DARIUS“Could I have been wrong?”I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming on the edge of the polished wooden table. The thought had been eating at me ever since I saw her on that damn auction stage. She looked just like her.Molly.Is that even her real name or did she lie about that too?Her face, those eyes, the way she carried herself. It was uncanny. I didn’t want to believe it. Hell, I refused to believe it. But I couldn’t shake the memory.I was nine, trailing behind my father during one of his boring political meetings with the Lycan King. He got distracted, and I wandered off, finding myself in the garden of some grand estate. That’s when I saw her—spinning barefoot on the grass, laughing as if the world couldn’t touch her.She was... mesmerizing.That girl was a Lycan. The second daughter of King Carrington himself.Could it really be her? Could she have survived the attack?The reports were very clear—King Carrington’s entire family had been wiped out. No survivors. All
EMMELINEI stood outside his door, my heart pounding so loudly I thought it might give me away. The knife felt heavy against my back. I had tucked it under the thin waistband of my panties. I adjusted the transparent robe I’d stolen from one of the closets. It barely covered anything, but that was the point. To seduce him. The more distracted he was, the closer I could get.This was the night. I had one job—kill him. Nothing else mattered.I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Darius looked up from his seat by the window. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me, his gaze locking on my transparent robe and the body beneath it. I could feel his eyes linger. I shut the door softly behind me and let the robe slide off from my shoulders, dropping around my feet. I stood there in nothing but my panties, my arms hanging loosely at my sides to seem unbothered, though my heart was thundering in my chest.He didn't say a word, just leaned back in his chair. His jaw tightened as his
EMMELINEI woke up before dawn, staring at the ceiling like I had all the time in the world. My body felt weighed down, and my thoughts were all over the place, but my mind was made up. Killing Darius wasn’t an option anymore. It just wasn't going to happen. Fine. But that didn’t mean I had to stay here and let him mess with me. If I was going to die, at least it’d be on my terms, not his.I slipped out of bed, very quietly. No bags, no extra clothes—nothing to slow me down. Just me and my ridiculous determination.Cara, my wolf, turned lazily in my mind. “You really think this is going to work?”“I don’t need your doubt right now,” I hissed under my breath, pulling the door open just wide enough to slip through.The halls were strangely quiet, the estate still wrapped in darkness. I stuck close to the walls, staying out of sight from the few guards strolling around like they had all the time in the world to stop me.“Why don’t you just fight them?” Cara grumbled. “You’re a Lycan, Emm
DARIUS“Alpha, she is not in her room,” the guard said, his voice shaking as if he knew how much trouble this news would bring him.I set my glass of whiskey down, my fingers tightening around it until I thought it might shatter. “What do you mean, she's not in her room?” I growled.“No one has seen her, Alpha,” he stammered. “We’ve checked the immediate quarters. She’s… gone.”For a moment, I just stared at him, my mind working overtime to process what he’d just said. Gone? How the hell had she managed to pull that off?“Get the rest of the guards,” I ordered, my voice cold and clipped. “Search the estate. Every hallway, every damn corner. Don’t come back to me unless you’ve found her.”He nodded quickly and practically sprinted out of the room like his life depends on it—which, honestly, it might. I was left alone with my thoughts.Fifteen minutes later, the same guard came back with a group of others. Their faces were pale, and they looked like they’d rather be anywhere but here.
EMMELINEI woke up to the softest thing I’d ever felt beneath me. It wasn’t the hard, scratchy mattress in my room. No, this was something entirely different—softer, warmer.My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, gasping.The room around me was massive, decorated in dark tones with sleek furniture and thick curtains. It carried a faint scent of cedar mixed with something… something undeniably masculine.Oh no.I was in Darius’ room.I started to panic, and it got even worse when I noticed something strange—my clothes had been changed. The ripped dress I had been wearing was gone. Instead, I was in a loose, clean shirt and soft pants. My heart raced as I tried to figure out who could have done it and when.What the hell?Did he…?Before my thoughts could completely spiral out of control, the door creaked open.And there he was.Darius.He walked in with a calmness that sent a chill down my spine—it was the kind of calm that made you feel like he was ten steps ahead. Behind him, two maids
DARIUSDawson kept talking about trade deals, alliances, and some shipment plans, but I wasn’t paying attention. I sat in my chair, staring at the papers on my desk without really seeing them. Every now and then, I’d nod like I was following along, but honestly, I wasn’t. My head was somewhere else entirely.It was on her.Molly.The girl who had tried to kill me twice. The girl who somehow survived things most people wouldn’t. And now, she was here—alive, bold as ever, and still looking at me like she wanted me dead."Alpha?" Dawson’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts."What?" I blinked, realizing I had no idea what he’d just said.He frowned. "I was asking if you wanted to approve the shipment for the southern border.""Yeah, sure. Do whatever you think is best," I muttered, waving him off.He raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong? You seem... distracted."I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "I’m deliberating on something. I think it's best if you come back later."Dawson paused
EMMELINEI stood outside the grand door of the new overly spacious room Darius had just shown me. His excitement was almost like that of a child, like he expected me to leap for joy or shower him with gratitude. I wasn’t about to do either.I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth was wrong with him.First, he saved me.Then, he had the audacity to try and kiss me.Oh, the kiss.How had I not stepped back? How had I stood there, frozen, letting the moment linger far longer than it should have?I’d sworn to myself that I would never let it happen again. Never.And yet, if we hadn’t been interrupted yesterday, I might have kissed him back.My heart clenched at the thought, and I frowned.Maybe it wasn’t him.Maybe I was the problem.“This is your new room,” he said, smiling like he’d done something extraordinary. His hands were tucked in his pockets, and his tone was so smug it made my skin crawl. “Take a look. I’m sure you’ll love it.”Love it? That word didn’t exist in my vocabulary w
EMMELINEI wiped my face with the back of my hand. My eyes were puffy, my throat sore from crying. Hours had passed since the mess in the garden, but the tightness in my chest hadn’t let up. I hated this place. I hated Darius. And I hated myself for being here.But damn, I was starving.I should go check the kitchen for some snacks. It was almost midnight.Grumbling, I slipped out of my room. The Estate was dead quiet, the kind of silence that would make your footsteps sound like thunder. I crept toward the kitchen, hugging the walls like some thief in the night.When I got to the door, I heard voices.“Have you noticed how strange the Alpha’s been acting lately?” one voice whispered.“Oh, absolutely. That girl must’ve done something to him,” another replied. “She’s not just some regular slave. She’s probably a witch and must have charmed him.”My blood boiled instantly. A witch? Really?“Think about it,” the first woman said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Why else would he give h
DARIUS' POVThe smell of blood still lingered in the air, thick and metallic, mixing with the scent of burning rubber and shattered glass. The wreckage of Emmeline’s car was crumpled like a discarded toy, flipped on its side near the edge of the road. My stomach coiled in a way I hadn’t felt in years. I had seen countless battlefields, spilled enough blood to drown a village, but this—this—was different.This was her.My fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white as I forced myself to breathe. I had to think. Losing my shit wasn’t going to help her.Sylas crouched near the wreck, his fingers brushing over a dark smear on the dirt. Blood.I hated seeing it. Her blood.He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His brows furrowed in concentration before his eyes snapped open.“Someone else was here,” he muttered. “Not just the driver. Someone came after the crash.”My jaw tightened. “Who?”Sylas pressed his palm into the dirt, focusing harder. “The scent is masked, but whoever it was, th
EMMELINEMy head throbbed, a dull, insistent ache that pulsed with every sluggish beat of my heart. Groaning, I peeled open my eyelids, greeted by a disorienting darkness. Where the hell…? I blinked, trying to focus, but the darkness clung to everything, thick and suffocating. I tried to move, to sit up, and a sharp jolt of pain shot through my wrists. I was chained. Chained to… a pole? What the actual fuck?Then, like a punch to the gut, the memories slammed back. The crash.Michael. That smug, bastardly grin.The struggle. The blow to the back of my head.And then, DarknessShit.I got knocked out. And now I’m here. Wherever here is.I scanned the room—or at least, what little I could see of it. The only light came from a dim, flickering bulb in the corner, barely illuminating the concrete walls. There were no windows. No doors in sight.A basement? A dungeon?Whatever it is, one thing was certain—I’m trapped.Panic clawed at my throat. I strained as I gritted my teeth and pulled
EMMELINEI woke up to an empty bed, the space beside me cold.I groaned, stretching my arm across the mattress as if that would magically make Darius appear. He was here last night. I remembered falling asleep with him right next to me.Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and sighed. Where the hell did he go?Annoyance bubbled up inside me as I got dressed. He hadn’t even woken me up before leaving. Urgent matters, I bet. Darius was always handling something. But after everything we had just been through, he could’ve at least told me where he was going.I stepped outside the room, spotting two of his guards standing post. They straightened the moment they saw me.“Where is Darius?” I asked, crossing my arms.One of them cleared his throat. “The Alpha left early this morning. Said he had urgent matters to attend to.”I frowned. Urgent matters? What could be more urgent than making sure Michael’s supporters didn’t try something stupid?“And he didn’t tell me?” I muttered under my breath.The g
EMMELINE'S POV Waiting sucks. Big time. My hands were slick with sweat, and I couldn't stop picking at a loose thread on the worn couch cushion. The roar of the crowd had finally died down. The duel was over. But the silence that followed? Way worse. It was thick and heavy, like a wet blanket smothering me. The only sound I could hear was the frantic thump-thump-thumping of my own damn heart.Why had I even doubted him? Why was that tiny little voice in the back of my head whispering, ‘What if… what if… what if…’Darius was… well, he was Darius. Strong, powerful, practically invincible. Michael was nothing compared to him. He didn’t stand a chance. Not a snowball’s chance in hell.I knew Darius would win. Deep down, I really did.But damn, fear was a sneaky little bastard. It crawls under your skin, whisper doubts in your ear, makes you question everything.The creak of the door made me jump. My breath caught in my throat. And then… there he was.Darius.He stood in the doorway, loo
DARIUSMy gaze swept over the two hundred or so faces gathered to witness this… spectacle. Alphas, Betas, and every rank in between, all here to watch me potentially get my ass handed to me—Elders, warriors, and others who thought they had a say in how this ended. A good chunk of them were on my side, I could feel it. But a disturbing number seemed to be leaning towards Michael.That prick.And the rest? The cowards who waited to see who won before picking a side.Typical.My gaze flickered to Emmeline, and something in my chest tightened.She was hiding behind my beta Dawson, her slender frame partially covered by his, as if she were afraid to even be seen there. That damn veil she insisted on wearing did nothing to hide the fear in her eyes. Even though it did cover her face, it didn’t hide the way her shoulders were drawn tight, the way her fingers gripped the fabric of her dress like she was bracing herself for the worst. The sight of it made my teeth clench.Why the hell did she
DARIUSI walked into the main hall, my eyes immediately landing on Michael. He stood there, arms crossed, a smug expression plastered on his face. Around him, five Alphas sat at the long wooden table, their gazes sharp and unreadable.I didn’t need anyone to tell me what this was. I already knew.Michael was pulling every damn trick he could to make himself seem like a real threat. But he wasn’t.Not to me.I strode forward, my presence alone shifting the tension in the room. Emmeline stayed near the entrance, watching carefully, but I could feel the storm raging inside her.I didn’t look at Michael. I looked at the others.“You all came into my pack without prior notice.” My voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “Tell me why I shouldn’t consider this an act of disrespect.”One of the Alphas, a broad-shouldered man with streaks of silver in his beard, leaned forward. “We only came to talk.”I scoffed. “You came to talk about my leadership, didn’t you?”The room went still.The
EMMELINE’S POVI hurried after Darius as we left Michael’s room, my heart still pounding. My mind was racing, piecing everything together.“Darius, you don’t understand. I found a letter in Michael’s room—he’s working with an Alpha from another pack. He—”“I know,” Darius cut me off, his voice calm. Too calm.I stared at him. “You know?”His jaw tightened as he kept walking, not even looking at me. “Michael won’t play fair. But it doesn’t matter—I’m ready for him.”I let out a frustrated breath, catching up to him. “You’re ready for him? Darius, this isn’t just about the fight! He has spies in the Estate. His people are feeding him information. If you don’t do something about it—”“We won’t do anything,” Darius interrupted.I stopped in my tracks. “What?”Darius turned to me, his expression unreadable. “Michael already challenged me. If anything happens to him before the fight, the pack will assume I had a hand in it. I’m not giving him the satisfaction of playing the victim.”I folde
EMMELINEI barely had time to react before the door shut behind him.Michael stood there, his sharp gaze locking onto me like a predator who had just found his prey. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, completely blocking my only exit.“Looking for something?” he drawled.My grip on the letter tightened behind my back, my mind racing. He knew. Maybe not exactly what I had found, but he knew I had been searching for something. And now, he had me cornered.I forced my expression to remain calm, lifting my chin slightly. “Just curious,” I said evenly.Michael chuckled. “Curiosity can be dangerous,” he murmured, stepping toward me. His eyes flickered with amusement, but there was something darker lurking beneath the surface—something cold and calculating. “Especially for someone like you.”I swallowed but held my ground. I couldn’t let him see me panic.He took another slow step forward, tilting his head as he studied me. “You’ve been spending a
EMMELINE'S POVI wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.Not really.But when two warriors started whispering about Michael and some deal right next to me, what was I supposed to do? Just walk away and pretend I didn’t hear it?Yeah, no chance in hell.When you live in a house full of dominant wolves plotting against each other, it’s hard not to pick up on things.And right now, standing at the corner of the hall just outside the training grounds, I was picking up on something bigSo I slowed my steps, pretending to fix the strap on my boot while keeping my head down. My heart pounded as I strained to hear every word.“…said he’s got it locked in,” one of them muttered. “An Alpha from outside. Big pack, strong. He’ll bring warriors in exchange for—”The other one shushed him sharply. “Not here, dumbass.”My stomach twisted into a tight knot.Michael was bringing in outside help?That wasn’t just a power move. That was a fucking declaration of war.I forced myself to keep walking, staying just far