “He is fully restored.”“Great!” Lyra exclaimed, feeling thrilled. Leaning towards him, she gave him a kiss. He sunk his hand into her hair and held her in place, deepening the kiss. When they pulled apart, there was an amused smile on Julian’s face.“What is it?” she asked him, curious.“Yuri is impatient to tear that bastard into pieces,” he revealed.Lyra nodded. “That makes four of us.”Rae was also excited and already urging Lyra to get out there and ruin Nile’s grand plan. With Yuri by her side, she felt invincible. Lyra felt the same way about having Julian with her, but she knew it was crucial to have a good plan befo
“Where have you been?” Nile asked when Lyra appeared at his side a while later. After separating with Julian, Lyra had gone to her room to freshen up to get rid of any scent that would give away the fact that she had been with Julian.“I went on a walk with some of the guests and we wandered around the palace,” she told him. “Was I gone for long?”“Yes,” he said, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Stay by my side from now on.”“Of course,” she agreed, giving him a smile.“There are some important guests you haven’t met,” he said, steering her towards a group of guests. “They are from the Northern Packs Alliance. You know what to do.”Lyra knew of the Northern Packs Alliance. It was a group of three packs–Sky, Northern, and Ferun. The northern part of the kingdom had once been overrun by rogues, but the three packs came together and defeated
Lyra left Nile’s side and went to stand beside Julian, which caused another stir among the guests.“Lyra, what are you doing?” Nile asked, pretending to be hurt and confused. “Who is he? What’s the meaning of this?”“It’s over, Nile,” Lyra said, calling him by his real name. “The real Lycan King is here.” Looking around, she addressed the guests. “That is the Rogue King who has been trying to take over the kingdom. He imprisoned His Majesty and forced me to work for him.”“How absurd!” Nile yelled. “Lyra, how could you do this to me? I trusted you despite what everyone said about you, and this is how you repay me? Have you been working for the rogues all this time?”“He could be right,” someone said. “Nobody knows anything about her background. Maybe she is a spy sent by the rogues.”“I knew something did not make sens
“Oh yes…harder…yes, that feels good,” the female’s loud moans filled the room, her hands clinging to the back of the male whose hips were moving between her legs.The room filled with the sounds of their lusty voices, moans, and grunts, making it impossible for Lyra to ignore what was going on right before her eyes. Even if they had been any quieter, it wouldn’t have made any difference, because she was forced to watch as her mate had sex with another female.It wasn’t the first time this was happening. No, she had been subjected to this treatment more times than she could count. And yet, the pain she felt in those instances never ceased. Because of her bond to her mate, him mating with another female caused her intense pain. He knew it, and he enjoyed torturing her with such performances.Devon, her mate, was a powerful Alpha. He had big ambitions for his pack, and having an Omega mate who could not shift into her wolf form was not part of his plans. Unfortunately, he could not rejec
In a boxing ring, two males circled each other, each looking for an opening to strike first. One was the Lycan King Julian, while the other was his Beta, Asher.While both males were tall and muscular, Julian was faster on his feet and his punches, when he dealt them, seemed to have the power of the wind behind them. Sometimes, Asher didn’t see them coming until it was too late. On the other hand, the king always saw any hits coming his way and deflected or avoided them easily. The day anyone beat the Lycan King was yet to be seen. He was simply too good, too powerful. His instincts were just as good in his human form as they were in his wolf form, and that made him invincible.So, when Asher’s fist met the king’s jaw, he was struck speechless for a moment. Julian shook his head as if coming out of a deep dream. His eyes flashed with something dark, and any sense of accomplishment Asher felt vanished. Had he angered the king?Stepping forward, he lowered his arms to his side. “I’m sor
The night before the Lycan King’s visit, Lyra felt more exhausted than usual. Sure, there had been a lot of preparations to do for the ceremony to welcome the king, but she did not expect to feel so drained.Also, her neck was throbbing with pain, as if she had been injured. Had Devon hit her there earlier? She was too tired to remember. When she got to her bed, she drifted off into a restless sleep.The next morning when she woke up, the first thing she noticed was the male body lying next to her. For a moment, she thought she must be dreaming. But as the seconds passed and the body stirred, she realised that it was all real.A sense of foreboding filled her as it registered that she was naked. Naked! She had not gone to bed naked. And what was a strange male doing in her bed?She clutched the bedcover and shuffled backward, creating space between them. At that moment, the male opened his eyes. On seeing her, shock filled his face.“What are you doing here?” Lyra demanded, looking ar
Lyra left Nile’s side and went to stand beside Julian, which caused another stir among the guests.“Lyra, what are you doing?” Nile asked, pretending to be hurt and confused. “Who is he? What’s the meaning of this?”“It’s over, Nile,” Lyra said, calling him by his real name. “The real Lycan King is here.” Looking around, she addressed the guests. “That is the Rogue King who has been trying to take over the kingdom. He imprisoned His Majesty and forced me to work for him.”“How absurd!” Nile yelled. “Lyra, how could you do this to me? I trusted you despite what everyone said about you, and this is how you repay me? Have you been working for the rogues all this time?”“He could be right,” someone said. “Nobody knows anything about her background. Maybe she is a spy sent by the rogues.”“I knew something did not make sens
“Where have you been?” Nile asked when Lyra appeared at his side a while later. After separating with Julian, Lyra had gone to her room to freshen up to get rid of any scent that would give away the fact that she had been with Julian.“I went on a walk with some of the guests and we wandered around the palace,” she told him. “Was I gone for long?”“Yes,” he said, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Stay by my side from now on.”“Of course,” she agreed, giving him a smile.“There are some important guests you haven’t met,” he said, steering her towards a group of guests. “They are from the Northern Packs Alliance. You know what to do.”Lyra knew of the Northern Packs Alliance. It was a group of three packs–Sky, Northern, and Ferun. The northern part of the kingdom had once been overrun by rogues, but the three packs came together and defeated
“It worked,” Julian said in awe, lifting his hands in front of his face. He could feel his wolf’s power surging through him, potent and unrestricted.“Really?” Lyra asked, rising on her elbow. They were lying side by side on the examination table after a frantic lovemaking session that left their bodies slick with sweat and out of breath.“Yes,” Julian confirmed. “He is fully restored.”“Great!” Lyra exclaimed, feeling thrilled. Leaning towards him, she gave him a kiss. He sunk his hand into her hair and held her in place, deepening the kiss. When they pulled apart, there was an amused smile on Julian’s face.“What is it?” she asked him, curious.“Yuri is impatient to tear that bastard into pieces,” he revealed.Lyra nodded. “That makes four of us.”Rae was also excited and already urging Lyra to get out there and ruin Nile’s grand plan. With Yuri by her side, she felt invincible. Lyra felt the same way about having Julian with her, but she knew it was crucial to have a good plan befo
“Julian?” Lyra whispered, an overwhelming relief washing over her.Julian jumped down from the examination table and met her halfway. Their arms went around each other. When they pulled back, her eyes were shining with tears.She raised her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks, examining his face. It felt like it had been forever since she had last seen him. This was the same face that Nile was parading around, and yet, there was such a huge difference.This was Julian. Her Julian.“Are you okay?” she asked him, lowering her hand to his chest and moving his robe aside. There was a dark mark where he was stabbed, but the wound had healed up.“I’m fine,” he told her, taking her hand. “Almost.”Feeling relieved, Lyra embraced him again, resting her face on his chest.“What about you?” Julian asked, palming her hair.“I’m alright,” she told him. “Don’t worry abut me.”He pulled her back and looked at her with a concerned frown. “Are you eating well? Where are you staying?”“I’m staying
After confining Lyra in her room for a few days, Nile arrived with news of a royal banquet.“This is your chance to show me whose side you are on,” he told her after presenting her with the gown she was to wear for the occasion. “I have invited Alphas, Lunas, and Elders from all around the kingdom. The banquet is in your honour as the future queen, so I expect you to act the part. Will you have a problem with that?”“No,” she said, eyeing the gown. It was a red gown, embellished with glimmering gems. Alongside it was a beautiful diamond tiara which Lyra recognised as being one of the royal family’s heirlooms.“Good,” he said, holding her chin and lifting her face. “If you help me get through this banquet, you'll have done your job well, and I'll make sure Julian continues getting the best medical care. But if you make a mistake…” He trailed off, moving his hand to her throat and resting it there. “...you'll pay.”“I understand,” she told him. Such a gathering could go very wrong for h
“Approximately five hundred years ago, there was a tyrant Lycan King,” Nile started his narration when Lyra agreed to hear his version of the story. “He oppressed all other packs for the benefit of the royal pack, which amassed wealth and unmatched power at the expense of others. While the royal pack lived in luxury, the rest of the kingdom was barely getting by. The king forced them to send slaves and tributes, stripping the packs of their best talents and driving many werewolves to poverty and near starvation. Nobody was brave enough to stand up to the king, but one day, the Scarlet Alpha said enough was enough.”Lyras frowned, because she had never heard of a Scarlet Alpha or a Scarlet Pack for that matter. “The Scarlet Alpha? From which pack?”“The Scarlet Pack,” Nile replied. “You wouldn't know it. It has long gone extinct, and the royal family saw to it that it was wiped from history. After long enough, most werewolves forgot anything like it ever existed.”“Did the Scarlet Alph
“What's the meaning of this?” Crystal demanded as soon as the shop attendant left the room. “Why would you pay that much for her but refuse to pay mine?”“I invited her to go shopping,” Nile replied coolly, “but I don't remember inviting you. I also did not promise to pay for your stuff at any time.”“What?” Crystal screeched. “I am your partner! How can you treat me like this, especially in front of her? You did not even punish her for attacking me that day and locking me in the secret chamber. Aren't you supposed to be on my side?”“What does that have to do with this?” Nile asked, losing his cool. “I don't have to explain what I do to you.”Crystal scoffed. “So then, you are just going to humiliate me?”“Just because we work together does not mean you are in control of me,” Nile told her. “It's not in your place to tell m
Lyra sighed for the umpteenth time as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She reached for the hem of her skirt and tugged, but it had reached its full length, somewhere several inches above the middle of her thighs.She huffed in annoyance at the ridiculousness of the situation. Nile had come out of nowhere and announced that they were going shopping and took the liberty of choosing Lyra's outfit.He had chosen an extremely short skirt paired with a soft cashmere sweater. The outfit might have been perfect for a night out, but why on earth would she wear like this to go shopping? Forget a night out, the skirt was way too short for her liking, she felt like she would be flashing her bottom with every step she took.He had refused her attempts to choose a different outfit, so she was stuck with this. Slipping her feet into a pair of stilettos–yet another poor choice for the occasion–she left her room and went downstairs.She found Nile a
When Julian woke up, he found himself in a sterile room with white walls. It was filled with the stench of disinfectant and medicine.When he tried moving his body, he realised that his limbs were strapped to the bed, restricting his movements. He turned his head to look around, but the room was empty. He lifted his head to check his wound. His torso was wrapped with bandages, so he could not see anything.He lay back and tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being in the dungeon with Nile and Lyra. When he recalled the deal Lyra had made with Nile, he shut his eyes in regret.A sudden sound made him open his eyes just in time to see someone walk into the room. Julian was surprised to see that it was the royal healer, Spencer.“You are finally awake,” Spencer said, moving to the bedside table and placing a metallic tray carrying various medical items there. “How are you feeling?”“Spencer?” Julian called his name in disbelief. “Do you know who you are wor