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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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