The moon grows distant with every lingering moment I sneak glances at my mate. He catches me at my twenty-seventh try and I not-so-subtly turn to the window. The abruptness of the movement causes an agonising shiver to run down my back. I grit my teeth to not hiss. The world rotates a little faster for me, my vision a little dim and my body a little numb. I clench and unclench my fists, willing control in my cold body as I watch trees fade into the misty night. We're driving through the outskirts of the city, into the forest. If it were anyone other than my mate, I would have jumped out of the car by now. With him. . . I feel trust. It scares me. "Are you okay?" my wearisome mate asks for the hundredth time. "Yes," I lie for the hundredth time. I don't get why he is asking me this time and time again. I am hurt, yes. But it is not that serious. The cuts weren't
As I near the plane I only have one question. Who is Noah Silverton? He was present at the pack house which means he was part of a delegation. He is from Utrif, as he said. An envoy, for sure. He is of high ranking, I can tell by the aura he carries alone, and well, the private jets. Alphas and Betas do not leave their packs unless it's for grave matters. Rarely deltas are sent out for work like this as well. Gammas are sent mostly. And for a gamma to emit such waves of authority means the rank of his pack is high as well. The higher the rank of a pack the more they are involved with the country. And the King. The thought disappoints me. I can not stay with him if he's that close to an Alpha who could causally ask for rogue hunters to check in on his Gamma's mysterious mate. Then not only will I die but my mate would get into trouble as well. Helping a rogue in Utrif, for whatever reason it may be, is punishable. Helping a rogue inside Utrif. . . I start to chart my plan of es
A green field. A shining sun. A laughing family. This again. Someone is calling my name. Again and again and again. Leona. Leona. "Leona!" My eyes burst open. All I see is white. A bright light. I blink a few times. The brightness is subdued. Everything is hazy and fast and a blur of red and black. Someone is screaming. Screaming so loud and painfully that it scares me of the reason. The sound is raw and desperate, echoing around me like a wounded animal. What is happening? I try to move. To help. And then it hits me. Pain—searing, unrelenting pain—tears through my very being. I try to scream, only to find out I already am. "Leona," I hear it again, through all the chaos and confusion and pain. Like a thunder bolt in a war. My eyes are wet and blurry but through the haze, I see Noah. His darned mask is finally off but I can't make out his face. His hair is ruffled. His eyes are full of rage. His hands are around me. His mouth is moving. He is saying so
The double doors to the study creak slightly and I hear footsteps approaching. A young, pale man enters. He is dressed in a white robe and silver rimmed glasses. His short golden hair falls over his brows in messy curls. With his bright eyes focused on the piece of paper in his hands, he does not seem to notice I am out of bed as he slowly totters towards me. I let him continue until he sees my feet, pauses, looks up and blanches. "I—" I do not let him finish. Grabbing his collar, I pull his elbow and twist him, so that my sharp claws rest on the beating vein in his throat. The boy immediately goes lax, then two seconds later breathes again and raises his arms. He lets out a quick flurry of stutters that are far from words, let alone sentences.
My breath is caught up in my throat as Noah steps right in front of me. The black mask, which always concealed his face, is gone, revealing a visage I can scarcely believe exists outside of dreams. His hair is a mess of midnight, framing a face so flawlessly sculpted it seems divinely crafted. His blue eyes, in the sunshine, look deep and fathomless, mirroring the expanse of a twilight, star-lit sky and drawing me into their endless depths. His features are a chiselled to perfection, sharp yet soft, strength melded with ethereal beauty. The angles of his jawline, the perfection of his cheekbones and the gentle curve of his lips—all make him look like an ancient being. Every line, every shadow, makes me sigh in pleasure. My heart pounds within my chest, each beat a reminder of the magnetic pull I feel towards him. It's as if my very soul recogniz
The man whose face I had just beheld in awe is none other than the King of Utrif. My mate is the ruler of a realm where rogues like me are branded as criminals, hunted and despised. Noah lifts one brow—a picture of complete and utter nonchalance. "I'm—" a rogue. He's the king. This can't be. There has to be a mistake. His arms are crossed. "Yes?" I shake my head and turn to glass wall. The moment I reach the end I realise I have no lungs. No breathes. There is no air. The Sun Palace, people call the Palace of Utrif. And now I know why. The weather around may be gloomy and dark but the palace exterior is sunshine morphed into crystalline brilliance. Its exterior is crafted from a material that catches and reflects the light. Shining as though it is the sun itself. It is breathtaking, an architectural marv
The moment I understand what my mate was doing, I push him away. By that time my cheeks are already flushed pink and he steps back voluntarily. “Asshole,” I mutter under my breath, pinning him under my scorching glare. Void of emotion, unnerving and annoyingly empty eyes seem to be his best companions as he pins me back. "Tell me you do not like me. Tell me you hate me. But do not ever deny us of our bond." "I hate you." No hesitance. "I can live with that." The way he stands so proud and sure makes me want to do thing to my own mate that I would not even wish upon my enemy. "The bond," I seethe through gritted teeth, "between us is a mistake. It has to be. Because we don't make sense." A king can never be with a rogue. "Sense," he repeats, jaw clenching. "Enlighten me, my queen. Because?"
A very vivid image of Noah with a spike made of pure silver straight through his heart flashes in my mind. The cardinal wants him dead. The cardinal wants my mate dead. I have spent fourteen years of my life with the man. And when he wants someone dead. They die. "Leona," Noah says, very carefully. As though I am a delicate piece of art. "Shall I send for the healer, sire?" the guard says. "Yes. Now." I faintly hear the door opening and closing. Then Noah grabs both my arms like I will fall if he doesn't. He looks at me like I am a broken thing in need of fixing. Which is exactly what I am but that is another story. His touch is both a balm and a torment, a reminder of the vulnerability that clings to me like a shadow. The image of his impending death claws at my mi