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A trap
Last Updated:
2025-03-24 21:19:54
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ALTHEA The bear’s growl rumbles through my chest, deep and angry. My body locks up in fear, but my mind screams at me to not stop running. “Asher,” I whisper, though my voice barely comes out. He doesn’t need my warning. He’s already raising his gun, his arm steady as he aims it at the bear. The bear snarls, ears pinned back, eyes locked on us. It’s bigger than I expected. Much bigger. Its fur is a deep, thick brown, and its black claws look sharp enough to tear through flesh like paper. I’m still not over the fact that the king lied to us. This bear isn’t dead. It was never dead. Then it charges. “Asher, run!” I scream, spinning around so fast I nearly trip over my own feet. My heart slams against my ribs. The ground is uneven, roots twist up from the dirt, and every step feels like I’m about to fall. A loud gunshot cracks through the air. Then another. I glance back just in time to see the bullets barely slow the bear down. It flinches but doesn’t stop. It doesn’t
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games One final chance
ALTHEA I shift slightly on the branch, trying to get a better look at where the bear went. The forest below is dark, shadows stretching between the trees, making it impossible to see anything clearly. But I can still hear the screams in the distance. Someone else is in trouble. I lean forward just a little— The branch beneath me cracks. My stomach drops. Before I can react, the bark snaps, and suddenly I’m falling. The world tilts. Air rushes past me. My arms flail, trying to grab something, anything, but my fingers only scrape against rough bark. Then I hit the ground. A sharp pain explodes up my leg. I gasp, curling forward as agony flares through my ankle. My vision blurs for a second. It feels like my bones are on fire. “Althea!” Asher’s voice is sharp, alarmed. I hear him moving, branches rustling above me. A few seconds later, he drops down beside me, landing with a rough thud. His face is pale, his injured arm hanging stiffly at his side. “You good?” he asks
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games Who’s the woman sitting on the throne?
ALTHEA The next morning, I wake to a soft knock at my door. I barely have time to register it before the door creaks open, and two young women step inside. They move efficiently, as if they’ve done this routine a hundred times before. One of them carries fresh towels and a tray of food, while the other sets out neatly folded clothes on a chair near the window. Their uniforms are pristine, their movements graceful, but I don’t miss the way their eyes flick toward me, filled with quiet curiosity. I sit stiffly on the edge of my bed, feeling strangely out of place in the silk nightdress I was given. The palace’s luxury still unsettles me, and somehow it still feels like this is a world I’ll never fit in. The events at the woods yesterday has only made me even more certain of that. My ankle is wrapped tightly beneath the sheets, a dull ache pulsing with each movement. My body is sore, but it’s the memories that weigh the heaviest. The bed beneath me is too soft. I feel like I’m si
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games A shock
ALTHEA “Noooo!” I wake up gasping for air, my skin damp with sweat. The nightmare, the same dream, yet again, clings to my mind like a fog I can’t shake off. It’s become more frequent ever since I turned twenty one a month ago. I sit up, pushing my damp hair off my forehead. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to catch my breath. The scene replays in my mind, vivid and strange. I’m standing between two wolves, one white, one black. They’re enormous, their eyes locked in a silent challenge. Then, just like always, they lunge at each other, a blur of fur and fangs. And just like every other time, I wake up before I can make sense of it. “ALTHEA!” My stepmother’s voice cuts through the quiet, sharp and demanding. Right on cue. I groan, dragging myself out of bed. My legs feel heavy, like I’ve been running in my sleep. My room is small but cozy, though it does little to shield me from the chaos of my home. “Coming!” I shout back, though I know it won’t stop her from yelling
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ALTHEAThat night, I sit in my room, staring at the wall. My heart feels heavy, and my mind won’t stop replaying the scene in the grove. It all still seems like a nightmare. How else can I explain it? A sharp knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. Madeline peaks into the room. “Your father is back, he wants to see you in his study.” My body feels heavy as I move, every step toward my father’s study a struggle. When I knock on the door and hear his voice call me in, I take a deep breath, trying to steel myself. I push the door open and freeze when I see who else is occupying the room. Lila is already there, sitting primly in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She turns to me with a bright smile. “Good evening , sister,” she says, her tone sweet. But there’s a smugness present in her gaze that I couldn’t miss even I was I blind. I force myself to move, taking the seat my father gestures to. I don’t meet Lila’s gaze. I can’t. My chest fe
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ALTHEALike a woman on a mission, my feet don’t stop moving. Not when I slip past the pack gates. Not when I weave through the glowing city streets. My steps are relentless, driven by a single goal. And when the bar comes into view, I know I’ve made the right decision tonight. Getting shit-faced. I chose a place far from home, somewhere I’m least likely to run into anyone familiar. The sting of betrayal still burns in my chest, raw and unrelenting. I trusted him. He was the one person who wasn’t supposed to hurt me, and he shattered that trust with effortless cruelty. It still hurts, but at least I’m brave enough to admit it. Fate has the cruelest sense of humor. I’ve tried not to let the grief or the thoughts of my impending doom consume me, but sometimes it hits like a freight train. Tonight, I’ve decided not to fight it. Shrugging off my bitterness, I step into the crowded pub. The room is alive with noise. There’s a lot of shouting, laughter, clinking glasses, but my
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games Are you Ready for This?
ALTHEA“There’ll be no one to hear you cry out tonight,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the skin of my throat. “No one but me.” His teeth graze my neck, and a shiver rolls down my spine. His hand cups me boldly over my jeans, the heat of his touch igniting something wild and reckless inside me. The journey to the bed is a blur of heat and urgency, his hands and mouth leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When he finally lowers me onto the soft mattress, I’m trembling, caught between desire and the faintest flicker of fear. His hand reaches out, his thumb sweeping along my bottom lip. Pulling it down, away from my teeth, letting it plop back in place. It’s delicate, the way his hand then caresses my jaw, reaching behind my neck as his voice softens, “Lay back.” I obey the soft command without preamble, eyes meeting the ceiling as my back hits the bed. A dip forms beside my ribs, where his palm sinks into the mattress as he hovers over me. The other traces up my denim clad thig
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games A night to remember
ALTHEAOne rough hand makes it way south, and I feel my entire body tighten in anticipation. But nothing could have prepared me for the feel of his thumb sliding over my swollen bud. I let out a gasp, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip to keep a lid on the effect he’s having on my body. His forehead meets mine, just as he pulls my trapped lower lip free with a thumb on my chin. His fingers expertly part my folds, a single one probing my entrance. My eyes flutter shut. “Look at me.” No woman on earth would be able to defy that command. And he holds my gaze, his face so close his nose touches mine as he sinks one thick digit inside me. I’m drenched, and it’s like a rock into water, my walls clenching around him just like my thighs. “Oh,” I breathe. It’s invasive and intense, but so, so good. “I’m going to add another, and you’ll take it like a good girl, won’t you?” The words aren’t even fully processed as I nod frantically. “Use your words.” The command is spoken with a
Last Updated : 2025-03-24
Latest chapter
The Mate Games Who’s the woman sitting on the throne?
ALTHEA The next morning, I wake to a soft knock at my door. I barely have time to register it before the door creaks open, and two young women step inside. They move efficiently, as if they’ve done this routine a hundred times before. One of them carries fresh towels and a tray of food, while the other sets out neatly folded clothes on a chair near the window. Their uniforms are pristine, their movements graceful, but I don’t miss the way their eyes flick toward me, filled with quiet curiosity. I sit stiffly on the edge of my bed, feeling strangely out of place in the silk nightdress I was given. The palace’s luxury still unsettles me, and somehow it still feels like this is a world I’ll never fit in. The events at the woods yesterday has only made me even more certain of that. My ankle is wrapped tightly beneath the sheets, a dull ache pulsing with each movement. My body is sore, but it’s the memories that weigh the heaviest. The bed beneath me is too soft. I feel like I’m si
The Mate Games One final chance
ALTHEA I shift slightly on the branch, trying to get a better look at where the bear went. The forest below is dark, shadows stretching between the trees, making it impossible to see anything clearly. But I can still hear the screams in the distance. Someone else is in trouble. I lean forward just a little— The branch beneath me cracks. My stomach drops. Before I can react, the bark snaps, and suddenly I’m falling. The world tilts. Air rushes past me. My arms flail, trying to grab something, anything, but my fingers only scrape against rough bark. Then I hit the ground. A sharp pain explodes up my leg. I gasp, curling forward as agony flares through my ankle. My vision blurs for a second. It feels like my bones are on fire. “Althea!” Asher’s voice is sharp, alarmed. I hear him moving, branches rustling above me. A few seconds later, he drops down beside me, landing with a rough thud. His face is pale, his injured arm hanging stiffly at his side. “You good?” he asks
The Mate Games More danger
ALTHEA The bear’s growl rumbles through my chest, deep and angry. My body locks up in fear, but my mind screams at me to not stop running. “Asher,” I whisper, though my voice barely comes out. He doesn’t need my warning. He’s already raising his gun, his arm steady as he aims it at the bear. The bear snarls, ears pinned back, eyes locked on us. It’s bigger than I expected. Much bigger. Its fur is a deep, thick brown, and its black claws look sharp enough to tear through flesh like paper. I’m still not over the fact that the king lied to us. This bear isn’t dead. It was never dead. Then it charges. “Asher, run!” I scream, spinning around so fast I nearly trip over my own feet. My heart slams against my ribs. The ground is uneven, roots twist up from the dirt, and every step feels like I’m about to fall. A loud gunshot cracks through the air. Then another. I glance back just in time to see the bullets barely slow the bear down. It flinches but doesn’t stop. It doesn’t
The Mate Games A trap
ALTHEADays have passed since the strawberry incident, and I am alive. Barely. The burning in my throat is gone, the rashes have faded, and my strength has returned. But one thing hasn’t changed. The hatred for Prince Asher. If anything, it has only grown. I can still see the cold indifference in his eyes as he watched me struggle, my throat closing, my body betraying me. He didn’t lift a finger. Didn’t care if I lived or died.I push away thoughts of him from my mind, because right now, I have bigger problems.I clench my fists as I stand in the grand hall with the other contestants, waiting for whatever ridiculous challenge they’ve planned for us next. The air is heavy with tension, and my pulse thrums in my ears. The king, dressed in his dark robes, sits casual and disinterested on his throne, sipping from a jeweled goblet. His gaze sweeps over us like we are pawns on a chessboard, disposable and unimportant.“As you all know,” the king begins, his deep voice echoing through the ha
The Mate Games Nothing but darkness
ALTHEAThe moment I see his face, every muscle inside of me seizes, my heart skipping a beat so sharply it almost hurts.My breath falters. My mind races, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.How could this… be?His green eyes widen slightly, just a flicker, as he stares at me. That flicker is all I need to know. He recognizes me too.The same shock I’m feeling is mirrored on his face. For a moment, the noise, the chatter, the grand hall itself, all of it fades away. The weight of our shared secret presses down on us like a suffocating blanket.I don’t know how long we stay like this, locked in a silent, frozen exchange. My hands tremble slightly, and I clench them into fists at my sides, willing myself to look calm.Eventually, he recovers His expression smooths, his face shifting into something unreadable. His gaze sweeps over the room, and then he moves forward, his steps measured and steady, like nothing has happened.He’s here. He’s the prince.Our eyes snap to the large door
The Mate Games Prince Asher
ALTHEA When I open my eyes, it takes me a second to remember where I am. The bed feels too soft, the room too quiet. Slowly, the events of last night come back to me. I turn my head, expecting to see him, but the other side of the bed is empty. A strange mix of relief and irritation washes over me. Good. At least I don’t have to deal with the awkwardness of morning-after small talk. But then my gaze lands on the bedside table. There’s a bag sitting there, tied neatly with a thin cord. I pick it up and open it, and my heart sinks. Gold coins gleam inside, a sharp reminder of how much of a horrible mistake last night was. What was this supposed to be? Some sort of cheap pay? Anger bubbles up, hot and fierce. I shove the bag back onto the table, my fingers trembling. I won’t let a single night of foolishness define me. And the only upside to this is that I’ll never have to see him again. I dress quickly, my movements stiff with frustration. By the time I pull on my boots, I’ve
The Mate Games A night to remember
ALTHEAOne rough hand makes it way south, and I feel my entire body tighten in anticipation. But nothing could have prepared me for the feel of his thumb sliding over my swollen bud. I let out a gasp, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip to keep a lid on the effect he’s having on my body. His forehead meets mine, just as he pulls my trapped lower lip free with a thumb on my chin. His fingers expertly part my folds, a single one probing my entrance. My eyes flutter shut. “Look at me.” No woman on earth would be able to defy that command. And he holds my gaze, his face so close his nose touches mine as he sinks one thick digit inside me. I’m drenched, and it’s like a rock into water, my walls clenching around him just like my thighs. “Oh,” I breathe. It’s invasive and intense, but so, so good. “I’m going to add another, and you’ll take it like a good girl, won’t you?” The words aren’t even fully processed as I nod frantically. “Use your words.” The command is spoken with a
The Mate Games Are you Ready for This?
ALTHEA“There’ll be no one to hear you cry out tonight,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the skin of my throat. “No one but me.” His teeth graze my neck, and a shiver rolls down my spine. His hand cups me boldly over my jeans, the heat of his touch igniting something wild and reckless inside me. The journey to the bed is a blur of heat and urgency, his hands and mouth leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When he finally lowers me onto the soft mattress, I’m trembling, caught between desire and the faintest flicker of fear. His hand reaches out, his thumb sweeping along my bottom lip. Pulling it down, away from my teeth, letting it plop back in place. It’s delicate, the way his hand then caresses my jaw, reaching behind my neck as his voice softens, “Lay back.” I obey the soft command without preamble, eyes meeting the ceiling as my back hits the bed. A dip forms beside my ribs, where his palm sinks into the mattress as he hovers over me. The other traces up my denim clad thig
The Mate Games Undone
ALTHEALike a woman on a mission, my feet don’t stop moving. Not when I slip past the pack gates. Not when I weave through the glowing city streets. My steps are relentless, driven by a single goal. And when the bar comes into view, I know I’ve made the right decision tonight. Getting shit-faced. I chose a place far from home, somewhere I’m least likely to run into anyone familiar. The sting of betrayal still burns in my chest, raw and unrelenting. I trusted him. He was the one person who wasn’t supposed to hurt me, and he shattered that trust with effortless cruelty. It still hurts, but at least I’m brave enough to admit it. Fate has the cruelest sense of humor. I’ve tried not to let the grief or the thoughts of my impending doom consume me, but sometimes it hits like a freight train. Tonight, I’ve decided not to fight it. Shrugging off my bitterness, I step into the crowded pub. The room is alive with noise. There’s a lot of shouting, laughter, clinking glasses, but my
