MAXIMUS“What?!” I exclaimed, narrowing my eyes, trying to understand what Bella had just told me.“She is pregnant. And she is in her third trimester already,” she repeated firmly.I shook my head, trying to make sense of what she was saying. But it didn’t make one bit of sense. If she was in her third trimester, she would have been heavily pregnant. But she wasn’t. In fact, her stomach was as flat as ever before she left this pack.“This is not the time for jokes, Bella,” I hissed. “Please leave if you have nothing serious to say. Do not infuriate me!”“The baby is hiding itself to protect itself; that’s why she isn’t showing yet,” she said firmly, unwavering in her claims. She looked into my eyes, stating firmly, “Starlette is pregnant.”I narrowed my eyes at her, and she remained unmoving, refusing to back down from her claims. Bella would never lie to me for fun, would she? Especially in this critical moment.As the realization dawned, my stomach tightened, anxiety coursing throu
“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
MAXIMUS“What?!” I exclaimed, narrowing my eyes, trying to understand what Bella had just told me.“She is pregnant. And she is in her third trimester already,” she repeated firmly.I shook my head, trying to make sense of what she was saying. But it didn’t make one bit of sense. If she was in her third trimester, she would have been heavily pregnant. But she wasn’t. In fact, her stomach was as flat as ever before she left this pack.“This is not the time for jokes, Bella,” I hissed. “Please leave if you have nothing serious to say. Do not infuriate me!”“The baby is hiding itself to protect itself; that’s why she isn’t showing yet,” she said firmly, unwavering in her claims. She looked into my eyes, stating firmly, “Starlette is pregnant.”I narrowed my eyes at her, and she remained unmoving, refusing to back down from her claims. Bella would never lie to me for fun, would she? Especially in this critical moment.As the realization dawned, my stomach tightened, anxiety coursing throu
MAXIMUSThe frustration and rage consuming my whole being were capable of tearing me apart. I barely slept, barely ate—all I could think about was Starlette and what she was going through at the moment. I still hadn’t found her nor any clue that could lead us to her. I was filled with regret. I should’ve insisted on following her; that way, I would have been able to protect her. Instead, I trusted her words that she would be okay and allowed her to go alone with the warriors. I was the greatest fool ever.Everyone had been trying their best to find her. Amelia couldn’t locate her through the spell, and that only made me more scared. Whoever took her had cloaked her. And that confirmed my suspicion—it was definitely the witch working in collaboration with her father, Isaac. Despite the intense interrogations, Isaac refused to confess.Even though the torture was extreme, driving him to the brink of death at times, he still wouldn’t admit anything. He had been transferred to the dungeon
STARLETTESeizing the opportunity, I quickly got up from bed and rushed out of the room. As I walked down the hall, I noticed that two men were following. I stopped in my tracks, taking in a long breath. Of course, he wouldn’t let me roam the pack freely and unwatched. But that wasn’t going to stop me from escaping. First, I had to survey the pack and know my way around.Taking another deep breath, I continued walking, studying every nook and cranny of the pack. The people gazed at me as I passed them, looking at me like I was some sort of alien. They needn't worry. I will be gone soon. I told myself. From what I had gathered so far, there were enough female soldiers in this pack and thankfully, they all wore uniforms. I just had to get one of them to follow me to private place, where the two men that had been joblessly following me around wouldn’t see and manoeuvre her. My plan was to change into her uniform and get out this damn pack before they could even notice that I was gone.J
STARLETTEMy plan had failed. The moment I bolted out of the room, two guards stationed outside intercepted me. Without hesitation, they bundled me back inside and handed me over to Silas. His smirk never faltered, a sinister satisfaction radiating from him as he carried me in his arms and unceremoniously threw me onto the bed.“You are going nowhere, love.” He said smugly as he turned around and started walking towards the door. “You better get used to it. A maid would bring your food now. Eat and be healthy. The best meals were specially prepared for you.”And so, he left, leaving me alone to my misery and despair. I couldn’t live like this forever. I couldn’t become his baby-making machine. Maximus would find me and save me. He had to.A few moments after Silas left, a maid walked in with a tray bearing varieties of foods. The aroma was so intoxicating, making me salivate, so much so that I swallowed my saliva a few times. My stomach rumbled, hinting that I was hungry and needed to
MAXIMUSI looked around, asking no one in particular. “Is it true that Isaac removes the nails of his victims?”If he did this, then he was as good as dead. I’d slowly skin him alive, make him feel every ounce of agony before chopping his meat to pieces.“Rogues.” One of the warriors replied. “After rogues attacks, he peels off their nails and keeps them. According to him, it serves as a means to teach other rogues a lesson and make them stay off the pack.”Isaac was so dead!Without hesitation, I rushed back to the Star Claw pack. I should have known. His complete indifference to his daughter’s disappearance and his refusal to join the search had been suspicious. I hadn’t pressed him then because his very presence irritated me. Now, I was furious at my oversight. “Isaac!” I growled so loudly when I reached the pack house, running upstairs in rapid steps to go find him. I didn’t have the patience to wait for him to come down.“Where are you?” I growled as I walked through the corrido
MAXIMUSI mind-linked Kade, feeling rage rumble within me. “Kade. Meet me outside, now! We are going to Star Claw.”“Why? The Luna Queen still hasn’t returned?” He asked, concern evident in his tone.I couldn’t tell him what had just happened; my ego wouldn’t let me. “Stop asking questions and meet me outside.” I said dismissively.Grabbing my car keys, I hurried to my car. Just as I entered, Kade reached the car and joined me in the passenger seat.“Maybe she just wants to spend more time with her—“ He started, but I cut him off.“She wouldn’t want to spend more time with them. They don’t have that type of relationship. Now, shut up. I am not in the mood to answer your questions.”When we got to the Star Claw park, everywhere was quiet, the party seeming to have ended a long time ago.“Take me to your Alpha.” I told one of the guards at the pack’s border.Although surprised to see me in their pack, he quietly led me and Kade to the pack house, his eyes glued to the ground all the way
STARLETTEThe bed felt incredibly soft and comforting against my skin. I wished I could remain like this forever, as it felt like heaven. But sadly, I had to wake up. Stretching my arm towards Maximus, I was met with emptiness. I sighed. He must have left early for work again today, like always, I thought. I had to get up too because I also had work to do. So, opening my eyes, I felt an unusual heaviness, and I had to shut them close. Groaning softly, I made another attempt, this time slowly. The room around me looked strange—very strange. This wasn’t our bedroom. Panic surged through me as I bolted upright. A sharp, throbbing pain exploded in my head, like a drumbeat pounding relentlessly. Whimpering, I cradled my aching head while scanning my unfamiliar surroundings. Where was I? I wondered. And just as I asked myself that question, memories came pouring in, and my heart began to beat dangerously against my ribcage. I could remember rogues attacking us and being injected with som
MAXIMUSIt was past midnight, and Starlette still hadn’t returned. Star Claw wasn’t far from Royal Crest—it should have been a short trip. I kept checking the time and glancing toward the pack’s entrance, hoping to see the cars she’d left with. But there was nothing. I didn’t want her to go to that place alone, but she insisted. Now, I was regretting giving in to her demands. I should’ve insisted on following her.I didn’t know, but a nagging feeling weighed on me, a deep suspicion that something might have gone wrong. But I tried to wave that feeling off, hoping it was just my paranoia that was causing it.Kade tried to mind link me, and I let him through.“Yes?” I asked gruffly, the frustration of not having my mate with me eating deep.“One of the prisoners wants to talk.” He said.“Where are you?” I asked.“By the circle.”“Alright. I am coming.” I said before cutting off the mind link.Without wasting time, I headed there. Kade was standing in front of the circle, with the guards
STARLETTE The next day, I journeyed to my former pack—the Star Claw. I hadn’t set foot there since I left for the Royal Crest, and honestly, I didn’t miss it. It was a place filled with painful memories I’d rather forget. Maximus insisted on coming with me, determined to protect me. But I knew how disastrous that would be, given how much he despised my father. After much pleading and persuasion, he reluctantly agreed to stay behind and manage the pack’s affairs. As for Bella, she had fallen unexpectedly ill with a high fever—a rare occurrence for werewolves but not entirely impossible. That left me with no choice but to travel alone, accompanied by fifteen guards assigned to ensure my safety. When we arrived at Star Claw, James, one of the border guards, insisted on escorting me and my entourage to the pack house even though I very much remembered the way. “So, how has life been at the royal crest?” He tried to begin small talk, but I wasn’t in for that. I was anxious to meet my