My teeth bite into him. But suddenly, I pull away. His usual lavender scent is mixed in with something else. Something that is too sweet, too bitter, too ugly. My instinct is screaming that I should not mark him. That there is something rotten in him. I wipe my mouth as he lifts himself. “What’s wrong?” he asks. “Is it done?” I glance at his neck. I have not even started yet. “Your smell…” I whisper, “It’s preventing me to mark you.” “Then, I will wash first.” He gets up from the bed. He’s about to enter the bathroom when he returns and lifts me off his bed. “How about we wash each other? It’s been a while since you washed me.” I did not respond. He places me in the tub and fills it with lukewarm water. Then he retrieves the brush and soap and sits behind me. Without asking for permission, he brushes my back. Each of his touches warms my body, and I know it has nothing to do with the temperature of the water. “Do you know you smell sweet to me?” he asks. I just nod. His smel
“What have you done to her, my King?!” Harbin scolds. His voice is loud and laced with annoyance at his King. It is also his admonishment that woke me up. Ah! I still don’t want to open my eyes and face all this pain. “She falls unconscious while we are amid our pleasure,” Theo answers. A hint of guilt in his voice. “You know she is pregnant! Pregnancy is physically and emotionally rough for she-wolves! And instead of her, you should be f*ucking your harem women!” I flinch at Harbin’s words. I guess he goes vulgar when frustrated? He’s always calm and collected when dealing with me. “Making love with her won’t make her more pregnant than she currently is.” “You idiot! If you haven’t noticed, she is breaking! I told you to treat her better! Not to f*uck her every chance you get! Besides, you know that you are still having a problem with her being pregnant! Her child will be your firstborn!” “Harbin, stop. Your annoying voice is ringing in my ears. Besides, it’s consensual. We bo
Klevon lays me on my bed. My bed, because he enters my room instead of the King. Two guards are behind him, hesitating about what to do. They are given orders to guard me in the King’s room, not in my room. “The King… the attack…” I start. He pushes on my forehead, which forces me back to the bed. “Stay with your guards, Kaiya. You’re not in a position to worry about someone. You look sick.” “I am not sick! I still go about my daily duties!” “Fine. Not sick, but weak. You won’t be able to call up your magic and help in this state.” “But the King!” “Sense that?” he asks. “It’s Brandon and Lorant’s magic. They are winning. There’s no need for me either,” he says and sits beside my bed. As instructed, I relax on the bed and calm myself. I close my eyes and lay my hands on my stomach. I sense the surrounding magic. It is minuscule now. I can only feel Brandon’s magic, maybe because I am familiar with him. The unfamiliar magic also disappeared, which means the battle is finished t
When night comes and Theo still did not return, I feel the hole in my heart enlarge. It is so pronounced that I feel like my whole body is being devoured by it. Yet, there is no physical pain. It’s all in my mind. Meeghan also did not bother me. She might have thought that I need to rest after sex with the King. All are nothing but lies. I crouch on the bed. I want to cry, but the tears have long dried up, and even the swelling on my face has long been gone. Damn these werewolf abilities. When the door opens, I sit up to see Theo striding toward me. Finally, he’s here. Even if there is a tired look on his face. My heart takes another plunge. Is visiting me has become an exhausting activity for him? Is he bored with me already? He takes a chair and sits in front of me. There is a grave look on his face. His hands are clasped together and his shoulders are drooping. Rather than a King, he looks like a picture of utter defeat. “I wasn’t able to ask this of you earlier because of
I sit by the windowsill in Theo’s room. It’s been two weeks since I collapsed due to pregnancy. My body is already being used to it. I no longer have music and etiquette lessons, but to pass the time, Harbin still brings me books. Tea with him has also become a common occurrence. I stretch my leg on the windowsill as I watch the setting sun. Theo will arrive soon after a quick bath, and I know what I need to do. I have become his whore for a week already. As if a trigger, the door opens and Theo comes into the room. He runs to me as if he is relieved that I am still here. He wraps his arms around me and breathes in my scent. “Did you just have a bath?” he asks. I nod. I always ensure to take a bath an hour before he arrives. I pull back from him and walk towards the bed. I am about to remove my clothes when he walks behind me and helps me undress. With my clothes on the floor, I climb to the bed and lie on it. His gaze never leaves my face and I watch him remove his clothes. Befor
Theo grunts on top of me and my chest jiggles every time his manhood impales me. My body arches and I grab tightly onto the sheet. He continuously calls my name every time he thrusts. His voice still sounds like music, but the pleasing quality in it is replaced by the knowledge that he’s not only doing these intimate acts with me. He finally releases inside while my back touch the sheets again. He licks the corner of my mouth while waiting for his shivers to die down. “Kaiya, is our lovemaking becoming boring for you?” he asks. “I’m good,” I answer. My chest is still heaving from attempting to catch my orgasm, but failing to do so. “You want me to spice it up?” “Spice?” I ask. He sits up and takes my hand. He kisses it before saying, “Yes, to make it more enjoyable.” Rather than making our sex more enjoyable, shouldn’t he be thinking about how to ensure his harem women get pregnant? But after acknowledging it, pain shoots through my chest again. “How?” He reaches for the beds
His expression softens at my touch and words, and his hand loosens on Coe’s neck. “You are pained,” he says. His hand on Coe’s neck transfers to my hand and he brings it to his lips. I glance at Coe, who is coughing on the floor. Theo takes my attention from her and places a quick kiss on my lips. I pull back, but he wraps his arms around my waist. I can feel his erection in my belly. It’s throbbing and very ready to release. Certainly, the King has no problems with it. They just need to rouse him up. “I will show you how useless it is to bring my lover here. You are just going to earn my ire for even thinking of this.” A moment later, he lifts and carries me. When he drops me on the soft mattress, the realization hits me. I crawl away from him, conscious of the other women in the same bed. He catches hold of my ankle and sucks on it, down to the back of my knees. “Stop, Theo! Not here!” I kick him and turn over, but the movement is wrong and he just pins me on the bed. He rais
When morning comes, I sit up on the bed. I feel uncomfortable sitting down, but I feel like it is okay. This is a punishment for me, for even thinking that I can have a peaceful life with a King. “Miss Kaiya, Harbin sent an invitation for tea,” Meeghan informs. I did not look at her. I remember so clearly what happened last night. I wept so much that when I can cry no more, she asks one of my guards to lift me and place me on the bed in the King’s room. So here I am again, another painful existence in this castle. This is not what I envision when Theo brings me here from the hunting park. “I can tell him that you’re too tired. Besides, the path there is—” I raise my arm to stop her. I climb from the bed and say, “I need a bath and the perfect dress for a tea.” “Yes, Miss,” Meeghan says. “Accessories too. Something befitting of a King’s favorite,” I add. Meeghan nods and did as she is told. I am washed and brushed. Dressed in a beautiful white dress with a brown vest and a littl
I stand in the middle of an arena. In front of me is an enormous man covered in armor and holding a broadsword in front of him. I pull my sword out of the sheath and face my opponent. He is the biggest of the warriors–at least in mass. His armor covers most of his body except for his joints. A helm covers his face, but even so, I can see that he is very ready to fight. “Ready…” the announcer starts. “Fight!” The crowd of spectators cheers at the same time that the man rushes towards me. He swings his broadsword and I dodge to the left, missing me by a hair’s breadth. I counter by thrusting my sword forward, aiming for his exposed shoulder joints. He parries with ease and strikes back, the force of his attack sending shockwaves down my arm. I take a step back, regaining my composure as he advances once again. This time, I feint to the right and quickly pivot to my left, slashing at his unprotected knee joints. The crowd roars as my blade makes contact, biting into him and drawing bl
It is noisy. Why are people talking about me in my room?! I open my eyes in exasperation. They are saying that I am... Wait, is Kaiya my name? I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy and sluggish. I look down and feel relieved that I have legs... Why though? Nothing is making sense. Confused, I look around. “Kaiya? You’re awake!” a handsome man with black-purple hair says. He hugs me, but I push him away. “She doesn’t like you anymore,” a handsome red-haired man says this time. He’s smaller than the first one but still exudes strength. “Kaiya, you remember me, right? I am your mate.” They wait for me to speak and so I ask, “I am Kaiya?” “Yes, your name is Kaiya,” a woman informs. “The guy with the purplish hair is your lover. The guy with red hair is your mate.” “How does that work? A mate and a lover?” The woman named Inanna shrugs her shoulders and adds, “By the way, I am Inanna.” I try to process what Inanna has just told me. Mate and lover? It feels so foreign to me. “I..
As the purification of the Moon Goddess starts, I am overwhelmed by my own memories. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The pain is excruciating, and I scream out in agony. But as time passes, the pain only intensifies. Tears flow down my face. But judging from the sting as it flows across my face, I think it is blood. I can feel my mind slipping away from the pain, and I can hear the screams of the werewolves inside my head. Suddenly, a warm hand grabs mine, squeezing it tightly. “Stay with me, Kaiya,” a voice says. Inanna. She presses her forehead against mine and whispers words of comfort. I can feel the calming magic from her as well. Through the pain, I manage to grasp onto her hands, anchoring myself to reality. Her magic and tone stabilize me, and slowly, I begin to focus on what’s happening around us. The Moon Goddess is suspended as her purification process starts. I can hear screams from outside the mimicked Realm that Inanna has done. “Don’t give up now...” she
As we leave my chamber, I can hear the sounds of battle growing louder outside. I can sense humans against humans. But there are also vampires and werewolves fighting against humans. There is the sound of swords clashing against swords or armor. Worse, I see the destruction that the fighting is doing to Orttenburg. Even in the early moments of the war, there are already casualties that can be seen around. I clench my jaws. We must end this war soon. All I need is to get General Brandon and purify the Moon Goddess. After that, we can persuade these kingdoms that there’s no need for war. As we hurry through the chaos, I feel a pang of guilt. I can’t help but feel responsible for the destruction and loss of life in Orttenburg. It was my selfishness that led to this war. I have to make this right. Finally, we reach the hall where Inanna and Ruth are waiting for us. Inanna looks at us with a stern expression. “Good, you’re here. Time is of the essence.” I nod as Gezer puts me down. Ina
After sighing, Seth says, “Fine! But only with Theo, at least him–I trust will not hurt you.” I frown. “If you know that then—” “He will not hurt you, but he might take you away!” “Oh,” I mutter because Theo might really do it. I take a deep breath and the room spins for a moment. Seth helps me back to the bed and sits with me while the room steadies. “You should rest more,” he says, but I shake my head. “I can’t waste any time,” I whisper, trying to suppress the tremble in my voice. “Invite Theo. I will meet him in one of the sitting rooms.” “There’s no need for you to move. I will lead him here.” As Seth leaves the room, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I analyze the current situation. Theo will always help me. The only problem is, I need him to understand the situation. All we need is to trap General Brandon, take out the Moon Goddess, purify her, and that’s it. I can talk with the Moon Goddess and plead with her about my case. All I need is to be strong enough to wr
Suddenly, I am whisked away from my own mind. I open my eyes to see both Inanna and Seth looking down at me. “Kaiya, what’s wrong? What did you see?” Seth asks. “I come here because I sensed some distortions in the air,” Inanna informs. “What happened?” I swallow hard, my head reeling from all the information. It is my fault in the first place! “There’s no dark entity inside me, but I’ve found out something else instead.” “What is it?” Seth asks. He is looking worried as seconds pass. I grin at him. “I am an apostle, rather than a Vessel—if it makes any sense.” Then, I glance at Inanna and ask, “Did you know?” “Just a hint,” she says. “The Blood God told me that you are technically different from us. Gezer, Ninus, and I are Vessels. You are a little bit different, though.” “Then why did you say that I am...” “Because I don’t know what to call you.” “How is an apostle different from vessels?” “I am guessing that it’s in the amount of blessing you received. Once, the Blood Go
I watch as Theo’s ship slowly reaches the horizon. I can still feel the warmth of his embrace, and his words still echo in my heart. ‘No one can take your place, Kaiya.’ I let out a rush of air as I hold back my tears. He’s only been away for a while and I am missing him already. And so I watch as the ship eventually disappears from my sight. At the same time, Inanna reaches for my hand. “I heard that you will be doing a ritual today. Just inform me if you need help,” she says and leaves me and Seth alone on the balcony. I turn to the ocean and take a deep breath. Despite the distance, I can still feel him inside my heart. “Kaiya,” Seth calls from behind me. I turn to him and smile. “Are you ready for the ritual?” “Yes,” I nod. “Let’s start.” We both take out our supplies and prepare for the ritual. We walk to the King’s private garden—a quiet clearing where no one can disturb us. We start by setting up candles, incense, and some crystals that Inanna provided earlier. When all
“Come on, Theo.” I take his hand and we walk to my room. I open the door slowly, revealing my small but cozy room. Light from the moon spills through the window, bathing everything in a soft blue hue. “Welcome to my room,” I say warmly. He looks around carefully with curious eyes, and I can’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Do you like it?” He draws me close before answering. “It’s lovely.” His arms wrap around me tight and he nuzzles his head against mine before kissing me tenderly on the lips. “I really missed you.” I push back and grin at him. “Well, I missed you more.” I take a step back from him and remove my clothes. He watches me as I peel every piece of clothing in my body. He looks at me with such devotion that it makes me blush. “I think it’s about time you bare yourself to me too.” “Nope, I enjoy seeing you like this.” “Like what? Naked and embarrassed?” “No. Looking at me with desire in your eyes.” Theo takes a step closer and runs his hand down my naked back, se
“What the hell is going on here?!” Theo booms, his eyes blazing with fury. I freeze as I see him, my heart pounding in my chest. “King Theo! I told you that this is King Seth’s private area! You are—“ “Your King has done the same thing in my land!” he growls at Darius, who is much taller and bigger than him. Seth stands up calmly and meets Theo’s gaze. “There’s nothing going on here, King Theo. We were just talking.” Theo steps closer and takes in my state, his eyes flickering between Seth and me. “Talking? With your hands all over her? I’m not stupid, Seth. I know that you wanted her even before you have the mate bond with her!” Seth’s jaw tightens as Theo approaches him. Standing tall and unflinching, he says. “I’m not trying to do anything, Theo. Kaiya and I were just having a moment.” “A moment? Is that what you call it?” Theo sneers, grabbing Seth by the collar of his clothes. I stand up, panic rising in my chest. “Theo, stop! We were just talking, I swear!” But Theo doe