Lucius's POVI sat in the dimly lit chamber, attempting to clear my mind through meditation. The scent of incense hung heavy, but Knight's persistent voice shattered the fragile calm. My thoughts were scattered, and I needed to regain control. I had never doubted myself before, but this was new.Having someone linked to me forever, having my heart beat fiercely for them, even without my consent, was unsettling. I didn’t know her before, yet I found myself wanting to protect her fiercely. This was the madness of a mate bond.This was bad for me, bad for me as the king of the werewolf realm. A lot could go wrong if I wasn't careful. The most powerful alphas had been brought to their knees by their mates, and I wondered if such a fate would befall me, too.Would Vesta be my weakness? Would she bring down everything I had worked hard for years to build? Everything I built with my blood when the whole world was against me, and I had to fight for my place without my eyes.“Don’t worry, she w
ALPHA LUCIUS’S POVI was having a hard time keeping all of it bottled inside. I had just gotten off the cell with Alpha Callum and he had no idea where his niece had disappeared to. I feel even worse for letting that girl outsmart me. Why the hell did I think that she would have accepted being mated to me without any fuss? She let herself leave under her uncle’s wings and now she was out there in the wind and Knight kept nagging at me about how much of a danger she was in. I have abandoned every damn thing that required my attention to look for my mate who has decided to cost me my peace. I shouldn’t be bothered about if she was safe or not, I should wait for her to come back. I should let her do whatever she wants but Knight won’t let me be. That’s why I am out here assembling my men in preparation to storm the rogue island. The Rogue Island isn’t my favorite place to be, they hate my guts over there and I share the same passion for them. Bloody, unruly wolves. The concept of rul
VESTA'S POVThe loud throbbing in my head had disappeared and somehow, my body felt even more at peace than it had been for the previous days. Something about where I was made me feel more comfortable and I felt like the herb Tate had given me was finally working and now I could feel better and move on with my life. Lila was back too, she was still in deep sleep but I could feel her in me and I almost leaped in excitement, i was having the best sleep of my life. We might have had our differences but knowing she was back to me provided the kind of relief I never imagined in a thousand years. “I think she’s waking up,” someone whispered and that got my attention, the voice was too soft to belong to Luna and I didn’t see any other person at Tate’s place when we got there. That made me wonder where I was and I slowly rose up. I slowly noted that the beds were softer, almost like they belonged in a castle. I finally opened my eyes and the whole room was filled up with different people
Vesta's POVI finished breakfast alone, the taste a distant memory as I returned to the room Lucius confined me in. He was firm about not letting me out of his sight, with multiple omegas flanking me on my way back. I wanted to tell them I wasn't running, but who was I to make them go against their boss' orders?"Anika," I spoke to the omega, "Can we take a walk outside?" I asked gently, even though I knew what the answer would be. They were just omegas, not capable of making decisions like that. Plus, Lucius probably had the whole place surrounded. I would only be putting them in trouble."The alpha's orders. No leaving the room," she replied curtly, and I nodded. There was no need to hate the messenger when I could hate the man himself.I sighed, resigned. "Fine, I'll stay here."Time crawled by, and I decided to take a short nap. There was nothing else for me to do, so I decided to sleep it off. The room's dullness didn't help. It felt like a comfortable dungeon, and it was too sile
I decided to frustrate Lucius with every effort. He'd grow tired of me, and I'd watch out for my escape. I couldn’t give up trying to get out of this hell hole; I couldn’t. For my parents, whose lives he brutally took, and for my own sake, giving up would mean I was a failure. It would mean I had failed them terribly. Since the last time he came and I didn't give him an audience, he hasn’t been in the room since then. My routine still hasn't changed, and Anika and the rest of the omegas still fuss over me. They draw my bath in the morning, I eat by the secluded balcony, and I return to bed, where I do nothing but stare into the ceiling or sleep. I had memorized every stroke of paint on the wall, every cell, and every damn decoration in this bloody room; there was no difference between here and being locked up in a dungeon. Maybe the tiny difference is being waited upon and eating on a balcony with a great view. When I returned from eating an early dinner, I was surprised to find L
Lucius entered the room, his presence heavy with tension. In his hand, he held a delicate necklace, a glimmering chain adorned with a small pendant."What's this?" I asked, eyeing the necklace warily. If he thought he would be able to buy me over with a stupid ass necklace, he has to think again. I wonder if he didn’t have a pack to run with the way he was always here, trying to get me to submit to him. I wish he knew that my mind was made up and there was no going back from this or anything else. "I thought it was yours," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.I took the necklace from him, turning it over in my hands. I wasn’t really a big fan of jewelry, and something about this necklace felt familiar, and it was worn out, too. Like the owner had been wearing it for a while. Recognition dawned on me. "This belonged to Luna," I said slowly, I had a bad feeling about this, how did he get Luna’s necklace? The short time we spent together, she never took it off and I wonder how
ALPHA LUCIUS'S POV I find myself seething with anger, the frustration boiling beneath the surface like molten lava. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me, shouldn't have touched Vesta in anger. And telling her about Luna's death... that was a mistake. There's no way she would believe me if I told her the truth—that Luna poisoned her and they were trying to use her to get to me. The same thing I was trying to avoid. Since I met Vesta, I have been actings in ways that even I can’t explain. I would hate for her to be a weakness and I can’t keep lying to myself that I wasn’t approaching that point already. Locking her in the dungeon as punishment was necessary, but it gnaws at me. She refuses to listen, refuses to yield to me. The way she fights the mate bond, it's exhausting. Not like I ever wanted a mate too, but I couldn’t bear to see her reject me. It was messing with me and I hated it so much. I shouldn’t show emotions, I didn’t get to where I was by having em
I paced the confines of the dungeon, my hunger gnawing at my insides like a ravenous beast. I should have known that Lucius would see this through to the end. He didn’t earn his reputation as a monster for nothing, and I should have reminded myself of that before I reacted. Maybe I shouldn’t have slapped him that hard. It wasn’t my fault that he killed the only person who showed me kindness because she did. He didn’t have to kill her, but he did. To what end? Maybe it was an ego boost for himself, but there’s more to life than killing people for ego boosts and making everyone fear you. I guess the concept of being human was strange to my blind mate. I don’t blame him when all he has known all his life is how to be a fucking monster. Finally, a guard arrived with a food tray, setting it down on the cold stone floor. I scanned the contents hungrily, and my stomach grumbled in response. For a split second, I missed the monotonous life I was living on my secluded floor. I didn’t have
LuciusI traced Vesta’s scent to a horrid looking place. But I couldn’t care less, all that was on my mind was where to find my Luna. I kept on following the trail of her scent and it lead me deeper into the unknown.As I pushed forward, the scent of my mate intensified, mingling with the odor of the unknown wolves. A low growl rumbled in my chest, a warning to any who dared stand in my path.Finally, the path opened into a vast underground chamber and in there, stood two figures. I recognized the unmistakable scent of Vesta clinging to them. But something was wrong. Their movements were jerky, and their eyes glowed with emerald light.“Vesta!" I roared. "Where is she?"The figures turned towards me, their heads snapping in unison. A guttural growl erupted from their throats. Their glowing eyes never left me. Their lack of response, their wolf appearance, sent fury coursing through me."Where is my mate?" I repeated. "What have you done to her?"Another guttural growl was their o
VESTA'S POV Even while I knew I and Elara were cooked, I was still defiant. I challenged him, I said all sorts of disdainful remarks towards him and for a moment, I saw fear. But he wouldn't let a naive pup like me unravel it all. "Don't be foolish, Vesta," he hissed. "I've worked too hard for my position. A few more lives, even yours, are a small price to pay for ultimate power." Darius didn't care about the pack, not truly. It was all a game of control, a desperate scramble to maintain a power he never rightfully earned. And if that meant silencing anyone who threatened to expose his treachery, then so be it. “You think fear will silence me?" I retorted, my voice laced with newfound steel. "You underestimate me, Uncle." Darius's smile vanished completely, replaced by a menacing scowl. "Perhaps," he said, taking a menacing step forward. "But underestimation can be a very effective tool." A signal was barked, and the two guards flanking him lunged forward. Before I could react, t
ALPHA LUCIUS'S POV With I and Mayra in the same castle as Vesta, I knew Vesta was definitely going to observe my relationship with my sister. She had spoken to me about family and bonding. She made me understand that family is forever even if they can be dickheads. I was reluctant to have ‘that talk’ with my sister but Vesta had convinced me to do it. With a gentle nudge and a smile, she left us alone in the library, a silent encouragement to bridge the gap that separated us. Mayra, frail but determined, reached out a hand, her touch hesitant yet filled with longing. I clasped it in mine. "I'm so sorry, Lucius," she said, her voice cracked. "For everything." "There's nothing to apologize for, Mayra," I replied, my voice cracking as well. "We were just children, caught in the crossfire." A gentle smile touched her lips, in that moment I saw a glimpse of a vibrant young woman I remembered. "Do you remember the stories Mama used to tell us?" she asked. I nodded, I felt bitte
ALPHA LUCIUS'S POV Everything going on with Vesta was unfortunate. As much as I wanted her to be with me in my castle so we could make love from dusk till dawn, I had to give her the time and space she needed to heal. I didn’t know much about what had happened back in her pack but I do know it had something to do with her uncle. One morning, Vesta walked up to me in the study. “Lucius, the night my parents died, do you have any idea what happened?” She asked me, she appeared almost lifeless. As though she had been troubled with something heavy. “I wasn’t there. I have little to no knowledge of what happened that night.” I confessed. “How can I trust you! Everyone has been lying to me, why are you any different?!” She yelled. Vesta's words hit me like a physical blow. The raw pain and accusation in her voice felt like a betrayal. But I could understand her pain. “Believe me, Vesta, I had nothing to do with your parents' death." "How can I believe you?" she cried, her voice
VESTA'S POV In the days that followed, I was conflicted by my emotions. I was uncertain, the truth was a constant torment in my mind. I couldn't shake the image of a dark figure, a glimpse from a night etched in blood and loss. Was it Lucius after all? Or was I clinging to a fabricated truth, a narrative constructed by years of resentment? Determined to uncover the truth, I embarked on a relentless quest for knowledge. Every spare moment found me looking through anything in hardcover the pack library. My fingers tracing the worn spines of ancient tomes. My frustration built with each dead-end. Until one dusty afternoon, buried beneath a pile of forgotten scrolls, my fingers brushed against a hidden compartment in an old leather-bound book. Inside, resting amongst brittle parchment and faded ink, lay a single, folded letter. My heart pounded in my chest as I carefully unfolded the yellowed paper, the words written upon it swimming before my eyes. It was a desperate plea, a despera
ALPHA LUCIUS'S POV I wondered why she hated me. Every time I looked at Vesta, the raw pain in her eyes was a constant reminder of my own shortcomings. Two years. Two years I'd watched Vesta fight our bond with every fiber of her being. Two years of clenched jaws and strange stares, a constant reminder of the past I desperately wanted to amend. Vesta sat by the window, her back was rigid, her silence a wall I desperately wanted to breach. With a deep breath, I approached with a bouquet of wildflowers clutched tightly in my hand. “Vesta," I began. "May I come in?" I was greeted with silence. I was beginning to get frustrated but I forced it down. This wasn't about me. This was about making amends, however flimsy they might seem. I pushed the door open further, stepping into the room. "I brought you these," I stated, extending the bouquet towards her. They were violets and lilies, her favorites. It was a long shot, a gamble, but her reaction was worth the risk. Surprised crossed her
VESTA'S POV I practically skipped into the pack house, my heart humming a happy tune. Elara, who was by the window, looked up, her brows raised in amusement. "What's gotten into you?" she teased. "Elara, you won't believe it!" I gushed, practically bursting with the need to share. "Lucius and I… we went for a walk." "A walk?" Elara said, her voice laced with curiosity. "That's it?" I blushed furiously, but couldn't contain my excitement. "Well, it wasn't just any walk," I stammered. "We talked… for hours. And then…" I paused dramatically, unable to wipe the silly grin off my face. "He kissed me, Elara." A gasp escaped Elara's lips. "He kissed you?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "And… and you?" "I…" I confessed hesitantly, "I kissed him back." Elara's face broke into a wide smile. "Oh, Vesta!" she squealed, clapping her hands together in delight. "That's amazing! I knew there was something simmering there." The memory of the kiss sent a shiver down my spine. "It was… unexpected
VESTA'S POV All of a sudden, the outrage I felt towards Lucius seemed petty. After that gift, he was a powerful Alpha, sending me such a heartfelt gift, and all I could do was shut him out. Elara, who had watched me open the book again, spoke up softly, "It's beautiful, isn't it, Vesta?" I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. "He put a lot of effort into it," Elara added. "Maybe you should cut him some slack." Her words echoed in my mind. Perhaps she was right. Lucius had his flaws, his controlling tendencies were a constant source of irritation, but this… this was different. This was a man reaching out, trying to forge a connection. “Give him a chance?" I said, trying to mask my feelings. “Think about it," Elara urged. "Flowers from so far away? Jewelries, trinkets. A book, that obviously means something to you? He's clearly trying." Maybe, just maybe, it was time for me to reciprocate, to meet him halfway. Later that evening, as I sat by the fire with a steaming
ALPHA LUCIUS'S POV I watched with satisfaction as the messengers I'd hired left the castle grounds, a precious package safely in their hands. Inside? Another token for Vesta – a stunning emerald bracelet this time, a subtle nod to her captivating eyes. A smile played on my lips. Perhaps, with this one, she'd finally relent, finally acknowledge the depth of my affection. "Alpha Lucius," Marcus barged into the room, his usual stoicism replaced by a flicker of urgency. "We have a situation." My smile faded. "What is it, Marcus?" "News from Vesta's pack," he replied, stepping closer. "Our scouts report… peculiar developments." Intrigued, I leaned forward. "Peculiar?" “Yes, Alpha. It seems the women and young girls… they've been seen wearing expensive jewelry. Gold, diamonds, even silver." A frown etched itself onto my face. Jewelry? I’ve been sending boxes of the finest jewelries to Vesta. Could news of my generosity have spread so quickly? Perhaps word of my extravagant gift had in