Awoken Desires

Maeve’s POV

It had been days since I had been defeated in the duel with Erik. The weight of remorse and anger bore down on me as I realized that I had been tricked into returning to this place, back to the very men who had rejected me two years ago. Erik, Leon, and Caden, my Mates, were now a constant presence in my life, and I couldn’t help but wonder how I fell for this trick. I should’ve known Erik would be stronger than me. There was a reason Lohki lost to their fathers back then.

As I settled into my new surroundings, my thoughts wandered back to where I had been before I returned to Hexon. The man who had saved me, the one I had known as a father figure, was none other than Lohki, the very threat that loomed over Hexon now.

Lohki had provided me with intense training, honing my abilities and preparing me for a purpose that he had yet to reveal to me. He had instilled in me the drive for revenge, and it was with that purpose that I found myself standing amid Hexon once more.

The change in the Hexon was noticeable. The people seemed sick and grim, and none of the packs I came across looked happy. It was as if the very life had been sucked out of Hexon, and the weight of the impending danger was all-encompassing.

I kept beating myself over how I fell for the trick. He was still a Lycan King, and I was probably already stronger than some Alphas with Lohki’s help. But the way Erik spoke that day… I couldn’t explain it but it was so hard for me to refuse his challenge. The regret and anger within me were overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but wallow in my own disappointment.

As I sat alone in my room, lost in my thoughts, I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching. The door creaked open, and I turned to see someone entering the room. It was him – Erik.

Erik’s entrance into my room sent a surge of anger coursing through me. The sight of him, with his platinum blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a body that radiated raw power, only intensified my frustration. I wanted to push him away, to banish the memories of our past, but he had an uncanny ability to pull me into his orbit.

“ Good morning, Maeve,” he said as he entered my room. He chuckled when he saw all the gifts from Leon and Caden, who had been trying hopelessly to get me to spend time with them.

“ Are you perhaps ready to talk to me about … some things?” he said, still standing. I looked at him from head to toe, trying to look for a flaw to focus on so that I could keep a disgusted look on my face, but I found none.

He attempted to engage me in conversation about my knowledge of Lohki, his voice gentle and coaxing. But I remained stubbornly silent, my eyes filled with resentment.

Eventually, his frustration became evident, his voice laced with a note of desperation as he said, “Maeve, you need to speak to me. I want to know what happened, what did Lohki make you do?”

I finally broke my silence. “If you want answers, Erik, you’ll have to torture them out of me. That’s the only way you’ll get anything from me.”

However, the fact that his scent engulfed the room and was making my wolf lose control was enough torture for me. I needed him to leave or else, some unspeakable things might happen here today.

Erik recoiled at my words, his eyes wide with shock. “Maeve, you’re my mate. I would never harm you.”

My laughter was harsh, a bitter sound that hung heavy in the room. “Mate? Don’t use that word, Erik. You broke your gemstones and severed my bond with you. Now, I only share a bond with Caden and Leon.”

His response struck a chord within me, my heart heavy with the truth of his words. “They’re no better, Maeve. They never looked for you.”

The pain of his words cut deep, but I couldn’t deny the reality of the situation. Their rejection had left scars that would never fully heal.

“ Still, they weren’t the ones who banished me. It was you. Now you keep me confined in this horrible place of yours…all for what? I thought I wasn’t good enough. I thought I was an anomaly?”

Erik’s voice hardened, a hint of anger in his eyes. “What I said and did was because of my duty to keep our Lycan blood pure but make no mistake about why you’re here now. I wanted you here because you’re the key to saving Hexon. Your presence has turned things around. That’s all”

His words were like a dagger to my heart, and I felt a pang of pain wash over me. I couldn’t even believe that I was suddenly having all of these feelings. If Lohki were here he would be embarrassed of me. He trained me not to feel anymore, yet the second I saw Erik, Leon and Caden, I lost every fiber of control in my body.

Even now, just hearing Erik say that he didn’t bring me here because he wanted me but because of what he thought I had to offer left me feeling hollow and used.

My anger boiled over, and I lunged for Erik, intending to unleash my pent-up frustration. But as our bodies collided, the intensity of the attraction between us surprised us both. The spark that had once drawn us together still burned brightly, and for a moment, it threatened to consume us.

I didn’t understand my feelings. I didn’t have a problem trying to hurt him while we fought some days ago. But with my hands up against his chest, as I pinned him to the wall, a different feeling had awoken within me. I wanted him, just like I did back then two years ago, but it hurt because he probably didn’t feel the same.

I wasn’t going to throw myself at him so easily, so I tried to step back, but I felt his hands already around my waist. Erik was looking at me intensely, his eyes ablaze with a desire that matched my own.

I didn’t even realize how close we were until our lips hovered dangerously close, the tension in the room reaching a fever pitch. The magnetic pull between us was undeniable, and for an instant, it felt like nothing else mattered.

He leaned closer, softly holding the small of my back as he pulled me closer to him, but before our lips could meet, someone interrupted us, and Erik abruptly pulled away. The person who had interrupted us walked in with a bouquet and a wrapped gift.

I stared at the young man in annoyance before he said, “These are gifts from Leon. He hopes you will join him for dinner this time around. He also left you this short note,” the young man said.

The whole time he was looking at me with so much interest as if he had never seen a woman before. “ Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked him, unable to ignore his stares.

“ It’s just… Leon said you were very beautiful. I just can’t believe how right he was,” the man said, and I noticed Erik’s burning glare on the man.

“ Leon?” He said in a low tone and the man stiffened. How he did not notice Erik’s presence was beyond me.

“ Yes, Leon. He doesn’t care for titles like some people do.” The man said, trying to sound fearless, but his voice betrayed him.

“ Of course he wouldn’t. His disregard for the rules is not new. You shouldn’t dare try that with me though, keep your foolishness to yourself.” Erik threatened and the man gulped.

With one last look at me and then the gifts, Erik’s hand tightened into a fist and he left the room. His departure left me feeling sexually tense and unfulfilled, the desire that had flared between us still lingering in the air.

“ You may leave now,” I said to the young man, and he smiled brightly before leaving.

As I sat alone in my room, the desire continued to gnaw at me, a hunger that refused to be sated. I knew that I needed an outlet for the overwhelming attraction that still existed between Erik and me. It was then that I made a decision - I would accept Leon’s invitation to dinner. After all, they all have been trying to win my heart for days – all except Erik, who only wants information on Lohki.

Still, I have two other men who would do anything to win me over. I might as well have a little fun with it, no strings attached.