[ Calantha]
I exhaled deeply and adjusted my cheap dress for what felt like the hundredth time. My nerves were getting the best of me and making my hands fidgety as I stepped inside the mansion. The place was buzzing with the sound of laughter, loud music, and the heavy scent of alcohol and cigarettes hung in the air. At every corner of the mansion were young adults shamelessly making out. Some were half dressed and some were worse. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus as my eyes searched around the room carefully, mentally aware that I had limited time to be here. Mrs. Grant, my owner, had sent me on an errand and I had taken advantage of the opportunity to trace and find him. Ryker. The guy I had dated for three years but never met in person. And then, all of a sudden, he went ghost on me for the past two weeks. At first, I had been worried and feared that something bad had happened to him. But now that I was standing in this chaotic scene, surrounded by wild party vibes, I wasn’t sure what to think anymore. But I would not jump into conclusions. "Move it already!" A girl yelled, her drunken shoulder slamming into mine so hard I nearly lost my footing. If I hadn’t grabbed the edge of the table beside me, I would have hit the floor. “Sorry.” I murmured, forcing a smile as I steadied myself. That was just who I was. Always smiling, no matter how much it hurt. Somehow, I believed smiling would make the pain go away, even if it never really did. This was my first time at a party too. Due to my low rank in the pack, I was never invited to events like these. And to be fair, I wasn’t invited to this one either. Parties like this were for the elites. The alpha bloodlines. Not for slaves like me. My thoughts came to a sudden halt when I finally spotted the tall, unmistakable frame of Ryker leaning against a counter with another girl in his arm, literally shoving their tongue down each other’s throats. I froze, my heart shattering in an instant. All the color drained from my face as I glanced down at the picture of him on my phone, hoping and praying that it wasn’t really him. But it was. “Ryker?” I took a step closer and his name slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. He turned, his eyes locking on mine. For a brief moment, his expression faltered but it turned stoic a second later, a coy smirk playing on his lips. “So, we finally meet.” He said, letting his gaze rake over me. “You look…” “Cheap?” The girl in his arms cut in, her tone mocking as she chuckled. “Ryker, who the hell is this and why is she at your party? Since when do you hang out with pathetic people?” My throat tightened, but before I could say a word, another familiar voice chimed in. “Well, well, if it isn’t Calantha, the ambitious little slave.” My heart sank as I turned to face Isadora, the spoiled daughter of the family that owned me. Her expression was a mixture of disgust and amusement as she stood before me. “What are you even doing here?” She sneered, her gaze dragging down my thrifted dress. “…and dressed like that.” I tried to speak, but no words came out. Ryker’s smirk deepened, like he was thoroughly enjoying the show. My heart cracked, realizing that all the promises he had made were all lies. All the sweet words, the lies about loving me, about saving me from this hell. All lies. How stupid had I been to believe that someone of his rank, would ever want anything to do with someone like me? For the millionth time, I blamed my adoptive parents for my nightmare of a life. If only they had never sold me into this pack in the first place, none of this would be happening. I watched as Ryker moved closer to me, his smirk still plastered on his face as he reached out and curled a strand of my hair around his finger. My breath hitched, and I blinked back the tears threatening to spill. “Silly of you to think I’d ever want you, Calantha.” He gestured around the lavish party with a sweep of his hand. “Look around. With all this beauty and wealth, why would I ever settle for a slave like you?” My lips quivered, but I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to cry. “The only thing I regret,” he continued, his smirk wideneing, “is not taking you to bed when I had the chance. I can’t even remember what a virgin tastes like—” The sudden sound of my palm smacking across his face silenced the room, earning shocked gasps from everyone. Ryker’s head whipped to the side and his hand flew to his reddened cheek. His stunned expression quickly twisted into rage. “How dare you…” But I didn’t wait for him to finish. I turned on my heel and bolted out of the mansion, tears burning my eyes and my heart aching at the humiliation. But at the same time, it was all amusing to me. I had slapped an Alpha rank wolf. A slave hitting someone of his rank. How interesting! As I ran outside with my vision blurred with tears, my heels suddenly caught on the uneven cobblestones and I tripped, falling hard onto my knees. “Shit.” I cursed, feeling the sting in my palms and knees as the tears I had been holding back finally spilled over. “Smooth.” A deep, cold voice drawled above me and I looked up, blinking through my tears, to find a tall figure leaning casually against a black expensive looking jeep. His sharp, aristocratic features were illuminated by the soft glow of the mansion lights and his turquoise eyes regarding me with mild amusement as if I was some kind of entertainment for the evening. “Next time, try watching where you’re going.” He added, his tone as chilly as his gaze. I scoffed in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet, brushing dirt off my knees. These, wealthy alphas! Laughing instead of offering a hand? How mannerless and inhumane! “Wow, thanks for the heartfelt concern.” I replied sarcastically, feeling anger burn in my heart. “That’s really touching.” Mr. Mesmerizing turquoise eyes and god-like beauty raised an eyebrow, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Not my problem you can’t walk straight. Maybe stick to crying quietly where no one can trip over you.” I scoffed bitterly again, feeling rage clouding me. How mean! “What a charming personality.” I shot back at him. “Do you practice being this insufferable, or does it come naturally?” His smirk deepened. “Naturally.” I opened my mouth again to retort but stopped myself . What was the point? I had bigger things to worry about than this arrogant jerk. Like, the fact that Isadora would probably snitch on me to her parents. Turning sharply on my heel, I tried to ignore him and storm away but I stopped again. A reckless idea formed in my mind at that moment and I did not even think it twice. “You know what?” I said, marching back toward him again. “Forget Ryker. I don’t need him. If I’m going to ruin this night, I’m not going to do it alone.” Before he could respond, I grabbed his collar, yanked him down to my level, and kissed him. My first kiss. For a moment, he froze as expected while I kissed him softly and cautiously, fully aware that I had no clue what I was doing. I was probably a bad kisser, but I didn’t care. I might never see him again anyway. After a a few seconds, I started to pull away and his lips curved into a smirk against mine. “This,” He murmured when I released him, “is your grand plan? Revenge through bad kissing?” My cheeks flamed with embarrassment. Arrogant jerk! He didn’t have to say that! “If you’re trying to make someone jealous, you’ll have to do better than that. And I can help you with that.” “What?” I frowned, confused. “Come with me.” He said, entering his jeep while I stood frozen and confused. Until he turned back and gave me a questioning look. “You want revenge on Ryker or not?” I nodded timidly. “Then, hop in.” He said, starting his car as if he didn’t care whether I followed or not. With a sigh, I dragged my feet toward the jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. A tiny voice in my head screamed that this was a terrible idea. But if this was my shot at getting back at Ryker for breaking my heart and humiliating me, I was all in. “Are you always this reckless?” I asked as he drove away from the mansion, his eyes fixed to the road ahead. “You’re the one who kissed a stranger to make someone jealous. Who’s reckless now?” My face flushed. “Touché.” I stayed silent the rest of the ride, trying to make sense of my impulsiveness. A couple of minutes later, we pulled up to a luxurious penthouse and as I stepped out of the car, my eyes widened at the grandeur of the place. The Alpha ranks always had all the luck. “Come with me.” He said, leading me inside. I followed cautiously until we reached his room. It was sleek and modern with dark walls, soft lighting, and a bed that dominated the space with effortless luxury. As we stepped in, the door clicked shut behind me and I spun around, my pulse quickening. Suddenly, it dawned to me that I might have just walked straight into the devil’s den. “Wh…what do you think you’re doing?” I stuttered, backing off from him. But he kept coming close. “Helping you get revenge.” He said casually, unbuttoning his shirt. The fabric slipped to the floor, revealing a body sculpted like it had been carved by the gods. I’m talking defined biceps, a chiseled torso, and muscles that could make anyone weak in the knees. I swallowed hard, my gaze betraying me as it lingered for a moment too long. He noticed, of course and smirked as he stopped just an inch away. His fingers gently cupped my chin, tilting my face up to meet his piercing eyes. “We’ve both had a bad night.” He said in low tone. “And we both have people to pay back. Don’t tell me you’re still worried about that jerk boyfriend of yours.” “I…I…” I stuttered but couldn’t form a word. I understood his point and a small part of me wondered what his own story could be. But I didn’t want to meddle, so I didn’t ask. Instead, I whispered a confession, my eyes now locked to his lips. “I haven’t done it before.” “Don’t worry.” He murmured, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper. His fingers grazed my shoulder, pushing my sleeve aside to expose my bare skin. He pressed his lips there, and my heart skipped a beat. The touch was electrifying, both thrilling and terrifying. “Just follow my lead and be a good girl.” He said, scooping me into his arms effortlessly and carrying me toward the bed like I weighed nothing. I nodded obediently. Fuck, I was about to give my virginity to a total stranger just to avenge my boyfriend. But it shouldn’t matter. This would only be a one time thing and I would never see him again. Right? WRONG.[ Calantha ]THE NEXT DAY "Calantha! Where the hell is that useless slave?!" Mrs. Grant’s sharp voice rang out from outside, her impatient footsteps echoing closer. In the kitchen, I was scrambling to finish washing the dishes while keeping an eye on the food simmering on the stove. My heart raced as I shouted back. “I’m almost done!” I tried to move faster but in my rush, my hand bumped against an expensive ceramic plate. My stomach dropped as I watched it slip off the counter. Instinctively, I focused my mind, and just before it could shatter on the ground, the plate froze midair. Relief washed over me as I carefully picked it up and placed it back on the counter. I quickly returned to my work, pretending nothing had happened. My powers were my deepest secret and to be honest, I didn’t know how it got it either. From a young age, I discovered I could move things with my mind, heal injured animals, and even bring dying plants back to life. But my adoptive parents had warn
[ Calantha ]“You evil wrench!” Isadora’s hand slapped across my cheek, the sting sending me staggering into the kitchen table. Behind her, Mr. and Mrs. Grant stood, their furious eyes as sharp as hers.“You think you can steal the Lycan King from me? You? A worthless, stinking servant?!” She screamed, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking hard. Pain shot through my scalp, and tears burned in my eyes as I cried out.“Please, let me go! It wasn’t my fault!” I sobbed, trying to pry her hands away, but her grip was unrelenting. “Not your fault?” She screeched, leaning in closer. “Then whose fault is it? Huh? Tell me!” Her fingers tugged harder, and for a moment, I thought she might actually rip my hair out. “Mate? Mate?! No one else can be his mate but me! Never!”Then, she shoved me hard and I fell to the floor near her parents’ feet. As I struggled to get up, Mrs. Grant stepped on my hand with her sharp heel, pressing down so hard it felt like she was crushing my bones.“You neve
[ Calantha ]“Go get the head priestess. Tell her we’re here.”Kaiden ordered his guards and they immediately obeyed, disappearing into the head priestess’s house. I stood beside him, my heart pounding as I scanned my eerie surroundings. The air smelled of damp earth and something faintly herbal.A minute later, the guard returned, followed closely by an elderly woman with white long hair, and an air of mystery around her. She was the head priestess. I had only seen her only once or twice at the full moon festival.As soon as she reached us, she bowed deeply before Kaiden.“My King.”“Tara,” Kaiden acknowledged.Tara’s eyes flickered to me for a brief moment before returning to Kaiden. There seemed to be some kind of understanding in her eyes and it made me realize that she was in this plan too.“Let’s begin the mating ritual.” Kaiden said and without any hesitation, Tara turned and led us inside. The small wooden house had a cozy but peculiar atmosphere. Dried herbs hung from the c
[ Kaiden ]As expected, my mother was waiting for me the moment I stepped into the packhouse.Queen Adeline stood in the foyer, pacing back and forth, visibly annoyed and irritated. Despite the anger radiating off her, she looked as composed and regal as always.The second her gaze landed on me, it flickered toward Calantha with nothing but hatred and disgust. The poor girl tensed beside me, visibly shrinking under my mother’s glare.Still, she bowed. “G-Good day, My Queen.”My mother didn’t acknowledge her greeting. Instead, she shifted her burning gaze to me and stormed forward.“Getting mated to a slave girl behind my back? What the hell were you thinking?!”I didn’t reply right away. Instead, I turned toward the head maid standing behind her.“Take the Luna to the room prepared for her.”The head maid obeyed immediately, leading Calantha upstairs. I waited until they disappeared before shifting my attention back to my mother.“A slave girl? Really?!” she snapped, disbelief in her
[ Calantha ]"That's her?""Oh my god, she's not even pretty. What does the Lycan King see in her?""Do you think he was charmed?""This is such a slap to Isadora's face."The whispers flooded into my ears as I walked through the grand hallway of Redwood Elite Academy. I could feel the weight of a hundred eyes piercing through me, judging, mocking and dissecting my very existence.At that moment, I regretted not walking in with Kaiden. Letting him go ahead while I followed later had been a mistake. A big one.At first, I had been excited by the idea of a new school, new beginnings. But that feeling had faded the second I stepped through the academy doors and realized I was the day's spectacle.I kept my head down as I walked, my fingers gripping the strap of my backpack so tightly that my knuckles ached. I wished, desperately, for the ground to split open and swallow me whole.I felt like an imposter. I don’t belong here.And as if the universe had heard my silent misery and decided
CALANTHAHaving grown up unnoticed in the shadows and always in the background, I had never been the center of attention.But now, as I stood frozen, watching Ryker recover from the punch Kaiden had just landed on him, I felt completely exposed. Every eye was on me, and I wished I could disappear into the ground.“Fuck!” Ryker hissed, steadying himself while wiping the blood from his lips. Kaiden stared at him with those cold, piercing turquoise eyes, unmoving and intimidating.At first, Ryker looked furious and ready to retaliate, until he realized it was Kaiden who had hit him. His expression shifted, and fear mixed with the anger in his eyes. He clenched his jaw, hesitated, then lowered his head slightly in submission before straightening again.“What right do you have to lay your filthy hands on the Luna?” Kaiden’s voice was sharp and icy, his eyes never leaving Ryker.I felt my heart pound at the weight of the moment, aware of the crowd still watching.Ryker let out a short, hum
KAIDENThe council meeting happened later than I expected. With the way the pack had been in chaos since I took a slave as my mate, I thought they would have called for this meeting much sooner.But anyway, here we were, gathered in my throne room. I sat on my throne, with my beta; Bradley, standing beside me.“My King,” Elder Josef spoke up first. “You are the Lycan King, and your word is final. But that doesn’t change the fact that taking a slave as your mate may be a mistake…”I cut him off, my cold gaze locking onto him. “Are you saying I made a mistake? That I don’t know how to make the right decision?”Elder Josef’s eyes widened in panic, and he quickly shook his head. “N-no, My King. That’s not what I meant…”“My King,” Elder Kane interjected, rising from his seat. “I believe what Elder Josef is trying to say is that your decision goes against the agreement your father —the late Lycan King— made with Timothy Grant when you and Isadora Grant were born. By mating with the slave
THAT SAME DAYAT ALPHA SLADE’S PACKHOUSEElder Kane stepped into Alpha Slade’s packhouse, his face drawn with frustration. Timothy Grant was already seated at the long wooden dining table, rose up the moment he saw Elder Kane and extended his hand. Just like Elder Kane, he had a grave look on his face. “Elder Kane.”“Mr. Grant.” Elder Kane shook his hand firmly before taking a seat alongside Timothy Grant. His eyes flickered around the room, searching for any sign of Alpha Slade.“He’ll be joining us shortly,” Mr. Grant said, as if reading his thoughts. Then, his tone turned expectant. “How did the council meeting go today? Any good news?”Elder Kane let out a slow, measured breath before shaking his head. His stiff posture and the tension in his jaw said it all.“The Lycan King is as stubborn as ever,” he muttered, his nostrils flaring. “Once he makes up his mind, no one can change it. Not the council. Not his advisors. No one.” There was barely disguised bitterness in his tone as
KAIDENAs my car rolled to a stop in the packhouse parking lot, I let out a deep sigh. Just being here made my chest feel heavier. The weight of pack duties, my mother’s constant pressure, her annoying obsession with picking a concubine for me,…. it was all waiting for me inside.And the one person who made it all feel bearable wasn’t even here anymore.The thought of her hit me again. That sharp ache in my chest showed up just like it always did every time I thought about her since she left.My mind drifted back to earlier today, at the academy’s sport field. I could still see her standing there, those big angry olive green eyes locked on mine. She throwing my necklace back at me as her words cut me deep.At first, when she had confronted me, I had been so shocked that I couldn’t speak. Immediately, I figured she had just found out about the concubine situation. And for the first time in a long while, I felt powerless and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t chase after her. I wanted to
CALANTHAI wiped at my tears as I hurried back inside the school building, quietly sobbing. Thank the gods, the hallways were empty because everyone was still out on the field. At least no one would see me like this, looking broken and miserable.I headed toward the hallway where the lockers were. I needed to grab one of my face wipes and clean my face before the dried-up tears made me look like a mess.I froze as I heard voices echoed from around the corner, and I slowed down, moving closer to the wall. Peeking out carefully, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was Eloise and Cross.They were standing near the lockers, facing each other, and it looked like things were getting tense. Not scary enough for me to jump in just yet, but definitely not the kind of conversation you wanted to interrupt either. Still, I kept my eyes on them, just in case things went south. From what I have learned, Cross wasn’t exactly someone you could trust.“I told you to stop coming around me! Why t
CALANTHA Alright… here goes nothing. I stepped onto the track with the rest of the girls, trying not to look like I was already dreading what was about to happen. From the far end, I saw Nyx flash me a thumbs-up with a quick smile. I returned the gesture, even though we both knew it was pointless. There was absolutely no way I was making it through this race. “You’ve got this, besties!” Eloise called from the sidelines, clapping like the proud cheerleader she was. Then the starting gun went off. Before I could even blink twice, most of the girls had dashed ahead while I was still trying to figure out how to move my legs fast enough without tripping over them. Even Nyx was ahead of me athough judging by how others passed her too, I figured we were both pretty hopeless. “Come on, Cal!” she called over her shoulder before focusing back on the track and picking up speed like her life depended on it. Meanwhile, I felt like I was jogging more than running. My lungs were already com
CALANTHAToday marked the official start of the Wolfville Blood Games trials. Because of that, our school schedule was split in two. Mornings were for regular classes, and the afternoons were reserved for tournament activities.As soon as the second half of the day arrived, we were told to change into our sportswear and head straight to the school field. Honestly, I didn’t want to be here. I had no interest in joining the tournament, but I had no choice. It was mandatory for everyone between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four to participate in the trials. I didn’t complain though, because I already knew I wouldn’t make it past the first round.While the P.E. teachers guided us through warm-ups, I stretched my arms and casually looked around. That was when my eyes landed on Kaiden.He was stretching a few feet away, and for a second, I felt everything around me pause.The early afternoon sun lit up his dark coffee-brown hair, making it shine a little. His strong muscles shifted und
LYSANDRA“Welcome back, Miss.” Gia greeted with her usual warm smile as she helped me take off my backpack.“How was school today?”“Boring, like always.” I sighed, letting her take the bag from my shoulder.Gia had been my personal maid since she was eight, and over the years, we had grown close. More like best friends than anything else. But she never dropped the formal tone. Maybe it was because my mother never liked it when she did. Even when we were little, one disapproving look from my mother was enough to keep Gia in line.“You know,” Gia said with a soft laugh as we walked through the entrance of the mansion, “most top students love school. But you? You're a mystery.”I gave her a small smile. “I know, right?”But the truth was, my grades weren’t really for me. They were for my mother. I worked hard, stayed on top, played the perfect daughter just so she would look at me with even a hint of approval. That was the way I had lived my life.As we reached the foyer, I saw my moth
KAIDEN“Ivy has been the top student in our pack’s academy since she was a child,” Councilman Leonard said proudly. “She even started her own charity to support the less privileged in our pack. She’s quiet, loves her books, and always keeps to herself.”“Really?” My mother let out a soft laugh at his words. “Then she truly sounds like the perfect match for my son.”As they went on talking about the idea of Ivy being the best concubine candidate for me, I kept eating my food silently, not bothering to join their conversation.We were all seated around the dining table—my mother, Councilman Leonard, Ivy, and me. I noticed Ivy sneaking shy glances at me while she quietly ate her food, but I didn’t look back at her. The only time I had actually looked at her was when she first walked in with her father.She was beautiful, no doubt. Tall, slender, with curly blonde hair. But nothing about her stood out to me. Not the way Calantha had.And that frustrated me.No matter how much I tried to m
CALANTHAEloise and Nyx honestly felt like gifts from the gods. With them around, I barely had time to feel sad or think too much about Kaiden. We had a cozy movie night, played silly games, went shopping, and even stopped by the amusement park on our way back. Before I knew it, I was laughing again. And for the first time in a while, I let myself enjoy the moment, pushing all the pain and heartbreak to the back of my mind.Before long, Monday arrived. Since both Eloise and Nyx were still staying over at my place, we decided to go to the academy together. Eloise drove, blasting loud music from her car speakers while Nyx and I sang along at the top of our lungs, laughing like kids.When we reached the academy, the hallway was packed. Students stood in big groups, all crowding around one side of the wall. Everyone seemed excited, trying to catch a glimpse of something.“What do you think it is?” Nyx asked, her eyes scanning the crowd around us. We heard a group of girls squealing in e
CALANTHAThe weekend came and it sucked. I was lying on the couch, surrounded by junk food wrappers, eating popcorn straight from the bucket, and staring blankly at the ceiling. I had been bingeing on snacks and doing absolutely nothing for the past few days, stuck in a haze of sadness and confusion. Somewhere in my head, I knew I should probably get up and do something useful, but I just couldn’t.I told myself it was post-breakup depression. Even though Kaiden and I weren’t exactly real mates, the pain still felt real. Maybe that was what made it worse. Falling so hard for someone who never truly claimed me. Pathetic, isn’t it?It still didn’t stop the sudden bursts of tears or those awful waves of emotion every time I thought about him. I couldn’t believe he actually let me go so easily, like I meant nothing.And just as I was spiraling again, my phone buzzed beside me. I grabbed it half-heartedly, expecting a random notification, but it was a message from our friendship group
KAIDEN“Just like you asked, I’ve assigned two private security officers to watch over the Luna from a distance,” Bradley reported, standing in front of the dining table where I sat, slowly picking at my food. “They’re highly trained, professional, and personally recommended by Hana.”I didn’t respond right away as I continued to eat. The food tasted like nothing. I was only eating to keep my strength up after my beast had left me completely drained.“Make it five.” I said flatly, still chewing slowly, eyes on my plate. I didn’t bother looking up at him.“Understood, my King. I’ll take care of it.” Bradley replied, bowing slightly.I finally leaned back from the table and gave a small signal. The servants standing by moved quickly to clear the dishes. Bradley’s eyes followed them, then turned back to me with concern.“But… you barely touched your meal, my King.” He said carefully.“I’m full.” I muttered, wiping the corners of my mouth with a napkin.He didn’t leave. Instead, he stood