“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
The Alpha King was my mate!The best thing that had ever happened to me in my twenty years of life. The moon goddess didn’t hate me after all.The mate bond was as they said. So beautiful, pure, and extremely strong. I felt like I was being pulled by a magnetic force, and all I wanted to do was bury myself in his arms. The Alpha King’s arms.I had been dreaming of a day like this to come—a day I'd finally be free from the loneliness and misery I was enveloped in. The day I’ll find someone who’ll love, cherish, and protect me at all costs. The day I’ll find my mate.And he wasn’t just anyone. He was Alpha King Maximus. King of the seven kingdoms in the north. Aren’t I just the luckiest?“An Omega?!” His voice echoed through the hallway, and the disappointment laced in his voice was palpable. “The moon goddess has got to be kidding me.”Before the bat of an eye, he was already next to me, his large palm seizing my neck and pushing me violently to the wall. I struggled to breathe, gaspin
Realizing that I was doomed and had nowhere to run to again, I transformed into my humanoid form, fearing what would happen to me next.Alpha Maximus also effortlessly transformed into his humanoid form, revealing a sturdy physique sculpted with powerful muscles. His broad shoulders and defined chest exuded strength, while a trim waist accentuated his masculine allure.His manhood, oh my.My eyes roamed his body, ogling at his incredibly sexy masculine form.He towered at an impressive height of about 6’5”, his luscious caramel brown hair cascading in loose waves. His chiselled face was adorned with neatly grown beards. His piercing blue eyes effortlessly swept me off my feet.For a moment, the Alpha King was lost in the daze of staring at me in return, but quickly collected himself, his signature frown masking his features again.“Alpha.” The beta’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.That was when it occurred to me that I was naked, and I quickly covered my breasts with one hand and
MAXIMUS.I lost complete control. My wolf surfaced, and all I knew was that I had to protect her at all costs. It was certain that I was being punished for all my past sins, because how could an Omega be my mate?Firstly, the soothsayer prophesied that she—Starlette—was the only one who could give me an heir. Secondly, she turned out to be my mate. Double punishments.I would have sent her back if she wasn’t the only one capable of bearing pups for me.After all, a king needs an heir.Let’s just hope the damned Omega’s gene doesn’t dominate my Alpha genes.“Mate?!” Lauren exclaimed, her eyes flickering with a combination of surprise, contempt, and jealousy.Now I have a lot of explaining to do to my woman. Lauren and I had been lovers since we were teens. She was a beta and would make a perfect Luna. I could never leave her for an Omega.“Let’s take this somewhere else.” I exhaled sharply. I didn't want to have that conversation in front of the pack members.“No, I–” She began, but I
STARLETTE.I leaned against the door as I watched them continue to make out. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. I watched them, and I couldn’t help but desperately wish that I was the one my mate was kissing.As he cupped her breast and kneaded it over her shirt, images of it being my breast that was being smooched flashed over my head, and a soft moan escaped my lips.I placed my hand on my boobs and began to subconsciously rub over them.Alpha Maximus turned to look at me, and I quickly yanked my hand off my breast, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. He could smell my arousal. I was sure of it.He promptly looked away and continued doing things with Lauren—things he was supposed to be doing with me.What was wrong with me? I mentally scolded myself. I was supposed to be disgusted, but here I was, getting wet. My wolf, on the other hand, was displeased with what was playing out before us and was furiously howling in pain.“Ahh, I love it.” Lauren moaned. She looked at me over
“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Bella’s voice beamed, jolting me awake. I slowly opened my eyes to see her opening the blinds, and I quickly shut my eyes as the rays of sunshine hit them. Turning to the other side, I opened my eyes again. I looked around the room, hoping to see Maximus, but he wasn’t in sight, and that left me wondering where he went. I didn’t even think he returned yesterday night. I was awake for a long time, waiting for him to return and thinking about the things he did to me before sleep swept me away. I wondered why he touched me, arousing me, and then suddenly stormed out of the room afterwards. Did I do something wrong? Or could it be part of his torture scheme?Bella abruptly yanked the blanket off my body. “Wake up, Miss. It’s time for breakfast.”“I’m awake.” I sighed as I lazily sat up. “Have you seen him this morning?” I asked Bella. I didn’t need to mention his name for her to know who I was talking about. “No, I haven’t.” She replied before turning
STARLETTE“Never in your miserable life should you ever lay hands on my girl again.” He warned. My already broken heart shattered even further into irredeemable pieces. “That’s if you don’t want to get your filthy hands cut off. They have no use anyway.”I stiffened without uttering a word, because it was of no use. No matter how much I tried to defend myself, he’d never believe me over her, and that reality hurt more than it should. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes, but before they could come rushing out, I sprinted out of the kitchen. I wasn’t going to entertain them with my misery. I ran to my bedroom, which I hated to go to because it was also his, but it was the only place I could find privacy.Once alone in the room, I couldn’t control the tears that came rushing out. Every second, every minute, and every hour that I had spent in this pack had been nothing but torture. My heart was hurting so badly that I thought I was having a heart attack. One minute he was buying me
STARLETTEWondering 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 lips. “You’re more
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
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
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
MAXIMUS Oblivious to the fact that Gabriel had also been spying on Dorcas, I had inadvertently revealed our plans. Now, he was aware of the trap we’d set. The element of surprise, our one key advantage, was now out of it. An intense rage tightened my chest, the heat of the fury radiating to my stomach. Of all the things I was angry about, I was angriest at myself. How could I have messed things up like this? I mind-linked Tom. “Gabriel now knows our plan. He knows that we set a trap in the dungeon. But he doesn’t know what exactly the trap is.” “What? How?” Tom asked in perplexity. “I’ll explain everything later. Just pass the message to the witches.” I told him before cutting off the mind-link. I turned to Lauren, my frown deepening. “And you. You also work for Gabriel now?” “Ga—Gabriel?” She stammered, shaking her head vigorously. “No. I would never. I am loyal to this pack. To you. I would never betray you. Never.” Her voice grated on my ears, filled with the desper
STARLETTEGabriel was very powerful, and using his daughter as bait to capture him wouldn’t be simple. I vividly recalled how he had trapped Amelia in an invisible web when he attacked Lucius. She had been utterly helpless, unable to break free or stop him. The same scenario could repeat itself if we didn’t devise an impeccable plan. Gabriel might outmanoeuvre us, snatch Nina, and leave us back at square one. But if caught off guard, everything could go smoothly. So we had to seize the full extent of this opportunity and set a trap that would actually catch him. They were all staring at me now, anticipation etched on their faces, waiting for me to share my thoughts.Clearing my throat, I began. “We could transfer Nina to a dungeon in the Royal Crest Pack. Both of you—” I gestured between Amelia and Kaelin, “—would remain in the dungeon with her, but cloaked. When he approaches her, you’d use the element of surprise to subdue him before he has a chance to react.”Kaelin raised a brow.
MAXIMUSKaelin waved the others out of the room, and they silently filed out. The men hesitated to leave, but Kaelin assured them that everything was fine, and that was when they finally left—not before staring at us warily, though. But they weren’t my problem at the moment.I stepped forward, fixing my gaze on the girl. “Nina,” I called firmly.She flicked her gaze at me, her wide, terrified eyes meeting mine. “Where is he?” My voice was sharp and demanding. I didn’t have the patience for games.“Who?” She feigned ignorance.My gaze darkened, my eyes blazing with fury at her audacity. “Would you like to be tortured before we get the answer out of you? Answer now and save yourself unnecessary suffering. You aren’t my target.”“We can’t make conclusions just.” Kaelin said as he stretched his hands towards Amelia, who was now holding a bowl and knife, collecting the items. “Although the magic pulled her towards me, I’ll have to make confirmation. Only then can we be completely sure tha
MAXIMUSAmelia could have teleported us to the witches' lands to save time, but we had driven here and couldn’t simply abandon the car in the south. Hence, we had to make the ride all the way to the witches’ lands. It was at that moment I regretted not bringing a driver along. Although she didn’t have to, Amelia decided to ride with us, journeying with us through the night.Starlette had picked up a book to read, but she slept almost immediately, leaving me and Amelia to keep each other company—in silence.“Amelia.” I called when a thought popped in my head.“Yes?” She answered, lifting her head to look at me from the back seat. ““Lila. She seemed so powerful—maybe even more powerful than you. She could read people’s past and future and even sensed your presence, despite your cloak.“Amelia smirked faintly, her confidence shining through. “She is not as powerful as I am. I sensed her magic, and it doesn’t even come close to mine. I’m much stronger than you realize. But that’s a conve
STARLETTEA daughter? My eyes narrowed as I stared at Lila, who had just revealed that Gabriel had a daughter in the witches’ lands. I was sure we all had the same thoughts running through our minds—to find the girl and use her as leverage to get Gabriel. Although I hated that Maximus had to hand over all his secrets to the mysterious girl to obtain this information, it was a solid lead.“What else did you see? I need a name, description, or anything that could help identify her.” Maximus probed further. “I didn’t get her name, but I know she’s a brunette, has brown eyes, and is petite.” The witch told him. Maximus and I snapped our gazes towards Amelia simultaneously. “Do you think we can get her?” Maximus asked. Amelia sighed, pressing her lips together. “Working with a name would’ve been easier, but finding her isn’t impossible. As long as she’s in our lands.” “Forgive me for asking, but who are you exactly?” Silas asked Amelia, his brows raised. “The clan elder’s daughter.”
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