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ADESSA.“His second in command, Beta Landon Crawford of the IronCrest Pack.” The speaker continued, and I was left stunned.I was not able to stop my eyes from growing bigger this time, and Kael had seen that. A smirk tugged on his mouth as he stopped on the spot where he was to wait for his Beta. As soon as Landon was just a few feet from him, he began walking again while I was still trying to make sense of everything. Did Kael realize Dexter hated me? That taking him meant he would jeopardize him from winning? How was he able to fix everything in just a few days? Did he fly home to fix this and fly back here? How did he complete the registration for the games if he had been traveling? But how was he able to make Landon his Beta if he wasn’t home?There were too many questions in my head, and I knew I would never get an answer. But it certainly didn’t matter anymore. He was here, and Landon was acknowledged as his Beta. If there was anyone I could trust besides Kael, it was this m
KAEL. “Kingdom of Absalom, welcome! Let the Royal Games begin!” The King’s voice roared around the arena, and the crowd applauded while goosebumps rose from my skin. This was it. There was no turning back.Never did I imagine I would be part of something I only read about while I was studying at the Alpha University. The other Alphas and I used to joke about this game. We wondered what the men had faced in the challenges and if they made it out alive. No one knew. As to what we’ve learned, they were not allowed to discuss it outside after the game was over.So, we joked about dragons and orcs and laughed about how we would decapitate their heads if we were there.But they didn’t look funny anymore. This was real life, and I had no idea what awaited me inside.All I knew was that we were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that none of the things that would transpire inside should be made public and a waiver that we entered of our own accord, knowing the possibilities of
ADESSA.I should have known better that nothing good lasts forever. Especially for someone like me—a lowly, orphaned Omega. The last year has been so perfect that I thought I had finally found my place in this world—right in the arms of my mate, Alpha Kael. Fated mates are a rarity, and for a wolfless Omega like me, the chances are, I would never find my fated mate. Without a mate destined for me, I thought I was bound to walk this earth alone. Because I was sure no one would take a chance on me.But then I met Alpha Kael, and on that same day, he offered me a contract to be his Luna—to save his pride and his name from the betrayal of his fiancee, Desiree.I had just turned eighteen and was legally allowed to marry while the Alpha was already twenty-seven years old. Everyone around him was pushing him to settle down. He had already proposed to Desiree, but it turned out she had been cheating on him for a long time.He caught her in bed with another man when she said she was out on
ADESSA.“The Alpha woke up!” Dexter, Kael’s Beta, yelled from the living room. My body went rigid as the words slowly sank in. I immediately left the housemaid I was speaking to in the kitchen and rushed to our bedroom. Kael, my mate, had a car accident a month ago and went into a coma. His condition was getting better, and recently, he began falling in and out of consciousness. He would wake up for a few minutes and stare blankly. He wouldn’t speak, or he wouldn’t even look at anyone. And then he would fall into a deep sleep again. I continued with my routine to keep the household going while his Beta and Delta were doing their best to run the pack. But since I was the Luna, all the final decisions were up to me. I kept a brave face to everyone, but in the silence of our room at night, I would cry myself to sleep. I missed him and the security of his presence.I wanted him back.I haven’t given up hope that one day he will wake up and everything will be back to normal.It seemed t
ADESSA. The whole day went by in a blur. People came and went. Everyone was fussing over Kael. I had attempted to reach out to him, but Miranda blocked me all the time. There was a time when I screamed at her out of frustration, and it was the scene Kael accidentally witnessed. Of course, he didn’t like it. So, instead of letting me speak with him, he took his stepmother, who kept pretending I was the mean one, and they left the house. I had no idea where they went, and no matter who I asked around, no one could tell me. So I didn’t get any sleep at all. I watched the clock tick, and the moment it hit six in the morning, I was already up and began managing the housemaids in the kitchen, hoping Kael would be back for breakfast.Breakfast came and went, and there was still no sign of him. After eating, I went to my office and called the central hall to check if he went there, as he would usually do during work days. But he didn’t. They were actually surprised to find out he had woke
ADESSA.“So, you want a divorce,” I stated. I was trying my best to keep my voice from breaking.“Adessa, I have a fiancée.” He said in a calm tone.“You had a fiancée a year ago, but you have a wife now.” “I can’t remember anything about you, and I am sure it is Desiree that I want, not anyone else.”“Did you forget what she did to you?” I asked. Instead of answering my question, he threw one back to me. “Tell me, did I love you? Are we together because we are in love?”I swallowed. I could lie and tell him we were, but lying was not part of our relationship. We had always been honest with each other. “No,” I answered, keeping my head high. “Thank you for your honesty. So are we together for convenience? Or what? But it doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever reason brought us into this marriage, let’s forget about it. I want a divorce, Adessa. I never wanted to marry anyone I didn’t love. It was not how I grew up. I had always envisioned Desiree as my Luna.”His words were too painful
ADESSA.I went to my office after I signed our divorce paper. I knew I should go, but I had many things in my hand that I didn’t want to leave without giving instructions about them.I took my time to write the next step and the necessary confirmations for each matter I personally handled while he was in a coma. I knew I could tell him directly, but I didn’t want to see him anymore. I spent my whole day in my office, just waiting for someone to kick me out of the house, but it never came. So I also took the chance to make some calls to find a small apartment where I could go after I left this house.Kael didn’t say anything about when I should go, but I was planning to stay at least until tonight and leave before dawn. I didn’t want anyone to see me leaving. Fortunately, no one disturbed me in my office. It was already nine o’clock in the evening when I finished all of the things I had prepared for him and his pack. I didn’t have lunch and dinner, and by the time I was already in b
ADESSA.I was staring at the ceiling, even if I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. Kael was snoring beside me. It was louder than usual, probably because he was too drunk.I knew I should get up and leave his bed because he might not like it if he saw me beside him. However, a part of me wanted to stay because what happened between us gave me hope.He couldn’t remember me, but his body surely knew how to move against mine.Kael would always start slowly and carefully in our lovemaking. Then, he would amp up his pace and take me wildly. He knew all the right places to touch me, and he knew all the right words to say to make me whimper in ecstasy. And he did all of that tonight. I think I should stay and sleep beside him. I couldn’t wipe the smile on my face even after I closed my eyes and hugged him tightly. He purred softly before he turned to his side, facing me and wrapping his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin as he would usually do. It had been too long since he
KAEL. “Kingdom of Absalom, welcome! Let the Royal Games begin!” The King’s voice roared around the arena, and the crowd applauded while goosebumps rose from my skin. This was it. There was no turning back.Never did I imagine I would be part of something I only read about while I was studying at the Alpha University. The other Alphas and I used to joke about this game. We wondered what the men had faced in the challenges and if they made it out alive. No one knew. As to what we’ve learned, they were not allowed to discuss it outside after the game was over.So, we joked about dragons and orcs and laughed about how we would decapitate their heads if we were there.But they didn’t look funny anymore. This was real life, and I had no idea what awaited me inside.All I knew was that we were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that none of the things that would transpire inside should be made public and a waiver that we entered of our own accord, knowing the possibilities of
ADESSA.“His second in command, Beta Landon Crawford of the IronCrest Pack.” The speaker continued, and I was left stunned.I was not able to stop my eyes from growing bigger this time, and Kael had seen that. A smirk tugged on his mouth as he stopped on the spot where he was to wait for his Beta. As soon as Landon was just a few feet from him, he began walking again while I was still trying to make sense of everything. Did Kael realize Dexter hated me? That taking him meant he would jeopardize him from winning? How was he able to fix everything in just a few days? Did he fly home to fix this and fly back here? How did he complete the registration for the games if he had been traveling? But how was he able to make Landon his Beta if he wasn’t home?There were too many questions in my head, and I knew I would never get an answer. But it certainly didn’t matter anymore. He was here, and Landon was acknowledged as his Beta. If there was anyone I could trust besides Kael, it was this m
ADESSA.Draco was kneeling before my father and me, while Beta Roman was on his left. Their heads were bowing down as if they were honorable knights. I heard him and his Beta acknowledge us, but I refused to respond to them.“Adessa, bestow him the pin of honor,” Father said in a low voice. My gaze tilted down, but I refused to budge.“Do you want to stay here longer than you should?” Father’s voice was calm, but I could feel the storm within.With a face devoid of any emotion, I turned to my right and took the pin handed to me by a consort. I pinned it on his shoulder without making any noise.“The code of blessing, Princess Adessa.” The consort beside me murmured, reminding me of what I was instructed to do and say for the ceremony.“I will never bless you, Alpha Draco. May you never make it to the end of the game.” I said in a voice just enough for us to hear, and I could tell my father was struggling not to lash out at me. But before anyone could force me to do my role, he had a
ADESSA. I had no idea what to feel once the result of my pregnancy came out. Negative. A part of me was grieving because Kael and I wanted to have a child, and another part was relieved that no other person I loved would be pushed into this messy life I had. But aside from that, nothing had changed.I threw all my doubts about Kael. Danielle was right. There are people worth taking risks for, and I would risk it all for Kael.If he turned out to be the bad man in the end, at least I had no one to blame but myself. Rather than turning my back on him and finding out they were all wrong about him.He might not be my husband anymore, but I remembered the vows I made to him in that car—for richer and for poorer, in sickness and health—I promised to honor and cherish him. I planned to keep the end of my vow, even if I didn’t have the ring anymore that we had that day, as I had taken it off and left it in the car when we attended the Moonlight Ball. I’d been longing to see Kael. The days
ADESSA. I whimpered softly before fluttering my lashes. The bright lights blinded me for a millisecond before I was able to open my eyes completely and found everyone staring at me—as if I were a subject on a petri dish. “Am I dead?” I asked. “Adessa!” The king hissed, and I closed my eyes immediately.“I’m sorry, Father. I just…”“Enough. We will talk about that in private. You need to be checked first.”I just nodded my head before opening my eyes. They assisted me into a sitting position before they checked my vitals. After a while, the physician said nothing was wrong, and it could only be pointed to exhaustion. He then asked the King if he wanted him to do sets of tests to check further.Even before he could answer, I had already blurted out my own question. “Can you check if I’m pregnant?”I knew I was being bold, but the earlier I could find out, the earlier I could plead to stop the Royal Games. “Do you think you are?” The King’s jaw tightened as he asked.“I’m already del
DANIELLE. Prince Esriel was approaching. As much as I wanted to walk away and pretend I didn’t see him, I couldn’t. I had my responsibilities as Princess Adessa’s handmaid and as a palace worker. So, I turned my body around and bowed my head in his direction. “What’s happening here?” he asked once he stopped before me and the guard outside the room. I tilted my head up and met his piercing gaze before replying. “The princess fainted your Royal Highness. I already requested for the family physician to come here.” He didn’t say anything and opened the door, stepping inside the princess’s suite, so I had no choice but to follow him.I walked faster than him, leading him to her bedroom. “She still hasn’t woken up.” I immediately checked her pulse and if she was breathing. “Do you mind helping me to position her correctly, sir? I can try carrying her, but I don’t want to hurt…”“Cut with the Sir crap, Dani.” He interrupted me, and then he chuckled. He walked toward the bed, and I cou
ADESSA.I made it back to my chamber and found Danielle there. She ushered me in and locked the main bedroom before guiding me to sit on the bed. “Are you okay, my lady?” She asked, and I could tell she was worrying about me, even if she knew she was in a greater mess than I was. “No,” I replied, letting out a big sigh. “I’m sorry that you don’t feel good, but I have to say this first because they can take me away from you any moment now.”“I won’t let that happen.”“Don’t worry about me, but listen, Princess Adessa. Under this mattress is my phone. It is safer here than in mine if they ever search my room for anything.”I nodded before I threw my arms to hug her. “I’m sorry I put you in trouble.”She rubbed my back and pulled away from my hug. “It’s okay. I want to help as much as I can.”“Did he message already?”“Not yet, when I placed it there a few minutes ago.” She replied. “He must not have the chance to do it yet.”“Do you think he loves me and not just because I’m a princes
ADESSA.“Did the accident really happen? Did he lose his memory, or was that an act to force divorce on you because he no longer wanted you?” Father asked all this in one breath. “But he changed his mind when he found out you could be of Royal blood.”“He had an accident! If you researched him, then it should be here!” My voice was higher, and my hand slammed on the folder as I fought my tears—everything he said kept piercing my heart. I could take anything. I could take the divorce talk. I could take looking at photos of him and Desiree embracing and laughing. But my heart couldn’t accept that he didn’t love me as he said. “It is here.” The King took out documents and pushed them in front of me. My eyes watered as I looked at the papers—some of them I was familiar with as they were handed to me while he was in a coma.All these documents were signed by Dr. Carlitos, the one who attended to him because Dr. Gideon was not around. “The doctor who saw and attended to him was not a leg
ADESSA.“Your brothers will be the ones screening all the applicants for the Royal Games. They should know who your ex-husband is.” Father’s words kept resonating in my head, and I was losing my focus. Father talked about not wanting to meddle with whoever would be joining the games, as he was the one to determine who would take the crown after him. So he needed not to give any favor to any of my possible husbands. I still couldn’t understand anything. So, instead, I looked at all the men around the table. Esmaeel, Eston, and Esriel, the three oldest, listened intently while Esaias, the youngest, looked bored and kept yawning, although he was trying to be discreet about it. Esegar was playing with a Rubik’s cube and seemed to be in his own world. But he did ask a few questions while Father was reminding all of them when the screening would start, so I knew he was listening. I did wonder, though, who among them wanted the crown. Maybe I could plead to him or them to let Kael part