STARLETTEI was ready to face the truth. This time, I wasn’t going to beg for his fatherly love as I had done countless times before. I was going to demand answers—to know what Silas had promised him in exchange for me, what he deemed more valuable than his own daughter. And most importantly, to spite him. Despite everything he had done, I had triumphed once again.Maximus was initially hesitant about taking me to the dungeon. After much persuasion, he finally agreed, though reluctantly. He didn’t want me to set foot in such a filthy place, especially in my condition.“Starlette!” my father’s voice rang out the moment he saw me. He leaped to his feet and rushed toward the bars, his face lighting up with excitement. “You’re alive! Oh, that’s wonderful.”“For someone who orchestrated my abduction, you look far too happy to see me,” I spat, my voice cold and unyielding. I wasn’t going to fall for his façade. Not again.“Sweetheart, I would never do that to you,” he said, his expression
MAXIMUSAfter Starlette left, I mind-linked Tom and Kade to meet me at the dungeon. Today, I would cleanse the pack of all impurities.When they arrived, I instructed Kade to take the two girls—Maeve and Sabrina—back to their pack, while I dragged Isaac out of his cell. The girls cried and wailed, attempting to follow their father, but Kade held them back.“Tom, get John Smith,” I instructed as we walked past his cell. In his full potential, John Smith might have been able to overpower Tom, but he was barely conscious from all the damage I had inflicted on him when he dared to fight me. If he had just ran away without attempting to rescue his daughter, he might have had a better chance of escaping. But I was glad he was stupid.“Lucius, is Amelia with you?” I mind-linked my brother.“Yes, why?” he replied.“I need her at the spelt circle, please,” I said, ending the mind-link immediately without waiting for his response.Arriving at the spelt circle with Isaac, John Smith, and Tom, Lu
STARLETTEI hadn’t expected Maximus to agree easily to raising Lauren’s daughter, but he did—without hesitation, even. Now, the daughter of my enemy would grow up calling me mother. And I promised myself that I would never make her feel alone or unloved. I would love her as though she were my own, and she would be called ‘Indie’.Last night, I had fallen asleep in Maximus’ arms, crying from all the recent overwhelming events. Despite the ill-fated relationship I had with my father, I wept for him.I had just woken up, my eyes heavy, and I felt too lazy to open them or even get out of bed. I was tempted to remain in bed when Maximus’ deep voice suddenly broke through the stillness.“Awake? Sleeping beauty?”A smile curled on my lips as I opened my eyes and turned to the side to look at him. He was seated on the bed, his shirt unbuttoned three down, looking as hot as ever.I was about to speak when I caught sight of the platter of food resting on the bed in front of him. The aroma hit m
Hi, everyone! There are only three chapters left until the end of this book, and I’m thrilled to announce that there will be a sequel to the story! The sequel will be a high school romance featuring some fascinating characters. Can you guess whose story it will be? You won’t need to search anywhere else for the continuation—the sequel will be added right here as soon as Maximus and Starlette’s story concludes. And the first three chapters will be free! Thank you all for your support and for reading this story. I appreciate every single one of you!
AMELIAMy heart ached for Starlette, feeling so sad that her father was killed, even though he deserved it. She was one of the strongest people I knew. She always stood strong, despite everything she had had to endure. And for that, I admired her.After undoing the spell on the circle where the invisibles had been kept, Lucius and I returned to his treehouse. We spent most of our time there whenever I was at Royal Crest because wandering around the pack as a witch could cause unnecessary tension. Even so, I loved it here. It was quiet, serene, and allowed Lucius and me to enjoy uninterrupted moments together.Right now, we were sitting by the stream, basking in the tranquility of the flowing water.“Do you think it is finally over? Do you think Silas will stop attacking with the invisibles now that his cover has been blown?” I asked Lucius as I turned to look at him.“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “But Silas isn’t one to back down easily. Even if he gives up on Starlette, he would
MAXIMUSToday, I was getting married to the love of my life. She was my wife already, but I still wanted a proper wedding for her. Our wedding day was meant to be a core memory, something we would hold dear for the rest of our lives. Oh, we were going to have a blast—I would make sure of that.“You are the prettiest bride ever,” I told her as I gently gathered her hair to one side and adorned her neck with the diamond necklace I had gotten for her.We stood in front of the mirror, admiring how beautifully the necklace sat on her neck. She wore the most stunning white dress, and I was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo. Kade had argued that we should both appear in our ceremonial attire, but I refused, wanting to have a wedding that felt normal, like everyone else’s.Starlette fiddled with the pendant between her fingers, a sweet smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Max. Words can’t express how much I love you.” She turned to face me, her eyes brimming with affection. “I love you so much—m
EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER“Star, hurry up. We’ll be late for Axel’s birthday party,” Starlette’s mate called through the mind-link.Today was their son Axel’s birthday, and they were headed to his school to celebrate with him. Maximus had accepted Alpha King Henry’s proposal from years ago, and most of the northern kids now attended the school, including their son, Axel.Axel had grown into an exceptional young man—smart, compassionate, and strikingly handsome. He embodied everything a parent could wish for in a child, though his psychic ability had been a bit of a problem, as he sometimes used it when he wasn’t supposed to. Thankfully, the boarding school had taught him how to manage and control his gift.“I’m ready,” Starlette responded, adjusting her sea-green dress embroidered with silver threads. Staring at her reflection one last time, she stepped out of the room.Today wasn’t just Axel’s birthday—it was also their wedding anniversary. For eighteen years, Maximus had never failed to
Dear Readers, It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the end of our journey together in Starlette and Maximus’s story. As we close this chapter, I want to thank each and every one of you for being part of this ride. I’m honored to have shared this story with you. As promised, Axel’s story is up next, and I can barely contain my excitement! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you… Her Forbidden Alpha. Get ready to be swept away by their love story!
VIOLETNo doubt, I was attracted to Axel, but he was forbidden to me. I kept repeating that mantra in my head the entire way to the South. Sitting beside him in such close proximity made it really difficult for me to control my desire. It took everything in me not to throw myself at him. I asked him to park the car before we got to the pack’s border because I didn’t want my father knowing that Axel was the one who drove me here. “I’ll be right back,” I told him as I opened the door and jumped out of the car. “And I’ll be right here,” he replied with a grin. I walked towards the pack border, and the guards at the gate were surprised to see me. “We weren’t expecting you, Princess,” one of them said. “It’s an impromptu visit. I’ll be leaving soon. I believe the king is around, yes?” I asked. He nodded. “Yes, and welcome.” I made my way to the pack house afterward, going straight to my mother’s bedroom since she was the reason I was there. But she wasn’t there. Just as I
VIOLET Ring ring ring. The sound of my phone ringing woke me up from my deep sleep. I groggily reached for it from the nightstand, and without even glancing at the caller ID, I picked it up and placed the phone to my ear. “Hello…” my voice dragged into the phone. “Violet, dear, did I wake you up from sleep?” A familiar voice sounded from the other end of the line. “Mom?” I called. “I will call you back when—“ “No, it’s okay,” I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand and sitting up. “I’m up already.” “Happy birthday, darling!” she exclaimed enthusiastically. “Wishing you a long life and prosperity.” A smile curled on my lips as realization dawned on me. It was my birthday. “Thank you, Mom,” I replied with a smile on my face. “Are you sure you don’t want us to throw a party for you? If you change your mind—“ “Mom—“ I interjected. “You know how I am with parties. I hate them.” My parents had proposed throwing a birthday party for me here at school, and I ha
VIOLETThree hours of detention seemed like an eternity. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly hate this school more, I found myself trapped in yet another unbearable situation. I needed to get out of here, but that was just wishful thinking. My father wouldn’t let me leave until he accomplished whatever mysterious goal had led him to send me here in the first place.After we left the principal’s office, I quickly pulled out my phone and sent Zara a text, letting her know I wouldn’t be able to make it to practice. With a sigh, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and made my way to the library, where the other three were already seated around a single table.Axel sat directly across from me, making it nearly impossible not to look at him. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and for a long while, no one spoke until Emily broke the silence.“Axel,” she called, staring at him. “I’m sorry about the… inconvenience.”Axel didn’t even bother to lift his head, let alone respond to her,
. VIOLETAxel’s eyes blazed with fury as he lunged toward the boy and pushed him hard on the chest until he stumbled backward.“You are so dead!” the boy yelled, aiming to push Axel in return, but he dodged. Swinging around, Axel hooked his leg around the boy’s and knocked him to the floor.Just when Axel was about to jump on him, the boy sprang up and charged at Axel, wrapping his arm around his waist and pushing him down with him. But Axel was quick to react, rolling over until he was on top.“Wow!” A loud clap suddenly echoed, and I turned to see the trainer slowly walking into the middle of the circle that had already been formed by students. “That was a great demonstration of what you were taught. Excellent!”The crowd erupted in cheers, but it was obvious that Axel and whoever the boy was weren’t having it as they continued glaring at each other.“Enough!” the professor growled, gesturing for silence. The noise quickly died down, and he continued, “But that behavior isn’t allow
AXEL“Axel?” Aunt Amelia crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side.“Uhm…” I scratched the back of my head, thinking of what to say. “I— Uhm— was just serving justice.”“Elaborate,” Uncle Lucius chimed in.“Why are you guys here?” I quickly changed the subject.“Hmm-hmm.” Aunt Amelia shook her head. “You can’t do that here. Don’t change the subject.” She turned her attention to Mason. “Mason? I believe you’re a good boy, and you’ll talk.”Mason and I made eye contact, and we burst out laughing, knowing that Mason was way more stubborn than I was.“The thing is—Uhmm—” I scratched the bridge of my nose, deciding to tell them what happened. “Those boys did something terrible. They terribly assaulted one of my classmates, and because Emily was involved—”“Emily?” She cut me off, raising a brow. “The Eastern Princess?”“Yes.” I nodded before continuing. “Because she was involved, they were only suspended when they should have been expelled.”“Who’s this girl that was
AXELMason met me at the school gate, and after catching up on everything that had been happening in our lives and discussing my plans for those boys, we proceeded toward the school gate. Of course, the guards there stopped us from leaving."I was also suspended for one week and asked to go back home. And I’d like to leave with my friend here," I told them, hooking my arm around Mason’s shoulders."We were informed," one of them said, unmoving. "There are only three students who were asked to leave today with their parents. And you aren’t one of them.""There is something I must do. Can you just let us pass? We will be back before you know it," I pressed."Control their minds already. Why are you wasting time when there’s an easy way out?" Mason mind-linked me, his voice impatient."I like playing games, you know," I replied. But I had to do what I needed to do now before the boys’ parents started taking them out of the school. They were around already.Straightening my shoulders, I c
AXELWhen I arrived at the library, I spotted Emily browsing the tall shelves, her fingers trailing across the spines of the books.“Emily!” I called out, my voice booming as I strode toward her.“Oh, Axel,” she said, turning to face me with a wide, almost mischievous smile.“What did you do in Violet’s dorm room?” I growled, keeping my voice low but firm.“Oops,” she gasped dramatically, her hand flying to her chest as if she were truly shocked. “I got caught?”“Don’t play games with me, Emily. What did you do there?” I demanded, my patience wearing thin.“Axel.” Her expression suddenly turned serious. “What is it about her? She’s not prettier than me. Why do you seem to be so interested in her?”I raised my brow. “And who told you I was interested in her?”Confusion crossed her face. “I thought you were—”“What if I was?” I cut her off quickly.“I am just jealous,” she admitted. “When we were together, you never defined our relationship. It never even went public. You just kept me h
AXEL“What was she doing there?” I asked Daisy as I began descending the stairs to leave the arena.“I don’t know. I walked in, and her scent was everywhere,” she replied.“Alright. Do something to mask the scent before Violet gets back. I don’t want her panicking. I’ll deal with Emily myself,” I told Daisy before cutting off the mind-link.“Axel!” Indie called from behind, hurrying after me. “What happened? Where are you rushing off to?”I had almost forgotten I didn’t come here alone. Turning back, I stepped closer to her, planting an apologetic kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Indie, but I have to go. Something’s come up.”“What’s going on?” she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.“Bye,” I promptly said, intentionally ignoring her question, before turning around and whisking out of the arena.It seemed Emily wasn’t satisfied with getting away unscathed after what she did to Violet. Unlike the boys she hired, who I had ensured endured excruciating pain, Emily had walked away witho
AXELRage burned through me after Violet told me those things. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere with her, she tossed all my efforts away and demanded I stay away from her. That’s exactly what I would do. I’d ignore her until her eighteenth birthday, when she sees her wolf and the mate bond fully develops. Then, the tables would turn, and she’d beg to be with me. I wouldn’t take it easy on her.Staying away from lacrosse was like depriving my lungs of air. And now, thanks to Violet, I was stuck with another one-week suspension. I didn’t regret protecting her. I would do it over and over again, but that didn’t make her any less infuriating.Since I couldn’t play, I decided to at least watch practice. I hoped watching would ease the maddening itch to get back on the field. Indie accompanied me to the arena, and the moment we got there, my gaze met Violet’s, but I quickly looked away.“Okay, spill it,” Indie said as she plopped down on one of the stadium seats. “What’s going on