ARIES The moment I saw the discoloured bruises on her legs, I knew they weren't just injuries she'd brought upon herself. They had been inflicted on her by someone else. Judging from the size of the bruises, she'd been beaten for quite a while. Rage engulfed me at the thought of it. "Strip," I said, and she frowned."What?"I dragged in a sharp breath, impatient. I needed to know if she was just as bruised on every other part of her body. "You heard me. Take off your clothes."Her eyes widened."Right here?""If you can't do it yourself, I will."When she stared at me, I realized why she looked so terrified. Cursing under my breath, I rubbed the back of my neck. I had given her the wrong idea. "It's not what you think," I said, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "It's not what I think? You're such a pervert," she hissed, her brows furrowed. "I was concerned about the bruises on your legs. I was worried that you had more of them on your body. You said you don't have a wolf. I
RAVEN Aries regarded me with a puzzled expression on his face. Behind him, the green-eyed woman glared at me. "Did you really have to hit me?" Aries asked. I remained silent, making sure my glare was enough to make him uncomfortable. "I'm going to let go of you. If you try anything stupid again, I'll be forced to do something you will regret. Nod if you agree with me," he said, and I sighed, nodding once. It was official. I was trapped. The Lycan king just won't let go of me. Slowly, he released me, and I pushed my hair away from my face. "She's your chosen mate?" I asked, gesturing at the red-haired lady in his study. She scowled at me, and I rolled my eyes."I am not your problem, woman. He is," I said, pointing at Aries. "You heard her. You can leave Ariella," he said, and my frown deepened. Aries and Ariella?They had matching names?How gross."Fine. I'm leaving. This is not over yet," Ariella spat and stormed out the door. The moment she was out of sight, Aries gr
RAVEN Savannah stared at me with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. When she still didn't respond to my question, I repeated it. "What kind of curse is it?" She blinked at me, rubbing the back of her neck. Letting out an awkward chuckle, she lowered her head. "I'm sorry, my lady. That's all I know," she said, and I groaned in frustration, burying my face in my hands. I was on edge. Since I'd just confirmed that my mother had been right about King Aries' curse, I needed to know the full details. My mother had asked me to run from him, but I'd tried that several times, enough for me to establish the fact that I could never get away from him. "His majesty must really like you. Everyone in the palace was beginning to think that he was in a romantic relationship with his beta," Savannah commented, and I looked up at her, my eyes wide."His beta? What about Ariella? She's his chosen mate, isn't she?" I asked, and she sighed."You met her already? His majesty was forced to ac
ARIES Raven sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darkening with malice. "Well, here is my response, your majesty. You can go and fuck yourself," she spat, pivoting on her heels to storm towards the door. "I can't believe I actually felt guilty towards him. He doesn't deserve my apology," I heard her mutter right before she slammed the door shut. "She treats you with disrespect, do you realize that? That's not how a queen behaves. She might be your destined mate, but there's always the option of rejecting her," Ariella drawled as she slipped on her robe and left the room. Knowing that my destined mate had yet to warm up to me was enough to dampen my mood. Therefore, even the monster in me was disturbed. "Your majesty? Can I come in?" Cade's voice echoed from outside the door. I heaved a sigh, slipping on my black robe. "Come in," I said, sinking into one of the chairs in the room. When Cade walked in, he bowed briefly and approached me. "Are you alright?" He asked, and I clos
RAVEN I didn't get far. Bile rose up the back of my throat and I gagged, spilling my stomach's content into the nearest flower pot I could find. My body gave out and I crumpled to the floor, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as I emptied my stomach until I could no longer move. Closing my eyes, I lowered my head in an attempt to catch my breath. A gentle hand rubbed my back in circles. It was comforting. Judging by the situation, I had a feeling that King Aries had somehow found his way to me to comfort me. After what felt like an eternity, I opened my eyes and turned to look at the king. He handed me a water bottle, his gaze soft with concern."Are you feeling better now?" He asked after I'd rinsed my mouth. I nodded in response and he brought me to my feet, his hand lingering on my waist, to support me. "Come with me. You need to get examined by the healers," he stated, and I let out a sigh."It's probably just something I ate," I told him. "I don't doubt that. Even so, you
ARIES From the moment Ariella barged into my study with a suspicious-looking vial in her hand right to the moment my mate blurted out the words I didn't think I would ever hear from her, my mind was a chaotic mess. Hearing her claim that she was carrying my child was enough to calm the raging storm in my mind. I stared at her, every other sound fading away. At first, all I could hear was the hammering of her heart and the sound of her breathing. Blocking out every other sense of mine, I descended from my throne and approached her, following the sound of her heartbeat. When I halted directly in front of her, I heard the second and third heartbeats coming from her body. I froze, and my thinking system crashed as this new reality smacked me in the face. Twins. My woman was carrying two of my children in her womb at that moment. My gaze locked with her desperate eyes, mesmerized by their striking electric blue colour."Aries," she breathed, and the animal inside me stirred. Rav
RAVEN "Wake up, Selene. Wake up," a familiar voice whispered in my ear. I sat up in bed with a jolt, only to find that I was all alone in Aries' gigantic bedroom. I could've sworn that someone had woken me up. They had called me 'Selene.'Rubbing my forehead, I got out of bed and walked up to the window, opening them. I took a deep breath, the fresh scent of flowers filling my nostrils. "Selene."I flinched, turning around with a start. I'd just heard it again. The voice from earlier. I couldn't help but wonder if I was being haunted by a ghost. Even so, why would they call me by a name that wasn't mine?While I thought about this, a huge mass of darkness appeared in the room, and the lights began to flicker. Struck with terror, I ran towards the door and tried to open it, but it refused to budge. My heart raced madly, and my fingers trembled ceaselessly."Don't be afraid," a masculine voice said from behind me, and I turned around hesitantly. Eventually, I came face-to-face
RAVEN I stared at him, wide-eyed. The response he'd given me was the last thing I'd expected from him. "When did this happen?" I asked, worried that I might be probing into things I was better off not knowing. "Two centuries ago. It happened on..." He furrowed his brows, his voice trailing off. I stared at him with a raised brow, wondering why he suddenly looked so lost."I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." I started to say, and he shook his head. "You did nothing wrong. I...I suddenly can't remember what really happened," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Well, it happened a long time ago. I can barely remember what happened yesterday," I said. It was a lie, but the words slipped out of my mouth on instinct. I didn't really understand why he looked so worried because he couldn't recall a memory. He has lived for quite a long time. Shouldn't it be normal to not remember?While I thought about this, he suddenly winced, his face rapidly losing colour."Your Majesty, are you alright?
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
RAVEN I'd been waiting for this moment for the past few hours. Yet I was burdened by crippling anxiety. I'd spiked my mate's tea with the truth serum Lily had provided me with. A part of me was worried that there would be side effects. And the look of absolute terror on Aries face was not helping either. Did he recall something terrifying? I couldn't help but wonder. "Do you remember something, your Majesty?" I asked, and he pulled away from me, his face twisted into an expression of anguish. He was fighting the effect of the serum. "Do you remember seeing this necklace?" I asked, and he turned away from me, rubbing his temples. "Did you spike the tea?" He asked, and I froze. When I still didn't say anything, he nodded, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I guess I have my answers now. I understand that you're desperate, but you really didn't have to do that. Do you really wish to get rid of me that badly?" He said and stormed out of the room, leaving me to stare at the do
ARIES Raven's expression slowly morphed into one of absolute terror, tears filling her eyes. Maybe it was for the best. I didn't want her to grow too attached to me. That way, she wouldn't be so heartbroken on learning that I was involved in her father's death. There was no evidence yet. But I wasn't confident that I was innocent. "How do you know that? By chance, do you recall--" Her voice trailed off when I lowered my gaze."You're not sure. You're only making assumptions," she said, her voice laced with hurt. I squeezed my eyes shut, my mind in turmoil. Even if I was indeed not her father's murderer, was it really okay for me to stay by her side?I was slowly wasting away. And no matter how much I yearned to be with her, wasn't it selfish to let her feel the pain of losing me? Perhaps, it would be better for her not to get attached to me. "Is it really okay for you to be with someone who might've killed your father? Wouldn't your father feel betrayed?" I said, and her ey
RAVEN A few hours before, I stared at the hooded figure standing by the door of the bedroom, my eyes narrowed in suspicion. Reaching out a hand to grab the intruder's hoodie, I pushed it off their head. My eyes widened as I registered the intruder's familiar face, my jaw dropping. She lowered her gaze, pushing her hair away from her pale face with trembling fingers."Lily?" I said, confused."It was you all along?" I breathed. She grimaced, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor in front of her. "We need to talk," she mumbled, and I frowned, my confusion soaring. I'd been so certain that she wasn't on my side. Was all of this a plot to turn me against my mate? Or did she know something I didn't?"I have to go now. I can't be seen by others," she said and started to turn away from me. I grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from leaving."Do you really expect me to believe that you haven't been trying to deceive me?" I demanded, and she let out a throaty cough into h
ARIES "Your majesty?" My eyes snapped open at the sound of Ariella's voice. She was standing right in front of my desk, watching me with concern in her eyes. The remnants of the haunting memories that had just flooded my mind faded away, leaving a dull, empty feeling in it's wake. I could barely remember what the memory was all about."Are you alright? You're sweating..." She said, and I ignored her statement. "What do you want?" I asked and she heaved a sigh."I miss you. I miss the old you," she stated, and I gave her a blank stare."You should leave if that's what you're here to talk about," I said, and she pouted."That's not why I'm here. I fainted two days ago," she said, and I furrowed my brows at her, puzzled."Of course, you didn't know. You were too busy concerned about Raven," she hissed."Stop whining about that. It's getting old," I retorted."I'm pregnant," she deadpanned, and I blinked at her.Did she really think I was gullible? "And?" I said, raising a brow
RAVEN Without thinking it through, I crumpled the paper and slowly turned to look at Aries with a false smile on my face. His brows knitted into a frown as he reached out to cup my face. My stomach churned as the dreadful words that I'd read replayed themselves in my head. Questions surged within me. I had no answers for any of them, it only worsened my growing doubts. "Did you have a nightmare?" Aries asked, and I nodded, leaning into him to prevent him from noticing the knife on the nightstand. He held me close, stroking my hair slowly. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling sick to my stomach. For the rest of the night, I couldn't sleep. When he left me alone in bed, I pretended to be deeply asleep. I felt him press a kiss on my forehead, and once I was sure that he was no longer in the room, I sat up in bed. I proceeded to freshen up and leave the room. I didn't know who to talk to about the strange note I'd received. Even worse, it was alarming to think that someone had snea
RAVEN Several Hours Before, I still couldn't wrap my head around everything Hades had told me. If he had been married to me at one point in my past life, it didn't mean that I would belong to him in my present life. According to Hades, Aries was our mutual enemy in our previous lives. Even so, I was conflicted. Aries had only ever treated me well. He was married to me now. Unable to get some sleep, I left my assigned room and headed downstairs to get myself something to drink. However, before I could get to the bottom of the stairs, I heard Hades speaking with someone I couldn't see. "I plan to make her take part in the bonding ceremony. There's a high chance that she will remember her old memories," he said, and my heart sank. I had enough on my plate at the moment. The last thing I wanted was to put up with memories from my past life. "What about her unborn children? A pregnant woman isn't allowed to take part in the bonding ceremony," I heard the strang