Elise’s POV Nothing could prepare me for Rygan’s wrath. I was speechless when I saw myself naked and quickly wrapped myself in the sheets with Kyren by my side. My head still felt foggy as I sat up. I thought it was a dream with Rygan. I imagined he left the hall and came for me, claimed me as his, and we made love, but how could he when I told him to stay back? It wasn’t him, but Kyren, whom I was with instead! My hands quivered as I raised them to feel a pulsing mark on my skin. “Oh, moon!” Alvira said in horror, "Elise, how could you do this with the enemy? How could you let him mark you?” I watched Alvira say her pretentious yet overly expressive words of sickly-sweet concern to set Rygan over the edge as he raged; in seconds, he had lunged Kyren to the wall. They both slammed into the headboard, split by the impact. That’s why I jumped off the bed with a scream on my lips. I crawled back in shame and hurriedly searched for my robe in mortification. “Both of you stop t
Warning: This chapter depicts notes of self-harm. . . . **** The moment Elise heard those words of doubt come from Rygan, she stood up and slapped him right across the face. “How dare you accuse me, Rygan?” She whispered out in disbelief. Her heart was breaking with each word. “I'm not, and I never will, but Alvira had testified to the Elders that after she talked to you, when she saw you talking with Kyren, another female servant said the same thing.” Elise couldn’t believe it was Rygan who was saying this; he didn’t believe her. "She is lying!…Rygan…” She felt like she couldn’t breathe—no, she couldn’t at all. Rygan noticed it with wide eyes as he came forward, and she felt Rygan’s hands wrap around her shoulder. “You’re having a panic attack; I need you to breathe for me." She pushed his hands away, shoving them at his chest. “Stay the hell away from me!” She called out in pain. "Our alpha doesn’t trust us; our alpha doesn’t trust us!" Her wolf whined in di
Elise walks through the wood with only the chirps of insects to accompany her as her trudged down the familiar roads, to the cabin that Kaide had previously invited her to. She still recalls parts of the road even as nightfall approaches quickly. She sees the familiar cabin come into view, and she trails forward, weakly calling his name, but there is no answer. The door creaks open, and Elise makes her way into Kaide's home. “Kaide? Kaide, are you here? I really need to talk to you,” she mutters desperately, but there is no response as the house is quiet and empty, with the sound of her footsteps echoing into the dimly lit hallways. She makes it to the end of the hall, to the familiar hallway, and down to the door of the study. There is no trace of Kaide here either. She then opens the door, moving into the large study. Her curiosity is piqued since she is the only one here. She rifles through the bookshelf and books, none catching her interest—not until she sees the silver-
The tension in the room grew, and Alvira began to tremble as she sucked in a breath, looking back at Kaide to say or do something. “Elise, please calm down; you don’t understand,” Kaide says slowly, with his hands raised to calm her like an animal. The minute he tries to come close to her, Elise explodes in fury. “Don’t you dare come near me unless you want your hands ripped off; I am not an animal that you are trying to pacify; you messed with my life!” She roars. Both Alvira and Kaide know that they are in deep trouble, and Elise can see that Alvira is in no way remorseful as she stays behind her cousin. “You lied to me; everything you said, you never felt anything for me; you only used me for your selfish gain and whatever sick research you were planning,” she notes. For a split second, Kaide’s gaze moved to the book on the floor, and she realized that she must have read it and his notes. "No, Elise, what I felt for you was real; yes, I was interested and intrigued by y
Rygan’s POV . . I was so damn lost. I feel numb shell, have felt like my souls been barely there since Alvira informed me of her plans to have Elise banished. She begged, saying she’d let Elise be my concubine. The desperation in her eyes and her plea for our child not to be neglected broke me. I couldn’t help feeling the guilt since Alana, who was my first love, and her sister had died with our child in them before she was killed by the human hunt guild. And I wouldn't want my child to be neglected. Alvira will be seen as a disgrace. So the moment I walked into that hall, I fought all my will, and my wolf trashed me to look at Elise. Every part of my wolf yearned for her, yet I ignored him and fought to focus on my duty as I marched with Alvira by my side. And the moons knew how much I wanted to take her arms in mine as my mate. But then Kyren had arrived, the monster who held me and Elise captive; all those memories of his torture rushed back anew, and now this demon
Elise felt a deep, sharp pain in her temples. She tried to stretch her arms to touch them, but she felt that she was immobile and unable to move. Her throat felt dry, and her eyes felt crusty and painful as she opened them. She tried to open them, but one eye was closed, shut, and swollen from the fight. Her eyes opened up as she shot up from her lying position. The cold ground and dark cell room felt all too familiar; she felt like she couldn’t breathe. From the bad memories she has of being locked up and the poison roaming in her system made her shiver. She recalls what she learned, and that Kaide was lying to her and betraying her all along, he fed her sweet lies she wanted to hear; he put her here, and Rygan must have agreed; he put her in this cell and locked her up. How could they do this to her? The silver chains on her arms and ankles wear down her strength as she can barely even sit up, and worse, she feels a metal mask covering her mouth; she feels chained up like
Alvira gives a cold and wicked glance to Elise, unconscious frame on the seat. She doesn’t care about what Kaide wants; she is going to make sure Rygan doesn’t find out the truth from Elise. Alvira is more than brutal in her decision; even her masked companion looks skeptical as they search around the forest; it is getting darker, and they aren’t supposed to be there after nightfall. The cold night loomed eerily as the masked delta bristled with fear of being in this part of the forest. “Is this alright, my lady? It would have been better if she faced death in the pack than this!” “Don’t you dare speak about my decisions; take her out now,” she snarls at the male servant. He pulls Elise's unconscious frame from the carriage, putting her to the ground. “Hurry!” Alvira's voice echoes as the male rushes back in haste, feeling the air already changing. With a whip to the two horses, they were off; they often used their horses when they wanted a quiet journey and didn’t want to l
Elise feels like she’s been hit by a heavy boulder; her labored breathing turns calm the moment she begins to regain consciousness. Gone were the stone walls and iron doors she was kept in to hold her; now she was looking at the sky and stars above. Her body feels itchy on the dewy grass she is lying on. It takes a moment for her to push herself up from the floor; every movement makes the grass crunch under her body. She groaned from the pain and her sore arms. Her head still felt a bit foggy. She steadied herself with the bark of a tree she saw, leaning over it, confused and panicked. She tried to navigate where she was. “What in the moon?” she called, still groggy from the sleeping smoke."where the hell am I?" She freezes as the memory returns to her mind. She recalls what happened back before she fell unconscious and how Kaide and Alvira once again used their dirty tricks to get her, and this time she’s taken to the middle of nowhere. She feels the cold shif
(EPILOGUE)..The lonely, dark halls of the Black Mountains cell were Alvira's only companions throughout the passing days; she could barely keep track of the time, day, or month.It was hell on earth, a punishment for crimes that made her feel insane, and she deserved every bit of it, especially after what she did to Alana. Some days she felt like the dark halls were haunted by her sister and Kaide’s ghost, her only companions pushing her to the edge of insanity."Just look at her," one of the guards spoke, spooked as they watched Alvira sitting quietly, composed in a way that was eerie at times, making the hair on their skin stand up. Her dark brunette hair was matted and scattered in knots, hiding her face.Her nails were tattered from incessant biting, a habit she had developed; she didn't bother responding to the guards' whispers.In the first months she'd been there, she raised hell until her throat bled, screaming to be freed, but she knew there wouldn’t be a chance. "Who woul
It all felt so natural, so right, falling into each other's arms like they’d known one another for a lifetime, and with each kiss, Jax felt more completed by his omega. “You have no idea how much I love you, how much you drive me wild, Lorraine,” he muttered with a kiss to her bare shoulder. He quickly unzipped the gown, pushing it off her. The beta watched wide-eyed with desire at how confident his omega had gotten in that moment. He watched as she traced a hand from his hard pecs and abs, dipping her hands further into the water, trailing down the space between his crotch till she held his hardening cock. Jax hissed in pleasure at her touch. He watched her pupils dilate in reaction to his, and her meek honey-filled voice whispered, “Do you like this?” ”Fuck, I love everything you do, and even you—yes, just like that,” he hummed when he felt another hard squeeze to his cock; moons now she was just torturing him. “You have no idea what I want to do to you,” he whispered. ”
JAX'S POV After seeing Lorraine in that state, I never wanted to see her cry again. I knew there was no going back with my wolf already obsessed with her every call; I was hers before she even completely knew it. It isn’t long till I reach the station where I'm needed. Immediately seeing the hunched frame of my two friends, they both peer up at me with smug, knowing looks on their faces. And mischievous smirks I could spot even from a mile away. ”Damn..we know she’s yours, dude. Chill out,” Michael mutters first. “We can practically scent her on your skin,” he calls with arms up in surrender. ”Good,” I say, surprising them both; they must have expected me to try and deny it. But I wanted everyone to know she was mine, and I couldn’t keep myself from her anymore, not when my wolf was already so drawn to her. “I’ve lost to her, moons; I'm so in love with her; she is everything I could ever dream of, fuck,” I mutter, still in disbelief at how I’ve been truly enamo
Jax knew he had made an awful mistake by saying those words and not being straightforward. The beta felt like a wreck the moment he saw how Lorraine’s face had crumbled. He had misspoken, and now she must have thought he only saw her as nothing more than a fling. He tried to explain himself, but the damage had been done. He quickly obeyed her wish to be left alone. There would be enough time to talk to her, and he would make sure to tell her his true feelings. Right now, she needed space, which gave him enough time to think too. The beta rushed outside to clear his head and get them breakfast since there wasn’t anything left in his kitchen. He dropped by the baker's shop for a fresh set of their renowned pie, with the pack members greeting him good morning. Jax halted in his steps when his eyes caught a beautiful pastel blue sundress in a shop, and a certain blonde immediately filled his mind. He headed in, even though he had no idea what he was doing, and bought many dresses
The kiss was intoxicating; there was no end to Jax’s desperate need for more; he wanted her more than he could ever fathom. It felt like Every control he had snapped when he heard her soft voice pleading to be touched; he knew he couldn’t fight it any longer. His hand combed through her gold locks, a firm grip causing a moan from her lips. She shuddered in desire from his touch; she felt his hand trace down her naked thighs, and a whimper escaped her lips from his touch. His hands pushed firmly on her tiny back, trailing into her shirt, touching the small expanse of her back and finding that sensitive spot on her skin that had Lorraine arching until her back pressed against the bed, leaving her a whimpering mess. She pushed Jax closer, feeling his other hand trail to her aching sex. She watched him, unblinking from his gaze, their breaths mingled and gaze locked with one another. “I'm going to put a finger in, okay, sweetheart?” He muttered with a kiss pressed to her button no
The beta scolds himself with a curse, mortified that he said something so obscene. But when he peered at Lorraine, looking at how innocent her gaze was, she hadn't understood the complication of the words he said. He was thankful but still mortified. Jax then quickly settled himself on the island table as they both munched on their food; he quietly watched the female, satisfied as Lorraine ate with a full appetite. A deep primal part of him was happy that he cooked for her. But the reason she could eat so well was that Jax assured her that Nora would be fine with Abby and was in great care. That calmed her; she felt so happy and relieved in this moment that she finally let her scent waft across the room; it made the beta visibly stiffen. Her jasmine scent wafted across the room, making the beta wolf alert and thrash around, yearning to be closer. That’s when he realized why her scent was so sweet and alluring. “You... are an omega?” he called in surprise, and for a moment, he
The walk back to Jax's home was quiet and more awkward than he anticipated, but mostly since he was trying hard not to stare at Lorraine while they walked to his cabin. "Fuck this," he thought; his wolf was barely in control, his desire to touch her and know what she tasted like underneath all her clothes was more than tempting, but right now he could barely see her face under the cloak. "Um, I don’t think I thanked you for this." "You did," he cut in quickly, and for a short moment their gaze locked; he could see a blush on her cheek spread before she turned away. Why did she choose me? He couldn’t help wondering; he barely recalled opening the doors to his home with Lorraine trailing in after him. “And don’t worry too much about your sister; she is in great hands, and Abby will take care of her, but now you need to take care of yourself. You need rest,” he adds. “Thank you..” “Jax, my name is Jax Kullin.” He tells her he could see interest glistening in her gaze, with
(Side story) JAX'S POV. . . There was a time when anyone could try to tell me true love was real, and I'd fall for it; and all the more, having a fated mate was unheard of, a love was so strong like my parents who died in each other's arms during the war 20 years ago. I couldn’t fathom what kind of love would bring someone to their knees and, all the more, die for their partner. I and my best friends have always joked about never falling in love so desperately for anyone, yet my best friend Hayden was an exception none of us ever expected. He was a goner for Elise the moment he met her. I could see why he loved her, though it took time for her to trust us. I could see the ease in her eyes, and the walls crumbled when Hayden was there. But it was never as intense as what my friend felt. Hayden, who loved El with all his heart and died for that said love, broke me beyond words when I heard the news of his death from Holden; none of us could believe it, no
Rygan was more than aroused for his mate; his tongue dipped into her coated entrance for a taste of more; he sucked and lapped greedily on her sex, causing a moan to erupt from Elise's lips from his merciless intrusion into her sex; his tongue was like a drug driving her mad. "Fuck. My love, you taste amazing," he muttered, her sex clenched from the feel of his heated breath fanning her folds, she moans out in pleasure, grabbing tight to the sheets for her dear life. There was barely an intrusion other than his tongue yet; but Rygan's tongue alone had made her climax, and now the alpha lapped at her sex like a thirsty man. She let out a cry from the intrusion of his thick finger. The pleasure felt like a torturous drag in her walls, her back arching from stimulation when another thick finger was added to her wet heat. "Look at how tight you are for me; you taste like honey; my cock would feel good inside you," he growls with a bite to her inner thigh. She flinches from his