Darius povI know with those words I said to Anita, she was confused, but I did not care. She would come to like me anyways. After all, she seemed very nice and I know that one of these days, she would come up to me and embrace me. I stayed at her charming face as she smiled up with you. “'Thank you so much for the compliment. I really really appreciate it, but I have to go. I have lots of work to do, and I must not be late,” she said to me, as she gave the costume to me. I collected the attire and turned around like I was about to move, but surprised her by driving her inside the room and locking the door. She screamed and held to the door tightly like she wanted to leave. “'Do not be scared. I am not trying to take you or something. Okay? I am just being nice.” That is all I said to her. She lets go of the door handle and stands there holding to her arms together like she was trying to cage herself, maybe thinking I wanted to touch her in any way. “'Do not worry, and do not be scar
Alpha Orion's povJust as I was about to give a formal introduction to the council members, mostly new rules who were not very familiar with Darius since he was not always in the palace and always ventured away from anything that had to do with the politics of the palace. I decided to just give a brief summary about why he is like that even though they all know that he's my stepbrother, but just then the door opened and Anita walked in with some beverage on a tea. She seemed to be shivering. Something was not right. I had already warned madam Betty not to do anything to her but yet it was like madame Betty refused to listen to me. She was beside her and was not saying anything. I kept silent and just then, Darius slowly removed my hand from his shoulder as he walked towards Anita. What was this? Does he even know her? Why would he just go to her? Oh. I slammed myself internally. Maybe he wanted to take a beverage from her, but I had no choice but to watch what he wanted to do. He wa
Alpha Orion's povAfter the meeting, I could not help but be so patient for everything to be rounded up. I rushed quickly without even telling my beta anything. I rushed directly to Anita's room. I banged on the door continuously, but got no response. I banged continuously loudly, and just then, I felt somebody behind me. I turned around, and it was Anita. She seemed confused as she was holding on to her mopstick. She looked at me from head to toe. I clearly was in a panic mode. It was just so obvious. I ran towards her and hugged her tightly. I can't let it happen. Why sit down in a meeting after what my beta had told me? I couldn't help but imagine so many things. I imagined what if she ends up with Darius . I cannot let that happen. It cannot even happen. All my imaginations should never come to pass. I can never let her be with him. He is just not the kind of person I plan to. And besides, she belongs to me. She's my mate. He cannot just come up from nowhere and then claim to li
Alpha Orion I was not going to let it go that way. I could not just keep silent while she said something like that to me, I moved closer to her as she dragged herself backward. "Please do not come close to me. I don't want to say anything or cause any problem. Okay?" she said to me. I was so confused. I did not know what to do anymore.Why was she acting this way?“What did you mean by the moon goddess did not let you die? What do you mean? Did you plan on dying during the 2 weeks? Was that your plan to leave me? You wanted me to be traumatized. You wanted them to continue to call me the cursed alpha," I said to her. She shook her head sideways."No. That's not what I mean at all. That is not what I mean. I promise you. I am just saying that why am I still alive when every one of your mates who stayed with you all died? Why am I still the only one here? There has to be a reason behind it, and I want to know the reason behind it more than anything in this world," she said to me.I cou
Alpha Orion's povAfter waiting some minutes and my beta was still not back, I decided to go and get ready. I didn't want to be the reason why you will have to wait or anything that will have to make them complain that I stayed too long, I said to myself. I stood up and took off my shirt as I stayed at the mirror in just my trousers on . There was nothing I could do. I just have to be there. After all, I am the alpha and I don't think that can ever change.Just then, the door opened and my beta entered. I quickly rushed for my shed to put it on and that was when Anita walked in. I left the shirt back on the bed as she had already seen everything. She looked at me and then back to the ground. My beta rushed towards me and tapped me on the chest playfully. “She is the one who can clean this room without telling anybody about it ,” he said to me and then rushed out. But just as he got to the door, he muttered a word that I could hear from where I was.“'You have to be quick. Okay? Every
Darius povI stared at my reflection in the mirror as I couldn’t help but feel so good about myself. If I cannot praise my mom for anything, I would always praise her for the fact that she always knows how to pick the perfect dress for each occasion for me. She had always done that right from the beginning. She always wanted me to look so perfect and this was just a perfect opportunity. As I stared at my reflection with a white smile on my face, I couldn’t tell but vision and it had beside me. I blinked my eyes for some while hoping that it would make me stop thinking about her, but I could still see her beside me. It frustrated me. I couldn’t help but think. “She is coming to the banquet with me. Right?“ But I was not sure. With the way she looked at me, I am not sure she would accept my offer and come. I don’t even think she would be allowed to go. The head maid looks like someone who is very very strict and I don’t plan on causing problem or coming here to take any superior again
Darius' pov“Who is she?” She asked again.Even if I didn’t want to say anything to my mother, I knew I had no choice. I had to tell her this particular thing. It was really important because if I tell her about Anita, maybe she would help me get Anita to be my escort for this little party she arranged. I tapped my mom on the shoulder as she turned to me. “Is there anything?“ I asked. “You who are you looking for, but you refused to say anything to me, and I don’t plan on forcing you,“ she said. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I summoned up the courage to tell her. “Just as I said to you, I’m in love with someone, but the only problem is this person I am in love with is in this palace. She is here, and I need your help to get her,“ I said to my mom. But something in her eyes, the way she gazed at me, it felt like she was not surprised. It made me a bit confused. I expected her to be surprised that I said something like this, but instead, I kept silent and just stood there. She immed
Anita POVI rushed out of the room as I held my chest tightly, breathing heavily. I looked up and couldn't help but see my concerns out."Moon Goddess, please don't tell me you are testing me because this test is just too much. I am confused right now, and I don't even know what to believe. Please don't test me." I muttered as I ran towards my room. I entered and shut the door immediately as I made sure the door was locked.I rushed to the bed and sat down, recalling everything that just happened. "What is going on?" I gripped my chest tightly, recalling everything that Alpha Darius had told me, how he acted towards me just now. Even Alpha Orion didn’t act that way towards me. It seems like he was trying to test me, and this is not going to be the way I expected.How did they expect me to accept this and still be with Darius? It's just not possible. Darius is not even my mate, yet he's acting so nice to me. What if he's just trying to get me? What if it's a trap that was planned betwee
Alpha Orion povMy mind reeled from the events unfolding around me, the realization that Luna Nora was capable of such darkness pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake. But I couldn't afford to let that weight pin me down. I had one mission—find Anita. Whatever it took, wherever she was, I would bring her back. The tangled webs Luna Nora had woven would have to wait. Right now, my heart and mind had only one target.I sat on my bed for a moment, the silence thick as I ran my hands through my hair. "How would I find her? She said she might go missing, but I never expected it to happen so suddenly," I murmured, frustration clawing at me.Then a thought struck me—her scent. My wolf surged to life, knowing that if anything could lead me to her, it would be the bond we shared. Rising, I left my room, moving with purpose toward the garage. My Beta trailed behind, as steady and loyal as ever, and I could feel Luna Nora’s gaze watching from the shadows, the corners of her mouth cur
Alpha Orion povDespite my best efforts, sleep remained a distant memory, evading me like a ghost in the night. No matter how tightly I closed my eyes, the unsettling feeling lingered. Frustration built as I glanced at the clock—just past midnight. An unfamiliar dread gnawed at me, and I had no explanation for it.Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax, telling myself that everything was fine, that I could rest easy. But my wolf stirred, an urgent instinct pushing me up from the bed. I paced to the window, throwing it open to breathe in the crisp night air. And then I caught it—a faint trace of Anita's scent. It was like a whisper, but it drew me in, rekindling a longing that I tried so hard to suppress. I missed her more than I’d ever allow myself to admit.Clenching the windowsill, I held back the desire to storm to her room, to see her, to reassure myself that she was there and safe. No, I have to control this. She needed to know that my love for her went beyond any physica
Darius povThere was something off about the way Maya looked at me earlier. The nervous glances, the way Anita seemed wary when Maya entered the room… They were hiding something. I felt it in my bones, and it was only a matter of time before I found out what.I headed down the hall and knocked on my mother’s door, feeling my own frustration simmering beneath the surface. She opened it quickly, her expression frantic, her movements erratic as she tossed books and papers aside, clearly searching for something. I locked the door behind me, hoping to give her a sense of privacy, though the sight of her disarrayed room sent a spike of worry through me.She looked at me, her face pale and eyes wide with fear, almost as if she were on the brink of tears. “Darius… someone’s betrayed us,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Someone was listening. They’ve taken my diary—my diary, Darius. All my secrets, all our plans, everything is in there. If Alpha Orion gets his hands on it, everything we’ve
Anita povAfter warning Orion, I knew I had done all I could. The decision to believe me rested with him, and for now, I would let him handle things as he saw fit. As much as I longed for his touch, his closeness, and the warmth we once shared, his focus was elsewhere, consumed by the demands of his pack. I couldn’t bear to add to his burdens. So, I returned to my chambers, determined to give him space, even though it tore at my heart.I waited restlessly for Maya’s return. Evening began to settle, and finally, I heard that Darius, Luna Nora, and Maya had arrived back at the palace. No one else seemed to think much of it, but every instinct in me was on high alert. I knew Maya was taking dangerous risks to help me, and I needed to ensure she remained safe. She’d promised to pass along Luna Nora’s diary code and any final information about their plans to eliminate Orion. But as the minutes dragged on, doubt gnawed at me. It had been hours since they’d returned, and still, Maya hadn’t c
Anita povThe palace was eerily quiet. It seemed everyone had somewhere else to be today. Even Maya was gone, having followed Darius and Luna Nora out on some mysterious errand. Alpha Orion, too, was occupied. His Beta had returned with what I imagined was critical news, leaving him tied up in urgent matters. For once, I found myself truly alone, with no one to talk to and nothing to occupy my mind but restless thoughts.I sighed, making my way to the dining hall. Sitting down to lunch, I couldn’t shake the pang of unease that had lingered since morning. As I picked at my food, my phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Maya. I opened it quickly, feeling a strange thrill of both dread and curiosity. Maya had told me plenty of secrets before, but something felt different about this.The message read: “Warn Alpha Orion. His life is in danger this week. And… Anita, they’re planning to kidnap you. Darius has arranged it, and it will happen in two days.”I felt my heart skip, the bloo
Maya povAs I sat quietly in the carriage, my mind raced with plans and calculations. I’d uncovered Darius's intentions, yet the real challenge would be trying to unravel his plan, to find some way to divert him from his path. I took a deep breath, rehearsing the words that I hoped would plant seeds of doubt in his mind. This had to work.“Darius, have you thought about the consequences of kidnapping Anita?” I began, my voice careful and measured. “The bond she shares with Alpha Orion is still incredibly strong. Her inner wolf could easily reach out to him, revealing her location, or he might even be able to sniff her out with time. That’s the thing about mate bonds… they’re stronger than most realize.”Darius's hands gripped the steering wheel, his fingers drumming in agitation as I spoke. I watched his jaw tighten, frustration flashing in his eyes. He turned to me sharply, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Do you think I haven’t considered that? I’ve already made preparations. I
Maya povI pressed myself against the wall outside Luna Nora’s chambers, heart pounding as I strained to hear every word that passed between her and Alpha Darius. My breaths came shallow and quick, barely keeping pace with the shock that coursed through me as their conversation unfolded. Darius had finally reached the edge, and from the sound of it, he was ready to plunge into the abyss, dragging anyone in his path down with him. I gritted my teeth, swallowing down the fear that bubbled up. Anita wouldn’t last long under this relentless hatred; in fact, I wasn’t even sure she’d survive the week.I clapped a hand over my mouth, stifling a gasp that threatened to escape, glancing around to ensure no one saw me. Fortunately, the layout of Luna Nora’s rooms provided just enough cover, thanks to the heavy stone walls that shielded me from view. Even if a guard passed by, they wouldn’t easily notice me standing here. I had to be silent and invisible—a shadow in the dark.Just as I thought t
Darius povPacing around my room, my mind was a chaotic storm, and no amount of pacing could tame it. For once, I felt utterly cornered. Every move I’d made, every calculated risk, every attempt to push Orion down had somehow slipped through my fingers. And here I was, empty-handed and with no Plan B in sight. The frustration was a gnawing ache in my chest, and I knew, deep down, I couldn’t face this alone. I needed guidance—a plan, a ruthless strategy. Without thinking twice, I made my way to the one person who had always known what to do.I knocked on my mother’s door, heart pounding with both frustration and a grudging sense of relief. She opened the door immediately, her piercing gaze slicing through me. She was dressed elegantly, her dark hair pulled back with the grace and dignity of someone ready for battle. I felt her scrutinizing look sweep over me, lingering on the tension in my jaw, the pleading in my eyes. For the first time in what felt like ages, I was back in her presen
Alpha Orion’s povSitting alone in the darkened room, my gaze fell to the shadows on the wall, shapes cast by the faint, flickering candlelight. Patience had always been a virtue I possessed, but tonight, it felt like a thin thread stretched too tight, one more whisper away from snapping. I could feel the tension in my bones, the gnawing anxiety as I waited for my Beta. I had sent him on a mission, one so secret that even Anita knew nothing about it. Ever since that damned banquet, where everything felt… off, I knew I couldn’t ignore the quiet, insidious changes I sensed in Alpha Ethan. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, and I intended to uncover every piece of it, even if it led me down a dangerous path.And then there was Darius. His mask of loyalty had slipped just enough to reveal his true intentions, ones I had been too blind to see until now. His betrayal simmered in my mind like poison. I clenched my fists, the thought of his schemes roiling in my gut. Darius didn’t want what