ARIAEven when I am kilometers away from the village, I knew something was amiss. Something is just not right and I soon realized that my instincts were right when I smelled the flesh burning.My heart skipped a beat as I ran faster to my home. The burnt flesh drowned my nostrils as a small smoke coming from the houses became visible in my eyes.“No…” I reached the village in a few minutes and I could only do nothing but stare at it in utter shock.The bags of plastic fell off from my hands while my tears streamed down my face.I just went to the market in Roan to buy our supplies and this is what I’ll be coming home to? Our village was practically on ashes now and our people… our people were murdered and burned!“Aria! Aria!” Lola called my name while wailing on the corner mourning her own brothers that were burned, holding the hot skulls in her hands.I went up to her and cupped her face. “Who did this, Lola?! Tell me!”“The alpha prince and his guards! They killed all the adult men
ARIAI gasped silently when I finally looked in his eyes. Even without the lights on, I could see embers flying through me from his gaze and for a split of a second, I wanted to run away from here when my knees trembled.The aura of the alpha prince is unlike anything that I have ever sensed before. And what puzzled me the most is I am not at all scared of him. In fact, I felt like I wanted to touch him to ease this longing that I didn’t know I could feel for someone other than my own mate.“Come here,” he drawled, his eyes roaming around my body that is barely covered by the silk dress.I moved one step at the bed and stopped right in front of him with my face burning with shame.“Interesting,” he whispered as he stared at me. “Now, show me what you’ve got. Take your clothes off.”I jerked when he said that and clenched my hands as tears began to drench my eyes.Aria, you have to do this! For the sake of your pack! You have to do this to get justice! Still with shaking hands, I pull
ARIAWhen the alpha prince left the brothel, I was immediately put to work by Stella. Since she cannot make profits on me because I cannot take up new customers, I need to do some errands and complete jobs for her.“Keep on brushing those carts Aurora,” Selene, the current biggest money-maker in the house, mocked me while I was in the back of the kitchen doing everything to brush away the stain on carts.“I guess you will forever stay here in the kitchen for the rest of your life. Do you really think that the cruel alpha prince would come back for a prostitute like you?” She laughed and jabbed a finger on my head. “I don’t know who raised you, but they sure know how to put some fairy tales in your head. A lowly woman like you won’t have any chance with the alpha prince. Wake up, Aurora. He won’t come back for you. you are just delusional to stay here.”I stopped washing the carts and glared at her. I have so much mission on me more than dealing with this diva being threatened by me.“
WILLIAMThere is something about her that I can’t put a name unto. There is something about that woman that I cannot forget her eyes and her sweet holy voice.It felt like I have been talking with her for the whole of my lifetime. It felt like I knew her but I am certain as the moon above us that it’s the first time I saw her. A striking face like that is something that I cannot forget.And I didn’t get to have her name. I sighed and tickled my tongue against the roof of my mouth.“No worries, I will surely go back to her.”Lucas looked at me inside the car, his face wondering what the hell I am saying. “Did you say something, alpha prince?”I grimaced at the sound of his voice and opened the window of the car to breathe some air. I remembered being so attached to Lucas before but I guess something went wrong along the way because I sometimes had the urge to pierce his face or his chest when he was sleeping.That is morbid and uncalled for but I really don’t like him at all. I am just
ARIAIt’s been weeks since the alpha prince ordered me to be kept in the brothel but not even his shadow of him showed up.Cleaning the place and cooking for the customers do not pay my bills anymore that are starting to pile up since I am still staying at the VIP room of the alpha prince. I asked Stella if I should move out but she did not agree saying that she will be punished by the alpha prince if she did that.When another week passed without the alpha prince coming for me, that’s when the reality of what Selene weighed on me.Maybe she’s right. I should not have believed the alpha prince after all. I am just a prostitute in his eyes while he’s got everything in this world. If I want to kill him, then I should not let myself be swooned by him.“Aria, prepare yourself now and entertain the customer in room 303,” Stella ordered me the second she barged into the room.I immediately stood up with a hopeful smile on my face. “Is it the alpha prince? Is he back to get me now?”Stella j
ARIAWe passed on mini forests, rivers, lakes, and even big houses before the massive palace of the alpha king came into our sight.My heart skipped a beat when I saw the modern castle. Just like the alpha prince and Lucas, it also felt too familiar to me as if I lived there for years.Lucas stopped at the back door and a guard put a robe on his body as he shifted back into his human form.“You are not supposed to be seen by anyone inside so you have to wear this,” he said and put a veil around my head. “The alpha prince specifically wanted you all for himself,” he said as if that is against what he’s currently feeling.“And I would do the same too if I have someone like you as my pastime.”I did not like what he said so I slapped his hand away from touching my face any further and arched my brows at him even though I know he will not see it anyway because of the veil.“It’s okay to be a woman and be someone’s pastime rather be a man and sulk why no woman wants him. I heard you don’t
ARIAI pulled back my hand from his touch when I felt like I had been licked by fire. What is that? Why do I feel so intense while under his gaze and touch?I just fell to my knees before him and bowed my head. “You are the alpha prince. You can do anything you want with me.”I gritted my teeth when I said that not because I am disgusted by the thought of it but I am more intrigued and in awe that I am actively looking forward to what he’s going to do with me.That is a gross thing to cross my mind given that I already have a mate who wants to get me back and marry me.“Stand up,” he commanded me.I did and met his eyes in the process. There was an obvious hunger in his eyes as he looked at me that I forgot for a second that I am wearing the same dress that I wore last night to ‘entertain’ him.“You already have a mate so I know that you already have an experience on how to pleasure a man.” He flicked the strap of my dress and it fell through my shoulder down to my arm exposing a part
SOPHIA“Open the door for me and tell my husband that his wife has prepared breakfast for him,” I ordered the guards at William’s door.“I’m sorry, Ms. Sophia, but the alpha prince is not here.”“My mood immediately turned sour when I heard that. “Why? Where is he? I thought he would stay here in the palace to take care of that crippled woman?”I faced the guard squarely to intimidate him to tell me the alpha prince’s whereabouts. “Tell me where my husband is right now!”“Unfortunately, I cannot do that, Ms. Sophia. The alpha prince commanded us not to share his location.”I growled at him but he doesn’t seem to get fazed by it. “I am the wife of the alpha prince! I am his luna so when I tell you where my husband is, you will tell me! You understand me?!”But he just looked ahead and did not answer me anymore. To my annoyance, I reached for a glass of drink from the tray that my attendant is carrying and splashed it all across his face.“I am the next queen luna of the state and the w
ARIAThe kiss deepened as he carried me and laid me down onto the grasses where he cupped my face and literally devoured my mouth like he has been deprived of contact for years.“You are back into my life and I could not thank the moon goddess for safely bringing you back into my life,” he said while caressing my face.His voice is cracked as if he is going to cry at any second. Pressing his forehead on mine, he sniffed my scent and aligned his breathing with mine.“I’m sorry for forgetting you, my love. I’m sorry for letting you alone all those years that I am not with you.”I immediately pushed him away the second he said that and sat up while fixing the strap of my dress.What the hell is he talking about? Although my heart and body are reacting positively to his touch, his words confused the hell out of me.What the fuck is he talking about? Is he talking about fated mates? But we are not like that. I already have a mate and it’s considered to be a jinx. And royal werewolves are k
ARIAI know something was different when I woke up and found the alpha prince just staring softly at me from the other side of the bed.His eyes are only fixed on me with a certain glow on them as if he wants to tell me so many things but forced himself to shut his mouth up.I never saw him like this and it kind of warms my heart to see him looking at me this way even when it sounds so delusional and out-of-reality kind of thing.“W-What happened?” I asked while sitting up. “What are y-”My voice trailed off when I found myself in his arms being tightly hugged by the alpha prince in an instant. He pushed me back down to the bed and settled his nose in between my neck sniffing me in the process.I was caught off guard but I did not move and just let him embrace me in the gentlest way possible.“I miss you so much. I miss you so much,” he whispered in my ears while kissing my head.I pushed him back but it’s like moving a big boulder rock. “Alpha prince, what are you talking about?”I c
WILLIAMIt felt like someone had pushed me down a cliff and I fell to the abyss where I was greeted by a light that hugged me briefly.The memories flashed before me in a speed of light from the moment I found her in the dungeon where she was chained down and was in the most godforsaken state to when I brought her the first time to the palace and told her she was the one I have been waiting for my whole life. “Alana, you are my mate.”I panted for air as her hands tightened around my neck. But even if she stops, I will only offer my blood to her again and again.More memories came to me like when I chased after her back into her village, and when I learned about the truth of her identity and her strange behavior as a hybrid lycan and werewolf.We cannot be together according to the standards of our status and clans but no one can separate us.We were allergic to each other and with every second that we are together, it only gets more painful but that did not stop us from loving each
WILLIAMI glared at the nurse who was shivering all over on the floor. “You should properly take good care of Francine from now on. Stop giving her the medicine but do not tell anyone, you understand me?!”She crawled towards me and nodded. “Yes, alpha prince.”“Any untoward thing that could happen with Francine will be attributed to you. The life of your entire family will be the payment if you mess up, you get it?! I will not stop until I make sure your clan is all cut off if something bad happens to her, okay?!”She nodded repeatedly. “I get it, alpha prince. From now on, I will do everything you just said.”“Good.”I brushed Francine’s hair and watched how she administered the proper medicine to her.If they are doing this much to keep Francine from fully recovering, then I know they are really hiding something from me which I should find out starting from the real identity of Aria.And I should find out about it before my parents arrive. I did not waste any more time and went t
LUCAS“The spell I put on the alpha prince’s brain while performing the surgery would soon wear out the second he knows that he has a mate, beta.” The chief doctor glanced at me briefly and then bowed his head again before continuing. “The memories will come rushing into him and we cannot do anything to stop him from remembering Alana. I am afraid that if that happens, we will fall victims into his wrath.”I clenched my hands and cursed under my breath. I won’t allow that to happen! I have promised before the alpha king and myself that I will bring that secret with me to the graves. “So, before that happens, I should make sure that he doesn’t know that he has a mate. I should always remind him that those things for which he thought are real are not. But how can I do that when I fear that he no longer trusts me? I know he’s been feeling wary around me.”The chief doctor cleared his mouth before answering me. “I’m sorry but I cannot offer any solution anymore, beta. The surgery was perf
WILLIAMI gently put Aria onto my bed and began treating her myself. I don’t want the doctors of the palace to get acquainted with her. I mean, it’s technically their job but something is telling me that it would be better off if less and less people know her face and that she’s with me.I wiped her face with some cold towel to ease off the warmth in her body. Lycans and werewolves hyperventilate when they do not shift into our animals at a certain time. Aria was on the verge of her shapeshifting when I arrived.“Damn,” I muttered and gritted my teeth when my fingers trembled against her soft skin.I didn’t know I was this sex-deprived these days that I could shake like this in front of a sleeping woman.I managed to wipe her body as fast as I could before I put covers on her. I made sure that the blanket would go up to her neck so I could only see her face.“Shit, William. What are you? A thirteen-year-old boy who just saw his crush after a long time?”I snickered to myself and bent
WILLIAMI grabbed her wrist and pressed the silver cuff further even when it’s hurting me too.“Explain yourself. Just what the fucking thing you mean by that?! How did you know about her?! Tell me her name now!”It’s already too late to take back my words. The second my mouth slipped, the smile on her face widened upon knowing my weakness.“So, you did not remember her name? And even if I tell you her name, you will still forget her. That’s how the spell works. Am I right, alpha prince?”She grinned even wider. “The rumors are true all along that you won’t recognize her even when she’s alive and is standing right in front of you! Oh, how depressing it would be to be like you now, alpha prince!”I raised my hand ready to strangle her up but the sudden presence of a guard I put on Aria interrupted me.“Alpha prince, Lady Sophia learned about the woman you brought. As of now, she is coming to her. The guards are not able to stop her, alpha prince, because she has the badge of the queen
ARIA“Because Zuleik took something from me that I could never move on from. He took the woman that made me the happiest man in this world.”I paced around the room while his words kept on circling in my head. So, that is the reason why he is hunting us down. It’s not because they are afraid of another rebellion uprising but because he is accusing Zuleik of killing his mate.That’s what he meant.“But I thought that he erased his memories with that woman? Does it mean that his heart never forgot her?”I sat on the bed and sighed. I am envious of his mate. To be able to receive a love as lasting as that would have been really nice.“But I should not be feeling this!” I reminded myself indignantly. “I am here to kill him because he massacred my people!”I reached inside my pocket and touched the vial of poison. I only came here for this and nothing but this. I should not be curious about these familiar places and people and feelings.“Right,” I murmured. “I should set my mind on my goal
ARIAThe treatment is done and the alpha prince has long been deeply sleeping in his bed but I am still on his side gripping his hand that won’t let go of mine too.The way he breathed is like someone that is so at peace with the surroundings that he did not have to always be on guard.“I will know why you are making me feel this way, alpha prince,” I whispered as I stared into his closed eyes and slightly parted lips.“I will know why I don’t have the urge to kill you despite what you did to my village. You did the most horrible thing and yet all I am feeling now is longing.”And what exactly this longing meant to me is what boggled me. I am a lycan while the alpha prince is a werewolf. Our clans are mortal enemies so there is no way that we are acquaintances before.“Are we friends? Are we lovers that have only forgotten each other?” I joked and tried to laugh but my smile soon disappeared when I felt a pang in my heart.But why does it feel like it’s quite true?I shook my head whi