"Another one?" Leah snorted, amused. "Okay, what is it? No promises, but I'll try.""I have certain... gaps in my knowledge about halfmons and witches. Anastasia pointed it out. Is that something you'd be willing to share your insight on at some point? Or perhaps your father might discuss it later? I don't fully understand what I'm stepping into. But I trust Anastasia, and she trusts you."Leah paused before she replied, her tone a bit softer. "I appreciate the trust, Wolf-boy. Let me think about it, alright? I grew up in an orphanage and I'm not sure how much help I'd be. I just share the blood; I haven't manifested any abilities yet.""Your life experience is enough, Leah. I want to understand everyone and how their lives can be improved within our society and outside it. It would be beneficial for future generations. But please, take your time to consider it.""Well... alright then," Leah responded, sounding flustered.It was rare for Leah to be spoken to as an equal, and I knew sh
As the shimmering haze gradually cleared, revealing the figures before us, Leah let out an excited squeal and dashed forward, pulling the towering figure into a warm embrace while the man beside him watched with an unreadable expression."Papa! It feels like it's been ages since I last saw you properly!" Leah exclaimed as the impressive eight-foot-tall figure bent down slightly, enveloping her in his arms."It's good to see you too, little one," he rumbled before Leah stepped back and turned, grinning widely at Xavier and me."Guys, this is Papa. Papa, meet Xavier and Anastasia," Leah beamed excitedly.Leah's father was a truly imposing figure, with broad shoulders, bulging muscles that seemed to ripple with potential energy, and an expression that exuded both authority and the promise of swift retribution if crossed. His steely gaze settled on Xavier and me, surveying us with an impassive intensity."Anastasia, I've heard a lot about you over the years, and I would like to extend my
Lord Thamuz nodded thoughtfully and gestured to the man who had been quietly standing to the side. At this signal, he began preparations to open the portal to our destination."You are quite correct. Let this be our cue to leave. While I do not sense any magic here, it doesn't mean it isn't present. I have not visited this realm in a long time, and things always seem to have changed so much when I do..." he sighed wistfully.Once the portal was ready, Thamuz ushered us through the shimmering gateway. Leah went first, and after a pause, I pulled a reluctant Xavier through after her."What interesting friends my daughter has chosen..." Lord Thamuz chuckled as he exchanged a knowing smile with the portal man before stepping through the portal to his home.As we stepped through to the other side of the portal, the cool air was a welcome relief, though Xavier and I both felt a wave of nausea wash over us. Leah steadied me as my legs wobbled unsteadily, while her father emerged from the por
"I'm sorry, Lord Thamuz. I'm still a little on edge," Xavier finally said, offering a small bow in acknowledgment to the Halfmon Lord standing before us.Lord Thamuz waved his hand dismissively, shrugging off the apology. "It's fine. If it wasn't, I would have reacted, but your apology is appreciated nonetheless. Now, the door to your left leads to the bedroom where you will need to... what do you call it? Mating and marking?" he asked curiously.Leah nodded and giggled, while I felt my cheeks flush a furious shade of red."Don't worry, sugar, no one will be watching," she whispered into my ear with a playful smirk.I swatted her teasingly as the two men turned to look at us with raised eyebrows."Don't you think we should sit them down and discuss exactly what will happen, Papa? I don't want them to feel like they're in the dark," Leah suggested thoughtfully.Lord Thamuz nodded and gestured to the door on the left. "Let's sit comfortably as we discuss this matter. I want to learn mor
"Xavier, please," I interjected softly."Anastasia, if there's more happening, maybe we can help. We need to understand. If a Dark Witch is making bold moves and trying to seize power, it usually signals something much bigger is lurking behind the scenes."Lord Thamuz nodded, a peculiar look crossing his features. "Dark Witches wielding this kind of old, ancient magic often acquire it either by force from halfmon or through contracts with them. If this is the direction it's heading, it could indeed become quite complicated."I exchanged a look with Xavier as Leah let out a derisive snort, fully aware of the gravity of what was unfolding."I suspect it's that little schemer and her deceitful mother," Leah remarked, her words dripping with sarcasm."You may not be entirely wrong, Leah," Xavier replied suddenly, his expression dark and intense, earning surprised looks from everyone around the table."When Anastasia confronted Eve at the engagement banquet, Maine was insistent that she di
"This isn't a typical binding. The darkness within you, Xavier, complicates matters significantly. Here's how we will proceed. I understand that mating and marking unite your wolves, and neither of you has attempted this due to fears of poorly healing marks, exposure, and the possibility of offending your true mate, Xavier, or your second chance mate, Anastasia," Lord Thamuz explained. He stood, approached the table, poured a glass of wine, and offered it to Xavier and me. We both declined politely.As he resumed his seat, he took a long sip, scrutinizing us intently. "Once you have mated and marked, you'll need to drink these," he instructed, snapping his fingers to produce two small shot glasses filled with a clear liquid on the table."What is that?" Xavier asked cautiously."A sleeping draught that will render you unconscious," Thamuz replied."And cut us off from our wolves?" I inquired.Thamuz smirked. "Do you generally chat with your wolf when unconscious?" he retorted with a h
Xavier pressed my thighs against his chest as he leaned down to kiss me deeply, curling me up against him. His need for me was palpable, and the anticipation took my breath away.I bit my lip and looked up at him coyly through my lashes. "Take me, Xavier... hard..." I whispered in a sultry tone.His self-control snapped, and he thrust into me with such intensity that I briefly thought we might break the bed. Each powerful movement was filled with a passion I hadn't realized existed until Xavier. The harder he took me, the more I found myself crying out with pleasure.Every sound, every moan was his, and they made him forget everything else in his life that wasn't perfect."Oh yes... Xavier... I'm so close..." I gasped, clinging tightly to his back as he moved within me.Xavier growled deeply, driving into me with a passionate urgency as my legs wrapped around his waist. As the wave of ecstasy overtook me, I felt him release inside me. He leaned forward, his fangs elongating as they sa
Xavier nodded slowly, uncertainty swirling in his chest. "So, if she were standing right in front of you, how could you ever recognize her?" Leah asked hesitantly, the concern in her voice evident.Xavier frowned at the oddity of the question but understood Leah's worry for my well-being. I had endured so much already, and given their close bond, Leah would certainly despise seeing me hurt again."I wouldn't even know if she was lying next to me," Xavier replied softly, regret lacing his words. "But don't worry, Leah. Hurting Anastasia is the last thing I would ever do. Even if my true mate should appear, I'll ensure that Anastasia doesn't suffer. I promise she will be well taken care of."Leah regarded him for a long moment, her expression unreadable, yet she managed a soft smile. "I trust you; don't worry."An awkward silence stretched between them, and Xavier shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Both of us were completely naked, and having Leah in his room felt bewildering."Have we
Anastasia POV "Oh, what the heck!" I exclaimed, startled by the sudden intrusion. Leah raised an inquisitive eyebrow while Xavier gave me a benign smile."The perks of the mate bond, my love," Xavier murmured inside my head, as Maine rolled around gleefully. "Now I can hear all your thoughts, your deepest desires, your most intimate fantasies..." His voice echoed in my mind, and I blushed a deep shade of crimson.Leah quickly realized what was happening and feigned gagging noises by sticking her fingers into her mouth. "Please, if you two are going to have such intimate exchanges in each other's heads, can you not do it around me? You're such insatiable furballs..." she muttered in annoyance."You're one to talk," a sarcastic voice interrupted from behind, as Alvin casually entered and seated himself across from Leah, scowling in her direction.Leah looked flustered for a brief moment but swiftly regained her nonchalant demeanor. "Amazing, isn't it?" she retorted sarcastically. "Not
Xavier POVThe group of individuals who had access to the sensitive information necessary to successfully sabotage my business interests was remarkably small. Coupled with this was the fact that security measures within the pack were so meticulously controlled that the culprit could only have been someone on the inside, and alarmingly close to me. This growing suspicion made me increasingly wary of the man I once considered my closest friend.I scowled deeply at the scenery passing by the window as memories of that difficult period resurfaced. I never discovered who was responsible for those issues—they simply ceased without warning. Despite my efforts to provoke the culprits into revealing themselves, they never resurfaced.The cessation of these attacks did not coincide with any deaths or hospitalizations, nor were there any significant shifts in power within the boards of directors, leaving me to ponder over the mystery ever since.As we drove up the long driveway leading to the pa
Scowling, she turned around only to be met with a look of horror. She watched the demon beside Lord Thamuz shift from its faceless, genderless form to precisely replicate Xavier's image once more, teasing her with a wink and mockingly blowing her a kiss.Eve's face turned pale as realization set in, her mouth agape in disbelief. Moments later, a wail of disgust filled the corridors, her voice promising violence as the guards dragged her away.Leah snorted, watching Eve's forced exit, and waved casually at the mimic beside her father. "Franklyn isn't so bad, you know? He's one of the few who seem to have an intelligence that others of his kind lack," she whispered to Xavier and me, offering a light salute to the mimic.Alpha King Leo observed Eve's disgraceful exit with a mixture of sadness and fury, now painfully aware that everything he believed about Nerissa and Eve was a complete farce. Guilt surged within him as he felt the once-familiar stirrings of his wolf, a sensation absent f
Brent nodded silently, stealing a final longing glance toward where Xavier and I stood, then followed Lord Thamuz as he ascended the stairs.Xavier seemed to shake himself free from whatever had held him captive, lifting his hand to gently cup my face. His eyes searched mine while I mirrored his gesture. "Do you feel that?" I breathed in awe as my fingers trailed down his cheeks and across his lips."Mate..." Xavier growled in a rich, husky voice. He nodded as his wolf surged forward, its presence sitting boldly in his gaze.In all the time I had known him, I had never heard Xavier speak in such a tone, and it sent a delightful shiver of anticipation and longing down my spine as he looked at me."Finally... after all this time in darkness... my fated mate..." his wolf spoke hoarsely, disbelief coloring its voice as it almost cracked. "I found you... I am not... alone... anymore..."My heart leaped to my throat as Maine, my wolf, howled her sadness and grief at his past suffering, reso
Leah gently shook her head and let out a chilling chuckle. "No, don't worry. Your stepsister fuck with a low-level demon, and by the sounds of it, she has no idea that it isn't Xavier. From what I gather, they were still going at it when we managed to break in here," she snorted.A wave of relief washed over me as I turned to look sheepishly at Xavier. "I'm so sorry... I didn't want to believe it, but... I saw you... with my own eyes..."Xavier rushed toward me, enveloping me in his arms, holding me tightly as I buried my head against his chest. "I would never, princess. Not in a million years would I ever put us at risk in that manner," Xavier murmured, his fingers gently stroking my hair."As sickeningly sentimental as this is, where the hell is Nerissa?" Leah grimaced, cutting through the moment.A deep, ironic laugh echoed from the doorway to our right, accompanied by soft grunts, as we all turned in unison to face it. "She's in there," Brent intoned flatly. "I put her down for a
"I'm sorry. I didn't consider..." he stammered, clearly at a loss for how to act around me now."It's fine. Let's just get out of here, okay?" I murmured wearily, turning to exit the cell. However, my legs wobbled once again, and I had to lean against the door for support."Here, let me help you..." Brent offered softly, as I cursed myself under my breath."No, really... I... oh my goodness..." I stuttered as suddenly, my legs were lifted from the ground.Brent cradled me close to his chest, moving decisively forward. The warmth of his presence and the steady beating of his heart were, for the first time in what felt like ages, a familiar sound that brought me reassurance. I could sense his wolf rumbling in contentment at our proximity, and despite everything, I couldn't help but smile.'He misses us terribly, doesn't he?' I murmured quietly to Maine.'Well, he should have controlled his human better,' Maine scoffed in response.'Maine, think about the magic... if he was indeed under
'Oh, cry me a river, Anastasia. Your feelings are utterly irrelevant. You fell for a man to whom you signed a contract. You agreed to stand by his side as his Luna and partner. You didn't consent to anything beyond that, even with your counterfeit mating mark,' she responded calmly, before sighing and softening her tone.'Listen, I know it hurts, Anastasia, but we don't need a man to complete us. He may feel like home, but he isn't, not really. We are all we need. We are not the same as other females, Anastasia. I refuse to roll over and beg for affection or attention from an Alpha. If he wants me, he will pursue me, and if he stops, then I will let go. I will not fight to keep a male, as I know we are worth far more.'I couldn't help but snort softly despite myself; Maine was right, as always.'I'm sorry, Maine. I should have listened. I was being foolish.''No, you were just sheltered for the majority of your life. I have been kept from you for years while you lived in the palace. I
"Of course I do, you foolish little girl. Why else would I waste some of the best years of my life with a murderous fool like your father? I will destroy him and his family as utterly as he did mine. This isn't just personal; it has been a long time coming," Nerissa snarled."I don't understand..." I frowned, searching desperately for something, anything, to distract me from the sight of Eve trying to seduce Xavier on the screen. Even though we were only contracted mates, it still hurt like hell. He was the last person I ever thought would betray me, yet there he was... stabbing me in the back with none other than Eve.Even though I knew I wasn't truly related to her anymore, it still stung, considering Xavier knew all about our shared history. It just didn't make sense. He had stood by me through everything and agreed with each point regarding Eve. I couldn't wrap my head around why he would suddenly have a change of heart and rush after Eve so eagerly.Even if he was under some sort
I had lost track of time since they brought me to this place. Apart from Nerissa and Eve, there were no other signs of life in these depths. As much as I strained to hear anything beyond the closed door, only silence greeted me, amplifying my frustration. The quiet was overwhelming, and my arms had gone numb. Yet, the numbness was preferable to the burning sensation that had coursed through them before.Nerissa returned not long after she and Eve took Brent away to an unknown destination. She entered, humming to herself, pushing a cart with a television perched on top. On the cart's lower shelf, there was a tray with a few glasses and a jug filled with some kind of drink. Whatever it was, I had no intention of accepting it anytime soon. I suspected that a single sip might be lethal.I watched Nerissa with narrowed eyes, following her movements across the small room as she completely ignored me while attending to her tasks. Once finished, she exhaled with satisfaction, dusted her hands