Serena’s hands were sweating profusely. They had left the venue leaving everyone in awe and the elders gobsmacked. She knew that it would look on Dorian’s part.
But the man himself looked unbothered and practically looked calm. She stole glances at him as the car inched toward Sedona’s place. She could still feel the phantom weight of the crown that now sat encased inside a glass box back at The Elders’ Ground.
“Stop worrying so much. Sedona told you the people will love you.” Dorian’s murmur was soft and gentle. The silence in the car made it possible for her to hear what he said. She gazed at him. He was looking back at her with a reassuring gaze, but still, she couldn’t share that feeling. How he could look so unruffled was beyond her. She felt the anger that had been simmering clenching her gut, twisting them in knots. How dare they try to humiliate her mate? Did they think he was stupid and ignorant?
The
“What the hell are you speaking?” Sedona frowned at the guard. Dorian tried not to throttle the guard. Newly appointed Alpha king and everyone were testing his patience. He curled his fists, reigning in his wolf. The other guard had bowed and was oozing nervousness. The one who was accused was unrepentant. Instead, he glowered at Serena, ignoring both Sedona and Dorian. Serena, on the other hand, felt numb to her core. How could someone accuse her of killing her mother when she was the one suffering? When someone else had tortured and killed her? The guard sneered, “I speak the truth. Why else would she disappear? Do you know how much the Augur had to suffer? How much he grieved and mourned for his daughter. Only if this wench wasn’t born.” “Why?” Ser
Sedona didn’t dare look up or stand up. Her knees were shaking and she knew her heart’s thunderous beats were audible to everyone in the room. She remembered how the Augur had come back and after Serena had left. How he had offered her a way out, a chance to live happily with her family, to be able to see her husband and child again. She could finally see them, after 15 years. A smile crept over her lips, unbidden. She immediately bit back the smile. Thankfully her head was bowed so hopefully, Serena did not see this. She felt bad for betraying, but the reward was far greater. Serena was strong, she had seen it with her own eyes. She knew this girl would become the Queen and she could only forget and forgive her and not banish her if she took the throne. But for now, she would relish whatever moments of happiness she could gather with her only family left. ~~~~~~
Kai was incredibly satisfied and so was Dorian. The ground shook slightly as a golden glow formed in between Serena’s palms. Dorian’s gaze swept across the room as every person’s face had turned from arrogantly proud to absolutely pale. His gaze switched back to his mate. Her eyes were now the color of molten gold. Dorian’s gaze flickered to the person who was soon going to be at the receiving end of Serena’s wrath and supremacy and with cruel satisfaction, he saw how he was trembling. Although it was so minute that someone else might miss it. But not him. He took a peek at everyone’s mind and the majority of them were regretting their decision to support this old piece of shit. “The destruction rune shines brightly and hangs perfectly over your head, Augur,” Serena murmured. Her voice wasn’t the timid, shy one, but it oozed confidence and honestly. Dorian smirked when he heard several sharp intakes of breath and gasps. Even Sedona who had now dared to stand up but kept
Dorian remembers his grandfather talking about a time when alphas used to claim their mates publicly, sealing their partner’s fate with the claiming mark. As civilization progressed, this public claim was seen somewhat as barbaric and harsh to the delicate eyes. Dorian, however, had never given this a thought. For him, it was just another historical fact regarding werewolves that needed no attention. Little had he known that centuries later, he would be doing something similar, not only as the Alpha King but also in a completely different kingdom, in a room full of different species. Kai purrs, gratified by Dorian’s decision. His fingers spread against the small of Serena’s back, securely holding her as she seems to have let him carry her weight. She hissed slightly when his teeth pricked the skin, but she didn’t scream, which for some reason made him proud. Dorian pulled her closer.
Lips and tongues tangled in a fiery and feverish dance. Dorian pressed her closer against the door, moulding himself almost as he cupped her nape and deepened the kiss, lips coaxing and insistent. The mark tingled, making Serena shiver in pleasure. One of his hands, trailed down, caressing the swell of her left breast, her flank and finally settling on her hips. He squeezed the supple flesh gently. Serena’s head became a ball of cotton while her heart was drumming crazily in her chest. However, with shaky fingers, she began to unbutton Dorian’s dress shirt, while her mate started the process of unzipping her dress. “Bedroom,” Serena gasped with all the remaining sanity she had as Dorian pulled away with a sharp nip on her bottom lip. The Alpha king readily complied. She yelped when he picked her up, but she didn’t waste time wrapping her legs around his waist. Encirclin
She was standing in front of her father, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him writhing on the floor. His wings lying somewhere far, bloody and twitching. “Save…save me…save me…” But Serena remained silent. The moon shone brightly, brighter than any other day. She could hear the high tides, she could hear their impatience. The rune of Nauthiz (ᚾ) hovers and disappears. She doesn't know what to make of it. It’s the rune of need, urgency, but also conveys the acceptance of the unchangeable. Did that mean…? Her eyes closed for a moment, as she tried to gather enough courage to say the next words. But those words didn’t leave her mouth for when she opened her eyes, Vulcan was lying still, a garbled groan came out of his lips. A sob esca
Serena rushed to her father who collapsed on the floor as soon as Jordan let him go. Jordan watched the reunion with baleful eyes before his gaze settled on Dorian who was staring back at him with open hostility. The Alpha King’s gaze flickered to the former Fae King momentarily before they went back up and remained settled on Jordan. “What happened? Are you…are you hurt? Oh my gosh, what happened to your wings?” Serena bombarded the two fae men with question after question as she continued inspecting her wounded father. Vulcan felt too tired to speak, the teleportation having taken much energy away from him than he had fathomed. “I think we should move him to the guest room. I’ll call Viviane.” Dorian proposed. Jordan who had been silent until now murmured his assent. Dorian helped Jordan to pull Vulcan up and practically dragged him to the room because the older man was in no condition to walk, even with help. Serena’s heart clenched as he watched the once regal ki
Yvonne’s smirk and malicious gaze were enough to turn the simmering embers into a blazing fire. Her eyes flashed golden, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her back. She looked up to see Dorian, shaking his head subtly. “Listen to your mate, Miss Viotto. I wouldn’t want to harm someone close to my son after all,” she said tauntingly, making Serena angrier. She suddenly regretted bringing the book with her. It felt as if she had walked right into the trap. She clutched her tote bag tightly. “I don’t need his permission. The fact that he is stopping me because he knows what i am capable of,” she retorted and was thankful for the snarkiness in her tone. Yvonne’s face darkened before she began to walk towards her. Dorian immediately came in betw
~2 years later~ Serena’s eyes brimmed with tears, not because of sadness but out of happiness. The little bundle of joy, the one she had carried for the past nine months stared back at her with guileless golden eyes. All the exhaustion, the tears and mood changes, everything was worth it. When she conceived, she had already become protective, but now as she held the little one in her arms; she felt she would do anything for her. “Isn’t she beautiful?” Dorian whispered, his voice hoarse with strained emotions as he pulled her closer to him. Serena blinked back to the present and nodded, unable to utter even a single word. Her throat closed up as the bay made soft sounds as she rocked her gently. 4 years had passed in the blink of an eye and now as Serena stared at their daughter, she couldn’t h
Serena could feel her heart constrict. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She distantly heard someone shouting, then someone grabbing her arm because she was swaying on her feet. Her vision had become dim. Black spots danced at the edges of her eyes. Her eyes stung as she breathed through her mouth. Why would…why would he leave? Again? Was she being rejected? She couldn’t even feel his emotions strongly. They were so faint. She blinked furiously, hardly realizing that she was crying. Someone held her close to them, caressed her hair and shushed her. But her sobs suddenly seemed uncontrollable. She was trembling and then she felt a pinprick and before she knew it, her head had lolled to one side. ~~~~~~ Dorian hadn’t expected that his stepping out and going for a run to c
The next day, Alexander King came to visit his grandson in the morning. The old man paused outside the cabin and stared at Dorian through the rectangular glass on the door. He firmed his grasp around the cane and composed himself so that his grandson wouldn’t get a glimpse of his fear, of the terrible feeling of hopelessness he had experienced when Dorian didn’t wake up. He clutched the bent wooden head of the cane tightly to stop the quivering of his fingers. He pushed the door open and walked in. Dorian opened his eyes as soon as Alexander stepped in. Ronan stood up from the couch and bowed. Kyle was yet to arrive and take the former’s post. The beta was juggling between the pack and the company. “I will let you both talk,” Ronan said respectfully before leaving. Dorian sat up.
“How are you feeling?” Serena turned her head to look at Viviane. Her gaze was nothing but sympathetic. She bustled around a bit before helping her to sit up. She didn’t know how to explain what she felt. She was glad but that emotion seemed hollow. She felt a strange emptiness in her heart, a sickening satisfaction at having killed Yvonne and…“How’s Dorian?” she asked instead. Her voice came out raspy. Viviane held a cup in front of her mouth with a straw. She took slow sips before pushing the cup away.Vivane placed the cup on a nearby table and said, “He is fine. Exhausted but he is resting and…” Serena read her silence.“He knows.” It wasn’t a question. She let out a shuddering b
Serena opened her eyes to the same terrain, on the muddy grass where she often finds herself. She felt that her head was on someone’s lap. There was no pain or exhaustion as she sat up, taking in the calmness. The cliff did not look so threatening, and neither did the sea feel tumultuous. It was unnerving to some extent. “You are wondering why everything is so quiet today, aren't you?” Serena turned quickly to see her mother smiling at her, but there was a hint of ruefulness in that smile and a tinge of sadness in her gaze. “Mom..” she whispered before rushing towards her, even though she half-expected to feel her warmth but was pleasantly surprised to feel her mother’s arms envelope hers, pulling her into a hug that she often missed since she lost her.
[warning: mild gore] Dorian did not really feel the hit. His brain took a second to decipher, and Kai’s roar followed after that. One moment he was trying to break Barbara and Liam free from the binds, and the next moment he felt his entire body become immobile. He could hear Serena’s shout and Barbara’s scream but his vision was turning hazy and before he knew it he fell on the ground in a heap, like a dead weight. ~~~~~~ All the visions that she had seen played in her mind in a nightmarish loop. Was this what it meant? Was this how this would end? Serena refused to believe this. She scrambled towards his prone form, every other thought leaving her mind. “Dorian…” she gasped, his name a litany on her lips as she felt the pain that her mate might be feeling twice more than her. But…bu
Yvonne’s smirk and malicious gaze were enough to turn the simmering embers into a blazing fire. Her eyes flashed golden, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her back. She looked up to see Dorian, shaking his head subtly. “Listen to your mate, Miss Viotto. I wouldn’t want to harm someone close to my son after all,” she said tauntingly, making Serena angrier. She suddenly regretted bringing the book with her. It felt as if she had walked right into the trap. She clutched her tote bag tightly. “I don’t need his permission. The fact that he is stopping me because he knows what i am capable of,” she retorted and was thankful for the snarkiness in her tone. Yvonne’s face darkened before she began to walk towards her. Dorian immediately came in betw
Serena rushed to her father who collapsed on the floor as soon as Jordan let him go. Jordan watched the reunion with baleful eyes before his gaze settled on Dorian who was staring back at him with open hostility. The Alpha King’s gaze flickered to the former Fae King momentarily before they went back up and remained settled on Jordan. “What happened? Are you…are you hurt? Oh my gosh, what happened to your wings?” Serena bombarded the two fae men with question after question as she continued inspecting her wounded father. Vulcan felt too tired to speak, the teleportation having taken much energy away from him than he had fathomed. “I think we should move him to the guest room. I’ll call Viviane.” Dorian proposed. Jordan who had been silent until now murmured his assent. Dorian helped Jordan to pull Vulcan up and practically dragged him to the room because the older man was in no condition to walk, even with help. Serena’s heart clenched as he watched the once regal ki
She was standing in front of her father, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him writhing on the floor. His wings lying somewhere far, bloody and twitching. “Save…save me…save me…” But Serena remained silent. The moon shone brightly, brighter than any other day. She could hear the high tides, she could hear their impatience. The rune of Nauthiz (ᚾ) hovers and disappears. She doesn't know what to make of it. It’s the rune of need, urgency, but also conveys the acceptance of the unchangeable. Did that mean…? Her eyes closed for a moment, as she tried to gather enough courage to say the next words. But those words didn’t leave her mouth for when she opened her eyes, Vulcan was lying still, a garbled groan came out of his lips. A sob esca