A hard knock on the door had pulled Elise from her sleep; she could barely keep her eyes open, and worse, the pain she was feeling felt like she had been barreled by a heavy boulder. Elise should have known how much she would have regretted it. Regret the decision to drink so much at the party last night. Now that her head was aching so bad, she felt like it had been split open, a punishment for her greedy and guilty thoughts from last night with Rygan. She could still taste him on her skin. She groaned as she rolled out of the gray cotton sheets, her dress draped to the floor while she had slept naked. She moved to take a robe from resting on an armchair, wrapping it around herself, as she heard Hana’s voice echo from the door. “Elise?” “I’m awake, I’m awake,” she mumbled as she pushed another lock of hair obstructing her view from the door as she sat down back by the foot of the bed. The look on Hana’s face was almost comical; she was trying so hard to burst into laugh
Elise felt like vanishing when Kaide held back her hand as she tried to enter her room—so much for dealing with it alone. “What’s wrong? What happened?” Kaide asked Elise, his jaws squared in, filled with worry and alertness as he caressed Elise's face. But Elise shook her head. “Nothing, nothing at all,” she said. “You don’t need to worry about it, please,” she said, and Kaide knew she was asking him to let it go. His hands dropped from her soft cheeks, taking a step back to lengthen the space, which he had noticed was far too small because of them. “What's in your hand?” Elise asked, her gaze lowered to what Kaide was holding in his hands. Elise then looked back when she heard the sounds of someone coming down the steps. And for a moment, there was noticeable panic on her face that Kaide noticed, but before he could ask, Elise had pushed him into her room, closing the door in haste. “Sorry about that; what were you saying?” She asked, forcing a smile that was almost co
Elise should have known that sparring with Kaide would be far from easy; he was a monster on the field. A cold and elusive instructor, too. The Blackmoon wolves were known to be one of the most cunning predators on the field; their opponents were alert and at a loss when facing a Blackmoon wolf. Even with Rygan’s wicked talents when he was in the arena back at the Darknight Pack, he left no male alive and had never once forfeited a fight; that was now as monstrous as their strength. And now that she was going through training, Kaide's expression was cold and hard, unlike any emotion he’d ever shown. She was almost shaken by how direct and callous his words were. First, they had worked on her defense and offense for a few hours, but then, when the sun had begun to go down, Kaide packed a bag and told her it was time to begin their real training. Elise took one look at Taz, who felt almost sorry for her. He bit his lip, almost on the verge of bursting out into laug
ELISE POV “Is it Rygan who marked you, Elise?” Kaide's dark voice asked sternly. It felt like the ground under my feet had turned unsteady with the strength leaving my legs. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Kaide had found out I was marked by Rygan, a sign of shame without a mate to claim me. Was he going to see me as a shameless, dirty secret of his alpha now? Was he going to believe that I was shameless enough to be marked but not mated to a male? Now that I’m left with only a half-bond, I could do nothing but hide. “Elise?” I heard his voice break through the dark void of my thoughts as my eyes glazed over to his now-worrying ones. My vision is blurry with tears. “Kaide.” I tried to talk, but I stuttered as I pushed him away from me, my hands unconsciously touching my nape as I tried to stop myself from trembling. "Yes, it’s Rygan's mark; you must see me as a pathetic person now,” I said softly, not having the courage to look at Kaide. “But he is betrothed to be mated
Elise once again dreams of that mysterious soothing voice—that voice that belonged to her wolf; she wanted to talk to her and become one with her. She tried to pursue her wolf in her dreams, but then everything turned eerily silent. She heard the sound of a familiar chuckle she dreaded, and soon she turned to see Kyren right in front of her. “I’ve found you finally, my slave; you are forever doomed to be bound to me; no one will choose you but me!” He snarls with a venomous growl as he grabs for Elise, who screams. “No!” Elise screamed as her eyes shot open, and she rushed up from the bed as she was woken up from the nightmare. With cold sweat clinging to her skin. It took a few seconds for her to recognize her surroundings, ensuring herself that she was no longer in the dungeon. “He cannot hurt you anymore, Elise; you are safe,” she muttered, clutching hard to her folded arms. She thought she could hold the rising bile in her throat and the twisting feeling in her guts, b
Vienna was once again proven right by how dangerous the training had gotten and how many wolves were getting injured during the fight. It was a lot easier to help with apprentices and Elise, who did her best to learn quickly. Even helping until three days later, when the training finally ended. Elise saw it as a perfect opportunity to avoid someone, and this was a better distraction. Elise got the hang of it during the third day. There was a more serious accident that shook the arena on the last day: a young female who was fatally wounded and had broken her wrist. She cried out in pain as Vienna ushered her quickly into the back room of the arena. “Elise, you have to start with cleaning her wounds because I’ll be gone for a few minutes; I have to get another bandage for her arm,” Vienna tells her quickly before she bolts out of the room. The door was shut with both Elise and the wounded female in the room. Elise was anxious at first, but she knew to calm her anxiety and he
Taz had invited them back to his place; the walk to his home felt uncomfortable to Elise, especially after what had just happened at the ring and the misunderstanding with Rygan because of it. Rygan and Alvira's arms were still entwined as she caressed his forearm and flirted with him through the walk, while Elise, Kaide, and Tazmin followed behind. Elise was sheltered in the middle of the betas, who conversed as they walked to his home. It was very close to Rygan Mansion but was more privately covered with large trees that surrounded the space. Its entrance felt like a forest, but Elise was behind a beautiful, dark oak mansion. The pathway was lit by dim lights that gave the whole walkway and home a dark yet majestic ambiance, and right beside his home was an outdoor sitting area with a large bonfire in the middle. “Make yourselves comfortable, the new couples too, unless you want to have a chance with me instead, Red; I promise I’m good in bed,” he teased with a wink. “W
Rygan couldn’t do it anymore; he couldn’t hide the fact of his feelings that burned so strong—the way his wolf yearned, the way his eyes always followed her when she was in the room—and he knew now he wanted Elise. He craved her presence so much that he could practically still taste her on his tongue as he walked back to his chambers. He had told Elise of his promise to break the engagement, and he was going to do just that. Rygan was in deep thought as he marched to his chambers. He paused in his step the moment he was about to open the door. His nose had twitched from the scent of a familiar she-wolf that he could sense in his room. He knew that it was Alvira. “Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered, choosing that he’d break the engagement since she was conveniently in his chambers. He walked in to see Alvira sitting outside the large balcony joined to his chambers. “Alvira,” he started. “Remember when the four of us—I mean, five—used to run around the hills, having n