MAXIMUSThe walls seemed to close in around me, my lungs straining for air as panic clawed at my chest. Thoughts of what he might do to Starlette swirled in my mind, each one more terrifying than the last, threatening to drive me to the edge of madness.I quickly mind-linked Tom. “Starlette has been taken. Gabriel has her.”“I know,” came his shocking reply. His tone was tense. “I was about to tell you. He’s here with her now, slowly walking her toward the cell with a knife pressed to her neck.”“I am on my way.” I told him before cutting off the mind link and rushing to the dungeon. My heart was beating rapidly, a deep sense of fear creeping through me. I had to save Starlette. I couldn’t lose her—not now, not ever.When I reached the dungeon, the sight before me froze the air in my lungs. Gabriel was there, standing behind Starlette as Tom had said. His grip on her was firm, the blade pressed dangerously against her throat.“Release her. Now,” I growled, my voice low and menacing as
MAXIMUSFinally! The one man who had been terrorising my pack, the one who seemed impossible to get hold of, had been caught. I couldn’t be more excited. The joy that ripped through me as I watched him try over and over again to free himself but failed each time was immeasurable. The ever-powerful Gabriel had been rendered powerless. Great. So great.“Kaelin.” Gabriel growled, his gaze fixed on his brother. “Undo this spell. Now.”Kaelin narrowed his eyes as he stared at Gabriel. “How are you so delusional? Do you think I am still that little boy you used to boss around?”“To me, you’ll always be a little pathetic boy.” He growled.Kaelin folded his arms across his chest, a smirk spreading across his lips. “At least it’s not the pathetic little boy who is behind the bars.”Gabriel's eyes flickered with confusion, his frustration mounting. “I am more powerful than you! How could you cast a spell that I can’t break?”“With the help of my daughter, Amelia, nothing is impossible.” Kaelin
STARLETTEIt was a new day, a beautiful day. I hadn’t felt this free and happy in a very long time, knowing the pack wasn’t in danger anymore. We did it! The look on that man’s face when the blade sliced through his neck, with blood gushing out, was so sweet. I had never felt this satisfied and excited about anyone’s death. He died in the same way that old woman—Dorcas—had died. The poetic justice made it even more satisfying. He was slaughtered like a chicken, just the way he deserved. It was a pity that his daughter had to witness all that.Nina had been taken back to the witches’ territory by Kaelin and Amelia. They promised to monitor her closely to ensure she wasn’t complicit in her father’s heinous deeds. Although I doubted her involvement—her demeanour seemed innocent—one could never be too sure. Trust was a fragile thing, and the most dangerous villains often hid behind innocent façades.Anyway, today felt different. As I strolled through the pack’s territory, a profound sens
MAXIMUSI made the first move, shoving Lucius’ chest hard enough to make him teeter backward.A smirk tugged at his lips. “Do you really want to do this?”In response, I pushed him again, unsheathing my sword and pointing it at him. “Fight back, or I kill you like a chicken.” Groaning, I swung my sword toward him. Before it could land, he parried the attack with his blade, the sharp clank of metal ringing in the air.And so the fight began. Both of us attacked fiercely, our swords clashing violently. I didn’t hold back, giving him no room to breathe. I fought with the ferocity of a soldier facing a true enemy. I could feel his hands growing weaker by the second. I knew I was winning, and just needed a little more push. I pressed my advantage, hammering his sword relentlessly, aiming to completely weaken him until I yanked the sword off his hand.My plan worked, and I succeeded in knocking the sword off his hand. His eyes widened as he watched the sword hit the floor, and I took that
STARLETTEI have not been able to get what Gabriel said before life was taken from him off my mind. He could have said that as a desperate means to save his life. But what if he wasn’t actually lying? What if he wasn’t working alone? What if we weren’t as safe as we believed? These nagging doubts refused to leave me, gnawing at my sanity. I needed answers. So, I decided to ask Lauren. The old woman said Gabriel had sent Lauren to her, so she must have been in contact with him. She might know something.When I reached Lauren’s room, the guards opened the door for me without question. I stepped inside without knocking and found her reclining on the bed. She was propped against the headboard, a book covering her face.“Lauren.” I called, and only then did she gently lower the book from her face, revealing a calm and gentle expression. It was so unlike the Lauren I knew that I nearly stumbled in surprise.“There are some questions I need to ask you,” I began cautiously. Deep down, I kne
MAXIMUS“You might want to come and see what is going on.” Lucius’ voice came through the mind link.What is it? Are you itching for another fight? I’ll be sure to beat your ass this time. Not even if you retreat.” I groaned, annoyance thick in my throat.“No. No one is talking about fights here. The whole pack is gathered at the pack square. I am here. John, Lauren’s father, is here too.”At the mention of John, I sprang to my feet, urgency coursing through me. My strides quickened as I rushed to the pack square. The sight awaiting me only confirmed Lucius’ words—the entire pack had assembled, and standing at the forefront were Starlette, Lucius, and Lauren’s father. Starlette’s face was clouded with confusion as she glanced between the two men.“What’s going on here?” I demanded, my voice a low growl as I approached them. Stopping directly in front of Lauren’s father, I fixed my blazing eyes on him, brimming with murderous intent. “Your threats won’t work on me.”“I made an offer, A
MAXIMUSWhat Gabriel had said before he took his last breath all came pouring through my memories. I thought it was just a bluff, but could he have been telling the truth? Could he really not be working alone? Did he have another offspring we didn’t know about? Because the person in the pack at the moment had to be in their bloodline for the candle to have lit up.I mindlinked all the pack warriors. “Warriors. Look around the pack for any outsider. Now!”“Is the pack under attack again?” one of them asked.I sighed, thinking for a moment before replying. “No.”I didn’t want to alarm them and spark unnecessary panic in the pack.“Move. Now.” I added.My gaze returned to my mate. “I will go and join them in the search.”“Me too.” She quickly said.I wanted her to remain inside, safe. But knowing the mate that I had, I knew trying to stop her was pointless. She would want to take part in protecting the pack.“Okay.” I nodded, exhaling sharply. “Make sure to stay by my side at all times.
MAXIMUSA scalding fury consumed me. Just when we thought it was over, we hadn’t realised it was only the beginning. Maybe I should’ve listened to what Gabriel had tried to say instead of letting Lucius kill him. I never imagined there’d come a day when I’d regret Gabriel’s death.“Warriors, prepare yourselves,” I commanded through the mind link as I unsheathed my sword. “The Invisibles are here. Gather all the salt you can find.”Glancing at Starlette, I muttered, “Go inside. Take Amelia with you.”“No!” she snapped defiantly, her face set with determination. “I’m not going anywhere. We fight together—side by side. This is my pack too, and I want to protect them as much as you do.”This wasn’t the time for this argument.“You don’t even have a sword, Starlette,” I sighed, exasperated.Without missing a beat, she walked over to a nearby warrior and grabbed his sword. Turning back to me, she lifted it, her gaze unyielding. “I have one now.”I shook my head. Stubborn woman.After tellin
VIOLETMy alarm buzzed incessantly, its shrill sound piercing the peaceful silence of my room. Subconsciously, I reached out and snoozed it, not wanting to wake up yet. But it kept buzzing, frustrating the living hell out of me. I groaned, squirming on the bed in frustration.“Wakie wakie!” Daisy’s voice suddenly screeched in my ears, and the next thing I knew, she yanked the duvet off me, exposing me to the chilly morning air and forcing me to open my eyes.I glared at her, though she seemed entirely unfazed.“It’s time to get ready for your first day in school,” she said with a giggle as she sauntered to the window. She threw open the blinds, allowing the bright morning sunlight to stream in. I winced, quickly averting my gaze from the harsh light.I groaned loudly, stretching lazily. “Do we really have to do this? Classes?”“Hmm-hmm!” she replied with a nod. “We have to. I’m heading out now. There’s something I need to check at the library before class starts. Make sure you get up
VIOLET My parents picked me up from my dorm room and drove me to the hall where the birthday party was being held—the very last place I wanted to be. “Violet, darling. How is your first day at school so far?” my mother asked on our way, looking at me expectantly. “Good,” I simply replied. She raised her brow. “And your roommate?” “She’s perfect,” I told her, looking away and peering through the window, hoping she’d drop the conversation. I wasn’t interested in small talk at the moment. I still hated that I had to come to this school and was being forced to attend the birthday party of that boy! “I trust you’ll blend in perfectly,” Father added. “Sure.” We arrived at the venue, and they positioned me between them as we entered. The hall was so huge, filled with overdressed students and their equally overdressed parents, all wearing the same plastic smiles as they mingled. I hated going to functions like this, and I specifically hated being at this particular one. As we ventured
AXEL That girl—there was something strange about her. In all my eighteen years, I had never seen anything like it. I was born with special gifts; the ability to read and control minds. But those gifts were as much a curse as they were a blessing because sometimes, I knew things I’d rather not. Yet no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t read her mind. She was a mystery, and I hated mysteries. She intrigued me, made me curious, made me want to get close to her. No girl had ever rejected me the way she did, and that bruised my ego. Brutally. Every girl wanted me; they all wanted to be in my bed—except her. And that, I decided, would change. I was going to make her want me, even if it meant dumping her afterward. Standing in front of the mirror in my dorm room, I checked my reflection one last time. My eighteenth birthday party was tonight, and everything needed to be perfect. Tonight, I’d meet my wolf for the first time, and the thought of that made me a little nervous, different scena
VIOLET Today, I resumed school at Equinox Academy—against my will. My father sent me here for selfish reasons; to forge alliances with the other Alpha Kings. In our realm, there were four Alpha Kings—ruling the North, South, West, and East. My father was the Southern Alpha King, and the Eastern Alpha King owned this school. According to him, the academy was established to promote unity among the kingdoms and to train young wolves in harnessing their strengths. Even witches were welcome here. For years, my father refused to let me attend this school. Then suddenly, without warning, he forced me to enroll—for his own gain—and in my senior year, no less! No amount of protesting could change his mind. He made it clear the decision was final. Oh, I hated that man! He never listened to anyone—not even my mother, the Luna—which made me wonder why she hadn’t rejected him yet. Their relationship wasn’t the greatest. In fact, I had never seen them act like a couple; their marriage seemed more
Dear Readers, It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the end of our journey together in Starlette and Maximus’s story. As we close this chapter, I want to thank each and every one of you for being part of this ride. I’m honored to have shared this story with you. As promised, Axel’s story is up next, and I can barely contain my excitement! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you… Her Forbidden Alpha. Get ready to be swept away by their love story!
EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER“Star, hurry up. We’ll be late for Axel’s birthday party,” Starlette’s mate called through the mind-link.Today was their son Axel’s birthday, and they were headed to his school to celebrate with him. Maximus had accepted Alpha King Henry’s proposal from years ago, and most of the northern kids now attended the school, including their son, Axel.Axel had grown into an exceptional young man—smart, compassionate, and strikingly handsome. He embodied everything a parent could wish for in a child, though his psychic ability had been a bit of a problem, as he sometimes used it when he wasn’t supposed to. Thankfully, the boarding school had taught him how to manage and control his gift.“I’m ready,” Starlette responded, adjusting her sea-green dress embroidered with silver threads. Staring at her reflection one last time, she stepped out of the room.Today wasn’t just Axel’s birthday—it was also their wedding anniversary. For eighteen years, Maximus had never failed to
MAXIMUSToday, I was getting married to the love of my life. She was my wife already, but I still wanted a proper wedding for her. Our wedding day was meant to be a core memory, something we would hold dear for the rest of our lives. Oh, we were going to have a blast—I would make sure of that.“You are the prettiest bride ever,” I told her as I gently gathered her hair to one side and adorned her neck with the diamond necklace I had gotten for her.We stood in front of the mirror, admiring how beautifully the necklace sat on her neck. She wore the most stunning white dress, and I was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo. Kade had argued that we should both appear in our ceremonial attire, but I refused, wanting to have a wedding that felt normal, like everyone else’s.Starlette fiddled with the pendant between her fingers, a sweet smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Max. Words can’t express how much I love you.” She turned to face me, her eyes brimming with affection. “I love you so much—m
AMELIAMy heart ached for Starlette, feeling so sad that her father was killed, even though he deserved it. She was one of the strongest people I knew. She always stood strong, despite everything she had had to endure. And for that, I admired her.After undoing the spell on the circle where the invisibles had been kept, Lucius and I returned to his treehouse. We spent most of our time there whenever I was at Royal Crest because wandering around the pack as a witch could cause unnecessary tension. Even so, I loved it here. It was quiet, serene, and allowed Lucius and me to enjoy uninterrupted moments together.Right now, we were sitting by the stream, basking in the tranquility of the flowing water.“Do you think it is finally over? Do you think Silas will stop attacking with the invisibles now that his cover has been blown?” I asked Lucius as I turned to look at him.“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “But Silas isn’t one to back down easily. Even if he gives up on Starlette, he would
Hi, everyone! There are only three chapters left until the end of this book, and I’m thrilled to announce that there will be a sequel to the story! The sequel will be a high school romance featuring some fascinating characters. Can you guess whose story it will be? You won’t need to search anywhere else for the continuation—the sequel will be added right here as soon as Maximus and Starlette’s story concludes. And the first three chapters will be free! Thank you all for your support and for reading this story. I appreciate every single one of you!