Alora’s POV“I need something. I don’t know what, but that orgasm wasn’t enough,” I mutter, still trembling from the aftermath. Rune's eyes, gleaming with that familiar, dark hunger, never leave mine. He undoes his pants, the fabric brushing roughly against my skin, and I freeze when his cock springs free. It’s bigger, angrier than I remembered, the veins throbbing along its length making my heart pound with something more twisted than fear. I should be terrified. But I’m not. Not only terrified, at least. Something far more dangerous is coiling in my chest. Knowing he got hard from ‘whipping’ me, from causing me pain, should be humiliating. It should repulse me. But it doesn’t. Rune’s jaw clenches, and he grips his cock with brutal force, fisting it like he’s angry… angry at me, at this, at whatever has bound us together in this sick dance. His muscles ripple under his skin, scars moving with each harsh jerk, and I can’t look away. A drop of pre-cum glistens, and I find myself bi
Rune’s POV The moment Ethan mentioned Sienna’s name, my blood boiled. She’s WHAT? Assembling the maids to punish them? For fucking what? I barely listened as he muttered the specifics about her fuming over Alora and me, but my body was already moving. Doesn’t she know that we don’t use that sort of barbaric ritual in this pack? I don’t keep slaves. These girls decided to be maids on their own either to earn money or just to serve their alpha. Why would I punish them? The walk to find her felt like a storm gathering inside me, each step more deliberate than the last. She knew I was back. Knew I wasn’t alone. And she is taking her fury in my maids. The fucking audacity. What does she think will happen after she forces my father and the Elders to let me mate her? I didn’t even fucking mark her and she thinks something is going to happen between us? She should be lucky I was not in my right mind then. She dared –dared– to play her little power games behind my back. I found her in
Alora’s POV Waking up the next morning, I reached out instinctively to the other side of the bed, half expecting Rune to be there, but when my fingers brushed only cold sheets, I wasn’t surprised. Of course, he wasn’t here. He never stayed. Not for me. Not for this. The hollow emptiness where his body should have been served as a cruel reminder of the distance between us, even when we were physically close. I slowly sat up, pushing the tangled blankets off me, but the sharp sting in my lower body made me wince. Fuck. My ass felt like it was on fire, a reminder of last night, of what he’d done, of what I had… enjoyed. Goddess, how depraved was I? The sting, though already healing, was still enough to make my breath hitch. He’d whipped me in the ass, and I’d loved every second of it. I was looking forward to the next belt on my reddened ass cheeks. I swallowed hard, the raw shame of my thoughts swirling with the heat that pooled in my stomach. Just thinking about it made me aro
Rune’s POV As I moved the washcloth over her skin, I saw it—the hurt in her eyes. She tried to hide it, turning her face slightly, but she couldn’t mask the emotions that flickered in her gaze. It wasn’t just the usual stubbornness or defiance that I’d come to expect from Alora. Why did she look at me like that? Like I had wounded her. Like she had the right to feel anything other than what I allowed her to. What right did she have to be hurt? I’d been harsh with her, yes, but that was necessary. I told her the truth, she was here because of the war, because of the danger she posed and the role she would play in preventing it. But still, there was that glimmer of hurt, like I had broken something inside her. Like she expected something more from me. She had no right to feel that way. Not after everything. Didn’t she allow herself to get pregnant by some pathetic fucker? A human, of all things. A weak, useless human who couldn’t even protect her when it mattered, who ran for
Alora’s POVI decided to leave the room the next morning, tired of being cooped up, tired of the weight pressing on my chest and the stillness that felt like it was suffocating me. The room smelled of Rune, of our shared tension, of something I couldn’t escape. I needed air, even if it meant facing the world outside of that suffocating space. Maybe some food would settle the churning in my stomach. I hadn’t eaten much since…well, everything. As I slipped into the hallway, I kept my eyes low, my body moving quietly, hoping to avoid anyone who might remind me of the mess I was in. But of course, fate had other plans. Just as I turned the corner near the dining hall, I bumped into someone. My heart dropped when I realized it was Mother.I froze, instinctively lowering my eyes. I couldn’t bear to look at her, not after everything. Her presence was like a reminder of the life I once had, the life I’d lost the moment the truth about my parentage was revealed. The moment I realized I was
Rune’s POVAs I walked back to my room, a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. I had avoided her all day, finding excuses to stay away. The truth was, I didn’t trust myself around her right now. The thought of that child inside her… his child, made my blood boil. How could she have allowed another man to touch what was mine? How could she betray me like that?Opening the door, I stepped inside, and my gaze immediately landed on her. Alora was curled into a ball on the bed, fast asleep. Her face was peaceful, her breathing steady, and she looked so small, vulnerable even, despite everything. Her hair was splayed across the pillow like a dark halo, framing her delicate features. For a moment, she didn’t seem like the woman who had defied me, the woman who now carried another man’s child. She looked like the Alora from years ago, the one who had always been under my watchful eye.I stood there, just watching her, my mind racing. Despite everything, despite the betrayal I f
Rune’s POV I lay in bed, staring at Alora, unable to sleep. She was fast asleep, her breathing even and steady, her expression calm. But even in her sleep, there was a trace of something –pain, maybe, or fear. She was curled on her side, one hand resting near her face, the other cradling her belly protectively. I watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, and all I could think about was how wrong this all felt. Anger. Desire. Possession. And something else, a nagging sense of betrayal that I couldn’t shake. She was mine, and yet, she wasn’t. Not completely. Not with that child growing inside her. I clenched my jaw, trying to push the thoughts away, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. I wanted to reach out, to touch her, to claim her again and remind her who she belonged to. But I didn’t. I just watched, unable to do anything else. Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through my thoughts. Ethan’s voice, urgent and agitated, pierced through the quiet as he mindlinked me. "Rune," he
Alora’s POVI woke up breathless, the sheets tangled around my legs, and my body aching with a need I couldn’t control. My fingers were buried deep inside my wet heat, moving desperately as I tried to reach the climax that hovered just out of reach. My hips rolled, pushing against my hand, and every breath was a needy, broken gasp. I was too lost in the sensation to realize I wasn’t alone until I looked up and saw him… Rune, leaning against the doorframe with that wicked smirk, eyes dark and full of possessive hunger.My heart skipped a beat, and I froze, ripping my hand away from my core in mortification. My cheeks burned as Rune stepped forward, his gaze locked on mine, mocking and unrelenting.I tried to cover myself, but his strong hand caught my wrist, pulling it away from my body. He didn’t say a word, just watched me, the air between us thick with tension and something darker, more dangerous.He has seen me dreaming about him fucking me. I hated that he decided to cum on my b