STARLETTE Wondering who it was, I turned around to see a wolf with a striking resemblance to Maximus. Perhaps his brother? But I had never heard of the Alpha King’s brother. “Who—who are you?” I stuttered, too stunned to even speak coherently. “I am Lucius. Maximus’s brother, obviously.” He grinned with a glint in his eyes, confirming my guess. “Older brother.” He added. “Older brother?” I asked, my eyes narrowing in confusion. How come I had never heard of him before now? And how could Maximus be the Alpha King when he was the older brother? The older son’s were usually the heirs to the throne. “Yes.” He nodded, a mischievous smile lingering on his face. My mouth formed an ‘O’ as I stared at him. My mind raced with so many questions—questions I chose to keep to myself. “So...” he folded his arms across his chest, his gaze sweeping from my head to my toe. “You are the breeder and the said mate.” Before I could reply, he continued, an amused smile playing on his lip
STARLETTE"I won't lie." Lucius groaned as he jumped back to his feet. "That kind of hurt."In a split second, Maximus was next to him, slicing through his chest with his claws and yanking him aggressively against the tree. Lucius grunted in pain but quickly replaced his expression with an amused smile. The cut on his chest healed immediately, surprising me. Those without wolves had a very slow healing ability, and I wondered how he healed so fast. "I don't want to ever see you near her again." Maximus warned, his jaw clenching with anger. A smirk played on Lucius’s lips. "Why? Are you perhaps worried that I would fuck her like you fucked my girlfriend?”"No, little brother." He continued. "I am not a monster."He jumped to his feet, dusting dry leaves off his body. "Why do you care anyway? You don't treat her right.""I am worried that you might have helped orchestrate her escape." Maximus growled in response. Lucius chuckled. "That wouldn’t have been bad. I would think about tha
STARLETTEI slowly opened my eyes and turned to look at the other side of the bed, hoping to see Maximus there, but he wasn’t. After our altercation last night, he stormed out of the room, and I had stayed up late, waiting for his return, but he never did. I wondered where he went to. Perhaps he was with Lauren. The thought of that caused anger to rise up in my chest, and I quickly shook my head to get it off. He wasn’t worth my emotions—so I made myself believe.Not long after I woke up, Bella came in, her usual bright smile shining on her face.“Good morning.” She beamed as she approached me.I mirrowed her smile. “Good morning, Bella.”Her smile faded when she sat beside me on the bed.“What?” I asked when I noticed her change in contortion. “I am sorry for telling the Alpha that you were with Lucius when he asked about you.” She said remorsefully.I didn’t even know that she told Maximus that. But I wasn’t mad about it. Not at all. I knew she had no choice but to be truthful when
STARLETTEI quietly walked out of my hiding place like a thief sneaking out of a rat hole. I stood there and stared at them blankly, not knowing what to say. “What are you doing here?” Came the Alpha’s question. “Just…” I darted my gaze at the shelf behind us before looking back at him. “I was bored, so I decided to get a book to read.”Without saying a word in response, he walked past me and headed towards one of the book shelves. “Hey, Starlette.” Kade said, and I snapped my attention at him. “Hi.” I breathed awkwardly. “Uhm,” he said, swiping his palm across the back of his neck. “Don’t mind what he said. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”He didn’t need to try to soothe me with his words. I was used to getting hurt by the Alpha’s words anyway. “Sure.” I nodded, smiling awkwardly. I took another glance at Maximus, whose attention was now fixated on a particular book. Blowing out a sharp breath, I trotted out of the library. My mind was a mess, and I wasn’t looking at where I was
STARLETTEThe following morning, Tom and I met for training again, and I channelled all the rage burning within me into the training. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I kept chanting in my mind with each attack I blocked. “You have gotten better and fierce.” Tom commented, amazement evident in his voice. “All thanks to him.” I blurted before I could even stop myself. “Who? The Alpha?” He guessed. “Can you believe he hasn’t been sleeping in our room? Not that I care, but—“ I trailed off immediately when I realised I was divulging too much information.“Never mind.” I continued, exhaling sharply. “It’s okay.” Tom managed to hit my waist, and I groaned in pain. “It’s a safe space. You can talk to me.”I didn’t know who Tom really was or if I could trust him. But I needed listening ears before I went out of my fucking mind. I needed to rant! So, without giving it much thought, I went ahead. “Not that I care, but why would an Alpha abandon his own room to sleep in a woman’s room?
STARLETTE“How did you know about all these?” Maximus asked, narrowing his eyes. “I read a lot. I read it in a book a long time ago.” I told him. He folded his arms across his chest. “What book? Tell me more.” “I can’t recall the exact book. And I’m afraid that’s all I know.”“I’m also afraid you’ll have to think hard to remember where you read that from. We need more information.” That sounded more like a threat than a request. “I didn’t pay much attention while reading it. It was a very old book. A witch grimore.” I answered truthfully.The frown on his face deepened. “You really can’t remember anything else? How do I get to the witch? Where are the so-called invisibles located?”I shook my head. “It wasn’t stated in the book.” “No hint at all?”“I think we already have the information we need. Hopefully, if the salt trick works, we’d be able to capture and question them directly.” Tom chimed in. The Alpha King sighed. “I wonder if the witches are trying to start a war or if o
STARLETTEWithin seconds, the maid's yard was almost empty. I knew I had to make a run for it, but I couldn’t leave Bella there. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to her.“How do I get this rope off?” I panicked as I tried to look for the knot to loosen.“Starlette. There’s no time; just go. Save yourself.” She said weakly. The fear in her voice was evident, and I wasn’t leaving her alone. “I’m not leaving you here.”I found the knot and quickly untied her. I wrapped her arm around my shoulders to support her, as she was too weak to walk on her own. “Where is your room?” I asked her. She pointed at a particular door, and we headed towards the room, but when we got there, the room was locked. “Linda, Sarah, please open the door.” She called on her roommates, but there was no response. “Please!” I pleaded, banging on the door. I could hear the rouges drawing near, and fear saturated my whole being. If we didn’t find a place to hide, we’d be dead in minute
STARLETTEThe next time I opened my eyes, I was in Maximus’s arms, laying on his laps. Startled, I gasped and tried to jump off him, but he held me in place. “Shhhh.” He said. “You're still weak.”The knife the rogue used to stab me must have been laced with a concentrated amount of wolfsbane, which was what weakened me to the extent of passing out.“Where‘s Bella?” I quickly asked when she crossed my mind.“Bella is fine.”“The rogues didn’t attack her?” I asked.“They didn’t.” He assured me, and I sighed in relief.I was relieved about Bella, but still tensed because I was in his arms. I hated him, but what I hated the most was how my body reacted to him. I hated that this devil had to be my mate.But, thinking about it, he wasn’t that much of a devil. My life had already flashed before my eyes, but he saved me. Not only did he save me, he chose to save me instead of Lauren. I still hated him regardless, but I was grateful. “What are you thinking about?” His words cut through my
AXELAfter I left Violet, I went in search of my Dad, knowing they’d be looking for me since the meeting was over. I found him and the others—uncle Lucius, Kade and Tom, in the hallway leading to the hall where the meeting was held. Their voices were hushed while discussing something I presumed they didn’t want anyone else to hear, but when my Dad saw me, he paused, casting a disapproving look my way. “Where have you been?” He groaned. “I brought you here for a reason.”“I am sorry, I had to go and ease myself and I got lost.” I let the lie slip off my tongue. The look on his face showed that he didn’t believe me, but he decided to let it go anyway. “The meeting is done. We are heading back now.” I nodded. “Okay.”On our way to the car, I moved closer to Uncle Lucius, lowering my voice as I asked curiously. “What’s the conclusion on Lila?” “If you wanted to know, you should’ve stayed for the meeting, but...” He leaned closer and reduced his voice to a level only I could hear.
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