Mia's POVI let his hand slip under my dress, looking him all the while in the eyeballs. There was defiance in my eyes. As I watched, the subtle threat of seduction in his eyes changed to one of intense desire. An alpha wolf could never resist a challenge, especially when it involves dominating a strong headed female and getting her to submit. I smiled to myself as I saw the challenge come into his eyes. I was going to drive his wolf senseless with the need to dominate, addle his brain so he can't think straight, then I will make good my escape. Hazel's hand lingered on my inner thigh, his gaze fixed on mine. In that intense moment, I felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing that I had turned the tables on him. As his desire intensified, my plan unfolded."You think a little touch will break me?" I taunted, maintaining eye contact.A predatory grin played on his lips. "You underestimate the effect an alpha has, Mia."I chuckled, a hint of mischief in my eyes. "Well, let's see if you c
Lycidas's POVAs I waited, I couldn't help but notice that my heart was beating harder than normal. It had been more than an hour since Mabel sent Meli…Mia to go gather the herbs. I couldn't help wondering if the Nightshade lunatics had gotten her. Last night, as we fought, our opponents had be extremely talkative, and it didn't take much asking to learn that they're from the Nightshade pack, intent on revenge on the Blood Moon pack for the war waged on them by alpha king Hazel. It had been a bitter battle. Sighing, I tried to stand up, and immediately regretted it. Groans escaped me as I fell back on the bed, opening a few wounds. The room felt suffocating, and the passing time only intensified my apprehension. Mabel, had been calm and collected when she checked on me a few minutes earlier, but I had seen the worry in her eyes.With the way those two behaved around each other, one would never imagine they would be anything but pleased to see the other gone. But I was sure of wh
Mia's POVThe shock of seeing Lycidas in the clearing, his eyes widening at my exposed state, was eclipsed by the sudden realization of my near-nudity. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I instinctively tried to cover myself with whatever remnants of my torn dress still clung to my body."Lycidas! What are you doing here?" I stammered, a mixture of embarrassment and surprise coloring my words.He shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. "I came to find you. Mabel said you'd be fine, but I couldn't shake off the worry."A rush of conflicting emotions swirled within me—gratitude for his concern, embarrassment for being caught in such a compromising situation, and frustration at the circumstances that led us here.I hastily gathered the shreds of my torn dress, attempting to salvage some semblance of modesty. Lycidas, despite the initial shock, quickly averted his gaze, respecting my privacy."Are you hurt?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes.I shook my head, trying to ignore t
Martha's POVI woke up with a start. The sun's rays streamed into the cave.Wait…the cave? Hadn't I been back with Mabel just moment's ago? But as I looked around and spotted Michael's wolf just a few bodies from me and the other members of the Sulfur Hands, it really dawned on me that it had all been a dream. It was very realistically such that I forgot I was sleeping, which was a very rare occurrence. Reorienting myself with my surroundings, I stood up and looked around. Then I paused as I quickly realized something. In the dream, Mabel had not been in her cottage. She was in a strange place I had never seen. Where was that? And apart from that, Maya had been very sick too, said she fought some corrupted wolves. As the events of the dream came rushing back, a distinct unease settled on me. Confusion and disorientation gripped me as I tried to make sense of the abrupt transition from the vivid dream to the reality of the cave. The memories of encountering the mysterious wolf,
Lycidas' POVAfter Mia left, I descended into deep thoughts. There were many thugs running through my mind, and now, one more disturbing thought had joined them. The image of Mia half naked. It was my first time seeing her without the veil. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, especially when naked. Not that I had any memory of seeing any other woman naked, seeing as I lost my memory, but I simply felt that way. And that made me annoyed with myself. I had many things to think about, my development of unnatural powers, how to move the prophecy forward now that I've found my mate, how to save this pack from the Nightshade pack, and how to convince Mia to follow me home so I can tell Alpha Gonzalo that I have found my mate, which was one of the lines of the prophecy. Yet, all I am doing here was thinking about Mia's naked form, standing there all scared and arousing these protective feelings in me that I didn't even know I had. She had looked so scared and hassled, an
Mia's POVI watched in shock and not a little exasperation as Lycidas walked out of his cave, throwing back at me the same exact words I had used to escape him earlier.I stormed out of Lycidas' cave, frustrated and annoyed. The audacity of that wolf, walking away without letting me speak. It was beyond infuriating.Seeing Mason in the cave, I couldn't hold back my complaints. "Can you believe Lycidas?" I exclaimed, arms crossed. "He just walked out like I don't even exist."Mason looked up from inspecting his fingers, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Lycidas has his own battles, Mia. Maybe you both need to meet halfway.""Meet halfway?" I scoffed. "There's no common ground with him. He despises me, and I can't say I'm a fan either."Mason raised an eyebrow. "You know, there's this thing called chemistry. It's like an undeniable connection. You and Lycidas... there's something there."Rolling my eyes, I dismissed the notion. "Chemistry? Please. He's just an arrogant wolf who thinks h
Hazel's POVPain surged through every fiber of my being as I lay on the forest floor, writhing in agony. Mia's swift and precise knee strike had left me incapacitated, my alpha instincts momentarily overridden by the searing pain.The intensity of the pain was unlike anything I had experienced before. My mind screamed in protest, my body contorting involuntarily. Every breath felt like a struggle as the pain radiated from the epicenter of her strike.In those agonizing moments, my thoughts were consumed by a mixture of frustration and disbelief. How could she, a mere wolf, have the audacity to defy me, the alpha king? The echoes of her mocking taunts replayed in my mind, amplifying the humiliation.My initial plan had been to assert dominance, to bend her will to mine. But now, I found myself sprawled on the forest floor, weakened and vulnerable. The surge of pain made it difficult to focus on anything else.As the minutes passed, the pain began to subside, giving way to a seething an
Selena's POVThe dimly lit cave became a refuge for my shattered heart. As the tears streamed down my face, I mourned the loss of the love I had believed in with Hazel. The echoes of his reluctance to swear his devotion resonated in my mind, and the ache within me deepened."I wish I never forced myself on him," I whispered to the shadows, regret pooling in my heart. The urgency of Nightshade's threat had pushed me to seek reassurance, but the price had been the revelation of a fractured love.The pack, oblivious to the storm within me, huddled together. The whispers of Nightshade's revenge and the monstrous creature they had unleashed were distant echoes in my ears. All I felt was the void where our love had once thrived.An hour later, as the cave offered a respite from the impending danger, I wiped away the tears and steeled myself. It was time to set aside personal turmoil for the greater good. With a determined breath, I decided it was safe to go back and seek out the palace guar