For a moment, Arlen studied Luca’s face as if caught in a daydream, focusing on all the features he longed to touch- his eyes, ears, cheeks, lips. Luca, however, stood motionless, like an old tree rooted in place.But Arlen dropped to his knees. Luca clenched his fists as he struggled to find a way to redeem himself. The sight of Arlen touching his feet, as though a lowly servant, made Luca feel like the monster Rufus had always claimed he was. It was a sharp reminder of the blind hatred he’d harboured for over a decade before their paths had crossed. “I should’ve told you the truth. I tried, but…” Arlen’s voice was frail. Somehow he couldn’t shake the fear that Luca had come to end his life. His heart sank further when Luca hesitantly pulled his feet away. However, Luca had other other plans. Arlen watched, confused, as the alpha knelt, lowering himself until their eyes were level. His breath caught when Luca’s forehead dipped to touch the hem of his robe. “Forgive me, Your Highn
Arlen led David to the guest quarters, leaving him in the care of capable servants. He then continued along a different path, Luca close behind. Every now and then, Arlen glanced back with a smile, ensuring that Luca stayed close. As they neared a large compound, Luca presumed the inevitable meeting with his father-in-law was approaching. He braced himself. It was unlikely to be a pleasant encounter given their family history, but it had to happen. The structures of this place felt different from the cold, mechanical landscape of Damaris. The statues here were immense, fearsome, and far removed from the serene ones back home. Guards stood at every corner, their expressions stern and lacking any warmth. For Luca, walking side by side with ‘the’ Arlen Braddock still felt surreal, and yet his heart was overwhelmed with love. When they entered a large room, the doors shut behind them with a quiet snap. Luca turned at the sound, only to notice a faint blue hue glowing over the ex
"Did you miss me?" Arlen asked as Luca thrust into him for what felt like the hundredth time."Every hour, every minute… every second," Luca replied, voice thick with longing."Then kiss me harder. Show me the depth of your despair," Arlen cooed.Luca held Arlen close as if he could disappear at any moment. The memory felt lucid, almost unreal. It was harder for him not to bury himself deeper. It was in an alpha's nature to bite and knot his cherished omega, and Luca was nearly numb with excitement as Arlen wrapped around him like a vine, making desperate, teasing sounds that ignited every instinct within him."Arlen, if we keep going like this, I might fall into a rut.""That's not... fair," Arlen murmured between breaths.Luca lifted his gaze to meet Arlen’s. "Is this not to your liking?""No, that's not what I meant. I have to claim you, Luca.” Arlen averted his eyes, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What if you woke up and changed your mind?"With a steady rhythm, Luca pressed g
By the time Reed realized he had been used- again- it was too late. Julius gently set him on a shabby bed of hay, crouching beside him with an expression of childlike curiosity. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, patting Reed’s head."What happened? What time is it?" Reed groaned, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple. He tried to get up but found his legs numb and unwilling."Wait, don’t try to move. You're still recovering," Julius said, pressing him back down."How could I sleep so deeply? My men… the carriage…" Reed’s voice was dazed, his words scattered.Julius dismissed Reed’s fragmented concerns, believing him to be rambling. "It’s alright, Owen. This will be the last time I take your energy, I promise." He leaned in, brushing a gentle kiss across Reed’s lips.Reed’s brow furrowed as he pulled away. "What did you do, Julius?"Julius’ smile faded. "What are you implying?""What did you need my energy for?"Julius’ face hardened. "If you must know, I collapsed the fog at the b
Agnor, Sutcliffe, Beaumont, Ajax, Loughty, Braddock. These were the households ruling the six great kingdoms in Slora. Headed by some of the most muscular werewolves to walk the land, the clans lived in harmony, feared and revered by all. When famine and a mysterious disease break out, everyone- be it a beastman, a unique or an ordinary person, is at risk of being taken by the icy hands of death. The Braddocks, regarded as the weakest amongst the six great packs, rose above all and sailed through the crisis like it never took place. However, that success brought about unsavoury suspicions. Rumours about their leader using dark magic to grow his kingdom diffused into the air until it no longer became hearsay. At the tiniest hint of proof, all but the house of Loughty schemed and attacked a family, accusing them of causing the deadly plague. Caeser Braddock stood his ground, but his wife did not survive the ordeal, leaving behind an eight-year-old yet to present. Heartbroken, the wid
"Arlen." Ari's voice echoes through the room until her figure comes into view. Setting the basket on the table, she approaches the person lying on his belly, stripped of his upper garment. Julius placed another hot towel on Arlen's back and stepped aside. Ari was the elder of the Loughty siblings. Her calm and loving nature was compared to no other. As an omega, Ari loved caring for the people around her, especially Arlen. She was his biggest weapon against Rufus. "Sister." Arlen conjures an ugly cry when Ari feels his forehead. "Arlen, you shouldn't have snuck out...and swimming? You could have gotten hurt," she said. Ari removes the towel and dips it back into warm water. After a couple of squeezes, she lays it on Arlen's waistline. "Auch! Rufus punished me for nearly two hours," Arlen said. "Rufus does so because he cares. You should have seen how distraught he was when he discovered you were not home." "Hmph!" Arlen grunts. It's not that he was oblivious; he was only playing
"That was close!" Julius fell beside his master. Stealing two bottles of wine from the cellar was the easy part. Nearly bumping into Rufus was their reason for running. " How come you're not out of breath?" Jules consoled his heaving chest with deep gusts. " I am a Braddock; I never get tired," Arlen smirked. His profound boasting nearly earned him a knock on the head. This was his doing. "Whatever, let me quench my thirst. Here, have this." Julius drowns that urge with mercy. He handed the first bottle to Arlen and rushed the second down his throat. Arlen wiped the excess booze trickling down the corner of his mouth. A silent grin perched on his face when he tried to determine why that alpha looked so stiff. 'Luca Beaumont, I bet you would look scarier with a smile on that face. Who else can survive such a miracle if not me?' He sent the bottle to his lips, keeping to his thoughts. *** Claude Loughty was a quiet man, kind and understanding. Many say his lack of a strong personal
Three days later... Arlen woke up way past his usual time. Julius saw him wince in response to the painful throb in his head. "Finally awake? Have some camomile tea. You look like you pulled an all-nighter, yet you slept early last night," Julius said. As the Master sipped on the hot contents in his cup, Julius went for a basin and a towel. 'I should take it easy on myself.' Arlen hissed, overthinking it worsened the pain. "You seem unwell. I'll send for the doctor." Julius wiped the other's cheeks. " Auch! There's no need for that." Arlen flinched when the towel ran over his face. "Sorry." Julius slowed down and dabbed gently. Arlen was not sick at all. He suffered the consequences of using another strategy to see the Widower of Beaumont Castle at night. Shapeshifting into rodents and insects gave him the privilege of spying on Luca. Such methods came with high risks. Although Arlen could regenerate, whatever happened to him in that state would reflect on his original body. Not
By the time Reed realized he had been used- again- it was too late. Julius gently set him on a shabby bed of hay, crouching beside him with an expression of childlike curiosity. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, patting Reed’s head."What happened? What time is it?" Reed groaned, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple. He tried to get up but found his legs numb and unwilling."Wait, don’t try to move. You're still recovering," Julius said, pressing him back down."How could I sleep so deeply? My men… the carriage…" Reed’s voice was dazed, his words scattered.Julius dismissed Reed’s fragmented concerns, believing him to be rambling. "It’s alright, Owen. This will be the last time I take your energy, I promise." He leaned in, brushing a gentle kiss across Reed’s lips.Reed’s brow furrowed as he pulled away. "What did you do, Julius?"Julius’ smile faded. "What are you implying?""What did you need my energy for?"Julius’ face hardened. "If you must know, I collapsed the fog at the b
"Did you miss me?" Arlen asked as Luca thrust into him for what felt like the hundredth time."Every hour, every minute… every second," Luca replied, voice thick with longing."Then kiss me harder. Show me the depth of your despair," Arlen cooed.Luca held Arlen close as if he could disappear at any moment. The memory felt lucid, almost unreal. It was harder for him not to bury himself deeper. It was in an alpha's nature to bite and knot his cherished omega, and Luca was nearly numb with excitement as Arlen wrapped around him like a vine, making desperate, teasing sounds that ignited every instinct within him."Arlen, if we keep going like this, I might fall into a rut.""That's not... fair," Arlen murmured between breaths.Luca lifted his gaze to meet Arlen’s. "Is this not to your liking?""No, that's not what I meant. I have to claim you, Luca.” Arlen averted his eyes, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What if you woke up and changed your mind?"With a steady rhythm, Luca pressed g
Arlen led David to the guest quarters, leaving him in the care of capable servants. He then continued along a different path, Luca close behind. Every now and then, Arlen glanced back with a smile, ensuring that Luca stayed close. As they neared a large compound, Luca presumed the inevitable meeting with his father-in-law was approaching. He braced himself. It was unlikely to be a pleasant encounter given their family history, but it had to happen. The structures of this place felt different from the cold, mechanical landscape of Damaris. The statues here were immense, fearsome, and far removed from the serene ones back home. Guards stood at every corner, their expressions stern and lacking any warmth. For Luca, walking side by side with ‘the’ Arlen Braddock still felt surreal, and yet his heart was overwhelmed with love. When they entered a large room, the doors shut behind them with a quiet snap. Luca turned at the sound, only to notice a faint blue hue glowing over the ex
For a moment, Arlen studied Luca’s face as if caught in a daydream, focusing on all the features he longed to touch- his eyes, ears, cheeks, lips. Luca, however, stood motionless, like an old tree rooted in place.But Arlen dropped to his knees. Luca clenched his fists as he struggled to find a way to redeem himself. The sight of Arlen touching his feet, as though a lowly servant, made Luca feel like the monster Rufus had always claimed he was. It was a sharp reminder of the blind hatred he’d harboured for over a decade before their paths had crossed. “I should’ve told you the truth. I tried, but…” Arlen’s voice was frail. Somehow he couldn’t shake the fear that Luca had come to end his life. His heart sank further when Luca hesitantly pulled his feet away. However, Luca had other other plans. Arlen watched, confused, as the alpha knelt, lowering himself until their eyes were level. His breath caught when Luca’s forehead dipped to touch the hem of his robe. “Forgive me, Your Highn
Naturally, Rufus and the others followed the royal family closely after the celebrations with the people, but they couldn’t get too near due to the barricades of soldiers. Seeing this, Rufus suggested an alternative. “We need to separate my uncle from that imposter.” David: "But how do we do that? There are so many guards around that jerk. Did you notice he’s gotten taller since the last time we fought him? And his voice-“ "Focus, David!" Rufus snapped. Luca cut in, “Rufus, go after the King. Leave the imposter to me.” Rufus nodded at the logic. The King would recognize him easily. “In that case, go with David. Nathan and I will follow the King.” *** Zariah took Arlen under her wing after the main event, leading him to mingle with their subjects. Believing there was no danger, Caesar did not object. Arlen wore a solemn expression as the celebrations continued. Earlier, his speech had lightened the atmosphere, making the people feel important and remembered. They laughed and c
Arlen approached his father’s study. Caesar was obsessed with having his wife’s ghost roaming about, but when Arlen mentioned someone else as the source of his troubles, Caesar listened."Son, be honest with me. Why is that slave still alive?""He’s not a slave, Father. He’s my best friend, someone I consider a soulmate.""Well, what about your mate? Do you dote on this Julius more than them?""Not that kind of soulmate. Julius and I share a bond that even I can’t break- the kind that would make him do anything for me without hesitation.""Like trying to kill your uncle? Do you think he would’ve stopped there?""He wasn’t himself," Arlen said with a sunken voice."Then maybe you don’t know this Julius as well as you think you do.""You’re not listening to me. I exploited my best friend’s loyalty. I recklessly tainted his soul with demons. He tricked you because I made him that way.""And you still haven’t learned your lesson. You cannot put one man- a beta, above Ingram." Caesar shook
Arlen sat under the pavilion with Zariah, working on his speech for the upcoming festival."That’s terrible, toss it out. You can add this line to the last one... Come on, kid, didn’t you learn anything from me?" Zariah’s tone was firm."This isn’t like dealing with omegas, Aunt," Arlen sighed, already bored with his first duty as Prince."Of course it is! The people need to believe you're committed to your role. You’re an omega- hasn’t anyone ever said something that made you feel special?" It turned out Zariah’s nagging could be worse than Basma’s."How would I know? My mate... he barely says anything sweet. He’s the stiffest alpha you’ll ever meet.” “Worse than your father?” “Far worse!” Arlen stressed. “Half the time, he said I was trouble. On lucky days he expressed how much he wanted to keep me by his side." Arlen blurted, then paused, realizing he might never hear Luca say those words again. "But I can’t say that to my subjects."Arlen refused to reveal the identity of his ch
Reed could not accept reality. A new Arlen Braddock had replaced the one he knew. He was astonished that this was the servant his person nearly killed him for losing.As a high-ranking warrior, the men guarding Julius' cell allowed him to pass without questions.Reed's hands went around the metallic bars. "Is it true?" His usually gentle voice sounded scratchy. Sitting on the floor at the far end, Julius answered without looking at him, patiently drawing secret symbols. "I am not my master," he said."Then who are you?""It would be best if you were disgusted by me," Julius chuckled under his breath."I meant what I said. Even if you were not a noble, I'd still stand by you." Reed pulled on the bars, stating to whom his allegiance belonged. That did surprise Julius. He looked at the alpha, and a laugh burst out of him. "Hahahaha, did I bewitch you too much?"Reed unlocked the prison door and entered, his footsteps heavy and hasty. "Can you look into my soul and tell me what we had was
Julius tried the same trick on Arlen twice, using pheromones borrowed from his special pet, but it failed. Arlen's mind had grown stronger. "Master Arlen, I-" He gasped, peering around for the weapon he dropped. He gathered himself and quickly dashed for it, but Moon intentionally rolled away, making his attempt useless.'I'll distract him. Run, you fool!' Sephire screamed, right before leaving Zariah's body.“Sephire, don’t!” Julius watched in horror as his guardian opposed his maker.Sephire, unbothered by the consequences, did not hold back. Arlen caught her by the neck. "There is nowhere to run," he said, sinking his hand into her skin.Julius felt the impact of losing one of his demons. He slumped in a corner, trying to salvage his last strength. Even then, he could not take his eyes off Sephire. For once he got a better glimpse of the woman whispering into his ears. Her maniacally soothing voice was befitting of her frame. Despite the scales covering half of her face, Julius sa