STARLETTETerror infiltrated my body, seeping into every inch of my bone as I leaped out of bed and rushed to the pile of dirty laundry. My hands scrambled through the clothes until I found the jeans I had worn when I visited the witches' land. Desperately, I dug my hand into the pocket and pulled out the piece of paper Amelia had given me.Maximus stood beside me, worries etched on his face. “What happened? Talk to me, Star. You’re scaring me.”“I need a phone.” I breathed. “I need to call Amelia.”He raised a brow, a lot of questions dancing in his eyes. But for some reason, he chose not to air those questions. Instead, he nodded and said. “I have a phone in my office. I’ll get it for you right away.”He left the room and returned shortly after with a phone in his hand and a sceptical look on his face. As I reached for the phone, he pulled it back, just out of reach.“Not until you tell me what's going on, I'm not giving it to you.” He said.“I had a dream...“ The nightmare replayed
MAXIMUSAlthough I tried to calm Starlette by assuring her that her nightmare was just a dream, I couldn’t get what she told me off my mind. While it could have simply been a dream, there was also a possibility that her dream was a warning. And with the recent threat to my pack, I was slightly worried.I snapped back to the present when Kade nearly slashed through my abdomen during our sparring session. I quickly jerked back, narrowly avoiding his strike.“Fuck,” I growled under my breath.“You seem to be thinking a lot today.” He observed. “Anything you mind sharing?”“No.” I shook my head. “But we have to work harder to protect this pack.”“And that’s why we are here...” He glanced around, watching our warriors as they trained intensely. We were in a clearing deep in the woods, a place reserved for this kind of rigorous training. It was also where we had captured that witch. The memory of how she had outsmarted us and escaped flashed through my mind, and anger twisted in my gut. Stu
STARLETTEI woke up squirming and whimpering, wondering what had happened to me and why I felt so incredibly weak. Then, his overwhelming, sweet scent hit me, soothing my heart and soul. I instinctively buried my nose against him, pressing hard into his warmth.My eyes burned as I struggled to open them. It took a while, but I opened them eventually. "You're awake," he said softly."What happened?" I asked. And then, memories of the events in the woods flooded my mind. My eyes widened in shock, and I gasped. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I whispered, "I'm alive."But I felt weak—so weak. The wolfsbane's effects still clung to me and it was so frustrating."Lauren..." I tensed at the thought of her."Shhh." He placed a soothing hand on my shoulder. "Relax. She won't be able to hurt you anymore.""What did you do to her?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."She's under room arrest. And her accomplice... well, he no longer has a head.""There's something I need to tell you," I began
STARLETTEThe days leading up to our meeting with the witches dragged on painfully slow. We anticipated the meeting, wondering how it would turn out. Though we were tensed, what made it easier was the love and affection I and Maximus shared within those days. We got to know each other better, but my chest felt heavy knowing I still had secrets in store. The baby. I was surprised that the doctor didn’t detect the pregnancy when he examined me. Bella was just as puzzled. Perhaps he knew and chose to keep it to himself."Are you sure you don’t want to stay behind?" Maximus asked as the car started to move.Following us were three vans filled with heavily armed men.I smiled sweetly. “I’ll be fine, Max. Stop worrying about me and focus on what we have ahead of us. Just stay calm, and try as much as possible to not turn it into a fit of rage.”“As you wish, my queen.” He leaned in and captured my lip in his, sucking my bottom lips before gliding his tongue against mine. My body filled wit
LAUREN I was frustrated, bored out of my mind, and dying slowly. The Alpha wouldn’t let me see anyone, not even my father. I wasn’t allowed to attend Jeremiah’s burial. Did he even have a burial? I wondered. My chest ached so much from the pain of losing him. I couldn’t even tell anyone that he was my mate. Thankfully, I hadn’t allowed him mark me; if not, the pain would have been unbearable. Alone in the room, it felt like I was sinking deeper into a suffocating hole with no way out. There was no one to talk to, no one who cared. Every time a guard, a nurse, or anyone else entered my room, they responded to my questions with silence. I was slowly losing my mind. I cried every day, and each day I considered killing myself over and over again. But I was too much of a coward and couldn’t bring myself to do it. Suddenly, the door swung open, and I turned to see Maximus marching in. I scrambled out of bed and rushed toward him, but quickly halted when a deep growl escaped his throat.
STARLETTEI had already leapt out of bed, ready to go search for Maximus wherever he was, when the door swung open and he slipped inside. “I swear I was just about to go looking for you.”“Missed me that much?” He chuckled as he moved closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. He pressed a warm kiss to my neck, causing me to shiver. “I missed you too.”“How did it go?” I asked curiously as I pressed my body against his, wanting more of those sweet kisses. “You know, she didn’t admit to anything. I had expected that anyway. I just wanted to try.” He murmured, trailing his delicious kisses up to my temple before pausing. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” I asked. I knew how devastated he was by the fact that Lauren’s pup might not be his. “You are already making me feel better.” He whispered into my ears, and warmth surged through my body. “Your presence is enough.”He suddenly pulled away, and a frown crossed my face. “It’s been a long day. I need to sho
STARLETTEThe mark formed beautiful crescents on my neck after the wound healed, and I couldn’t stop admiring it. The stronger, more magnificent bond that had developed between Maximus and me was even more beautiful. I loved my life now. It was just... perfect. It was high time I told Maximus about the baby. He loved me, without a doubt. There was no reason to keep it a secret any longer. Besides, Bella had been bugging me nonstop to tell him. “You’re distracted,” Tom said when his blade nearly cut through my thighs, but I was quick enough to jump back, evading the attack.I was on the training ground with him, practicing. I wanted to be prepared to defend the pack when the time came. If I was going to be Luna, I had to act like one.“I have a lot on my mind,” I told him as I lifted my sword and pushed forward with it.“What’s on your mind?” He asked.There was no way I was going to tell him. “The safety of the pack.”“Women shouldn’t have to worry about that.” He groaned, our blade
STARLETTEI quickly stepped forward and blocked Maximus’ path, trying to calm him down before the situation escalated into a bloodbath.“Max, you need to control yourself. Please.” I pleaded, worried.“Starlette, get out of my way.” He growled, his intensely furious gaze still fixed on his brother.“No.” I insisted. “Please. Just stop. I beg you.”He glanced at me, his eyes glowing red with rage. “Please.” I pressed as I stared at him pleadingly.He shut his eyes closed, and when he reopened them, the blazing red had faded, returning to their usual blue shade, though they were still clouded with darkness.I turned to look at Lucius. His eyes had also returned to normal. I started to move toward him, but Maximus pulled me back to his side.“What was that all about?” I asked him, my voice a mixture of anger and concern.He looked at me for a second, or maybe longer, before sprinting into the woods without giving me a response. I couldn’t place the look in his eyes, but I could tell he
MAXIMUSI hadn’t been here in a very long while. But everything, everywhere, still looked the same. I was very skeptical about coming here, but I didn’t was to risk letting any opportunity that could help us in catching Gabriel slip through my fingers. He was getting out of hand, and he had to be stopped.Starlette and I were shown into a spacious living area, where we waited for Silas. Amelia who was cloaked, also quietly sat down in one of the couches. The room felt overly grand, its ornate furnishings clearly meant to impress rather than comfort.We didn’t have to wait for long before Silas showed up with a crown on his head, a face-splitting grin tearing his lips apart. My gaze subconsciously lingered on the crown heavily encrusted with diamonds, wondering if it wasn’t so heavy on his head for him to be wearing it so casually around his pack when there wasn’t an important event. I always used to avoid wearing mine unless it was utterly important. “A king must always wear his crow
STARLETTE“You’re so unbelievably sexy. I can’t emphasize it enough,” Maximus whispered in my ear, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. His strong hand curled gently around my throat as he sought my lips, kissing me ever so passionately as water cascaded down our bodies. We were under the shower and had gone two rounds now, not able to get enough of each other. I could never get enough of him.“Should we go again?” He asked after he pulled away from me, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth.As much as I would love that, we both had a lot of work to do for the pack, and we couldn’t spend the rest of the day making love with each other.I pressed my lips to his. “I wish I could say yes, but...”“Then say yes.” He cut me off, grinning.“No,” I said with mock sternness, laughing softly.“Such a pity,” he murmured. Before I could respond, he lifted me effortlessly by my thighs, his strong arms holding me steady. Turning off the shower with one hand, he stepped out and carried m
71| Golden Lights.AMELIAI blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of what Father had just said. “What do you mean?”He looked away, facing the window again as he began. “When you were born, we realized how powerful you are. As a newborn who didn’t even know the world yet, you almost set the entire house on fire. It took the efforts of me and five other elders to stop you.”I gasped in shock. He glanced at me briefly and nodded. “Yes, that’s how powerful you were. We knew the destruction such power could bring if left unchecked. So, we decided to take most of it away and leave you with only a fraction.”“Where is that power now?” I whispered, still trying to process what he had just told me.“It is hidden in plain sight. You wouldn’t even know.” He finally moved away from the window, and I trailed behind him as he walked to my bed, picking up the pink teddy bear I had owned since I was a child. I grew so attached to the teddy bear that it was the only one I frequently played with,
AMELIAThe moment I got home, I grabbed my grandmother’s grimoire and began to comb through it with fervor. There had to be something in there—some ancient spell that could free Lucius. The more I searched, the more frustration gnawed at me. No matter how many pages I flipped through, I couldn’t find a single spell for releasing a human form trapped within its wolf. The only related spell I came across was the one I already knew—the one designed to free a wolf bound within its human form. The frustration ripping through me filled to its brim, and I flung the grimoire across the room, groaning in my hands. I hated this!The door to my room creaked open, and my father stepped inside. “Ah, I was right. I sensed my princess’ presence and decided to—” He froze mid-sentence, the color on his face draining the moment he saw my state. What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone laced with concern as he strode over to me. “I need help!” I exhaled shakily, running my fingers through my hair, frustrati
STARLETTEI stirred in bed, reaching out instinctively to cuddle with Maximus, but my hand met only the cool sheets. The empty space beside me made my heart sink for a moment, and I snapped my eyes open, scanning the room. He was nowhere to be found. Stretching, I yawned and mind-linked him. “Working already?”His voice came through immediately, warm and teasing. “She’s awake—my sleeping beauty.”My lips curled into a smile. “I wanted to have you all to myself today.”"Well, I could drop everything and come to you right now. All you need to do is ask."I giggled, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. “As tempting as that sounds, I know you have to work. Someone has to keep the pack running smoothly, and these are my people now too. I care about them. So, I’ll see you later.” He chuckled. “I love you.”“I love you too.” I replied before cutting off the mind link. Sliding out of bed, I grabbed a robe and wrapped it around my body. I felt no need to change into a proper outf
STARLETTEWithout a second thought, I asked Iris to take over, my chest squeezing so tightly that I could barely breathe.“Max. What happened?” I quickly asked.“What do you mean?” He asked, confusion lacing his tone.“You’re—you’re—” I stammered, trailing off as I realized I was overthinking. The trauma of witnessing Lucius being trapped seemed to have taken deeper root than I had anticipated. I shook my head and forced a smile. “Nothing. I just didn’t expect to see you shift.” He took careful steps forward, his wolf nuzzling affectionately against Iris. “Nile wants to run.”“Me too!” Iris howled excitedly before spinning around and darting off. “Catch me if you can!” she called after them. “Piece of cake.” Nile yelled back as he began chasing after us. Iris glanced behind her and realizing he was gaining on her, pushed herself harder. She sprinted faster than ever, taking sharp turns to outmaneuver Nile. Her speed and agility were impressive, her joy infectious as she danced thr
MAXIMUSSomehow, I was worried about Lucius, and helping him had become one of my priorities. Even though our relationship was far from perfect, he was still my blood. Starlette stared at Amelia, curiosity in her eyes. “What do you plan to say when we get there?”“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I just want to say something that would make him feel even a fraction of the pain I’m feeling right now.”I suddenly felt something weird within me—pity. The more I looked at Amelia, the more I understood the pain she was passing through. I didn’t need a special announcement to know that Starlette’s theory was indeed correct—she was Lucius’ mate. And having one’s mate go through such a difficult situation takes a toll on the other. If anything ever happened to Starlette, I would lose my mind.Sighing heavily, I took a step closer to Amelia. “I get how hurt you are,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “But it’s best to avoid doing anything rash. If we let him know that we’re aware, it could co
STARLETTEThe moment Gabriel vanished, Amelia was released, and she collapsed to the ground, letting out a rapid succession of coughs. After catching her breath, she looked up, her eyes widening in horror as she sprinted over to Lucius. Tears poured down her cheeks as she hugged his form.“No!” She let out a screeching scream.I stood frozen, unable to process everything that had happened. It felt like a dream—a dark, twisted dream that I desperately wanted to wake up from. I shook my head repeatedly, hoping to shake away the horror, but the reality only became sharper. Lucius had truly been trapped in his wolf form.A tremor coursed through my body, and my first instinct was to go to the only person who could bring me comfort."Max..." I mind-linked him, my fear pouring through my voice. "Where are you?" His voice echoed in my mind, laced with urgency. He could sense the terror in my voice. "You’re mind-linking the whole pack. Try to focus only on me when you answer."I pressed my
STARLETTEThe moment Maximus reached us, he pulled me to his side, his arm tightening around my waist with a possessive grip. His gaze held a steely edge as he glared at Silas, who only smirked in response, as if he hadn’t just been shamelessly flirting with me.“Good evening, Alpha,” Silas greeted, sounding almost amused.“Good evening,” Maximus replied, his voice strained and his jaw muscles visibly tensed. “I thought you weren’t going to make it.”Silas gave a casual shrug. “I encountered some unexpected delays.” He spread his arms wide in a grand gesture. “But here I am. I knew how important this meeting was, so I had to make sure I attended.” He glanced at me, “Would you keep my Luna company while I discuss with him?”Just then, a red-haired woman appeared by Silas’s side. Freckles dotted her face, giving her a delicate look. I raised an eyebrow as I took in the scene. Silas had dared to flirt with me while his own Luna was nearby. The audacity was astounding.“Good evening,” she