It was something she never wanted to happen now. Not now, never, not in a situation like this. As she perceived the heart-breaking scent of fresh dust and blueberry, she realized she had found her mate. She was too shaken to know who it was. So scared, so afraid. She was not yet ready to be thrown into a mine."Seems the goddess has blessed you with a mate," Tanya said, seeing the way both mates reacted to their new discovery.Aurora mentally shook her head. This was not a blessing, as Tanya had stated. It was a curse. A curse for her to have a mate, because it was the beginning of her hardship. She would rather remain mateless than be mated to anyone in the pack."Look up, Aurora. Why don't you look up to know who your mate is?" Tanya said, a smile appearing on her face. Aurora knew she would have to look up, and so she did. Looking up at her mate, the one who would make her or break her. Who she saw was terrible. She despised who she saw. It was no other person than Kael Vincent! Di
It was something she never wanted to happen now. Not now, never, not in a situation like this. As she perceived the heartbreaking scent of fresh dust and blueberry, she had found her mate. She was too shaken to know who it was. So scared, so afraid. She was not yet ready to be thrown into the mine."Seems the goddess has blessed you with a mate," Tanya said, seeing the way both mates reacted to their new discovery.Aurora mentally waved her head. This was not a blessing as Tanya had stated; it was a curse. A curse to have a mate because it marked the beginning of her hardship. She would rather remain mateless than be mated to anyone in the pack."Look up, Aurora. Why don't you look up to know who your mate is?" Tanya said, a smile appearing on her face. Aurora knew she would have to look up, so she did. Looking up to her mate, who would make her or break her. What she saw was terrible; she despised who she saw. It was no other person than Kael! Did the goddess hate her, for being an o
Back to the present Day.Aurora opened her eyes, her eyelids heavy. All she saw was darkness clouding her vision. Slowly, she blinked, and as her eyes adjusted, she stared at the ceiling. The sight was strange to her. Was she perhaps in a better realm, free from Kael and her pack?She looked around, capturing every detail around her: a wardrobe, a large screen TV, a beautiful floor. Then she looked up and saw a large portrait on the wall. A man. Not just any man—he was handsome. His eyes were pure dark, no trace of white, and they seemed to dare her to stop staring.An indescribable feeling swept through her body, something she couldn’t understand.Then she heard a voice—a man’s voice. It was so high-pitched that she could hear it from where she lay. No doubt, he was shouting at someone.Suddenly, the door opened, and a man stepped into the room, followed by a woman."Do not tell me what to do, Mother," the man snapped. "Thanks to the gods, Asama survived my bites. But just because sh
"Send me Kane, I need information about who those damn fucking werewolves were," Draven said, walking towards his office."What are your plans?" Carlos asked, following after him, but not failing to send Kane a message that the King demands his attention."I need to know who those damn motherfuckers are. Who dared lay their disgusting hands on my mate? She is so damn scared of me, so damn scared of her mate, and I feel like ripping you apart if you keep asking me those questions. Now where is Kane?" Draven asked, walking towards his chair. He slumped down in it, cradling his head in his hands. He had a damn pounding headache, but he didn’t care.Carlos kept silent for a while, not knowing what to say. Obviously, he was scared of the King’s last statement. Without being told, he knew the King would no doubt exterminate his words."He’ll be here in a short while," Carlos said, standing a few feet away from the King. He had a mate, he knew what it felt like to have one, but he wasn’t exp
Aurora looked around the room once more. The vampire had given her time to get used to her environment, which she was most grateful for. The flashbacks of what happened the previous night kept hitting her head.Finding out Kael was her mate, the rejection, escaping from the pack, the attack from the rogues—her heart skipped. Those weren't rogues. She could clearly remember that they were her pack members who had come attacking her in full force. At first, their scent had the distinct smell of her pack, but when they had entered the vampire's land, they smelled like rogues. Even though she couldn't grasp their human faces when they had come attacking, she knew they were her pack members. They belonged to the same pack, but why had they come, why do they want to kill her by attacking her on the lands of the vampires? Does Kael knows about this?It was an abomination for any creature to enter into the lands of the vampires—or any other creatures—without permission, and she wondered why s
Lilith was dumbfounded at the question thrown at her. Her son had attacked her because she had sent a male doctor to treat his mate."Mother, I asked you a question," Draven said, glaring at his mother with full anger."Till you leave my hold, will I reply to you," Lilith said. She was stubborn, with pure blood running through her veins. She would not allow her son to mistreat her. Never. She was the queen, and she never wished anything evil toward his mate."Fine, I’ll do as you wish, Lilith. But I would love to hear your answer to my question," Draven said, freeing his mother from his hold. Lilith glared at him with anger."Your mate needs to be free with everyone. She needs to learn how to accept the entire pack—both male and female. She needs to learn how to be bold and get past her fears or whatever past she had," Lilith half-screamed. She knew if King Draven continued treating his mate like a weakling, she would never get past her fears. She would be a miserable she-wolf, living
"It is quite obvious you do not like the king's mate," Lilith said, staring at Doctor Bella, who refused to meet her gaze."Why would you think I harbor such feelings towards the king's mate, Queen Lilith?" Bella asked, glancing at her briefly before returning to her task."Because it is painfully obvious. You love the king. The way your eyes dimmed with sadness when I mentioned the king's mate was a sight I couldn't overlook," Lilith said, her voice challenging, daring Bella to deny her accusation."I don’t know what you’re insinuating, Your Majesty, but my concern lies solely with the well-being of the king and his mate," Bella replied, her tone guarded, wary of saying anything that could provoke the queen mother."Then why did you rush here the moment the king summoned you?" Lilith questioned, watching as Bella removed the old bandage from Aurora's leg, applying ointment with meticulous care before securing a fresh one."Queen Lilith, the king requested my presence, and I answered
Aurora stared at the food in front of her, the enticing aroma wafting into her nostrils. She inhaled deeply, the scent was mesmerizing. She had never seen such a feast in her life. Back in the Red moon pack, food was a luxury she barely enjoyed."The doctor has prescribed some medicines for you. Afterward, you must eat so your body can heal and regain its strength," Lilith said, observing Aurora's reaction. The she-wolf's expression stirred pity in her, though Lilith rarely entertained such emotions."Have you never had a meal like this before?" Lilith asked, her gaze softening as Aurora glanced sideways at her."I only ate dried bread and leftovers that fell from the Alpha’s table. I’ve never seen anything this beautiful, let alone tasted it. It feels strange even thinking it’s meant for me," Aurora said, her voice tinged with disbelief.Lilith growled softly, displeased by the injustice. She wondered about Aurora’s role in the pack but chose to keep her thoughts to herself."Eat bef
Draven’s voice echoed like thunder across the ballroom, silencing every murmur. “Bring him in,” he commanded, his tone sharp and absolute.All eyes turned toward the massive doors as they creaked open. Every person brought in through that entrance so far had unraveled secrets buried deep in blood and betrayal. This one was no different.Kael’s eyes widened the moment he saw who had been dragged into the hall. His shock quickly morphed into fury, his body vibrating with rage.“How dare you bring my father here!” Kael snarled. “You attacked Red Moon Pack? You invaded our home!”He took a step forward, but Draven’s guards moved swiftly, blocking his path with unflinching precision.Draven's expression remained cold. “Your father stole the Alpha title from my mate’s father,” he said, his voice low but heavy with truth. “He murdered him in cold blood and claimed the title that never belonged to him.”The crowd gasped, whispers rippling like wildfire. The shame of the Red Moon Pack was unra
Elizabeth turned sharply, her eyes locking on the people clapping their hands, mocking the tension in the air."How dare you deceive us?!" she screamed, her voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd.The room fell into complete silence. Kael turned to look at Elizabeth, his eyes begging her to stop. He slowly shook his head, trying to urge her into silence. But Elizabeth was past reasoning. Rage, betrayal, and a seething jealousy frothed within her.She couldn't believe Aurora was not only alive but thriving—standing proud in the very place she had once been humiliated."You came to my pack to deceive me," Elizabeth spat. "And now you have the audacity to insult me? You slut!"Before the final word even landed, Draven had moved. In the blink of an eye, he had Elizabeth pinned to the wall, one hand wrapped around her throat, lifting her off the ground with terrifying strength."Don’t you ever call my mate a slut again," he snarled, his crimson eyes glowing with fury. "If you do, I wi
As Draven was about to walk toward the werewolves, who were already laughing heartily and sipping one of the finest imported wines, a hand gently touched his shoulder.“Son.”Queen Lilith’s voice was soft, but it held a weight of emotions buried under centuries of silence. Slowly, King Draven turned to face his mother. He had only agreed to invite her to his mate celebration because Aurora had insisted. She missed the queen and wanted her there. Draven had relented, not because of sentiment, but to make Aurora happy.“I told you not to cross my path,” Draven said coldly, his gaze dropping to the elegant black and silver dress he had specifically chosen for her to wear.“You can’t hold this grudge forever, you know,” Lilith replied, her tone calm but weary. “I even wore this dress just to please you. You know I never wear what you pick for me.”She reached out to touch his shoulder again, a fragile attempt at reconciliation, but Draven shifted away before her fingers could graze him.“
Warning, Matured context.“First thing first, the child does not belong to Kael,” Aurora said, picking up a pen and flipping through a book. She was deep in thought, formulating the perfect plan.“Which child?” Draven asked, now sitting up. His mate was like a machine—a calculating force with a clear mission, and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her intensity.“The child that Elizabeth bore doesn’t belong to Kael,” Aurora replied, her voice steady and confident. “The child belongs to her true mate, who was previously her ex-boyfriend, Ronald. I know Ronald—I always caught them sneaking out of her room. Even in broad daylight, I would hear their moans and screams. But suddenly, Ronald disappeared from the pack. No one knew where he went. Soon enough, he was forgotten.” Aurora stated the hard facts as if they were nothing but simple truths.Draven stared at her in shock, trying to process her words. “How did you find out about this?” His voice was tinged with disbelief. How had she un
Draven’s grip on her hand tightened slightly. “You really mean that?” he asked, his voice low, almost disbelieving.Aurora looked down at him, her eyes blazing with resolve. “You’ve carried this burden alone for too long, Draven. It’s not just your fight anymore. I have blood in this war too. My father—my real father—was taken from me by that traitor. I’m done staying quiet.”Draven sat up slowly, the moonlight slipping through the tall arched window and casting a soft glow across his bare chest. The scar below his stomach still shimmered faintly in the light, a constant reminder of the pain he'd endured.“You’ve always been bold,” he murmured, admiration laced with worry. “But this… this isn’t just a mission of vengeance, Aurora. It’s war. And Kael—he’s no ordinary threat. He’s ruthless. And his father… his father’s hands are soaked in the blood of both werewolves and vampires.”Aurora crossed the room, pacing. Her fingers trembled as she pulled her shirt down slightly, tightening th
Suddenly, Aurora’s eyes were drawn to a strange mark just beneath Draven’s stomach. It shimmered slightly under the low light, looking almost like a tattoo etched by the stars themselves. Her fingers hovered above it before gently brushing across the mark. A jolt of energy pulsed beneath her fingertips, but it didn’t scare her. Instead, curiosity danced in her eyes.“What is this?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.Draven looked down at the mark, a deep frown tugging at the corners of his lips. He had almost forgotten about it—how could he?“I think… it’s time I told you everything about myself,” he said, lifting his gaze to hers. “No more hiding. No more secrets.”Aurora nodded, offering a warm, reassuring smile. She could see the weight in his eyes, and she was ready to carry it with him.“My father… King Dracula… he was once the most powerful king our world had ever seen,” Draven began, his voice laced with reverence and pain. “He feared no one. He taught me every
Aurora opened her eyes to the soft morning light streaming through the windows. The warmth of the sun kissed her skin, and for a moment, she allowed herself to bask in the serenity of the new day. When she turned, her breath caught in her throat—King Draven lay beside her, his powerful arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her like the most precious treasure.Her gaze drifted down to their naked bodies, the sheets tangled between them. A blush crept across her cheeks, but instead of shame, she felt warmth... belonging. For the first time, she truly felt like a woman—wanted, cherished, and whole. All the pain from her past, all the cruelty of her former mate, melted away in the presence of this man—her mate. Slowly, she tilted her head up to admire his sleeping face. He looked impossibly handsome in the morning light, the hard lines of his face softened by sleep. A small, tender smile appeared on her lips.“Why are you smiling like that?” Draven’s voice was rough with sleep, but lac
It felt like they ran through the castle, because within moments, Aurora found herself in King Draven’s chamber. The heavy doors closed behind her, seemingly of their own accord, sealing her in with the man who made her heartbeat skip.King Draven gently kept her on her feet, his hands steadying her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. He could feel the waves of anxiety rippling from her body, and yet her gaze remained fixed on his—wide, vulnerable, and slightly trembling.Without a word, Draven moved behind her, his footsteps slow and deliberate. He stood close, his breath ghosting over her bare shoulders. Then, as gently as a whisper, his lips found her skin. He kissed her shoulders softly, savoring the sweet scent of vanilla and wine that clung to her body.Aurora gasped with each kiss, her pride dissolving with every brush of his lips. She was ready—ready to give herself to the king who made her feel seen, appreciated, and adored.“Relax, my star” Draven murmured, his voice a
The ride back to the palace seemed like the longest Aurora had ever experienced. The silence between her and Draven was oppressive, leaving her with nothing but the echoes of her own thoughts. Draven had decided to remain quiet throughout the entire journey, making things all the more difficult for her.She glanced over at him, trying to read his expression, but his face was unreadable, his gaze focused ahead, staring out the carriage window. Aurora bit her lip, struggling to find the right words to break the tension."You’re going to be mad at me the entire ride home, aren’t you?" Aurora finally asked, her voice tentative, hoping that the question might crack through the wall that had formed between them. She watched as Draven’s lips pressed together, his jaw tightening.He was lost in his thoughts, thinking about the dangerous task that lay ahead—the end of Kael and his men. He couldn’t allow them to continue disrupting the peace of their kingdom, no matter the cost. His mind also w