Dahlia ~“The next trial commences now,” the elder announced, and there was a hushed silence in the Arena. Tension was thick as people wondered who would finally win this.I wondered how many people who were not Scarvyn’s bet on me to win, probably not much.The three remaining contestants stood at the center of the scorching sand, Merikh, Meridian, and me, Maeve. The three M’s. A cruel joke from the gods, I was sure.“In the Trial of Temptation, you will each be placed in isolation. There will be no audience to watch you. No one to guide you,” he looked at us closely.And then he continued, “To be Luna, one must know how to resist their own desires for the good of their people. If you succumb to temptation, you are disqualified. But if you break the veil…” he paused for a dramatic moment, “You will win.”What would be my temptation? I wondered to myself before the gong sounded and the environment changed. I fell into darkness and a dimly lit chamber came into focus. A table sat in
Dahlia ~“Because of how desperate you seem to be,” Kaden murmured, as though his words were for my ears alone, but they managed to sound across the arena. “I will offer you help.”My heart was still working overtime from the pain of my loss, my utter failure, now he came to make things worse by calling me desperate in front of everyone. Was he trying to break me finally?My knees were still dug into the scorching sand, while my hands trembled against my lap. Suddenly, the sheer number of people in the Arena unnerved me for the first time. The ghost of my parents was probably somewhere, too, watching this utterly shameful spectacle.And Kaden, the bastard, genesis of all my troubles, was looking at me as though I was the only thing worth seeing.A slow smirk spread on his lips. “Join my court, Maeve. As my mistress.”The world stilled as his words settled on.Mistress? As in, his little whore?The word pierced through my chest like a splintered arrow, twisting itself in my ribs. Wha
Dahlia ~“Do you know how easy it is to drown in there?”A voice sarply pulled me from my deep sleep. I blinked feeling a little disoriented, my body felt weightless as I floated in the warm water and then reality kicked in, I had fallen asleep in the tub.Damn… how tired had I been?I jerked upright and water sloshed over the edge of the tub.Roxanne stood at the light pink doorway with her arms crossed against her chest. She was already dressed, and dear goddess, she looked so good.Her dress was ridiculously short, revealing her perfect legs and it had a stunning red colour that suddenly reminded me of…“Is there a reason your dress is the exact same shade of red as Orion’s hair?” I questioned her with a small teasing smile on my lips.Roxanne rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into the back of her skull. “I will actually smother you in this bath if you don’t get up right now.”I let out a laugh, “so what’s the occasion tonight?” I questioned.She widened her eyes at
Kaden ~ “You’re going to kill them.” Orion’s voice was flat, almost bored, but I knew him too well. Beneath the casual tone was concern, maybe even a little bit of fear. I smirked as I adjusted the heavy golden cuffs on my wrists. “You think so little of my self control.” He sat on the edge of my bed, arms crossed, watching me like I was some sort of volatile animal. Which, to be fair, wasn’t entirely incorrect. “I think you desperately need something to keep you in check,” he responded. I didn’t reply. Instead, I turned back to the mirror that spanned an entire wall of my chambers. My father had installed it years ago in some grand, extravagant show of wealth that I never understood. He’d been so obsessed with his outward appearances, with vanity, with power that gleamed and sparkled like the gold he wore. Looking perfect on the outside meanwhile his family had been in utter shambles. I hated him more for it. But the mirror stayed. And now, I stood in front
Dahlia ~“You’ve got to be kidding me.”My heart slammed against my ribs and there was suddenly a crushing headache pounding against my skull.The elder’s words still rang in my ears and I struggled to make sense of them.Surely, I had to have misheard because there was no way he had just called me to join Kaden and Merikh’s marking ceremony.I turned to Roxanne, hoping and praying she’d laugh and say I was losing my mind.But her brows were raised in genuine shock. So I definitely was not imagining things.“I mean…” she started hesitantly. “I don’t know much about werewolf history, but I really didn’t think this was a thing.”I swallowed, my throat had gone dry. “It’s not. It can’t be.”But the murmurs around us said otherwise.The people here weren’t surprised. Some were even smirking… This was completely normal to them.I exhaled sharply and turned back to Roxanne, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “There’s no way in hell I’m going in there with those two monsters.”Roxanne
Orion ~“My friend there thinks you're cute!” the pretty blonde haired girl before me said, fluttering her lashes at me in a way that said she was the one interested, not her friend.I was not in the mood to play, “later,” I said to her and she pouted. Since she would not leave me alone, I excused myself and strolled deeper into the woods.My mind was raging with many questions and doubts. And the Scarvyn girls were the genesis.I wasn’t an idiot. Something about them wasn’t adding up. Naima had said nothing about it and that was what unsettled me the most.Naima was secretive, but not with me. Not when it mattered.If they truly were Sienna and Dahlia, there was no way she would keep that from me. She had no reason to after all.My mother was a hybrid. Half Scarvyn, half werewolf, a rare thing even in this world of impossibilities. My father was a full blooded werewolf. When they had Naima, she’d come out pure Scarvyn, taking after our mother.Then there was me. Born a year late
Kaden ~“You stopped,” I rasped, my voice was rough with equal parts desire and confusion. My head was still tilted back and my body hummed in satisfaction. I’d craved this. Searched wildly like a beast. I had injected myself with Scarvyn venom numerous times before, but it had always been lacking, it had never felt remotely as good and as satisfying as this.It was as though I was being bitten by the same woman who was the genesis of this madness.But through the haze of my pleasure, I could tell that something was wrong, Maeve had gone far too still.I blinked, bringing her back into focus.Her lips were parted, her breaths were uneven and her expression was horrified as she looked at me as though I had just committed the ultimate sin.A tug in my chest made me frown.I was about to ask what was wrong when a familiar tug in my chest made me frown.My stomach dropped as the realization hit me. My heart clenched and my lungs refused to expand.My lips moved before I could stop them
Merikh ~“You can’t be serious.”Nayel’s voice cut through my rage as I stormed past him and entered my room.My breath was coming hard and fast and fury was now burning through my veins as though I had a fever. I arranged my things into an opalescent box before stepping out of my room and handing the box to Nayel, my bodyguard who was more of a companion to me.We stepped out of the palace into the night, the crisp air doing nothing to cool the fire under my skin.“They chose her over you?” Nayel pressed, his heavy boots crunching against the stone as he caught up to me. “That Scarvyn witch?”I didn’t answer. My body was trembling with the effort to hold back an earth shattering scream.My horse was waiting for me, its dark coat gleaming under the moonlight. Nayel was always prepared for the worst, as per his military training, so I was not surprised to see my horse ready. I barely spared him a glance as I pulled myself into the saddle, my thighs tightening around the beast’s side
Sienna ~ I sat on the wooden bench outside the council hall, trying to still my racing heart.I never thought things would end up this way. I had spent countless times wondering about Orion, about the spark I felt every time I caught a glimpse of him.I was scared, but a part of me was so excited for no reason. Scared of anyone finding out about us. What would be the outcome?Naima's arrival made me snap out of my thoughts. She joined me on the bench, and stared at the moon briefly before her gaze snapped back to me. Her brows furrowed in question as she studied me. I looked away, I truly was not in the mood for a conversation."Sienna," she called casually in a gentle, motherly voice. "You seem lost in thoughts and troubled tonight. Is this about your sister?"I shook my head, swallowing hard. This wasn't about Dahlia. It was about me.And I didn't know how to go about it. I didn't want to speak too much of my feelings. "It's nothing," I lied, but Naima's knowing smile told me sh
Dahlia ~I felt it the very moment his bulge grew behind me. I always knew I was going to lose my virginity one day, it was inevitable after all.But how could I have imagined it would be this way?Not in a romantic getaway with the love of my life, no, in a frozen pool, with a man who hated me. Kaden was going to be my first, and I did know he wouldn't go easy on me. Yet… for some strange reason, I found my body responding to every bit of his touch, shamelessly.Kaden's breath fanned my neck, sending a sudden surge of adrenaline and ecstasy through my veins. "Kaden..." I barely made the rest of my words out of my mouth when he pulled me back, fingers wrapped around my neck as though I was his possession.Well, I was."You're going to open up for me, aren't you, Dahlia?" He came above me, voice barely above a whisper and I gasped. Despite the icy water that sent jolts to my bare skin, I was still a mess beneath my stomach. My wetness gathered."Or are you scared?" He whispered ag
Dahlia ~I decided to say something about it.“Your skin… It’s burning up,” I told him and something in his gaze darkened.I immediately regretted my words.“Indeed it is, Dahlia,” he abruptly rose from behind me and the constriction around my lungs lessened and I could breathe properly again.But that was only for a moment as Kaden’s strong fingers tangled in my hair and dragged me into his bath chamber. My eyes widened as I took in the place. It looked expensive just like every other part of his palace, but the most remarkable thing was the giant pool in the center, and it looked like it had… Ice crystals floating on it.What on earth?“Ever since the curse was aggravated, my body goes through phases of intense overheating, and only occasional ice baths can help,” he explained.Okay… what was he bringing me here? To watch him have a bath?Without warning, Kaden shoved me into the water, it felt like a billion needles pickled my skin at the same time as I was fully submerged in the
Dahlia ~I was a slut… just like he called me. A slutty whore who loved to be violated.That was the only explanation after all. Someone who wasn't a slut would not enjoy the things Kaden was doing, or anticipate more of what was to come. “You’re not supposed to enjoy this,” Kaden, “it takes away the fun.”“I can't help it, Kade—”“Don't you dare say my name, unless I ask you to,” he snapped at me and I bit back my words.I couldn't help but notice that his cock was hardening again despite the orgasm he had just a few moments ago. He was getting hard because I said his name? Did I truly have such an effect on this man who hated every fiber of my being?“I deeply apologize,” I said and bowed my head in submission and he scowled.“Don’t act like that, it Irritates me,” he stated and walked towards the massive floor to ceiling mirror that was right beside a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom.“Come,” his eyes met mine through the mirror, “have a seat.”There was no chair there
Sienna ~“We shouldn't have done that,” I blurted out, breaking the silence, “what do you think people would say if they found out about us?” I questioned.My body still hummed with pleasure from the things Orion had made me feel, I had come over and over until I lost count. He had prioritized my pleasure over his and I made a mental note to make it up to him soon. My cheek was pressed against the warmth of his chest and the steady thrum of his heartbeat was so calming to my troubled mind.I wanted to be here, wrapped in the security of his strong arms forever. Yes, I was willing to admit it to myself now, I was tired of fighting these things I felt and I was ready to fully give in now.“I don't know… why should they care?” he questioned, “why should we?”“Oh come on, Orion, a Scarvyn and a werewolf fucking?” I said, “And not just any Scarvyn, the acting queen? Our people are not exactly at peace with each other considering Kaden just kidnapped one of our queens, and of course the ag
Dahlia ~ The slippery wet engorged tip of Kaden’s cock nudged against my sensitive upper lip and I stuck out my tongue and tasted the saltiness of the underside of his tip. I felt his twitch on my tongue. He was so deliciously sensitive, perhaps I could enjoy this. I parted my lips for him and he slipped in, wet and salty. A loud groan erupted from his chest. “Let me see those eyes,” he said and my gaze snapped up to meet his. His eyes were completely dead, completely void of emotion, maybe I had managed to kill Kaden that night of the claiming ceremony, because whoever this was before me sure wasn't him. His strong hangers tangled into my hair before he shoved himself into the back of my throat with so much force that I gagged and struggled against him, but his grip was far too powerful. I couldn't breathe and I tried speaking to beg him to let me but the sounds only came out as a moan around him. “You deserve this, Dahlia, you deserve so much worse,” he finally pulle
Sienna~ I sat on the floor of the empty throne room and the bitter sounds of my sobs echoed. Dahlia was gone and I had let Kaden take her, I was far too powerless to do anything. The weight of it crushed me and fingers violently dug into the cold marble as if I could steady myself, but there was nothing steady about this moment. Nothing that could stop this overwhelming sadness from swallowing me whole. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. We were supposed to win and everything was supposed to go according to plan! I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed tight in an attempt to hold myself together when everything inside me was breaking. Warm hands found my shoulders. My body tensed from the contact. “Come here,” Orion said as he pulled me to him and I let myself fall into his embrace. I pressed my forehead to his chest and my fingers curled into his shirt. His strong arms locked around me and it felt like he could hold all the broken pieces of my heart
Dahlia ~ What could be more horrible than being reduced to Kaden’s pet? And it was so much worse because of the state he was in. Those glacier blue eyes never left mine as he took off his shirt and tossed it to the floor beside me. His scent flooded my senses, and I gulped thickly. His keen eyes noticed the movement and a lazy smirk graced his lips. “You look hungry, your majesty,” Kaden said to me as he looked down at my kneeling figure. It felt so degrading the way he was looking at me while calling me with that title. I looked away from him in an attempt to distract myself from my riding hunger. He stepped closer to me and squatted until his chiseled abdomen was at my eye level, forcing me to look up at him. “Don’t stress your pretty self too much, fortunately for you, I want your venom now.” Why was he being so soft on me? I expected so much worse… but maybe he was playing a psychological game. It sure felt like it. Maybe I should try explaining my reasons
Dahlia ~ “No, you can't take my sister away, stop, she is the only family I have left!” Sienna’s cries echoed through the place as I was taken away, Kaden refused to touch me and he had his soldiers drag me through the halls. Orion held Sienna back, halting her movements as she foolishly tried to get to me. I was thankful for Orion, Kaden was far too volatile now, I could feel it through this bond we shared, if Sienna did anything silly, she would certainly die. I couldn't stop my fear and regret from showing on my face during the carriage ride back to Lunaris. I was left alone with my raging thoughts and anxiety. Sienna would rule the Scarvyn empire as the sole queen, I had been stripped of my titles the moment I made that offer.My fingers absentmindedly moved to touch the cold silver of my crown. I didn't take it off my head as it upheld whatever was left of my dignity. “You belong to me now, little witch, every single part of you is mine now,” I remembered Kaden saying befor