SIENNA
Letting out a sigh, I headed to Nathan's chamber. I knocked on the door and walked in with the wine tray. I'd barely walked in when he snatched the tray out of my hands and threw it to the floor."Here you are," he drawled, his eyes filled with contempt.He pulled me to himself and kissed me. I struggled against his hold, pounding my fists against his chest. He grabbed my hands, pinning them to the wall above my head.Burying his face in the crook of my neck, he pressed his free hand to my mouth, muffling the sounds of protest leaving my lips."You're glad you didn't have sex with me? What?" He mocked, bursting into laughter."I'll show you," he growled, pushing me to the ground. While I crawled towards the door, he grabbed me by the hair and slammed me against the wall. A cry of pain tore out of my throat as pain rattled me.Nathan cursed under his breath and grabbed the collar of my shirt, ripping it apart."Let go of me!" I cried, struggling to my feet. He grabbed me by the neck, his other hand slipping past the waistline of my pants.Desperate, I bit into his arm as hard as I could. He shook me off, and I collided with his nightstand, sending the lamp crashing to the ground.Half blind from the pain, I reached out for the fallen lamp. He climbed onto my body, trailing wet kisses along my neck.Tears crawled down my cheeks, and I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapping my fingers around the lamp.Not stopping to think, I slammed it onto the back of his head. He slumped against my body, unconscious.I needed to escape. It was all I could think of. In a flurry of motions, I'd stumbled to my feet and dashed out of the room. I didn't stop running until I was past the gates. The Warriors didn't stop me this time.Once I was a good distance away from the pack house, the tears poured down in floods. I kept walking, ignoring the aches in my body.It was over now. It was time to start over. I would make sure of it. Somehow, I lost track of time.I knew it wouldn't take long before I became the hunted. I had to hide.The moment I caught sight of a good hiding place, I didn't think twice about it. The bar was bustling with activities, it wasn't hard to blend in.I hurried into the back room, grabbed a uniform, and made a break for the bathroom. There, I cleaned myself up and pulled up my hair into a ponytail.After deciding that I was presentable enough, I decided to step out and find myself a glass of water. For some reason, my hands wouldn't stop trembling.The instant I stepped out, a woman grabbed my hand and thrust a wine tray into my hands. I gasped, confused. The wine tray contained a bottle of expensive-looking wine and a cocktail glass."Where have you been, Clara?! Go in there, he's waiting," she snapped.My frown deepened as she led me to a dark brown door with the inscription 'VIP'."What are you waiting for? Go in!" the woman said, pushing the door wide open.Once I stepped in, she shut the door behind me. There was a man waiting in the dimly lit room. He looked up, and I held my breath, startled by how good-looking he was.His raven black hair was pulled up in a half bun, and his strong jawline was dusted with stubble. His silver eyes were piercing, his lengthy dark lashes complementing their beauty. From what I could tell, he was pretty fit. It was obvious, despite his dark clothes."What are you staring at?" He questioned, his deep voice resonating within the room.Nervous, I placed the bottle of wine and cocktail glass on the table in front of him.After I poured him a glass, I stepped aside, trying not to show how much I was on edge."Taste it," he suddenly ordered. I froze, fear settling on me. How was I supposed to tell him that I wasn't a waitress?"Do I have to shove it down your throat?" He demanded, his silver eyes boring holes into my body. I shook my head, wiping my sweaty palms against my skirt.Trembling, I made my way towards him and picked up the glass of martini, my stomach squirming. He watched intently, his face expressionless. The fact that I was standing in front of such a gorgeous being felt unreal.I poured a very small amount of the wine into my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding almost painfully."What are you waiting for? Swallow it."The sound of his deep voice sent warmth pooling low in my stomach, a shiver running down my spine.'It's just wine. I should do this much if I want to leave this place alive," I thought. I gulped the liquid at once, the afterburn in my throat causing me to sputter and cough.When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me with the glass of wine in his hand. I watched him drink from it, his heated gaze not leaving my face.It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment, I was staring at him; the next, I was trapped between the wall and his body.He towered above me, his eyes heavy-lidded. I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He was no werewolf. His aura was much stronger than that. However, he gave off an Alpha's energy.He lowered his head a little, a lock of his wavy hair falling over his forehead."What..." He breathed, his lengthy eyelashes fluttering.'He's so beautiful,' I thought, mesmerized.He planted his free hand on the wall right beside my head, his body leaning closer to mine.As much as I was scared out of my mind, there was a tinge of excitement rushing through my veins."What did you spike my drink with?" He finally asked, his eyes turning crimson and black.At this point, I realized that my temperature was spiking up. My gaze drifted from his eyes to his soft-looking, cherry-pink lips.'I want to kiss you,' I found myself thinking.He growled low in his throat, bringing a hand to the side of my head."Answer me," he groaned.I parted my lips, unable to think. His sandalwood-coconut scent was starting to make me feel giddy.I found myself leaning closer to him. Then, our lips met. I felt the buzz all the way down to the tip of my toes. Despite knowing how wrong this was, I couldn't bring myself to pull away.RAVENThe chains on my ankles and wrists were ridiculously heavy. But most of all, they'd been doused with wolfsbane. It didn't help that I could already feel its effects. Nothing made any sense to me. Aries had betrayed me, but why? If he'd rescued me only to toss me back to King Hades, why would he rescue me in the first place?"Selene."I looked up at the sound of a deep voice. A tall, handsome man stood in front of my cell. He looked disappointed. He seemed vaguely familiar to me, and he had an aura that screamed power and royalty.Was this him?The man I'd dumped over Lord Aries, the sly bastard?Gods, what was I thinking?It was true that Lord Aries was stunning. Plus, he'd appeared rough around the edges.But this man standing before me was also a sight to behold. His long hair was pulled away from his face in a neat bun, and his dark clothes were immaculately fitting."It brings me no joy to see you like this, you know? If Aries hadn't told me that he'd caught you red-handed,
RAVEN“Selene?"Selene? Was that my name?My eyes snapped open, and I found myself sitting before an ornate mirror framed in gold, the polished glass reflecting a woman I barely recognized.I was dressed in a deep red ceremonial gown embroidered with golden thread, the fabric pooling around me like a sea of molten rubies. My skin shimmered under the dim candlelight, adorned with delicate gold chains draping across my wrists and collarbones. The weight of the jewellery felt unnatural, foreign—like shackles rather than ornaments.Somewhere beyond the heavy velvet curtains, the faint notes of a lute and a melancholic flute drifted in from the courtyard."Are you alright, Selene?" a feminine voice said from behind me, and I turned to see the petite young woman who stood behind me with a smile on her face.I didn't know who she was, but there was something about her that felt familiar and important—My train of thoughts came to a halt.I was forgetting something important. Something wasn't
ARIES Raven. Her name lingered at the tip of my tongue as I watched her. A part of me couldn't believe it. She was real. And most of all, she was alive. I'd sensed that she had told the truth about her amnesia, but she seemed to be hiding something. And whatever it was, it was somehow linked with the visitor at the door.“Hide, you idiot!" She snapped, and I cocked a brow at her, amused.“Why should I?" I teased, and her eyes darkened. Grabbing my arm, her fierce electric blue eyes met mine, and she angrily muttered a spell under her breath.My eyes widened when a strange warmth coursed through my body almost immediately. My knees weakened, and before I could process what was happening, I'd slumped forward. She caught me before I could hit the ground. Then she lowered me gently. I parted my lips to say something but found that I was unable to utter a word.Wide-eyed, I watched her as she headed to the door in a rush, still surprised by the fact that she knew spells now.“
Two Years Later,RAVEN The cold winter air hit me the instant I stepped out of my house. Snow had fallen overnight, leaving everything buried in white. I took a deep breath, ready to move—then froze.There was blood on the snow.A trail of blood led towards the corner of my house. My stomach clenched hard. For a long moment, I stood there, my pulse racing. Checking it out was a terrible idea. I knew this. Even so, I moved.Gripping my umbrella like a weapon, I followed the trail, each step quicker than the last. When I reached the backyard, my breath caught in my throat.I was greeted by the sight of a man huddled against the back door, unconscious. Snow clung to his silver jaw length hair and his black clothes were torn in multiple places. Blood soaked the fabric, seeping into the snow beneath him.Cautiously, I drew closer to him and dropped to my knees in front of him, my healer instincts kicking in. The metallic smell of blood lingered strongly on him and as I examined hi
ARIES Several minutes earlier, I gazed at my sleeping wife in silence, a heavy weight on my chest. Although I’d tried to alleviate her anxiety, my mental state was an absolute mess. I couldn’t stop thinking of the flashes of memories that had filled my head a few days before. Raven stirred, and I stroked her hair, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. I wanted to protect her. I was also selfish enough to want her all to myself. But what if my fate stands in the way? Letting out a sigh, I carefully got out of bed, making sure not to awaken my mate. Riddled by my heavy thoughts, I left the room and headed to my study. I’d just settled down on my seat when I sensed a familiar presence by the door. “Show yourself,” I ordered brusquely, and the door creaked open. Lily stood by the door with a timid expression on her face. Something was off about her, though. It seemed as if she was fighting with herself. “What brings you here?” I asked, watching her closely. S
RAVEN It felt like something out of a nightmare. I wanted to believe that what I'd just heard and seen wasn't real. But, I was also painfully aware of the fact that I would only be lying to myself. "Why did you do that?" I asked when I finally found my voice. She chuckled, clearly amused by my question. "If you're talking about why I tried to attack the Lycan king, then I must tell you this. I hate him. Deep down you hate him too, don't you?" She said, and I brought my hands to my face, tears clouding my vision. "I don't understand. Why...why are you here? Why are you trying to take over my body?" I said, my voice trembling. "Don't you get it? I am you, and you are me. That monster is destined to die by our hands," she replied. I shook my head in disbelief, nausea creeping into me. "Why do you hate him so much? Isn't it enough that you cursed him?" I croaked, and her eyes darkened, her face contorted in rage. "He killed my people. He led them to their death! He has to suf