Odessa was restless. The day was about to come to an end. Keegan's journey was the next day and she couldn't help but worry he'd want to go with Thessaly. The very thought sent a tremor of outrage through her.She couldn't allow the machinating crone get such satisfaction. Perhaps, she could try to convince the Alpha to go without a female companion. She set off for his chambers but found only Kalaril in, standing before a table and sharpening a Wic'ca blade against a whetstone. Kalaril only paused for a second to regard her as she stormed in. He returned his attention to the blade."Where is the Alpha?" Odessa's angry eyes looked around as she removed the veil from her face. "Not in - obviously," Kalaril muttered, not sparing her a glance. Odessa huffed at his arrogance. Despite being the Alpha's first Mistress, Kalaril had never offered her an ounce of respect. Hell, he had no respect for anyone other than Keegan! Man was as blunt as a butcher's cleaver, and she disliked that
"What brings you here, brother?" He asked with a furrow between his brows, standing in the doorway.Keegan proceeded into the room, forcing Malkar out of the way as he brushed pass his shoulder. Malkar grunted his disapproval, then shut the door.The flickering torchlight cast long, grotesque shadows across the richly furnished room. Malkar was clad in a loose silk robe. But with the goblet on his table, Keegan could tell he'd been drinking before his arrival."Is there something you require of me?" Malkar's voice was laced with icy politeness, a stark contrast to the turmoil churning within him.His brother had never spared him a 'friendly' visit. The very few times he'd come to his room was when he was there to confront him. And right there, Malkar had a hint on what tonight's confrontation was about."You're out of wine, it seems," Keegan said in a grumbling tone when he picked up the goblet and discovered it was empty."I am sure there is plenty where that came from. All you have
Kalaril reached Keegan's Chambers and after a while, they headed for the South wing where the horses as well as the others waited. "Are you alright?" Keegan suddenly asked. He'd noticed the difference in Kalaril's demeanor the instant he stepped into his chambers. His Beta was often a man of a cold demeanor - like himself. Still, Keegan could tell when he was being different."I'll be fine," Kalaril muttered under his breath. It was clear to Keegan he didn't want to talk about it. And well, he knew how to respect issues like that. As they reached the south wing, the bustle of activity greeted them. Horses snorted, pawing the ground impatiently, while Keepers hurried to and fro.Keegan reached for his big white horse, double - checking the reins and all but paused when his sight fell on something unpleasant. Ahead of him was Sheera and Ulric - walking side by side while talking and laughing about what-not. Keegan could not comprehend the disgust he felt in that moment. What was s
Once, Keegan glanced at her before looking away. "She's my companion, Jenger. Enough about her." There was a hint of impatience in his voice. Sheera swallowed tersely. She wondered if Keegan reacted that way because he was possessive or simply because he was too embarrassed to discuss her. Jenger flashed a warm smile at her - which she shyly returned. "Let's get you settled in. I've had your rooms prepared."Taking the lead, he walked them into the central hallway. ....High above, on a secluded balcony overlooking the courtyard, stood Prince Gareth, heir to Alpha Rivan, one of Jenger's guests.His hands were holding onto the railing as he leaned forward, his friends beside him. "Keegan brought someone new today. Who is she?" He asked thoughtfully.He'd been watching her from the moment they dismounted their horses. "Never seen her before," One of his two friends replied. Gareth was a year older than Keegan. And bad blood had always existed between them long before Keegan becam
"What in Hades?" Eamon mumbled from behind. Silence like no other descended and was only broken when Jenger reached forward to welcome them. "My joy is boundless, Alpha Myron! To think you could travel the long distance to honor my invitation leaves me speechless.""Your father was more than a friend to me, Jenger. Anything to honor his Pack," Myron chuckled heartily. He was a man built like a bear with a voice to match. His gaze swept across Keegan's group. Sensing the curiosity, Jenger stepped in. "Please, meet Alpha Keegan - my long time... acquaintance, and...""The renowned Alpha of the North," Myron finished with a broad smile. "I've certainly heard the name. Just the face I hadn't seen. It's a pleasure meeting you."It had taken Keegan a lot of effort to keep his eyes off the cousin. "Pleasure to you as well...whoever you might be," Keegan responded, his underlying arrogance clear. Jenger visibly stiffened. "Uh... I trust your journey here was pleasant?" Jenger asked, d
In his room, Kalaril waited impatiently until he heard someone knock. With a grunt, he reached for the door and discovered Mora smiling warmly on the other side. She was gorgeous by nature. Had the kind of face that would entice a man to go back for more. "Hello, Beta." Her eyes seemed to twinkle when she called him that. "You are here. Please, do come in." He moved aside to allow her entry. During dinner, while the Alphas had engaged in endless conversations, Mora had been more concerned with getting Kalaril's attention. She had refilled his plates and wine goblet when they were nearly empty. Kalaril had been irritated, of course, and thought to stop her. Then, he realized she could be a vital key in getting what he wanted. So, in spite of the difficulty, he had paid her attention. "Mora, is it?" He had enquired. Mora's cheeks crimsoned the instant he had spoken to her for the first time. "Yes, Beta." She'd replied. Kalaril noted with a flicker of surprise that she already
"Wish I did! Father doesn't even care anymore. As long as he's out there not causing harm to the Pack, he can be gone for as long as he wants," Mora slurred.Kalaril threw more questions but unfortunately got nothing else. Mora and her father didn't care much for Cleon, which kept them oblivious to his hidden agenda - if he had any. If he was even the very one they suspected.When he had nothing else to ask, he let Mora have what she'd come for. He let her take pleasure from his body. ****†****†Sheera stood in the center of the room, the moonlight filtering through the high windows as she awaited Keegan's instructions. It was late at night. And despite her treacherous body longing for him, she desired rest. Yet, she has no choice when he sent for her. A shiver danced down her spine as Keegan emerged from the inner chamber, the silky black robe clinging to his broad frame.By the Rood, she hated him in his casual outfits. He looked too good in them. Too gorgeous. Charming. Similar
Sheera, along with the seven other women, spread out in the center of the sun-drenched field. Ahead of them was a line of weathered wooden boards, matching their numbers. Keepers came up and handed each of them a bow and quiver filled with arrows. The crowd was bustling with excitement. It wasn't everyday a lot of them got to see something as unique as that. Coin purses clinked as wagers were laid, many of them presuming who would be the winner. A while later, when it was certain that each participant had everything they needed, Jenger's Beta came up to address them. He stated the rules for winning, which was them having to shoot as many arrows as possible on their board before the end of the given time. When the time is up and the drum rolls, they were to seize shooting. Then, the arrows on each person's dartboard would be counted and the participants with the highest amount will move to the next stage. In total, there would be three stages. "Best of luck, Sheera," Valda sudden
"Have you been relieved of your duties?" Those were the words she heard that jerked her around to see him striding towards them. Her eyes widened like saucers as she regarded him. Kalaril followed closely behind him. Sheera's heart resumed it's usual drama. Seeing him made her weak in the legs, in a way she couldn't explain.His long gold hair wasn't in braids today but fell freely on his shoulders. His silver eyes had her frozen in place. How could a man be so unnaturally handsome? Sheera would never stop to wonder. "Welcome, Alpha," she lowered her head, thankful her voice didn't crack under the weight of his presence.Keegan's eyes bore the cold, hard edge of steel. "I believe I asked a question," he said in a tone that was hard enough to cut through rock. It effortlessly caused Sheera to shiver. "N...Not exactly. I've been...""I asked her to join me," Ulric interrupted, stepping forward. "I plan to inform Livia about it later."Keegan's eyes, hard as ice, never left Sheer
The room was thick with the sound of impassioned moans. Laboured breath mingling with the sound of flesh meeting fresh filled every corner of the room. When their bodies were well spent, Morshella climbed down from the man's body, laying next to him with her head on his chest. "I must confess, Wystan, you do not act your age at all," she was still breathing heavily, drawing an invisible line on his chest. He laughed with satisfaction. "Well, what can I say? Your body is very tempting, Morshella.""And it's going to be yours for a long time. As long as you please, actually."A moment passed. "Do not get me wrong, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave now. My mate only wanted to roam round the woods for a short time. I think she'll be back soon," he said, but Morshella made no move."You know, if only you'd taken my suggestion and agreed to go somewhere far with me, we'd have spent this night together, undisturbed. But you insisted we did it here," he added. Smiling, she lifted her h
The first light of dawn crept into the room, casting a gentle glow on Sheera's face. The warmth of the sun stirred her from sleep. Her forehead crinkled with perplexity. Something didn't feel right. She sat up, touching her face. The dream from the previous night surged back into her mind with startling clarity.Keegan had been with her. His touch lingered on her skin like a shadow, his kiss as vivid as the breath she now drew.Gods, it felt so real...She left the bed and crossed the room, her thoughts a tangled mess of confusion. She sought out Elke who she found in the second room, busy at work with a mortar and pestle, grinding herbs into a paste."Oh. You're awake. How're you feeling, girl?" Elke swept her eyes over her. "I feel better," Sheera replied, though her back still hurt a lot, it wasn't as severe as before.Sheera knew what she was about to ask was silly, but she didn't have a choice. "Um... Did someone visit me at any point, Elke?" Elke paused, her hand stilling ov
"Release her," his voice was low and taut as he gave the command. "Take her to Elke." He turned to Odessa, his gaze as cold and sharp as ice. "With me." Odessa swallowed hard, the fear of what awaited her eclipsing her rage at seeing Sheera set free. She hesitated but then hurried after him, her cheeks burning with shame under the watchful eyes of the gathered crowd. Once inside his room, Keegan moved with binding speed. He seized her throat, and with a force that knocked the breath out of her, he slammed her against the wall. The impact rattled through her bones, and a strangled gasp died in her throat, her eyes widening in shock and pain. His grip tightened, iron-hard fingers digging into her delicate skin. She struggled to breathe. Her lips parted, wanting to plead for his mercy, but no words escaped—only the faintest, pitiful wheeze. "How dare you?" He gritted through clenched teeth, his face inches from hers. "How dare you do that to her?" Odessa wa
Her vision blurred with red, and she felt herself teetering on the edge of something dark and dangerous. She wasn't sure what she might do next if not for the sudden interruption. "Greetings, Mistress Odessa," the maid bowed in respect as the imposing figure of Odessa stormed in, flanked by several stern-faced Keepers.Only then did Sheera snap out of her illusion. She sucked in a painful breath as if emerging from deep waters. Good Hades! What was wrong with her!? What had she almost done!?She was breathing heavily, fear prickling her skin. Something wasn't right. The last time she'd felt that way was when that Keeper had tried to force himself on her months ago, in his room. Back then, she concluded she'd been triggered, but now, she didn't even know what to think anymore. She was so lost in her frantic thoughts that she didn't notice Odessa striding towards her, fury blazing in her eyes. She only snapped back to awareness when a sharp slap struck her cheek, sending her reeling
Otis led Zarek through the winding hall, the scent of damp stone and the faint aroma of meat wafting from the chamber ahead. As they approached, the murmur of low voices ceased. Otis pushed open the door, revealing a room and a table untouched food and goblets of wine. Albany Sebastian and Cyrus Rose on their feet as the two Alphas entered. When news of what had transpired during the Peace Treaty reached Zarek's ears, he sent a letter to Sebastian, seeking a team up. He couldn't see a more befitting partner than a man who was as hurt as he was. Their pleasantries were brief, their formalities clipped and hollow, before they shifted the conversation to what truly mattered. "I should have listened to Laycoan when he warned me not to go for the Peace Treaty," Sebastian began, his jaw tight with the bitterness of hindsight. "Now, he mocks me for my blindness, and I think I deserve it. Keegan took something very dear to me - my most precious possession. He never intended to make peac
Sheera was equally surprised when the Alpha took her to his chambers. She'd expected somewhere far worse, somewhere terrifying. As soon as she stepped into the room, her muscles twitched involuntarily. This room... Being away from it for so long made her realize it was her favourite place. It felt as if her lungs forgot to breath as her eyes darted around on their own. Everything was just like she remembered. The air was thick with his rugged, earthy scent, the very scent she's missed.She was lost, staring at the room and wasn't prepared for being hurled against the wall with such force that her head spun. Her eyes squeezed shut from the impact, and pain shot through her bones. When she opened them again, Keegan stood before her, towering over her like a dark tempest ready to consume her whole. His hand was clamped around her throat - unyielding and merciless.She closed her eyes again, the grunts of pain and protest stifled in her throat. She rekt the walls of her lungs constrict,
Keegan went towards her, his steps heavy. His aura was oppressive. "What were you looking at?" Sheera kept her head bowed, praying to the moon she wasn't the one he was referring to. But who was she deceiving?He stepped into her space and grabbed her jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze?"I asked you a question," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Have you no idea you're not supposed to look me in the eyes?"The raw fear in Sheera was palpable. She wondered if he could feel her trembling as he held her jaw, if he could hear how hard she swallowed. She tried to speak, but the words died in her throat."I'm... I'm sorry..." She finally managed to stammer. She didn't know what else to say. She was terrified. For a while, Keegan glared at her. His face was twisted maliciously, his nails biting into her skin. He thought of so many words he could hurt her. So many ways he could make her weep. She had no right to be in his head. With a rough shove, he released her, sending her stumbling ba
It was late at night when Malkar knocked on Thessaly's door. The Mistress opened up and was taken aback to see the Prince standing before her. She was dressed in her night robe, a sheer, transparent garment that left little to the imagination."Prince Malkar?"He chuckled lightly. "Come on, let me in."He attempted to step inside, but Thessaly stood firm, barring his path."I'm sorry, but it's late. Do you need something?"Malkar looked around, uncomfortably. "Come on, Thess, someone might see us. Let me in."Worried that indeed, someone might see them and misconstrue the situation, she allowed him into the room. However, she stopped him at the door, refusing to let him venture further inside."What is it?" She demanded, her voice husky.Malkar drew a long breath, taking in ev