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
“Starlette!” My father’s thunderous voice growled, jolting me awake.Fear gripped me by the throat as I sat up, wondering what I had done again. My father hated me; that was a known fact. He believed I was the cause of my mother’s death since she died giving birth to me. And to add more salt to the injury, I turned out to be an Omega, which made him hate me even more.My sisters, Maeve and Sabrina, didn’t treat me any better. They bullied and taunted me for a living, making me wake up every day wishing it was my last.I hated my life!“You useless bitch. Get up!” He growled again.My eyes still heavy with sleep, I scampered out of bed and stood before him, cowering.“Yes, father.” My lips trembled, fearing what he might do to me with the blazing rage flickering beneath his eyes.Perhaps lock me up. Or hit me?I didn’t even know what I had done.“How many times have I told you that I am not your father?!” He bellowed, taking an intimidating step forward.I recoiled, picking my finger