The sun is shining and casting its soft rays on my back but I barely notice it."There's a limit to how much power a normal Lycan can use, right? Is hypnosis also included in the spectrum of gifts some Lycans have?"Leah groans and turns to face me with frustration in her eyes. I smile back at her, the eagerness to know more dripping off my every action and she just shakes her head before she turns back to the flowers she's caressing.It's well past dawn now. Sunlight is washing over every single inch of land as far as my eyes can see, and oddly, I like what my eyes are seeing.The Lycan King of the north has a grand home. It's wide, huge, and bustling with people. The clack of wooden sticks still drifts into my ears if I focus enough and damn the warriors are hot!They were all shirtless when we passed. They all looked at Leah with respect, and me with disdain, but that did not diminish just how appealing to the eyes they were.Leah and I are in the gardens now, the one Lyros lets he
There should be little that can surprise me now. In truth, nothing should actually but yet this makes me surprised. How is this possible? I look at myself in the mirror again and I shake my head in disbelief. I must be dreaming. The clock shows me the time is well past seven in the morning and I know if I want to catch Lyros then I'll need to act now. The contents of Leah's letter are still stuck in my head. It's playing over and over, like a record on repeat, and normally I would have ignored such a thing and gone about my daily duties, but this time...... I look at myself in the mirror again and I release a sigh. It's now or never. This is my duty, and I'm doing it for none other than myself. Hopefully, I won't die before he's done with me, but if I do at least I'll know I did it while fighting for my freedom. That sounds so wrong. The new guard that has been situated outside my room blinks when he sees me. He looks away, then he blinks once more, and he looks back at me agai
The water is cold when I make her step into it. The bath pools have made no sense to me until now. For the past fifty years, I have lived in a steady and regular motion, my hate the only thing fueling me and my need for revenge the only thing driving me to do anything at all. I have stoked the flames and assembled my life in the chasm of ice my lands seem to love so much, but yet this little wolf, this delicate little wolf, makes me feel I might have overlooked one aspect of those plans. When I asked her to lick my shoes I had expected the refusal. I wanted it even. I would have killed her on the spot and I would have regretted it for a minute or two, after that I would have thrown the thought out of my mind and headed out to pick up the next werewolf princess to lead to her death. Most of them are unwilling brides, and their parents, almost always reluctant to let them go. They know I kill their daughters, and they know they can do nothing about it. I should have killed this lit
When I step out of Lyros's room, my face is heated with shame. I can't begin to think of what this means so I don't. I walk down the hallway, hug my cloak closer to myself, and try not to shiver from the cold. I forgot the damn slippers in his room but I don't care about them. What I care about right now is the confusion I'm drowning in. I barely register walking past Cain until I remember I was supposed to deliver a message to him. I turn, walk back the way I came, and catch him on his way down the stairs. My words are stuck in my throat when he turns to face me. We stand in silence and I realize that silver eyes have never looked so menacing but I'm not in the right frame of mind to be intimidated right now so I clear my throat. "Lord Lyros is asking for you. He's...... in his rooms." I see something like a flicker of revulsion in Cain's eyes as he looks at me. It's there one moment and gone the next. He nods and takes the path to the Lycan king's room. I blink and go back the
"Is there any reason a mutt is eating amid warriors Leah?" Her voice is like silk. "If anything, she should be crawling on her feet at least, not standing and acting like an equal to the rest of us."My heart is hammering in my chest and my skin feels slick with nervous sweat. Leah takes a bite of her drumstick before she looks up at our guest.There's nothing I can use to describe the type of unbridled beauty this lady is. Maybe it's because of the morning sun shining in through the open windows, or maybe it's because I seem to find all of them better looking than normal people, but she's pretty and I can't seem to ignore it.She was the one I was staring at earlier.Leah tilts her head to the side and I'm almost blinded by the perfect smile she flashes. "If you have a problem with her walking on her feet Lysandra, I think you can take it up with Lyros. She's his guest, and I know I can't order you around so save those words, but at least let us have our breakfast in peace."Chuckle
"Can I sit with you?" I try to swallow the lump in my throat but I find it hard. Accompanying me and Cain is another undeniably sexy male who seems smitten with our silver haired escort. I nod and move to the far end of the seat on the other side of the car. The tall and handsome blond haired male gets into the car and closes the door when he's fully seated. There is no movement even with everyone fully seated and I dare to steal a look at Cain. Again my heart does that thing that makes me feel like a fool because I'm not supposed to feel this way. The expression on Cain's face is one that catches me off guard though. He looks troubled, or rather like he's trying to calm down. I focus on his reflection on the side lens of the car and I see unrivaled allure staring fixedly at the nothingness in front of him. His eyes remain unfocused for a few more seconds, but then he releases a breath, and the engine of the car stutters to life. "You made sure to check the water level, didn't you
"You look beautiful Miss Adelaide."I feel my cheeks heat up again and I stretch out a gloved hand so Rhys can help me up. He's the blond one and so far he's the only one who has said anything to me. The stylist lady stands to one side, picking out pins from a box and taking a look at the hairdo I have chosen from time to time.The dress I chose is a simple one but as opposed to a lower bodice and skirt with excessive fabric in flair, I chose something else. Pencil fit."I can barely walk."Rhys chuckles again and I hear a happy sound escape my lips too. I'm elated. Excitement is rushing through me more pleasantly than I have experienced it before, and along with that, there's the odd feeling that I'm way in over my head.I barely know what's going on but I picked a dress that is so sophisticated. We could be going for a walk in the park to the best of my knowledge. All this would seem unnecessary if whatever Cain is keeping from me isn't worth the stress.I hear a zipping sound and
"Do you think she's ready?"Lyros sits by the window of his room and his eyes don't leave the book he's reading. I nod, regardless of the fact that he isn't looking at me and I try to make my chest a bit less tight.I can be many things, but I'm not a nanny. I can't groom an omega into the weapon he wants her to be."Rhys is asking if he can help her prepare for the rest of her tasks from now on. I feel that's a good idea."Lyros's eyes leave his book and he delivers a raised brow."Isn't Rhys the one pining after you?"It takes a while before I can answer and when I do I make sure my voice is calm."Rhys is one of your warrior Lycans Lyros, and as for the matter of pining after me, it won't affect their training. I'll make sure to stay out of the way."I feel Lyros's ability come at me with the subtlety of a snake, slithering and flicking its tongue at the edges of my mind. I allow him in and let him see what he wants to see.I let him see Adelaide being meek and obedient, a bit stub
Cain grabs onto my waist and kisses me, hauling me up and plastering me against him. His voice is a rough husk in my ear as he whispers “You did it, Adelaide.” Tears run down my eyes and he hugs me, holding my body to his as I sob into his chest. I don’t think I'd believe what just happened if someone told me it would a few months ago. All I wanted was to be free and run off to hell knows where, but I'm glad for what I did. Now I know I have parents, parents who loved me and a mother who would have done anything for me. I’m not just the pack omega destined to be maltreated and beaten for all of her life. The suffering I went through changed me. It gave me tougher skin and with the power of my heritage… I've just won back my kingdom. Freedom is mine if I want it. Freedom, and power, and love, if I want any of it, and all of it, and I do. I really do. I kiss Cain again, just to cement the fact that we are a thing now. We’re more than a thing. I’m wearing his ring. He’s as much
Lyros is no longer the all-powerful Lycan lording his majesty over the weak populace. We are powerful in our own right now.And in the face of real power, the Lycan king can only do one thing, cower, like a coward.Lyros attempts to run but almost like he knows it’s futile there’s no spirit in it. Lycan speed might have given him a chance, but running was just one final way of making a dash for his life.I flash and slam Lyros with my sword, the blade slapping the side of his face and drawing blood as he tumbles to the ground. I lean down and whisper close to his ear,“I don’t intend to kill you Lord Lyros.”I feel his heartbeat intensify as my words graze his ears but I continue confidently, “I intend to make you pay for all you’ve done. For the young girls you plucked from weak werewolf packs, only to kill them after torturing them, their dreams ended and hopes cut short because of your wickedness. I intend to make you pay for the cities you’ve attacked, the people you have killed,
I rip through the fabric of space as I burn.I feel the Lycan’s flame coursing through my being and it sets me on fire with the force of a supernova. I feel the strength of a thousand stars in me. The flames lick at my dress, burning it short and tattered, turning me into a version these men see, but which they don’t see at all.I wonder how many times Lyros has looked at me and seen nothing but skin. Nothing but clothes in pieces, flesh for the taking, a body to be claimed, and a mind to have fun with.I wonder how many times he’s seen skin and ignored the fire that rages in my heart. Ignored the love I have for the simple things. Ignored the fact that I am more than just skin and flesh, that I am heart and brains and emotion. That I am not his plaything.I am a Queen, and this Kingdom is mine.I kill the King beyond the border first. The battle with him takes less than an hour.In my hand is a sword hot as flame and solid as diamond. Rafie attacks me next so I slay him too.Raymel
We all stand in wait for her.Me, Rafie, Alizadeh, and Galan, all four Lycan kings, we wait for a weak omega female and something hollow rings in my chest. It was stupid to think I could find love.Even before the truth of Elara’s betrayal was revealed to me, I already knew. I already knew something was wrong with my heart and that I couldn't love properly anymore.I should have left it out of the cards, left love to those foolish enough to crave it but instead, I had to go ahead and try to keep her. Adelaide made me imagine something hot and exciting between us, something fiery and passionate, but at the end of the day, she’s expendable.She’s always been. Only I matter.A kingdom rests on my shoulders.“Is she on her way?”Rafie’s voice grates against my nerves but I nod. I’m not angry at him anymore. He’s doing what I didn't have the strength to do.Galan chortles where he stands and I feel my hands clench. I should kill him for using his trickster magic on me, but he saved my life
“How sweet.”Cain’s hand stops immediately and my foggy brain can’t even make sense of what’s happening. Has Cain taken me to the point of release this morning? Yes.I’m worried I might be a horndog.I turn to see Safira leaning on the doorframe. Her dress is so pretty, it drapes over her body like liquid and damn, I almost forgot how pretty she was.She smirks as her eyes meet mine, “Should I leave?” Cain answers sweetly before I can and his reply makes me chuckle. He goes “Yes please.”Safira’s hand twitches and a pillow launches itself at the back of Cain’s head. I let it hit and burst into subdued chuckles when he lets out a slight “oof.”Safirs sighs and shakes her head “You have a meeting in like six minutes. Will you be down?”Cain smirks lazily and shrugs. Safira’s gaze darts to me and she fixes me with an inquisitive stare, “Will he be down?”I nod because despite how much I want him to stay with me and kiss me silly, he’s already explained to me how things are here.He has
Diane visits me one last time in my dreams. She smiles at me and though my heart breaks, I smile back at her.I know this is the end. This is the last time I will see her, and as we stand on the sandy beach, our eyes locked on each other and the resemblance undeniable, I let her embrace me as a mother would her child, and I cry so bad my heart feels like it’s going to break.Diane kisses my forehead and wipes my tears, “You’re stronger than your pain my love. You know that right?”I want to nod. I desperately want to nod. The moment I saw Cain, the reality of what had happened to me seemed to come crashing down on me. The moment I saw Lyros instead of him, saw flashes of me and him behind my closed eyes each time I blinked….. How do I live with that?How do I live with the knowledge of all the things I did with the man I hate? A man who used me?I wish I could forget.“This is fire Adelaide,” I clutch Diane closer as she pats my hair down, tears still streaming down my cheeks “Like g
Anger makes my teeth crack as Adelaide asks me a question. She looks up at me, uncertainty in her eyes, her expression scared and bleak.“Would you still love me, if I showed you what Lyros and I have been doing these past few months?”Something threatens to snap in me but I know what this is.I’ve seen this before. I’ve done this once.I nod and Adelaide’s shoulders shudder. I can see how fervently she’s trying to control herself. How ferociously she’s attacking the emotions that are surging forth.Something’s happened, and when I ask her, she tells me everything.Trapped in a memory chain of the Lycan King’s making for three months, her magic being the thing he used to fuel that spell, Lyros turned her magic into her trap, and then she tells me what the memories were about. Entire years' worth of memories of her waiting for him patiently in the fortress.Memories of how he saved her from her pack and brought her to a better life in his care, Memories of how she became his personal p
Cain and Safira comfort me and tell me it’s okay. I can feel Cain’s concern for me like eyes at the back of my head.He’s always staring at me. He looks at me with such intensity that I feel all the things in my stomach churn and my thoughts go filthy. Memories flash past my eyes each time I close them.Memories of me and him in this world.Memories of me and him in a cave, happy sated smiles on our faces and our bodies totally unclad. We’re nude, and we’re comfortable.I see memories of deep and easy loving. Love that took me to the peak of pleasure, and threw me off the edge of my climax, again, and again, and again.My body begins to warm and Safira hits me on the arm, “For skies’ sake, Focus Adelaide. Are you sure you’re okay?”I turn to her and at the sight of familiar deeply tan skin and obsidian black eyes, a smile lights up my face. “I haven’t spent a day here and I’m already being mothered.”Safira grins and chuckles at that, and I feel light in my heart.She and Cain give
My heart melts with each passing moment i listen to Cain’s words and I almost can’t believe this is happening.My mind tells me if I blink he’ll go away, so I keep my eyes wide open, and I stare at him. I know it’s real when he stares at me in that same way.The lines of Cain’s face look new to me now. His warmth feels so familiar yet so alien. There’s an air around him that I can’t place, but I love every bit of it.I love it the way I love him, and when he leans in to kiss me again, I can feel the desperation in his touch. He’s as scared of me leaving as I am of him not being real in this moment. Finding him shouldn’t be this easy.It shouldn’t have been this easy, yet it was and I can’t seem to believe that.A sudden scream makes me cling to him like a frightened puppy until my brain realizes i know that voice.I know the texture of that squeall. I’ve heard that feminine tilt before.Safira’s scent invades my senses immediately and a warm body plasters itself to mine. She’s sobbing