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
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
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
[ 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 vibe
[ 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
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
CALANTHA Bradley drove me, Nyx, and Eloise to the new apartment he had found for me. It was in a tall, high-end building, modern and luxurious. Just like he promised, the place was beautiful. It was spacious and elegant, with a huge floor-to-ceiling window that felt like a wall of glass, looking out over the entire pack.It was perfect. But the ache in my chest wouldn’t let me enjoy it.Together, Bradley and the girls helped me set up the place. We didn’t go overboard. Just the basics: a couch, a center table with a rug, some wall art, a few plants. It was simple, but cozy.By the time we were done, it was almost noon. Bradley offered to drop the girls off before heading back to the packhouse. Before she left, Eloise handed me the emergency pill we had talked about earlier.“Take it right away,” she said, placing the sealed packet in my hand. “If more than 72 hours pass, there’s a risk you could get pregnant.”“Thanks, El.” I whispered, pulling her into a grateful hug. All three of
CALANTHA“You two know each other?” I asked, zipping up my bag and glancing at them.“Uh… yeah,” Eloise replied, her voice soft and a little breathy. The smile on her face hadn’t faded, and her eyes were still on Bradley. “We met at the ball the other night. He was… aggressively flirting with the balcony railing.”Bradley chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You didn’t have to call me out like that.”They both laughed quietly while Nyx and I exchanged a glance. Nyx narrowed her eyes, studying them.“Wait… are you two crushing on each other?” She asked, tilting her head to look at them more intently.That made me laugh, for real this time. A small, honest laugh that felt like a tiny break from the sadness weighing me down.“Oh, Nyx, you’re faster than your own shadow,” I said, shaking my head. “But it wouldn’t work. Bradley’s dating the Gamma.”Nyx blinked. “Oh.”Eloise’s smile faltered a little, her lips pressing into a flat line. I noticed the flicker of something in her eyes th
CALANTHA“That’s just cruel! I can’t believe Kaiden actually did that to you!” Eloise burst out, standing up from my bed, clearly furious. She and Nyx had rushed over as soon as I texted them early this morning. I told them Kaiden wanted me out of the packhouse first thing today.I hadn’t slept at all last night. All I did was cry, my hands clutching my chest like I was trying to hold my heart together. The pain was sharp and deep. Nothing like what I felt when Ryker broke my heart. I thought that had been the worst pain I had ever felt. But that was nothing compared to this.This… was real heartbreak. And even now, as the morning light poured through the window, it still felt like I couldn’t breathe.While the girls helped me fold and pack my clothes into my suitcase, I told them everything. Every single detail about what happened between Kaiden and me last night. Even the truth behind our fake mating. Eloise was pacing now, shaking her head and mumbling under her breath. Nyx sat o
KAIDENIf it weren’t for the way I could still feel her wrapped around me —warm, wet, and pulsing, I would have thought this was just a dream. Something my mind made up. Because this wasn’t supposed to happen. This was never supposed to happen.And yet, there she was. Still hovering over me, breathing hard, her breasts rising and falling with each breath. Her eyes looked down at me; bold, stubborn, and maybe just a little scared. And it was in that moment, that everything sank in.I had just been played.This was all planned from the beginning. Everything. Her walking into my room in the middle of the night, sleeping in my bed, touching me, kissing me, pressing her body against mine. It was all part of her plan. She knew I wouldn’t be able to resist her. She knew what she was doing.And now, she had exactly what she came for.My seeds inside of her.My entire chest tightened like someone had gripped it with a fist. The shock turned into anger. Burning, violent anger that shot through