LAYLAMy wrist throbbed where they had bound them behind my back, but the pain was nothing compared to the icy fear crawling up my spine. The lights from the torches flickered and there , at the end he stood— the Lycan King.I could see him only from behind at first. His back was broad, his stance one of absolute power. The long white sleeves he wore stretched over his shoulders clinging to muscles that bulged.His hands were clasped behind him, giving me a glimpse of his hands thick with veins and strength. The sleeves were rolled up, revealing a tattoo which danced in his lower arm. A king Cobra with spikes on its head.There was something unnaturally still about him, like a predator waiting to pounds on its prey.My heart hammered in my chest as he spoke, his voice a low, rumbling command that echoed through the hall reaching every corner at once."Why did you sneak into my pack?"I swallowed hard, but my mouth had gone dry. His words were rich, wrapped in a strange, terrifying
LAYLAI couldn't believe my ears. This was the condition he said he had for me to stay in his pack?He couldn't be serious. "Swear your loyalty to me, body and soul."he said, his voice like a low, dangerous growl. " Become my slave and we will have a blood bond,.... or leave my pack and never return."I froze, feeling the air leave my lungs. My body...? My soul?. I came here seeking for refuge, not... submission. Not this. I felt tears stinging my eyes again. I could hardly meet his eyes, but when I did, slowly and looking away quickly. All I saw was a fierce, cold person— someone who had no heart at all How could he say this ?That moment I wished for death."Please." I begged softly barely able to hold back the pain in my voice. "There must be another way. I can't have a blood bond with you, I once had a mate...please.""Another way?" His voice dripped with mockery. " And he rejected you, correct? I don't need to hav
LAYLA I woke up to the sound of loud snoring. It filled the room, breaking through the silence. The older woman— the one who had been keeping an eye on me , was asleep, deep in her dreams, completely unaware. I sat up slowly, hardly daring to breathe, as I watched her. This was my chance and it may be my only one.If I stayed here with her and all the others, I knew I would never truly be safe. Not when the Lycan King had plans for me and I didn't know what they were. But the things they said about him... they were terrifying. I'd rather keep running , keep wandering in the woods or even live in the human world than stay here and end up facing him and whatever plans he had for me. And I will never agree to the blood bond. Never.Death was more honourable than that.It wasn't his fault. It was Derek , Antoine and even the moon goddess who had pushed me into a game I couldn't play.Using me as a pawn in her chessboard.I took a slow, deep breath , my heart pounding as I stood up
LAYLAAs I was plunged into the dark murky water, the shock enveloped me,jolting my entire body with the intense coldMy heart raced and I could literally hear each beat in my ears. I forced myself to open my eyes, squinting against the murky depths.I wasn't alone.A figure floated just inches away, his gaze fixed on mine. Before I could react, he raised a finger to his lips, silently signaling me to remain quiet. I didn't even need to nod—there was something about him that commanded my obedience.I heard footsteps crunching above, voices whispering anxiously as they searched. For something. For someone."Are you sure she was here?" A man asked." Yessir." Another reply." Stupid damn omega had no scent." A gruffy voice added.My heart quickened—I'd thought I was alone . Who were those guys?The voices faded, but the man stayed momentarily, as if ensuring it was genuinely safe. Then, in one elegant motion, he broke the surface, prompting me to follow suit, gasping for breath as I st
LAYLAAs we got to the Packhouse, I felt my breath hitch in my throat. The immense structure stood high against the bright sky ,its imposing presence both awe-inspiring and frightening. Each stone seemed deliberately placed to show respect, representing the might of its ruler—the Lycan King, Alpha of Alphas. I haven't taken my time to have a look at the Packhouse since I arrived, I guess it's the biggest I have ever seen and no Alpha could boast of a Packhouse like this one.I risked a glance at him as he dismounted effortlessly, his figure intimidating that I quickly looked away.He didn’t look back to see if I would follow, but I was expected to. His presence commanded fear and respect in me, that all through the walk here ,I was very quiet.Clenching my teeth, I stood aside , my eyes roaming and seeing the guards stationed at various places. I didn't see them when I ran out this morning.I felt my heart beating fast as I followed him, each step filled with a sense of worry about
DEL MORINO I stood looking out of the window on the moonlit night, I couldn't stop thinking about Layla. The vodka in my glass wasn't cold anymore, just like how my heart felt.My other hand rested in my pocket, a habit I'd developed over the years to hide my clenched fist.The memory of Layla's attempted escape simmered in my mind, growing my anger. I could still picture her desperate eyes, but I quickly pushed that image away. Weakness was not an option; not now. The punishment I had imposed was necessary—she needed to grasp the repercussions of defying me.As I thought about her, the memory of my late mate, crept into my thoughts. Layla looked so much like her that it was almost scary - they both had bright green eyes and dark black hair. It felt like fate was teasing me, making me remember the person I had lost."Your Majesty," a soft voice broke into my thoughts.I turned to see a middle-aged maid, her silver hair neatly arranged at the back of her neck. "Dinner is served, sir
DEL MORINO Dinner had been cleared minutes before I heard the sound of footsteps, heavy footsteps of the guards and something else which was light and the door was pushed open.I sat in my usual seat,draped in furs and arrogance, astwo of my guards practicallyshoved her forward. Laylastumbled, catching herself beforeglaring at them. I love that. If given the chance she had smack him on the head.She lookedworse, thinner than sheought to be, her cheekbonessharp and her eyes sunken and red which showed that she might have cried a lot. Thefire in those eyes, however,burned just as brightly as anything."Careful"' I growled at the guards."I didn't ask you to deliver herbroken."The guards muttered apologiestheir heads bowed as theystepped back. Not that I caredfor their excuses or for Layla My attentionwas entirely on Layla, who stoodher ground like a stubborn treerefusing to bow to the storm, she had even braided her hair.Nice."Leave us" I commanded with awave of
DEL MORINO It was raining heavily and the storm outside raged on,shaking the walls of my room.Lightening struck across the sky, illuminating my room in an instant. Itwas as if the weather shared thechaos inside my mind.I heard the thunder rumble even before I woke up with a jolt,drenched in sweat, my heart drumming in my ears, racing as if it could break free from my chest.It was the same dream. Thesame nightmare that had hauntedme for years. I wished it could stop but instead it continued stubbornly."Fay."Her name slipped from my lipslike a whisper, but there was noone to hear it. No spirits, nosaviors-just me and thememories. Memories I wanted to stop everyday but every night they reappear.I missed Fay. A lot. But the nightmares, I just wanted them to stop already. I knew one thing was fuelling them and it was my guilt , the power of not moving on was holding me back , feeding them every night. I rubbed my temples,trying to shake off the images which burned into
DEL MORINO The weight of the moment weighed heavily on my shoulders as I entered the room. There were four of my brothers standing around all of them wearing an expression of anticipation. It's been a long time since I last saw these four, except for Adrian, who was always following me like a shadow.Although we were always close in the way that only siblings can be, there were now things that I felt but was unable to express. I also knew that everything would change today. With the customary teasing and catching up, the conversation started off innocently enough, but I could feel the tension rising. It was constantly present hiding beneath the surface and waiting for the ideal opportunity to rise. I was supposed to discuss the breeders with them, and I didn't feel they should know about Terese yet. “ I've bought them,” I said in a firm yet low voice.My brother's eyes flickered with curiosity as they turned to face me. “ Don't look at me like that.” I almost snapped. “ We discu
DEL MORINO I felt as if the situation was weighing heavily on me and the evening flew by in a daze. As I gazed out my window at the moon shining down at the pack, Terese's description of the disease—Moonblight—haunted my thoughts. I couldn't stand by and do nothing and I didn't understand what kind of curse could make a werewolf so vulnerable. However, I was unable to ignore the more pressing issue even as I mentally made those commitments. I had to get a doctor for her. She was very close to my late mother and always seemed like family.Her younger brother. Luca. Terese had mentioned him earlier and I had asked the guards to present him. He has been captured with other young men too.I had never met him before I thought I would meet a young boy maybe ten or eleven years old but instead, I saw a man who appeared older than his years. The weight of a life he hadn't requested was causing Luca's shoulders to slump and his eyes to grow weary. His eyes were filled with pain, the sam
DEL MORINO I had my knuckles balled into a fist as I stood in front of the door. The hallway air seemed to get heavier by the second and I could feel my chest tightening, the stench and sight made me want to throw up.With a million ideas racing through my head, I had demanded to be taken to the dungeon where she was being held. But the sight of the cell doors and the dim dark hallway made me realize how far things had deteriorated.She doesn't belong here. I didn't think it would hurt this much. I felt guilty when I saw her and realized she was stuck there. After faithfully serving my mother, she was now in the same place as the enemies I had vowed to keep away from the people I cared about. I was startled out of my thoughts by the guard at my side clearing his throat. "Alpha Del Morino," he said cautiously in a respectful but hesitating tone. "She was brought in a while ago."As I moved forward, my gaze sweeping the line of cells I could hardly hear him. The atmosphere felt oppr
DRAKE Blood, smoke and a bad odor—fear—were all in the air. It was suffocating and heavy clinging to the ruins like an omen. The Eastwoods Pack was nothing more than a cemetery of destroyed houses and wolves, a smoldering wreckage. I stood motionless at its edge observing. The pack was burned to the ground in half. With broken walls, bodies ripped apart and limbs strewn about like trash what was left was scarcely better. I didn't know the Alpha who had done this but I knew it could not be Del Morino. He had his way of doing things but not this way.The assault had been ruthless. It had nothing to do with territory or dominance. No, this had been destruction done for its own sake. Wasteful and for a moment it felt like something rogues could have done or maybe Pack Claimers.I didn't care about Eastwoods at all. To me, it didn't matter that they survived or not.I didn't care if they were wiped off the face of the earth. I was here because of Terese and that old man better be right
DRAKE The humid night air stuck to my skin like an unwanted guest. The moon merely made an appearance through the shifting clouds in the deep unending black sky above. The night was perfect for what I was going to do. I paused at the wooden door, its gleaming surface which I was just noticing was smudged and cracked.I bet they had been surprised to see me here again. I let out a breath and made a loose fist with my fingers before knocking The slow deliberate rhythm of the sound echoed in the silence. It was not long before the door creaked open. Layla's uncle stood in the doorway his face drawn cautiously his eyes sunken and surprise swept through his face.His eyes lingered on me for an excessive amount of time flickering with hesitation and confusion."Drake" he finally said his voice was hoarse from age." You came back ?" I smiled slowly and comfortingly at him." I hope I'm not bothering you at this hour Uncle."His mouth formed a thin line. Layla's aunt shifted uneasily
ELIASI paced the length of my office while running a hand through my hair. Anger was tearing at me like a ferocious beast and my mind was a jumbled mess.When i had so desperately wanted to enjoy my reign and the Seal Of The Moon just popped up and now having the relaxation I wanted was impossible.I gritted my teeth as I looked at the papers strewn all over my desk, none of which had the solution I needed. With his arms crossed and his back to the wall, Maurice my Gemma remarked ."You look like you're about to break something. "Despite his calm tone I could tell he was observing me and trying to know the cause of my annoyance because I knew him too well. "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, Maurice." I said and he looked away. I let out a deep breath. "I gave Layla's aunt and uncle a call, I asked some servant to do that."He narrowed his eyes slightly but Maurice remained motionless. "And? He asked. My hands clenched into fists as I turned to face him." I informed t
LAYLAUsing my apron to wipe my hands, I observed the dough rising in the stone oven. I smiled as the aroma of roasted meat and baked bread filled the kitchen. While the other maids were kneading dough, chopping vegetables and stirring pots I noticed that some of them were giggling at something.I shook my head and gave a small smile .I felt at home here even though I was the Luna. Perhaps it was because I enjoyed its normalcy, the sensation of accomplishing a straightforward simple task. But as soon as I looked out the window, my peaceful moment was destroyed and my heart sank immediatelyAt first I wasn't really sure of what I was seeing and I blinked rapidly. Young women in a long line were dragged into the courtyard. Their faces were bruised, their wrists were bound and their clothing was ripped. A few of them hobbled, while others were hardly conscious, their heads drooping like ragged dolls. I felt uneasy and I swallowed hard.I knew what I was seeing, I knew what this i
DEL MORINO. I was having trouble breathing. The dream clung to me like thick oppressive smoke. Mother's voice, pleading with me to live, sacrificing herself for me, the screams of those who tried to protect us had filled my ears all these years and my mother's face was still etched in my memory.It's been years ago but since that day I could still feel the anger of having that scar on my left eye. It hurt me that I had lost the only person who cared for me.My shaky fingers automatically reached for my face and found the cool leather of the mask I wore, a barrier separating my shame and anger from the outside world. My memory was etched with the assassin's image—a man with an arrow and a crescent moon tattooed on his neck. After years of searching packs and questioning mercenaries I had never found him but he had disappeared like a ghost. His name was unknown and no one had ever seen him.Sometimes I wondered if I had imagined things that night.He was now like a shadow I couldn
DEL MORINOAlong the path to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, the branches of tall trees made it difficult to see the silver crescent moon that hung high in the sky.The smell of flowers that were blooming at night filled the air and the sound of gentle footsteps echoed through the silence. With the murmurs of our entourage behind us, my mother sat beside as she held my hand warmly.Although the temple has long been a quiet location for prayer and tranquility I felt uneasy tonight. My six year old mind was restless.Something or someone hiding in the shadows seemed to be observing us as the cart went through the hard route to the temple.Mother had said that the rocks along the paths