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
STARLETTE I stared at the mirror, the reflection before me almost unrecognizable. The girl staring back at me was transformed. I was dressed in an off-shoulder white dress, adorned with delicate touches of gold. Bella picked it out for me, promising I’d look regal in it. I did look regal in it. My makeup was flawless, and my hair was swept up into a bun with a few loose curls framing my face. Maximus slipped up behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered. “You are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. The most beautiful there will ever be.”My cheeks flushed with delight. “Thank you.”“Shall we?” He extended his hand to me, and I took it. Tingles jolted through my body as I turned around and followed him out of the room. A sleek black limousine waited outside, even though the venue was close enough to walk to. Maximus watched me as I slid into the backseat, his eyes never leaving me. Once we were inside, a frown suddenly appeared on his
MAXIMUS The north and the south had always fought over a stretch of land that separated us—a land rich with gold, diamonds, and many other natural treasures. It was originally and rightfully ours, but the South had always been desperate to claim it, fabricating a history that didn’t exist, claiming it was theirs. But we held on to what was ours very dearly, refusing to surrender it to them. They’d laid low about it for a few decades, way before I even inherited the throne. But now, it seems, they want to stir things up again.So it’s no surprise that who Starlette saw in her dream was Silas. I had thought it was just a dream, but now it’s a stern warning to me. Especially now that Silas was offering to do business with the north, offering a deal that seemed too good to be true. Perhaps it was just one of his devious plans. But I was ready for him. “I believe you’re stronger now that you have a mate.” Silas smirked. Yes, the bond between Starlette and me had made me stronger—stronge
STARLETTEI still haven’t finished processing, nor have I come to terms with the fact that I was now a mother wolf. Me? Starlette Cromwell? A mere omega from the Star Claw Pack, who spent most of her life being bullied and mistreated by the entire pack. It was hard to believe. My life had not only changed overnight by becoming the overly treasured mate of the Alpha King; now, I was something even bigger. It was still so hard to grasp, and honestly, I was terrified.If I didn’t regret anything else about the night everyone discovered my identity, I regretted wearing an off-shoulder dress. They only realised the truth because my bare shoulders were exposed. The crescents wouldn’t have glowed if I’d been wearing something that covered my shoulders, even under the moonlight. And, of course, it just had to happen on the night every Alpha was present, causing absolute chaos. I didn’t even know how Maximus managed to handle the situation that night, and I didn’t ask.Since then, my security
MAXIMUSEveryone wanted my mate. They all desired to be the father of the most powerful Alpha of our time. From the moment it was revealed that she was the Mother Wolf, I knew she would be in grave danger. Alpha Xavier is just the beginning, and I’m fully aware that more Alphas will come after her. Even Alphas from the South won't stay out of, it as the news has already spread like wildfire. That’s why I assigned bodyguards to protect her when I couldn’t be there myself.The rage that surged through my chest when I heard Xavier’s words directed at my mate was uncontrollable. Even Nile, my wolf, howled furiously in my mind. No one would take our mate from us. She was ours and ours alone!Before I could stop myself, I lunged at Xavier, delivering a powerful kick to his stomach. He staggered backward, wincing, but quickly regained his balance. If he hadn’t been an Alpha, that blow would have destroyed him.“Alpha, you—” He began to speak, but I cut him off with another brutal kick to his
MAXIMUS“What are you doing here?” I asked, perplexed as I darted my gaze between Kaelin and Amelia. “And most importantly, how did you get here?”“We were cloaked, and that’s how we got through the border. Obviously.” Kaelin replied.I knew the answer to my question even before he spoke, and I didn’t like it. They could infiltrate our pack at any given time without our knowledge, and that was a serious cause for concern.“You really have no right to come here, especially into my bedroom without my consent.” I groaned out my annoyance.Amelia rolled her eyes. “Would you rather bitch about it or we get down to business?”"You will not talk to me like that!" I growled as I took threatening steps towards her, but Starlette was quick to hold me back.“Please…” She whispered, her voice soft. “Let’s hear them out.”My nose twitched as I continued glaring at Amelia for a few more seconds, fighting the urge to rip her apart. After a sharp breath to ease my frustration, I turned to her father,
AMELIA"The candle didn’t go out after you left.” Starlette said, and my suspicion grew immediately. “Which means…”“They are here.” I finished for her, feeling a sudden surge of dark magic. Even though he wasn’t here physically and was only present through vessels, his magic was overwhelmingly powerful. I could only imagine how strong he truly was. I feared he might be even more powerful than my father, the clan leader.“We’ll wait for you at the spell circle.” My father glanced at me. “Amelia, let’s go.”Flicking my gaze toward Starlette, worry filled me. "Please be careful," I urged, dropping my gaze to her belly. It was a bit concerning that she wasn’t showing yet, but that was a discussion for another time. “You know you can’t stress yourself.”She nodded with a tight smile, and I followed my father, taking his hand as he led me out of the room and through the halls of the packhouse. It was total chaos—women and children were panicking, finding their way to safety, while the warr
LUCIUSWe all gathered around the spell circle, all eyes locked on the dozens of men trapped in it. I was supposed to stay focused, but my gaze kept shifting to the witch. The force pulling me to her was strong, and I was barely able to hold it together. All I wanted to do—all I could think about was rushing over and claiming her as mine. My wolf was no help, either—he was practically vibrating with excitement, urging me to get closer. He craved to be near her as much as I did.“She`s beautiful.” Kai mumbled. I couldn’t agree less. Dressed in a black lace dress that hugged her figures, Amelia was mesmerizing. She had wide green eyes that captivated me and rosy lips that were so tempting. She wasn’t too tall, nor was she too short; she just had the perfect height. Oh, my mate was indeed beautiful. But everything was still too hard to fathom. And with the way she was also stealing glances at me, I could tell she was as shocked as I was.“Amelia, darling. Let`s begin.” Her father said, b
VIOLETI didn’t know how, but I sensed his presence the moment he got to this pack and I had been waiting for him ever since. I was so happy and relieved that Axel was here, even though I still held a bit of resentment due to his betrayal.“You don’t look good.” Axel said, worries flooding his face as he sat on my bed and held my hand in his. “What is wrong?”“My Dad said a witch had hexed me.” I told him.“What? Why?” He asked, confusion saturating his features. That, I didn’t know either as my dad had refused to give me the full details. He always hid things from me, even though it concerned my health.I shook my head. “I don’t know either. But he mentioned that it was the Witches’ clan leader’s doing.”“Kaelin?” He said, confusion evident in his face. “Why would he hex you?”“I don’t know either.” I sighed. “I guess my dad got on his wrong side.”“And he wouldn’t say what it is that is between them. Or what condition Kaelin was giving to ensure your release.” Axel said, more of a
AXELI hadn’t been able to get Violet off my mind since she lost consciousness. Orion even wouldn’t stop howling in pain, desperate to see his mate. When her parents were informed, they arrived within a few hours and didn’t hesitate to transfer her to the hospital in the south. Now, I was in the dark about her health status and nothing could be more frustrating than that. I couldn’t be more glad that my dad had invited me to tag along for the Alpha King’s summit that was to take place in the south. That was my opportunity to check up on my mate.As planned, I was picked up from school and joined them as we travelled to the south. Uncle Lucius, kade and Tom were also with us. We arrived at the south and we were led to a grand hall where other Alpha Kings with their Betas and Gammas also joined us. “I welcome you all and thank you for honouring this invitation.” Silas said, darting his gaze between everyone in the room. “What I have called you here for is really important.” “It
VIOLETAfter Axel left, my feral side was activated, and I growled loudly, desperate to go after him, but Daisy held me back. Using all the strength I could gather, I pushed her away and made for the door. But before I could reach it, she cast a spell and used magic to hold me in place.I had almost forgotten that she was a witch.“Daisy, let me go now! I need my mate,” I growled, struggling to break free. “Don’t let me hate you.”“No, I think you will thank me when you are back to being yourself,” she replied, shaking her head.“Daisy, please,” I cried, frustrated.“Let’s help you get better,” she said as she approached me and undid the spell.I tried to run away once I was free, but she held my hand, looking me straight in the eyes. “Violet, look at me. You know I care deeply about you. And I will not lie to you. Trust me on this one. You don’t want to go after Axel.”“But I need him, Daisy. My body calls for him,” I blurted.“It is normal when you are in heat. You can do whatever y
AXELViolet in heat was wild and hot as fuck. She became a hundred times more attractive, and I could barely hold myself back. But taking her in this vulnerable state would be me taking advantage of her, and I didn’t want that. If we were going to make love, I wanted her to be in her right senses. I wanted her to want me when she could think straight. But now wasn’t the time.“Daisy.” I reached out through the mind link.“Yes?” she responded immediately.“Can you come back, please? And grab some ice packs on your way. Violet needs you,” I told her.“Why? What is wrong with her?” she asked, worry evident in her tone.“She’s in heat,” I said.“It’s great that you are with her then. You are the only one that can make her feel better since you are mates,” she responded teasingly.“We haven’t done that yet. And I don’t want our first to be when she’s in heat. She was mad at me before she went into heat, so I know she would regret it if anything happens now,” I explained to her.“Okay.” She
VIOLET“My beautiful daughter,” my dad’s voice beamed from the other end of the line. “How are you? Have you called me to tell me about your first shift? I am glad that your boyfriend, Emmett, helped you through your first shift. I heard you have a beautiful white wolf.”Of course, the bodyguards reported back to him.Axel’s jaw tightened, his knuckles turning white at my dad’s words.“Dad.” I cleared my throat, cutting straight to the chase. I didn’t want to waste any more time engaging in conversations like that with him. “I want to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.”“What?” he asked immediately.“Are you working with Lila?” I shot the question at him.He went quiet for a moment, then sucked in a breath. “Why do you say so?” he finally asked.“Please just answer my question. Are you working with Lila?” I pressed.“Violet, dear. This is not something you should concern yourself with. Just focus on your studies, okay?” he said.He wasn’t denying it, and my chest
VIOLETMy entire body continued heating up, so was my desire for Axel to rip off my clothes and bury himself inside me.“Axel...” I breathed, as I took his hand and placed it on my breast, urging him to play with it.He pulled his hand away, looking at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “Violet, you are in heat. You are not thinking straight.”“I know exactly what I am doing,” I retorted, desperation thick in my voice. “I want you, Axel. Please don’t deny me of you. I am all yours. Take me now.”Without hesitation, I cupped his face in my hands and leaned in to kiss him, but he promptly jerked away from me. Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart breaking at the realization that my mate didn’t want me.“Violet...” he sighed.“You don’t want me. You hate me.” Tears poured down my face.“Wait—what? I don’t hate you, Violet,” he said immediately, looking perplexed.“If you don’t, then you will...” I grabbed his shirt and used it to pull him closer, attempting to kiss him again. Bu
VIOLETEver since my first shift, both Onyx and I had felt lighter, but not light enough to escape the sting of Axel’s betrayal. I was relieved that Indie had survived her suicide attempt, and she was even back to attending classes and participating in other school activities.But what I couldn’t wrap my head around was why the both of them didn’t seem to be speaking with each other. I had asked Daisy, but she wouldn’t tell me anything. As much as I disliked the both of them at the moment, I was curious to find out why—but not curious enough to ask any of them.Emmett had been really supportive, always by my side, trying so hard to put a smile on my face. Even after I had made it clear to him that I could never accept his proposal, he didn’t mind. He simply wanted to be with me, to spend time together. Truth be told, I also enjoyed his company.I was hanging out with him when I lost track of time. And when I finally checked what time it was, it was already time for the game the wolves
AXELLila had won. Again. And we had no idea what she was planning. But now we had the hint that she was working with Silas. After we realized our plan had been busted and Lila had shattered the black vase, I wanted to follow my parents back to the pack house to join in solving the mystery from there, but they didn’t allow me. They insisted I stay in school. Truth be told, nothing interested me in this shithole academy anymore.Violet wasn’t speaking with me. She seemed to be really enjoying Emmett’s company now. They were always together, the sound of their laughter being a torture to my soul. I could barely stand this anymore.We were all at the training hall for combat class. They were together as usual, their eyes lighting up as they conversed. It took everything in me not to storm over and kick the motherfucker in his damn balls.“I also don’t know what he is doing with that girl!” I suddenly heard Emily’s voice say as she stood beside me.I sighed, shaking my head slightly. I di
VIOLETI wondered why Emmett’s wolf was so eager to meet mine, but I didn’t press for answers. I simply let his words go. As we ran into the forest, I noticed the two bodyguards hurrying behind us. “Ugh... I hate this,” I groaned loudly. “Hate what?” Emmett asked. I stopped running, taking a moment to exhale sharply before nodding toward the bodyguards. “Them. I hate that they have to be here while I have my first shift.” “We could just go back to the academy and do this some other time,” Emmett suggested. “No,” I quickly said. I wanted to do this now. Onyx needed it. I shot my gaze at the bodyguards, with a hard frown masking my face. “Can you at least make yourselves invisible? Like, keep a distance?” “It’s not safe out here, ma’am. We can’t take our eyes off you,” one of them replied without a single emotion on his face. It was clear that no matter how much I tried, they weren’t going to budge. I exhaled sharply, frustration spreading through me. “At least turn arou