KAEL. “If you press a fucking alarm, you will surely not like what I’m going to do with you.”“This is harassment, sir.”“No. This is frustration, sir! I want my ring back. My wife is missing. She has that ring, and I want to know who sold it here!” I snapped at him.He swallowed. “Do you have a wife?” I asked him. He nodded. “Do you love her?” He nodded again.“I have a wife, too. I want her back, but I don’t know where to start.” I put my hand in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I opened it and took out stacks of bills, placing them on the counter in front of him. “Now, I just want to see the CCTV of the person who left this ring. And who bought it. Also the buyer’s information on when he will come to pick it up. I meant no harm. I want to know so I can buy it from him.” I was talking calmly this time. He didn’t talk, but his eyes were on the cash in front of him. “You can buy many things with that money. Buy something for your wife or kids if you have any. I’m not e
ADESSA.My hands were trembling, and I knew I couldn’t drive further. I had been in this car for the last four hours, driving slowly and carefully to make sure I would never hit anyone or anything. Thankfully, no one was following me, or I would easily get caught. I didn’t like driving. But I had no choice. I had to get away before someone found the bodies of the men I killed. I turned off the engine and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. I had no idea where to go.I ended up in Bayson Bay, a human territory. Although humans were very much aware of the existence of shifters like me, we continued to live in harmony. But for their safety, they seldom travel or stay in shifters’ territory, but we were often found in theirs. So, I knew I could thrive well in this place. The problem was, I had to hide my identity, and this place being near Kael and Draco’s pack, I would easily be caught here. I needed to go further. I wasn’t even sure if the men I killed were just ordinary
ADESSA.“Where will you find a couple of thousand to pay it back?” I let out a sigh, and my shoulders slumped. “I’ll think of something.”“We don’t take jewelry here. We have a pawnshop on the other side of the city.”“Do you think you can ask your boss to make an exception? I don’t have enough money to get to the end of the city. Please.”She looked at me, and we stared at each other for a while before she took a deep breath. “I’m the manager here. I can make an exception, but are you sure you’ll return for this? I also have to put an interest on the amount you will loan.”I nodded. “I will come back. I don’t want to lose that either.”“Fine. Let me check this first and label it. Sit there.”I nodded and went to the nearby couch to wait. I had no idea how long I waited. When she came back, she handed me two thousand, two hundred dollars. She informed me that the listed amount was two thousand. Her eyes told me not to question anymore, but I wanted to assume the extra two hundred came
MIRANDA.Even before I found out Dexter was my mate, I was already attracted to him. But he was just a Beta, and I dreamed of bigger things. I wanted to be a Luna.Dexter was smart enough not to tell anyone that I was his mate until we were able to find time to talk. Since Khalid and I were not fated mates, even if in the end he marked me, he was not able to feel my infidelity. The same way Dexter never felt anything whenever I had sex with Khalid. Only fated mates who marked each other could feel their mate’s infidelity. Without the bond sealed by marking, everyone was free to fuck around. So I fucked around behind my husband’s back. Sex with Dexter was explosive. From the get-go, I knew I wanted him, but I also wanted this pack. So there was no way I was leaving Khalid for him. I did my best to make him understand. I swayed him to continue with our pretension that we had nothing while formulating a plan together. Besides, Dexter didn’t want to step down from his position. Like
KAEL. I played the video I got from the jewelry shop on my TV and watched it repeatedly, trying to make sense of her actions. She received a small amount of money. I could tell by the number of bills she had received. Was she stupid enough to believe the ring had no value?I also noticed she was trembling when she entered the shop. It was not a clear video, but I could tell by the way she hugged herself and shook her hands. Her demeanor was too different from that of confident Adessa, who had signed our divorce papers. She looked lost in that video. As if she was afraid of something or someone. “Fuck!” My hands rose to my head, and I gripped my hair tightly. I shouldn’t worry about her and just focus on getting the ring back.Right. She was moving on. I must do the same. I shut off the TV and threw the remote control on the couch nearby before turning off the bedlamp.I forced myself to sleep, but sleep seemed to be impossible at the moment because of the many thoughts running th
KAEL. I woke up early today, ready to drive to Bayson Bay to meet up with the buyer of Adessa’s ring. I hope he wouldn’t make it hard for me, as I am willing to pay a hefty sum of money to get it back.After that, I also planned to drive around the area to check if she was there. Not for anything but to make sure she was safe and okay. The entire week, I made time to watch all the videos on my phone and read all the notes that I found inside my wallet. They were small pieces of paper that were tucked in between my cards. They all came from her, and I kept them. Nothing much was written there but just her wishing me a good day or telling me that she was excited and looking forward to our date nights.But there was no I love you, or I miss you—a clear indication that what we had was not born out of love. But I could feel her excitement.And we do have date nights. The Adessa I could picture while reading the notes and the Adessa that giggles in every video I took of her was too differ
ADESSA.I’d been staring at the clock the whole morning, and by lunchtime, I finally decided I couldn’t just sit still and wait for Corrine to come home. I wanted to see Kael, even if only for a moment and from a distance.I put on black jeans and a black hoodie before leaving the apartment and walking toward the commercial area. Corrine’s home was just three blocks away, so I didn’t need to take a bus or a cab to get there.It should be an easy walk, but I had to keep my guard up all the time. I didn’t want him or any of Alpha Draco’s men to see me if they were looking for me. I honestly have no idea if Kael knew I was sold to Alpha Draco. If I based it on what Corrine told me last night that Kael was looking for me, it seemed he didn’t know. But then a part of me thought that maybe he was just faking his statement so he could buy the ring back.I still remember the way he treated me after he woke up and how he dismissed my feelings by letting Desiree crawl all over him while I was
KAEL.When we arrived at the shop, the ring was still on display. I expected them to tell me to wait until the buyer showed himself, which I hated. I was never the one with the patience to wait, but I had no choice. But then, waiting never happened. The store manager was there; I was sure she was the female in the video with Adessa. “Alpha Kael…” she greeted me as she approached. The man I spoke with, Philip, just told me the buyer hadn’t shown up yet.“You know me,” I told her.“Of course,” she smiled as she bowed her head at me, and I returned her nod. “Everyone around here knows you.”I just shrugged my shoulders. We used to own the building in this block and the other side before Dad sold them because Miranda insisted it was too far to manage. “My name is Corrine. I’m the manager here. I was told that you’re interested in that ring, " she said, pointing to the display case on the other side. I nodded my head. “I am.” “Oh, it’s a good choice. It’s beautiful.” She smiled broadl
ADESSA.“There she is.” I heard a voice, and my head snapped to look where the sound came from. I found myself face-to-face with four men around a conference table. Even though they were sitting, they all looked tall. They must be taller than Esriel, who was already six feet and two inches in height. “One would have thought she was tall. Did we have a sister for a midget?”My eyes widened. Midget? I was around five feet and four inches. I wasn’t short. They were just giants. I thought they were seriously judging me when I realized they were all smiling. “I would rather have a midget than a giant for a sister,” Esriel said as he stood beside me. They all chuckled, and if these four men, who must be aging from their late twenties to late thirties, were the princes, they didn’t look like one except for the formal vests they were wearing. The way they were snickering reminded me of the boys of the little rascals. “Hi…” That was all I could say as my eyes shifted between them.They imm
ADESSA. “Do you think I will just get my details from another’s mouth without any proof? Don’t you think I’m not capable of getting credible information?” The King asked, and his voice was back to being cold again. “I’m not challenging your resources, Father, but I know my husband. I know what we went through and why we ended up here.”“Do you really know your ex-husband, Adessa?”I was confident when I started talking about Kael, but the way he was delivering his words made me question whether I really knew Kael. Was one year enough to know him? But even if there was doubt in me, I did my best not to let it show. “Nothing anyone can say can make me see him in a different light.”“You are blinded by what you feel about him.”I swallowed hard, but I kept my gaze on him. I was torn between challenging him more and allowing him to speak his mind. “Let’s move to my office. Your other brothers are waiting for us there.” He stood up from his chair, and I immediately moved to block his w
ADESSA.Danielle helped take my clothes off, but I told her I wanted to shower alone. I wished I didn’t. I wished I had let her help me with my bath because she was gone the moment I stepped out of my bathroom. Another handmaid was waiting for me. Aileen informed me that she would be assisting me moving forward. I knew right then and there that Danielle was in trouble. I might get away from the King’s anger, but not her, and it was all my fault. I maintained my composure while Aileen assisted me in putting on a new gown, even if I was worried. She offered to braid my hair, but I refused and let it down. And even if she wasn’t in agreement, I left the run in a hurry. I wanted to find Danielle to make sure she was okay. My feet led me to one of the Palace Salons, where I was told the King was. Either he left the banquet early, or the breakfast had been concluded. But it didn’t matter anymore, as Kael was no longer there, and I had to make sure Danielle would not be punished.Aile
ADESSA.“We need to go, my lady,” Danielle said the moment she was done rubbing off the oil on me.“Okay,” I replied, but my eyes were on Kael, who was biting his bottom lip but not saying anything. “I will just turn around if you want to say goodbye to each other.” Like she said, Danielle moved toward the door and turned to face it. Kael went to me and cupped my face, kissing me briefly before talking. “I won’t come back to the breakfast hall.” My eyes watered as I nodded my head.“In case the King noticed we were both gone. I also have to leave the palace vicinity soon.” He added as his knuckles brushed my cheeks. “Be careful.” I was struggling not to cry, but I wasn’t successful. Just the thought of him being away from me was crushing my heart.“I will. Please don’t cry. You have to be strong without me. And use your heat to protect yourself.” He whispered the last part in my ear before he kissed my cheek. “I will come back for you.”“Sir…” Danielle spoke, and our heads turned
ADESSA.As much as I wanted to stay in Kael’s arms longer, we didn’t have the luxury of time. I wanted to run away with him, but what kind of life would we have after that? Although the stupid Royal Game is in the way of us being together, being a royal was also my only chance of being free from the crime I committed. I was holding on to the hope that somehow I could convince the King to change his mind and let me choose who I wanted to be with. Maybe if I told him Kael and I had no plans of being the King and Queen of Absalom, he would just let the idea go. Besides, with five princes, what are the chances of us being crowned as ruler of Absalom? So, this Royal Game was obviously a waste of resources and time. I looked at Kael, wiping the wetness between my legs and making sure none of his cum was running down my thighs while I continued to hold the hem of my gown’s skirt. “I don’t think I can remove my smell on you.” He stood up and threw the toilet paper in the nearby bin befor
KAEL.Keeping a low profile was never a problem for me. I could keep myself quiet for a long time, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off Adessa from the moment she appeared at the banquet.Even before, she was already beautiful. But seeing her in a beautiful gown and all this luxury around her made her shine even more. She was really fit to be a princess. To be honest, I felt little—too little compared to her. I was starting to think I didn’t deserve her, especially after everything I did to her. But the moment our eyes locked and she returned the smile I gave her, hope rose in my chest. Maybe she still wanted me. And with each minute that passed by, my hopes kept getting higher. I didn’t take my eyes off her, so I caught her every time she looked at me while seated at the head table and eating breakfast. She was more than ten meters away from me, but I could see her lips twitching into a smile whenever we locked eyes, even if she placed something in her mouth. I counted the times she lo
ADESSA.I was acting calm compared to the turmoil within me. Everything the King told me led to one thing: I had no freedom to choose who I would end up with. He was implying I should give up Kael and accept whoever ended up as my future husband. I had told him I had been married and that I was no longer pure. He said it didn’t matter anymore. He was sure everyone wanted to have the possibility of ruling Absalom. I felt like I was just a tool for Absalom. I wanted to tell him I didn’t care about his kingdom. I only wanted my husband.But how ironic my life had turned out. What was happening was exactly how my life started with Kael. I was also just a tool to save him—his ego and his heart—from being broken by Desiree. Only this time, I had no idea who I would be marrying. And at least with Kael, he asked me if I wanted to. I was not forced into marriage with him. My eyes stung as I tried to keep from tearing up as we walked down toward the hall where the breakfast banquet was. I co
ADESSA.“This is your room from now on, Adessa.” The King’s voice came from behind me.I slowly turned around to curtsy before him. “Good morning, Father.” I almost said, “My King,” and I was glad I was able to catch myself as I wanted to make a good impression.He nodded but remained in his spot while I continued to smile warmly at him. “This room is for me?” I asked.“Yes.” He replied before he motioned with one hand. “Come here.”One man approached him and handed him a beautiful crown encrusted with clusters of small gemstones. It was sparkling, and just looking at it made my heart thud loudly.“This is a ceremony that should be witnessed by our people, but allow me to be selfish and have this moment alone with you. I will give you a grand coronation the moment you settle with a mate.” I bit my bottom lip. I almost got teary-eyed with his words, but the last part made me worry again.“Kneel down, Princess Adessa. Remember that the only time you will kneel before me is whenever I
ADESSA.I was not able to sleep at all last night. After Father left my room, I asked Danielle about the Royal Games. She confessed to me she didn’t know the full extent of the event and that what she knew was just hearsay or stories passed on. The Royal Games were not practiced for many decades because no princess had been born in the Royal Family for a long time.And it seemed the King was reviving the tradition because of my existence. Danielle told me what she knew about the game—it was open only for unmated Alphas, regardless of age. Unmated Alphas were those who were never married, as well as widowed or divorced. They were not only open for Alphas of this continent but also extended to other continents. All the while she was talking, I did my best to keep up a brave front, listening and trying to get all the details as possible, even if everything she said kept breaking my heart. I knew Kael loved me, and I was confident he would make an effort, but what if they didn’t le