《Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)》


 Chapter 1

    Prologue


    (Riley''s POV)


    I woke up to a sharp pain in my abdomen.


    I knew what was happening; Ryker was doing it again. He was cheating on me with another woman.


    I rolled off the bed, my hands circling around my stomach. The wave of pain passed through me again, and I screamed out, my hands remaining on my stomach as if to shield my unborn child.


    I groaned, crawling for the door.


    "Help!" I screamed, but my voice came out hoarse. The pain came again, worse than ever before, and I cried out. "Please... please stop Ryker; you are hurting me," I begged, even if I knew he wasn''t here or listening.


    A strange kind of fear filled me, one I always felt before things wentpletely wrong, and I was afraid it would now. My child was only one month old, and he ''knew'' I was pregnant for him.


    I crawled for the door, my breathsing out in pants, my whole body drenched in sweat. The pain wouldn''t stop; it only got worse, and I couldn''t go any further. In here, no one heard my cries and pleas; even if they did, no one came for my aid. The tears streamed down my eyes, and then I felt the wetness between my legs.


    No, no, no... please, no...


    My shaky hands found their way to my middle, and I felt the wetness against my finger. Lifting it to my eyes, it was...


    Blood.


    I panicked.


    My silent sobs turned into loud cries.


    "Somebody help me; I am losing my baby!" I screamed out, but again, no one came for my aid; my vision blurred, and then the darkness took over. There was only one thought on my mind as I fell deeper into the darkness.


    I hate you, Ryker.


    CHAPTER ONE


    (Riley''s POV)


    I had always thought I was smart. But Alpha Ryker made me look every bit of a fool, over and over again.


    I was a low-ranked female in the pack; It was due to the fact that my mother was the pack''s ve, even lower than an omega.


    Alpha Ryker had been my biggest crush for years, and of course I never thought I would have him as a mate. Imagine my joy when I turned eighteen, and just like every girl, I attended the mating ball, but unlike every girl of my ss, I was mated to the Alpha. The same man I had been crushing on ever since I was a little girl. I had dreams, and I started to believe dreams dide true. How wrong I was to think that!


    Alpha Ryker had told me to keep it a secret, and it was understandable. He shouldn''t be mated to a girl like me, it only spoke of weakness; I was just your average girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. My mother had been sold to this pack as a ve, but she worked alongside the omegas.


    It made sense for Ryker to keep this as a secret for the time being; as long as he loved me, I was just ready to do anything.


    The things we do for love.


    He never loved me, and I discovered that toote.


    I let him take my virginity; after all, I had kept it just for him, and too soon I was pregnant. I had thought of the perfect family we would both have, but all that ended when he introduced the new girl Zara to the pack as his mate.


    I remembered the smile on my face, standing before all the pack members, only to see the girl by his side, iming my position.


    He gave an exnation, he gave excuses, and foolish me. I let him y me yet again for the second time; he told me he needed time, and soon I would be announced his mate to the whole pack, but everything ended when he cheated on me with her for the first time. It should have ended a long time ago, but I had been desperate for love and desperate for Ryker.


    As werewolves, when one partner cheats, the other is left in pain during the whole process.


    Ryker knew the pain it caused me when he cheated, and still he did it. He had done it again and again, and thisst time, he imed my child. The one good thing I had was the only thing I held onto.


    I woke up disoriented, and then the memories flooded in the pain I had felt so intense, unlike anything I had ever felt before, and then the blood. I felt the wetness against my cheeks; I hadn''t realized I was crying yet again.


    There was blood on my clothes-a lot of blood. I didn''t know how long I stayed here on the floor-maybe a little over a day, but he never came back, and I wasn''t sure I wanted him too.


    I walked into the bathroom to wash up; the pain hadn''t faded, and there was a slight throb between my legs, but that was nothingpared to the loss I was feeling deep within. I had already grown a bond with my child, even if it was only a month old.


    .


    Alpha Ryker walked into the room three hourster. He had spent the whole day with the new girl, whom he had introduced to the whole pack as his mate.


    He walked right past me, almost like I was invisible.


    "Ryker," I called out, feeling all my pain quickly turning into anger. "Ryker, where were you a night ago?"


    "That is none of your business, pup."


    My breath came out faster.


    "You went to her, didn''t you? You slept with her, knowing what it does to me."


    "The whole pack sees her as my mate; it is necessary."


    "I was in so much pain, and you were the cause. I lost my child because of you. Ryker, how could you do this to me? I am your true mate. How could you betray me?"


    "Oh, please shut up," he says, "It is not my fault your weak system couldn''t hold him in, so don''t you dare me me for the loss of your child."


    My child. Not ''our'' child.


    And that''s all I could take. I had moved fast-- faster than I ever thought possible, and I pped him as hard as I could, satisfied at the redness of his skin where I had hit him.


    He let out a silent sneer, inhaling audibly, and when he looked up and at me, I didn''t see Ryker; I saw a beast, the true man behind the fake mask.


    "You seem to have forgotten who you are and where you belong. I would give you a little reminder.".


    Ryker had never hit me before, so this had been another shock. He hadn''t pped me; no, he had punched me, right to the face, and I lost my bnce, falling to the floor.


    He walked towards me. "You bitch!"


    I felt his legs to my side and then my stomach. The beating that followed was merciless. I begged him to stop, but Ryker only sneered. "You seem to have forgotten your ce. You''re nothing but a weak, pathetic pup."


    When he finally stopped, he gave me a chilling smile. "I could never make you my Luna, you weakling. But Zara is my mate and would always be; she would be my Luna.


    So I, Alpha Ryker Zeke of the Windborne Pack, reject you, Riley Kaidon, as my fated mate and Luna."


    The truth was that I had believed in him; I had believed that one day he would make me his Luna.

 Chapter 2

    Growing up, there are so many stories I hear about rejections, the pain thates with it, and then the sense of loss, like something was missing. I knew what wasing, and I was prepared, even as I said the words.


    "I, Riley Kaidon, ept your rejection," I respond, and that gave him a pause. Of course, he doesn''t expect me to ept his rejection so easily; every female is dying to be the Alpha''s mate, and I had been one of them till I discovered that he wasn''t as charming as my


    thoughts had painted him to be.


    I felt the pain, just as I had anticipated. It''s a different kind of pain, one that is deep within, but what I do not feel is the loss.


    How could you lose what you never had?


    It was over. All my dreams of finding a mate had alle to nothing. I was given the monster as a mate, and he had used me, taken from me, only to dump me like trash. I couldn''t stay in this pack any longer; I had to leave.


    "Banish me from this pack; I no longer see the use of remaining."


    "Oh no, Riley. I want you here, by my side."


    "Zara had taken up that duty."


    "I want you to be something quite different."


    "I won''t be your toy anymore," I spat. There really was no boundaries to his cruelty.


    "Others would be proud to even have such a position, but you ungrateful girl."


    "I would leave this pack, whether you want it or not, with due respect, of course, Alpha," I sneered out.


    The pain in my chest had built up to the point where I feltpletely numb.


    "Leave? That''s not going to be a very nice thing to do, seeing as your mother cannot go with you," he says, and everything seems to slow down.


    How could I have forgotten?


    My mother had been nothing but a ve, treated as dirt. Ryker is the only reason she was not in other ''worst'' ces; how could I have forgotten that so easily?


    My heart pounded now, fast. How didn''t I think of my mother and what Ryker could do to her, especially when I was gone?


    "Leave my mother out of this."


    "No, Riley," he said smugly. "Stay, and she''ll remain in her current position. Leave, and I''ll make her life a living hell."


    I wiped off the tears. This had been one of the reasons I had hung on to Ryker, too slow to let him go. I knew if I was mated to him, then my mother would be free. This was what she had wanted for the most part of her life, what she had dreamt of. "I''ll stay, but I refused to be used by you, Ryker."


    "We would see about that, and it''s no longer Ryker to you; we are no longer mates, remember? It''s Alpha now, and I really hope you don''t slip on that again." He says, but the smirk on his face tells me his hoping her I slip, just so he could punish me.


    I wouldn''t let him see me weak; I would hold in my tears, till when I was alone, crying in front of him would only show him how much he hurt me, it would only show him that he won and I... lost; That would be boosting his already extremelyrge ego. I wiped away my tears; that would be thest time I would ever cry before him.


    "Good," he muttered. "Now I need you toe to the intramating ball celebration with me," he says.


    "You are to attend the uing ball with your luna, Zara; what do you need me there for?"


    "You will be there. I want you to watch as I announce to the whole crowd that she is my mate.


    I want you to watch me kiss and touch her just as I did you, but she... she would be the Luna. I want you to watch as she takes your ce.


    At least I told you early enough to prepare. When the dayes don''t you dare bete. Also, I would send your mother in to help you pick something presentable for the asion. I am sure you have something other than rags in there somewhere" he said before walking away, right through the door he came through, back to Zara, his mate.


    The mate ball was in two weeks, I didn''t need to pick out a dress yet, but I did need my mother by my side right now.


    He hadn''t cared about the fact that I just lost a baby and needed medication; he didn''t care one bit. If I wasn''t wrong, I believed he loved hurting me; he was a sick, twisted person who attained satisfaction in hurting others.


    A few minutester, my mother walked in, and I ran into her arms, letting myself be a child again. I cried in her arms.


    "The baby''s gone. He cheated on me, and now the baby is gone."


    "Shhh, you would be alright," she said, holding me in her arms. "You are the strongest shewolf I know, and I am not telling you this simply because you are my daughter, but because it is true."


    "I do not feel very strong, mama."


    "Your tears don''t make you weak, nor do the mistakes," she said, holding me. Just as she had always done, every single time I had gone to her, broken and in pain, she was always there tofort me. She thought I was the strongest she wolf, but she was wrong; she was. Even through all she had gone through, she still stood strong, and I made another promise to myself that I would free her. I didn''t care how long it took me to achieve that.


    "I know the Alpha rejected you," she said.


    "How did you know?"


    "A mother can tell," she says, "but he was never the best for you; he would only hurt you more and more; you deserve better."


    "I don''t think I can ever trust anyone again... I just can''t be betrayed once more; I don''t think I can take it."


    "You deserve love; you deserve better than this kind of life, and I wish I could give you that... and that''s why I won''t me you if you leave this pack. I want you to know that whatever happens, I would always love you and never me yourself for anything that goes wrong. I am strong enough to take whates my way, but I want you happy. You are young and beautiful with a clean heart. You deserve a life, and you should have it."


    "No, mama, I would never leave you here with him. Never; we are together in this and will always be. I would stay," I promised.


    .


    The mating ball ceremony urs everyst day of the month; it was every girl''s dream and mostly where mates are paired, but that had been the beginning of my own nightmare.


    If Ryker wanted me at the ball, then I would be at the ball, but he got one thing wrong: I didn''t care who he ended up with; nothing he did could make me jealous; he was no longer mine, and I was d he wasn''t.

 Chapter 3

    The Mating Ball.


    (Riley''s POV)


    Ryker sat with his mate, and I was to sit besides him, close enough to hear him whisper the same words he had told me to her, close enough to see him kiss her, close enough to hear her soft moans as his hands disappeared beneath her dress, but that wasn''t the worst part of this all; the worst part was having to see my mother, refilling his cup like the servant he wanted everyone to know she was.


    All I felt was anger, burning fury.


    I turned away from them, focusing on keeping my breath steady.


    "You work slugglishly, old woman," Ryker said to my mother, she had pretended not to hear that as she refilled his ss for what seemed as the hundredth time.


    My mother nced at me, her eyes a warning, begging me to stay still and not do anything crazy, and it took everything in me to seat still.


    "You forgot to refill mine," Zara said to my mother, and of course, my mother did refill hers, muttering a silent appology which wasn''t even due. Zara held the ss in her slender hand and then her eyes turned to me, a small smirk ying on her lips and I watched as she let it go purposely, the content spilled down my mother''s in blue dress.


    "Ooops," Zara says. A hand on her mouth, I had watched her, it was no mistake.


    "You did that on purpose." I sneered at her. Zara had an innocent look on her face, which was of course false.


    "Sorry, who are you?" she asked, an eyebrow inclined.


    I am the Alpha''s true mate. I wanted to say it but held that to myself.


    "Riley. This is your Luna, and don''t you ever speak to her that way?" Ryker warned.


    I rose to my feet in an attempt to help my mother clean up the broken pieces of ss. I noticed the few eyes on us already.


    "Sit, Riley," the Alpha ordered. Every nerve in me wanted to disrespect his order, and I was prepared to, but then my mother gave me another nce, pleading with me to listen to him, pleading with me not to get in trouble, and I hated it. I hated the fact that she thought this was okay. Slowly, I took my seat; my eyes blurred, but I never let the tears out. I had promised myself that Alpha Ryker would never see my tears, and I wasn''t going to break that promise.


    "I am sorry, Luna; I know the ss must have slipped off your hands," my mother apologized, and Zara gave a silent scoff.


    I inhaled again, feeling a thick lump in my throat. I wanted to stand up and leave, but I knew Ryker wanted me here, he wanted to torment me some more; he wanted me to watch and listen, and I didn''t want to anymore.


    I watched as some of the wolves left the ball with their mates; others waited. It was a beautiful experience to watch a werewolf find their mate, and I weed that as a distraction. Soon the dance began, and the female wolves paired up for the dance. "Would you apany me for this dance, my love?" Ryker asked Zara, and she gave a little giggle.


    "Yes, my Alpha," she said, taking his extended hands, and he led her to dance. He paused, turning to me.


    "You could mingle now, Riley, but I doubt there would be a partner avable for you," he says before walking off.


    My mother was gone; she was somewhere in the crowd working with other omegas.


    ?


    I pushed past people, heading for the door, which seemed too far away. I was once again jostled to the side, and I started to believe they did that on purpose.


    Abruptly, the dance stopped, even if the music kept ying.


    I stood there puzzled, and that''s when I noticed the reason.


    Two men had just walked in.


    There were a lot of people in the ball; people could go in ande without anyone noticing, but there was something about these two, something that made them... different.


    It could be their striking beauty, it was unlike anything I had ever seen, or the aura they carried with them-it seemed to settle over them like an extrayer of clothing. Everyone watched, and so did I.


    I had seen this man before, not face-to-face but in a picture.


    Alpha Thane of the Nightshade Pack.


    How couldn''t I have noticed that?. Beside him was his Beta Axel


    The two men towered over almost every single person here, even Ryker, who had an amazing six feet four, couldn''t bepared to them.


    Everyone parted like the red sea, staying very far away from them, as they walked forward.


    Ryker had abandoned Zara and stood right in their path. I could sense it; their very presence intimidated him and he was right to be intimidated.


    "Wee, Alpha Thane; you didn''t inform us that you would be gracing us with your presence." Ryker said, but Thane had walked past him like he was nothing but a shadow, not even giving him themon and expected recognition every Alpha should get.


    Alpha Thane walked forward in a straight line to where I stood. I on the other hands was unable to move. Never had I seen a man so alluring, so beautiful, and so enchanting; never had I seen a man that screamed danger and yet drew admiring gazes like a ma. I backed away, but he was heading straight to me.


    What the hell was he doing?. When he was close enough, his scent was all I could perceive; it was a manly scent, sexual in a way I couldn''t even exin. He towered over me.


    Finally my brain set into motion and I backed away.


    "Mate," he called out, his intense gaze on me.


    But that wasn''t right; I was no mate of his.


    Faster than I would ever thought possible, his hands circled around me, pulling me closer to him, and then his lips met mine.


    His lips were beautifully made, every girl''s dream, but shocked as I was, I couldn''t make a single move, and I didn''t kiss back.


    He pulled away, only to whisper in my ear.


    "Kiss me back, Riley."

 Chapter 4

    (Riley''s POV)


    There was a lot running through my mind, but I couldn''t stop myself as I let my lips move against his, his hands raked through my hair, and I let him touch me in more intimate ways. His kiss was unlike anything I had ever felt; it was like a breath of fresh air and, at the same time suffocating. I felt everything and nothing; the electricity rolling down my frame had nothing to do with a mate bond; it did have everything to do with the fallen angel standing before me. No, he was no angel, maybe quite the opposite, but he did have the looks of a Greek god.


    Finally he pulled away, and I was left panting, wanting more, my lips all swollen. What the hell just happened, and why is Alpha Thane calling me his mate when I was sure I wasn''t his? From the look he gave me, he knew that too. "Pretend," he whispered in my ear, low enough for only me to hear.


    Pretend?. He meant I should go along with this. Why would I do that?, why...


    My trail of thoughts was cut off.


    "She is not your mate." A voice from behind us called out, and Thane turned as if finally noticing the Alpha for the first time. It was Ryker.


    "And why would you say that?" Alpha Thane asked with his arms around me, pulling me closer.


    Of course Ryker couldn''t say it out; he had deceived the whole pack into believing that Zara was his true mate; he couldn''t tell them the truth-that I was his mate, and he had done something forbidden, rejecting me in secret.


    "She is a low rank here, an Alpha as you can never be mated to a she-wolf like her," Ryker said, looking furious, and I wondered why he was so bothered about this. I didn''t know what this was either.


    "Why should that bother you?" Thane asked very calmly, even if I felt the exact opposite.


    "She wouldn''t be good enough; she is nothing."


    There was a deep growl from Thane; the sound weakened my knees, and the other wolves bowed their heads in submission. Ryker could never challenge that.


    "I apologize, Alpha," Ryker said, but I noticed the vein in his neck popping. He hated the fact that he had to acknowledge the greater presence here.


    "I believe the wolf besides you is your mate and Luna, right?" Thane asked, and Ryker only seemed to notice an unhappy-looking Zara by his side.


    He inhaled and gave me a single nce. He was contemting, and then finally he spoke. "Yes, this is my mate and my Luna."


    "Then I would warn you: do not ever speak in such a manner to my mate. Else..." Thane left the silent threat, and Ryker gave a nod, giving way.


    I had always imagined what it would be like for Ryker to be put in his ce; never did I think it would be this interesting to watch. A part of me wanted to give him a small smirk, but I shoved aside the want; I wasn''t Thane''s mate. Maybe he mixed me up with the wrong person... but then he had told me to pretend and had also called me by my name.


    How did he know my name?


    I was sure we had never met before; of course, if I had met Alpha Thane of the Nightshade Pack, it wouldn''t be an incident easily forgotten; then how did he know my name?


    I still felt dizzy from the kiss; from having him so close to me and everything going on was almost too much to take in.


    "Come with me, mate," Thane said, holding my hands. I hesitated, and then he turned to me. The look in his eyes told me that disobeying wouldn''t be an option, and so I followed him. Every single gaze was on me, but then I saw my mother in the crowd, staring at me. I had always believed that my mother was the strongest person, and she was; she had proved that to me time and again, but there she stood, horror-stuck, watching me walk away with Alpha Thane. She was yet again shoved backwards by the crowd of watchers. Alpha Thane led me out of the balling hall.


    His Beta Axel followed a very good distance behind us.


    "Where are you taking me to?" I asked, and the fear I felt made my voice sound so small and unsteady.


    "Where we can be alone"


    ?


    All the stories I had heard about the Alpha resurfaced. He was one of the most feared Alphas in the world; his pack had the wealth, the connections, and the numbers. The pack''s soldiers and members were well trained, but that wasn''t the only reason for their reputation; they were also killers, they lusted after blood. Alpha Thane was less tolerant, and so was his whole pack. I had heard stories of a whole pack being wiped out because of a broken agreement.


    No one crossed the Nightshade pack and those who did were used as an example for the rest.


    Yet here he was, and he wanted us ''alone''.


    My heart raced faster. No one was close by, but even if they were, no one woulde to my aid. I was not exactly one of the most loved wolves in my pack, and no one would ever cross Alpha Thane toe to my aid. I was doomed.


    "What is wrong?" he asked, as if reading my thoughts.


    "What do you want from me?" I asked.


    "To talk"


    Alpha Thane wanted to have a conversation with me. I found that very hard to believe. I had nothing to do with him; there was nothing to talk about. Maybe I was going to be used to send a message to the pack; maybe this would finally be my end, yet the sick twisted me was grateful that I atleast got to watch Ryker put in his ce, even if that was thest thing I witnessed.


    "Do you want to kill me, Alpha Thane?" I asked


    And he didn''t seem surprised by the question, not one bit, and that didn''t help my condition.


    "No," he says.


    "No?" I questioned.


    "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already, I don''t have to bring you here to do just that."

 Chapter 5

    (Riley''s POV)


    Everything about Alpha Thane screamed sexuality: the way he walked, his height, his look, his lips- oh, those very beautiful lips, and the way those lips had formed out my name. Never had I thought my name could sound that sexy and enticing... Also thest thing I should be thinking about right now was how sexy he was.


    ?


    He was right though; if he wanted me dead, he wouldn''t need to go through all that stress to get it done; he only needed to do it right there in the mating ball. After all, they were known for just that, so it wouldn''t exactly be a surprise, and not many would care about the fact that I was killed; my mother would, though.


    "Then what do you want?"


    "I want you toe with me, as my mate," he answered, as if that were the simplest and most obvious thing.


    "What?"


    "I guess you heard me clearly, and you need a while to process it."


    "No, I do not need a while; I am not your mate; I know that; you know that; and I cannot leave my pack ande with you."


    "You didn''t seem to like your pack very much."


    "That still doesn''t mean that I would want toe with you."


    "Let me make this clearer. You would only be my mate for a period of time issued by me, and for this time you would be paid handsomely. I would give you whatever you want. All you have to do is agree with my rules, and when this is over, you are free." "I do not want your money, and I will never trust you."


    "You don''t want my money?" He asked, looking surprised, "But you seem like you need it."


    "Are you calling me poor?" I asked, even if that was exactly what I was: poor and wretched.


    "This is an opportunity for you. I know how Ryker treats you..."


    "And would you treat me any better?" I asked, and I know he hated the fact that I had cut him off in the middle of a sentence.


    "Not exactly, but you get your money at the end of the day; isn''t that what matters?"


    "No, that''s not what matters."


    "Then what does?"


    "There are so many other things... I can never leave my mother here."


    "Then that''s fine; shees with us."


    "You don''t understand."


    "Make me," he says, his intense gaze on me, and I can''t hold them. I look away.


    "She is a ve here; she had ten years left to serve. If I leave..." I shook my head slowly. "Ryker would make her life a living hell, and I would never allow it," I admitted, feeling stupid for telling him all these things. It was my issue, and he could do nothing about it. "There. Something to bargain with."


    "What?"


    "I know must have had dreams of seeing your mother free, and I would do just that."


    "You can''t; she still has ten years to serve, and nothing can change that, not even you, Alpha Thane."


    The smirk never left his lips. "I would buy her off."


    "Then what? Would she be ''your'' ve?" I asked, the bitterness sipping into my words. I knew I should watch it; I was before Alpha Thane, but I couldn''t control myself.


    "I didn''t anticipate a spitfire, but I can work with that," he says, and I don''t want to understand what that meant. Of course, to everyone, they believed I was the humble submissive type, but I always held my little demons inside, and now they wouldn''t stay in anymore. "Your mother would be bought by me, but I would free her; she wouldn''t be a ve; I would give her a decent job; she would be both protected and respected in my pack."


    "And why are you doing all these?"


    "I had told you before that I do this because I want you by my side -for a period of time."


    "And after that, I and my mother are free?"


    "Yes, you can remain in my pack if you wish or leave if you also wish to; whatever the case may be, you would be gone a billionaire. How is that for an offer?"


    "It sounds too good to be true; what do you get out of this?"


    "Alot. Have it in mind that I do not make deals that are not beneficial to me; I have something to gain from this."


    "And what is that?"


    "It is none of your business."


    "Then how do I trust you?"


    "You don''t. But I would keep to my words, and I would enjoy every single day with you, but you would love it even more, and in the end, you would be begging on your knees to stay," he promises. He sounded so sure of himself. "That, Alpha Thane, would be thest thing I would ever do."


    "We would, of course, see about that, Riley."


    He had called my name. Again, I wanted to question him, I wanted to know how he discovered my name, but then he spoke up.


    "Let''s just say, I need my father to believe I am mated for the time being," he says with a smirk that told me this was so much more than that, but a question kept ringing over and over again in my mind.


    "Why me?. I mean, there are many other she-wolves in this pack; there are even more in your pack and others. Why me?"


    "Well, I can''t answer; I am yet to figure out why," he answered.


    "How long would I be with you?" I asked


    "I think that should be discussed when you arrive," he answers, and though I don''t agree with that, I don''t argue.


    "What if I don''t agree to the term?" I asked


    "You will, but if you don''t, I will let you go. But you cannot tell anyone what transpired between us, not even your dear mother or your most trusted friend, understand?"


    There was something about his voice the authority it carried.


    "Yes, I understand," I heard myself answer. I had onest question, one I was afraid to even ask. "How do I know that I am safe with you?" I finally let out the question, and he turned to me, watching me. He looked every bit a predator. "You are not. I am not a very gentle man, Riley, and you should know that about me. I would protect you from every other person but myself."


    "You would hurt me?" I asked.


    His hands trailed down my cheeks. "Yes"

 Chapter 6

    (Riley''s POV)


    It didn''t make sense.


    That Alpha Thain of the Nightshade pack had chosen me; I had so much to gain-my mother''s freedom, ''my freedom'', and wealth-lots of it. It felt almost too good to be true. He had told me that he never made any deals in which he had nothing to gain, but I can''t imagine what he had to gain from being mated to me.


    Yet, his promises had been mouth-watering, every single word, and I knew he was right. I knew I would agree to his terms, whatever they might be, as long as my mother was free.


    He was not a gentleman; he had told me just that, and that was the one thing I believed. After the little conversation, he had left me here all alone, to think about his proposal. No, he didn''t bother escorting me back to the ball where he had taken me; he was letting me know, even from the little gestures, what kind of a man he was.


    When he meant he wanted me as a mate for a period of time, did that involve intimacy? Maybe it didn''t; maybe I just had to y the perfect actress, and that was it.


    Even as I thought about it, I knew they were all lies. I was lying to myself, and I saw the look in his eyes.


    "You will beg to stay when the time is up," he had said, "I am not a gentleman" he had also said and there was something about those words.


    What difference was I from a whore? What difference would it make if I stayed here? Ryker wanted the same thing too. But he didn''t deserve it; he had put me through too much pain. I had lost everything, and it was all because of him, but the question was, did Alpha Thain deserve it?


    I walked back to the mating ball, and to my surprise, after I had left, the music had stopped, also the dance. Everyone hung there looking tense; some had left the hall. I didn''t think I was that important to the pack, but again, everyone wanted to know what truly was going on between I and Alpha Thane, not that they really cared for me.


    My mother had been the first to get to me; tears streamed down her eyes as she held me close.


    "It can''t be... it can''t be," she kept whispering, but just like the others, she did believe this was real; it didn''t make sense for Thane to lie; he couldn''t announce me to the crowd when he knew I wasn''t his mate-that was what they thought, but they were all wrong. I couldn''t tell my mother the truth; I couldn''t tell anyone the truth, and a part of me knew that telling anyone would not only put me in danger but would endanger them too, there was a reason he wanted this to be kept a secret.


    "Let''s go home, mama," I said, holding her by the arms and leading her out. I felt the gazes of my fellow pack members piercing into me, one that seemed to stand out more. Ryker.


    ?


    Having second chance mates was a very rare thing, but not impossible; it had happened in the past and could now.


    I was back in the pack house and in my room. My mother wouldn''t leave my side, and I did need her more than ever.


    "I thought that things couldn''t get worse. I always knew Alpha Ryker was not a good man; I know how he treats the lower-ss wolves, and I couldn''t believe the moon goddess could pair you up with such a man as a mate. He had caused you so much pain, but he... he is nothingpared to the demon in human skin, Alpha Thane. He would be your downfall, Riley; you can''t let him have you. I can''t watch that happen, please," she begged.


    "Mother, maybe we''ve judged him wrong all these years."


    "No, daughter, listen to me. I know his father, but Thane, he is worse than his father; he is a killer, and I... don''t know what he would do to you, my baby."


    "He won''t do a thing; I am his mate." I lied because I knew she was telling the truth, but this was thest thing I needed to hear. If only she knew the truth-that this had been an offer and he was going to give me far more than I had ever hoped for-I wondered if she would change her mind about things if she knew.


    I doubted it.


    My mother seemed to know something more about the Nightshade Pack-something she wasn''t telling me, and it killed me.


    "Mama, you know what he would do to me if I did not go with him."


    "Then... then we can create a n. I would help you escape, and I do not mind if I have to give my life, but you can''t be with him."


    "Mama, I won''t let you give your life for me; I want to see you free, and if I agree to this, he will set you free, mama."


    "You do not understand; I do not want anything from him, not freedom, not money, nothing; he would harm you more than you think, and I say this because I love you, my child."


    "I know you love me, but please, I want you to trust me in this. I want you to give me this one chance to make my own decision. I had already given a lot... to Ryker and to this pack. I want to leave here."


    "You would be better off here than you would be with him."


    "Is that what you think, mama? Do you know what Ryker wants to do with you?"


    "I do not care; I am a ve here; no amount of pain he makes me suffer would be too much to bear, and if I die, I would do so knowing that you are out of danger, Riley."


    I hated the fact that I had to hurt her one more time.


    "I''ve made up my mind. I would go to him; it is not like I can ever escape this, and, you know that, he would find me if I run, and I would suffer more. If I am willing, he promises to give you freedom, a new job, and to keep you protected. I''m so sorry, mama, but I have to make this decision."


    "Then I cannot go with you; I prefer a life of bondage here to a life of freedom with the Alpha of Nightshade pack."

 Chapter 7

    .


    (Riley''s POV)


    I didn''t know what my mother had against Alpha Thane and his father, but she had agreed toe with me after I had persuaded her. I had to tell her what Ryker had wanted me to be a little pet for him-and that was all she needed to finally change her mind. Though she didn''t like this idea and I knew it, we both knew we had no other choices, and I would rather die than leave my mother here.


    She helped me pack up. I had only a few things; I picked out only the important things, and a single bag was enough to contain my stuff.


    Alpha Ryker walked into my room, not bothering to knock.


    "You know it is very unappropriate to walk into ady''s room without knocking, right?" I questioned, and my mother gave me a questioning look, but this time I didn''t listen.


    "Now the true Riley shows herself; I knew you had all that pent-up anger in you for a long time; I actually expected you to slip in the mating ballst night, and I am totally surprised you didn''t."


    "That''s so unfortunate," I cooed, walking past him to pick up a single framed picture of me and my mother, the only one I had. I couldn''t imagine; I had almost forgotten it.


    "You really think it changes anything? The fact that you are mated to Alpha Thane," he asked and I could sense his anger, but I couldn''t bring myself to care.


    "It does change everything, Ryker. I am the Luna to an Alpha; I bet you know the consequences if you do try touching me."


    "Or do I?" He asked, walking closer. For a moment, I believed he was going to hit me. For a moment, I believed he wouldn''t be able to control his anger and would forfeit getting beaten up by my Alpha Thane just to get a mark on me, but his punch never got there; itnded at my side, his fist digging into the wall.


    I watched him, a small smile on my lips-the same one I had itched to give him when he watched me walk away with Thane in the ballroom. He was powerless when it came to me; in some way, I was protected just by Alpha Thane''s im on me. "When you go, know that I will make your mother''s life a living hell."


    "I am sure you think you could do that," I say. I didn''t miss the slight look of surprise in his eyes before he masked it yet again. I pushed past him. "Sometimes I wondered why you care so much; I am no longer your mate; you rejected me; you told me straight to my face that I could never and would never be your mate. What changed? Aren''t you interested in Luna Zara anymore?" I wondered aloud.


    "You are mine, rejected or not; you were fated to be with me, and I was going to have you... till he took you away from me."


    "Is that what you thought? that you were going to have me and Zara?"


    "I would have; perks of being the Alpha."


    "Well, what a fool you must have been if you think I would let you use me one more time after all the filthy lies you whispered into my ears. I would never let you touch me."


    "It must have hurt you when I lied to you, when I had said all those same words to my mate Zara."


    "You deserve each other, but do you know what you don''t deserve? my tears."


    "It must have hurt you when I took your virginity, promising you falsities, and you were the pathetic one to believe me."


    It was my mother''s turn to speak now. "Hold it there, young boy; you will not speak to my daughter in that manner."


    Ryker chuckled. "You are nothing but a ve; shut up, old hag."


    "Get out," I said, the furry building up in my room. "Get out of my room, or else I promise you will pay for this."


    There was a smirk on his lips, one I would so love to wipe away.


    "You might think Alpha Thane would be your little savior, but I promise you, you won''tst two weeks with him. You woulde back and beg for forgiveness, ready to be whatever I want you to be just to remain in this pack, and do you know what I would do then?" He asked without waiting for an answer, which I wasn''t really going to give him, and he continued. "I would let you back in, just for my ego''s sake, and if you think the life you are living now is bad, I would make it worse for you and the old hag," he said before walking away from my room.


    .


    I shouldn''t care about Ryker''s word, but I did. The fact that he thought I wouldst two weeks with Thane gave me a shiver. Why would he think that?.


    Alpha Thane kept to his words, and by sundown he was at the pack house. I knew he had arrived even before I saw him. There was this strange edgeness in every single pack member present.


    I was summoned to Ryker''s office by an omega; that was thest ce I wanted to be, yet I knew Alpha Thane was also present and for some reasons I felt protected.


    I shouldn''t feel that way.


    Deep down I knew I had not made the right decision, but I couldn''t see myself remaining in this pack under Ryker, not after everything I had said to him and how badly he wanted to satisfy his stupid ego that had been wounded and bruised.


    Still, I found myself walking towards Ryker''s office. I gave a silent knock before pulling the door open, and there Alpha Thane stood like he owned the ce. His eyesnded on me, and maybe I should have listened to my mother, because now that I could clearly see him, everything about him screamed danger. My mother had been right to be afraid of him.

 Chapter 8

    (Riley''s POV)


    I hadn''t realized I stood there, staring at him.


    Finally recovering from the momentarily drool, I walked into Ryker''s office.


    "I believe you are ready and packed, Riley."


    "Yes, Alpha," I said, a moment toote.


    "Call me Thane," he says, his burning gaze on me, and in that moment, I forgot about Ryker in the office with us. "Just as I had promised you, your mother is free, and she wille with us," he says. My mouth fell open in surprise. That quickly? Ten years of very had ended in just minutes.


    He was right; there was only a little he could not do, and I couldn''t help but wonder what he had done to make Ryker give in.


    "I would be waiting in the car; pick up your things and join me; your mother would be transported to my pack tomorrow; and not to worry, she is already a free woman," Thane said, his eyes slipping from mine to Ryker''s.


    I wasn''t the only one affected by Thane''s piercing gaze; I noticed how ufortable it made Ryker too, and I know he hated it.


    "May I leave?" I asked, and Thane gave a nod. I hurried out of the office, and my breathing normalized. There was something about his presence that kept everyone on edge-everyone, including me.


    I picked up my already packed bag, and my mother had that same sad look in her eyes, reminding me again of how much of a mistake I was making. I gave her a hug, informing her that she was free now. She gave me aforting smile, but it didn''t quite reach her eyes. "I will see you soon, mother," I promised, and she held me tight in an embrace. Finally, it was time to go. I was going to leave this pack, but I didn''t think I would miss it. There was nothing toe back here for-no friends, no siblings-and here I was all alone.


    I walked out of the pack house; there were two men waiting, both in ck suits and shades, they looked just like bodyguards in movies. They took the single bag I held, leading me to a ck limousine waiting.


    Everything about this felt too intimidating.


    The door was pulled open by one of the men, and I slid inside. My heart raced when I noticed who was in there waiting. Thane. I had sat a good distance away from him, but that didn''t stop him from watching me like I was some prey about to fall into the trap of a predator, and that was exactly what was happening here. He was the predator.


    I tried calming down my nerves; it didn''t really work; my heart still pounded against my chest, threatening to escape my ribcage, and I doubt that meant I was ''calming down''.


    "Do you have habit of staring at people like a freak would, or is this meant for only me?" I asked, in an attempt to look less afraid and more settled in. I didn''t like how loud my voice was; I almost didn''t recognize my own voice.


    "It''s just you. I like seeing you unsettled, and I seem to scare you a lot."


    "You scare everyone, and no, I am not afraid of you."


    "Are you sure?" he asked, and I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. "Come closer"


    "I am fine here," I managed to say, but I knew he would have none of that. I hadn''t known Thane for a long time, but what I knew was that he was used to getting everything to go his way; he always got what he wanted.


    "We are mates; we have to act the part," he says, and I inhaled,ing closer. I could perceive his scent, so strong. His hand circled around me, bringing me closer till I was flushed against him.


    If I had managed to gather even the tiniest calm, I would have lost it there. This was the reality, and the reality was that he could do whatever he wanted with me.


    "I wonder how you would look naked," he muttered to himself, and there was no restraint in his words. I msped my palms together, feeling the mosture on them; they shook too, and I couldn''t let him notice the effect he had on me, but he already knows. "I love the dress too," heplimented, his eyes on my thigh, and I instantly regretted not wearing something less revealing. His gaze on my thigh heated me up, and I turned red. I swallowed again, looking at everything but him; he got my attention, though when his hands robbed around my thighs, my breath cut off.


    "What are you doing, Alpha Thane?"


    "What does it look like?" he asks, his hands trailing higher up, lifting my dress as they went on. "Did you really think you would only act, and that''s it?"


    I did think about that, but I always knew he wanted more than just me acting in public.


    His hands went higher; I could feel them against my panties now, and my breath came out faster.


    "Thane.... please"


    "What?"


    "Not here; someone cane in."


    "So what? I would fuck you, Riley, anywhere I see fit, and I do not give a damn if the whole pack is watching."


    There, that was it-everything I had been warned about. Ryker hadn''t been trying to scare me when he said I wouldn''tst two weeks in the pack. My mother knew this was bound to happen; that''s why she warned me, but I had no options. Yet his touch...


    It was electrifying, calling forth feelings I had buried, and I hated the way my body reacted to his touch. He stroked my panties, and I felt him. Right there, I leaned into the chair. A small moan left my lips. What the hell was going on with me? Why did his touch feel so sinful and yet still so magical?


    Another stroke, and I let out another moan. I could feel my own wetness, and the smirk on his lips told me he could sense it too.


    "Beautiful," he muttered, but then he withdrew his hands and slid my gown back down. Just then, a man entered. I recognized him; it was the Beta Axel; he hade to the mating ball with Thane.


    "Wee, Luna," he says, and his stare makes me ufortable. I felt like a kitten amongst a pack of wolves.


    I said nothing to Beta.


    The ride was long, and Thane had remained silent.


    "How did you get Alpha Ryker to let my mother go?" I asked the question that had been on my mind.


    "Let''s say I paid a small fortune for that," he answers.


    A small fortune. All for me.


    I wondered what he was going to get in return. I reminded myself that I was free to leave if I didn''t agree to his terms.


    "You talked about... signing some-" I had forgotten the right words he used.


    "Contract. Yes, and that''s what you would do, but just as I said, if you don''t agree to it, then you are free to return back to your pack," he says, and I really want to believe him.


    The rest of the ride was in silence, and it was one long journey. I might have dozed off at some point, but I didn''t trust them enough to fall into deep slumbers. Finally, the car slowed down to a stop in front of a mansion. The Nightshade Main Pack house.


    I had heard about how rich the pack was, but this was totally on another level.


    Thane and Axel walked forward, and I hurried after them. I didn''t miss the stares; it seemed like the news had reached the pack members and they were all waiting to get a nce at the new mate. Me.


    Thane slowed down to take my hands, but of course it was all for show. He led me into the pack, and I did my best not to gasp at every single thing I saw; everything screamed money.


    Beta Axel parted ways with us, and it was just me and Thane. I didn''t like being alone with him.


    "Where are you taking me to?"


    "My personal space," he answers shortly.


    What Thane calls his personal space was actually a very wide office, suitable for meetings.


    "Take a seat," he says-more like ordered, and I obey. I was in his pack now, under his rules, and I would be a fool to cross him. "Do you want anything to drink or eat? It was a long drive after all," he offered, but thest thing I wanted to do was eat anything. "No, I am okay," I responded. Despite that, he filled out two sses of wine and ced a ss before me.


    "Now down to why we are here," he says, his eyes lingering on my thighs. The memories of what had happened in the car shed back in my mind, and my cheeks reddened. I could only hope he didn''t notice it. Now we were alone, and he was giving me that look again. He passed me a file.


    "Open it," he orders, and that I did. I took out the document, surprise at how formal he was making this. "Now read it out loud".

 Chapter 9

    Chapter Nine


    Chapter Nine


    I stared at the document in my hands. Slowly, I opened it-I hadn''t even realized I was holding in a breath.


    I skipped the introduction and began:


    "This is an agreement between the ''contractee'' hane ckwood) and the ''contractor'' (Riley Kaidon)."


    I paused, about to ask how he knew my full name, but after one look at those cold eyes, I continued. "The duration of this contract is a year (twelve months), if agreed by both parties." I paused again. "A year is more than I can handle I whispered. A lot could happen in a year. The thought that he would have control over me for a whole year sent a chill down my spine. I never really considered what would happen if this went all wrong and things could easily ''very wrong". "Three months," I say, and I hated how shaky my voice sounded. His jaw tightened; it was such a small movement, but I noticed it. Thane didn''t like the fact that I was bargaining; I knew what was written down was only there to make me feel like I had a choice-a say in this, even if I didn''t.


    "Nine months," he says, and maybe I should give in.


    "Six months," I said instead.


    The small smirk on his lips wasn''t at all settling.


    Agreed. Move on"


    I nodded, my hands shaky, and the moisture from my sweaty palm soaked the paper. He noticed this; I knew he did. It was a surprise he agreed to reduce the time span- I shouldn''t stretch my luck any further.


    "The contractor is not allowed to reject any gifts from the contractee, and adding to that, the contractor would only dress in clothes provided by the contractee.


    The contractor is not allowed to be sexually intimate with anyone not approved by the contractee."


    That sounded strange. Still, I read on.


    "The contractor consents to satisfying the contractee''s sexual need whenever and wherever it is requested, and in return, the contractor will not hesitate to let the contractee know when/she/ needs her sexual desires fulfilled." I read through the ''many'' pages, feeling the blush creep up my neck. I wondered how long he had been nning this out; it must have been a while.


    If I thought I had seen it all, the statement in thest paragraph changed that.


    "The contractor shall not break this contract for any reason else; /she/ stands to be punished.


    +28 BONUS


    Chatel None


    by the contractee In any way he seems fit."


    I ced the file on the table. I knew he was twisted; it should be no surprise, but this was beyond even my expectations. Alpha Thane had habit of surprising people, and I did not. mean that in a positive way. "You will punish me?" I questioned


    "If you do not abide by the rules, Yes," he answered-again, like that was the most reasonable


    answer.


    My heart mmed faster against my chest. A peny beside the file, one he had ced there even before we arrived.


    "And if I do not agree to this, if I do not want to be ''punished'' by you?"


    "Then you walk out that door, free."


    "How do I know you would let me leave? Surely you wouldn''t go through all the fuss only to let me go."


    "You don''t," he answered.


    "What type of punishments?" I asked


    "Are you nning to break the rule?"


    "No, I want to know... to be prepared," I say, unable to stare at him right in the eyes. Somewhere along the line, I had lost the little calm I managed to build up. The contract was so... raw-that was the closest word to describe it another word was brutal, "Then you should know it would be a punishment I would be happy to carry out."


    That was him saying everything and, at the same time, nothing-he was giving nothing away.


    He hadn''t denied it when I asked if he would hurt me; he had told me straight to my face that he would. I shouldn''t be doing this; maybe I could return to my mother, but then I thought of Ryker; he would be there to make my life a living hell. Thinking about him brought a bitter pang in my throat.


    1


    I picked up the pen with shaky hands; I feared I might drop it. I managed to leave a frail- looking signature, and it was over.


    I had signed a contract with the devil himself.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter


    Ten


    I passed the signed document back to him, but his eyes, they never left me.


    "Do you know the severity of the contract you just signed?" he asked, the smirk stretching along his lips again. I could hear Ryker''s words in my head ''you wouldn''tst two weeks with him'', I could remember the panicked look in my mother''s eyes when he proimed me as his mate, never had she looked so afraid, not even when I was mated to Ryker that should be enough to tell me that something was very wrong with this alpha sitting before me, and maybe his whole pack too, but no, I was willing to do anything to escape my past, even if it meant running head first into danger.


    "Yes, I know" I answered but I lied, I was yet to understand the severity of what I had just done. 1


    Alpha Thane rose to his feet and it took everything in me to sit there and not bolt out of the "office'', he walked towards me.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Afraid?" he asked and I wanted to say ''no'', I opened my mouth but no reply came forth. He wouldn''t kill me, he had no reason to, but again there are other fun things he could do to make it worth the hassle.


    Seated, his height was very intimidating; he squatted to get to my level.


    "Kiss me, just as you did in the ball" he says more like orders. But I can''t move, I cannot initiate a kiss, not when those dark orbs stared at me like they could read deep into my soul. He was right, I was afraid of him in every sense of the word. "You''ve disobeyed, once" he says "Would... would you punish me for disobeying?" I asked; I didn''t want to think about what punishment he would have in store for me. 1


    "No. I''ll let you go with a warning this time, but next time," he trailed off, his eyes lowering down my


    corbone to my cleavage. Again, I was left regretting why I wore this dress. "Come with me," he says, rising and stretching out his hands to help me up. I didn''t need it; I stood


    on my own. 1


    He let his hands drop to the side as he walked out of the ''office", abandoning the contract on the desk. This time he didn''t wait for me to follow; I moved quickly to catch up.


    We passed rows after rows of rooms, some of the doorsrger than the others. I couldn''t help but wonder just how big this ce was. Finally, we stopped before a wide shiny ck door. He pulled it open, and this time he waited for me to walk in before shutting the door. Once again, we were alone. That''s what I thought until I perceived a scent that was slightly familiar.


    "Alpha" Beta Axel called; he had just ced the little bag I came with-my only belonging- on the side of the huge room. He must have collected it from the car.


    Everything seemed to pause when I noticed the huge king size bed at the side of the room.


    Chapter Ten


    Standing here, in the midst of two men, in a room was far too ufortable for me, much worse, knowing how powerful they were. I couldn''t help but stare at the entrance door every once in a while. Alpha Thane had locked it, but nybe if I could reach it, maybe... I shouldn''t be thinking about that now, not at all!


    I was his for six months.


    "I should leave," Axel said, his eyes travelling between the two of us. The two men seemed to be very close. From what I was told, Thane was known for having fewer friends; he wasn''t the type to easily trust people, but these two exchanged silent messages with just a single nce.


    "No, stay," Thane said, and I felt like he had only said it out for ''my'' benefit. "I want to formally introduce you to my temporary mate, Riley," he said.a


    I didn''t think there was any need to formally introduce us; I had seen him before, and we were together in the car, even if I didn''t exchange a single word with him. Axel was a little simr to Thane; one could almost think they were brothers, but they weren''t. I knew that. Of course, Axel might have heard about our little agreement'' while he was trailing behind us the night of the mate ball, but Thane was simply making it known that Axel too was in on this.


    "Hi," I said to him, in loss of words.


    "Wee once again, Luna; and I want you to know that I will always be close to watch over you," he said. I didn''t know if he meant those words to beforting or threatening. "Thank you" was my only response. 1


    "Do you know why I brought you here?" Thane asked. I looked around, even if I had seen everything, and of course the most obvious thing in the room was the bed.


    "No?" 1


    "This would be our room," he says,ing closer. I couldn''t help it; my gaze drifted to Axel, who stood there. "I would teach you some interesting, new things," he said. Stilling closer, this time I backed away. "Take off your clothes."

 Chapter Eleven

    Chapter Eleven


    "The contractor consents to satisfying the contractee''s sexual need whenever and wherever it is requested...''


    I should have given more thought to this; how foolish I was to ignore it. Yet deep down, I knew it wouldn''t change a thing; there was just too much on the line. He might have forgiven me for my little slip, but this was another test, and if I failed... I couldn''t afford to fail. I pulled down the handle of my dress, taking it off very slowly.


    My stomach churned, but it wasn''t butterflies. No, it was panic. It was happening, and it was all too soon. I didn''t dare look in their eyes. I had remembered Thane''s words in the car: ''I would fuck you, Riley, anywhere I see fit, and I do not give a damn if the whole pack is watching. He had meant it then.


    Some wolves were very possessive, and some... a few twisted ones were very free-in the sense that they liked to share this was what ''turned them on''. I wouldn''tst two weeks if Thane was one of them. 1 dress fall to the ground; my ch


    I finally let my must have been bright red. I didn''t trust my feet to move. I avoided his eyes too.


    "Look at me," he says, as if reading my thoughts. I couldn''t. If I did, I might not be strong enough to follow through. Maybe I wasn''t as strong as I thought I was. "Riley. Don''t disobey me," he says. There was no anger in his voice. Thane was a hard man to read.


    I looked up at him, holding back the stupid tears. I couldn''t let him know. Standing in nothing but my underwear in the presence of two intimidating men, I felt so exposed.


    "Those too," he says, and I did my best to avoid Axels'' gaze. My chest tightened. I couldn''t get my hands to work. I heard the door open and then close. Axel was gone. "You were shy. Why?"


    "Are you seriously asking me that question?"


    "Yes. I am," he said, and I inhaled. It could be out of relief that Axel was gone or maybe the frustration that Thane didn''t think like a normal person would. "I think you are very beautiful; you should be proud," he says, and I know he didn''t mean to be sweet; he said it like he was stating facts, but all my life I have seen myself as average. Ryker had said that too; just before he had sex with me, he wooed me with his words, brainwashing me. I refused to let the same happen.


    "You don''t need to say that," I said, the anger seeping into my voice.


    "You seem to have needed a reminder." 1


    I say to


    "There is absolutely nothing men get ady in bed."


    "I don''t need to say anything to have you."


    "Six months. Six months is all you have. So get it over with."


    Chapter Eleven


    "Are you mad at me?" He questioned, amused, the smirk back on those beautiful lips.


    "Would you care?"


    "Not exactly. I don''t n to get ''over'' It. I heard you moan twice, and I want to hear that sound from you, but this time over and over again," he says, and heat rolls through me.


    I unhooked my bra, taking it off, followed by my panties. I felt self-conscious standing naked before him, he was so close. He sniffed me, something an animal would do.


    ''You smell nice enough," he says, and before I could even think of a response to that, he had carried me off my feet and ced me on the wide bed, the same one I had spotted the moment I walked into this room. My breath came out faster. "Does the contractor have any severe sexual illnesses?" he questioned.


    "You should have asked this much earlier," I say, slightly wounded by the question.


    "I missed that bit.""


    "What if I do have a life-threatening disease?"


    "I doubt you do. But I want to hear it from you."


    "No... but..." I paused; I didn''t think it was right to tell him, but that look in his eyes-maybe if I did tell him, he would be a bit careful considering I only had a miscarriage two weeks ago- I was fine; he didn''t need to know.... "But what?"


    "Nothing"


    ''Again, Riley, you disobey me," he says, and there is a glint in his eyes. The wicked smirk appears again. I wonder what was really going on in his head-did I really want to know?


    "It''s nothing serious... I had a miscarriage two weeks ago, but I am fine now." I said, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. I didn''t want to think about my baby, the child I had lost even before he or she had a chance at life.


    "And you didn''t think you should have told me this earlier?" He questioned-of course he wasn''t asking because he was concerned; I was his new ything; he was just fulfilling what he had written down in the contract.


    "Why would I tell you? It is my personal life, not at all your business."


    "You do not seem to understand Riley; you are my business. Do you know what I was about to do to you?" He questioned me, and at the moment I felt like my wind pipe was working all wrong cause I couldn''t breathe. I looked away. "I was not nning on going soft on you Riley"


    C

 Chapter Twelve

    hapter Twelve


    "What was the cause of this miscarriage?" he asked.


    Laying naked while he asked questions was not at all afortable position, but what was more puzzling was this anticipation in me. He had said he was not nning to go ''soft'', and this treacherous part of me wondered what would have happened if I never brought up


    the issue of the miscarriage-


    "I cannot tell you that."


    "I will find out either way."


    "Well, good luck with that," I said. I couldn''t imagine Ryker telling the truth to anyone that he


    the cause of the loss of our child.


    was


    "Then maybe a little fun," he says as he loosens his tie, taking it off, and then his suit.


    I inhaled sharply. He had broad shoulders, and even through the ck long-sleeve shirt he wore, I could see his thick build-the flex of his muscle-with each movement he made, my eyes trailed down. I looked away quickly, blushing red.


    He walked forward, taking both my hands.


    "What are yo


    you doing?" I asked, but to this he gave no response. He held my hands against the bedpost, securing it firmly with the necktie he had just removed. My heart drummed against my chest.


    He said this was just fun, but the question was, would it be fun for us or fun for just him?


    "What are you doing?" I drew at the hold, but my hands were firmly bonded.


    "Stay still," he ordered. "Now kiss me."


    "I can''t..." I cut myself off.


    All I had to do was reach out-it couldn''t be that hard. I could pretend I wasn''t naked, tied to the bed, in the presence of Alpha Thane. His rough palms caressed my corbone as he leaned in closer. I let my lips meet with his. I wasn''t the best kisser, but he was quick to take over. That too had been a test, and I didn''t want to think about what would have happened if I had failed that too.


    His kiss went from warm to needy.


    I couldn''t help the silent moan that escaped my lips.


    Just a second ago, I had been afraid, and now, I was greedily kissing a man like him-maybe he wasn''t the only fucked-up person in the room. 1


    Then I felt his hands going lower; they circled around my breast, and I stilled if he noticed that he didn''t pay any attention to it. He continued his wicked assault. And then his lips left


    1/2


    Chapter Twelve


    mine. Before I could feel the loss of his warmth, his lips were somewhere else... on my nipples, he captured them in his lips, biting softly, and I let out a moan.


    "That''s it, Riley," he whispered, his hands traillig lower down my abdomen and right there. If it helps, I am d you epted the proposal," he says, and before I could process what he had just said, I felt his hand against my clit, teasing me. My breath came outboured; never had I felt a desire so strong for any man in my life, and what was very disturbing was that this man was a stranger. A dangerous stranger.


    His fingers dived into me, two fingers pumping in and out fast. I moaned louder, struggling against the tie; I couldn''t stay still.


    And he watched.


    He watched his finger move in and out of me at a deathly pace; he watched me writhe under him; I built up faster than ever before; I could feel myself at the edge; and then he withdrew. "No," I heard myself gasp out in desperation. "I''ll not allow you to cum-thates with a price."


    "Anything"


    "Do you promise to tell me what caused the miscarriage, Riley Kaidon?"


    He had called me by my full hame; I never knew my name could sound so... sexy.


    "That''s not fair," I muttered.


    "I never said I was ying fair. I bargain with what I have.


    "So you bargain with ''this?"


    "This is what I know how to do."


    The want in me, the need to lose myself in the bliss, the pleasure-it was all too much to hold in. I remained silent, contemting.


    A stroke at my clit sent me moaning again.


    "Fuck it. Okay"


    The smirk appeared on his lips, and then his finger drove into me-three of them, filling me up. He didn''t wait for me to catch my breath; no, he went fast and hard, and I couldn''t hold it anymore. With a scream, I let it all out.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Chapter


    Thirteen


    I couldn''t believe what I had just done. No. What allowed him to do. I couldn''t believe the fact that I wanted more, but I wouldn''t let him know that.


    "Could you untie me now?"


    "No"


    "What?"


    "No"


    "I heard that. Why ''no''?"


    "I think I like you naked and tied to the bed. It''s a turn-on," he said, and my eyes attempted to travel down there again, but I caught myself.


    Alpha Thane was so many things, but the control he could have over a person was one of his most intimidating skill.


    He kissed my corbone, and his fangs grazed my neck. Was he nning to mark me?. I panicked, struggling against the hold.


    1


    "You are a very strange being, Riley Kaidon. A moment ago, I could swear you enjoyed it all, but now you seem afraid and desperate to be free. Why?" "You won''t mark me." I said, it wasn''t a question


    This was another part of the deal I hadn''t talked about, another part that wasn''t included in the contract, and I doubt that had been due to the fact that he ''forgot".


    "You were afraid I was going to mark you here and now?" He asked, but I didn''t trust my voice to speak. "No, I wasn''t about to do that." 1


    "But you will do it, if not now then some other time?" I questioned.


    "If ites to that, yes.


    "And if I don''t allow it?"


    "Whatever has to be done to convince the pack members and everyone that you are my mate will be done," he says, leaving no room for argument. "Now back to our little agreement. What was the reason for the miscarriage?".


    "I lost the child because I was weak." I lied; that had been what Ryker said, even if we both knew it was false, it had been all on him. "My system couldn''t hold it in," I added, the tears. blurring my vision. I couldn''t help but wonder what I really saw in Ryker that made me fall in love he wasn''t all ''that''.


    Thane hands held my jaws, lifting them up.


    "Again, you lied to me."


    His hold tightened.


    I had pushed my luck too far, and from the cold look in his eyes, I was not getting away this time. A sense of dread settled in.


    "I do not lie to you; I am a weak wolf, an omega, is not exactly a surprise that I couldn''t hold it


    in"


    Thane rose to his feet. "I heard something. That this ''Ryker'' found a mate, but she was an embarrassment to him," he began, and I held my breath. "He wouldn''t let anyone know the truth, so he named another his mate. At this time, his true mate was pregnant with ''his'' child, but his ''recklessness'' had caused a miscarriage. Now tell me, how true is this, Riley Kaidon?"


    "You knew?


    "Of course, there is only a little I don''t know."


    "Then why did you ask?, Did you n to humiliate me some more? Remind me of a past would so loved to burry?." I questioned.


    "I wanted to hear it from"you"."


    "What difference does it make?"


    "Alot. It makes a whole lot of difference. But I did not intend to humiliate you."


    "No one knows about this... how did you know?, was this all nned out?"


    "I have my sources and from what I know, you are no longer mated to him"


    "And I guess you also know this via your ''sources??"


    "No. It was a simple guess, he would never had let you go if you were still mated to him"


    I had wondered why Thane had chosen me amongst so many capable she-wolves, but maybe this had all been some kind of show of power, he had walked into the pack, taken the ''supposed mate of the Alpha, right under his very eyes and made her his.


    "Untie me," I said, furious now.


    He walked to his drawer, picking up an object-it was a knife, a pocket knife. Would he hurt me? Could this be the punishment for my disobedience?


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t..." My words trailed off when he cut off the material binding my hands together and setting me free, just as I had requested. "Why?" he questioned.


    "Why what?"


    "Why did you allow the bastard to treat you the way he did?"


    Chapter Thirteen


    "You see, unlike you, we have limited options; he was going to give me a life I could only ever dream of."


    "Well, how did that work out for you?" Thane questioned me, but to that I gave no answer, because we both knew the answer. ''It had ended up a disaster.


    Chapter Fourteen


    Iy on the bed, unable to sleep. How could I sleep when Thane was beside me? I couldn''t make myself so vulnerable. Even if I knew if he did try to do anything crazy, I didn''t have the power to stop him.


    I turned over to stare at him. No, he didn''t look peaceful in sleep; he looked just as dangerous as he would if awake. He seemed tense, and I knew a little movement would be all that was needed to wake him, but... Was he really sleeping?


    I stretched, reaching out for him. I waved my hand over his eyes, just to make sure he was. actually sleeping. He didn''t blink, but I couldn''t help the nerves I felt. I quickly withdrew my hands.


    "You should be sleeping," a voice said, and it startled the hell out of me. I had been about to roll off the bed. It was Thane-of course he hadn''t been asleep.


    TH


    at was that for?"


    "I''m not the one behaving all creepy," he responded, a smirk forming on his lips. "You should go to sleep."


    "I can''t"


    "Why?"


    1


    "Isn''t it obvious? I can''t sleep with you beside me.''


    "You are as safe as you could be."


    "Yeah, let''s take your word for it, right?"


    "I mean it. I would not harm you in your sleep; that is a total dick move."


    "You don''t y fair; you said it remember?."


    "You have a good memory. I''ll lie on the couch; if that makes you morefortable, I need you rested for tomorrow."


    "What happens tomorrow?"


    "Well, you get to connect with the pack and meet my parents."


    Wait... what?!


    "Meet your parents?, the Alpha King and his mate?"


    "Yes"


    ""Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?"

 Chapter Fourteen

    Chapter Fourteen


    "I am telling you now.


    "It all feels too soon."


    "They heard about you and decided to visit immediately," he exined, but he didn''t seem to understand that an Omega like me wasn''t raised the way he was; I didn''t know the right way to behave around others, and it was all happening too fast. What if I failed? What if I wasn''t capable of convincing them?


    "When do they arrive?"


    "They already did; they need their rest for the night; you meet them in the morning."


    "What if they don''t like me?" I asked, the worry eating at my insides. I suddenly didn''t think I could pull through with this.


    "It doesn''t matter what they like or dislike; you just have to meet them and be very convincing at your game. But for now, you need to sleep," he said, rising from the bed. He walked to the ck couch, a distance away. A game. That was all it was to him.


    I had thought it would be impossible to sleep with all the thoughts running through my mind, but I must have fallen asleepalong the way. T


    I woke up only to notice I was alone; the couch was empty.


    I pushed off the nket, sitting up.


    Just then Thane walked in from where I assumed was the bathroom; his deep, dark brown hair seemed ck due to the wetness, and his amber eyes seemed a tad bit lighter now-had they always been like this?


    "I would have waited for you before taking a shower, but I didn''t want to wake you," he says, and it took a while for it to register in my mind that he wanted us to shower ''together''.


    How did he think ''that'' was ''okay''? He had seen every single part of me, but that didn''t mean I wasfortable standing naked before him. It would have been interesting to see ''every'' part of him... No. I should be thinking about the meeting with his parents and not how interesting it would be to see him nude.


    "Can I take a shower now?" I asked


    "Of course," he answered. My eyes travelled down his frame; there was only a towel handing sinfully low around his waist, and his upper part was bare. Never had I seen a man so close to perfection like he was. He caught me staring, and I quickly looked away, my cheeks flushing.


    I hurried into the direction he had just walked out from, and just as I suspected, it was the bathroom.


    Chapter Fourteen


    I closed the door, locking it too.


    "The locks don''t restrict me froming in if I want to," I heard him say to me, and I couldn''t help the smile that tugged at my lips. Again, he was right, but I was willing to take any false sense of security over epting the truth.


    I took more time than necessary, enjoying the rich scent of the shampoo. But finally, the blissful moment had toe to an end. I put on a robe before walking out of the bathroom.


    Thane was already dressed in a dark royal blue tuxedo and matching pants. I couldn''t help but feel intimidated by him. How did he really expect anyone to believe that a man like him could be paired with a she-wolf like me? Like really? I inhaled, pushing all that aside.


    I noticed the blue dress lying on the bed.


    "What''s this?"


    "Something I picked out for you. Your wardrobe had been stocked with new clothes; I''ll pick the clothes you wear each day."


    I picked up the dress. Yes, it was breathtakingly beautiful, but it seemed too revealing.


    "Try it on," he says, or rather orders. And my eyes travel to the bathroom. "You change here, right in front of me."


    Not interesting at all


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 Chapter Fifteen

    Very interesting.


    Chapter Fifteen


    Chapter Fifteen


    I swallowed.


    No underwear had been picked out by him, and a part of me knew it was no mistake; he wanted me bare beneath this dress.


    I let the robe fall to the floor; his intense gaze remained on me, but he made no move. I quickly put on the gown.


    It was pretty-pretty wasn''t the word; sexy was the right word, and it was the most revealing thing I had ever worn my whole life. I might as well walk around naked. The silk dress was strapless, revealing a whole lot of cleavages, and it had a deep slit by the side, exposing my thighs.


    "I can''t wear this."


    "It is beautiful.


    "Isn''t it too revealing? What kind of impression would I make on your parents, wearing this?"


    "One they would never forget. You are a true beauty, I would love to show you off to the world.


    "I am not a trophy, and I am also ''not'' wearing this Thane."


    His eyes


    settled on me, but before he could speak, there was a distraction.


    "Where is my daughter? Take me to her this instant!" A voice I recognized called out; how couldn''t I recognize it? It was my mother. My heart sped up, this time with excitement, and my gaze travelled back to Thane, begging him to let her in.


    "I''m not going anywhere till I see my daughter; now let go of me." My mother said, I had never heard her sound this so angry.


    "The Alpha had ordered there be no visitors; you will have to wait for a confirmation."


    "Do I look like I care what your Alpha says?, Where is my daughter?"


    "Let her in," Alpha Thane called out.


    There was silence, and just then, the door to our room was pulled open by a man who I suspected to be one of the pack soldiers, judging by his uniform. My mother walked into our room, and I ran into her arms.


    Once again, I was just a little girl who had no fears or worries and believed in little fantasiesing true. I inhaled her beautiful scent; it scented like home, and how I had missed this; it had only been a day, but it felt like forever. The soldier walked away, closing the door behind him.


    Finally, she withdrew from my embrace; her eyes travelled down my body, and a scowl


    Chapter Fifteen


    appeared on her lips.


    I could tell why. But I was seeing a different side of my mother. All the while, I had seen her ast the calm one; she was slow to anger, but now... the look on her face shook even me.


    "What did you do to my daughter?" She asked; she wasn''t looking at me now. She gazed at Thane, hatred clear in her eyes.


    "Nothing... yet." Thane answered, and we both didn''t miss the words ''yet'', he was going to harm me, just not now.


    "Did he hurt you?" My mother questioned me.


    No, I am fine."


    "You are not."


    "How can you tell?" I asked


    "I see it in your eyes; what is this you wear?" She turned to him, "I see what you are doing, I will not allow it."


    "I think I should give you both some time to catch up. I guess it has been a good while since you were both separated," Thane said, the sarcasm dripping from his words as he walked out of the room. Thane hadn''t been moved by anything my mother had said; he had simply brushed it off like it meant nothing, maintaining his calm.


    My mother''s eyes followed him, filled with hatred, and once again I wondered if she had something against them-something more than even I knew.


    "Mother..."


    "You don''t seem to understand; he would destroy you... I thought Ryker was bad, but I would have preferred if you were his rather than being mated to this monster." 1


    "But you know what Ryker would do to me-what he had already done to me-why would you even think I would be better off with him?"


    "You don''t understand..."


    "Maybe I do not want to understand, mother. This is not about you; this is about me. You are a free woman now. Do you think Ryker would have ever done that for you? He is a selfish bastard; he used you to bargain with me."


    "And you think ''He'' wouldn''t do the same if ites to that?" My mother asked, referring Thane. I wanted to deny, but then I remembered the night before, he had told me he bargained with whatever he had, he denied me a release until I made the promise, but those were two different things, right?. My mother continued "Whatever life I lived in the Windborne pack, I would have preferred that; at least I''d know you would be safe, but now... I can''t stop worrying about what he would do to you." 1


    "Safe?, There is nothing like safety, not back in that pack."


    Chapter Fifteen


    "And you think this is safe?"


    "He hadn''t harmed me."


    "Yet. He hadn''t harmed you ''yet'', but he will."


    "I''d rather die than go back to Ryker."


    "He is brainwashing you; this is what they are good at; they make you believe; it would be more painful that way and easier to ruin you," my mother said, shaking in anger, but she wasn''t the only one furious. How could she think would be better off with Ryker? After all, he had done, and she knew everything. "He takes you back with him-tell me he hadn''tin with you already?-now he dresses you up like some slut, and yet you can''t see what he is doing to you. When he is done, you will be broken to the point that even I wouldn''t be able to fix it. Ryker''s damage I could fix, but this....


    "I never needed you to fix me! I don''t need you to do that now either. Did you think I had a choice? Do you think I wanted to be here?"


    "I am your mother, and I know you more than you think. I heard the way you talked about him


    you wanted toe here; you liked the idea."


    "Everything I did, I did for you."


    "I do not want it; I want ''you'' to live, and this... this is not living."


    "You seem to know so much; strange how you do when you spent your whole life in very."

 Chapter Sixteen

    Chapter


    Sixteen


    I wished I could take back the words I had said; it had only been a slip. I had been so angry at her; couldn''t she see the sacrifice I was making? Couldn''t she see that this was our only chance at being free?


    It would only be six months, and then it would be all over, but she didn''t know that.


    "I''m sorry," she says. "You are right; I don''t know what I was thinking. I think I should leave now and go settle in my new space," she says, turning away and heading for the door. "Mom, no, I didn''t mean it. I''m sorry"


    "No. No you''re not, but when he breaks you, don''te running to me, I might not be able to help you.".


    With that, she walks away, and I couldn''t help the shock I felt. My mother was loving and kind; when did she be so cold?


    The answer to that question had everything to do with the nightshade pack, with Thane, and whatever secret my mother held to herself. 1


    Yet I had this strange feeling like I was losing the only person who truly cared for me. The emptiness in her eyes when she said those words would haunt me.


    I walked to the bathroom, sshing some cold water on my face. I stared at myself in the mirror. I did look like I slut; she was right, it was just the dress-this I assured myself, but I know it was more than that. I had sold myself to be used by an Alpha, a dangerous man, and in exchange, he promised me a fortune and my mother''s freedom. What difference was I from a slut?


    I pulled the dress off, tossing it on the bathroom floor. I was not wearing that; damn Thane, I was picking my own clothes.


    There was a knock on the door. I knew it wasn''t Thane; he wouldn''t knock, and I was right.


    It was his beta Axel. There were so many simrities between the beta and Thane.


    Then I remembered thest incident: I had been forced to strip to my underwear, right in front of him. My cheeks reddened at that unpleasant memory. "Luna,"


    "You don''t have to call me that."


    "I might as well get used to it. I was sent by the Alpha..."


    "What a shocker," I muttered, irritated at everything.


    Axel paused, then walked towards me, joining me on the bed.


    1/2


    +25 MONUS


    Chapter Sixteen.


    "This must be very hard for you; huge changes like these takes some time to adjust to."


    "Don''t pretend like you are on my side; we both know which side you are on. I''m ready to go." "Yes, I obey Thane; he is my Alpha after all, but think I like you," he says.


    "My mother thinks Thane is dangerous; she wordles about me," I say, surprised at myself for opening up to a total stranger, maybe I just needed someone to talk to. "She is not exactly wrong to worry about your safety."


    "That''s very helpful, Axel; thanks," I muttered sarcastically, and he chuckled.


    "I was trying to be truthful. But he isn''t all that bad."


    "That''s a lie."


    "I think you are different, but he could be a very intimidating man."


    "Tell me about it."


    "But he is also a control freak, so obeying him might help."


    "And I''ll be punished if I don''t?"


    "Just don''t drive him to the edge."


    "What would he think about you calling him a ''control freak''?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips.


    "Well, I won''t tell him, so who will?" Axel answered with a trace of a smile on his lips. "We are running out of time; you need toe with me. "Where are we going?"


    "I believe Thane must have told you about this already. It''s time to meet his parents."

 Chapter Seventeen

    Chapter Seventeen


    "This was once called the Alpha''s chamber, but Thane never did like the ce," Axel informed me,


    but I couldn''t make up a response, not when the nerves were eating me up.


    I was meeting his ''parents'', the Alpha King and Queen.


    I walked in, but Axel didn''t follow.


    The first person I noticed was ''Thane; he leaned against the wall looking very imposing. They seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation, which quickly ended the moment I arrived. Thane''s eyes assessed me, and I could see the disapproval in his eyes-those eyes that seemed to darken the moment he realized I wasn''t in the blue dress he picked out. I hadn''t imagined it; his eyes did change colour ording to his mood. z


    I gave a low bow, my eyes down. I had seen Ryker''s mother do this before.


    "Rise," the deep, cold voice called out, and I finally dared to stare into the eyes of Alpha de ckwood of the New Blood Pack. Now I knew where Thane got those eyes from, though his father''s were a different shade. Alpha de was huge, almost as tall as Thane, and it was easy to tell that he had been good-looking at his prime. His hair which must have been once ck, now had streaks of grey, he didn''t look any less powerful though.


    I heard that he had been one of the most feared Alphas before his son. Thane, grew to be the best at everything, outdoing even his own father and the only thing keeping Alpha de at the top was the crown on his head-a crown everyone believed rightfully belonged to Thane. Alpha


    de wasn''t a weak man, but his time to rule should have ended a long time ag


    ago.


    The two powerful people could not remain in a pack, not when Alpha de wouldn''t give his Alpha title to his son even when he was of age, and so they had to split, dividing the pack into two. So far, the Nightshade pack had flourished and outperformed the New Blood pack in everything, and that says a lot.


    I rose. My gaze finally moved to the woman, who stoodpletely still, some distance behind de. It was the Werewolf Queen, Freya ckwood. But there was something very wrong, and I could tell that just by staring at her.


    She stood head down as if in submission, a veil shielded her face, she was in a lemon green, long-sleeved dress and matching gloves to cover her hands leaving no skin exposed, her hands were mped together in front of her, and she seemed to fade so easily into the background, I could have easily missed her.


    There were rumours that her true voice had never once been heard, but I hadn''t believed that


    till now.


    "You are my son''s mate?" Alpha de question, scanning me with his eyes, and then there was a small scowl on his face. I could tell he didn''t like me very much.


    "Yes, I am," I answered.


    Chapter Seventeen


    "Why you?"


    "I do not understand your question."


    "You smell of weakness, I can tell. How could you be mated to my son?" he questioned. Walking closer, my eyes drifted to Thane, but he wasn''t looking my way.


    "I don''t know-fate, maybe."


    "Fate, maybe?. What are you?, an Omega?"


    I couldn''t give a response to that. I felt my heart beating faster against my chest. I was doing it all wrong, and I knew it, yet I couldn''t help myself.


    "How am I sure you are his true mate?" His father questioned me, and that caught mepletely unaware. He was more than I had prepared for, more than Thane cared to warn me about. Thane on the other side didn''t look even a bit worried, or maybe he just didn''t


    care.


    "I am Alpha Thane''s mate and the future Luna. This I am sure of," I said, staring at the Alpha in his eyes. He gave a small nod.


    "Excuse me, I want to speak to my son," he said, and I nodded, walking out of the room to give them some privacy, but then I noticed Luna Freya following after me. When Alpha de had said he needed to speak to his son, I hadn''t realised he expected the both of us out-not just me but also his Luna, Thane''s very own mother.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Chapter Eighteen


    I felt Freya''s grip on my arm the moment we were out of sight.


    "Come with me," she says, her voice was raspy and barely audible, almost like she spent so much of her days in silence; she had forgotten how to speak right. I let her lead me into an empty room, and she locked the door.


    My heart pounded. Should I be afraid of her? There was something about her that was indeed different. "Why are we here?" I questioned


    "I want to talk to you," she said, her voice a little bolder now. "There are a few things you need to know about being the Alpha''s mate." She said, and I nodded, ready to do anything to be in her good books. Her mate didn''t seem to like me, maybe things could change if I gave her the right impression.


    She lifted her veil and let it fall over her hair. I held in a gasp. Her face was scarred; that was why she was in a veil, why she had left no skin exposed; she was hiding the scars. I should have suspected this when I saw her standing behind Alpha de, her head down, but of course I didn''t. I expected the Luria Queen to be a fierce wolf, a figure to be looked up to.


    Her face had w marks, marking what must have once been a beautiful face. Her deep green eyes were empty and void; I could almost see the pain in them. There was this strange emotion building up in my chest-pity, That''s what it was. So many questions came into my mind: how was it possible that the Luna Queen had been left to be abused by Alpha de?


    It must have been him; there was no doubt about it, and how did a woman so strong end up like this?


    ''Broken'' that was the word my mother had used earlier. Did anyone know about this? Did Thane know?


    "I recognize that look in your eyes," the woman said. "Not many have seen me unveiled, but the few that did had exactly that same look in their eyes, and I hated it."


    "I''m sorry..."


    "You don''t have to be; you aren''t at fault, nor were you the cause of this. My mate did this to me, not you."


    "How..." I trailed off; I was lost of words.


    "I am alive, I survived, and I will continue to survive, but there are things I had to do to assure that I''ll remain safe. These scars were all due to my carelessness, and he never failed to correct me. The sooner I learned, the better it became for me." "You are his mate; he had no right to treat you this way," I said to her, but those wordsing from me sounded hypocritical. I knew firsthand what mates could do to their partner.


    Chapter Eighteen


    I had been mated to Ryker, and he had hurt me so badly.


    "No. I am not his mate." Freya says, "I am ''his''. When you think of it this way, it is easier to bear the hurt, but when you believe you are entitled to something as a ''mate'' or ''partner'', then it would only get worse." "Thane did nothing?" I asked silently, the question had been on my mind..


    "Alpha Thane is very much like his father. Do you know his father admires him, even though he still views him as a threat. He is the only man who has risen to the level of being considered a threat to the Alpha King."


    My mind never left the words, ''Alpha Thane is very much like his father''. How could Thane let all this happen to his own mother?


    It didn''t make sense; I knew I would rather die than see my mother hurt. But I should have known Thane was different; he was cold and heartless. I knew that before now, yet


    contract.


    I signed the


    "I am not here to question fate; if you were chosen as his mate, then so be it, but this, this you should know. You dare not disrespect him, you dare not talk back to him, worst in public, you dare not expose your private matters to anyone, not even close friends or rtives, you do as


    bear you are told, andstly, if you discover him with another woman, you make no move, you the pain knowing that you failed, and so he has to find satisfaction somewhere else."


    The pity I had felt for the woinan immediately vanished.


    "I am not a toy; I have feelings; there would be mutual respect between the both of us."


    Sheughed; it wasn''t a beautiful sound considering her voice. "You stupid girl. You will learn the hard way then, and I will be sure to remind you..."


    Her words were cut off; she immediately slipped her veil back on someone wasing, and just then the door was pulled open. It had been locked, I was sure Freya locked it. Thane walked into the room, his eyes trailing from his mother and to me.


    "Come," he said to me.


    Chapter Neen


    Chapter Neen

 Chapter Nineteen

    Chapter Neen


    I followed after him, a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach.


    He led me back into our room and shut the door. Inhaled.


    "Things went rough with your mother, right?" He asked, this question I did not expect.


    "She doesn''t like you very


    you very much."


    "That''s understandable," he says. "You know, you did well today-with my father, I mean."


    "I did?"


    "Yes. Though I didn''t miss the fact that you had again disobeyed me, You took off the clothes -was it because of your mother?".


    "Yes... No. I couldn''t walk around looking like a whore."


    He walked closer, and it took everything in me to stand still. His fingers traced the fabric of the brown gown I had chosen-without asking for permission, of course. "You liked being well covered?" He asked


    "Yes"


    "Just like my mother, Freya??


    I think my heart skipped a bit right there. I remembered the scars all over her body, they had been the reason she left no skin uncovered..


    "How could you allow that to happen to her?" I asked, despite myself.


    "I would mind my business if I were you; there is a lot you don''t know."


    "But you are just like him-you are just like your father, aren''t you? A control freak-that''s what you are."


    "Freya told you that I believe."


    "Was she wrong?"


    "I am my father''s son; what do you expect?"


    I should have known, but hearing the words from him was a different feeling.


    Freya hadn''t been exactly nice to me, but the truth was that she had no reason to be. Still. I worried that I had put her in more trouble.


    "What other things did my mother tell you?" he asked.


    "A lot-she told me what to expect from men like you."


    "And does that change anything? I am more than sure that if time were taken back, you would


    Chapter Neen


    still sign the contract, even with the knowledge of what I would do to you."


    ""Unlike her, I wouldn''t let you treat me that way


    "And what will you do?" he asked, his hands circling around my arms. "Fight me?" he questioned, drawing me flush against him.


    "I will not let anyone hurt me again."


    "Yes, you won''t. I want to see you fight me; It''s fun to watch," he says, finally letting me go. Axel will be on his way; he will give you a quick tour around the pack house if you are interested; there will be a party at sundown; and there you will be introduced to all the pack members."


    "You are leaving?" I questioned-I couldn''t deny that a part of me had thought he was going to punish me for going against him.


    "Surprise, right?. I would have loved to do just that-punish you," he says, and I wondered if he could read minds because I was sure I hadn''t said that out loud.


    "But you won''t?"


    "Your healthes first, you just had a miscarriage. I''ll have to wait till I get a clearance from the healers," he says, and had almost muttered the words ''thank you'', but I held it in. Why would I thank him for ''not''punishing me?


    Still, I couldn''t help the gratitude I felt towards him. I was sure Ryker wouldn''t have done the


    same.


    "Won''t you pick out the dress I would wear for the party?" I asked, and a smirk formed on his beautifully shaped lips.


    "That had been another test; of course I didn''t n on selecting the clothes you will have to wear throughout your stay here."


    "I find that hard to believe."


    "Why?" 1


    "As the control freak you are, that wouldn''t be shocking news.


    1


    "I would have enjoyed it too, but I don''t think you will end up wearing anything I picked out for you."


    "And about the test, I imagine I failed?"


    "Woefully so."

 Chapter Twenty

    Chapter Twenty


    Chapter Twenty


    "There had been a reason I wanted you in that dress, Riley; let''s say I wanted my father'' infuriated''."


    "That wouldn''t be a good thing since I was hoping to leave a good impression"


    "You don''t understand; my father has this strange way of thinking, one I don''t share with him; he believes fear is another means of power.


    "And you don''t think so?" I asked, knowing full well that Alpha Thane was feared amongst all regions. Though he had other enviable and equally intimidating achievements capable of giving him same influence, many still ''feared'' him.


    "Is different when you enforce such methods on family too. That''s what he made my mother understand, he wanted her to fear him, tremble in his presence and now she had lost her own voice, he keeps her wrapped up like some mummy, I don''t like that, so letting you wear something so provocative was challenging him in some way"


    "I thought... I.. I''m sorry"


    "Yet, Riley, I am d you fought me for what you wanted."


    "I thought that was against, the rules."


    "It is"


    Just then, there was a knock on the door before Axel walked in.


    "How did it go?" he asked Thane.


    "Just as I expected, the old man is getting crazier these days," Thane replied, and I was. surprised by his words. He was talking about his father, the Alpha King, like he was nothing but a pest. Now I understood what Freya had meant when she said Thane was the only one worthy of being seen as a threat to the Alpha King. Thane simply had no regard for the king, and after seeing what he did to his own mate and the way he stared at me, I couldn''t help the hatred and dislike building in me for the man. "Did you manage to convince him, Luna?" Axel asked me.


    "She did good," Thane answered in my ce. Of course, I couldn''t know if he was saying the truth or just saying that because I was here. I doubt he cared about my feelings, so maybe I did. do well..


    Axel walked closer.


    "Everything had been set... just as you requested" he said


    ad Thane gave a firs


    nod.


    "I want you to give her a tour around this ce, take her somewhere- anywhere" Thane said, as if I wasn''t standing right there before them both.


    Chapter Twenty


    Axel tucked the little piece of my hair which had caped the hair the behind my ear. The touch felt so


    intimate; I had expected a reaction from Thane, but he spoke on as if nothing happened.


    "I have to go to work," Thane exined to me, and I nodded, but deep down I wondered the kind of jobs he would be handling. He was the Alpha Alphas didn''t have to work; they just hard to oversee the pack matters and make alliances, fight? "Are you ready for the tour?" Axel asked me the moment Thane was gone, and that snapped me out of my thoughts. I didn''t really want to go on a tour, not when the pack members were out there watching me like I was a freak. "Is there a library here?"


    "Of course, why?"


    "I... I need to pick up some books to read; that''s if it''s allowed."


    "I wonder who goes to the library in this modern time," he said to himself. "And yes, it is allowed; let''s go."


    "Could we go through the routes that are less crowded?" I questioned


    "That''s why you won''t take a tour? You don''t like the stares?"


    "Yes, I would learn to endure those when I settle in." I lied, and I felt like he saw through the


    lie. 1


    "Of course, there is a private library close by; no one really goes in there," he says.


    "That would be perfect, thank you.".


    "Maybe we can get you something to eat when we return."


    "Yes, of course," I replied. It had been a while since I had eaten, but as werewolves, we didn''t have to eat as constantly as humans did, and being an omega, I was used to being starved.


    Axel hadn''t been kidding when he said, ''No one reallyes here''. The library wasn''t as big as the one we had back in my previous pack, but again, this wasn''t the main pack library. The book here seemed... ancient, the pages brownish.


    "Go ahead, I''ll just sit here doing nothing," Axel said, and I almost felt bad for him; he seemed already bored, and I hadn''t even started. 1


    My hands trailed down the line of ancient history books, and then there was a book that caught my attention; it seemed more recent than the other books. I picked it out of the sheit; there was another book behind it; I took that out too. The book had been titled ''Barbara''s Fantasies''.


    Puzzled, I opened it, my eyes widened, and I snapped it back shut immediately, my


    cheeks


    +25 CONUS


    Chapter Twenty


    reddening. What was a book like ''this'' doing amongst ''history'' books? I wondered. I should leave it behind, but...


    "Riley?" Axel called, "You alright?, you look a bit flushed" he noted


    1


    "Yes, yes, I am done; we may leave." 1 said, holding the book against my chest. I couldn''t risk him discovering the one book I had carefully hidden.


    "So soon? This might be my lucky day."


    Chapter Twenty One


    "What books did you pick?" Axel asked as we headed back to my room.


    "Just some history books," I lled.


    "You are into those?"


    "There wasn''t much to select froin," I lled again.


    "True," he agreed. I was d we moved on from hat topic quickly. "A maid would be here soon with some healthy food. When had been thest time you ate?"


    ""A few days ago."


    "Days?"


    "I am used to it." I paused, deciding if I should tell him. "I was born an omega; I am used to staying days without food."


    "Omegas are to be fed too, just like every other."


    "Not in the Windborne Pack"


    "It would be different here," Axel promised.


    A few minutester, there was a soft knock on the door. It was ''the'' maid, and she came in with a tray in her hands.


    She gave a deep bow, cing the tray on the table before quickly exiting the room.


    "Whatever is in there smells really nice." 1


    "It''s meat balls and mashed potatoes," he said.


    "That seems a bit much, don''t you think?"


    "You''ve not eaten in days; you need as much as you can take in."


    It was a very tasty dish-the best I had eaten in a while. Back at the Windborne pack, I had gotten used to the tastless scraps left for us omegas. It was strange that we did the cooking and yet got the least; it had only gotten better when I was in Ryker good graces. "This is nice," Iplimented.


    "I agree"


    We ate in silence for a while, and Axel broke the silence.


    "Did Thane tell you about the party?"


    "The one at sundown? Yes, he did."


    1/3


    C

 Claim Me 21

    hapter Twenty One


    .


    "Oh. Knowing him, I didn''t think he would have given you a heads-up. I am surprised."


    "It''s just a party," 1 began, but Axel''s questioning gaze gave me pause. "Right?" I questioned, suddenly unsure.


    "It is a party, but no, it is not just that. It is the joining ritual."


    "Joining Ritual?-he hadn''t told me anything about that."


    "I knew it; damn Thane, he didn''t see the need to give you a little heads up at least?."


    "What is the joining ritual, Axel?"


    "Just as the name implies..." He trailed off, as if unsure.


    "What does this ritual imply, Axel?" I questioned him again, pushing him. The nerves built in me, and I knew Axel wasn''t keeping something to himself. "Okay, he would be tparking you."


    "What?"


    "That''s expected of you both as ''mates''." I didn''t miss his emphasis on the word ''mates''.


    "He didn''t tell me a thing about that; he did this on purpose." I turned to stare at Axel. "There is more you aren''t telling me."


    "You are to be marked before the whole pack, and there could be some.. other things involved."


    "What other things, Axel?"


    "He is an Alpha wolf; during the joining, his hormones spike up, and most of the time, the Alpha and his mate are required to be intimate." "Intimate... as in..." I couldn''t say the words.


    "Sex. Yes"


    "Before the whole pack?" I asked, and the blood drained from my face.


    "Yes. But who knows?"


    "Earlier, you told him you were done with the preparations. Had these preparations been a part of this ''ritual''?"


    "Yes. I did think he was going to tell you something, but I had to confirm."


    "I can''t... I can''t do it in front of the whole pack, Axel; I just can''t."


    My eyes teared up, but I held it in. I couldn''t cry, but I couldn''t deny that I was panicking.


    "You have no reason to be ashamed; I think you are beautiful," Axel said, and I couldn''t help but remember the embarrassing moment when I had been forced to undress before him. 1 Chapter Twenty De


    "You had been looking... earlier, when... when he told me... to undress in front of you?"


    "This isn''t the first time this has happened," Axel sald, and though the nerves were eating me out, I was sure going to think about that statement some other time.


    "You need to eat, Riley," Axel said. Of course he liad abandoned the title, not that I minded.


    "I lost my appetite, sorry."


    it helps, I''ll talk to him."


    I looked up to him and said, "You will do that? Why?"


    "You look afraid, but I don''t think you have to worry."


    "Axel?"


    "Yes"


    "Could you not go? - I know you have many things to do, but I need someone to talk to." Gosh I sounded desperate, but I couldn''t bring myself to care.


    "I didn''t n on leaving."


    "Thank you,


    "I said to him, and I honestly meant that. "This is a stupid question, I began.


    "Not surprised," Axel teased.


    I rolled my eyes at him. "I want to know... before me, there had been others."


    "Nosy, now are we?"


    "I just want to know."


    "Yes, there had been ''others''," he answered, and he said no more. As much as I wanted to push him, I knew I wasn''t going to be getting anything out of him. There was this finality in his tone that told me this discussion was over.

 Claim Me 22

    Chapter Twenty Twp


    Chapter Twenty Two


    The day went by in a sh, and soon it was already evening.


    "You should get dressed now; do you need help with that?" Axel asked.


    "No. I know my way around those," I said, picking out a green gown from my wardrobe. Surprisingly, all the clothes here were my size, and that was very... creepy. "The red one"


    "What?"


    "The red one would be better," Axel said, and I picked out the red gown. It was a beautiful piece, and I wondered how much it cost. I imagine it cost a lot. "You are right."


    I didn''t do much with my hair; I was too nervous to even try, but I left it down, brushing through it a couple of times.


    "Thane is here," Axel announced, even before I heard the footsteps. Just then, Thane walked in, and my eyes traveled to him.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?" sneered at him.


    "Tell you what?" he asked, his gaze trailing right back to Axel, who shrugged innocently.


    "You told me I was to attend some party; you never told me it was some joining ritual."


    "You would have found out in the end."


    "You should have told her, bro," Axel chipped in seeming to enjoy this more than he should.


    "Which side are you on?" Thane wondered aloud


    "I''m just stating facts. I''ll be outside if you need me," Axel said before walking out.


    Thane was silent for a while, and then he looked up at me. "It''s no big deal..."


    I cut him off, knowing fully well that that irritated him. "It''s no big deal! We never talked about


    you marking me this so soon. How is it no big deal?" and worst in front of the pack, and then the... other things?"


    I hated the blush that formed on my cheeks.


    "I told you, I would mark you if it came to that, and as you can see, it finally came to that."


    "You should have told me it was happening the next freaking day; maybe that way I would have been prepared."


    "You won''t be as prepared as you are right now," he says, and though that was true, I wouldn''t say it out loud. "Why does the idea of being ''marked'' scare you?" he questioned.


    Chapter Twenty Two


    "You know why; stronger bonds are formed between mates after the "Joining","


    "But we are not mates, remember?, and It''s rare for any kind of bond to be formed, so if this is your worry, you should be rest assured."


    "That''s not the only worry. I can''t do ''it'' before everyone."


    It only took a second for Thane to piece it all together.


    "Sex? I told you, I wouldn''t touch you, not till I had confirmed from the healer that you were ready."


    "Axel said there is always a rise in your hormones; what if you can''t control it?"


    To that, he gave no response.


    "I see you are fully dressed. It''s time to officially meet the pack."


    The hall was already buzzing with activity by the time we arrived. The song was a soft, beautiful melody, and partners paired up, dancing in rhythm. I might have seen the beauty of it, if not for the nerves I felt. Thane led me into the hall, and many paused to watch, their stares burning into me. Axel followed, a short distance behind us. There were two huge chairs, something I would envision being made for a king and queen, sitting in the middle of the hall. Transparent curtains had been ced around the spot, with an opening letting us oversee all the ongoing activities.


    Thane led me up the few steps, and then he took his seat, and I took mine beside him. The cheers grew louder.


    Axel walked forward.


    "We introduce Luna Riley Kaidon to you all; she would be a part of us; any form of disrespect against her would be an insult to the Alpha, her mate, and to the pack as a whole. Let the mating process begin," Axel announced. If I didn''t know better, I would believe he was unaware of the truth-the truth that I wasn''t the Alpha''s true mate. He had spoken with so much confidence.


    The pack members cheered, this time louder.


    In the crowd, far from every other person, I could spot the Alpha King, de. He had a small frown on his face, and I imagine he wasn''t at all pleased to be here. Freya stood a few feet behind him; she was in gold this time-her dress, her veil, the gloves-everything was in the color gold. Her attention snapped to me once, as if she could sense me looking at her, and just as quickly, she looked away.


    I looked through the faces of the people, and while some cheered, I noticed a few who stood very still, and among them was my mother. Her eyes stared up at me, cold, and then she looked away, disappearing into the crowd.

 Claim Me 23

    Chapter Twenty Three


    Thane rose, and by his signal, I rose too. He took my hands. I knew it was all an act; I should be trying harder; we had the whole pack to convince now, but I couldn''t help but think about ''the marking''. The fact that everyone here would watch us. How was this normal? Thane drew me closer to him. "Don''t fight me," he whispers, low enough that only I could hear him, and then his lips met mine. The kiss was gentle at first and then demanding; he consumed me, and all I had to do was y along, even if my eyes teared at the knowledge that he would be doing this here, right now. Maybe I could just close my eyes and pretend it was just the both of us. That wouldn''t be hard, right?


    His lips finally left mine, and I was sure my lips were swollen and my cheeks flushed.


    "My mate would be marked and imed tonight he announced, and the whole crowd erupted. I watched the faces of the people waiting to see me naked. "But it would be done in private," he says, and the apuse died down.


    I couldn''t help but feel the relief that clouded me ''Private''-none of them would see. The unease I was feeling had started to dissipate. I didn''t know what convinced Thane to do this; maybe it was Axel, or maybe he did mean what he had said earlier.


    "But this is the tradition," a voice from the crowd called out, and Thane nodded, his eyes staring intently at someone Following his gaze, I noticed he was staring at his father. "It is a stupid tradition that should have died a long time ago; my mate here is notfortable with such a tradition, and neither am I," he finished. I did see the slight flinch from Alpha de; even if he tried to hide it, he hated this, and I realized what Thane was doing; he hadn''t


    he had done this just to annoy his father even stopped this because of myfort or his; no, he had done this just to


    more.


    The music continued and the crowd returned to their dance.


    "I might not mark you before the eyes of all these people, but they do expect to see a mark on you by the morning. Come with me."


    I didn''t mind obeying; I followed silently as he led me back to our room. Whatever the cause had been that had given him a change of heart, I was still grateful.


    "You were right," Thane said when we were in the room. "I might not be able to control myself, and that''s why I need someone here, someone to stop me if I go too far-more than you can take.".


    I had noticed his careful choice of words. Just then, Axel walked in. He was going to watch us. I nodded.


    The red dress exposed my shoulders, and now I wondered if that had been one of the reasons Axel chose it.


    I moved closer. This was all part of the deal; this was expected of me, and I could understand


    Chapter Twenty Three


    that.


    Thane moved my hair to the side, baring my neck. He inhaled, his hands trailing on my skin, sending sparks through my body.


    "You ready?" he asked, and I nodded. "This would hurt," he warns, but I already knew that.


    "I know. I am ready."


    He leaned into me. I felt the graze of his sharp canine against my skin, and it raised feelings in me, something deep, settling at my core.


    Then his canine dug in, and all I felt was pain-hot, white, blinding pain. The pain didn''t fade away quickly as I expected, I felt his sink deeper, and finally he was out, but his eyes-those amber eyes-were darker. I noticed the change in them, the want in them. I could feel his firmness settling between my legs.


    In a second, he ripped off my clothes. I should be worried, but I wasn''t, I wasn''t rmed, he mmed me against the wall, his finger slipping into my panties to my already wet core, i felt his movement down there and I moaned out, his fingers dug into me, three of them at a go and I gasp as he filled me up pulling in and out, fast and hard, I rocked against his hands, holding onto him, he kissed my lips, bitting at my ear, I groaned, rocking my hips faster, the moans came out louder, I couldn''t seem to care who else was in the room, but then Thane was taking off his clothes too.

 Claim Me 24

    Chapter Twenty Four


    Chapter Twenty Four


    Axel was there almost immediately. "Thane" he called out, but the Alpha was far gone and I was aplete wreck, one thing was sure, I wouldn''t have stopped him. "Listen to me Thane, you don''t want her hurt, remember?"


    Slowly Thane''s eyes returned back to their normal colour, he stared at the mark he gave me, it still stung, but my mind was too clouded.


    "I''m sorry" he says and with that he walks away, leaving the room.


    It took only a few minutes to gather myself and realise that Axel had seen ''everything''. I couldn''t look him in the eyes, even as he brought a robe for me helping me into it. "Thank you" I said to him, avoiding eye contact.


    "You didn''t seem to want him to stop though" Axel said and was of course very much true, I hadn''t wanted him to stop, damn I would have let him fuck me right in front of Axel. I had no response to that.


    "Thane''s father seemed rather unpleased at the fact that he was breaking the tradition" I said, trying my best to act like this'' was nothing, but of course it wasn''t.


    "Alpha de needs to be reminded that he is no longer an Alpha here and some things need to change. But that wasn''t Tharte''s only reason for doing that."


    "It wasn''t?" I questioned, confused.


    "No. Did you really think he would let the whole pack see you- naked?" Axel questioned. Of course Thane could do such thing, Axel had seen me naked. He had also included a simr statement in the contract; that he would be satisfied wherever/whenever the need arise, so this wouldn''t be much of a shocker.


    "You''ve seen me naked. Twice," I added, still avoiding his eyes.


    that why you''re avoiding eye contact with me?" he asked and though I wasn''t looking, I knew there would be a smile on his face.


    "No" I said looking up to him, "I''m making eye contact now" I added, but the reddening of my cheeks betrayed my very words..


    "You are shy?"


    "No, I am not," I lied.


    "The bond between I and Thane is different and stronger than anything you''ll ever imagine."


    "I don''t understand."


    "We are linked; the bond is a little simr to the mate bond, but not quite it. I can feel hist emotions. I feel his desires; that''s how I knew he wasn''t just bypassing the tradition to anger Chapter Twenty Four


    his father."


    "That''s very strange; I had never heard or seen anything like that."


    "No, you haven''t," Axel agreed.


    "Where is Thane now?" I asked


    "Do yourself this favour; don''t worry about him tonight."


    Axel had to go and I could understand that. But I couldn''t help but wonder what his statement meant. I kept remembering Freya''s words, "...if you discover him with another woman, you make no move, you bear the pain knowing that you failed, and so he has to find satisfaction somewhere else"


    Could Thane be away, seeking satisfaction from another woman since I hadn''t satisfied him?


    I remembered the feel of his fingers in me, going in and out... what if he did more, what if Axel hadn''t stopped him, what would it feel like?


    I picked up


    the book titled ''Barbara''s Fantasies'', the one I had found in the library. I had hidden it beneath the bed, hoping that it would never be discovered. I opened the book. It was like some kind of Diary- belonging to a woman named Barbara, but instead of recording memories, goals and events, she wrote about every single man she had ever been with- the intimate things they did together, though she never mentioned their name, only using nicknames like ''The guy next door'', ''the motorcycle guy''.


    ''I had heard so much about what the blonde man was about to do to me, I anticipated it, even as he took off my clothes- he did very slowly, the anticipation was good, I liked being on the edge and He always kept me on an edge, maybe that''s why I kept him around a little longer than ''the others''. When his mouth was finally there, oh, I felt sparks, everywhere, my whole body seemed toe alive, he sucked, he nibbled, he did things to me... I felt things, things I never thought possible, truly no description can tell the amount of satisfaction He gave me and when he was done, he drank from me, everyst drop..."

 Claim Me 25

    Chapter Twenty Five


    I had spent the whole night reading through the pages of the very lengthy diary belonging to thedy named Barbara.


    Thane hadn''t returned to our room that night. The morning came too soon.


    I was happy to see Axel though.


    "How was your night?, you don''t seem well rested"


    "I... I had been upied."


    He gave me a questioning look. "Are you still worrying about Thane''s whereabouts? I told your not to."


    "I wasn''t," I said, but that was partly a lie; I had been worried over where he was right before I pulled out the book ''Barbara''s fantasies- that had kept me very much awake. "Let''s go somewhere."


    "Where?"


    "Anywhere, or maybe a run in the woods," he suggested.


    I still felt very self-conscious when being stared at like I was a piece on disy, but he was right; I had to leave this ce.


    "Okay, I''ll go change," I said.


    I sshed some cold water on my face. I put on some ck leggings and a matching tank top, knowing full well that Thane wouldn''t approve of this. I felt toozy to do anything to my hair, so I held it up in a loose bun. I went through the rows of shoes, picking out a pair of ck sneakers to match my outfit and I was finally ready to go.


    "How do I look?" I asked Axel. 1


    He gave me another questioning look; of course, this wasn''t what a ''Luna'' was expected to wear, but I was going for a run, and I couldn''t exactly wear a dress. "Good enough," he responded.


    Axel led me out of my room. I followed him down the hallways, noticing that pack members didn''t frequent the foyer closer to I and Thane''s room, but soon I could spot the members, and they gave slight bows, but I still noticed a few looking and watching, they didn''t look away when our eyes met.


    I was d when we exited the pack house.


    "What are they doing?" I asked, referring to the members who had been lined up, they were only a short distance away.


    Chapter Twenty Fire


    "Training," Axel answered.


    "But it''s so early" I wondered aloud.


    "Everyone eligible in the pack is expected to train at least twice a week, but this are the pack soldiers and they are to train daily" Axel exined.


    "Can I get a closer look?"


    "I don''t know if you would like what you see" Axel said staring into the distance.


    "I would love to see the pack soldiers train, please" I added.


    "Let''s go then" Axel said leading me towards the training grounds.


    The soldiers were all their uniform; A ck attire with the Nightshade logo at the side. They looked... intimidating dressed like that. Back in our pack, the uniform for the soldiers was a mix of ck and brown but nothing as beautifully designed as this.


    I spotted a female, she seemed to be one of the trainers, she was tall, around ''five foot eight'' with dark blue hair-that must have been dyed, but I couldn''t deny the fact that it did sooth her. Her movement were quick and slick, she faced one of the men, he was more muscled than she and also an inch or two taller, but she didn''t seem bothered by that.


    just as she did the other before him.


    The fight started, and she took him down,


    She instructed the others and they paired up engaging their partners in battle, many of which followed her technique.


    There was someone there I hadn''t noticed, and I wondered how that was even possible. Thane stood there, watching the soldiers, his attention undivided. He looked every bit dangerous, and I couldn''t imagine this was the man I slept in the same room with, the man that touched me in ces...


    The blue-haired girl walked towards him, they exchanged words, I didn''t miss how close they were; she rested her head against his shoulder. I had expected some kind of emotion from him -how dare she?-but the only sign from him was the smirk on his lips. "Who is she?" I questioned.


    "That''s Beatrix, amander and general," Axel answered.


    "She seems quite young," I say, thinking about the generals back in our pack; they had all been elderly.


    "Here, age doesn''t matter; you fight for your position."


    "And she fought for hers?"


    "How else would she have attained such a position?"


    "Who is she to Thane?" I asked; they didn''t look alike, but maybe she was a rtive, given


    Chapter Twenty Five


    how close she seemed to be to him. Axel took a while to respond.


    "She is a close friend to him," he said, and I nodded.


    Axel had warned me that I might not like what I saw when I got here, and I wondered why he would say that, but he knew-he knew the both of them were here-and I didn''t need to be a genius to know that she had been the one Thane spent his night with.


    C

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    hapter Twenty Six


    There was this strange emotion in me. I couldn''t let Axel know, so I did my best to think of everything but that Thane had spent the night with Beatrix, leaving me in my room all alone. I hated it. I had admired the girl when I first saw lier, but now, I felt the dislike brewing in


    me.


    "Are you okay?" Axel asked as we headed on our way to the woods.


    "Yes" I lied.


    "You aren''t. You are jealous."


    "You feel like you know everything, but you don"


    "I don''t know everything, but that I know"


    "I should have expected that, it shouldn''t surprise me, I hadn''t ''satisfied'' him, so perhaps he got that elsewhere"


    "Don''t me it on yourself, is not your fault"


    I nodded, shoving away that memory.


    "How far are we going?'' I asked when we arrived in the woods.


    "Far enough"


    "Axel" "Yes?"


    "You do know I can''t transform into my wolf form as often as you can, right?" I questioned. I wondered how I forgot to tell him this earlier- maybe I assumed that he would know. As omegas, we have weaker connections with our wolves, and transforming to our wolf form doesn''te as easily as it did to the others. I had only transformed into my wolf form three times in my entire life, the first when I was of age and it had been so painful, the second time after the meditation lessons I took, and the third. I couldn''t remember what triggered it, but I remembered being so angry at everything-at life for making me this way, at the moon goddess, at my mother, and at the whole pack.


    But a


    after that, there had been no more, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how became:


    angry I


    "I know that. You won''t be shifting; I''ll be your ride." Axel.


    He took off his shirt and then his pants next; he was only in his boxers. I had been watching him all this time. I couldn''t help but notice how veryparable he was with Thane. I blushed.


    "Sorry, I said, looking away.


    "I don''t mind."


    He must have taken off thest plece of clothing


    I peeped.


    He was naked. Oh my.....


    He caught me looking, and he chuckled at that he shifted into his wolf form.


    The sound of his bones transforming was scary in some way, but finally there was silence. His wolf nudged me, and I turned. That must be one of the biggest wolves I had ever seen; his fur was brown and beautiful. I ran my hands through it, wondering how it would feel to have my wolf so close that I could transform whenever I chose to.


    Axel went low, and I carefully climbed on, holding onto anything I couldy my hands on. He waited for me to getfortable before he zipped into the forest. I felt the cool air against my face; my hair fell free of thezy bun, spilling down my back, it truly was beautiful. Axel stopped abruptly, heading back. I was about to ask what was wrong, but then I remembered he couldn''t answer that in his wolf form. We stopped at the same position where Axel had abandoned his clothes; he went low enough for me to climb down, and then he transformed back into his human form, naked again.


    "My attention is needed," he exined to me as he put on his clothes, and I, on the other hand, was trying so hard to look at any other ce, but at him, I slipped a few times and if he noticed that he said nothing.


    I was back in my room. Alone. I missed Axelpany-anypany-and I missed my mother. I was going to go check on her, despite myself. I did hurt her, but what puzzled me was the coldness in her eyes. Even at the joining ritual, she had been there, but the longer she stayed in this pack, the more of a stranger she became.


    The door to our room was pulled open as Thane walked in.


    "I heard you had some fun with Axel?"


    "I heard you had some fun with


    "Why do you think that?"


    Beatrix." I said, and that gave him a pause.


    "It''s easy. I was at the training ground; she seemed very touchy," I said.


    "Jealous? You shouldn''t be."


    ''Never, I wasn''t jealous, but as I am expected to keep to our contract, I thought you would have some restraints too; it just doesn''t feel fair."


    "What I do is none of your business, Riley."


    Chapter Twenty


    "But then you say I am your business? It doesn''t work like that, Thane."

 Claim Me 27

    +23 BONUS


    Chapter Twenty Seven


    "I make the rules, not you, and who I fuck is not your business. I''ll have you if I want you, and if you want me, all you have to do is tell me. But you weren''t avable."


    "So you took a quick option?"


    "Riley, you seem to have forgotten you are not my true mate; the only thing binding us is the contract. What I do doesn''t hurt you physically. We can pretend to be so much in love before others, but outside that, nothing." "Well, you aren''t good at pretending, seeing how close you are to this Beatrix."


    "I can be with whoever I want to be with."


    "Then how would you feel if I fucked Axel? Would you like that?"


    "I would not hold you back, Riley; you are free to be with whomever you want, and this contract doesn''t tie you to me, just as long as I approve of said person."


    "Do you approve of Axel, then?"


    "Yes, I do, but the only condition is that I will watch you while you fuck him. That would be a turn-on," he said, a smirk ying on his lips.


    Was he being serious?, I had only been trying to annoy him, but of course I knew this had to be some kind of test or prank; he was good at that. "You really are twisted," I muttered.


    "Yes, that I can agree to."


    "You know your mother was right; you are just like your father." I said, and if I wanted to anger him, I had just sessfully done that. The smirk on his face was gone.


    "I am nothing like my father." He says, and his voice was cold,. I shouldn''t push him on; it was dangerous, but what was the worst he could do to me?


    "You only say that, but your actions don''t prove it. Your mother knows you more than anybody, and she had said the same; she said, Deep down, your father is proud to have a son like you, even if he sees you as an opponent." "She speaks nonsense.


    "I wouldn''t agree to that." I trailed off when he came closer.


    "Do you want me to show you what my father would do if a woman like you talked to him the way you just did to me? Do you want to know what he would do if he had you in his possession?" Thane questioned, and every part of me knew that if I pushed this even a little bit further, he was going to do just that. The look he gave me..., those darkened eyes, promising cruelty,


    I felt a cold shiver. I remembered the scars on Freya''s face-the w marks that she would


    Chapter Twenty Seven


    spend her whole life with.


    "No. Please don''t. I''m sorry."


    He nodded. "You don''t like me with her."


    "Do I have a say in that?"


    "That''s not an answer to my question."


    "No, I don''t. I don''t like the way she touches you too. What would the pack members think if you had a mate yet kept her so close?" I say, unwilling to admit the truth, that I was jealous, because no one expected a man with a reputation as he did to be faithful. "Then I won''t go to her when in need, but you know what that means?" He asked, his eyes trailing down my body.


    "What?" I dare question.


    "It means I would have you anytime I feel the need, and I am not easily satisfied, nor am I gentle. Can you take that, Riley?" he asked, staring intently at me. I reddened instantly, my thoughts travelling to the book ''Barbara''s Fantasies''. I had read stories of the men who were rough'', and I felt a certain rush when reading those steamy passages. 1


    I nodded at Thane, and the smirk on his lips spread into a smile. "I knew you weren''t very innocent after all," he said, and I heated up, embarrassed at everything. Maybe the ground could do me the favor of opening up and swallowing me. I had just agreed to whatsoever he had in mind. "I''ll be backte. "Axel would also be busy; I never intended to leave you all on your own."


    "I''ll be fine." I managed to say, ''At least I had ''Barbara''s fantasies'' to keep me upied.

 Claim Me 28

    Chapter Twenty Eight


    Chapter Twenty Eight


    ''I''ve heard rumors about being intimate with more than one man-I never thought it possible, but I''ve always wanted to try. Would it hurt? Would it be a better addition to my list of fantasies?


    When the ''wealthy guy'' called for me, I had met him in his room like every other day, but he was not alone; there was another guy, ''the younger guy'' with him. We chatted and weughed, but I didn''t n to tarry long. So I headed into the bathroom, took off my clothes, and returned naked. Two pairs of eyes were on me, and I wondered what it would be like to be loved by two men. Iy on the couch, knowing they woulde to me, and they did, both undressed. I had never felt a desire so strong; I wanted a ... threesome, none of them would be left out. I was going to have them both, and they were going to own me..."


    Threesome. Never had I heard of the term; how was it possible?


    That had been the thought on my mind when I slept off.


    I woke with a start, feeling disoriented; it wasn''t evening yet; I had invested my night sleep into reading ''Barbara''s Fantasies'' and it had left me tired. There was someone else in the room, Thane, and he stood on the balcony. I had been sleeping so deeply that I hadn''t realized when he walked in. "Thane?" I called out. 2


    "Riley," he answered, still not looking at me. After what felt like forever, he walked towards me, sitting on the bed. "Can you remember the contract you signed?" he asked.


    I gave him a puzzled look before nodding.


    "There was a statement: "...The contractor will not hesitate to let the contractee know when she needs her sexual desires fulfilled. Do you remember that?".


    I nodded. "Yes".


    How could I forget?


    He picked up a book; it had been on the table.


    I had slept off while reading it; it must have been on the bed, or maybe fallen to the ground but I was sure I hadn''t kept ''Barbara''s fantasies'' on the table. That could only mean one thing. He knew.


    "You know, I really like enjoyed reading this passage," he said, scrolling through the pages of the book and finally stopping. "Would you like me to reading it to you?" he questioned..


    "No," I gasped, my face reddening. Of course he didn''t listen; the smile stretched on his face as he read.


    "Today, I satisfied yet another curiosity that had been building in me. I wanted to be filled down there; I wanted more."


    "Stop, Thane," I begged, but he read on, the simile on his face widening."


    "I wanted to be ''fisted'' by the ''ck hair'' guy; I wanted more than just his fingers. He readied me, his lips sucking greedily against my..."


    "Please, Thane, stop." I pleaded again, my eyes wide. I had read that part. I knew what


    amed after it.


    "Such an interesting book you have here; where did you get it?"


    If only the ground could swallow me up.


    "I took it from the library." I answered, there was no need to lie, he would know if I did,


    "I thought you only picked some ''history'' books?" he questioned.


    Axel must have told him about our visit to the library.


    "I lied to him, okay?"


    "I can''t deny it; I like this other part of you. Now take off


    "What?" your


    clothes."


    "We made a deal, didn''t we? I think it is time to satisfy you, just as I promised to do, and before you deny it, I can smell your need." "But...


    31


    "No, don''t say a thing. Either you take them off, or I do, and I am very capable"


    I had never felt this embarrassed in my whole life. I cursed the day I picked up the wretched diary.


    "I won''t take them off in front of you," I said foolishly. The glint in Thane''s eyes told me he liked my option.


    11 1


    "Very well then," he whispered.


    He picked me up like I weighed nothing, turning me over. He ripped off my clothes, starting from my tank top to my underwear.


    I felt a sharp pain in my buttocks.


    "Did


    you just spank me?"


    "Yes, I did. Nowy down," he orders. And it takes everything in me to face him, nude. I


    Chapter Twenty Light


    wouldn''t dare look into his eyes. "Look at me."


    Could he read thoughts?


    My eyes travelled to meet his, and I noticed something different: they were dark, very dark, and this man looked every inch scary.

 Claim Me 29

    Chapter Twenty Nine


    "I won''t bind your hands this time, but you have to stay still," he says, and I could only manage to respond with a nod.


    He kissed my lips; this time it was soft, his palm was very low down my abdomen, and a slight movement caused the heat to build up. I let out a small moan, which was silenced by his kiss. Noticing that, he adjusted, his palm no longer having physical contact with my skin.


    He kissed down my jaw and then my ears, nibbling gently on my ears, and then he kissed me down my cor bones. His lips against my bare skin caused a strange kind of spark, dampening my core.


    His palm massaged my breasts, and I let out another moan as he sucked at my very sensitive nipple, his canine grazing into it only slightly. He repeated this action to the other, and I had already begun writhing under him, in need of more friction between our lower parts; he wouldn''t give that just yet. His kisses trailed lower, between my breasts and my abdomen. I froze.


    "What are you doing?" I questioned, the panic rising in me.


    "Stay still," he ordered, his voice raw.


    I had read about this in ''Barbara''s fantasies''. She had exined what a certain man did to her with his tongue down there.


    I felt self-conscious again.


    "No, you don''t..." I began to push my way up, but his firm grip held me down easily.


    He went lower, his kiss trailing downward, and then I felt him against my clit. My eyes widened as a moan escaped my lips.


    "This is something I have always wanted to do," he said, and with that, he dived into me, hist tongue exploring. My moans were all that could be heard. I had screamed out his name over and over again, but he wouldn''t stop the beautiful torture, and then his tongue slid into me.


    My hand reached down for him, and they tangled into his deep brown hair. As I rocked my hips against his mouth, a deep sound rumbled from his chest. I could feel myself building up faster.


    "Thane!" I cried out.


    "Let it out," he ordered. His mouth never left, and I shook as I cummed hard. He drank everyst drop, and I... I had never felt a pleasure so intense or a desire so dark bloom in me.


    "Fuck it," he said as he ripped off his clothes. My eyes widened staring at him; he was muscled, his body was just as intimidating as every other thing about him, he was perfection, and his eyes found me. #


    Chapter Twenty Ni


    I watched him; there was a bulge in his pants, and I gasped, realizing why. He quickly took it off, along with his brief, and I saw him for the first time. He was huge down there.


    I had always been curious, and now my curiosity has been more than satisfied. He joined me on the bed.


    "Stay still"


    "Thane 1..."


    But he was already in me, hard, filling me up, and I let out a silent cry. He moved now, mming into me again, and this time there was pleasure along with the pain.


    My hands fisted into the bed sheet. He moved again,ing almost all the way out before mming into me again, and there was no longer a pace. He was fast, faster than I ever thought possible, I couldn''t match his pace and all I could do was hold onto him, my fingers digging into his skin, hard enough to draw blood, but he didn''t even seem to notice. a growl. It was scary and beautiful. The pain and pleasure were a beautiful mix, and I had finally understood Barbara''s obsession.


    He let out


    The moan escaped my lips again as I felt him pound against a spot, one that caused a shiver to run down me.


    He widened my legs for more leverage. He went deeper this time, and I built up, panting hard, and I let it go, taking him with me. His cum a warmness to my core.


    If I thought this was over, I was very wrong.


    He turned me over.


    "I had always wanted a good view of your ass," he says, and I turn back to stare at him. That resulted in yet another spank. I reached out to rob against the sore spot, but he held me firm, and he was in me with yet another sharp thrust. He hadn''t given me time to settle in, and he pounded into me from behind, supporting my weight with his hands, knowing I couldn''t hold myself up.


    "You wille again," he says, and it sounds like amand, I didn''t think I could, but His voice... I hadn''t expected it to turn me on, but it did. He drove into me again and again, his palm reaching for my clit, and he rubbed against it. 1


    I moaned, unable to stay still, not with his fingers touching me and also his length driving into me. I couldn''t take more, and I cummed, taking him with me. I slumped into his hands, totally spent.

 Claim Me 30

    Chapter


    Thirty


    I woke up with a smile on my face. I didn''t know how long I had slept, but I hadn''t felt this rested since I came here. I was alone on the bed; ''s not like I expected him to stay.


    I couldn''t help but remember everything that had happenedst night, and my lower kind of numb. I tried standing up.


    That was a big mistake. Iy back down.


    "You shouldn''t try that." The voice called. I hadn''t noticed Axel on the cushion.


    "How long have you been here?"


    part felt


    "A couple of hours," he says, and I didn''t miss the fact that I was naked, with a lot of evidence of what I had just done with Thane. "You look totally fucked," hemented with a smirk, and I turned red. He did have a hidden ability to embarrass me. I pulled up the covers in an attempt to cover my nudity.


    "I''m not trying to humiliate you, Riley, but there''s literally no part of you I haven''t seen yet."


    "I think you and Thane are freaks," I say, and I do mean it, but I abandoned the covers. He was right, though. "Where is he?"


    "He''s gone. I think he feels guilty, and that is very strange."


    "Why?"


    "He did hurt you, and that''s why he called for me to stay here with you for a while."


    "How did you know that?, he told you?"


    "I did tell you about the bond I share with him. I can feel his emotions."


    "And


    you think he feels guilty?"


    "I don''t think; I know."


    Something went through my mind. "You could feel every one of his emotions?" I questioned


    "The stronger ones are easier to catch."


    "Like..."


    "I feel his happiness, his wants, his desires." Axel exined


    ""You felt itst night."


    "Yes," he answered, his eyes staring at me intently. I had remembered when he told me not to worry about Thane''s whereabouts; Thane had been with Beatrix then. I did wonder how he knew that; I thought it had only been a suspicion but now I knew while; he felt it; even as he tarried with me, seeming indifferent, he knew.


    Chapter Thirty


    A very random memory shed through my mind. I also recurred that night, after Thane had marked me, he had lost control, almost taking me there, but Axel stopped It, and before he left, he had said the words, ''I''m sorry'', It hadn''t urred to me that he might be apologizing for what he was about to do with Beatrix.


    Maybe it was my mind making up things; Thane could never apologize for such a thing; he had said it to me; who he fucked was none of my business, but he had promised to end it. I wondered if I had been good enough. I was no pro; I was no expert as he certainly was, and I believed Beatrix might be more skilled.


    "How did it feelst night?"


    "That might have been one of the best he ever had at least for as long as I could remember," Axel answered. He wasn''t just saying that for my benefit. But I felt the same; even through the pain, that had also been one of the best sex I had ever had.


    "I need to take a very long bath."


    "I will go draw a bathe for you," he said before disappearing into the bathroom.


    He returned a few minutester.


    "What are you doing?" I asked when he came closer.


    "Still afraid?; I can''t harm you."


    "I know that."


    "Do you really?. I doubt you can stand or walk; I''ll have to carry you all the way there," he exined.


    The thought of my naked skin against his body sent chills through me.


    I nodded. He lifted me, like I weighed nothing, his hand resting around my back and the other below my... uhmm... ass. He took me into the bathroom and ced me gently in the warm water. The temperature was just perfect. "Thanks," I mutter, looking away. But, of course, he wasn''t done. He was going to bathe me.


    I had thought Thane was kidding when he said it was alright for me to be with Axel, only with the single condition that he would watch us, but now I wonder if he hadn''t actually been kidding when he said that.


    Axel did bathe me, careful not to go anywhere down there, but his hands had gone over my cleavages a few times, and soon it was over. He prepared a robe for me before helping me out of the tub. I felt a lot better now. While Thane and Axel were simr, Axel seemed to be the kindest of the pair, while Thane just couldn''t care less about anything going on around him, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t very observant.


    Chapter Thirty


    I wondered if I could refer to Axel as a friend.

 Claim Me 31

    Chapter Thirty One


    Chapter


    Thirty One


    Thane returnedte. He paused at the door, his eyes trailing down me.


    "You are hurt, aren''t you?" he questioned


    "No," I lied, but one look at him told me he saw through that, "yes," I admitted.


    "I''m sorry," he apologized, but there was no promise that he would go gentle next time. He had warned me, just so I could prepare myself. Yes, it was more than I could ever prepare for, but at least I knew what I was getting myself into. "I liked it a lot," I say to him, and his eyes brighten up.


    "You did?"


    "Yes, I thought you could tell."


    "You are a mystery, Riley," he says, and I couldn''t agree to that; he was the mysterious one, and I, on the other hand, was nothing but an open book.


    "Axel did take good care of me," I said, gorging his expression.


    There was nothing but a smirk on his face. "Of course he did," and that confirmed a lot.


    Thane was in his briefs now, and I couldn''t help but marvel at his size. I looked away quickly; I couldn''t bear any more awkwardness.


    "You could look as long as you want; this is all yours for now," he says. Of course, he caught me checking him out. Why did I always have to put myself in such positions?


    He settled on the couch, and I realized he was about to sleep there, leaving me to the bed.


    "Thane?"


    "Riley"


    "Could youy down with me here on the bed?"


    "You want that?" he asked, and I nodded before realizing he wasn''t facing me.


    "Yes," I said out loud.


    "What if I couldn''t keep my hands to myself?" he taunted.


    "You can," I say, but a part of me still wanted his hands all over me. Maybe it was his influence already affecting me, but I wanted more.


    It took a few days for the pain to subside. I could walk on my own.


    Chapter Thirty One


    Axel had been busytely, and I did miss his presence, so I was more than excited when he walked in.


    "You seem happy to see me. That''s a good thing, right?"


    I stood, running into his arms and hugging him; he stood still for a while before returning the gesture.


    What the hell was wrong with me? It had only been a few days since I saw himst.


    "Sorry, I did miss you."


    "That''s alright. So can you exin what the excitement is about?"


    "I was hoping you could be my... escort; I have somewhere to be right now.''


    "May I know where this ce is, that you seem so excited about visiting?"


    "I have to see my mother."


    My mother worked as the Resource Manager in the pack. Axel had informed me it was a less stressful job, and I couldn''t wait to see her. My heart mmed in anticipation. We stopped before a room; I didn''t miss how distant it was from the room that belonged to Thane and me. I didn''t think I would ever be able to navigate through the pack house, there were just too many rooms and halls. 1


    "This is her space," Axel informed me. I couldn''t respond; I felt too nervous, and that was very strange considering she was my own mother. Axel knocked on the door once, and after a while, the door was pulled open. Standing before me was my mother. The smile I always recognized on her face was gone. I couldn''t reconcile the woman I knew a few weeks ago with the one standing before me now.


    "I think I should leave," Axel said to me.


    "No, stay"


    "He goes," my mother says, and I turn to stare at her. "I am not letting you in if you want him in here with us," she says, and her tune again surprises me. "Mother..."


    "Is it fine, Riley?, I''ll go. Wait for me here when you are done; I''ll be back soon," Axel said, and before I disagreed, he was already on his way Today''s Bonus Offer


    X

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    Chapter Thirty Two


    I had wanted Axel there with me, and it was strange that I''d seekfort from a man I had only met, just to face my own mother. I walked into her room, and she shut the door.


    I gasped. The room was beautiful. It was almost as wide as our own room.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" She asked, pouring a ss of juice into two ss cups. She passed me one.


    "Thank you, and yes, this is a lovely space."


    "You know what I hear? This was one of the previous Luna''s rooms. And my pay is way more than a person even in my position should earn."


    "I am happy to see you are being treated well." I said genuinely.


    My mother scoffed. "I think it''s weird, all the things he does... Alpha Thane would never do anything if he wasn''t getting something in return.''


    "So what are you trying to say, mother? You are the mother to the Luna of this pack; how is this questionable?"


    "I know you more than you think, daughter. He wouldn''t have taken you if he didn''t have something to get in exchange."


    "Because I am weak? Because I am an omega?" I said, and my eyes blurred.


    "This is the reality you seem to ignore; Alpha''s like him; they cannot pick she-wolves like


    you,


    and that''s the truth; there are more capable she-wolves. I am only trying to protect you; do you think everyone would settle for this change?, that they would ept a weak wolf as their Luna?, it is a taint to the whole pack." "Why can''t you just be content with what you have, mother? He gave you everything; you look healthy, yet you prefer captivity over all these?"


    "I know something for sure, and that is ''not all glitter is gold. You might have heard this a whole lot of times too, but you will have to think on it, now more than ever. Do you think I care about these material things-the money?, the food?, the beautiful house? How will I be at rest knowing you are in danger?"


    "You didn''t seem to care at the Joining Ritual,"


    "How do you expect me to watch my daughter being stripped naked and raped..."


    "He is my mate! And he takes good care of me."


    "Really?"


    "Yes, even more than you do. You''ve changed a lot since we came here, and I only wish I could have


    my mother back, the one that smiled, the one that was always proud of me. More than ever, I need you now, yet you seem so distant, like aplete stranger."


    Chapter Thirty Two


    I said it all out, all I had been feeling.


    "I can''t help you, Riley; in this, you have to help yourself and take my advice. You are a smart girl; he is dangerous, and you know it."


    "Is there something more to this that I don''t know about?" I asked, and I watched her. There was the slight pain in her eyes, but it disappeared so fast that I doubted what I saw.


    C


    "If you need more evidence to believe that he is no good for you, then maybe you aren''t as smart as I thought you were," she said.


    The disappointment must have been clear on my face; she had been the strongest woman I know, the only family I had, and I was losing her in just a few weeks of arriving here.


    I''d had enough.


    "I can''t imagine you never asked me how I fared or what had been going on with me. You are just so selfish; I did everything for you, and this" I paused. I wouldn''t cry any more. I wiped off my tears. Maybe I wasn''t the true Luna, but I was seen as one; it was time I began acting as one too. "If you will argue with me every time Ie here, then maybe I should stay away."


    With that, I walked away, Holding on to myst strength. Axel was nowhere to be found; he had told me to wait, but I couldn''t. I walked forward, tracing my way back, and then I realized I had gone the wrong route: I tried retracing my steps, but I only seeded in making things


    worse.


    Well, I was so doomed.


    Maybe I should have epted the tour Axel offered.


    "Luna" An unfamiliar voice most likely belonging to a female, called out


    I turned around; maybe I could inquire where exactly I was and how to get back. But the moment I saw her face, I recognized her.


    It was Beatrix.


    Of course, I had never heard her speak. Thest time I saw her, I had been a good distance away, preventing me from hearing all she had said to Thane.


    "May I help you?" I asked, trying to shove the roughness from my voice; maybe I could pretend like I didn''t know her.


    "I had wanted to meet you for a while; it''s a miracle to find you here," she says, and there was no trace of hatred or dislike in her voice. I had been about to tell her I was lost, but I changed my mind, noticing there weren''t many people around. "I''m d to meet you too." I lied


    "Maybe a formal introduction?. I am Beatrix, amander in the pack."


    273


    Chapter Thirty Two


    I know.


    "I had never met a femalemander before, especially one so young; I am impressed."


    "Yes, you see, in this pack, things are run very differently from the other packs." She says


    "I can see that," I said, already sick of the conversation.


    "I had noticed you came to watch me during the training sessions," she said.


    She had seen me, and yet... yet she had made all those advances towards Thane, knowing I was watching. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Thirty Three


    "I think we should talk somewhere more private; what do you say?"


    "I am quite in a hurry at the moment," I replied.


    "Where are you heading to? Maybe I could walk with you," she asks, a small smile on her lips. She hadn''t been rude and maybe we both could y whatever game this was.


    "I was heading for my mate''s room."


    "Is that so?, Strange that you are going in the opposite direction."


    "The pack house could get confusing at times."


    "So you are lost?" she questioned.


    "I''ll admit it, I am lost," I said with a shrug, trying to act unbothered by the fact that I was alone here with this ''Beatrix. I had seen her fight; she was good; there was no doubt she could take me down easily. Being alone with her was dangerous, but letting her know I was lost was even more dangerous.


    !


    "Let''s make a deal, Luna.''ll help you on your way back if you could only give me a few minutes of your time."


    2


    "And if I refuse?" I ask with a cocked eyebrow. I had to look calm and settled, and I really hoped it worked.


    "Then I''ll still have to get you on your way back," she says, her smile widening. One could almost be deceived into thinking that it was real; it seemed real even to me.


    If I did walk away, I would be giving her the impression that I was afraid of being alone with her. I could see it in those calctive eyes of hers she was an observant person.


    "Okay, where would be private enough?" I asked, and the smile on her lips broadened. I couldn''t deny that she had a beautiful smile.


    "I''m d, Luna, and right there would be fine," she said, leading me into a room and shutting the door.


    I noticed it was a storage room.


    I did my best to calm my raging heart. I had been alone with two very scary men, Thane and Axel. This should be a walkover; she might be strong, but she was a shewolf just like me. Okay, maybe not an omega like me, but you get what I mean.


    "So I wondered," she began, and I noticed her tone seemed to have changedpletely." Some nights ago, Thane came to me..."


    "I know about that," I say, cutting her off. "Is that what you brought me here to talk about? If that''s all you have to say, then our discussion might not be very long."


    Chapter Thirty Three


    "I hadn''t seen any marks." "What?"


    "When you came to the training ground, I hadn''t seen any marks on your body; you seemed well. And that should be strange, right? Knowing that you are mated to the Alpha and he had spent a rather pleasurable night with another woman, there should have been marks."


    "What are you entailing?" I questioned; it didn''t make sense.


    "I know a lot about Thane," she says, and I did notice she hadn''t added his title. "How is it possible that on his visit to this pack, he finds a girl, whom he discovered was his mate? Worse, this girl is an omega-no offense, but that''s what you are. The most reasonable thing to do is to reject you, but he doesn''t; he takes you as his. You both hold hands in public, but then at night, a few dayster, hees to me. And there is no mark on you afterwards."


    "Maybe I am just very good at hiding it, but you''ve got some nerve Beatrix, to say this to my face."


    "I mean no offense, but I and Thane have history, and that no one can deny. Do you want to know what I think?" she asked.


    I knew what wasing; it was getting harder to act cool and calm. It had only been a few weeks since I entered into the contract, and I was failing woefully.


    "Not really, but I guess you would still tell me anyway," I said, trying to keep my voice bored.


    "I don''t think you are Thane''s mate."


    My chest constricted.


    "No?"


    "Not at all," she repeated.


    "Then why would I be here?" I asked.


    "He might have mixed things up, or you might have, but you are not his mate. He would find out anyway. I have yet another theory."


    "Would it be more interesting than the first?" I questioned, and I could see the slight look of uncertainty in her eyes.


    "What if this was all an agreement between both of you? Or just maybe you have something against him, something you are using as a weapon to ckmail him and force his hands"


    "You must be crazy, Beatrix," I said, despite my nervousness, and she chuckled. "You say you know Thane well, yet it is shocking that you think I could ckmail a man like him.


    "True." She agreed, "Whatever the case will be, I just want to warn you beforehand."


    "Before you begin with the lectures about how dangerous he is, know that I''ve been told that a


    Chapter Thirty Three


    whole lot of times already."


    from


    will be "Then let''s skip that part. Whatever he needs you for, when he gets it, you


    gone here, it would be worst if you did hold something against him, I''m sure he sees whatever you do as a game and when he is free because he will be, he would make your life a living hell. I am not saying this because I hate you; I harbor no ill feelings for you, but you are truly no match for him, yet I can''t deny the fact that you did surprise me.


    "I harbour no ill feelings for you either, even if you fucked my mate."


    We both lied to each other, and we knew it.

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    Chapter Thirty Four


    I didn''t think she was leading me the right way. But I didn''t let her know that. I tried keeping track of every route we followed, but there were just too many turns.


    "Riley". I turned to see Axel. I couldn''t deny the relief I felt the moment I saw him. "I told you to stay there; where did you go..." His words trailed off as he only seemed to notice Beatrix at my side, and he gave me a questioning look. "Beta. Not to worry, she is safe with me; we were only having a little chat, and I was going to escort her back to her room; she''s not very familiar with this ce yet."


    "Thank you, but I will be taking over now," Axel said, taking my arms and leading me away.


    Beatrix had actually been leading me the right way.


    When we were a good distance away, Axel stopped. "What?"


    "I told you to wait there. Why didn''t you" Axel questioned


    "I got overwhelmed; I''m sorry."


    "No, don''t be. I had been worried."


    "Why? Wait, did you think I was going to run away?"


    "I thought of that, but of course, you wouldn''t be able to pass the soldiers, but that still wouldn''t be a fun experience."


    "Then... why?"


    "Thane would probably kill me if I lost you."


    "Now I get, but I doubt he would kill you, so if that is your worry, please be rest assured, you are very safe."


    Heughed. "You don''t know Thane very much, do you?" he questioned.


    What I did know was that Thane would never go as far as killing Axel or anyone for me; I wasn''t his true mate; I was only a substitute, and that agreement would only stand for six months-this I didn''t say out loud. "No., I don''t."


    We finally returned to my room.


    "So you and Beatrix-are you guys like friends?"


    "What do you think?"


    "I don''t know; girls are very weird, but this is simply a huge surprise."


    Chapter Thirty Four


    "After I spoke to my mother..."


    "How did it go?" Axel asked, cutting me off.


    "Bad- I''m surprised you hadn''t been listening in."


    "Why will I? She wanted me gone, and I know you both needed to talk.".


    "My mother... she seems to be a new person. I won''t be visiting her anytime soon; I don''t care anymore, and I''ll let her live her life."


    "We both know that is aplete lie; you will never stop caring about her; she is your mother after all," Axel said, and I hated the fact that he was right, but I had to make a decision.


    "She was just so ungrateful; all my life I had wanted to see her free, and I knew that this was also what she wanted. But then she finally is free, but she doesn''t like it. More to that, she keeps making me feel like a fool. Even if she knew I had no option, it was either I stay with Ryder or I came here and Ryder would be my end; he only wanted me there as some sex toy; would be more painful watching my ex-mate with another woman, and yet... I feel like she does not even want to see me living. At the Windborne pack, I wasn''t living; I had only been surviving. I hated that life and I hated that pack, yet she thought I would be better off there. You know, I always thought she loved me, but now... now I am not very sure." I finished my little rant. "I''m sorry, I just had to let it out."


    "It''s alright. She believes she knows what''s best for you."


    "But what do you think, Axel?"


    He paused for a while. "I''ll not decide if you will be better off here; your mother has her reasons, but I believe everyone should be given a chance to make a choice, even if it might not end up being the best choice," he says, and his words left me deep in thought. There was silence for a while, but I finally broke the silence.


    "We aren''t friends. I and Beatrix, I mean''


    "That would be more reasonable. Where did you meet her?"


    "She said she had been waiting for a chance to speak to me alone."


    !


    "And you spoke to her alone?" Axel asked.


    "I knew it was dangerous, but I couldn''t back down because..."


    "That would hurt your pride."


    "Something like that," I admitted. "I had gotten lost when I stupidly decided not to wait for you; I just couldn''t stay there, and I met Beatrix.


    "What did she talk to you about?"


    "I will tell you only if you promise me one thing


    Chapter Thirty Four


    Chapter Thirty Four


    I didn''t think she was leading me the right way. But I didn''t let her know that. I tried keeping track of every route we followed, but there were just too many turns.


    "Riley". I turned to see Axel. I couldn''t deny the relief I felt the moment I saw him. "I told you to stay there; where did you go..." His words trailed off as he only seemed to notice Beatrix at my side, and he gave me a questioning look.


    "Beta. Not to worry, she is safe with me; we were only having a little chat, and I was going to escort her back to her room; she''s not very familiar with this ce yet."


    "Thank you, but I will be taking over now," Axel said, taking my arms and leading me away.


    Beatrix had actually been leading me the right way.


    When we were a good distance away, Axel stopped. "What?"


    "I told you to wait there. Why didn''t you" Axel questioned


    "I got overwhelmed; I''m sorry."


    "No, don''t be. I had been worried."


    "Why? Wait, did you think I was going to run away?"


    "I thought of that, but of course, you wouldn''t be able to pass the soldiers, but that still wouldn''t be a fun experience."


    "Then... why?"


    "Thane would probably kill me if I lost you."


    "Now I get, but I doubt he would kill you, so if that is your worry, please be rest assured, you are very safe."


    Heughed. "You don''t know Thane very much, do you?" he questioned.


    What I did know was that Thane would never go as far as killing Axel or anyone for me; I wasn''t his true mate; I was only a substitute, and that agreement would only stand for six months-this I didn''t say out loud. "No., I don''t."


    We finally returned to my room.


    "So you and Beatrix-are you guys like friends?"


    "What do you think?"


    "I don''t know; girls are very weird, but this is simply a huge surprise."


    Chapter Thirty Four


    "After I spoke to my mother..."


    "How did it go?" Axel asked, cutting me off.


    "Bad- I''m surprised you hadn''t been listening in."


    "Why will I? She wanted me gone, and I know you both needed to talk.".


    "My mother... she seems to be a new person. I won''t be visiting her anytime soon; I don''t care anymore, and I''ll let her live her life."


    "We both know that is aplete lie; you will never stop caring about her; she is your mother after all," Axel said, and I hated the fact that he was right, but I had to make a decision.


    "She was just so ungrateful; all my life I had wanted to see her free, and I knew that this was also what she wanted. But then she finally is free, but she doesn''t like it. More to that, she keeps making me feel like a fool. Even if she knew I had no option, it was either I stay with Ryder or I came here and Ryder would be my end; he only wanted me there as some sex toy; would be more painful watching my ex-mate with another woman, and yet... I feel like she does not even want to see me living. At the Windborne pack, I wasn''t living; I had only been surviving. I hated that life and I hated that pack, yet she thought I would be better off there. You know, I always thought she loved me, but now... now I am not very sure." I finished my little rant. "I''m sorry, I just had to let it out."


    "It''s alright. She believes she knows what''s best for you."


    "But what do you think, Axel?"


    He paused for a while. "I''ll not decide if you will be better off here; your mother has her reasons, but I believe everyone should be given a chance to make a choice, even if it might not end up being the best choice," he says, and his words left me deep in thought. There was silence for a while, but I finally broke the silence.


    "We aren''t friends. I and Beatrix, I mean


    "That would be more reasonable. Where did you meet her?"


    "She said she had been waiting for a chance to speak to me alone."


    !


    "And you spoke to her alone?" Axel asked.


    "I knew it was dangerous, but I couldn''t back down because..."


    "That would hurt your pride."


    "Something like that," I admitted. "I had gotten lost when I stupidly decided not to wait for you; I just couldn''t stay there, and I met Beatrix.


    "What did she talk to you about?"


    "I will tell you only if you promise me one thing


    Chapter Thirty Four


    ""And what is this?"


    "Thane can''t know what I am about to tell you.


    Today''s Bonus Offer


    "Thane can''t know what I am about to tell you.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Thirty Five


    "Does whatever you have to tell me endanger you?"


    I thought about it. "Not really, why?"


    "Then I can promise you, Thane wouldn''t know.


    "Beatrix suspects something."


    "Well, she''s a fool; nothing to bother about," Axel said. He didn''t seem to like her very much, and that brought a smile to my lips.


    "This is something to bother about. She had seen me when we both visited the training grounds. And she had pointed out the fact that I had no visible marks due to the..." I trailed off, but Axel understood where I was heading. "She has these theories; she thinks this might be a mistake, and I hadn''t actually been mated to Thane, or there is some kind of agreement, she also suspects that I ckmailed him into this."


    "ckmail?" Axel scoffed. "You don''t have to worry. I bet she is hoping this is an agreement too."


    There was a knock on the door.


    "I''m not expecting anyone," I said to Axel.


    "That must be the maid. It''s lunch time.


    Thane should be back by now, and I was getting worried. Axelte.


    gone too, as it was already


    I spotted the book Barbara''s Fantasies on the table where I had kept itst. I couldn''t help the rush of embarrassment that filled me as I recalled Thane reading a very disturbing passage of the book to me. I had regretted ever bringing it here; of course he would find out; there was no hiding anything from Thane. I picked up the book and headed to the waste bin. I discarded it.


    I stared at the bookying there in the bin; it seemed to be calling to me.


    I had taken it from the library; the least I could do was return it back there, right? I picked up the book from the trash, hiding it beneath our bed. I would return it on my next visit to the library.


    The door was suddenly pulled open.


    I couldn''t help the anticipation I felt, knowing Thane had returned, but then..., there was silence.


    "Thane?" I called out, but there was no response "Thane!" I called out louder, feeling a little


    Chapter Thirty Five


    bit of panic rising. But there was no response. I didn''t go all the way to the door; if Thane hadn''t been the one, then whoever walked in would be there waiting. Instead, I ran, heading to the bathroom, and when I was in, I locked the door.


    I ced my hands over my mouth in an attempt to stay silent; my breath seemed toe out louder than normal, and if that didn''t give me out, my pounding heart would have done just


    that.


    I heard the footsteps. It hadn''t been one person. I could tell from the footsteps.


    There was a loud kick on the door, and the lock gave out. I hadn''t been afraid of anything that could be stopped by a simple lock.


    Iunched at the first person I could see, pushing my way to get to the door, and escaped them, but I felt a strong grip on my hair, holding me back. I punched out at the person, not caring where my hitsnded; I had to do something. The desperation fuelled me, but then I noticed the others.


    They were about ten present-more than I had anticipated-and they were all in ck. It had been an attack, and every part of me knew that Thane had no part in this, but the only person I could think of who could be responsible was the person I had just met a while ago; The same person who must definitely hated me but had tried covering it up. Beatrix. 1

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    Chapter Thirty Six


    No matter how I struggled, I couldn''t win and I knew it, I just couldn''t outsmart ten of them. "Help!, somebody help!.." I screamed out of desperation, hoping someone would hear me.


    I felt a hand around my mouth, muffling my screams. "You speak again, and I promise you that will be thest time you ever speak," the man with his hands around my mouth warned. I also noticed the wickedly sharp dagger in his hands. I felt the panic rising. Could this be my end?


    He slowly withdrew his hand from my mouth and took off his hood. I didn''t know many people here, but I recognized him almost instantly. He was one of the men Beatrix had fought on the training grounds.


    "She''s supposed to be an omega," the man said to the other cloaked figure standing to the side, the only one who hadn''t bothered holding me down or participating in this.


    "She had been marked by him; that should be the reason," he says, and I did not understand a single word of what they were saying. All I could think about was how to get out of this room and escape these bloodthirsty people.


    1


    "This would be very fun," the man with the dagger says, his eyes trailing down my body and a very hungry look in his eyes. He reached for my clothes, and I shoved him away.


    "Stay away from me." I growled at him, trying to be brave, but inside I felt the exact opposite.


    "Stop the pretence; I only want a taste of what the Alpha enjoys."


    "You do know what Thane would do when he finds out, right? He would have your balls." I threatened, and there was a slight fear in the man''s eyes, but too soon it disappeared.


    "And how will he know that?, By then you will be long gone"


    With that, he ripped the sleeves of my gown. I tried shoving him away.


    "There''s no time for this," one of them stated. I couldn''t tell which of them, but I noticed the majority of them agreed to it, and I couldn''t help but feel a slight relief. "Just slit her throat and let''s get it over with."


    And just like that, my little relief vanished.


    "You can''t..." My voice came out crooked. "You cannot kill me, that is an offense against the pack, you will be seen as traitors, do you really think the Alpha wouldn''t find out?. But I''ll give you all onest chance, Leave; otherwise, you will suffer the consequences; this is my promise to you." I threatened, and for a moment they were all silent.


    The dagger guyughed out, and three others joined him, but the rest seemed unsure or maybe they simply didn''t find my statement funny.


    "Will you be threatened by this... Omega?," He asked the rest, "She thinks being mated to the


    Chapter Thirty Six


    Alpha changes anything, and you all are scared of her?"


    "Not her. Alpha Thane," another one answered.


    "He is far away, following some false trail."


    "Just kill her already," one of them said, and the others agreed to that.


    "No, not until I have a piece of her," the dagger guy said, the smile on his face just as disgusting as Ryker''s had been.


    "You fool, we won''t risk our lives just for some of your greedy wants," another said, and with that, he walked forward with a gun in his hands. I knew it was no ordinary gun. The gun must have been loaded with silver bullets capable of killing any werewolf. "You don''t have to do this; there is still a chance...


    Then there was a gunshot.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Thirty Seven


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    I felt no pain, and it was strange; I had just been shot, right?


    There was a loud thud as a body fell right beside me.


    During their little arguments, someone had walked in; they hadn''t been quick enough to notice it. But it was thest person I expected to see. Beatrix.


    Behind her, Thane and Axel walked in; their eyes were coal ck, and their gaze never met mine, but I could see the anger and fury in them. "Axel, take her away." Thane ordered, and Axel finally turned to me; he picked me up easily and led me away from our room.


    I couldn''t believe it; I was safe.


    Axel walked into a very unfamiliar room, and there was a maid there tidying up the space.


    "You. Get out," he says. I had never heard Axel sound so furious, and I had to remind myself that Axel couldn''t hurt me.


    The maid scurried away as he ced me on the bed.


    His gaze swept down my body, he slightly lifted my gown, and his hands grazed down my body, checking for injuries.


    "What did they do to you? Are you hurt?"


    "No, I am not. They didn''t do anything; you all arrived in time." 1


    "Tell me everything that happened," he ordered.


    "Someone came in... I had thought it was Thane, but it wasn''t. I knew something was wrong, and so I went to hide in the bathroom. They broke the locks, and they found me, the guy... I had seen him before." "That''s Nel"


    "Nel, he had threatened to... he wanted to rape me, Axel."


    I couldn''t help the tears that escaped my eyes, but I shouldn''t be crying; I wasn''t hurt. Axel held me closer. "You are fine now, and they will pay all of them. I should have been there."


    "It wasn''t your fault," I said. "They said something about a false trail," I added.


    "Yes, we got some news that some of the pack storages and warehouses would be robbed; we had been on our way there when Beatrix told us that she believed it was only a ploy to make us


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    leave the pack. See, before now, we knew there was bound to be some kind of rebellion."


    "Has this been what''s been keeping you busy?"


    "Partly, yes, and that''s why I was troed


    when I couldn''t find you earlier when you went to


    pay your mother a visit." He exins and it did finally make sense.


    "Beatrix had suspected this?" I ques


    "Strange, right? I hadn''t expected that she of all people, would care."


    "Earlier, I suspected she had a hand in this."


    "That wouldn''t be surprising to me either. Thane seems to trust her though," Axel told me, and I didn''t like that one bit, I didn''t like the fact that Thane trusted her.


    She hadn''t given me any reason to distrust her, but there was something about her- something that told me she preferred taking things slow. If she was involved in this, then it surely would be strange that she had been the one to discover the truth. "I had been so afraid Axel, I thought I would die" I admitted


    "Don''t worry, Riley; no one in this pack would ever attempt to touch you without your permission ever again. At least not after the example Thane sets."


    "It is time" Axel said to me.


    "Time, for what?"


    "The Nightshade Pack is known for their cruelty and feared for their bloodlust. But we don''t kill innocent people; only those who cross us, and tonight, one of our own had done just that, a lesson would be shared with the whole pack," Axel exined. "What would Thane do to them?" I asked


    "You will see," Axel replied, and my heart mmed. It is not like I pitied any of them; whatever befell them was a rpense for their evil deeds, yet there was something about what Axel said earlier that lingered. "Axel... they won''t die, right?"


    I suspected they would be thrown into the dungeons, or maybe some other punishments, but death was out of it, right?.


    "Riley, you are about to see another part of Thane, one you''ve heard about but never seen, it is a part of us all, but you should bear in mind, they wanted you dead."


    Axel passed me a dark brown coat, and I dly put it over my partly shredded gown.


    "Let''s go," Axel said


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    "Where are we going?" I questioned.


    "The hall, but it''smonly known as the Judgement Grounds," Axel said, and a cold shiver rolled down my spine.


    a


    The hall was wide enough to contain over hundred people, Some of the pack members were already seated, waiting in anticipation.


    There were no seats in ce for the Alpha and the Luna, as I had expected, but from this There were no seats in ce for the Alpha an position, I could see everything going on..


    The soldier dragged six barely clothed men into the hall. They were all wounded, with deep w marks marking their bodies. My eyes found one, I noticed that two of his eyes seemed to have been gorged out, and he stood there whimpering. 1 These were the men, that had attacked me, I realized with a gasp.


    "They were more than six," I said to Axel, who wasn''t at all fazed by the sight of the wounded


    men.


    "Thane wanted them breathing at least so he could use them as examples for others, but I guess he slipped," Axel said, and I held in a shaky breath. Thane had killed the others.


    I spotted Beatrix amongst the crowd; she spoke to a girl by her side, and I noticed there wasn''t a single scratch on her body-at least none I could see.


    Many of the pack members stared at me, but none of their gazes burned as deep as the woman in a dark-blue woollen cloak. This woman was my mother, and our eyes did meet. She didn''t need to speak; her eyes told me everything. This had been what she had been warning me about when she told me that not everyone agreed to the Alpha''s choice and also when she told me that an Omega as a Luna spoke of weakness.


    I looked away, not wanting to see anymore.

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    Chapter Thirty Eight


    Chapter


    Thirty Eight


    Where was he? Where was Thane.


    The whole hall grew silent, and I noticed why, he just walked in. He was shirtless, only in a pair of torn-up jeans; he hadn''t bothered about washing off the blood of the men he had beaten up and killed; his body was covered in blood, and a cold shiver walked it way down my spine. His eyes wer


    cold and empty; he didn''t look up to me once.


    "Let it be known to everyone that disobeys me; let it be known to the few rebellious amongst you, that if anyone goes against my Luna, then be ready to face death," he says, his voice harsh and low, but it could be heard clearly even from where I sat.


    One of the soldiers walked forward, handing him a sword. It seemed heavy, I could tell, but the de was so sharp it reflected.


    ""That''s silver steel," Axel said to me, and I gasped.


    Thane held it, and the crowd watched in anticipation; some even had smiles on their faces. How could they find joy in a thing like this? My question goes unanswered, maybe because I already knew the answer. These people, all of them, lusted after blood and cruelty. None of the men standing there had a chance against Thane; he could have killed them earlier, but he didn''t. Thane lifted the sword with a single hand. I didn''t think he would do it...


    My breath seized as the swortl came down at two men at a time, their heads rolling down the floor. The crowd cheered, but Thane didn''t stop there; he mmed the wicked-looking de into the chest of the next one, twisting it and ripping flesh- there was a disturbing sound when the weapon pulled free of his body, leaving a whole there. The man fell to the ground, blood streamed down his mouth.


    "Please, it had been a mistake, Alpha." One of the remaining three still standing begged, but I knew better than anyone that begging only made things worse. "Please, have mercy on us, Alpha; throw us in the dungeons..." His words never ended because Thane had stabbed the sword into his skull.


    I almost threw up. I inched back, away from the scene, away from Thane and Axel too, who watched like it was nothing but a movie. I didn''t go far; Axel caught me


    "Let me go; I can''t... I can''t see any of these; I don''t want to see them anymore. Make him stop," I pleaded.


    "They would have done the same, maybe much worse to you. They don''t deserve mercy," Axel said.


    "I can''t watch this," I say to him.


    "He wants you to," Axel said, holding me in ce. Only one stood now; the body of the other oney unmoving on the floor with his arms missing. This was the same one who held the dagger, threatening to slit my throat. Now here hey, in pieces. I almost couldn''t recognize


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    him; there was just so much blood and Thane. Thane wasn''t satisfied. I could see the hunger in his eyes;


    his rage became a living thing, and no matter how many he killed, it just wasn''t enough.


    For thest one, he abandoned the sword, which was now covered in blood. He walked to the man. who was practically crawling away. His ws extended, just as menacing as he was.


    "Stand," he orders, and the man slowly stands to his feet, tears dropping down his eyes and mixing with the blood on his face. My heart mmed faster. I couldn''t be sure; I hadn''t seen his face, but I believe this had been the less involved guy; he had stood there, only watching but not really doing anything.


    "Stop him," I grasped Axel, even though I knew he couldn''t-or maybe he wouldn''t. Just like Thane, he believed they should all die, but this man had still been a part of them. "Thane please no" I begged, he shouldn''t hear me from, he was a good distance away and I had said the word silently but at that moment his eyes snapped to mine and I knew I just knew that he heard me. "Please," I whispered, the tears streaming down my eyes, but then, with his eyes still on me, his ws ripped into the man''s chest. The man screamed out in pain, and when his hands were out, there was a dark-reddish organ in his hand, and it took me only a short while to realize what it was. It was a heart.


    Thane had ripped out the man''s heart. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sounds wereing out of my mouth. The crowds roared in joy, and my mother was nowhere in sight. But this was what she had been warning me about; this was what she meant when she said a life in bondage at the Windborne Pack was better than being here.


    I felt everything and nothing at the same time. I pushed, struggling away from Axel''s grip.


    "Riley is over," he said. Maybe he said other things too, but I wasn''t listening, and I struggled even more. "Riley, don''t make me do this," he warns, but I don''t care; I would do anything to escape, and I elbowed him in the abdomen.


    That''s when I felt a white piece of material against my noise, and I inhaled. That''s all it took; the fight slowly left me. I had always known they were dangerous, even from the start, but for the first time, I saw what danger meant.


    Was I dying? because I could no longer feel any part of my own body, and the darkness took


    over.


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    Where was he? Where was Thane.


    The whole hall grew silent, and I noticed why, he just walked in. He was shirtless, only in a pair of torn-up jeans; he hadn''t bothered about washing off the blood of the men he had beaten up and killed; his body was covered in blood, and a cold shiver walked it way down my spine. His eyes were cold and empty; he didn''t look up to me once.


    "Let it be known to everyone that disobeys me; let it be known to the few rebellious amongst you, that if anyone goes against my Luna, then be ready to face death," he says, his voice harsh and low, but it could be heard clearly even from where I sat.


    One of the soldiers walked forward, handing him a sword. It seemed heavy, I could tell, but the de was so sharp it reflected.


    "That''s silver steel," Axel said to me, and I gasped.


    Thane held it, and the crowd watched in anticipation; some even had smiles on their faces. How could they find joy in a thing like this? My question goes unanswered, maybe because I already knew the answer. These people, all of them, lusted after blood and cruelty. None of the men standing there had a chance against Thane; he could have killed them earlier, but he didn''t. Thane lifted the sword with a single hand. I didn''t think he would do it...


    My breath seized as the swort came down at two men at a time, their heads rolling down the floor. The crowd cheered, but Thane didn''t stop there; he mmed the wicked-looking de into the chest of the next one, twisting it and ripping flesh - there was a disturbing sound when the weapon pulled free of his body, leaving a whole there. The man fell to the ground, blood streamed down his mouth.


    "Please, it had been a mistake, Alpha." One of the remaining three still standing begged, but I knew better than anyone that begging only made things worse. "Please, have mercy on us, Alpha; throw us in the dungeons..." His words never ended because Thane had stabbed the sword into his skull.


    I almost threw up. I inched back, away from the scene, away from Thane and Axel too, who watched like it was nothing but a movie. I didn''t go far; Axel caught me.


    "Let me go; I can''t... I can''t see any of these; I don''t want to see them anymore. Make him stop," I pleaded.


    "They would have done the same, maybe much worse to you. They don''t deserve mercy," Axel said.


    "I can''t watch this," I say to him.


    "He wants you to," Axel said, holding me in ce. Only one stood now; the body of the other oney unmoving on the floor with his arms missing. This was the same one who held the dagger, threatening to slit my throat. Now here hey, in pieces. I almost couldn''t recognize


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    him; there was just so much blood and Thane. Thane wasn''t satisfied. I could see the hunger in his eyes; his rage became a living thing, and no matter how many he killed, it just wasn''t enough.


    For thest one, he abandoned the sword, which was now covered in blood. He walked to the man, who was practically crawling away. His ws extended, just as menacing as he was.


    "Stand," he orders, and the man slowly stands to his feet, tears dropping down his eyes and mixing with the blood on his face. My heart mmed faster. I couldn''t be sure; I hadn''t seen his face, but I believe this had been the less involved guy; he had stood there, only watching but not really doing anything.


    "Stop him," I grasped Axel, even though I knew he couldn''t-or maybe he wouldn''t. Just like Thane, he believed they should all die, but this man had still been a part of them. "Thane please no" I begged, he shouldn''t hear me from, he was a good distance away and I had said the word silently but at that moment his eyes snapped to mine and I knew - I just knew that he heard me. "Please," I whispered, the tears streaming down my eyes, but then, with his eyes still on me, his ws ripped into the man''s chest. The man screamed out in pain, and when his hands were out, there was a dark-reddish organ in his hand, and it took me only a short while to realize what it was. It was a heart.


    Thane had ripped out the man''s heart. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sounds wereing out of my mouth. The crowds roared in joy, and my mother was nowhere in sight. But this was what she had been warning me about; this was what she meant when she said a life in bondage at the Windborne Pack was better than being here.


    I felt everything and nothing at the same time. I pushed, struggling away from Axel''s grip.


    "Riley is over," he said. Maybe he said other things too, but I wasn''t listening, and I struggled even more. "Riley, don''t make me do this," he warns, but I don''t care; I would do anything to escape, and I elbowed him in the abdomen.


    That''s when I felt a white piece of material against my noise, and I inhaled. That''s all it took; the fight slowly left me. I had always known they were dangerous, even from the start, but for the first time, I saw what danger meant.


    Was I dying? because I could no longer feel any part of my own body, and the darkness took


    over.


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    X

 Claim Me 39

    Chapter Thirty Nine Chapter Thirty Nine


    I woke up in a dark, unfamiliar room. The first thing I noticed was that I had been tied to a bed. The ce smelled familiar, but I couldn''t ce it all. I tried clearing off my foggy mind and. remembering all that had happened and why I was here, the harsh memories flooded in-the blood, the brutality, the danger. It all flooded back in.


    Where was [?


    There was a figure in the darkness; I could tell. The room was dark, but there was a dim light. illuminating the wide


    space.


    "Who is there?" I questioned, and the figure walked closer, close enough that I could see all his features and every single detail of his body. The blood wasn''t there anymore, but that didn''t make him any less scary. Thane stood before me, his eyes still those dark orbs they had been in the judgment room: Was he going to harm me? There was another figure seated on the couch, one I didn''t notice earlier. Axel.


    ""Where am I?"


    "Where do you think?"


    "Let me go."


    "No," Thane responded.


    "How could you do that to them?"


    "They were traitors."


    "They were still your people!."


    "And that made it worse. The fact that they are traitors from my pack makes it all worse, Riley."


    I remembered Axel sedating me.


    "Why did you do that?" I asked, and my question was directed at him.


    "You wouldn''t stop struggling; that was an easy way out."


    "Why am I chained to the bed?" I asked Thane.


    "Why else?" He questioned.


    "Are you angry at me?, Is this some kind of punishment?"


    "Yes"


    "Why?"


    "There are many reasons, Riley, but one is that you are not to have mercy on someone who


    -


    Chapter Thirty Nine


    almost killed you," he says.


    "And what are you going to do to me?"


    "You''ll see"


    "Will you hurt me?" I questioned the fear eating Into me; I couldn''t help but remember the brutality-all those people he had killed without a single thought. It shouldn''t surprise me, but oh, it did. The man who had touched me with those very same fingers had dug out another man''s heart.


    "Yes, Riley"


    "Where are my clothes? Why am I naked?" I asked. Beneath the bed cover, I was very much naked and I had remembered having some clothes on earlier.


    "I helped you out of your clothes," Axel answered, and despite myself, my face reddened. I waspletely naked, and for the fact that I had been unclothed while asleep, I couldn''t help but wonder-what other things had happened? "You are always so shy," Axel said, walking toward me, and I gasped when he took off the nket, exposing my very bare skin now. The cool air brushed against, my skin, but inside I felt hot.


    I struggled to cover myself, but Axel pulled the nket far from my reach.


    Thane was sitting beside the huge bed, watching


    Axel''s hands went up my thigh, his eyes on me, his intense look burning into mine. "Give in," he whispers. It doesn''t make sense what he is about to do or that Thane was letting this happen. My breaths came out more strangled as Axel parted my legs with his hands. "You might as well imagine Thane in my ce," he says, but I couldn''t imagine Thane in his ce; he was Axel, and Thane was sitting there. Watching.


    Was this some kind of test?


    I couldn''t help but remember Barbara''s fantasies; she had said something about this, but her experience wasn''t as simr to this, and I... I wasn''t fighting him off. Not when he kissed my lips. Slowly, I kissed him back. I felt his hands moving up my thighs, and then there. I reddened. Axel was supposed to be a friend, but I couldn''t stop him - I didn''t think he would stop if I did struggle. The fact that Thanie''s gaze was also on me was almost too much to bear.


    How had things changed so quickly? I had been panicked just a short moment ago, and now... I couldn''t tell what was happening, but I had an idea.

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    Chapter


    Forty


    I was fifty shades of freaking red.


    Axel was gentle; the movement of his hands around my clit was just as gentle. I didn''t want to think about what was happening, how close he was, or what he was doing to me.


    And he watched me squirm beneath his gentle touch. I let out a silent gasp when his lips circled around my aching nipple.


    A moan left my lips. Axel: I had cried out his name; how could this feel all wrong and yet so right?


    Two fingers dipped into me, and I moaned louder, struggling against the bind, riding my hips against his fingers, chasing his thrust. Axel watched my body; he watched the effect of what he did to me and how my heat pooled around his fingers, taking him in, and then he was out


    of me.


    I couldn''t imagine how lost I had been. My gaze travelled back to Thane, who watched me greedily. The lust darkened his eyes. What type of bond did Thane share with Axel?


    Axel held something in his hands: two dark-coloured balls, with a string connecting both of them.


    "Look at him," Axelmanded. And I obeyed, my eyes trailing back to Thane. I felt Axel''s hands against my clit, rubbing harder this time, and I groan. My whole body spasmed, my breaths came out loud, and the moan escaped my lips. I didn''t dare look to see what Axel was doing. Thane enjoyed watching every bit of what was happening, and just then I felt the object against my opening.


    "Stay still," Axel warns, but I couldn''t. I could feel the cold balls against my entry. I had ne seen such an object, but I was soon to find out what it was used for.


    Axel slowly thrust the balls into my entry, and I couldn''t help the moan that escaped my mouth. I didn''t know which of their names I called out this time. He added in the next ball, pushing it deeper into me, and they filled me up.


    Axel untied my hands.


    1


    "There is a ss of water on the table," he says, pointing out the direction. "Go get it and do not let those balls out," he warned, and I slowly sat up. The balls did some strange things inside, and I let out a moan. I managed to rise, doing my best to hold the balls in, but it didn''t help that with every slight movement I made, the balls moved. Axel gave me a spank on the ass, and that only heightened the feeling. I moaned, dropping to the ground. How could I move with those balls in me?


    I stood again, walking in that direction, feeling myself get hotter and wetter down there. I was panting by the time I got there. Picking up the ss of water, I walked back. My legs shook; they might as well give out, and finally I got to the bed.


    Chapter Forty


    "Good" Axel said, taking the water from me and keeping it on the drawer; of course he hadn''t needed it. "Now lie down and spread your legs."


    My cheeks are on fire; Axel has seen me every singledy bit.


    Iy down, but spreading my legs.....


    He pulled my legs open, and he pulled on the string connected to the balls. In one pull, he took the balls out, and I had almost cummed, but Axel wouldn''t let me just yet.


    "Can I?" Axel asked. I didn''t know exactly what he was asking permission for, but I nodded, avoiding his eyes even as he took off his clothes. "Look at me," he says, his voice softer now, and I do just that. He ispletely naked. I had seen him naked before, but this was different, and he was beautiful.


    He settled between my spread legs and throbbing cunt, and slowly he pushed into me, satisfying the hunger that had been building in me. His thrust was of good pace, but never departing from being gentle, I circled my legs around his waist, my hands digging into his back as he moved in me. 1


    What the hell was happening?, or a better question.


    What the hell was I doing, and why was Thane allowing it?


    But simple reasoning left me as we became one, his thrusts slow but firm. I had been so close, and he knew it, and then he pulled out.


    He ced a kiss on my cheeks and forehead. "Thank you," he says to me, and I don''t know. what he was thanking me for. He climbs off the bed.


    "Can you


    stand?" he asks. My legs feel giddy, but I managed to rise with Axel''s hands supporting me. Just then, Thane takes over. I just realized what had happened. Axel had handed me back to Thane, and Thane''s dark eyes had never been darker. I could almost taste his wants and his hunger, and I shivered in anticipation.


    "I liked when you squirmed and writhed below him," Thane said, his voice husky. His hands circled around my throat, and my hands trailed his arm. He was naked, and I could feel his thick, hard body.


    I knew without looking that Axel was gone.


    I was all alone with him, and I wondered why it scared me even more.


    Thane''s thrust was hard; I gasped. The pain and pleasure were a beautiful mix. His hands tightened around my throat, and he thrust into me faster than he had ever done. I couldn''t meet his pace. I came quick and fast, but he wasn''t letting go. His thrusts were greedier than ever before. I moaned out his name again and again. He turned me over, so I was against the wall, and then he was in me again. I groaned, his hands fisted in my hair. He was ravenous, taking from me till I was n taking from me till I was numb. I couldn''t feel my lower body; his cum was hot in me, his lips.


    biting slightly at my ear.


    Chapter Fetty


    I weed it all; his wants, his desires-they all became mine.


    "Thane" I cried out, "I don''t think I can take another round."


    "We''ll see about that," he says, and his words hold a promise. This was wild.


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 Claim Me 41

    Chapter Forty One


    I must have cked out at some point, because I was back in our room and I didn''t recall walking my way here.


    I felt numb down there; I was sore too, and I wasn''t alone. Axel sat there, staring at me. I looked away almost immediately, I was finally clear of the high I felt and now I was totally red, and my mind wouldn''t stop reying all that had happened-how he had touched me


    everywhere.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes never leaving mine.


    "I''m fine-well, not fine considering I can''t walk-but..." I rambled on.


    His chuckle gave me a pause, and I swallowed nervously. Could the earth just swallow me already?


    "T guess you are still surprised." he questioned. Surprise was not quite the word.


    "It did feel surreal," I admitted. "Please don''t tell me to look you in the eyes; I can''t handle that now," I admitted, knowing he was about to say that. Axel loved seeing me embarrassed.


    "It was a surreal moment for me too," Axel says.


    "Is this normal? I mean you two..." I couldn''t say the rest. I always knew there was something. Thane had told me that he could let me off with Axel, but I had thought he was only trying to test me, but thest encounter was something else. "Do


    you mean to ask if we always fucked the same girl?" he asked


    "Yeah?" I replied, still avoiding his eyes.


    "Sometimes. But it is different with others," he says, but Imitted it to memory that they did have sex with the same girl.


    "What makes it different?"


    "I can''t hurt you; Thane would kill me," he admitted.


    "I just have this feeling that everything would change between us, and I''ll never be able to forget it."


    "Riley, why it was fun? That''s all it was; you might not forget, but don''t let ite between. us. You belong to Thane."


    "Just fun?"


    "Yes"


    "I''ve never seen you with any shewolves," I said to him. I had wanted to ask him about his


    mate and about Thane''s mate too.


    Chapter Forty One


    "I don''t have a mate," Axel answered, and I know that was all he was going to let out.


    I didn''t understand his statement, don''t all werewolves have a mate?, but I was quick to move on knowing he wasn''t going to say more.


    "What are we?" I asked. I was mated to Thane, but Axel, the things we did weren''t what friends do.


    "Riley, I care about you, and I liked having sex with you,


    but you belong to Thane."


    "You did not answer my question," I responded. I knew I did care for Axel, but in a way I would a close friend, yet I wanted to know how he felt.


    "I could be anything-a friend, a brother..." He paused, staring at me. "Okay, maybe not a brother."


    Iughed at that.


    "Those balls you used..." I paused; I couldn''t imagine I was asking about it. "What are they?"


    A smirk pulled up on Axel''s lips-the very same type I just didn''t want to see.


    "Kegel balls. They are quite interesting to use, and I bet you enjoyed the feeling of having them stuck,"


    "Forget I asked," I said, burying my face in the pillow.


    "I gifted them to Thane; you seem to enjoy them Axel said, enjoying my embarrassing


    moment.


    I didn''t think Axel would give an answer to the question I was about to ask, but that didn''t stop me from asking.


    "Axel?"


    "What?"


    "Could you tell me something?


    "It depends on the question asked, and from the look on your face, it must be a question I am prohibited from answering."


    "I just want to know. Thane has done a lot for me and my mother, but... I can''t seem to understand what he is getting out of this." "You will find out soon enough," he says.

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    Chapter Forty Two


    "Thane is on his way here; I should leave," Axel said to me. I wasn''t expecting Thane; it was nowhere close to the time of his usual return. But just as Axel had said, Thane walked in. "How is she?" he asked Axel, shrugging off his suit as if I were not in the room.


    "She just needs more rest," Axel said, and I felt like there was some hidden message he was trying to pass on to Thane that I wasn''t getting.


    "I don''t need any more rest; I''ve been sleeping for hours," I piped in, and Thane smirked at that.


    Axel stood, leaving us alone. It was strange that being alone with Thane was just scarier. "You let Axel have sex with me?" It was more of a statement than a question.


    "Yes, does it bother you?" He asked, watching me. "You seem close to him, and he would never hurt you," Thane said, joining me on the bed.


    Does it bother me? The weirdness of it all bothers me, but apart from that, did it really bother me?, No, not really.


    "Is just... some Alpha wolves get possessive, and others..."


    "Derive joy and satisfaction by watching their mate being fucked and punished by other men?" he questioned, which is exactly what was on my mind, but I don''t skip the fact he used the term mate when we were alone. Will


    ou do that?!!


    you do I questioned


    "I wouldn''t let my pack watch me fucking you; that''s why I hadn''t gone through with the joining ritual before them as it was required," he admitted. Axel had been right; he hadn''t just done that to anger his father. "But Axel is different?"


    "Yes, he is, and you know what?"


    "What?"


    "I would let him fuck you again and again," Thane said, and his words sent a shiver down my spine, down to my very sore core. I couldn''t help but remember the balls in me and the feeling of walking around with the wicked object stuck up there.


    "You don''t own me," I said, even if my body didn''t agree to that.


    "I don''t?" he questioned, a glint in his eyes as he drew me closer to him, his palm settling between me. The slight pain radiated through me; I was very sore. He easily lifted me, cing me on hisps. I felt like a child. I could feel his hard member rubbing against mine, and I flinched from the pain. He paused.


    Chapter Forty Two-


    "What is wrong?" he asked.


    "Nothing," I said too fast.


    "You know what happens when you lie to me, Riley."


    "I''m sore," I said, and a smile spread on his lips. That''s why I wanted to keep this to myself; it would only feed his already enormous ego.


    "I''ll be gentle," he promised, his hand slipping into my panties-one I didn''t remember putting on. I gasped, holding on to his hands. He robbed around my clit gently, and that was a surprise; the word gentle never seemed to exist in his dictionary.


    I moan, my head falling back against his shoulder as heat builds up in me.


    He slipped a finger into my already wet core and twirled. A shiver rocked through me.


    "Do I own you now?" he asks, and I nod desperately. "Say it," he said, biting at my ears as his hand curled again inside me, hitting the spot. I let out moan.


    "You own me, Alpha Thane," I cried out.


    "That''s it"


    He picked up his pace a bit, thrusting into me with a single finger, curling and twirling till I couldn''t take it anymore. I came, but he didn''t stop thrusting, lengthening mye till I held his hands, prompting him to stop. He ced me back on the bed.


    "There''s a feast tomorrow. We have to be there; it would be thest feast my parents would be joining us for, but you will wear exactly what I tell you to."


    I nodded, unable to argue with him, knowing if I did, he would have to physically prove his point.


    "How did I get into these clothes?" I asked.


    "You ask that now?" he muttered in amusement


    "Let''s say it was abined effort."


    "You are sick, you know that?"


    "Yes and I''ll ruin you Riley, but I won''t do it alone, as much as you are mine, I like the thought. of you being imed by him" he says and again I felt a slight shiver that had nothing to do with the weather. Today''s Bonus Offer

 Claim Me 43

    Chapter Forty Three


    The dress Thane had picked out for me wasn''t that bad. Though it revealed my back and threatened to go lower, the front was decent enough, exposing a little of my cleavage. The green dress had two slender straps and a deep slit. It was beautiful. Thane walked in, already fully dressed; of course, he didn''t need much to look as spectacr as he did now.


    "Sit," he says, pointing at the chair, and I take my seat, knowing if I don''t, there will be consequences.


    He selected arge diamond ne with matching earrings, and he put them on me. I didn''t miss his hands lingering on my neck longer than supposed. But he hadn''t stopped there; he had proceeded with my hair. It was indeed a surprise; one would never expect a man like Thane to have the patience required to learn hair styling


    "How did you learn how to do this?" I asked, staring at the mirror. My hair was in an updo, and I was sure I had never looked this beautiful.


    "I did this for my that


    other a few times," he admitted, but there was this look in his eyes told me he wasn''t telling me everything yet. "Perfect," he says when he is done. Thane had neverplemented me before; it wasn''t just his thing, so this was the closest I''ve gotten to that, and my heart warmed.


    "I''ll be here to support you, just in case you can''t walk well," he teased.


    "I can walk around just fine," barely.


    "Then maybe we should change that?" he suggested.


    "Do you ever get tired?"


    "No, not really, and you should get used to it."


    With that, he held hands, leading me to the door


    ''Are we not kind ofte?"


    "Yes, the feast had already begun, butmon etiquette states that we arrivete."


    "What etiquette is that?"


    "Would you prefer we arrive early and help with the decor?"


    Axel was present by the time we joined them, as were the Alpha King, de, arid his mate, the Luna Queen, Freya.


    A lot of Food was ced on each table-more food than we could ever be able to consume. To the side, some beautiful females in revealing clothes danced around as others chatted and


    Chapter Forty Three


    joked about everything and nothing. Axel and Thane had also joined in on the conversation.


    "I heard about what happened to your mate," de says, and there wasplete silence, all discussion came to an abrupt end, I could feel the tension building up in the room. "You killed six or more to teach others a lesson," de continued as if oblivious to the tension, or maybe he didn''t care. a


    "I''ll kill more if I have to," Thane promised, his eyes on his father.


    C


    Freya, who was in red, hadn''t touched her food once; the veil still covered her face, and she had ck gloves on her hands. As usual, no skin was left uncovered. I couldn''t help but pity her.


    Some of the dancers had also stopped dancing to watch.


    "You really like her, don''t you?"


    "She''s my mate; what more to that does there have to be?" Thane questioned. I didn''t like being the center of attention, but everyone was staring now, and I was just that.


    de turned to me to make things worse. "Their blood is literally on your hands; after all, they are your people; you know that, right?"


    "They tried killing me; they deserved to be punished," I answered for the first time, staring right at him, knowing deep down that he wouldn''t hurt me, not with Thane and Axel by my side.


    "You hadn''t even fought them..."


    Thane cut his father off. "They were ten against one. Even the best of your men would not be able to fight them off," Thane responded.


    deughed. "That''s right, apologies," he said, but it was clear he didn''t mean that. I wanted this discussion to end here, but of course, it didn''t. "She''s a beauty, I must admit. I hope you enjoy her while shests, just like I had taught you to," de said, gripping Freya. "You make them into what you want them to be; you can''t let them control you. She tried that," he said, referring to Freya, "but see where it got her."


    de ripped off her veil, revealing her scars like they were some kind of trophy.


    "You will not disrespect me before my people." Freya''s cold voice warned; that had been the first time I heard her speak in public. She freed her hands from de Iron''s fists before walking away.


    "You know why you are so weak, de; you can only show strength to the weaker ones. You''ll never do that with someone who would put you in your ce. This should be thest time you speak of my mate and my Luna like that; otherwise, you''ll have a problem with me," Thane warned.


    Axel''s hands circled around mine protectively, his furry just as dark as Thane''s.


    Chapter Forty Three


    "Apologies..."


    "I don''t need that. This feast is over, de; you may leave."


    Alpha de''s eyes turned to mine, and I could see the cruelty in them.

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    Chapter Forty Four


    Alpha de and his mate''s seats remained empty.


    "I need to go to the restroom" I said to Thane. "Axel can go with you." "I can go or


    on my own," I say, my cheeks reddening. I didn''t think he should worry about any attack, not after the example he had set for the others. I noticed how the other pack members seemed to keep a good distance from me; they were all afraid ofing too close and I


    couldn''t me them.


    Thane wasn''t happy about my choice, and I was very sure he woulde looking for me if I took more than a few minutes. But I wasn''t nning on returning; after all that happened today, I just needed to go back to the room and shut everyone else out. It was only going to be six months. I reminded myself.


    I knew the way back to our room, and I had made sure to study the routes we had followed. whening here, I wasn''t about to get lost again.


    I exited the hall, very awate of the stares boring into me.


    "Luna," a female who had been leaning against the wall, called; of course, it was none other than Beatrix.


    "We meet again," I said as I walked on, but she followed, keeping pace with me. Could she have been waiting here for me?


    "Yes, Luna, and it is of course a pleasure to meet you again," she says, and I could see the glint in her eyes. She suspected, or rather, she knew, that I was not the Luna. I had just wanted some space away from everything, but I couldn''t even get that one thing. "I hadn''t realized you left the feast." I said to her, not that I really cared if she left or remained there.


    "Well, I''m d I did; with all the tension building up there, it could get very ufortable" she says, and I don''t really believe her, she must have enjoyed the drama.


    "Beatrix, I hadn''t gotten the chance to thank you; I heard about everything you did; Thane and Axel wouldn''t have known I was under an attack if not for you. Thank you," I said, and guess what?, I lied. I wasn''t looking for a chance to thank her, and maybe that made me a bad person, but I just couldn''t bring myself to care, so for courtesy sake, I had to pretend.


    "That''s alright; I would protect the Alpha''s property at all costs."


    "Excuse me?" Did she just call me ''The Alpha''s Property''?


    "That''s what you are to him; no offense, but you aren''t his true mate," she says, and my eyes travel around to see if there is anyone close by. "Oh, don''t worry, no one heard us; this little


    Chapter Forty Four


    secret is between me and you, but I''ll only keep it under one condition."


    "I do not care what you think, Beatrix, I''m kind of in a haste as always, so as much as I appreciate this chat, I am less than willing to continue." I walked forward, but Beatrix blocked my path. "If I were you, I''d walk out of my way; otherwise..." I left the silent threat hanging, a smile curving on my lips. I wasn''t as bold inside, though.


    "No offense..."


    I cut her off, "I know you mean to offend me, so please stop using the word when we both know you don''t mean it"


    "Okay then. I don''t mean to threaten you; I know what Thane can do. But I want to know, what exactly do you hold against him?, What could make him so madly indebted to you?"


    "Guess?" I asked. She looked puzzled. "Come closer," I say to her, and she does draw closer. Closer, "I called out, and she drew nearer. "You want to know what I hold against him?" I asked, and she nodded. "I have this thing called the mate bond."


    She pulled away a snarl on her lips.


    "I''ll leave now. But know one thing: I will find out what this thing is, and when I do..." she paused before walking away, neverpleting her sentence.


    I gave myself an invisible pat on the back, heading on my way.


    I noticed a door thrown operr, but that wasn''t what caught my attention.


    What did get my attention was the muffled crying from inside the room; the sound of it broke into me for some reasons I could not understand. The single thing my mind could register was that someone was getting hurt in there.


    I shouldn''t go in there; I should go straight to my room, where Thane would find me. I wasn''t in the position to help anyone right now, but I couldn''t help but remember the times back at the Windborne pack when I had cried out for help after getting beaten up and no one came for


    my rescue.


    I walked into the already open door, but the sight before me was jaw-droppingly horrific. A gasp left mouth.


    Alpha de was nude from the waist down, but Ereya, who had her face shoved into a wooden table, waspletely naked, every inch of her body scarred and bloodied. de had a whip in his hands-a wicked-looking whip. The objectnded again against Freya''s back, tearing through her skin, and she cried out, reaching for her back. de let go of her, and she fell to the ground. He lifted the whip again, and this time itnded on her face, slightly missing her eyes. Her cries grew louder, and I couldn''t stand there anymore; I had to do something.

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    Chapter Forty Five


    "How dare you disrespect me?" de roars, "I put a roof over your head and food in your fucking mouth. I bought you all you need, and this is how you repay me, bitch! You disrespect me!"


    de lifted the whip again, but this time I dove before Freya. He had seen me; he knew I walked in; he could have stopped the whip from hitting me, but there was a curve on his lips as the whipnded against my waist, circling itself up my ribs, very close to my cleavage. The pain was unlike any I had ever seen, and I fell to the ground, letting out a loud cry, my hands wrapping around my abdomen.


    Just then, he walked in.


    I could tell it was Thane even before the deep car-splitting roar escaped his lips.


    I looked up just in time to see Thane collide against his father. de hadn''t been expecting the attack. Thane''s w''shed into his father''s neck.


    He was vibrating, almost like he couldn''t stand on his feet, and then he switched into his wolf form. de was quick to switch, too. But I could tell which wolf was Thane; he was bigger, bigger than any wolf I had ever seen, with pure ck fur and golden eyes that glittered.


    1


    I retreated until I was against the wall.


    Freyay unmoving on the ground; the only sign that she was still alive was the slight movement of her chest. I reached for her, dragging her against the wall too.


    The loud roars filled the room; I knew the whole pack could hear them.


    Thane snapped at his father, digging his fangs into his father''s side. de wed out, getting a grip on Thane and pulling him away, but Thane recovered quickly, snapping at his fath leg too. de roared out in pain, but I couldn''t help but tune his voice out. Thane was furry itself..


    Even with his size, he was fast. The two wolves shoved each other against the wall, breaking through it and destroying the once beautiful room. It was all a mix of fangs, ws, and red. Thane shed again at de, and the wolf let out a loud cry before switching back to his human form. de backed up against the balcony. He was rather going to end the fights than lose to his own son. He jumped off the balcony.


    de hadn''t been prepared for a fight, but it was clear that he saw his son as a challenge."


    Thane''s wolf moved forward towards me, but I backed away, my heart mming against my chest. He growled at me, and I knew my eyes would have been wide with panic when Axel walked in with a pair of jeans in his hands.


    Axel hadn''t looked at me once, even as Thane transformed back to his human form, taking the clothes from Axel''s hands and putting them on.


    Chapter Forty Five


    "We have to talk," Axel said to Thane, leading him out of the room.


    "You should not have done that," someone said, and I looked to see that it had been Freya, "What did you think you were doing?, Do you think you could be some hero?" She scoffed, even naked, with blood over her body, I could her eyes, and that surprised me Still see the anger i


    more than anything that happened in this room.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You only caused more trouble."


    I gasped, "You fucking ungrateful..."


    "Shut up!" she said. "Shut your fucking mouth because you don''t know anything, little girl. You don''t know what you have just done. You made things worse; if you had gone on your own, soon he would decide I''ve had enough for my misbehaviour at the feast, and that would be it, but now... now you''ve made it worse; he is my mate; I am fucking stuck to him for life! Do you know where I would be going after this? To the New Blood Pack, his pack, and no one, "Worse, you not you, not Thane, will stop him." She paused, the tears rolling down her also added Thane to this mess; now he would suffer for you."


    eyes.

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    Chapter Forty Six


    "What do you mean?" I cried out.


    "de is not just his father; he is the Alpha King, Thane had just done the forbidden, all for you. He would have to suffer the consequences."


    My breath came out fast. I shouldn''t have stepped in. Why did I always make matters worse?


    "Riley," Freya called, and I looked at her with teary eyes. "Thank you," she said, and for a moment her features softened. "But sometimes doing the right thing is not always right. Being naive would only bring you to an end."


    "I couldn''t just close my ears to that: what kind of person would that make me?"


    "A person that survives and stays alive. Do you think a few others hadn''t at some point witnessed my punishment?" She questioned me, and I had no answer to that. If she had people who really loved her, then why did they do nothing? How could they allow this? But again, I had to remind myself that Thane never did step in.


    "I''m sorry, I..." I sobbed silently. I had made a very big mistake, and I knew it. I didn''t miss the fact that Axel hadn''t stared at me once when he walked in.


    I tried to move, but my whole body ached, reminding me of the bruise de had left on my skin with the whip.


    "Don''t worry, it would heal; give it a few days-or, considering you are an omega, a few weeks," she says, and I nod, not really caring about the scar. I stood with some effort, picking up the bed spread, and I wrapped it over the Luna Queen.


    "Freya, why haven''t you left him? He treats you like crap; he had been the one at fault bk at the feast, and yet he punished you for a thing so petty; why haven''t you attempted running away? You are the Luna Queen; you have some connections; you could disappear." "Disappear," she says, chuckling. "There''s nowhere in this world where de would not find me. Sometimes, I hope he could change; I hope he could wake up and be a whole different person, and I still hope."


    "He is never going to change; not till he kills you" I say, wondering why I still felt the need to help this


    woman. Maybe it was the sympathy I felt for her.


    "If I escape, I will live my life on a run, afraid of everything and nothing, always having to check my back. That''s not a life-at least not one I will ever want to live," she says.


    "You could..."


    "No, Riley, enough!" she says, and I didn''t miss the fact that she called me by my name. "You have no idea the responsibility before me; we are nothing alike, but soon you will grow to find out. You don''t choose your own fate, nor can you escape it. You have a good heart, which my son Thane does not deserve. Don''t fall in love with Thane; this way you won''t be left broken,


    Chapter Forty Sa


    and


    your have to learn to close your eyes to cruelty; you will see a lot of that soon enough. Do you understand me?" She calls to me.


    I shook my head, backing away. I would never be able to close my eyes to any form of cruelty.


    "Do you understand me?" She calls, her voice a bit higher.


    "I will not be like you; I will not be like any of you."


    000


    guess you believe in the saying that a single drop can make a difference even in an ocean. They lied. You will die; that''s the only difference you will make," she said, her eyes cold.


    "I''m only trying to help you; why do you always have to be this cold uncaring person?"


    "I don''t need your help, little Omega; I never have and never will. Better save your strength," she said, her eyes staring at the white wall.


    "I''ll remember that next time."


    Just then, Axel and Thane returned.


    Axel picked me up, still avoiding my eyes as he carried me away, but Thane remained with Freya.


    "I''m sorry," I said to Axel when we finally entered my room. But he gave no response, and that worried me more than anything Freya had said. "I didn''t mean to cause any of this; please believe me, I just couldn''t stand her being hurt, and I wish I could walk by and do nothing.


    Axel finally stared at me. "And how did she react to your little intrusion?" Axel questioned


    "She called me naive; she said being caring would only lead to my death and a whole lot of mean things I do not want to think about," I said to Axel, my head down.


    "Well, she is a bitch for saying that to you."


    "But she wasn''t wrong, was she? I had caused a fight between a father and his son, all because I couldn''t mind my business. She said something about Thane being punished; what did she mean?"


    Axel was silent; he didn''t want to answer that question.


    "Axel, what did she mean?"


    "Thane would be punished after being judged by the elders. He was wrong in all ways, so he would must definitely be punished."


    "But he is the Alpha, right? He should have some kind of immunity to these, right?"


    "Yes, you are right. If it were anyone else, they would be killed. Though there is hardly anyone that could face the Alpha King." 2/9


    Chanter Forty Seven

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    Chapter Forty Seven


    It waste at night. Iy on the bed with Thane beside me, but he hadn''t said a single word to me. I had expected to be punished; maybe he was only devising some suitable punishments to administer, that would exin why he had been so silent. I didn''t think he was sleeping.


    "Thane..."


    "Go back to sleep, Riley," he says, but thest thing I could do now was sleep.


    "Would you punish me for what I did earlier?" That was a stupid question. Of course I would be punished; maybe I would bear some scars like Freya. No, I wouldn''t allow that. But then what will I do to stop it?, fight him?, run?, scream? I could do nothing.


    "Is this what is keeping you awake?" He asks, and though I wasn''t looking at him, from his tone, I knew there must be a smirk on his face.


    "There are many other questions."


    "Like?" he asked.


    "Your mother talked about you being punished for doing the forbidden."


    "You shouldn''t be worried about that.''


    "You are the Alpha..."


    "And he is the Alpha King. There are these ancient wolves called the elders; they would have to enforce some kind of punishment. That''s why the old man wouldn''t let go of his title easily; he knows the power the crownes with." Thane exined. ''And you are going to let them punish you?"


    "It is expected of me, but it''s nothing, just some regr whipping - Or whatever those elderse up with, nothing to bother about," he said,


    And I rxed a bit. Just then, his hands trailed on my bruised skin, and I gasped out in pain.


    "You are hurt," he states, taking off the nket.


    "No, I''m not hurt; is nothing really?" I tried, but he ignored me, rolling up my gown carefully till it was above my chest.


    I watched his eyes darken at the bruises that went up my cleavages.


    "He did this on purpose," Thane said.


    "No, I tried blocking Freya."


    "He could have stopped if he wanted to, but he didn''t; he wanted you hurt, just to annoy me.''


    Chapter Forty Seven


    Thane said, and I knew he was right. I had seen it in de''s eyes, he wanted me hurt, but I had already done so much harm that I didn''t want to add to that.


    "I''m sure he didn''t mean to," I say, and Thane doesn''t believe that one bit. He knew what happened, and he must also know that I was just trying to cover up for de only to ease the problem I had already created.


    "Stay," he says as he rises from the bed and disappears into the bathroom. He returns with a white tube in his hands. "This might hurt a little, Thane said, and I nodded, allowing him to rub the white lotion on my skin. The pain came almost instantly, and I gripped the bed. "It will heal faster this way," he exins.


    "Thank you," I replied. My voice shook from the pain, but it was over after a few minutes.


    "Riley, I want you to promise me one thing."


    "And what is that?" I asked-


    "That next time you''will walk away," he says, and I understand what he meant.


    "I... I..." I stammered, "Do you know why I couldn''t walk away?" I asked


    4


    "I am interested in finding out.


    "Once, I was in that position, I cried out for help, but no one came to my aid, and so... I felt like maybe I could make a change," I say, my voice small.


    "I am amused you could face de; Impressed and turned on too. But I don''t want you hurt, not by any other person," he says.


    He didn''t want me hurt by any other person but himself. I knew he had deliberately left out this part. I was no fool to think he said that because he cared; it was simply a show of power. Yet I was surprised that he wasn''t going to punish me for my slip.


    "The elders, are they on their way here?" I questioned, and I still couldn''t push it out of my mind that because of me, he was getting punished.


    "They''ve already arrived." He announces and a chill ran down my body.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Claim Me 48

    Chapter Forty Eight


    I didn''t think sleeping would be possible, not with the news Thane had shared that the Elders were already in the pack and he would be punished by the early hours of dawn. He had told me not to worry about him; he didn''t seem unsettled in any way. To him, it was just another night, but I, on the other hand, couldn''t sleep. Also, why would Freya warn me about falling in love with Thane? He was her son; isn''t she supposed to protect him?.


    I knew better than to fall in love with Thane, that was for sure, but I could not deny that he was a very alluring man, and Axel...


    I felt like my life had be nothing but a mirage that could only exist in a girl''s fantasies. I wouldn''t say I was free with Thane now; knots still formed in my stomach when he was close. Axel was safe, but I had seen a new part of him; he wasn''t as innocent as I thought he was; he had some darkness too, and maybe it was worst in his case, because I never knew what to expect from him.


    "Riley", Thane called and that startled me out of my thoughts. I should be sleeping; maybe I could just pretend like I was sleeping, and so I didn''t respond, trying to calm my nerves and pretend.


    "I know you are not sleeping; I can tell," he says, and I gave up.


    "How do you expect me to sleep? I''m sorry, but there is just so much on my mind, I can''t sleep."


    "Riley, thest thing you should do is worry about me.''


    "Why? Because you are this strong, unbreakable person who can''t feel a thing?" I asked, cocking my brow, even if I knew he wasn''t going to see that.


    "It is amusing that you worry about a man who is not your mate and would probably forge. about you when the contract is over," he says, and a lump forms in my throat. Dick. But he was right.


    "I don''t care what happens to you," I lied. "But I caused this, and so it is my fault. I worry even you are aplete..." Dick. I didn''t add thest part, knowing it might result in some kind of punishment. He got the info, though.


    if


    "The truth is, I had wanted to give the old man a punch or two for a while now; this was at good opportunity to do just that."


    "That doesn''t change anything."


    "What would? Maybe if I did punish you, you wouldn''t feel so bad; after all, you''ve paid for your felony."


    1 inched away from him, very aware of how close we were now and how very vulnerable I was in nothing but this flimsy night gown-I couldn''t find anything more decent. I deserved to be punished, but I didn''t think my body could handle that right now. 1/2


    Chapter Forty Eight


    He gripped me, bringing me closer to him-very close; I was literally breathing his air. "Please don''t punish Thane; I''ll sleep," I promised.


    "Maybe you need to be a bit rxed, and I know just how to do that."


    "You do?" I asked


    He chuckled, his hands going up my thigh, and I gasped. I pulled myself away from him, but he had me pinned down beneath the nket. That was the only thing shielding my now unclothed lower part. 1


    I stilled when his hands travelled into my panties


    Thane...


    The single flick against my clit had me gasping. I clutched onto his arm; he pressed harder, rubbing around my nub, and I could feel the wetness growing between my legs as the moans escaped my lips. I was totally at his mercy.


    He flipped me, so my back was against his chest. could feel his hardness against my ass, and a shiver ran down my spine.


    His fingers slipped into me, two at a time. He let out a low sound when his fingers sank into my wetness. I gripped onto him as hard as I could


    And then his fingers thrusted. Keeping his pace, he wasn''t being exactly gentle, but I knew that for a man like him, this was as gentle as he could be.


    Of course he couldn''t keep the almost gentle pace for long; soon his finger was pounding into me, and I was in pure ecstasy. I could feel myself building hard; I held onto his hands, but that didn''t stop him from going harder. "Thane..."


    "Let it out," he


    he says as he goes faster. My whole body shook as I let it out, but he didn''t stop thrusting those sinful fingers into me.


    When he was done, I felt exhausted, and it hadn''t taken a few minutes before I drifted into a very peaceful sleep. Finally. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Forty Mine


    Chapter


    Forty Nine


    I woke up only to discover that I was alone. It was few hours to dawn.


    Where was Thane?, I sat up from the bed.


    "You need more sleep." Axel who I hadn''t realized was in the room, said to me. How did they always go in and out without me noticing?, was I really that deep a sleeper?


    "Where is Thane?" I asked.


    "Gone"


    "Gone, where?"


    "You don''t need to worry; he''ll be back in a while, and I''ll be here with you," Axel said.


    I put on a coat over my nightgown and headed for the door.


    "Where are you going?" Axel asked


    "I know he is about to be punished; I need to be there."


    "He doesn''t want you there," Axel answered.


    "I don''t fucking care what he wants," I said. The movement was fast. Axel had been over there a while ago, and now he was standing right before the door, startling me. With his intense gaze on me, I swallowed. I always had to remind myself that Axel was just as dangerous and scary as Thane. "I''m sorry. Could you just take me there, please?" I begged, force couldn''t exactly do it.


    Le


    "He would be mad," Axel warned, but I nodded. "You are very determined to watch Thane being punished; I wonder why," he says as he throws the door to our room open and lead out. I had forgotten to ask how he had moved so quickly. No werewolf I had ever seen had such speed.


    "It''s taking ce on the training grounds," Axel said casually. We might as well be talking about the weather.


    "The training grounds?" I questioned, "Before everyone?"


    "Yes. Usually the younger ones won''t be present


    "But that''s just so... wrong." He was the Alpha; being punished was bad; but being punished. before the whole pack was another thing.


    "Just like what Thane had done, it was so... wrong." Axel imitated me.


    "Nothing could be done?" I questioned; it seemed strange for Thane to be put under thew; he always seemed above everything.


    Chapter Forty Nine


    "If Thane wanted this blown over, trust me, it would have been so He simply wouldn''t show up and the elders would eventually get tired of waiting and leave, but he chose to respect thisw to prove to them he couldn''t be affected by it."


    It makes so much sense now. "You don''t seem bothered by this," I said, noticing how calm he had been.


    "Oh, I am."


    "Well, you''re doing a very good job hiding it."


    "What do you suggest I do?, Tremble?"


    He could at least show some kind of sign that he was bothered.


    I looked down at my choice of dressing. It was horrible. "I should have picked out something better to wear", I mumbled.


    "Don''t worry, thest thing anyone would be doing is looking your way," he said, and I didn''t know if I should beforted by that.


    "Riley, do you think you can handle this?" Axel asked.


    "I''ve watched people been whipped before; I can handle it," I said, even if deep down I didn''t think I could.


    Axel paused to stare at me; he seemed about to say something before deciding against it.


    "We would get a better view here," he pointed out.


    We would be the only ones standing there, overlooking the pack members that were already present. I gulped.


    Thane was nowhere to be found. I noticed the thick iron pole standing conspicuously on the dais, I wasn''t really sure I had seen it there thest time I came here; even if I did, I wouldn''t recognize it. Now it had thick chains wrapped around it; the chain had been sprawled out on the ground, and only then did I realize that Thane was going to be chained here, to those heavy looking chains I surely couldn''t lift.


    My stomach sank. Thane had told me it was just the regr whipping. I had never stopped to ask what he meant by regr.


    Just then I spotted Thane; it was hard to miss. He walked in shirtless, escorted by a group of people, but then these people looked very unfamiliar. They had too many piercings, and I could tell they were all males-they weren''t from this pack. Thane towered over them all though.


    He didn''t look like a man about to be punished, but rather a king about to give a statement to his people-yes, that was exactly how he looked all shirtless and powerful.


    Chapter Forty Nine


    The pack members bowed as he passed by.


    The guards weren''t just his escort; I realized that when they picked up the heavy chains and bounded his hands with them, also his legs and every other part of his body. Any other person would sag under the weight, but not Thane.


    Another set of people walked in, and I could tell just by looking at them that they were the elders. They were in white cloaks that trailed behind them; their movement was graceful, almost like they were floating and not really touching the ground; they moved as one, but there was something off about them-something scary about them-that made others look away while they walked past, but I stared.


    The elders stood on the dais, before the whole pack, a small distance from where Thane had been chained and also where I stood with Axel.


    "Alpha Thane of the Nightshade Pack, your punishment is due. You answer with only two words: ''guilty'' or ''meless." The one in the middle began.


    There was aplete silence, and I could hear my own intake of breath.


    "You instigated a battle with the Alpha King."


    "Guilty," Thane answered; his voice sounded a bit... bored..


    "You interfered between the Alpha King and his moon chosen," the Elder said. Thane wasn''t guilty of that; I had done it; I had intervened, not him. "Guilty," he said, and for a reason I can''t understand why my heart skipped a beat. D

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    Chapter Fifty


    ''Just some regr whipping'', Thane had said, but he had lied. The metallic steel-coloured whip was very much unusual. I couldn''t help but wonder how someone could create an object like this with the sole purpose of using it on people. The whip was a dark, shining metal, and the tip had been split into five. The elders passed the whip to the guards, the same ones that had too many piercings. They dipped the metal whip into the contents of a basin.


    "What is that?" I asked


    Axel was silent for a while, and that alone was enough to tell me that whatever it was, I wouldn''t want to know. "Wolf''s bane in its liquid form. Leave it up to the elders to devise things like this," Axel said, and I could sense the anger in his voice. Thane was right; I wouldn''t be able to bear watching this. How could I stay and watch such cruelty?


    I knew what wolf''s bane was; it was one of those many things I''ve heard about a lot of times but never actually seen; it was rare for a good reason; this was a werewolf''s worst weakness. Axel didn''t look shocked by this, nor did Thane; they knew. Axel had wanted to say something earlier; he had wanted to exin to me that Thane had deliberately understated how the punishment was carried out, but he had kept it to himself. Why didn''t they tell me?


    I had to stand here and watch, knowing I had caused this.


    Thane could have avoided it; he had nothing to prove...


    My thoughts trailed off when the whip was set on fire.


    A silent whimper escaped my lips as I took a step back, bumping into Axel.


    "I... I can''t..."


    "Alpha Thane, you will bear your punishment, and the others will learn from your mistake." The elder in the middle, who seemed to be the only one speaking, said, and the only sign from Thane was the firm nod.


    1. on.


    The one single elder in the middle signalled to the huge man who held the whip to carry The man was just like the other strangers with so many piercings, but he had a tattoo on his bald head, a rather unsettling design. I didn''t think I was breathing. I was still in doubt this couldn''t happen.


    Just then the man lifted up the whip, alight in blue mes, and it came down hard against Thane''s back. I flinched, shoving into Axel again. The sound from the whip resounded, and a dark, ckish burn marred Thane''s skin.


    He hadn''t even flinched.


    Chapter Fifty


    The whip came again against his back, and I counted silently in my mind. ''Two''.


    The man didn''t stop. "Three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine...'' I went on, barely noticing the tears streaming down my eyes. Thane hadn''t flinched once, but the scars were there; his back was so marred I couldn''t bear to look, and my whole body shook. I had never felt so afraid for anyone in my life. ''Neen, twenty''.


    eves


    They weren''t stopping; they were going to kill him. I looked over to where Alpha de and hist mate Freya stood, also distancing themselves from the crowd. de didn''t seem satisfied; maybe he thought Thane wouldn''t be able to hold back. I could see the faint surprise in his


    and something more-fear? I could be wrong though. But Freya stood still by his side, fully clothed in shades of brown; she did nothing and said nothing as she watched her son being ruthlessly punished. I had always wondered why Thane never went for her rescue; maybe I judged too fast, or maybe there was some history I didn''t know about. None of them caught my pleading eyes.


    "Axel, do something." I pleaded. I hadn''t noticed how quiet Axel had be, but when I turned around, I noticed he was panting. We were a good distance from the crowd, and no one would notice it, but I could. Axel gasped just when another whipnded on Thane''s back.


    Everything seemed to click. When Axel spoke about his bond with Thane, he said he could feel Thane''s emotions. I never understood the gravity of that statement until now. Right now, Axel was in so much pain because he had to bear the punishment along with Thane. I had to do something. I knew I had no power to stop this, but I had to try.


    I ran forward, just as I did with Freya. I stood before Thane and the executioner.


    "Please stop... please end this. He hadn''t been the one guilty. I had interfered with the Alpha King and his Mate, not him. Let him go," I begged. All attention was on me now, but I couldn''t bring myself to care. Thane, who had stood unmoving, turned to stare at me. But he didn''t seem in pain; no, he seemed... mad at me.


    "You shouldn''t be here, I told him to keep you away" he says. It came out almost as a growl. Soldiers," he called, and four of the pack soldiers walked forward. He was their Alpha, and nothing could ever change that. They had this look in their eyes, something simr to admiration and respect. "Take her away; lock her up if you must, but she must not return."


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    Chapter Fifty One


    "Don''t touch me," I warned, but of course they rather obeyed Thane''smand.


    The guard dragged me away, and the little distraction was easily forgotten. The executioner continued, and I lost count.


    Thane seemed mad at me. I had made not only him but also Axel suffer, all because I couldn''t walk past the damn room. I got what I deserved.


    I felt slightly awkward due to Thane''s impolite words he hadn''t spoken to me like I was his Luna, more like I was some annoying, clingy and bothersome person who didn''t know when to react and when to refrain. Still, I couldn''t help the surge of guilt I felt. Maybe Thane was right; punishing me will make things easier to bear.


    Lost in thought, I realized the soldiers had stopped before a room.


    I pulled away from them to walk in, only to get shoved into the room by one of the soldiers. Inded on my butt. I was mad at everything. I rushed for the exit again even if I knew I wouldn''t be able to escape them, only to have the door mmed in my face, a few centimetres from my nose, and then I was locked in. Thane had clearly meant for them to lock me in if I proved too stubborn, but they had taken the task too seriously, going ahead to confine me even if I hadn''t given them any issues.


    I pounded against the door. "Let me out!" I screamed.


    There was something maddening about being in an enclosed ce and knowing there was not way out. 1


    After a few minutes, I got tired of pounding against the door, and I sat on the bed, my knuckles sore. My mind drifted back to Thane. The whipping should be over, right? They weren''t nning on killing him; there was only so much he could take.


    Frey had warned me to get used to such cruelty because I would be seeing it more often; of course, I hadn''t believed her till now.


    I was restless. I was wondering when I would be let out of here. When I could see Thane and... Axel, who had also been in pain, I could, apologize; I didn''t mind being punished. Thane had done so much for me, and even though I could never be able to understand him, I didn''t want anything to happen to him.


    Was that really the only reason?


    He had asked me the same question: why should I worry about a man who was not my mate? He had said it to my face that he would so easily forget about me when this was all over, and yet... yet I cared,


    Hours passed, and no one came. I paced around the room, passing my hands through my hair again and again - maybe pulling out some strands in the process; time seemed to move by Chapter Fifty One


    slowly. I hadn''t gotten enough sleep, but I didn''t think I could calm myself enough to sleep. Not with the constant panic that filled me at the thought that Thane might be severely injured...


    Just then the door was pulled open and Axel walked in, he dismissed the other soldiers.


    I felt a burst of relief by just staring at him. I ran into his hands, hugging him tight. I deserved everything that woulde my way for my mistake.


    "Where is Thane?" I question.


    "You don''t have to worry; it''s all over now," Axel said, but I didn''t miss the way his eyes watched me; they weren''t soft like I was used to, and he came closer. I had never been afraid to be in the same room with Axel until now. "Axel, I''m sorry," I said, knowing it wasn''t going to be necessary; it wouldn''t avert the punishment awaiting me.


    "Thane


    "Do you know why I''am here?" he asked, and I tried to speak, but no words came out. wanted me here; he wants me to have you." I could do nothing but stare at him. If he did make a move, I was indeed powerless, but I wouldn''t stop him.


    I took off my coat, taking down the straps of my dress. Tears blurred my eyes. Axel walked towards me, picking up my coat from the ground and handing it back to me. "But I won''t do that Riley. I would never treat you like a slut, so brought along the one person you need right now."


    Chapter Filty Two

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    Chapter Fifty Two 111


    Axel let my mother in.


    If only he knew that she was thest person I needed. "I would give you both some space," Axel said.


    "Are you


    here to give me some more lectures, mom? There''s nothing you say that would change the decision I had already made, so maybe you could make this easy for the both of us and leave," I said to her even before she could say a thing. Maybe Axel hadn''t picked up on the info thest time; my mother had been a total... I couldn''t call her a bitch, but she had acted very much so, making me feel like I was a naive and ignorant child who couldn''t see that she was headed in the wrong direction. Yet she knew that all I did I did for her and for us. ""Will you


    at least hear me out?" My mother asked


    "Depends on what you have to say, mother, if it''s along the lines of ''he is too dangerous for you or your very favourite, ''a life of very back in the Windborne pack is better than a life here'', then I''m sorry-but not so sorry, I wouldn''t be interested in..."


    "I am here to apologize," she says, cutting me off. "I had been so mad and angry at you, even if I knew you had no faultin it; I should have triedmunicating with you better; I should have made you understand, but I had just expected you to know, and when you didn''t understand things from my perspective, I turned against you too. You aren''t at fault; life has put us in this situation."


    "It is not a situation, mother; it is my life, and this is what it is going to look like for a while."


    "There are things going on here-things you do not know about, things he is not willing to tell you..."I cut her off.


    man,


    "That''s because I do not care to know; I don''t need to know. I know Thane is not a very good.


    but he loves me." I swallowed; I knew Thane didn''t love me, and so I lied. A part of me wondered if I would like this little lie to be a reality. I wasn''t a dreamer; I knew that would never happen. He shouldn''t love me, and I wasn''t to love him either. "That''s all that matters. What we share is more than you can everprehend. I might not be happy, but I am surely getting there. Don''t ruin this for me, mother; don''t ruin this little happiness I was finally privileged to have after all the pain I had suffered, you had told me once that I deserved. to be happy, this is as close as I could ever get to that."


    "I did not mean to cause you pain. I love you, and you know it."


    "I don''t. I don''t know if you love me anymore; if all this time I had been a fool, you could be like Ryker, but a better actress.


    "Do notpare me to the monster, Riley."


    "The same monster you prefer me to go back with rather than stay here?"


    "This is not why I am here; I am here to apologize for everything. I know you had done all this


    12


    Chapter Fifty Two


    for me; you wanted us happy, and it is not your fault. I am sorry, Riley; please forgive me.


    "You lie, mother. Youe here asking for my forgiveness, but at least try to make it look. real. I know you, mother, and I know you mean nothing of what you just said."


    "I just want to have my daughter back."


    "And I want to have my mother back too, but everything you''ve shown me is a far cry from the mother 1 knew. You abandoned me; at the time, I needed you the most, and yet you refused to tell me why-why are you against all this? I feel like there is something more you aren''t telling me..."


    "There is nothing more than what you already know and that''s why I wanted to keep you away from him. It is no secret that I do not want you with him. But I am not going to stop you. I only ask that you give me a chance, that you spare some of your time so we could talk


    as we


    she said, and did before. What I hate more than anything is the rift this has put between by ''this'' she meant ''Thane Thane hadn''t been the one to ce any rift between this, and she wasn''t taking the me.


    Yet, I missed her. I missed having someone to talk to.


    ; she did


    "We forget everything, and we move on. You won''t keep reminding me of the dangerous decisions I''ve made because you know this is my only choice." I said to her, and she walked to me, drawing me in for a hug. I hugged her too, like my life depended on it. I knew things wouldn''t be the same; she hated Thane and hated this ce, but at least she would be by my side; that was all that mattered for now.


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    Chapter Fifty Three


    I did need my mother''s visit more than I thought I did and after that, I was finally calm. enough to fall into a restful sleep.


    I didn''t know how long I slept, but something awoke me; I felt like I wasn''t alone in the room. I snapped my eyes open to see Thane watching me, like practically sitting on a stool close to the bed and watching me like aplete creep. Thane was thest person I expected to see.


    My heart mmed fast against my rib cage, threatening to escape the walls.


    "You scared the living day light out of me, Thane," I said. He didn''t say anything, still staring at me with those dark amber eyes. Could I still be dreaming?. I pinched myself to make sure. I did feel that. This was no dream.


    "I like watching you sleep," he said, as if just realizing it. "I like so many things about you. I like when you are shy and embarrassed, but what I love most is watching you in tears. You cried for me, and it was a fucking turn-on."


    "That''s very creepy Thane, even for you." He was turned on by my tears; that''s very disturbing and twisted.


    "But you


    don''t know me," he says.


    "You need to go to the healers."


    "Why do y


    you worry so much?"


    "I didn''t expect the punishment to be so brutal, you should have warned me so I would be more prepared," I said, though I didn''t think anything he would say would prepare me fr that. I watched him, prying to see any form of difort or pain in his features, and found none. He must be very good at hiding it.


    "I didn''t n on making you watch Riley; I knew it would affect you.


    "It would have been worse staying here, left with my very unkind imaginations."


    "No, it wouldn''t be worse," he said, and he was right, but I wouldn''t agree to it.


    "You really need to go to the healers, Thane," I said seriously, seating up. But he only chuckled.


    "I don''t need that; do you want to know what I truly need?" he asked


    "What?"


    "I want to fuck you, Riley; that''s all the healing I need."


    I chocked on my own saliva. Why does he always have to be so... raw?. Heat pooled between my legs.


    "Seriously, Thane?, you''re injured, and this is all you can think about?"


    Chapter Filty Three


    "I heal fast, Riley. You won''t understand," he said, and I don''t know if I should feel insulted, yet I did believe he was hurting. The fact that he had put on a shirt over the scarred skin bothered me more than it seemed to bother him.


    "Can I see?" I asked, knowing he would turn me down.


    "You want to see my injuries; I bet it would entertain you.


    "I only want to see how bad they are."


    He pulled off his shirt, and I noticed it was slightly stained with blood. I rose from the bed, circling him to get a good view at his back, and I gasped. The burns and the wicked-looking marks were still there, and just by staring at them, I knew they hurt deeply, but it wasn''t as bad as it had been thest I saw them, and I knew the whips hadn''t ended after I left; he must have... healed. It was strange that he healed so fast; it had only been hours.


    "You do heal very fast," I say. "I''m so sorry, Thane."


    "Riley, I didn''t do this for you," he said, and I inhaled sharply.


    even i


    "You fought de off; he would have done worse to me. Thank you, you act like a..."


    I had almost called him a dick to his face.


    "I wish you hadpleted your sentence," he said, and for some reasons I knew he meant it. What would he have done?. "I want to know" he began, "Did you feel offended when I sent Axel in to have you?" he questioned. Offended? Not really. It wasn''t exactly shocking. "He didn''t do it," I said.


    "I know that, but he could have, and you would have toply; does that madden you.


    "No, Axel is... fine."


    He nodded gently, as if pleased to hear that. "I wouldn''t mind you going to him to satisfy your needs." i


    "Really?"


    "Yes"


    "Does this mean you''ll go back to Beatrix?" I questioned, I just had to know.


    "Not now,


    not soon," was his only reply.

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    Chapter Fifty Four


    I and Thaney side by side on the bed in afortable silence.


    "I''m feeling very generous now. Ask me a question; you might get an answer," he says, and I peck up. I had so many questions to ask, and he was finally giving me an opportunity. I might as well take it while itsts.


    "Why did you pick me?, you would have had others easily... What is your intention, and what are you going to gain from this?"


    "So this was the first thing that came to your mind?. Ask any other question, but that," he says. That wasn''t fair. But I quickly moved on, I didn''t expect an answer either.


    "Your parents had been present at the time you were being..." I paused; I didn''t want to say the word punished again, so I moved on, hoping Thane got the clue: "Freya did nothing. I feel like there is something you haven''t told me, something between your parents, particrly your mother and you."


    Thane watched me silently. "That''s another question I can''t answer.


    "Were you nning to ever answer a question?"


    "I didn''t expect smart questions from you," he said, and again, I didn''t know if I should be offended by that.


    "Have you ever been in love?" I tried. I couldn''t imagine Thane in love; it felt too mundane of a thing for a man like Thane. I didn''t think he had ever been in love.


    "Is that all you want to ask?" he questioned. Maybe he would give me an answer after all


    "I want to know everything about the bond you share with Axel. I want to know if you had a mate and... what happened to her."


    I didn''t miss the slight stillness at the mention of a mate. It had never been officially known that Thane had found his mate, but maybe we just weren''t well informed. a "Those questions I would answer. I think you deserve to know something, but there is a condition. No one would ever hear about this," he says.


    "Is this like a top secret?" I asked jokingly, "What would you do if I did tell someone?"


    "You won''t; I don''t think you will dare that," he says, and I think about daring it, just to prove. to him that I could.


    "Don''t worry, no one will know; as you can clearly see, I don''t have a lot of friends."


    "Good, it would be bothersome having to kill you if you do," he says. Thane doesn''t joke, but I want to believe this was some kind of a rare joke.


    "I had been in love before," he said to me, and I was indeed surprised. I had so many more


    Chapter Filty Four


    questions: who was she? Had it been Beatrix? Was she in the pack? Do you still love her?. I voiced out none, though.


    "That is very hard to believe." I say instead.


    "Yes, sometimes I can''t believe it either. There was one thing de had taught me. Love was pain, and he was very much right." Thane said and I waited patiently for him to continue. "Her name was Be, and she was my mate. I did love her, so very much; I was so obsessed with her.


    I had found her during a trip, and she was... she was different. She was so small and delicate; her name was very fitting, and I fell instantly in love. She ran away that very first day I met her, but I couldn''t let her go. I found her; she lived alone in a small house right in the middle of nowhere, but she was no rogue, just a runaway wolf. She didn''t seem to like me, though, not one bit, and I wondered if I were the only person feeling the pull from the mate bond.


    You see, I didn''t see myself as particrly unattractive; I was an Alpha, young, and wealthy. Who doesn''t want that? But she hadn''t wanted me close to her. I never gave up; I visited her as much as I could, and the only person who knew about this was Axel. One day, I asked her why she wouldn''t a mate. She told me that the only reason she couldn''t be with me was that she didn''t want to make me choose between her and my own pack. See, Be didn''t want to be a part of this pack-or any pack; she said she liked a free life where she could be all on her own, and if loved her that enough, then I coulde along with her.


    ept me a


    I loved this pack so much, but... I couldn''t live without her. I hadn''t told anyone but Axel; he was going to cover up for me for the main time, and if I finally chose to be with her, he would be the next Alpha in my stead.


    The few weeks I spent with her were one of the best moments of my life, but then one day just like every other day, I woke up to an empty bed. No, she hadn''t run away; she was seated on her favourite couch, backing me. Only when I got closer did I discover that something w very wrong. She was still-too still."


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    Chapter Fifty Five


    Thane paused. For the first time, I saw a flicker of emotion on his face.


    "She was dead. And in her hands, she held this paper. It was a message for me. She had exined the true reason she turned me down earlier: she hadn''t wanted me close because she knew I would be hurt in the end. She had this sickness, an issue with her blood; she said it could never be cured. I did notice how thin she got, but every time I asked, she came up with a story, maybe factoring it all to stress, and I believed her. I felt like a fool for not looking deeper. This illness had been eating her out for a while, and that was the reason she settled out alone; she didn''t want to hurt anyone. She said she had been selfish for wanting me and selfish for having me, even if she knew it would leave me broken in the end.


    I had been so furious at everything. At myself for not realizing it soon, at fate for pairing me with her as a mate, and at her for keeping it away from me, maybe I could have helped her if only she told me, we had the best set of healers. Love was pain, and whatever we had was short-lived. I couldn''t control my grief. I was ready to let go of everything for her; she was all I had all I wanted, and then she was gone. I lost myself; I couldn''t control my emotions, and it was turning me into a beast.


    Axel stepped in. He saved, me; he had taken me to a spell weaver. I don''t know exactly what she was, but she was more than just a healer; she said the ache I felt was too much to bear and there would be no other way I could recover except the pain could be shared. Axel hadn''t hesitated to help, and the spell weaver or whatever she called herself-had gone ahead to perform a Unification Ritual which had only ever been attempted twice in history.


    But there was more Axel would lose. He would never find his mate, and he would forever share


    my


    emotions." Thane finished, and I was silent, lost in thought.


    I wiped the tears that dripped down my cheeks. Now I understood why Thane didn''t want me to tell anyone about this-this had been one of his vulnerable moments, and I couldn''t believe he had shared this with me.


    I knew he wouldn''t want to speak anymore about his mate or abide in the topic, so I had to move on even if I still had so many questions.


    "Does Axel regret his decision?" I asked. I knew it felt like hell living without one''s mate, but to be clouded with someone else''s feelings did feel bad too.


    "He doesn''t... yet. But I''ll never forgive myself for being so weak, forcing him to risk his very own life for me," Thane says, and I wanted to tell him it wasn''t his fault that everyone was allowed to be weak once in a while but I knew that Thane wouldn''t want to hear any of that,


    not from me.


    Now it did make sense, while the both of them seemed so close, and he didn''t mind sharing with Axel.


    "Your pack doesn''t have a gamma. Why?"


    Chapter Fifty Five


    "I hadn''t found the right person. At a time, Beatrix was my first choice, but then do I really need a gamma?"


    He didn''t. Axel and Thane could handle things just fine, or maybe I didn''t like the idea of any more power being passed to Beatrix. She was already crossing lines; it would be worse if she were the Gamma.


    "I have something to tell you about Beatrix. She spoke to me earlier, she didn''t seem convinced that we were mates; she''s convinced I''m ckmailing you into doing all these."


    "And when did you discover this?" Thane said the softness had disappeared from his eyes, and I wondered if I had just destroyed the mood.


    "It had been a while ago..."


    "A while ago?, and you said nothing?"

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    Chapter Fifty Six


    I could do anything just to see that other part of Thane again; the softness in his eyes had done something to me - something I couldn''t exin. But whatever I had seen two days ago was gone; now he was back to his cold self.


    Maybe he did regret telling me about his past, because for the past two days he had barely exchanged Words with me, or maybe it was just me being paranoid and he was simply busy and stressed. His injury healed fast too, and now the marks looked weeks old, even though it had been barely two days. Axel hadn''t visited either, and I worried if something was wrong. Either way, I was not nning on remaining in our room all alone today; I was going to pay a visit to the training grounds and maybe explore a little too. I got dressed, ready to leave, when a knock on the door interrupted me. Axel?


    I rushed to the door and pulled it open, and my face fell visibly when I noticed who stood there. Beatrix.


    What the hell was she doing here? So far, I had imagined that this room was out of her zone, we only met in the hallways, and now... she was here. I wasn''t letting her in; I didn''t trust her that well. a


    "You seem a bit disappointed, expecting someone else... maybe Thane?" she questioned. It ignored her words.


    "What do you want?"


    "When did it be so wrong for me to visit my Luna?" she questioned, flipping her blue hair away from her eyes.


    "We have nothing to talk about." I paused. "Or maybe you do like being close to me; for some reason I cannot fathom why you can''t seem to stay away from me." I said to her, a smile on my face, and hers disappeared. "Don''t falter yourself. You seem to be heading out?."


    "Yes, for a peaceful walk, and I really want to enjoy this alone," I said, putting emphasis on the word ''alone'' as I suspected she was about to ask that we both walk together.


    "I had wanted to show you something."


    "And what is that?"


    "You would like it."


    "I don''t think I will; maybe someone other time," I offered, but of course, I was never nning on going anywhere with her.


    She leaned closer, so her lips were


    close to my ears. "I guess you''ve been curious to know more about your mate; this is a little secret I want to reveal to you; I promise you it would interest you," she says.


    +20 BONUS


    A secret about Thane, something she knew and I didn''t; of course it would interest me. Do I trust Beatrix?, No. I didn''t, but one thing was sure: she couldn''t hurt me-right? I felt like the stupid little girls in books that trusted their rival and ended up killed, but after what Thane had told me, I was more than interested in learning more.


    "What is this thing you think I would be interested in?"


    Beatrix led me through an elevator and down to thest floor, but she didn''t stop there; she took a staircase leading us to... I didn''t know where the ce was exactly, but it was quite dark, considering it was an ''underground'' space.


    I wasn''t that foolish.


    "I see what you are doing, Beatrix; I won''t follow you down there."


    "I won''t do anything," she promises, but do I believe her?, No. I don''t, and though I''m curious, I''m not stupid to follow Beatrix down the underground loop, where there seemed to be fewer people. I turn around. "Wait!" she called, her lips turning up in a sneer. Her hands travelled into her waist belt, and she brought out a gun. rm bells rang in my head. 1


    There were a few people close by, she wouldn''t escape with this. But then she pulls slide off to show me i was loaded, and then she turned the gun over, handing it to me. Surprised I took it. "Why are you giving me this?"


    "That little object in your hands is very powerful-one of the best and my personal favourite. I take it anywhere I go. Do you know why?" she asked, but I gave no answer, still staring at the gun trying to figure out what trick she was trying to y. She carried on without waiting an answer. "This is loaded with silver bullet, but with the added benefit of beingpletely weightless, it is also very fatal; one shot to the right spot is all that is required. I''ll go ahead of you, and you''re free to shoot if I make any wrong move. Okay?" "Okay," I said finally, knowing I just made a bad choice. I pulled at the lever, readying the gun.


    "Gentle there, Luna," she said, moving from the gun''s target point.


    "Just wanted to be ready." I said with an innocent smile.


    "I might have liked you," she says, and with that, she walks down the stairs, and I follow.


    A sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach as we walked on.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Claim Me 57

    Chapter Fifty Seven


    TRIGGER WARNING: CHAPTER CONTAINS EXPLICT CONTENTS!!


    "How long do we have to walk?" I questioned; the walk down the tunnels was almost fifteen minutes already. Where exactly was she leading me to? But I was too far into this to back out.


    "It usually doesn''t take this long if I am alone, but I have to match pace with you," she says. We are close."


    Finally, we stopped before a huge door.


    ""What is this?"


    "


    "Very curious, aren''t you? You will soon find out."


    She pulled the door open with some effort. And then she walked in.


    The room was the biggest I had seen so far, its size rivalling a hall. But that hadn''t been what appalled me.


    They were so many cages, as far as my eyes could see, lined horizontally and inside the cages where.... girls.


    "What is this?" I questioned again. It could be the dungeons- every pack had this, but I doubted it; something about this ce seemed off. The girls backed away from the cage the moment we walked in, their silent cries filling the room.


    "The Nightshade pack is one of the richest and well known packs. We operate in many businesses; we are the best at everything, but none is more rewarding than the ve trade," she said.


    I did my best to stand still, watching all the women, some barely clothed with wide eyes. I did know Thane was dangerous; it was clear, but this... this was sick. He trafficked women?


    My mother had been a ve too; she had never recounted all the ill experiences she had faced at the hands of others before she was sold to the Windborne Pack, but I could still see the pain- in her eyes. I knew there were times she had prayed for death, and here, right before my eyes, the same thing was happening.


    I hadn''t realized I was shaking.


    "That''s not all there is to see. I did warn you, Thane is no good for you, and this pack is not sooth for you either.


    She held my hands, leading me out because at some point I had forgotten how to move my legs. She led me up the few stairs, and we walked down the route, then she paused. "See for yourself what I mean," she said.


    There was a see-through ss barricade, giving us a view of what was taking ce below.


    Chapter Fifty Seven


    Thane was seated on a wooden chair, looking every bit dangerous. He was saying something, but I couldn''t quite catch it.


    Before him stood a man and a woman, both naked and chained to face each other.


    Thane rose, walking towards the man; he whispered something into the man''s ears, and the naked man shook his head frantically. It was clear that he was afraid; they both were.


    I could hear the woman''s cries even from here.


    Thane nodded to a soldier who stood by the door, and the soldier unchained the woman alone..


    "Make her watch," Thane ordered the soldier. He walked back to the nude man, a dagger in his hands, and then... he sliced at the man''s member.


    I flinched, looking away as tears blurred my vision. Did he just chop off the man''s ''genitals''?.


    The nude man roared; his cries were no longer silent, and the woman cried along.


    I couldn''t move; I felt like I was frozen to my spot, and Thane forced the man''s organ into his mouth, choking him with it. He took some duck tape, pping it to the man''s mouth.


    Blood poured down to the ground, but Thane was not done.


    Thane shed at the man''s, abdomen over and over again, never going deep enough to kill the man. Death was better than this, and then his dagger sank into the man''s eyes, and I threw up. I threw up till there was nothing left in my stomach, but Beatrix wasn''t bothered by that.


    Thane left the man handing there, and the woman, whose eyes were wide with fear, struggled against the soldier''s hold harder than ever before she managed to escape, but someone stopped her.


    Axel.


    He held her down. But she had managed to grab a dagger; I had thought she would try using it as a weapon; instead, she slit her wrist.


    Thane caught up with her.


    "Tsk, Tsk. I won''t let you die that so easily," he promised her.


    "Get me out of here, Beatrix..."


    "But you are yet to witness the real show," she purrs, and I knew she enjoyed this, but this time I couldn''t act tough; I would never be able to see this as normal, if this was what being tough meant then I never wanted to be that. "Dammit, get me out!" I growled at her, and finally she nodded, walking away, and I followed.


    I


    I knew why she did this; she wanted to show me the other part of Thane... and Axel; she wanted me scared, and she did achieve her mission.


    Chapter Fifty Eight


    I had wondered why they were both absent for the past two days, if only I knew what they had been busy with


    I sobbed silently, I would never survive here. Now I doubted that Thane would keep to his words of letting me go, maybe I would end up there, just like those girls:


    I had never felt so afraid in my life.


    I rolled over Beatrix''s offer in my mind; she was willing to help me escape this ce, but she couldn''t help my mother. I shouldn''t leave my mother behind, but I was so afraid, I didn''t want to be here for the next minute.


    I jumped to my feet when someone walked in; it was Thane. I quickly wiped off my tears. "Why are you crying?"


    "Is nothing?" I lied, my heart pounding. Now I knew what he could do; I would never be able to sleep on the same bed with this man. Everything about him frightened me, but what was more rming was how indifferent he was, because this was his life. Even after what he had done what he had been doing, he could still sleep without being hunted. He was twisted in more ways than I could tell.


    "You lie to me again, Riley.


    "I just got emotional thinking about my past," I say, and he gave me a long look before deciding to let it go I hoped..


    "There is a feasting up, you will be apanying me; it would be different from the previous; de and Freya are gone now." He says, mentioning his parents by their name "L... I can''t."


    "I didn''t remember giving you an option"


    "I''m not feeling very well; please Thane, I''d prefer to stay in," I said.


    Thane walked closer to me, his intense gaze on me. Did he know that something was off with me? Could he feel it? I couldn''t tell, but his hands trailed down my hair, and... I couldn''t I


    - couldn''t take it. I flinched; he gripped me. "What was that?" he asked, and to that I gave no response; it seemed to irritate him. He pushed me against the bed, and I fell, bouncing on the bed. He joined me.


    I ced my hands on his chest in an attempt to push him off me, but I didn''t think he could even notice my effort. His lips mmed into mine as he kissed me fiercely. I bit his lips, hard enough to draw blood, but the sicko had read a different meaning to that. And he tore off my clothes.


    "No!" I cried out, and he paused. He finally noticed my struggle.

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    Chapter Fifty Eight


    I had wondered why they were both absent for the past two days, if only I knew what they had been busy with.


    I sobbed silently. I would never survive here. Now I doubted that Thane would keep to his words of letting me go; maybe I would end up there, just like those girls:


    0


    I had never felt so afraid in my life.


    I rolled over Beatrix''s offer in my mind; she was willing to help me escape this ce, but she couldn''t help my mother. I shouldn''t leave my mother behind, but I was so afraid, I didn''t want to be here for the next minute.


    I jumped to my feet when someone walked in; it was Thane. I quickly wiped off my tears.


    "Why are you crying?"


    "Is nothing?" I lied, my heart pounding. Now I knew what he could do; I would never be able to sleep on the same bed with this man. Everything about him frightened me, but what was more rming was how indifferent he was, because this was his life. Even after what he had done - what he had been doing, he could still sleep without being hunted. He was twisted in more ways than I could tel.


    "You lie to me again, Riley."


    "I just got emotional thinking about my past," I say, and he gave me a long look before deciding to let it go I hoped.


    -


    "There is a feasting up, you will be apanying me; it would be different from the previous; de and Freya are gone now." He says, mentioning his parents by their names. ""I... I can''t."


    "I didn''t remember giving you an option"


    "I''m not feeling very well; please Thane, I''d prefer to stay in," I said.


    Thane walked closer to me, his intense gaze on me. Did he know that something was off with me? Could he feel it? I couldn''t tell, but his hands trailed down my hair, and... I couldn''t-I couldn''t take it. I flinched; he gripped me. "What was that?" he asked, and to that I gave no response; it seemed to irritate him. He pushed me against the bed, and I fell, bouncing on the bed. He joined me.


    I ced my hands on his chest in an attempt to push him off me, but I didn''t think he could even notice my effort. His lips mmed into mine as he kissed me fiercely. I bit his lips, hard enough to draw blood, but the sicko had read a different meaning to that. And he tore off my clothes.


    "No!" I cried out, and he paused. He finally noticed my struggle.


    Chapter Fifty Eight


    "Are you going to pretend now that you don''t like being fucked by me?"


    "I''m tired, Thane; please let me go." I hated begging him, but violence wouldn''t help me now.


    "I''ll have you, Riley, whenever and wherever the need arises," he reminded me, and I closed my eyes. I wasn''t going to watch this time. But to my surprise, he rose from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.


    I let out a shaky breath. One thing was for sure, I didn''t care how my body reacted to him, I wouldn''t willing let him touch me ever again. Fuck the contract; I didn''t think he nned on keeping to that either.


    He returned back, dressed for the night; he joined me on the bed, and I stiffened; maybe I was pushing my luck, but I couldn''t bring myself to care.


    "I don''t want to share the bed with you, Thane."


    He inhaled sharply; I heard it. He turned me over so I was facing him.


    "Okay, what is your fucking problem? Yes, I had been away for a while, but I had been busy. What the hell do you want? Is it attention? I''m willing to fuck you till dawn if that''s enough attention for you."


    "I just don''t want you on the same bed with me." I don''t want you close to me; I don''t want you touching me; damn, I don''t even want you breathing the same air with me.


    "Then maybe I shouldy with someone who appreciates my presence," he says. I don''t look, but I know a smirk was on his face.


    Go fuck yourself. Gof


    "If that sooths you,


    "Riley"


    "Yes?"


    then you are free," I say.


    "If you try this next time, I won''t let you go so easily," he threatens before rising from the bed and walking to the couch.


    Once, I could y around with his threats, but now... now I knew how dangerous his threats


    could be.


    I couldn''t stay even a single day with a monster like him, and so I made


    my


    choice.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Fifty Nine


    "Thane... I''m sorry forst night; I don''t know what exactly got over me." I said, the lie feels bitter against my tongue. Those intense eyes on me made me feel unsettled, like he knew.


    "That wouldn''t stop me from punishing you if you deny me of what is mine ever again" he says and I gave a stiff nod.


    "Where is Axel? I hadn''t seen him in a while."


    "I''ll send him in, in a few hours," Thane replied,


    "Thank you".


    I waited patiently for the knock, and soon it came, I let Beatrix in. Hoping Axel wouldn''t walk in on us just yet.


    00


    will be waiting for you just as we agreed," she said silently to me. "You just have to do your part, and I trust you know what to do."


    "Yes. Yes, I do."


    "Good. I''ll be ready," she says. She left just as silently as she came in.


    The second knock on the door was Axel. I had anticipated that too.


    "You look kind of pale, everything alright?" he asked


    "I am fine. Just really tired of staying here all alone," I said, avoiding his eyes.


    Axel wasn''t innocent either, and it was in a way, harder to bear. Knowing that Axel was just as cold as Thane. I couldn''t help but feel so... betrayed.


    "You are dressed; where do you want to go?"


    "I was wondering... if we could go for a run. I need that to clear my head, there had been a lot. on my mindtely" I exined to him, praying that he agreed; everything would be ruined if he didn''t. "Okay, let''s go then."


    I couldn''t bring up any conversation; it would sound fake, so I opted for silence. Axel kept staring at me every once in a while, and it was unnerving. I feared he did notice something was wrong.


    "Are you okay?" he inquired again.


    "It is private, I don''t really want to talk about it, okay?"


    hapter Filty Nine


    *If


    you do need someone to talk to, I will always be avable," he says, but I couldn''t help but remember the Axel I had seen down the chamber. I wish he was a good guy-I really did. I gave him a curt nod.


    I could only hope Beatrix stayed true to her words, though I had every single reason to doubt her, yet she was my only choice if I wanted to get out of here.


    The woods seemed more alive today, the bright light prating through the leaves, casting shadows on the bare ground. The anticipation built in me.


    Axel paused.


    "Why are we stopping?" I asked, even if I already knew. Beatrix had said she was going to create a kind of distraction; Axel just heard something I didn''t. "We need to head back."


    "What?"


    "Come," Axel tugged at my hand; that wasn''t part of the n.


    "No!" I said, snatching my hands away from his, "I do not want to return back to my room; I need this; I want some space."


    "I can''t leave you here."


    "I''ll wait. Axel, trust me," I said, staring into his eyes.


    "One minute. I''ll be back. Wait here," he says, and I nod, taking a seat on a fallen branch as he hurried away.


    When I was sure he was a good distance away, I stood, running deeper into the woods. I didn''t know my way around, but I knew I just had to move forward. Beatrix had told me she woulu catch up with me; of course she wasn''t going to risk anyone finding out that she helped me escape. This way, out.


    her scent wouldn''t give h


    The longer I ran, the more I lost hope. Maybe Beatrix had nned on leaving me hanging, but


    this was what she wanted, right? She wanted me gone.


    "Hey there," I heard her voice call. Of course she showed up. "You are smarter than I thought," she says.


    "Which direction is the way out?"


    "Straight to the point, I like that. Come with me," she ran, and I followed after her.


    "What if there are soldiers in the pack borders?"


    "Oh, there


    there are,


    "she answered, still running. "But I am also assigned patrolling duty, so I could slip you out easily without anyone noticing" She exined.


    I worried still; I didn''t think we moved fast enough; what if Axel caught up with us?, then we


    would bepletely doomed.


    "We aren''t going fast enough; he would catch up with us easily." I voiced out my worry.


    "I did make a very messy distraction; it should take them a while to sort it all up, so nothing to worry about."


    I didn''t want to leave my mother behind; it felt so wrong, but she would have wanted this for me so badly I couldn''t tell her either, that would only implicate her. I would be back for her too, I was never nning on leaving her behind, but for now, I needed to get the hell out of this pack as fast as I could.


    But then after that, what next?

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    Chapter


    Sixty


    Beatrix must have created some serious distraction, because so far, no one had caught up with us, and it had been about thirty minutes of running. It felt strangely too... easy, they should. have gotten to us by now.


    "You know what?, You''ll have to ride me, Luna; that''s the only way we could go fast enough," she said, taking her clothes off. I looked away, giving her some privacy, but she didn''t seem to care; why would she? From the little I saw, she had a perfect body, clearing trained into wlessness. She was perfection itself. She shifted into her wolf form. She was a grey wolf, and I noticed her wolf had a very strong resemnce to her being; the grey wolf, which was smaller than Thane, and Axels'' wolf was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and she seemed to carry this air around her.


    I didn''t want to think too much about it. I picked up her clothes. Getting myself seated on her back was considerably easier than it had been with Axel.


    Before I could settle, she zipped into the forest. She was right, this was far faster, and


    couldn''t help but wonder how she was willing to do all these just so I could leave. Did she hate me that much, or did she love... Thane that so much?


    She stopped after a few minutes. I climbed down from her, and she shifted back to her human form, taking her clothes from my hands and putting them back on.


    "The soldiers are over there, she pointed out into the woods, but I saw no one. "I am expected to guard this part. The moment you walk out, you are no longer in the pack territory. Just as I promised, you will be free, and in exchange, you never return here."


    I turn away from her, running forward into the woods. The further I was from the pack, the safer I felt, and soon I was sure no one had caught up with me. I panted, weary from the rur was out of practice with running long distances.


    Now I was out of the pack; what was the next move?


    I had no one to go to; I was in the middle of nowhere, maybe in the territory of another. I hadn''t brought along anything, not water, food, or money. I couldn''t do that as it would only create more suspicions.


    There was a movement in the woods, close enough that I had heard it.


    My heart mmed in my chest as I backed away. I took a turn and ran towards that route, but now I could feel it; I was being followed.


    My legs were already weak from all the running, but I pushed them to their limit; still, whoever was behind me was gaining ground. Of course, I just had to trip over a piece of fallen and decayed tree branch, and that''s all it took for my pursuer to finally get to me. "You miss me, Riley?" The very familiar voice belonging to Ryker whispered into my ears.


    Ryker gripped me by the hair, his hold painfully tight. Panic filled me; of course I could


    Charter Sixty


    threaten him that Thane would find him if he hurt me, but we both knew that I had been running away.


    #


    Ryker looked... different; his eyes had dark circles around them, and his hair was untidy, like he


    hadn''t bothered to pass a brush through it for weeks. He looked like crap, and despite my fright, that gave me a sick kind of satisfaction.


    The question now was, What was he doing here, so far away from his own pack?


    Beatrix.


    I had been a fool, thinking she was actually going to help me. I had been a fool for thinking I would be free. I knew she had to be involved in this. How else would Ryker know that I would be here at exactly this time? The betrayal stabbed deep. "Let go of me," I said to him. Despite the fear I felt, I was determined to fight this time.


    He gripped my top and ripped it apart leaving the upper side handing loose, partly revealing the sports bra I wore beneath it. I knew what he wanted to do. I struggled harder than I had ever done, elbowing him in the ribs. He backed away, surprised by the attack but not fazed. I kicked him in the crotch, and he bowed over, giving me the chance to knock my knee to his


    nose.


    This had only annoyed him.


    my


    "You got better" he says right before he threw me to the floor, and then I felt his kicks against ribs. I whimper in pain, but he hadn''t stopped there; more kicksnded on my abdomen, and then he stepped on my hand, adding intense pressure to my knuckle. I cried out, but he didn''t pull away till I heard the snap of my


    of my bones.


    Just then Ryker backed away. I noticed why. Thane stood there, leaning against a tree and watching. No, he didn''te to my aid; he had allowed Ryker to have his own fair share before making his presence known.


    He wasn''t alone. Axel walked forward from the shadows of the thick trees. The look on their faces was cold, just as it had been down at the chamber when Thane had tortured the man.


    I didn''t feel even a single bit of relief that I had been saved from Ryker. With the way they stared, I almost wish that I had gone willing with Ryker.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Sixty One


    Thane nodded to Axel, and he walked forward, picking me up and cing me ''roughly'' over his shoulders, but Thane remained with Ryker.


    I didn''t care what would happen to Ryker, but I feared this was thest time I would ever see him.


    The walk back to the pack house seemed shorter, and that was strange considering we hadn''t even run. Axel had said nothing all the way back.


    I couldn''t bear to look at


    thought; what I worries Axel took me back into my room. I didn''t care what a


    thought; what I worried about was what was going to happen to me.


    Axel shut the door and dropped me on the bare floor.


    "Axel..."


    "Shut the fuck up," he warns. Never had he spoken to me in this manner.


    Exactly fifteen minutester, Thane walked in. I scurried away from him, but it was no use; no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn''t be able to escape this.


    "Riley stand," he orders, and I do as he said, but my feet are too shaky. "Did you take us for fools?" he asks, and I shake my head vigorously.


    "No, no, it was a mistake."


    "A mistake?" he asks, a wicked smirk settling on his lips. I could see the metal object in his hands-cuffs, not the kinky type.


    "I''m sorry, I wouldn''t try it again," I begged, my eyes wide.


    "No. You will. I''ve been too easy on you, and you''ve gotten spoiled by that. I treated you with respect and gave you all you asked for, yet you chose to betray my trust. Why Riley?" 1 "I... I don''t know," I sobbed out.


    He nodded as if in understanding, and then he moved towards me fast, his movement almost a blur; his form towered over me.


    He gripped my hair, straightening me.


    "You had not been a very good girl, Riley," he whispers into my ears.


    He ripped off the rest of my now-filthy and partly torn clothes, he had left me only in the pink panties I had put on. Even if he had seen me naked so many times-Axel too-I still wrapped my hands around my chest. Thane pulled open the drawer and took out a duck tape.


    What was he doing? I attempted escaping again, but he caught me easily. "Don''t do that; it


    Chapter Suty One


    only makes me really mad."


    "I''m sorry, please..."


    "Hush," he whispers, a finger against my lips..


    my


    He trailed down his hands, slipping into my panties, he ripped the little material off my waist too, then he shoved it deep into my mouth, and I gagged. He pped the duck table against


    mouth. This had been simr to what he did to the man down in the underground crypt. A muffled whimper escaped me when he pressed silently into my dislocated hand. He turned me so I was backing him, and I came in contact with the wall, face first. I felt the cold metal cuff, locking my hands to ce behind my back. I heard the sound of his zipper.)


    "Maybe you don''t appreciate the easy way; we go my way then." He says, and then he ms


    into me.


    He knew how to y the game well; he knew how to make a woman cry out in pleasure and also how to give more pain than pleasure, and that was what he was doing now.


    gasp out in pain. He thrusted into me again, his hands around my neck, squeezing hard enough that it got harder to breathe as he pounded into me again and again. I would have crumbled to the ground if not for his strong hand, holding me in ce as he rammed into


    me.


    Yet again I was turned to face him, with my hands cuffed behind me; the position was more painful than the first. I knew why he did this; he wanted to see the tears in my eyes as he took from me and owned me. He mmed into me again, and I felt him everywhere; his pace was deadly, his hold on my neck remained, his hands trailed down my breast, and then he leaned into me. I felt the graze of his fangs; that had not been enough to alert me. I cried out when his fangs sank into my breast. My breaths came out in pants, but he withdrew quickly, and just then he came in me. 1

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    Chapter Sixty Two


    My tears didn''t faze him; he had said it once that it was rather a turn-on, and now more than anything, I believed him.


    eyes,


    and


    Thane had not intended in making me cum this time; his intentions were clear in his I knew this was not over. If I could speak then I would try begging him again, just maybe... but no, I knew nothing could deter him from what he wanted to do, and he was going to follow through with this.


    I felt those sharp canines on my skin again, and I struggled; the pain had been too much, but my struggle never did affect him. This time he sank those fangs at the side of my neck, just beside where he had marked me, the pain was far more intense than the one he had bitten on


    breast. I cried out, but he hadn''t stopped; his fangs sank deeper; this was more brutal than any marking I had ever seen. The pain rolled through my whole body.


    my


    "Thane," I heard Axel call, and Thane pulled away from me. When I was free from his grip, I crumbled to the floor. I was in so much pain.


    "I''ll let this go, friend." Thane said, but I could sense the anger and tension in the room. Never had Axel and Thane argued once, and even if they were both silent, I knew there was more going on than that. It''s your turn; you will punish her too," Thane said to Axel, but this time it sounded more like an order, and Axel gave a curt nod.


    Thane left the room, and I was once again alone with Axel.


    Axel walked to me, taking off the duct tape, and I spit out the material. My sobs were more audible now.


    "Why Riley, why did you have to run away and ce yourself in this situation?"


    "You both are sickos," I gasped. "Do what you must," I say to him. Even if I knew my body couldn''t take any more, I felt sore everywhere.


    Axel went ahead to unlock the cuffs. "I''m not going to do anything to you," he says. Thane had ordered him this time, and he would be disrespecting his Alpha. It didn''t make sense.


    "That doesn''t make you any different from him," I spit out at him.


    "I never told you I was the good guy."


    "Maybe you should go ahead and punish me then... tell me, do you feel turned on by my tears?"


    "Riley, you should be silent.''


    "Or what?, you''ll stick my own panties into my mouth and ce a duck-tape over it?"


    "You weren''t this mouthy with him around, so if you''d prefer having him, then I could quickly arrange for that." That instantly silenced me. Axel took out a small transparent bottle from his pocket. He pulled the cap open, and the mint smell filled the room. "This would reduce the


    Chapter Sixty Two


    pain," he said, referring to the bruises on my neck and also on my breast. He took a portion of it, gently massaging the mark on my neck with it; it didn''t hurt as bad as I had expected, or maybe I was in too much pain I wouldn''t notice, and then he also massaged the scar on my breast too with the balm.


    "Thank you," I said to him. His actions didn''t change a thing; I saw him for who he truly was.


    "Is fine," he said, picking me up and gently cing me on the bed.


    40


    "I guess I have some restrictions now?" I questioned, and he nodded.


    "No more free run in the woods; your door remains locked at all times, and... Riley?"


    "Yes," I answered, wiping my eyes with my uninjured hands.


    "Please don''t make Thane mad now. He would hurt you only more," Axel warned, and I want to tell him that I don''t care what Thane does, but he was only trying to advise me and I knew he was right.


    I nodded. I''ll try. But deep down I knew everything would change. I didn''t want to go the hard way - Thane''s


    Thane''s way, but I guess it was toote.


    "I know what you people do... down in those dungeons," I said, and now it was out; I couldn''t take it back, I had to keep going. "I know you guys keep girls and sell them off."


    CE


    That''s the reason you ran away?"


    "Yes," I said, hoping he would deny it and exin, but he doesn''t, and that shattered everyst bit of calm in me. I closed my eyes, and for the first time I wondered if I would have been better off in the Windborne Pack. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Sixty Three


    Chapter Sixty Three


    "You were never going to leave me all on my own in the woods, were you?" "No," Axel answered.


    "You knew that I wanted to leave," I stated. Of course they weren''t fools, It had been too easy, and I should have suspected it. I could tell them the truth; tell them Beatrix had helped me; after all, she had only sent me off to be captured by Ryker, I didn''t need to protect her.


    "It had been a test, Riley; one Thane didn''t think you would fall for; those girls are captives. Once in a while, some very foolish packs still decide to go on an all-out war with our pack, and when we conquer them, their members are being taken as captives. The females are given options. They could buy their freedom," Axel exined, and I did know what he meant by buying their freedom''. "The rest are released after a few years to roam about as rogues or serve the pack if seen fit."-"


    "So Beatrix bringing me down to the Chambers was part of the test?"


    "No, she hadn''t intended for us to find out, but did you really think we wouldn''t notice that someone came in?. Yet Thane let it all happen; he wanted to see your reaction."


    "And I guess I failed him, right?". Axel was silent I felt my anger building up. "So he punishes me for running away, even though all along, he knew, is this some kind of game to him?"


    "I''m sorry, Riley. You should rest; you are hurt."


    I didn''t need to let out my anger on Axel; he wasn''t the one I was mad at, and so Iy back on the bed. I couldn''t imagine I had felt so sorry for Thane when he was being punished; I couldn''t believe his little tale about his deceased mate had got me feeling strange things for him; I couldn''t believe I let myself believe that we were making some kind of progress.


    "Are you going to leave?" I asked Axel


    "Do you want me to stay?"


    "Yes... please"


    Axel stood, carefully joining me on the bed, still fully clothed.


    Wey there for a few minutes; I waspletely lost in my thoughts.


    "Riley?" "Yes"


    "The sight of your tears doesn''t turn me on; it saddens me."


    One week had passed. Chapter Sixty Three


    A whole week of being locked in the room alone. Axel came in regrly to check up on me and, of course, administer the balm, but he couldn''t stay long; maids were sent to bring in food; other than that, I had no more visitors, so I had been very surprised when the door unlocked and Thane walked in


    Thane, who I hadn''t seen in a week; of course I knew who he had been spending his time with. It shouldn''t concern me; with each passing day the contract due date wasing, it still felt like a really long time left, but that was all I had to hold on to; soon I would leave here and start up a life.


    "I almost thought you forgot there was a woman in your room," I said, totally ignoring Axel''s warning of being careful with Thane.


    "I see you have fully recovered."


    ""No thanks to you."


    "Your smart tongue will get you nowhere, princess."


    "I have a name, and it''s Riley."


    "Is my little princess mad at me?"


    "You left me here, all alone,


    "You didn''t want to cuddle with me, did you?" He asked, and he was right; I didn''t want him


    close.


    "You could have checked up on me; that was the least you could do."


    "If you wanted me back here with you, you could have only asked," he says, and I doubt it would have been that simple. "So where did you spend your nights?" I asked


    "Jealous?"


    "I''ll prefer remaining ''sore-free, thank you."


    "Did I really hurt you that bad?" He asks, and my mouth falls open. Was he really asking this question?


    "Wasn''t that what you wanted?, to leave me in tears?"


    "Yes," he admitted. "That''s what I wanted, but I didn''t exactly get the satisfaction I was hoping for."


    "Putting others in pain satisfy you? You are a sicko Thane," I spit the words to his face..


    That wouldn''t stop me from punishing you again," he warns, and Axel''s cautionary words


    sh back in my mind. Yet again, I ignore it.


    Chapter Sixty Three


    "I will not let you rape me again," I said just to anger him. I was foolishly crossing a line. Did I mind? Nope, not at all.


    "You signed a damn agreement-that was you giving your consent; you knew what you were getting yourself into. But if you prefer the term, then I don''t mind; I''ve been called worst."

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    Chapter Sixty Four


    He was mad now, and no matter how bold I felt, I knew not to say anymore on that matter. I didn''t mean what I said; of course I should have expected this, and maybe I did. "Get dressed"


    "Why?"


    "There''s a ball taking ce in a few minutes, and since you missed the feast, I thought your could make it up.


    "Are you serious, Thane? You locked me in for a whole week and expect me toe with you, dressed and ready for this ball."


    "Yes"


    "I won''t. You could go alone, or better yet, go with Beatrix; you seem to have some chemistry


    with her."


    I didn''t think Beatrix suffered any consequences for helping me escape; I, on the other hand, paid dearly for it.


    "You either dress up, or I do just that for you."


    "And how are you intending to dress me up?"


    ""Want to find out?"


    I didn''t. After all that had happened, I didn''t think being naked before Thane would help, so I walked away, heading to the bathroom. I took an unnecessary long bath, and when I returned, I noticed a deep gold-coloured gown hanged conspicuously, I bet selected by Thane; it was long strapless, and of course, with a slit. I was beginning to believe Thane had a thing with those slits. There was also a pair of ck heels to go with the dress; it was the perfectbination.


    I wasn''t going to wear that, of course. Just to go against him, I headed back to the dressing room, only to notice it had been locked. He knew exactly what he was doing.


    I headed back to the room to see him seated on the bed.


    "Why is the door to the dressing room locked?"


    "Because I want you in that dress," he says.


    "Well, I have no underwear on."


    "That is the idea.".


    He was going to make me go to the ball without any underwear. But I was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing how it affected me Chapter Sixty Four-


    As always, the ball had already started when we arrived.


    I noticed the stares, but I looked away, keeping my head high as Thane led me to the seat meant for us. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu filled me; I remembered thest ball I had been to, back at the Windborne Pack. Ryker had invited me over, but of course, I had been there to watch as he whispered very improper words to his mate-the fake mate-because I had been the true mate. If only I knew how much that single day was going to


    here as the Luna, and though it was only for a period of tange my whole life. Now I sat


    Thane was giving me the chance. to experience what it felt like to be the Luna. Did that mean I was grateful to him?, Oh hell no because now I sat here with no underwear and all the stares of the people who had seen Axel'' carrying'' me back to my room-the same room I stayed locked in for a whole week-bined with the extra mark on my neck, it was sure to raise due suspicions.


    A man approached us; I could tell he was a high-ranking wolf, he had this aura that seemed to surround him. A guard trailed a good distance behind him.


    "Alpha Thane, it''s an honor to be here," the man said.


    "Alpha Trent, nice to see you too. I was hoping you would tarry after the ball; I''d like to have a chat with you," Thane said to Trent. He was an Alpha, I could see it in him too; from his build. to his looks, he had grey eyes and dirty blonde hair that fell over his eyes. "Luna Riley," he calls, and despite myself, I am surprised he knew my name. "May I request the pleasure of a dance with you?" he offered.


    Instincts almost lead me into asking Thane for permission, but then I remember I am on a mission to piss him off.


    "Sure, Trent, the pleasure is all mine," I said, rising to my feet, half expecting Thane to stop me here and now, but he doesn''t. Trent leads me to the floor where others are already dancing. "I''m not a very good dancer." I admitted


    He gave me an amused smile. I wondered if he expected me to be a pro at this seeing as I was the Luna and it was expected of me. "That''s alright, I''ll take the lead."


    His hands settled around my waist, and he stirred me, I let him guide me. We were silent for a few minutes, and I was getting to enjoy the soft movements.


    "So how do you like it here?" he asks. I was a stranger to him; what does it matter?


    "What?" I asked, even though I had heard him clearly earlier.


    "Sorry for being so ''nosy'' but you''ve be quite popr."


    "Me?, popr?, please."


    He chuckled at that. "Alpha Thane had never had a mate before, and many are surprised," he exins. If only he knew that Thane did have a mate, but it wasn''t me. Chapter Suty Four


    "He was bound to find his mate one day."


    "Many ce bets,"


    "Bets on me?"


    "Yes, they don''t think you will survive long." He says I should be annoyed, but there was something about his tone that told me he meant no disrespect.


    "What do you think?"


    "I think you are stronger than anyone


    cares to give you credit for. The fact that you could sleep right next to the man is prove enough," he said with a smirk, and Iughed, slightlyforted by his statement. Today''s Bonus Offer


    X

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    Cheater Soxty Five


    Chapter Sixty Five


    Trent had been about to say something when a figure behind me stopped him.


    me, and "I''ll like to have a dance with my Luna if you may." Thane''s voice called from behind Trent nodded, giving me a small smile before walking away. Thane took his position.


    "I don''t know; I''m not very interested in dancing anymore." I say to Thane, and his dark eyes pierced into me.


    "Are you intentionally trying to annoy me, princess? You might not like how that goes," he says, his hands circling my waist and going lower I felt them on my ass.


    I had no underwear on.


    better than my previous Thane swirled me around; he was indeed a good dancer, I dare say,


    good partner; his movements were graceful, and in his hands anyone would think I was a f dancer too, but what was rming was how close his hands trailed to the slit. For the next turn, he dipped me, lifting me up, only to guide my legs around his side; the slit fell apart slightly, revealing skin; his hands trailed up the skin; right in the open, my whole body heated, and he knew he knew what he was doing to me.


    "Thane, people are watching."


    "Let them watch."


    "No," I said, pulling away from him, but he doesn''t let me go, and that''s when it urred to me that he was punishing me for the dance with Trent. "Not here, Thane." I


    "You seemed to like his arms around you; this shouldn''t bother you, he said, his hands disappearing beneath my gown. I felt like this had all been nned out. A finger grazing my wetness. I gasp from the need and the embarrassment.


    "Please, Thane, I''m sorry," I say.


    "That fixes nothing."


    "Luna," Axel''s familiar voice called as he walked over. "You seem tired; would you like to leave?" he asks, but I knew who he was staring at, he was staring at Thane.


    Thane let me go with a little pat down there, and Axel led me out of the ball. The moment we were out of sight, I crashed into him.


    "They saw that, didn''t they?, all of them saw what he was doing?"


    "I told you not to anger him. epting the dance with Trent did just that," Axel said, and he was right; he warned me, but I chose not to listen.


    "I don''t want to go to my room; he woulde for me, Axel."


    "Then I''ll take you to my room," he says, but I could hear how distant he sounded, like he was


    Chapter Sixty Free


    a bit distracted.


    I remembered the order Thane had given Axel, the one he ''didn''t'' obey, and now, knowing Thane''s intention, he had taken me away. I had a feeling that this action was going toe with repercussions, but Axel and Thane seemed so close-yet, I knew Thane. I knew he didn''t like being overruled, and Axel had just done that


    "I''m sorry"


    "For what?"


    "Thane would not let you go scot free, would he


    "No, but I know him well enough, so you don''t have to worry," Axel assured.


    Axel led me into his room, and the moment I stared at the ce, I felt chills everywhere.


    This had been the same room I had shared with Thane and Axel-I remembered being chained to that bed, Axel''s hands on me, the silver balls, and then Thane inside me.


    "I won''t do anything," Axel promised, and I nodded, believing him. He turned on the light, illuminating the ce. Thest time I had been here, the ce was quite dark, with the lights on, the room looks slightly different, and I knew Axel had only turned on the light to ease my difort. "Do


    need anything? Maybe a drink?"


    you


    "No, I am fine," I say, settling down on Axel''s bed. "You could join me if you need a nap, said to him.


    "I''ll watch you sleep," he says, taking a seat on the single shiny wooden chair in the room.


    ?


    Chapter Sixty

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    Chapter Sixty Six


    "She seems to be growing on you," I heard Thane''s voice say in my semi-conscious state. Now I''m left to wonder which side are you on, Axel."


    "Why would you ask such a question, Alpha? You know exactly which side I am on."


    "You''ve disrespected me, Axel, over and again, and it''s all because of her." He spit out the pronoun ''Her'' with disgust.


    "I apologize; I just didn''t see it fit..."


    "She is my mate Axel; I''ll do as I please with my mate, and you will not interfere in that," Thane says, his voice silent butced with furry. "Yes, Alpha," Axel said after a moment.


    "Don''t think I''ll let this slide," Thane said to Axel.


    I heard the sounds of footsteps approaching, and stopping right next to me.


    "Riley, I know you are awake, so quit the pretence." Thane said, and whatever haziness I felt cleared of. I got up from the bed.


    I was in the Axel room and not our room.


    "I didn''t hear a thing," I lied


    "Oh, don''t worry, princess; I wanted you to hear all of that, so y you didn''t."


    don''t need to lie or pretend


    "Don''t punish him," I pleaded, giving up the act. "It wasn''t his fault, it was mine."


    "Sweet, you want to be punished in his stead?," he asks, and 1 hesitate, surprised by his retort. A part of me thought - hoped Thane regretted punishing me so bad, he wouldn''t be trying it anytime soon. But Thane always manages to exceed all my expectations, and I don''t mean this. in a positive way.


    "Don''t Riley, I can take it." Axel assured me, still looking all calm and cool, but his eyes held at warning; he was simply telling me to ''shut the fuck up'' just by his stare.


    "I want to know," Thane said, settling beside me with a wicked glow in his eyes. "Are you in love with my Beta, Axel?"


    "She is to be mated to you," Axel said, confusion clearly written on his face.


    "Yet she prefers yourpany.


    "Maybe if you start treating me right, or better yet, behave like you have a heart, even if nothing is in there, just maybe I''ll stop being scared of you." I answered


    "I think I prefer ''not'' pretending like I have a heart; no need to raise your hope only to hurt


    Chapter Sixty Six


    you more when I don''t live up to expectations; the lower expectations, the better."


    "What do you want with me?, why are you here?


    "I want to show you something; I think you would like it."


    "It can wait. What I need is some rest, alone, here. Maybe you could go show this thing of interest to Beatrix."


    "Again with Beatrix, could you let that rest a little?"


    "No"


    "Why? Are you jealous?"


    "No, you deserve each other," I said to him, and I wondered why he hadn''t picked her; I doubt she would have disagreed.


    "There is nothing shaming about epting that you were jealous. I was too, when with Trent." He says and I held back my surprise. How could he be jealous of the dance I shared with Trent, and bepletely okay with Axel being so... close? danced


    "That''s not what bothered you more; what did bother you was the fact that I didn''t ask for your permission." I responded


    "That too," Thane admitted.


    "So were you expecting me to turn him down?"


    "I''m a very possessive person, if you didn''t know"


    well, I don''t know about that, you


    were going to strip me naked before the whole pack!"


    "Come with me.


    "And if I don''t want to?"


    "You don''t really have an option here, Riley," he says, and I hold back my retort. I pushed away the covers and walked past him to Axel.


    "Would youe with us?"


    "No, he would not," Thane said from behind me.


    I inhaled deeply, walking out of the door. Thane followed, and soon he was by my side. He took my hands and I did try to pull free of his hold, but again this was all for the ''show''.


    "Do you even know where you are going?" He asked


    "No," I muttered.


    You are going the wrong way. We to pay a visit to the dungeons."


    That couldn''t be good.


    are goin


    23


    Chapter Sixty Su


    "What are we going to be doing down there?"


    "Afraid I will lock you in? Don''t worry, I still find you amusing... for ''now".


    My stomach dropped. Was that a joke? I couldn''t tell.


    The dungeons were located on thest floor, maybe even connected to the underground chamber; the ce had been lit up by dim bulbs, adding to the dread of it. I could hear muffled screams; they seem to being from somewhere behind those walls, and that was indeed strange. Two long rows of tiny cell rooms lined the ce.


    Thane led me away from all those to a door guarded by two huge and scary-looking soldiers, and they pulled it open, letting Thane walk in, and I followed.


    The door was mmed shut.


    This particr room had only a single cell.


    "What do you want to show me?" I asked, afraid now, there was nothing to see here. Maybe his intention was to lock me up in that cell.


    "Haven''t you wondered how your ex-mate Ryder is faring?"


    "He is alive?" I questioned, surprised.


    1


    "Shocking right?. I saved him up for a while, just so you could choose how to end him." Thane said, taking my hands, he ced the handgun I hadn''t realized he held on my hands. "Now you get to make a decision." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Sixty Seven


    I walked into the cell, Thane remained outside but the cell door was left open.


    The room was dark, and the only source of light was the oneing from the entrance. My eyes settled to the dim light, and there Ryker was, but I could barely recognize him. He was a bloodied heap; the only sign that he was still alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest.


    "Riley?"


    I didn''t know how he could tell it was me; he surely wouldn''t be able to see me with those


    wollen eyes that were mostly shut.


    The slight fear threatened to rise when I recalled all he had done to me and the pain he had caused me, I pushed the fear away, reminding myself that here he wouldn''t be able to hurt me, not now, not ever. I walked closer to him, close enough that the cold metal gun came into contact with his head. But to my surprise, he pulls forward, as if epting his fate, the chains around his arm and legs rattled.


    "I know what I have done to you Riley; I know I have caused you so much pain, and it is a desperate attempt, but I want to tell you that I''m sorry..."


    "Shut the fuck up," I say to him, my voiceced with venom.


    "Please Riley, you could kill me, but hear me out; this is all I ask; I know I don''t deserve it.... but please.


    "You are right about not deserving it."


    "Please Riley, you are not like them; whatever you are trying to prove, I know you are different; you are kind and innocent.


    I mmed the handgun into the side of his head, and he fell back to the ground, spitting out blood. "Maybe I am just like them after all."


    "No," he manages to say. "You are not.


    I kicked him to the stomach again and again. "You, Ryker, destroyed that part of me; you took from me till I had nothing else to give, and what did you do after that? You discarded me like the dirt I was to you." I kicked him again. "You made me every bit of a fool, deceiving me over and over again. I thought you loved me; I thought you were a blessing, but no, you were the beginning of my misery". I kicked him over and over again till he stopped making any attempt to move. "You took my child away from me, you bastard!, and you med me; it would have been the only good thing I had left, but you took it too, even before I had a chance of seeing what became of it." I kicked at his jaw, "You insulted me and yet you wouldn''t let me go; you wanted to torment me more; why? Why would you do that to me? I never did anything to you... why?"


    I kicked him more, and he managed to roll away only slightly as he was restricted by the chains binding his ankles and wrists.


    Chapter Sixty Seven


    "Because... I-I love you," he struggles to say.


    "So is this what you call love? Is this your own idea of loving a person?"


    "She didn''t let me!" He manages to say the words without any hitches. "Mother says I couldn''t be with you, that you were nothing but a weakling. Please let me exin, and I promise, I''ll take whateveres after, but hear me out.


    I held back the tears, and all the pain I had felt when he lied to me. When I said no more, he took that as a sign.


    "I kept our rtionship a secret; I didn''t tell anyone I had found a mate, not my beta, gamma, or even my parents, just as I had told you I would. But mother found out; one night she found us; I didn''t tell you that part; we were together in my room..." He paused. I knew what he avoided saying; ''we were having sex." "I must have said something to you, something that gave her the clue, and when she asked, I told her she deceived me, Riley; she made me feel you; she like I would have all her support if only I told her the truth, and I did. But she hated hated the fact that you were chosen as my mate, and she pleaded with me to reject you time and again, but I didn''t. I loved you too much, and that''s when she brought Zara into the pack; she spread the rumours that we were mated, and it got to you. Everyone epted Zara; she was what they believed was an ideal Luna. Father congratted me; the whole pack had epted it, and I was left with the choice to choose between my pack and you. Mother threatened me; she said you being with me meant I was weak and the other packs would think the same, therefore making our pack a target.


    But it was always you I loved; it was you I wanted to be with; all those things I did-believe me when I say they hurt me too; I hated it but / wanted you to hate me; I didn''t deserve your love. Never did I think it would cause you to lose the child.


    I had returned back to the room earlier to see you on the floor in a pool of your own blood, and I had never felt so afraid in my life, I had never hated myself as I did when I saw youying there unmoving. I was a coward because I left; I hadn''t helped you; I was afraid; I knew this was the breaking point; I knew I had already lost you, you will never look at me with those loving eyes when you wake and discover what I had taken from you, and so I became desperate; I didn''t know what to do, and then I thought maybe violence could solve it. Thit you; never had I thought things would get so bad... I would never forgive myself for hitting you and for causing the loss of your child, but I was skin deep in this darkness that I just went on with it. I am not innocent, no, not one bit.


    But my mother lied; having you as a luna would never have made me look weak, because it sure as hell didn''t make ''him'' look weak."

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    Chapter Sixty Eight


    "It doesn''t make any sense that you found me outside the pack borders and you wanted to hurt me... again, if you really felt sorry, then I would have expected you to begin making amends."


    "I know, and you have every reason to doubt, but if you want the truth, then this is it. What we had... it wasn''t a lie, and you too could see it."


    "I never thought it was a lie either, till another woman sat beside you, taking my position before my very eyes."


    Ryker inhaled, and I remember the man he used to be-the man I fell in love with. I still hate him now.


    "After you left, everything felt empty," he says, and I remembered how unorganized he had looked; that was very unlike Ryker. "I had to send her away; the pack members are


    yet to discover why, but I would only hurt her, or maybe she would poison me and make it easier. She hates me; I hadn''t been treating her right either. Since you left, things got worse... and when I saw you in the woods, I was a fool to think force could do it again; I just T needed to take you back, but you are stronger, or maybe I just got weaker. The moon goddess must have been against me; she had given you a second chance mate, the rarest thing in the world," he says, and I don''t tell him that Thane is not my mate. Of course they all believed this was real, and I wanted Ryker to think the same; I wanted him to believe that I was given another chance.


    "As touching as this story is, I don''t think it''s reason enough for you to turn on the person you ''love''; how do I know you aren''t saying all these just because I have a gun pointed at your head? You are so pathetic."


    "I don''t mind if you kill me after this; at least now you know."


    "It makes no difference; if you love a person, you fight for that person. You never fought for me; you loved the idea of being epted by everyone that you were willing to put me in danger just to get that; you knew what it did to me when you fucked her and you did it over and over again, just to punish me; would you tell me that your mother forced you on her too?, or better yet, that you didn''t enjoy your time with her?, because it did seem to me like you did"


    "I was a fool for treating you the way I did; I was a fool for choosing the pack over you."


    "Touch¨¦. What do you think I''ll do? fall back in love with you?"


    "You-will-never love me, and I had already epted that a long time ago..."


    "If you had, why did youe here?, did you think force would do it this time too?"


    ¡°H-..."


    "That''s what I thought."


    "Riley. What has he done to you?" He asked, watching me through swollen eyes. I doubt he


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    could see anything more than my blurry figure standing before him.


    "You, Ryker. You started this; you broke me first, I say, pointing the gun back at him. It would be easy; just a shot and he would be dead; he deserved this; I was doing the world a favour by getting rid of him; he would die with the knowledge that 1, the very girl he saw as nothing, ended him.


    Yet...


    Yet I couldn''t. I couldn''t bring myself to pull the trigger; the gun shook in my hand, and the decision I had to make felt heavy.


    Had I forgiven him? No. He was a dick, and he was a very good liar. I had to remind myself how many times he had lied to me, but he was right; I was not like ''them''. I couldn''t kill a person without feeling the guilt; even if the same person had put me through hell, I couldn''t end a life. "This doesn''t mean I forgive you, Ryker; you might end up killed, but you won''t die by my hands," I said. Turning around to walk away. 1


    "Please Riley, don''t leave me; you are all I have, all I wanted..."


    I mmed the door shut, cutting off his voice.


    Thane waited for me. I didn''t know where he got the cigarette from, but he leaned against the wall, smoking whatever stuff was in it. He turned his gaze to me. "Why didn''t you kill him, Riley?" he asks


    The gun


    still shook in my hands. "I can''t; I am not a monster like you."


    He chuckled at that; it was dark. "Not a monster like ''me?" He questioned. I swallowed. "After all he did to you, you think killing him makes you a monster?."


    "How will I take another person''s life? How did you expect me to do it?"


    "The same way he took the life of your fucking child Riley," his words hit hard, and I flinched, turning away. But his hands held me back.


    "You are just like him, maybe worse, and you haven''t seen me attempting to take your life yet.


    "I thought I was doing you a favour; any other person would be d to have their tormentor finally at their mercy. I thought this would bring a smile to your pretty face, but again, even with him at your mercy, you did nothing."


    "Do you really want to do me a favour?, If so, then don''t punish Axel for a crime he nevermitted."


    "Things are run differently in this pack, Riley; soon you will get to understand that."


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    "I will never understand that!" I say


    "Oh, you will, Riley."


    furious.


    "Then maybe you would have picked someone who is just as understanding and cold-hearted as you are," I say, like ''Beatrix''.


    This part I don''t say out loud.


    "Maybe I should have, but I enjoy breaking you."


    ETA


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    Chapter Sixty Nine


    I wanted to hurt him so bad. And I knew I would regret my words, but I said it out anyway.


    "Maybe that''s why Be never wanted you; this was why you were never blessed by the moon goddess to have a mate that actually ''stays alive'' if you were more selfless, then you would have noticed that something was very wrong with her, but you loved the idea of your happiness so bad, you didn''t care." I spit at him, immediately regretting it. It was a low jab, but I had been so angry at everything, and I wanted to hurt him so bad.


    His eyes on me were cold as steel. I stared at the door, wondering how long it would take me to get there, but again, there were those scary-looking guards out there; they were not going to let me through if not permitted by ''him''. Thane pulls me flush to him-that I didn''t expect. He leaned, so his lips were against my ears. 1


    "You are right, I didn''t want to look too deep, afraid I wouldn''t like what I saw, but aren''t you the same? There must be a reason your mother hates this pack, and yet you never bothered to find out either. You loved the little illusion of your very close to ''perfect life," he paused, and I noticed his hand trailing lower, just to my cunt, and abruptly, he grasped on the sensitive part, and I jumped. "You don''t want this to fade away," he whispers into my ears, and when he lets go, I tumble to the ground, and he walks away.


    I was left to find my way out of the dungeons alone; I headed straight to my mother''s room. I pounded on her door, and she opened it, rmed. I pushed my way in without her consent and mmed the door shut.


    "What happened, Riley?" she asked, the panicked look still in her eyes.


    "I want to know the truth, mother."


    "What truth?, I am not hiding anything from you," she says, her eyes staring into mine, but I knew it was a lie. I knew something did happen, something I suspected she was hiding from me, but just as Thane had said, I let it go, but not anymore, I wasn''t leaving here till I discovered the truth.


    "Mother, I need you to tell me what exactly makes you hate this ce so much. I knew something happened, and if you don''t tell me, I am willing to go the extra miles to find out."


    "What extra miles, Riley?" mother asked.


    "I don''t care if I get hurt in the process, but I would discover the truth, because I know you are hiding something from me."


    She let out a breath, and finally she walked into her room. Her back turned to me, and I followed after. I was just about to yell at her or maybe ''beg'' her to tell me what exactly was going on. I couldn''t believe she could hide a secret of such magnitude from me, her only child for this long. I was enraged, but when she did turn to me, I saw the tears flowing down her


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    eyes. This was tears of pain. I knew that because I had experienced that too when I lost. child.


    my


    Thane hadn''t been the only selfish one; I was also selfish, selfish enough that I valued my own happiness over my mother, selfish enough that I hadn''t even noticed how much in pain she


    was.


    "You are right, Riley, I did keep a secret from you, a secret that has haunted me for years."


    C

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    hapter Seventy


    "I was only fifteen when our pack was attacked by the Night Shade pack. de had been the Alpha; I would never forget watching my parents die before my eyes, but that wasn''t the worst part. Alpha de wanted to do a clean sweep; he didn''t want any of the pack members left alive, and so he went along with his soldiers, house by house, making sure everyone was dead. I don''t know if any survived, but they might have escaped into the woods, yet it would only be a few who''d managed to escape. When Alpha de walked into our house, my mother had hidden me beneath the bed, but when I heard the screams-my mother''s screams-I went for her rescue. I couldn''t let her die, but maybe that was the biggest mistake I made; she was killed but I wasn''t. Alpha de had wanted to kill me, but for some reasons he didn''t; he brought me back to his pack.


    That night..." my mother closed her eyes as if the memory was too much to bear and I didn''t need to hear more, but she spoke on, "He was the first-my first, and he made it the worst. I stayed weeks in pain, but that didn''t stop him from visiting every night. I never understood the true meaning of pain till I met this monster. Two yearster, after I was too worn out for him, he took me to the guards, made sure I wished I was dead, and those cold-hearted soldiers did just as he had told them too. When they were done with me, I was more than willing to die, very much ready, but death wouldn''te; even death ran away from me. I wish I had been. killed along side my mother; so many times I had wanted to end my life, but Alpha de made sure I was never left with that option, and then he locked me up.


    He ''forgot'' to feed me most times, and I waited for the hunger to end me. Just when I''ve been starved enough, I was brought some unhealthy, nd food to eat. I never did anything wrong to these people; why had he kept me alive? And then I got the chance; the guard forgot the keys in the room with me, and so... I escaped, I ran away, I knew if I was found I would be killed, and what did I have to lose?, it was a surprise he didn''t discover me, or maybe I just wasn''t worth the search.


    I ended up trespassing on another pack''snd, and I was taken, also as a ve, but none gave me nightmares like Alpha de did, none made me want to end my own life... I hated this ce anding back here; the memories, they all seemed so fresh and so new; every day here is torture, but I should have ovee this a long time ago, I thought I did. That''s till I saw Thane in the Windborne pack, iming that he was your mate, and it all shattered. I didn''t want you here; I didn''t want you to be hurt like I was. Thane is just like his father; I couldn''t let my child willingly fall into same torment I suffered. I never stopped loving you, I never stopped thinking about you; I knew I left you alone to face all that had been happening to you, but see, your momma is also afraid too, and I want to help you, but how will I when I can''t even help myself?"


    We were both in tears now.


    Mother had never told me about her past; I knew it was dark, but never did I imagine that she


    Chapter Seventy


    suffered the way she did. Now it makes sense, how cold my mother had be since we came here. I felt the guilt for how I had treated her; I had called her selfish, but in real sense she had every right to hate this ce; she had every reason to be scared and angry, and I knew I just had to tell her.


    "Mother, I also have something to tell you.


    After I lost my child, I had wanted to leave the pack so bad, but Ryker... he had been so cruel, he threatened me. I was so desperate to start up afresh, and that''s when Thane walked in. What you saw there-it was all an ''act''. He wanted me to pretend like I was his mate." hat?u


    my mother paused.


    "Mother, you cannot tell anyone; if you do, he would kill you and maybe me too; for some reasons, no one can know about this. Thane is not my mate."


    "Then why did he pick you?" she asked.


    "I don''t know. But he was willing to offer your freedom and the contract-our agreement onlysts for six months, and then we are both free; he says he would pay me enough money to start a new life."

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    Chapter Seventy One


    "I don''t need his money, Riley," my mother says.


    "I know, but we need to start up afresh, and so we need this; after it is all over, I promise you we will leave and never return."


    "Why you?" she questions.


    "I don''t know...."


    "There are so many females; he is an Alpha, the most known; any she-wolf would want him; why did he pick you, and what is he going to gain from this? Because I don''t think yourpanion for six months is all he wants," my mother says, hatred in her eyes. "I''ve asked, but I don''t know what he gains from this either, but we shouldn''t care about that; we would be gone soon.''


    "I know why he picked you," mother says.


    "You do?"


    "Yes. It''s some kind of payback. I ran away from this pack many years ago as a... sex ve, and my daughter is taken for the same purpose."


    "I am not a sex ve!," I say, lying through my teeth.


    "Tell me he hadn''t bedded you more than once? This is what he wants; they want to ruin us, and it started with me," she says.


    I stood silent, because it did make sense. Why me? I had always asked; he had said it was more fun to break an innocent like me, but there are others just like me; why hadn''t he gone for them then? I remembered that fateful day he walked into the ball for the first time; it was purposeful, like he knew me from somewhere. He also knew my name. He didn''t seem to know that my mother was a ve then but again it could have all been an act, so he must have known about my mother too. What


    mother too. What my mother said made a whole lot of sense.


    "You could run away..."


    "You think I hadn''t tried that before? He caught me, mom.''


    "Did he hurt you?" Her eyes were wide with defiance.


    "No,"H-lied, but she saw through that, deciding not to press me for more.


    "How do you know he would keep to what he says?, that he doesn''t intend to keep you here for a lifetime, or maybe till he tires of you?" She asks, and I remember Thane''s words, ''You are still amusing. For now''.


    "He would do as he says," I said; maybe I was trying to convince myself more.


    "You put too much trust in him, but it is not your fault, you were right when you said ''this is


    y


    Chapter Seventy One


    the only way''. I would protect you the best I can, but I''m so sorry, Riley, I can''t do much."


    "Don''t worry, mother, look after yourself; I am a big girl now," I assured her, but she didn''t lookforted by that. "We would get out of this together...I hope," I say, but I don''t believe it; there''s this sinking feeling in my chest, this desperation I hated. "We would," she agrees. "And there is one more thing you need to know," she says. "My real name is Kate.".


    My mother had never told me her real name; countless times I''ve asked, but she had told me she had forgotten her true name many years ago, and I settled on calling her ''mother'' or ''mom. I wondered what secrets her name held.


    There was still so much I wasn''t telling her, but I had to keep it to myself; she had been through a lot, and I didn''t need to tell her about Ryker or my insecurities. She didn''t need any more of that.


    Nothing she said could cleanse the guilt I felt. I was the selfish one, and all along she suffered.


    I walked back to my room, numb.


    I could feel the irritation when I noticed Beatrix heading my way; I didn''t want to speak to her; I was in no mood for that. But she walked right past me as if I were nothing but thin air. Of course, she had gotten what she wanted; no need for the false pretense. It was clear now; she had set me up. I couldn''t help but wonder how she knew about my past with Ryder. But again, she was exactly the type that was ready to dig as deep as possible into a matter just to get what she wanted, and what she wanted was Thane. She could have him.


    Èë

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    Chapter Seventy Two


    When I walked into our room, he wasn''t there.


    The sobs racked my whole frame, the guilt felt too much to bear. What if mom was right? What if this had been while Thane wanted me back here? I had to be strong when I was with her; I had to be the stronger one, but now back in my room, I could be weak. I hated the fact that I could no longer see a light at the end of the tunnel.


    This room, despite being so wide, felt so suffocating all of a sudden. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my breathing, but that didn''t work this time. 1


    I paced round the room, my heart mming against my chest. What if Thane wanted me locked in here for the rest of my life, in this pack, never able to escape?, what if I could never leave?


    The thought alone builds a strange ustrophobic feeling in me. I walked to the dressing room, pulling the door open. I pulled down all the clothes there, threw down the desk and chairs. I picked up the broken leg from one of the table, and I mmed it against the her ss disy cab. I picked up the flower vase, letting it fall to the ground, shattering into pieces. I searched through the drawers for the weapon-the same one Beatrix had given me when I followed her down to the underground chamber. I had brought it in here and kept it somewhere. How could I have forgotten?


    M


    I returned back to the room, going down on my knees. I looked beneath the bed. Nothing. Nothing was there; where was the damn gun?


    I kicked down the drawer in frustration, tearing down the curtains, but nothing could satisfy my rage. What was more rming was what I had nned to do with the gun. I wanted to make a very selfish decision, but I felt this sickening need to escape this ce any way I could, and that would have been the only way, except...


    I walked into the bathroom and I stopped by the bathtub. I turned the water on, letting the tub fill up to the brim.


    Reckless.


    I was being reckless, but I didn''t want to think; I didn''t want to think about anyone; this was me making a decision. I stared onest time at the mirror, and what I saw was a lost girl, a girl about to make a very big mistake, and so I looked away because I didn''t want to see more. I didn''t bother taking off my clothes; I stepped into the tub filled with water, and I settled''in it.


    I thought of all the good times I had; they were so little, but that was all I had to focus on as Iy in the bathtub, letting the water close over me.


    I was finally free; no one could ever hurt me or harm me again. My lungs burned in a desperate need for air. I could simply let go and push back to the surface, but I didn''t want that; I didn''t want to face the harsh reality before my eyes. The pain in my lungs intensified till I felt my


    Chapter Seventy Two


    whole body jerk. Just a little more and there would be no more pain; a little more and I would


    be free.


    The darkness was all I could see, threatening to take me further under, and then...


    Strong arms around me held me, I would have struggled if not for the burning sensation in my chest; just then I was out of the water. The darkness disappeared, and all I saw was a blinding light. The pain in my chest subsided, but it was still there, a dull throb. I coughed out water.


    "Breathe Riley, breathe," Thane calls, and his voice sounded different; it could all be some kind of hallucination, but I thought I sensed the panic'' in his voice. My breaths normalized.


    Now I could think clearly; there was one single thought in my mind. What the hell had I done or rather, what the hell was I trying to do?


    I couldn''t believe it; it was like I had been under a kind of spell making me feel and believe that the waters were my only way out of all these, making me believe this was the only way I could be at peace.


    I''ve heard of suicide attempts before; never had I thought I would try to end my own life I believed I was a fighter, and yet I had done quite the opposite; I had given up, not caring about my mother, who would be in so much pain.


    I closed my eyes, and a single teardrop fell down my eyes.


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    Chapter Seventy Two


    whole body jerk. Just a little more and there would be no more pain; a little more and I would be free.


    The darkness was all I could see, threatening to take me further under, and then...


    Strong arms around me held me, I would have struggled if not for the burning sensation in my chest; just then I was out of the water. The darkness disappeared, and all I saw was a blinding light. The pain in my chest subsided, but it was still there, a dull throb. I coughed out water.


    "Breathe Riley, breathe," Thane calls, and his voice sounded different; it could all be some kind of hallucination, but I thought I sensed the panic'' in his voice. My breaths normalized.


    Now I could think clearly; there was one single thought in my mind. What the hell had I done or rather, what the hell was I trying to do?


    I couldn''t believe it; it was like I had been under a kind of spell making me feel and believe that the waters were my only way out of all these, making me believe this was the only way I could be at peace.


    I''ve heard of suicide attempts before; never had I thought I would try to end my own life. I believed I was a fighter, and yet I had done quite the opposite; I had given up, not caring about my mother, who would be in so much pain.


    I closed my eyes, and a single teardrop fell down my eyes.


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    X


    Chapter Seventy Three

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    Chapter Seventy Three


    Dinners... Parties.... events..


    Two weeks pass by and I ampletely numb. I might be alive but not exactly living; everything seems to move in a blur. I do as Thane says, not once going against him; my mother is worried, but I didn''t know how to exin to her that her little girl had been so ready to leave her all on her own. The equipment I destroyed had been reced that very day. Thane never brought it up, but it would always remain an unanswered question.


    Why? Why did I think taking my own life would solve anything? I still couldn''t give an answer to that because at that moment it felt so right, but when I was finally calm, reflecting on it, I knew it had been so wrong.


    We were both in the room. Thane was saying something, but I couldn''t make out the words.


    "Riley?" he calls, finally noticing that I wasn''t following at all.


    "Yes Thane?"


    "What''s wrong with you?" he asks.


    "I''m sorry, I''ll try..."


    "You don''t have to be sorry for anything; you did nothing wrong," he says sounding slightly irrigated, and I am about to apologize again, but his stern look cuts me off. "If you are missing/ Axel''spany, then I could have him here" "No, is not that."


    "Then what is it?"


    "I thought this was what you wanted. I thought you wanted a little submissive, Luna. I want to be just that."


    "I like when you fight me; it does turn me on."


    "I thought it would only get me punished."


    "That''s part of the fun."


    "I don''t want to be punished."


    11


    ''Are you sure about that?" he asks, that wicked glint back in his eyes, and suddenly my body seems toe alive.


    I missed him. I miss his hands on me. He hadn''t forced himself on me, and I felt stupid for wanting him. I was slowly bing those very strange, annoying girls I read about-the girl who can''t see what is right from what is wrong, the girl that just has to end up broken. I knew what my mother suffered in this pack, in the hands of Thane''s father. I hated him for what his father did to my mother, yet I wanted him-wanted his hands on me, wanted to


    Chapter Seventy Three


    forget that he was the monster for just a while. I wanted his skilful hands to bring me back to life.


    "I want you so badly, Thane," I confessed. "But I feel like a traitor for wanting that."


    "I will not force you, not anymore. But you need this, and maybe you hate me right now, but you don''t hate Axel," he says, that glint still in his eyes.


    "How are you okay with Axel and me...?"


    "I took so much from him; it is only fair that I share with him."


    "And he is okay with this?" I questioned.


    "Oh, he is; I think he liked fucking you more than he should.".


    Axel''s presence isforting; I could see the worry in his eyes, and I knew that ''he knew. He knew about the stupid decision I had been about to make a few weeks ago. I felt this need to exin my actions, but again I said nothing. His eyes are not judging me; I don''t like the pity either, but I''ll take that over a judging look at this moment.


    "How are you feeling Riley?" he asks. While Thane walks further into the room, giving us


    some space.


    "Better?" It came out as a question. "Sorry, I kept my distance from you... I just felt so embarrassed."


    "Don''t be," he says. "You were in pain; you made a decision that you thought was the right one... I''m d he got to you in time.


    I hugged him. "I''m d he did too."


    With that I scooted over, taking the first move. I kissed him on his lips, down his throat. I unbuttoned his shirt, and he shrugged it off. His eyes were on me even as I fumbled with his belt. He helped me take it off, and soon we were both naked. He kissed me, peppering kisses down my whole form. Never had Axel kissed me with so much hunger and want; he had always kept things light-well, as light as they could be,


    His hands circled around the curve of my breast up my nipple, and my cheeks reddened. It still felt strange knowing ''he'' was touching me so intimately.


    He reached out to ready me, but as impatient as I was, I rocked my body against his.


    "That isn''t helping me maintain control," he says, flipping me over so he was on top; this way, I couldn''t move; he had me pinned down.


    "I am ready," I gasped out, a smile stretched on his lips, and then very slowly he slid into me. He gave me a moment to settle down, but I had already been reaching out for him when he


    thrust into me.


    !


    Chapter Seventy Three


    A moan left my lips. I had gasped out his name-that''s what I thought until he paused. Only then did I realise I had called out Thane''s name while ''he'' was fucking me, but because he was also a sicko just like Thane, my action only brought a smile to his lips. "I really don''t think He would be able to stay away from you now" Axel says to me and it takes me a second to discover he was referring to Thane. Damn.

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    ²Ö


    Chapter Seventy Four


    Chapter Seventy Four


    Axel''s touch was different; so gentle and light it was almost inexistent.


    He thrust into me again, and I bit my lips not to make a sound. My legs circled around his waist, the hunger in me building up, and in some way he knew-he knew exactly what I wanted.


    He turned over so I was on top, letting me take the lead. I rode him, going faster, our breathsing outboured, my hands trailing his body; he seemed to like my touch. I moved faster, and his hands circled around my waist, guiding me so I wouldn''t fall over. "Axel..." I called out, pausing, but he wouldn''t have that. He led me by the waist, and I let out a loud moan. I cummed, taking him along. I felt the warm liquid in me.


    I fell over his body, wanting to remain in this position. I didn''t want to think about anything else, and Axel gave me a few minutes to settle before cing me on the bed, besides him. He didn''t leave though; he stayed, watching me as Ipsed into a deep sleep. Axel was gone by the time I awoke.


    I wondered what exactly was the rtionship between I and Axel.


    Something on the desk piqued my attention.


    Was that... Barbara''s fantasies? I remembered tossing it into the bin, but re-deciding that I''d at least return it to the library; I had hid it beneath our bed.


    How could I have forgotten about it so soon? And what was it doing there on the table...


    "There''s a lot to learn from that one single book," Thane said, walking towards me, a towel handing low around his waist. I focused on his face because if I did look down, I wasn''t going to be getting myself back anytime soon. (1


    "I was about to return it back to the library," I said to him.


    "Not yet; I really love this book, maybe even as much as you do."


    "Thane... let''s talk."


    He walks towards me. "Are you ready for that?" he asked, and I would have sworn I saw a flicker of worry in his eyes, just as I had also seen the panic when he took me out of the tub. 1


    "Yes. I am so sorry for what I said to you. I said it to hurt you, but I didn''t mean any of it. Your mate was a blessing. I should never have brought her up. I should never have used that against you, and I am so sorry. Could you forgive me?"


    "Oh Riley, don''t cry. You were not the only person who said something very wrong. I knew the story of your mother, and I was going to tell you either way, but I didn''t mean to be that harsh


    Chapter Seventy Four


    on you.''


    My mother''s past now haunts me too. I let out a shaky breath. "How did you know about that?... my mother I mean"


    "I saw it. I was a child then, but I knew about this woman-she was younger then, but she had been my father''s favorite; she was exactly his type, the stubborn ones that hardly ever submitted; it would be much more fun to break her. But when father decided she was no fun anymore, I stopped seeing her. There were others after her too, but it was strange how she seemed to have disappeared and was never talked about anymore."


    "Thane... how old are you?" I questioned. Looking at him, he seemed young, maybe in his early twenties, a few years older than I was, but maybe I could be wrong.


    "Thirty and two," Thane answered.


    My mouth dropped. I couldn''t believe he was almost thirteen years older than me, and yet he looked so... young. "You are over a decade older than me," I say. 1


    "You are not under aged, are you?" He asks, or rather states, I''ll bet he knew how old I was.


    "No, I''m not."


    "But I wouldn''t really care if you were."


    "Isn''t that against somew?" I questioned, noticing how close we were to each other now.


    "Just in case you didn''t know, I am apletewbreaker."


    "You look really young," I say to him.


    "I do believe it''s part of the Alpha gene. I''m well aware that I look maybe a decade younger," he says. I had never heard of that; yes, wolves in general, age slower than humans, but I had never heard of Alpha''s having a different span from the other wolves. "Can I ask a question, Thane?"


    "Depends on what it is?"


    "Did you pick me because you discovered who my mother was to this pack?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice as cool as possible.


    "Yes. A few years ago, I saw this file belonging to your mother. I had almost forgotten about her, but for some reasons, I wanted to know where she was, what she was doing, and if she was finally free. I got all the details even before I visited the Windborne pack. But then I saw you, and things got even more interesting. I knew everything about you too; that''s how I knew about Ryker, your ex-mate. I had paid an anonymous visit to the pack more than once, and I did like watching you."


    "You knew my mother was a ve there?, and yet you waited for me to bring it up?" I asked, so many emotions going through my mind, He had waited for me to bring up my mother''s issue before he made the negotiations. I didn''t know whether to be afraid or amused.

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    Chapter Seventy Five


    "Yes. It would only make me a creep if I told you that I know everything about you; I knew you would get to that" Thane exins


    "My mother said something." I paused. I didn''t want to say anything to annoy him, not now when he was finally ready to talk.


    C


    "Go on," he prompts.


    "She says you want me here... as some kind of punishment for her running away," I said, looking away from Thane.


    "Do ''you'' think that''s why I want you here?" he questioned


    "I don''t know; you''ve never given me any reason exactly, and her perspective seems quite logical."


    "After I took over as the Alpha, I ended the ve trades; now our captives have a choice. Do you know why?" he asked


    "Why?"


    "Because I never wanted another woman to be treated the way your mother was, ever again. Riley I''m not trying to get back at her."


    "I feel like a fool for ming her; if only she told me earlier..." I trailed off, wiping the tears." I know she would be disappointed if she knew the mistake I had been about to make."


    "Hush, Riley. Everyone makes mistakes, but I''ll rather you me me for that. Seeing you in there... in the tub, I wondered what would have happened if I didn''t get to you fast enough; I would have lost you too," he says, but my mind hangs on those two words, ''you too''. "And it would have been entirely my fault. Maybe then I''ll let your mother do with me as she pleases; after all, I had been the reason her childmitted suicide. I never really thought it would get to that, but you have to promise me, Riley, that you will never do that to yourself again," he says, and I nod.


    "I won''t. I wasn''t thinking."


    "Promise me," he says, and there''s a hint of desperation in his tone, and I wondered if all those emotions he let slip had been real and not a part of my hallucinations.


    "I promise Thane."


    "Tell me something about you-something about you I don''t know."


    I didn''t think there was particrly anything interesting about my life; I was just an omega. My mother never talks about my father," I say.


    "That''ll possibly be because she doesn''t know who he is." Thanemented, and he was right


    -if she had been assaulted by so many people, then it could be any of them.


    Chapter Seventy Five


    "Possibly... but strangely, I have this feeling that she does; she just never talks about it, and I would never push her."


    Something random pops up in my mind. Axel. He hadn''t used any protection, right? I didn''t remember him putting on a condom.


    "What''s wrong"


    C


    "Nothing," I lied.


    "Axel was protected; you don''t have to worry," Thane says, and my eyes snap to him.


    "I don''t believe in magic and stuff, but if I was told you were a mind reader, I wouldn''t doubt it." 1


    He chuckled at that. "I''m a very good observer, and the topic seems to have triggered it, so it only makes sense that''ll be where your mind went."


    "He is more careful than I am."


    "Is the thought of having his child that appalling?" he asks, and I couldn''t believe he had just asked that.


    "I know you are a sicko and you are crazy too, but I wonder if that is still underrating you," I stated.


    He shrugged. "If you would like that and he would, then it would be fine with me."


    "I have not thought about a child yet," I say. That would only make thingsplicated. If I have to leave in six months, I''ll always carry a part of... ''them'' with me.


    "Riley. I was only humouring you," he said with a smirk on his lips, and I couldn''t deny that I believed he was being serious; he was just that so hard to predict. "How did it feel like growing up without a father?" he asks, changing the topic.


    "I sometimes watch others with their fathers, but I could never miss something I never had. I did wonder what it would be like, but I knew I was never going to be like the other children; I would never be privileged to get what they had, and with that mentality in there, I had to move on."


    "Keep going," Thane said, and maybe, just maybe he was interested in my story.

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    Chapter Seventy Six


    "I hate the fact that I can''t transform into my wolf form like the rest; in some ways, it makes me feel iplete, like I am missing something. I feel like a mere human," I said to him.


    "Maybe something could be done to retrieve your wolf?" He asks, but I shake my head; nothing could be done. I knew that, and I had epted it.


    "Now I want to know something about you," I say. There are many things he keeps to himself, things he keeps hidden, and if only he could open up-but then I remembered what had happened thest time he did open up. I took that for granted; I used it against him. Would he ever be willing to do that again?


    "What do you want to know?" "Anything," I say.


    6


    "That''s pretty wide," he says. I didn''t really think he would give out anything private, but then he began. "You''ve always wanted to know why I had never gone to my mother''s aid, why I left her to de.


    I believed that my father wasn''t as bad in the past; maybe I could be wrong, but I do bel. ve my mother had a part in that. My father was never innocent, and I knew that; he killed people -men, women, children, innocents. But he never once turned on his own mate. My mother wasn''t fateful, not in the least. She had gone as far as acquiring a potion that prevents my father from feeling any pain when she is with another man."


    "There is a potion for that?" I questioned, hating the fact that I had to cut him off, but this was important.


    my


    "Yes, it is getting popr now, but very costly, and of course, it had side effects; it leaves the user weak. Your little ex-mate had either not seen you worth the price of getting one or didn''t care to," Thane exined, and again he got exactly what was on my mind. I held back anger; I didn''t think I could forgive Ryker; I didn''t think I could forget all he had done to me, and each day I seem to find more reasons why I should have ended him when I had the chance. Thane went on.


    "My mother was always weak as an effect, but she had been very lucky; my father was barely ever around; he loved her, but he loved the pack too, if not more, and that angered her. One day, I walked in on her with another man; she had begged me not to tell anyone, and of course I didn''t. I held her secret even if I wished she could stop it. She never did stop; she became less careful, and time and again I walked in on her. She had wanted to explore more, so she widened her scope, bringing in more than one man and... women too. One day a woman hade in search for my mother, but Freya was nowhere to be found, and so the woman decided to ''wait'' in my room. I was too young to understand what she wanted to do. She called me over and asked that I strip of my clothes; when I didn''t, she hit me. I could have hit her back, but it didn''t feel right to hit a woman, more so, one older than me. She did try forcing me, and that''s when I had to speak to Freya.


    Chapter Seventy Six


    I told her about it, but she brushed it off. The woman never stoppeding, and I hated her for that." Thane said his eyes were emotionless.


    "She had hurt you?" I asked him


    "I had taken worse, so not really, but what I hated was the fact my mother never seemed to


    care.


    One night de called for me, and then he questioned me; he suspected my mother''s betrayal, but I denied; he had threatened me, but I didn''t give her secret up. I returned back to Freya and informed her, in hopes that she would end it all now that he had the clue, but she didn''t. Again, she brushed it off.


    Soon father discovered all she did and the fact that I also knew the truth. He was furious, and he came for me, ", Thane''s hand trailed over a scar on his skin, which had been covered by a tattoo of a wolf. "He had stabbed me, and I would have died if not for Axel, who alerted the healers."


    "And Freya did nothing," I asked, growing annoyed at the woman, even if it had happened


    years ago.


    "No, she didn''t. When she discovered that father knew, she ran away, leaving me there with him, and day after day I went through hell. Father got worse, and she was the cause; I med her. She didn''t return for a whole year, and maybe she thought she was safe." "But she wasn''t," I say, unable to keep silent.


    "Father found her, and I hadn''t even pitied her. He had changed; he could hit his mate and feel no regrets about it. But it became too much, I feared he was going to kill her, I had to help, so I made ns on how to help her escape from the pack." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Seventy Seven Chapter Seventy Seven


    "I had nned to cover up the trails when we were done, and this time she wouldn''t be found by my father. I was ready to die protecting her even if she didn''t deserve it. We agreed to meet by midnight; de would be gone by then. I had a few soldiers loyal to me and not to my father by then.


    But when I got there, I met de waiting in her stead. She had betrayed me again; she had told him about the n just to get on his good side. She never once stepped in, never once helped; she was grateful to have him furious at someone else rather than her. If only she knew that de will never forgive her infidelity and she still pays for it. I had sworn that day to never step in or try to save her; she did make it clear that she did not want to be saved.


    My father couldn''t control me anymore; I rebelled against every single thing he did, and he hated me for that. That''s the reason the pack had to be split into two; he wouldn''t let go of power even when his reign was over, and I wouldn''t let him have what rightfully belongs to me." Thane finished, 1


    There was a lot of questions on my mind, but when I opened my mouth on the two words came out; "I''m sorry"


    "For what? None of this is your fault, so you don''t have to be sorry."


    "I judged you; even though I knew nothing, I still judged you."


    "I am not a good person; I should still feel some kind of sympathy for her, but I can''t help it; I just don''t feel it."


    "No one would feel sympathy for a traitor," I say.


    "You sure?" he asked with a smirk. My mother would never betray me, but if... if she had been put in ce of Freya, if she had betrayed me again and again, would I have let suffer for her sins?... no, no, I would not have done that. I would have kept trying, die trying. When I said nothing, Thane''s smirk widened into a smile.


    "If you had grown up in a loving home with parents that are not at each other''s throats or at yours, then maybe you would have been different," I say to myself, realizing then that I said it out loud.


    "That was never meant to be, and I''m not sure if I deserve that."


    "Everyone deserved to be loved Thane," I say to him.


    "You pity me. I do not like it," Thane says.


    "I pity you, and I''m sorry," I admitted. "But don''t you want to be loved?"


    "Love without trust is nothing, and trust is hard toe by."


    "But you could trust me, Thane."


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    "I had nned to cover up the trails when we were done, and this time she wouldn''t be found by my father. I was ready to die protecting her even if she didn''t deserve it. We agreed to meet by midnight; de would be gone by then. I had a few soldiers loyal to me and not to my father by then.


    But when I got there, I met de waiting in her stead. She had betrayed me again; she had told him about the n just to get on his good side. She never once stepped in, never once helped; she was grateful to have him furious at someone else rather than her. If only she knew that de will never forgive her infidelity and she still pays for it. I had sworn that day to never step in or try to save her; she did make it clear that she did not want to be saved.


    My father couldn''t control me anymore; I rebelled against every single thing he did, and he hated me for that. That''s the reason the pack had to be split into two; he wouldn''t let go of power even when his reign was over, and I wouldn''t let him have what rightfully belongs to me." Thane finished,


    There was a lot of questions on my mind, but when I opened my mouth on the two words came out; "I''m sorry"


    "For what? None of this is your fault, so you don''t have to be sorry."


    "I judged you; even though I knew nothing, I still judged you."


    "I am not a good person; I should still feel some kind of sympathy for her, but I can''t help it; I just don''t feel it."


    "No one would feel sympathy for a traitor," I say.


    "You sure?" he asked with a smirk. My mother would never betray me, but if... if she had been put in ce of Freya, if she had betrayed me again and again, would I have let suffer for her sins?... no, no, I would not have done that. I would have kept trying, die trying. When I said nothing, Thane''s smirk widened into a smile.


    "If you had grown up in a loving home with parents that are not at each other''s throats or at yours, then maybe you would have been different," I say to myself, realizing then that I said it out loud.


    "That was never meant to be, and I''m not sure if I deserve that."


    "Everyone deserved to be loved Thane," I say to him.


    "You pity me. I do not like it," Thane says.


    "I pity you, and I''m sorry," I admitted. "But don''t you want to be loved?"


    "Love without trust is nothing, and trust is hard toe by."


    "But you could trust me, Thane."


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    Thane stared at me, finally realizing what I was saying.


    "I love you, Thane," I say, and every part of me doesn''t want to hear him reject my words. I knew even from the start what I felt for him, but I had been so afraid to say it. Even through all the pain he had put me through, I still loved him, and I knew that loving a man like him was dangerous, I''ll be damned. I also knew that I still felt ''something'' for Axel, something I couldn''t really exin.


    "Say something, Thane... please."


    "I don''t want to hurt you anymore than I already have."


    "You won''t"


    "You don''t know that.''


    "Please don''t reject me, Thane," I pleaded.


    Pathetic. That''s what I have be, pleading for love. That''s how desperate I was.


    Thane held me in for an embrace, kissing the top of my hair. "I would never," he promised. "What of the contract?" he questioned


    "Maybe you could end all those restrictions. I won''t be going anywhere, not that I have anywhere to go.


    "That could be arranged," he says.


    "Thank you"


    "Riley. You are very special to me. I''ll try to make this work," he says, but I don''t miss the fact that he never said the words. ''I love you too''.

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    Chapter Seventy Eight


    Chapter Seventy Eight


    There''s a knock on the door, and I''m awoken from a very peaceful slumber.


    It was Axel.


    "Why are you here so early?" I questioned


    "It''s actually veryte, close to midnight, and you''ve slept long enough," he says, letting himself in.


    That''s when I noticed something different about him; it was his dressing. Don''t get me wrong, Axel was always good-looking and in the right dress, but a white well-fitting dress shirt paired with dark grey chinos was unlike him. "Uhmm, was the asion?"


    "Is a surprise?" he says.


    "I don''t like surprises.


    "Trust me, this one you will like," he says, deliberately imitating Thane.


    "I trust you, so this must be good," I say, heading towards the door.


    "Where are you going?"


    "You said you have a surprise for me?" I questioned, giving him a pointed look.


    "Not dressed like that; you look good, but maybe a bit more effort."


    "You''ve never been bothered about my dressing."


    "You will thank meter for this," he says, and I huff.


    "The blue is nice; itplements your eye colour, but the emerald green is better." Axel said, and I nodded, picking out the dress. I was bad at this, so I would go with anything ''anyone'' says. 1 "So I need to be this moured for my surprise? I asked


    "Not really, but this is appreciated," he says, and again he gives no clue.


    I took off my clothes to put on the dress, and Axel turried his attention to the wall, like it was the most interesting thing to look at.


    "You''ve seen me naked before; I''ve got nothing to hide," I said, despite the burning in my cheeks.


    "You are right, but I guess watching you dress is creepy, and I wouldn''t want to, except... ''you'' want me to," he says.


    173


    Chapter Seventy Eight


    "I don''t mind," I respond, but I did mind; even if he had seen it all, I still felt self-conscious. Slowly Axel turned to me, his eyes on my face as I put on the gown. "How does this look?" I asked him, and his eyes trailed down my body once, he swallowed.


    "Very good, actually," he says. "I think you are very beautiful."


    My heart skips a beat.


    "I think you are very good looking too," Iplimented, trying to act all calm, but inside... inside I wasn''t very calm; I just wasn''t used to gettingpliments like this.


    He waited patiently for me to straighten my hair and apply the slightest makeup-I never really believed I needed that. I slipped on a pair of nude heels, and I was ready. "Does Thane know about this surprise?" I asked


    "Oh, he is very aware," Axel responded, and with that, he led me out of our room. The trip down the stairs was the hardest, and I was grateful that there were fewer people present. It waste, so we were most likely to see more of the soldiers and a few lingering pack members.


    When we were out of the pack house, I felt more relieved. The air was cold and nice, beautif the moon shone brightly above us, and the moon was full too; maybe that had been why the night felt so serene.


    Axel stopped.


    "What?"


    "I''ll have to carry you; the heels don''t make it easy for you to move any faster," he exins, and with that, he swept me off my feet and carried me bridal style to the woods.


    "Axel. Why are we going into the woods in the middle of the night?"


    "Afraid I will harm you?" he asks.


    "No, but this is creepy."


    "We are werewolves; the woods can''t be creepy. Maybe to the humans it could be "he says, and though he wasn''t implying it, I couldn''t help but feel the slight sting; the woods never felt like ''home'' to me, and maybe because I was just like... humans, after all, I had no wolf.


    "And this surprise you have for me is in the woods?" I asked, brushing off the hurt.


    "You ask a lot of questions; a few more minutes, and you would have your answers.".


    I was being carried deeper into the woods. Just then I noticed the lights-no, they weren''ting from the moon or stars; they were artificial lights. The closer we drew to the light, the more beautiful they seemed, and a gasp escaped my lips.


    The three were lined with lights-beautiful lights of multiple colors. The tiny bulbs illuminated our path, and Axel walked through thene cleared in between. This was all


    Chapter Seventy Ext


    nned, and just then I saw the dell. That portion had been cleared, and a mini canopy created with the huge leaves was forged. The little space was littered with red roses, there was a table in the middle and three chairs, and candles arranged precisely on the right spots.


    Just then I noticed Thane. He had been staring off into the distance, backing us, but now he turned towards us and I could finally get a good view of him.


    I was so used to seeing him formally dressed all the time; this was a big change from the usual suit and tuxedos


    He was in a white silk shirt and a leather jacket over it, paired with ck washed jeans and matching booths. His brown hair fell over his eyes,


    My heart tightened. It almost felt surreal for a man to look this so... sEZJ,


    Thane could get anything with just his looks, and he knew it. He looked every bit the bad boy, the type that break every girls heart but still ends up being loved by all; he a beautiful sm¨ªrk ying on his lips as he watched me.


    Axel was right, I was grateful I had taken some time to get dressed, even if I seem to pale inparison to him.


    I couldn''t believe I had just earlier confessed my feelings to him. Staring at him now, he was too intimidating, like he was in control of everything. Could all these ever be ''mine?''.


    Today''s Bonus Offer


    X


    Chapter Seventy Nine

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    Chapter Seventy Nine


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    It was very surprising that they had arranged all these in just a few hours.


    "What is this?" I asked, still in awe of everything.


    "A date between the three of us," Thane answered. "I told you I was going to try make this work.".


    I had never heard of a date between three people, but this attention... I could get used to this.


    "Nothing like a midnight snack in the middle of the woods," Thane said as Axel dropped me on my feet and I walked forward.


    "How did you n all these in a matter of hours?" I asked.


    "It will be worth it if you like it."


    "Of course I love it!",


    "Then that''s all that matters.


    Axel took a seat, and Thane leads me to my seat, being the perfect gentleman by drawing o a seat for me, before having his own seat. I could really get used to this. "Hope you are hungry?"


    "I am starving."


    "Good"


    It was fun; we all engaged in little chats about very random things, and at this moment I felt like I had known these people all my life.


    "Axel," I called.


    "Huh?"


    "You''ve never spoken about your parents before I noted. From the look in Axel''s eyes, I knew it was moreplicated than I thought it to be. "You don''t have to if you aren''tfortable with this," I added quickly.


    "No, is okay," he says, but I don''t think it is; I was ready to do anything to move on from this topic. "They had both been banished; thest I heard from them was ten years ago, so I can''t really tell what position they are in now-or if they are still alive," he answers, but his answer raises more questions in me-questions I couldn''t ask because Axel wasn''t ready to answer that yet and I didn''t n on invading into his personal matters.


    "It must be lonely living without your parents."


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    "Yeah," he says, still giving nothing away.


    "I was thinking, maybe it''s time you join us during official meetings," Thane says, maybe to change the topic-I couldn''t tell.


    "What meetings"


    "There are always regr meetings held between Alpha''s and other pack leaders to discuss further ns or solve disputes. I think it''s time you got involved in the pack matters too. Usually the Alpha is always present with their Luna," Thane said, and I couldn''t be more pleased.


    "That''ll be really nice." I responded. But of course I knew who must have taken my position before now. I didn''t need to think too much on that.


    "Riley, have you tried reaching to your wolf side since you came here?" Axel asked, and I shook my head.


    "No, it won''t work," I said. I didn''t like talking about my wolflessness. 1


    "Actually," Thane began, "You are mated to an Alpha, to me...


    "You said it yourself; the mark would be nothing but a scar; we aren''t actually mates."


    "We followed same procedures; maybe I was wrong." Thane said with a shrug.


    "What is that? Is the big bad Alpha finally admitting that he can be wrong?"


    They both chuckled at that, and then Thane rose.


    "Come," he says, and I give him a puzzled look before taking his hands; he leads me out of the little space into the woods. Our only source of light was the moon and those very beautiful stars. "We would never know till you try," he says. His voice is reassuring, and I actually think it could work. I didn''t want to raise my hope or his. I did try this a few times back in the Windborne pack, and I was always left in tears. It had never worked, not since that once when I had been so angry.


    "Close your eyes," he says, and despite the protest rising in me, I do as he says, "Do you feel a presence inside of you?"


    "No"


    "You have to try Riley," he says, and I inhale, trying to reach anything in there, but no matter how hard I grab, I end up with nothing-because there was nothing in there. I felt the tears of frustration building up. "Stop this, okay, it doesn''t work, it won''t, I''ve tried" I said. Thane took off his jacket and then his shirt.


    "What are you doing?"


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    "Maybe you just need some kind of catalyst," he says, and with that, he switches into his wolf form so easily and magnificently. I wanted that; I wanted the other part of me that seemed to be missing, that part that left me iplete. He turned to me, staring at me with glittering golden eyes; they weremanding, and though he couldn''t speak, I knew what he said: he wanted me to join him. I wanted to. I watched as he zipped into the forest, urging me to follow, and I did just that, running on my foot, following after him, and.just then... I felt something, it could be my imagination, or maybe it was due to the fact that I wanted to follow after him so badly. My whole body shook; hot, blinding pain filled me, and then I heard the sounds of bones crackling. 2


    It wasn''ting from Thane or Axel... these sounds wereing from me, and when I walked forward, I noticed I had thick furred legs in ce of my human legs, my vision was clearer even in the darkness of the night, I heard the little sounds, even the ones made from tiny insects, and then the smell, the beautiful scent, I followed after it, going as fast as I could, even if I wasn''t very used to moving on my four feet, and there Thane stood, in all his naked glory; he had switched back to his human form, and he was striking.


    "You are even more beautiful than I thought you would be," he says, and I open my mouth to speak, but a low rumble leaves my lips instead. Not a sound a human would make.


    "I am excited too," Thane said, as if reading whatever sound I had just made.


    Suddenly I was staggering backward.


    "Riley," he calls. "Riley, are you alright?" he asks, but his voice was getting all blurry, just as


    vision too was seizing up, and then the darkness weed me.


    my

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    Chapter Eighty


    Chapter Eighty


    I woke up feeling dizzy.


    A ss of water was passed to me, and I epted it not bothering to look at the person who gave me the water, I took a big gulp before realizing something-it wasn''t water; it had this strange after- taste to it.


    "Thane?" I called, everything seemed a bit blurry


    "I am right here; you need to rest."


    "No. What is this?" I asked, referring to the ss of water that left a bitter taste in the back of my throat.


    "You cked out earlier; it must be due to your now heightened senses. It would take you some time to adjust to it all. The liquid would help clear the dizziness," Thane says. The liquid worked faster than I expected and I felt very much better immediately. ""Where am I?" 1


    "In our room," Thane said, and though I wasn''t looking at him, I knew there was still that annoying smirk on his lips.


    "I''m naked, Thane."


    "Your dress was utterly ruined by your shift. Too bad, it was really a beautiful piece."


    "So I did transform... into a wolf?" I questioned; it felt like it had all been in my imaginations; I couldn''t believe it. "Yes, you did."


    "How?... I was pretty sure I had lost my wolf."


    "I don''t think our mating was just a physical thing; usually mates take strength from their partner, elevating their status." "What does that mean?"


    "It means you wouldn''t be seen as an ornega anymore."


    "That doesn''t make sense; I was born an omega.


    "From the size of your wolf, I can tell that you aren''t exactly that."


    "My wolf... what was the colour?" I asked, faintly remembering him telling me how beautiful I was in my


    wolf form. T


    "White and grey, with those blue eyes of yours.... haven''t seen any more beautiful," he said.


    "I didn''t think it was possible, but you knew... how did you know what to do?"


    Chapter Eighty


    "I didn''t, but I might have used my Alpha aura on you."


    "And what is that? I don''t really speak ''wolves''," I said, before realizing how stupid I sounded. I was a werewolf, I should know these terms.


    Thane brushed that aside. "Alphas have this aura, amanding kind of presence, and I don''t use it most of the time. I didn''t intend on using it on you either, but you didn''t believe you could do it, and so I made you believe you could.


    I was about to ask ''how'' again, but he spared me that by exining. "With this aura I couldmand anyone lesser than me, in rank - I mean, so I just had to make you know what pleases me and you would do it, even if it leads to your danger or worse." "Alpha''s have that?" I asked in surprise.


    "Yes, but most don''t use theirs because it isn''t easy to control and things could end up going very ''bad''."


    9


    "Yet you tried that on me?"


    "I can control it, Riley; I would never have tried it if I didn''t know how to control it."


    "I felt like I was hypnotized.


    "That''s the feeling from what I''ve heard-you''ll be willing to do anything, and I hadmanded you to catch up with me as fast as you can. Of course you couldn''t do that in your human form, so you had to find the wolf in you and transform, just to catch up."


    "Do


    you


    think you can do it again?, like use the Alpha thingy on me to help me transform?"


    "You should be worried, I couldmand you to do far more dangerous things," he says, a wicked glint in his eyes.


    "I want to believe you won''t do that," I said, staring at him. "You won''t, right?"


    "Right, not unless it is necessary."


    "Necessary, what does that mean?"


    "Who knows, if you deny me of what is mine long enough, then I might have tomand you to please me in any way you can."


    I gasped. "You won''t"


    Heughed right at my face, and the sound was... beautiful.


    "I was just kidding" he says, but I didn''t really believe that.


    "So you can literally make me do anything, just by what?, staring at me?"


    "You could see it that way, but it isn''t just staring, still I would never force you against your


    will.


    Chapter Eighty


    You won''t need the Alpha ''thingy''," he imitated me, "to transform next time. I can actually feel your wolf."


    "You can?"


    "Yes"


    "Before now, you couldn''t sense her."


    "That''s literally what I said, but no, I couldn''t sense her, and now I do."


    "Thane... Thank you; I can''t thank you enough; I don''t know how to repay you."


    "There is a way," he says.


    "Usually, when someone says he or she ''doesn''t know how to repay you'', you just keep silent and don''t spoil the moment." I said, but the relief in my voice didn''t give the right impact I had wanted to pass on. "Well, you said you didn''t know, and I know, so...?"


    "Okay, what do you want?" I questioned


    "What can you offer?" he shot back, that wicked smirk still on his face.


    I really would love to wipe off that smirk from his face one day, and from the look he gave me, he seemed to have read that off my mind, like the opened book I was.


    Now back to the question: what did I have to offer? I had nothing; he had everything. "I have nothing to offer," I say to him.


    "Wrong answer, you have a lot to offer, but for now, your voice is enough."


    "My voice? Well, you can have that," I said with a snort. I could keep talking to him if that''s all he wanted in exchange; actually, it was a very generous offer.


    "Thanks," he says, picking up the book from the drawer beside the bed, the one I had been avoiding looking at for some good amount of time now. Barbara''s fantasies. "Could you read to me?"


    Well, that''s the plot twist.


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    +26 BONUS


    Chapter Eighty One


    Chapter Eighty One


    "Why not another book?, I picked up this other book..."


    "No, I want this book, our favourite."


    "You are really going to do this to me, Thane?"


    "Yes. That''s the n."


    He passed me the book, and I held it with shaky hands as he took a seat.


    "What passage do you want to listen to?"


    "You pick, "he says.


    I inhaled, scrolling through the pages of the thick book before stopping randomly on one. My cheeks redden, and I was about to scroll past it.


    "That one, I like that one," Thane says, and I knew he simply wanted me burning red in. embarrassment. I could do this.


    This passage was shorter than most, so I began:


    "Mr. Cutie wasn''t as innocent as I thought him to be when we were in bed. He was going to try a different technique, fisting-he called it. I was a very naughty girl, and so I could make a wild guess, it wouldn''t be my first time getting a fist from a guy but I was soon to find out how pleasurable ''Cutie'' could make this." I paused. I had read about this ''act'' from previous passages, Thane had read a simr passage to me too... I remembered how embarrassed I had been when he found the book and I still felt very much embarrassed about it. Could it be coincidence that I ended up picking this passage?


    I read on.


    "He had me all wet and ready, and I couldn''t deny our little forey was more interesting than most. He lubricated his hands with my wetness..."


    I paused again, I must be as red as a tomato now.


    "Thane, please, I really can''t go on."


    "Is my princess shy?"


    "Yes, I am shy; can I stop reading now?"


    "No"


    "Please," I said, giving him a look I hope was cute enough, and maybe it did work because he took the book from my hands, tossing it to the ground. "Maybe we could get practical; I can smell your want even now."


    Chapter Eighty One


    "You are going to... fist me?"


    "No, I don''t think you are ready for that yet."


    "I''m not?" I questioned, wondering if I should take the challenge, but then it did sound painful, so I might as well let this slide. "I''m not I agreed. "But maybe something more... fun," he asks.


    "What would that be?"


    "I received a gift from Axel a while ago; I had been waiting for the right time to use those beautiful balls, perhaps now?".


    I gasped, remembering the feeling of those balls in me. Axel had told me he gifted them to Thane, but I had totally forgotten about it.


    Thane reached for the nket, pulling them away from me and leaving me utterly exposed.


    "And with youpletely nude, it makes this a lot easier. Let''s check how ready you are," he says, and my breath hitches when I feel his finger, feeling me down there, and of course I was ready enough.


    My hands went up his shoulder, trailing down the thick muscles. He was very close to perfection. 1


    He took the Kegel balls; I wondered how I hadn''t noticed him with it. And then he dipped the balls into his mouth, lubricating them. The sight sent a surge of heat through me, and I was rocking against his body, wanting any form of friction. "Thane, please..."


    "A moment," he says, now the balls were ready. He trailed kisses down my stomach. I adjusted to where I wanted him to be. "Beautiful," he whispers, his hands trailing up and down my wetness, and he inserted the balls into me, not very gently. I gasped, and just then he pulled them out again. My whole body spasmed. He pushed the balls, which were no doubt now coated with my wetness into me, letting them go deeper this time. +


    "How does this feel?"


    "I... I love it, Thane."


    "I thought so," his fingers robbed around my clit, going in slow, firm motions, round me, and I panted; it was all too much. He pulled the balls out of me again, and that had brought me so close to the edge, but he wasn''t going to let that happen yet, so he paused, giving me a few seconds to calm, before inserting the Kegel balls again. This time, he followed with his fingers, pumping in and out of me with the balls still up there, taking them higher up and deeper with every thrust of his fingers, and I couldn''t take anymore. "Thane, please..."


    Chapter Eighty One


    "You are going to... fist me?"


    "No, I don''t think you are ready for that yet."


    "I''m not?" I questioned, wondering if I should take the challenge, but then it did sound painful, so I might as well let this slide. "I''m not I agreed.


    "But maybe something more... fun," he asks.


    "What would that be?"


    "I received a gift from Axel a while ago; I had been waiting for the right time to use those beautiful balls, perhaps now?".


    I gasped, remembering the feeling of those balls in me. Axel had told me he gifted them to Thane, but I had totally forgotten about it.


    Thane reached for the nket, pulling them away from me and leaving me utterly exposed.


    "And with youpletely nude, it makes this a lot easier. Let''s check how ready you are," he says, and my breath hitches when I feel his finger, feeling me down there, and of course I was ready enough.


    My hands went up his shoulder, trailing down the thick muscles. He was very close to perfection. 1


    He took the Kegel balls; I wondered how I hadn''t noticed him with it. And then he dipped the balls into his mouth, lubricating them. The sight sent a surge of heat through me, and I was rocking against his body, wanting any form of friction. "Thane, please..."


    "A moment," he says, now the balls were ready. He trailed kisses down my stomach. I adjusted to where I wanted him to be. "Beautiful," he whispers, his hands trailing up and down my wetness, and he inserted the balls into me, not very gently. I gasped, and just then he pulled them out again. My whole body spasmed. He pushed the balls, which were no doubt now coated with my wetness into me, letting them go deeper this time. 1


    "How does this feel?"


    "I... I love it, Thane." 1


    "I thought so," his fingers robbed around my clit, going in slow, firm motions, round me, and I panted; it was all too much. He pulled the balls out of me again, and that had brought me so close to the edge, but he wasn''t going to let that happen yet, so he paused, giving me a few seconds to calm, before inserting the Kegel balls again. This time, he followed with his fingers, pumping in and out of me with the balls still up there, taking them higher up and deeper with every thrust of his fingers, and I couldn''t take anymore. "Thane, please..."


    Chapter Eighty One


    whol "No, not yet," he says, and I could feel my clit with his tongue, sucking in on it, and I moan I could, he paused. He was doing this on his own


    Finally, his hands located the ropes connected t pulling them out abruptly. I came hard; his fing elongating the process, and I was left panting. "Thank you," I say to him, and he kisses my che


    ""Very wee".


    Chapter Eighty One


    "No, not yet," he says, and I could feel my whole body spasm yet again. He goes down on my clit with his tongue, sucking in on it, and I moaned. I couldn''t take it anymore, but just before I could, he paused. He was doing this on his own terms. Finally, his hands located the ropes connected to the kegel balls. "You did well," he says, pulling them out abruptly. I came hard; his fingers followed into me as he pumped in and out, elongating the process, and I was left panting.


    "Thank you," I say to him, and he kisses my cheek.


    ""Very wee".

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    Chapter Eighty Two


    Chapter Eighty Two


    I knocked on the door to my mother''s apartment but there was no response. I had been here for about five minutes now. Was she avoiding me?. I tried the door; only to discover it was unlocked so I pushed it open, walking into her apartment. "Mom?"


    No response. "Anyone home?"


    No response.


    It was very clear that there was nobody in here; maybe she was out working, but her scent seemed a bit... faint, like she hadn''t been in here for a few days, I was slowly getting the hang of my ''heightened'' senses now, and I could easily note things like this.


    I frowned, bemused. I searched in the fridge for a drink-anything that would keep me busy, I hated the idea of returning back to my room. I felt so trapped back there. But the fridge waspletely empty. Strange.


    I shrugged off this eerie feeling and walked out of her apartment, shutting the door just as I had found it.


    A maid had been walking by, and I called to her.


    "Have you seen my mothertely?" I questioned, and her eyes flew wide.


    "She is ''your'' mother?"


    They should all know that by now, right?, but I guess... I and Kate-my mother-are rarely ever seen together.


    "Yes, she is," I answered, wondering if Thane had wanted that a secret and deciding that I wouldn''t go with that, I would never keep the rtionship between I and my mother a secret.


    "Oh... wow, uhmm, she had been gone for a few days now.".


    "A few days!"


    I couldn''t believe she was gone; a sense of dread washed over me. I had felt like something was very wrong earlier but I brushed it all away, thinking I could be wrong, maybe she had spent the nights in a different room.


    Where could she have gone?, she had nowhere to go; out there was dangerous. With all she had been through, I wouldn''t expect that she would leave without informing me. Yes, I had been a bit distant thesest few days due to the ''incident.'' I had been so ashamed of myself; I couldn''t summon the courage toe meet her and finally I did, but she is nowhere to be found. I dismissed the maid, giving her no clue that this news troubled me.


    Chapter Eighty Two


    I walked down the hallways, lost in thoughts. I didn''t know if to feel disappointed or anxious. Just then I heard the silent sobing from one of the rooms. I paused; the sounds seemed to being from a female, but past experience had taught me that I should try minding my business more often, and I had been about to walk off when I saw the sh of blue hair. Very familiar-looking blue hair. Beatrix. The more reasons I shouldn''t be here, I walked away. "Riley"


    She called my name; she had either sensed or seen me. I inhaled deeply; this was the very same person who had betrayed me; I could clearly remember her walking past me like I was nothing but ''thin air'' a few weeks; then she got what she wanted; she had deceived me, and I had lost Thane''s trust once. I shouldn''t care about her; perhaps I should walk right past her just as she did to me,


    but then I remembered the woman who had saved my life, she had saved me from those rebels-for whatever twisted reasons she did that and now... she was in pain. Everyone needs someone to talk to, no matter how tough they seem to be; this was what being a Luna meant. 1


    So I walked into the room.


    This could be a trap; of course I was well aware; Thane had no clue that I was here, and Axel... well, I hadn''t seen him since the date.


    "What''s wrong, Beatrix?" I asked, my voice soft even if I was partly faking it.


    "You act like you don''t know," she said, tears flowing down her eyes. I had never seen Beatrix look this... breakable, this so fragile; she had never let out this other part of herself - at least not in front of me.


    "I don''t." I say taking a seat on a chair opposite her. "But you could talk to me.''


    "So you are doing what? trying tofort me?" she questioned with a snort.


    "I had been on my way; you called for me, but if you don''t need anything from me, then I might as well leave," I say, some of the bitterness sipping into my words.


    "No, I... needed to talk to you."


    "First, would you answer my question? When you ''helped me out of the pack, I had found someone waiting, someone from my past that I wasn''t very enthusiastic about meeting, and it led me to believe you nned it out; you betrayed me, leading me into a trap, why?." 1 Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Eighty There


    Chapter Eighty Three


    She took a few moments of hesitation before she finally answered.


    "Yes. I did just that. I knew that if you weren''t away, somewhere Thane would never find you, then I''ll lose him-of course he won''t expect you back at your previous pack, so he would be searching anywhere else. I wanted you as far away from here as possible and that had been the only way to achieve that."


    "Why?, Beatrix"


    "Why!" she called out a bit louder. "You want to know why?" she questioned again. "Because I had been here all along, standing by his side, I had done everything, been everything, just to prove to him that I was fit to be his Luna. I gave my life into this, and I finally thought I was so close to achieving this, but you came in and everything changed, Riley. He went all those miles away, just to get you-a conimon wolf like you-over me! Over every single able she-wolf in this pack, it feels like an insult, a fucking p on the face." "You are not his mate; I am. What is your problem?"


    "My problem is that I am certain you are not his true mate, yet, for some reasons, he picks you over me; even when I had thought you lost him, he went right back to you. I can see him slipping out of my fingers, and it hurt so bad, it hurt that I am about to lose all I had ever worked for. I was ready to give him anything-everything, but he wanted less-he wanted you."


    "As much as I feel very sorry for your pain, I really cannot rte." I respond, I wasn''t helping and maybe I should never have tried doing so.


    She stood to her feet, gripping me by the shoulder, and I staggered backwards, reminded once again of how strong she was. "Tell me, tell me what you hold against him; I would do any-fucking- thing. You just have to tell me. What the hell are you doing to him?" "He loves me, and that is something you cannot get."


    "Impossible; Thane can never love you; he doesn''t do love."


    "Was that what he told you? Because he told me very differently when we were in bed." I say and I could tell that got to her, I must have been convincing enough because she did believe


    1. me.


    "You fucking bitch!" she growled, mming me against the wall.


    A small smirk formed on my face. I was ying a dangerous game, but it was all finally making sense.


    T


    "He made you pay for betraying me, didn''t he?" said, finally realizing what got her all riled up.


    Tears formed in her eyes, and she let go of me. "I''m sorry, please forgive me; I didn''t intend 122


    Chapter Eighty Three


    on getting physical," she says, and I almost feel pity for her-almost, but not quite yet. "He made me pay, in the worst way," she says.


    And despite myself, I wondered how exactly he made her pay. I hadn''t thought Thane punished her; I thought Beatrix was on a different level, a differentne, but of course, Thane was just that unpredictable. "What happened?" I asked


    "Oh, I know you would want to hear about that," she said, a small, sad smirk forming on her quivering lips. "He had spent a long time with me; those days were the best. I thought he had ended things with you; it felt that way, and I thought I had won. But he had only done that to prove to me how worthless I was. He stripped me of my title as amander-I spent years... years working for that, but he took it all away, just when I had thought my life was all perfect," she cried.


    After I had been punished for trying to escape, Thane had been away for a week. I knew who he went to, but the reminder that he had shared a bed with her-even if it had just been an act- still filled me with jealousy. But then... he had taken her title from her. I had thought they were so close friends, and yet he had done that... just for me.


    "You could move on; Thane has a mate now, and trust me, there are so many men out there that would be dying for a woman like you," I said to her. I hadn''t said that just tofort her; it had been partly out of possessiveness. I wanted her to move on from Thane because he belonged to ''me''.


    "You don''t seem to understand; it had always been Thane; for so many years I don''t think of any other," she says, and I don''t know what she expects from me. 1


    "Do you... do you love him?" I asked; that hadn''t urred to me. I had believed girls like her would do anything for power; love was second ce in the game, and it didn''t really matter. But staring into her eyes now, I saw differently; I saw through her, and I didn''t like what I saw.


    "Yes. Yes, I love him. Even if he keeps on hurting me, even if he never seems to see all the sacrifices I had already made and am still willing to make for him, I still love him, and it hurts, but I know there would never be anyone else for me. Riley, please understand this."

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    Chapter Eighty Four


    Chapter Eighty Four


    Beatrix''s words were genuine, she had meant every single thing she said.


    "Well, I love him too," I said, staring right into her. "And he loves me." +29 BONUS


    you


    "He never gave me the chance. You say you love him, but could you bleed for him? Would give your life for him? Could you fight for him even with your veryst breath? Could you leave behind the people you love.


    to be with him?" She questions, and there is something so deep about her words that I''m left silent. "No, you can''t. So what makes you think that you deserve him?"


    That night, when Thane had asked me if I met my mother... I lied. I told him I did and didn''t know exactly why I had to lie, but at the moment it felt like the right thing to do, and I could only hope that the maid was the only one who knew that my mother was gone; Thane couldn''t know not after I had lied to him.


    Beatrix words reyed in my mind over and over again: she was in love with him, so hopelessly in love just as I was.... if not more, she was willing to do anything just to be with him; what she felt for hirh fell on the line between love and obsession. Yet for the next few days, a more concerning matter filled.


    my mind.


    My mother has still not returned.


    I was


    panicking now. Where was she? Maybe I should have told him; he would have helped me find her; what if she is in trouble... or worse, dead, and it would all be my fault because I had chosen to ''lie''.


    But then, what if she did run away from this ce?, After all that happened, what if each day. she stayed in this pack, the terrors tormented her, and she could take it no more? But then she left me behind.


    ''You were about to leave her too'', whispered that other voice in my head, and that was true. I had nned to escape and I left her behind; my n was toe back for her, but I had told her nothing either, that wasn''t the only time I had tried ''leaving'' her; could it be that she had. done the same...?


    No, I didn''t believe it; maybe she was in trouble, and I would have helped if only I had


    informed Thane earlier.


    I was not going to wait a second longer; I was going to visit Thane in his office, and he would know the truth. I decided. I headed for his office; the problem was I didn''t know exactly where his office was situated, and maybe I could ask one of the pack members. I passed by my mother''s apartment one more time, deciding to give it a quick check. I knew there would be no point in that, but when I tried the door, I noticed it was locked.


    Someone was in there..


    Chapter Eighty Four


    Mom?


    I knocked on the door; there was no response. I led again and still no response.


    "Mom, if you are in there, I really need to talk to you," I call out, my heart racing. Someone was in there; I could feel it, and just then the door was pulled open. I had been leaning against the door, so I stumbled in, and the door was mmed shut immediately: None of that mattered when I saw my mother. She was here, really here, and I let out a sob, drawing her in for a hug. I didn''t want to move away, afraid she would fade into thin air if I did. Finally I pulled free of her, but despite the happiness clearly written on her face, there was this pained look to it. The relief was almost too much that I had forgotten I should be mad at her.


    "Where did you go?" I asked


    "What do


    you


    mean?" she asks.


    "I checked on you; every day for thest few days, you weren''t here."


    "Oh dear, you know I''m busy with work..."


    "Why are you lying to ma, mother? I came here; you were not here; I was told by a maid that you were gone. "Which maid?"


    13


    "I don''t know her name; I''ll barely recognize her if I do see her again."


    Mother inhaled deeply. "Yes, I left the pack."


    "Why, why would you go without informing me? I had been so worried; how could you do this? I was about to talk to Thane so he could help..."


    "No. Don''t tell him anything." She snapped. Before inhaling and running a hand through her hair I noticed her hands were a bit... shaky.


    "What''s going on? You are acting all weird. I had expected an exnation, not this."


    "I was gone, and now I''m back; that''s all there is to say," she answers, but I noticed the slight


    flinch.


    "You are... injured?"


    "No, I am fine."


    "Stop, okay, stop fucking lying to me, Kate, stop it!" I yell, calling her by her name and regretting it almost instantly.


    "Keep your voice down..." she plead, but I noticed the injury on her arm


    "Don''t tell me to keep my voice down; exin why you were gone and why you have an


    injury..."


    Chapter Eighty Four


    Her uninjured hands were around my mouth, and that silenced me; something was very wrong, I knew it.


    "I just returned a few minutes ago. I hadn''t expected to see you. I want you to know that whatever I did, I did for you, for us."


    "What did you do?" I asked, this time lowering my voice.


    Just then a knock on the door interrupted us.


    ""What did you do, mother?"


    "Quick, leave; I would exinter."


    "But the injury..."


    "I''ve had worse; I''ll take it," she says and literally shoves me out of the room.


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    Chapter


    Eighty Five


    Chapter Eighty Five


    It had been a maid at the door; I had left so quickly I couldn''t get even a single word from their conversation.


    I didn''t know whether to feel at ease that my mother was back or more anxious. What had she done? Why was she injured? Where had she gone


    Those were the questions on my mind-questions I would not be getting an answer to ''yet''. She had said we would talkter-how much time is considered as ter''? I was only going to give her a few hours, and then I would be back. I didn''t like what was going on, and I had to know. I was more than ready to help now, if only she would trust me enough to tell me.


    "Is Axel alright?" I asked Thane, trying at anything to get my mind off my mother; she hadn''t


    and so I was going to go to her; her time was up and I needed answers


    ""Yes. He is"


    "I hadn''t seen him since the date," I said.


    "He is pretty engaged," Thane answered and then paused.


    "Anything wrong?" I questioned


    "No, I just got mind-linked by Axel; it seems like de loves this pack more than he lets out. "What?"


    "A messenger from my father is here, and there is a high possibility he is on his way here too."


    I didn''t like the sound of that one bit, and I was even more worried about how calm Thane was.


    "Can''t you like... not let him in?"


    "I have no problem with his visit," Thane answered. "Actually curious on why he is back here so soon," he says as he puts on his shirt.


    "I''ming with you?"


    "What?" That seems to surprise him more than the return of his abusive father.


    "I am the Luna; I think it''s time I act the part. I need to know all the happenings of the pack," I exined, and Thane didn''t seem to like the idea "Please?" I added softly.


    "Okay," he agrees, and I am surprised at the fact that he actually agreed to this.


    "Thank you," I said, getting dressed too.


    "His messenger is already here; de would be here in a matter of hours," Thane says, and that doesn''t help my anxiety even one bit.


    WE


    Chapter Eighty Five


    I followed him out of the room, and he led me into his office. I tried memorizing the way here just in case I needed to visit him during working hours, I didn''t know if that was allowed, but with the contract now void, I guess I could try a few things and find out. Just then five more men walked in, four of whom I was familiar with; they were the high-ranking packmanders. I had dined with them on multiple asions and have spotted them a few times during feasts. Thest one I had never seen, so I assumed he was the messenger sent by de.


    "Alpha" they called, bowing in show of submission, Thane gave them no mind.


    "This must be very important," Thane said to the man in the middle-the messenger I assumed.


    "Yes. I am here on an important errand," the messenger said. He ced a little container on the table as the other four men sat. "This container contains a sleeping potion; it had been used on the Alpha King, de. Somehow the guilty had managed to slip this into his drink, and he hadn''t been able to detect it. When the Alpha felt asleep, the guilty had sneaked into his room and had attempted murder." The messenger exined, and for some reason I felt


    nervous.


    "So... is this the matter of importance you and your Alpha hade all this way to speak to me about?, You must know that de has so many enemies, so this shouldn''t be a surprise," Thane said to


    the messenger. I didn''t miss how he had called his father''s by his name again, leaving no hint of respect or acknowledgement in his tone.


    "What is of concern is the fact that we ''know'' the offender is a member of this pack. Maybe even here as we speak."


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    To all my Emmy''s squad;


    I know two chapters a day is not sufficient, I understand how tiring it is to wait for new updates, but I plead you bear with me, I wish I could go beyond this....

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    Chapter Eighty Six


    "I doubt the culprit is from this pack, and assuming it had been amon member, then how exactly had he been able to get to the Alpha King and leave without being caught?"


    "Is not a he?" the messenger said, and a smirk spread on Thane''s lips.


    "So is a ''she?" he questioned, though already suspecting the answer, the smirk on his face widened.


    "Yes, she is a female; she had a darker shade of blonde hair."


    "Would you recognize this woman if you saw her?" Thane questioned.


    "I had only had a single nce at her backside, but there is more... she has an injury to her arm; she didn''t get away as easily as she had nned."


    The messenger said, and for some reason, my mind travelled back to my mother; she had seemed a bit strange''since her return, and then... there was also an injury on her arm. I tried my best to lookposed, also grateful that not a single eye was on me. I knew something was wrong when I went back to her room to discover she was gone; she had kept it a secret from me, and when I asked, she told me I would discover everything soon.


    ''Remember, whatever I did... I did for us,'' she said to me, cryptically, the question was what did she do?. She didn''t wanted me informing Thane that she was gone, and she had shooed me away just as quickly as I hade, leaving me wondering if this was all connected to her, but it couldn''t be possible; mom couldn''t do this. How would she leave this pack undetected and even get so close to the Alpha King, going as far as poisoning him and attempting murder?


    The proof was there, but still it didn''t seem possible.


    "She had arrived at the pack with the other workers sent from this pack and was gone just as fast," the messenger spoke on.


    "If she was able to go into your pack and poison the Alpha King, then she must be a very tactical one. I did not remember sending any of such for his service, and any injury left on her must have already been healed by now."


    "It had been a direct pration with a,dagger made of pure silver,"


    "I hear de is on his way?" Thane question


    "Yes, he is; he would like to witness the death of the one who dared to attempt this," the


    throat. messenger said, and by now my heart was somewhere in my


    I happen to suspect who this person might be and... I couldn''t let anything happen to her; the fact that she was injured was proof enough.


    "Then a death he would witness," Thane promised, his eyes darkened.


    Once again I was reminded who Thane was; he might have let me in and allowed me to see


    Chapter Eighty Six


    other parts of him, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t the same man who had been willing to hurt me, the same man that gets turned on by the sight of blood. I swallowed.


    There was a promise in his eyes, and I had to remember that de might be the Alpha King, but he was also his father, and anyone who had attempted this was also a threat to this pack, a rebel.


    "How do you know that this ''woman'' is a part of this pack? She might have sneaked along," I said to Thane with a shrug, trying my best to act unaffected.


    We were both in our room now, and Thane had already organized some soldiers; they were going to trace the rebel out.


    "I''ll have to be sure; I gave no order, and this woman hadn''t just gone against my father but against me. I will not spare."


    He says as he grabs his jacket.


    "Thane, please be back quick," I said to him, and his eyes trailed down my body and then back to my eyes; his gaze seemed to burn into me.


    Whatever was going on between us, it was clear that his duty came first.


    "I''ll only be back when I have a lead on who did this," he says, and I nod.


    I had lied to Beatrix; Thane never said he loved me; this was all one-sided, and times like this I get reminded that the only reason he was with me was because he found me ''amusing'' and ''special''. When Thane was gone, I got dressed too.


    I needed to find answers, and I was going to get them.

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    Chapter Eighty Seven


    I had doubts... I hadn''t believed my mother was capable; this had been the same woman I lived with all my life, but here I was in her apartment. And now I think maybe I was very wrong; maybe I just never knew who my mother truly was; she might have hidden that part


    so well from me.


    "You were away for a few days. Where did you go" I asked, my gaze burning into her.


    "I do not have to report to you; I am your mother, and I have the right to be wherever I want to be."


    "A messenger was sent from the New Blood Pack Thane had assembled soldiers to search for the offender. I can only help you if you talk to me." I said to her.


    I could see the fight in her eyes die


    away.


    "I had been so close," she says, and I shouldn''t be surprised, yet I was because I hoped she wasn''t involved; I hope it was just a mere coincidence, and maybe that had always been my problem... I hoped a lot.


    "I don''t believe you; how did you do all that?" I asked staring at her, she was strong for a woman in herte thirties, she had only been a teenager when she had me.


    "I had some help," she admits.


    "Who?"


    "That I cannot tell you."


    "Do you think I''ll expose you to Thane? Do you think I am one of them now?"


    "No. It is safer for you this way; you don''t have to know anything. You came looking for answers, and you got it. I didn''t do all that on my own."


    "Why? Mother, why did you throw all of these away? You were finally free; why did you choose to do this?"


    "You have no idea how many times I had prayed to get a chance at freedom just so I could get back at ''him''. You thought I dreamt of freedom, but that wasn''t just it. If I wanted freedom, I wanted it only for one reason, and that was to watch Alpha tle of the New Blood Pack die very slowly. I had been so close, and then... I failed, and I might never have this chance again; I had lost."


    My mother was in tears. She had told me about her past, though I suspected she had kept most of it to herself. de took away all her childhood memories and tarnished it; he had taken so much from her and... I couldn''t even bring myself to be angry at her. He deserved to die.


    My only worry was the fact that she had been caught. I had no doubt Thane would find her if I did nothing about it.


    13


    Chapter Eighty Seven


    "You will have to leave this pack; I''ll make a n I said to her. I had no one to meet; my only option was Beatrix; she had betrayed me once, but if I promised her she would never have to see my face again... Maybe we could escape; she was in love with Thane, and she would have me out of her way. Of course there was a huge chance she would turn us over, but I had to believe she saw me as a threat; that was the only way we could escape.


    I hadn''t seen Axel in a while, but I didn''t think he would help me against Thane. Yes, he had gone against the Alpha more than once, but his was different. The bond they share was so strong, I had to remember that Axel had sacrificed so much for Thane; if that wasn''t love," then what was?


    "No, Riley, don''t try helping me."


    "How could you ask me to do nothing?"


    "Because I love you."


    "I''ll get you out of here."


    ''Riley, listen to me. I know I haven''t been the best mother; I know there are many things I did wrong, and I was selfish for not thinking about you, but you were always on my mind. I knew that you


    had also been so close to leaving me too; I knew about the bathtub... incident," she says, tears flowing down her eyes.


    "How did you know?" I asked horrified; she shouldn''t know about this; I knew for a fact that neither Thane nor Axel informed her.


    "I overheard them. Just when I was snooping around to get all the information I needed to prate into the New Blood Pack. Thane seemed to be sorry; that had been the only reason I didn''t go for him first." "It wasn''t his fault, that was all on me." I confessed


    "I should never have told you about my past; I should have known it was too much for you to bear."


    "Mom, please don''t take the me on yourself, this is my fault, my mistake."


    "It had so saddened me. I was going to make them both pay... for everything they did to us, but I failed."


    "No, you didn''t; you tried your best, and you are far from being a failure." I say to her, I couldn''t admit to her what I felt for Thane, she would hate me, I didn''t want him hurt in any way, but she couldn''t know that.


    "I want you to do this onest thing for me, Riley. Can you do that?"


    "Anything, mother"


    "I want you to walk out of here and pretend like you know nothing; no matter what happens to me, I want you to remain quiet; do not give yourself out; this is the only way I would be


    Chapter Eighty Seven.


    happy wherever I am; I would know you are... alive."


    "Nonsense. I''ll be back by morning with a n on how to get you out of this pack; all you have to do is stay in here, don''te out, and don''t let anyone in," I said to her. She must have seen it in my eyes; nothing she said would change my resolve, and so she kept silent. I took that as a ''yes''. "I''ll be back," I promised on my way out, hoping Thane wouldn''t get to her


    first.


    Chapter Eighty-Eight-


    Chapter Eighty Eight

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    Chapter Eighty Eight


    Thane was already there by the time I returned back to our room.


    That could only mean one thing.


    "Where did you go?" He asked


    "I needed to take some air... why?"


    He turned to me. He was only in a ck bottom-down shirt; the sleeves of his shirt had been rolled up, and he had a ss of whiskey in his hands.


    "You are back early." I noted aloud.


    "Yes" was his only response, his gaze on the ss in his hands.


    "Any luck tracking down the rebel?" I asked


    "Let''s not talk about that right now," he says, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    I walked towards him, and he took my hands.


    "You are very special to me," he says, and my heart fluttered. This was the second time he had told me that. "I want you to tell me now, is there anything I need to know, Riley?" There it was. He knew something; I was almost sure about it, but never would I give my mother up.


    "I am not hiding anything from you, Thane," I lied, and he nodded. He brought my hands to his lips, cing a kiss on it.


    "I''ll miss this a lot." He whispers to himself.


    My heart pounded in my chest.


    "I''ll be here... always."


    "Yes, you will be," he agrees. "You stepped out for some fresh air... Yet you ended up in your mother''s apartment; could you exin that?"


    Now his eyes were on me; there was no doubt; he knew. I had thought I would have until the morning to help my mother escape, but how wrong I was to think that.


    I should give up the act, but what if he had nothing but a clue? What if he hoped that I''d give in to his suspicions?


    "So what? I visited her." I agreed coolly.


    His hold on my hand tightened.


    "Had you been a part of the n?"


    Chapter Eigtity Exabit


    "What n? I don''t understand what you are saying, and you are freaking me out."


    "Am I freaking you out?"


    wes, how...


    go of my hand."


    +25 BONUT


    Our room was


    "Perhaps I could refresh your memory," he said, and just then the door to our ro mmed open, two soldiers matched in, and they held... Mother!


    I wanted to go to her, but his hold was incredibly strong; I couldn''t break free..


    ""Leave us,"


    away.


    "he said to the guard, and they dropped my mother to her knees before walking


    Thane finally let me go; he walked towards my mother. I tried blocking him from getting through, but very easily he moved me aside too. He lifted my mother to her feet by her arm. "An injury that would only be inflicted by a silver weapon... a dagger maybe," Thane said, taking of the material now stained with blood and revealing the jagged scar on her arm. I gasped; she hadn''t let me see it; I had no idea it was this bad.


    ""Mother!... Let her go,


    "Why would I do that?"


    Thane."


    "Because I am your Luna," I say, desperate now.


    "I must admit, you held on to your little secret longer than I expected you would. So now tell me... what had the both of you nned next?" He questioned.


    My mother stared at him, hatred clear in her eyes.


    "She had no part in this. It was all me."


    "I do not believe that," Thane said, a smirk forming on his lips. 1


    I watched my mother swallow down her hatred for him. "Please, she is all I have; she knew nothing; it was all on me."


    "She paid you a visit when you were away, and when I asked if she met you, her response was yes''. So tell me why she would hide a thing like that if she hadn''t been a part of this n." He asked. Mother turned to me, clearly wondering why I had done that.


    "I was so scared," I exined to her, and she nodded, understanding.


    "Let her go; you can have me. I''ll confess to my deeds and bear the punishment.


    "No, mom, please.


    Chapter Eighty Eight


    "de wants you dead, so I guess you know what the punishment would be?"


    "Yes, I do."


    "You made a very insensitive move, woman," Thane said to her, his voice cold and empty.1 couldn''t believe what was happening.


    "And I''ll do it again if I have the chance; if there is an afterlife, I woulde for you too."


    "And what makes you think you can kill me, now or in another life?"


    "de thought the same, but see where that got him."


    My mother was being reckless, speaking back to him, threatening him, and referring to the Alpha King as ''de''.


    "Mom, please stop."


    "I''ll die either way," she says, her eyes equally cold, matching his. "I do not regret a thing" "If not for yourself, then for your daughter, you would have tried to stay alive," Thane said to her. He walked out of the door, but not before pulling the bloody cloth back over her wound.


    I rushed to her. "I''ll find a way." I promised again


    "No, you won''t; you will let this happen."


    ""I will not."


    "He is right," she admitted, her eyes tearing up. "I had been selfish, and that is my only regret."


    "I forgive you."


    "I do not deserve your forgiveness."


    Just then Thane returned with those same two soldiers, and my mother was pried off my arms and taken away... I could guess where she was going to be ced. The dungeons. I couldn''t lose her; she was all I had.


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    hapter Eighty Mue


    Chapter Eighty Nine


    #


    Thane had never gone back on his words; I knew that, yet I could only hope; I had no other option.


    "Thane, please don''t do this; I can''t live without her. Don''t take her away from me; please do something," 1 begged, going on my knees before him.


    I was willing to degrade myself-anything it took-just for her life to be spared.


    "I will do anything; I will be anything you want me to be, and I will notin once, if only you will spare her life," I said. I was practically begging to be his toy, begging him to take me as whatever he sees fit, just to save my mother. 4


    "Get up. There is no such thing as mercy, not in this pack. She did wrong, and she had already epted her fates you should too," he says, his tone cold and unyielding.


    "No, you can''t do this... please for me."


    Thane eyes were on me, no smirk on his lips this time. "I have to do this for the pack; no one goes against me or the Alpha King and stay alive."


    "Alpha de deserved what he


    got.


    32


    "And I am not the one to judge that."


    "So you would do what? Let him have my mother?" I asked, and when Thane didn''t answer, knew what that meant.


    "If you do this... if you hurt my mother, I would hate you for the rest of my life, and I would never stop fighting you every single day."


    I


    "Do you think that threatens me?" He asks, "I derive no joy from doing this, but this is what being an Alpha mean."


    "Then change the rules."


    This is the only way."


    "And who set the standards? Your father?. You had changed the protocol once," I said, remembering the ''joining ritual". "You can do that again; I know you can." "Do you know how this pack had remained on top?" He questions, "Because we do not show mercy,


    this is what we are known for, and I hate the fact that you had to learn the hard way."


    "So is this what this is about?, a show of power!" I cried out, "I am worth more than this."


    "And that''s why I am going to spare your life. The fact that you knew about this and kept it a secret is reason enough, but I won''t let anything happen to you."


    "You fucking bastard!" I cried out, mming my fist against his chest over and over again, "I hate you!" I screamed to his face. And he stood there, letting me take out all my anger on him. Chapter Eighty Nine


    I should have known, this would never had happened if I remained in the Windborne pack; yes, my mother would remain a ve, but that was better than her being dead; whatever I would have to endure would be better than this. should have known when I signed a deal with the devil himself, and now... now my mother was paying for it. "I''d rather die than live in here with you; I''ll take my own life over and over again if that means I won''t have to see your face ever again!"


    "No, you will not do that; I will make sure of it. I need you Riley," he says, and I could sense the slight desperation in his tone; it disappeared just as fast. ''He still needed me, and then when he I was no longer of use, I would join my mother. I had seen what became of those who loved Thane. He hurt Beatrix, deceived her; he was in fact the master of deceit, and that was what he was doing now.


    "I promise you, Thane, if she dies by your hand, then you will die by mine." I growled to him,


    voice so cold that I actually believe I could do that, that I could kill him.


    my


    Beatrix was right. I would never sacrifice my family to be with him.


    Thane''s fingers gently tucked the lose strand of hair beneath my ears. "I''ll love to see you try," he said, and I pulled away from him. His hands fell to his side.


    "You do not have to witness this," he says.


    "No, I want to be there," I said, my voice thick. Maybe if I was there, I could do something,


    time.


    even if I had to risk my life in the process, and if it all fails, I would see her one,mething.


    "Then get ready, Riley; you''ll stand by my side; you will not protest no matter what you see; I do not want to hurt you; I had promised never to do that again. Please don''t push me," he pleaded softly, and I nodded. But deep down, I am ready to do theplete opposite.

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    Chapter Ny Chapter Ny


    Iy at the very edge of the bed, and if Thane noticed that I had still been awake, he said nothing.


    I didn''t know how I was going to help my mother and it was killing me; my brain waspletely nk and it was frustrating. I rolled over, feeling very restless; it didn''t even help that I shared the same bed with Thane.


    I rose from the bed, taking my pillow along. As silently as I could, I tiptoed to the cushion andid on it. I needed space; I needed to be away from ''him'' even for a while.


    "Riley, please don''t punish yourself; return back to the bed." Thane''s voice startled me. "No, I am fine here."


    "You are not; I''ll sleep elsewhere if that is what you want."


    "My mother is being held captive; the ce I''m going to sleep is the least of my worries right now," I snapped before settling on the couch.


    I wouldn''t let myself have even a glimpse of sleep; I didn''t deserve it.


    Morning came too fast, and I hade up with nothing but more desperate ideas. I was going to do every single thing Thane told me not to, and I knew things wouldn''t end well; I didn''t


    care.


    I felt a surge of adrenaline fuelled by dread course through my veins; it got harder to breathe as the time passed on. 1


    It was time.


    My hands shook as I picked out a dress. I hadn''t even noticed the colour of the dress I picked; I simply slipped it on. I could have worn two different pairs of shoes and wouldn''t even notice. Thane held out his hands for me to take them, but I walked out of the room, feeling numb. I could hear him follow after, so I slowed down so he could take the lead.


    Just as I had expected, we were back in the ''Judgement Grounds'', but this time the one to be judged was my mother, the rebel.


    "Don''t move," Thane whispered to me before walking away and leaving me standing there, before the whole crowd.


    my


    I didn''t mind that. Not one bit. With him a good distance away, I could easily go mother''s rescue without his constraining hands wrapping around me, holding me back.


    Just then a n popped up in my mind; it wouldn''t save my mother; it was another desperate n, but I was so willing to inflict pain on Thane so badly.


    Chapter Ny


    If things goes all wrong... if he takes my only family away from me, then everyone here would know the truth-the truth that I wasn''t his mate the truth that this had all been an agreement -there had always been questions attached to I and Thane''s rtionship, gaps that many were hoping to be filled. I would reveal the truth, and some would believe me.


    I didn''t know why exactly Thane choose me to be his mate and why he needed me to be very convincing for the whole pack and also his father but we''re all going to find out very soon. I might not be able to hurt him, but I was going to try my damn best to get on his bad side.


    I spotted de; he walked forward, loving the attention he was getting. The whole pack lived for times like these, when blood could be shed and they would all have something to talk about for the next few weeks.


    "A traitor from this pack had been discovered," Thane began. "One of our very own; she had broken ourw, and she would pay," he says.


    Of course they wouldn''t admit that the Alpha King was almost murdered by amon she-wolf,


    My mother was pushed forward, a sack over her head. Thane held out a dagger. Purely silver, I could feel it, and my heart threatened to break free of my ribcage. The dagger was unlike any had ever seen, the handle a web of pure gold covering the ruby-colour diamond beneath it


    But something felt very... off.


    "This should serve as a lesson to all," he says, and I walk forward, inching closer. "To everyone who goes against our rules," he says, and there are shouts of approval from the pack. Just then the sack was pulled away from my mother''s face... It wasn''t her.


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    Chapter Ny One


    The woman standing before me had the same colour of hair my mother did, but slightly different eye color. She did look very much like my mother, but slightly younger; she was sobbing silently, and I noticed her swollen eye and her mouth... her tongue was missing preventing her from speaking.


    de walked forward. He stared the woman up and down and scowled in irritation-this wasn''t what he was expecting, and it was a wound to his ego. He kicked the woman hard, and she fell to the ground. I am sure he broke a bone, Thane stared down at the woman, and I saw something sh in his eyes as he picked her up; she could hardly stand.


    "She is from my pack, and I had promised you she would be dead," Thane said to his father.


    de didn''t seem satisfied by that; leaving it up to him, he would have lengthened the woman''s torture. Thane whispered something in the woman''s ears before slitting her throat. She choked on her own blood, clutching on to her throat as she dropped to the ground. He had given her a very quick death, against his father''s wishes. He had done that because, just like me, he knew the woman had been innocent; she had just been unlucky, and now she was dead in my mother''s ce.


    de had been here for blood, so blood had to be shed in this halls and I never really understood what I was asking of Thane when I pleaded with him to spare my mother.


    What was more painful was the fact that I felt relief-so slight, but it was still there-relief that it hadn''t been my mother, that it had been someone else... someone I didn''t know. "Take care of this mess," Thane said to the soldiers.


    "I''ll like to have her body nailed to our front gates, just to remind others that we are not to be messed with," de said.


    "She has a family, and she would be buried," Thane replied, his facade still on.


    "You seem to forget who you speak to.


    "You seem to forget you are in my pack," Thane said to his father, staring him off, and finally de nodded.


    "She is dead, and that''s all that matters." de agrees, but I could see it in his eyes; that wasn''t ''all'' that matters to him. He had wanted the woman''s body as a proof of his brutality. Thane walks straight to me. I tried to catch his eyes, but he had avoided my gaze.


    "Come now," he whisperedmanded, and I followed.


    There were so many emotions I felt all at once: surprise, gratitude, relief, and then sadness. I didn''t know the woman, but I knew one thing: she was innocent, and yet she was killed. Thane led me into his office, mming the door shut. He seemed furious.


    Chapter Ny Disc


    "You hadn''t killed her," I said, still surprised that my mother was alive.


    "No. I couldn''t"


    "Why?" I asked, but he gave no response. "Who was she?"


    "You don''t need to know."


    "But I do," I said. Thane might have killed her, but I was her true murderer.


    "A pack member"


    "Does she have a family?."


    "Yes," he says. "I am not proud of what I have done. But now you know how far I''ll go just for you; I''ll kill for you, and I would do it again," he says.


    "Thank you... I shouldn''t be relieved by her death"


    "Hush... is alright. Your mother had been transported somewhere she would be safe, and you


    don''t have to me yourself for the woman''s death; I''ll take the me; I did this, not you," he says.


    I held him close, my hand''s circling around him, and I sobbed into his chest Heforted me. "I am ready to be anything you want me to be, with noints; I do not care what you do. to me." He took in a sharp inhale. He hadn''t liked what I said.


    "No. I want you to be the very same person you are, the very same person you will always be, Riley Kaidon.".


    Just then the door to the office busted open and Axel walked in.


    Axel, who I hadn''t seen since our little date. He seemed to have disappeared or made himself very scarcetely, and with all that was going on, I hadn''t even sorted for him.


    But Axel had a frown in his face; he looked... different, he had looked over me like I wasn''t


    there.


    "Why?" he questioned Thane. "Why would you do that to an innocent woman?"


    "I think you know the answer to that question."


    "Kate was the rebel; she should have been brought to justice," Axel said, and my mouth fell open. I snapped it back shut immediately.


    Axel had said that knowing I was standing right here and how did he know my mother''s name?


    "If your intention is to make me feel guilty then there would be no need for that, I feel guilty enough, but it had been done" Thane said, his voice still calm and controlled.


    Chapter Ny One


    "She is not your fucking mate; you cannot make such decisions just because of her."


    "Can''t I?"


    "She would leave you soon, and then what?. Nelly was a part of us."1


    "Oh, you got her name too."


    "This wasn''t the n; you weren''t supposed to fall for her," his wordsing out sharper.


    "Axel!" I called out, and he finally seemed to notice me, but the coldness never left his eyes. "This is all on you."


    "I''m sorry...


    1


    "Keep your apologies to yourself, or better yet, apologise to Nelly in her grave."

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    Chapter Ny Two


    Chapter Ny Two


    I had visited Nelly''s parents, Thane, by my side; his face was nk of emotions, but I knew it was all a facade.


    What exactly did he feel? Did he regret his actions?. I couldn''t tell, yet this had been the same man who killed many with a single care.


    Axel had sat beside Nelly''s mother, who sobbed silently, her mate trying her best tofort her.


    I wiped off the tears trailing down my cheeks...


    Thane had told me he was going to make sure they nevercked; he did feel guilty for this. Nelly was only twenty-seven, living with her brother, who was one of the pack soldiers, and her mate, who had been sick for years now; that was all I knew about her. I killed her; I caused this.


    Lost in thoughts I hadn''t realized Nelly''s mother was walking towards me; I noticed she avoided Thane. I had expected her using eyes directed at me, but her eyes were warm, though filled with pain and anger but not directed at me.


    "I''ll like to talk to Luna," she informed the room


    What did she want to talk about? Could it be that she knew?...please no.


    Yet I rose. "Very well," I responded, and she led me out of her apartment. We walked down the hallways before she paused.


    "I wanted to know... if you knew my daughter Nelly on a more personal level?" she asks.


    "Not really, but she is a part of us," I say like the hypocrite I was. It had only hurt this so much because I had done this.


    "She spoke a lot about you-she believes you being with Thane is aplete twist, one wel never expected," she says with a small smile, lost in memories. "I don''t know how she was ever capable of going against the Alpha King... I fell so disappointed; I had not expected such a thing from a girl like her; she was always so calm


    "What if there had been a reason?" I spoke up in the girl''s defense, "What if there is more to this that we both don''t know about? I say you hold onto her memories, the good ones. From the little I know about her, I know she is a good person; whatever her reason might be, we cannot judge her," I say, and the woman nods; it seemed she had wanted to hear this so desperately.


    "I can''t believe she is gone," she said, sobbing, and I let her cry in my arms. If she knew the truth, she would rather put a knife through her throat than be this close to me.


    "Neither can 1," I say, my voice thick with emotion.


    "I want you to know... I don''t me him," she says, and I know she was referring to Thane."


    Chapter Ny Two


    He did what he must; it is a part of his duty; at least he let us bury her body," she says, tears. streaming down her eyes, and I held her tighter because I didn''t trust my voice enough to speak. "I don''t care what any other person says; think you are the best Luna this pack has


    I


    ever gotten.


    For the next few days, Nelly''s face haunted my sleep; the ck circles in my eyes seemed more noticeable now.


    I sat beside Thane in the dining room.


    Axel was also present, but there was a girl sitting beside him, a red-haired girl that wouldn''t stop giggling and talking to him. He looked equally interested in whatever she had to say; he hadn''t even looked at me once. We n


    needed to talk. I waited till he was done; Thane had work to do, so he had left earlier, promising me to be back before nightfall.


    I emptied my wine ss standing to my feet. I waited by the door, hoping to catch up him, and just then he walked past me, the girl by his side.


    "Axel," I called, and he paused, turning to me.


    "Luna," he addressed.


    with


    "I''ll like to speak to you," I say to him, and I know he would love to turn me down, but not before all these people.


    "Lead the way," he says instead. The cold tone was still there, and I led him right into our room, shutting the door.


    "Axel, what''s going on with you?"


    "What do you mean?" he asked, taking a seat on the armchair.


    "You know what I mean, you rarely ever visit; Thane had said you''ve been engaged." I paused. Had Thane been giving me a hint?, "You seem so cold, so distant, and that is very unlike you." "I had been engaged."


    "Who is the new girl?" I said, trying to sound like I wasn''t bothered.


    Alex stared up at me. "You do know you can''t have us both," he says, and he had gone straight to the point, despite how embarrassing that was, I chose to ignore it.


    "Had that been the reason you have been avoiding me?"


    "No. Gloria is just a... friend. I had thought giving you some space would be good."


    "No is not; I''ve missed you, Axel."


    "You''ve missed me as a friend?" he questioned. I know you love him, and I do not want to


    Chapter Ny Two


    "You don''t have to."


    "Riley... what am I to you?" he asks.


    I would have said a friend, but that''s not true.


    "You are so many things, Axel," I said,ing close to him-very close. But he rose from the chair, giving me some distance, and for a reason I cannot exin, that felt like a rejection, even if I wasn''t making any advances towards him. "I should never have spoken to you the way I had done earlier; I had been so angry."


    "I deserved that."


    "Riley, we can no longer be friends," he says, and inside I felt my heart ripping apart.


    "What do you mean, Axel?"


    "I''ll never want toe between Thane''s happiness."


    "What about me?"


    "I am doing this for you too."


    "I don''t want it; I want you here, with me, just as it had been."


    "It cannot be the same.


    "What changed Axel?" I asked, but he was already heading for the door. I blocked him. "Tell me what I did wrong," I pleaded.


    "You did nothing."


    "Then what changed? Why can''t we be like we had been in the past?"


    "You want to know?" he asks, and I nod, holding back my tears.


    "Because I am beginning to fall for you, Riley, and that changes... everything." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Ny Three


    Thane was right; I didn''t need any external help to connect with my wolf''s side.


    I got ustomized to running on all fours; my senses weren''t as overwhelming as they had been the first time I transformed.


    I felt... free and finallyplete.


    My clothes waited for me, just where I had left them before I transformed and I put them back


    1. on.


    I heard the footsteps approaching, even before I saw him.


    "Hey," the stranger called. Maybe not exactly a stranger; I had seen him before, but I couldn''t quite ce where I had seen him.


    "You startled me." I lied


    "I''m sorry, Luna. I didn''t know it was you."


    "What are you doing here?"


    I face-palmed myself ''internally'' the moment I asked that question. This was no private space; anyone coulde here at their free will.


    "I just needed to clear my head," he said, a small sad smile on his face. He was good-looking- the type you really wouldn''t notice till you looked closer. I should walk away, but then I remembered my duty as the Luna, and he did look sad, the least I could do was talk to him.


    "Is something wrong?, you look kinda gloomy". I noted


    "Not really," he answers, the sad smile still on his face.


    "Sometimes, talking it out is all you need to do" I insisted. Something was bothering him and all he needed was a teeny tiny push to speak up.


    "Just... unexpected things happen at times, and it''s..." He paused; he didn''t seem to want to share.


    "Girl trouble?" I inquired.


    "Very close, Luna."


    "I understand, girls could be soplicated at times," I said just tofort him.


    "Yeah, right. Are you heading somewhere?"


    "No. I nned to waste my hours here. Why?"


    "I would have loved to walk you back-or anywhere you want to go-but it is okay," he says,


    Chapter Ny There


    about to walk away.


    "Actually, I would love to explore a bit."


    "Oh, okay. Come with me," he says.


    "Where are we going?"


    "You have anywhere in mind," he asks.


    "No, not really."


    "Maybe... the store rooms?, is no fun, but..."


    "Is it alright? The storeroom is alright," I replied cutting him off.


    "After you,


    "he says, keeping good distance between the both of us. He clearly wasn''t trying to make any advances and that was a good start.


    "Do you know what it feels like to take those little things for granted and then it''s just... gone?" he asks, seeming lost in thoughts.


    "I think I can rte," I replied, remembering how it felt like when my mother was about to be killed. All I could think about was those times I had avoided her, those times I kept my distance, screamed at her and called her selfish.


    We passed by the training grounds. Thane wasn''t there, neither was Axel. I sighed. Thane should be at work now. After Axels'' promation, he made himself scarce, just as he had said he would.


    I hadn''te all the way for just a run in the woods-though that was fun-but I had hoped to see him. It seems he is very good at avoiding me.


    The ''store room'' was a good distance from the pack house and I wondered why it had to be so... ''far".


    "What is this ce?" I questioned


    "This is where all the weapons are stored," he answered. "Wanna see some very cool stuff?" He asked. The smile widened on his face, and I felt like I was making progress. "Sure!"


    He led me in.


    "Where are the weapons?" I asked, turning around to stare at my escort. Just then I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head, and I fell to the ground. I felt something wet against my neck.. blood. The darkness invaded my vision, but not before I heard hisst words.


    "I am Jake, brother to Nelly, the one your mate had so cruelly murdered..."


    Chapter Ny Three


    He might have said more words after that, but I couldn''t catch those; the darkness drew me in so fast I couldn''t even feel the fright.

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    hapter Ny Four


    Chapter Ny Four


    I woke up feeling dizzy. My head hurt, and my throat felt so sore.


    And there stood Jake.


    "She''s awake," he says to himself; the sadness I Had once seen in his eyes was gone, and all that was left was rage.


    "Yeah, I am awake." I manage to say, "What next?, kill me?. He would find me and then kill you." I threatened.


    "Just like he killed my sister?" Jake questioned, the single tear slipping down his eyes; he wiped it away, angry at himself for letting me see that. The guilt I''d carried along since Nelly''s death felt more oppressive than ever. Coming to think of it this must have been what he had been referring to earlier when he spoke about taking the ''little things'' for granted, he was referring to the times he had spent with his sister. 1


    "You know why she was killed" I tried exining "I wish it never happened, and it still haunts me... but she..." Itrailed off, I couldn''t lie to his face, so I remained silent.


    "What is it you wanted to say?" Jake inquired, those sorrowful eyes on me, "I know, alright! I know your mother was the true guilty one. I know that you easily twisted things to favour you" he growled at me.


    My stomach dropped. This had all been nned out, he must have been out there ''waiting'' for me to finally be alone and foolishly, I gave him the opportunity.


    He knew the truth. How did he know?


    my skin.


    "I wouldn''t try that if I were you; that is made out of silver," he says, and that would exin why I felt weaker.


    I struggled against the chain, but the little movement sent the chain burning into


    "I''m sorry," I said, because there was no point denying it. I knew this would eventuallye full circle; life is like a boomerang; what goes aroundes around... Ljust never thought it would happen this soon. "You are sorry?" he asks, and when I look at him I see a broken man, he had lost his only sibling and it was my fault, yet all I could say was sorry''.


    "You are sorry!" he screamed louder. "It is always easier for you guys; you do what you want, and you do not give a shit what others think about it. You murdered an innocent, and nobody cares, nobody give a fuck either." "You don''t understand... I didn''t want this, but you are wrong if you thought I didn''t care." I tried exining, but if I thought I would be able to talk him out of this, then I was the bigger fool. Chapter Ny Four


    "Oh, I understand. You wanted your mother alive but did it ever ur to you that I wanted my sister alive!"


    He was right. I ceased struggling with the chains, Whatever happened, I deserved it, at least my mother was alive and so was Thane. I didn''t know how Jake found out the truth, but if he did then others might too. "Do as you wish, I deserve this and I forgive you


    "What?"


    111


    "I caused this; I had pushed him, and I hate myself for it; I lose sleep thinking about her. It isn''t easy on me, but I would not y victim because I am not. I only ask that you make it quick."


    He gave me a long look. "I''m sorry, Luna," he says, his head down in... shame?, and just then the door was pulled open and someone walked in.


    It was Alpha de ckwood of the Newblood Pack.


    "You asked how I knew the truth. Now you know" Jake says.


    de passed him something-a wad of cash-and he epted it, shoving it into his pocket. "You didn''t do this for your sister. No, you did this for the money"


    He gave me onest sympathetic look before he walked away. Shutting the door behind him. With him gone, it was just de and me. In the same room.


    I schooled my features into smoothness, doing my best to look calm. I only hoped my heartbeat wouldn''t give me away, because right now it was drumming in my chest.


    "A very improper way to hold a meeting, Alpha de"


    He chuckled. "You know me, I like my things different and... unique.''


    "So to what do I owe this royal honor?" I said, my tone mocking. I shouldn''t push


    him, but a


    part of me was not going toy low and be afraid; I was going to fight him, and this was the first step. Annoying the hell out of him.


    He smirked, amused. "I always thought you looked very familiar. You see, now it makes so


    much sense.


    "I doubt that. The only expression on your face when we first met was a scowl"


    "Then you must have a really good memory.


    "Where is this heading to?"


    "A sharp tongue... I''ll love to see how you would look without it," he says coolly, but I notice the threat in his words and I knew well he was up to the task. "Your mother had tried to poison Chapter Ny Four


    and murder me; could you exin why?"


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    hapter Ny Five Ny Five


    Chapter


    "She did nothing. The one responsible had been killed," I said, my voice cold. I couldn''t give any detail away, it was no longer a game, not with my mother involved.


    my room.


    "A woman was killed, yes. But the one responsible wasn''t. Your mother had been in How couldn''t I tell? I can never forget that scent he says with a smirk. "My son is either growing weak or trying to spite me." "Is it a shame you couldn''t ask my mother this question yourself?"


    "I would have, but she is undee''s protections, so it could be quite... difficult," he says,


    and I snort. His gaze trailed down my body, and I held back the shiver of pure disgust.


    "It hadn''t been difficult for her to get to you," I retorted only to spite him.


    "Hell hath no fury like a woman seeking revenge," he says. And the resentment I felt threatened to break through my calm facade.


    "You should be ashamed of yourself" I hissed out "If you hoped to get anything from me then apologies your royal highness, I know nothing, so whatever you have to do, make it quick."


    "Quick. No. That''s not going to happen. This would be a very long day. But first we talk. I ask the questions, and you answer."


    "Go fuck yourself," I say to him, and a very wicked smile stretched on his lips, he had been ying along but it was time to get to ''business''. This time I couldn''t hide the cold shiver.


    "I am disappointed; my son didn''t train you the way I did his mother. Perhaps I could help with that."


    "Very funny you keep referring to him as your son; does he still remember that? Does he still remember that you are his father?"


    I expected a p or a punch... anything, and when it didn''te, I felt more unease. He had said it; he liked being unpredictable, and I didn''t like that one bit.


    "Very funnying from you, seeing as you don''t have a father," he says. "Have you ever wondered who he was?, It could be anyone-a road side drunkard, a soldier, a captive, or... even me," he whispers. "I must admit that breaking her was my biggest hobby." "Stop" I said silently. I was shaking and I didn''t even realise that.


    "You know what I liked doing best?, I liked giving her false hope, I love making her believe there was going to be a future, before snatching it away right before her very eyes." "Stop talking"


    "How much did she tell you about me?, did she tell you how she fell in love over and over again, only to end up in tears?, did she tell you how I took everything she had ever loved, Chapter Ny Frie


    making her a shell of the person


    she once


    ce was?."


    "shut up, you bastard!" I screamed, struggling against my chain.


    "You are right. There is not much to talk about; I''d rather give you a taste. I do not think my son had ever done it the right way-our way.


    "Touch me and you are dead."


    "And who''s going to kill me?, You will be long dead before then," he says, advancing on me. He was so close, I could smell him, and I hated him. I thought Ryker was the only man I could ever truly hate, but I hated this man who was invading my personal space. He grasped a hand full of my hair... tight, and he brought it to his nose. Inhaling deeply, he made a sound-a guttural sound.


    "I miss this too; you scent so much like her."


    Just then, there was a noise, and he rose. I was d to have him far away from me. I held in my tears; no, those were not useful now, and I refuse to give him that satisfaction.


    He walked towards the door and then out.


    I didn''t know how long I stayed here, but it must have been hours.


    Just then the door was pulled open. I leaned into my chair, my handspletely bruised from struggling against the silver chains.


    de was here to finally finish what he started-that''s what I thought till I saw the figure-it was a woman in a cloak. She rushed to me, a key in her hands. She unlocked the cuff, binding my hands and then my leg, before freeing me from the chair. She looked very familiar.


    "Quick get out of here; he might be back soon," she said, and I knew who that voice belonged to. It was Freya; how couldn''t I have seen that? Maybe because she wasn''t in a veil?


    I stood quickly, alkaline pumping in my veins. She led me through the door. I was surprised to see that I had still been in the ''store'' room.


    "Thane is on his way here too; I guess my husband''s n didn''t work as well as he had nned. Always underestimating his son." She muttered thest part silently to herself. "Why are you helping me?"


    "This is not because of you."


    "I know it is for your son....


    "No, not for him. Your mother. Now go!"


    I ran out of the exit door, and just as she had said, Thane was with about ten of his soldiers, heading my way. I spotted Axel by his side too.


    Chapter Ny Five


    "Thane!" I cried out, and he ran right towards me, when I was in his arms I felt... safe. de couldn''t hurt me.


    "Are you hurt... are you okay?" he asks


    I drew him closer, and I kissed him, letting out the relief, the fear, and everything I had felt for thest few hours. I didn''t give him the chance to speak more, but then things got out of hand, and he was trailing his hands up my body as I did his hair; my gown rolled up myp.


    "Uhmm, hey," someone called, and that someone was Axel.


    "You do know there are others watching, right?"


    Thane turned, never letting me go. I still had my legs around my waist, and there his soldiers stood watching us. Thane wasn''t embarrassed by this, not one bit, I on the other hand... was very much so.


    There was a chorus of unintelligible words from them before they ''very awkwardly'' turned


    away.


    "Perverts," I whispered, and I heard the deep chuckle. Of course they all heard me.

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    Chapter Ny Six


    "Tell me Riley, Who did this?" Thane questioned.


    "I don''t know," I say.


    "I need a name, and you can either tell me or I''ll find out myself," he says, his hands trailing down the white bandage wrapped around my head, one I wasn''t sure I needed since my wolf was already elerating the healing process. This was one of the many pecks of getting my wolf back.


    "Would you force a name out of me with your Alpha... thingy"?" I asked with a smile and he stared at me like he thought I was crazy.


    "Is not called the Alpha ''thingy'' is called an ''aura. And no. I won''t use that, I do not need that to get what I want"


    "I just... It was Alpha de," I said finally. I didn''t want Thane getting in trouble with his father and ending up punished. I was not covering up for de, but ''trying'' to keep Thane safe.


    "h


    "The bastard," he cursed, his eyes as dark as coal "Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?"


    "I already told you, I am line."


    "But your wrist isn''t," he said. Staring down at my wrist, which was also healing up. Thane joined me on the bed.


    "Thane, he didn''t... vite me; he would have if you hadn''t been faster, also, Freya, she had helped me," I said to Thane.


    "Freya helped you?" he seemed more surprised by that than anything else I had said.


    "Yes, she unchained me and let me go."


    "Who would have thought Mother capable of such a thing?" he says, the edge in his voice still very much present.


    "She hadn''t done it just because of me."


    "Are you sure about that?" Thane asks.


    1


    "Yes, she said, she did it for my mother.


    Saying it out, I noticed how strange that sounded My mother and Freya had no rtionship- at least none I know about. "Thane, do you think Freya might have assisted my mother on the assassination attempt on de?" "Yes. That is very much possible."


    "But then... how?, when did the bond grow between them?"


    "My mother had been hurt by de, and so had yours; the bond wouldn''t be that hard to


    Chapter Ny Six


    form."


    "So you mean... Freya knew about it all along?"


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if she had been the one toe up with the n."


    "That is... unforeseen. Also, thank you, Thane, foring to my rescue... I thought..." I swallowed, the words de had said about my mother shing back into my mind.


    "Riley... he said something to you, didn''t he?" Thane asked, once again easily reading that off me; I truly was an open book.


    "He said so many things about my mother... I hate him so much, and I cannot help it. I hate him for how badly he hurt my mother." I couldn''t go on; I finally let the tears out. It was so damn hard, acting strong when I wasn''t; I wasn''t like Thane.


    "He would be dead soon," Thane said, and that stunned me into silence for a few seconds. "Dead? He is the Alpha King, your father."


    "To me, he is just another man who trespassed."2


    "Thane, what about the elders?"


    "I had let them do as they wished to, but I won''t this time."


    "Thane, please, I don''t want anything happening to you," I said. Thane had always seemed like this strong, indestructible person, but I knew no one was really indestructible, and what if... what if something happens to him? This thought had never urred to me. The problem. was that I had gotten... too attached, and I cannot live without him; he had walked into my life, seizing the reins.


    "It''s cute when I see you worry for me."


    "I have every reason to, please, Thane, for me, don''t do this."


    "I want you safe; doing this keeps you safe."


    "No, if anything happens to you, I won''t be able to live with myself," I said, and he looked stunned by my words.


    "I''ll challenge him; I would do it the right way."


    "You will challenge him for what? His Alpha title?"


    "No. I''ll challenge him for his title as the Alpha King.


    I stood before the line of men; they had all been stripped to their briefs.


    My task was easy. I only had to pick the traitor, the man who betrayed me to de, out of the


    2:1


    Chapter Ny Six


    line of possible suspects. It turns out a few had noticed me being escorted by a pack soldier, and Thane wouldn''t let that slide.


    I walked past each one of them, pausing asionally I recognized a few but the others I could have sworn I had never seen before.


    I stopped when I saw a familiar figure. Jake.


    He seemed afraid and... ashamed. I could have easily picked him out and that would be the end, he would be punished and this time he deserved it, but... I couldn''t. 1


    I walked right past him.


    "He is not here," I said to Thane; his piercing gaze was on me, and I really prayed I wasn''t too much of an open book for him to notice that I was lying.


    "Are you sure, Riley?" He asked.


    "Of course, maybe he wasn''t even a part of this pack, that would make so much sense?"


    "We would look through the next badge of soldiers to make sure..."


    "Thane. Please just... let it go," I said to Thane.


    He took a long moment before nodding, "You are right, I''ll take you back to our room." "And you will cut off this search/haunt or whatever it is?" "Yes," he answers simply, and I only hope he would let this go, but a part of me knew he wouldn''t.


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    Chapter Ny Seven


    It had been so long since I was alone in a room with Axel; I needed to talk to him; he couldn''t just drop a bombshell on me and walk away like that. But he was rather more interested in speaking about ''the incident''.


    "So this random guy just pops out of nowhere; you''ve never seen him before, and he''s like, Let''s go!


    the creepy safe house, and you go with him?" Axel asked, his voice disapproving. "No... I mean, yes. But it didn''t happen that way; you made me look so foolish in that theory of yours." "So what did happen?"


    "I was out for a run... but I had hoped to see you, I admitted, and his eyes softened. "But when I didn''t, I figured I could just go... alone, and that was what I did. I had gone through with it, but then ''he'' showed up; he seemed so sad. I thought he was one of us-a member of this pack-and I had been so bored, he offered to escort me anywhere I wanted to go, but then he brought up the idea; he made it seem like it had just urred to him; I never knew it was all nned. I wanted tofort him; I thought this was what a Luna was expected to do, but then..." I cut myself off.


    "I''m sorry"


    "This is not your fault."


    "Oh, it is; I should have been there."


    "Maybe you could stop avoiding me now?"


    "If you ever need an escort, you only need to ask


    "Well, you were nowhere to be found."


    "You are right, I was just being stupid and you know, you do not need to do these things to prove you are worthy of being the Luna. I believe there would be no other fit for the position but you."


    He paused; I hadn''t realized that I had been staring intently at him like some weirdo. "Sorry," I said, reddening up... again. "Is just... you seemed different thest time, so different I was scared of you"


    "I didn''t mean anything I said... concerning your mother and all, I was angry, and I took out the anger on you; I would avoid that next time," he says. "I do not want to scare you; I want you to know you can trust me." "Then can I ask you a question?"


    Yes"


    "The girl... Gloria. Are you guys like a thing now? I asked, "Is just that you seem to be


    12


    Chapter Ny Seven.


    spending so much time with her? I wanted to know," I added. His rtionships should be none of my business, but it was.


    "I spend some nights with her," he admits.


    "Do you fuck her?"


    "Yes"


    "Just as you do me."


    "No, Riley. Hey,e here," he says, and I rise. Walking towards him, he sat me down on hisps. "It is and never would be the same with you.. nothing can bepared, and I''ll stop seeing her if it bothers you." "No, please don''t do that for me. I don''t know what''s going on with me, happy."


    but you deserve to be


    "If it risks your own, happiness, then I would rather let it go. But with Gloria, it had just been a seasonal fling; I would have called it off anyway."


    The slight movement caused my core to grind against him, and he felt that too.


    "You said something earker... about what you felt about me; had that all been true?"


    "Yes"


    "I don''t want you to stay away from me anymore Axel," I said, and I could see the conflict in


    his eyes.


    "I won''t, not anymore." He says, and I noticed his palm trailing up my thighs.


    I let my gown go a bit higher, exposing my thigh


    "Riley, I want to feel you so badly right now."


    "Then do it," I said, guiding his hands to go higher.

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    Chapter Ny Eight


    Reservations were cast aside.


    Axels'' fingers brushed against thece of my panties before moving it to the side. He gently stroked me in there, and I moaned, leaning against him. In slow movement, his fingers when round my clit, the pleasure almost unbearable. Finally, he dipped the single finger into me, pumping in and out.


    "I''ll add a second," he informs before his second finger sinks in. I rode his fingers fast; his chest vibrated with a deep rumble of satisfaction; I could almost feel his wants, yet he held it down, intent on just satisfying me. His fingers curled in me, hitting the ''spot'' and I moaned out his name.


    I imed his lips, and he kissed me back hungrily, his fingers still thrusting deeper into me.


    "Can you take one more? he asked, and I nodded. He eased out the two fingers and then mmed back in with a third added, and that had almost brought me to the edge. His thumb stroked my clit as his fingers pounded into me, and I came hard. He cradled me against his chest, his hands never leaving my waist.


    He picks me up, dropping me gently on the bed.


    "Are you leaving?" I asked, sad at the fact I would be alone...again.


    "Yes, but I''ll be back," he says, and I nod.


    Of course I didn''t expect he would hang along with me twenty-four-seven. But my mind trailed back to the girl Gloria.


    I couldn''t believe it; I was being jealous and possessive of a man who isn''t even my mate or partner, yet I couldn''t control my own feelings.


    "You look a lot better," Thanemented.


    "I feel a lot better. There won''t be a single need for those bandages anymore."


    "You are right," he admitted. "But I still don''t believe you are well enough to take your bathe yourself," he says with a smirk. I was well enough to do that, but who am I to refuse a wash by Thane?


    "You are probably right," I agreed.


    He helped me out of my gown, and I took off my underwear. He picked me up bridal style; I could walk well on my own too, but I couldn''tin, not when his hard fingers grazed my ass with every movement he made.


    He ced me in the bathtub.


    Chapter Ny Eight


    Going on to wash me clean. I didn''t miss his hands trailing down my breast asionally and I


    felt tingles anytime his hands came in contact.


    He wrapped me up in a towel when he was done and ced me back on the bed. "You don''t know how much self control it takes for me to see you naked and do nothing," he says silently.


    "Then don''t hold back," I whisper back, taking off the towel. I left it behind on the bed.


    "What are you doing to me, Riley?"


    II


    "I like being your obsession, Alpha," I said, dropping to my knees, naked. "I want to feel you,'' I said. I knew about this method; I read about it. Thane came closer, and my hands worked him off his pants, and all the while he watched me with those amber eyes. I took him in my hands; he was huge and warm.


    I licked against the tip of his cock, and he shuddered. I was doing that to him. I finally took him into my mouth; of course I couldn''t contain him.


    Thane''s hand fisted into my hair; he was being careful, not wanting me hurt, but I had to let him know that I could do this, and so I took him deeper, and that did it; he thrust my mouth, going faster with every thrust; he moaned-the deep sound causing me to throb down there. I knew he was close, but he lifted me before I could bring him to that point; he mmed me against the wall, and then he pounded into me, hard, fast, and firm, till I was a moaning mess, and all I could feel was him, his fingers rubbed circles against my clit, just as Axel did earlier. He cummed, taking me along. I panted.


    He returned me back to the bed. Kissing my lips. "Thank you," he says, and for that, I could do this over and over again. T


    X


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    Chapter Ny Nine


    "You seem lost in thoughts; what are you thinking about?" Thane enquired. It waste at night, but my mind was very much awake, and of course, Thane noticed that. "Nothing," I lied.


    "Are you by any means thinking about Axels'' promation?" He asked, and I was silenced. I always thought Thane was very good at reading people, but what if... it was more than that? There was no way he could have read that off my face alone. "Thane, I think you can read minds."


    "Does that mean I guessed correct?"


    "Yes, and how... how did you do that?"


    "I am a really good guesser, I think?"


    "No, it is more than that; I feel like there is something more, something you aren''t telling me.


    "Riley, look at me," he says, and I do just that. "I am not a mind reader; that would be cool but it only happens in books and movies, I cannot do that. Axel told me about it earlier; when you had been kidnapped, he thought it was his fault, and so I guessed.'' "Because I am an open book?" I questioned.


    "No, I find you mysterious; believe it or not, you always amaze me," he says, and that warms my heart.


    "I have something to tell you," I say to Thane. He would find out either way, so I had to tell him the truth. "The soldier who had sold me to de was Jake," I confessed to him, but there was no surprise on his face.


    "I know. I also know that you felt so much guilt for his sister''s death, and so you covered him."


    "I''m sorry, Thane, I just... I didn''t want him hurt or dead."


    "I won''t do anything. I respect your choice, and so I would let it go," he says.


    I remembered de''s words about Thare getting soft, all because of me. I knew him as the ruthless Alpha, and he had told me once that he never showed mercy, yet he had done that over and over again.... for me. "Thank you," I say to him, cuddling into him, his hand wrapped around my waist.


    I was going to bepletely genuine with him.


    "I don''t know what is going on with me; I... don''t like the thought of Axel with any other person; does that make me selfish?"


    Chapter Ny


    "No," Thane says, but of course, even if I was, he would never say that to my face. "I wanted you close to him; this was bound to happen."


    "So you are okay with... this?" I questioned


    "No. I am not."


    That surprises me; Thane was always ''okay'' when it had to do with Axel


    "You are not?" I repeated, stunned.


    "It had never once been an issue in the past because Axel doesn''t easily get emotionally attached, but with you, it was different. He wasn''t supposed to fall in love, but I cannot me him. You''ll get to choose who you want to be with." "I don''t want to choose... I love you more," I say to Thane.


    "And you want us both," he said, exactly what was on my mind.


    "I''m sorry...


    "Don''t be. I''ll like to know that you are safe, even when I am not by your side." He says, kissing me on the forehead. "And if this makes you happier, your mother is back."


    I had so many things to say to my mother-things we should have talked about a long time


    ago.


    I knocked once on her door, and she pulled it open.


    "Mom," I cried out, hugging her, I couldn''t believe she had almost died. "I''m so sorry everything, for being aplete bitch, for not visiting as often..."


    for


    "Shush," my mother says. "You have nothing to apologize for; I, on the other hand, have some making up to do." She says, letting me in, and I shut the door.


    I followed her to the living room, and she took a seat.


    "I have missed you," she said, and for some reasons, she looked brighter, she was back to the woman I had known and grown up with!


    "I missed you too."


    "I heard about what happened to you," she says, and the smile disappeared from her lips.


    "He didn''t hurt me," I say quickly.


    "I heard that too," she


    e says.


    "Would you mind exining why ''Freya'' went out of her way to help me, all because of you?" I asked and she let out a chuckle. Chapter


    "It took the hard-headed woman so long to agree to it, and I am d she did


    "So... you are friends with her?"


    "I had known her for some time; friends wouldn''t be the right words, but something like that


    "She had been the person who helped you, the one you didn''t want to talk about


    "Smart girl. Yes, she was. Freya hates the man''s guts, maybe even more than I do," my mother admits.


    "Of course, he had hurt her too..."


    "No, the physical suffering he had put her through is not the only reason, she hates him for putting a distance between her and her son, though that is only one of the many reasons."


    "Oh," I said, in loss of words. Thane had shared the truth with me about his past rtionship with his mother; it didn''t seem like Freya cared about her son one bit.


    "How is Thane doing?" my mother asked, and I wondered when she started caring about him "He is doing fine; why are you interested?" I asked with a smile on my face.


    "What he did earlier-sparing my life and then he came to your rescue too-1 had never expected he could do such things; I always believed the man was like his father, but maybe I was... wrong.


    "So you are what?, okay with him now?"


    "Well, for the time span before we leave this ce, I am," she says, and that''s when I recalled I hadn''t told her. I should have told her what I felt for Thane, how much I loved this pack despite everything that had happened, and how I would love to remain here and build up a life.


    She seemed so happy, and... I couldn''t, I couldn''t spoil that.


    "I "Yes, you are right," I say instead.


    Chapter One Handed

 Claim Me 100

    Chapter One Hundred


    All I wanted to do was get back to my room, but that seemed impossible.


    The news about me being kidnapped in my own pack had spread like wildfire; although many showed genuine concerns, there were still those few who were only looking for fresh rumours and juicy gossips to circte.


    "Luna," son Called from behind me, and I had to school my face into a smile before I turned back. I anticipated another concerned pack member but I had been wrong. It was Jake.


    Maybe I had forgiven him and let him go, but that didn''t make us friends, so what exactly gave him the right toe speak with me after what he had done?


    "Stay away, Jake," I warned before walking on, but he ran to my side.


    "Please, I really need to speak with you..."


    "Why? So you could tell me some shitty story about your life and deceive me? Not thank you," I said, walking on.


    "Please..."


    "If you keep following me, I''ll have a change of heart and maybe ce you in the dungeons where you belong."


    "I am not here for that... is just that," he paused to know if anyone was hearing in on our conversation. "Can we go somewhere private?"


    "Alone with you? Nice try darling"


    "Okay. I just wanted to thank you... I don''t know why you did it, but... I hadn''t been thinking, I am so sorry for what I did, and my sister wouldn''t be happy with what I did. I had to talk to you and get it off my chest. I am so sorry, and if there is anything you would ever need me to do, I would do it..."


    "Riley" Axel called; he had just taken a corner and met up with me.


    "Axel," I called out, a little too loudly, I felt like a kid caught with her hand in a candy jar. I hadn''t done anything wrong, but I should never even let Jake this so close to me.


    "Get lost, Jake," Axel ordered his voice cold and Jake bowed before hurrying away. We walked on in an unnerving silence.


    "So... won''t you yell at me for letting him that close?"


    "You already knew you were wrong; that wouldn''t be necessary, but you seem to be a danger ma; you can''t even walk on your own," he says. 1


    "I can walk on my own; I knew I would be safe here."


    "You will be safer without him close to you."


    +25 MGAUS


    "Why do you bother?" I said stubbornly


    "Really Riley? You do know I would feel at rest if I knew you were keeping out of trouble"


    "You are right; I''m sorry. He had just been telling me how sorry he was and how he was going to try to make it up.


    "If hees close to you again, then necessary theasures would be taken." Axel promised, and 1 dare not ask what measures those would be. Axel stopped before our room.


    "I have to head back now," he says. "Or do you need me to walk you into the room too?"


    "No, of course not. I''ll... see you soon."


    "Of course," he said, a smile stretching against his lips.


    I walked into the room and closed the door shut.


    It took me only a few seconds to realize that something was wrong. I wasn''t alone.


    "Beatrix," I call. She stood there, in


    our apartment. "You know what? This is it."


    She turned to me with red, swollen eyes and messy hair,ing to think of it, I hadn''t seen her in a while.


    "I came here to speak to you; I''m sorry there was no other way to get to you.


    "You are saying that justifies entering into my apartment without authorization?"


    "I''m sorry, I didn''te here to snoop through your things or anything... I just really need to talk to you."


    "I think I''ve had enough pack members checking on me; I really don''t need your support, and Thane will be informed about your visit," I said, and her eyes widened.


    "What I have to tell you is very important."


    "Very important? Just as you lied to me about those girls.? What is wrong with this pack?" I muttered thest part silently to myself.


    "I know everything, okay! I know the truth; I know about the agreement," she shoved a paper I hadn''t realized she was holding to me. "I will tell you a secret, only that you do one thing for me in exchange." How had she gotten ess to a copy of the contract I had signed?


    Even with the evidence at hand, I won''t give her the satisfaction of watching me admit the truth.


    "So what? We made a deal, and now... the deal is off. I am with him as his mate."


    "Haven''t you wondered why he picked you?"


    Chapter One Hundred


    "I have, and you see, I got my answer."


    "Yes, he had picked you because of your mother, but do you really think he intends on keeping you?"


    "How would you know?" I asked casually, making myself at home on one of the armchairs. He hadn''t kept you when it got to your turn," I said just to spite her, and from the look on her face, it worked.


    too


    "You bitch, you don''t realize that he is only using you; maybe he did have some interest in you, but it was never meant tost. He needs a mate to im the title as Alpha King; that is the rule, he had to be mated. Picking someone from this pack would have made things obvious, I cannot understand why he had to go for you, but this is all he wanted. When the title is his... you are no longer necessary to him.""


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Claim Me 101

    Chapter One Hundred and One


    Chapter One Hundred and One


    I didn''t want to believe her. I didn''t. But then, he had told me that night we met for the first time that he needed to convince his father into believing I was his mate; his father was the Alpha King, and he had also told me how he nned to challenge his father... for the Alpha King Title that should have been ''his'' by now. I also recalled that one time Thane spoke about his father''s unwillingness to let go of the Title due to the benefits he enjoyed as the Alpha King. As much as I didn''t want to believe her, I knew more than anything that she was saying the truth.


    Thane had never told me he loved me, not once; be had said it the night before that love wasn''t supposed to be a part of ''this''. Could all these be a game to him?, Could that be the reason he had kept my mother alive, why he saved me?


    It made so much sense now; de had abducted me because he knew Thane without his mate, would never be the Alpha King, and all along I was just a pawn in his master game. The contract was to be for a period of time, long enough that he gets what he wants, and then I


    was no use to him.


    A wave of disappointment swept over me, but I couldn''t believe Beatrix that so easily; I had to be sure... I wanted it to be false so badly.


    "And what do you want in exchange for this ''secret?"


    "I know you have the Alpha''s ears... for now; You are important to him, I want my position back as Commander; I worked so damn hard for it." "Done," I said, and she looked at me surprised.


    Of course it was all up to Thane, but I wanted her to leave, so that I could be left alone with my thoughts.


    "I should leave now," she says, but I gave her no response. She heads for the door, pausing once as if to say something, but thinking against it, she walks away.


    "I''m back," Axel says with a smile that disappeared the moment his gaze found mine. "Are you okay?"


    "Yes," I said too quickly.


    "No. You are not okay, what happened?" he inquired. I couldn''t tell him; he was the beta, Thane''s closest friend, yet this was the only way for me to know the truth; this was the only way


    I could confirm what Beatrix had said, and if she was wrong, I would let it go.


    "There''s this secret... but promise me that if I tell you this... Thane wouldn''t hear of it."


    "What type of secret is that?" he questions, because his rtionship with Thane restricts him from keeping important knowledge from his Alpha.


    .75 BONUS


    "You know what? Forget it; let''s talk about something else," I say.


    But Axel joined me on the cushion.


    "If it doesn''t put your life in danger, then I promise."


    "What would happen to me when Thane gets the title as the Alpha King?" I asked, and he was silent for a few seconds, but that was all I needed. "So that''s why he wanted a mate? to im the title, and then what?... I am discarded?, or worst" "There won''t be a ''worst."


    "But that would be the end of whatever this is."


    "Who told you all these?"


    "That


    was not my question!"


    "I need to know."


    "So you could do what? Murder the person? You don''t believe I could figure this out myself?"


    "I''m not murdering anybody, Riley."


    "Then answer my question."


    "I don''t know."


    33


    "But that had been the n, hadn''t it?"


    "Yes. Just as you both had agreed, he was going to let you go in six months, but you don''t need to bother about that now."


    "Oh, I don''t?"


    "No. Maybe he had changed his mind."


    "You won''t tell him about this, right?" I asked, but Axel was silent. "You promised me."


    "Okay, okay. I won''t... if I don''t have to," he replies.


    ''If he doesn''t have to?", I let that slide, not wanting to push him more than I already had; this wasn''t at all his fault. #25 BOHUS

 Claim Me 102

    Chapter One Hundred and Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Two


    I stared off the balcony, watching the full moon. Enever really understood the rtionship between wolves and full moons till I got back my wolf; there was something peaceful andforting about just staring at it, but as serene as it was, it still couldn''t calm me. Thane walked in. I knew it was him even without looking. I gave him a few seconds to settle in before I asked.


    "Are you really going to challenge your father for the title?"


    "I cannot help but wonder what is on your mind this time Riley." He says, amused


    "Is just that thest time you said you were challenging him for ''me'', to keep me safe? But T wonder if that is the only reason.


    #


    "No, I wasn''t just facing my father for the solemn purpose of keeping you safe. But I am curious where is this heading to?" "Nowhere. And about Beatrix."


    "What about her, Riley?"


    "I learned... she had been stripped of her title as Commander."


    "You heard right."


    "I... don''t think you should do that to her," I say, and Thane walks to me.


    "Look at me, Riley," he says, and I turn, staring at him.


    "I think you should forgive her; she''s one of the best, and you can''t just let her


    "You are referring to Beatrix, the one who misled you."


    "I know. I''ve gotten over it... I guess."


    "Would making her Commander again, make you happy?"


    "Yes, yes, it will."


    "Then it would be arranged."


    go


    1. to.


    Once again, he had bent his will for me... but I knew now why I was ''special'' to him.


    to waste.''


    "Thane, you don''t have to challenge your father can''t you just be satisfied with what you already have?"


    "I never settle for less, and I won''t now."


    Then do it for me. I am so scared that when you get the title, you will be just like your father."


    "So you believe I can actually win," he says with a smirk.


    Chapter Cine


    "That''s not the point."


    "Then, to clear that up, I would never be like him"


    "You would go through with this challenge no matter what I say, wouldn''t you?"


    "Yes," he answers, and those words cut through me like sharp silver daggers. I inhaled deeply, trying to keep the tears at bay.


    "I love you, Thane," I say to him, and he remains silent. "Say you love me, Thane," I whispered desperately.


    Instead he drew me closer, so I was flush against him, but I pulled away from him.


    "Don''t. Don''t touch me." I cried out, I couldn''t hold back my tears, and I let it all out. "I know why you wanted me. You needed a mate to im the title, and after that you nned to discard


    future me, right?. Why didn''t you say anything when I was foolishly making ns of what my with you would be like?"


    "So you really believed I would let you go?" He asked, his voice calm, but I could sense the anger coated in his words.


    That had been the n, hadn''t it?"


    "Then maybe you are right."


    The next day, I traced my way to Axels'' apartment. I wasn''t sure exactly why I was here, but I needed to take my mind off things. Yet beneath this dress, I was in G strings-so maybe a part of my mind knew why I was here and how exactly I wanted him to make me forget everything going on.


    I noticed from a distance that the door was ajar. I walked on, but then I heard a female voice in


    his room.


    "So you are what?, breaking up with me," she questions, her voice thick with emotions. No doubt it was Gloria, the same woman I had talked to Axel about earlier. I should leave immediately, return back to my room; I shouldn''t poke -nose into his matter, but I couldn''t get my legs to agree to that.


    "Yes, Gracia," he says, his voice as calm as it had always been.


    "Why Axel? Is there anything I did wrong?"


    "No, there is none."


    "They why? Why do you choose to break my heart? I thought we were perfect together; despite what others told me, I believed you were different; I believe you won''t hurt me, and now... now you do this!" Thest part came out louder. She was mad, really mad. Chapter One Humbet alid Tin


    "It had toe to an end; would you rather this went on for a few more years before I break it up?" He questions, still calm.


    "No, I would prefer you never breaking it up. I thought you loved me.''


    "I cared, and I apologize deeply. If there is anything I could do for you, don''t hesitate to reach out to me."


    I heard the sound of shattering ss; she must have thrown something at him, but from the looks of it, he didn''t retaliate; instead, he spoke, I think you are unique, and there would be someone else for you, someone more deserving


    "No... I just want you, Beta. It is you I want" she pleads. Though I couldn''t see her, I was almost sure she was on her knees now, begging.


    "I''m sorry..." Axel began, but she cut him off.


    "Is it because of the woman, Riley... right?"


    I stood there surprised. I wish I could take back time, I would have walked away, maybe I wouldn''t have to hear this.


    and then


    "The woman'' you mean your Luna?" He questions, his voice slightly sharper now.


    "She would never be my Luna!"


    "Hey, we might have fucked a couple of times, but that wouldn''t stop me from throwing you into the dungeons for a few nights if you speak about your Luna like that ever again. Understand?"


    "Yes, Beta," her voice shook, and then footsteps approached; she was going to see me. I quickly ducked to the side, leaning against the wall and hoping she would be too distracted to notice me when she passes by. I let out a breath of relief when she walked right past


    me.


    But she was not the only one I had to hide from; Axel was approaching, and unlike her, he stopped by the corner where I hid.


    "Where is the


    little eavesdropper?" he calls out. Shit, he had found me.

 Claim Me 103

    Chapter One Hundred and Three


    1 stood still, shutting my eyes like that one animal that believes hiding its head saves It from the danger approaching.


    "I can see you, you know." Axel taunts


    "Can you?"


    "Yes," he walks to me, taking my hands. He leads me back into his room, where a broken vase remained on the floor. "Sorry for that; Gloria made quite a mess."


    "I''m the one who should apologise for eavesdropping; I''m so sorry... I just wanted to visit, and then I heard her voice."


    "You have nothing to apologize for."


    You


    know she was right." I say. "I don''t know what the pack thinks of me..."


    "And I don''t care; you don''t have to either."


    "Are you free?"


    "For the whole day, yes," he says with a smirk. "Why?" he asks, and I was unable to say the words.


    How do I tell him that I was feeling horny and I couldn''t go to Thane because I was mad at him, so I came here instead?. I couldn''t, not when he just broke up with Gloria?


    "Nothing, really... I should just leave," I say, heading for the door, but he whirled me around, pinning me against the wall.


    "Or maybe I know why you are here; I can smell what your want even from here."


    "That''s not why I am here." I lied, too shy to admit it.


    He pulled up my gown, "Then I guess you wore those sexy G-strings because it''s...fortable." He questions, and the smirk on his face widened into a smile, "What do I do with you?" he says silently to himself.


    "I don''t know; maybe you can rip off my clothes and fuck me against the wall."


    I had just said that... oh my, but Axel stared at me with darkened eyes; oh well, he was turned


    1. on.


    "You''ve gotten too much of Thane to know ripping up a girl''s dress isn''t very gentlemanly."


    "He is a bad, bad influence on me," I admitted, but with my voice all needy, it sounded more like a verbal forey.


    "As you wish," Axel says, ripping off my clothes easily, leaving me bare; his eyes never left


    he took his off too just as quickly.


    me;


    "Are you ready?"


    "Fuck me already."


    "Well, you aren''t very innocent after all," and with that, he mmed into me; still, he gave me some time to settle to his size. Before he resumed pounding into me, I held onto him, my hands ruffling his jet ck hair. His lips hungrily imed my mouth, and I bit into his lips, drawing blood; a deep sound rumbled from his chest; his pace quickened; he supported my weights with his arms to avoid me from falling over; and then I came, taking him along.


    Our breaths came out in pants, a thinyer of swent covering our bodies.


    He picked me up, cing me on the couch, but I held onto him, kissing him more.


    "You are sore; I won''t like you limping.


    "Who cares, I want this, and you won''t deny me," I say, giving him my best adorable look, and


    he blinks as if in a trance.


    "Lay on your back," he says, and I do just that. His hands spread my legs, and I knew this was just the beginning.


    I was sore.


    If Thane noticed the limp to my walk, he says nothing; no doubt he was well aware of where I had spent my day and how exactly I spent it.


    Thane walked to me, kissing me once on the lips.


    "I''m sorry for what I said earlier."


    "No, I had been a little... desperate; you don''t have to say the words if you don''t mean them" I said, remembering how I had literally begged him to say that he loved me, gosh I was desperate and now I could think of it, it was indeed embarrassing. "I should be satisfied with what we had."


    "It is impossible for me to expect you to be satisfied with just sex. I hope to make it up to you. any way I can," he promises. 1

 Claim Me 104

    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    I noticed an usual change in the pack today.


    The atmosphere was tense, and people gathered in small groups exchanging words in low whispers. For the first time, I could walk around the whole space without any attention on me. That was new, not that Iined.


    I took a corner, only to run into Beatrix. Gone was the girl with red swollen eyes and dishevelled hair; she seemed to have redyed her blue hair, there was a glow to it.


    Once again, she was back to the girl I knew, the one who always had that calctive smirk on her lips. She was in a ck uniform, with the pack logo at the side, and that could only mean one thing.


    "Congrattions, Commander, for reiming your position," I say with a smile that was very much fake.


    "All thanks to you." Her smile matched mine.


    "I won''t be assuming we are friends now."


    "No, we are not."


    "That''s good." I walked on, and she followed.


    "Have you heard the trending news?" She asks, and I knew it had to be what everyone was buzzing about, but I had no idea what it was. I couldn''t let her know this, though.


    "So there is a gossip going around; who cares?, When is there not?" I said coolly, but I cared. I only hoped this technique worked, and of course it did, because she spoke on.


    "The Alpha King had passed on."


    "What?" I asked shocked


    "It means he is dead," she says.


    "I know what it means..."


    "So you had no idea; that is so sad; you heed me for stuff like this."


    I gave up the act. "How did he die?" I asked; it just seemed impossible, but she could be lying, again, she had no reason to lie about that!


    "No one knows," she says, keeping her voice down. It didn''t make sense, Alpha de, one of the most powerful werewolves in the world is ''dead''... and no one knows who did it?, "It could be anybody," Beatrix says, "or it could be someone interested in his title, someone who wanted his heritage rightfully passed to him."


    "No. Thane had said he would challenge his father, he wouldn''t try to murder him."


    12


    Chapter One Hundred and


    "That''s what he told ''you," she replies, nting the doubt in my mind. "Have a nice day," she added before walking away, and I stood there, dumbfounded. Thane should have told me, How could he do this?


    I wasn''t mad at him because I wanted his father alive, but I was mad because.... I knew that the end was near and soon I would be of no use to him.


    I headed straight to his office, walking in without bothering to knock.n


    "You told me you wouldn''t..." I trailed off when I noticed Thane was not alone; Axel and Freya - de''s Mate, were both present.


    ''Maybe you should take a seat," Thane offered, and I held in all I had to say. Taking a seat, Axel locked the door.


    Freya turned to me. "I would have preferred to say this in her absence," she says, and I noticed she was not in a veil this time either; she was in a dark brown suit and pants, her hair done up to reveal her neck. She looked... different, beautiful, even with the scars that were now very much visible. I had never seen her in such a type of clothes.


    "She is the Luna of this pack, so anything you have to say, I would advise you to speak up before I have to investigate it all myself.


    10


    "Okay then. I killed my mate, the Alpha King, and also your father. I am de''s murderer, she says, and my mouth drops open in surprise, Thane on the other side didn''t seem at all shocked by the news and Axel had a small smile on his face.


    My mother had said that Freya was the only one who might even hate the man more than she did, but this... this surprised me. I always viewed Freya as someone who would rather ept what was done to her because she had learned she couldn''t fight him. I never once expected that she could one day grow the back bone to kill him.


    "And why would you do that, mother?" Thane questions, his voice stern.


    "Because I had always hated him, because he put me through hell and I had been waiting for this opportunity all my life and it came when he was with that girl, drunk, he was purposely putting me through pain and I.. hit him so hard with the metal pole, there was a lot of blood that''s when the idea came up, I had the dagger, all made of silver, I had always carried this around, waiting for when I would finally get the opening. One stab straight to the heart was all that was needed, but I made sure to go beyond that and now I am free of him and I have no regret, whatever the consequences are I would proudly bear that" she says, Her eyes hardened, like one too used to pain it had be second nature, still I couldn''t help the pity I felt for her, this time I could rte, Ryker had done the same thing to me causing me to lose my baby, the only difference was that I let him go when I finally had the chance to kill him but Freya hadn''t being as merciful.

 Claim Me 105

    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    "How many know the truth?"


    "Just the guards." Freya answers


    "Are you sure they would keep it to themselves?


    "I had told them too, but it was only a matter of time; the elders would get the truth out of them, whether they admitted it or not."


    "Then we have to kill them."


    "No, they are no danger; I trust them to know what to do."


    H


    "But as you said, the elders would get the truth out of them, so this the only way."


    "What do I tell the elders when they ask?"


    "de had many enemies."


    wouldn''t be easily killed by those regrs."


    "Then you tell them that did it.


    "What?" This time it was me questioning. "Is there not another way?"


    "They would easily believe I did this; I have good reasons to want him dead."


    "Son, there would be punishments for this... I do not need help in carrying my own cross," Freya said, but for the first time I read deeper into words, she cared about him. Though she tried her very best to hide it, she did care for Thane.


    "I was only about to challenge him; I was going to end him the right way, but you had to make the decision without informing me."


    "You were about to challenge him?" she questioned, clearly this news was just reaching her now. "I didn''t know..."


    "Well, I thought it was better you had no idea about this n; you might end up jeopardizing everything in hopes to gain his favor like old times", he said, and I knew just what he was referring to. His mother had sold him out when he tried to help her before; he was no fool to trust her again.


    "I was never going to do that."


    "Well, you haven''t really proven that to me in times past.


    Just do as I say. When they ask, tell them that you suspect I did it, tell them you overhead me plotting to overthrow de awhile ago."


    "I.. I can''t let you do this."


    12


    One Husded


    "Freya" Thane called his mother by her name, "am not giving you an option."


    "But the elders..."


    "Forget them. I think it''s high time they are cleared from the way."


    "You mean murdered? Not everything is solved by that."


    "You think? You killed your mate; that was a solution, wasn''t it?" Thane asked, and that silenced Freya for a few seconds.


    "You need the elders to rule; they are meant to be guardians to the king, and only the elders can name one fit as king; if you kill them all, then nothing of such would happen and...''


    "You worry a lot, mother. I don''t make hasty decisions; this has been well thought of, and I do not need an elder by my side to rule."


    Freya rose to her feet. "I should have known you woulde up with a crazy idea like this."


    Thane smirked at her; she headed for the door, and Axel followed. All the while I sat there like some fool. I knew nothing about the crowning ritual and what was required of it, but that wasn''t exactly what was on my mind now. What disturbed me more than anything was the fact that Thane was taking the me for murdering the Werewolf King.


    "Thane please..." I stood walking around the table, and to him, I took his hands, "I cannot lose you, please."


    "You won''t"


    "They would hurt you, Thane."


    "I have to do this."


    "No, you don''t have to; you aren''t at fault this time; you don''t have to do anything," I cried out, and Thane let me sit on hisp. He trailed kisses up my neck.


    "I will alwayse back to you; that is my promise."


    "You might be really, really strong, but you aren''t invisible; you could be killed. Please, Thane, don''t make a promise you cannot keep."


    "Do you trust me?" he asks.


    "I want to."


    "Then believe I would be back for you," he says, his tone soft.


    I want to believe he would return to me; I want to believe that he would still care about me when he ims the title; I want to believe that he loves me, even if he wouldn''t admit it.

 Claim Me 106

    Chapter One Hundred and Six


    Something about the elders'' always invokes fear me. My palm was all sweaty. Once again, I had to watch Thane being judged by them.


    There was this sense of deja vu I felt standing her with Axel by my side, but of course, this hadn''t been the first time I had been ced in this situation.


    The elders were all present, cloaked in flowing white robes, rustling softly with every movement they made.


    The only difference was that this time there were more unfamiliar faces amongst us, members from other packs who hade to witness the great and most feared Alpha, Thane''s demise. Finally Thane walked in.


    This time there were no excorts by his side. That was the first thing that seemed off. He came to a stop before them.


    There was pindrop silence, all eyes watching him he had promised me he would survive this. I wanted to believe him, but at this moment, I couldn''t see how it would be possible for him to escape this.


    "There is a question of uncertainty, Alpha Thane. You were reported to be here in this pack at the time your father was found dead. We wonder if you could shed some light on how you managed to kill your father." They asked, but it was clearly not a request, more of a demand.


    From what I know about the elders, they always spoke with courtesy, even before they sentenced a wolf to death. There were so many things disturbing about them.


    "No. I will not shed light on that." Thane answers mockingly and there is a silent gasp.


    Axel''s hold on me tightened.


    "We could get the truth out of you whichever way."


    "You know well that you can''t. Is it a pity that your mind sorcery does not affect me?" Thane replied, and I knew there had to be a smirk on his face.


    Freya had said something about the elders ability to get the truth out of a person without even their approval, something like mind reading. Thane was immune to that. "What is he doing?" I asked Axel, but I got no response, maybe because he was just as


    confused as I was.


    "We have decided on your judgment for murdering the Alpha King. An eye for an eye, blood for blood, a life for another. You would face death."


    Everything seemed to pause before my very eyes.


    ***+26 BONUS


    Chapter One Hankedaid $15.


    He had promised. Those words rang over and over in my head.


    "No!" I cried out.


    I pulled free of Axel''s grip on me, running forward. I only managed a few steps before Axel caught up with me; this time I couldn''t pry free of his hands.


    "I am disappointed," Thane says. "I would have expected the elders toe up with better judgments than this" he says, not at all shaken.


    He seemed to be baiting them.


    What was his n?


    What was he getting at?


    What would be worse than death?


    I had never seen an elder smile, but when the one in the middle did, it was the scariest I had


    ever seen.


    "You are correct," he answers. "But that gives you no advantage," he says, and his eyes glowed. Thane let out a pained gasp that tore through me. Whatever ''sorcery'' he was performing now clearly affected Thane because he seemed unable to move, and the elder never did let him go, rather entertained by watching Thane in pain.


    The one who spoke next was a female, her eyes just as cold as the rest. I wondered how old they were. They seemed to have lived so long that they had lost the ability to feel, yet each and every one of them still looked youthful, the only proof of their true age in the depths of their


    eyes.


    "Alpha Thane of the Nightshade Pack, your punishment is due. Let others learn from your mistakes. Since death is too little a punishment for you, then you will be stripped of your title as Alpha, also your wolf would be no more; you will for the rest of your life live like a mere human, perhaps this punishment soothes you better."


    One of the elders walked forth, an object in his hands; he held it like it was something sacred.


    The elder with the scary smile, epted the object. Only then did I notice it was a dagger, but not like any I had ever seen; it glowed golden and then switched to an emerald color.


    The Cursed Weapon.


    I had heard about it, but I always thought it was nothing but a myth, a story told to children. I was wrong. Some believed the cursed weapon was a heart-shaped crystal, symbolizing the heart of the moon goddess; others believed it wasn''t a weapon to be wielded, and only a few knew it was indeed a dagger.


    He walked forward, his hands wrapped firmly around the dagger; he came face to face with Thane.


    Chapter One Hundred and Six


    "Do something!" I cried out to Axel, attracting attention, but I didn''t care. "They are going to kill him; please do something," I begged, tears running down my eyes.


    "I am on orders," he says.


    "Then I order you to let me go."


    "I cannot do that, Luna," he says, almost pleading.


    Somewhere in the crowd, Freya the true murderer stood, watching her soon and sobbing silently. She should be the one there, not him.


    "Let this be your curse," the elders chant in unison.


    Then the elder lifted the dagger, but just before he could stab the de into Thane, he made a move. The clear shock was registered on the elder''s face; it should be impossible for Thane to break through their spell, but he did. Faster than my eye could catch, he angled the de back at the elder and stabbed the curse de into him.


    And Seven

 Claim Me 107

    Chapter One Hundred And Seven


    There wasplete pin-drop silence.


    The dagger remained embedded into the elders abdomen.


    There was one uniform emotion everyone was witnessing; I could see it on their faces: shock. Thane took out the knife, and the elder fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, his with... fear.


    eyes wide


    His skin... There was something weird happening to it; it seemed to be cracking as though his skin was made of porcin, and then he shattered into pieces, leaving nothing behind but gray ashes. That''s when the screams began.


    "Axel, take her away!" Thane ordered from a distance, and Axel obeyed, immediately picking me up like I weighed nothing and cing me over his shoulders. He carried me back to the packhouse.


    The others ran too; no one was bold or willing to witness what a battle with the elders would look like. People trampled over one another to escape.


    There was a loud, ear-piercing scream, like one from a banshee. It was from one of the female elders who knelt before the ashes of the fallen elder.


    "You cannot leave him...", I was saying, but my words were drowned out by the turmoil. Thane was the only one left behind, with the cursed dagger in his hands. The elders, on the other side, didn''t seem as calm and untouchable as they once did. No matter how hard I struggled, Axel wouldn''t let me down; he was strong, really strong. I couldn''t believe he was leaving Thane behind.


    He took me into his room, mming the door shut before finally cing me on my feet.


    "Let me out this instant!"


    "Stop fighting me, Riley. Stop now"


    "I won''t," I say, attacking him again, pounding my fist against his chest. He took both my hands in a firm grasp.


    "You aren''t helping."


    "Neither are you; you should be there, or at least let me help."


    "You can''t help, and this time neither can I. He wants me here, protecting you, and that was an order."


    "Well, I don''t have a squad of elders trying to kill me, do I? He needs protection, not me."


    "You need to calm down and hear me out."


    "I am calm."


    "You definitely aren''t. Do you think I do not care for my Alpha? I would have been there if I thought there was a thing I could do." He said, and I nodded, taking a seat. A facade for him to think I was actually calm.


    "Why does it always have to be him? Why am I always left at an edge when ites to him?"


    "That''s because you care about him, and it''s okay to care, Riley."


    "What if they kill him?"


    "They haven''t," he said and then flinched; that would mean one thing.


    "Thane has just been injured, hasn''t he?"


    Axel could feel Thane''s emotions; he would know if he was in pain.


    "Nothing he can''t handle; he is very much alive; I would know that," Axel replied.


    "So this had all been nned from the start?"


    "Yes. Every single word he uttered, even when he baited them, each move had been calcted, he is no fool" Axel said, and I waited for him to exin that. "Thane was going to kill them either way, but taking them by surprise was a better strategy.


    Normally, death is too simple a punishment for the elders; for an offense as grievous as this but they didn''t want to keep Thane alive; even as a human, he threatens them; he also knew they came with the cursed weapon, just in case things went out of hand." "And how did he know all these"


    "Bailey, one of the elders informed us.


    "So you believed her? What if this is all a trap?"


    "She had proven herself time and again; she is the only elder Thane nned on keeping alive."


    "So she is... an insider ying informant?. What if she pretended to be that just to get information from you guys?" I asked, wondering why Thane and Axel would ever trust an elder."


    "There is something else. She... she has..." Axel hesitated.


    "You will have to speak up if you want to prove your point," I say to him, now curious due to his hesitation.


    "She has a thing for Thane," he says, and despite everything happening, a hollow ache spreads through my heart triggered by jealousy.

 Claim Me 108

    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    Beatrix was amander and skilled soldier admired for her exceptional expertise, and she was obsessed over Thane, as if that wasn''tpetition enough, there was the elder too. How many more were in line, and where did that leave me? Somewhere below. I was of no use to him. I didn''t want to think about how exactly he wooed the elder into going along with him on this n.


    "Seems like everyone has a thing for Thane," I muttered silently to myself.


    I hated the fact that I felt so insecure, but Thane had never once admitted that he loved me; he was with me only because of the situation of things, and after that... then what? Beatrix had told me how good a yer he was, and so I was always left doubting, yet this was the wrong time to be distracted by my many insecurities.


    "I''m sorry, Thane''s life is on the line, and all I could do is get jealous; that is selfish and unreasonable of me, I apologize."


    "You can''t control your emotions; this is not your fault," Axel says, and maybe he was only saying that to make me feel better just he always does.


    "I noticed Thane hadn''t been escorted this time by those scary-looking men... that was the only clue that something was off"


    "Yes. Bailey had managed to convince the elders that bringing him in with arge number of escorts and in chains made it seem like he was a menace. They are really big on pride, and so they foolishly adhered to her counsel; of course she had only said that to pave way for Thane and make things a little easier. They had no idea that Thane could not only resist their mind sorcery but every other trick they had beneath their sleeves," Axel exined.


    Thane had told me earlier that if he wanted to sidestep the elders, he would have done that; he had willingly epted the punishment in the past, not because he couldn''t prevent it but because... he was trying to keep it a secret.


    "It had all been an act?" I asked Axel.


    "Yes... the elders have this ability to create illusions, illusions that could feel so real. That''s how they manage to cause a person so much pain with just a single look." Axel says, I had never heard about such ability. "And I guess he discovered this with Bailey''s help?" I asked, unable to keep the slight bitterness away from my tone.


    "Yes. She didn''t believe there could be anyone immune to it, but Thane hade up with the idea, and when she tried the ''illusions'' on him, it didn''t work. Still, Thane had to y the part, had to make them believe he was affected and powerless, just so he could take them by surprise. I want to be there with him Riley; I hate being left out on a fight this good, but I am not immune as he is; I would only be a liability."


    "And you guys didn''t think about informing me about this n? Instead, you left me worrying sick." I questioned, knowing this was the wrong time to be worried about little things like this, but I couldn''t help it. I was sick of being left out, and I had been worrying myself to death about him, without the knowledge that he had a n, a n he didn''t bother sharing with me."


    "I thought the same, but Beatrix predicted that you would create a scene and the elders would believe this was all genuine; they wouldn''t know what wasing for them till it was toote," he says, before finally noticing he had said a little too much.


    "So ''Beatrix'' knew about this and I didn''t!"


    "Don''t take this the wrong way; you have every reason to know, but if this works, then you did contribute your part", he paused, flinching again and then inhaling deeply, he was trying to hold it in and pretend, but then he let out a whimper, falling to the ground. All the anger and jealousy I felt had been shoved to the side.


    "Axel, are you alright?" I asked, but he wasn''t. I needed to do something... Thane was being hurt, and Axel needed a... healer. Could a healer handle this?, I doubted, but still I headed for the door.


    Axel breaths normalized.


    "I''m fine"


    "What happened?" I asked even if I already knew the answer to that.


    "It''s over," Axel says. (1)

 Claim Me 109

    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    Thane was severely injured but still alive. That was all that mattered.


    "He would be fine," Axel assured me once again, but I couldn''t stop pacing up and down the hallways; why couldn''t they let us see him yet?


    I wasn''t the only one worried. Beatrix sat on one of the waiting benches; her only visible sign. of nervousness was the constant tapping on her thigh.


    Finally, the door was pulled open, and I rushed to Bailey. I had learned that she was also a healer, though she didn''t really specialize in that but she was the only one who could help. him at this moment, so I had to swallow down the jealousy. All that mattered was that he was fine and alive.


    "Is he alright?" Lasked the older.


    "He is healing well." Bailey responded


    "I have to see him, Elder."


    "He had asked only for a certain Beatrix." Bailey says, and Beatrix herself looked surprised at


    that.


    "And I am his Luna," I said, furious at her, at myself, and at everything.


    "Then I apologize," Bailey says, letting Beatrix alone in. "You cannot see him now." Shepleted her sentence before mming the door right in my face.


    I walked back to Axel, finally taking a seat beside him.


    Why should Beatrix be the first person Thane wanted to see?


    "He''s injured; he does not want you to see him in this state," Axel exined, and I nodded, but it wasn''t okay; I could not understand why Thane wouldn''t want me in there with him. Axel had only said that to make me feel better.


    Beatrix had been in there for two hours now, and I know that because I had been counting each and every second she took in there with him, finally she walked out and Bailey followed.


    "Can I...see him now?" I inquired


    "The Alpha needs his rest, and it wouldn''t be wise for you to see him now."


    It was safe to say I disliked the ck-haired elder named Bailey.


    I wiped away the tears that threatened to escape my eyes.


    "Thane don''t want to see me; did I do something wrong?"


    "No, you didn''t. I will talk to him," Axel promises.


    One Week Later.


    It was clear Thane didn''t want to speak to me. Every single day I check on him, I get the same response from Bailey. I had even tried going earlier thest time, hoping Bailey hadn''t arrived yet, but she was always there. I could force myself in, but Thane was in there; he knew each and every time I visited, and he said nothing. She might have some other selfish reasons for keeping me away from him, but he clearly didn''t do anything about it either.


    Each day that passed by, I felt like Thane grew further away; each day, I felt more invisible. A Luna without an Alpha is no.Luna.


    What the hell was I doing here? It was clear that he didn''t need me anymore; I refuse to be that sticky gum that just wouldn''t let go. I didn''t think he would mind if I left.


    I walked into my walk-in closet, taking a few pairs of the very expensive jewelleries. I could sell them for some good amount; I was no longer interested in what Thane had to give me; this would have to do. I packed up the few things I owned.


    I knew I had my mother''s support on this; she was very ready to leave this ce.


    The soft swoosh of the door announced to me that I wasn''t alone.


    I walked out of the closest.


    ""Axel, I don''t..."


    My words were cut short. It wasn''t Axel at the door; it was... Thane.


    If I wasn''t mistaken, I would say he looked even more handsome.


    I rushed to him, taking his hands in mine-those firm hands-it felt surreal that he was here. It had only been a week, but it felt like eternity without him.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes searching him for any trace of injuries, but he seemed fine. Bailey must be really good at what she does, especially for a person who wasn''t specializing in this field.


    "I am fine.


    "Good," I said, and then I pped him, as hard as I could, but of course, he didn''t flinch. He seized my hands, maybe to avoid me from hitting him again.


    "That''s a real nice way to express your delight." Thane said, his smirk widening into a smile, and as much as I loved his smile, I hated it. How dare he smirk at me like nothing happened?


    "For a whole damn week, I checked on you, but you didn''t let me in. That''s no way to treat a''


    Chapter Cine Hundred and Nine


    mate," I said, putting emphasis on thest word,


    "I wanted to see you, but I couldn''t."


    "Why? You can''t tell me Bailey locked you up in there," I said, and he chuckled at that. Gosh,


    he looked so beautiful.


    "She thought it would be best that way."


    "So the ancient lover of yours makes decisions for you now?"


    "Ancient lover? Is that what you refer to her as?" Thane asked amused.


    "Yes, but there are other more suiting nicknames; would you like to hear them?"


    "Riley. I am sorry; there was a reason you couldn''t see me. In my healing phase, I was unstable; this had never happened to me before, but I had to be restrained to avoid hurting anyone, so it sounded about right to not let you in," Thane exined, and it did make sense, yet it didn''t exin why the first person he wanted to meet was Beatrix.

 Claim Me 110

    Chapter One Hundred and Ten


    I was done keeping silent; now we had to talk, and I was no longer going to keep all my insecurities to myself.


    "I thought you didn''t want me there because... I was no longer of use to you," I admitted.


    "Why would you think that?" He questions, genuinely curious.


    "Maybe because you hadn''t bothered to tell me about the n. I know it was all intentional; you thought my little act would fool the elders even more, but I was worried sick Thane, and you said nothing, but Beatrix knew about the n. But then why wouldn''t she? She is stronger and better at everything, and, oh, there is also your Ancient Lover; I heard she also had a thing for you. Is like I am always left out on everything and no one cares how that makes me feel? I am always being used like the pawn, but I have feelings too, and you don''t seem to care. I feel like this is all one-sided; alt1 feel for you... you don''t feel the same, and you have every right to because I was the one who fell in love. You did warn me that I would end up wanting more than bargained for, and that''s exactly what had happened. What is so painful is that you... can''t give anymore," I say to him, tears streamed down my face.


    Thane huge hands cupped my face. "Did I make you feel this way?" he questioned, and just maybe he hadn''t realized how it had made me feel each and every time.


    "Yes, every damn time."


    "I thought I feared nothing till I met you, Riley. I fear the control you have over my mind. I fear how pleasing you... give me so much joy. You want to know how I feel about you? You are like an obsession I can never get tired of; you do not even know what you have, and I am damn lucky to have you. It''s you I want," Thane says, my hands wrapped around his waist. If he knew how long I had waited for him to say a thing like this to me, the day he would remind me that I only could satisfy his deepest needs and desires. The reminder was refreshing.


    Thane''s eyes shifted from me to something behind me. I followed his line of his sight to see the bag I had been packing up just before he entered seating at the entrance of the closest. Shit.


    "Is not what you think?" I began.


    "And what do you think is on my mind?" he asks his expression unreadable. "A game of catch would have been equally fun," he said, the smirk spreading on his lips.


    "It... was a rash decision... I wasn''t really... thinking," I stammered.


    "I would have gone after you if you ran," Thane said.


    "I don''t know what I was thinking; I thought you were avoiding me..."


    "Is alright, Riley? You are right, I should have told you I had a n, and why I called Beatrix in was only because I needed to confirm if any of the elders had escaped." Chapter One Hundred and Ten


    Oh. Oh.


    Here I was thinking they had been sharing kisses in the healing room.


    "Are they all dead?"


    "I did recall one of them escaping; there is no way to know just how many died, everything had been hazy; what''s left of them is just the... ashes which had probably been blown away by the wind..


    "I can''t believe you did it... I can''t believe you are alive."


    "You can feel me; that''s proof enough. I recalled promising you that I woulde back to you; did you doubt me?"


    "Yes. Yes, I doubted you." I say, my eyes lingering on his shirt. "So what next?"


    "My father would be buried in two days, and the same day would be my crowning," he says. There was something about that thought that always unsettled me. I couldn''t imagine myself standing beside the Alpha King as his mate. "Wait. You want to be crowned the same day your father would be buried?" I asked; I couldn''t believe I had missed that.


    "Yes, Riley"


    "Why?"


    "It makes sense that the day he goes down, I''ll rise as the new king," Thane said, the smirk on his face widening. I was reminded yet again that Thane was not supposed to be the hero; in fact, many viewed him as the viin, the one who murdered his father for his position.


    "How is the crowning done? Something tells me it won''t be as easy as just cing a crown on your head."


    "You are right, there is a ritual; nothing you should worry about, but again, what is a crowning ceremony without a crown?"

 Claim Me 111

    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    "Wine?" Thane offered, and I gave a nod. He poured me a ss, passing it to me. Our fingers came into contact, and every nerve in my body seemed toe alive. He poured another ss. for himself, taking it all in one go. He ced the ss back down before slowly stalking towards me.


    "What are you doing?"


    "You don''t know what it feels like to be starved for this so long," he says, his voice low and deep... hungry. He took the almost empty ss from my hands, tossing it away, not caring that it shattered to pieces when it came in contact with the bare floor. "You''ve be like some addiction to me, and without you, I face this... withdrawal symptoms." He says he was cornering me till I was against the wall. "Let''s check how ready you are," he says, splitting my legs open. His hands travelled up my skirt, sliding my panties to the side. He dipped a finger into me, and of course I was soaking wet. One thrust and my legs gave out, but his weight against me held me firm. Very ready, he took out his finger, watching me as he tasted me." Beautiful," he whispers.


    There was a glow in his eyes. Wait, his eyes were actually glowing, like bright amber. He picked me up, clearing off the wooden table and cing me down on it.


    He ripped off my panties, leaving me bare down there; my shirt rode up till I waspletely exposed.


    "You are perfect, Riley, everywhere," he says, and I was about to respond when his lips grazed at my entrance. I moaned. He trailed kissed up my thigh before returning to my core, and lier, his tongue teased my clit. I gripped his hair, my hands fisting into the mass of short brown hair. His tongue dove into me, and I let out a louder moan, but he never did end the torment; his tongue moved in me, in and out expertly making me aplete mess. I rode his tongue, begged him, and his thrust went faster; every muscle in my body stiffened, and I cried out, reaching the edge, and then I chattered to pieces; hepped up every single juice.


    Finally he rose, licking his lips which glinted with me.


    "Can you stand?" he asked, and I nodded, rising to my feet, only to stumble into him; my legs felt all jello. "Take off the clothes," he says, and I took the top off, followed by the skirt, leaving me bare and vulnerable before him. "Bend over the table," he says, his attention on my nipple, which was very hard and turned on at the moment. I did as he said. In a few seconds, I could feel his bare body against mine; that was all the forewarning I got. Next, he mmed into me, his full length filling me up and stretching me out. I held on to the edges of the table as he thrust into me again from behind, and then his pace went crazy as he mmed into me over and again, his hand going under to feel my hardened nipples. He rolled them around his fingers, and I panted and moaned, but of course he was only going to torture me. His hands went higher, circling around my throat, and then lower, a single hand wrapped around my waist, and the other explored my clit, rubbing gingerly against them.


    "Reminds me," he says, with a thrust and a flick of my clit, "What am I to you?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Elevch


    "My Alpha" I gasped out the only words that came to my mind.


    "Fucking sexy. But I am your mate," he says, and with that, he pulled out and then mmed all the way in. I cummed, taking him along. "Let''s see how much more you can take," Thane. said, picking me up and cing me on the bed.


    that


    I woke the next morning, noticing the bruises marring my skin. Thane hadn''t let me go so easily; we went over and over again till I couldn''t move a limb. I dimly remember his fangs sinking into me and then his ws. His eyes had those glows I noticed, and I knew his wolf was close to the edge.


    "How do you feel?" Thane asked, kissing me.


    "Wonderful"


    "You are also bruised; I''m sorry; my wolf really do like you," he said with a smirk.


    "I loved it," I say to Thane, and that brings a smile to his face, one I could watch till eternity and never get used to..


    "Just so you know, we will be leaving for the New Blood Pack; Axel would take over in my absence and only attend the crowning ceremony Thane informed me.


    "Bailey would being with us?" I asked; she was the only elder left, so of course she would have to be at the crowning ceremony for whatever role the elder is expected to y.


    "Yes, but she could take a different ride if it makes you feel better," Thane said with a knowing smirk.


    "Of course, it would make me feel better."

 Claim Me 112

    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    Thane had carried me all the way to the car, not minding the stares we were getting; I was still


    and I needed more than hours to heal.


    sore,


    The smile on my face disappeared when I saw Balley,


    "Alpha," she says, addressing him and pretending like I wasn''t there. "I am d to see you are all set; I didn''t expect you to bring her along." "You will refer to her as the Luna, or my mate, Elder."


    Bailey''s eyes finally met mine; she looked young as if in her early twenties; she had dark hair cut into a bulb framing her tiny face; her eyes were the only unsettling thing about her; never had I seen her look more human than she did now in the brown elegant dress. I once believed that the elders had lived so long that they had all turned cold and numb to natural feelings, but I had been wrong. Bailey had a ''thing'' for Thane, and it wasn''t shocking; Thane was capable of making a girl weak in the knees-even very ancient ones too. "Luna, we haven''t officially met," she says, and I remembered vividly her bored tone repeating to me over and over again that Thane needed his rest; now I was in his arms and she... wasn''t. That alone brought a smile to my face.


    "I know enough about you," I said.


    "About thest time..."


    "There won''t be a need to exin yourself; I''m sure you did that for the best, Elder" I said, giving her a very fake smile.


    "You don''t like me a lot, do you?"


    "No, no, I don''t." I admitted. There was something about this woman that made my crawl. I might dislike Beatrix, but with this woman it was on another level.


    skin


    "We would meet at the New Blood Pack, Bailey." Thane said to her.


    "Of course," Bailey was her only reply; she gave me onest cold re before walking away.


    Thane kissed me. "I am all yours," he whispered into my ear.


    Thane sat by my side in the very luxurious car; he had many of these breath-taking vehicles, and I wondered why he needed so much. Thane''s hands rested on my thigh, absently trailing small circles against my skin. The driver remained so quiet that I could actually forget he was there; I suspected the ss barricades were soundproof.


    Why do you need all those many


    need all those many bikes?" I asked him. Among the line of posh cars in the store were bikes too, many of them.


    Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    "I did enjoy riding when I was younger," he says.


    "And now?"


    "I don''t really see the need, not if I could run even faster," he exins, and that did make


    sense.


    "The driver... can he hear us?"


    "No, why?"


    "I wanted to ask about the New Blood Pack. With their Alpha gone, would the beta take over?.... is there even a beta?" I asked, realizing I had never heard of one before.


    "My father had trust issues; he didn''t need a second inmand, nor did he want a Gamma; he wanted to rule the pack all on his own. He feared that they might turn against him and threaten to take his position. I do have a n for them. Each and every member of the New Blood Pack was once our member; they had been separated from this pack, and maybe we could be one again.""


    "What if the New Blood Pack members turn against us?" I asked, and my gaze travelled to the driver. "They believe you killed your father," I said, keeping my voice low.


    Thane smirked. "He is not listening in, I can tell. He assured me. "My father wasn''t really a lovable man-not saying that I am either; they would be honoured to be a part of The Nightshade Pack, but of course each and every one of them has an option to stay or join other packs-I would ensure that," Thane promised.


    We arrived in the New Blood Pack quicker than I expected. Thane pulled the door open for me.


    "I don''t think you can walk on your own yet."


    "I''ll manage," I said. Of course I couldn''t let him carry me in there, not with all those unfamiliar eyes watching and judging.


    "Shy?"


    "If I admit I am shy, would you let me walk on my own?"


    "Of course"


    "Then I am very shy, and I would like to be on my feet when meeting with ''them'' for the first time."


    There was a line of pack soldiers waiting for us; everything about this pack seemed very simr to the Nightshade pack; if I didn''t know better, I would think de was trying to make a replica. Even the soldiers were in uniforms, simr to that of the Nightshade pack; the only difference was the logo,


    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    A man in suit who seemed to have been waiting on our arrival, walked forward. "Alpha Thane, we are honoured to have you here," the man said with a slight bow.


    "Of course, burying my father would be an honor Commander Felix," Thane answered mockingly.


    "Luna Riley I heard so much about you," he says and that takes me by surprise. I had be so used to being ignored by everyone that this attention was Indeed overwhelming. What do I say in response?


    "Good things, I hope?" I respond, giving myself a thumb up foring up with that.


    "Shocking things. Of course rumours are mostly lies with only an element of truth," he says. But you are as beautiful as it had been rumoured, he says, and I gave him a small smile.


    "Thank you," I responded, noticing Thane''s hold on me tighten.

 Claim Me 113

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen


    I never thought of myself as beautiful, and maybe he was just saying that out of courtesy.


    "I... I will show you around," Felix says as if in loss of words, and Thane gives a nod. I knew Thane didn''t really need a tour; he knew his way around the packhouse; maybe it was more for my benefit.


    The pack members stopped to stare every time we passed by, bowing as a sign of respect, that was more weing than I expected, seeing as Thane had killed their Alpha. They must have hated de. Felix talked about everything-from the painting on the wall to the rooms and who they belonged to.


    "This part of the packhouse belongs to themander and high-rank," Felix droned on. I only caught half of what he had said.


    "I think I would take over from here," a woman-not just any woman, but Bailey says. I had been lost in thought; I didn''t realize her heading towards us. "I am Elder Bailey," she introduced as if Felix didn''t know that already. "Wee back Elder." He responds.


    "You could leave us now," Bailey says, her voice cold. Felix nced at Thane, asking for permission, and he only left after Thane gave him a nod.


    "You arrived fast," I noted.


    "It does not seem like you are thrilled to see that," she says, not bothering with the fake smile. I couldn''t deny that this dark part of me had thought about her having a very unfortunate ident on the way here, but again, she was an elder; an ident couldn''t end her that easily.


    "Could you show us to our room?" Thane asked.


    "Of course, is just over there."


    "Thank you," Thane said before walking away, taking me along.


    "Where are you going?" Bailey asked.


    To settle into our room," Thane says, like that was the most obvious answer.


    "We need to make ns for the crowning ritual; we are already behind schedule," she says, but a part of me knew she intended on something more than just ''making ns''.


    "That can wait; Riley is tired and she needs her rest."


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen


    (THE CROWNING RITUAL)


    There was a buzz of activities going on; everyone was dressed in ck in honour of Alpha de burial, but that wasn''t what all the buzz was about; today was the crowning, the day everyone would find out if Thane was fit the rule.


    I had spotted some of our pack members who came to witness the crowning. Beatrix was in a tight fitted ck dress that entuated her curves, giving her a very sensual look. She caught me staring and gave yet another fake sinile. I waved back and hurried past her to the one I had been hoping to see. Axel.


    He was also in an all-ck Tuxedo, looking dashing as always. He was speaking to a woman who he seemed to be familiar with; the woman looked to be in her early forties''. The moment he saw me, he turned his attention to me.


    "Riley," he called, and I hugged him.


    "It does feel like forever. But you do look good," Iplemented.


    "And you lovely too.


    I noticed Bailey from a distance; she was heading towards us. I was tempted to walk away; just so I wouldn''t have to be near her. The woman gave me the chills.


    "Beta, Axel, Luna. Pleasee with me," she says.


    "And why do need our presence,


    you


    Elder Bailey?"


    "The time hase for Thane to be tested; he wants you both there," she says.


    "What is the test about?" I asked


    "The moon goddess would have to ept him." She exined


    "But... he is the son of the Alpha king; doesn''t that automatically make him the next king?"


    "There had never once been a problem when passing the crown; he had already met the requirement, but this step is necessary."

 Claim Me 114

    Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen


    Thane was in a red cloak; his amber eyes seemed a shade darker. I hadn''t realized how tall and intimidating he was till now; there was something about him that was... Threatening.


    I had this feeling that something bad was about to happen. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Thane, who I had shared the same room with for the past months, hadn''t even stared at me once; I might as well have been invisible. I could sense the aura around him, forcing my wolf to bow in submission. Tonight he was indeed different.


    Bailey led us to the underground structures that had good resemnce to a cave. All the while, I couldn''t shake away that feeling that something was off. I was about to walk forward, but Axels'' hand on my shoulder restrained me. "What?" I questioned.


    "We wait here," Axel informed me.


    Bailey and Thane walked forward, leaving us behind, her hand wrapped around his, and my ch¨¦st tightened. They stopped in the middle of the room.


    "Alpha Thane of the Nightshade pack, you''ve met all the requirements; are you ready for the crown?" she asked.


    "Not all requirements," Thane said, and her eyes met him.


    "Your father is no longer in the way; you are a powerful wolf, so that shouldn''t be a problem, and you have a mate as required. There is nothing left undone," she says, but she still studied him. "Riley is not my fated mate."


    It waspletely silent. Bailey was never really shocked by anything, but she was now, and sol was I. Clearly, Axel hadn''t been expecting that either.


    "Thane, what are you doing?" I asked, but he didn''t look my way, not once since I met him today.


    "You deceived me


    Alpha," Bailey hissed.


    "I did. But you will still go through with this ritual."


    "Rubbish," Bailey says, "You will only get yourself killed; you cannot deceive the gods; you will only anger them."


    "We would go on with this ritual." Thane insisted.


    "And then what? You will deceive the gods with your many charms?." Bailey asks, finally turning to me. "If he tries taking the crown without the requirement, it would be seen as a sign of disrespect right on the face of the goddess; she would turn him to nothing but white ash, just as he did the elders."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fourthen


    "Don''t bring her into this Elder.."


    "And if you die?"


    "Then so be it."


    "You are very stubborn, Alpha Thane."


    "Tell me, how many people could resist the Elder''s sorcery?" he asks, and that silences her.


    "No one can. But that doesn''t prove anything."


    "It doesn''t?" Thane questioned, and I could see Bailey giving in.


    "It would be a shame if you died after everything," Bailey said.


    "Thane, you don''t have to do this, please..."


    "Nothing you say would change his mind, Riley, Axel said to me. For the first time, he looked worried about Thane''s decision.


    Bailey hands rested on a square-shaped stone.


    "By blood we emerge, another sessor fit to rule; if you will see him fit, adorn him with the crown, mother of the moon." Bailey chanted silently, and just then the square-shaped stone glowed blue, a mist filling the room, so thick I could hardly see through it. The once blue stone turned red..


    "No," Bailey gasped. A strong wind blew through the room, and I had to hold onto Axel.


    his body, Then everything ended and Thane stood, his eyes glowing red; tentacles crawled up forming into a a crown over his head; he seemed to glow; everything about him was surreal. Bailey fell to her knees. "My king," Axel did the same, andstly I did, my eyes o downwards.


    cast


    He never did need me. Even without a mate, the moon goddess chose him as the king; the moon goddess saw him fit to rule. But something about him changed; maybe it was the I could sense from him, or it was how cold his eyes were. power


    He was now the king. Our king. My king.

 Claim Me 115

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen


    One by one, the pack members went down on their knees at the sight of Thane with the crown on his head. He was in nothing but the red robe, yet he looked intimidating as ever.


    He was an epitome of pure power. He came to a stand on the Dias, Bailey by his side, just about where I was supposed to be.


    "Today a new king emerges, chosen by the moon. He gives you an option for each and every member of this pack. Knowing your Alpha is dead, would you return back to the Nightshade pack, as it had been, or would you prefer a new leader elected to rule this pack?" Bailey presented. Commander Felix walked forward.


    "If I may, my king," he began with a bow. "The Newblood pack could run into total poverty if not presented with a good leader with influence, and we have none of that. We agree to be a part of the Nightshade pack, as it had been before the split." "And do you all agree to that?" Bailey questioned


    There was a chorus of yesses, almost like they had nned it out.


    "We would be one; we would be stronger than we had ever been; unity would reign amongst us all," Thane proimed. "I would like to introduce you to my mate, your queen." Thane began, and there was just this part of that insecurity that had always been there, nowa real thing. This was it; this was the end.


    But then, Thane eyes met mine for the first time today, and I was left breathless. "She would always be a part of me, a beacon of hope. Riley Kaidon ckwood"


    It took a moment for me to register; it was my name. He verbally formed a union by adding his ownst name to mine.


    Axel held my hands, leading me to Thane. I walked up the stairs and stopped by his right. Thane''s hands trailed down my neck, and he titled my jaw so I was staring into his eyes, those cold eyes. Then he kissed me; it was slow and passionate and then hard and demanding. I had person in the room because it was just the both of us; there was forgotten about every o and would never be anyone in between; ''it had always been me, and Thad just been too blind to see it. Thane was undeniably mine, and he was proving that to me and to everyone watching.


    The contract would havee to an end some weeks from now, but what we had was beyond the white pages.


    Finally out of breath, I pulled away, but his hands held me close.


    "Now do you believe me?" he whispers into my ear.


    "Yes. Yes I do.".


    Chapter One Hundred and Fille


    "I would show you to your room, beta," Bailey said, and Axel gave her a nod; he seemed lost in thoughts. "Right there, I am sure you would love it," she assured.


    "Thank you. Thane... Alpha Thane, if I may?"


    "Of course, and the title wouldn''t be necessary, Axel." Thane said with a smirk, which Axel returned.


    "You know, with you being the King,


    you being the King, maybe I should call you by that title," Axel mused.


    "No such thing, and that''s an order."


    Axel left us, but Bailey tagged along, "I have a special gift for you, Alpha," she says, leading us to a different room. She pushed open the door, and we walked in. There was a red curtain shielding what was inside the room; only when the curtain was moved out of the way did I see what was beyond.


    Women. So many women of different skin color, shape, and hair color, but they had one thing inmon: they were all strikingly beautiful andpletely naked.


    "You do know I have a Luna, right?"


    "It is no big deal; she would never be enough for you and is not an insult; you will need more of them to attend to your every need if you want her tost longer for you. I am sure she wouldn''t be bothered about this.


    "I wouldn''t be needing them," Thane says, walking out of the room.


    "Not now. But soon. This is the life every king gets to enjoy."


    "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Bailey, but I would return to my room now, and you should do the same." "Alpha, you seem to have forgotten that you owe me a lot. We made a deal, and I''ve done my own part."


    "I haven''t forgotten, Bailey," Thane said to her.


    The elder''s gaze traveled to me. "Shocking that you aren''t his true mate," she whispers, Before walking away.


    Thane led me into our room.


    I should have asked what exactly this deal he had with the elder was, but if she had said it in front of me, no doubt she had wanted to nt some kind of suspicion in my mind; this time I wouldn''t fall for that. Thane had shown me over and over again that I was special to him.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that," Thane said to me


    "It is fine" I replied, "I kind of expected it; you are a king now and..."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen


    "Don''t Riley, the title doesn''t change who I am. I am still Thane."


    "Back there... I thought you were going to change your mind about me."


    "You did, didn''t you?"


    "Yes. I was back to that same moment when Ryker announced another woman as his mate."


    "Riley you are the one I want, and do you want to know why."


    "Yes," I gasped.


    "1


    "Because all my life, there was never a person that prated into me like you did Riley; you made me feel things that I had never felt before and it started when I saw your pic. I am not perfect, but you never once stop caring. I can''t stop thinking about you, and I discovered that I want you, all to myself. I love you, Riley, and I am sorry it took me this long to discover that.''

 Claim Me 116

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen


    "You love me?" I asked; I couldn''t believe he had said those words.


    "Yes, I do. I love you, and I am obsessed over you


    "You never did need me... at least not to im the crown,"


    "Every single day I wonder why I took you; maybe I always knew what I felt for you, but I hid it, Riley. I hid it from you, from Axel, and from myself. Even if I had managed to convince the pack, my father, and the elders that you were my mate, I knew I could never deceive the moon goddess, and Axel didn''t even know that," Thane says.


    "Yet you choose me."


    "I fell for you, just the same way you did me."


    "I love you too, Thane, for now and forever," I said, and he smiled, lifting me up so I could kiss his lips.


    "Maybe you could show me just how much you love me," he says, and I knew just how to do


    that.


    Waking up in Thane''s arms waspletely different. I feltplete; I had never felt this happy my whole life, and staring at this fallen angel before me, I let myself ept it, ept the fact that he would always be mine, and I deserved to be happy.


    I was watching him sleep like the creep I was. His face... was just so perfect; I wish I could trail my finger down those lips..


    I lifted my hands, and slowly I let my a single finger trail the angle of his nose and then his lips.


    His movement had been too fast; his hands caught mine. Of course he wasn''t asleep, and I shouldn''t have fallen for that.


    "What are you doing, Riley?"


    "Nothing... it just." I paused shyly, "I think you are really handsome."


    His eyes snapped open, the heat of his gaze on me. "Hearing this from you is a different feel. But I am the more lucky one; I think you look unique," he says, and my heart swells. "Good unique or... weird unique?" I questioned.


    "Sexy unique"


    That wasn''t part of the options, but I''ll take that," I said, and his smile widened.


    "The one you refer to as Ancient Lover is on her way here," he says, and that catches me off


    guard.


    "Bailey?"


    "Yes"


    "How did you know?"


    "Alpha ''thingy," he says with a smile. "Spread your legs."


    "What?" I question, but spread them anyway, very much curious. He took out the balls.


    "You had that with you all the while?"


    "Yes, of course," Thane says, sliding my panties to the side, and then he settled the balls between my legs, gently pushing them in.


    Just then there was a knock-on the door, and I rose to put on a robe, but the movement and friction caused the balls to make slight movements, and I let out a silent moan. "Come on, Riley, you can take it," Thane says, helping me with my robe before heading for the door. He let Bailey in.


    "So... the Alpha King didn''t attend his own father''s funeral?" Bailey asked.


    "It was sote, and we needed the rest," Thane said, smirking at me. Of course we did more than resting.


    I walked to Thane... very slowly if I might add, still I was breathing hard as each movement felt more torturous than the next-a good kind of torture, of course.


    "So de had been buried?" I asked


    "Yes, and I had to take over."


    "It wouldn''t make sense for the man believed to have murdered the Alpha to attend the burial, would it?" Thane questioned.


    "That would be called paying yourst respects. With that aside, when would we be living?" Bailey asked


    "You could leave; I and Thane would be there when we are ready," I said, and her gaze brushed


    over me.


    "You forget your ce, pup."


    "And you forget your manners, elder. She is right, please leave; I really do not want to see your face for the time being."


    "Alpha King Thane. Do not ever forget that I made you; without me, you would have died in the hands of the elders, a long time ago, so when you speak to me, you watch it."


    With those scarily fast movements, Thane pinned her against the wall.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixten


    "I could just kill you like I did the rest," he says, and from the look in his eyes, he was contemting that.


    "You need me, Alpha," she said, and though she tried to hide it, I could see the slight fear in her eyes.


    "No. I had never needed anyone before," he says, withdrawing his hand from her neck. There was the red bruise where his hands had been around her neck. "We might have made a deal, but it gives you no control, no power till it ispleted; you dare not threaten me ever again, Elder Bailey."


    Her hands wrapped around her neck, and she walked away.


    "Thane... what is this deal you made with Bailey?


    "It was a trade; the n was, to trade her power for her support." He says and then the smirk widened on his lips, "Now let''s see how far in those balls had gone.

 Claim Me 117

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen


    My life felt like a dreame true.


    I couldn''t believe he had admitted that he loved me; a part of me had been ready to live without it. I was ready to punish myself with the one-sided love. Never in my life had I been this happy, not with Ryker, not with anybody, and... Sometimes, good things like this don''tst. But I was determined to fight for what we had and I was d to know I won''t be fighting alone.


    We had returned to the Nightshade pack, and it felt different, maybe because I was returning to this ce as the Queen Luna, or maybe because I knew that I had found my other part.


    The Nightshade pack had be one of the biggest packs in the world, and with the workforce doubled, many other packs were wary of this kind of growth. There was a meeting taking ce in a few hours, the first ever meeting that I would be attending; this time it won''t be Beatrix taking my ce, but unfortunately Bailey wasing with us for whatever reason Thane thought she should. I, on the other hand, didn''t see Bailey''s presence as a necessity, but again, never had an Elder attended a meeting, so it says something about this pack.


    There was a knock on the door to my room. I should be expecting more visitors with the new additions to our pack, but it was thest person I expected to see. Freya.


    "What are you doing here?" I blurted out.


    "Can I at leaste in?"


    "Oh, yeah,e in," I said, letting her in before shutting the door.


    I hadn''t seen her in Thane''s crowning; I doubted she attended her husband''s funeral/burial.


    "So... I didn''t expect you."


    "I know," she says, and her voice sounds bolder. Freya was in a dress pants, a white shirt, and the huge dark sses that framed her face. She took the sses off though. "I''m sorry foring in unannounced. I just had to tell you that I am leaving." "Leaving?"


    "Yes. I want to get out there; that had always been my dream. I wanted to be free of everything and start over. Maybe it is toote, but I would never know if I don''t try. Who knows, maybe even find love. True love."


    "1


    "I would have expected you to give up on love," I said genuinely.


    "What de and I had was never love, and maybe that had been why I was never satisfied."


    "So I guess this is goodbye."


    She gave me a weird look. "You don''t really think I came all this way just because I wanted to say goodbye to you first. Do you?"


    "Then why are you here?


    "It''s Thane. I know he had told you a little about me, and from all you have seen, it seems like I do not love him, but I do. I love him so very much, even if it is toote to y some vital roles in his life. But he has you now. I had never seen him look at any other woman the way he looks at you and... I want to warn you that if you do anything to hurt him, then he would not be the only oneing for you," She says, and with that she walks away.


    "Goodbye, Luna Freya," I said, but before I couldplete the sentence, she mmed the door and was gone.


    Well, she returned to leave a threat that was very much the Freya I knew.


    I didn''t know what dress would be suitable for a meeting. Nothing party-like, of course... maybe something intimidating? I brought out the dark blue gown... or maybe elegant, I brought out the white. Picking a dress was just so hard.


    I wished I could just go up to Axel and ask for his help, but things between us felt weird; we hadn''t talked since I returned, and I knew what he felt for me; also, I knew who I loved more.


    I did feel bad for making him end it with Gloria; that had been selfish of me. I missed him; he was so close to me, a friend anytime I was in need of one, and now we were just so... far apart, I was so afraid to cross the distance. This time things were different with Thane. I decided I would go with the elegant white dress


    I put it on, and just like every other dress in here, it fit perfectly. I stared at the mirror, and standing before me was apletely different girl. This girl was happy, content, and satisfied. I never thought of myself as beautiful before, but now I could almost see all the little things I had once skipped, like how my eyes were so bright and my blonde hair was a ''unique'' shade. I felt like a blind just regaining her sight.

 Claim Me 118

    hapter One Hundred and Eighteen.


    The aura in the room from every Alpha was almost unbearable.


    I could only recognize two of the Alphas present Trent and, of course, Ryker. I couldn''t believe I had forgotten about him, and I never did bother to ask Thane if he had been released. It was safe to say that I had moved on from him, and now when I stared at him, I feel nothing. No anger, no pain, no regret. If he hadn''t treated me the way he did, I would never had met Thane.


    Everyone rose to their feet when Thane and I walked in, and we took out seats at the head of the table. Bailey stood a good distance behind us.


    Most of the Alphas were present with their Luna and Beta.


    "I hear you all would like to speak to me," Thane questions, going straight to the point.


    "Yes, this is a dire matter." One of the Alpha''s says. "It has to do with thend and territories which once belonged to the New Blood Packs."


    "What about it?" Thane asks.


    "We wonder if those territories could be split to widen the neighbouring packs."


    "And why should I do that, Alpha Zack?"


    "Seeing as you might not need them anymore...."


    "Thosends belong to thete Alpha King, my father; why do you think you have any right to them?"


    Another spoke. "We do not believe we have any right to it, but some of the neighbouring pack had lost a portion of theirnds to thete Alpha King; he took them for debts we owed to him," he exined.


    "I''ll let my Luna decide. What do you think we should do with thosends, Riley?" Thane asks. Wait, what?, he was asking me that question?, I gave him a re, but he only smirked at that. "Maybe an exchange," I suggested, and a few nodded in approval. "So what are we trading for a portion of thosends, Luna?" the Alpha asked me.


    "What do you have to offer?" I redirected the question back at him.


    He shrugged. "We build our own weaponries and it would be a good trade indeed" he says and I nced at Thane, he nodded.


    "Well, we build our own vehicles and machines that coulde in handy" Alpha Zack added.


    "Our pack has a surplus of trained soldiers that we are willing to exchange" another suggested and that sounded a bit cringe, but this was how trades were made.


    "Then that is settled." I said, noticing the fact that every single attention was on me. Ryker included; there was something in his eyes; I didn''t look enough to discern what that look


    meant.


    "There is another matter on the ground" a man who seemed to be the oldest in the room began. "With every Alpha King in power, there were always the... elders to keep him in the line. With the knowledge that all the elders are dead...


    Thane cut him off. "You are afraid that I may one day use the power I have over you all without any form of consequences for my actions?" he asks.


    "Yes, Alpha Thane," the man says. "We all know that thest elder ispletely on your side," he said, gl¨¤ncing once at Bailey before looking away. "And why do you think I am on his side, Cain?".


    "Elder, I mean no disrespect, but everyone knows that you betrayed your own d for a ce at his side."


    "Offense taken, Cain. They were about to kill the next king; I did this not out of personal gain, but out of duty, they missed their path" she said, her voice cold, and that silenced Cain.


    "If you all are threatened by the Alpha King, then that is a problem we have no solutions to. The best you could do is remain in yourne," I said, my gaze on the Alpha named Cain. Thane rose,


    and so did I.


    "You are all wee to dine with us; there are rooms avable for you to stay the night if you choose to. This meeting is over," Thane announces.


    "The guts of those people," I hissed out.


    "They could be that annoying, but I do love when you speak up," Thane says.


    "I am the Queen Luna; I had to y my part. I never knew you released Ryker," I said, giving him a pointed look; of course he didn''t see the need to tell me that.


    "I didn''t like the way he kept on staring at you in there. It would have been satisfying to rip his eyes out."


    "He was staring at me?" I-questioned. So I hadn''t been the only one who noticed that.


    "Yes, he was. I bet he regrets his decisions now more than ever.


    "Too bad for him; I belong to you now," I said, cing a kiss on his lips, but of course, he didn''t let me stop at that.

 Claim Me 119

    Chapter One Hundred and Neen


    -Riley, meet me in my room now.


    Mom.


    That was alf the letter said. A maid had dropped by to pass me the written note clearly from my mother. I wondered why she wanted to see me.


    I quickly got dressed and headed for my mother''


    The door to her apartment had been left wide open, and so I walked in, mming the door shut after I did..


    "Mom," I called, walking into the apartment. "Mom, I saw the letter," I called out again.


    Is


    Finally I saw her; she sat on one of the cushions, tears streaming down her eyes. I rushed towards her.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?" I asked.


    "Riley"


    "Yes, I am here, mom. What happened?"


    "Seat down with me, would you?" she asked.


    I stared at her, puzzled. Still I sat.


    "Riley, I want to talk to you, and all I need you to do is listen to me."


    "Okay, I can do that." I said, hiding the panic I felt. I knew something was wrong.


    "Good," she says, and it took a minute before she started. "Do you know I once loved de?"


    "What?"


    That I didn''t expect.


    "I... maybe the problem was me. How could I love the man who had kidnapped me and cleared out my pack forever... but at least he let me live? thought there had been a reason, I thought I was special to him. I had been so young, and he was handsome and charming in every manner. He was just the type ever girl wanted, but he wanted me. I couldn''t understand why, but at some point I stopped thinking, at some point I stopped trying to understand him, instead I fell for him. We were making progress; he was changing for me until... he brought in Freya as


    his mate.


    That''s when the true torments started."


    I remembered de telling me how he had broken her by giving her hope, making her fall for


    his petty lies, and only to shatter the little glitter of hope he left with her. He said it was more fun this way.


    He deserved to die, in the worst way possible.


    "When I left, Freya said he never did stopparing me to her; when he was drunk, he spoke about me too. So maybe it hadn''t all been a lie, but his brutality has gotten the best of him, and I was his weakness, one he needed to get rid of. Maybe he did let me escape; there was no way; I could have gotten out of this pack without him noticing, so maybe he thought I had suffered enough and he let me go."


    "Mom, what are you trying to say?"


    "What I am trying to say was that even in the beast of a man called de, there was still another part of him, that tiny, little, and almost inexistent part of him I fell in love with. But what he valued more was power."


    "de is dead, mother, and he deserved to die; what are you heading at?"


    "How many times have you asked, or rather... begged Thane to step out of his line of ambition, just so he would be safe?" She asks, and her questions for some reasons hits hard.


    "I don''t know."


    "Tell me the truth, Riley," she says, her voice silent.


    I remember those times. I had begged him to not go against the elders, but he did more than once. I had begged him to not challenge his father because I was afraid I would lose him, but he had said he never settles for less. I had begged him not to take the crown; it would have killed him, but again he did.


    "Did he listen?" Mother questions.


    "He spared you that once."


    so that''s the little hope you hang unto?"


    "Stop this right now, mother. What is your problem? You said you would let me be. Why are you bringing all this up after all this time?"


    "Riley, you lied to me. About the contract, you told me that this was temporary; you never told me you loved him. Why would you do this to me, Riley?"


    She was right. I hadn''t realized I didn''t tell her that the contract would not stand any longer.


    "Mom..."


    "You told me, Riley, you said we would leave this ce together."


    "I am sorry."


    "Why?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Neen


    "This is not a big deal, mother. If you don''t want to stay here, then I could arrange something


    you; you could be happy elsewhere."


    "And you would remain here?"


    "I am his mate..."


    "No, you are not."


    "Listen to me, mother. I can never leave him; in him I had found the happiness I had long sorted for; he is nothing like his father; just stopparing them; de is dead; we need to move on; why do you always have to dig into past memories?"


    "I never wanted to tell you this," she muttered again to herself. "I never thought I would have to; we were supposed to leave; you weren''t supposed to love him; he was never supposed to make you his queen."


    "Mom, you are scaring me." I said, but she kept muttering those words again and again to herself.


    "You don''t understand."


    "Then make me."


    "When I left this pack... I discovered that I was pregnant." "Pregnant. You never told me anything about losing a child."


    "I never lost the child, Riley. You were the baby I had with de."

 Claim Me 120

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty


    "You were pregnant with me?" I repeated; it didn''t make sense. Why did she never bother to tell me this?


    "Do you know what this means?"


    "It means the monster is my father." I began; she stared at me as if expecting me to figure something out, and finally it was clicking. If de was my father, then...


    "Alpha Thane is your brother Riley."


    "What?"


    "I''m so sorry, I should have told you a long time ago; this is all on me; it is my fault, and I know it, but please..."


    "No. I don''t believe you, mother; you are lying, right?"


    ''No, baby, I am not, and you know that."


    "I don''t know that! I don''t know you anymore; the only thing I know is that you never want to see me happy. Why, mother? Why do you want to take away the one good thing in my life, the one thing that finally makes me happy?"


    "I wanted to tell you Riley, but you told me it was all a contract and you would leave him. I was hoping that would happen; then maybe I could tell you at ater time, but you love him and things are getting serious; you had to know." "No. I didn''t have to know. Tell me you are lying I pleaded, but then I remembered that on time de had taken me as captive. I remembered his words, ''Have you ever wondered who your father was?, It could be anyone-a roadside drunkard, a soldier, a captive, or...


    even me,


    He had a clue; he must have. Why else would he say that?


    My brain had shoved that away so quickly, unwilling to think of it, but now I did... it all made sense; I should have spoken to her after what de told me, but maybe I didn''t want to know maybe I had avoided it because I wanted nothing to spoil what we had. But my mother always stood in the way of my happiness.


    "Why, mother. Why did you have to tell me, why didn''t you keep it to yourself?" I questioned. I was in tears now. This was real, she was being truthful.


    "I thought you would have wanted to know."


    "You thought I would have wanted to know that the man I love... was my brother?"


    "You aren''t supposed to love him."


    "Don''t you dare tell me what I am supposed to do it is my feelings; you have no control over it. Do not think for once that because you made a foolish decision, then I would too; I am not


    you."


    "Yet you are following my footsteps; you are falling in love with the wrong man, and I am forced to watch you. You may think I hate you; carry on, but what I do, I do to protect you." "No. You''ve never protected anybody but yourself; you are selfish, and I once regretted calling you that, but it was true; it had always been about ''you''. These past few days I had been so happy; I knew it would end too soon, but I never knew you would be the cause."


    She rose to her feet. "Am I the cause? What did I do wrong? Is it the fact that I brought you into the world or the fact that I know what is right for you and don''t want you hurt?"


    "In the process of trying to keep me ''safe''," I said with the hand gesture, "You had hurt me more than anyone had, and this time, I would never forgive you."


    "Don''t say


    that. I was only doing what I thought was right."


    "Right for who?, for me or for you?. You don''t need to answer that; it had always been about you; your dream of freedom became mine too, but still, you always wanted more. He would have killed you when you attacked de, but he didn''t.


    I really hate you right now, mother."


    "You think you do now, but soon, you will understand that I was only trying to help."


    "Keep your help to yourself. From now on, if you need an audience with me, you queue in line with others waiting to be heard by the Queen Luna. Do not stop by my ce; I do not want to see your face every again," I said, and the words hurt me too, but this time I didn''t feel like taking them back.

 Claim Me 121

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One


    It felt like good things weren''t destined to happen to me. I hated my mother more than I had ever done my whole life because she had told me a truth that I didn''t want to hear.


    Why did she have to tell me?


    That was the question echoing over and over in my mind.


    I couldn''t think of Thane as a brother, not after all we shared and all that happened between us. I had to be strong; no one was to see me in tears, so I had escaped to a more secluded space, a dressing room of some kind; there was no one in here, so I could cry my heart out.


    I felt like I had lost something dire to me, even if he was still there. This was what she wanted; she wanted to separate me from the only man I truly wanted.


    I would never let that happen. I had told myself that I would fight for what Thane and I had, and ''this'' wouldn''t change it.


    But then being with him could feel so... wrong.


    Someone walked in.


    "I need some quiet time; leave now," I ordered, backing the door.


    "It''s me Riley" Axel says and I turn to face him. I couldn''t control the tears. "What happened? Who hurt you?" He asked, very ready to beat-up someone.


    ""Is not that?" I manage to say.


    "Then what is it?"


    "Could you shut the door?"


    Axel shut the door before walking to me. "Riley, please tell me what is going on."


    "My mother, she is the problem."


    "Is she hurt?"


    "No," I paused. I didn''t know how to tell this to him or if it was alright to share it. "You know those times the truth hurts so bad, you wish you never discovered it?"


    "Yes," Axel answers, and for some reasons, I felt like he alone could understand me.


    "My mother sent a letter to me earlier this morning, and she said she wanted to speak to me; of course I had gone to meet her, and she started with some talk about her past..." Again I paused, unable to speak on. "Riley, please speak to me; there is no way I can help you if I don''t know how to." He says, and I nod.


    "She told me de was my father. She said she left this pack pregnant with de''s child, and she hadn''t told me the truth all these while because she thought what I had with Thane woulde to an end soon, and... She knows about the contract too; I am so sorry, and I know I shouldn''t have told her, but I needed someone to talk to, and she wanted to leave this ce so badly, I had to assure her that I didn''t n on staying either," I exined. I couldn''t have Thane finding out about any of this.


    "Riley it is alright," he assures me.


    "I changed my mind and I didn''t tell her about it I didn''t tell her what I felt for Thane or how I nned to be with him for the rest of my life, and I know it was so darn wrong of me, but I was in love with the son of the man who had hurt her so badly, I didn''t know how to tell her. But she must have noticed it. She revealed the truth, Thane is my brother and this was the truth I never wanted to hear."


    "And how do you know she didn''t have things mixed up? You look nothing like de, no offense.


    "de had said something to me when he abducted me, something about my father, and... I should have known what he was getting at.''


    Axel let me cry in his arms. "I''m so sorry Riley, this is just as shocking to me as it is to you; it feels almost impossible," he says, and he was right; I was nothing like de; he was an Alpha; if he was indeed my father, then I should have had some kind of Alpha blood in me; I sheild have been stronger.


    "I cannot tell Thane this... I don''t want to lose him; I would never see him as a brother, but as the man I love." I dered.


    "Riley. I believe in fate, and if you both are meant to be together, then there would always be a way, believe me."


    "So, what do you think I do?, He should know about this, right? He has the right to know, and I shouldn''t keep the truth away from him."


    "Whether you choose to tell him or not, that ispletely up to you; I would be with you in whatever decision you make," Axel said, and that meant everything. I needed someone by my side, now more than ever.


    My only fear was that Thane would change after he discovers the truth. What if... he bes apletely different person?


    That was impossible, right? He had admitted he loved me; if he loved me, then he would fight for what we had, and nothing coulde in between.


    I made my decision; I was not going to hide anything from him.

 Claim Me 122

    Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Two


    I had prepared exactly what I would say to Thane but the moment he walked in, all I had rehearsed for hours waspletely forgotten.


    eves


    His brown hair fell over his amber eyes and that''s all I could think about, how beautiful his


    were. I couldn''t lose him, not just because he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen my whole life, but because I had fallen so in love with this man that I didn''t think I could live without him. "Riley," he calls.


    "Wee back, Thane."


    "You seemed to be a bit lost checking me out," he mused with a smile before walking to me. "I got you something."


    "Oh" I said in response; he took out the box and pulled it open, and it was a golden bracelet with emerald and blue flowery designs.


    ''I could only think about you when I saw this," he says, taking my hands and securing the bracelet around my wrist, No doubt it was pure gold; it looked so beautiful and very costly too. "Thane, I can''t take this." I said even if I would very much love to. "Riley, don''t turn this down," he warns.


    "I''m sorry, I just thought it was a bit too much."


    "For you, nothing is too much."


    I stared at the jewellery; it was the most beautiful piece I had ever seen. "Thank you, love it."


    "You are wee; I''m d you like it.


    "Thane I... wanted to talk to you," I said to him as he shrugged off his jacket.


    "I''m listening"


    "I was wondering; how would you feel about having a sister."


    "A baby sister?" he questioned. I had his full attention now."


    "Yes," I said silently.


    Thane. I


    "I have always wanted that. Riley, if this is about having kids-well, I won''t refer to my daughter as a baby sister, but if this is what you are heading at, then I am totally fine with it."


    "Really?" I find myself asking and almost straying from my point.


    "Yes, is this where you were heading?" he asked,


    "Yes... No. That''s not what I wanted to talk to you about," I said and if I didn''t know better, I would think he was a bit disappointed. It felt harder now. "I went to my mother''s today" 1 began, my eyes watered. "She told me something, a truth that I wish I never knew about. You know that my mother and your father had been...


    "Riley stop"


    "You have to hear me out."


    "You could never be my sister Riley."


    He had picked on faster than I had; maybe he too had suspicions.


    "Thane I''m sorry. There was something I didn''t tell you. When your father... abducted me, had this feeling that he knew, but I didn''t want to believe it. My mother had been pregnant with me before she left this pack."


    I


    Thane stared at me, his looked mad. "But you look nothing like him; you look nothing like me, and with the Alpha Blood in you...


    "I know, I thought about all those too, but I believe my mother was saying the truth." "And she has to tell you this truth now? Doesn''t that sound a bit suspicious?" "Thane. I told my mother about the contract. She had been so worried, and I was trying to assure her that we would leave this ce soon. But I never did inform her when things changed; she didn''t tell me anything about who my father was because she thought she wouldn''t have to," I exined.


    "She doesn''t want me with you, not after what my father did to her, right?"


    "What she wants doesn''t matter right now. This is all about us.''


    55


    Thane gaze on me was so hard, I fidgeted. "I could never see you as my sister after all we have done, all I made you do."


    "Neither can I. It doesn''t have to matter; we could move on because I would never stop loving you, and I would never see you as a brother either, but the man I love."


    I advanced slowly till I was flush against Thane; He leaned over so Leould reach him, and I kissed him. Those lips, his touch-they were not all brotherly, and suddenly he let go of me. I drew him so I could kiss him more, but he wouldn''t budge.


    "I can''t," he says, and those two words shattered me.


    "What do you mean by you can''t?"


    "Thinking about you naked feels so wrong. This is not okay."


    "Thane,


    "But you love me; I love you too; that''s all that matters," I say, but Thane says nothing in


    as he walks away. I wouldn''t let him walk away this time; / blocked his path.


    -2/3


    Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Two


    please don''t do this; I am crazy over you and I..." broke into tears, and Thane''s eyes softened.


    "I''m sorry, please don''t cry, Riley," he said, easily lifting me up like I weigh nothing.


    "You can''t leave me, Thane; I do not care what anyone says; I am your Luna and Queen, more than that, I am your mate; and nothing would ever change that."

 Claim Me 123

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three


    If he loved me, then he should fight for what we had.


    Yet since I told him the truth that I was his sister, he hardly ever touched me; it had only been five days, but that was unusual for a man like Thane. He did kiss me, but it was never as passionate as it had once been. That would have to change because I was going to make a move... on lim, tonight.


    I was in the sexiest pair of underwear. He would be back any moment. Iid on the bed waiting, and just as I had expected, he walked in.


    The moment he spotted me, he paused. I could see the need in his eyes, so strong, this was it; he was going to im me.


    "Riley, put on your clothes." He says and his words contradict the look in his eyes.


    The cold feeling of rejection washed through me, and I rose from the bed, walking toward him, "Thane look at me," I pleaded, and he did. "Nothing had changed. Has it?"


    "No, you are still as sexy as ever," he says, his eyes trailing down my body. Yet he held back. "You don''t need to restrain yourself. I miss your touch, Thane." The fight was only evident in his eyes. I just needed to try a little harder, I had already humiliated myself, I could take it a step further. I went on my knees. "Is this what you want, Thane, Do you want me to be?, because I am ready to just that" I said, well aware that I sounded desperate..


    Thane walked past me, returning with a robe; he draped it over me, helping me to my feet.


    "If only you know how badly I want you, but you''ve be the one thing I desire the most... but can never have" he says.


    I felt so mad at him; this was solemnly due to the humiliation I felt. I had never felt this rejected by a man my whole life; I had been ready to do any single thing he asked of me, I was ready to put myself at his person but the problem was he didn''t want any of this. "You choose not to; I am right here, standing before you, but you choose not to have me, "T said, holding back my tears.


    "You being my sister changes everything."


    "Half sister," I corrected with a frown on my face.


    "You would always be my Luna and Queen, but... we can''t."


    "Don''t say it, Thane." I said cutting him off. "You want to reject me, and I do not want to hear


    it."


    "It won''t be called rejection since we were never mates; I would always be there for you, and I want you happy."


    "If you want me happy, then you wouldn''t be saying all these; if you want me happy, then you would leave all ''this'' behind us and we would move on.


    "That is impossible, Riley; as much as I wished I never knew the truth, I did, and... things would never be the same.


    "You said you loved me. Did you really mean those words?" I asked, and he stared at me, but I avoided his eyes./


    "I had never said those words to anyone but Be, but I had never meant it as I did when I proimed them to you."


    "Then why? Why wouldn''t you fight for us?"


    "Riley. You deserve to be happy. Axel can give you that."


    "What?"


    "Is not exactly shocking; he has feelings for you, and I trust him to take care of you, more


    than I ever will. You don''t deserve this treatment."


    "So you are going to pass me on to him?, and when he no longer wants me, he would pass me on to... maybe one of the soldiers?"


    "Riley, please don''t say that. You are not an object, but you deserve better, and I... I can''t even touch you.''


    "You know what I think? I think you were waiting for this opportunity all along, when you would get to let go of me; I had always been a burden to you."


    "If you were a burden, then you would have been one I was very willing to carry. But weren''t. I had not stopped loving you, and it is wrong, but this I cannot undo."


    "I "Some secrets were meant to be hidden, and I wish I had never told you any of this; nothing would have changed; you would still be able to look me in the eyes while you kissed me," 1 said, and for the first time I saw the pain in his eyes. Thane was so good at hiding emotions, yet I knew that I was not the only one hurting.


    It wasn''t good enough.


    He would have fought, but I wondered if I was worth fighting for.


    "Promise me that you would be safe and not do something stupid," he says, and I know what he was referring to when he said that; The bathtub incident.


    "I won''t try drowning myself if that is what you mean."


    "Riley..."


    31


    "You don''t have to say anything more. You''ve made it clear; you don''t want me anymore; /


    off to Axels'', and also, don''t let me hold you down; go along and fuck the other girls


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three.


    waiting on the line."

 Claim Me 124

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    I had been on my way to Axels'' apartment when walked right into my mother, she must have been waiting for me. I took a turn, trying to avoid her; she was thest person I wanted to see, but I felt her firm grip on my hands. "Please, Riley, let''s talk," she says.


    Talk? What''s the point? We''ve been talking and it led to more problems, perhaps it was best I avoid chatting with her, this way she could keep her secrets to herself.


    "I do not need to talk to you right now; let me go," I said. My voice sounded so cold, I almost didn''t believe it came from me. She finally let me go.


    "You were right, I didn''t want you with him, I was never okay with that and so I knew telling you the truth would end what you both had, if only I knew how bad I was hurting you in the process. I acted selfishly but I think I have a solution." she says, her eyes sincere. "No,


    you don''t; the only things you cane up with are more problems, and I am fed up. I am sick and tired of you."


    "Hear me out. I read about this thing called a DNA test; the healers could do that; maybe you should check..." she speaks on, but I cut her off.


    "So does this mean you are unsure about my rtionship with..." I paused, noticing we were out in the open, and I couldn''t say more than that.


    "No, I am sure."


    "Then what is the need for that?"


    "I thought..."


    "Stop alright. When I said I didn''t want to see you for some long, long time, I meant it. I need space, I need time away from you, and that is the least you can do for me right now." When I walked away, she didn''t follow after me or try holding me back.


    I wanted a DNA test so badly; maybe the result coulde out false, but then my mother wasn''t lying. What exactly was the use of putting my hope in a test that woulde out positive? I hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door to the Axel room.


    A female with beautiful red hair opened the door


    "Oh. Good day, Luna," she says with an awkward bow; she wasn''t expecting me in the least.


    "Uhmm, hi. Is Axel in?"


    "Oh, yes, he is," she says, leaving the door open so I could walk in. I contemted just ditching this and going for apletely empty room; I could stay there for a while.


    "Riley," Axel called the moment he saw me.


    "Am I interrupting something?"


    "No, I was just about leaving," the red-haired girl said before exiting the room and leaving us


    alone.


    First it had been Gloria; when I saw her with Axel, I felt so jealous; Axel had broken things up with her just to please me, and then what did I do after that? I walked away; I went back to Thane. If this was his new girl, then I was going to have to deal with it. "Riley," Axel began. "Nina is my cousin," he says as if reading me.


    "Oh. Oh," I was actually relieved to hear that. "I thought..."


    "I know what you thought; it was written clearly on your face."


    wwas it that obvious?"


    Axel chuckled. "It wasn''t," he says, and I hope he wasn''t just saying that for my sake.


    "I never knew you had a cousin," I said to Axel.


    "I do, though in the same pack, I rarely see her."


    "I don''t think I gave her a good first-time impression,"


    "You shouldn''t be worrying about that, Riley, so tell me, why are you here?"


    "I was wondering if I can stay here for some time."


    "Some time?" he questions


    "Maybe a few days, a week, a month... I don''t know."


    "You told him," Axel says, and I nod. "How did it go?" he asked.


    "I... I don''t know. Maybe I was asking for too much; maybe this is all my fault... I should never have told him about this, but I feared he would find out on his own, and then that would be so much worse." "You did the right thing telling him." Axel assured me.


    "I do not think so, because he can''t even look me in the eyes when... kissing me, I said to Axel. "I noticed he had been distanttely and so." I paused, too shy to say the words.


    "You made a move." Axel helped, and I nodded. I could no longer hold back the tears of embarrassment.


    "He rejected me when I was right there, literally begging for his... his touch. I felt so embarrassed." I finally spoke out, wiping the tears.


    "He is a jerk for doing that," Axel said, embracing me.


    23

 Claim Me 125

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    "Maybe he just can''t do it... with his half sister," I said, putting emphasis on the word ''half''.


    "Thane is not a


    in ''that'' fieldleman, and I know for sure he wants you; he has no rules of conduct, not


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    "Then why, why did he turn me down?" I asked, and Axel had been about to say something, but he stopped.


    He knew something, something he wasn''t going to tell me.


    "Have you tried a DNA test?" Axel asked instead.


    "On my way here, I ran into my mother who also brought that up... but I don''t see the need of going through that only to have my hope shattered?"


    "Riley, I hope you don''t feel bad about me saying this, but your mother was with... others too, not just de," he says, and I nod; I wanted to believe it too, I wanted to believe there was a chance.


    "What are the test requirements?" I asked him.


    "Thane''s blood or oral fluid," Axel said.


    "I''d prefer he doesn''t find out about the test until I get the results, and that would be impossible if I needed his blood or... saliva."


    "Then his hair would do, and I could get that for you."


    "You can?"


    "Of course," he says with a small smile.


    "Thank you... so much


    Something urred to me. Axel had always been there when I needed him, but I had never really thought about how ''he'' felt. "Axel... I think I owe you an apology," I began.


    "Why?"


    "Ie to you every time I need ''something'' and then I''m gone. I hadn''t considered your feelings and I simply moved. Also, when you were with Gloria, I was the reason you broke up with her, and then I went on living my life like nothing happened. I am so sorry. I know I''ve


    been selfish.


    I had been mad at Thane for passing me to you like I was nothing but an object, never did I consider what it felt like when being ced as the second option. I am so sorry, Axel, and I really want you to be happy. I do... but..."


    "Riley. You shouldn''t feel bad for making your decision. I broke up with Gloria''because I didn''t want you to be ufortable, but I was never nning on taking things forward."


    "Who knows, maybe she would have grown on you.


    "No. She wouldn''t have grown on me. I know what I want, but I am not a fool toe between another''s happiness to achieve that. Thane is closer than a brother, though he could act like atplete jerk, but he is a good person, and I love you. I know he makes you happy, happier than I would, so do not feel guilty," he says.


    "I love you." And just then I realized what I had just said. What the hell was my problem...


    "I love you too, Riley."


    I had spent the night with Axel, and a part of me was bothered that Thane hadn''t even checked on me once; the little insecurities returned. I wondered who Thane spent his night with.


    Axel had not made any advances, but I knew he was simply waiting for my consent; he would never do anything without my consent.


    With Axel, things felt easier. He had feelings for me just as I did; he could understand me. But with Thane, everything seemedplicated, and I always found myself wondering if I would ever be good enough for him.


    I rearranged the bed just to keep myself busy. I was determined not to go back to Thane; he would have toe to me first this time.


    Just then Axel walked in with a wide smile on his face.


    "I could get used to this," he says, staring at me rearranging the bed for the tenth time.


    "I just wanted to keep busy. So... you got it?"


    "Of course," he says, taking out a mini leather bag from his pocket. "I got his hair."


    "Wow... that was fast," I said as he passed the bag to me. I stared at the strands of brown hair; a part of me wanted to take it out of the bag and inhale deeply.


    "You can''t touch it though," he warned. "I had to put on some gloves to get it in there."


    "You are good at this," I said. His smile was infectious, and I found myself smiling along.


    "When are we going for the test?" he asks.


    "Could we go now... I mean, if it''s okay with you?"


    "Yes, the healer is waiting; I had to speak to her personally."


    "Of course I am ready now; let''s go," I said, and for some reason I felt very excited.


    Axel led me to one of the vacant healing rooms, where a woman waited; she didn''t need any more instructions; she took the strands of hair from me and quickly went to work.


    "We need your sample too, Luna," the healer said to me, taking out a stic tube. "Your oral fluid would be preferable," she says, and I nod, doing just as she had asked, Chapter One Hundred and Tweilly Five


    "So when do we get the results?" I asked her.


    "Twenty-four hours."


    "Oh. Can''t we receive the results earlier than that?"


    "Usually it takes weeks; twenty-four hours is as quick as it gets," she exins.


    I could wait twenty-four hours.

 Claim Me 126

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six


    "Is it twenty-four hours yet?" I asked Axel.


    "There is still twenty hours to go" Axel answered, and 1 groaned.


    "Hey... what about now?"


    "It is still twenty hours to go, maybe minus twenty seconds. Riley, you have to calm down."


    "Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down?" I asked, frustrated at everything. "You know what? I''m sorry... I know I could get very irritating, but these four hours feel like a whole day already."


    "Maybe because we are practically sitting down and waiting for twenty-four hours to pass by."


    "You have any ideas to pass time?"


    "Have you ever used, a gun before?"


    "That''s a random question. No, I just held it a few times."


    "Well then this would be fun... put on some pants, we got to go" he says.


    "Well, my clothes are back in Thane''s room, and I am not going back there."


    "I could find something that is a bit smaller for me," he says, staring me up and down. "You are really small."


    I red at him, sticking my tongue out childishly. "Maybe you are just too big." Heughed heartily at that.


    "Come on, maybe we could find one small enough for you."


    I followed him to his dressing room.


    Twenty minutes had passed, and yet, nothing fits me.


    "We might end up passing all the time in here, in your dressing room," said to him.


    L


    "Those jeans aren''t so bad," he says.


    "Take a look at this." I drew the jeans till it was way past my waist. "This could contain my whole body."


    "Are you sure... it would be interesting to watch you try?"


    I red at him. "How about those sweatpants?" asked, pointing to the gray-colored sweatpants. He picked it out and passed it to me. I quickly did away with the jeans, putting on the sweatpants; they were big, but a cool kind of big. "This could work," I say to him with a bright smile.


    "Most definitely"


    We headed out of his room, hand in hand, as he led me to... I didn''t know exactly where we were going, but what I did know was that this ce was somehow rted to ''guns''.


    A single pack member walked by, giving us a bow, before walking past us, but I didn''t miss her eyes on Axels'' and I entwined hands. I let go of his hand, but he takes mine back, unwilling to let go.


    it shut.


    Axel pulled open the double doors, letting me in before mming it


    There were dozens of target ring and mannequins, which seemed to have been ced here for practice.


    "Why is no one in yet?" I asked, I knew by the wideness of this ce that it was no private training space.


    "Well, they would be in a few hours... we are kind of early, and I think it is better this way."


    "So, I would be learning how to shoot someone?


    "Not someone, just those target boards and dummies for now," Axel says. "So which would you like to try first, an arrow or a gun?... others weapons woulde inter"


    "A gun," I decided.


    it


    "Gun it is. Starting with the handguns," Axel says, opening a drawer loaded with weaponries, he picked out the single handgun, next, he checked if it was loaded. "This is actually necessary; always check if the gun is loaded so you won''t end up disappointed big time. This gun


    is not loaded with silver bullets, so while it would hurt to be shot with one of these, won''t easily lead to a werewolf''s death" he says, and I nodded, imaging myself pulling out a gun, pointing it at a ''viins'', and pulling the trigger, only to discover it wasn''t loaded. That would be a big disappointment.


    "Let''s see what you''ve got," he tossed the gun to me, and I sidestepped, avoiding the hit; the gun fell to the ground.


    "I''m bad at this."


    "No, I think it has to do with your self confidence; you have the werewolf sense; that makes you stronger than you think; you just have to let your mind know that," he said, picking up you stronger than you think, y


    the gun and handing it to me. I took it. "Now give your shot at that wooden mannequin by the left," he says, and I nod, shooting. I missed.


    "I said by the left. You shot to the right," he says amused.


    "I was aiming for the left," I say silently.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six


    "Try again; this time don''t look away when you fire," he advises, and I nodded. "Ready?"


    "Yes"


    "Now fire"


    I stared at the mannequin this time as I pulled the trigger; it didn''t hit it, but I was getting close.


    "That''s better, but if you were in a war, you would have been dead by now."


    "Let''s try again."


    This was the tenth shot, and I hadn''t hit the mannequin once.


    "Maybe this is not my fault; maybe this is all on that stupid wood."


    "No, you just need some guidance."


    "Is the wood, you try?" I say, passing the gun to him, and with his eyes on me, he shot three


    -I assume, and the times, and they allnded on the wood, one on the head, one on the heart other a bit lower, just between the wooden mannequin''s legs. "Okay, I get your point; it''s not the wood; it''s me."

 Claim Me 127

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven


    Axel held my hands, guiding me, and this time when I took a shot, itnded right on its chest.


    "You''re dead stupid wood," I said with a wide sille.


    "Your hands are steady; you can make the shot," Axel says, and I swallow. I was going to do this on my own. "Picture someone you dislike... a lot," Axel says.


    And so many images pass through my mind, Beatrix. But then I thought of someone I would hate even more. Barley, I hadn''t realized how much I disliked her. I hated her so much I was determined to get it right this time. "Okay, I got it."


    "Then fire," Axel says, and I do just that, even without a single hesitation; itnds on the eyes of the mannequin, but I don''t stop there; I keep on shooting till the gun runs out of bullets. I tossed it to the floos. "Now I want to know who the person you pictured is," Axel muttered to himself, amazed.


    "I hate elder Bailey a lot," I admitted. "I think we could move on to archery now." "Yes, we can," Axel says. He took the bow which hung on the wall and some wooden arrows Archery is a bit moreplicated and requires focus," he began, passing me the bow and single arrow. "Could you set that?" he asked. I had seen it being done so I had an Idea.


    "Now I want your hand holding the bow and the other, the arrow. He came behind me, his hands over mine. He was so close, I could feel him. "Now you pull," he says, but I hadn''t caught that. I had been focusing on something else, his body behind me; he must have said more words, but this time I didn''t catch any.


    "Riley"


    "Huh?"


    "Are you listening?"


    "Yeah... of course."


    "Then... what did I sayst?"


    "You were teaching me how to fire an arrow. I''m sorry, I''m just..." I let go of the bow. "I just really like your scent," I said, and he smirked.


    "I can scent you now," he says, and I turned so I could face him. He leaned down and our lips met. I kissed him, and he kissed me back. Everything I felt for him would never be one-sided. His hands trailed up my shirt and higher, then down my waist and beneath the band of my sweatpants. "Riley... we won''t be alone soon," he says drawing away from me, keeping a good distance between the both of us.


    "What?"


    Before he could respond, the door was pulled open, and over a dozen pack members buzzed in.


    1. oh.


    "Thank you, Beta, for your lessons," I said, sure enough they could all hear me.


    Their deep bows of respect were bing tiring, but now that I was seen as the Luna Queen, I should get ustomed to this.


    "The result is here," Axel said, waving the envelope at me.


    I skipped off the bed and hurried to him.


    "Did you


    read it?.. did you?" I asked, suddenly nervous.


    "No, of course I didn''t... I thought you would want to check it out first."


    He passed the envelope to me, and I held it in my hands, my heart mming fast. "What happens if he is indeed my half brother? I mean, I have to be prepared for that." "I don''t think Thane would let this all go on long, soon he would get back to his senses." "What if he doesn''t... what if he really would never go on with his ''half'' sister?" "Riley, you have nothing to worry about. Just open the damn envelope."


    "Okay"


    My shaky hands felt a bit clumsy, and I opened the envelope, reading through the result. Everything on the paper seemed confusing, everything but the one single word. "Negative". Negative.


    Negative meant he wasn''t my brother, right?, It means we didn''t share any parents.


    I passed the paper to Axel, and he only needed one nce at the paper.


    "Well, I did tell you, it is very unlikely that you are rted to him."


    ""So I am not?"


    "That''s what the test says, and I believe it''s true."


    "But my mother..."


    "Maybe she didn''t know."


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven


    "Or maybe... she was lying to me just to separate us; she had said it earlier that she didn''t want the both of us together."


    "If she had suggested a DNA test, then maybe she still had the little doubt and she wanted you to find out."


    It all felt so... surreal. I had been waiting to be disappointed. I had been ready to shed more tears on the fact that Thane would never look at me the same way, but this test, this paper, changes everything. "I''m so happy," I cried out. "I have to go tell Thane right away.


    "No... Not now.


    "Why?" I asked.


    "Just not now" was Axels'' only response, and I couldn''t help but wonder why he didn''t want me to go to Thane right away.

 Claim Me 128

    Chapter One Hundred and Twerdy Boln


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight


    I was alone in Axel''s room; there had been an emergency and Axel had to go. He did tell me he would be back soon, but it had been five hours already. Screw it.


    I took the envelope and walked out, heading to the room I had shared with Thane.


    I stopped before the door; maybe I should have waited for Axel''s return before leaving, but it was toote to turn back now.


    I pushed the door open and walked in.


    "Thane, we need to talk!" I called out; I knew someone was in the room, and just then I spotted Bailey seated on the couch, wrapped in a robe... Thane''s robe. I swallowed.


    "Elder Bailey, what are you doing here?" I asked, and my voice sounded shaky even to my own ears. She took a drag from the cigarettes she held.


    "What does it look like?" She asks with a shrug; there was no smirk on her face, but I could see the victory in her eyes.


    I couldn''t believe it.


    I suddenly felt suffocated; I couldn''t breathe.


    How could he?


    That was the question I asked myself over and over again.


    ''Don''t be hard on yourself; he is the Alpha King: you should get ustomed to this, and you were not hurt in the process" she said, referring to the fact that I wasn''t his true mate, so I won''t feel any pain when he is with another woman. If only she knew that the pain I felt now surpassed that.


    I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and shredded to pieces before my very eyes. Axel knew. That''s why he had warned me not to go just yet, but I didn''t listen. I thought I could fix things with Thane, but I was wrong. The shock I felt was another profound emotion. Thane had betrayed me.


    Axel believed that Thane would get back to his senses soon, but what if he was wrong? What if he had already moved on in the few days I was away? I had told him to move on, but I had only said that because I was mad at him, I didn''t think he would actually move on with the woman I hated the most.


    This was what I got for loving a monster; this was what it felt like to give more than your received; I was always at the giving end.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight


    If Thane loved me, he wouldn''t give up this quickly. I hadn''t given up; I had tried the DNA test just to be sure, and when I discovered there was still a chance, I had grown restless and desperate to share my discovery with him.


    "Do you have a message to leave for him?" Bailey asked, those creepy ancient eyes locked at the envelope in my hands.


    ""No. No, I don''t."


    I didn''t remember exactly how I got back to Axel''s room, but by the time I did, Axel was back


    "I told you not to go, Riley." Axel said softly..


    "You should have told me, ''Riley, hejs in your room, fucking your worst enemy; now wouldn''t be the best time to tell him about the damned DNA results'', then maybe I would have understood!" I screamed at him. "I''m sorry"


    "Why? This is not your fault; it is his... I am at fault here too; I fell for this man, knowing he would only hurt me.


    I couldn''t hold it anymore; I burst into tears.


    Why did it always have to happen to me?


    "I thought there was going to be a chance for the both of us, and maybe I was the fool for thinking that. I knew that being the king would change everything, but he promised me; he said he would be nothing like his father." "Riley, maybe he was only trying to get you off his mind; did you tell him about the DNA. result?"


    "No. He wasn''t there."


    "He is in his office in case..."


    "Axel, you don''t seem to understand me. I don''t want him to know about the results; you haven''t told him, right?"


    "No. I wouldn''t"


    "Then he would never find out."


    "Riley..."


    "Stop, okay. If he could do this to me, then maybe this wasn''t just about the fact that we shared the same mother; he would always find a reason, an excuse, and I am sick and tired of mending things. I don''t care anymore, and I would really appreciate it if you stopped talking about him for now."


    Axel wiped off my tears with a thumb.


    Chapter ne pornidrts


    "You deserve better, Riley, and I won''t mention als name again if that makes you feel better."


    "It will. Thank you, Axel."


    +26 BONUS


    C

 Claim Me 129

    hapter One Hundred and


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine


    There was a knock on our door, and for some reasons I couldn''t exin, I knew who it was.


    Thane.


    "I don''t want to see him, Axel."


    Axel nodded before heading for the door.


    "Alpha... I am not sure she wants to see you right now."


    "Axel, let me in. I need to speak to her."


    "I''m sorry, I can''t. I might be your fiend, but I would say it to you when you act like a jerk. Just stop hurting her already; make your decision and stand on it," Axel said, and though I couldn''t see them, I felt the tension in the air even from here. "You know I had to." He says


    "Not in the same room you share with her, that is disrespectful... Alpha."


    "You are right. Could you let me make adjustments at least?" Thane asks, and I knew he didn''t exactly need Axel''s permission to walk in, but still he waited.


    Finally, Axel let him in, and I couldn''t me him; Thane was his Alpha.


    "Riley, can we talk?" Thane says to me, but I couldn''t even look him in the eyes. I don''t bother responding. He walks to me, standing right beside me. "There is something you need to know, Riley."


    "No, keep it to yourself; I don''t care."


    "Riley..."


    "Stop! Why can''t you just let me be? Go back to the ancient lover; I would never bother you again."


    "Remember when you asked what exactly was the deal I had with Elder Bailey and I told you she wanted power?" he asks.


    "What does this have to do with these? I questioned


    "It doesn''t justify anything, but you have the right to know. Bailey had offered her help if only... she could be my queen. She believes I would make her the queen over you, but that is what I let her believe. She is wrong; you would be my queen. She had doubts, and I had to assure her," Thane exins.


    "By assure her, you meant ''fuck her"?"


    "I''m sorry".


    Chapter One turbed


    "Why are you sorry? Was it because I discovered?"


    Thane was silent, indeed speechless.


    "Then maybe you switch up the n."


    "What?"


    "The deal was to make her queen right?"


    "What are you getting at?" Thane asked.


    "She did her part of the deal, and you should do yours too. Make her queen; I''ll be out of your way."


    I want."


    "I cannot do that; you are and would always be who I want.


    "No, you can''t want me; remember, I am your sister."


    "Half sister," he corrected through gritted teeth.


    "Yes that. So move on; just as you already did, I would always be supporting you, of course as a sister would." "Stop saying that word."


    "What word? ''sister?'', but that is what I am to you, right?"


    "You know what? I do not care if you are partly rted to me; I want you, and that''s all that matters," he says.


    "he says. Watching me, I could see the slight desperation in his eyes-or maybe I read wrong, just as I always read things wrong.


    "But that would be immoral... I don''t think I could forget about the fact that we are rted; I not do it with you, not when I know the truth,'' I said, throwing his words back at him.


    "You were okay with this..."


    "Maybe I am not anymore; maybe I want to see things from your point of view, and you were right."


    "I don''t understand. Isn''t this what you


    wanted?''


    "I wanted a man I could love without the constant tears; I wanted a man I could love without being so paranoid, imagining you with other women when you are alone; I wanted a man that doesn''t always keep me on my toes, and maybe it was never you; maybe all these time I had loved the wrong person."


    "What are you saying?"


    "I am saying that... you are my half brother."


    "Again with that phrase..."


    Chapter One Hundred and Tweidy Nine


    His words were cut off by a loud noise.


    "What is that?"


    Just then a breeze erupted suddenly out of nowhere; the wind blew so hard that the ss windows shattered. Thane shielded me so the ss dug into his own skin instead; some of the furniture was hurled across the room by the flerce wind. All the anger I had felt long forgotten as fear settled in, but just as abruptly as it has started, it came to an end.


    "Axel, go check the others," Thane instructed, and Axel nodded.


    Axel was injured, it must have been the ss, there was a long cut from his cheeks trailing down his neck; the blood stained his shirt.


    "What was that?"


    "I can guess, but I am not sure. Are you okay?" he says, his eyes trailing down my body to search for injuries.


    "I am, but you


    but you are not."


    "It''s fine, stay covered."


    "You are injured; there are fragments of ss in your skin; the longer they stay in there the worse, you could start healing with those still there." "I am fine."


    "Please let me take them out," I say, and he inhaled, giving up. He took off his shirt and sat so his back was to me.


    I gasped.


    There was just so much ss and blood.


    My shaky hands found one slightly bigger, and I slowly took it out, tossing it on the floor, the other one wasn''t as easily to pull free.


    After twenty minutes, I was sure I had taken out the most of it. I gently felt through his skin to make sure.


    "I think you got them all," he says.


    "Does it hurt?"


    "I can take it. Come with me; I can''t leave you here."

 Claim Me 130

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty


    "The wind hazard'' left thirty injured, five of them in severe conditions, but no lives were lost. The healers have their hands full," Axel reported back to Thane.


    "What exactly caused a wind that strong, it was not at all natural," Thane wondered aloud.


    "Were you thinking an elemental did this?" Axel questioned.


    "Something close. Elementals had long gone extinct, of course, except one."


    "The elders" A female voice suggested, and of course it was Bailey approaching, joining in on


    the conversation.


    "You think the elders did this?" Axel'' questioned,


    "Not just any elder... Nyaos did this; he was an elemental."


    "That should be the one elder who escaped," Thane added. His mask was back on, but I knew more than anything that he was furious; he hated anything that came against his pack "He was sending a warning..." Bailey began, but Axel cut her off.


    "More like a threat."


    "I would end what I began," Thane deres.


    "No, is too dangerous." Bailey says


    "For me?" Thane asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    "You are the king; you shouldn''t rush into danger, and it won''t be best for you to go hunt them down; who knows how long it would take to get to them."


    "So, you propose I sit here and wait... doing nothing?"


    "I would go against Nyaos; since there is only a single elder; it would be a fair battle."


    "You know, I think she is right," I said, and Axel nodded along. I had never agreed with Bailey before, but on this I happily would.


    I was alone with Thane again. Axel had to check on the


    and Bailey was getting ready to


    leave. Thane and I walked down the hallways, inspecting the pack house.


    "How long would it take to fix all these broken stuffs?" I asked, pointing at the shattered sses lying on the ground.


    "There are already workers on the job," Thane answers. "It would take a day or two."


    "A day or two?... That''s so fast."


    Chapter Dog Hundred and


    Thane chuckled at that. "Yes. It would be all cleared up soon."


    "Riley, I want you to return back to our room," Thane says after a few minutes of silence.


    "Oh. Wow, I didn''t know I was still weed in there."


    "Riley, stop"


    "I''m sorry, Thane; I am not ready to do that yet, and I don''t know when exactly I would be."


    "I can understand why you have feelings for him Thane says.


    "What?"


    "Axel. I don''t me you; he is the better man. I should have enlightened you on the deal I made with Bailey."


    "I know you had to, and you said it once: you make bargains with what you have; the bargain you made with Bailey could have been smart if you didn''t have a very jealous girl in love with you. I was mad at the fact that you had been with her while I was away, but what enraged me more was howfortable she looked in the room that was meant to be ours, and she also had your robe on."


    "She did that to spite you; I''m sorry you had to see that."


    "Is okay, but... I can''t return back there, not when the memory is still so fresh."


    Thane nodded. "You had showed up because you wanted to talk to me, right?" he questions.


    "Right"


    "I am still interested in what you had to say."


    I wanted to tell him the truth so bad, but I knew what this would mean it would mean that I was ''okay'' with what he did, and I wasn''t. It wasn''t fine.


    "You know what?, forget it." With that, I walked away, fully aware that his gaze was still on


    1. me.


    The room was so dark, I could barely make out the other furniture in the room. Thane sat alone on the wooden chair, his wrist and ankles chained with pure silver. Blood and sweat glistened on his skin; he had been left in only a pair of washed jeans, which had also been stained with his blood. The room was so silent the only noise to be heard was Thane''s ragged intake of breath.


    Just then the metal door creaked open and a man walked in, his face hidden by the darkness, but he was powerful, that I could sense.


    Chapter One Hundred and Thei


    "All hail the great Alpha King," the man mocked Thane. "The most feared Alpha who lusts. after blood, the murderer of his own father and the great elders," the man mocked on.


    "What do you want?" Thane asks, though wounded and in chains, his face betrayed no emotions and remained stoic.


    "What do I want? You ask what I want!" The man screamed out beforeughing maniacally. I spotted his cold eyes; they were the same empty ancient eyes I had seen before. The man was one of the elders, I could tell. "You killed my brothers and sisters, and you ask me what I want? "he says louder.


    "Then if I have nothing to offer you, you could go ahead and kill me." Thane says he hadn''t flinched once, not when the elder drew so close to him, their faces almost came into contact.


    "Oh, I would kill you," the elder says, taking out a dagger. I recognize that too. It was the Cursed Weapon, the very same one Thane had used against the elders. "It would only be just that you die by the same weapon," he says, lifting the weapon before stabbing it into Thane''s side.


    "You would slowly lose your wolf, and just when that happened, I would have more fun with you. This is not over. There''s a girl, Riley. She is next."


    I woke up with a start, covered in sweat. I gasped for air.


    "Riley, I am right here."


    "Thane, I cried out, wiping off my tears.


    It was just a dream. I repeated this over and over to myself, but for some reasons, it felt more than just a ''dream''.

 Claim Me 131

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty One


    "Are you okay?" Thane asks


    "Why are you here?" I questioned randomly.


    "You kept on screaming out my name and crying Axel had to call my attention."


    "I''m so sorry I woke you up."


    ''Riley, that is the least of my worries. What was the dream about?"


    "It was about you and these elders... you were being stripped of your wolf with the cursed weapon, and then he said he wasing for me next. It was so scary."


    "I am fine, Riley."


    "You don''t understand; it felt so real. Promise me that you will keep me out of danger," I pleaded.


    "I would try," he says, and I knew he was only saying that to keep me calm, but still I took the false reassurance.


    Now that I was back to my senses, I felt so embarrassed, I wondered how Axel would feel being woken up by the weirdo who cries in her sleep.


    "Oh gosh, I''m so sorry, where is Axel?"


    "He went to call for a healer."


    "I''m fine!" I said, eyes wide. That would be very embarrassing if he did call the healer.


    "I can see that now, and he would be back soon. You don''t need to be embarrassed about anything, not with us," he assures, and I nodded.


    "What is that?" I asked, pointing at the envelope in his hands; it seemed very simr to the one the DNA result was ced in. I had kept it right there on the... table. Oh. My. Gosh. "I had a little suspicion," he began. "I hadn''t actually been sleeping."


    "You came here earlier?"


    "Yes, I''m sorry and also not. How else would I know that this proves you aren''t rted to me?" My mouth dropped open, the frightening dream long forgotten. "You read it?" "Of course, why didn''t you tell me, Riley?"


    "What difference would it make?: When you were having fun, I had been finding a way to get back together with you, and... I just didn''t see the need of telling you anymore, "This


    was the reason you came to our room, right?"


    Chapter One Hunched


    "Yes, it was"


    "Riley, I need to ask you a question."


    "Well, ask on.


    "Has your love for me changed?"


    "No. Not one bit. I love you and nothing can change that, but I''ve learned that with you things would always beplicated; you just always seem to be in this different cycle, and I am somewhere below." Thane rose, and then he dropped to his knees.


    "I am begging you for a chance, Riley, and I don''t care if you want me to kneel before the whole pack and say this all over again," he says.


    There was something very sexy about seeing Thane on his knees before me; it made me feel... powerful in some way.


    "You would do anything?" I asked


    "Anything," he promises


    Even on his knees and begging, he still looked very much in control.


    "What if I tell you to strip?"


    He smirked. "That would be a twist of events... one I would love."


    "What are you waiting for?"


    His smirk widened as he took off his shirt, still on his knees.


    go


    "Keeping going, Alpha," I taunted; he was going to have to swallow that pride andpletely naked. He didn''t seem to have a problem with that, much to my difort.


    He managed to take his pants off; I could see his bulge through his briefs.


    "That would do," I say. "Now beg for another chance."


    "So that''s what we are doing," he says,pletely disappointed.


    "What else did you think we would do?" I asked, even if my insides tingled with need, I would deny myself if it meant denying him too.


    He watched me say, "Riley, I am so sorry for being a jerk, and I think you are very much in my circle; please would you give me a chance?" he asks.


    I smiled wide; this was sexy.


    I had been about to pat his hair-just to prove a point-but those glowing amber eyes-he was very much an Alpha; even on his knees, he still looked dangerous and lethal. I respectfully


    Chapter One Hundred and Throne


    took my hands back, I doubted he would stay still if I did that.


    "I will think about it," I say, hating how unstable my voice sounded.


    "Now may I get dressed, Riley?"


    "I don''t know; I kind of like seeing you..."


    My words trailed off when he stood to his feet, and I carefully backed away.


    "Riley I won''t hurt you; I just don''t feel veryfortable in that position."


    "Is it not like I was afraid or anything?" I lied with a small awkward snort, and Thane saw right through that, but decided to say nothing.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thing Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Two


    "I am surprised," Axel says to me when he finds he still in his room.


    "What?"


    "From Thane''s emotions, I didn''t think you would still be here, I''d have thought you were back in his room being... banged."


    I gasped. "Axel!" I call out, reddening.


    "He usually has no restraints, but I guess he is indeed trying," Axel went on with a wide smile.


    Something piqued my curiosity.


    "So Thane was like... turned on?" I asked, trying to hide my smile and failing.


    "Yeah, I guess you did y him."


    "I did," I admitted, "and I enjoyed every bit of it."


    Tsk. That was a dangerous thing to do. He would be back."


    "He would be back for me?"


    "You keep repeating what I''ve already said." Axel''s say, clearly enjoying this more than he should.


    "He won''t get me, I would be here in your room; he wouldn''t get to me in here, right?"


    Axel''s smile wasn''t very innocent. "And who is going to stop him?"


    "I thought you were on my side."


    "He is my Alpha; there is only little I can do and you started it."


    "So... what do I do?"


    "You could go up to him."


    "Go up to him?" I asked before realizing I had once again repeated his words.


    "If you deny him any further, he would be back for you."


    For some reasons, I shivered.


    "I can''t go throwing myself at him," I murmured to myself.


    "Oh, he would strip you of that little pride soon.


    "You are supposed to be my friend."


    "This is a very friendly advice."


    Pride had gotten the best of me, and so I decided to pay my mother a visit instead.


    Thane could starve a little longer; he deserved to


    I knocked once before pulling the door open and walking into my mother''s apartment. I spotted her sitting on one of the cushions. She immediately rose to her feet. I could see the hope in her eyes; she thought I was here to mend things, actually the exact opposite. I tossed the envelope to the table.


    "You know what that is?" I asked, and before she answered, I spoke on. "That is a DNA test result, proving that Thane and I don''t share a parent. You have a lot of exnations to do that could either make things better, or very, very worse, and I really don''t know what could be worse than our current situation but I really don''t want to find out either."


    "Thane is not... rted to you?" She asked, seeming surprised, I wasn''t going to fall for that. Are you sure?" she asks.


    You could clearly read it off the result."


    "I''m so sorry."


    "You should be. So what were you trying to do? What was the game here, mother?" I asked, feeling my anger at her return-very fierce this time.


    "I told you that I hoped the news would lead to your separation, but that was because I thought it was true. All these years, when you asked about your father... I thought it was de; I had always believed he was the father of my child. That was why I never told you; that kind of knowledge would be dangerous."


    "How couldn''t you know the man that got you pregnant?" I asked, and the moment the question was out of my mouth, Axel''s words echoed in my mind: my mother was a ve, she had been used by more than one male; of course she could miss this up, but then why had she been so certain it was de? "I''m sorry", I appologise.


    "No. Don''t be. I hadn''t remembered being with anyone at that period..." she trailed off, lost in thoughts. "I had been sedated more than once; who knows what happened then" she says.


    "I shouldn''t havee; I''m sorry, I just... I didn''t know what I was thinking."


    "Riley, stay," she says, her eyes pleading.


    I had told her not to evere by my room, but here I was in hers. I took a seat, right opposite


    her.


    "You know, I really don''t know which would have been worse: if de was your father or if your father was an unknown man that I''m sure I wouldn''t recognize.


    "This is not your fault, but as much as I love you, this has toe to an end," I say, trying to


    Chapter One Hundred and TW


    reason with her.


    "It will, I promise. I had been so afraid I had lost you; you are everything I have left, and I had hurt you more than anyone, I am so sorry. I am tired of living in the past; of course a lot of things happened in my past, but a lot more could happen in the future, and that''s what I have to focus on. de is dead and had paid for his crime; I cannot let his ghost haunt me; it is time to move on too"


    "I like that. We could start afresh, and all those things I said, I didn''t mean them. I don''t hate you, and you would always be my mother."


    Maybe I had actuallye here in hopes of making amends, but my damn pride wouldn''t let me admit it-not even to myself.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Three


    I had been on my way back to Axel''s room when suddenly felt firm hands mped around my mouth, restraining me from screaming


    "Got you," Thane whispered into my ears.


    The shiver had nothing to do with the cold.


    He led me into the closest room that turned out to be ''unupied. This was, of course, nned by him.


    Finally, he let me go.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, nning to act clueless. I was panicking in here.


    "What does it look like?" he asks, and I could see his fangs; the glow of his eyes seems too otherworldly to be natural.


    "It looks like you are kidnapping me; would you let me go?" I asked.


    "Well, the door is right there."


    "So you would actually let me go?" I questioned, not really trusting his words.


    "Only if you could get there faster than me," he says.


    Maybe I could do that if I caught him unaware. I zipped off, heading for the door. I was so close, and just then, Thane who had been leaning against the wall a good distance behind me, was right before the door and me.


    I screamed out, panicking, "Thane... that was so fast," I say,pletely freaked out now. He, on the other hand, didn''t seem to notice that his speed was not... natural; yes, werewolves were fast, but that... had been like he materialized before me. "Does that scare you?"


    "Yes, it does," I admitted truthfully.


    "I bet you loved seeing me on my knees, Riley."


    "...."


    "Hush," he says with a finger against my lips.


    My eyes were on his fangs; he didn''t seem very in control of his wolf right now.


    Thane loosened the button of my shirt slowly, and they easily came free. I hadn''t bothered to put on a bra because I had been trying to avoid returning back to our room to pick some of my clothes. Now my breasts were both in the open, prickled by the cold air, Thane made a sound from the back of his throat, his hands circled around my neck in a firm but painless hold as he


    hard grinded against me. I let out a small moan, feeling the fabric of his clothes teasing my


    +25 BOWS


    Chapter One Hunted and Thy Tuee


    nipples and then his bulge against me too. I moved a bit faster, and that''s all he needed. He ripped off his clothes, and I took off the pants I borrowed from Axel quickly before he ripped them off too. He pinned me against the wall, and In one hard thrust he was in me. I was reminded once again how fierce he could be; his fangs grazed my neck, my legs involuntarily wrapped around his waist. The next thrust was harder, a punishment of some kind, I moaned out, my fingers digging into him.


    "You like that?" he asks.


    "Yes," I moaned that.


    "Good"


    With that, he pounded into me, giving into his animalistic side; all 1 could feel down there was him, and he wasn''t stopping soon. I could feel myself build up faster than I had ever done before, and then I shattered,ing hard, but he didn''t stop there. His hands wrapped around my breast, rubbing against my nipples, his lower part brushing against my clit with every thrust, I built up again, this time stronger.


    "Please Thane," I begged.


    He imed my lips. "I love seeing you begging."


    He pulled out almostpletely, only to m back into me. I shattered once more.


    Axel did warn me to go to him; he had told me before hand the consequences, but did I listen? Nope, I had held onto my pride-the same pride Thane was sure going to destroy in this room.


    Thane had ced me on the bed and it took several minutes to regain my


    guess this was where I would spend the rest of my day. "I''m very sore," I said to Thane. "You did that on purpose."


    "And you loved it," he said with that yboyish smirk.


    "I love when you punish me that way."


    "And who said I was punishing you?.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four


    Thane watched me as if etching every feature into memory.


    "That is very creepy you know" I say


    "I didn''t realize how much I missed you. So... What do you say bout'' returning back to our room?" Thane asked.


    "I don''t know if I am ready for that yet," I said to him, yet my heart and body yearned to be close to him. I missed having him so close; I hated the distance between us. "Well, maybe we could make a... deal."


    "I''m listening," I say with a smile. I was giving in; it shouldn''t be this easy, but after what he had done earlier today, I doubt I would be able to stay away from him any longer.


    "You would get to see mepletely naked on my knees once more."


    §±


    "Leave it up to you to create very enticing offers, but unfortunately I selfishly want more


    "Anything," he promises.


    JJ


    "I would only agree to your deal if there would be more touching involved...I want to be in control this time," I say, already aroused by the thought of Thane naked, on his knees, and me in charge. "You are not very innocent, Riley."


    caid I ever was. So do we have a deal... or not?"


    "It would only be this once," he states, and I nod.


    "I know how much you love being in control, but that is the deal," I say, my smile widening.


    "How I would love to fuck you right now."


    "I


    am core, remember?"


    "I''m sorry; maybe there is something I can do," he says with a sinister smile.


    He pulled off the white sheet, exposing my naked form, and then he drew me closer to him not very gently, before spreading my legs.


    "What do you want to do?"


    "You will find out soon.


    He kissed my navel, and then I felt his lips down there.


    My hands involuntarily fisted into his hair, and his tongue teased my clit before diving into me in a soft but firm thrust. I rocked my hips against his mouth, and he paused.


    +26 BONUS


    Chapter One Hundred and


    "Don''t move," he


    he says, and that was an order.


    He continued with his pleasant torture. I cried out his name over and over again, and just when he thought I had enough, he went a bit faster, bringing me once more to the edge, and I came. Hepped up all my juice every single drop. "How do you feel now?" He asked.


    "Thane, I love you," I admitted. I didn''t know why exactly I saw the need to remind him of what I felt for him.


    "I love you more," Thane says.


    He loved me more? Was that what he thought?, always felt like I was the one so deeply in love with him, and he was simply going along with things.


    I didn''t think he loved me more than I loved him, but I didn''t argue with him, satisfied by the silence.


    "Thane you are really... good at this."


    "This'' you mean sex?" He bluntly asked with a smirk.


    "I knew you would go


    all corky."


    "Sorry, it just feels so good to hear it from you," he admitted.


    I wondered how many hadplemented his skill just as I had done now. I quickly shoved that thought away. "Hungry?" He asks


    "Yes, would you eat with me?"


    The slight hesitation told me he had work to do and he had already spent some real quality time on me.


    "I guess, yes." he answers.


    You have work to attend to; it is okay for you to go; there is a lot to be done," I assured him. "I don''t want you alone; I can send in Axel."


    For the first time, I wondered how Axel would feel seeing me like this, but I guess he already knew what we had been doing.


    "Do you think he would be okay? seeing me like this."


    "Yes, Riley, you don''t have to worry about hurting him." Thane assured me, and I wondered how once again he knew exactly what was on my mind. +26 BONUS


    Chapter One Henched and Phil Four


    The maid came in with some food only ten minutes after Thane left; of course it was way too much food; there surely would be left overs.


    "Uhmm, I was asked to give you this, Lama," the maid said, passing me a paper. I frowned at the piece of paper in my hand."


    "Who sent this?" I questioned..


    ""The Elder"


    "Bailey?" I asked, and she nodded, seeming in a hurry to leave.


    "Yes, it had been from her," she replied. "Is there anything else you need?" She asked


    "No, I am fine; you may leave."


    When she left, I read the message.


    It was Bailey asking that I meet with her at room ten, fifth floor, in two hours.


    She could go to hell.


    I tore the piece of paper before tossing it in the bin.


    If she wanted to meet the Queen Luna, then she would have toe up to me herself and she was thest person I wanted to see.


    C

 Claim Me 135

    hapter One Hundred and Thirty Five


    "Do you need some help getting up?" Axel askedne with a falsely innocent smile.


    "I think I can manage that myself, thank you," aid, rising to my feet. I did feel a dull ache between my legs.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Maybe a little help." 1 finally admitted.


    He chuckled, sweeping me off my feet. He ced ne gently on the couch, and he took a seat


    beside me.


    "I did warn you, but you are so stubborn."


    "I didn''t want him to have me back so easily," I murmured silently to myself.


    "Well, he did have you," Axel said in a ''matter of fact'' tone.


    "Okay, you were right, I was wrong... and stubborn, are you happy now?"


    "He didn''t hurt you badly though, right?" Axel inquired, and I knew deep down he cared about my safety.


    "No, he didn''t, but even if he did, it would be all on me; I mean, I had been the one begging and pleading for it."


    "He feels guilt, and he is worried too; that''s why he sent me here."


    "I''m not really as soft and breakable as you both imagine me to be." "Oh, really?"


    "I mean, I am not exactly as strong as you, but I could do stuff."


    "Like what?" He mused.


    "I can shoot a gun, and also I could set a bow and an arrow; that is something."


    "Riley I was only teasing; I do think you are a badass."


    "You think so?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise.


    "You don''t know the power you possess."


    "Are you referring to some kind of ''inner strength?"


    "Yes"


    "Oh," I say, disappointed.


    "There aren''t many that have managed to bring Thane to his knees, you


    know."


    Chapter


    "How did you know about that?" I asked, a blush spread across my face


    "I think I''ll keep that to myself."


    "That doesn''t make me a badass.


    "I would pay a fortune to see Thane on his knees and... naked -if I may add."


    "I think we should eat; the food is getting cold."


    "Do you want to be fed?"


    "I''m sore, not handicapped," I hissed at him.


    "I was only trying to be nice," he sa, helping me with a te.


    "Uhmm Axel... I wanted to know if this bothers you; I mean, I can''t keep pretending; I love the both of you, but....


    "Riley, you have nothing to exin. I am not bothered."


    "Really?" I questioned. Thane had told me that earlier, but I had wanted to hear it from him.


    "You wanna know a secret?"


    "Yes," I said, curious now.


    If


    you were ever going to be mine, I would have to settle with the fact that Thane would want a taste of you every once in a while."


    ""And what if... I denied him?"


    "How did that work out for you earlier?"


    "He hadn''t exactly forced me.


    "He would never have to. You don''t understand that you are the only one that can truly satisfy him."


    "And how would you know that?" I asked before realizing how stupid my question sounded; of course he would know. "Forget I said that. It''s just... it seems hard to believe." "Believe it or not. It is true; before you it had been casual and I could feel it, but with you it is so much more that I can almost visualize it."


    "That must be weird for you."


    "Not really; what I would call weird is having to feel his pain; that is the really messy part because he always gets himself into problems."


    "I can''t even imagine what this feels like."


    "It isplicated. But does it freak you out?"


    Chapter One hunded


    "Not really, just the fact that when I''m at it, it''s like I''m doing it with the both of you."


    Axelughed heartily, like that was the funniest thing he had ever heard.


    "Is it not my fault that his emotions are all over the ce?"


    "Can''t you like... tune out?"


    "Not really, but if I could, what makes you think would?"


    "Oh my... You are such a jerk."


    "Is it not like there is anything I can do about it? Axel shrugged.


    I smiled at him, and I realized after a few seconds that we had been staring at each other way too long. I finally looked away.


    "Riley, I don''t believe in fate, but you being here feels a lot like fate. Is like everything changed since you arrived here"


    "I believe in fate; never did I think I''d ever be titled Queen Luna; it seems too much like some fairy tale."


    "Yet it is very much real, and there is no one more fitting for this position than you."


    "For what it is worth... I''m d we met," I said truthfully to him.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Six


    The door burst open, and Bailey strode in, just as had anticipated.


    "Are you familiar with the concept of knocking? Axel questioned her.


    "Seeing as I am so ancient, it must have skipped my mind a century ago or there about."


    "You shouldn''t be here, Elder, not after that little stunt you pulled," Axel sald, and I knew what he was referring to. Balley had known I was on my way here, so she made sure I discovered what she and Thane had been doing while I was away. I didn''t want to think about it; the thought made me feel so angry.


    "Apologies Beta, if the Luna had responded to my message, I wouldn''t see the need ofing here unannounced.


    Axel gaze met mine.


    "You didn''t actually think you could send me a crappy note and I''ll run along to find you, did you?"


    "I see, the Luna finally acting as the queen; there is so much you don''t know," she says with a sinister smile, but what she doesn''t know is that Thane had told me the deal he made with her. He wasn''t nning on keeping to his part of the deal, but she didn''t need to know that. "Some knowledge could be both dangerous and disastrous, they are best kept secrets."


    "I would like to speak to you alone, Luna," she states.


    "Whatever you want to say, you can say to the both of us," I insisted.


    "I do need you alone... for this one."


    1 turned to Axel. "Is alright" I assured him.


    He didn''t seem to like the fact that I would be alone with her, but he didn''t question me, believing I knew what I was doing.


    "I won''t be far," he promises before walking away.


    ¡°I


    guess you and Thane had settled your differences?" Bailey inquires.


    "Yes," I answered. "It is strange that you came all the way just to ask that."


    "That''s not why I am here.


    I made a deal with Thane; you might not know about this, but it is only a matter of time, and your title would be mine," she says, and I didn''t know how exactly I was supposed to react, considering that I hadn''t been kept in the dark about Thane''s decision. "Why would Thane do that?" I question, deciding to y along.


    #


    vapter One Hondhu


    "Maybe because you are not his true mate." She states with a shrug, "Think about it; you have nothing to offer other than sex-he could get that easily."


    "Still... he keepsing back to me. I wonder If your centuries of living, have taught you how to satisfy a man." I taunted her; I wouldn''t let her see through me this time.


    "I learned more than just that. All the knowledge packed up in this little brain coulde in handy; believe me, not many know as much as I do."


    "So... you love him?" I questioned, curious.


    "In a game of power, love does note first; Thane knows that more than anyone, yet it is puzzling that he still chooses you.


    "so you don''t love him?" I asked trying to understand her.


    "He is not bad to look at, I can admit it, but love is not my primary focus. What do you think would happen in a hundred years? I would be alive and youthful while he would be... dull." "So what are you saying, Elder?"


    "I''m telling you to be sensible; if you do love him and this pack, you should know that you have nothing of value to give; why not step down and make things easier?"


    "I think we are getting to the fun part; this is where you offer me help to leave/escape this pack and also promise to provide a means for me to start up a new life, faraway from Thane''s reach. Well, no, thank you."


    "That is indeed a good idea, but not quite what I had in mind. I know you love him, and to some point, he loves you too-I can tell. I would never be able toe between that, but what I need is ''just'' the title: I will be queen, but that do not mean you will have to leave this pack; you can still be with him as his... partner; the only difference is I get to make the decisions. How is that for a deal?"


    "So I would be seen as his... mistress; while you would be the Queen?"


    "Generous of me, right?, This way, I will note between you and the Alpha King," she exins, and from the look on her face, she does believe this was a good deal, one I would likely ept.

 Claim Me 137

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven


    "What makes you think I am less driven than you are? What makes you think that I would be satisfied with being the ''other woman'' or the ''mistress"?"


    but that


    "Please spare me; I know about your rtionship with the beta; anyone with an eye can figure it out. It is only a matter of time, and you would have to choose one of the two men, wouldn''t be necessary if you were only seen as the ''other woman''," she says, using my term, You would always get a taste of both."


    "You might be ancient, but that doesn''t make everyone else fools, Bailey. As much as you are ready to do anything to im my title, I am willing to fight twice harder to keep it. So good. luck trying to im what does not belong to you.


    She snorted. "I was giving you an easy way out; this would have been very convenient for us all, but of course you choose to be a hussy."


    "Convenient for us all or just for you?"


    "You do have a lot to gain here, child."


    "Just by the side, Elder, the term ''hussy'' is a bit old-fashioned; we aren''t in the 16th century, in case you haven''t noticed."


    "Ha, ha. Very funny, Luna."


    "I know people like you Bailey; you do nothing except you have to most to gain from it."


    "You are wrong there, Luna."


    "Enlightened me then."


    "I believe you''ve noticed some unusual and bizarre things about Thane," she says, keeping


    her voice low.


    "Stop making stuff up," I say, but a part of me wanted her to keep speaking.


    "I am better than that.


    Thane is abnormally strong; it shouldn''t be unusual seeing that he is an Alpha and it does run in his lineage, but he is as strong as tw? Alpha wolvesbined," Bailey said, clearly amazed by that. "And he is really fast," I added.


    "If I didn''t know better, I would think he could read minds; his guesses are always very close to the real thing," Bailey says.


    "I once believed he could read minds, but I thought that was me making up things."


    "He might not be able to read minds exactly; maybe something close to that." Bailey suggested, and I couldn''t help but agree with that. "I had lived a very long life and never had I


    seen a man match the strength of an elder; his speed-even in his human form-is unlike I had ever seen, and that says a lot.


    I clearly remembered how fast Thane could be in his human form; I hadn''t even seen him move, but then he was between me and the door knew that was not ordinary, even for a wolf, and I was d to know that I wasn''t the one left wondering.


    "When he had been injured by the elders, I was Indeed amazed at how fast he healed; he shouldn''t have recovered that rapidly, but he did and he was fine after a few days... that was another unnatural thing to add to the list, but that isn''t all. His healing process had been... violent; I never thought I could feel so threatened by a mere werewolf till he broke free through those silver cuffs I had used to hold him bound."


    "Why had you used silver cuffs on han?" I questioned.


    "He was unstable; he knew what had to be done and he agreed to it"


    She slid down the straps of her dress to reveal a scar on her corbone.


    "It was his ws, but this scar would remain for a really long time." "He did this to you?"


    "Yes, that had been the reason he didn''t want you in there."


    what is wrong wit


    him?" I asked concerned now.


    "This I don''t have an answer to, but what I do know is that it wouldn''t get any better; whatever he is... he is dangerous, and you won''t be safe." "Let me get this straight; so you think I cannot handle him but you can?" I questioned


    "inly stating, yes."


    I couldn''t believe I had let this conversation go on this long. The ancient woman saw me as naive, one that could be easily bent to her will.


    "I think I''ve gotten your message; you should leave now," I say to her, and those creepy eyes found mine; this time I held her gaze.


    "I would be on my way to end the elder who posed as a threat to this pack; what would you be doing? Cuddling with the Alpha and the Beta like there is no war out there?" she questioned.


    "I can''t lie... the thought of cuddling with the both of them is far more soothing," I say with a


    smile.


    "I had been trying to give you a chance, one you had stupidly missed," she says, heading to


    the door.


    "Elder Bailey?" I called, and she paused. "I hope you get killed on your way," I say to her, matching her cold re.


    Chapter Dose bed sent


    She let out a low hiss, something a snake would make, before walking away


    and mming the door behind her.


    +

 Claim Me 138

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight


    "What had Bailey wanted to talk to you about?" Axel asked.


    "I really don''t know who she thinks she is," I responded, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.


    "Ismon with the elders to feel entitled to things; pay her no mind," Axel advised.


    "Do you think Thane did the right thing when he made a deal with her?" I questioned


    "No. Not really, but that was the only way we could get her to agree with our arrangements; she is indeed stubborn but also very calctive."


    "How exactly does Thane n to sidestep her? I mean, she had gone through her part of the deal."


    "Are you sympathizing with her?"


    "No, I just feel like Thane is ying a dangerous game, but again, when is he not?"


    "Don''t waste your time worrying about Thane; he knows what he is doing."


    "Bailey does not love Thane; all she wants is the title," I revealed. Axel didn''t look surprised to hear that. "You knew?" I questioned.


    "It isn''t exactly surprising; the elders crave for power, and you would think all the power they have acquired through the years is enough, but the more they attain, the more they desire." "Bailey had been offering me the position of a mistress when she takes over as Queen Luna," said to Axel, leaving out the fact that she knew about my rtionship with him.


    "That is a desperate move," Axel said. "I think she have doubts," he added.


    "Make sense. You know what? I don''t want to talk about her and my very much envied title anymore; let''s talk about something else."


    "I do have something that might interest you."


    "Now I''m curious, what is it?"


    "Is about ''the book," he says, giving me a look that implied he expected me to figure out which book he was talking about, and of course it just had to be ''Barbara''s fantasies''; that book had embarrassed me more times than I could count. "So what about the book?" I asked


    "Isn''t that your favourite book?"


    "Of course it is not; I just... enjoyed reading it," I said, and the blush on my cheeks gave me out.


    "Would you love to meet the author?"


    "Wait, is Barbara alive?"


    1/


    175ONA


    Chapter One yourstei


    "Of course, and maybe you''ve even met her before," he said. The sinister smile on his face wasn''t really convincing, he must be kidding.


    "Come on, you are not being serious.


    "I am. You met Thane''s mother, Freya, right?"


    My mouth dropped open. "What? She is the author?, but that is impossible."


    "Why?" Axel asked, clearly enjoying this more than he should.


    "She was the Queen Lama, and why would she title the book Barbara''s fantasies when that is not even her name?"


    "Maybe because she didn''t want de finding out. Though some experiences had been purely made up, simply fantasies, but I must say, Freya did have her own fair share of men and cocks." He say with a teasing smile. I couldn''t believe it; the very same book I read and ''enjoyed'' was written by Freya ckwood.


    "How did you know?" I questioned, choosing not to believe him yet, even if he didn''t have


    any reason to lie.


    "I didn''t; Thane had always known:"


    "And he didn''t tell me?"


    "How would you expect him to tell you that your favourite erotica book, which you have ''done it'' to more than once, was written by his mother?"


    "You could be very direct at times, Axel"


    He smiled, "I''ll take that as aplement, so thanks"


    "I didn''t mean it as aplete, just so you know"


    "And that changes... nothing, so thanks still"


    I let out an exasperated breath.


    "Well, I would never enjoy reading that, book ever again; I feel like I had pried into something'' private."


    "If she left the book in the library, it means she intended on it being read."


    "I bet not by her daughter-inw"


    Axel chuckled.


    "Well, maybe not, but she wasn''t exactly hiding it."


    "So the ''blonde guy, ''the motorcycle guy,'' they were all real?"


    Chapter Dave Hundred and Thulen


    The names might have been made up; I don''t think there was ever a ''motorcycle guy''; they were terms she used to differentiate each guy from the next." This is so... awkward."


    "It is not; you weren''t the only one enjoying It; Thane was too and that should be more awkward."


    "Well, I''m returning it now."


    "Riley, you need to rest; I''ll return it."


    "You don''t even know where the book is."


    "I''ll find it," he promises.


    Now that the initial embarrassment had worn out, it was indeed funny.


    "I am d you told me this," I say genuinely. "But I want to hear more."


    "About the book?" he questioned, amused.


    "No, about you."


    "What about me?"


    "I literally don''t know anything about you I know you have a cousin, which I had mistake for your ''intimate friend'' once and I also know that you are really close to Thane, but that''s about it; you know for a very open person, you are quite secretive." "Maybe that''s because I am not proud of my family''s situation; that''s why I do not bring it up," Axel answered, and all humour was gone from his eyes.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Nine


    I wondered how bad his parents might have beer for him to be ashamed of them. I knew Axel, maybe not as much as Thane did, but I know he was kind, even more than he would like to admit.


    "You don''t have to talk about it if you aren''t ready to."


    "No, I want you to know," he insisted, and I was very curious to discover more about him. When I was younger, I thought I had the perfect family; my father was the Beta, and back then, the pack faced so many threats; he was always at war, so he was rarely around, but when he was... he spent his time on me.


    I hadn''t realized how jealous my brother had been; I had been so caught up in my own stuff, I didn''t realize that he spent less time with his own mate and even lesser time with brother


    my


    Adrian."


    Axel had a brother; never once had he mentioned or talked about him, and that was indeed strange. There were so many questions on my mind, but I chose to keep silent until he was -done narrating.


    "Adrian had been close to my mother; he was only three years younger than I was. I never really noticed how distant I and my mother were until the day the soldiers came back with the news that my father, The Beta, had died in the war. My father was the one person I had looked up to so much; I wanted to be like him; he taught me so much, and it had been sad, but that was only the beginning of it all. My mother stayed away from me, it was almost like I wasn''t even a part of the family. Things got worse; my mother became ill-famed, she was known in the pack as a... whore; no one called her that out loud, only out of respect for my father, but that was exactly what she was. I had tried talking to her one too many times, but she told me I wouldn''t understand; she believed Adrian was the only one who could understand her, and so... I let her be. That had been my mistake.


    That day I was to pay a visit to the neighbouring pack, but there was a storm and we cancelled, postponing the trip to the next day. I had returned home only to discover my mother and my brother at it."


    I couldn''t hold back my gasp. "Sick right?"


    "I''m... I''m so sorry, I don''t know what to say."


    A surge of pity filled me; maybe that was why Thane and Axel had easily bonded; they had a lot inmon; they both had really, really crappy parents.


    "I had thought it had been my mother forcing my brother into having sex with her, but no. She said she loved him; she said she loved her own son and she wanted him, not all in a motherly way; she said she never cared about the sick old man that had been obsessed over his favourite son. I sometimes think it was my fault; if I hadn''t been so full of myself, I would


    Chapter One Thundred


    have noticed how lonely she was; she longed forpanionship in the hands of the only one who could ''understand her''. And as twisted as it could be, my brother imed to love her too. I think he is just in stupid; he had been fed by all the lies she told him; he was totally brainwashed. That had been their secret; she had been openly flirting around to divert the whole pack''s attention away from their little abomination. I tried talking sense into them both, but they were determined.


    I had threatened to banish them from the pack, not that I would, but I had wanted to put some sense into them; the next thing I knew, they were gone, they left no note telling me where they were off too, nothing.


    I didn''t give up on them; I searched for them for a whole year and I found them; my brother had made a name in a new pack, far away, and they never did split up. My mother had begged me to leave them in peace; she said l''always took her happiness away, just as I did with my father; she said this was best for us all, and so I let them go, it was a lost cause.


    "When was thest time you saw them?"


    "Five years ago, when I-decided to let them be."


    "You know, it is not your fault; you did your best."


    "Sometimes I feel like blunting them off my life; that''s why I rarely speak about my family, my father had been a good man, but starting a conversation about him would inevitably lead to talking about my mother too. My mother never loved me, but that I could bear; what I couldn''t was the knowledge of what she was doing to Adrian; perhaps she had already borne him a child."


    "Axel, you do not have to me yourself for anything; if she truly loved your father, then she would never have done this; the fact that she did only entails that she is indeed greedy and self-centred."


    "You are right, the only thing I me myself for is not discovering it all earlier; if I had, then maybe I would have been able to save Adrian in the least."


    Chapter One Hundred and forty"

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty


    I felt sorry for Axel. His mother truly was a sicko


    1 hugged him because it felt like the right thing to do, and after a few moments, his hands wrapped around me.


    "I needed this," he admitted.


    "Thank you for letting me into your life. I feel like I had been selfish for never really asking all this time."


    Axel released me from his embrace. "Let''s go to the gardens; this is a ce I go to clear my mind and it''s literally the most beautiful ce in the pack".


    I had never really been one fascinated by nature; I wasn''t the type that adored flowers though it would be nice to receive them, but I''d rather prefer focusing on the issues at hand, and back in the Windborne pack I had a lot of that, there was no time to be entranced by nature.


    But it was different this time.


    My mouth dropped open when I saw all the flowers of different colours. Though I didn''t know their names, but for the first time, I appreciated the beauty of nature.


    We were not alone.


    Beatrix, who I hadn''t seen since Thane''s crowning was here. The wind tousled her dark blue hair, as she turned to us.


    "Beta, ''Queen'', greetings," she says, and I didn''t miss her emphasis on my title as Queen.


    "How are you doing, Commander Beatrix?" I answered when Axel said nothing.


    "Very well, I had actually wanted to see you," she says, walking up to us.


    "Now might not be the right time."


    "I might not be able to say this next time," she says to me, her gaze directly on me.


    I looked up to Axel, and he gave a firm nod.


    "I would have wanted to speak to you ''alone'', actually..."


    "No," I said before she could finish her sentence. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to him too."


    The ''I need to speak to you alone'' routine was getting exhausting.


    "I don''t know... how the beta would react to this."


    "Well, he is staying here," I said to her.


    Chapter One Hundred


    She took a few minutes; she seemed a bit lost in an internal struggle. "Okay, whatever happens..." she paused before starting all over again. "You know about the attack some months ago; those offenders I think they had all been in ck cloaks, and they broke into your room when you were alone."


    "Yes, I think I could vividly remember that and also how they had been massacred by Thane," 1 replied.


    She took a deep inhale, before her gaze found me one more time, she was taller than me by a few inches, I noticed.


    "I had been able to alert the beta and the alpha on time because... I had orchestrated it all."


    "What?"


    "I had felt threatened by your presence, you were going to swoop in, out of nowhere and take a position I had long prepared for, and so I thought maybe with you out of the way...


    Axel drew his gun, pointing it at Beatrix. I hadn''t even noticed he was armed.


    "Axel, please drop the gun."


    "No," Axel says.


    "But after some further thoughts... I noticed how stupid that was, and so I called it off, but they had been so willing, they wanted to go on with this n, with or without me; I didn''t let them know that I was no longer a part of it, just so I could notify Alpha Thane on time." "You know what I think?" Axel questioned, and before she could answer, he continued. "I think you would have gone through with it, then you saw how dangerous it could be; you would have been discovered as the culprit, so you tried stopping it, but they were already riled up, and so you came up with yet another n, to win the Alpha''s favour-or to be noticed, so you yed along, and at the end, you turned against them when they least expected it and was seen as the hero. Did I get that right?" "But..."


    "I asked you a question; did I get that right?"


    "Yes," she answered silently.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty One


    I always thought something was off that night; I had been surprised to discover that Beatrix had tried to save me; it felt so bizarre, and I was right to suspect her, even after her ''good deed


    I was not exactly disappointed; I''ve seen and heard more shocking things; at this point, I didn''t think anything could surprise me anymore


    There must be a reason why she saw the need to expose herself.


    "I changed my mind; I swear, I knew it was all wrong and so I tried to make things right." Beatrix stated.


    "Since when did Beatrix care about what was wrong or right?" Axel asked, "There must have been a discovery, right?, Thane is about to discover the truth, so you choose to make the wise step of confessing before then, just so you could be seen as ''less'' guilty." Beatrix shook her head slowly. "I do feel bad; you don''t understand."


    "Make me," I said to her.


    "I thought you were the problem, but you weren''t; Thane was the problem, I should have seen that a long time ago, but I didn''t, even if you weren''t there, Elder Bailey would have filled in the gap, it was never meant to be me, and I had done so many messed up things to attain a position that was never mine in the first ce."


    "So I guess you are... sorry?" I questioned sarcastically.


    "No. I would not pretend that I am sorry for all I did; it is just that I do not see the need to keep fighting you for your title."


    "Amusing, Beatrix had given up on fighting for my title-not that she ever had a im on it- but at least, I have one less person to battle with; let''s celebrate, shall we?" I mocked.


    "I have not given up, rather, I am waiting. He does feel something for you, I can tell now, but it would onlyst for a while, and after that, that''s it. Then guess where I would be then?, I would be at Thane side, picking up the pieces and slowly taking back what rightfully belongs


    to me.''


    "That is the saddest thing I have ever heard. Good luck waiting."


    "Mark my words, Queen, the time ising."


    "I''ve marked a lot of your quotes; I don''t think there is space for more. Remember when you told me that Thane would never make me his queen? You said he was only using me to attain his position, and then I would be shoved to the side-should I unpin that from your board of quotes? I mean, it didn''t work out as you said, right?" I mocked her some more.


    "Soon I would be the one making jokes."


    Chapter Our Histed and fody''


    "I hope they are as good as mine."


    "Beatrix, you don''t seem to understand that you are not walking away scot-free," Axel says to her, and despite her skills in acting, I see the slight tremors in her eyes.


    "So you are going to throw me in the dungeons with those low-life traitors?"


    "You will be where you belong."


    "Luna, 1 had confessed my crimes to you... I told you I wanted to speak to you alone, but your insisted, would you let this happen?"


    "I don''t really know, maybe yes?, seeing as you are a traitor and all," I said with a small smirk.


    "You are different," she said as if just discovering it.


    "I mean, I''m a queen now; that must be the difference."


    "Beta, I am begging you not to do this," she said, finally letting go of all her calm.


    "With you


    alive and free, you would remain a threat to the Queen, I cannot let that hap[en."


    "Then maybe we make a deal," she suggested.


    "No, thank you," I said, but she kept on talking.


    "Let''s say one would have to know that Riley is not the


    this discussion dies here, and no Alpha''s true mate; I have multiple copies of the contract they had both signed," she says.


    "Do you think you can threaten her?" Axel asked, "Who do you think they would believe, you - the crazymander clearly desperate to be the Luna or the Queen?" "Axel, let her go," I said, and Axel gave me the ''are you crazy look. "Please, just... let her go."


    "Listen to the Queen, Beta..."


    "Shut up!" I and Axel said in unison to her.


    "Listen to me; we would talk about it; trust me, just let her go."


    Axel finally took down his gun, cing it back in his belt loop.


    "I really hope you know what you are doing, Riley," he says.


    "Can you not tell Thane about this?" I asked Axel, knowing he was still mad at me, he was right to, I had stepped in for a person like Beatrix.


    "It concerns your safety, so he would have to know, just to be conscious."


    "But he would throw her in the dungeons."


    "And you care because?"


    Chapter One Hundred


    "I just don''t feel like it is the right thing to do."


    "Oh, maybe it would be when she finally gets her way and hurt you."


    "She won''t; if she wanted me dead, she got her chances so many times."


    "I cannot do what you ask of me; it is too dangerous and risky to keep this from Thane."


    "Please Axel... I know you think it is foolish, but it is not."


    "Are you doing this to get her on your side?, Because you would only be wasting your time, she would always see you as a threat."


    "I''m not trying to get her on my side. I just see her as a victim. Don''t get this the wrong way, but Thane had used and yed her niany times; if he hadn''t led her on, she wouldn''t have the sick obsession to be the Luna; in a way, I feel sorry for her." "If she makes any move, no matter how little, then that''s it."


    "Fine," I agreed with a smile.


    The truth was that I wasn''t very sure of the decision I made.

 Claim Me 142

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Two


    It felt like months since I''ve been to the room Thane and I shared; Strangely, everything remained exactly where I left them. I could almost believe that Thane hadn''t been sleeping here.


    "Wee back; you know we should celebrate your return," Thane said with a smirk.


    "Oh, we would celebrate; Hope you haven''t forgotten our deal?" I said, with empasis on the


    "How could I forget?" He says with a cocky smile


    I walked towards him.


    "I need to ask you a question."


    "Well, I am all ears."


    "You never told me about your mother''s little hobby."


    ''She had many hobbies, so which in particr?"


    "Writing? I mean, she is the author of my ''favorite'' book; how could you not tell me that?" I asked


    "I think I preferred leaving you in the dark."


    "Didn''t it feel weird to you?" I asked him


    "Why would it?" he asked, turning the question back to me.


    "I don''t know, maybe because she is, uhm, your mother?"


    Thane chuckled. "You don''t need to worry, I''m sure she would be d she at least made a contribution in ''that'' part of my life; Now are you going to take the clothes off or would you rather I do it myself?" Thane helped me out of my clothes. We were both nude now.


    And then he took the cuff that had been in the drawer.


    "What is that for?" I asked, remembering thest time I had been cuffed, I was being punished for trying to escape. How things had changed.


    "I think you would like this better," Thane said, cuffing himself to the bedpost. I couldn''t deny that the sight of him was sexier than anything I had ever seen.


    What to do next?


    The deal was that I would take over, but I never realized how difficult that could be. "Thane, I don''t know if I could do this." I said my voice sounded shaky. He was one hell of an


    Chapter Ons Phunched and orly on


    Intimidating man.


    "Oh, you can, Riley, Just don''t think too much,"


    He was right; I shouldn''t think too much.


    I joined him on the bed.


    I let my lips graze his chest, and I knew more than anything he wanted to pass his hands. through my hair, but he remained still. I kissed his neck and then his lips, I pulled away, my hands trailing across every part of his body. Those abs-I wish I could lick them-it was a weird thing to think about, but that was all I could think about right now. I lowered my head, kissing his abs before letting my tongue get a taste.


    He groaned, and I knew I couldn''t tease him any longer.


    I went lower, slowly taking his length in my hands; he was huge and very... hard. I pumped slowly with my hands before teasing him more with my tongue. A deep sound rumbled from his chest; he was needy.


    I took him in my mouth, knowing it took him every bit of effort not to thrust in deeper; he was really taking this ''control'' thing seriously. I quickly went to work, taking him as deep as I could, before slowly releasing him. My mouth tightened around him, and he jerked, moaning, that reaction alone caused my heart to swell in pride. I think I was doing it right. I


    remembered Axel''s words; he had said only I could satisfy Thane and maybe he was being honest.


    I took him in faster, going in and out; the sounds he made turned me on; my core throbbed with need.


    I felt his hands in my hair. I knew it was just about time and he would break through those metal cuffs. I knew he wouldn''t be able to hold in till the end, and for some reason, that gave me a sick sense of victory.


    He slowly pulled out of my mouth, lifting me so I was face to face with him, he imed my lips and then with one hard thrust, he was in me. I moaned out as he satisfied my desires along with his; he turned me over so he was on top, his fingers expertly stroked my clit with every thrust, till I could take no more; I came hard, taking him with me.


    "Well, that didn''t exactly look like me ''taking control," I say breathily.


    "I''m sorry, but I couldn''t hold back," he says, kissing me. "Thank you," he whispers, and my smile widens.


    Maybe I was good at this.

 Claim Me 143

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three


    I scanned the rows of dresses-many I had never even worn. I always find myself wondering why I needed this so many.


    I picked out an emerald green silk gown and decided to curl my hair to make a change.


    1 waste; the party had already began in full swing; This would be the first mating ball I was witnessing in this pack, it did makes sense for the ball to take ce here as this pack is one of the biggest and would contain more guests and visitors.


    The mating ball brought back past memories, but I have finally moved on. I had promised myself to enjoy my time at the party.


    Thane would be here anytime soon and we would go together.


    Still, I had this unsettling feeling, and that might be because today marked six months since I arrived at the Nightshade Pack, so literally, today was the day my contract with Thane expired -not that we were still bound by the contract, but to think that this could have been the end....


    My thoughts were cut off by the knock on the door.


    I was only expecting Thane at this time and he wouldn''t knock-well, maybe he sent Axel.


    I walked to the door, pulling it open with a smile on my face, but it wasn''t Axel as I expected; it was amander. I didn''t know his name, but I had seen him with Thane a couple of times. "Can I help you, Commander?"


    "Luna, the Alpha had ordered me to escort you to the ball."


    "What?"


    "I''m sorry, is there a problem?" He asked politely.


    "No... no,


    there is not; if you would give me a few minutes, I would go grab my purse and be right out."


    "That''s fine," he says.


    I didn''t let him in; no matter how close he was with Thane, I still couldn''t easily trust anyone.


    I felt a bit disappointed. I had expected Thane toe pick me up, as he said he would earlier, and if he was too busy, he could atleast send Axel, right?. I mean, I was not very familiar with this man. Maybe they were busy with more important stuff


    Even more important than me.


    +20 BONUS


    Chapter One Hundred


    The soldier led me to the ball, and I was not prepared for the amount of people that would be present. I took a seat, but the seat beside me, meant for Thane, remained empty.


    I had also been hoping to find Axel, but I couldn was out there, I could easily miss him.


    there were just so many people that if he


    Many werewolves found their mates and people jubted, but I felt out of it all; Thane was still not here, and that left me anxious.


    More hours passed, and 1 was already considering heading back to my room. There was just so many eyes on me and the fact that Thane had left me here, all alone, felt more embarrassing than anything. Then a thought shed past my mind. The six months were over.


    I shoved that idea away quickly, it was stupid, but I couldn''t help but keep revisiting that thought.


    Just then Thane entered along with Axel; the crowd fell silent for a moment before returning back into their celebratory mood.


    I, on the other hand, was mad as hell.


    Thane walked up to me, cing a kiss on my lips before taking the seat, right next to mine.


    Axel mingled with the crowd, only giving me a wave.


    I was mad at them both.


    After a few minutes of silence, Thane spoke up.


    "Are you mad at me?" He asks


    "No, why should I be?" I answered.


    "I don''t know; you''ve not said a thing to me."


    "Maybe that''s because I am not in the mood to talk."


    "You are always in the mood to talk, Riley."


    "Maybe that mood faded away after waiting hours for you toe... you left me here all by myself, with this many people."


    "I''m sorry, I was busy."


    "Axel was busy too?" I questioned.


    "Yes, he was."


    "You should have told me earlier. I would have never showed up."


    "Riley... I don''t think this is the only thing bothering you," he says. Chapter One frundred and Curly


    "Is not, is just..." I trailed off; I shouldn''t tell him this.


    "It''s just, what?"


    "Today makes it six months," I said, letting him figure out the rest.


    "So you thought I was... what? Trying to avoid you or trying to end things ording to the contract which have been ''voided?," he asked, actually taken aback by what I had said. Maybe I was just an overthinker. "I''m sorry, but I shouldn''t be the one apologizing; you left me here all alone because you were on something more important than me."


    "Nothing is more important than you, Riley."


    "So what was this issue you were trying to solve?" I asked, feeling a bit left out.


    "It''s Bailey."


    "Oh,e on, the ancient lover again?"


    "She is supposed to be back from her ''assignment'' by now."


    "Well, maybe she is dead," I say, surprised at how cold I had be. I couldn''t believe that the thought of her dead didn''t horrify me at all.


    "Riley, I do not give a damn if she still lives, but if she is indeed dead, that means Nyaos is still alive out there; he would remain a threat to our pack. We can''t be caught off guard likest time,".

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four


    I was indeed being unreasonable.


    1 hadn''t been thinking about the pack, I was after my own selfish goals and desires; Bailey''s death would be a loss for us all, because, just as she herself had said, she was of use.


    "I''m sorry, Thane; I don''t know what got into my mind."


    "I shouldn''t have kept you waiting, I apologize," he says.


    "What do you think happened to Balley?"


    "I actually think she is dead or very close to that." Thane says, "She was spotted by one of my spies a few days ago; she should have been back now; If she is not, then she is most likely dead." "After what she did to the rest of the elders, they would hate her to death, but they were aware that she betrayed them, right?"


    "Nyaos knows that."


    We sat in silence, overlooking the crowd of people. Finally I was in the ''party'' mood; just then the music slowed down, partners paired up, staring at each other with affectionate eyes. "Would you like a dance with me?" Thane offered.


    "Of course, I thought you would never ask. But I must warn you, I am not a very good dancer."


    He snickered. "But I am, so that should do" He said, holding my hands and leading me down to the dancing floor.


    "You look so beautiful," heplements, his hands running down the silk dress. "I love it."


    "Thank you and you look dashing as always."


    Thane''s movements were slow and precise, matching the music ying in the background; his hand rested on my waist and at the small of my back; it was just about the both of us. I lost track of time as we danced, we were clearly enjoying each other''s closeness, but then the music changed and it was time to switch partners Thane passed me to Axel as he took the waiting hands of a girl who had been lingering near in hopes of dancing with the Alpha King.


    Axel danced with me; the beat was a bit faster, but Axel was just as good a dancer.


    "You seemed mad earlier; could it be because you missed us?" He questioned, easily reading what had been on my mind.


    "Maybe. But you were both busy; I should be more understanding."


    The music went on, and soon I felt myself blissfully dancing along; I was getting better at this.


    "I like when you smile like that," Axel says, and my smile widened.


    Chage 15


    "I really love this ball," I admitted. "I can''t believe I considered leaving"


    "You considered leaving?"


    "I just felt awkward seating there all alone, I felt ke people were looking and judging


    "Riley, you are the queen; there would always be people looking and judging, but wherever you are, know that you represent the crown, so you can stand in his ce, and there is nothing awkward about it." "That''s correct; I don''t know what I was thinking," I admitted silently.


    "That aside, I do think you are getting better at dancing," he says. "I know, right?"


    The song, changed again, and so I danced with other high ranked individuals-some Alphas, some Commanders, some Betas, and also Gammas. It turned out to be more fun than I ever thought it could be.


    Helt a hot gaze on me, and when I turned to see who was staring at me so intensely, I saw Thane; he was with anotherdy, and I felt the spike of jealousy, but from the look in his eyes he felt the same, seeing the in the arms of the gamma I was currently dancing with. The woman didn''t feel veryfortable at the fact that he was dancing with her, and yet his whole attention was on me. By the next music, he switched with the gamma I danced with, passing the girl in his hands to him and taking me.


    "That was very troubling to watch." He admits.


    "Come on, Thane, you know that I am all yours.


    "I do, but I really don''t like seeing their hands all over you, it makes the idea of chopping of their hands more appealing" he says, and I knew he meant his words. He was possessive; that was a dominant trait for most Alphas and high-ranked werewolves.


    I noticed Beatrix walk in; she wasn''t in a dress but in her uniform, and that was weird, I also observed that she came in through the same passage Thane and Axel walked in from. The moment she noticed me staring, she looked away quickly-too quickly. When the music stopped, I turned to Thane.


    "I''ll be right back," I say, and he nods. He was speaking with Alpha Zack, one of the Alphas I had sat with in the previous meeting


    I walked to the hallways, the route lead back to our room, and just when I was out of sight, I made a turn. This was stupid, but there was no turning back now. The pathway Beatrix had walked out from only led to a single room; weirdly, the room was empty. What were Thane and Axel doing in an empty room?


    Maybe I shouldn''t over think things; they might have been elsewhere for all I know.


    1 turned around, but then I spotted a sword. It was ced on the wall, and for some reason t was drawn to it. I tried taking it off the wall, but wouldn''te off.


    What good was a sword if it was only there for show?


    Just then the bare wall split open to reveal a... secret room.


    I turned to stare at the sword, that was no sword, that was a way in.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five


    I walked into the room, noticing that their scent still lingered, Thane and Axel had been in here, that I was sure of, but then what were they doing in here?


    This was none of my business, I should turn around right now, some secrets were just not meant to be discovered, and I was satisfied with the way things were now, I didn''t need to spoil that. I had been about to do just that I had been about to turn away from this room when I discovered the pictures pinned to the wall.


    I knew these people.


    Some of them were at the ball at this moment, but most of them had been present in the meeting; I could spot Alpha Trent, Alpha Cain, Alpha Zack... and others.


    They were all Alphas, I realized, but what was more disturbing was that all the pictures pinned to the wall were marred by a bold crimson ''X''. You only see stuff like these in movies, this was how the ''assassins'' mark their next victim.


    Lbacked away, till the table in the middle of the room halted my movement. On the table was a map, and there were several markings on the map.


    What really had Thane and Axel been doing in this room?


    Just then I heard footsteps approaching. I could make out Beatrix''s voice even from the distance.


    My heart mmed fast against my chest. It took me a moment to find the thick handle on the wall-like door, and it took huge effort for me to shut the hidden door. I could only hope that handle could also get me out of this room; if not, then I was doomed. I could hardly pick a thing Beatrix was saying from in here, and I guess that was the point of


    the secret room.


    ".... He is full of surprises," she said; perhaps she said more than that, but that was all I could


    catch.


    "Just when I thought things couldn''t get any better," Beatrix said, followed by more muffled words before the voices disappeared. They must have left.


    I had spent too much time away; Thane would be looking for me.


    I stared back at the pictures pinned to the wall. This was all wrong. I suddenly felt like this room was too small. I tried the thick handle, but the thing wouldn''t bulge. I panicked, pulling harder, but still nothing. I was trapped; I might die here if no one ever found me. I closed my eyes, calming my raging nerves.


    Panicking wouldn''t help. Maybe I just had to pull harder, and this time the door did move; the relief filled me as I slipped out of the small passage. It was easier shutting the door when I was out, all I had to do was pull the sword-like object, and the doorpletely closed


    shut.


    Chapter One Hundred and


    I hurried away from the secret room, going as fast as my legs could take me.


    I didn''t want to return to the mating ball; I just couldn''t, so I took the opposite route, and that led me outside the pack house. I didn''t stop running till I was in the woods; finally, I came to a halt, panting heavily; I was all sweaty, but the more resounding sense was panic. What had Beatrix been referring to when she said things were about to get more ''interesting''? A part of me felt like it was all connected to Thane and... Axel. Also why where those pictures pinned and marked as if they were targets?


    There were so many questions on my mind-many I wasn''t sure I wanted to discover the answer to. I hadn''t realized I was crying till I felt the wetness against my cheeks.


    No one was to see me weak; I was the Queen Luna, and just like Freya, I was to hide all my fears; just like Thane, I was to wear a mask on so no one would know how I truly felt inside, but the truth was that I was hot like any of them; I was Riley Kaidon, the girl who had been uncertain of her future months back, and maybe still was. I wasn''t as strong as the others born into this kind of life; I didn''t want to always act strong, even in times when I wasn''t. I sometimes need a break.


    A silent whimper caught my attention.


    I wasn''t alone.

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    Chapter One Hundred a


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Six


    "Who''s there?" I called out, quickly wiping away my tears, but the whimpers continued. Whoever this person was, he or she was in pain and not likely a threat, and so I followed the sound.


    I could have easily missed it.


    It was a woman sprawled on the ground, her body battered and bruised; she looked so frail - it was like life had been sucked right out of her; and then she turned, her eyes locked into mine and I gasped.


    It was Bailey.


    I hadn''t recognized her, but who would? She didn''t look like the woman that left this pack, the intimidating elder with the ancient crafty eyes; now she waspletely... different.


    Her skin had many burn marks, her fingers were missing, and half her face was also burnt to the point it waspletely unrecognizable. She shivered, looking so tiny, I couldn''t believe it. "Bailey?" I called, and her whimpers ceased.


    "You," she called out, her voice barely audible, I almost didn''t hear her. "He was never going to keep to his part of his deal, was he?" She questioned, staring at me with so much anger and pain. "He was never going to do his own part, would he?" She cried out; if I hadn''t known her, I would have thought she was crazy.


    "I... I don''t know what you are talking about?" I said.


    "Oh, you know, you always knew, and with all my years of wisdom, I fell for such a foolish


    act."


    "Who did this to you?" I questioned, unable to hide back the shiver. Whoever did this was a twisted-minded person.


    "Nyaos was not the only elder who... escaped," she managed to say. "There is one other-they knew I wasing." She paused and broke into a sob.


    This was the woman I hated, the woman I thought her death would be satisfactory to me. I was wrong; I wasn''t as cold-hearted as the members of the Nightshade Pack; I could never be what they wanted, because staring at this woman, after all she had done to me, I could still find it in my heart to pity her.


    "I''ll alert them; I''ll get help," I promised before turning away. She had been saying something, but I didn''t wait to hear that; she was in a critical condition and needed help urgently, I ran for the packhouse, and just then, I came in contact with a wall..


    No, not a wall, a person. I hadn''t been paying attention; I should have noticed Thane. Axel was right behind, and he quickly joined us.


    "Where did you go?" Axel questioned. I shook my head, about to speak, but no words came out.


    Chapter One Hundred most Fasty!


    "What the hell is wrong with you? You got us worried; I checked the whole house, and your were not in it; if you wanted to go somewhere, you would have told us," Thane says, clearly mad.


    "I saw Bailey in the woods; she needs help." That''s all I could get out before I hurried back to where I had found her, hoping they followed; they easily caught up with me.


    I stopped at the spot where I had seen Bailey, but she wasn''t there.


    What the...?


    "What the hell is going on with you?" Thane questioned.


    "See that blood trail." I pointed to the ground, and he spotted it. "I had seen Bailey here."


    I followed the blood trail, and... there she was leaning against the tree. I had thought she looked horrifying a few minutes ago, but now I could see her full form. I noticed that her legs and hands didn''t seem to be in the right ce; there was way too much blood that I was surprised at the fact that she was still alive. She sobbed silently, in pain.


    Bailey" Thane called, also stunned by the sight before him.


    Axel and Thane walked to her, easily picking her up; the excuse of a dress she was in fell away, revealing very pale white skin with more cuts. What exactly did they do to her?


    Thane and Axel had managed to take Bailey into the healing room without anyone noticing.


    "The ball would being to an end soon; the Alpha King and Queen have to be present." Axel says


    "You are right; we would be right back," Thane says to Axel.


    The healers had already gone to work on Bailey, but we all knew this would be different; she was an elder; elders don''t go to healers and her injuries seemed beyond them.


    All I had to do was stand by Thane as he gave a speech to the crowd; he was calm and controlled, even piping in some little jokes to lighten the mood, but I, on the other hand, was tense. How could he be this calm?


    His speech came to an end quickly as we bid farewell to the guests, weing them to stay the night if they wanted to. Most of them left, and now we could both return back to Bailey.


    Chapter One Hundrelt andE

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven


    "Nyaos was not the only one who escaped; we calcted wrong. Caleb too is out there and free," Balley says.


    "They did this to you?" I questioned, unable to fathom the brutality of the elders.


    "I betrayed them; I turned them all in, and then came to take thest one- they let me believe it was only Nyaos left, and just as I had stabbed my brothers and sisters in the back, Caleb did the same to me. In all the centuries I lived, I had never experienced pain so intense that I longed for death. All for what?" Her voice croaked, "All to selfishly gain more power. I should have known you would never do as you said Thane, but maybe my hunger after power blinded my eyes."


    "Bailey, I was never going to rule alongside the elders-one way or the other, I would have killed them after I got my crown," Thane admitted, and I knew that was the truth; we all knew


    that.


    Bailey shut her eyes, deciding to ignore us all.


    "Bailey, if you want them dead, then you have to give us more details."


    "I don''t have to do a thing; you would discover it all on your own," she says. She was hiding something; I knew it; we all knew it, but she wasn''t going to reveal what she hid. Thane didn''t push her either.


    "Fine, you would be attended to by the healers; you should remain in this pack; this way you would be safer, if you change your mind about talking, then you know where to meet us." Thane says, but Bailey''s eyes remained shut. Thane headed for the door, and I followed.


    We returned back to our room, and Axel tagged along.


    "What do you think they did to her?"


    "The elders are ruthless sets of individuals. I had never seen an elder torture another, but I''ve heard of their ruthless method of torturing other people. For a very graceful set of people, they could be quite animalistic." Thane says.


    "Nyaos is an elemental, and why that is a cool gift, Caleb''s is even worse; some say he is a descendant of Hades, but I don''t believe it; I think his ability is more of a curse than a gift. He could seize life from anything living; this way he gets stronger; he had made sure she was weak enough, that exins why she looks so... tiny. More to that, she must have been assaulted in other ways," Axel added.


    "Physically or... Sexually?" I asked, mortified.


    "Clearly both," Thane answers, "Nyaos and Bailey had a thing going on some centuries ago; they separated, but I guess Nyaos never did let it go."


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven


    "And then the betrayal-it had added to their furry," I sald, feeling a slight shiver that didn''t have to do with the weather. I couldn''t imagine what Balley had gone through.


    "I had no idea Caleb still lives." Thane admitted, "They could have killed her, I guess they were trying to send us a message - yet another threat from them"


    "You are right, that must have been their intention" Axel agreed.


    Thane''s gaze returned to me. "What had you been doing out there Riley?" he asked.


    That was the one question I thought I had dodged.


    "Yeah... what were you doing out there?"Axel questioned along. I guess there was no escaping


    this.


    "I just needed some air."


    "You didn''t tell me that; you told me you would be ''right back," Thane says.


    I couldn''t tell them what I saw, but what other options did I have? Lying w caught.


    only get me


    "Then maybe I should know what exactly you both were doing in the ''secret'' room."


    "That''s where you went to?" Axel asked.


    "I had seen Beatrixing from that same way, and I was curious."


    "That still doesn''t exin why you were in the woods."


    "I saw the pictures-the one pinned to the wall-why were they there?"


    Axel and Thane exchanged nces. "Riley" Thane began, "Not everyone is happy about the new changes; it shouldn''t be exactly shocking that we monitor their movements, just to be on the safer side." Thane exined slowly, like he was talking to a child who had issues understanding things.


    "Had that been what got you reeled up?" Thane inquired.


    "I don''t know exactly what I was thinking, but sometimes I feel like I do not know you both well enough; I feel like you guys are hiding something from me."


    "You know everything you need to know. Riley I only ask you to be more cautious; there were a lot of guests; something bad could have happened to you, right under my nose." Thana scolded gently.


    "I know, and I''m sorry if I left you worrying," I said. "I''m sorry Axel"


    "That''s okay"


    Deep down I couldn''t kick away this feeling; there was something more to those pictures, and I knew it, but I wasn''t going to push that anymore; we had more issues to worry about, like Chapter One Hundred and Forly Seven


    the elders, who were both very much alive.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Eight


    I walked into the healing room with a tray of food. I set it down on the table.


    "How are you feeling?" I asked Balley.


    She didn''t look any better than she had been a day ago; her face was still scarred; she looked like she had been through crap and that she had been.


    "They fixed up the bones that had been broken, stitched the wounds, and cleaned them up. that is the best they could do," Bailey responded after a few moments of silence.


    "I''m... I''m so sorry for what happened to you.


    "Are you truly sorry? I mean, this must be what you have wanted all this time, right?"


    "No, I would never wish this-not even on my enemy."


    "Bullshit," she says, and I had been about to retort but decided against it.


    "Those injuries-would they ever heal?" I questioned.


    "The injuries would heal after a few days, albeit they would leave nasty scars, but nothing I can''t take; the missing fingers would regrow after a few months, but the burn," she says referring to the burn on her face. "This was inflicted by magic." "Does that mean It will never heal?" I questioned.


    "It would take a longer time for that to clear off-maybe a few years."


    I couldn''t imagine the pain she felt now.


    I sat on the bed beside her. "I wanted to tell you, thank you, thank you for trying to help this pack."


    "You thank me, even if I failed."


    "You made an attempt; that is better than nothing."


    "Just so you know, everything I did, every move I made was for me-not for this pack; I knew a time woulde when Nyaos would want his revenge on me for my betrayal-I thought I


    could catch him unaware, but they are more powerful than they ever had been.


    I should have suspected it from the wind; Nyaos could never create a wind so strong in the past, and Caleb... his abilities are even beyond myprehension. I hadn''t been ready," she admitted.


    "I don''t care why you did it, Bailey; I have to give it to you, you are really brave."


    Her gaze met mine. "Don''t look at me like that," she said, as if disgusted.


    "Like how?" I questioned, slightly offended by her tone. What was her problem?


    "That look of pity, I hate it."


    "Then I''m sorry," I said, looking away.


    "You''ve asked your question, and now it''s time to ask mine. Why did you help me?" She asked, sitting up slightly, while she tried to hide it. I knew the little movement caused her even more difort. "What do you mean?"


    "I do not like repeating myself; you know what 1 bean. I went to bed with your mate"" I didn''t miss her emphasis on the word ''mate". "You were mad at me; I knew it; I know you hate me. So what I am asking is why you came back for me


    She was right to ask that question, but I couldn''t let her know what I had felt when I saw her injured as she was and mostly naked out in the woods.


    "Maybe you should answer my question first. When I had gone to get help for you, I noticed


    died you left the spot. Were you trying to escape or what? We both know that you would have if not attended to as quickly as possible."


    "I judged you by what I would do if I was kept in your position; I didn''t believe you were going to find help; I thought you were going to return with a weapon-maybe a gun to finally end me with those silver bullets."


    "You thought I was going to harm you-in your state?" I questioned; she didn''t bother answering that; the look in her eyes said it all.


    "So why did you help me?"


    "I saw a woman in need of help, and I helped; maybe I am not as heartless as supposed," I admitted.


    "After all I did to you, after how degradingly I spoke to you before I left, you still... helped me?, Now I finally see what the Alpha King sees in you; he sees something he doesn''t have, a pure heart; that''s what he fell for. Do you regret your actions?" she questioned. "Never," I said, not even having to think about an answer to that question.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Nine


    "So I guess you didn''t exactly mean your words when you said ''you hope I died?" she questions


    "I thought I did; maybe I was wrong?"


    "Do you know what I would have done if I were in your ce?" She questioned, and I shook my head, indicating a ''no''. "I would haveughed right in your face before I stabbed you in the chest. Then I notify the others only when I was sure you were dead. I would tell them that I found a dead body in the middle of the woods. Of course they have no reason to doubt me.


    If you had been expecting a thank you from me, then I am sorry to disappoint you. Shut the door on your way out," she said before resting back on the bed.


    "Do you think I came here for the sole purpose of checking on you?" I questioned her, keeping the emotion off my voice. I dide to check up on her, but she didn''t have to know this.


    "Then why are you here?"


    "I know there is more-something you are hiding, and I thought if I talked things out with you, you would be willing to spill the beans," I said truthfully.


    "Well, you failed woefully," she said. That was it. I rose to my feet.


    "Why do you always have to be such a bitch?" I called out.


    "You see yourself as some hero for saving me, but you are not the hero; if you were, you would have gone for those elders too, instead of sitting idle here, where you would be protected. You are nothing but a coward."


    "Maybe I did make a mistake; maybe I should never have helped you, and I apologize for that. I would try not to next time."


    "Who told you there would ever be a next time?"


    I turned to her, my gaze fully on her. "You don''t seem to be able to move those hands right?" I continued before she could speak, "That makes you defenseless, and as the cowardly person I am, this is a very good time to attack; perhaps sparing your life was an unwise decision; I can correct all that here." I said, my tone sharp as ice, I almost couldn''t believe it wasing from me. Maybe I too had a dark part; it might be hidden and buried, but it was still there, and Bailey always did a very good job in bringing that part out. She tried to look unfazed by my threat but I could sense her uncertainty. ''Would she do it?'' I could read the question off her eyes; she might be an elder, but right now she was nothing but a person injured and helpless.


    Bailey wasn''t exactly a good person; she had a history; just like the other elders, they had alle together to administer brutal punishments on offenders, most times said ''offenders'' were just those against their rule; the fact that she had betrayed her n didn''t change


    who


    Chapter One Honda-tand for


    she was.


    I walked out of the healing room. It was all a waste of time; she was too much of a bitch to reason with; there was no need trying to.


    It was veryte; I couldn''t tell exactly what had woken me, but my heart raced wildly.


    Maybe it was just a bad dream.


    Thaney beside me, but there was something wrong with his breathing.


    His eyes were closed, fast asleep, but he seemed to be having some inner turmoil.


    I leaned in to kiss him, and that''s when I realized his temperature-he was literally burning up. I ced my hand on his forehead to be sure, and I was right; his body was so hot, anding to think about it, that might have been what woke me up, I rushed into the bathroom, collecting a bowl of warm water and a towel.


    I dipped the towel into the bowl and ced it on his head. He groaned.


    "Thane," I called, but he didn''t wake.


    If it were any other day, he would be awake the moment he sensed I was, but now... something''s wrong.


    Damn.. his body was burning up-like really, really hot-and the towel I ced on his head wasn''t helping.


    "Thane," I called again, this time panicked, but yet again, there was no response.


    I shook him. Nothing.


    I was about to go find Axel; it waste, but Thane needed help, and just then, I felt his hand wrap around mine.


    "Thane you scared me; you were burning up, and I..."


    My words trailed off when I noticed something. His eyes, which had once been amber, were ck-totally ck with no iris.


    He snarled at me.


    "Thane, let me go," b


    but he didn''t even seem to be listening; the sounds he made were what scared me the most; his grip tightened, his nails sinking into my skin. "You are hurting me," 1 cried out, but those eyes did not belong to Thane

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty


    I tried pulling away from his hold, but Thane was really strong-maybe even stronger now.


    Thane pulled me closer to him, close enough that his breath fanned my neck, close enough that I could see how pained thosepletely ck eyes looked. There was something different with the way he stared at me.


    I should be scared; I should have struggled harder, but I didn''t, and at some point I gave up. I would never be able to fight him off; there was no use trying, and finally he let me go, his eyes returning to their original color. "Riley... what happened?" He asked, seeming lost.


    "You are burning up; I need to go get Axel," I said to him, and before he could ask anymore questions, I darted out of the room.


    He couldn''t remember what he did. I knew how guilty he would feel if he knew what he had done, and so I made a decision. He was not going to know.


    1 pounded on the door to Axel''s apartment; it waste and very rude to wake a person up this way, but I was panicking. Axel pushed open the door; he was in nothing but a pair of shorts; his jet ck hair sprang out wildly; I had clearly woken him up. I tore my eyes from his body. "Do you realize howte it is?" He questioned, and for the first time, he didn''t read me as easily as I had expected. If I were here at this time, then it meant something was wrong; should have known that.


    "Something is going on with Thane."


    "No," he disagrees.


    "What?" I question dumbfounded.


    "If anything was wrong with him, I would have felt it."


    "You listen to me; Thane is not alright!"


    Finally, he seemed to see the urgency in my tone; he quickly followed after me, and we returned back to the room.


    Thane wasn''t on the bed but on one of the cushions, and he looked perfectly...fine.


    "So?" Axel questioned.


    "His temperature had gone up," I said to Axel.


    "Are you okay?" Axel questioned Thane, his voiceced with genuine concern."


    "I am," Thane answers.


    he


    I joined them, gently cing my hand on Thane''s forehead, but his temperature was back to


    000


    normal


    "It hadn''t been like this when I went to get you," I said to Axel, but he didn''t seem to believe me; it made sense that he trusted the ''bond'' more. The question was, why didn''t he feel it?


    "Axel, she is right; I had this strange feeling..." Thane trailed off, and I noticed his gaze on my wrist. "Riley, let me see your wrist," he says, but held my wrist to my chest, taking a step. back. The injury on my wrist was all the evidence I needed; all I had to do was to show it to Axel, he would finally believe that I wasn''t just ''making things up'', but I didn''t want Thane to discover that he did this. "It''s fine; it''s just a bruise."


    "Riley," he called warningly, and 1 inhaled deeply. I stretched out my hand, giving him a look. "You see, just a bruise."


    He was silent for a few seconds.


    "I did that, didn''t I?"


    "No, you didn''t," I say, but my voice faltered, and that gave me away.


    He closed his eyes, as if trying to recall what had happened. "You gave in; you stopped fighting; why?" he questioned, the intensity of his gaze on me.


    "I didn''t..."


    "Why?" he asked again, cutting me off.


    "I knew I couldn''t fight you, so I just... didn''t."


    "What if I did worse than this?" he says, referring to the deep gash on my wrist.


    "I didn''t think you would."


    "I was not in my right senses," he says.


    "What happened?" Axel finally questioned, puzzled.


    "I had woken up to notice that he was burning hot. I tried cing a wet towel on him, but that didn''t change anything and he wasn''t opening his eyes. I had been worried and about to call for you when he finally awoke, but his eyes werepletely ck. I don''t know how to exin it, and he kept on snarling at me; he was like a totally different person," I said, unable to hide the slight shiver.


    "I had done that," Thane says. "I remember now."


    I didn''t want to tell him, but he had wanted to know, and now I could see the guilt in his eyes; his gaze never left my wrist. "What caused it?" I asked him.


    "I... I don''t know," he says, furious at himself.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fitt


    "Hey... this is not your fault."


    "Don''t. I had hurt you and would have done worse."


    "But you didn''t," I added.


    Axel had been silent, lost in thoughts and finally he spoke up. "I hadn''t felt a thing-I should have felt it if Thane was troubled," Axel said to himself, and that exined why he hadn''t believed me earlier.


    "Maybe he wasn''t exactly troubled," I offered, but that had been a lie, and Axel knew that.


    "Riley, if this ever happens again, could you promise me that you would fight me as hard as you can?"


    "But..."


    "No buts, promise me."


    "It won''t happen again," I assured him.


    "You don''t know that."


    "I promise you that I would ''try'' fighting you off, but we both know I would lose in that."


    "Still better than giving up; now let''s go get that cleaned up," he says. The bruise on my hand was only a small cut; it didn''t need any special care, but Thane was having none of that.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty One


    "How is that healing up?" Axel asked as he shrugged off his jacket.


    "It''s only a bruise now; that ointment must be really good," I responded.


    I had informed him earlier that I needed to speak to him, so I waited for him in his room.


    "So what do you want to talk about?" he asked radiantly. He was doing this purposely; he was acting like nothing had happenedst night.


    "I want to talk aboutst night."


    "What aboutst night?" he questions.


    "You know what happenedst night; why are you pretending like nothing happened?"


    "Am 1?"


    "Yes, you are."


    "So, would you prefer I go announcingst night''s incident to the whole pack to prove that something did happen?"


    "No, the problem is you don''t even seem worried about it."


    Axel turned to me. "Not everyone shows emotions like you do. I am worried about him, and I spent the whole day researching to find out what must have gone wrong with him, and I came up empty. Thane feels guilty aboutst night, I am supposed to help you take your mind off things." he exined.


    "You are right; I''m sorry. That was not exactly what I came here to speak to you about."


    "It is not?" Axel questioned doubtfully.


    "Okay, maybe it has to do with that."


    "Well, go on; it is


    ot like I have any other option than to listen," he says jokingly before taking a seat beside me.


    "Before Bailey went on the ''mission'' I had been speaking to her... about Thane."


    "That''s new, Bailey and you... chatting," he says, clearly amused.


    "We weren''t exactly chatting; it had been that time she visited to offer me a deal in which she was ¡ê generously going to let me be Thane''s mistress as she took my title."


    "That makes more sense," Axel admits.


    "Have


    you noticed anything strange or rather... different about Thane?"


    "Aside fromst night?" he questioned.


    "Generally, I mean".


    Axel watched me as if trying to discern where this conversation was going.


    "He is strong really strong. Bailey had said he was as strong as two Alpha wolvesbined, and then, his speed- everything about him had always been different. Tell me that you noticed that too."


    "I don''t know what you are talking about.


    "You know, and I know it."


    "Okay, maybe he is faster and stronger, so what?


    "I don''t know, I just feel like it''s all connected tost night''s incident; maybe it was a part of


    him..."


    Axel cut me off. "That is not a part of him, at least not a part I had ever witnessed."


    "You know what? Forget it."


    "Riley, don''t be mad. I know you want to help him; I want to help too, but whatever monster that had done that to you," he said, pointing at my wrist, "is definitely not a part of Thane I had ever seen before" I waited anxiously for Thane to return home; the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into hours, but Thane was yet to return.


    I had almost given up, maybe he would spend the night elsewhere, Axel had told me that Thane felt guilty and that exins why he would want to stay away; maybe I should go meet him.


    Just then the door opened, and Thane walked.


    "Thane," I called out, running into his arms. A part of me had been worried about him; I had been worried that he would want to keep his distance after what happenedst night. His hold on me was hesitant. Now that I was close, I could perceive his scent better. Wait, was that... alcohol?


    1 looked up to meet his gaze. "Thane, are you drunk?"


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    Chapter Die Hundred

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two


    Thane walked past me, and I followed after him, Are you drunk?" I questioned again. "No," he finally answers, "It would take more than a few bottles to get me drunk." "You arete and I was worried."


    "I''m sorry, I just..." he broke off his sentence, saying no more.


    "For fuck''s sake it was only a scratch, it''s no big deal!"


    "It could have been more Riley, and you know that; what would I have done to myself then?""


    "It wasn''t your fault?"


    "Then who''s fault was it?"


    "Whatever hellish thing that possessed you that night, that''s what we should be worrying about."


    "Axel told me about your... theories, so you do think I''m different?" he questioned.


    "Different in a good way, "yeah," I added quickly.


    "Maybe I''ve noticed a few changes myself; I wanted to believe it was all as a result of the crowing." Thane exins, and I nod. That makes sense; with the crownes power. "But maybe I was wrong; maybe there is something more; I would have to find out." I settled on the bed, waiting for Thane to join me. I did miss the warmth that only he could provide, but then I noticed he had chosen to sleep on the couch.


    "Thane, you can''t sleep there, you really don''t have to"


    "What if it happens again?"


    "If it does, this distance would still not be good enough; you are really fast, remember?" I said jokingly, but he didn''t carry on the joke.


    "You are not afraid?" Thane questions


    "of you? No, I am not."


    "Why?"


    ''Because I trust you, I know you would never hurt me."


    "That only makes it worse; I hadn''t been in my right senses, Riley; you shouldn''t be thisfortable around me, not anymore."


    ''Well, I am, and nothing can change that."


    "I hadn''t done the right thing; I should have let you stay at Axel''s; that way you would be safe.


    Chapter the Bidhymen


    +25 BOHUS


    "Thane, I am safe, okay? I don''t want to sleep alone tonight, so could you pleasee to bed?" Thane let out an audible breath before rising from the cushion; he walked up to the bed and slid beside me.


    "You see, still very safe," I said to him, but he didn''t look at allfortable. He remained at the edge of the bed.


    I woke up, noticing Thane stilly at my side. I took a few minutes staring at him; I still couldn''t believe he was all mine.


    "You might as well take a picture, it wouldst longer" he says, and 1 quickly looked away, blushing. "Hey, I don''t want you to look away, I enjoy the attention" heined and I couldn''t help but let out a small chuckle. "What do you say we go for a run?" Thane asked.


    "I thought you needed to go to work."


    "I could skip work for a few hours, just to make it up to you for being so irrationalst night."


    "You do have some ''making up'' to do," I agreed. I quickly got dressed.


    I found myself thinking about other things we could do in the woods, things that do not involve running.


    I followed Thane out of the room, noticing the stares. There were always people staring, and just as Axel said, I should get used to this, maybe I already have.


    Thane watched me transform into my wolf; he stared at me like I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and my heart swelled with pride, but if he thought my wolf was beautiful, then he was breathtakingly beautiful. We ran together into the woods. I knew he could easily outrun me but he was intentionally keeping pace. I didn''t even realize how much I needed this run or how badly my wolf wanted this till now.


    Thane finally came to a stop. He swiftly and gracefully switched back to his human form; my own transformation wasn''t as graceful as his'', but then it hit me: we were both naked, in the woods, far away from the pack house.


    His lustful gaze trailed down my body, and he was right in front of me the next moment. He mmed me against the tree; albeit a bit rougher than he would have, but I ignored that, kissing him with equal passion.


    "You want to y a game?" he asks, and I nod, excited. "All you have to do is run as fast as you


    Chapter One Hundred and fifty


    can. I''ll give you some heads up. Don''t let me catch you."


    "That sounds like fun," I say to him. My voice sounded just as needy as his, and before he could give the signal, 1 zipped into the forest, ruining as fast as I could. I ran till I couldn''t feel my feet. My heart drummed in my chest in anticipation. I didn''t know if he wasing yet. I dared look back; he wasn''t close. My smile widened, and just then I mmed into something


    No, not something, someone. Thane.


    For some reason, the anticipation I felt fazed out. I had said I could never be afraid of him, that I trusted him not to hurt me, but now all I could feel was fear.


    His eyes were ck-those same ck they had been that night; he looked the same and at the same time apletely different person. There was this edge to him that hadn''t been there before.


    I remembered his words; he had told me to fight him, but that is an impossible battle, one I would never win.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Three


    I turned around, trying to trace back the route to the pack house, but we had gone so deep into the woods I would never make it. Of course he caught up with me. I couldn''t fight free of his hold.


    "Thane let me go." I begged just as I did that dreadful night. But once again he wasn''t listening; his hold on me was unbreakable. I struggled, harder than ever before, but that didn''t deter him; he seem to know every of my moves even before I made them. I kicked him in the groin, and that only pissed him off. He tossed me into the air like I weighed nothing, and my back mmed against the hard trunk of the tree. I dropped to the ground, a wave of pain washed through me. I rose slowly to my feet, but he was no longer in sight. "Thane!" I called out, but no one answered.


    I called out his name over and over, trying to find him, but all I seeded in doing was getting myself lost. I had nevere this far on my own; my back hurt, and there would be more bruises on my body, but that I didn''t care about. What I did care about was the fact that Thane was out there alone; he wasn''t in his right senses. What if something happened to him?


    A twig snapped, and that cut me out of my trail of thoughts. I stood alert.


    "Is just me" Axel''s familiar voice announced, and I let out a breath of relief.


    "He''s gone Axel; we have to find him; we have to..."


    "We would only after I get you back to the pack house," Axel said, handing me the robe he hade along with, I put it on with little difficulty.


    "You are hurt" he noted, but again my well being wasn''t what we should be worrying about


    now.


    "How did you know I was here?"


    "I sensed Thane was disturbed; I guess he was trying to pass me some kind of signal; he knew what wasing.


    What exactly happened?" he asks.


    "We decided to take a run in the woods and then... I don''t know... he just changed all of a sudden," I said, leaving some key details out of my little narration. I didn''t tell him how violent Thane had been, neither did I tell him about our little game that seemed to had begun it all.


    "As of now he is alive and well; he will be back, Riley; you don''t have to worry, but you would need a healer" Axel said, picking me up.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I can''t let you walk, not in this state"


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty free


    It had been two days now.


    Anytime I asked Axel about Thane, he gave the same response.


    "Thane will be back when he is ready."


    A part of me already knew what would happen after his return; he would consider himself too. dangerous for me, yet I didn''t want to think about living without him; I loved him, and I didn''t care what he was, it wouldn''t stop me from loving him.


    After Axel had returned me back to the pack house two days ago, I spent a whole day with the healers, I also had to convince Axel that informing my mother about my situation was


    unnecessary, as it would only lead toplications and more lies. My mother couldn''t know


    the truth about Thane.


    The healers had confirmed that nothing was broken and with their administration and my wolf''s healing abilities, I was finally discharged. Though my back muscles still felt tender. I couldn''t sleep.


    How could I?, When I knew Thane was out there, alone.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four


    Bailey was thest person I wanted to see right now, but I knew I had to swallow


    my annoyance. She had been the first to pinpoint Thane''s abnormalities; she told me earlier that being with him would be dangerous; she had tried exining to me that things would only get worse and soon I wouldn''t be safe with him, but hadn''t been willing to listen; I had believed that she said all those things to scare me into passing the title to her.


    She knew more about this than she was letting out.


    Bailey was still in the healing room, still injured, but at least she looked quite better.


    "So you


    you are back; I didn''t think I would be seeing you at all anytime soon," shemented.


    "Trust me, I do not want to be here either, but I needed to talk to you about Thane."


    "And why do you think I would care for such conversation?" she asks, her voice nk, just like her eyes.


    "Maybe because I would have left you to die but I didn''t, this one thing I ask of you, and I hope you would try to be less of a bitch and listen to me."


    She was silent for a few seconds before she finally spoke up. "The changes Ltold you about, it had started right?" She asked with a wide smile.


    "You always knew, didn''t you?."


    "Of course I did; I had tried to warn you, but did you listen?" she questioned.


    "Is there any way I could help him?"


    "Any way ''you'' could help him?" She repeated mockingly, "No, there is literally nothing you can do, but perhaps I can give you some advice if you are willing to take it."


    "I am all ears."


    "Leave him," she said to me. "He is more dangerous than you can ever fathom; you would never be safe. But of course you won''t leave him, no, I can see it in your eyes, the defiance; you would rather let him kill you and live through the guilt of his actions, but I cannot judge you for making such a selfish decision. I would have done the same."


    "I just can''t leave him. He is my family now, and he needs me more than he has ever done before."


    "No. That''s where you are wrong; Thane never needed anybody; he never did, and he never will. He picked you because you caught his attention; he likes you, but he never did need you."


    "And how would you know that?" I snapped.


    "I know that just as much as you do," she says, as if reading some inner parts of me. I hated it.


    "What exactly is wrong with him? What is the cause of all the... aggressiveness?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four


    "Nothing is wrong with him; the time hase for a part of him toe to the light, a part you might not like very much. You asked earlier what I hid from you; I could have told you, but I wanted you to have a taste of how vtile he could be, only then would I reveal the truth to you. I always knew that Thane was different, and I had been right. I overheard Caleb and Nyaos


    conversation. They had nned to attack this pack, but they were... tentative.


    You see, the elders were once seen as the highest hierarchy in the werewolf world; they outranked even the Moon-Chosen King. In a way the king was nothing but the puppet. While the king always remained a symbol of power to all, the elders worked behind the scenes, they were the ones pulling the strings, but then there was a new King and he wouldn''t let the elders take control, he changed the system of things. He was different, just as Thane is different. He was of a different breed of wolves, Lycans, they were called, and he was thest of his kind. This discovery threatened the elders, so they had nned to assassinate him.


    He had died a young king, but he had brought down many of my own with him. It should have all ended with him, but it clearly didn''t. Many hundred yearster, a new king emerges, Thane ckwood. He reminds me so much of the deceased young king, but Thane was clever enough to end the circle of elders.


    It should be impossible for Thane to inherit a gene that had skipped so many lineages, but yet...yet here he is, a living proof, a miracle."


    "Are you trying to say Thane is a....


    "Lycan. Yes, The Last Lycan Wolf."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Five


    Lycans.


    That should have been another myth, and yet I knew she was not lying.


    Thane was a Lycan; loving him was a risk and yet I returned back to the room I shared with him; I needed to be reminded of his scent. Maybe I was indeed obsessed.


    I should stay away; all the warning signs were there; the bruise on my back proved how harmful he could be when he loses control, and yet... yet I was still craving him; yet I still craved his scent; my sole purpose of visiting our room was because I needed a reminder that the six months I spent here hadn''t all been a dream.


    I walked into our room, and that''s when I noticed something.


    The floor was littered with flowers-red roses-and the lights had been turned off, the room only illuminated by candles. This ce felt so surreal, reminding me of the date Thane took me on that day he had helped me switch into my wolf form for the first time.


    On the table was a bottle of wine and two ss cups.


    His scent... I could feel it, stronger now.


    There was movement from the side of the room; the candle provided deem lights, but I could make him out easily. It was Thane; he was back, looking more beautiful than ever.


    "Thane, you are back!," I cried out, running into his hands. I inhaled his scent deeply; I could get drunk on it.


    Obsessed.


    That was what I had be. He said nothing; he simply let me cry in his arms. "I love you so much, Thane; please don''t ever leave me like that again."


    Thane titled my head so I could stare at him. I noticed the sparkle in his eyes; those lights hadn''t been there again. I had thought he looked even more beautiful; maybe it had been his eyes. Now he looked more surreal, more like a myth, like a fantasy, one I didn''t want to wake up from, afraid it would only slip away the moment I did.


    "I don''t deserve you, Riley; I never have, never will. Yet I do not want to let you go; the thought alone... is so hard."


    "Then don''t think about it, because I wouldn''t either; it will always be the both of us, you and me."


    "You should be afraid of me."


    I know, but I am not.


    ""You shouldn''t trust me."


    Chapter One Handled and


    "I wish I didn''t."


    "It''s dangerous," he whispers, almost a plea, "I am dangerous".


    "I know, but I want you, Thane, I need you in a way I have never needed any before"


    other person


    "I know what I am now, Riley, and I won''t me you if you leave after discovering the truth," he says, his voice genuine.


    "I know the truth too."


    ""You don''t"


    "I know you are a Lycan; I know you are powerful, but you never stopped being Thane, the man I love."


    "The fact that I am a monster doesn''t change that?" He questions, his intense gaze on me.


    "You are not a monster."


    "I hurt you; only a monster would hurt a person like you."


    "You can not control it." I tried reasoning with him.


    "But I should; I should be able to control it," he says, and I knew what he was about to say next and I just couldn''t hear those words, not again.


    "Please don''t Thane. I know what you are about to do, and I would not allow it. I won''t allow you to leave me, Thane; you can''t. You would never be a monster to me; I would always love you; you can''t cut me away from your life, please." I say barely holding back my tears.


    Desperate.


    Thane drew me closer to himself, holding me tight against his body as if afraid I would slip away from his grasp if he didn''t. "I will never forgive myself for what I did to you." "Well, I forgive you."


    "You shouldn''t; I do not deserve your mercy."


    "Thane, let me help you. Let me be here for you.


    "You cannot help me, Riley," he says, those same words Bailey had said to me earlier. presence alone is all thefort I need."


    I needed to say something, I needed to change the topic.


    "I love the flowers," I said to him and that was true.


    "Your


    "I''m d you like it," he says, taking my hand and leading me to the chair. I sat too quickly; I flinched from the slight ache in my back. Of course Thane noticed it.


    "I am fine," I said to him with a smile.


    "Did you go to the healers?" he questions.


    "Yes, and they said I was totally fine," I said, trying to brush off the topic, but I didn''t miss the look in his eyes.


    Regret.


    "How did you discover the truth about what I was?" he questions, and I was d for the change of topic.


    "I had asked Bailey; she just needed a little bit more push to speak; she also talked about this former deceased king..."


    "Rhaine. The king''s name was Rhaine," Thane said. "What more did she tell you?" he questioned. I knew exactly what he wanted to hear.


    "She told me about how dangerous you were going to be." I said


    "And that still doesn''t scare you?"


    "No. It doesn''t".

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six


    I could feel Thane''s gaze burning against my skin. Then, he ced a gentle kiss on the bruise at the upper part of my back. We were both in bed together. Moments like these I would forever treasure.


    Some timete into the night, he edged back to the end of the bed, as if afraid he would hurt me if he came too close. I also didn''t miss how tense he was; I doubt he let himself get a glimpse of sleep all through the night. I had wanted to say something to him, but nothing I said would make him less cautious when around me.


    I worried for him; perhaps if I were stronger, if I could fight him off, he wouldn''t have to be so worried about hurting me.


    "How was your night?" Thane asks, and it hit me that he didn''t realize that I knew he hadn''t been sleeping. I was finally getting to know him better, better than he thought I did, and that was... something.


    "It was refreshing because I had you by my side, but it would have been more refreshing if your were closer to me rather thanying on the very edge of the bed, but you know what would be even better?" I asked with a dainty smile, "If you''d actually slept." He smiled, amused. Damn, it felt like forever since I saw him smile, and it warmed my heart." You are getting better at reading me," he said, but the smile disappeared from his face too soon. Did he see the fact that I was getting better at reading him a bad thing?


    Thane walked into the dressing room while I took a seat on the couch. I also didn''t miss the fact that he had ''touched'' me since his return. Thane loved the foreys; he could hardly keep his hands to himself when we were in bed, but tonight, except for the light kiss on the little bruise on my back, there had been nothing more. That was intentional; I was sure of it.


    "Riley" Thane called, exiting the dress room; he was all dressed up; I could never get tired of staring at him, and those eyes... damn, they could bring any girl to her knees. How could he look so sexy despite the fact that he got no sleep? I knew I would look like a mess if I did.


    "Uhmm?" I answered, distracted, but again, who wouldn''t be?


    "I want you to have this," he says, passing me a gun. Now he had my full attention.


    "What?"


    "It is a gun, and you know what it is used for."


    "I know that, but why are you giving me this?" I asked, even if I already knew why.


    "Because I think you need it."


    "I don''t need this," I say, refusing to ept it.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six


    on''t be stubborn, Riley; this is for your own good."


    "And I said I don''t want it."


    His hands dropped to his side. "I am worried abdit you, and you know that, by taking this, you make this easier for me, for the both of us."


    "You can''t expect me to..."


    "Yes, I expect you to do just that."


    "I would never use it on you, monster or not, I would never shoot you."


    "What if I killed you?"


    "Even then, I wouldn''t."


    "Then you don''t have to kill me," he said, his eyes pleading with me to understand. I knew he wouldn''t let this go.


    "What if I lose aim and put a bullet in your heart instead? How would I live through that?


    "I won''t me you; you should know that. Axel told me you are quite good at aiming, this is no different from the bow and arrow; all you need to do is aim, pull this trigger, and fire," he exins. "I would make sure the gun is always loaded, but you would have to ensure that you take this every fucking ce you go because you are not safe, not with me, not any longer."


    "I can''t...I can''t..." I cried out.


    "Riley, I would never want to put you in this situation, but this way, you would be safer."


    "Does that contain ''silver'' bullets?" I asked, and his silence gave me an answer, albeit one I didn''t like. I already knew it would contain silver bullets, yet I hoped it didn''t. "I can''t kill you, Thane; please don''t make me." "You won''t; I trust you," he says assuringly.


    "I don''t want to fail you."


    "I would never me you; just take it, Riley," he pleaded, and I took the weapon with shaky hands. That was all I would do. I would take the damned gun; I would carry it along


    everywhere I go - just as he wanted me to, but I would never shoot at him, but he didn''t have to know that."Thank you," he says, and I could see the relief in his eyes.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Seven


    It had been so long since I spoke with my mother the distance between the two of us-I noticed-would forever be present, and maybe apart of me was afraid.


    It felt like every time I went to her, she always had a secret to reveal, but some secrets are meant to be kept hidden. I had forgiven her after the promise she made to me, yet I still felt the need to keep my distance.


    Things were different now than they had been in the past. I hid a lot of things from her as she did from me too. With so many secrets between the two of us, our rtionship could never be the same, but at least I was making an effort; I was going to visit her. My thoughts were cut off; was that a knock on the door? I listened in but heard nothing- maybe it was all in my head.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    Okay, maybe not my head; that came from the window.


    1 walked to the window. It felt strange that someone would be out here. I pulled open the window, doubtful. I looked down, but just as I thought, there was nothing out here. I was about to close the window when I felt hands gripping my hair. I was caught unaware, and attacker had managed to pull my upper body outside the window.


    my


    I wed at anything I could get in contact with and somehow, miraculously, I pulled myself back in. Two figures slipped through from the window; there was something very disturbing about them, and for some reasons, I was reminded of the squad Beatrix had sent to months


    ago.


    The door to my room was locked from the inside; if I could actually outrun them, reopening the lock would slow me down, but there was another option. On the drawery the gun Thane had given me earlier.


    I would never make it to the door and outside in time, so I headed for the drawer, which was only a few steps away, and I picked up the gun.


    A third figure joined them and then a fourth.


    I pointed the gun at them.


    "Don''t you dare take another step closer," I snarled the words at them.


    One of them chuckled, like what I had said was funny in any way.


    "Get her; she won''t shoot," the one in the middle who seemed to be the leader said, and just then one of the four moved towards me. They didn''t think I would shoot the gun, and maybe they were right; Riley the Omega would never shoot anyone, but Riley the werewolf queen would.


    I shot.


    There wasplete silence after that shut; I couldn''t see their faces, but I could read the shock off them as they watched the man slump to his death. I couldn''t believe I had gotten him in the heart. They came all at once next, so I shot wildly; the first shot hit one of them on the arm, the other on the chest-not quite the heart considering he didn''t die; the next two shots missed; before I could shoot again, they had covered the distance.


    One of them held my hand, twisting till the gun fell off and the other bowed to pick it. I kicked at his face, right in his nose, satisfied by the crack. I kicked the gun away, far from their reach. I was mmed to the wall, my breath knocked out of me. The pain was intense considering my back still ached from thest incident; there was no time for weakness, but before I could act, I felt a punch to my gut, and I doubled over.


    The room was soundproof, but the window was open; the gunshot might have been heard from those close by; all I needed to do was to stall untill someone came in. I mmed my head into my opponent''s nose, and just like the other, there was a ''crack'' sound. The man groaned in pain. I took the ss vase, mming it on his head. He fell to the ground, and I climbed over his body. I dug my fingers into the bullet wound I had inflicted on his chest, and he groaned in pain. Just then I felt an arm wrap around my throat, cutting off my air intake. I struggled, crying out when I felt the sudden pressure on my ankle and then a snap.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Eight.


    My wolf struggled to the surface, forcing a partial transformation; my ws extended, and 1 shed wildy at the face of the man who had his arms locked around my throat. ck dots. clouded my vision, I was getting weaker, but I summoned everyst ounce of strength for the final strike, and I knew I got him on the throat. Blood sprayed on my face as he let me go.


    I inhaled deeply; my throat hurt.


    Just then the door burst open. Thane and Axel walked in, followed by a swarm of guards.


    "Wait outside," Thane said to the soldiers before mming the door. He rushed to me. "Riley, are you alright?"


    Panic.


    I could sense that now, it was clear in his eyes; it was clear in his voice.


    Axel had his eyes at the injured men.


    "I am fine," I said, trying to rise up, only to feel the sharp pain in my ankle. I let out a whimper. I lost my footing, but Thane caught me easily before I could fall back to the ground. His eyes darkened, switching to that scary pure ck before switching back, he was trying to control it.


    "Take her away," he said to Axel, his voice hoarse, and Axel nodded, quickly picking me up.


    "Pl.. Please...," one of my attackers begged, his voice shaky with panic. The other one had unveiled his face; he shook in fear, ncing at the gun a few steps away, like he was considering ending his own life.


    Axel carried me away, but not before I heard a panicked scream. I felt no pity for them.


    I just killed a man, and yet, yet I felt... nothing.


    Axel took me into his room; he ced me gently on his bed.


    "We''ll have to take you back to the healers," he said to me.


    "I am not going back there... I had only left a few days ago."


    "It doesn''t matter, you are injured."


    "Is only a few bruises; those would heal up on their own."


    "Your ankle is broken."


    "You could... like fix it, right?" He stared at me and then my legs.


    "I don''t like seeing you hurt, and this would hurt."


    "Just do it, please."


    He let out a breath, and I knew I had won this argument.


    "I have to say, I was impressed; you did good back there," he said, taking my leg and cing it on his thigh.


    "Thank you," I replied, but those words... how much I had longed to hear them. I hated being weak, and Axel had been right when he said ''I didn''t know my own strength''. I had just been so used to being wolfless that I restricted my wolf''s abilities, but no more.


    I was distracted, and Axel seized the opportunity quickly and easily snapping my ankle back into ce. The pain disappeared almost immediately, but damn, that did hurt like a bitch. Only then did I notice that I had dug my fingers into Axel''s arm. "Sorry," I say, pulling away, but I noticed I drew blood. Axel didn''t seem fazed by that.


    "Axel stata


    "There is a bruise on your We both knew what caused the bruise, so I didn''t need to exin. "I''m sorry we couldn''t be there faster."


    ''But you came, and that''s all that matters," I said to him, and I meant it.


    I didn''t realize exactly when I fell asleep. But my eyes snapped open the moment Thane came


    1. in.


    "How is she doing?" he asked Axel.


    "Better, she wouldn''t be needing a healer." Axel said, and Thane didn''t even argue that. I imagine it would have beenpletely different if that had beening from me.


    "Any idea who is behind this?" Thane asks Axel.


    "Beatrix should be questioned."


    "Looks like we share the same opinion; I have reasons to believe that she was involved in thest attack," Thane says, and that''s when it hit me. He didn''t know the truth; she was behind it, but we had both kept that truth away from him. "She orchestrated thest attack, though things felt out of n and she backed out, but she had been the one who brought up the idea," Axel says, and Thane''s gaze met with his.


    "And you know this because?"


    "She told me awhile ago," Axel says. I noticed he didn''t add the fact that I knew too.


    "You knew who attacked the Luna, and yet you kept it to yourself?" Thane asked, his voice silent, but he clearly was beyond furious; I had to do something.


    Axel didn''t say a thing, he didn''t tell Thane that Thad been the one who begged him to keep


    this a secret.


    426 BONUS


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Aght


    I rose from the bed with a little effort, but Thane''s attention was directly on Axel. He was mad. "Thane," I called, but he wouldn''t look at me; perhaps he didn''t want me to see how furious


    he was.


    "Riley, please excuse us; I need to speak to Axel privately," he says, about to walk away. Axel would have followed, and I knew more than anything that he nned on doing more than just ''talking". Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Nine


    I hated the fact that Axel simply epted it all. It was my fault, not his, yet he still wanted to protect me.


    "Thane I am at fault," I say to him, and that gave him a pause. "He had wanted you to know, but I didn''t. I begged him not to tell you, and despite knowing I was doing the wrong thing, I forced him to do just that too." I had never seen thane this so angry. "I''d expect him to know better."


    "I forced him into this; this is not his fault."


    "You would have been killed a few hours ago if we had a way to prevent that and didn''t..."


    "But I wasn''t," I said, cutting him off.


    "Riley, he is right; I did the wrong thing, and I do not appreciate you trying to defend me," Axel says.


    "No. I am wrong; I am to be med; you keep making me feel like some kind of baby; I could be at fault too, and I am now, so if you are going to punish him for what was totally not his fault, then you would have to do the same to me too." That was it.


    He had been holding back the furry, and I knew it, his eyes had shifted when he saw me on the floor, wounded, and now... those same eyes had turnedpletely back again.


    Axel might never have witnessed how it looked like to see Thane lose control, but he was quick to act, shoving me behind him; he used his body as a shield. Of course I hadn''t taken the


    gun along, but even if I had, I wouldn''t have done a thing.


    "I don''t want to fight you, brother, but I would if youe any closer," Axel promised.


    "No! You can''t hurt him."


    "And I can''t let him hurt you either."


    Thane turned away, as if fighting an internal battle, and when his eyes found me again, they were normal. He registered my position behind Akel, and that was all he needed to figure out what would have happened here.


    I saw pure fear in his eyes and I wanted to remind him so badly that it wasn''t his fault, but I knew he hated those words. Thane always took control of things, and now he wasn''t in control... he med himself. There was a tense silence; I had to break it.


    "I don''t think Beatrix is involved in this. Except she nned to disappear from this pack; she wouldn''t risk it, not when we knew the truth."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Nine.


    Axel nodded in agreement.


    "Are they even our pack members?" Axel wondered aloud, just like me, he was trying to lighten the mood.


    "They might be some of the new members, but I doubt it; now that I can think about it, I thought they smelled foreign." Thane finally spoke up. We were all going to pretend like nothing had happened.


    "Is there anyone alive?" Axel questioned


    "One... barely," Thane responds.


    "He has to be questioned," Axel says, and Thane easily agreed to that.


    Thane didn''t want me here, but I wasn''t going to stay behind this time.


    I had been to the underground chambers before and had seen the dungeons, yet returning here felt... different.


    Just as Thane had said, the man was barely alive. I noticed his ear was missing, one of his eyes had been shed off; his left arm hung awkwardly at his side; there was so much blood I couldn''t tell the areas he had been injured and where he was not. How was he still alive?


    "This is how we would work." Thane told the man, "I ask you questions, and if you give me the answers I like to hear, then your death would be quick; if not, I would make sure yourst hours are worth my time."


    I shivered at the threat. I didn''t even know if the man could still speak, and if he could, I wondered what would be worse than what had already happened to him. Yet the man nodded. in agreement, knowing fully well the depths Thane could go just to get what he wants.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    There was a long silence before Thane finally spoke up.


    "You don''t look like a member of this pack," Thane states.


    "I am not, but I and the other had managed to camouge as one of your soldiers; the security was tight-tighter than we anticipated, so we had to change the initial n; the direct order had been to wait till dawn before attacking."


    "And who gave you these orders?" Thane questioned, seemingly satisfied by his answer.


    "We don''t know who this person is; he always sends his messenger to deliver the message."


    "You risked your lives for a man who you''ve never even seen," Thanemented, clearly amused by their stupidity "What is the name of his messenger?"


    "I don''t know," the man said. Thane wasn''t satisfied with that answer. He unsheathed his dagger, "Thorin-the messenger''s name was... Thorin." The man stuttered out.


    "Good", Thane says, retreating. "When was thest time you spoke to him?"


    "Three days ago, that had been before we got into this pack."


    "Thane?" Axel called from where he stood, which was beside a rusted metal desk, he had a ck piece of clothing in his hands- likely belonging to my attacker; he had fished out at piece of paper from one of the pockets. He passed the paper to Thane, who joined him. I couldn''t get a look at what was written on the paper.


    "They were here for you," Axel says.


    "They were here for the Lycan" Thane snarled out the term like it disgusted him.


    "Yes!" the man called out from the cell, he thrusted himself forward "We were asked to kill the Lycan; we were also given a map of this pack to show which room exactly we were to find him," the man said, desperate to please Thane, if only he knew that Thane was never nning on letting him go, whatever the case would be, death still awaited him.


    "They weren''t even informed," Axel said, because clearly, they didn''t know the Lycan was the Werewolf King. I strongly doubt they would havee here if they knew who truly they were up against or how powerful a Lycan could be.


    "The fools were practically sent to their own graves," Thanes said.


    "Could this be another warning?" Axel wondered aloud


    "I don''t think this has to do with the elders; they would do better than this. I believe whoever sent them was also not as informed either," Thane replied before turning back to the man." What were you offered for this job?" "Money," the man says, his voice shook. "More than I could ever imagine, nds too,


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    women-we were offered everything," the man said. He let out a small, sadugh. "I always thought it was unreal to promise this much, but now I know that they weren''t really counting on us making it back to im our wins."


    "When you die, I want you to go with the knowledge that your greed was your own doom; whoever sent you had deceived you; I am the Lycan, and would you really think you could kill me?" Thane questioned, and the man''s eyes widened.


    "You.... but that is impossible," he began, and then he paused. It must be all clicking in his mind. "Fuck you, Thorin," the man silently cursed the messenger.


    Thane took out his gun; the weapon was very different from the one he had given me, and then he shot. A hole was dug into the man''s heart, his blood spattering, staining the wall and the bare ground. Thane gave him a quick death just as he had promised. "I''m sorry you had to see that," Thane says to me, but there was something hollow and very distant in his eyes, something different. I looked away, not liking what I saw.


    I didn''t mind the blood, I had killed a man a few hours ago, that action seemed to have unlocked something in me.


    "How is it possible that there are others who know about the fact that a lycan lives in this pack?" Axel questions.


    "I don''t know either, but if he knows, then it means there are others who do too, and there are even more who have suspicions."


    "I could arrange a team to find the messenger-Thorin; he would lead us to the master-mind of this operation."


    "No, I think by now it would be clear that the men he had sent are all dead; if this ''master mind'' is any but clever, he would kill the messenger or at least make him disappear, just so he wouldn''t be traced back to him."


    "We have to do something, Thane; we can''t sit her idle."


    "I didn''t say we would."


    "Then what do you propose we do?" Axel questioned.


    "Set up a party; invite as many as you can."


    Wait.. what?


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One


    A party?


    I might not be good at handling situations like these, but I didn''t think throwing a party was the way to go about it.


    "A party?" Axel questioned, asking the exact question that had been on my mind. I was d to see that I wasn''t the only one who saw this as strange. "Yes, a party," Thane responded.


    "Alpha, I mean no disrespect but have you gone nuts?" Axel questioned


    "Offense taken. I would prefer it if you could start up the preparations."


    "That isn''t a wise choice; a party is thest thing we need. I am your beta, and I have every right to advise you if you go wrong, and this is very wrong. "Perhaps you should have considered this when you decided to keep Beatrix''s deeds secret."


    Axel was immediately silenced.


    "Stop this now, the both of you. Thane, I had asked Axel-begged him to keep that a secret. Are you telling me you wouldn''t do the same?" I questioned, but he gave no answer. I spoke on, "A party is not a wise choice, but if you have other reasons behind this then that would make it more reasonable"


    "I would go prepare things for this ''party," Axel said before walking away. He seemed mad. The moment he let Thane turn to me.


    "A party sounds silly, doesn''t it?" he asked with a smirk.


    I couldn''t shrug this feeling away; there was something different in his eyes; in the way he stared at me, I couldn''t make it out.


    "I trust you to make the right decision," I replied instead; his gaze on me was long and... wistful.


    The moment we entered back into our room, Thane held me against the wall. My heart mmed in my chest. It had been so long since he stared at me like this; it had been so long since he looked this needy-well not exactly very long but it felt like it. He kissed me gently; that was very unlike Thane. He took his time, my legs wrapped involuntarily around his hips. He kissed my neck, and my head fell to the side, leaving my neck exposed. He trailed hot kisses on the exposed area.


    He slowly undid the upper part of my dress; his huge hands cupped my sizable breasts, and I moaned; his lips teased my nipples, causing a pool of wetness to settle in my core.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One


    "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" He questioned, and I nodded. "I''d like to remind you again; you are beautiful inside and out, and you would always be worth it," he says thest part silently to himself.


    "Sometimes when I look at you, you feel so surreal; even after all these months, the feeling that I could wake up to discover it was all a dream never fades away," I admitted, and he paused his soft intimate caresses, I missed his touch already..


    "You are strong and independent, and you proved that today; don''t let anyone break you, not even me," he says. I nodded.


    He returned back to my nipples; his teeth teased me, and I moaned out his name; he helped me out of my dress. He carried me to the bed and ced me down. He spread my legs and settled between them, supporting himself with his elbows. Heid slightly over me. His eyes met mine and he stared at me like I would do to him; it was that stare I gave him when I was afraid he would fade away.


    His eyes never left mine, even as his hands disappeared into my panties.


    I felt a flicker on my clit, and I moaned, biting into his arms. I drew blood, but he didn''tin; rather, he seemed turned on. Another flick on my clit, and he slowly fell into a rhythm. Everything about Thane tonight was different; he wasn''t going as hard as he loved to; he was actually the opposite, taking his time as if... as if this was all the time he had with me.


    His touch alone had brought me to my climate, but even after then I needed more; I wanted to feel him, and he knew that. He helped me off my pants.


    "Are


    but you ready?" he questioned, and I nodded. I had expected his full thrust into me, again, he didn''t do his usual; he had slowly thrusted into me, going deeper with every thrust. My whole body trembled with pure need and desire, one that only he could satisfy.


    Thane''s Hand cupped my breast as he thrusted into me. I kissed his chest, moaning out hist name over and over again. He parted my legs wider, careful not to touch my ankle, and then he drove into me, a bit harder. I could feel myself building up, and with another thrust, I shattered, moaning out his name one more time


    Different. Everything seemed different.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two


    Thaney beside me, seemingly satisfied by watching me.


    "You know you need to sleep; you didn''t get anyst night." I advised, though I did love his gaze on me, it made me feel... special.


    "I can''t waste this time I have to spend with you every second is worth treasuring," he but I felt the sadness in his voice. I shrugged it off because I was always that paranoid. says,


    There were so many rumors about the party, literally everyone believed there was going to be some kind of big news, how disappointed they would be. Other pack members had been invited, and ording to Axel, the party would be packed up with people from all over the world. It was strange that people could leave their homes just for a one-night party.


    I picked out an elegant, silver shimmering dress; sparkling beads decorated the neckline, the dress was simply breathtakingly beautiful. I had been patiently waiting for the day I would wear the dress, and I felt like this was the day. Honesty speaking, I felt like this particr piece was the best I had ever worn.


    Thane walked in and paused when he saw me. I smiled wide.


    "I know right, it looks beautiful," Iplimented.


    "Yes, it does," he agreed, his eyes on the dress.


    "This is actually one of my best," I informed him.


    "Riley, I don''t think you should wear that."


    "What? Why? You don''t like it?" I questioned; suddenly the dress didn''t feel all that nice.


    anymore.


    "Just pick something else," he said, and with that, he was gone.


    That was weird. I shrugged


    he would know better, maybe the style didn''t match the party theme. I picked a different dress, a fitted emerald slick dress and a fur coat over it.


    I walked with Axel to the party taking ce in the hall on the ground floor. I was grateful that my ankle felt better; it would have been impossible to walk on these heels.


    Thane was already present by the time we arrived and it was weird, we should have arrived here together, like a... couple would.


    ''I would think about thatter'' I decided to myself.


    13


    Chapter One Huiced and Sbly two


    Something felt very wrong. Damn I hated this feeling.


    Thane seemed a bit disturbed, he hadn''t spoken to me since he told me not to wear the dress. I was overreacting as always; he just had a lot on his mind.


    "Thane, are you alright?" I asked, and he turned to me, giving me a curt nod.


    That was weird.


    The hall was full of people; usually we would be out there socializing, but now-now we sat here. Finally, the music slowed down. I waited for Thane to offer a dance, but he didn''t. Perhaps he thought my ankle couldn''t take the pressure. Fuck it.


    "Thane, would you like to dance with me?" I questioned.


    "No, not really."


    What?


    "What?" I voice the question in my mind.


    "I just don''t feel in the mood right now, but you are free to go mingle."


    "I don''t want to go mingle; I wanted to dance with you." I paused, annoyed now. "What is wrong with you and why do you always have to be so freaking bipr, today you love me and tomorrow you can''t even spare a dance even after I asked." "You know what? Come on, let''s go dance," he says, but there was an edge of annoyance to his


    voice.


    Something was definitely wrong.


    He walked down the dias, and I had to hurry to catch up, and then he took my hands.


    "Thane..."


    He twirled me too fast; I couldn''t catch my footing. I stumbled. Another rough.turn. We were beginning to draw eyes.


    "Let go of me."


    "You wanted a dance, didn''t you?"


    "Let me go," I repeated, and finally he did, "What the hell is your problem?"


    "Did I annoy you, princess?"


    "Don''t call me that.''


    "Queen perhaps?" The title had clearly been some kind of mockery.


    Crapler One Hundred and Sorty Two


    "I''m done. Enjoy your stupid party."


    "Oh, you are not going anywhere, not before I make the announcement," he says.


    "Make me" I sneered at him about to leave but his grip on my arm tightened, I couldn''t pull


    free.


    By now we had a lot of attention on us. The music abruptly stopped, and low murmurs filled the ce. Thane finally let go, keeping a good distance between the both of us, leaving me standing amongst the midst of people like some fool. There were many stares, and it took everything in me to ignore it.


    Thane stood before the crowd of people; he gave me a single nce, and his eyes were so cold, colder than they had ever been. The first time I had ever seen Thane was in those pictures I had found in the Windborne pack''s record, he was younger then, but there was something in his eyes I had found scary, those cold eyes that held no sympathy, I saw a mirror of that now.


    "There had been so many rumors out there about the Queen''s position, and today I intend on clearing that out," Thane says. Everyone paused what they were doing; this had been a subject everyone wanted to hear about, and today they would.


    "I am here to inform you that the rumors are true. My mate died of an illness several years ago. Riley Kaidon is not my true mate."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Three


    There were gasps from every corner of the hall.


    "The woman standing before you was not chosen by the moon goddess but by me. I had chosen her because I thought sheplimented me, but I was wrong," he says, turning to me, a sick smirk on his face, and I... I was silenced by the shock I felt. "She is nothing like a queen should be, and I had made a mistake. A mistake I would correct tonight."


    Thane''s smirk widened to a smile.


    "From today, Riley Kaidon seizes to be my Luna and Queen."


    Ryker had left my heart bruised, but Thane had mended it up only to rip it apart, over and over and again.


    I felt like the wind had been zapped right out of me as the tears streamed down my eyes.


    Thane wasn''t moved by my tears; he never was, and he never would be.


    He made me love him, he made me fall for his petty lies, he made me hope, and then he shattered the glimmer of hope, leaving me a shell of the person I once was. My mother had exined to me how de had broken her, and right before my eyes, Thane had done the very same thing, but he did it better.


    I felt Axel''s presence by my side.


    I didn''t know exactly how I got out of the hall, but I was back to Thane''s room. I felt... lost. It all didn''t make sense to me; my brain had lost the ability to process things, the pain had be too much, and I waspletely numb.


    "How could he do this?" Axel repeated over and over to himself. I had never seen him this angry; I had never seen him this disappointed.


    "Riley," he called, but I couldn''t form the words to respond. I should have responded, but I couldn''t. "Please say something, anything," he pleaded.


    Just then the door pulled open and Thane walked in.


    "Thane," I called out, but his gaze never met mine; it was like I wasn''t even there. "Why would you do this to me, Thane?" I questioned but got no answer. I rose, walked to him, and I fell on my


    knees.


    It had all started with the ''obsession'', then the ''desperation'' I should have stopped it, I should have controlled my feelings, it was toote and now... now I was ready to be anything he wanted, so as long as he keeps me.


    "I would do anything," I begged, taking off the straps of my dress. "Anything," I repeated.


    Couldn''t he see that I had nobody?, I had nowhere to go?, Couldn''t he see that I had sacrificed every damn thing for him? How couldn''t he fucking see that?.


    Chaute." One Hundred and 5 xy, Three


    You have nothing to offer." Thane said, without giving me a single nce, my cheeks reddened from the utter embarrassment.


    There was an angered roar from Axel. He pounced on Thane, so fast he was almost a blur. He mmed Thane into the wall and broke through


    "Axel, let go," Thane says warningly, but the bet didn''t listen; his body shook in fury. Blood trickled down Thane''s face but his gaze remained fixed on Axel. "Stand down," Thane growled at him; his eyes glowed; he was using his Alpha Aura, and Axel was fighting it, but he couldn''t overpower it; he gave up finally. Still snarling at Thane.


    They both shared a long stare. Thane was trying to tell him something through their bond, I realized, and finally Axel calmed.


    "This is fucked up.


    It made sense now.


    and it''s all on you," Axel said before walking away.


    "I know why you are doing this. It''s because you think you are too dangerous for me, right?


    think I would be safer out there."


    "You know nothing." Thane sneered at me.


    "I do... I know what we shared; it cannot all be fake, I refuse to believe it..


    "Are you hoping it wasn''t?" Thane questions.


    T


    "It is not; I knew what I felt was true."


    "But do you wonder if all this time, I had seen you as fun until you were not?"


    His words cut me deep, but I didn''t want to believe it.


    "I will always love you, monster or not. I told you this, Thane, we were going to make things work."


    "How?" he questions.


    "There is always a way."


    Thane shook his head slowly. "This is the end, Riley, and the faster we go through with this,


    the better."


    "Thane I have... nothing."


    "Just as I had promised you, I would give you enough money to start up a new life."


    "I don''t want money; I don''t want a new life; I want you."


    "I don''t love you anymore, Riley; you''ve be merely a burden to me, You always knew this woulde to an end, didn''t you?"


    "Tell me, what did I do wrong? I swear I would change; just give me a chance."


    Chapter One Hunded and Sixty Thren


    "You''ve had your chances. I''m sorry"

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Four. Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Four


    Thane passed me a piece of paper. "What is this?"


    "A cheque"


    ""I don''t want it."


    "Riley, please don''t make this hard."


    "No. I will not leave this ce; I refuse to."


    "You will"


    Or what, would you


    make me?"


    Thane gave no response, but I could see it clearly in his eyes; this was actually happening; he was going to throw me out if he had to."


    ''I hope it doesn''te to that," he says.


    I rose, walking towards him. "You know what? I don''t believe you."


    "This is as real as reality gets; you are getting your pay and you are going to leave; if you attempt to return back to this pack, you would be seen and treated like an intruder," Thane said; he didn''t flinch -not once. With each word he uttered, my heart, which I thought was already broken, shattered even more.


    0"


    gave you my body; I gave you my heart; what didn''t I give?" I questioned, tears streaming down my eyes; his gaze shifted, and I thought I saw something change in those eyes; I was wrong, they were just... empty. that


    "It is not my fault that you fell in love; many would, and if I may remind you, I did tell you.


    you would be begging to stay at the end, and now here you are, begging, but unlike I said, I won''t let you stay."


    I sobbed. The more words he said, the more real this felt.


    "So had that been the reason? Had that been the twisted reason you had? Is this some kind of game to you-you wanted to prove me wrong, and so you do this?"


    "Games are fun, until they are not; see it as you wish. You say you gave me your ''body,'' but I gave you mine, didn''t I, and don''t you dare pretend like you didn''t like it when I fucked you.


    I pped him hard across the face.


    He inhaled sharply, and for that Ryker had done, but he didn''t.


    split second, I thought he was going to hit me back, just as


    "Don''t you dare speak to me like I am some worthless whore," I growled at him.


    Chenar On Hundred and Sixty Four


    So you want what? Respect? You practically sold yourself to me; what if I did more harm to you? Would you have stopped me?" He asked, tiling my jaw. I swatted his hands away from my face.


    "I don''t need your money; I never had and never will."


    "You would most likely starve."


    you care?"


    "And why should you


    "You did a job well done and deserve your pay.


    "Talking about what I deserve and don''t, from the little speech you made to the whole pack, are you certain I did a job and well dene?" I questioned


    "The speech was part of the n. The faster you pack your bags, the better."


    "I need to speak to Axel first." I insisted.


    Thane stared at me with those hypnotizing eyes. "Not even he can help you. Axel will meet you outside the pack house, just about where your car is waiting."


    I walked into the dressing room, I pulled down my clothes, tossing them on the ground, I took some pairs of shoes, tears blinded my eyes, I violently chucked all the clothes into a bag, I tossed in some jewelry, and... I leaned against the wall.


    The weight of everything suddenly felt too hard to bear; my breath came out inbored pants, and my chest hurt.


    Why me?


    This had been the thought ringing over and over in my mind. Why couldn''t I be happy?


    I let


    t out a scream.


    Why did he have to do this?... After everything.


    I spotted the gun he had given me; it seemed to call to me.


    Was this what love felt like? If this was it, then it hurt so fucking bad. I picked the


    gun.


    End it.


    End it, and you would feel no more pain. Thane wouldn''t be able to hurt me anymore; no one would ever be able to hurt me; I would be free. And then I pulled the trigger.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five


    Is this how painless death fell like?


    Regret. That was the first emotion I felt, and then I forced my eyes open.


    I stare at the gun in my hands.


    I wasn''t dead.


    It hadn''t been Thane sweeping in to save me this time, the gun was out of bullets.


    I tossed the gun away with shaky hands. What the hell was wrong with me?I had wanted to give up, just like that, I could have died. If that gun did contain silver bullets, those bullets. would have gone through my skull, and then that would be the end. 1 had given up.


    Ryker had put me through hell and back, never once did I stop fighting, but with Thane I had given up, all for what?


    For a man that didn''t see my worth?


    Something changed in me that instant. I rose from the bare ground and resumed packing. I had once thought about how expensive the jewelry Thane bought for me would be. I would find out soon because I was going to take each and everyone of them. I wiped my tears before walking out of my room. Thane waited outside, leaning against the wall. He inhaled deeply at the sight of me. Yeah, I looked like aplete wreck, but how I looked was the least of my


    concerns now.


    "You are right," I said to him, still avoiding his eyes, afraid that the resolve I had built would shatter the moment I stared into those eyes. "I did a job well done and deserve my pay," I said, snatching the cheque from his hands. I stared at the amount. That was a lot. A whole damn lot.


    I walked down the pack halls; members waited, watching.


    I should be embarrassed, but I wasn''t. I spotted Beatrix; she was being held by two soldiers, yet she struggled out of their grip to walk up to me.


    "You don''t need to be bothered," she whispered to me. "I won''t be having him either, at least not in the dungeons where I would be spending a long time" she said with a chuckle that was filled with anger, but this time it wasn''t directed at me. I stared at the soldiers who awaited her.


    Thane was sending her to the dungeons, but what use was it? He wasn''t locking Beatrix up for my safety, maybe this was just another show of power after all this is what Thane was good


    1. at.


    "I am not sorry for you," I say truthfully to Beatrix, "But I never intended for this to happen."


    I know. This is a change of event, one even I didn''t seeing" she says before letting the soldiers drag her away.


    I didn''t recognize many of my ''watchers''; they must have remained here after the party.


    I had the feeling even from the beginning; I knew something would go wrong, and I guess this


    was it.


    I was shocked to realize some members, with tears flowing down their eyes, they couldn''t. possibly be sorrowful over my departure. This had been what they wanted, right? They should be happy. I tuned them all out.


    "Riley," a woman called out, pushing through the crowd; it was my... mother. The tears felt harder to hold back now, but I wouldn''t cry.


    I knew what wasing next; she was going to remind me how much of a fool I had been; she was going to remind me of her warnings and how she always knew this from the start, and, oh God, she would be so damn right. Every single thing she said, every time she tried to warn me, and I didn''t listen because I thought I knew better, now I could finally see that she was right; she was always trying to protect me from this; she was trying to protect my most delicate part, and that was my heart. I made her look like a sicko, I distanced her, and yet... after everything she had said had finallye to pass, it was only her I could run back to.


    I didn''t mind listening to anything she had to say now; I deserved it all. I expected a look of disappointment on her face, but what I saw in those eyes wasn''t disappointment but pain. She felt my pain, and only she could know better.


    She hadn''t said any of what I expected to hear; instead, she hugged me for a very long while. This reminded me once more that I was not alone; she was there; she was one of the reasons I had to fight for myself. I finally noticed her bags; she was also packed. many


    "Do you really think I would let you go without me?" She questioned, and a small smile formed on my lips.


    "Of course not.".

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six **THANE''S POV**


    I had never viewed myself as a good person. Never. Right and wrong were just two words to me. Riley brought out a part of me even I hadn''t realized existed. She was the best thing that happened to me, but I never did deserve her. I knew that, yet I wanted her. I should have done the right thing a long time ago; I should have let her go the very first time I lost control, but selfishly, I didn''t. It only got worse. I hurt her once again; we had been alone in the woods; gods, I could have killed her. I had never hated myself more; I had spent two days in the woods because I couldn''t bear to see her in the pain I''d inflicted, but there I made a decision: I had to let her go. I had promised myself that this time I wouldn''t let myself be weak; I was going to do what was right, but then saw her.


    It felt like I was seeing her all over for the very first time; she had been so happy to see me. I didn''t deserve her love, and yet I wanted it so desperately. I tried to say those words, but how could I tell her that I never loved her when I was deeply, obsessively smitten by this blonde girl with piercing blue eyes? How could I break her heart once more knowing her past with the bastard Ryker?


    I couldn''t do it.


    I couldn''t break her heart.


    I''ve killed without a single thought, but I wasn''t brave enough to let a girl go. Instead, I settled with being more cautious; I was ready to go the length, as long as I tamed the Lycan in me, just so she would be safe around me. The wolf-bane wasn''t as effective as I thought, but with the acid in my veins, I wouldn''t be able to sleep; this way I could be more ''cautious''.


    I was just so damn greedy, and this time she had almost lost her life; if she hadn''t been able to fight those men off, they would have killed her. I was more dangerous than I was willing to see; anyone close to me was in danger. I was thest Lycan; many more woulde after me, and I might not always be there by her side.


    Riley had gotten better at reading me; she doubted my words. Of course they were all false. Of course I knew that she had every quality to be my luna and queen-not that I cared about those qualities; I was ready to make do with what I had. Damn, I wouldn''t care if she was so frail she couldn''t lift a rock; I was so recklessly in love. But my bad decisions had almost cost her her life, and so I had to do this.


    I had expected her to throw tantrums, even throw some stuff at me. I would take a few hits from her if it made her feel better. I wanted her to let out her anger on me because I did deserve it, but no, she did none of that.


    She fucking went on her knees, begging. She couldn''t even see her own worth; she was ready to be anything I wanted just so she could stay, and at that moment I had been so close; I had


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six


    wanted to pick her up like the delicate ss she was; I wanted to end it all there, but then I remembered how hurt she had been; she had to spend a whole day with the healers because I went out of control and I had to go through with It. Those tears-no, they didn''t turn me on; they pierced into my very soul.


    She asked what she did wrong; she was the angel, I was the demon, I was the one wrong, and yet, the fact that she thought she had been the one wrong and the fact that she believed that there was something wrong with her broke me in ways I can''t even exin. I had degraded her before everyone at that party had degraded her once more before Axel,


    and I hated it.


    But then if they didn''t believe I was done with her, they would go after her; they would harm her in my absence. I had to do a thorough job, but this was the hardest decision I had ever made. I knew what it felt like to be betrayed; I had felt it. I remembered when I tried to help my mother escape my father, only for her to turn me over. It hurts to be betrayed, and now, knowing she depended fully on me made it harder to let her go, but I just had to.


    I was the viin because I had still made love to her onest night before I let her go. hated me, and it was alright; I hated me too.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven


    "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Axel asked, and he was mad. I felt it in the bond we shared; I saw it in his eyes too,


    "I am doing the right thing."


    He inhaled sharply; he knew I was right, yet he didn''t like this, not one bit. "You had to do that before all those people?" he questioned, even though he already knew why I had done that too. "She would be safer this way."


    "You can''t let her go; we can''t-you would go in there and tell her it was all some kind of expensive joke, and you''ve changed your mind. When Axel was mad, he seemed to forget who the Alpha was and where his ce was, but I let it slide; he had the right to be angry. "Axel, listen to me. She is no longer safe here; there are many who want to hurt her to get to


    me


    some of them are in this pack; You know that if there was any other way, I would have chosen that."


    "And do you think there wouldn''t be others out there who want her dead top? She can''t be on her own," he says, and he might be right.


    "She managed to stay alive all these while in the Windborne pack; she would survive."


    "Tell me that you would send soldiers along with her."


    "I can''t do that. They would figure it out that this was only an act; I would have to make them see that I''ve moved onpletely from her," I said to him, noticing he shook in anger; his wolf was on the verge. Never once had Axel ever challenged me to a fight before, but now I could see that happening.


    "So what? You find a new... girl?"


    I didn''t want anyone; I could never look at any girl that wasn''t Riley the same way.


    "I''m afraid so," I said, and Axelshed out. I had expected that, so I quickly dodged; I didn''t fight back. "Axel, do you remember what the elders did to Bailey?, They are dangerous; I killed their members and had been about to wipe them out of the face of this earth if they hadn''t escaped; think about what they would do to Riley if they ever got their hands on her." I flinched; I didn''t want to think about it. Bailey was one of the most powerful elders I knew, and yet they had exploited her femininity. The tortures she had gone through, many she wouldn''t want to speak about. I couldn''t let that happen to Riley. Never.


    Finally, Axel seized trying to attack me.


    "It''s just..."


    she


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven


    "You love her," Ipleted; my voice sounded harsher than I intended it to be.


    "And what if I do love her?, What if I think you don''t and would never deserve her?" Axel asked challengingly.


    "Then you would be right."


    (RILEY POV)


    "Luna," a slightly familiar voice called, but I didn''t turn back; I walked on.


    It turned out to be Jake seeking my attention. I finally came to a stop.


    "I just felt the need to thank you," he says, sounding genuine. I said nothing, but that didn''t deter him; he spoke on. "You are a good person, and no matter what anyone thinks of you, to me, you will always remain my Luna and Queen."


    "You have nothing to thank me for, but I appreciate your very kind words," I said to him, and he bowed before walking away.


    The car waited outside the pack house just as Thane had said. My mother went ahead of us seemingly in a hurry to leave; she had simply pretended like Thane waspletely invisible.


    Axel stood by the car. Something in his eyes seemed so... broken. I knew that he wasn''t in on this; he couldn''t have been.


    Axel took my stuff, along with my mother''s cing them in the boot. My mother slid into the car. I had been about to do the same when Axel''s grip on my hands stopped me.


    He embraced me. "I am so sorry, I just can''t..." His voice broke, and he swallowed. A single tear dropped down my eyes. I had promised myself I wouldn''t cry, and now...


    I had been bothered about the fact that I would no longer have Thane by my side; I hadn''t been thinking about Axel; I was going to lose the closest person I had to a friend. "I guess this is goodbye," I say, my voice trembling-


    "I don''t like to say goodbyes."


    ""Neither do I."


    We stared at each other long; we should have kissed right there; that would have been our onest kiss.


    I drew away from him joining my mother in the car.


    Onest kiss would only make it harder to walk away.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight


    It all felt like some kind of sick dream.


    "Ma''am, please, where would you like to go?" The driver asked; he had already taken us far past the pack borders.


    I had nowhere to go..


    I turned to my mother.


    "A few more meters to your left," she said to the driver, who nodded, following hermand.


    I didn''t know much about ces, but wasn''t that part inhabited by... humans?


    I didn''t ask any questions; I let her decide. I feltpletely numb.


    After what felt like hours, the car came to a stop, and my mother helped me out. We took out the luggages,


    "Goodbye, Luna," the driver said, and I nodded, unable to form any words.


    He drove off.


    This was real; this was happening; I might never see Thane ever again.


    "Where are we?" I asked my mother


    "Juste with me," she said.


    The streets had been empty of people, but after a few minutes of walking, I spotted some humans; many of them watched us.


    The thing is that we could look very much like humans but still stand out; there was something about werewolves that would always be off-putting to humans. I spotted a little girl hiding behind her mother. I ignored them all and walked on.


    Finally, my mother came to a stop before a small building-a house, I believe. She pulled open the short passage gates before walking up the stairs; we stopped before a door. She knocked


    twice.


    Just then the door was pulled open, and there Freya stood, a wide smile on her face, one I had never seen before, but the moment she saw us, the smile faded into a frown.


    She didn''t invite us in, instead she walked out of the door, shutting it behind her. I would have been a bit embarrassed seeing her again, after discovering she was the author of


    my ''favorite'' book ''Barbara''s Fantasies'', but at this moment I couldn''t bring myself to care.


    "I knew I made a mistake telling you about this ce," she said, her words addressed to my mother. "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "I need your help."


    "I cannot help you; now leave," she sneered.


    "Freya, I have done you so many favors; I ask that you do this one thing for me."


    "You have no right to ask anything of me; now leave the both of you and never return here."


    "Mom, let''s go," I said, already retreating.


    "The Alpha King had sent us away from his pack, my mother said before Freya could m the door in her face.


    "What?" she asked, as if surprised.


    "At least let us in."


    "Good grief. Come in, the both of you," she says leaving the door wide open. I entered first, and my mother followed, mming the door shut.


    I spotted a man in shorts; he was quite young, maybe in his early or mid-thirties; his hair was tousled, and from the robe Freya wrapped around her body, it was clear that we might have interrupted something. When Freya had told me she was going to go out there and find love, I believed she would keep very good distance from the Nightshade pack, but again, everyone else would think that, making her harder to trace. Freya kissed the man. "These are some old friends." She informed him.


    "They are wolves too?" He asked, amused. He was clearly a human; he shouldn''t know about. this. I believe there was somew that stated that, but well, who cares?


    "Yes, they are," Freya answered before turning to us. "He already knew the truth about us a long time ago," she exined.


    "Do you need anything to drink?" she offered.


    "No, we are quite in a hurry," mom says.


    "Good, because I want you gone as soon as possible." She says, pouring herself a ss of wine. "I find it hard to believe that he sent you away," she says, her gaze finding mine. "I did believe he had found the one," she says. "I thought the same too," I added absentmindedly.


    "He doesn''t deserve my daughter. I want a fresh start- for the both of us."


    "And you came to me because?"


    "You have the connections."


    Freya was silent for a long while. "I am in contact with Alpha Niks of the Raven n. They aren''t technically a pack as they are few in numbers, but it is far enough; no one would be able


    Chapter One Hundred and ty Tight


    to get to you there, the pack is mostly overlooked


    "That''s great..."


    "No," I cut in. "Why not we stay here, amongst the humans?" I offered. But there was a hidden intention behind that proposal. I hoped that maybe if I am close by, they could find me if theye searching. "Riley. He banished you from that pack before all those people; trust me when I say he won''t be searching for you anytime soon to make amends," mother says.


    The truth hurts, but she was right; I would have to ept that that chapter of my life had ended.


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    X

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine


    One monthter.


    It is strange how time flies. The hours turned into days, days into weeks, and a month had gone by.


    Not a single day did I stop thinking about Thane and Axel; not a single day had I stopped crying. I was a mess. I thought I could heal from this pain, but I couldn''t. Once, I dreamt they came for me; oh, how real the dream felt, and then I awoke, and here I was, in the Raven n.


    They say time should heal all wounds, but even time couldn''t heal this.


    I woke up with a start.


    It had been another dream about Thane. Another dream that felt too real.


    I sobbed silently.


    I had been here for a whole month and I had never left the room. I was a shell of the person I one was. I should fight this. Thane might be out there, with another woman standing in my ce, and I would remain here, a total mess. I deserved better, yet I couldn''t find the strength to walk out of that door and meet new people.


    My mother walked in, a tray in her hands; she didn''t bother looking at me, and only now did I notice that we haven''t talked in two weeks even though I saw her daily; she would always bring me a tray of food and then return after some hours to take back the uneaten food. Thest time she spoke to me, she begged me to eat something I hadn''t said anything and maybe she finally did give up.


    My mother ced the tray of food on the table, taking the previous one I still didn''t touch; her eyes teary as she walked to the door and then paused.


    "Remember to take your bath," she says before walking away.


    Few more days passed with everything pretty much the same.


    Just like the days before, my mother walked into my room, but unlike other days she didn''t have a tray of food in her hands, anding to think about it, she was early today. Wait, what time was it?


    "You are leaving this ce right now," she said, clearly furious.


    "You can''t kick me out of this pack; I have nowhere to go."


    "I am not" she says, surprised I had thought that, "I meant you have to leave this room; you''ve been here long enough, and you need to get out there, socialize, meet with new people, meet other men. He is not the only man in this world!" She screamed at me, clearly frustrated by myck of interest in basically ''everything''.


    She had every right to be; I would be furious at myself if put in her ce.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Wine


    "Okay," I said, and she looked surprised by my answer.


    "Okay," she repeated, still shocked at how easily had agreed to this.


    "I''ll need to bathe and get dressed," I said to her


    "I''ll be waiting," she replied; the anger had disappeared from her tone..


    Soon I was dressed in casual pants and a hoodie; I hadn''t worn this in what felt like years.


    She led me out of the room.


    "Where are we going?" I asked her


    "Well, we ate going to have dinner with the whole pack. I just finished working, and I''m free for now.


    "Working?" I questioned, "You work?"


    "Yes, I do. I work as their cook, and they really enjoy my services."


    Oh, fuck. How far gone had I been?


    "You don''t have to work.."


    "I saved from my job back at the previous pack; while this doesn''t pay anything close, it''s still good enough. I kept my savings so you could start something with it."


    "Mom, you don''t need to work..." My words were interrupted by a blonde-haired man approaching.


    "Alpha Niks," my mother called, bowing her head in respect. The man looked to be forty, or maybe in histe thirties.


    "Oh, I''ve told you to call me Nick; that''s what everyone addresses me as," he says, and that didn''t make sense; he was the Alpha; he should be called by his title.


    "Okay then, Nick, this is my daughter Riley," she said, and his gaze shifted to me. For a long while he simply stared. Finally, he smiled.


    "You must be the sleeping beauty. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    Dinner was nothing like I expected.


    Back in the Nightshade pack, meals were a subdued affair chatters but nothing as loud and carefree as this.


    It was theplete opposite here.


    there could be a few asional


    Nick joked andughed with everyone; the table was so loud and strangelyforting, but what was even moreforting was the fact that there weren''t people staring creepingly at me. Sure, a few nced, but not with the curiosity members at the Nightshade Pack did.


    "Does she speak?" one of the men asked, referring to me.


    "I


    "Yes, I speak," I answered, and many paused their chattering.


    "She does speak," another said out loud, seemingly surprised. "You thought I was... mute?"


    Many nodded, and for some reason that was funny. My mother had a smile on her face too; that''s the most I had said the whole month. I did feelfortable here, these people... there was something about them; maybe it was how weing they were or how very carefree and rxed everyone was. Damn, even the Alpha was referred to as ''Nick'' by everyone in the whole pack; there was nothing like ''titles'' here.


    My mother rose, gathering the tes, and some others joined her.


    I stood too.


    "I''ll escort you to the room when I am done," my mother says to me.


    "I don''t know; I was thinking about taking a walk," I said, and my mother''s smile brightened.


    "I can walk with you, show you around maybe-if you would want that," Nick offered.


    "I would love that; I don''t n on getting lost."


    "You can hardly get lost here," he says, getting up.


    My


    mother seemed even more excited than I was.


    Nick led me out of the dining room. He pointed out a few ces. "This is my room; by the corner is the hall, the training room-though many prefer outdoor training, so it gets a bit he states.


    useless at times, and that is pretty hi


    It was smaller than most pack houses, but again, everything about this ce was different. There were no Alpha Chambers; his room was simr to the other rooms. "This ce is nice," I said to him.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    "Are you telling me this just to be polite?, because I know you''ve seen better."


    "I am being genuine; I do think this ce is... very weing."


    There was a short moment of silence.


    "Your mother told me... a lot."


    "She did, right?"


    "Yes. She is indeed a caring woman," he says, and I turn to stare at him.


    "She is," I agreed.


    "She also cooks the very best food."


    "Wait, do you..." I paused. I had been about to ask him if he liked my mother, but deciding it was a stupid question. "You know what?, Forget it"


    "Now I am curious; ask on."


    "Do you have a thing for my mother?" I asked, and he chuckled, a small smile curved on my lips. Nick was not bad-looking; he was handsome "I mean...I don''t have any problem with it," I added. "No, Riley, I just think she is nice," he says.


    "Oh, I''m sorry," I apologize. Well, this was awkward.


    Nick led me out of the packhouse. "We grow all what we consume," he tells me, and I couldn''t be more in love with a pack as I am now.


    "Maybe I could visit one of the farms anytime you are free." I questioned


    "Who knows, maybe you could learn a thing or two."


    My mother had been right about me leaving my room and meeting with new people. I had managed to not think about Thane for a few hours; that was a start.


    I returned back to my room.


    I searched through my things for the cheque Thane had given me, d that I hadn''t misced it. I took out the jewelry also; they would cost a fortune.


    Just then my mother walked in.


    "How was your day?" she asked, a bright smile on her face.


    "It was nice; I think this pack is very... different."


    She nodded in agreement. "I think Nick is into you," she says.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    I shook my head, if only she knew about the question I had asked him earlier.


    "Mom, he is not; trust me.


    She chose not to speak more about that. "Those are really beautiful," she said, referring to the jewelry.


    "I know right, and I have some good news; you won''t need to work anymore; I''ve got these, and also," I passed her the cheque. She stared at it and her jaw literally dropped. "Riley dear, where did you get this from?"


    "Thane..."


    The shock on her face disappeared. "He paid you off like some..." She didn''tplete her sentence, but her words still hurt. Even if she was right, he did pay me off like I was some slut.


    "Mom, this money does not belong to him, but to me. I don''t know about you, but I don''t n on remaining poor," I said to her, and I meant every word I had said.


    She smiled, and at that moment she did look ten years younger.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    I spent more time with Nick, not only because it made my mother happy, but because I discovered that I could easily distract myself from thinking about Thane when I was with him.


    Nick was


    together.


    interested in agriculture, and I did admire him, but today we sat on a three-branch


    "What did it feel like?" he asked. "Being with the Alpha King."


    I was silent for a long while; I hadn''t talked about him since I came to this pack, but maybe sharing what I felt would make things better. Nick was close; he had be more of a family friend, and my mother loved him; she loved the fact that he was ''bringing me to life'', but she hoped too much. I didn''t love Nick, not in the way she thought, and I didn''t think Nick felt that way either; he was just a free person.


    "It was beautiful at times, painful at other times, scary sometimes, exciting at other times," I answered.


    "I can''t understand why exactly he made such a decision," Nick savs


    genuinely.


    "I don''t know either; maybe he is trying to ''protect me'', but I don''t think he has ever loved me; I wouldn''t do that to a person I loved."


    "Maybe he was indeed trying to protect you."


    "No, you know what I think? I think it was because I am not as strong as the others."


    "And why would you think that?"


    "It is true; I believe that. I got my wolfter than most," I said. I recalled it had been Thane who helped me find my wolf. I hated how everything I did reminded me of him. "I wish I was stronger... better; no one would ever be able to hurt me," I say, surprised at how easily I had. told him something I held to myself only, something no one knew about.


    "And what if I told you there was a way?"


    "What?"


    "You heard me correctly."


    "I doubt that..."


    "I''ve heard a lot about you, and maybe you should know something about me, something I hold as a secret.


    For some reason, I felt like the big revtion wasing.


    "I am very much like you," he began, and I couldn''t understand why he thought that. "When I was a child, I had been ill; it was a strange illness, one with no cure; it left me weak; it could have imed my life; my parents tried their best but it wasn''t good enough; they paid 1/2


    Chapter One Hundred and SeveMy One


    their only


    witches, healers, and yet... nothing. I had a few days left to live; I was only a child child, and that''s when they made the decision. They gave me away to a sorceress, one of the greatest to ever live, and she... did something to me, something that changed me forever," he says, staring at his hands.


    "How did it change you?" I was intrigued.


    "I became stronger, faster... better. But there are risks; not everyone can go through the phase.


    "But you did?"


    "Yes, I did."


    I was lost in thoughts. Nick was strong; I had noticed that, but never had I attributed it to anything but his Alpha blood, but his Alpha blood had been weak.


    "This sorceress, does she still live?," I questioned.


    The thought in my mind was stupid, yet it was so... enticing. The thought of having so much power and finally living without fear and insecurity was just so enticing.


    "She does. But this is risky; I had only gone through it because I would have died anyway; you would be risking your life."


    "But... if it works, I would be... like you."


    "There are requirements," he says,


    those gray eyes on me.


    "What requirements"


    "Riley... are you sure you want this?"


    I thought about Ryker; I had been weak then; that''s why he had been able to hurt me, and then.... Maybe if I could defend myself, if I could be as strong as a queen should be, he would never have rejected me. "Yes, I am."


    "Her services are quite expensive; perhaps I could..."


    "Don''t worry, I can pay."


    "You need the blood of a ''turned one''."


    "Your blood?"


    "Yes, my blood-but my bloodes with a price."


    I wasn''t entitled to anything, yet this came to me as a surprise. "And what is this price I would have to pay?


    "You would have to marry me, Riley"

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    "What?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing at him.


    "That didn''t quitee out how I nned, I''m sorry. It is not a demand; you are free to refuse."


    "I can''t marry you; I don''t even like you," I said ndly.


    "Love is never a big part of many marriages," he says.


    "So then why would you want me as a wife?"


    "Your influence; you don''t seem to notice it, but you are the werewolf queen."


    "Not anymore"


    "Many would always see you as that."


    "And so you n to do what?; Use me to increase your pack status?"


    "If you want the truth, then yes."


    He didn''t hesitate; I should be irritated by his request, but strangely, I wasn''t. At least he was making his intentions clear from the very start; he would only let me attain power capable of making me his equal if I agreed to be his wife, and this way benefiting the pack. Thane never did this.


    Still, his request had caught me by surprise. "You can take as long as you need to think about this," he said.


    "There won''t be any need for that; my answer is no."


    by my offer."


    "I respect your decision. But I wonder why you seem so shocked by my


    "We don''t know each other very much, and I... don''t think I am ready for that step."


    "Oh, I thought there was something more," he says, seemingly satisfied by my answer.


    "You thought it was the age difference?" I asked, reading him.


    "You are smart, and yes."


    "How old are you, if I might ask?"


    "Almost forty"


    "That''s almost twice my age, but you don''t look it," I lied. He did look it. Nick seemed to spot that lie; though heughed it off.


    Nick was a different kind of good-looking; the longer you stare at him, the more you notice his really nice features.


    The thing was that love... love was something that might nevere by for me. Love was pain,


    not being enough; I didn''t but here... here I could be happy; I didn''t have to be worried abou have to keep waiting for everything to go wrong


    I had loved Thane, I had also loved Axel, and, gods I still do. I knew that because thinking about them always left a dull ache in my heart; the space they had left only seemed wider.


    What would Thane be doing right now?


    Hen


    might be off with some girl; I was sure he had moved on.


    I was about to make a very stupid decision. I gave myself so many excuses, but the truth is that I was only doing this to get back at Thane.


    "If we get married," I began. "We don''t have to. I cleared throat.


    my


    "Sex?" He helped out, and I nodded, hiding the blush on my cheeks with my hair. "If you don''t want it, then you don''t have to."


    "But what if you need an heir?"


    "That would be yearster, but this pack is... different; the title could be passed to anyone fit; the pack needs a leader, and there are many fit to lead."


    "So we don''t have to..."


    "No, you don''t even have to stay in the same room with me, nor do you need to pretend before the pack."


    "So we are just married by words alone," I said, and he gave a nod. I hated how familiar this sounded; with Thane, we had been joined only by a contract; he''s felt too close to that, but then I thought of all I had to gain. Was it worth it?


    I wasn''t sure about it, but maybe I could risk another stupid decision.


    "I will marry you.


    "You will?" He asked, quite surprised at my quick change of heart.


    "Yes"


    "If I may ask, what made you reconsider?"


    "Maybe I need this."


    He smiled, "You are amusing, It would be an honor to have you as my wife, even if it''s just by words alone."


    guess there is a ceremony for that?"


    "While I would love to begin preparations, I still think I should fulfill my own part of the deal


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    first," he says, and though he doesn''t say it, I knew that just as he said, my chances were low, and if I did lose my life in the process...


    This felt so reckless, but then the thought of having power was too much to resist. I also had to think about my mother too.


    "Nicks?"


    "Yes?"


    "I might not know you much, but I want you to promise me that if things go... wrong, you will be there to take care of my mother."


    "I will, but for some reasons, Riley, I don''t think this would go wrong, not with you."


    "Why do you think so?"


    "You are special."


    "As much as I appreciate thepliments, I would like to face my demons head on so as not to be caught unprepared. I might die, yet I am willing to give this a chance." I decided.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    I couldn''t exin it all to my mother. She wouldn''t understand; no one but Nick would; he understood what it felt like.


    The thought of hurting her saddened me.


    "Riley, are you alright?" she asked. This was the third time she had asked that question.


    "Yes, mom, I am alright," I answered, trying to put on a smile, but I couldn''t fake that, not with her.


    "Okay, tell me what''s going on." she asked, taking a seat on the cushion opposite me.


    I inhaled deeply. "We all have to take risks to get what we want, you know that, right?"


    "I do, but not all risks are worth taking," she said; it was almost like she could read me. Something is wrong, I can tell. Does this have to do with... Nick, did he say something to you?" "Yes...No"


    "What did he do?" she asked, her expression turning grave.


    "Nothing"


    "Don''t lie to me; what is the risk you speak about?"


    "I and Nick are getting married.", This was only a part of the truth, but I knew I wasn''t going to get past my mother''s curiosity so I had to tell her something.


    For a moment she stared at me, shocked by my words. "Married?, but you said you didn''t like him in that way."


    "I know, but I feel like this would be good for me"


    She smiled wide. "Though this is really quick- faster than I expected, but I always knew you both have some chemistry and he is a decent man


    I wasn''t going to pretend this time. "I don''t love him, but I... I don''t know what I was thinking; I just needed to try something new.


    "Had he been the one who offered the marriage proposal?" she asked.


    "Yes"


    "Then he does feel something for you."


    "Mom, it doesn''t matter if he feels anything; I am going to get married to him, but it all ends. there; we would have our own separate room, and... I won''t go to bed with him.


    1


    "Then why are you getting married to him?" she asked, and before I could speak, she continued, "You are doing this because of him, right?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Thre


    We both knew who she was referring to, Thane. She knew why, but she didn''t know there were more to that reason.


    "Maybe," I said genuinely, for some reason the look she gave me made me feel guilty. I hadn''t done anything wrong and Nick had agreed to my proposal. "You don''t have to do anything because of him. Nick is a good man; he deserves better."


    "He seemed okay with my proposal."


    "It''s a marriage and not a proposal. He might have agreed to that, simply because he hopes that you will change your mind as the years passes by." "Mom, all need now is your support so could you please be happy for me?"


    "I am happy for you," she said truthfully, because of course she saw Nick as a good man. I didn''t think he was a bad person, but I didn''t think he was good either, he was driven by his goals and so he made practical decisions. "I love you, mom. I just want you to know that. Thank you for not turning your back on me, even if I deserved it."


    "I would never do that, but you weren''t the only one wrong; I was too, and you forgave me."


    That night, I dreamt about Thane once more.


    His eyes held disappointment as he stared down at me, and then he faded away. I tried to hold onto him, but it was toote; he was gone, and once again I was alone.


    I woke up with a start, my eyes wet with tears.


    There was a knock on my door. It was far too early in the morning for anyone to visit, so this must either be very important or an emergency.


    I walked to the door. "Who is there?" I called out, refusing to open the door till I knew who was behind it.


    "It''s Gabriel. Some people are here to see you."


    People here to see me?


    My heart mmed in my chest. Could it be... Thane?

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    It wouldn''t make sense for Thane toe here after everything. Yet, maybe I''ve been wrong all along; perhaps, just like me, he couldn''t stay away.


    I never bothered to think about the fact that Gabriel wouldn''t refer to the Alpha King as someone'', I didn''t want to think, my heart seemed to have a mind of its own. I followed Gabriel down the stairs, and all the while, I imagined scenarios of what it would be like to see Thane again. Would he be sorry for what he had done to me? Would I forgive him?


    The answer was; Yes. Call me pathetic and foolish, but I knew that would be my answer if he pleaded genuinely. A part of me knew he woulde-for me, and that part of me ''waited'' each day for him.


    Was it possible to hate and love a person?


    Yes, it was. I hated Thane, but also I loved him.


    Finally, I walked into the living space, and there I noticed...


    There was no Thane.


    For some reason, that hit me so hard. I should have known better, but I didn''t.


    I never realized how hopeful I really had been to see him again until now, and... I felt so disappointed.


    "These peo


    people are here to see you; do you know them?" Gabriel asked, and Nick, who had waited down stairs with the visitors, also waited to hear what I had to say.


    No.


    No. None of them looked familiar to me. Not the aged man, not the woman by his side, and definitely not the younger man who stood behind them.


    It wasn''t Thane and Axel''.


    I felt furious-the emotion wasn''t directed at them, but at myself, at my very desperate self for thinking he was going toe find me, for so easily forgiving him even after everything. I felt even more furious at him for not being here. I had been silent for way too long.


    "Are you okay?" Nick questioned, and it took me a moment to respond.


    "Yes. I am," I say, approaching the strangers.


    "Do you know them?" Nick asked, watching me. I didn''t like the way he watched me; I feared. he would see it on my face-the hope, the disappointment, the anger, and the hurt.


    "No, she doesn''t," the older man answered. "We came here to seek your help," he said to me, his voice quavering. I could tell this was a high-ranking wolf, and yet he stared at me like I was


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    his salvation, an answer to all their problems. He wasn''t the only his face; the woman by his side too had that simr look.


    one with that expression on


    Now that I did finally look closer, I noticed the limp to the younger boy''s movement; he couldn''t be more than sixteen of age, and the wothan also had scars on her arm-fresh scars she tried to hide. "What do you need my help for?" I questioned, still studying them.


    "Would you like to sit?" the man asked, and Iplied.


    He began;


    "Three days ago our pack faced an attack; you see, we are a peaceful pack, and so it caught us all off guard; we had no idea what we did wrong, and of course, nothing was discussed before the full-out war. We lost many of our members there," he finished. "I empathize with your loss, and I am so sorry, but... how exactly did you think I could help you?" I asked, confused.


    "You see, we had discovered where the attack came from-this was done by the Nightshade. pack."


    "That is impossible," I blurted out..Thane didn''t start wars; he had other better things to do, and he wouldn''t go after a pack that did nothing to him.


    But then did I know Thane?


    I knew him well enough to know that this wasn''t his doing. I also knew that Axel would never agree to go through with this.


    The man tossed a piece of torn clothing on the floor like it disgusted him to touch.


    I recognized that almost immediately; that was the Nightshade badge and a piece of the uniform the soldiers wore..


    "They were in this uniform," the man said. Still, I found it so hard to believe. It couldn''t be true; they were better than this.


    "So what? This is their uniform, but any other person could create this."


    The man looked disappointed.


    "Those machines, they are the only ones who could have such deadly weapons in their keep.


    Our pack wasn''t the only pack they attacked; there had been more packs also caught off guard.


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t think you know what you''re talking about. I can''t understand why you came to me for help either." I said to him, and the woman by his side backed away; her smile had long disappeared.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Foun


    "We heard about your arrival and we came as fast as we could because who can help us if not the Luna Queen," he says, still hopeful.


    I hated this; I resented the amount of faith he ced on me-I was, after all, just one powerless person.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five


    "As much as I want to help you, you must have heard by now that I am no longer the Queen Luna," I said to him.


    "Titles like that cannot be taken away by mere words," he insisted. "We need your help; an attack ising soon, one bigger than the previous; we cannot fight that off."


    I still didn''t think Thane would do this, not if these people haven''t done anything to start up the war, and yet the man sounded so sure, and from the look in Nick''s eyes, he seemed to agree with the man''s opinion.


    "I cannot help you; I am not the savior," I admitted, and with that, I walked away because I couldn''t stand and watch the disappointment in their eyes. What did they expect me to do- talk to Thane? fight against him? I couldn''t do that.


    1 sat down alone in my room lost in thoughts until a knock at the door drew my attention.


    "The door is unlocked;e in," I called, and Nick walked in.


    "Can I sit?" he questioned, and I nodded. He took a seat on the bed while I sat on the cushion. They were not the visitors you expected were they were," he asked, and I hated the fact that he noticed that. "No, they were not. I didn''t know exactly what I was thinking."


    "Riley, don''t waste even an ounce of your time bothering about a person who doesn''t see your worth," he


    he says,


    and I didn''t even know exactly how to respond to that.


    "I didn''t handle things well there, did I?"


    He shook his head. "They really shouldn''t expect you to perform some magic, but..., they are. right, you know."


    "You think the Nightshade pack did this?" I asked, suddenly protective.


    "Hey, we aren''t sure, but the chances are high. They have the numbers."


    "It means nothing."


    "Riley, listen to me. Three packs, excluding the one you heard of earlier, had been invaded and the pack Alphas killed. The members are currently being held hostage ''somewhere'', only the Nightshade soldiers can pull that off." "Just stop, okay. I know these people, and they may be killers, but they don''t kill without


    reason."


    "What if there is a reason? There is a spection that the Alpha King wants to form a new era,


    Chapter One Hundred, and Seventy Fix


    where there would be no rulers but him."


    "You are right," I said to him, "about the spection part. I really would love to be alone right now," I said.


    "Very well, Riley."


    With that, he walked away.


    It took only a few minutes for me to drift into a deep sleep.


    I dreamt of Thane once more, but this time it was different. I was in a party simr to the mating ball with Thane beside me; his smile was so beautiful I couldn''t look away, but he didn''t even seem to notice me sitting beside him; his focus was simply ahead, just where Bailey danced.


    All her injuries were gone, and her skin glowed as she danced with Axel.


    It should be me dancing with Axel; it should be me having Thane''s attention. The dance ended, and she parted from him, walking out of the hall. Before she did though, her eyes met mine, it was like she was beckoning me to follow. I stood, turning to my side, but Thane was no longer there, and I couldn''t spot Axel. I should have gone searching for them, but instead I followed after Bailey; she led me through a very familiar route. I had been here before, and yet I couldn''t wrap my mind around it. She walked into a room and I followed. "I need to show you something," she whispered, her words echoing through the empty room! I spotted the fake sword, and finally I could remember why this ce felt so familiar; This was where the secret room was located. I pulled the sword attached to the wall, and the secret door swung open, leading to the room.


    Bailey was no longer by my side when I walked in, but then I spotted the pictures; they were familiar faces on those pictures; Alphas from different packs; many I had seen. There was a bright crimson ''X'' marked on each picture, and then my eyes fell on one very familiar picture.


    It was Nick.


    I awoke with a start. There was only one word on my mind.


    "Fuck''.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six


    I always knew something was off with Thane''s statement.


    How could I be so foolish? How could I have ignored such a huge clue?


    I remembered Thane''s words when I confronted him about the pictures. ''Not everyone is happy about the new changes,'' he had said. As the Alpha King, he imed he was only monitoring them to stay one step ahead and remain on a safer side.'' Then, I did feel like they were hiding something


    What if they were?


    Still, I found it hard to believe Thane was behind this, those packs many believed he attackedmitted no crime against him, many people had died, children too and all for what?


    Power is a deadly game, but Thane was all for the dangerous stuff.


    How could Axel agree to this? That was the most shocking of them all. I had long forgotten about the secret room, till the dream, and maybe I didn''t want to believe this as the truth but the evidence was all there, how long would I keep denying it. Once more, Thane never fails to surprise me.


    I had to stop him. The weight rested on my shoulders, but then how could I help them... if I couldn''t even help myself?


    It was too early for a visit but I had to see Nick.


    I halted outside Nick''s room, wondering if he would already be awake by this time. I knocked twice, and then I heard the sound of his footsteps approaching. Unlike the Nightshade pack, the Raven n had no sound-proof rooms.


    Nick opened the door open; he was only in his briefs.


    He hadn''t expected me.


    "Come in," he says, and I walk in, shutting the door behind me.


    "I''m sorry for waking you up." I apologize


    "Is alright" He says,


    "Coffee?"


    "Yes," I responded, and he poured me a cup of hot coffee. Maybe he hadn''t actually been sleeping.


    "You were right," I said to him.


    "Oh, I was," he agreed, already knowing where I was heading.


    "Thane might be responsible."


    Chapter Orin Hunde-an


    "So you do believe his ns for a ''new era."


    "I don''t know, but... I feel like he is involved somehow."


    "You must really love him," Nick says, staring at me. He easily towered over me; I hadn''t realized how tall he was since he always leaned in when we spoke.


    "I don''t love him," I lied.


    You


    "I see the way you always keep protecting him, even after what he did to you, even know he is behind the attacks," Nick said, and I hated those words because they were indeed true.


    "It doesn''t change anything; he is a part of my past," I said, and perhaps if I said it out enough times, I could start believing it. "I would get married to you... but I also want to help them- those people believe I can help them; and I don''t want to let them down. But I can''t do that without you," I admitted.


    "Without me?"


    "Make me a Turned One. I want this; only then would I be strong enough."


    "You are strong."


    ""Nick. Please"


    Finally, he nodded. The sorceress is still on her way, but perhaps we could go meet her tonight?"


    "Tonight is fine. Are we traveling in our wolf form or do you have any other means nned out?"


    "Of course I do, but before that, there is one thing that needs to be done," he said. He took the tiny wooden box sitting on his table, and then he went on his knees.


    I couldn''t believe this was happening. I held my breath.


    Marriages weren''t a verymon urrence in werewolf culture, but I''ve heard of it a couple of times. I had always wondered why the females felt so excited by a single engagement ring, but now I knew why.


    My heart mmed in... anticipation?, fear?, surprise? or maybe realization that this was really happening and this could end up being much more than just a marriage by words alone.


    "I know this all feels rushed, and this might not be the perfect time or perfect ce-like, I''m not even fully clothed, but I have to do this now. I believe you are special, and though we made an agreement, I can never think of any other person I would rather spend my years with but you. I promise to love you and make you happy the best I can. Will you do me the favor of marrying me, Riley?"


    Nick was right when he said everything seemed to be happening too fast. My life felt more like a movie. Yet, staring into his eyes, I knew that this could be possible; he would love me, and


    23


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six


    for once in my life, it wouldn''t be only me giving with nothing in return. This could turn out to be much, much more.


    "Yes. Yes, Nick, I would marry you."


    Even if he must have already suspected my response, the smile on his face was so genuine, he seemed happy and I wanted to be happy too.


    "Thank you," he responded and ced the ring on my finger. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but I loved it.


    I loved it simple.


    Nick rose, staring at me like he would like to kiss me, but he was unsure. I drew closer, giving him a peck on the lips, and once agafh, I seemed to have surprised him.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven


    Nighttime came way too fast.


    Decisions like this were easier said than done. I couldn''t tell my mother I was leaving. She couldn''t know I was leaving with Nick either, just because things could go very wrong and he might not return back with me. I stared at the nk paper on the table.


    I couldn''t just leave without writing my mother a letter, just in case...


    "Gotta take a walk; I''ll be backte. I have some good news too. Nick just OFFICIALLY proposed to me, and now I get the hype. The ring is so beautiful, and I am actually... excited.


    I love you, mom, always.


    XXX


    I reread the letter; it would have to do.


    packed up some of those beautiful jewelry I had gotten from Thane into a bag-I had finally found use for them as I rarely did wear them.


    I put on a ck coat over my leather trousers and crop top, and I walked out of


    I met Nick at the farm; he did love this ce, and I admired that.


    "You came quick," he says.


    "Of course I would."


    "So do we have a ride?"


    my room.


    I noticed his eyes traveled to the ring on my finger; of course I hadn''t removed it.


    "I wanted to talk to you, Riley."


    "About what? We don''t havemuch time."


    "I just don''t want you to rush into this; I can''t..."


    "Hey," I cut him off. "We made a deal. Iwant this," I said to him, and I could see the reluctance in his eyes; he was having second thoughts. It took me some huge effort to push through my indecisiveness and make this decision. I feared if I tarried longer then I would change my mind, and maybe... maybe that''s what Nick hoped for. He didn''t seem as willing to go through with this as he had been when he made me the proposal. "No one knows I am with you," I assured him, but clearly that wasn''t why he was worried. "Let''s go then; we need to hurry if we n to get back early."


    I passed the bag I hade with to Nick.


    "What is this?" he asked. I unzipped it, revealing the jewelries. "Where did you get these?" he questioned with a smile.


    "Well, perks of living with the Alpha King."


    "Did you steal these?" he asked, with an amused smile.


    "Technically, they are mine.".


    "You want to see something really cool?" Nick asked, passing the bag back to me.


    I nodded eagerly.


    He stepped away from me, and for some seconds there was silence. I cocked my brow at him, and just then, dark wings, ck as night, sprang from his back. I gasped, backing away; my leg came into contact with something hard, and I fell to the ground. Nick looked.... like a fallen angel with those wings.


    "Don''t be afraid; this is our ride."


    "Well, you should have told me... what... what are you?" I asked


    "A turned one," he answered,ing closer to me. I backed away again, and abruptly, he picked me up like I weighed nothing. "They are just wings."


    "Yeah, right, sprouting out of your back. Do they work?" I asked, stretching out my hands to touch them.


    "No, they are just there to look cool," he says, and it took me a moment to notice he was just being sarcastic. "They do work."


    "I did say this would be our ride, didn''t I?" He questioned


    I nodded absentmindedly, my fingers still stroking the soft-hard feathers; it was difficult to exin how they felt against my skin.


    "Ready?" Nick asked, but before I gave a reply, we had alreadyunched into the air with the ground way below us.


    There was no turning back now.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Eight


    It had been scary at first.


    The knowledge that Nick was in total control was scary, but when I ignored those fears, it was simply amazing. I looked down; from this height everything seemed smaller.


    I lost track of time as we ''flew'', but too soon we plummeted downwards, and Nicknded elegantly. Only then did I notice how tight I had grasped onto his shirt.


    "You coulde down now," Nick says, and I nodded, but my legs wouldn''t cooperate. He chuckled, helping me down.


    "That was... wow," Imented.


    "I know right?"


    "Is she here?, the sorceress, I mean."


    "Yeah,e with me," he says. I followed after him.


    We were in the woods; this had not been what I expected. A nervous feeling settled over


    1. me.


    Finally, Nick came to a stop. At this part of the woods, dense nts with terrdrils formed a curtain, blocking our view from whaty ahead. Nick pushed aside the tendrils of the nts and walked in. I hesitated before following. In the little space, there were even more flowers, their intertwined vines forming a secluded nook.


    I saw the sorceress for the first time.


    Her eyes... They reminded me of those of the elders.


    I could tell she had been around for a long, long time. Her face was grim, as if we had disturbed her peace and quiet. She was thin-sickly thin-with sharp features.


    "We are here just as I earlier....


    She cut Nick off. "My services are not cheap; pay up."


    I quickly passed the bag to her; she ripped it open and then stared at it. Her eyes found mine. She had this eerie feeling to her. She walked towards me, and it took me some great effort not to step back.


    I could feel Nick''s gaze on me, reassuring me that everything was fine.


    Her long fingers trailed down my face; her hands were cold-very cold. I held back a shiver.


    "The Banished Queen," she whispered, and I flinched; her words cut deep. I didn''t like this woman very much.


    "I came here for...


    Again she cut me off, speaking over me, "I know what you came here for; I see it in your eyes; you are in search of a gift never freely given to you; you are here because you want to fight fate, and could that be impossible?" She asked, walking away.


    I hadn''t noticed the very skinny cat with red glittering eyes earlier. Nowshe patted its head gently, like it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She kept us waiting for five whole minutes, and when she returned, there was a knife in her hand. I backed away, but she held me firm and damn was she strong.


    And then she chopped off a small portion of my hair. "This is payment enough," she says, cing the strands of my hair on a moss-covered altar, just beside the bag of jewelry I had given her.


    "You," she pointed the knife to Nick. "Come," she ordered, and he lifted the sleeves of his shirt before approaching her. "You do know what you are about to do," she says to him, and he nods.


    She slit Nick''s flesh with the knife and let his blood pour into a bowl; her voice rose as she chanted foreign words, and then she took the same knife, splitting her own skin and also collecting the blood into the bowl. She walked to me with the bowl.


    "Your wolf could be oveed, but you will be powerful. This is what you want," she stated.


    I nodded slowly, there was no need denying it, that was the reason I was here. "Your arm, now," she ordered, and Ipiled just as Nick did. Our bloods mixed in the bowl.


    She muttered more foreign words, and the mixture turned a dark shade of blue.


    "Do what you must," she said to Nick, and he walked cautiously towards me.


    "I''m sorry," he says, and that''s when it hit me-something was very wrong.


    "Now," the sorceress said, and he held onto me. I tried moving, but it was like I had been ced under a spell; I couldn''t move, and just then Nick bit into my arm.


    Memories I should have forgotten shed past my mind and then the pain set in. I screamed out till my voice turned hoarse, but the pain wouldn''t stop, all I felt was hot blinding pain, even after his fangs had left my skin. Now Nick held me firmly, he must have beerr trying to tell me something but his words were lost as the pain took over my senses, leaving only one desperate thought in my mind.


    Could this be what death felt like?

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine


    I woke up, squinting against the bright lights; it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to it.


    Was I dead?


    I stared around the room.


    This ce looked familiar.


    This was Nick''s room.


    The past day even shed past my mind. I stared at my wrist to see the bite mark. It hadn''t been a dream; Nick had wings, and he also had very sharp teeth. ''Did it work?'' That was the next question on my mind.


    Just then I noticed Nick; he was making coffee.


    I rose from the bed, feeling a bit light-headed from the abrupt movement. "You might need to sit for a while; you''ve lost a lot of blood," he says.


    "What happened... did it work?" I asked, my eyes wide and hopeful.


    He finally turned to me, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. He shook his head. "No. It didn''t work. You almost died back there," he says


    A wave of disappointment filled me. I just wasn''t good enough.


    "But you survived; that is the most important thing. Your mother had been worried about you, and with you in my room, she thinks we were ''busy''st night." He said, as if hoping I would say something, but no words came out of my mouth. "You don''t have to get married to me; this didn''t go as nned; I would understand that" he paused. "Riley, you are crying."


    I angrily wiped off my tears.


    "They should have never put any faith in me; I just can''t seem to get anything right." "Riley, listen to me."


    "No, I am tired of listening to you, okay? You told me I am different... well, not very unquie now am I."


    "Riley," he called again, but I wasn''t willing to hear what he had to say, not when I felt this so angry.


    "I would never be good enough for anything, and maybe... maybe it is time I ept that." "Riley," he called out again, this time louder.


    "What?" I snapped.


    "Your wings," he said, pointing as something behind me. I slowly looked behind me, and at


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine


    gasp escaped my lips. Wings. White and gray colored wings sprouted from


    "I can''t believe this." I said, my voice sounded unsteady.


    my back.


    "It doesn''t make sense; she said it didn''t work, and she doesn''t make mistakes."


    "Maybe... it took some time to hit off," I say with a shrug. The smile on my face only grew wider, but Nick seemed even more surprised than I was.


    Just then there was a knock on the door.


    Nick walked to the door, and I tried hiding away, but my wings were impossible to hide. I tried putting them back in, but that didn''t work.


    Nick pulled the door open, poking his head through the narrow opening.


    "Nick," my mother''s cheery voice called out. I could imagine her with a wide smile on her face, thinking I had had sex with Nickst night. "I was wondering if Riley is awake; I would really love to see her." Oh shit.


    I tried staying still, but my wings mistakenly knocked down a small wooden box.


    She heard that.


    "Riley dear," she called out.


    Nick gave me the look that said ''seriously, you had to do that now?"


    "Mom, you can''te in... I''mpletely naked," I flinched, my face redenning in embarrassment, but I had to go on because my mom doesn''t give a fuck about my nakedness; she had walked in on me showering many times, and it had never been an issue. "I am also y sore and very tired; I will be back... when I can feel my legs."


    very


    Gosh.


    "Oh," she says, and I could imagine a smile on her face. "I would leave you to that then," she said, but I did hear the silent warning she gave Nick before she walked away. "Take it easy on her, okay,'' she warned lightly before her footsteps disappeared. Nick walked into the room.


    "Well, that was..."


    "Don''t say it. Don''t even utter a single word; else I would murder you right here. Now would you help me get rid of these wings?"


    He chuckled, "Since you asked very nicely. Yes".

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty


    For the next few days, Nick guided me on how to control my wings, and soon using them felt like second nature to me, they felt like an extension of myself.


    Now we had to plot on how to stop Thane, and it was easier said than done.


    "You can''t possibly think I can return back to the Nightshade pack," I argued.


    We were seated in a small meeting room. Nick and Gabriel were present. Gabriel was regarded as themander and next inmand after Nick.


    "Hear me out, okay?" Gabriel pleaded. "You alone know the ins and outs of the Nightshade pack more than any other person, and with those wings, getting in wouldn''t be as hard."


    Gabriel knew about my wings. He had discovered them one of the days I trained with Nick. Turns out he also had an idea that Nick wasn''t just a werewolf. That day, Gabriel had walked away like he saw nothing and never brought it up until now.


    Nick didn''t seem to like the idea of me returning back to the Nightshade Pack one bit. "Is there not any other way?" he questioned.


    "There is; we send in the soldiers alone, and they meet their deaths," Gabriel suggested.


    We both knew he was right, and yet... yet I didn''t like this idea at all.


    "I had been banished from the pack," I reminded him.


    Gabriel fell silent for some time as if in lost thoughts. "Then we should reschedule, if you attack by night fall it would be a better cover"


    "Maybe I should go too," Nick cut in.


    "No," Gabriel says immediately. "You cannot leave the pack; things could go wrong and if you are sighted that would be seen as an act of war, they woulde for this pack."


    "But we are sending her despite that, right? I do not fear war, and you know that."


    "Riley only needs to get the soldiers into the pack and keep watch on the passage," Gabriel says, but Nick wasn''t satisfied by that. "And I could go with her, but leaving the pack defenseless wouldn''t be a good idea." "You will take my ce till I am back." Nick insisted.


    "If the Alpha King has you," Gabriel began. "He could request anything of us, and we would have to deliver."


    "Nick. He is right. You shouldn''te," I say to him before turning to Gabriel: "I would go."


    "They will recognize you by your scent, so you would need the scenturia potion; its function is


    to mask your scent, also a hood," Nick says.


    00


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    I''ve heard about the scenturia potion; it was the rarest potion in the world; I had never seen it before, not even in the Nightshade pack.


    "And how would you get this potion?"


    "We grow vtum here in this pack." gemin


    "But that is..."


    "Impossible?, Not many are willing to go so deep in agriculture. We grow the rare gem in a hidden field; no one has to know about this," he says, and I nod.


    "Zed-The man who came here with his wife and the young boy is willing to offer ten of his soldiers to go with you."


    "So what is the n?"


    "As he had already stated: All you need to do is get those soldier in and out, that''s it.", Nick''s gaze found mine, "You don''t need to do anything more. Zed believes his soldiers would fish out the information necessary. Any of the Nightshade soldiers that get in your way, you kill them," Nick says.


    I nodded again.


    I couldn''t see myself hurting anyone from the Nightshade pack, despite everything that had happened


    Mom walked into my room.


    I may or may not have been avoiding her for the past few days. I couldn''t get past the embarrassing moment when I had to exin how ''sore'' I was, so I left early and returned reallyte. Now she had caught up with my timings, and here she was.


    "You seem to be very busy with Nicktely... we don''t even have time to talk anymore."


    "I''m so sorry, is just... thest time......." I stammered out, unable to form a straight sentence.


    "Is alright love. I know you like him, and I think he is good for you; he makes you happy, and you seem to be moving on. But thest time, you left a letter-that had kept me quite worried; you aren''t the type to leave letters."


    "Mom, I left a letter; no big deal," I say, trying to breeze it off, but my mother knew me too well.


    "Riley for some


    ne reason it did feel like a goodbye. I might be overthinking, but I wondered why you would write to me when you could simply talk to me."


    "You are right. There is a lot happening now; there are people out there who believe in me, people out there who need help, and I want to help them, mom."


    Chapter One Hundred and Exhi


    I expected her to argue with me, and she seemed to have wanted to say something before changing her mind. She only nodded.


    I couldn''t be more grateful for her eptance than I was now.


    "You are leaving, right?" she says.


    "Yes, mother. But I would be safe."


    "You are more than just my daughter, and maybe I should begin to understand that. I would leave you to rest now, but don''t forget to put some ointment on that scar on your back," she says before leaving.


    I didn''t realize there was a scar on my back. I stared at the mirror, trying to find the scar, and then I spotted it.


    That was no scar. That part of my flesh was delicate due to the wings.


    Well, I guess I would have to hide that too.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eight One-


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One


    "I would have preferred going with you," Nick says.


    "You have to stay here," I reminded him.


    Nick helped me with the hood mask; I was fully clothed; only my eyes and the little portion for my wings were left unclothed. A sword had been secured to my side, two daggers in my boot, and a single gun at the other side of my hip. I was armed.


    The scenturia potion emitted a sharp smell but I could live through that. I stared at the mirror. I wouldn''t recognize ''me''. Green contact lenses had been used to cover the blue of my eyes.


    "Ready?" he asked me, and I nodded


    But the truth was that I wasn''t ready; I wasn''t ready to see Thane again. Neither was I ready to return back to the Nightshade pack.


    "We would see soon," he says as if hoping for any reassurance from me, but I didn''t trust my voice to speak, so I only nodded again. "Remember, the paths are all on the map," he added, patting my back.


    We stared at each other; this was the moment we were supposed to kiss, but I couldn''t bring myself to do that, not with all the nerves I felt.


    "Goodbye, for now," I managed to say before soaring into the air and leaving Nick behind.


    The soldiers sent with me had gone ahead; I was to meet up with them. I stared at the beautiful view of the buildings as I went on.


    My wings spread at my sides; the beautiful gray and white color shone in the sun. I was different, I felt different. This had been a risk worth taking; sure, I could have died, but I


    didn''t.


    The night had fallen upon us by the time I arrived, and the soldiers waited outside the pack boundaries. I concealed my wings before approaching them. I didn''t know exactly why Nick kept the truth about himself a secret, but I didn''t think unting was a good idea. "Queen" the soldiers called, giving a low bow in synchrony; I didn''t bother correcting them


    this time.


    "The Nightshade soldiers had vacated the eastern borders; they must havepleted their shift for the night; we have thirty minutes or less before a new badge arrives. We would have to go, two at a time," I said, quickly paring them up. "If you are in trouble, raise a signal,".


    I went inst, but by then my time was up and two soldiers approached to guide the boundary.


    I had an advantage; they couldn''t perceive my scent. That was something.


    Chapivyoka Hunder and Eghty One


    I hid behind a tree, frozen in ce. As the soldier drew closer, I held my breath. But luck wasn''t on my side. One of them nced sideways and our eyes met. He''d spotted me. My instinct was to run and hide, but I couldn''t do that.


    My hands wrapped around my gun and I pulled it out.


    "Wait," he called to the other man. "Who is there?"


    "There is no one there..." the other one began before spotting me.


    I had never seen these soldiers before, so maybe they were new recruits; at least they would be easier to kill.


    The first one pointed a gun at me, but before he could fire, I shot at him; the bullet dug into his skull, killing him instantly. The other one shot at me, but I managed the dodge; the bullet bruised the side of my arm, I shut him next in the heart, giving them a quick death. I stared at the two dead bodies.


    They would have killed me if I didn''t act fast, yet that didn''t make me feel any less guilty.


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    We are one day to the end of the month and I have to say this month was wonderful.


    With almost a hundred gems gotten this month this book made i

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Two


    The instruction was that I remained here to make sure the soldiers had a safe passage, but I couldn''t wait here; some might have heard the sind, while my gun had a silencer, theirs. didn''t.


    I walked into the pack. Everything seemed familiar; I hated being back here; I hated how this felt so much like home.


    Soldiers paraded nearby, their footsteps and loud chatter drowning out the sound of my own. I moved swiftly, darting between trees until I reached a more secluded spot, where I finally stopped. Now all I had to do was wait for the soldiers to return.


    Zed did trust his soldiers, and so I had to have some faith in them too.


    Gabriel should be arriving anytime soon with the vehicles to pick us up, this way we wouldn''t be easily traced. I pulled open the map. He would wait some distance away, so as not to be spotted by the Nightshade pack patrollers. But the problem was that he may have to trespass on another pack''snd.


    One hour turned to two.


    I didn''t know how long I would have to wait, but I guess everything should be done before


    dawn.


    Four hours had gone by and still no sign of them. The night had gotten eerily quiet.


    At the fifth hour, I knew something must be wrong. I could just turn back and walk away, but then... that shouldn''t even be an option.


    So here I was, going straight for the pack house, because I knew that must be the first ce. they would check on, but before I got there, I saw a figure approaching. It was one of the pairs. I had sent in. "What happened?" I asked them.


    They panted heavily, so I gave them a moment.


    "We got nothing," one of the men says


    "What?"


    "There is nothing in there-no information," the other man said.


    "Someone ising," I muttered, pulling them to a corner; it hadn''t been a member of the nightshade pack, but two of my soldiers. "Over here," I called out to them, and they came in our direction.


    "We have to leave now," the man said, his eyes wide with panic.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Two


    "What about the others?"


    "Three men had been killed, my partner too; it was like they knew we wereing."


    "But that is impossible."


    "We need to leave."


    "There are still three left." I argued.


    "They''re at the Safe, nting a bomb."


    "What? Our escape should be their top priority...


    Just then, a loud explosion shook the air, followed by a thick smoke.


    "Go!" I ordered, and they ran towards the borders; just the way we came, I followed after them.


    Gabriel met us at the borders..


    "What of the others?" He questioned


    "I would go get them."


    "No..."


    "Get the rest out of here; I''ll go get them."


    I returned, but by now every soldier in the pack had been rmed. The smoke rose high, I went in the direction of the safe house. It was impossible to sneak through that mass of people, and my wings would attract too much attention so I couldn''t fly either. I took cover, and just then I noticed I wasn''t alone. Two of my soldiers were there.


    "What of thest one?" I asked


    "He''s dead... it was... it was the...bomb."


    The man kept on muttering things I couldn''t make up.


    "We have to go now" I ordered.


    "Save yourself" the other one said and only then did I notice his scarred leg, the fire must have gotten him too.


    "The bomb wasn''t part of the n" I said to him


    "They killed my family, with their Safe''room gone, they would need even more weapons to attack and that would buy us time". He says. He was right.


    Yet.


    I couldn''t help but desperately hope no one was close by when the bomb went off.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Three


    "Get up" I ordered


    "I can''t," the man says, I could see it in his eyes, he had already given up.


    "Help me lift him," I said. We managed to lift him, he groaned in pain as his injured leg scraped against the bare ground. Together, we carried the man away, heading for the pack borders. I doubted we''d be as lucky walking past andetected, or escape as easily as we had entered.


    Damn he was heavy, we managed to travel only a short distance before the gun shot stopped us. The man I had been carrying slumped. The bullet had gotten him in the side.


    It was one of the Nightshade soldiers, he fired another shot and it got the other man in the arm, he cried out. I let go of the man, but before I could reach for my gun, there was yet another shot. This one had been fired from another direction. Not at me, but at the Nightshade soldiers. Gabriel was back.


    He rushed to us, quickly checking on the man whoid on the floor.


    "He would survive," he said to me and I nodded. "I need to get you out of here"


    "No, help them first"


    "The Nightshade soldiers are already on their way here, they would kill you"


    "I am your Queen and I say save them first"


    I didn''t think he wouldply, it must have been something autocratic in my voice because he quickly adhered, helping the two men, he led them away.


    More of the Nightshade soldiers approached. I had no chance against them, yet I would have to fight to buy Gabriel some time to get them all out


    I inhaled deeply.


    Taking out my sword.


    I


    an towards them and my:


    met one of theirs with a sh, they wouldn''t kill me, I know


    that, because they need me alive for interrogations, but they didn''t mind the state I would be


    left in.


    I barely dodged a gun fired aiming for my leg, I fought my way through the soldiers, meeting every strike, but I was losing ground. These were experienced, well trained soldiers. I felt a cut to my side followed by another on my thigh, but I fought on and then I saw him. I hadn''t seen him for months, yet he looked exactly the same, better than my thoughts had painted him to be.


    Thane watched me, his eyes cold, For a second the fear filled me, but then I remembered that


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Three


    he couldn''t recognise me, not if I left my mask on. The girl he remembered was nothing like


    me


    My moment of distraction was used against me as the sword was knocked off my hands.


    This was it.


    I was going to die and he would watch me die.


    "Stop" Thane ordered and the soldiers obeyed.


    I smirked when I saw all the damage I had inflicted on the soldiers, I had aimed to incapacitate not to kill. But I couldn''t help but feel a twisted sense of pride at my handiwork.


    "Take her to the dungeons"


    Immediately my smile disappeared.


    ''It would be worth it if they escaped'' I said to myself as I was dragged into the pack house and down the dungeons. No one recognise me and I couldn''t help but wonder what would happen if they did know who I was. Things would only get worse.


    I did my best not to think about the fact that Thane would be interrogating me, he would know it''s me when all these materials were off and then what?


    He would torture me for information, just as he would do any others, because I was and would never be anything to him..


    The dungeon was as I had remembered it, I wasn''t ced in a cell room, no, I was ced in the torture chamber. Guards held me, but I didn''t see the use, I was too weak to fight now.


    The door was thrown open and Thane walked in.


    And guess what? It still hurts. Staring at him still felt so painful. My heart would never forget how he had betrayed me.


    One of the guards applied pressure on my leg and I fell on my knees. The other guard attempted to rip off the upper part of my tunic, I couldn''t let ''him'' see me, and so I fought hard.


    "Leave, the both of you" Thane''s cold voice echoed in the room and the two guards walked out of the door.


    I was alone with him, on my knees and I hated it. I rose to my feet. I would never kneel before him.


    "You might as well take a seat, Riley".

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Four


    I had taken every precaution: fully clothed, hood mask in ce, scentpletely neutralized, and lenses worn. Yet, he still called me by my name.


    I stood there, silent, unwilling to give a response; maybe he had only made a wild guess.


    Thane walked forward; he was so close to me I could perceive his scent; this was a wicked reminder of what we had once, but now, now it was all over. "Would you take the hood off


    take the hood off or do you prefer I do that?" he questioned. That intense look he gave me forced me into taking a step back


    "Don''te any closer," I warned. My voice shook, and I hated it.


    I wouldn''t cry, not in front of him, but the pain I felt was so unbearable.


    "Is that a threat?, didn''t sound much like it."


    I took off the mask, dumping the material to the ground. Then I met his


    gaze.


    We shared a long look, and there was something different in the way he stared at me. I could swear I saw the longing in his eyes, but I didn''t forget how good an actor he was. "Riley, you are crying."


    Was I?


    I hadn''t realized the tears; I quickly wiped them away, angry at that sign of weakness. But I couldn''t hide it; he knew as much as I did how badly he had hurt me. I wasn''t ready to meet him and I didn''t think I would be ready even after years had gone by. guess


    this is the point where I am interrogated and tortured for information. But I want you to know that I''d rather die than give you a piece of that."


    "I don''t n on doing any of that."


    "Why?" I questioned, giving him no time to respond. I continued, "Would that be because I am ''special'' to you? That is your favorite word, isn''t it?"


    "Riley, why would you risk your life bying? Do you think those untrained soldiers could easily sneak into the pack and out undetected? What if you were killed?" "What if I was killed?"


    "You weren''t thinking about your safety."


    "Who fucking cares about that? I came here because that was the right thing to do. You are hurting people, destroying packs, all for power. I came here to stop you." "And you think I am the one behind that?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Tour


    "Don''t fucking kid me, Thane; you want power, and I should have known that; you would do anything for that."


    "See it as you wish to. You''ll need a healer for those wounds."


    "Why the generosity, Thane? I hate to believe this is how traitors and offenders are treated."


    "You are not a traitor, Riley."


    "But I had ordered those soldiers to nt the bomb," I lied. "I should be punished."


    "Fortunately, the safe room was empty," he says


    A heavy weight settled in my chest. We failed. The fire had imed one of the soldiers and the other might never be able to use his f


    It was all for nothing, all for fucking nothing, because, as always, Thane was just one step ahead.


    "Riley, I am not behind those killings; I never sent my soldiers to take down those packs." "I don''t believe you. I can never believe you."


    "What do I have to do to prove that to you?" he questioned. I could hear the desperation in his voice. He always had a way of prating into my heart, but this time I let my brain do the thinking. I had once followed my heart; I guess we all knew where that ended up. "Just let me go," I said to him. His eyes hardened


    "I cannot do that."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Five


    "Thest time I was here, you seemed to be in such a hurry to do just that."


    "I thought I was keeping you safe; If only I knew you were like a problem ma."


    "So let me guess, you would give me a whole crap talk about how you were willing to hurt me, humiliate me, just to ''protect'' me."


    That silenced him, and then his gaze found something I had left on, my engagement ring. For some reason, I felt the need to hide it.


    He grasped my hand, staring at it.


    "What is this?"


    "What does it look like?"


    "You''re engaged?" He said the words like it didn''t make sense.


    "Yes, and keeping me here isn''t really helping me in any way."


    His eyes were once again those cold orbs that sent chills down my spine.


    "I guess I deserve this," he says more to himself than to me. "I should be happy you''ve moved on, but I can''t be happy for you, Riley," he says, looking away from me as if it hurts to stare.


    Bullshit. I pulled my hands away from his hold, taking some steps backwards.


    "I never wanted this Thane. I loved you, and you knew that, but you used that against me; you broke me. Do you know how long I spent crying over you, waiting and hoping you showed up, but you never fucking did; you moved on and left me there.


    I hated myself; I hated you for bringing out this version of myself, and yet, as much as I hated you, I still waited. Day after day, I hoped you would change your mind, but you never came, and I had to move on. You think this was easy for me? I had no one; I was in a foreignnd, and I had to stare at my mother each day, knowing she was right about you and you were no good


    for me.


    Then, I made a choice; I wasn''t going to waste away; I wasn''t going to let you do the same thing with me your father did to my mother, and so I tried, but you never stopped haunting me; you were there in my dreams; you were always there."


    I was crying now, and I couldn''t hold it back. gods, I hated him so much. I hated him so much for what he put me through, and all through my little speech, he just stared.


    "I fucked up really bad. I thought I was doing the right thing."


    "The right thing for me, or for you? It has always been about you and your many problems, you were the one with the problems not me and yet you made me feel like I wasn''t good. enough, you made me question my self worth. I was so desperate for you, gods, I was willing


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight The


    to bring myself so low, just to be with you. Not anymore"


    "Riley I was too dangerous; my actions hurt you and I knew that, but you were never going to be safe with me, and that became clear after the attack."


    "Excuses. That''s all you gave me. I believed in what we had, and I was wrong."


    "No, you weren''t. You thought I moved on? I couldn''t get you off my mind for even a fucking second. I was miserable, Riley, and yet I couldn''t go to you until I was sure I had full control, until I was sure I would never hurt you again. I was not nning on letting you go, I was going toe find you because it took only a single day to realize I could not leave without you" A part of me always knew, I knew he was trying to keep away, only so he wouldn''t hurt me, that didn''t make things any different. If he loved me, he would have found another way. I would never let myself fall one more time. I hadn''t fully recovered from the past hurt, I wasn''t going to let myself get tangled in this mess once more.


    "I am not some spineless wolf, you just never did see it"


    "No you


    you aren''t Riley you never were. I had been a fool to think keeping you away was the solution"


    "So what would you do?, make amends?"


    "I made a terrible decision, but I wouldn''t cower away now, I would try to fix things"


    but


    "You have to understand that you cannot fix everything, some things are just too broken to be fixed. I would get married and I would be happy"


    "You don''t love him, Riley, I can tell"


    "Well I do not love you either"

 Claim Me 186

    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Six **THANE**


    I had no right to hold her captive, not after everything I had done to her and yet I couldn''t bring myself to let her go. Maybe it was because knew that this was myst chance and if I did screw it then that was it. Still her words pierced deep.


    I knew she didn''t mean it. I knew a part of her still loved me even if she resented that part, but hearing her say those words straight to my face. hearing herpare me with my father who I thought was the monster made me realized how bad I had screwed up. More than once I had given up on staying away from her, but Axel was always there to stop me. He never really forgave me for what I did, even though he knew I had every reason to. He thought I deserved the punishment I got.


    "You cannot go to her" he would always say, "If she had managed to move on, seeing you would only cause her more pain and she don''t need that".


    Finally I had gotten a grip of the beast I had be, If only Riley knew that she had fueled up the need in me to put the lycan on a leash.


    Oh gods I loved her. I was hopelessly in love with this girl and when I saw her at that field, fighting those soldiers off, that had been the most sexy thing I had ever seen.


    She was strong, really strong, I noticed that from her moves. But I couldn''t let any of the soldiers know who she was and so I had to take her to the dungeons. Of course that was only part of the act, this was thest ce I wanted her to be. I couldn''t help but imagine her in our room on the king size bed.


    I sure would spend the whole night watching her


    But something had clearly changed in her. I might have caused that or maybe there was something more, something I didn''t know. There was this anger present in her eyes, I had seen it when she fought against those soldiers. I should be trying to obtain some information from her. She had afterall led the attack on the pack and why it was Inept of me, I couldn''t bring myself to care.


    She believed I was behind all the attacks on those packs. She wasn''t the only one who thought that. No matter the public speeches I made, no one wanted to believe that there was a different


    group


    of people behind the attacks. What I couldn''t understand was why they wanted people to believe the attack wasing from this pack. Possibly because they wanted the attention off their backs. Whoever is behind this must have some serious issue with this pack. I did notice Riley avoided my eyes.


    I deserve this, I let go of her when I should have fought to keep her safe, i believed I was doing the right thing.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty


    She had once begged to stay, now she was ready to do anything to leave.


    Nothing was more disturbing than the ring on her finger, I found my eyes trailing down to the in ring every few seconds.


    I knew she had done that as a kind ofe back act, but that didn''t make things any easier to bear. I was jealous. Jealous of the man who she had said ''yes'' to, I bet she smiled at him, evenughed too. All I got was her cold hard re but could take that, it was better than nothing.


    Since she left, I hadn''t met with a single woman. There were questions on who would be the next Queen. Some believed my next move would be to make Elder Bailey my queen, they were wrong, I could never do that to Riley. What was more puzzling was how the others still referenced Riley as their queen, even in her absence.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Seven


    A healer tended to my wounds in the dungeons; Thane had offered that I stay in the avable guests room since we both knew I wouldn''t be agreeing on returning back to the room we once shared, but I didn''t need his generosity; if he thought I couldn''t handle the cold floors of the dungeons, then he was indeed mistaken.


    I didn''t like how the healer kept staring at me. I am sure Thane had informed her not to tell anyone about this, but still her gaze was unnerving.


    "I think that would be all," she said after thest stitch. "Is there anything else you need?"


    "No, you may leave," I said to her, and she rose to her feet and offered a bow before walking


    away.


    A few hours passed, and Thane entered with a tray of food. He set it before me, but my gaze remained fixed on the wall, ignoring him entirely


    "You''ve lost a lot of blood; you need to eat Riley, please," he says softly.


    My eyes never left the wall, and finally he left, giving me some space to think about my escape. Yes, I needed strength if was going to escape this ce, but I couldn''t bring myself to eat anything from this pack. Call me foolish, but I''d rather starve. I smashed the cockroach scurrying away with the bottom of my boot.


    I rose, venturing into the darker inner parts of the room where I had spotted a tattered nket. I used that as coverage. Thoughying on the floor was more than ufortable, I managed to drift into a dreamless sleep.


    I had spent hours lost in thoughts; I couldn''t tell the day from the night, but after what felt like hours, the door was opened once more and Thane walked in.


    He had brought yet another tray of food; where did he actually expect me to put all those?


    His


    gaze dropped to the untouched food and then to me lying on the floor.


    "That''s it; you''ll stay in a proper room."


    "I don''t want anything from you."


    "Don''t be stubborn..."


    "You will not force me, not again."


    He inhaled deeply; I could tell he would so love the quicker option, and that was picking me up and shoving me into some room of his choice.


    "You haven''t touched your food." he stated.


    "It could be poisoned for all I know."


    "And why would I poison you?" He asked, like that didn''t make sense. Again he inhaled, annoyed, but who was he to be annoyed?


    He walked to me with the new tray of food and sat beside me. He took a bite of chicken broth and a spoon full of brown rice. "Satisfied?" he asked, but I gave no answer, looking away from the food.


    It smelled tasty, but I didn''t dare show that.


    "Would you prefer it if you were spoon-fed?" he asked.


    "I''ll rather die of starvation than eat any of those."


    The third sharp inhale.


    He stared at the food like he was considering shoving it down my throat, but thought against it. "I hope you change your mind," he says before he leaves.


    I never did change my mind.


    He always came back to see the untouched food there. I wasn''t only torturing myself but him too; I had lost weight, I could see it, my throat felt so sore, I needed water, and there it sat, right in front of me, and yet I wasn''t going to let myself have any of that. I closed my eyes; I didn''t realize when he walked in; maybe it was the fact that I was too weak


    I wasn''t helping myself; I needed my strength, yet taking even a bite of this food felt too much like giving up. I wouldn''t let him win, not this time.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight


    "You are fucking dying, you need to let go of your pride and eat something."


    I had the words in mind to respond, yet my throat was so sore, I couldn''t utter a single word. There was a slight fear in his eyes; he was scared I would go through with this.


    I didn''t think Thane loved me, but I don''t think he wanted me dead either.


    He attempted spoon-feeding me; I wouldn''t eat a single thing; I wouldn''t let him win. "You either eat or I will make you." I had been about to ask how exactly would he ''make me'', "There ly would he ''make me", "There are these pipes that can be used to pass food directly into your body, and I would do that if I had to."


    "You have no right," I say. My voice sounded so tiny.


    "I am trying to keep you alive."


    "And I don''t care. You either let me go, or I''ll die here. I bet you would love to see that."


    "What do you want, Riley? I am ready to do any other thing, and I don''t care what it is; say it and it''s done; all you have to do is eat the damn food."


    "Anything?" I asked


    "Anything," he repeated, and it brought me back to the moment I had kneeled before him. I had been willing to offer myself to him just so I could stay with him. He had humiliated me and made me feel like nothing but whore. He had used me in every sense of the world. There were so many things I could request; I could dare request that he stop attacking other packs, but I didn''t think he would keep to his promise, not when it all boils down to that one thing... power''.


    "Nothing. I don''t need anything from you."


    Thane didn''t return the next day. The following day I stared at the food. The meal must have gotten a bit hard and dry, but... as hungry as I was, that looked so appealing and satisfying, I stared at the food. Was this worth dying over? Was he worth it?


    Just then the door was unlocked once more. I had expected to see Thane, but I was wrong; standing before me was a person I hadn''t seen in months. Axel.


    I couldn''t help but imagine how I looked-ratty, dirty hair, stained clothes. I looked like crap, and I was almost ashamed to see him, ashamed to have him stare at me.


    "Riley," he called, but there was no disgust in his voice, only pure surprise. He walked in, shutting the door behind him. He walked to me, and as filthy as I was, he drew me in for a hug; his hold was firm.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight


    I couldn''t bring myself to hug him back. Maybe he had done nothing wrong to me; maybe he wasn''t in on Thane''s n, but he never came for me either; he never cared to know if I was alright. They were so much alike. When he pulled away, I noticed the redness in his eyes.


    I had never seen Axel shed tears, this must have been the closest I had gotten to that.


    "I''m so sorry I couldn''te to find you... I just didn''t think you deserve the pain we''ve caused you, you deserve better and so I hoped you''d move on" he paused, staring at my ring. Thane must have told him about that because he didn''t look surprised. "Congrattions on that".


    "Thank you. I missed you Axel"


    "I missed you too... a lot"


    More than anything, I wanted to question Axel, did he know about the innocents who were dying?, He must have been aware, Right?, But he could stop these, he alone could talk some sense into Thane and yet, he went on with it, I needed to understand why. Axel pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around me I was indeed cold. "You are a fighter Riley. Don''t give up this so easily" he says and I nodded, the words were at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn''t say it, maybe because I feared the answer.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine **THANE''S POV


    "She is engaged Thane, she was moving on quite well, you need to let her go" Axel says and he was right, but we both knew I wouldn''t do that. I wasn''t going to screw things up the second time. She couldn''t even bear to look me in th eyes anymore, damn she was starving herself just to get back at me and it was working, I couldn''t eat either, not with the knowledge that she is down there, cold and starving. I should let her go, that was the easiest way, but it had taken everything in me to make that decision thest time and now, seeing her after two months, I knew I could never let her go, not ever again.


    "She is mine, my mate" I say, knowing well how stupid that sounded and already knowing what Axel would say next.


    "You did send her away, I hate to break it to you, but she doesn''t belong to you anymore, she is betrothed to another" he reminds me and I hated that reminder.


    If only he understood that I couldn''t imagine Riley with any other person, it took everything in me to sit here and not go haunt for the bastard who proposed to her, ''the bastard who helped her heal''- the little voice in my head said and I shoved it away, but that was the truth.


    I had done my research, he must have been a member of the Raven n, that must have been where Riley had gone to. Of course finding her was never the issue, I had ears everywhere, but I had thought I could let her go and even when I discovered I couldn''t, I still didn''t go searching for her, I didn''t want to ce any form of target on her back, she was unprotected and so I had to stay away. ''Excuses'' that''s what she''d called those, she wouldn''t believe a word I said, I couldn''t make her happy, it had only been days since she arrived and she had cried more than once.


    I couldn''t believe she had waited for me each day, how disappointed she must have felt when I didn''t turn up. I had thrown away the one good thing in my life and all for what?


    There was nothing to be gained.


    "I would make it up to her, things would return to how they had once been" I say and Axel stared at me like I had lost my mind and maybe I had, maybe all I could think about was the beauty in the dungeons, yes she did look starved but not a bit less beautiful. "How do you n on doing that?"


    "I don''t know, but I don''t care what I would have to do" I say


    "You love her very much," Axel says, as if just discovering that.


    "But I am not alone, am I?" I questioned.


    A knock on the door to my office broke our conversation.


    Axel strode to the door, pulling it open.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine


    Two soldiers walked in, they bowed.


    "Alpha, there is stranger on ournds, he demands to meet you"


    "To meet me? Who does he identify as?"


    "He says he is the leader of some Raven n"


    Well we''ve gotten our lover boy in search of his bethroted. I must say, Riley does have a thing for Alpha''s.


    "Send him in"


    "He is here for Riley isn''t he?" Axel asked after the soldiers had left.


    "Yes"


    "So I''m guessing he is the one she is engaged to?"


    "I believe so".


    had never seen the leader/Alpha of the Raven n before, I guess because they were too small to be called a pack, they were mostly overlooked, I knew very little about them and most of the things I knew was what I managed to gather up a few days ago. The man walked in escorted by two of my soldiers.


    "We had to bring him in alone" the soldiers say and I nod.


    "You may leave," I said to them. The moment they were out the man approached me, Axel was quick to stand in his way.


    "Where is she?" he growled, his tone challenging and I must say he got some nerve. I liked


    that.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    Hunger pangs gnawed at my stomach, I could almost see myself giving up.


    Grudgingly, I picked up the ss of water. I could let myself have this; I emptied the cup immediately, and still it wasn''t enough to cure my thirst.


    I had only managed to ce the cup down before the door was once again unlocked. I looked


    1. up.


    It was Axel and Thane; that''s what I thought till I saw the third figure.


    Nick.


    I staggered to my feet, running into his arms. "You are here," I managed to say. I was indeed surprised.


    *


    "What the hell did you do to her?" Nick asked, his eyes zing with fury.


    "Nick, I''m fine," I say. Thane hadn''t harmed me yet; I had been the one who refused his food and shelter.


    "You don''t look fine to me," he says. Finally, he turned to Thane. "I am willing to offer you anything you want, so long as you let her go," Nick said. He was furious and only managed to keep it in.


    "What can you offer me, Alpha? There''s nothing I''ll need from a pack so tiny." Thane said I threw him a re; he only shrugged.


    "I want to speak to Nick... alone."


    "That cannot happen."


    I hated the fact I was about to do this, yet it was the only way HE would agree. "You told me once you were willing to do anything, as long as I ate the ''damn'' food."


    Thane stared down at me. "After this, I won''t take no for an answer," he warned, and I gave a slight nod of my head.


    When we were alone, I gazed up at Nick,


    "You knowing here is not a good idea," I whispered to him. Just in case there were some hidden cameras in here, I wasn''t going to take chances. "He would know that the attack had something to do with the Raven n." "I had never been afraid of a fight."


    "Nick, it''s the Nightshade pack.


    ''And I don''t care."


    "Many would die, and it would be all because of me."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    "When I heard you had been captured, I couldn''t stay away. Gabriel said something very simr, but how would I leave you here? I did tell you not to do any other thing but wait at the borders," he said.


    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t. If I waited there, the others wouldn''t have made it out, and Thane. wouldn''t have hurt me," something urred to me, I hadn''t asked him if the soldiers made it out. "Those men... they did make it out right?"


    ((


    "Yes they did," he says and I let out a breath of relief. My sacrifice hadn''t been for nothing. You seem so sure that Thane wouldn''t hurt you," he says, and I would have defended that, but he was right. I didn''t know Thane at all. "I would have handled this either way... but I am d you are here."


    I noticed Nick''s gaze trailing to my ring. "I haven''t lost it." I assured him with a smile. I leaned against the wall, taking in slow breaths.


    "You need to feed Riley."


    "I just... I couldn''t."


    He didn''t judge; he nodded in understanding. "There is another way," he says. He seemed unsure, but after a few moments, he shrugged and bit into his wrist.


    "What the hell are you doing?" I questioned watching his blood drip to the floor.


    "Helping," he says, lifting his wrist to me.


    "What am I supposed to do with that?"


    "Drink?"


    "What?"


    I wanted to make sure I heard him correctly. What did he mean by drink? That was his blood.


    "Drink, Riley."


    "I can''t drink your blood," I argued. I had thought this was some kind of a joke, but Nick didn''t seem to be joking at all..


    "Riley, it takes time to gain trust, but I want you to believe me with no questions; it is too much to ask, but I know what I''m doing. Drink," He urged.


    I leaned forward, staring at the blood. I stared back at him. He lifted his arm up to me.


    I didn''t really understand what exactly he was up to, but he said this would help. I wanted to trust him.


    I took a drink, and to my surprise, it didn''t taste that bad.


    "That''s enough," he says, and he pulls his wrist from my grasp.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    Could I be imaging it, or had my skin gotten more color? It must be my imagination.


    I didn''t feel very hungry anymore; I had this strange feeling of satisfaction.


    "I just drank your blood, and it wasn''t so bad."


    "Yeah."


    "I should be repulsed by the taste; why does it taste so good?" I lowered my voice so he, only could only hear, "Could it be because of what you are?" "No," he answers. "I believe it pretty much tastes like any other. You enjoyed it not because of what I am, but because you are."


    The door creaked open, and I backed away from Nick.


    "Times up," Thane says. He paused when he stared at me; his expression puzzled, and he wasn''t the only one seemingly surprised. So was Axel too.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny One THANE''S POV


    I didn''t like the idea of the Raven n Leader in there with her. But Riley had been willing to let go of her pride and make a bargain-the very same bargain I had practically begged her for for days.


    Let''s say it hurt my ego that she had so quickly epted my terms just to have a few minutes with the man. Was he worth that much to her? If did kill him, how long would she mourn him? That had been the question on my mind.


    "That''s it, Axel; I''m going in."


    He smirked, "It had only been minutes, but I don''t like him in there with her either."


    "We''ve given her enough time, right?"


    "Not quite enough; if they were ''getting at it'' in there, then they would need a few more minutes." Axel taunted.


    That''s the line.


    I walked to the door and pulled it open.


    The metallic smell of blood hit my nose triggering an instant rm, my eyes scanned Riley frantically to make sure she wasn''t hurt. She was fine.


    Oh. If she was hurt, at least that would be my little excuse for killing the man, but well, I might have to wait for another opportunity. Riley was wiping her mouth, and then I stared at her


    She was ''fine''.


    like I really noticed her.


    As inpletely healthy. A few minutes ago she had been so pale and frail I feared she might lose consciousness at any second. But now she lookedpletely fine.


    Axel and I exchanged stares; he was thinking exactly the same thing, I could tell.


    "I''ll let you free passage out of our pack, but don''t you think I don''t know you are involved in the attack," I warned him.


    The man who I now knew as Nick had a tight frown on his face.


    "You can''t hold her here forever."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny One


    "I think it''s up to me to decide that," I say with a small smirk.


    "You don''t deserve her, Alpha King."


    "And do you? I bet marrying her was a ploy to get your pack more attention and reference." "It is working right?" He says with a smile, "You used her too; we are no difference. I do love her, but as you said, that is not the only reason I proposed to her." "The only im you have on her is the simple jewel; don''t be quick to brag."


    "You really think she would fall for you again?" wish you were there to see what she went through. For a whole month, she wouldn''t leave her room, she wouldn''t eat, the whole pack heard her cries, she always had nightmares, and she called out your name. You were never there, so don''t you think you have any im on her, She might have loved you; she might have obsessed over you, but.I guess you taught her how to live without you. When you weren''t there, I was there for her, ready to pick up the pieces. She only started healing, and yet, here you are, ready to shed her to be pieces once again. But what you don''t know is that she is stronger than ever before."


    I wouldn''t show it, but damn if he wasn''t right. I had been a fool, and he had witnessed the pain I put her through. I should have known better, but I didn''t.


    "What did you do? When we left, she had been... different," I said, deciding to talk about something else, something that had been quite disturbing.


    "By different, you mean healthy?" he questioned, and that was enough to tell me something happened in there.


    "I did tell you she is not the same person you knew, didn''t I?, she''s so much more, and it''s all thanks to you," he says.


    I wasn''t going to pry for more information; I wouldn''t let him know how curious I was.


    The moment Nick was out of the office, I summoned one of the soldiers. "If he returns to this pack, don''t let him in." I ordered.


    "There is a rumor about her amongst the soldiers; their egos had been wounded by the skilled fighter, a female warrior. If only they knew who she really was." Axel says.


    I had thought she fought really well, but only until now did I wonder if that was also a part of the secret she shared with Nick.


    I would find out sooner thanter, but now Riley would have to meet up to her own end of the bargain.


    I wouldn''t let her spend a night down there.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two


    RILEY


    "How do you like this ce?" Axel asked, "I mean, if it''s not good enough for you, we could arrange something else."


    "It is fine" I muttered.


    "Do you need..."


    "No," I snapped before he couldplete his sentence.


    What the hell was wrong with me?


    "Okay then, I''ll leave you to get settled," he says, before walking away and leaving me all alone.


    I walked straight to the bathroom.


    This would be a very long bath.


    I set the hot bath. Gosh, I missed this. I sat in the tube; the warmth was so weing; I leaned against the marble and easily fell asleep.


    The footsteps woke me up.


    There Thane stood, always the pervert, watching me bathe. The bubbles had died down, revealing a little too much cleavage. My first instinct was to wrap my hands around my bare parts, but then that would make him know how his gaze still affected me. Instead, I remained in the bathtub, making no move to cover up.


    "Why are you here?"


    "I brought some food; you must be famished, just as I am."


    "We are not dining together."


    "No?, then how would we make sure the food isn''t poisoned?" he asked, his signature smirk still on his face.


    I rose from the bathtub, very aware of his hot gaze on me.


    He whispered something along the lines of ''Kill me now, Riley.''


    I picked up a robe, wrapping it around my body, before walking to him.


    "How I would love to do just that," I responded.


    The tray of food waited on the table; I was going to have to sit beside him. That was too close -closer than I was prepared to be right now.


    Still, I took a seat, and he sat beside me. To my surprise, he put some distance between us. Not


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two


    that I wasining.


    "I want to ask you a question," I began.


    "Well, ask on," he says, clearly interested.


    "You say you didn''t send those soldiers to those packs; Were you telling the truth?"


    "Yes, even if you still don''t believe me."


    "If you can remember, something happened back at the mate ball; it had been that very day I discovered elder Bailey injured in the woods. I had left the party, triggered by what I saw in a particr hidden room.


    I don''t believe you were beingpletely truthful when I asked what those pictures were doing there."


    "You are right," he says, and for some reason, I felt disappointed; a part of me still hoped I wasn''t right. "I didn''t lie to you but I hadn''t told you theplete truth then. We had considered this n, what many now refer to as the ''new era, where there would be no Alpha''s but the Alpha King, me. Bailey had brought about this idea before she left on the mission. She had believed she was going to defeat the elder who managed to escape, but the elders wouldn''t be the only threat, to assure the crown remains in the Nightshade packs, she thought that it was a sensible solution to kill every other Alpha."


    "And you agreed to it?"


    Thane paused. "This n would lead to a lot of bloodshed, but I have been born into this; in the world I know, you do anything to stay on top."


    "Even if it includes killing innocents?"


    "It is never my intention, but people would always die, simply because they were in the wrong at the wrong time. Still yet, I never did go on with the Bailey n; we had disagreed on it because it wasn''t worth it, Riley. I am not the one behind all these."


    I believed him. I hated how easily I believed him, but I did. When Zed''s men hade in here, they found nothing, not because the clues were hidden but because there was nothing to be found.


    "Have you considered the possibility that Bailey masterminded all this?"

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Three


    "Have you considered the possibility that Bailey masterminded all this?"


    The moment I said it, everything seemed to click it does make sense. Bailey had brought the n up, and when they wouldn''t go with it, she decided to take the lead.


    "Bailey hasn''t left the pack since the incident; I don''t think she is behind this," Thane disagreed.


    "Hear me out. Bailey has every reason to hate you. Do you remember the deal you never kept your part to?, or the fact that after I left she might have hoped you would finally make a move, but you didn''t." "She seems to have moved on Riley."


    "That might be what she wants you to think. Do you really think she could move on after everything''? She did sacrifice a lot, but of course that''s just a spection."


    I noticed how close I''ve drawn to him, and I immediately pulled back, instantly missing his warmth.


    "I''ll keep a close eye on her," he promised. "We can''t keep you hidden here forever, I wonder if you are ready to officially meet the pack once again."


    I couldn''t help but recall the humiliation I faced right before them all, and how the pack would view my return - as a desperate attempt to reim my ce. "Thane, this is not and would never be my home," I reminded Thane.


    "Riley, I didn''t mean anything I said back then, but that doesn''t excuse my actions. I hurt you and deserve everyst bit of the punishment, but I can''t let you go." 11


    "Why Thane? Why do you want to bring me back to the things I had tried so hard to forget? I cannot stay here; my mother must be so worried."


    "Then she coulde live here; it would all be like it once was," he said softly, even if we both knew it would never be that way ever again. "She would nevere back here; she had always hated this ce, and more than ever, she abhors it."


    "If you''d let me, I could talk to her; I could make her see reasons to stay here."


    "Is not just that" I said, staring down at my ring. "I made a deal with Nick. He had yed his part, and it is my turn to do mine."


    "Is that why you are marrying him, as part of a deal?"


    "Yes, but more to that, he would never hurt me as you did; I would always be good enough for him."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Three


    "You were always good enough," Thane dered but I shook my head slowly. "We''re not in the same cycle. You know it; I know it, and everyoneelse does too."


    "What cycle do you speak about?" He questioned The look he gave me so intense, I couldn''t hold his stare; it was so hard to look him in the eyes and know he wasn''t going to be mine. "We are not meant to be, and maybe that''s why everything seemed to be against us all the time."


    "No, the fact that you are here makes it even more clearer."


    "I led the attack on your pack; I didn''te back to see you."


    "Are you sure?" he asks. "You can''t deny a part of you had wanted to go against all odds; a part of you did want to meet me again, even after everything."


    "And what if you are wrong?"


    "I could be, but I am not. Riley is not toote; I know that. I am going to fight for you."


    "Again, you are wrong; it is toote. I would get married to Nick, and the faster you let me go, the easier it is for the both of us. I promise you, you wouldn''t have to see me ever again."


    Those words had finally broken through his hard interior; I could see the emotion, for the first time, very clearly on his face.


    "I can''t force you; I wish I could, but I can''t. I would let you go, only if you could tell me to my face that you don''t still love me, that you don''t dream about me each night as I do of you; tell me to my face that your body doesn''t yearn for me as mine does." This was it.


    I could be free.


    All I had to do was say those words to his face, and then I could go back to Nick. We would get married, and maybe after a while, I would be a wife to him in every sense of the word and our marriage would blossom into something genuine


    Yet thinking about this future alone filled me with dread. With Nick, There had never been those sparks I get when I am with Thane or Axel; it waspletely different. He was a good man, but I couldn''t see myself falling for him, and maybe all this while I had subconsciously dreaded the day I would get married to him, the day I would be his.


    I would never be able to love him, not if Thane lives, and it was time to acknowledge that.


    Thane waited for my response, and yet I couldn''t say it.


    "That''s what I thought," he whispered.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four


    Iy nude on the bed.


    I wasn''t alone; ''Thane and Axel were both present I had been cuffed to the bed post. A rush of excitement filled me when I spotted the silver Kengel balls; Axel rolled one slowly around his fingers. He walked to my naked form, and Thane took his position, watching. I stared at him, even as I felt the cold silver ball against my already wet entry. I moaned out Thane''s name as Axel touched me. He went in and out with the balls, and just when I thought I couldn''t take more, he pulled the balls out, going down on me and devouring me. I moaned again as his finger dove into me next, pumping in and out. I could feel my muscles grow tight as I reached my climate, and I shattered into a million pieces, crying out his name.


    I awoke with a start.


    I could feel the moisture between my leg and I wasn''t alone now either. Axel paused at the door, his amused gaze on me. I knew he could smell my arousal even from there, I turned red.


    I''ve heard simr dreams before, but never had it emotionally stirred me to this point. I was practically panting.


    What the hell was going on with me?


    "Am I intruding?" Axel questioned.


    "No, I wasn''t doing anything," I defended; he must have thought I was pleasuring myself.


    Way to start my day.


    "Oh, okay," he agreed with a shrug, but the smirk remained on his face.


    "Axel, it was a dream."


    "A quite enjoyable dream you were having there.


    "You heard...didn''t you?"


    "Do you mean the names you kept on calling out?" he asked. "It was pretty loud"


    I covered my face with the nket. "Kill me now I muttered to myself.


    "Hey, it''s okay, don''t be embarrassed," he cooed. I could still imagine the smile on his face.


    "If you dare tell him, I would literally murder you." I promised.


    "Your secrets are safe with me, but there is a condition."


    ""What condition?"


    "You tell me what exactly you were dreaming about."


    I chucked a pillow at him, and he caught it,ughing.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four


    "There is a letter for you," Axel says, passing the envelope to me.


    ""Who is it from?"


    "Your mother," he answered.


    "It''s opened," I say, pulling out the paper.


    "We had to make sure it''s source, but it hadn''t been read," Axel assured me, and I nodded.


    The letter read;


    ''Riley. I don''t know if this note would get to you, but if it does, I want you to know that you won''t be held captive for long; we are working on ways to get you out of there.


    Nick has really been helpful; he is worried about you. He says you haven''t been hurt yet, but I won''t let that monster hurt you ever again. Hang in there. I love you.''


    I reread the letter.


    gods, I miss her so much.


    She said they were working on ways to get me out of here, if only she knew. I felt instantly guilty. They still thought I was in danger, and they were putting effort into making sure I get out of here. Thane had given me the chance to leave this ce, all I had to do was confess I no longer has feelings for him and I couldn''t.


    I was in no harm, and they needed to know that.


    I wonder how disappointed my mother would be when she hears the truth that I still do have feelings for this ''monster''. She would hate me, and this time she would never forgive me.


    "Are you okay?" Axel asked, his tone worried.


    "Yes. Yes, I am".


    My back hurt, and I wonder if it was my wings. I hadn''t let it out in days, but then Nick hardly let his out so it can''t be that.


    A sharp pain in my abdomen got me doubling over.


    What the hell?


    I grasped my stomach.


    Now every part of my body seemed to ache. I felt the nausea rising. I rushed to the toilet, clutching the toilet seats as I threw up. My chest contracted, and I groaned in pain. It was


    blood. I puked more blood into the toilet seat.


    What the hell was happening to me?


    Chapter One Hundred And Ny Four


    A wave of fear washed over me but just as quickly as it started, the pain subsided, leaving a dull ache.


    I should tell someone about this; I must be sick, but I couldn''t. A part of me knew this was not


    ordinary; I knew this had to do with what I was. A Turned One. If Nick was here, I would have asked if this was a normal urrence; he had never spoken on this. I flushed the toilet, quickly wiping my mouth with the back of my hands. I would be fine. I have to be.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Five


    I wasn''t fine. I knew that.


    It never did stop. The nausea and puking became an everyday routine. I leaned over the sink, spraying more water on my face. I thought I looked pale. I stared down at my stomach. Was it just me, or did it look a little bigger? Maybe it was just me.


    I walked out of the bathroom; the knock on the door gave me a pause.


    Before I could give a response, the door was pulled open.


    "I didn''t remember asking you toe in, Bailey" I say to the Elder. I might have to put it in mind to keep those doors locked at all times, but locks can''t restrict werewolves, so it gets a bit useless.


    "So, the rumors are true; you are back.".


    "Much to your disappointment, I see."


    ¤«¤¹


    "I should feel hurt that you didn''te visit me I thought we were such good friends and all.''


    "Is that what you thought? I''m so sorry, I have been busy doing nothing. I couldn''t make out the time, but you are here now, and I guess I don''t have to worry about that anymore," I say to her with a smile.


    "Oh, I must say, I did miss you. Thane was no fun with you gone. The whole pack had been waiting on your return," she says, and that piqued my interest.


    "What?"


    "Of course. With you gone, Thane changedpletely, and it only took a while for them to understand that he still loved you. Despite all he had said, they all hoped you would return, and I guess you are back. But what is puzzling is the fact that you haven''t even gone out there to make it official."


    "Well, no one did tell me that they had been waiting for my return."


    "Could there be more to why Thane had kept you hidden in here?"


    "Always the curious one, Elder, but remember, curiosity kills the cat, even the ancient ones," I said with a smirk, and she gave me a false smile.


    "I am here now; perhaps we could go out for a walk, the pack is wide awake, we could visit the training grounds, make your presence known, except... there is a reason you don''t want anyone to know about your return."


    "As much fun as it sounds, I''d rather remain here, Bailey."


    "Oh,e on, Riley, it''s just a walk," she cooed.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Five


    I could see it clearly in her eyes; she believed I was hiding something. It wasn''t exactly a bad idea to take a walk, just to prove to her that I had no reason to hide.


    "Okay then, I''ll grab my jacket, and we could be on our way," I said, and the smile on her face disappeared. She hadn''t expected me to agree to this, but she was quick to mask her emotions.


    She took a seat as I disappeared into the dressing room, where Thane had also filled with clothes. But thankfully they were lesser gowns. I put on the ck leather pants and a jacket over my cropped top. I took a hair ribbon and, quickly throwing my hair into a messy bun..


    I was done hiding in this room; maybe it was time I met the pack... again.


    I got stares-a lot of it.


    But they were atleast weing; some even more dramatic women shed tears. I did hope it was tears of joy.


    Bailey led me to the training grounds, where rows and rows of men and women stood, attentively listening to Axel''s instructions.


    "You cannot be distracted while facing an opponent; you need to focus, find their weak points, and use it against them; you cannot afford to be crippled by fear; otherwise, consider yourself dead..." he trailed off when his eyesnded on me and several heads turned to see what had


    taken his attention.


    They were even more murmurs; I didn''t think I''d changed, but there was clearly something different in how they stared at me.


    Bailey walked up to Axel.


    "If you would give me a chance, Beta Axel, I would be d to show them the practical aspect of what you''ve taught them," she said, and Axel gave her a calctive look before nodding and stepping back. "Riley, if you would join me..." "No." Axel said, cutting her off.


    I didn''t know exactly what Bailey was up to, but perhaps humiliating before the whole pack was a part of the n.


    "Don''t worry, Beta, I won''t go further than a nick," she assured, her gaze finding mine.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Six


    "You want to practice, then do it with me," Axel insisted.


    ""It''s fine, Axel"


    He didn''t seem to like the idea of Bailey ''practicing'' with me one bit, he stood, close enough to end it if things went too far. Bailey picked out two swords, tossing one to me. I caught it mid air.


    "I''ll try not to hurt you," she said to me, and with the speed of a bullet, she came at me. I blocked at thest minute.


    Her sword sliced through the air in asemi arc, and this time I dodged. I switched from defensive to offensive, and I went at her. Our swords shed, and the force of her strikes caused my arm to ache, but I wasn''t giving up anytime soon.


    We went faster and harder; it didn''t feel like practice anymore. I kicked at her abdomen, and she took a few steps back. She retaliated with a kick to my knee, almost causing me to lose bnce, but not quite yet. I switched to her position, giving her only time to defend my hits. She growled.


    Now she was angry.


    She managed to knock the sword off my hands. I dodged her next strike. I gave a low kick, and she did lose her bnce. The sword fell from her hands, and I picked it up, pointing it to her neck. She moved the de away before rising to her feet.


    "I still got the first nick," she says, and my fingers found the wound on my shoulder. Her sword had managed to ti slice through my jacket and grazed my skin. It was a small injury.


    I let my sword fall to the ground, aware of the people watching; we had gathered quite the crowd.


    "I wonder if you''ve hidden all that skill inside for all these years," she wondered aloud.


    "This was fun. Let''s do it again sometime," I said to her before heading back for the packhouse.


    The n had been to take a walk, not make a spectacle and yet the way things turned out I ended up doing just that.


    I woke to nausea''s familiar grip, stomach churning, I rushed to the toilet, leaning over the seat, I threw up.


    This time it was worse; the blood didn''t stop.


    I wasn''t alone


    I realized. I heard the voices, but I couldn''t tell if it was Axel or Thane.


    Chapter Ons Hundred and Ny Six


    My hair was gently pulled out of the way; I knew who those hands belonged to. Thane. He patted my back till it was over.


    My face was wet; I hadn''t realized I had been crying. I rose. Flushing the toilet and washing my face next.


    "I''m sorry," I muttered repeatedly. I hated the fact that he had to see that.


    "Is okay, Riley is over," he says.


    I returned back to my room where Axel waited.


    "Are you okay?" Axel asked.


    "Yes, I am," I answered.


    "No, she is not. How long has this been happening?" Thane questioned.


    "This is the first time; don''t worry. It''s nothing." I tried assuring, but none of them was even the least convinced.


    "It is not nothing, Riley. You are sick, and I need to know the truth; how long has this been going on?" He asked, and I couldn''t lie to him; he seemed very determined to find out in whatever way he could. "A while," I admitted.


    The look Thane gave me made me feel guilty."Why? Why didn''t you tell me?" he questioned.


    "I just... I was so afraid; I''m sorry.''


    "You look really pale, and your stomach... why does it seem a bit bigger?" Axel asked.


    "I ate a lotst night," I lied.


    I hadn''t been the only one to notice that.


    "Back in the dungeons when Nick was alone with you, what did he do?" Thane asked. I couldn''t tell him that Nick had given me his blood.


    Blood.


    Could that be... no, it can''t be that. But then, ever since I had taken that blood, something changed in me, and now this.


    My hands shook; I had to mp them together to keep them stable.


    It had to be it; it had to be the blood.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    I suddenly felt very hot.


    "I need to take some air," I say, heading for the door, but Axel was right in front of me before.


    "No, you need to go to the healers; things would only get worse if you left this unattended to and it''s severe as it is." Axel says, trying to make me see reasons, but I couldn''t go to the healers; they might discover what I was.


    "I can''t... I just need some air; get out of my way. I growled at me, feeling restless inside; he wouldn''t move, and


    and my patience was getting thinner.


    "I''m sorry I can''t do that.".


    I lost it.


    I mmed him against the wall. "You don''t choose where I go and when," I snarled at him.


    No, he didn''t look rmed; his calctive gaze simply watched me, noting down that there was something off with me.


    My eyes found his neck..


    "I''m sorry," I say to him, but he says nothing; my eyes never did leave his neck. "You scent really nice, Axel... really really nice, and your neck... it''s beautiful."


    "Is she drunk?" Axel asks Thane.


    "No, she''s not."


    Thane disappeared into the bathroom; he returned with an aid box. I never knew werewolves needed those. He picked out some bottles and a syringe. He filled the syringe with a little of each content from the bottle. "What are you doing?" I asked, but he gave no response. Finally, he gave the syringe a little shake before approaching me. "Don''t," I warned.


    I had forgotten just how fast Thane moved; he seemed to materialize behind me, holding me firm. I was furious; my fingers dug into, his skin, drawing blood.


    I couldn''t pull free of his iron grip; I felt the needle pierced into my skin, and a single tear dropped down my eyes.


    "You want to hurt me," I whispered, feeling the fluid weaken me.


    "No, I want to help you," he whispered, and that was thest thing I heard before my turnedpletely ck. world


    I woke up feelingpletely drained. I blinked against the bright light.


    "Thane?" I called, "Where am I?"


    "You are at the healing room."


    I rose from the bed. They waited. They had both waited for me to wake.


    "I''m sorry, Axel," I apologize, remembering what I had done.


    "Is fine," he says with a smile. "Do you still find my neck beautiful?" he questioned, holding back a chuckle.


    "That was really creepy of me," I agreed, and he burst intoughter. I couldn''t help butugh along.


    "Did the healers discover what was wrong with me?" I asked hopefully.


    "There was nothing wrong with you," Thane began. "You are pregnant, Riley," he says with a small smile.


    "I am pregnant?"


    "Yes, you are... and I don''t mind taking care of the child."


    "Wait. I can''t be pregnant. I and Nick never... did it; thest person I had been with was you, and that was months ago; it can''t be possible."


    "Are you sure?" Thane asked, a puzzled look on his face as he exchanged nces with Axel, who had stoppedughing.


    "Yes. I never felt ready, so it never happened, and I am hundred percent sure of that."


    "Riley, back at the Raven n, have you at any time woken up with any loss of memory or have you been unconscious around Nick for a long period of time... alone?" He asked, his voiceced with concern.


    I was about to say ''no,'' but then I remembered being unconscious and alone with Nick after our return from the sorceress. I''d nearly lost my life, and when I awoke, I was in Nick''s room."


    "It can''t be; he wouldn''t. I should have felt something... right?, but I didn''t. Nick isn''t like that; he would never rape me."


    I had almost died that night; Nick had helped me; he couldn''t have touched me; I would have felt it. It wasn''t possible.


    "Then how else would you exin a pregnancy?"Axel questioned, and he was right, yet I couldn''t bring myself to believe Nick would do that.


    I had been about to say something to Thane when I noticed his eyes werepletely ck. "Thane," I called.


    "It''s fine" Thane says. "Watch over her; I will be gone for a while."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    We all knew where exactly he was heading to.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight THANE''S POV


    Riley had not always been this strong. The duel with Bailey, the incident with Axel, and her impressive defense against my soldiers all hinted to the secret she kept hidden and we both knew it."


    That was thest thing on my mind right now.


    I was furious.


    When the healers had confirmed she was pregnant, I made the decision that that wouldn''t change a thing between us; I was going to take full responsibility over the child, but then, if she never did have sex with Nick, how could she be pregnant?


    I struggled to seize control over my inner beast; he was raging. Riley, my mate, had been taken advantage of by the bastard.


    I was going to kill him; I wouldn''t spare his life this time.


    My trip to the Raven n had all happened in a haze, and finally I was there.


    Getting into the pack was easy; their security wasn''t that ideal, with only a few soldiers left to guide every entry there''s only little they could do


    Of course the pack house was the biggest of all the other buildings, but still miserable- looking. It was clear that this was barely a pack, as they were yet to make a name for themselves.


    I walked into the packhouse.


    Not minding the fact that there were now many eyes on me, some fled in fear, while others


    cowered.


    No one was brave enough to stand. No one but Nick.


    He approached me, I guess he must have detected the presence of a stranger amongst his members or alternatively maybe he had been informed of my arrival. "Why are you here?" he asked.


    I could barely hold back my rage; it took everything in me, everyst effort, not tounch at


    him.


    "You wanted attention. You''ve gotten mine; we have unfinished business. Come," I


    I headed to the field, and he followed.


    Now we were alone.


    Iunched at him, catching him off guard. I unleashed a flurry of punches, striking wildly, his eyes widened in stunned surprise. He pulled away, but I was faster. My rage fueling me, I picked him up, tossing him hard against a tree. I was satisfied by the snap. I moved towards him, but he was fast-faster than I expected him to be-and he disappeared, right before my


    eyes.


    How I loved a challenge.


    I followed the scent of his blood, and there he was, on his feet.


    This time he came at me, his ws digging into my neck. I smirked as I held onto his hands.


    I wasn''t very easily to kill. Slowly I pulled free of his grip, but I never did let go of his arm.


    "Why are you here?" he growled.


    "I know what you did to her," I replied, and I could see his face turn pale. "She trusted you, and what did you do? You took advantage of her.


    I snapped his arm, dislocating it with a sickening crack, his arm now hung limply, twisted at an unnatural angle. There was nothing more satisfying - or maybe there was; watching him bleed to death would be even more satisfying. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "You know what I mean," I growled at him.


    "She fucking wanted it. I never took advantage of her," his words came out in a pained whisper.


    "Don''t you dare lie to my face; if she had wanted to fuck you as you say, then why don''t she remember doing so?" I questioned.


    Nick stared up at me. "I never had sex with her."


    I kicked him hard in the gut. "Don''t you dare lie to me; you would be dead at the end of this anyway."


    "And why would I lie? I never touched her, and that is the truth."


    I couldn''t detect a lie, and yet I couldn''t believe him.


    I loomed over him. "Exin to me why she is pregnant, even if you didn''t touch her as you said. "


    "Thane!" A voice called out. It sounded a lot simr to Riley''s voice. I turned and I discovered why. It was Riley''s mother. Kate.


    She walked purposefully towards me. "Hello, Mrs. Kaidon..."


    She cut me off with a p.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine


    I stared at her, amused. Not everyone had the bravery to hit the Alpha King. She hated me, and I knew making amends would be so damn hard almost impossible, but I would have to keep trying... for Riley.


    "I guess I deserved that?"


    "Stay away from him; stay away from me and my family too!" She cried out, the pain in her eyes deep.


    I wondered if she would protect this Nick if she knew what he did to her daughter.


    "I am trying to help here."


    "How? By beating up the Alpha?, that is not helping. If you really want to help, then you could let go of my daughter."


    "No, I can''t, Kate. The thing is, I really love her."


    "You don''t; if you loved her, you would never have hurt her; goddamn you, she only started healing; if you had stayed away for a while, she would have been married and happy."


    "And how do you know that? How do you know she would have been happy?"


    "You''ve never deserved my daughter.''


    "That I know, Kate. Please let me make it up to you," I say. She lifted her hands to hit me... again. She was furious; it wouldn''t be easy for her to forgive me. I caught her hand midair, avoiding the hit. "I am sorry, and I want you to know that I am ready to do just anything to take care of her, and that is the exact reason I am here."


    "You let her go young man.''


    "I can''t do that, but you are wee to my pack anytime you would like to visit," I assured her.


    "Go to hell, son of the devil!" she says, spitting at my face, before shoving past me to aid Nick.


    I let her.


    Well, it''s clear who she preferred, and I couldn''t me her.


    "I didn''t touch her; I am not saying this because I am afraid, but I love her; I would never do that." Nick says to me, as a healer from his pack cracked his arm back to ce.


    "When you were alone with her in the dungeons, what did you do in there?" I asked, and his brow furrowed.


    "Could that..." he trailed off. "I need to go get the sorceress."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Pane


    "What sorceress?"


    "She only can exin what is going on with Riley. I will meet you at your pack." He promised. Clearly he cared about her, I couldn''t kill him yet he had to be alive because he only knew the secrets Riley kept hidden. "Don''t keep me waiting," I warned.


    :


    Arriving back out of my pack, the first ce I headed to was the healing room.


    Rileyy there, asleep.


    I looked down at her stomach.


    Was this baby growing each minute?


    Her stomach was significantlyrger than it was a day ago, and I wasn''t mistaken.


    Just then a healer walked in. It was Daisy, one of the Chief Healers.


    "Is this normal?" I asked, referring to her stomach.


    "No. It''s not. There is something I want to show you," she said, and I followed her to the ultrasound machine. "You see that?"


    No, I didn''t.


    "What am I looking at?"


    "This is an inner view of her stomach."


    "Okay," I say, giving her my full attention.


    "The child is over here," she said, pointing to something shapeless on the screen, and I nodded again. "The child seems alive... but it''s not." What?


    "What does that mean?"


    "We can''t detect it''s heartbeat, and yet it still lives. It''s growing ten times the speed any usual


    child should."


    "If you can''t detect a heartbeat, then it''s dead." I stated, gazing back at Riley; she was still fast asleep. She didn''t need to hear any of this. "That''s right, yet it is still moving; I have not seen anything like it," she says. "But more to


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine


    that, it seems to be feeding off her at the rate of its growth," she paused, shaking her head.


    "What happens?" I urged her toplete her sentence.


    "I have doubts; she might not make it.".

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    Chapter Two Hundred


    RILEY


    I woke up with a strange hunger and thirst.


    I stared at Thane; he had his hands wrapped around mine.


    "You would be fine," he promised, kissing my knuckles.


    "You are back." I whispered, and he nodded.


    "I am; Nick will be here soon, I don''t think he did this; he speaks of a sorceress; could help," he informs.


    I nodded absentmindedly.


    he


    says she


    The sorceress wasing; how was I going to keep this a secret for much longer?


    My breathing quickened


    "Riley, are you alright?" He questioned the slight panic in his eyes. I nodded. "Look at me, Riley," and I did as he said. "Breathe in and breathe out very slowly." I did just that, and after a while I felt better. "I''m fine, thank you," I said.


    The hunger panged at my stomach. I stared up at him; his scent was so nice, and then his neck. I couldn''t get my eyes off it.


    "I''ll get you something to eat," he says, rising to his feet.


    "No, please don''t leave me." I pleaded.


    He sat back beside me. "I am here, always."


    "Kiss me."


    It had been an urge in me to say those words, and I blinked, even more surprised by my own


    words than He was.


    Thane leaned closer to me, and then he imed my lips.


    My whole body tingled. I''ve missed this. With him, there would always be the electricity and the sparks; there would always be that churning in my stomach when he touched me.


    I would think of how bad a decision this was or why exactly I yearned for thister. But for now, I fell into the kiss.


    I gripped his hair hard; the kiss got rough. A sneer left my lips. I kissed him more, biting into his lips and drawing blood.


    The moment I tasted the metallic liquid, something changed in me. I wanted more; I sucked


    Chapter Two Hundred


    against his lips, drawing blood, and just when I couldn''t get anymore, I bit into his lips again. Finally the door pulled open, and I pulled away from Thane. Axel walked in with some food.


    Thane''s lips were beautifully swollen and red.


    "More," I growled, and only then did he stare at me with a questioning look.


    He didn''t deny me his kiss, but then my kisses trailed lower, down his neck, and my teeth grazed his neck.


    Every single part of me knew this was wrong, and yet... yet I couldn''t stop the urge; it was so


    strong.


    I bit into his skin, taking in his blood. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever tasted.


    Thane let out a growl. He was enjoying this; he shouldn''t enjoy it, and yet he was, because he was always that twisted.


    I was ripped off him.


    Axel''s hands wrapped around me, holding me down.


    Finally, the urge had died down.


    "What the hell?" Axel cursed. Thane blinked.


    "What are you doing? Let her go," Thane said to Axel.


    "She was drinking your blood."


    Thane shrugged. "And it''s bad because?"


    "She wasn''t doing that for fun, Thane; she looked starved and hungry. Take a look at those teeth," he said, and two pairs of eyes were on me.


    "I''m sorry... I couldn''t stop; I''m so sorry." I cried.


    Thane finally seemed to understand that this wasn''t some sort of kinky escapade. "It''s fine." Thane says to me,


    "You should eat. Axel, I need to talk to you."


    I sat alone in the healing room; my brain in a haze.


    What the hell is wrong with me?


    I stared at my stomach. Oh my... It hadn''t been this size a while ago. I managed to rise; the weight of my stomach was prominent now.


    I headed to the bathroom, and after I was done with my business, I washed my face.


    When I stared at the mirror, I was surprised by what I saw.


    I was thin, very thin; my blue eyes seemed darker, and my stomach was huge. There was no way this was normal.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and One THANE.


    "Laugh it off, Axel," I said to him, he bursted into another fit ofughter. He did find this funny, and maybe it was. If he hadn''t stepped in, I might have let her drink me dry, and I wouldn''t even realize the abnormality of that action.


    The puncture marks her teeth left had healed, but I could still point out exactly where they had


    been.


    "I''m worried about her," I say to Axel.


    "Since she left this pack months ago she hadn''t been the same. So Nick hadn''t been the one, right?"


    "He denied."


    "And you believe him?" Axel asked.


    "I didn''t spot a lie, and he does love Riley; they were about to get married; I can''t understand how he could have done that. I don''t think it was him."


    "So had there been some other person involved?" Axel questioned.


    "Not that I know of, but Nick does seem to suspect something; he would be here shortly with a sorceress."


    "A sorceress? What do we need a witch for?"


    "You were right when you said Riley hadn''t been the same since she returned from the Raven n. Nick knows something, and apparently the sorceress also has a role to y; if she can help Riley, I wouldn''t mind letting her into the pack." Axel nodded in agreement. "Dias had been waiting on your return; have you met her yet?"


    "Yes, I did. More bad news. Is about the child... or whatever is growing in her womb. Dias said she can''t detect a heartbeat from the child, and yet it is in there, growing rapidly."


    "If there is no heartbeat, then it means the child is dead, right?" Axel questioned.


    "That had been exactly my reply, but this thing is taking more nutrients from her than her body is capable of giving."


    "That exins why she looks so frail all of a sudden."


    "Dias believes that her chances of survival are very low."


    Axel paced through my office, something he always does when he''s nervous or unsettled.


    "If this thing is not living and it keeps growing and feeding on her, why not get rid of it?" Axel asked.


    That thought hade to my mind. We didn''t know what that was, and it was iming her very life.


    "That''s what I would have done, but again, this thing is growing in her womb; it''s hers, and we can''t do a thing till she agrees." I said, knowing fully well that this had all been my fault, if anything did happen to her, I would live the rest of my life ming myself for the stupid decision I made when I let her out of my watch.


    Just then there was a knock on the door, and Dais bursted in before I gave my consent.


    "She''s gone," she says.


    "What do you mean she''s gone?" Axel questioned.


    "I went to get some more pain relievers, and I returned to see the bedpletely empty; she is not in the pack house either."


    I went straight to the healing room, and just as Dias had said, the bed was empty. Axel disappeared into the bathroom just to make sure she wasn''t in there. We both knew she wasn''t. I walked toward the bed, picking up the bed covers. I inhaled them.


    To track her down, I needed her scent and though I was already very familiar with her scent, I needed precision.


    Dias was right; she wasn''t in the pack house. Her scent led me to the woods.


    What the hell was she doing in the woods?


    Axel followed some distance behind me.


    The forest grew denser, she had ventured into the deeper parts of the woods, and I wondered what exactly her n was.


    Riley stood still before the little stream. I would have lost her scent if she had gone through that stream; the water helps to create a diversion.


    "Riley?" I called out, and she turned to me.


    Axel finally caught up.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, and only then did I notice her puffy red eyes. "Have you been crying?" I slowly approached her. "Don''te any closer," she whispered.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Two


    Chapter Two Hundred and Two


    She couldn''t hurt me. But still, I didn''t proceed any further.


    "I am not what you think I am," she says, "Not anymore."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "I heard everything the healers said to you, and I know I might die."


    "Don''t say that; you won''t die; I won''t let you."


    "There are some things you cannot control, Thane, and death is one of them. I had to leave the healing room because Dias'' neck suddenly seemed like the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And then there were people everywhere; it was overwhelming; I wanted to hurt them, and I''ve never been so afraid."


    "Riley, you don''t have to be scared; we would always be there to protect you."


    "How can you protect me? You don''t even know me."


    "I do, Riley; I know you


    better than you think."


    "Once I would have believed that," she says. "But now... now I don''t. All this wouldn''t have happened if... if you never let me go," tears streamed down her eyes. "You forced me into believing I wasn''t good enough, and you thought you were protecting me, but you weren''t. I did something worse, all so I could be good enough for you. I did something worse, so one day I could sit by your side and feel like I deserved my position."


    I could hear the pain in her voice, the longing, the sorrow, and I did all that.


    She took a single step back and she shut her eyes, more tears escaping her eyelid, and then...


    From her back, wings sprouted out, the color a magnificent mix of gray and white. I stared at her in absolute surprise. I had never seen anything like it my whole life.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" She asked, "That''s what I thought when I saw his wings; I thought they were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Nick promised me power; he said I would never be heartbroken and I would never be weak. I had been in so much pain, and I believed this was the solution. I wanted it so badly; I wanted it just to feel like I can confidently stand by your side because a part of me knew I would see you again.


    The chances of surviving the ritual were low, and yet I was ready to risk my life because it no longer felt worth living. I had fallen from grace-from a Queen to nothing and this time I was desperate to do anything to rise to the top. The sorceress services were costly, thanks to you, that wasn''t an issue, but there was one more thing I needed-something even money couldn''t buy.


    The blood of a turned one. Nick''s blood.


    But that also came with a price: his blood in exchange for my hands in marriage. I hadn''t


    Chapter Two Hundred and Two


    agreed at first; I had been thinking about you, but the offer was so tempting, it took only a while for me to agree.


    That night I had almost lost my life; we thought the ritual had failed, and then... I saw my wings for the first time, and all I could think about was that it was worth it. But now... I don''t even know what I am; I can''t exin why I find the taste of blood satisfying." She finished; more tears streamed down her face dripping onto her trembling lips.


    "Riley," I called, approaching her, but again she took a step back, refusing to look me in the


    eye.


    "This was my decision; I shouldn''t me you, and yet I do; I me you, Thane. I me you for breaking my heart."


    Her wings disappeared, and she walked away.


    I stood there in a haze.


    I had destroyed her, leaving scars that wouldst longer and I never knew that.


    "You didn''t know she would go sorting for this," Axel says. "You thought you were protecting her, and you only did let her go because you loved her. This is not your fault."


    "No Axel. It is. I had wanted to do what was best for her, and I didn''t care if that''s what she wanted. She was talking, and I wasn''t listening, and now this is the result, and it''s all my fault.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Three


    Chapter Two Hundred and Three RILEY.


    The next two days passed by in a blur.


    I hadn''t said a word to Thane, but he always visited. A part of me felt guilty for putting the me on him, but the other part wouldn''t let go of the pain he had caused. He might have been trying to protect me, but he did it so brutally I was left broken.


    The hunger lingered. No matter how much I ate, there was still that thirst, and food alone couldn''t satisfy it.


    My stomach was significantly bigger, I had stopped watching it as it only freaked me out.


    When Thane and Axel walked in this time, they were apanied by Nick and the... sorceress. She looked much the same, only that this time she had managed to put on a slightly better outfit; the gown seemed washed and old-fashioned, and a hat had been ced firmly on her head, shielding her face.


    "I came as soon as I could," Nick says to Thane, and then he walks towards me. "It''s growing really fast," he noted.


    "Nick... I don''t know what is happening to me. This thirst for blood never fades away," I say to him; he must have seen the panic in my eyes.


    "The thirst is controble most times. I hardly ever need blood."


    "Then why is it different in my case? I don''t want to hurt anybody."


    "It''s because of what is in you." The sorceress spoke for the first time. She walked towards me, and I could see Thane grow alert. He didn''t like her and clearly didn''t appreciate how close she drew towards me.


    "It is a child," I say to her.


    "No," she said with a shake of her head. "Not a child, something more dangerous. How would you have a child without any form of sexual intercourse?" she questioned.


    "I don''t know."


    "But you do," she insisted, and I furrowed my brow at her. "It is rare, and it has only happened three times throughout history''s record, but when a turned one with very powerful blood shares his blood with another, ''this'' could be the result. A demon growth." "What?" I and Nick asked in unison. That didn''t make any sense.


    ""You never told me about that," Nick said, angry now.


    "You never informed me that the ritual did work; I had already marked it as a failed attempt. Still, this is a rare happening, but of course, the rarity had to happen to you," She said,


    Chapter Two Hundred and Three


    pointing a crooked finger at me.


    "You fed her your blood?" Thane questioned, his eyes switching from their usual color to pure ck, and Nick backed away.


    "Guys stop!" I called out, and Thane''s intense gaze finally lifted from Nick.


    "Sorry," he muttered to me, I nodded.


    "You had been wondering why your thirst for blood is so strong, and that is the reason. A turned one is only part demon, so you don''t necessarily need blood to survive, though it would always look appealing. But a demon can only live on blood alone, and that is what is in there," she says, her hand resting over my stomach.


    My stare met Nick. He never told me anything about this earlier.


    I groaned in pain when I felt a slight movement; the movement became even more pronounced, the creature pushing against my skin as if in an attempt to reach out to the sorcerer. I cried out.


    "What are you doing?" Thane asked.


    "Just making sure."


    "Step away; you are hurting her." He growled. She turned to stare at him before taking a step back. I had never seen her listen to anyone.


    "It would get bigger, and even more violent; she cannot endure it."


    "What is the solution?" Thane asked.


    "What else is there to do?


    Cut open her skin and rip the demon out; that''s not a child."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Four Chapter Two Hundred and Four


    "No. Don''t you dare," I threatened.


    "That''s not a child, and you know it," the sorceress said to me, her eyes cold.


    "It is mine," I growled.


    "I think I''m done here. Summon me if she changes her mind; this was my mistake, and I have to fix it." With a nod to Thane, she turned and walked away.


    "Riley..."Axel began.


    "No." I cut him off, "Don''t tell me how this is the better option; I want to keep it and I will." Thane and Axel exchanged nces again, there seemed to be a silent conversation going on between them. "I need to talk to Nick... alone."


    "If you do anything to hurt her, I will kill you." Thane promised before leaving; Axel followed


    next.


    "You didn''t tell me," I said to Nick. "You didn''t tell me anything about the bloodlust I would have to live with; why?"


    "I''m sorry... I just..."


    "Say it, Nick, you don''t need to lie to me.


    He gazed down at me, his eyes filled with guilt. "There are a lot of things you don''t know."


    He paused again.


    "Go on," I prompted.


    "There''s something about you, something unique and special. I told you the reason I wanted to marry you was because of your title, but that wasn''t just it. The moment I saw you... I fell in love with you, Riley, in a way I had never done before. I spent time with your mother, just to hear about you; she told me about The Alpha King and how he hurt you-". I flinched at that, he moved on quickly. "-She told me so many things about you, and I fell more in love with you, but you were never over him, and I knew that. I was ready to make you forget, I was ready to start up a new chapter with you, the marriage was only the beginning, I hoped that perhaps as the years go by, if I treated you right, you would learn to love me in return.


    There is more I didn''t tell you. Turned ones have a longer life spanpared to werewolves, we live for centuries. You were so desperate to obtain power, you didn''t wait to think that such thingse with disadvantages. I had a n for the both of us: we would grow more powerful and stronger together. You will always be by my side, forever young."


    I couldn''t hold back the tears I held in. Each wave of disappointment felt like a weight pressing upon my chest. How had I been so naive after all I''ve been through?


    "So this had all been for some selfish gain? What if I don''t want to live forever, Nick? Did you


    Chapter Two Hundred and Four


    even take a single moment to think about the fact that this was not what I wanted? You made me into this... monster, and it was all because you didn''t want to be lonely for the rest of your life?"


    "Don''t you put the me on me. I never forced you; you wanted this so bad, and I did you the favor."


    I couldn''t believe his words.


    "You never told me the truth of what I was getting into; you showed me all the good sides, leaving out the bad."


    "Is it so bad? You get to live forever; do you know how many want this?"


    "I don''t care about how many want it; I don''t. All I had ever wanted to do was be good enough for Thane. I don''t want to live forever and watch every single person I know die. I don''t want to have this lust for blood." "This is the sacrifice you have to make to get what you want," he spoke on. Was he even listening to me?


    I doubted it.


    I stared at the ring on my finger-my engagement ring.


    "When I saw you for the very first time, I admired you. Why wouldn''t I? Everything about you seemed admirable, from the way you led the pack to how easygoing, kind and epting you were. I was easily drawn to your people. Though a small pack, there is this unity amongst everyone, and I wanted to be a part of it. I thought that could be my home.


    I was wrong.


    I never belonged there, and you were never who thought you to be. You are just as selfish as the rest, just as power hungry; you were willing to let me risk my life, just so you could get a partner for life." I pulled the ring off my finger. I can''t marry you, Nick; I just can''t." I said, passing the ring to him.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Five


    "I did my part of the deal, Riley; you aren''t keeping to yours." Nick said, furious now.


    "You never told me the whole truth; you hid it aft from me. I would have never gone along with this if I knew the other side you kept hidden and you know that."


    "Don''t lie to me, Riley. I knew it; from the moment I came here to visit you in the dungeons, I could see it in your eyes. You were never going to keep to your part of the deal, you were never going to go along with the marriage, so don''t give me this bullshit," he said, and to that I had no reply.


    He was right.


    "I''m sorry things had to end this way."I said to him.


    "No. No, you are not. I''ll be on my way now; maybe I might as well inform your mother that the wedding is off. I wonder what she would think about it."


    "Don''t bring my mother into this."


    "Oh, she''s so going to be involved, and don''t you think for a moment that this is goodbye," he pointed at my stomach. "Either you take that thing out of you or you die. But well, you are good at taking risks."


    With that, he walked away. I had never seen this version of him, and even though I knew it would never work between us, I still felt... disappointed.


    It only got worse; I knew it because Thane couldn''t even bear to look at me and watch me die away. I noticed how he would look at anything but me when he visited.


    He sat on a chair now, his eyes fixed on the wall.


    "You don''t have to stay with me, you know that, right?" I say to him, A part of me hoped he would look at me, but he didn''t. His gaze remained pinned to the wall. "I want to be here."


    "Then be here! You think I don''t notice how you can''t even look me in the eyes. Had I be that repulsive to look at?" I questioned, and my voice shook. I was hurt.


    Finally, his eyes turned to me. They were red, if I didn''t know better, I would think he was holding back tears. But Thane never cried-not once, not ever. It was simply impossible.


    "You will never be too repulsive for me to look at. But I... can''t bear it; I can''t watch you die, and that''s what is happening to you." he paused, and took in a shaky breath. "You are dying, Riley, and you need to get the demon out."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Five


    "I know, but... I can''t."


    "Is not a child."


    "You don''t understand. Nobody does. I had lost a child once, back in the Windborne pack, I tried to stop thinking about it, but now... I can''t let go of this; whatever it is, I can''t kill it."


    He shook his head. "That had been a child; this... is.not."


    "I know, and yet I can''t bring myself to kill it." I said, and Thane looked away from me once again. "Let''s talk about something else. please." I say just to get his attention back. "Talk about what?" he asked.


    "Anything."


    "Did you end things off with Nick?" Thane asked.


    "How did you know that?"


    "The ring is no longer on your finger, so I made a guess."


    "I just... couldn''t." I paused. "There is more to being a ''turned one'' than what he showed me. He says our lifespan is usually long; we live for centuries." I said, and that finally got Thane''s attention. "And I guess he didn''t tell you about that earlier?"


    "No. He didn''t. I don''t want to live for centuries; Thane, I just want to live a normal life and be happy; that''s all I had ever wanted."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Six


    Chapter Two Hundred and Six


    Thane had work to attend to, but he had promised to send Axel in to keep mepany. So when the door was pulled open, I had expected to see Axel, but it had been Jake.


    His face paled the moment he saw me.


    "Why are you here?" I asked, partly rising from the bed Iid on.


    "I''d been wanting to meet you for a while now, but since Ist saw you on the training field you seem to have vanished..." his gaze never left me. Taking a step closer, his voice lowered, "What happened to you?" He asked and that''s when I perceived the whiff of blood. "I''m fine." I said to him, the blood smelled so nice, I wanted a taste. "You are injured; you should leave."


    "Not until you tell me what happened, are you alright?"


    "Jake, go now," I growled, but he only drew closer.


    "No, you need help. Does the Alpha know...?"


    I cut him off.


    "Yes, he does, Jake. I''m warning you, leave."


    He paused, staring at my eyes. "Your face..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence. I couldn''t exin how I had suddenly been on my feet.


    I swiftly circled around him, and before he could turn around, my fangs dug into his exposed neck. His loud screams followed.


    I woke up on the cold tiled floor. My head ached.


    What the hell was I doing on the ground? Just then I spotted a manying beside me; his skin waspletely white, and his eyes were left open.


    Jake. What was he doing here, and why did he look so pale?


    I shook him, but he wouldn''t budge. Was he dead?


    Panic rose in my chest. "Help!, somebody help!" I called out. The room was soundproof; ''no one would hear my voice.


    I needed to find a healer and fast.


    Just then the door was pulled open and Thane walked in, "Sorry Axel couldn''te...


    His words trailed off when he saw the body on the floor; he rushed to my side. "What happened?" he asked; there wasn''t a hint of panic in his voice, I on the other hand was a


    Chapter Two Hundred and Six


    "I don''t know -I woke up on the floor beside him." My words were all muffled up wouldn''t even understand what I was saying if I were in his ce, Tears stramed down my face. Jake wasn''t moving. Who could have done this? "He needs a healer; why aren''t you doing anything?" I cried out.


    "He is dead, Riley; nothing can be done."


    "What do you mean, he is dead? He can''t be dead. Who would have done this?"


    All I could feel staring at thepletely white corpse was fear and dread.


    Thane''s hand found my jaw, he tilted my face towards him.


    "


    "There''s blood on your lips," he said before letting go. He bared Jake''s neck, and there... There I saw two puncture marks....


    A gasp escaped my lips as I backed away.


    "I didn''t... I didn''t do this; please believe me, Thane," I pleaded.


    "Is alright."


    "Is not; Jake is dead, and I did not do it." I insisted, and Thane nodded.


    Memories resurfaced, unclear at first, then starkly real. Jake had walked in, saying he needed to speak to me; he had an injury, and his blood smelled so nice. I begged him to stay away, but he wouldn''t; he kept oning closer, and I... I bit him.


    Now I could remember it all clearly. My hands sped on both of my ears as his screams of agony rang over and over in my mind.


    "No," I cried. "I killed him, Thane; he came in, and I... I killed him."


    "Is going to be alright." Thane assured me.


    "No, it''s not. I killed an innocent person."


    "You didn''t know what you were doing, Riley is not your fault."


    "It is; I could have avoided it." I say, staring at my stomach. "I want it out. I want it out right now."

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    Chipler Two Hundred and Seven


    Chapter Two Hundred and Seven


    THANE.


    I watched Riley; gods, she was in pain, she med herself for Jake''s death.


    "Just... Get it out of me," she repeated.


    "Riley, you didn''t do this; it''s the fault of the thing inside of you."


    "Is what I am. A ''turned one'', I did this, Thane, and... what if it doesn''t stop?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What if the lust never seizes, even with the demon out?"


    "He did say you would be able to control it."


    "What if he lied? Or what if I am different? I just can''t... I can''t hurt any other person, I have to be controlled, Thane.''


    "You will be alright, Riley."


    "No. No, I won''t be alright. Thane I can''t..."


    "You can''t what?"


    "I can''t... stay in this pack; I can''t hurt these innocent people. Nelly, Jake''s sister, had died because of me, and now... I killed him too. Oh gods, what have I done? What would I tell his parents?" she muttered on, visibly shaking. "You don''t have to worry about anything; I have this under control."


    "No. You can''t fix everything. I thought I could have a life with you; that had been the point of every sacrifice I made. But I was wrong; I can''t stay with you; I would only hurt more people."


    "No Riley, listen to me, this-" referring to Jake-it was a mistake."


    "Don''t give excuses for me; I deserve to pay for my mistake, I deserve to be punished. Punish me, Thane; I don''t deserve any form of mercy." She pleads, the pain evident in her eyes. How I wish I could take that away. "I won''t punish you, Riley."


    "What judgment do you give to people who murder other innocent people?" she questiohed.


    .


    The only judgment for that was death. A very, very slow death. But she wasn''t at fault here, and even if she was, even if she had killed Jake intentionally, I would still have forgiven her.


    I couldn''t give her an answer.


    "Please, Thane, you can''t just let me go, not after this."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sev¨¦s


    "I can and I will. So just stop asking for something we both know I cannot do."


    "Then I can''t stay."


    "I won''t let you go, ever."


    "What are you going to do?" She questioned with a shaky smile. I knew this was only an act and it wasn''t working. "Cut off my wings? I had the opportunity to leave this ce. I didn''t because... I wanted to stay, but I have to do this." "You don''t have to do anything." I insisted. I attempted to wipe out the tears streaming down her eyes, but she drew back, turning away from me.


    "I thought you would know better. You sent me away because you were too dangerous to be close to me, and now I am too dangerous to be here, so I have to leave."


    She was right. I was being selfish; did I care about that? No. I was going to protect her the best I could. But I was never going to agree to this.


    "Thane you


    don''t understand and I don''t expect you to, killing people is second nature to you, but that''s not me. I am not going to move on and pretend that this didn''t happen; I am not going to lie to his parents one more time." "So what are you going to do? Tell them you did it?"


    I could see the decision in her eyes-she was going to do this.


    "It wouldn''t take the pain away, but that would be the right thing to do." She says.


    I wanted to take her pain away so bad...


    And maybe I could.


    I had promised her to never use this on her, and yet.. yet I couldn''t watch those tears; I couldn''t see her in pain and do nothing; I just couldn''t.


    She would hate me for this.


    "Look at me," I whispered, andpelled, she did. "You didn''t kill Jake."


    "I didn''t?" she questioned, her eyes locked into mine.


    "No, you didn''t. We found him dead in the woods, right?"


    She nodded. "Yes, we did."


    "His body had been burned, and so there''d been no trace of how he died."


    Again, she nodded. "Who would do such a thing?"


    "Other packs who want us dead. They did this to send us a message."


    "Yes," she whispered.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Savek


    I stared into her eyes, and she drew closer.


    "I want to kiss you,


    Thane."


    C

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    hapter Two Hundred and Eight


    "I want to kiss you, Thane," she says.


    "No, you don''t."


    "But I do; you are just so... Charming and handsome; I should hate you for leaving me, and yet all I want to do is... kiss you."


    She was still in a haze. It would take a few minutes to pass.


    "Oh, you do?" I asked with a smile.


    1..


    "Yes, and I want to do more things," she whispered, matching my tone.


    "Things like what?"


    "S


    "I like it when you touch me... and I also like Axel''s touch too... I want to do things with the both of you."


    Icouldn''t help but chuckle at that.


    "That''s enough mind maniption for one day." I said, rising to my feet.


    I could hear the footsteps approaching. Axel. I should prepare myself for a long, long lecture from him, one I did deserve. Just then Axel walked in.


    His eyes went to the body on the floor.


    "Jake," he called as if we all didn''t know that, and then his eyes met Riley. It didn''t take him a while to figure it all out.


    "She...did this?" He whispered as if in an attempt to keep Riley out of the conversation.


    "No, she didn''t. We found him in the woods; his body burned, so there was no way to know what exactly killed him." I recited.


    "Axel, I was just telling Thane how I would love to be naked and in the same room with both. of you." Riley says with a wide smile, her lips still stained with Jake''s blood.


    He gave her a calctive look.


    "Is she alright?" he asked, clearly the tears on her face were a stark contrast to the smile on her lips.


    "Yes, she is actually."


    Axel was quick to put the ones and twos together


    "You used the Alpha Aura on her?"


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eights


    "I had to..."


    Thane was right in front of me in the next second. "You think this is some game?"


    "Clearly, no. She was in pain."


    "And you... took it away?"


    "Literally, yes."


    "You are so selfish, Thane."


    "How does this make me selfish?"


    "There is always something in it for you. What was it this time?" he asked. He was right. I was selfish; I didn''t want her to leave; I didn''t want her in pain; I didn''t want her to have to carry the burden of guilt for the rest of her life. "That''s what I thought." He muttered. "Take the body to the woods; set it on fire." I ordered.


    "And what


    her?" Axel asked.


    you as soon


    Riley had a wide smile on her face. "Riley dear, won''t you like that demon out of you as possible?" 1


    "Yes, that''s what I want." She answered.


    "What the hell are you doing?"


    "I had already started it; I might as well go along with it. She made this decision earlier, when she discovered what she had done to Jake, but with that incident off her mind, she might still want to keep it." I exined to him, staring at her stomach. "So you are making the decision for her?"


    "No, just giving her a reminder of what she wanted. Axel, when she is involved, it''s never al game. I know it''s wrong, but how am I expected to watch her die and do nothing?" I asked.


    "I don''t know if this is the right thing. But she would be pissed if she discovered the truth." Axel said lifting Jake''s body.


    "How did he know she was in here? We''ye managed to keep this a secret." Axel questioned.


    That was a smart question, one I should have thought about. No one knew about Riley''s pregnancy'' and so it was a surprise he had been able to sneak into this chamber and find" exactly the room Riley had been ced in. "Maybe suspicions are rising; that''s the only exnation. I''ll call for the sorceress to take that thing out of her and for Jake''s parents, do something nice for them."


    "Like what?" Axel questioned.


    "I don''t know, maybe increase their wages; give them whatever they want."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eight


    "Money can''t buy back the lives of their children


    "I know, but I can''t resurrect them either; this is the only way I could help."


    Axel walked away with Jake''s corpse.


    I turned to Riley, leaning in to give her a kiss on the forehead. She reached for my lips, and I drew away.


    "I don''t have to make things worse than they already are."


    "You don''t want me?" She asked; she looked so innocent; all I wanted to do was rip off her clothes and....


    I wonder if having sex with her would be ideal, seeing as she had something growing in her.


    But again, why the hell should I be thinking about that?

 Claim Me 209

    Chapter Two Hundred and Nines. Chapter Two Hundred and Nine


    RILEY


    I woke up to this strange sadness. I couldn''t even remember why exactly I was sad, but then it might be the news about Jake''s death. That must be it. Thinking about Jake made things worse; he was a good person; not everyone could forgive their own sibling''s murderer, but he did, and now he is dead.


    I just didn''t get it.


    Why did he have to leave the pack boundaries at that time of the night?


    I had finally made a decision, one I should have made a long time ago. Whatever was growing in me, I can''t bring it into this world. Thane was right; it was no child, and many would die if the creature lives; that''s if it actually survives in the end, by the rate things were going, I knew I wouldn''tst long and usually the child dies when the mother does; I wonder if things would be different with a demon.


    Deep down, I was scared-what if it doesn''t work?-what if I... die in the process?


    "The sorceress would be here anytime soon." Thane said to me, and I nodded.


    "Thane, I want to ask you a question."


    "Ask on." He responded, taking a sip of what I believed was vodka.


    "You paid a visit to the Raven n pack, right?"


    "Right."


    "Did you...by any means spot my mother?" I questioned.


    He chuckled. "We talked, actually," he said with a smile.


    "Thane. What are you leaving out?"


    "Nothing; she was nice and everything."


    "Now I know you are lying;e on."


    "Okay. She warned me to stay away from her family-I''m guessing she meant you; also, the p had been impressive for a woman her size."


    "She hit you?"


    "Oh, she did more than that. But she has every reason to do so."


    "I''m so sorry..."


    "I should be the one apologizing; I just can''t seem to stop doing things the wrong way."


    "No. I have my faults in all these too. I chose all this for myself, and yet I med you. I should


    Chapter Two Hundred and Nine


    learn to start taking the me for things." I said with a smile, and Thane''s piercing gaze found mine. He seemed about to say something but shrugged it off, taking another sip from


    the ss cup.


    "I''m scared, Thane, what if something goes wrong with the ''operation''-if I could call it that?


    "Don''t be Riley..."


    His words were cut off when Axel walked in, apanied by the sorceress.


    "It didn''t quite take a lot of time for you to change your mind, did it?" she questioned, her gaze shifted to Thane. "Perhaps we have you to thank for that." She said with a smile. Thane said nothing, taking another sip of the vodka. I nced at both of them.


    "Is there something I''m missing?" I asked.


    "No, there is not." Axel spoke up.


    "I believed that Nick had already informed you what being a ''turned one'' entails. I was wrong -gods, I hate being wrong. He deceived you, but you will survive, only if you stick to the code.


    ""What code?"


    "Nothing tooplex to understand. Just keep hidden; don''t make a spectacle of yourself, and if you do want to sumb to the bloodlust, make sure you always stay alert; drinking from the wrong person couldnd you in your own death; go for the humans if possible; you can keep hidden that way."


    "Let me stop you there; I am not nning on doing any of that; I would feed like a normal person."


    "But you aren''t a normal person."


    "I won''t hurt anyone for my pleasure, ever." I said, noticing Thane''s eyes on me.


    "You might say that now, but wait till the next century; when everything else gets too boring and repetitive, you will find that very entertaining, trust me."


    C

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    hapter Two Hundred and Ten


    The thought of living for centuries was as dreadful as it was... appealing. What would it feel like to live as long as the elders?


    But the dreadful part was the loneliness thates with eternal life; when you be too afraid to make bonds, because in the end they would all die. My gaze met Thane. He doesn''t exactly age fast, and so I still have a lot of time to worry about that.


    I nodded to the sorceress. "Fine, I would go alone with your code or whatever it is."


    "Good. Now let''s get to work." She ced her bag on the table, taking out an empty ss container and then a smaller bottle, the bottle was the size of my pinky; it contained a thick ck substance, and next, she brought forth a knife so sharp I was sure if I moved closer I could see my own reflection on it, and finally she brought out an ancient book.


    "Is that... the book of spells?" Axel asked.


    "Yes, it is," she answered with a small smile that states she didn''t expect Axel to know anything about that.


    She poured some of the ck substance from the tiny bottle into her hands, and then she approached me. "This would help with the pain," she said.


    "Is that like some kind of pain reliever?"


    "That, but much more effective."


    She applied the liquid to my stomach. As if sensing what was about to happen, the creature in me grew restless, pushing at the walls of my stomach. I groaned in pain. Thane was beside me almost immediately. "What is happening to her?" he questioned, I could hear the urgency in his voice.


    "Soon, she would feel nothing," the sorceress said before picking up the ancient book of spells'' and muttering some more foreign words from the book, and just as she had said, the pain disappeared. "I don''t feel it anymore."


    "Of course you won''t. I''ll prefer it if you look away."


    "I want to believe you know what you are doing." Thane said.


    "Of course."


    "Just so you know, if anything happens to her, you will not leave here alive."


    "It''s not a very good idea to threaten me when I have her life in my very own hands, Alpha and let''s say... I don''t die easily."


    She turned to me with the knife in her hand as she chanted the foreign words; "Discede ab ea,


    Chapter Two Hundred and Ten


    creatura noctis, filil diaboli," she muttered. A gust of wind blew through the room. I watched. her c¨²t me open and I felt nothing. Thane stood by my side, his breath hitched.


    "Discede ab ea, creatura noctis, filil diaboli," she repeated louder. The wind brought down some furniture this time, Thane stepped closer, his body positioning itself between me and the falling shards of ss.


    I suddenly felt like my breath had been zapped out of me. Just then I saw the figure-not it wasn''t a figure-the demon took the shape of a ck mist, a living, breathing, darkness. The room felt suddenly colder.


    "May the abyss absorb you," she whispered, trapping the creature in the empty vessel she brought along. "It is done."


    I stared at the bottle, mortified, that had been inside for me, and I had tried to save it.


    "She needs to be stitched, she''s losing blood."


    "I''ll do it," Thane said. Axel quickly rummaged through the drawers, taking out a needle and a thread.


    "Here," Axel said, passing the supplies to Thane who immediately went to work.


    He was fast and efficient and I was stitched up in no time. I watched my storhach heal back, leaving only a bruise.


    "It''s the thing you call ''pain reliever'', isn''t it?" questioned.


    "I did tell you it does better than any pain reliever. You might be healed up, but you still need to feed to regain your strength."


    "I''ll go get you something to eat." Axel says.


    "Not food... she meant blood." Thane corrected.


    "Since this creature can''t be ''killed'', I''ll keep it contained," she promised. "I do hope to see you again, Alpha," she said with a small, scary smile.


    "Thank you," I said to her, but she was already gone.


    "How do you feel?" Axel asked.


    "Better than I had felt in weeks." I replied, staring at my stomach, everything seemed to have gotten back to normal, well, excluding the fact that I was still sickly thin. "I don''t need blood. It might take some time for me to fully recover, but I don''t mind. "You do need it, Riley." Thane says bring his wrist to my mouth. I backed away.


    "I don''t want this... I am afraid I won''t stop."


    "You will."


    "You put too much trust in me."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Ten


    "Then Axel would be here to stop you, if I get too carried away."


    Thane picked up a piece of broken ss, easily splitting his skin with the sharp object.


    "Be careful, Thane." I warned, but he only smirked.


    "Of course."


    He brought his wrist to my lips, his blood scented delicious, but I could hold back the want... I could control the bloodlust; I guess Nick wasn''t lying then. I leaned over, and my fang dug into his skin.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Eleven


    His blood was different. I noticed it the first time I drank from him. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was a Lycan; that exins the richness to the taste of his blood. I pulled away.


    "Well, that didn''t go very bad." Axelmented with a smile. I wiped my lips.


    "Nick was right, I do have some control over the bloodlust."


    "At least that counts as the single truth he told." Thane agreed, flexing his wrist, I watched as the puncture marks disappeared.


    "I need to go; you''ve got her?" Axel questioned, referring to me, and Thane gave a nod.


    Axel left, leaving the both of us alone.


    "Thank you."


    "For what?" Thane asked.


    "I had behaved so foolishly; I wonder why in the world I thought to protect that "thing"."


    "It is not exactly your fault; you seem to really want a child," he says, as if he had just noticed that.


    "Thane, I think we should... forget everything that happened in the past and move on. I just don''t want to waste the time I have with you, because I know, despite everything, I still love you and will always feel that way" "I love you too, Riley."


    I leaned closer to him; he made no move, nor did he kiss me back when my lips came into contact with his. He drew backwards, and I couldn''t help the hurt that filled me.


    "I''m sorry, I guess that was too fast..." I began but he cut me off.


    "No. I just want to make sure you really want this; you just fed; that could have triggered the need."


    "Is not that. I do really want to kiss you, and I''ve wanted this for a long, long time," I said to him, he smirked.


    He drew me in for a kiss; it was passionate and then it turned... very hot. He kissed down my


    throat.


    My head fell back, giving him more ess to my neck. I moaned out when he bit gently into my skin.


    "I know you still fantasize about threesomes.


    Chapter Two Hundeed and Eleven


    I chokes on my own breath.


    "Thane!" I called out. My face reddened because was very much true. "I don''t..."


    "You don''t need to lie, Riley; I know what you want," he says. "I guess I could return you back to your room now."


    "Our room, you mean?" I asked with a smile, ying on my lips.


    He picked me up easily, and I let out a chuckle. He carried me out of the healing room, and I must admit, I hated the room, and I hoped never to return here.


    "You still left my clothes in there?" Tasked, and he nodded.


    "Of course, I knew you would need them when you came back."


    "So you did believe I woulde back."


    "Yes. I did believe you woulde back, and I was ready to do anything, even if it meant getting on my knees and begging for your forgiveness like some pathetic, love sick puppy."


    I stared at the jewelry section of the dressing room; there were many new additions to the collection.


    "I had to get new ones, since it was likely you would have sold the ones you went with."


    He knew.


    He knew about the jewelries I had stolen when I left, and I''d never felt so embarrassed.


    "I''m sorry, I was just so angry."


    His finger against my lips stopped me from saying another word. "They are all are free to do as you like with it."


    yours, and


    you


    Iy on the bed, letting out a moan. Gosh, this bed was sofortable. I miss this.


    Thane stared at me intently.


    "What?"


    "I like it when you moan."


    Thane seemed satisfied watching me all night; I didn''t know if he''d ever gotten any sleep. He seemed to be fighting back his urge to touch me, maybe because he believed I was still healing and needed rest, if only he knew how much I wanted to... have sex with him. But of course, for my pride sake, I wouldn''t let him


    now that.


    "I need to go to work," he says, and I rose along with him. "What are you doing?" He


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eleven


    questioned.


    "I don''t know...ing with you."


    "You need to rest, okay?"


    I nodded, falling back into the bed. I did need the rest.


    I don''t know how long I slept, but when I awoke, it was already noon.


    Startled, I realized I wasn''t alone. I let out a breath of relief when I discovered it was just Axel. He sat on the couch, staring out the window.


    You scared me, Axel."


    "Well, Thane sent me to check on you And also, thought you would want to know, your


    mother is here."


    I

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twelve


    "What?" I questioned. "Where is she?"


    "She had been waiting for a while, but you needed your rest."


    I knew exactly why she was here, and I wasn''t ready for that yet. I wasn''t ready to speak to her, yet I knew she hade all this way...


    "You could send her in."


    "Are you sure?" Axel asked, and I nodded.


    "But could you do me a favour? Don''t leave me alone with her.


    "Sure."


    I wasn''t afraid of my mother, but I already knew how disappointed she would be. I just needed someone by my side.


    My mother walked into our room, a tight smile on her face. Axel followed next.


    "Mom!" I called, walking towards her. I embraced her. I couldn''t help but feel like the excitement was a little... forced. I was happy to see her, but her arrival made me feel a bit nervous, and now more than ever, she had every right to be disappointed in me. "I''ve been so worried about you," she said, her eyes trailing down my body - maybe in search of injuries. "But I can see you arepletely fine."


    Of course I was, the blood had made my recovery quick, she wouldn''t be saying the same thing if she had seen me a day ago.


    "Yes, I am."


    I could see her struggling to keep up her smile.


    "I came because I wanted to talk to you."


    "Take a seat, please." I offered, and she took a seat on the couch. I did notice how she sat at the very edge.


    "I don''t know if you are ready to hear this news, but... This has been going on for a while, and it''s time I told you about it. I am getting married"


    Pindrop silence followed her sentence.


    "Come on, what are you getting at?" I questioned. Did she think that this news would make me mad, was that her reason for telling me this? didn''t understand why she had to lie.


    I


    "What do you mean, ''What am I getting at? I am getting married, and I had been hiding my


    Chapter Two Hundred and Tweife


    rtionship for the past few months because you were not doing very well, but now... we are taking the next step."


    "And who is the ''we''?" I questioned.


    "Gabriel and I."


    "Gabriel?, second inmand to Nick?" I questioned,pletely surprised and caught


    unaware.


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "Are you doing this to get back at me?" I questioned.


    "And why would you think that? When I came to the Raven n, he had always been by my side; he helped me during those hard times, and yes, he is a few years younger than me, but we fell in love. I had been the one holding back all these time. I had told him to keep our rtionship a secret for the meantime, but things changed."


    "Oh, then congrattions; I am very happy for you."


    "The wedding is in a few months from now; we are yet to settle on the date, but I hoped you would be able to attend... the ceremony."


    "Give me the date, and I''ll be there."


    Of course Thane would let me go, he had to.


    "You would be there as my bride''s maid/ maid of honor." she says, and I could finally see the sincerity in her eyes; this was all real. I might have been too preupied with myself to notice it all, or maybe she and Gabriel were really good at hiding.


    The news hade as aplete shock. I was happy for her, I really was, but for some reason I worried; maybe it was because of Nick and our... breakup.


    "Mom, this is really a... surprise, a good one. I''m excited for you."


    "I can see that," she says with a small smile. "I will be leaving now."


    "So soon?" I asked.


    "I came here to tell you about the wedding ns I am going to send a letter concerning the date." She promised.


    It didn''t make sense; I had expected her to yell at me and tell me how disappointed she was; this was the least thing I expected.


    "So... That''s it?" I asked. She gave me a puzzled look. "I don''t know if you''ve been informed that I would no longer be getting married to Nick"


    "Yes, I was informed, and if that''s your choice then it''s fine by me."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirteen


    I stared at my mother, surprised by her words. She knew about my split up with Nick and she thought it was ''fine''?


    "So you aren''t going to say anything... at all?" I questioned with a furrowed brow.


    "Riley, what do you want me to say? It''s your choice, and you''ve made it; nothing I say would change that."


    "Okay then." I said, rising to my feet; I couldn''t shake this feeling of disappointment I felt at her response. "I''ll escort you."


    "There won''t be any need for that. I know my way around."


    "I know that, mother, wasn''t it clear that I just needed to spend a few more minutes with you?


    "Like you care." She said bitterly. "I know what you want to hear; you want me to get angry at you for breaking off the marriage-the one good thing life has ever offered you; you want me to scream at you for going back to ''him'' after everything, but I won''t do that, and you know why?-because I am tired." Tears that she seemed to have held back streamed down her face. I am so sick and tired of you, and Lam only tolerating you because you are my daughter and I have no choice, but I would say this to your face: you are messed up. I thought I had been naive and stupid in my past, but you are so much worse. I was at least wise enough to run away, but you ran right back into his arms."


    "I didn''t run back into his arms." I say, but that was a lie.


    "Oh, you didn''t?" she questioned. "When Nick informed me you led the soldiers who came here," she paused to nce at Axel. "I knew you were only willing to lead them here because you needed an excuse to get back with him. I knew also that you would cut things off just as soon as he let you back into his pack."


    "That''s not true. I wasn''t here to get back with Thane..."


    She cut me off. "You know what? I don''t want to hear it. I am tired of fighting for you, trying to defend you, and I''ve done my best. You are no longer a child, and it''s time you make your own decisions. If this is what you want, then fine. I had chosen to focus on my own wants. It''s time I too act selfish. I want a life, I want to be loved, and... I had held back because of you, and now I won''t anymore. Bye Riley, and the next time we meet it would be at the wedding ceremony-that''s if you still wish to be there," she said, walking to the door. "I will be there." I promised, and she turned to me, only giving a nod before she walked away, shutting the door behind her.


    "Riley, are you okay?" Axel asked, approaching me.


    "Yes, I am." I say, wiping my tears.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Th§Û?en


    "Earlier, I thought you wanted me here because you couldn''t stand her judgementalments, but now, it seems like you wanted to hear them."


    "I... I thought I wasn''t prepared to face her; I didn''t want to see the disappointment on her face when she looked at me. You see, a lot happened in the past few months; she saw me at my weakest, and she might have believed I would move on from Thane. I failed her, and she has every right to be mad at me, but somehow, this feels even worse. It feels like she has given up


    on me."


    "You will be alright," Axel assured, drawing me in for a hug. "And I don''t think you are stupid; I just think you are in love."


    "With Thane, it''s just so hard; I am always forced into choosing between him or my mother."


    "Your mother had always looked out for you; she didn''t want you hurt. Thane might be at difficult person, but I know one thing for sure, and that is, he is obsessively in love with you."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen


    Axel had left after taking off my stitches.


    "You are healing up really nice," hemented with a smile.


    "Thank you, and I already feel perfectly fine."


    It waste in the night; Axel had already informed me that Thane would be back a bitte. There had been another attack, and many still belleved the attacks were from this pack.


    I rose, putting on a robe, and headed to the balcony, enjoying the fresh air.


    My mother was the only family I had left. I wish could tell her about Nick; he wasn''t exactly a viin, but my mother had referred to him as the only ''good thing life offered me,'' and she was wrong; if she knew the truth about him, she wouldn''t think that. I wish I could open up and tell her everything; I wish I didn''t have to lie, but now more than ever she didn''t need to know the truth; she wanted to make a life for herself, and I was happy for her, but a part of me wasn''t ready for all these. I needed someone there to shout at me when I was making the wrong step, and she wanted to let me be, I didn''t want that. I needed a mother; I needed her, but with these so many secrets I kept away from her... It wasn''t going to be easy to revive the bond we once shared.


    Just then I spotted two figures a distance away; I knew who the first figure was almost immediately; that was Bailey. There was something suspicious about her friend. They were both in ck, as if to blend in with the night. She was definitely up to something; I knew it. There was no other person close by, and I let my wings spring free, as I leaped into the chilled air of the night. I stopped a few distance from them, I hid my wings the moment Inded before slowly creeping closer to listen into their conversation.


    "... You''ve done as I asked?" Bailey question.


    "Yes, everything has been set..."


    I stepped on a twig and it snapped.


    Damn.


    "Hush. We are not alone." Bailey said, she must have heard that


    Running wouldn''t be a good idea, and so I hid behind a tree. After a few minutes of silence, their conversation continued.


    "I will leave now." The other figure said, I recognize that voice.... It sounded a lot like... Beatrix. But that was impossible, right? She was supposed to be down in the dungeons, rotting to death.


    They were moving now, heading in the opposite direction. I heard their footsteps fade away; well, I think it was safe toe out of my hiding spot now.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen


    I rounded the tree only toe into direct contact with Bailey.


    I was quick to m her against the tree, but she was stronger; she kicked at my leg, and I lost bnce; she shoved me down to the ground.


    "You," she sneered.


    "I guess you aren''t happy to see me.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I was only taking a walk.''


    "And you were doing that, hiding behind a tree?"


    "I saw you and Beatrix; I had to know what all the secrecy was about, and isn''t Beatrix supposed to be in the dungeons?"


    She ced her leg against my back, applying pressure.


    "Let''s keep this a secret, shall we?"


    ¡°I


    always suspected you were up to something. Do you mind sharing what you were discussing with Beatrix?"


    "You said it earlier; curiosity kills the cat. I know all about your little suspicions, and I have nothing to do with those, but be warned. No one must know Beatrix is free."


    "Okay then." I agreed; of course, that would be the first thing I would tell Thane when he returned.


    "Not good enough." She sent a kick to my guts, just where I had been stitched earlier, and I groaned. "So this is the deal. You keep this to yourself, and your mom stays alive. I know she is at the Raven w pack, about to get married-congrattions to her by the way, even if you don''t look very enthusiastic about the news and no need to look so surprised, you should know by now that I have my sources. You will return back to Thane and pretend like you nothing, understood?"


    "Don''t you darey a finger on my mother."


    "Or what?" she asked. I pushed away from her hold and rose to my feet.


    "I will fucking kill you, Bailey."


    I saw


    "You think you can kill me? Back at the training grounds, I underestimated you; of course I didn''t know the truth of what you had be; I wanted to take it easy on you. I won''t make that mistake again. Don''t be deceived; you are not powerful; poweres from the inside, and on the inside you reek of weakness. You''ve been warned, Highness."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifteen THANE.


    "Alpha Trent, it is nice to meet you again." I say with a smile that I hoped looked weing enough. Usually I don''t really bother with all the acts, but now... now I needed support. Most of the packs hated me. They believed in this crap about the ''new era''; it was only a matter of time before they chose to gang up against this pack-something I n on avoiding, and if this ''act'' would help, then I would go on with it.


    "I came as soon as you called. See, I know the attacks aren''t from this pack."


    "One person who finally has somemon sense."


    He chuckled at that. I poured him a ss of wine, passing it to him.


    "We are neighboring packs. If your soldiers had left for war, they would be spotted, and so I know those soldiers aren''t from this pack. But I believe many know that too." "They do?" I asked, as if I didn''t already know that.


    "Yes, but clearly they see a way to unseat you from the throne, and so they are willing to do anything. Though there are others who believe strongly that you are behind it all.''


    "I know that, and that''s why I need your help."


    "That''s a first." Trent said with a smile.


    "Don''t unt just yet. I want to make a deal. You neednds; I have them; all you need to do is convince as many as you can that I am not behind the whole... ordeal. Not very hard, is it?" "No. No it is not."


    "Good."


    "What if they don''t believe me, or in some cases, choose not to believe me?''


    "Then you''ve done your own part of the deal." I said, noticing the slight worry in his eyes, he tried to mask it but I saw right through him. "Seems too easy?" I question with a smirk. "A little too easy." He agreed.


    "Well, I have too many enemies; I am simply trying to make more friends."


    "What else do you want for thosends?"


    Well, he caught me. Trent was smart.


    "I do hope it doesn''te to that, but sooner thanter, these packs could merge to fight against this pack. I wouldn''t let ite to that, but just in case."


    T


    "You want my support."


    00


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fille


    "I know you have connections, and many would listen to you." "And if I refuse?" he questioned, and my gaze met his.


    "You won''t."


    I couldn''t stop thinking about Riley; every night I return to see her on our bed-the sight alone calms me. At that moment, I am willing to forget everything going wrong and focus on the beauty before me.


    Those months she was gone, I spent more time at work, dreading going back to that room; it


    nd reminded me too much of her. Riley didn''t even know that she added color to my very and colorless life.


    A week ago, I noticed something off about her when I returnedte that night. She seemed shaken. I had asked her if she was okay, but she gave the usual response of ''I''m alright, Thane'' followed by ''How was work? I had to talk to Axel to make sure; he said he had been with her until nighttime; he believed the reason she seemed shaken was due to her mother''s visit and the unexpected news might have had an impact on her, and maybe he was right. Still, I felt like there was more to that..


    My case of paranoia always grows worse when ites to Riley.


    Just then there was a knock on the door to my office. I wasn''t exactly expecting anyone.


    "The door is unlocked." I called out.


    I recognize that scent. I turned to face the visitor, she was thest person I expected to see. Standing before me was Prici, Axel''s very own mother.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen


    "Prici Why are you here?" I asked her.


    "You know why I am here; I just need... your support."


    "My support? Do you mean money?"


    "I know you might hate me for everything I''ve done to Axel, but please, I really need your help.


    "It''s not just a possibility, I do hate you. I wonder why you alwayse to me for financial aid


    of when you could just ask your son/lover Adrain for help. I heard he''s now a person importance over there, the pack should be able to lend him a helping hand, right?"


    "The pack is facing major issues."


    As always.


    "Meaning they are going broke?"


    "You can call it that; we really need your support!"


    "Too bad, the only person who could help you this time is your son Axel my beta, so you should go meet him."


    "No. Axel cannot know about my visits."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve kept that away from him, simply because you are too much of a disgrace for him to feel bad over."


    "Please, Alpha. I really need this; I promise this will be thest time."


    She said that the first time, also the second and the third too.


    I smirked at her. "And what are you willing to offer?" I questioned, staring down at her.


    "Anything," she pleaded, taking off the strings of her dress. "So as long as he doesn''t know."


    "You might be Axel''s mother," In a sh I had her pinned against the wall. "But that doesn''t mean I''ll take it easy on you."


    She nodded, like the little slut she had always been.


    "So as long as he doesn''t know..." her words were cut off.


    "As long as he doesn''t know what?" Axel questioned, standing at the door to my office.


    Prici was quick to cover up, as if that would help her regain her long lost dignity, she shoved past me, attempting to leave the office, but Axel Blocked her path.


    "You aren''t going anywhere, mother." He called the words with so much venom.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen


    "Get out of my way, Axel."


    "I have not seen you in five years, and here you are." he paused, his gaze met mine. I could see the betrayal in his eyes. Oh, please, I wasn''t going to stick my dick into the little whore; I was simply messing around. "Why are you here?" "It is none of your business, Axel."


    "It is, and I won''t let you go till you exin just what you came here to do."


    "You''ve haven''t changed one bit; always too curious and see where it got you?" She said, trying to push past him again, but Axel was strong; she couldn''t make it through. "Fuck you," she muttered to him before giving up and taking a seat on one of my office chairs. "She came here to beg for some financial aid again, but don''t worry, she would be getting none. You should let her go; she isn''t worth the time."


    "Again?" Axel questioned, "This wasn''t the first time she had been here, was it?"


    Fuck. That did slip.


    "No, it''s not. Might be around the third or maybe fourth."


    Axel slowly approached me. "And you told me... nothing?"


    "You didn''t need to know about how pathetic she is, Axel. I''ll say I was trying to protect you from her."


    "And what did you get in return for all the ''aid'' you granted her, Thane? Did you enjoy fucking my mother?"


    "I wouldn''t really enjoy that."


    He charged at me with lightning speed but I saw thating, I dodged. "I shouldn''t be the one you are having the problems with. She wanted to offer her body for my aid, but I wasn''t going to do that."


    Axel searched my eyes; deciding I was speaking the truth, he backed away. "Get out, get the hell out of this pack, mother, and I don''t want to see you ever again."


    "I know you miss me."


    "I don''t."


    "You act all tough, but you never were little Axel Adrain was always the better child; your father just never saw that, but I did."


    "Stop talking, mother."


    "He was better at listening than you ever were. I begged him to keep my visit a secret because I wanted nothing to do with you. I hate you, Axel, and I would never forgive you for what you did to our family."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen


    "You were the twisted one, aplete whore. How could you, mom?"


    "Enough with the ''how could you question'' It gets tiring after a few years. I did what I had to, and I am happy."


    "You are selfish, and that''s your problem; it has always been about you and no one else."


    "And vou


    you are just getting to realize this now?" Prici asked with a cocked eyebrow.


    "You won''t be getting any help from this pack, not anymore."


    "That''s not up to you to decide. This is his pack, Prici said, turning to me as if expecting I''d be on her side.


    "Actually, it is up to him, and if he agrees to this, then I would." I say, mostly because I know. he would never agree to lend her a helping hand.


    "I''ll never beg him for anything; I''d rather die." She says and I shrugged.


    "Good, I hope you do." Axel responded.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen


    Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen


    This had been what I was trying to avoid when I kept his mother''s visit from him- of course it hadn''t been because she nicely requested. I knew Axel would be heartbroken at the fact she visited and yet wanted nothing to do with her own son. For some reason I just can''t


    understand why he still cared about the bitch.


    "I''ll inform the patrollers to never let her in; she is no longer a part of this pack." I assured


    him.


    "You know what confuses me the most?" Axel questioned. "That she had been visiting all these years, and you never told me anything about it. I thought we were closer than that."


    "Don''t throw that at me. I was trying to protect you; the woman didn''t want anything to do with you."


    "And yet, you could have told me, just so I would know she is still alive and breathing."


    "You were worried about her?"


    "I was worried the previous attacks on their pack imed her life, but I wasn''t willing to go find out if she survived, not after the previous confrontation."


    "Axel, why do you even care about this woman? It is obvious she wants nothing to do with you, and she is using the fact that you care to hurt you even more. Is she really worth it?" "No, she is not. But Adrain and my mom are still family, despite everything, and... I''d prefer if they stayed alive."


    "You want a drink?" I offered.


    ""No, I don''t."


    "Come on, you can''t still be mad at me for keeping her visit a secret."


    "Seeing my mother naked before you is not a very nice sight." He said before walking away.


    I knew he was mad. Axel doesn''t easily get angry, but when he does, it was hard for him to let go of his fury.


    There was only one person who could help him get over his rage, one person he would be willing to talk to and that was... Riley.


    Axel was right, if we had switched ces, he wouldn''t have kept it all from me and so I had to


    fix this.


    I walked into our room to see Riley on the couch reading a history book. I couldn''t help but smile at the sight.


    "Now look who''s back early," she said with a smile. Skipping off the couch, she ran into my


    Chapter Two Hundhed and Seventeer


    arms. She kissed me, and I kissed her back, my hand trailing beneath her top to check on the scar. It has cleared off now.


    "Riley, I need your help. Can you help me?"


    Her eyes brightened at that; she was just ready to do anything. "Yes, I mean, of course, why won''t I?" she muttered and then gave a shy smile "What do you need?"


    "Prici, Axel''s mother visited today."


    "What?" she questioned, surprised; I noticed the worry marks on her face, Axel must have told her about his mother. I shouldn''t be surprised that Axel had told her about it; I knew how he felt about her.


    "Why was she here?" Riley questioned.


    "She needed financial aid, and Axel kind of walked in on that. She said some really stupid things, but Axel is hurting. Maybe because I didnt tell him about her previous visit. I had just been trying to protect him from the little bitch, or it might also be the fact that he walked in on his mother undressing before me." I watched her expression, but she really did get better. at hiding it all in. "I wasn''t going to do anything"


    "I know. I know you won''t," she said confidently, and I couldn''t help the smile that formed on my lips.


    "I want you to talk to him."


    "And why do you think he would listen to me?"


    "Because he loves you and he would only listen to you alone." I kissed her forehead. "He needs. someon


    to talk to, and that someone is most definitely not me."


    "Okay, I can do that," she said with a smile.


    "Thank you; you can spend the night there if you wish to." I said, and her gaze found mine.


    "Are you sure?... is that what you want?"


    Of course that wasn''t exactly what I wanted, but.


    "Yes, it is."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Egiten


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eighteen


    RILEY


    I had never seen Prici, Axel''s mother. I was pretty sure I hated her, but Axel still cared about this lunatic.


    I knocked once at his door; there was no response. The door was unlocked, so I pushed the door open and walked in.


    Axel was shirtless, A bottle of whiskey in his hands and many other empty ones on the table. His eyes were red; he was drunk.


    I grabbed the bottle from his hands.


    "I didn''t recall letting you in," he says with a small frown.


    "Well, I let myself in."


    "Riley, I think you should leave. I don''t want you to see me like this." He says, pulling another bottle from the fridge.


    "Please stop drinking." I pleaded.


    "She hates me, Riley, and I don''t even understand what I did so wrong; I was my father''s favorite, so what?, how is that my fault, and all these years, she just keeps on punishing me for that."


    "She has no right to, not after what she did. Axel, she isn''t worth this." I say taking the other bottle from his hand and cing it back in the fridge.


    "I''m sorry, and I want to help..."


    "You can''t help me, Riley."


    "I know what it feels like to want to have your family close to you; I wanted my mother by my side, despite everything I still do. I know you will never stop loving her; even after everything she has done to you, she knows this too." "Sometimes I think about what would have happened if... if I never threatened them to leave this pack, perhaps they would have stayed."


    "And then what? She would have had your brother''s children in this same pack, and have to watch them each day and live with it?"


    He inhaled deeply.


    you would


    "You are right. I should move on. But it''s so hard, even after all these years, I still think about


    them."


    "Look at me, Axel. They made their choice, and it''s time you made yours too."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eiglirten


    He stared down at me, the intensity of his gaze pinning me down. "You are so beautiful, Riley, "he whispered, his hand trailing into my hair. My breath quickened. Had Thane suspected that this would happen? Was he okay with it?


    There was no time to think about what I was doing; Axel lips crashed into mine, and he picked me up easily. He kissed down my neck before cing me down on the bed. Just how drunk was he?


    "Riley, you know what I am about to do to you. If you don''t want this, then you could just leave and it won''t happen."


    I should leave, but... I couldn''t..


    I took off my top and then my skirt next; I was in only my underwear. He seemed to enjoy the view.


    My hands trailed down my stomach, and I slipped them between my legs. I let my finger flick against my clit and let out a moan. That undid him.


    He was on top of me in the next second, pinning both my hands above my head with one hand, and then with the other, he took off my panties. His rough palm gently massaged me down there, and I moaned. He moved his hands in a circr motion, causing my whole body to jerk. Just then he slipped two fingers in, fucking me with his fingers.


    "I like that." I moaned out.


    "You do?" he questioned.


    "Very much."


    He added in another finger, going a bit faster. I felt myself clench around his fingers. "Axel I..."


    "That''s exactly what I want you to do, Riley; I want you toe hard for me."


    He took his fingers almostpletely out, only to m back into me, and I cried out as I came hard.


    He let go of my hand to take off his clothes and put on a condom he had picked out from the drawer beside the bed.


    He kissed my knee before splitting my legs, leaving mepletely vulnerable. "Ready?" he asked, and I nodded.


    He thrust into me. I moaned. His next thrust was harder, and I had to hold on.


    "I won''t hurt you," he promised, and I nodded.


    I did believe him, even if I was well aware he was drunk. I knew he would never hurt me.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Neen


    On returning back to our room, the first thing I noticed was that the room waspletely empty. His scent was a bit faint, and that could only mean one thing. He didn''t sleep here.


    It was too early in the morning for him to be at work, still, his office was the next ce I headed to, and just as I had expected, he wasn''t there either. "Riley."


    "The familiar voice called from behind me.


    It was Axel.


    "Where is Thane?" Axel questioned.


    "I don''t know... I can''t find him in our room; I don''t know where he might be."


    "Riley, there is no need to panic; he is not in any form of danger; I can feel it."


    "Why do I feel like he isn''t even in the pack house?" I questioned.


    "Because he isn''t."


    Axel led me back into his room, shutting the door behind us. "Shouldn''t he have told you if he was leaving?" I questioned.


    "Yes, except he didn''t want me to know. He will be back soon."


    "How do you know that?"


    "You''ve got any idea where he might be?"


    "No, I don''t"


    "Then all you can do is wait. He is fine."


    "I just... what if he is mad at me... what if he...".


    Axel cut me off. "No it is not that. I would know. The more prominent emotion he is feeling now is... curiosity."


    "Curiosity?" I questioned, and Axel nodded. "Are you sure he is not mad at me?"


    "If you hadn''t realized he knew this would happen, so no, he isn''t mad, but he had used that as a form of distraction. He is up to something."


    "And you will find out what he is up to, right?"


    "No, I will take care of the pack until his return.''


    I took a seat beside Axel. "I guess I kind of feel hurt that he didn''t tell us anything; what if he was in danger? How would we know what to do? And he always tells you everything, so this is Chapter Two Hunded and


    ... strange.


    "It is, but he is up to something, and if he didn''t tell me anything about it, he doesn''t want me getting in the middle of it. Also, he knows that you wille right back to me when you don''t find him, and since I can feel his emotions, it''s enough to know he is fine, so that would keep us both from worrying."


    "That does make a lot of sense." I agree with him "How long do you think he would be away?"


    "A few days max." Axel responded.


    The days seemed to drag on. I remained in Axel''s room because I didn''t like the idea of sleeping alone, but by the third day, had gotten very anxious, and I could tell Axel was too. But someone had to be calm, and since I clearly wasn''t ready to be that person, Axel was quick to take the position.


    I paced back and forth in the room.


    "He should be back by now... right?"


    "He would be." Axel assured.


    "You keep saying that, but when? When would he be back?"


    "Just when he is done with whatever business he has to attend to." Axel said calmly.


    "What if you are wrong? The bond helps you read his emotions, but it has failed once; what if it failed again?"


    From the look in Axel''s eyes, he had been considering that possibility too.


    "I hope you are wrong. I''ll set out next morning if he still hasn''t arrived yet, I''ll be leaving the pack in your hands."


    "In my hands?" I questioned, my voiceced with panic.


    "Well I can''t let Bailey take over and you are the werewolf queen, it only does make sense.


    "What if I mess up?" I questioned.


    "You won''t, put more confidence in yourself and you have until tomorrow to worry about that.


    "Oh, okay, that''s enough time to figure out how to be a Queen."


    Axel chuckled at that.


    "He might return before then and if it doese to that, I''ll make sure to be back as quickly as possible."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    If I wanted Axel to go in search for Thane, then I would have to do my part, I would have to take charge of the pack. That shouldn''t be so hard considering I had done something slightly simr, though the difference is that back then I managed a team of ten soldiers, but now, there would be even more people.


    In times like this, I had to remind myself that I was no longer the little scared wolf, I was stronger now. That brings me back to the subject of ''Balley''. I hadn''t seen her in thest few days since Thane''s disappearance. Of course I hadn''t forgotten her threat, she was hiding something then and what if she was involved in all these?


    What if she had Thane and had somehow manage to keep us from finding out?


    "Have you seen Baileytely?" I questioned.


    "No I haven''t; why did you ask?" Axel questioned.


    "I don''t know..." I paused, "Forget it."


    "If you know something, tell me, Riley."


    All I knew was that Beatrix was now ''free'' and that they were both talking about getting'' something'' done. That was nothing to hold on to but the fact that she threatened my mother just to silence me was enough to tell me that this was more than nothing.


    Maybe I could talk to Axel about it; she would never find out, and he might find a way to keep my mom safe. Just as I was about to speak, I noticed Axel''s gaze shifted from mine to the door, his brow furrowed.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked.


    "The Alpha is back," he said with a smile.


    "What? How do you know that?"


    "I can feel his presence; I did tell you, he was in no harm."


    I spotted Thane in the hallways, and I ran into his arms.


    "gods. I was so worried."


    "Well, I was in no harm; Axel would have told you that."


    "He did, but I..."


    "You worry too much, Riley. I am fine,"


    Finally I pulled away from his embrace and stared at his face. There were some bruises still visible, though the rest must have already healed up. "What... what happened to you, Thane?"


    "Let''s go somewhere private, shall we?" Thane took my hand; they felt tiny in his huge ones. I''ll exin everything."


    We met Axel in Thane''s office.


    "Alpha. d to have you back, but next time if you want to pull some disappearing scheme, make sure you inform her at least; she was dying of worry."


    Thane turned to me. "I''m sorry," he said, and I nodded. He was okay, and that''s all that matters. "I would have informed you both, but it was necessary I kept this to myself; Bailey was getting very, very nosy. More than once I had discovered her lurking around; it got very.... disturbing."


    "So Bailey is involved in this?" Axel questioned.


    "Yes, she is actually the center of it all. Riley was right."


    I knew it.


    "I left the pack when I discovered where Bailey was heading to. She had been behind all the attacks; it turns out she is not as alone as she makes it seem; she has soldiers and armies under her verymand, and all this time, she made us think otherwise." "You mean she was behind all the attacks?" Axel questioned again, like he couldn''t fathom it.


    "Yes, and she had been the one framing this pack I''m d to have put an end to that, it was getting annoying."


    ""You killed her?" I asked.


    "Of course not; she is highly sedated and down in the dungeons; I just needed to exin things to you both before I spoke with her."


    "What about her soldiers?" Axel asked.


    "They do nothing except under her instruction, and for now, she can give none, so they won''t be a problem... for now. I have also given out their location to some of the packs seeking for vengeance, so let''s leave justice to catch up with them." "And you did all these in what?... three days?" Axel questioned. I could see the flicker of annoyance in his eyes; he hated that Thane did this on his own.


    "No, I had been nning it for a while." Tharie says.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twey


    ¡°I


    I guess telling me would have been so risky." Axel emphasized.


    "No, I wanted you out of this; I wanted you here to take care of the pack and... her, just in case anything happened to me."


    Cheater Two Hundred and Twenty One

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    Cheater Two Hundred and Twenty One


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One


    The bruise had all healed up, but still, I couldn''t help but worry if he waspletely fine.


    "Are you okay?" I questioned, and he nodded. I was going to get angry at him for risking his lifeter, for now I was just happy he was back." always knew something was up with Bailey. "I said to myself.


    "Is there any news about the pack I should be aware of?" Thane questioned, but Axel shook


    his head.


    "Nothing new."


    He was clearly still mad, and I could understand that. They were close-closer than brothers, if I might say.


    "Come on, Axel, I know..."


    "You don''t know anything," Axel said, cutting him off. "You''re keeping secrets, and I don''t appreciate it. As your beta, I''m here to support you. But keeping me in the dark, like with my mother and now this ''master'' n? That''s not our way."


    "I apologize." Thane said, the smirk on his lips contradicted his words. "But I need to hear what Riley has to say about this."


    "What do I have to say?"


    "You know something; you kept it from me, so I am clearly not the only one keeping secrets. Would you mind spilling the beans?" he asked, the smirk still on his lips. Axel''s piercing gaze locked into mine, his eyes searching for answers. And in that instant, the pieces fell into ce.


    "Some nights ago, I saw something. I had been standing by the balcony when I spotted this figure in the dark and so I went..."


    "You went to check out two unknown figures in the dark?" Axel asked in astonishment.


    "I am fine, as you can see."


    "Sorry," he muttered. "Go on."


    "It was Bailey and Beatrix; I heard them talking aboutpleting some task or something."


    "And you didn''t think about telling me that till now?" Thane asked.


    "Did that hurt you, Alpha? I mean, we are all keeping secrets now," Axel said with a shrug.


    "Very funny, but it would have saved me a whole lot of time if I knew about it."


    "She threatened my mother Thane. She said if I told anyone, then she would kill her, and I know she wasn''t lying when she said she has a spy there."


    "She won''t do a thing to your mother." Thane assured.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One


    ""You seem so sure."


    "When your


    mother was heading back to her pack, I sent someone to keep an eye on her; with you back here, she is in more danger than she had been before your return."


    "So Bailey wouldn''t have gotten to her." I say.


    "No, she wouldn''t."


    "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you, I just..."


    "It''s alright. She has been captured now; I think it''s time we have a little chat with her."


    Bailey had been kept down the dungeons, locked in one of the lower cells. She seem unable to stand on her feet so she leaned against the wall for support. Her arms and feet had been chained with a heavy metal, there was something about those chains that seemed unnatural, maybe it was how it glowed even in the dark room.


    "I didn''t expect to see you down here so soon; I mean, I only got here," she said, a smile on her face. I could see through that. I knew she was only putting up an act; she wanted to look tough, but I saw right through it.


    "Well, it is nice to see you too, Bailey. I need to ask you some questions, and I want the truth." "Would you let me out of here if I did tell you everything?" she questioned.


    "Yes."


    "Thane you can''t..."


    "I can. Tell me everything, and I''ll let you out with a condition."


    "And that is?"


    "You would never act against me ever again."


    "How do I know you are going to keep to your words?" she sneered.


    "This cell is about to be your worst nightmare; the bars had been made with silver, and from time to time, wolfsbane would be released into the air you breathe in. It might not affect you as it would an ordinary werewolf, but a few days breathing in wolf''s bane would do the trick. Your death would be very, very slow. The faster you speak, the better for you."

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    Chapt¨¦r Two Hundred and Twenty Two


    Thane''s hand unconsciously tightened around mine in a gentle, reassuring grasp. "You


    want to know the truth? then here it is." Balley started, her voiceced with venom as she settled on the cold floor. "You tricked me, Thane ckwood. You took me for a fool. We made a deal, a deal you weren''t willing to keep. I betrayed my people for you, and what did I get in the end?


    Nothing.


    I was pathetic to have trusted you, but it took only a while for the doubt to set in. I saw the Way you looked at her; you were never going to let her go. Still, I had no other choice but to hold on to your words. Just as I had suspected, you didn''t keep to it. When I discovered Nyaos was alive, I knew I had to kill him; if I didn''t kill him, then he would find me, and he would kill me very slowly for what I had done.


    But then I found out Caleb too was alive. I wasn''t expecting to see him ever again, but there he was. I was trapped and tortured in ways you cannot even imagine. Give me more reason seek revenge Thane; they did all that to me because I helped you, a what did I get out of helping you? betrayal. Maybe it was karma catching up with me.


    I barely survived, and when I did, I knew it was time to act against you; I built up my army."


    "How were you able to contact them from here?" Thane questioned.


    "I sent letters, but they needed more than just letters to carry on my request, and so I had to make myself known. The attack should have started much earlier, but after you finally let Riley go, I thought that was part of your master n all along. I was foolish to wait and see if you would change your mind. Of course, you didn''t."


    This had been exactly what I warned Thane about earlier; Bailey had made him believe that she was way past everything, but one thing about the elders was their tendency to be very crafty, they know just how to hide their feelings; they had mastered the act for all those centuries they stayed alive.


    "So this was all some act of revenge?"


    "Yes, it was exactly that. Now I have told you what I know; you will keep to your words this time."


    10


    "Will I?" Thane questioned with a smirk. "I keep my words with people I am sure I can trust; I know for a fact that I cannot trust you; the moment I let you out, you will go seeking revenge and I just can''t have that. To you, Bailey, my words mean nothing."


    Bailey''s screams and pleas followed us as we headed out of the lower chambers. I had never seen her so... desperate; This time Thane was right; she would never let go of the hurt and betrayal she faced, and she would want revenge. We couldn''t let her out. Axel wandered off to solve some little dispute amongst the pack members while Thane and I


    +26 BONUS


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twiiky Two


    headed back into our room. He ced the key to Bailey''s cell in the drawer beside my jewelry


    stand.


    There was a knock on the door; a mald walked in with a tray of food in her hands. "Would you need anything else?" she asked.


    "That would be all. Shut the door on your way out." Thane sald to her.


    "Well, now I can get mad at you for leaving me so worried. Don''t you ever scare me like that again."


    He turned to me. "I''m sorry, but of course an apology alone wouldn''t do."


    "I thought you left because you were mad at me for what I did with... Axel."


    In a blink of an eye he was right in front of me, his finger against my lips. "Hush." A smirk yed on his lips.


    "You knew. You knew what would happen; that had been why you sent me to him."


    jaidoti

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Three


    Axel had been right about Thane''s intentions.


    "Yes. I did know it woulde to that," he answered simply. "I am starving; it was a long journey; please dine with me, Riley."


    I took a seat beside him. "The fact that you are okay with this never ceases to surprise me."


    "Riley, I am not okay with it, but I know what you want, and I know you want both of us. It won''t let you choose; it would be too hard a decision for you to make." "Well then, that makes me the selfish one."


    "I don''t deserve you, Riley. Axel is the better man, and you want to know why I would never


    choose?" He questioned.


    make you "Why?"


    "Because I am insecure, what if you choose to be with him? He would have never hurt you like did." Thane says, and I was surprised at his words. He felt insecure; that was a first. He was right about it being hard to choose, but I knew who I would choose if it came to that, and I hated myself for knowing that and still holding on to Axel.


    "You had a reason; you let me go because you thought that was a way to keep me safe. I had told you once, I love you more, and sometimes I just wish all I felt for Axel would disappear so I could be with the one person my heart chose. I feel so selfish wanting both of you, and yet... can''t help myself."


    "I don''t think you are selfish. Tracing back to the genesis, it is all my fault; I practically gave you to him."


    "Why did you?" I questioned.


    "Love wasn''t supposed to be part of the deal; remember our little contract; we were supposed to have the best time of our lives, and then I would let you go; it wasn''t supposed to go further than that. It had all been about fun, and then..." "Love stepped in." Ipleted.


    "yes and that changed everything.


    "So you''ve got Bailey locked down in the cell; does that mean the war is... over?" I questioned.


    "The war is never actually over. There are others waiting for the right time to attack, we have many enemies."


    "Also, Beatrix is still out there somewhere. We will find her." I assured.


    "No, there wouldn''t be any need for that. I know exactly where she will be."


    I stared at him. "You let her go."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Three


    "She had been of help to the pack in times past, couldn''t bring myself to kill her."


    "Riley." A familiar voice called. "Riley, I need your help."


    My eyes snapped open.


    How had I been sleeping until noon? And why do feel so... tired?


    I stared at my hands; there was a slight cut on my wrist; I didn''t remember how I got that. The door to our room swung open as Axel walked in with a wide smile on his face.


    "Rise and shine, sunshine. You''ve been sleeping for a really, really long time. I''m bored."


    "I don''t know why I feel so... tired."


    "Too bad. I was hoping we could go for a run in the woods, but I guess I''ll be going solo."


    "Don''t you dare think about leaving me behind on this one. Give me a few minutes to wash up and get dressed."


    He nodded, making himself veryfortable on my bed.


    I walked into the bathroom, quickly brushing my teeth. I sprayed cold water on my face, and I stripped naked. Heading into the dressing room, I took out a pair of pants and a long-sleeved crop top-nothing Luna-like, but well, it''sfy enough, and it would also help cover the bruise on my wrist.


    I was about to put on the top when I noticed the injuries on my body; w marks marred my back, hip, and also my leg.


    What the hell?

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Four


    I recalled the strange dream I had, where a familiar voice kept on calling out my name, pleading for my help. Why did it feel like it had something to do with these bruises?


    "Are you alright in there?" Axel asked.


    "Yes, I am fine." I said, quickly putting on my clothes and walking back into the room to join him. "I''m ready."


    "Hand me your clothes; I''ll keep them safe for our return." Axel says.


    My hands wrapped around my naked chest; it was an attempt to hide my bruises, the one to my hip had almostpletely healed. "We don''t want to go butt naked into the pack, do we?" I questioned with a smile. He chuckled at that; his eyes trailed down my body before looking away quickly. "I was checking you out, sorry."


    "Nothing you haven''t already seen." I say, grateful he didn''t see the bruise on my ankle.


    He transformed into his wolf form, waiting on me. I tried, but... it wasn''t working. Instead, my wings sprouted out of my back. I willed them in before trying again; this time nothing happened. A wave of panic hit me. "I can''t... I can''t transform."


    I picked up my clothes, putting them back on.


    Axel''s wolf circled around me, blocking my path before he transformed back into his human form. "Riley, what is wrong?"


    "It''s the... ritual", I said, my voice sounded panicked, that''s exactly what I was feeling right


    now. Panic.


    Axel quickly put on his own clothes, easily catching up with me.


    "Hey, you just need to give it some time; you gave up too fast."


    "No, it won''t work; I couldn''t reach her; not even Thane canpel me to transform this time.


    "I''ve lost it, Axel." I muttered, holding back my tears. I had only gotten my wolf, and now I had lost it.


    We were back in our room. Axel didn''t think my wolf was gone just yet; he thought all I needed


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twelty Four


    to do was push a bit harder, but he couldn''t understand. When I tried reaching out to my wolf. I was met with this emptiness, this void,.


    ¡°I


    guess Nick didn''t tell you about this either."


    "The sorceress warned me. She said my wolf could be oveed; It had been a possibility, not a fact, and it slipped my mind; I hadn''t thought to try until today." "Riley,


    you''ve lived the most of your life without your wolf; you would be fine."


    "But this changes everything, Axel; Not having my wolf makes me feel different, and I don''t want that. I made a lot of stupid decisions; I don''t know what exactly I was thinking. "Your wolf part might be dormant, but it''s not gone; I would know if you aren''t a werewolf." Axel''s attention shifted, and I noticed he stared at my weist. "Are you hurt?" he questioned.


    "No, I''m fine." I followed his gaze to see the sleeves of my top had been stained with blood."


    "How did that happen?" he questioned.


    The problem was that I didn''t know how I got that, and I didn''t want him getting worried over -nothing. "It had been a clumsy ident." I lied; only hoped he believed that.


    I had spent the most of my life without my wolf, this shouldn''t be hard, yet it was. It was harder because all those years I didn''t know what it felt like, and now that I''ve gotten a taste, it wasn''t as easy to let go. A part of me still felt betrayed by Nick and all the things he hid from me.


    "Something is wrong." Axel said after a moment of silence and that snapped me out of my trail of thoughts.


    "What?"


    "Something is wrong with Thane; I feel his fury. He''s angry at something."


    "We need to find him."


    "It is not him in danger."


    Just then, I heard footsteps approaching. No doubt it was Thane.


    He walked in.


    "Axel, I need to talk to you."


    "No, you would talk to us both." I insisted.


    His gaze met mine, and damn was he furious. "Bailey had escaped."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Five

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Five


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Five


    "What do you mean, Bailey had escaped? How is that even possible?" Axel questioned.


    "She had help." Thane said, walking past us. I followed him into the dressing room. He brought forth the key to Bailey''s room, the very same one he had kept there a while ago.


    "There must have been a spare key, another way in. She had gotten help from someone in this pack." Thane said.


    "She escaped; we would get her back." Axel said confidently.


    "The problem is not just her escape, but over a dozen of our soldiers had been killed, their body parts torn limb by limb."


    Axel and I exchanged nces; that had been why Thane was mad. It wasn''t just Bailey''s escape but the soldiers she had killed.


    "Oh gods." I whispered.


    I shouldn''t have told you this," Thane says.


    "No, I need to know about this, I need to know everything happening in the pack."


    "I only wish I had killed the bitch."


    "Why didn''t you?" I questioned.


    "She is an elder, the only one who would ever be willing to give me information; killing her would be a huge waste.


    "You didn''t know this would happen." I say trying to console Thane, but he didn''t need it; he preferred shouldering the me.


    "I would join the others to dig; their bodies would have to be buried immediately; the pack members don''t have to see this."


    Axel walked out with Thane, leaving me all alone.


    I believed the war was over after we captured Bailey, but I was wrong; this was only the beginning. Now that she had been discovered, she didn''t need to go through the stress of trying to hide all her deeds.


    I pulled up the sleeve of my top and stared at the already healing injury. I should have told Thane about this; what if she had paid me a visit when he was gone and did this to me? But it didn''t make sense; I couldn''t remember a thing, and yet... yet I felt this guilt eating at my chest for keeping it a secret.


    The bodies had been buried, soldiers paid their respect, but the families of the deceased stayed behind to weep some more. It was a sad thing to watch, and Thane had warned me that it


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Fi


    would be, but stubbornly I decided to be here. Wat kind of Luna would it make me if I don''t show up in times like this?


    A figure passed by in a sh, and I turned but spotted no one. Maybe it had been in my head.


    "Riley?" Axel called.


    "Huh?"


    "You seem quite distracted."


    "No. 1 thought I saw something; I was wrong."


    "It''s getting cold; we should head back."


    "No, I want to say." I protested weakly.


    "Come on," Axel said, taking me along. "Thane wants me to remain with you till he''s back."


    "How is he feeling now?"


    Axel was silent for a few seconds. "Better, I guess."


    I didn''t believe that, but still I nodded, letting him lead back into my room.


    "I feel so bad for those soldiers."


    "It had been an unexpected attack, but things like this are bound to happen and these soldiers know what they are getting themselves into by joining the force." "Any news about who aided Bailey''s rescue?" I asked.


    "None yet," He replied, "It must have been someone higher up the radar; no one else can pull this off." He said, and I nodded in agreement. He was right.


    Axel left immediately after Thane arrived.


    Thane was not one to show emotions, and if it hadn''t been for Axel, I would have no clue of what he was feeling now. I walked up to him and drew him in for aforting hug; everyone. needed this, even the big bad Alpha. I stood on my tiptoes, and our lips met in a gentle


    kiss.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Six


    "Thane. I need to ask you a very unusual question." I said to him,


    "At this moment, I need such unusual questions to take my mind off everything that has been going ontely. So ask on."


    "Uhmm, so since my return... we''ve never... uhm done it and it is okay if you aren''t ready yet." I paused, turning red, because he had his full attention on me and he found this funny. "You know what? Forget it." "No, please go on."


    "No." I say, pulling away from him and heading to the couch.


    "Don''t be like that; I promise I won''tugh."


    "Well, I''ll just go straight to the point, then... I want to know why you haven''t had sex with me yet. There, that''s what I wanted to know."


    He burst into fits ofughter.


    "You said you wouldn''tugh!" I eximed, pointing an using finger at him, but I did love watching himugh this so heartily.


    "I''m sorry." He says, but still wouldn''t stopughing.


    "You don''t get to be sorry, you little traitor."


    "There is nothing little about me, Riley, and you of all people should know that."


    That left me speechless, because of course he was right, but he was being a cocky ass, and I wouldn''t agree with that at least not aloud and in his presence. "Are you going to answer my question, or would you justugh in my face?"


    -


    I had been waiting for him to make a move; the Thane I knew would have done that already, so this was mildly...concerning.


    "Butughing in your face seems so... right." He muttered.


    "Go to hell asshole."


    "I was kidding."


    "Forget it, and you will be sleeping on the bare floor tonight."


    "Don''t be like that Riley.".


    from his eyes,


    The next thing I knew, he was standing right in front of me, all humor go


    gone just those dark amber orbs staring into my soul. "I still hate myself for what I did to you. I


    made you believe you weren''t good enough, and that''s why you went ahead with the ritual or whatever that was. I don''t deserve you, Riley."


    +25 DONUS


    Chapter Two Hundred and Tweilly Six


    a


    "No, you don''t. But I still love you anyway, and do you know what I want right now? I want you to make love to me on this couch in a very ungentlemanly way."


    A sinister smirk formed on his lips. "Commands like this apologize in advance."


    I dare not disobey. Though I have to


    He ripped off my clothes, and soon we were both naked. I had almost forgotten how savage Thane ckwood could be.


    His kiss was needy and raw. I widened my legs, giving him full ess.


    "You want this?"


    "Yes, please."


    With a hard thrust that knocked me out of breath, he was in me. He didn''t spare me a second to settle to his length; he pounded into me again and again, and all I could do was hold on to him. I moaned into his mouth as we kissed; his pace was ruthless, driving into me over and again till all I felt was him.


    "Now you woulde for me," he said, and this time he mmed into me harder, and I shattered, crying out his name.


    He kissed me more, licking my tears dry. Thane lifted me so I had my back to him; he bent me over the couch; I felt the spank to my ass, and I cried out, but that didn''t prepare me for his next thrust; this time he went deeper; I lost grip on the cushion, almost falling over, but he


    held me firm.


    "You gotta hold on a bit harder love," he said, and though I wasn''t looking at him, I knew the smirk still remained on his lips. I did as he asked. "Good girl.


    He mmed into me again, and I moaned, his hand trailing down my stomach, and lower, he pleasured me, his fingers ying against my clit as he pounded into me from behind. "Thane... please." I begged.


    "I won''t hold back anything, Riley; you will have it all." He promised, and I knew for a fact that he would keep to that.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Seven


    I was sore. But I had asked for it.


    "You have to go to work; I''m fine." I lied, but Thane saw right through that.


    "Maybe I did go a bit too far."


    ""And I liked it."


    "You did, didn''t you?" He asked with a smile.


    "Do you always have to be so cocky?"


    "No, just once in a while. I''ll be back early." He promised.


    "I am a big girl; I can take care of myself."


    ""Well, I could send in Axel."


    "No, not Axel." I pleaded; I knew exactly what he would do if he saw me like this. He would make fun of me; he already knew what I and Thane had been up to by now, and I wasn''t ready for that just yet. "Have it your way then."


    Thane kissed my lips before he left for work.


    Thane going beast mode is the hottest thing one could ever see. He seems to lose it all to his animal instincts, and he is a sex freak. I needed that reminder so badly and even though I was


    I still felt very turned on just by thinking about it.


    sore,


    I needed a shower...


    I walked into the bathroom, taking a quick bath. changed into afy gown before walking back into our room. The figure sitting on the bed startled me, and I was immediately alert. Bailey sat there, a smile on her face as she waited.


    "You look like you''ve seen a ghost; stop being so dramatic and take a seat."


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Take a seat, Riley."


    "You killed all those people... how could you? How could you do that to innocent people?"


    "Please shut up; nobody from this pack is actually innocent. And I didn''t kill them."


    "Don''t you dare lie to me."


    "I didn''t kill them, Riley. You did. You helped me escape; you killed all those soldiers because they had spotted us."


    Chapter Two Hunded and


    "I am convinced that you must be crazy."


    "Crazy? That''s a term many use to describe me."


    Bailey approached me. "Don''te any closer." I warned her.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you; I just want to help you remember." She said, "Now don''t mov


    It had beenmon words, but for some reason found myself unable to move.


    "What did you do to me? Why can''t I move?"


    "So many questions; I am getting sick of that." She ced her hands on each side of my head. you did "You are evil, Riley, for killing all those people, and I want you to remember just how it." It all came back in shes.


    I had heard a familiar voice calling my name, and then I rose from the bed. I headed to the dressing room, taking the key from where Thane earlier ced it, and I walked down the hallways. I had managed to sneak down the dungeons somehow, and I found Bailey, shivering in the cell. I had unlocked it.


    "You came," she said, a small smile on her face.


    "Yes, I did; you called for me." My voice sounded bizarre even in my own ears.


    I


    for you."


    "Yes. I called for you."


    "How can I help you?" It was more of a plea than a question.


    "You really want to help me?" she had asked, and I nodded, eager. "You''ve managed toe all this way undetected, and so I want you to do that again. Help me escape this ce and kill anyone thates in our way. You will spare no one."


    "I will spare no one." I repeated.


    Those soldiers had tried to stop me, and so I had done just as she said: I killed them and tore them apart limb by limb, and I helped her escape.


    "I''ll be back," she promised. "But for now you will return to your room; make sure you remain unseen and forget everything that just happened. You never left your room."


    "I never left my room." I repeated, and she was gone, leaving me with the bloody corpses of all the soldiers I had killed. I remembered vividly the surprise on their faces when they had seen me; they had been wary to attack; why wouldn''t they be? I was the Luna, and I had used that against them; I killed them all.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Eight


    Thane and Axel believed that whoever had helped Bailey escape must be one of the high ranks. in this pack, and they were right. The problem was that they trusted mepletely, they hadn''t suspected me at all, even if the location of the key was only known to Thane and I, yet they rather believed that there was a spare or some other way to get into the cell that they weren''t aware of.


    It had been me.


    I had taken that key and I had freed Balley.


    If I needed further proof, the injuries I had noticed on my body, those same ones I couldn''t remember how they came to be, was all the proof I needed, and yet... yet I didn''t want to believe it. I just couldn''t.


    "I didn''t do this, Bailey." I insisted, but the tears streaming down my face contradicted my very own words.


    "I''m sure you had a reason.


    "No, I would never do anything like that."


    She snorted at my words. "You''ve done something simr before, so don''t give me that ''I am innocent'' crap." "You made me do this...I don''t know how you did it, but it had been your voice in my head, controlling me."


    "And if it was... who do you think would believe you? I mean, they died by your hands, right?"


    I stayed silent, watching her; fury burned in my chest, but still I couldn''t make a single move; her words seemed to have some kind of power over me, forcing my body to act against my own mind. "How could you do that? How can you control me?"


    "You sought out for power; that was the beginning of your end. Your friend didn''t tell you all what this entails, did he?"


    My heart mmed against my chest. More discoveries... things I should have known, but Nick kept it all away from me. Something told me this one discovery will be the worst of them all,


    "A turned one is half demon. Demons are loyal to only one line of people, the Elders. For turned ones, they don''t have to be loyal, not until they arepelled. I control you now, Riley, and there is not a single thing you can do about it."


    I hated him. I hated Nick so much at this moment, but even more, I hated myself for being such a fool.


    "I am not a murderer; please just... let me be."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    That''s what it hade to; I had to beg for the very same freedom I once took for granted.


    "It is in your nature; demons are bringers of death, and you are part demon, so you will always be a murderer. You can''t resist what you are."


    "Why Bailey?, why? I helped you; you would have died in the woods, but L..."


    She cut me off with a p so hard, I could taste the metallic taste of blood.


    "This is not about you; Thane had taken me for granted; he had used me like I wasn''t one of the most powerful beings in the world, and so I would get back at him, but you will be my tool.


    §±


    Tears streamed down my eyes. "I''d ather die than hurt him or anyone in this pack."


    "I know and we would have to change that." She walked closer to me, taking my jaw in her hand. She wiped away the blood on my lips with a single finger. "You will notmit suicide, nor would you let yourself be killed. Anyone whoes against you, protect yourself as best as you can. ce your life first before any other." She said, and I could feel those words settling in some deeper part of my mind.


    I repeated her words, and she gave a nod. Her smile was wide. "This is really fun."


    "What am I now to you? Some toy you can twist to your wants? some mindless body you can shove into any direction you please?"


    "Yes, all of that and more. But I am not the first to do this; I might have taken mine on another level, but I do remember the Alpha King doing something simr to keep you from the painful truth. Truly love is weakness." "What?"


    I didn''t believe her, not at all.


    "You should be asking someone else that question. Perhaps your ''mate'' would have an answer for you. I must say he did a good job covering the body up."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Nine


    Bailey finally let me go. She gave me a very long look before she disappeared, leaving just as quickly as she came. I let out a breath of relief.


    Then the panic set in. She was going to use me to hurt Thane. I couldn''t let that happen; I would have to tell him, but then, what had she been referring to when she said she wasn''t the first to do something like this?


    I couldn''t sit here and wait for Thane''s arrival; I had to go meet him. I rinsed my mouth of the blood before heading to his office. Axel was the only one in there with him; they were going through some documents when I walked in. Two pairs of eyes met mine. "I need to speak to you, Thane."


    Thane stared at the paperwork on his desk before pushing that aside. "What do you want to speak to me about?"


    "Have you used your Alpha aura thingy one on me before?"


    "Damn." Axel muttered. "I should go.


    "No, you will stay." I said to him, and he settled back on his chair. "Please, Thane, don''t lie to me; just tell me the truth; I need to know." "Yes, I had."


    "Why?"


    "That you don''t want to know, trust me."


    "You had no right, Thane."


    "I was trying to help; you needed that."


    "I never want my mind messed with, so


    I will tell me exactly why you did that else..."


    "Else what?" Thane questioned those piercing amber eyes on me.


    "Else we are going to have a problem."


    He let out a breath. "Are you sure you want to know?"


    "Yes. I do, and that''s why I am here."


    "Jake didn''t die by a fire; I had burned his body and ced it in the woods where it had been found, and so everyone believed the ''story''."


    Everyone, including me. "So... Jake''s death hadn''t been by the other packs that wanted us dead?" I questioned.


    "No, it hadn''t been that.


    Chapter Two funded a


    The realization finally set in. "I killed him, didn''t 1?"


    "No, you hadn''t been in your right mind. The demon growing in you made you do things, but you had felt so guilty about it and in pain, I had to do something."


    "You took it away; you took all the pain away." I said, and he nodded. I couldn''t find a reason to be mad at him for doing that; he was trying to help me, and yet, I couldn''t help but think she was right, Bailey was right; I was a murderer. I wiped away my tears.


    "I didn''t mean to kill him, Thane. But I did anyway. I am a monster.''


    Thane rose, cautiously approaching ne. "You are not. If it helps, I''ve killed people too, and I know what it feels like, but over time that pain and hurt... is not so hard to bear anymore. I am the monster Riley, not you. You had made a mistake, one you cannot even be med for, so please, let it go."


    I nodded, but I couldn''t let it go; the guilt and pain remained there.


    Jake''s sister had died because of me, and now he too was dead. They didn''t deserve it, but selfish as I was, they had to suffer because of me.


    Thane didn''t know; he didn''t know that I had been the one who killed those soldiers; he didn''t know that I was the reason Bailey was free.


    He would hate me if he found out; I had only just gotten him back, and yet... I wouldn''t keep the truth away from him, not this time.


    "There is something you need to know, Thane." I began, and now he looked a bit worried. "L....."


    The words wouldn''te out; no matter how I tried, I couldn''t say it. Bailey had told me not to, and somehow, I couldn''t... I couldn''t tell Thane a thing even if I wanted to.


    Tears streamed down my eyes.


    "Riley, are you okay? What did you want to tell me?"


    Now they were both worried.


    "Is nothing."


    I turned, heading for the door, but Thane blocked my path. "That didn''t look like ''nothing'' to


    me."


    "Thane, please, just let me be."


    "No, you look scared; what did you want to tell me?" he insisted.


    "Of course I am scared; why wouldn''t I be? I killed a man, and I cannot even trust you anymore. Maybe you believed you were helping me, but I don''t like my mind being messed with; you had no right to do that."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twv¨§¨¾ty Nine


    I shoved past him and walked out of his office. I didn''t mean any of that, but how else would I escape his questions? He was never going to let me go till he knew the truth, but the problem. was... I couldn''t tell him.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty


    I ran my hands through my hair over and again, frustrated. They needed to know, but due to Bailey''smand, I couldn''t tell them. What if I could... improvise?


    I took out a pen and paper, with shaky hands I wrote;


    Oldiers who wore


    ''Thane. I want you to know something: I killed them. Those dead, I did that; I had been the one who freed Bailey too; she has this control over me, she controls my mind, and I can''t even exin it. I didn''t want to kill those men, they''ve done nothing wrong to Thane; warrant me doing that, but I did anyway because she asked me to. You can''t trust me, she would use me against you.''


    I paused writing, staring at the paper where I was almost sure that I had been writing on. There were no words on the papers, just lines; that''s all I had been writing; the words had been in my mind, and I thotight I was penning them down, but I was only writing down gibberish.


    I gasped. Taking steps backwards till I came in contact with the wall.


    I couldn''t write it down because I was still under her control.


    I dropped to the ground letting out a scream. I didn''t hold it back. I cried till''I could cry no more. The rooms were soundproof; no one would hear me.


    I had never felt so... alone in my life, so afraid. I rose, picking up the paper. I tore it into pieces, tossing it to the floor..


    It was all his fault.


    That''s the only thing I could think about.


    Everything happening to me was all his fault; he knew this; I was sure he did; he deceived me.


    I pulled the doors to the balcony open, and I let out my wings.


    I would find him and I would make him pay.


    My travels to the Raven ws pack took hours of flight. But whenever I closed my eyes, I saw Nick, the man I trusted who betrayed me.


    It waste at night when I arrived at the Raven n pack house.


    I didn''t go through the front door. I knew where exactly his room was. I broke through his window, but to my utmost disappointment, he wasn''t there. He could be anywhere in the pack or he could be somewhere else. He was at the farm.


    I should have suspected that, but by nighttime, I thought he would be in his room. I dropped


    Chapter Two Hundred


    down just behind him.


    "Riley," he called, knowing it was me even before looking. "It is nice to see you again," he says, turning to me with a smile on his face.


    I let all the rage out. Iunched at him, my ws dug into his skin-they were sharper than any wolf''s w could be.


    "Riley-"


    Before he could even say the words. I dug my fangs into his neck, ripping out flesh; only then did he notice that I had returned for retribution. Be pushed me away with enough force that I went soaring in the air. Inded hard; the air knocked out of me, but I was quick to get to my


    feet.


    "I am older than you, Riley; I am stronger." He warns.


    "And I am very pissed."


    With that, Iunched at him again, swiping his legs from under him, and he lost bnce. I brought him down with a blow to his chest, followed by another to his face. He reached up, getting a grip on my shoulders; he swung me over, and Inded against the hard ground. I rose quickly, sending a kick to his leg, and he groaned. I picked the same injured leg, and with much effort, I snapped it. He snarled at me.


    "Stop," he manages to say. "I know why you are here, and I''m sorry."


    "Sorry?. That''s not good enough."


    I sent a kick to his face, and he spit out blood. He cracked his leg back into ce; this time he came at me with as much furry as I did him; he drove me against the tree, and my back connected with the tree trunk.


    "Stop." He warned again, but I tried reaching for him once more, I wed at his face. I almost got his eyes; he pulled back, sending a kick to my abdomen, and I doubled over. I spit out blood. "What the hell is wrong with you?


    "You traitor. You didn''t tell me, Nick; you didn''t tell me what I was going to be; you lied to me!" I cried out. I couldn''t speak about Bailey with him; the restriction stopped me from doing that.


    "I didn''t tell you that you would be part demon and would sometimes have to live with your will being taken from you. I''m so sorry, Riley. I had no right to do that to you, but... I had felt so lonely; I needed someone. I was being selfish, and so I deserve this, but please forgive me."


    I sent a kick to his still-healing leg, and he fell back to the ground.


    "If I survive this all, I will be back for you, and I will kill you, Nick''


    ¦°


    With that, I flew away.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty One


    THANE.


    "I won''t say I didn''t warn you," Axel says.


    "I was only trying to help; I didn''t know she would get so upset by it."


    "No one likes their mind messed with Thane."


    "Thest thing I need now is your lectures, Axel,


    "Maybe you should go find Riley, you have a lot of pleading to do."


    "Do you think she would forgive me" I questioned,


    "Yes, she would. I mean, she did forgive you for letting her go, what offense would be greater than that?"


    "I just keep messing things up when ites to her."


    "And you will have to find a way to fix it, Alpha.


    Of course I had to fix it, but there was even the more worrisome question, and that was, how the hell did she find out?


    "I know what you are thinking." Axel says, "I''m wondering the very same thing too. I mean, it doesn''t make sense that she discovered it all of a sudden."


    "Someone must have told her. No one else was here except you and me.


    "Bailey would be a suspect," Axel says.


    "If she was still in the pack, yes. She was always snooping around, so she must have discovered the truth."


    "Well, with everything going on, it clearly can''t be Bailey."


    "Who else would want to drive a wedge between Riley and me?"


    "Unfortunately, you''ve broken a lot of hearts, so the list would be really long."


    "Then we''ll filter; not everyone has the balls to reveal this to Riley."


    "That''s correct. This sounds like something Beatrix would have done. I mean, she was working with Bailey; perhaps the elder told her something..." Axel trailed off. "No. It can''t be her either, right?"


    "I left her back in Eldrida; she wouldn''te back here; she just can''t risk it."-


    That leaves us... just where we started, "Axel says.


    "Maybe it has to do with her being ''turned'' and everything; guess the Alpha ''thingy-"I


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thit One


    smirked; that was what Riley called it, "-Isn''t very effective with her anymore."


    "True," Axel agreed. "Maybe her mind never did let it go, and with her wolf now dormant, it makes a lot of sense."


    "What?" I questioned. "Her wolf is dormant? When did that happen?"


    "I was going to take her for a run some days ago, and she couldn''t transform; she said she doesn''t feel it in there anymore, and she seems so sure, this other ''part'' of her had gotten more dominant, and that had left her wolf side dormant." Axel exined.


    "And why am I just hearing about this now?" I asked; of course I didn''t appreciate Axel keeping this away from me, and maybe a part of me was jealous that he knew this before I did. It was stupid to feel that way, but I couldn''t help it.


    "There had been so much happening, and it kind of skipped my mind; I thought Riley told you. about it." That''s another thing to worry about; she should''ve told me. "Thane, are you... jealous?"


    "Shut up."


    Axelughed right in my face; sometimes I wonder why I haven''t killed him yet. "You''ve been keeping a lot of secrets; it''s nice you get a taste of your own dose."


    "Yeah,ugh it all out, Axel, and when you are done, go join the patrolling soldiers; you will spend your night there."


    He onlyughed louder...


    I left him behind in the office, heading back to the room I shared with Riley, I had some questions for her, but first, an apology for messing with her mind was in order.


    I paused in front of the door. I hadn''t stopped to think about how Riley would be feeling right now; to her, she just killed Jake, and nothing I said to her would change her mind. I was going to be there for her, that''s what I should have done instead of making her forget. I pulled open the door, and then I noticed something very wrong. She wasn''t in here, and from the looks of things, she hadn''t been here for awhile now.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Two RILEY.


    I thought beating up Nick would make all the anger I felt disappear, but I was wrong; all the pent-up anger still remained.


    I was somewhere in the middle of the woods; I should be more careful; I might be encroaching on another pack''snd, yet I couldn''t bring myself to care, not even one bit. Dawn came upon me, but I remained here, in the woods.


    Thane would be worried; he must have discovered I was gone by now. Still, I couldn''t bring myself to return just yet. Maybe it was because I knew there was another option, another way I would be of no harm to Thane. If I ran, if I hid well enough that Bailey would never be able to find me, then they would all be safe.


    But I only got Thane back; how could I lose him again?


    If I did make this decision, if I did choose to leave, then I would forever be on the run, unable to live my life. I knew Thane would find me, but I could try hard to be one step ahead of him; all I needed to do was to be constantly on the move; never staying in one ce for too long; it was just that simple.


    Simple.


    Nothing about this was simple. I couldn''t live without him, and though this would have been the best option for us all, I wasn''t Thane; he had let me go when he thought he was too dangerous for me, but I would do the exact opposite; I would fight and I would never stop fighting; I was going to go home; I was going to return back to him.


    Inded gently on the balcony. With my wings, traveling did get easier. I willed my wings back in. I pulled open the doors, and I walked into my room. The familiar scent reminded me of home. I wasn''t going to give up on Thane, Axel, or this pack. They had be a part of me.


    Thane sat on the couch, a piece of paper in his hand-the very same paper I had tossed on the floor and left behind.


    "Wee back, Riley," he said, his eyes on the paper, like he was trying to figure out something.


    "There''s nothing of importance on that paper." I said to him,


    "Then what is this?" he asked, referring to the note filled with gibberish.


    "It''s nothing."


    "I returned back here to find you and of course apologize to you for what I did, but then I


    Chapter Two Handres and The Two


    discovered you were gone; all I could find was this. I couldn''t understand what you were trying to write down, and as crazy as it may seem, I thought it had a deeper meaning, so I spent hours staring at it, trying to figure out what it meant..." "I''m sorry." I say cutting him off. "I just... needed some time away; I should have told you before left, and I''m sorry I didn''t."


    "Is that all it had been about?" He asked, his gaze searching me, and more than ever, I wished he could look deeper; maybe he would be able to tell the truth without me having to say a word, but that was impossible. "Yes, that was it."


    "I should have never tempered with your mind; it was wrong of me. Please forgive me, Riley, and unless you request it, I would never do that to you again..."


    I walked to him, cutting his words off with a kiss, He kissed me back, my hands trailing below his shirt, touching him, feeling him, just as he did me. I didn''t realize I had been crying till he pulled away.


    I quickly wiped my tears.


    "Riley, you know you could tell me anything, right?" He said, and I nodded.


    "I know that." I responded. "I am not angry at you for what you did earlier; I knew you were


    leaving- only trying to help me, and I appreciate that. Thesh out back in the office and me... it was uncalled for, and I should be the one apologizing, so I am sorry."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Three


    I rose early the next morning. I took a very long bath before getting dressed. I had some injuries I needed to cover before Thane awoke.


    I joined him in the room when I was done.


    "And where are you off too, looking so sexy?" he questioned.


    "I am in a regr gown; how is this sexy?"


    "Well, you have to see yourself in the mirror and decide. You''ve not answered my question."


    "Work. I''ll be going to work with you today." I say, and a smirk formed on his lips.


    "You are free toe with me, of course, but is there a reason you choose to today?"


    My answer came a few seconds toote. "I just want to spend more time with you, but don''t worry, I''ll be on my best behavior; I won''t distract you. I could help with the mini-jobs or anything you want me to do." I offered. "Getting desperate, are we?"


    "Yes, I am desperate." I agreed with a smile, and he chuckled, amused.


    Of course there was a reason I chose to go with him to work, one I couldn''t tell him. Bailey wouldn''t risk revealing herself when Thane was present; she would have to wait for me to be alone, and the n was to never be alone.


    It was as boring as I imagined it to be. Thane and Axel talked about Pack Lands, business statistics'', investments.... I droned out at some point.


    "Earth to Riley," Axel called.


    "Sorry... I was just lost in thoughts."


    "You don''t seem to be having fun."


    "I knew fun wouldn''t be a part of work." I say truthfully.


    ''So, you


    want a drink?" he asked. His intentions for starting up this conversation was clear, he was making sure I don''t feel left out. "Yes, I do."


    "Come with me," he says, and I stared at Thane, who gave a nod, before his attention went back to the files on his table.


    "Thane seemed to love working." I noted the moment we were out of his office.


    "Not like he actually has an option; it''s part of his duties as the Alpha."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Three


    "I''m sorry about earlier; I am sure you must have heard about what happened by now."


    "I do think he deserves it; he could sometimes be a real jerk, so leaving for a while was punishment fitting." Axel said, and Iughed along with him. "What drink would you prefer?"


    "A ss of apple juice would do," I said, and he nodded.


    "Wait here, I''ll go get it."


    "No," I said too quickly. "I... I want toe with you."


    "It''s up to you." He said it with a smile, but I noticed the slight curiosity in his eyes.


    For the next week, I repeated the same strategy, and so far, Bailey hadn''t visited, not once. There was a knock on the door, and I rose to check on it.


    "Don''t worry." Thane said, going for the door instead. It was one of the packmanders.


    "There is something you need to see, Alpha." Themander said.


    "I''ll be back soon." Thane said.


    "Wait!" I called out. I want toe with you.


    "I don''t think you will want to see this; it is wise you stay here Riley." He said, I opened my mouth to protest but closed it when I saw the calctive look in his eyes.


    "It''s alright. I''ll be waiting." I said, and he gave a nod before leaving.


    I stared at the door after he was gone.


    Just then, there was a thud from behind me. I turned to the direction of the noise, and there she was, seated on the cushion. Bailey was here once again.


    Bailey knew by now that I was afraid of her-not her, but what she could do to me, so my attack must havee as a surprise to her and I managed to m her against the wall, but then her eyes met mine. "Step back, please." She whispered. That was amand.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Four Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Four


    I stepped back on her request, my body once again acting against my mind. Inside I was raging; I wanted to hurt her so badly, but I felt like I had been caged in the inner parts of my mind; I could only watch what was happening, but I had no control over my own actions. Nothing was as torturous and infuriating as that,


    "Bad bad, Luna. Look what you made me do." She drew out each word as she walked deeper into our room, she pulled open a drawer, taking out Thane''s cuff. "Kinky," she said, tossing it to me; it fell at my feet. "Put the cuff on."


    "You have control over me; you don''t have to make me wear that to control me." I said to her,


    "Oh, I know that. Still I just needed to show you how much in control I am, now be snappy about it. I put the cuff on, just as she had ordered. "Good. Now ask me what I had to do to get


    you."


    I inhaled deeply; I hated this feeling of powerlessness.


    "What did you have to do to get to me?" I questioned; those words hade out against my very own will.


    "I had to kill a girl-she should be around ten or twelve maybe."


    A gasp escaped my lips. "Why? Why would you do that?" I couldn''t hold back the anger I felt but my anger was as useless as I was now. "Just stop it, stop killing people; what the hell is wrong with you?"


    "You know just what is wrong with me. I was used, and I am doing the very same thing to you right now. Back to the little girl, do you want to know how I killed her?"


    "Stop." I pleaded.


    "She cried and screamed as I ripped her limb from limb, and then I dropped her parts into the rustic well just behind the pack house. Some of her body parts would be lost forever - I hope, and you want to know why I did it?" I couldn''t say a word; I was shaking in anger. "It is because of you, Riley; the blood is on your hands; you made me do this."


    "No, I didn''t; you did this, not me."


    "Well, I needed to do something to get Thane''s attention; you were doing a very good job tagging along with him every damn ce he went to like a pest; this is the only way I could separate you both and the only way I could get to speak with you. So you did this, Riley." "L... I..."


    "There is no need to lie; I know about your little n, and this is how it would go,


    for every


    time you try to keep me away from you when I need your attention, I''ll kill one more person, and it would be all your fault. I really hope you understand that." She said with a smile that told me she was hoping I disobeyed just so she could have a reason to kill more people.


    12


    Chapter Two Hands


    "I do." I responded, tears streaming down my eyes.


    "Now, back to the reason I am here, your mission begins. I''ll be back to update you on what have to do, or rather, what you must do. I think that''s all for now," she said heading for the balcony.


    you


    "Onest thing. I am aware of your little brawl with Nick, and I would let that pass, but don''t you ever put your life at risk like that ever again, and if you for once think I wouldn''t find you if you ran away, then you are wrong. I would always be watching you, and I don''t care if I have to kill every single person you love to get you back; I would do just that."


    And once again she was gone.


    Thane walked in, and I quickly wiped my tears, but he saw it all; he saw me shaken and in tears, and he was bound to ask questions.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Flve


    "Riley, what is going on?" Thane questioned,


    "Nothing..."


    "No, just don''t tell me that; don''t lie to me, Riley something is wrong and you are keeping it from me. What is it?"


    I remained silent because I had no response to his question.


    "You think I don''t notice? The sudden desperation to tag along everywhere I go makes it seem like you are afraid to be left alone, like you are scared of something, and I want to help you, Riley, but I have to know what is wrong to help you; you have to open up to me, Riley."


    "Just let me be, okay. I am fine."


    "No, you are not." He said he wasn''t going to let this go. "Are you sick?" he questioned, clearly concerned.


    "I am not SICH to


    it''s just..." I couldn''t say the words. Thane waited, eyes hopeful; he was willing and I wish I could tell him everything, but I couldn''t. "I still think about Jake." I lied. "I''m willing to do anything to take my mind off him, but... there is something else I didn''t tell you. When I left this pack, I had paid a visit to Nick and I''m sorry I kept it a secret, I was just so furious at him for... everything.


    Thane, he did this to me, and it had been all for his selfish gain; he said he didn''t want to be alone, and so he made me this monster."


    "If you want Nick dead, all you have to do is say the words. You don''t have to go challenging him on your own." Thane says, and from the look in his eyes, he was dead serious. Of course I wanted Nick dead, but Bailey had warned me against that, and I didn''t want any other person. to lose their lives on my ount.


    "Soon, Thane."


    He nodded before taking a seat on the bed. He patted the side, signifying that I should sit with him and that I did.


    "I know about your wolf being... dormant for now," he says, and only then did it register in my mind that I didn''t tell him about it; how could it have skipped my mind?


    "I''m so sorry I didn''t tell you; there had just been so much going on..."


    "It''s okay, and you''ll be fine, I''ll help you recover her back."


    "And what if she is gone f


    forever?"


    I don''t lose hope that so easily. I don''t care if it takes years, decades even; we would find her again." Thane promises, and I nodded, a small smile forming on my lips. Chapter Two Hundred and Thins Five


    "Themander who requested your presence earlier, what did he want to show you?" I asked, though I already knew the answer to that, but a part of me still hoped that Bailey had been lying.


    "A girl died very brutally. We have reasons to believe that whoever did that is also involved in Bailey''s escape. Investigations are being made, but something tells me that whoever''s behind this wouldn''t be easy to discover."


    His guess was not very far from the truth.


    "Whoever was behind this would be discovered, and due justice would be served." I said, feeling like aplete hypocrite.


    "Enough talk about the deaths and everything; let''s talk about something else.


    "Like what?"


    "Like you."


    "You know everything about me; perhaps you know me more than I know myself."


    Heughed. "That can''t be right."


    "But it is." I insisted, and then my eyes met him. You are so handsome, I am almost jealous."


    "It only sounds like apliment when I hear it from you. I love you, Riley; you''ve changed. me in a way no one has ever done, and I like this change.


    "In what ways exactly did I change you?"


    "I had never once been one topromise, but when ites to you, I can do just that." He says, and I remember that day he saved my mother''s life. I had been so surprised, I thought he would kill her, but he...promised. "You taught me how to feel, and that is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Six


    I didn''t know exactly how I got here, but I had been in the pack safehouse when a figure approached me.


    Bailey. I realized.


    "Why am I here?" I asked, keeping my face bare of emotions.


    "You are here because I wanted you to be."


    "What do you want from me?"


    take it,"


    "I did tell you I would be back, didn''t I? Well, here I am, and I have a mission for you." She said, passing me a small ss bottle filled with a greenish-yellow substance. "Go on, she urged, and I took the bottle from her hand. "What is this?"


    "That, my dear, is wolfsbane extract."


    "Why are you giving me this?"


    "Don''t worry, it isn''t for you but for the Alpha King, Thane. You will put this in his drink. The Wolf''s bane when in his system would weaken him, and so we could proceed to the next step, but for now, this is all you have to do." "He could die."


    "That would be a pity, a death too quick, not at all worth all the time I spent plotting. You are right though, with the quantity in that bottle, it can kill regr wolves, but with him being a powerful Lycan and everything, we have to lean on that." "You are willing to risk his life?"


    "Do you really think I care about him? If he dies, then so be it, but this is what you have to do."


    "Please don''t make me do this; please, I beg you


    A smile stretched on her lips. "Do that again, beg once more."


    I stared at her, going down on my knees. "Please don''t do this to him; don''t make me do this; I beg of you."


    "That was fun to watch. Now go do as I said."


    With that, she was gone. A sob escaped my lips. I couldn''t do this; I have to stop it somehow, but more than ever, I knew I couldn''t. I was going to kill him whether I wanted to or not.


    "Riley." A voice called, and I woke up with a start "You were crying in your sleep, and I tried


    Chapter Two Hundred and That Sh


    waking you, but..."


    I cut off his words with a kiss.


    "Well, that was unexpected," he said with a small smile.


    It was just a dream.


    It hadn''t been real. Relief flooded me and I let out a smallugh.


    "It was just a bad dream." I said, and Thane nodded, rising from the bed. "Are youing with me to work?"


    "No, I''ll skip today."


    "Had it been because of what I said-pay no mind to that; I was only being paranoid and worried for you.


    00


    "Is not that, it''s just.... your job is boring when ites to the paperwork; I would prefer remaining here and enjoying a good sleep." I replied, and he shrugged.


    "That''s fine, but you can stop by if you feel like it."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t." I assured him, and he chuckled before heading to the bathroom.


    1 rose from the bed, feeling better than I had in weeks.


    I was going to try to enjoy my day, maybe for just the next few hours I could forget about Bailey and everything and just enjoy a normal day.


    I watched the soldiers train and then did some work out. I let Axel teach me more on how to use a bow and arrow, and thankfully I was getting better at it. The day turned out to be fun, but nighttime came too fast. I returned back to my room. The knock on the door drew my attention.


    It was a maid who hade in with drinks. It was my favorite apple drink.


    I had a crazy idea.


    I took off my clothes, searching through the drawer for my g-strings; I needed to look sexy to pull this off, and when I had found the right pair I put it on. I let my hair down, quickly brushing through it.


    Thane would be back anytime soon. I gulped-down the apple juice before refilling it, and just. then a memory shed back in my mind. I retraced my steps back into the dressing room and to my jewelry department.


    1 had seen the little bottle earlier, but my mind had been elsewhere; only now did it ur to me that this bottle wasn''t here thest time I came in.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty


    The ss bottle had a greenish liquid.


    Wolf''s bane extract.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Seven


    It was all supposed to be a dream. A very bad one. But it wasn''t; it hadn''t just been a dream. My hand shook as I held the bottle.


    "Add this to his drink." Bailey''s voice reechoed in my head.


    I walked back into the room, staring at the ss of apple juice on the table. I hadn''t asked the maid for it, and I doubted Thane did either. Sending the maid here must have been a part of Bailey''s n-I realized.


    Tears rolled down my eyes as my body acted on its own, pulling the bottle open. The harsh smell hurt my nose.


    "No, no, you can''t." I said to myself, but still I found myself pouring the content into his cup. It had mixed so nicely, one couldn''t even tell.


    Thane arrived home, and he paused to stare down at my choice of clothing, or rather, my choice of underwear.


    "I like being weed like this."


    "You can have all of this, but first, join me for a drink." I said with a smile on my face. "It''s apple juice."


    He picked up his ss, and I stared at him as he lifted the ss to his lips. How do I give him a sign? How do I stop this?


    My heart mmed fast in my chest, and just then the door to our room was pulled open, Axel walked in.


    Thane ced the ss of apple juice back on the table.


    me


    "Am I intruding?" Axel says, ncing at me before quickly looking away.


    "No, you are not." I say immediately.


    "I just need to speak with the Alpha, but I coulde backter."


    "It must be an emergency, so go ahead."


    and


    "This better be something really important, else, you''ll be spending another night with the patrollers." Thane muttered before following Axel out of the room.


    I stared at the ss filled with apple juice and wolf''s bane extract.


    Her words kept ringing over and over in my head. "Make sure he drinks it," she warns, and I ce both of my hands on my ears, but that doesn''t stop me from hearing her words, I backed away, identallying in contact with the table. The ss cups along with every other thing on the floor fell to the ground. The apple juice spilled,


    No more.


    I was done letting her use me.


    Thane didn''t return home that night; I remained awake, waiting. I knew she woulde to visit, and when I heard the slight footsteps, I knew Bailey was here.


    "Tell me some good news," she said, leaning against the wall. I kept silent.


    "I thought it had been a dream; how... how did you do it?"


    "Some tricks on your mind, and that''s it."


    "So I had actually been to the warehouse."


    "How else would I have passed the bottle of wolf''s bane extract to you?"


    "When I left this room, Thane should have noticed my absence."


    "When Ipel you," she began, "it forces you to be the best version of yourself. Right now you let emotions, feelings, and fear stand in your way, but when Ipel you, you let go of any human qualities, and that makes you stronger. You are powerful; it is in you, but you see it yet. Now back to my question. Did it work? And where is he?"


    "In the warehouse, right where we met." I said to her, my face emotionless.


    don''t


    "I couldpel you to be sure you aren''t lying, but this is far more fun. I want you to know that if you are tricking me and he is not there, then I would kill even more people, and their blood would be on your hands. ""I know that."


    "Then shall we?" she asked, stretching her hands for mine.


    "Of course." I agree, taking her hand, and just then I stabbed the silver dagger I had kept hidden right through her heart. "You are right, the power is in me."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and That Eight


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Eight


    Bailey''s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the dagger now prodding out of her chest. I didn''t stop at that. I pulled the dagger out, only to strike over and over again, till I was sure she was dead.


    She fell to the floor in a puddle of her own blood, and finally I paused to stare at her.


    It was over; I couldn''t believe it. I would be free.


    I didn''t know I was crying till I felt the tears against my cheeks; this wasn''t tears of pain or sadness but of relief. It worked. I couldn''t believe it worked; I had been one step ahead of her.


    I took Bailey''s body deeper into the woods, a shovel in my hand, and when I waspletely out of sight, I began digging as quickly as I could. I dumped her body into the hole I had dug. I had been about to cover her up when I heard the footsteps. I turned, but I had been a second toote. Something hard came into contact with my head, and I fell to the ground.


    Thest thing I saw before I cked out was Nick''s figure standing over me.


    I awoke with a start. My head hurt, and I noticed I was bound to a chair.


    My blurred vision got clearer, and I noticed two figures, Nick and... Bailey.


    "I guess the water did the trick," she says, tossing the now empty bucket away. I, on the other hand, was soaking wet.


    I had killed her. I had driven the silver dagger into her heart over and again, how could she still be alive? That should be impossible.


    "I guess you are wondering why I am still breathing. The answer to that is very simple. You mistook me for a regr werewolf. You have to do better than silver daggers to end me," she said with a sick smile on her face. My gaze found Nick.


    "You." I called out venemously.


    "Yes Riley. Me. I am the reason you were not sessful with your little burial and, of course, why you are here."


    "Why, Nick?, why would you do this to me?" I questioned, and then it clicked-he was beingpelled too. "So you''ve got himpelled too?" I questioned Bailey, and she onlyughed.


    "No one has mepelled; I am here because I want to be."


    "You are working with her?"


    der Two Hundred and Thirt? Eight


    Yes, I am. It might hurt, but I need to reveal one more secret to you, one I should have told you." He said with a simile, like he found his words funny. "Another reason I turned you was to help the elder get her revenge; I hadn''t lied about the other reasons though; I thought you would be a good partner for me, but that was not the main reason for turning you."


    "So... everything, it was all an act?"


    "What else did you


    think?"


    "No." I whispered. This I didn''t expect, no, not at all.


    "Oh yes, Riley. When you came to our pack, Bailey showed up too; she had the n all sorted out, and I went along with it."


    "What did she promise you in exchange?"


    "Nothing. I was ready to do anything to bring the Alpha King, who is also thest Lycan, down. Also, as a turned one, it is my duty to serve the elders, and so I made you feel at home back at my pack, and then I attempted the ritual on you, it wasn''t as hard as I thought it to be, you were more than willing. You almost died, and it would have messed up our n, but well, you didn''t, and turns out the game is still on."


    "You fool. She is only using you for her personal gain; when she doesn''t need you anymore,


    would be tossed away like the trash you are.


    you


    Nick pped me, hard..


    "I''ll be careful of what I say if I were you; you are under my control now, and I could really hurt you."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Nine


    I spit out blood, my gaze returning back to Nick.


    "I am not afraid of you, Nick; do your worst."


    "You were always a bold one, but the problem was your emotions; they are your greatest weakness."


    "Why not take your crappy insights and shove it right up your manhole."


    That earned me another p, and I smirked knowing I was getting to him.


    "Bailey would betray you; I mean, that''s what she does best; you are nothing more than a tool to her."


    "Are you any different from her? You used me; I helped you heal from all the hurt the bastard.


    and inflicted on you; we made a deal, but of course, you broke it; you went back to him returned my wedding ring like that solves it all. You aren''t much different."


    "You lied to me; you hid the truth from me and left me suffering the consequences."


    "What did you think? That there would be no consequences? That the dark side would grant you power with nothing in return? if you thought that, then maybe you are the fool."


    "You want to know why I left you even after everything? It''s because you were never going to be what I wanted; thinking about a life with you filled me with dread; I would never be able to love you because my heart belongs to someone else.


    "And you didn''t know this when you were making the deal? You are no different from him; you both make deals you know from the beginning you will never be able to keep to, but you make it anyway for your personal gain, and in the end you don''t keep to your part." "Poor Nick, should I feel sorry for how heartbroken you felt because I don''t."


    "Your mother did think I was the better choice." Nick said, and my smile disappeared.


    "Leave my mother out of this else..."


    "Else what? You are chained to a chair andpletely helpless; there is nothing you can do. But don''t worry, Gabriel likes her a lot, and so for his sake, I wouldn''t harm her... yet. But if you push me, then I might have to be the bad guy" Bailey chuckled at that. No, it wasn''t funny.


    "As much as your bickering is very interesting to listen to, we have better things to discuss.


    "Thane woulde for me, and all of you will be sorry."


    "Is that what you think?" Bailey questioned. "Well, Thane would being here, but not to save you, no darling; he would being here as a... prisoner. We made this little n, and for you, he would fall right into it." "Don''t you dare do anything to him."


    "How do you think he would feel when he discovers you are behind all the murders and everything that has been going wrong in his pack?"


    "You made me do it."


    "Well, we would keep that little part a secret. You see, when I had been captured by the elders, there was more to my story; of course I kept it a... secret.


    "They were going to kill me. Caleb and Nyaos, and it was all because of him-the alpha king- I would have died, but I had made them a deal, one too difficult for them to reject, and that was the only way I got out alive. By doing this, I am not only gaining their trust but also exerting revenge on Thane for ying me a fool."


    "I know you''ve been wronged by Thane, but... it doesn''t have to be this way; I would step down and you would be made queen; I promise you that; just leave Thane out of this." I tried reasoning with her.


    "And why would I ept such a petite offer? Once, I wanted to be Queen, but after everything, the position had lost its appeal in my eyes. Caleb and Nyaos are already on their way to Thane; you''ve lost, and you did a long time ago when you saw me in the woods and didn''t kill me, but instead you brought me back into the pack, the very ce I needed to be.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty


    THANE''S POV


    Every singlemander and a few high ranked members had been interrogated, but none had been found wanting..


    I couldn''t stop thinking about Riley. In the room, all alone, it was clear that she wanted to spend the night a different way, and I was going to make it up to her. "None of them did this." Axel said to me when we were back in my office.


    "Yes, I could tell they weren''t lying."


    Just then there was a knock on the door, and Regnux, one of themanders, walked in.


    "I wanted to speak with you," he said. I noticed how nervous he looked.


    "Go on," I said.


    "So from the investigations, it is clear that the murderer is not a Commander or a high ranked. What if we''ve been looking in the wrong ce all these while?" "Skip to the point, Reg."


    He nodded. "The point is, what if it''s someone closer... maybe the Luna, I mean after what..."


    Axel walked to him. "Do you have proof?" He asked, cutting him off.


    "No, not exactly..."


    "So youe here and use the Luna with no proof?" Axel asked furious now, and so was I.


    "Forgive me, my mistake; I shouldn''t have said that," he said, heading for the door.


    "Wait." I called.


    "Have you spoken of this with anyone else?" I asked, and he shook his head.


    "No." He responded quickly.


    In a sh, I stood right in front of him."


    "Have you spoken of this with anyone else?" I questioned again, but this time using my Alpha aura, and he shook his head.


    "No, I have not. I wanted toe to you first."


    "Good. Now leave." I said, and he hurried away.


    "You let him go... just like that?" Axel questioned


    "He didn''t tell anyone about his suspicions; he came to us first.


    "So I guess I did interrupt something." Axel said as he walked beside me.


    "I was about to have the time of my life with Riley, and this... ''gathering'' came up."


    "We needed to take them by surprise so we could tell if they are really being honest. Who knows, she might re-arrange something tonight


    I was hoping she would. I couldn''t help but smile at the memory of her in those sexy g-strings. Gawd, she was sexy.


    "Don''t bother me this night." I warned Axel.


    "Of course, I would hate to spend another night patrolling the pack borders."


    I walked into our room, and the first thing I noticed was that she wasn''t in here; the second thing I noticed was a letter on the desk. I picked it up and read through it.


    You left me hangingst night. No worries; I forgive you, but ns are still on. Meet me at the pack''s warehouse; don''t keep me waiting."


    I smirked. This sounded a bit too bold for Riley, but well, I liked her bold. I put the letter in my back pocket and headed out of our room.


    Axel gave me a weird look. "Where are you heading to?" he questioned.


    "Well, I got a redo quicker than I expected."


    I stopped right in front of the pack''s warehouse.


    I was all for the wild sex in the most strange ces, but I wondered why she chose here of all ces. This rm was ringing in my mind no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.


    I pulled open the door, and I walked in. Something came flying at me, and I caught it midair it was a syringe, filled with a ckish substance. I felt the presence behind me, and I turned just in time to see his face. Nyaos, one of the elders. Heunched at me, driving us both to the ground, and I rolled over so he was beneath me.


    "Where is she?" I growled at him.


    "You would meet her soon," he said, stabbing a syringe identical to one that had been thrown at me earlier into my neck.


    The effect was immediate, and soon all I could feel was pain-pain so intense, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and FortyOne


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty One RILEY''S POV


    I was alone in the empty containment room, chained to the chair I had been ced on. The footsteps approaching got my attention.


    Bailey was back, again.


    "Your mate is here. Just as I had said, feelings make us weak, and that was his downfall."


    Fof


    "Don''t you dare harm him." I warned, struggling out of the chains.


    "I guess you would want to see him, right?" She questioned me, and I gave her no answer; I wouldn''t let her see how desperately I wanted to go to him. She walked to me, taking off the chains, and I immediately bolted for the door. The moment I touched the handle, the silver burned my hand. "You may call it karma-you remember the silver dagger you used on me?" she asked.


    "Let me out."


    "I''ll do that, but first, we need to make things clear. In whatever you do, you will not try to


    this ce. Got it?" She ordered, and I nodded,pelled. "Good, nowe with me."


    escape


    I followed her out of the room. The building seemned ancient, clearly an underground hideout. It made sense why Caleb and Nyaos were hard to trace.


    She stopped before a huge door, and she pulled that open. We walked in.


    "There is your mate."


    "


    I ran to Thane, but I couldn''t get to him; it was like some invisible force stopped me from going through.


    "That''s... enchanted; no one goes through this way without permission from the elders-in


    this


    case,


    me."


    "Let me in."


    "No can do."


    "Thane! Thane, look at me!" I cried out, but just like me, he too had been chained to a chair; there were multiple pipes passing in some ckish-coloured fluid into his body.


    "He can''t hear you from here; he can''t even see you; that''s how the enchantment works, darling. Though there is another way in... oops, I shouldn''t have told you that." "What did you do to him?" I asked, Thane looked very... pale.


    "Me? No, this time it hadn''t been me behind this This is all Nyaos and Caleb''s doing. The boys have been busy, and they believe they''ve found something that could affect the Lycan-how wolf''s bane affects wolves, and from the looks of things, it worked." Chapter Two Hundred and FortyOne


    "Please stop this; you could kill him."


    "I don''t want him dead either; I want a worse faith for him. I want to take away his wolf side and let him live the rest of his life as a human, but to convince the others to go with that choice, it would take some serious... effort."


    I once had a dream simr to this in the past; I remember waking up feeling so afraid; it had felt so real. What if it had been more of a revtion?


    the In my dream Thane had been bound; just like he was now, an elder had threatened to use cursed weapon on him, the very same one he had used to destroy the other elders. That was exactly what Bailey was offering now.


    "The weapon won''t kill him; it would only take away his wolf." I repeated, and she nodded. "What do I have to give in exchange?" I questioned, and she smiled wide.


    "Now you seem to understand me better. You will give your life for his. To appease Nyaos and Caleb, I would have to grant them something in exchange for Thane''s life."


    "You don''t need my consent to kill me, Bailey, and we all know that, so tell me what exactly do you want."


    "Fine. I want you to go up to Thane and tell him everything. Tell him how you killed those. soldiers and the little girl; tell him how you hate him; and better make it real."


    "This is not about appeasing Nyaos and Caleb, is it? This is about you and appeasing your own selfish desires."


    "Well, once again, you''ve got me. You are the one person Thane loves with all his heart and soul; I want him broken, and I fear taking his wolf wouldn''t do that, but you... you are they key to making him miserable; I want him to hate you, even in your death, he would be filled with hate at your memory; but in exchange I''ll spare his life and he would get to live his days BUT as a human. This is my offer, so it''s up to you to make the choice."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Two


    I always knew Bailey wasn''t a good person; from the very first time I saw her, something about her was off-putting, but this was beyond evil.


    She was not only going to torture Thane but torture me too. He would hate me; even in my death, he would never discover the truth that she had been the onepelling me, and yet... it would be worth it if he stays alive in the end. Yes, he wouldn''t have his wolf, but he would still have his life.


    "And how do I know you won''t stab me in the back after I am done with what you''ve asked?" I questioned. I couldn''t trust Bailey; I knew that.


    "You don''t really have a choice here, do you?"


    That was equally correct; I didn''t exactly have a choice.


    "Take me to him."


    "Give him a day; he is too weak to react now."


    A day.


    That''s what Bailey asked for, but I would have preferred if I walked right into that space and said it all to him at that moment; at least it would be over, but now I sat here, alone, thinking about what I was about to do; I didn''t know if I could do it. I didn''t know if I could look him in the eyes and lie to him. I didn''t think I could go through with the act.


    Just as Bailey promised, the next day she arrived,


    "Eat," shemanded, cing the te of food before me.


    "No."


    "Darling, it wasn''t poisoned; that would be too easy a death, so eat up; he has to believe you weren''t forced into saying those words and better wipe those tears because they aren''t helping. "She stared at my face, as if essing me. "I''ll be back with clean clothes and some make-up," she said before leaving.


    I wolfed down the food because I needed my strength for what I was about to do.


    Bailey returned with a short dress and also a pair of booths to match.


    "You will make him believe that you were in on this, and that wouldn''t work if you appeared in those


    rags... you need a wash too, no offense but you stink. So many things to do. Come,e, we don''t have a lot of time."


    I took a cold bath in a tiny bathroom that had blood all over its walls. I walked out only to


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Two


    notice Nick seated on a wooden stool. My first instinct was to cover my nakedness, but I wouldn''t give him that satisfaction.


    "She is some pretty thing," he said, and I had to hold back my anger. This was what losing felt


    like.


    "Don''t be a jerk; give us some privacy."


    Nick raised his hands in surrender before walking to the door. He paused. "You really want to kill her?" he questioned.


    "She has to die; I am afraid."


    "What a waste. Perhaps you could reward my services with some time alone with her before you kill her." Nick requested, and my eyes met Bailey, a silent plea in them.


    "Of course." She said to Nick, the smile widening on her lips.


    I had been dolled up, a pretty prisoner; no one would think I was a prisoner though and that was the point of the whole ''dress up''. Bailey led me out of the room and down to where Thane had been kept.


    "Are you ready?" she questioned.


    I stared at him; he was awake, his eyes dark, but there was not even a single flicker of fear in those amber eyes. I was going to break him, and knew that, yet I had no other option. I only hope he learns to forgive me for what I was about to do. "Yes," I said to Bailey. "I am ready."


    With that, I wiped the single tear from my eyes and put on a facade, one he wouldn''t doubt.


    "You can go through, Riley," she says, that sick smile still on her face, and I walked past the division this time; finally Thane could see me. I took a second to stare at him, knowing this might be thest time I ever get to do so.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Three THANE


    I couldn''t move. It must be these damned fluids being passed into my veins. I was forced to the onlyfort I got during that time was the minutes I endure hours of pain and agony


    spent thinking about Riley.


    My fear was that they got her too; I didn''t mind them taking me; I was ready to bargain my life to save hers if it came down to that, she could go back to Axel, I was confident that he would take good care of her and she could live the rest of her life happy. The only problem was that in this position, my life wasn''t really good enough to make the bargain. I hated to say this, but I waspletely at their mercy, and that could only change if I managed to take these damned pipes out.


    The pain only worsened with time; maybe this would be my end. I had spent my life killing people-yes, the majority of them were those who challenged me and others who were just in the wrong ce at the wrong time, so this could be karma catching up with me. My only wish was t was to have a few more minutes with her before I breathe myst; that was more than I could ever ask for.


    Riley walked in, and I believed I was hallucinating as I had been doing for the past few hours. She looked beautiful in a short dress, adorned with jewels and a booth that was a little too big.


    "Thane," she called, her voice small.


    And only then realize I notice that this wasn''t a hallucination; she was actually here.


    "Riley," I called, but there was something different about her. I wasn''t going to waste precious time dwelling on that, so I spoke on quickly. "I need you to listen to me. I know the elders brought you here, I will find a way to get you out of this ce." I promised. "Once your are safe, you will go to Axel, he will need your support to lead the pack." I paused, finally noticing how calm she was. It was almost like she wasn''t in any form of danger.


    Something was indeed very wrong. How did she get here?


    "Now would you let me speak, or are you still up for thest words, bullshit?" she asked, her face nk of emotions.


    "Riley, how did you get in here?" I asked.


    "Oh. Bailey, let me in."


    "Bailey." I repeated, it made sense that the elder was in on this.


    "Yes. Did


    you really think


    you would get away with cheating her?"


    "Wait what?" I questioned.


    ''Don''t act all so surprised Lycan. You use people; that''s what you do best."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forly Three


    "Why are you saying these? Riley, what did they do to you?" I questioned.


    "Do I look like I had been forced in anyway?" she asked. My attention settled on her. No, she didn''t look one bit like she had been forced into this ce. "What is going on Riley?"


    "As I have said, justice is catching up with you. So you really thought that after you disgraced me before the pack members and everyone, I''de running to your arms again?"


    "I know I did wrong, Riley, and I apologized; you forgave me, remember?"


    "Yes, I remember telling you that; I would have told you anything you wanted to hear, just as long as you believed me, Thane. You hurt me, and not everyone is as forgiving as you think. So I yed you." didn''t they?"


    A small smirk yed on her lips; in that moment, she looked like apletely different


    person.


    "You know what? I don''t believe you, Riley; they forced you to say this to me,


    "You''ve been investigating the murders in the pack, and stupid love sick you didn''t include me on the list. Who did you think freed Bailey? Who do you think killed those soldiers, and let''s not forget the poor little girl you found dead, her body torn limb from limb and thrown into the well."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Folly Four


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Four


    I remembered Regnux''s words; he had suspected Riley; he must have seen something, something I was too blind to see.


    I also recalled Riley''s disappearance and how all of a sudden she wanted to tag along anywhere I went. She was the only one who knew where I had kept the keys to Bailey''s cell, yet I believed there had been a spare key. I was ready to believe everything but the truth that had been right before my eyes.


    A fool. That was what I was.


    The evidence was clear, and yet... yet, I didn''t want to believe it. It couldn''t be true. Once I had been heartbroken, Be''s death had left me in so much pain I couldn''t heal on my own. Axel had bonded with me to share my pain.


    But I hadn''t loved my mate like I loved Riley, and that''s why I refused to believe it; the truth was clear, and yet I wanted it to be a lie; I wanted there to be some kind of exnation to it.


    "Riley, if you think you are doing this to help me in some way, then don''t. This won''t help me, tell me this is all lies."


    The flicker in her eyes gave me hope, but then she looked away from me. "Now you would feel my pain; you would understand what it feels like to be heartbroken. I thought Ryker was bad, but everything evil that happened to me was because of you, and that had to end. Nick, you coulde in now... love," she called out, and Nick walked in with a smirk on his lips.


    He enjoyed watching this; I wanted to rip him apart.


    "You could return the ring now," she said, and Nick passed her the engagement ring, the very same one she had earlier returned to him, and she put it on. "Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    "Beautiful." Nick agrees, "Just as you, my love."


    She turned to him and gave him a small kiss on the lips.


    Anger, unlike I''ve ever felt, filled me. She had yed me; the woman I loved, the same one I was ready to do just anything to be with, had deceived me. She had been the little green snake in the green grass.


    "It had been all part of the n I made with Nick. I knew you would be weak enough to ept me back. For a powerful Lycan, you were quite easy to y," she said.


    She walked to me, trailing her finger down my face, and I let her out a warning growl. She snapped her hand back.


    "Wise option." I said to her,


    "Do you know what they would do to you? They would take away your wolf with the very same.


    as that sound, I wouldn''t want to hang around to watch.


    She headed for the door.


    "Wait." I called, she didn''t look at me, her eyes remained pinned to the door. "When I get out here, I will kill your lover, Nick, and after that, I will kill you, bitch."


    "Don''t hold your breath; you won''t be getting out of here anytime soon."


    They say it''s only a thin line between love and hate, and that was urate, because a few minutes ago, the thought of Riley was the only thing keeping me sane; now, it was one more reason I needed to escape, just so I could drive a dagger through her heart.


    I could feel something rising in me, the beast I suppressed, the very same one I grew ashamed of and tried to keep locked away because I feared I would hurt her, now he broke through the walls I had used to cage it in; but this time, I epted it because it was a part of me; it was... me.


    Chapter Two Hundred and FortyFour


    weapon you used to kill those elders. You would be brought down to nothing, and as appealing as that sound, I wouldn''t want to hang around to watch.


    She headed for the door.


    "Wait." I called, she didn''t look at me, her eyes remained pinned to the door. "When I get out


    bitch." here, I will kill your lover, Nick, and after that, I will kill you,


    "Don''t hold your breath; you won''t be getting out of here anytime soon."


    They say it''s only a thin line between love and hate, and that was urate, because a few minutes ago, the thought of Riley was the only thing keeping me sane; now, it was one more reason I needed to escape, just so I could drive a dagger through her heart.


    I could feel something rising in me, the beast I suppressed, the very same one I grew ashamed of and tried to keep locked away because I feared I would hurt her, now he broke through the walls I had used to cage it in; but this time, I epted it because it was a part of me; it was... me.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Five RILEY.


    I couldn''t turn back; if I did, he would see the tears I could no longer suppress; that would destroy everything and my little act would be over, so I didn''t turn back when he called, I had my eyes pinned to the door. "When I get out here, I will kill your lover, Nick, and after that, I will kill you, bitch."


    Those words would forever haunt me. He sounded so cold. I wondered for the first time if I did the right thing; my fear was that my attempt to save would cause him to lose the little humanity he held onto.


    "You did well back there." Nick says, "I almost believed that maybe you never really liked him. He seemed very angry; I would stay as far away from him as I could if I were you."


    "Stop talking."


    "Oh,e on, this was the deal; get over..."


    eyes


    1 punched him right in the face, cutting him off; blood dripped down his nose and his shed with anger. He mmed me against the wall, and my skull, still fragile from his previous attack, hit the wall hard. For a moment, all I saw was ck. "You..."


    "Let her go."


    go." Bailey called; I hadn''t seen hering. "You will have your time with her to do as you wish soon."


    Nick finally let me go, and I spit at his face. "I''ll do the very same thing soon, when you''ll be sucking on my cock."


    With that, he shoved past me.


    "Come," Bailey called for me, and I followed; she led me back to the room I had been awoken. in. "Sit," she said, but I didn''t. "Remember our deal; so easily everything you''ve done could go to waste," she threatened, and I finally took a seat, letting her put back the chains on. She left my hands free though, and that was a surprise.


    She passed me a dagger; it was the very same dagger I had used on her. I wondered how she was able to retrieve it.


    "Now this is what you will do; you will stab yourself over and over again in the very same spot, and you will not stop till I say so. Now go on.''


    I took the dagger from her hand, and I drove it through myp, crying out from the pain. I pulled it out and repeated the action, just as she said. The silver burned through my skin; pain was all I could feel.


    "You really didn''t think I would make your death easy, did you?"


    Chapter Two Hundred and FortyFive


    I had been in so much pain, I didn''t realize when someone walked in. The dagger was taken from my hands, and I looked up; it was thest person I expected to see. Beatrix stood before me.


    "I shouldn''t be here; I know that. But... I had to be; I had to save Thane, and even if I dislike you, you are still my...Queen Luna, and it''s my duty.


    Believe me, I never knew this was Bailey''s n; Icouldn''t believe I even aided this. I am here to help you escape."


    I couldn''t believe her words. Beatrixand I had never been the best of friends; I had left her in the dungeons to rot, and yet here she was, trying to help me.


    "Thank you." I whispered, and she nodded. I''ll be back, hang in there. She ced the dagger on the floor, away from my reach. "If she asked, tell her you dropped it.


    I nodded.


    Beatrix left, but now I felt hopeful; maybe I could escape this ce; maybe I still had a chance. With that thought in mind, I was able topletely ignore Nick; he hade in some hours after Beatrix departure; a ss of water in his hands, and only then did I realize how tasty I


    was.


    "You want some?" he asked, but I ignored him. "Well, I''ll take that as a no." He slowly spilled the water on the ground, a smile on his face.


    Nick couldn''t break me; I wouldn''t let him.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Six


    CAUTION: THERE WOULD BE VIOLENT SCENES IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS; PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.


    THANE.


    I could do it; I knew I could break through the chains. Rage is one powerful thing. I pulled hard, and the chains broke off. I ripped out the pipes that had been used to pass the fluids into my bloodstream, and 1 staggered to my feet.


    I heard footsteps approaching, and I positioned myself beside the door. Nyaos walked in; he noticed the empty chair, I could smell his fear; he should be afraid. I shut the door behind him, and only then did he notice me; he turned, his eyes widening in terror as I plunged my hand into his chest, past the crunch of his ribcage, and deep into his heart. His mouth opened, frozen in a silent scream.


    "The cursed weapon isn''t the only way to kill an elder." I whispered before I pulled his


    heart out. The sight of blood was so intoxicating it ignited a lust for blood in me, I wanted to spill more blood.


    An elder had been brought to nothing in a matter of minutes, that''s... something.


    Just then there was a gunshot; it prated through the door and to my side. I could feel the silver bullet burning into my skin. Two more shots followed, but I had managed to dodge those. There was a a lot of blood; I was going to die if I didn''t get that bullet out. I dug my fingers into my side; the silver burned to touch, but I had to take it out, and I did. I let the blood-covered bullet fall to the ground with a clunk. I inhaled sharply.


    Caleb kicked open the door and he walked in. He stared at Nyaos'' corpse, his heart now outside his body, and his eyes shed with fury, his lips twisted into a snarl. It was satisfying to watch.


    Caleb closed in on me, he sent a kick to my abdomen, exactly where I had been shot. I groaned, managing to pull myself to my feet but he beat me to it, stabbing a syringe into my arm.


    "This should shut you down for a while, and for your sake, I hope it doesn''t kill you."


    That''s thest I heard before the darkness took over once more.


    I woke up back in the chair I had broken free of. I was chained, but this time, there were even more chains. Fuck.


    "Who helped you out?" The voice called. I looked up to see Caleb. I didn''t give him a response. "Who helped you out!" he said louder, as if that would make me give him a response. I was getting under his skin, and that was the first step


    "Well, I would have to make you pay for what you just did," he said, and another man walked in; he was a new face, I was sure I hadn''t seen him before; he dragged along a woman... Freya.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fortysix


    My mother.


    "Don''t harm her." I warned, my eyes on her. Freya''s cries around her mouth.


    "Then answer my question. Who helped you escape?"


    I knew he wouldn''t let her go, and yet...


    wore muffled by the material tied


    "No one. I pulled free of those chains. You always underestimated me and that is your biggest mistake."


    "But that is impossible; the rowan is supposed to keep you in a state of partial paralysis," he muttered to himself, and then his eyes found mine. "Thank you for your honesty."


    He kissed Freya on the forehead; her eyes were on me as Caleb dug his hands into her chest and ripped out her heart.


    "An eye for an eye. A heart for another."


    He let her corpse fall to the ground. She was dead. Freya might never have been the best mother, but she was the only family I had left. She wanted none of this; she had left the pack because she wanted to make a life for herself; she wanted to find love and start over after all she had gone through by the hand of my father. Yet here she was, dead, all her dreams and hopes crushed, destroyed.


    I had no one to me but myself. I had been a fool.


    "I will kill you, Caleb, and that''s a promise."

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    hapter Two Hundred and Forty Seven. RILEY


    "It''s girls time, Nick; you should leave." Bailey said to him, and he gave me a long look before leaving both of us alone. "I didn''t remember telling you to stop with the dagger," she said. ""It fell." I lied.


    I didn''t know if she bought that, but she spoke no more about it, taking a seat beside me.


    "I''m going to tell you a story, one I had never told anyone before. Well, you would die in the end, so it makes no difference.


    I was in love once. I don''t mean the casual crushes and those little feelings girls have. I was in love with Nyaos; he had always been there for me when I needed him; he helped me so many. times; I can''t even count the number of times he had saved my life. But Nyaos loved another; I was the ''other woman'', and I knew that.


    Katara believed we were good friends; she trusted me; she trusted the both of us, and I knew what we did behind her back was very wrong, but I couldn''t help myself. Nyaos said he loved us both, and though I always wanted more, I could settle for what I had, and that''s what I did. Katara was my best friend, and I betrayed her. When she found out the truth... I expected her to get mad and angry at me for what I had done, I would have deserved her resentment, but she never spoke about what happened. Maybe she did hate me, but she never showed it. I could, never forget the kiss she gave me right before she took her own life. She hung herself.


    It was a strange thing to do, but only yearster did I understand her intentions. She wanted me to feel guilty; she knew that with the guilt in my heart I would never be able to go on with the rtionship I had with Nyaos, and that had been exactly what happened. With her gone, Nyaos was ready to give me his full attention, just as I had always wanted, but the guilt I felt wouldn''t let me love him back, at least not in the way I once did."


    "Bailey." I called, and her gaze met mine. "I really don''t give a fuck."


    She was right in front of me in less than a second. "What exactly did you say stopped you from using the dagger on yourself as I hadpelled you to?"


    "It fell." I repeated


    "You lie."


    Just then Nick walked in, dragging along Beatrix; there were multiple cuts over her body, and I could see she was missing a few fingers.


    "She had been here, hadn''t she?" Bailey asked me.


    "No, she hadn''t." I denied and that earned me a p.


    "I was willing to let her go; the bitch turned on me." Bailey said her eyes were on Beatrix; she sent a kick to her guts, and Beatrix doubled over,


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Seven


    "Stop! Punish me instead."


    "Oh, you will be punished," Bailey promised. She picked the dagger from the floor, and she walked to Beatrix.


    Beatrix was trying to tell me something, her mouth forming the words ''he... is..ing.


    "No, please, no..." Lcalled out.


    It was toote. Bailey slit her throat. Beatrix tried applying pressure on the cut, but more blood poured down her chest and it only took a few seconds of struggle before she slumped. Dead. "This is what happens when you lie to me; this is what happens, Riley, and it''s all your fault." Beatrix was here because she wanted to help me; if she had stayed away, none of this would happen, and now she was dead. I couldn''t bring myself to look away from her corpse.


    "I wanted to keep her alive much longer, not anymore. Nick, do what you must; have your fun; she will be dead before dawn."


    Bailey left me alone with Nick.


    "I could make you enjoy this, but if you try resisting, then I would do the exact opposite." Nick took off the chains binding me to the chair, and he pushed me to the floor. I''didn''t say a word, not as he tore the upper part of my dress, revealing my cleavages. "To be honest, I hoped you would beg; it only makes things more fun."


    "You disgust me." I say, spitting on his face.


    "Very well then, the hard way it is."


    Someone ripped Nick off me, hurling through the air, he hit the wall hard.


    Axel stood before me. He was here; that had been what Beatrix was trying to tell me.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and FortyEight


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Eight


    Axel unsheathed his sword before striding towards Nick.


    Nick let out his wing, flying right over us, but Axel leaped into the air, bringing him down by wing. Axel pinned Nick down, holding both wings. I watched in amazement as Axel sliced off, and Nick roared in pain, the bones where his wings had been attached prodded out of his back.


    Axel passed the blood stained sword to me. I limped to where Nicky groaning in agony.


    "Didn''t I tell you, I will kill you?" Now kneel." I said, and he rose, falling on his knees. "Riley I..."


    I didn''t let him say more; in a clean swipe, I incapacitated his head from the rest of his body.


    Axel took off his leather jacket and helped me put it on.


    "I know a way out." Axel says, leading me out of the room, we walked down the hallways to an


    open space.


    "Going somewhere?" A voice called from behind us.


    Bailey.


    She held


    crossbow in her hands. "Nyaos is dead Thane killed him. I guess this means our


    deal is... off."


    She shot the crossbow at me, but Axel was quick to stand in the way. The arrow met him in the


    chest.


    He pulled it out, letting it fall to the ground.


    "I always knew you weren''t to be trusted." He said to her,


    "It''s a little toote for regrets now, don''t you think?. Riley dear, do me the favor of killing him." Shemanded, and I turned to Axel.


    "I''m sorry." I whispered before I charged at him with the sword in my hands; he dodged. I came at him harder, getting him slightly in the arm. He brought me down to the ground. before rolling over, so I was on the ground and he was above me; he took the sword from my hand, and then he went for Bailey.


    "You don''t really think you can fight me, do you? With that, she disappeared into thin air, materializing behind him.


    "Axel behind you!" I called out but she was faster, she kicked hard at his knee, and he lost bnce. He recovered, quickly rising to his feet, but this time Iunched at him, my fangs dug into his neck, he ripped me off him. "Look at me Riley; focus on me," he said, and I did just that. "She can''t hurt you anymore, you don''t have to do what she asks of you; you are


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Eight


    nobody''s toy."


    "I can''t..."


    "You can," he insisted.


    Hermand rang through my mind. I closed my eyes, trying to fight it as hard as I could. Axel pulled away from my grip.


    "Don''t hide now, Bailey; reveal yourself!" he called out.


    Another arrow came soaring through the air, but this time he caught it midair and sent it flying back at her. It struck her in the chest, and she gasped, letting go of the crossbow.


    Her hold over me was broken too, and now I could see the arrow got her right in the heart; it wasn''t enough to kill her, but enough to buy us some time.


    "I hope there is some spare clothes somewhere" Axel said before transforming into wolf form. He leaped at her, pinning her down he bit into her leg, ripping it off her body. She wed at his face and his wolf whimpered. I picked up the sword Axel left on the floor and I snuck up


    on her from behind; I aimed for her heart, but at the veryst minute she turned, and I got her in the stomach instead.


    I could see the fear in her eyes. She moved backwards till the sword was out of her, and then she ran. Axel switched back to his human form.


    "You have to go find Thane; they will kill him."


    You


    "I won''t leave you here."


    "Listen to me; I am fine. I''ll be right behind you." I promised; Axel didn''t seem to like that one


    bit.


    "I''ll be back," he promised. "Don''t die on me."


    "I won''t."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Nine


    THANE''S POV


    The door opened, and Caleb walked in, his hands up as if in surrender. My beta, Axel followed, a gun pointed to his head.


    "Free him," Axel said.


    Caleb walked to me, taking out the pipes.


    "The chains too." Axel said, and I could tell Caleb was not going to do that.


    Axel shot at his leg, but Caleb was strong-maybe even the strongest of all the elders. In the next second, Axel''s gun was in his hands, and the table turned.


    "Let him go,


    Caleb; it''s me you want." I warned.


    "You are right." Caleb says, "But I want him dead too."


    He shot at Axel. I growled, pulling at the chains; they burned my skin. He aimed for me next, pulling the trigger, but the gun was empty of bullets, and he tossed it to the ground.


    "In every single room, I had nted a bomb; all I need to do is press the button, and everything would go ''boom''; everyone in this building would die, and I alone would be left. After a while, you will be forgotten, but for me, I''ll take over from you; I will be known and feared all round the world."


    Caleb pulled open a small secret cab and took out the ''Cursed Weapon''. He walked away with the weapon in his hands.


    Axel crawled towards me, taking off the chain on my ankle. I broke through the rest.


    The gun shot had got him on the chest, thankfully not his heart, I dug my fingers into the wound, taking out the bullet. "You will survive." I said to him even if I wasn''t so sure of that. We need to go now."


    "No, I need to go back for Riley; if this ce goes off, she will die," he says, managing to rise


    to his feet.


    "And so would you; she is not who we thought she was.


    "Go get Caleb, don''t let him escape; I''ll join you." Axel said before running off.


    I spotted Caleb walking up the stairs, and I guess that led to an exit. I couldn''t let him go. I scaled up the walls, dropping right in front of him. A swift kick sent him falling down the stairs, and before he could recover from that, I came at him unleashing a flurry of punches at him..


    I felt a stab to my side, and my whole body seemed to freeze. I stared at the cursed weapon


    Chapter Two Hundred and Forly Nine


    now embedded in my abdomen.


    I knew what this weapon does; it strips one of his wolves, but for the elders, it kills them. Caleb took a step back, but I wouldn''t let him win; if I was going down, then he wasing with me.


    He took out the remote and clicked on the button, and just then I heard the sounds of an explosion.


    I pulled out the dagger from my side, and with myst breath, I stabbed it right through his heart. Even in death, the pure surprise on his face was satisfying. This would have been a win for him, but this changes everything. He disintegrated into nothing but ashes.


    I dropped to the floor. My vision blurred; I could feel the heat of the fire; I watched the fire spread; I was going to die here, Axel was still in there, and... Riley.


    I hated her. I hated her for everything she had done to me. Freya was dead, Axel, injured as he Was he might not have made it out either, and still, there was this part of me that hoped... I hoped she had at least made it out.


    I wondered if it was worth it to her-every betrayal, every lie-was this what she had wanted? If this was it, then it would be very sad. I hoped she had a reason; I wondered if there was some kind of rpense waiting for her after everything because if there wasn''t then it wouldn''t make any sense. No, not one bit.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty EARLIER


    Bailey was still in here somewhere. I walked cautiously down the passage ways and I spotted yet another room. I pushed open the door and walked in. The room was simr to the one I had been kept in earlier, but she wasn''t in here either.


    I needed a weapon; the sword alone wouldn''t do to kill an elder as powerful as she was so I searched through the room. I pulled open a cab, and there I found more syringes filled with ck serum, the very same ones used on Thane. I was almost certain of it. I would have to take a gamble with this. From what Bailey told me, this was created by the elders as a bane for Lycans, I could only hope it had some effect on her too, if it didn''t work on her, then I was doomed.


    I strode out of the room, and there she was, standing at the very end of the passageway.


    "So you''vee to kill me." Bailey said with a smile on her face. "You know, Nyaos has been killed by your mate" She said to me.


    I couldn''t exactly say I felt bad for that.


    I chose to remain silent, even as she walked towards me. "You are a fool for toming all alone. Drop the sword, Riley."


    I held onto the sword, fighting the urge. She watched me, amusement in her eyes, and then she drew nearer, close enough.


    "I said drop it."


    I finally let go of the sword, but in the same moment, I stabbed the syringe into her neck. She groaned, pulling it out, but the serum had already mixed with her blood.


    It didn''t work.


    That''s what I thought till she fell to the floor, letting out a cry of pain. I picked up my sword, aiming to decapitate her head, but she caught the sword midway; the sharp des tore into her palm, but she held on. Slowly she rose to her fe¨¦t. There was a gunshot, and we both stood still.


    I hadn''t been the one shot.


    Bailey opened her mouth to say something, but only blood poured out of her mouth. Axel shot at her again, and she fell to her knees.


    "What? No more smiles and quirkyments?" questioned. A single tear dropped down her


    eyes.


    Axel finally met up with us; he dropped to Baileys level to hold her firm.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty


    "Riley now." He whispered, and with the sword severed her head from her body. Blood sprayed on my clothes and my face. "She''s dead." I said to him,


    "Yes... she is." Axel said with some difficulty.


    "Axel, are you alright?"


    "Yes, I am," he answered, tossing her severed head away. Only then did I notice that he was bleeding.


    "Axel...


    "I will be fine." He said cutting me off. "We need to go now."


    "What about Thane..."


    My words were cut off by an explosion; the force of the impact mmed me against the hard wall and I cked out.


    There was a loud ringing in my head. I felt the warm liquid dripping down my face. Blood. I must have hit my head really hard. Axel.


    "Axel!" I called, but there was no response. "Axel!" I called louder.


    "I''m here," he says, and I let out a breath of relief.


    But the moment / saw him, the relief I felt slipped away. An iron rod poked out of his leg, and a chunk of fallen wall crushed his arm.


    "Axel." I gasped.


    "Riley, please don''t cry. I want you to find Thane and leave."


    ""No! I am not leaving you."


    "Go Riley, the fire is only going to spread; the longer you stay, the more you put your life at stake."


    "I am the reason you are here." I said, trying to pull therge b of concrete off his arm. I groaned from the weight, but I managed to pull it off. His arm hung in the wrong direction, and I held back a sob. I pulled at the rod in his thigh, and he groaned. "I''m sorry." I pulled again, and slowly it came off.


    J helped him up. I didn''t know where exactly


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty


    EARLIER


    Bailey was still in here somewhere. I walked cautiously down the passage ways and I spotted yet another room. I pushed open the door and walked in. The room was simr to the one I had been kept in earlier, but she wasn''t in here either.


    I needed a weapon; the sword alone wouldn''t do to kill an elder as powerful as she was so I searched through the room. I pulled open a cab, and there I found more syringes filled with ck serum, the very same ones used on Thane. I was almost certain of it. I would have to take a gamble with this. From what Bailey told me, this was created by the elders as a bane for Lycans, I could only hope it had some effect on her too, if it didn''t work on her, then I was doomed.


    I strode out of the room, and there she was, standing at the very end of the passageway.


    "So you''vee to kill me." Bailey said with a smile on her face. "You know, Nyaos has been killed by your mate" She said to me.


    I couldn''t exactly say I felt bad for that.


    I chose to remain silent, even as she walked towards me. "You are a fool for toming all alone. Drop the sword, Riley."


    I held onto the sword, fighting the urge. She watched me, amusement in her eyes, and then she drew nearer, close enough.


    "I said drop it."


    I finally let go of the sword, but in the same moment, I stabbed the syringe into her neck. She groaned, pulling it out, but the serum had already mixed with her blood.


    It didn''t work.


    That''s what I thought till she fell to the floor, letting out a cry of pain. I picked up my sword, aiming to decapitate her head, but she caught the sword midway; the sharp des tore into her palm, but she held on. Slowly she rose to her fe¨¦t. There was a gunshot, and we both stood still.


    I hadn''t been the one shot.


    Bailey opened her mouth to say something, but only blood poured out of her mouth. Axel shot at her again, and she fell to her knees.


    "What? No more smiles and quirkyments?" questioned. A single tear dropped down her


    eyes.


    Axel finally met up with us; he dropped to Baileys level to hold her firm.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty


    "Riley now." He whispered, and with the sword severed her head from her body. Blood sprayed on my clothes and my face.


    "She''s dead." I said to him,


    "Yes... she is." Axel said with some difficulty.


    "Axel, are you alright?"


    "Yes, I am," he answered, tossing her severed head away. Only then did I notice that he was bleeding.


    "Axel...


    "I will be fine." He said cutting me off. "We need to go now."


    "What about Thane..."


    My words were cut off by an explosion; the force of the impact mmed me against the hard wall and I cked out.


    There was a loud ringing in my head. I felt the warm liquid dripping down my face. Blood. I must have hit my head really hard.


    Axel.


    "Axel!" I called, but there was no response. "Axel!" I called louder.


    "I''m here," he says, and I let out a breath of relief.


    But the moment / saw him, the relief I felt slipped away. An iron rod poked out of his leg, and a chunk of fallen wall crushed his arm.


    "Axel." I gasped.


    "Riley, please don''t cry. I want you to find Thane and leave."


    "No! I am not leaving you."


    "Go Riley, the fire is only going to spread; the longer you stay, the more you put your life at stake."


    "I am the reason you are here." I said, trying to pull therge b of concrete off his arm. I groaned from the weight, but I managed to pull it off. His arm hung in the wrong direction, and I held back a sob. I pulled at the rod in his thigh, and he groaned. "I''m sorry." I pulled again, and slowly it came off.


    J helped him up. I didn''t know where exactly the exit was, so I picked a direction and continued


    in it.


    My lungs burning from the thick, acrid smoke that filled the air.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Filly


    "Riley...


    "No, don''t say anything; we are getting out of here together."


    he exit was, so I picked a direction and continued


    in it.


    My lungs burning from the thick, acrid smoke that filled the air.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Filly


    "Riley...


    "No, don''t say anything; we are getting out of here together."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty One


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty One


    A rock fell inches away from me, and I only managed to dodge it. Axel was losing a lot of blood. I knew what was about to happen, but I didn''t want to think about it. It just couldn''t.


    "Riley, please listen to me." he said, and I turned to him; sweat coated his face and his breathing wasboured. "I can''t make it, Riley. You know that, but if you go, you can save yourself and save Thane."


    "Please, Axel, we can make it alive, the both of us "


    "Look at me, Riley," he pleaded, and I did. "Kiss me."


    Tears rolled down my eyes as I leaned to him and kissed him. I wouldn''t let him go; I just can''t. "I love you, from the very first time I met..." he took a long breath. "But you were never mine, and yet that didn''t stop me from wanting you. Don''t me yourself for this; you, Riley, were the best thing that had ever happened to me."


    "But Thane... he hates me."


    "No, he doesn''t; reason with him; make him.... make him understand." Axel coughed out blood. "Go now, get him, and leave this ce."


    "But you will die." I cried.


    "I''ve lost too much blood; I am only slowing you down."


    "Please Axel..." I said, applying pressure to his abdomen, my hand soaked with his blood. " Please don''t leave me; I beg you."


    "I won''t. I''ll be right behind you. Go, please.


    Tears streamed down my eyes. I couldn''t move; I couldn''t leave him; if he died then it was because he came back for me.


    "Please, do it... for me" he pleaded again, and I turned away from him, sobbing as I ran.


    I could barely see anything, the fire and thick smoke blurred my vision; I had to climb over the copsed rubble, blocking my path.


    "Thane." I cried out, but there was no response. Finally, I saw the light-a way out.


    I spotted Thane; his clothes had been partly burnt; there was also blood-a lot of it. I rushed to him. He was still breathing; I tried pickinf him up and damn was he heavy, u had to put in more effort to lift him up, and then I noticed the dagger just beside the pile of ashes. An elder had been killed.


    I should leave the dagger behind. But I picked it up.


    I was out of the underground building, taking Thane along. I tried letting out my wings; it didn''t work. "Come on." I groaned, trying again and finally iny wings sprung free, with many


    Chapter Two Hundred and Filly One


    injuries marring the once beautiful wings.


    Flying all the way to the pack house, I waspletely numb. I shut off my emotions because if I turned it back on, then I wouldn''t be able to make it back to the Nightshade pack. Inded very ungracefully. Many pack members stood outside the pack house; of course they had all been worried; with the Alpha, Beta, and Luna gone, it left them... defenseless.


    20


    I didn''t bother hiding my wings; there was no use for that. Healers rushed to me.


    "Help him, do whatever the fuck you have to do! Imanded, and Thane was picked up and ced on a litter before he was carried away. Somemanders tried speaking to me, but I walked past them. Many wanted exnations, but I had nothing to give them, so I hurried into my room and let it all out.


    I cried for the loss of my dear friend, a man I loved and one that died saving me. It had been all my fault, if I had tried harder, if I hadn''t been so stupid and power-hungry, he would still be alive. I had so many regrets, but no matter how badly I wished I could turn back the hand of time, I couldn''t, and it was finally dawning on me. Axel was dead, and I would never see him again; Never would I see his beautiful smile. I was still in denial. It felt... impossible, and yet this is the reality.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Two


    The next few days I spent them with Thane; he was still ina. The healers had to extract all of the toxin the elders had passed into his bloodstream; only then would the healing process begin, and from their report, he was doing well, but he still had a few more days to


    recover.


    I wiped his face with a wet towel; next, I gently brushed through his hair. I ced a kiss on his forehead and then his lips. I knew that when he awoke, things wouldn''t be like they used to. I returned back to my room to take a bath before joining him once again. I couldn''t bear the solitude of my room; I always ended up breaking into tears.


    I hadn''t realized I was sleeping until the sharp intake of breathe jolted me awake. Thane was awake.


    The healers had said he would be down for a few more days, but he woke earlier than they had predicted; my heart pounded for the first time in excitement; I was so scared, I couldn''t lose


    him too.


    "Thane!" I cried out, running to him to embrace him, but his cold stare gave me a pause.


    "I don''t feel it anymore."


    "You don''t feel what?" I questioned.


    "I don''t feel Axel anymore."


    And that''s when it hit me-the bond. With the bond, he could tell that Axel was dead. The healers had advised me to keep Axel''s death from him for the first few days of his recovery, and I would only reveal it when he was better, but he already knew. In a sh, Thane had me against the wall. "What happened to him, Riley?"


    Hate.


    That was all I could see in his eyes.


    "Thane..."


    "Where is he?" he growled at me.


    "He... died."


    Thane, let me go, taking a step back. The loss broke him, and he visibly shook, his eyes switching from that usual color to pure ck and back again.


    "Thane," I called, approaching him, and he turned to stare at me, his eyes now pure ck; he


    wasn''t in control.


    "You did this."


    "No, I can exin. Hear me out."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Two


    He pinned me back to the wall, ws digging into my skin. He was going to kill me. He was going to kill me, and I wouldn''t me him.


    "Alpha," Daisy called in rm; she was one of the chief healers.


    "Stay away." I warned her, Thane finally let me go; there was no sympathy in his eyes. He walked past Daisy and away from the healing room. "Luna," she called, walking to me.


    "I am fine."


    "Are you sure?" she asked, the concern clear in her eyes.


    "Yes, I am."


    There were a lot of things I expected Thane to do to me. For the first, I expected that he would throw me down in the coldest part of the dungeons where I would most likely rot to death, or he could make it more fun by punishing me, but Thane did none of that. he


    He went on with his work, drowning himself in pack affairs. Since he left the healing room, never spoke a word to me; more than once, he had walked past me like I didn''t even exist. I had tried talking to him more times than I could count; I was practically following him about, just to get a moment to exin, but he wouldn''t even look at me.


    Days turned to weeks.


    Thane never returned to our room; he slept elsewhere; sometimes I found him in his office in the middle of the night. For some reason, this was worse than the dungeons or any punishment. It was like I didn''t even exist to him anymore.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Three


    I stared at the mirror; I looked like a mess. I sprayed some cold water on my face; a knock drew my attention.


    It was a maid.


    "Can I help you?" I-questioned.


    "The Alpha sent me to pick up a file he left here. It must be that one." She said, pointing to the file on the table. She walked in, picking it up.


    "You know what? I''ll hand it to him." I said, taking the file from her hand. She seemed unsure.


    "As you wish Luna," she said.


    "Uhmm, where is he now?!!"


    "The third room on the fifth floor," she said, and I nodded.


    ""Got it."


    I knocked on the door to his ''new'' room, and after a minute the door was pulled opened. Thane stared at me,


    "What are you doing here?" He asked like I was someplete stranger, an intruder, but I couldn''t me him. "I brought your files."


    He collected it, about to m the door, but I ced a foot in the threshold. I pushed the door open and walked in.


    "You''ve been avoiding metely." I said to him, but he gave no response. He took a seat, opening the file and scrolling through the pages.


    "Thane, all those things I said to you, I didn''t mean them. Nick hadn''t told me.... being a turned one makes me a subject to the elders; Bailey could control me; all those things I did... I wasn''t in my right mind..." "Enough," he said, his voice empty of emotions,


    "Please, Thane, hear me out."


    "I don''t give a damn about your exnations, Riley; can''t you see that?" Axel is dead, and so


    is Freya-yes, she might not have been the world''s best mother, but she was all I had left, and because of you, I lost it all."


    Tears streamed down my eyes. "I am so sorry."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fin


    "Are you?"


    "Yes, I am. I watched Axel die. I wanted to save him, but I couldn''t. I wish I could... I would give my life to have him back." "Riley, please stop talking."


    "No, I want you to understand; I hadn''t made any ns with Bailey; she used me."


    "So you are the what? Victim?" he questioned.


    "No, I am not; I take full responsibility for everything, but I want you to know the truth."


    "I should have let you go when I had the chance. He said and he meant it.


    "Tell me what I have to do to make things right, please; I would do anything." I begged, desperate. I might not get a chance to speak to him again, and so I needed to make him understand what had happened. Inside, I was barely holding it together; I was aplete


    mess.


    "You know what I wish? I wish the case was reversed; I wish you died and Axel lived."


    His words hit me hard, and I took a step back. The amount of venom and hatred those words. carried were real.


    "I''m sorry." That was all I could say.


    "Listen to me. The whole pack sees you as the little heroine, and it would continue that way; they don''t have to know anything, and in exchange, you will stay the fuck away from me; keep your title if you wish, but if I see you again, trying to give me an ''exnation,'' I will not let you go this so easily. Now get and don''te back."


    "I will stay. You cannot kick me out." I insisted, wiping off my tears.


    A smirk formed on his lips. "I can''t?"


    His hold on me was firm and strong, and he led me towards the door. The moment I was out, he mmed the door on my face.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Four


    I sat in front of Thane''s door the whole night, pleading and begging, but he never dide, and finally I rose.


    I had lost him, and it took me this long to see that. I hadn''t only lost Axel; I had lost Thane''s


    love too.


    How did my life turn into this? One moment it all felt like a fairy tale, one I didn''t want to wake up from, and now it was aplete nightmare.


    Some days I questioned the point of my own existence; I had no use remaining here, and yet, I didn''t want to leave, maybe because I still had hope that one day Thane would forgive me.


    Iy on my bed staring at the ceiling, ignoring the knock on the door. I didn''t want to see anyone right now, and I knew for a fact that it wasn''t Thane. Whoever was behind the door persisted and it got annoying. I rose from the bead, heading for the door. I pulled it open, the frown on my face that disappeared the moment I saw my mother.


    She hugged me, knowing exactly what I needed. I couldn''t help but be a child again and cry in


    her arms.


    "Mom, I''ve missed you.""


    She pulled away from me. "I''ve missed you too.


    I let her in. "I''m sorry. I left you at the door; I just wasn''t in the mood..."


    "It''s alright, Riley; I understand," she said.


    "I guess you are here tomunicate the date of your wedding ceremony to me?" I questioned, I wanted a distraction, and I was willing to talk about any other thing but my very sad life.


    "No. Actually, I and Gabriel broke up."


    "What?" I asked, surprised; my mother never moved on from what had happened to her in her youth, and for the very first time she attempted doing so, this happened. "Why?"


    "I just feel like it''s... wrong."


    "That isn''t reason enough, mom.


    "Riley I know about what happened- at least I know some part of it-and I know that Nick was a bad guy; he is the reason you are in pain, and he is the same reason the Beta was killed. Gabriel told me the truth, even if the pack has no idea about that. Gabriel covered up for Nick, just to protect his honor, one he didn''t deserve." Mother exined.


    "Mom, what went on with Nick and me has nothing to do with your rtionship with Gabriel. He makes you happy, and that''s all that matters.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Four


    "No, Riley, I can''t do that... I just can''t."


    "You were the one that said you would live your life and let me make my own decisions."


    "I know... but that is easier said than done, and I care about you, Riley; no matter what, you will always be my daughter, and you will alwayse first, even before my own wants, and so I cannot marry Gabriel."


    "And what if I tell you that I want you to do just that? The fact that I am unhappy doesn''t mean you would have to too, so I want you to go back to Gabriel and make things straight with because if he told you the truth about Nick, It means he cares, and he had no hand in this; he had no idea about Nick''s n."


    you,


    "You are practically sending me away; I just got here."


    live


    "Yes, I am. I want you to your life and enjoy it. I would be awaiting the date for the wedding ceremony."


    "Riley, thank you so much," she said, wiping off her tears. I could see the relief in her eyes.


    "No, thank you, because you''ve always been there for me."


    "Riley, if you and Thane were meant to be, then nothing can stop that from happening."


    "I''ve lost him, mother; he is not the same person he used to be."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Five


    Axel lived on in my dreams but waking up to the painful reminder always left me in tears. There was this hole Axel had left behind, one that I feared even time couldn''t heal.


    first


    I didn''t know exactly why I was paying the sorceress a visit, but I knew I needed to right my wrongs. This ce was exactly how it had been when I and Nick arrived here for the very time. I knew I shouldn''t be here and yet... yet here I was. I pushed aside the tendrils, which came together to form a curtain.


    The sorceress sat as still as a statue on the moss-covered altar.


    "Wee back, Queen." She said, turning to me. I stared into those ancient-looking eyes that seemed to know everything.


    "You know why I am here," I said to her.


    "Yes, I do, but I am afraid I cannot help you."


    "Please..."


    "You seek to fight fate, to fight nature itself. You cannot revive one that is already dead."


    "You can''t or... you won''t?"


    "I can''t give life, Queen."


    "But there is something you can do, isn''t there? I will pay handsomely for your services." I said to her, I had carried along the Cursed Weapon and why I knew fully well that it wasn''t mine to trade, I was willing to go through with it


    "I don''t need anything from you; you''ve given enough," she said, rising to her feet. "Who is he to you? she asked, curiosity clear in her eyes.


    "A... friend." I answered.


    She shook her head slowly. "He is more than that. You want to have them both, but you can only have one."


    "This is not about me or what I want."


    "Then it''s about the Alpha King; you seek to please him, desperate for his forgiveness, and


    believe raising back his dead second inmand would do that."


    you


    "Can you? Can you bring Axel back to life?"


    "Of course not. I could bring him back, but he wouldn''t be alive; he would be the creature you dread a demon."


    "I don''t care..."


    "No. You''ve rushed into things before and you regretted it, I won''t let you make the very same


    Chapter Two Hundred and Filly Five


    mistake. If he awakes as a demon, he might not be the same man you knew; he might end up bing your worst... nightmare." She said, but I knew Axel. He was a good person, he always will be. "I guess there is a price for that?"


    "A price? No, there is no price, but an exchange. You cannot upset fate without giving something in return."


    "And what would I have to give?" I asked her.


    She was silent for a moment too long, and finally she spoke up. "Your life."


    "My life?" I repeated.


    "Yes. Now you see, it''s too much a sacrifice to make," she said, turning away like this conversation had been concluded.


    I remembered Thane''s words; he had said he wished I died and Axel lived.


    "Wait." I called, and she paused.


    "Do it. I am willing to give my life in exchange."


    "There is too much at risk; you would lose your life, and if he ends up a morister, it would be a wasted sacrifice."


    And I don''t care."


    "I don''t want you to die without a course; it''s not worth it. But I''ll give you a span of two dawns to make your decision, and if you choose to go through with this after this time, then I will be waiting."


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    I had already made my decision and that''s all I couldn''t think about when I returned to the Pack. I couldn''t be able to revive all those Thane had lost because of me, but at least I could. bring back Axel; maybe things could go back to how they were before I came into the picture. Maybe Thane would move on, and maybe-just maybe he would forgive me.


    I wish I could tell my mother one final goodbye, but maybe it was better this way. She would be happy; Gabriel would be by her side. I stopped by Thane''s office. How I wish I could go to him; how I wish I could kiss him one more time, but I couldn''t. So I could only stare at him. from afar.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Six


    I walked into Axel''s room; I hadn''t been here since he... passed.


    heart


    I would have broken down in tears if I had any more tears left to cry. The longing in my grew worse. I pulled open his drawer, and a small smile stretched on my lips when I saw the book ''Barbara''s fantasies''. He did find it in the end, but he never kept it in the library. I guess I wasn''t the only one who found this book quiet... Interesting.


    I took out his clothes from the dressing room, and I inhaled them deeply. I closed my eyes, and in that moment I could pretend he was still here; I could pretend that everything that happened was just a very bad dream.


    I couldn''t let go of his clothes. Iid on his bed, his clothes fisted in my hand, and I fell asleep. Twelve hours more was all the time I had to make my decision, and still I hadn''t changed my mind; Axel deserved to live. I knew I was dreaming, but yet it felt so real.


    Axely on the green grass, shirtless. I stared at him, and he smiled.


    "Take a picture; it willst longer."


    I wish I couldugh at that. "Axel, I miss you so much."


    "And so do I, of course. Lay with me." He invited me, and Iid on the space beside him. "The sun is so beautiful today, but not as beautiful as you are," he said, and I smiled.


    "I will bring you back; I''ve found a way.


    "But I don''t want that."


    "What?"


    "I don''t want you dying for me, not after everything I went through to make sure you escaped and stayed alive. Also, the sorceress told you about the negative consequences, didn''t she?" "But that''s only a possibility, not a fact."


    "I don''t want to be remembered as a monster, Riley. But have in mind that If you go through with this, it is not only your life you would be sacrificing." He says with a smile, like he knew something I didn''t. "Axel, you never deserved to die."


    "I wanted to save you, and I''m d it wasn''t all for nothing, so I want you to do onest thing for me; can you do that?" He questioned, his beautiful smile still on his face.


    "Yes, anything." I promised.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Six


    "I want you to let me go."


    "Axel..."


    "Please, Riley, this is the only way you could move forward; you need to let me go." He said, and I nodded, unable to hold back my tears. "I told you I don''t like seeing you in tears; it only hurts me to watch." "I''m sorry."


    Axel wiped off my tears with a thumb. "Thane loves you," he said, and with that, he was gone, leaving me holding onto nothing but thin air.


    woke up in tears; only then did I notice that I wasn''t alone. Thane sat on the cushion watching me.


    "Thane." I called, quickly wiping my tears.


    "The sorceress visited a while ago. She told me about the sacrifice you wanted to make to bring Axel back." He paused, and finally his eyes met mine. "Riley, please don''t do it."


    "I thought this was what you wanted." I questioned, surprised.


    "No. It is not."


    "But you said..."


    "I said some really stupid words because I was mad and angry; that didn''t mean I meant them. You wanted to talk, right? Let''s talk. Tell me everything that happened and don''t leave anything out." I inhaled deeply."Okay, I''ll start from the very first time Bailey paid me a visit after her escape from the dungeons."

 Claim Me 257

    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Seven


    Thane needed some time to digest everything I had told him; I could understand that.


    After I had exined to him everything that happened, he walked to me and drew me in for a warm embrace, but the moment ended too quickly, and then he... left.


    I didn''t assume that the fact that he knew the truth meant I was forgiven, but at least I able to tell him everything and it was a huge relief, now it was all up to him. I was


    There was a knock on the door and I headed to answer it, letting Daisy, one of the head healers


    1. in.


    "The result is out," she says, a bright smile on her face.


    After the dream I had about Axel, I felt like he had been trying to tell me something when he said, ''If you go through the sacrifice, it wouldn''t just be your life you would be sacrificing. Call me paranoid, but I noticed how weak and tired I had been feeling recently. I med it on everything that had been going on, but after the discussion I had with Thane, I went straight to Daisy and told her I needed a pregnancy test; she didn''t ask any questions. I told her I wanted to keep this a secret for the meantime, and she agreed to that, now here she was with the results.


    "So tell how much of a paranoid person I am; I mean, taking a pregnancy test just due to my instincts, it''s crazy."


    Her smile widens. "What if it''s not?" she asked. "You are pregnant, Luna."


    "Wait what?"


    I might have gone for the test, but that was to satisfy my paranoia, not because I believed I was actually pregnant. No, I was not ready for that news just yet.


    "Take a seat, Luna; you look pale," she said, and I did just that.


    "Are you sure there has been no mistake?"


    "Yes, I am very sure Luna, and it is a thing of joy, she said, and I nodded,


    "Of course, it''s just..."


    Thest time I had sex with Axel, he had protection, but Thane... Thane didn''t use any protection. This was Thane''s child. Having a child was a huge step for me especially at this time, Thane and I weren''t exactly on good terms yet. I didn''t have to tell him about this yet, and I wouldn''t use my unborn child as leverage to get him back.


    "You know what? You are right." I said, taking the envelope from her hand, and just then Thane walked in; he seemed about to say something when he saw the both of us, and then his eyes traveled to the envelope in my hands.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Seven


    "I think I should leave." Daisy said, and with that, she hurried away.


    The moment she was gone, Thane walked towards me.


    "Why is she here?" he questioned. I didn''t want to keep any secrets from him, yet, I had to get this point straight.


    "I''m pregnant, Thane." I said, and I could see the surprise in his eyes. "But this doesn''t have to mean anything to you. I know that things can never be how they used to be, and I won''t say I''m okay with that, but I can work with it. This child doesn''t have to be your responsibility; I would take the child alone if I had to...''


    Thane cut me off, cing a kiss on my lips. "I want it to be my responsibility, Riley," he said, a small smile forming on his lips. How I missed his smile. ""You do?"


    "You didn''t think I ''forgot'' to use protection, did you?"


    I gasped, he had done that on purpose, and I chuckled because strangely I found this funny. My chuckle died down as I stared at him. "Have you made a decision yet?" I questioned; we both knew what I was referring to.


    "Yes, and I am here to apologize for the one hundredth time. I should have known something wasn''t right. I''m sorry that you were used by Bailey. I''m sorry that I threw you out of my room. Do you know I spent the night listening to your sobs? You never did leave, and I wanted to give in so badly and let you back in, but I had been so angry."


    "And you have every right to be."


    "No. I was wrong, Riley; for once in my life I needed someone to me, and there you were. I should have trusted you; I should have known you were better than that, and yet once again I fell for that, and I''m sorry. I am not a very good person, Riley. I told you once, I am no gentleman, but no matter how hard I try to fight it, I will always love you. Even when I believed you betrayed me, I didn''t stop caring about you, and I want us to pick up the pieces together and who knows, maybe we could build something special together."


    I didn''t know I was crying till Thane wiped away my tears. "I don''t want to be alone anymore, Thane."


    "You won''t, I promise."


    Wey on the bed, hands entangled, staring at each other. Maybe there was hope; maybe there could still be a light at the end of the tunnel for me, and being with Thane helped me see that.


    Ch

 Claim Me 258

    apter Two Hundred and


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Eight


    I watched the soldiers as they paid tribute to one of their own, Axel. The pack members weren''t the only ones present. Many from other packs came to honor Axel''s burial, and despite how I had promised myself I wouldn''t cry, I couldn''t hold it in. I stared


    up at Thane, the sadness clear in his eyes, but never once did he shed a single tear. "How do you do it?" I questioned him, "How could you be so strong even in a time like this?"


    "If only you know how much I want even a few minutes of weakness, but look around you, everyone is mourning; in times like this we need to stand strong because it gives others hope. "He said, and he was right.


    I spotted Alpha Zack, Alpha Cain, Alpha Pius, Alpha Trent, and Gabriel-the new Alpha of the Raven n pack. My mother had to stay behind to oversee the affairs of the Raven n.


    Nina, Axel''s cousin''s sister, who was rarely ever around was also present; her eyes swollen and red. I walked to her and stood by her side.


    "He was a brave man." I said to her, and she nodded, looking up to me.


    "He was, and he really loved you, you know; you were all he ever talked about."


    I wiped my tears. "He is free now." I said to her,


    We both watched as Axel''s coffin was lowered into the ground.


    I spotted a man, and for some reasons he reminded me of Axel; there was just something they both had inmon.


    "That''s Adrain, Axel''s brother, and beside him is his... mother." Nina informed me. I watched Axel''s mother break down in tears, but I could feel nothing but dislike for her. Axel had practically begged for her attention; he was willing to do anything to have her back, but she always pushed him away, and now he was gone. It was toote.


    "I love you, Axel, but you were right about... everything," I whispered.


    I returned back to my room, where Thane sat, sipping a ss of whisky.


    I walked in and his gaze followed me as I pulled open the drawer closer to themp stand, I took out the Cursed Weapon. "You should have it I say passing the weapon to him.


    "You know, Caleb stabbed me with this." He said he''s gaze drifted off, it was like he was trying to remember just how it had happened.


    "Where?" I asked, my eyes scanning through his body.


    "It was supposed to take my wolf, but for some reason, it didn''t, but it had killed the elders."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Light


    "Maybe it has to do with you being a lycan." I suggested.


    "Maybe," he agreed. "It feels so surreal. Axel had always been there for me, and now..." Thane left his sentence hanging; he took another gulp of the whiskey.


    "I have an idea." I said, taking out the white silk material, I had actually gotten thisterns for this very purpose.


    "What is that?" Thane asked.


    "They are called skynterns" I gave him one. "I want us to do this-not just for Axel but for every single person we lost."


    I wondered if Thane saw this as stupid, but he only shrugged. I picked up the lighter, and I led him to the balcony. I lit up mymp.


    "This is for Nelly, for Jake, for the little girl who was killed, for the


    for Beatrix, and of course for Axel."


    I passed the lighter to Thane, and he lit up hismp too.


    soldiers we lost, for Freya,


    "This is for all the innocents that had been in the wrong ce at the wrong time, for the fallen soldiers. for Axel, for Freya, for Be, and also for de, my!


    Together we let go of themps, and I watched them soar higher up the sky till they werepletely out of sight.


    I walked back into our room, but the pale figure on the couch stopped me short. "Thane," I called, and he walked over to me.


    The sorceress looked so pale and lifeless, one could think she was already dead.


    "Are you alright? Why are you here?" I questioned.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered, her voice as silent and gentle as the wind.


    "For what?"


    "I''m sorry I failed you; he escaped." She said, and with that she dissipated into nothing but smoke, and then she was gone; it was like she was never here. "What was that about?" I wondered aloud.


    "I don''t know, but I think she''s... dead"

 Claim Me 259

    Epilogue


    Epilogue


    SIX MONTHS LATER


    Thane lifted me up from the bed, carrying me bridal style to the bathroom.


    "You know I can walk on my own right?"


    "You are pregnant Riley, you should be treated like a princess, so now stop arguing and let me take care of you."


    I let Thane bathe me, after that he wrapped a towel around me.


    "I''ll get your clothes." he said, walking to the dressing room, he returned with a grey shirt and a pair of his sweatpants. "This are your clothes."


    "Well I don''t think anything in there would fit, I need to get more clothes your size."


    "Are you calling me fat?"


    "No." he said with a smile. "You are beautiful and those breats keep getting deliciously bigger.


    "Thane!"


    "What, I''m a guy i can''t help it."


    I got dressed and Thane returned me back to the bed.


    "I am enjoying this more than I should." I admitted.


    "Then enjoy it while itst."


    "No work today?" I asked him.


    "I''ve covered all the urgent business, now I can spend more time with you and my baby."


    "Thane... I wonder if you are nning on assigning a new beta, someone to assist you."


    "No. I just...it would be hard to find someone even half as good as Axel was and then I would have to build a rtionship over again." he paused, a smile spread on his lips. "Maybe my father and I are much more alike than I would like to admit." "A letter for you." Thane said, passing an envelope to me.


    "It''s open." I noted.


    "Of course I read it."


    Epilogue


    "There''s this thing called privacy, you know."


    "Tell me you wouldn''t do the same." he said with a smirk.


    "I won''t." I lied.


    "Read the letter already, it''s from your mother.


    I pulled the letter out of the envelope and it read;


    ''I know you were hoping we should have already nned the date for the marriage ceremony by now, but I want you to be there and I wouldn''t want to stress you and the baby, so we''ve moved the date ''again''.


    I''ve missed you and my grandbaby so much. I''ll be paying a visit to take care of you, though I have no doubt Thane would beat me to that. I would be there soon. Love you.


    I couldn''t help but smile at the letter.


    "If I knew letters could make you smile this so wide, then I''ll send you one every single day for the rest of your life."


    "That''s scary Thane."


    "I was aiming for romatic actually," he said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Thane."


    "For what?" he asked.


    "For... everything."


    "You are the one having the child, I should be thanking you. What do you want to eat?" he asked, maybe to divert the topic. "Surprise me."


    A sinster smirk spread on his lips, I didn''t know what exactly was going through his mind, but whatever it was, I wasn''t sure I would like it.


    "You know what? spagetti and meat balls would do the trick."


    Thane left to get the food. I couldn''t stop smiling


    Just then I heard a noise, the sound wasing from the balcony. The smile faded from my lips, I had to remind myself that Bailey was dead now, she could no longer hurt me, we had killed her.


    1 rose from the bed and walked to the balcony.


    There was man standing there...not not a man, half of his body was that of a man, but the other half was just a dark mist. I had seen something very simr before, the day I had given birth to a demon, the dark mist, it had looked exactly liked this. Epilogue


    Six months ago, the sorceress had visited to tell us ''he had escaped'', I never understood who exactly she had been speaking about because thest I knew of the demon child was that he had been locked away, but now the pieces added up. "Hello... mother."


    AUTHOR''S NOTE


    Hello emmysquads. We''vee to the end of this book Contractually Yours, Alpha, and it was indeed a journey I would never forget. I fell in love with my own characters; they were more than just my imagination alone.


    vant to thank you all, readers. Sincerely, yourments were a great encouragement, as were the votes. Thank you for over 1.5k views on this book.


    I am working on something new (like when am I not?), so please keep an eye out for my next new book, It would be another ride to remember


    If you''ve enjoyed this book so far, please, please leave a review.


    Reviews encourage other readers to read a book. Also, I personally want to read all your thoughts on this book; how else would I improve without feedback? So please don''t forget to leave your reviews and gems. I love you all to the moon and back, and thank you for making my dream a reality. We would see again, very soon.


    -Giftemmy.


    XOXO

 Claim Me 260

    THE LYCAN''S CURSE (BOOK II)


    CHAPTER ONE


    "Hello... mother." The creature called. The mist gave way, forming legs.


    This ''man'' looked nothing like me; he was tall and slender, with short ck hair; those blue eyes would have been the only thing we had inmon but his was a darker shade of blue; thickshes framed his eyes. I felt this growing sense of unease and I slowly backed away.


    "I am not your mother."


    "You lie." He states, seeing through my deception; the thing was that even if he looked nothing like me, there was this connection I felt just by staring at him.


    "As soon as I could, I came to you." He says, and though he bears the form of a human, there is nothing human about him.


    "What did you do to the sorceress?" I questioned, still keeping my distance.


    "She trapped me, mother, I was all alone."


    "You killed her." I whispered.


    "No, I locked Jade far away, where no one can ever find her, just as she did to me.''


    Jade. Was that the sorceress name?


    He approached me, and I took yet another step back. "Don''te any closer."


    He paused. "You fear me."


    "I am not afraid of you." I sneered.


    "I can hear your heartbeat. You view me as a threat."


    "I want you to leave this ce, go, and nevere back."


    He didn''t move; he held my gaze as if trying to read me. "You gave me to her, didn''t you?"


    "I.. I.."


    "I was your child, and you subjected me to torture, and it''s all because you feared me.


    "No, you were not. You weren''t real-I don''t know what you are, but I don''t want you anywhere near me."


    He looked down at my stomach. "You have another child. Is it real?" He questioned, and my hand instinctively circled protectively around my stomach.


    "Thane!" I called out loud. But he wouldn''t hear me; the rooms were soundproof.


    "You love this ''child'', better than you loved me; how would you feel if it''s taken away from you?." He asked, and then his gaze met mine. "I won''t do that; I won''t hurt you, because I... love you." There was a gunshot.


    I turned to see Thane; his silent entry caught me off guard.


    Thane approached me, firing another shot at the man before me, this one aimed at his head, and Thane never missed.


    I ran into Thane''s arms.


    "You are safe now." He assured me, and I nodded


    Right before our eyes, the man rose to his feet, pulling out the bullet from his body like they weren''t made of silver, and then he gave me onest look. His face was emotionless, yet I thought I saw the pain in his eyes before he leapt off the balcony. "Fuck." Thane cursed, heading back to the balcony. He looked down.


    "Where is he?"


    "He is... gone.


    "That can''t possibly be your child, Riley." Thane said to me, but he wouldn''t understand. I knew it the moment I saw him, I felt the connection.


    ""It is. I felt it."


    "From what I remember, he was nothing but a... mist; now he is... I don''t even know what he is.


    H


    "Thane, a silver bullet went right through him, and he wasn''t fazed; not even the elders could pull that."


    Thane knew I was right, and yet he didn''t want me worrying about it. "He has the sorceress trapped." "And he told you that?" Thane questioned.


    "Yes, he did; he says he has her trapped ''somewhere no one would ever find her, just as she did him."


    "I''ll imagine that a demon child shouldn''t look like a grown ass man.


    "He doesn''t act like a child." I pointed out.


    "You don''t have to worry, Riley; I will find him and kill him."


    "How do you find a ghost?" I questioned.


    "There is always going to be a way, and I would have to figure it out."


    "Then let me help you, Thane."


    "You are pregnant; all you need now is rest."


    "But I can help; I am his mother; if there is any way to find him, you''ll have to use me."


    "No, I don''t have to." Thane insisted. He stared at me, and his eyes softened. "You are all the family I have now, Riley; I don''t want to lose you too." 3/3


    Chapter Two

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    Chapter Two THANE


    Regnux is thest person I should have promoted, considering he was new, but I had been watching him for a while now, and I could tell that he was a good observer; he knew so much about the pack, maybe a little too much. Now I wondered if I made the right decision.


    "Alpha. I''ve been hearing whispers amongst the pack members," he said to me.


    "When are they not gossiping?"


    "No, this is a matter of importance."


    "Speak on then," I say, my eyes on the files. Riley was right when she said I should have. picked another Beta; the work was getting... hectic, but I was yet to find the right person, and that could be because I wasparing every other person in line with Axel, and that just wouldn''t work if I wanted to find someone.


    "They speak about the Luna. Everyone had witnessed the sight..."


    "Her wings, you mean?" I questioned; of course I knew everyone saw that; I just didn''t expect the matter to be brought up after so many months.


    "Yes, her ''wings. Many at first thought she was some kind of supernatural being, but now, with the knowledge of demons going round, many believe she is one. They believe she is cursed."


    "Enough, Regnux. They could say whatever they like, but to them she would always remain their queen Luna. Now leave." I said dismissing him.


    I didn''t look up at him, but I heard his footsteps as they faded away.


    Riley had saved my life; that''s what they should be talking about.


    I pulled out yet another folder; that''s when I felt the presence. "I thought I told you to leave Regnux..."


    My words trailed off when I looked up; it wasn''t Regnux. It was my father, de, standing before me.


    "You seem to enjoy mypany a lot." I said to him,,


    "You didn''t tell her," he said, a smirk ying on his lips.


    "Didn''t tell her what?" I questioned, deciding to y the fool. More than ever, I wanted him gone, but he''s always present, snooping in anytime I was alone.


    "End the pretense. Thane, I don''t think it''s wise keeping secrets from your mate.''


    Chapter Two


    "Leave her out of this de."


    "Is de to you now, isn''t it? No longer ''father''. guess I lost that privilege.


    "You guessed right."


    "So why haven''t you told her?"


    ""I will."


    "No, you won''t. You won''t tell her you are seeing ''ghosts'', nor will you tell her about your deceased mate."


    "You are nothing but an illusion."


    "I am dead, but clearly not an illusion, son.


    The Cursed Weapon had been used on werewolves as a form of punishment, one of the worst punishments, for as long as I can remember. For the elders, it kills them, but as a Lycan, you are more wolf than any other werewolf, so imagine that part stripped out of you. You are supposed to die, just like the elders, and yet somehow you survived. That, I believe, is the reason you can see me."


    "Does that also exin the... dreams?" I questioned as I rose to my feet.


    "I cannot tell, but I believe you must have wondered how your pregnant Luna would feel when! you tell her that you aren''t only seeing ghosts but having dreams of your dead mate."


    "Get out!" I growled at him, and he gave me a twisted smirk before vanishing into thin air. At the door of my office stood Regnux.


    "Who are you talking to, Alpha?" he asked, his brow arched in concern.


    I ignored that question. "Why are you here?"


    "I came to inform you that Alpha Trent would be arriving soon." Reg reported and I gave a nod. He walked out without another word, but I knew he had a lot of questions on his mind, questions he wouldn''t be getting any answers to


    I did have a secret, one I hid from Riley. I gave myself excuses-reasons she shouldn''t know. She was pregnant; she needed her rest, but maybe that was only one of the many reasons.


    After I had been stabbed with the Cursed Weapon I had survived and I lived my life believing that I was simply ''lucky.'' Everything changed a few weekster when I saw my supposedly" dead'' father for the very first time. I had kept it away from Riley because it sounded stupid even to my own ears.


    That wasn''t the only thing I hid from her.


    Some monthster, I began dreaming of Be, constantly, and in these dreams, I was making love to her, just as it had been many years ago before she passed. While it was just a dream, I Chapter Two


    still felt like it was unfair to Riley. I had no feeling for Be, not anymore, and yet she was always there, waiting in my dreams.

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    Chapter Three


    Chapter Three


    RILEY


    I lit up thest candle, and Thane arrived.


    Right on time.


    He paused at the door. "This looks very... romantic. I''m guessing an invitation to have sex?"


    "No silly. Our one-year adversary. Though the six-month contract period doesn''t count."


    He smiled wide and for a moment I was lost in those beautiful amber eyes. "It feels a lot more than that," he says, and I nod in agreement.


    "It does; it feels like I''ve been with you since... forever."


    "You prepared all these?" he asked, and I could see the amazement in his eyes.


    I didn''t do much, Thane could have done better, even on a very short notice. All I could handle was some flowers, candles, and food and drinks for the both of us.


    "Yes, I did, and before you tell me about how much I need rest, know that it wasn''t too much hard work and..."


    He walked to me, lifting me up so my legs wrapped around his waist, and he kissed me. "It''s beautiful, and I''m sorry I forgot."


    "It''s alright, at least I didn''t."


    He pulled out my seat, and I sat before he took his. We dug into our food.


    "Some wine?" he offered, and I nodded. He poured me a ss of red wine; of course it was a non-alcoholic wine.


    "You know what I want to do after this?" I question my eyes on my food.


    "What?" he questioned with a smirk.


    "I want us to do stuff,"


    "Be precise, Riley." He said with a smile and I knew what he was ying at.


    "I want you to take me hard and fast."


    "And would you be able to handle that, Riley?"


    Chapter Three


    "We''ll see," I said and our eyes locked in a challenge.


    I woke up the next morning to Thane showering kisses down my throat.


    "One would think afterst night you would be satisfied."


    "I''m never satisfied, not when ites to you."


    "And I like it," I said, kissing him back.


    "Be, I want to thank you for yesterday," he says.


    Wait. Did he just call me Be? He didn''t seem to notice his little slip. Net it go.


    "You are wee, Thane."


    I helped Thane with his tie, not because he couldn''t do it, but because I needed an excuse to have my hands all over him. "I''ll be back early, Be."


    I paused, fixing his tie. "Thane, you called me Be for the second time today."


    "I did?"


    "Yes, you did. Are you alright?" I asked; now that I was this close, I could see the dark circles around his eyes.


    "I am fine, and I''m sorry, Riley. I just... I need to tell you something," he said, and I nodded.


    Just then a knock on the door interrupted us.


    It was a soldier here to inform us that there was ady, found unconscious at the pack borders.


    Thane tried talking me into staying behind, but this time I wasn''t going to.


    The dy'' had been taken to the pack healers. Thane and I walked into the healing room. Therey a petite woman with short red hair. She was beautiful; she looked like a tiny porcin doll.


    Chapter Three


    "Who is she and why is she here?" I questioned, but there was no response from Thane. I turned to look at him, and his eyes remained fixed on the girl. "Do you know her?"


    Thane finally turned to me. "She looks alot like someone I used to know."


    That''s all he said before walking away and leaving me alone in the healing room with the strange girl who seems to have an effect on Thane.


    Just then the girl''s eyes snapped open, and in the next moment she was on her feet.


    "Who are you?" she asked; her voice was just as I imagined it to be, gentle and melodious.


    I should be asking you that question.


    She gave me a long look before answering. "I am Isabe."


    I couldn''t understand why Thane had acted the way he did after he saw the girl, but I would have to wait for an exnation from him.


    "Her name is Isabe, and she has no memories of her pack or where she came from. "I said to Thane.


    "She''s awake now. I say we send her away from this pack..."


    I cut him off. "She could get lost."


    "She is not a member of this pack," Thane insisted.


    "But she can be."


    "I don''t trust her, Riley."


    "Thane, what exactly is your issue with this girl? I saw your reaction to her-the way you just walked away-something is wrong, and I want to know what."


    Thane inhaled deeply. "You are right, I''m being insensitive. There is something I have to tell you about the Cursed Weapon."


    "I''m all ears." I said to him,


    "The weapon hadn''t killed me, but it did do something'' to me.. For the past few


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    Chapter Three


    months, I''ve been seeing my father."


    "But he is dead."


    "I know."


    "And you see him ''constantly'' ?" I questioned, concerned now.


    "Yes. Constantly."


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I didn''t want you to worry, and it all sounded a bit... unbelievable."


    "Unbelievable? I have a demon son; at this point I would believe literally anything."


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    Chapter Four


    ISABELLA''S POV


    For the next few days, I watched him. Thane never spoke a word to me, and I wonder if he had forgotten everything because I hadn''t.


    I didn''t exactly lie to the Luna, but I wasn''t telling the truth either. I did remember a part of my life. A part where ''He'' was my everything. SOME YEARS AGO...


    I had found an abandoned house, right in the middle of the woods. It was the perfect ce. Here I wouldn''t be encroaching on any pds; no one would ever be able to find me.


    I was a runaway wolf. I had left home one day and never returned; my parents might believe that I died; I didn''t think they would cry over my death. To them, I was already dead. I had an illness, one we all knew would kill me in the end, and maybe that''s why I ran away. I wanted to live life to the fullest with the little time I had left.


    anyone,


    I''ve always loved nature, so it was no shocker that I ended up in a house surrounded by trees and nature''s wildest animals. I wasn''t alone; no, I never really had so I never knew what the feeling was like, but everything changed the moment I perceived the most beautiful scent I had ever inhaled my whole life.


    I knew what this was; I had read about it in the books. I was always a sucker for romance books, and maybe because I believed I would never experience that in my very short life. I had already made a decision many years ago. I knew I was going to die, so there was no need to put someone in the misery that follows after one loses


    his mate.


    That scent would lead me to him-my mate Every instinct in me told me to move towards it. I was going to be happy, and for the first time in my life, I wanted it so badly. It took everything in me to turn in the opposite direction and run.


    That should have been the end; he should have gone and never came back, but that wasn''t the case. He returned every single day, waiting; he stayed for hours, and all those times, I stayed away.


    I never saw his face, but I spent my night imagining what he would look like, and the next day, when he came, I made a very stupid move. I followed the scent, and


    finally... I saw him.


    My imagination did him no justice. None at all. He was the most handsome man I


    Chapter Four


    had ever seen; he had brown hair and beautiful amber eyes. I couldn''t move; it''s like my whole world came to a stop and it was just the both of us. I was well hidden, but somehow he managed to spot me. His gaze on me snapped me out of my trance, and I ran, just as I always did, but this time he followed.


    When I thought I had outrun him, I felt a firm grip around my waist; instinctively, I struggled, but he was stronger than me.


    11


    "I won''t hurt you."


    "Let me go!" I cried out, and he did.


    "Your voice..." he began. "It''s beautiful."


    "Stay away from me." I said, but before I could try running again, he caught me once


    more.


    "Don''t you feel it?" he questioned.


    "Feel what?"


    I did feel it; his touch alone was electrifying, igniting feelings in me that I had never thought I could have.


    "You are my mate." He says, confident.


    "No, I am not" I insisted.


    ""You don''t have to lie."


    "I am not lying; I don''t know you, and you are hurting me; let go!"


    He finally did let go. "What''s your name?" he asked, and I looked him in the eye. I could tell from his aura that he carried Alpha blood in him, the more reason I should stay away from him, and yet I heard myself speak up. "Be." With that, I ran; this time he didn''t follow.

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    Chapter Five


    Chapter Five


    THANE''S POV


    Riley wouldn''t exactly understand why I wanted the ''new girl'' as far away as possible.


    How do I exin to her that the girl I had seen in the healing room was aplete replica of Be? And turns out they have the same name, Isabe.


    Be never told me her full name, but Isabe was close, too close.


    It felt like fate was ying some kind of game with me. I stood over the railing, taking a sip of vodka, and just then ''Isabe walked in. Of course she was easy to spot; her red hair and bright features made her stand out.


    She said she forgot her memories; I believed she wasn''t being honest. I should go to her and ask her some questions, but it didn''t feel right to be anywhere close to her. I watched her from a distance though, noticing more simrities she had to Be. Their walking steps were very alike.


    I had already talked to Regnux about keeping her far away from me; maybe she could be ced in other pack homes outside the main pack house; that would make much more sense, but ording to him, the healers wanted to keep an eye on her, and they could only do that if she was close; they believe they could help her recover her ''lost memory''.


    What I couldn''t get was why everyone seemed to be getting out of their way to help this girl.


    Just then she turned and her eyes met mine; I could have sworn those were the very same eyes. She didn''t seem to have aged even one minute since Ist saw her. Could it be that Be had a younger sister identical to her?


    She gave me a small smile, and I quickly looked away, taking that as my cue to leave.


    I walked into my room. Rileyid on the couch fast asleep. I picked her up, carefully cing her on the bed. Her stomach was only getting bigger. It was only a matter of time and I would be a father. I wanted to be a good father-better than better than my de had


    been to me.


    Chapter Five


    "I see you''ve moved on." A voice called, and turned to see Isabe.


    "How did you get in here?" I questioned.


    "I had to see you."


    "I should have sent you away from this pack " I said, for some reason, staring at her filled me with rage.


    ''But you didn''t, did you?


    She has your child. I must be the fool for thinking you would still be waiting for me, that you would still have me alone in your heart as I do you."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" I questioned.


    "Oh, please don''t pretend, Isabe, Be, the very same people."


    "That''s impossible." I said, but she only shrugged, those big gray eyes on me.


    "You''ve suspected it, haven''t you,


    I..."


    I didn''t let her speak more; I had her pinned against the wall. "Don''t y games with me; I am not up for that. What are you and why are you here?"


    "I am the thing you dread the most and yet the very same one you love."


    "You must be crazy."


    00


    "You feel unsettled around me; you want me far away from you; if I have no effect on you anymore, you wouldn''t want those." She said to me with a small, innocent smile on her face.


    "I don''t understand; you are supposed to be dead, and yet here you are; you''ve not aged a single minute."


    "You are right; here I am."


    With that, she reached up to me, kissing my lips. I shoved her away.


    "You act like you don''t want it, but I know you do. The problem is that you love her too." She said, pointing to Riley on the bed, And she has your child. Would you love me if I had your child?" I awoke with a start.


    Chapter Tive


    "Thane. Are you okay?" Riley asked, and I nodded, kissing her on the lips.


    It had been a dream- another dream that felt so damn real.


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    Chapter Six RILEY


    I reced the flowers on Axel''s grave. Just as I had been doing for the past months.


    "You used to be someone I could always talk to." I began. Staring at his grave, his name had been engraved on the tombstone Beta/Commander/Soldier -Axel Dean of the Nightshade''.


    "So much has happened since you''ve been gone. It turns out that Thane has been keeping some things away from me. It doesn''t make me mad though. I know whatever he does, he does to protect me, but sometimes I wish he could see that I am a big girl and I can handle stuff."


    There wasplete silence, still I spoke on


    "The baby is growing well; that''s what the healers said, and I''m excited, but at the same time, very... scared I don''t want to mess this up. Thinking about the baby had taken my mind off so many things, like who I really am. I discovered a while ago that my ''wings'' might be having a little issue; they haven''t healed up since the ''incident, ''but I''ll keep ignoring it; maybe it just takes time."


    I paused again. This felt stupid. I rose to my feet. "Goodbye Axel." With that, I walked back to the packhouse.


    That''s when I noticed the stares.


    I was used to having eyes following my every move, but there was something unsettling about the way they stared at me.


    I heard the murmurs, though none of them were brave enough to speak to my face, but I could only make out one word. ''Cursed Something told me they were referring


    to me.


    I walked past them,ing to a stop before the set of double doors. I pulled it open and walked in. A smile formed on my lips; this had been the very ce Axel had brought me to; he taught me how to use a bow and an arrow, as well as how to shoot guns. It felt like a long time ago, but I couldn''t forget even a single memory I had with Axel. I still remembered the reason he brought me here-we had wanted to pass time.


    I picked up a bow and inserted an arrow in it. I fired at the target, and itnded


    squarely in the center of the target board. Next, I selected a gun, I aimed and shot at the wooden mannequin, which had mutted holes in its parts, and once again it hit


    12


    Chapter Six


    right in its heart.


    I wondered if anyone had been here since I and Axel''sst visit to this ce. From the dust coating the furniture here, I doubted it, the more reason why being here felt very calming. Hours went by in a blur, and finally I ced the bow back in its ce.


    ÌÇ


    There was one more thing I needed to do. I took off my shirt, and I let out my wings.


    It still hadn''t healed even a bit. The hall was spacious enough; I could try flying, but when I tried, I was barely able to lift myself off the ground; pain radiated through my body. Well this was fucked up.


    I didn''t have my wolf, and I couldn''t use my wings either.


    Just then the door was pulled open. I turned, expecting to find Thane, but it wasn''t. It was Gloria. The very same one that had been in a rtionship with Axel before he ended it... because of me. "Hey." I say, willing my wings back and putting on my shirt.


    "It''s true,"s


    gasped. "It''s true what they said. You are... cursed."


    "What does that even mean?"


    I took a step closer, and she took one backward, a frown edged on her face. "You are a devourer, a cursed one... your wings, it''s real."


    "I am not ''cursed''. And please, keep what you saw to yourself."


    "The whole pack already knows." She said to me, "The whole pack knows what you are." With that, she took more steps backwards before she dashed away.


    She had called me a ''devourer''.


    Now it all made sense; the whispers and unsettling stares from the pack members finally made sense, they believed I was cursed.

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    Chapter Seven Chapter Seven


    The sorceress, Jade, had warned me, I was to keep it all a secret, but then my priority. had been to keep Thane alive; I couldn''t care less what anyone thought at that moment, and if time was taken back, I wouldn''t have done things any differently, and yet I... worried. I walked into my room and shut the door before I noticed I wasn''t alone.


    A man sat on my cushion; no, he was no stranger; he was my... son. The demon I birthed. His mouth was stained with blood.


    I stared at his almost surreal face; every inch of him had been designed to allure


    preys.


    "Mother." He called. "I''ve missed you.


    "Who''s blood is that?" I questioned.


    "No one from this pack," he said, wiping it off. "I didn''t want to kill them. I only wanted to make friends, but they were afraid of me, and so I had to."


    "You don''t have to; you never have to kill people."


    "Then exin my lust for blood."


    ""You can control it."


    "I can''t; I tried, and I can''t."


    I walked to him, cautiously taking a seat beside him. He stretched out his hands for mine, and I slowly ced my hands on his. His hands were cold, but he was very real.


    After the first incident, a part of me began doubting whether it had all happened in my mind. I mean, Thane saw him too, but still, I couldn''t help but doubt, maybe we both saw wrong.


    "You care so much about these people. The very same ones that would turn and stab you in the back."


    "Not everyone is like that; there are some really good people, and who are we to judge?"


    "How many years have you spent trying to be the perfect Luna and queen for your people?" he asked, and I stared at him, surprised at how much he knew. I thought of all the years I had tried to be the perfect Luna, times I felt inadequate, and all the 173


    Chapter Seven


    things I did to get here and now; all they saw me as was a demon, a cursed. "They would never appreciate us; no one would ever understand us. You and me, we have a lot inmon.


    "I am nothing like you." I said to him, and in the next moment he was right in front


    of me.


    "You are not a demon like I am, but you are part of me I have what you want, and I can give you that.


    "You cannot give me anything."


    "I know a lot of things that you don''t," he says, his fingers trailing down my hair


    and I drew back. "I''d rather die than hurt you; you never have to be afraid of me," he whispered.


    "And what are these things you know?" I questioned.


    "First, I want to ask something of you."


    "What is that?" I questioned. For some reason, the rm I had been feeling earlier on dissipated; it was like my mind didn''t even sense a threat, but it should. "You never gave me a name. Did you ever n on doing that?"


    "No. I never nned on doing that."


    "I want to be named... by you."


    "You want a name. I''ll name you Daemon."


    "Daemon," he repeated. "I like it."


    That had been the first name that popped into my mind; it was still a trantion of the word ''demon''. I watched him smile, and I wonder if there could be more to him.


    "And for my offer. I know what you want. You need a way to get rid of the darkness in you. You want your wolf back, and I can help you with that."


    "How could you possibly do that?"


    "I can''t. But your father can," he said. "And I know where exactly he is right now, what I am not sure of is if he wants to see you."


    I rose to my feet, furious now. "Are you ying games with me?


    "No, I tell no lies."


    Chapter Seven


    "My father is dead."


    "You don''t even know him, Riley," he says, and that was the first time he had ever called me by my name. It felt strange when he called me mother, one would think he was older than me and maybe he was, in a way. "And you do?"


    "Yes, I do."


    Just then the door was pulled open, and Thane walked in. Daemon was gone; once again, he had vanished into thin air. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Eight


    Chapter Eight


    ISABELLA''S POV


    I had spent my days wondering if I made the wrong choice.


    Everything had changed the moment I saw him for the first time; his image had been etched into my mind. I couldn''t stop thinking about him, and slowly I was falling in love with my very own imaginations of him. I wanted to see him one more time, and yet I knew I couldn''t.


    The sun was high in the sky when I returned to the ce I called home. I walked in, and only then did I realize I wasn''t alone.


    The man from the woods had found my little home, and that means I could no longer stay here. I had wanted to keep this ce a secret, and now... It wasn''t anymore.


    "How did you find me?" I questioned, because despite my anger, I still wanted to hear him speak; there was something alluring about his voice.


    "This is the only building around; it would make sense that you live here," he said.


    "You aren''t giving up, are you?"


    "No. No, I am not."


    "What do you want?"


    "Everything," he says, he was confident. I liked that and at the same time didn''t.


    "Well, since you''ve let yourself in, you might as well make yourselffortable." I said to him, but he didn''t make any move to take a seat.


    "I have questions for you, and I won''t leave till I get my answers." He said to me, the intensity of his gaze caused me to look away. I was no omega, but I could recognize power when I saw it.


    "I might not have answers to every one of your questions." I say to him, and he walks closer to me, I back away. He paused, noticing how ufortable his closeness made me, and so he gave me some space. You said you didn''t feel the mate bond; I don''t think you were being honest."


    "I wasn''t. I lied because I can''t be with you.


    Chapter Eight


    "Why?"


    "That''s a question I cannot answer.


    "I will provide for you; I will give you everything you''ve wanted, everything you''ve ever needed," he promises, and I almost belleve he could.


    "No, you can''t. I do not want vanity; what I truly want, you cannot give. I cannot be with you, not because you are not good-looking enough." I paused; he was


    extremely good-looking, drop-dead gorgeous, with the body of a Greek god, but all that could never be mine.


    "Where are your parents?" he asked, but I gave no response. "Be,e with me;e back to my pack with me, and I will prove it to you; I will show you that I can make you happy." His promises felt so enticing, it felt so... right.


    "I don''t want to be in your pack. I had left my own pack behind, my family too, all to be here and I can''t even make this ce my home anymore, not after you''ve discovered it." "You are leaving?" he asked.


    "Yes, I have to."


    "Where are you going?"


    "That''s the point; you aren''t supposed to know."


    "What exactly are you running away from?" He questioned; those eyes seemed to pierce through my very soul. I felt bare in his presence.


    "I am not running from anything; I just want to be alone."


    "That can''t be it."


    "You are right. That can''t be it. Do you want a reason? Then maybe I want out because I am sick of having to deal with packs, family, and people; I just want to be alone; that''s all I''ve ever wanted." "No one ever wants to be alone, so I don''t believe that either."


    "You want to be with me? Then you will have toe with me." I said, realizing then. that I had made a mistake, What exactly happened to my n of staying away? I was going to hurt him in the end; I was making a risky choice; I was selfish, and yet... he


    23


    Chapter Eight


    was right. I always thought I wanted to be alone, but he made me want more; I soughtpany-not just anypany but... his. "You are of an Alpha blood; I can sense it, so are you willing to leave your pack and everything you''ve ever loved to be with me, right here in the middle of the woods?


    There is another option though; Reject me and let me go."


    "You think you know me, Be, but you don''t. I will make a choice, but it is not going to be what you are expecting."

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    Chapter Nine


    THANE


    I had been in my office when she walked in.


    The very same person I had done my best to avoid for the past few days. Isabe.


    "May Ie in?"


    "You should have asked that before walking in."


    She arched her brow. "I''m sorry.


    "You aren''t supposed to be here."


    "I know."


    "No, you don''t; this ce is off limits for you, got it?"


    She stood silent for a few seconds before nodding. I was being a jerk; I knew it, but I hated how my mind still vividly remembered her.


    "I should leave," she said, and I got a glimpse of her tear-filled eyes; that didn''t exactly move me, still....


    "What do you want?" I asked.


    "Nothing, I just... wanted to tell you thank you for all your help; I appreciate it. Who knows what could have happened to me out there."


    I didn''t have a response for that.


    She turned to leave.


    "You look a lot like someone I used to know." I said to her; she stilled, her back to me. "Her name was Be, which is indeed strange as you both also have simr names. Do you perhaps have any older sisters?" I asked.


    "None that I can remember," she said, but there was something about her tone that told me she wasn''t exactly being truthful. "Remember I lost my memories..."


    I cut her off.


    "I don''t buy that. You look so much like her for all I know, you could be her, so where exactly are youing from?"!


    "I told you,


    I lost my memories, I don''t know."


    Chapter Nine


    "Look at me." I said to her, but she didn''t." say, look at me."


    Finally she did, her eyes wide and fearful. "It seems to me that you know more than you are letting on. I don''t trust you, Isabe I would be watching you. I expect you to leave as soon as the healers are done helping you restore your ''lost memories." "You know, you don''t have to be a dick to me. I''m sorry that I look like someone you know, but what I cannot understand is why you seem so disgusted by my very presence."


    Not everyone could speak to me in that manner, and go scot-free and yet I was letting this go.


    "I apologize."


    She nods before leaving the office.


    Why should I care who she was or why she looked like my deceased mate? Maybe it was time I moved on; Be,


    dead; I didn''t know who thisdy was, but my mate


    had died; I felt it, and now I have Riley; I didn''t need anyone else.


    "You are very loyal to your luna." A voice called, and I turned to see de leaning against the wall.


    "You''re even more pestering than you were when you were alive."


    "Well, I have no one to bother, no pack to rule-you stole that from me and no mate. It is safe to say, ''You are all I''ve got."


    "I didn''t steal from you; the pack members were willing to join my pack, and so I let them."


    "You know, you don''t have to feel guilty about wanting her." He says. I knew who exactly he was referring to, he was only trying to get a reaction out of me. Of course I didn''t ''want'' her.


    "You can say that, you toyed with a lot of hearts and see where thatnded you? You got killed by your own mate."


    "Freya, the bitch. I do still love her, even with the knowledge that she is the reason. I... died."


    "You didn''t exactly treat her right, so it shouldn''te as a shock."


    "So tell me, did Freya cry over my corpse?" He asked, "I mean, everyone should have hated her after the knowledge of what she had done."


    Chapter Nine


    "They would hate her, but they wouldn''t hate me. So I took the me."


    "Always the perfect son.


    "1


    "I would have died to hear you say that to me a few decades ago. But I guess you are...te."


    "Very funny, son. You behave like you hate my guts, but you don''t."


    "You wanted to know if Freya ever missed you or cried over your corpse; well, the answer is no. She was the happiest woman after your death; she fell in love with this human she usually fucked, and she would have lived a happy life. I stared at my father, a smirk forming on my lips. I knew he was jealous; for damn''s sake, he was a ghost; he doesn''t get to be jealous, but getting on his nerves always gave me a rush.


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    Chapter Ten Chapter Ten


    RILEY


    My father was alive, and maybe he did know where exactly I was, but he never visited, not once.


    Back in the Windborne pack, I had watched the other pack members with both their parents, but I had only my mother to rely on. I wanted a father; I felt like there were so many things I could learn from him, but he was never there.


    My mother believed de had been my father, and it turned out she was wrong, which means she didn''t know who my father was. But Daemon did. Maybe he was lying, but for some reason, I believed him. What I couldn''t understand was how he knew so much. In the past, I had wanted to find my father; I could give anything to see him and know who he was, but now, knowing that he was alive and never bothered to check on me or my mother, I concluded he wasn''t worth it. I didn''t think he deserved to be called a father; all he ever was was a sperm donor. He was no family to me.


    Yet Daemon said only he could help me get rid of ''my darkness''. Maybe with that gone, I could finally fit in; maybe the whispers would stop. I wanted that. I was yet to tell Thane anything about Daemon. It wasn''t wise to keep secrets away from him, but I knew he would be disappointed in me if he knew that I had been so close to a demon; he would think I was a fool for risking my life. I was going to tell him everything; I just needed some time.


    At that moment, I felt a twinge of pain in my abdomen. I took a seat, hoping it would ease the pain, but it didn''t. the pain intensified, and I groaned.


    "Thane!" I called out, but he wouldn''t hear me. Damn those soundproof doors.


    "Riley." A voice called, and I looked up, noticing it wasn''t Thane but Daemon. I didn''t have time to react.


    "I need a healer; it hurts!"


    He nodded, easily picking me up and walking out of the room. I noticed how Daemon walked through the passageways like he was familiar with it. We got stares-a lot of those, but at this moment, I couldn''t bring myself to care. Daemon''s skin was cold-too cold.


    He pulled open the door to the healing room. Some healers were already present.


    Chapter Ten


    Without asking any form of question, they took me from his hands and ced me on the bed.


    "Mister. You have to leave." One of the healers said to him, but Daemon''s eyes were on me; he didn''t seem to have acknowledged what the littledy just said.


    I groaned again in pain, and Daemon walked to me, gripping my hand. I thought I saw his eyes glow, and finally the pain reduced.


    The healers tore off my gown and quickly went to work, but Daemon remained by my


    side, firmly holdinands.


    my


    "At first, I thought it was a regr contraction, but it wasn''t; I can''t read it because it''s no normal werewolf reaction." Daisy said to me, "But with these pills, it would lessen the pain." She passed the pills to Daemon, and I noticed her eyes lingering. He didn''t seem to notice her looking.


    "I''ve never seen you in this pack; are you a new member?" Daisy asked him.


    "I am no pack member. I am a family friend'' he said shortly, and she nodded but never did stop looking.


    When we were finally alone, I turned to Daemon.


    "That thing you did earlier... your eyes glowed and the pain stopped; what was it?"


    "You are part demon; I could share your pain."


    "And you did that... for me?" I questioned, surprised.


    "Why wouldn''t I, I love you." he says, I could see the sincerity clear in his eyes.


    "Thank you."


    "He ising, and he wouldn''t be very happy to see me." Daemon said. I ached a brow in confusion, but just then Thane walked in and Daemon was gone.

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    Chapter


    Eleven


    "Are you alright?" Thane asked, kissing my lips and then my stomach.


    "Yes, I am now."


    "I''m so sorry I wasn''t there for you."


    "I know you have work to do. I am fine, and that''s all that matters." I say, but I could see the debate in his eyes; he wanted to be there; he wished he was. "What happened?" He asked.


    "I felt some pain, which I guess is some kind of contraction; the healers can''t be sure because my system doesn''t operate like a werewolf''s anymore." "You will be fine," he assured me, kissing me once more.


    We were back in our room,


    "I guess you know by now who apanied me to the healing room." I said to him, I had expected him to bring this up the moment we returned here, but he didn''t. "Those who saw him all seemed to have something to say about him; it doesn''t take a genius to know who this mysterious man they spoke of was.


    But you know what? I don''t think we should talk about this now."


    "I want to talk about him."


    He inhaled deeply.


    "Riley, as much as I appreciate the fact that he was there for you, I still find it very surprising that you let him be that close to you."


    I knew that was what he was going to say.


    "He won''t hurt me.''


    "And he told you that?"


    "Yes, he did."


    "So I''m guessing he had been visiting and you kept that away from me."


    "I did it because I knew what you would


    Chapter Eleven


    say; you would lecture me on how dangerous he was and I already know that."


    "No, you don''t. He could have hurt you, and wouldn''t be there to keep him away." "But he didn''t. I know he''s dangerous; he might be evil, but he would never hurt me. "Riley, you are just being naive. He is a demon."


    "I am too! I am a demon."


    21


    "You are different."


    "I feel safe around him, Thane, and yes, I trust him. He knows me, he understands me, he loves me, and he told me that."


    "What if his feelings for you are nothing simr to what a son feels for his mother?"


    Sorry to say this but I don''t expect you to understand what that feels like, let''s not forget you had really crappy parents." Thane gaze met mine; he was clearly mad at


    1. me.


    "You know, I do have one big regret." I continued on, "I regret ever letting him go; even if I knew how much of a danger he could be, I gave up on him way too quickly, Thane, and yet he still came back to me. Maybe I can save him; maybe he isn''t all bad, and I could make him understand that there is more to life"


    "What will happen when he shows you what he truly is?"


    "At least I know I tried. Thest time he visited, he told me he could help me get rid of my darkness; he knew someone who could help me. My father."


    "I guess you believe that?" He questions, looking at me like I had gone crazy.


    "I do."


    "You have no darkness, Riley."


    "I am part demon, Thane."


    "It''s a part of who you are now, and I love you just the way you are."


    But what do the pack members think? I''m sure you''ve heard what they call me now, ''the cursed one.'' That''s what they think of me. Of course you already knew that -but you never thought of giving me some heads up, so I wouldn''t be feeling all self- conscious when I began getting the looks."


    Chapter Eleven


    "I didn''t tell you because it was stupid; what they think of you doesn''t matter."


    "But it matters to me! I''ve done a lot to fit into what they want, and they always find something to hold against me. I should give up, and yet, I want to be what they want.


    "You are good enough, Riley."


    I shook my head. "No, I won''t be, not until I''ve gotten rid of the darkness."


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    Chapter Twelve


    ISABELLA''S POV


    I watched him y the old piano; the piano had been the only thing I had brought here from my pack.


    I had discovered his name, Thane, and I couldn''t deny that the name was very fitting for a man like him.


    He sat on the stool, shirtless, his full attention on the music he yed, I couldn''t stop watching those skilled fingers; he didn''t strike me as the type who yed. I really couldn''t believe he''was all mine.


    I had been told before that I was beautiful, petite, and perfect, but never once did I feel as appreciated as I felt when I was with Thane.


    I walked to him, and he immediately stopped ying, his attention now on me, a smirk on his lips.


    "You were watching me?"


    "I didn''t know you yed."


    "I don''t, but I watched you and I learned; I am only doing this to get your attention." He confessed.


    I couldn''t help but be amazed, Thane was no ordinary being. I knew that from the first time I met him, and yet, each day, he proved that to me over and again. I could have apuded his skill some more; I could have told him that he had be a better yer than I ever was, but I wouldn''t want to boost his ego.


    "Thank you," I said to him instead.


    "For what?"


    "For choosing me."


    I still found it surprising that he left his whole pack and life behind to be with me.


    "I did tell you I would make a decision, and it''s not going to be what you were expecting."


    "Still I doubted that you woulde back."


    Chapter Twehre


    "Yet here I am," he said.


    "Come, there is something I want to show you." I said to him,


    He stood, and once again I was reminded of how huge he was. I, on the other hand, was a few inches shy of average... or maybe more than just a ''few inches''.


    I led him to my room.


    He looked around the tiny room; he didn''t fit in here, not in this room or this tiny house; he seemed to be destined for bigger things, and I couldn''t help but feel like I was holding him back, and yet, I wanted him and wouldn''t let go.


    I loosened the button of my gown and let the material drop to the floor. Next, I took off my underwear.


    His eyes trailed down my body; the way he looked at me made me feel like the most beautiful woman on the.


    I walked to him, and he leaned down to kiss my lips. The kiss grew heated, and he picked me up, maybe so he wouldn''t have to reach down. My nipples grazed his bare chest, and they hardened. He took off his pants, and finally we were both naked and on the tiny bed that could barely contain him.


    "Wait." I called, and he did stop. "I''ve not.. I''ve not done this before; please be gentle."


    "I will make it worth the wait," he says, and I believed his words.


    I never once thought I would want this so badly, and yet here I was.


    He kissed down my chest, taking my nipples in his mouth. I could feel the electricity from every touch; his hands trailed lower and I reddened, but every trace of embarrassment faded the moment he touched me down there; he was slow and gentle. I moaned, wanting


    more.


    As if sensing what I wanted, he let a single finger in, pumping in and out slowly before adding another. His lips teased my nipple, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever felt.


    "I want you." I gasped out.


    ''Are you sure you are ready?" He asked, and I nodded. I had never been so ready in my life.


    That had been to me, a day to remember.


    Chapter Twelve


    Sweat coated my skin. Thane did keep to his words, and he made it worth my wait.


    "This isn''t your first time, is it?" I asked him, even if I already knew it wasn''t.


    "No," he answers but says nothing more.


    "I bet girls throw themselves at your feet all the time."


    13


    He smirked, "You are the only one I want doing that."


    When I left my pack, I had been unknowingly searching for something, and finally I


    felt like I had found it. This was me finally... living.


    Chapter Thirteen

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    Chapter Thirteen


    RILEY''S POV


    I didn''t know exactly what had gotten over me; maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I might have acted like a bitch to Thane; he didn''t deserve that.


    I watched him get ready for work; I knew he was still mad at me.


    "Thane, I''m sorry." I said to him, and I meant it.


    "It''s fine."


    "No, it''s not. I know you are mad at me, and you have every right to be"


    "Riley, you''ve made a bad decision once with Nick; he deceived you. I want to protect you from that."


    "I won''t make the same mistake."


    "I''ll forgive you, Riley, but please let go of this n you have about ''getting rid of the darkness in you." He said to me; watching me, waiting for my response, but he wouldn''t understand; no one would. "I guess I''ve gotten my answer." With that, he walks past me and away from the room.


    I wish he could see that I was capable of making my own decisions too.


    "He is right, you know." said a voice from behind me, and I slowly turned around. Daemon leaned against the wall.


    "You heard it all, didn''t you?" I questioned, and he nodded.


    "I know I am not to listen into your conversations, but he is right. I think he cares for you." Daemon said like he was just discovering that now.


    "I trust you, Daemon, and I''ve made a decision."


    Daemon materialized right behind me, startling me.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. But I don''t know how we would get there; my wings are not really functioning well right now."


    "I told you he might not want to see you.''


    "He could be a coward, but I want to see him." I said to Dameon.


    Chapter Thirteen


    "Very well. Close your eyes.''


    "Why?"


    "Just do it." He says, and 1 did as he said.


    A gust of wind tousled my hair sending it every which way, I opened my eyes before he told me to and all I saw was a dark mist enveloping us, blocking out all the light. A sudden panic filled me, but it was over just as quickly, and we were no longer in my


    room.


    We stood before


    a building that was situated at an abandoned site.


    "What is this ce?" I muttered silently to myself.


    Daemon walked in and I followed. Inside, the building had apletely different interior, far from looking abandoned; it did look aricient, I doubted this ce ran with electricity judging by the candles that lit up the ce.


    The living room area was even wider; a chandelier clearly way out of style hung on the ceiling. I had almost missed the average-heighted man standing beside the stash of books.


    He had blonde hair, and though his back was to me, I knew the middle-aged man standing before me was the very same man who had been absent throughout my life. My father was... alive.


    "Bruce." Daemon called, and finally the man turned to us. "This is Riley, she wanted to..."


    Before Daemon couldplete his sentence, the man had him against the wall, the speed in which he had moved was unnatural, even for a werewolf. "I warned you, didn''t I?; why did you bring her here?"


    I could hear the anger in his voice; he knew who I was, and he didn''t want me here.


    "I made him bring me here." I said to the man, but he wouldn''t let Daemon go. I didn''t know exactly what he was doing, but Daemon seemed to be in pain. "Let him go! Face me instead." I said to the man, and finally he let Daemon go. I noticed the red spot on his neck, just where the man''s hand had been around his neck.


    "Hello Riley. I am Sebastian Bruce, your... father."


    Chapter Fourteen

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    Chapter Fourteen


    I stared at Bruce, astonished. He had introduced himself as my father, as if he had any right to that title.


    "Maybe we can just leave it as Bruce. How may I help you?"


    I couldn''t help but feel disappointed. A part of me hoped he would have some kind of exnation to why he hadn''t been there for me or my mother, but it turns out he simply didn''t care. I didn''t have to care either; I needed something from him, and that''s why I was here. "Daemon told me you could help me get rid of my darkness." I said to him.


    "He did, didn''t he?" Bruce said, giving Daemon a cold look.


    "Can you help me?"


    "I''m sorry, I can''t."


    "Seriously?"


    "Yes."


    I turned away from him, heading to the door, and then I paused.


    "You know what, Bruce?"-I called the name with as much venom as I could ce in a single word, "You were never worth it. All my life I had wondered who my father was. I thought you were dead, and maybe it would have been better that way. You are a disgrace, a shame, a reproach, a coward. That''s what you are; you are no man. I wish I didn''t know you lived; maybe then you will remain just as you were in my imaginations. I did paint a better picture of you in my mind and seeing you just ruined that. You never deserved me; neither did you deserve Kate, my mother."


    "Riley." He said, walking up to me. "One thing you should know is that the world doesn''t fucking revolve around you, like it or not, there are things bigger than you can ever understand, things bigger than you."


    "Thane was right." I said to myself. "I shouldn''t havee; it was my mistake."


    "Wait!" he called, stopping me once again. Your mother doesn''t have to know about this."


    What exactly did I expect him to say?


    "Go to hell asshole." With that, I walked away, leaving him behind.


    Chapin reten


    Daemon met up with me. "I''m sorry."


    "No, it''s not your fault."


    "I should have known; I just... I was mistaken."


    "It''s fine, you did nothing wrong. But what exactly is he?" I questioned, there was something questionable about the way he had so easily overpowered Daemon


    "I don''t sense a wolf in him; a wild guess; I''ll say he''s a sorcerer or close to that." Daemon answered.


    "You know what? I don''t care, just get me the hell out of here."


    "With pleasure."


    Thane joined me on the bed.


    "You went to meet your father, didn''t you?" he asked, and I nodded. "It didn''t go very well, did it?"


    "No, it didn''t. I''m so sorry, Thane; you were right. I just..."


    "It''s all right, Riley." He said he lifted me up and positioned me on hisps. "I couldn''t stop you from going to see your father; you had every right to."


    "He didn''t want to see me; he literally sent me away. I didn''t know what I was thinking when I believed I could get any help from the very same man who abandoned me all my life."


    "You wanted exnations; that''s why you went to him, but he isn''t worth your tears, Riley."


    "I''m so sorry, Thane."


    He kissed my forehead. "It''s fine." He assured me.


    Life may have dealt me its share of hardships, but it also gave me Thane, a gift I cherished deeply.


    Daemon was always there to keep mepany when Thane was away. I had decided


    Chapter Fourteen


    not to bring up the subject of my ''father'' since the incident; maybe this way I could pretend to have moved on. I didn''t bother telling my mother anything, not because Bruce had asked me not to, but because she didn''t need him in her life. "Daemon, I want to ask you a question." I began.


    "Go on."


    "Where is Jade?"


    "I told you, she''s locked away..."


    "Somewhere no one can find her-I know, but I want you to tell me where exactly."


    "I can''t tell you that."


    "Why?"


    "Because you will let her go, and I don''t want that to happen."

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    Chapter Fifteen


    I didn''t think Daemon could be easily manipted; he was no child, and I knew that, yet I did feel guilty about Jade; she was in all these because of me, and we had easily moved on, not even bothering to look deeper into things; maybe it had been because we''ve been through too much and we wanted to believe it was all over. It wasn''t over, not yet.


    "Daemon, Jade was only trying to help me; told her to capture you, and I''m sorry." He turned to me. "You thought I would be a monster, right?"


    "But you aren''t, and we were all wrong, I was wrong."


    "What if they aren''t? What if I am a monster?"


    "No, I see you now, and I know you could be a better person; my only mistake was giving up soon."


    "Riley, I haven''t harmed anybody from this pack because I don''t want you to hate me, but when I''m away, I kill people, many who had done no wrong, but I do it anyway because that is my nature; this is who I am, and so they are right, but even then, they wouldn''t separate us."


    His words registered in my mind, and I wondered for a slight second if Thane was right, if being in the same room with Daemon was dangerous, but I chose to swallow down my fear.


    "I don''t think you are a monster; I believe together we can fight it; it might be your nature, but you can change it; you are strong, Daemon."


    "You think that?" he asked, and in that moment I could see an emotion in his once nk eyes. I nodded.


    "I believe that. But Jade, she has helped me a lot, and she doesn''t deserve to be locked away; if there''s anyone to be punished, it''s me."


    "Riley, I am not doing this simply because she locked me away; she did more than that."


    "What do you mean by ''she did more than that?"


    "There was this ritual she performs; I don''t know what was to gain from it, but it always fails, every single time, but she never stopped trying, and ording to her, the tears of a demon were the major requirement."


    Chapter Fifteen


    #


    "Demons, don''t cry, do they?" I asked.


    "She tortures me, and I do not mean physical torment-that I could bear; I can''t put it into words, but many times, I wish I could stop existing, just so the torment would be over, and she does it every single day to get the tears, I don''t feel pain like you do and so it takes more.... Persuasion.


    I could see the pain in his eyes; I couldn''t believe I had subjected him to that. I knew what torture felt like; I had experienced that one too many times, and yet I let this happen.


    I didn''t know I was crying till Daemon wiped the tear off with a thumb; he lifted his thumb to his lips and took a taste of my tears. "You cry for me, but you aren''t at fault."


    "I am. I let her take you."


    "You couldn''t have known her intentions."


    "You were my son and I..."


    "I don''t hold a grudge against you.''


    I took his hands. "I will be better; I promise you I will be a better mother to you."


    He seemed about to say something, but he paused before starting over. "You are the only one who cares about me; that would always be more than enough for me. I have to leave now." "But it''s not yette." I said to him,


    "I will be back tomorrow." Was all he said, and he was gone.


    Maybe Jade did deserve to be locked away for a few more decades-l decided.


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    Chapter Sixteen THANE


    Riley had never once forgotten to rece the flower on Axel''s tombstone. I had seen her more than once, heading for the grave with a fresh flower to rece the old ones; sometimes she''d sit down beside the tombstone and talk to him.


    Axel had been a close friend to her, and sometimes I worry she would be all alone while I am away, ''upied'' as always.


    I had to run a check on Riley''s father, Sebastian Bruce; he had nothing under his name, and the thought of tracing him down was far too enticing. All I was going to do was talk to him, maybe leave him with an injury or two, nothing too much, just a reminder that he shouldn''t mess with my mate.


    I smirked at that.


    Just then I notice the woman approaching. It was Prici, Axel''s mother.


    I did remember informing the patrollers to never let her in, but on the day of Axe''s burial, she had practically begged to be let in to witness her son''s burial, and as much as I disliked her, I let her in. But currently she was exceeding her wee.


    "I won''t give you any financial support, so the faster you leave, the better."


    "I am not here for that." She said, and she stopped before Axel''s grave. She lowered to her knees, and I watched her whisper words to him. I watched her cry over his grave, and after what felt like hours, she rose to her feet, turning to leave. This did surprise me. "You know he can''t hear you now, right?" I said to her, and she finally turned to me, wiping off her tears like I hadn''t already seen it.


    "I made a mistake, but I want to change..."


    "Oh, shove it. I don''t have time for the extra drama; trust me, I have enough."


    She didn''t walk away though; she stood there.


    "I am sorry." She said to me, and though I could sense the genuity in her voice, that didn''t make one damn difference.


    "Well, you could have said that to him before he died, not me."


    "You are right to hate me, and I deserve it, but you were closer to Axel than any other


    person, and that''s why this is necessary. I do want to change."


    "Does this change mean you''ll stop fucking your son and be a better person?" 1 asked.


    "Yes, I have told him that... that I couldn''t continue on with what we were doing and I want to return back here; I do want to change."


    "I don''t really care; you could go on being the slut."


    "I don''t want to be that woman anymore, I want to return back here and I know you don''t want that but please do it...for him."


    "You should know by now emotional ckinail doesn''t work on me. But, you are free to join the pack if you would dedicate the rest of your life working as a maid-servant in the pack; only then would I find an opening for you." "But I am the mother to your Beta."


    "The problem is with so many pack members, I don''t have spaces for liabilities as yourself, so you either be up and working or you remain at your pack. Since my previous conversation with Isabe, I had decided to keep my doubts to myself and move on, but of course she just had to stop by the office. "Alpha Thane." She called hesitantly.


    "I guess you are here to inform me you will be leaving?" I questioned.


    "That''s not why I am here." She says.


    "Then... how can I help you?"


    "You are different." She says.


    "What?"


    "You were nothing like this from what I remembered. I think it''s all an act."


    With that, she walked up to me and reached out fo kiss me. I saw thating, and I easily shoved her away. "What the hell is your problem?" Chapter Seventeen

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    Chapter Seventeen


    Isabe seemed taken aback by my refusal, tears welled up in her eyes


    in her eyes - albeit they were tears of embarrassment; I could easily tell that she wasn''t used to being rejected.


    I debated leaving the office, but finally she spoke up.


    "You don''t love me anymore, Thane."


    "I think I''ve had about enough of this; it''s time you leave."


    "So you are going to push me away? After everything?"


    "Well now you are making me believe you are crazy."


    "Don''t pretend like you don''t know what I speak about. You had the suspicions, but I turned them down. When I told you I forgot my memories, I hadn''t been exactly truthful. I don''t know what happened these past years, but all I could remember was being with you." "What are you trying to say?"


    "I am trying to say I am the very same woman you loved; I am Be." "Don''t you dare..."


    She cut me off. "I can prove it to you. We met in the woods. At first, I ran away from you because I knew I was going to die. I didn''t want to hurt you, but you were persistent, and I fell for you in the end. I let you into my home, and you abandoned your own pack just to be with me."


    "Stop talking," I warned.


    "You know I don''t lie; you can feel it anytime I am close. That''s because I am Be; I just didn''t want to tell you yet; I feared I woulde between what you''ve built with Riley you deserve better, but I can''t help myself; you are all I think about, all I dream about, and I don''t know how I am still alive, but I am, Thane. I am alive and I feel so lonely, I need you...


    In the next moment I had her pinned to the floor. We were so close, I could hear her heart beating fast. When I stared at her, I saw Be, and as much as I hated to admit it, I believed her, because there was no other exnation for why she looked like a duplicate of my mate.


    "I want to get one thing clear, Isabe. My mate died; I had buried her, and I am sure


    Chapter Seventeen


    of that. You might have a resemnce to Be, but you aren''t her, and you never would be. I don''t care what you know. I love someone else now, and there would never be any room for you anymore, so I''ll advise you to get that into your head because the next time you try to kiss me again, I''ll rip out your tongue." I said the word slowly to her, and finally I rose to my feet.


    "I never stopped loving you, Thane, and I never would."


    Just then, Regnux walked in. His eyes darted back and forth between Isabe and me


    "I coulde backter." he suggested...


    "No. She was just about leaving, right?"


    Isabe rose to her feet and headed to the door without another word.


    That wasn''t too hard, was it?


    When I returned home, Riley wasn''t in the room, but she left a note to inform me that she was at the garden. I turned around, heading for the garden.


    I spotted her from a distance; she was in a light blue gown, looking as beautiful as ever. I had decided that she had to know about Isabe. After the confrontation back/ at my office, it was clear that my suspicion was very close to being the truth; keeping that away from Riley would just feel so... wrong.


    But for a slight moment, I wish we didn''t have to talk about my deceased mate, might have been reborn; I wish I could just join her and stare at those beautiful flowers.


    I walked up to her, and she turned to me, a smile on her face.


    "I''m sorry I stayed outte."


    "No worries, I saw your letter. Riley, I think we should talk."


    who


    e turned to me,


    her eyes filled with concern, and all of a sudden, telling her the -truth didn''t feel like a simple task... at all. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Eighteen RILEY


    "There''s something I need to tell you." Thane said to me, his tone calm but I could sense the gravity of his words, and I gave him my full attention. "Earlier, I told you that I had been seeing my father."


    "Yes, you did." I prompted him to go on.


    "He wasn''t the only dead person ''visiting."


    "Thane, I think about Axel too; sometimes I dream about him. I understand that." I said to him, already knowing where this was heading to.


    ''No, it''s not Axel- that wouldn''t have been a problem. It''s Be, my... dead mate. Though she only visits my dreams, it still worries me; I hadn''t dreamed about her in years, and all of a sudden she is all I dream about, and in this dream... it''s always like we were still together, just how it had been before she died."


    "Thane, I trust you. I know you don''t love her, and it''s just the deities trying to mess with your head, but I know you love me, and I love you too. The fact that you see your dead mate in your dreams doesn''t mean a damn thing." I assured him.


    Yes, I felt jealous that he dreamt of another woman; I could swallow that down because I knew he didn''t want to. It just... happens, and I wanted to make him know he could tell me anything.


    "Riley, there''s more to that. Remember the day Isabe had arrived at this pack and I acted very ''weirdly''?" He questioned, and I nodded. I did remember. I never moved on from that because it was a rare behavior, the woman seemed to have an effect on him. "When you asked, I told you she looked like someone I knew. I had been referring to Be."


    "What?" That I hadn''t expected. "What do you mean she looks like Be?"


    "I mean, she is a replica of my dead mate; they don''t just look simr; they look the same-well, if Be has not aged a second since.I saw herst." he said to me, I opened my mouth to say something only to shut it again, my mind seemed unable to process anything. "I had confronted her once, to know who exactly she was, but she told me the same crap about losing her memories, which I knew was a lie, but today, she stopped by my office once again, but she was apletely different person. She believes she is my mate, but I buried Be, so I don''t buy that, but she knows things only I and Be knew." Thane paused when he noticed how silent I had been. "Riley,


    Chapter Eighteen


    please say something."


    I don''t speak, I remained silent. I had almost forgotten how to inhale, but all I felt was anger, pain, and... betrayal.


    "Thane, why didn''t you tell me the truth when I asked?"


    "Because I considered how you would feel if you knew my mate''s lookalike was in the pack, I didn''t want to hurt you or make you feel the need to be jealous."


    "Does that also exin why you kept your little conversations with her away from me?"


    "For all I knew, she could be a doppelg?nger. I wasn''t sure, and I wasn''t going to let thate between us."


    "No, I don''t believe you, Thane."


    "I wouldn''t lie to you, and you know that."


    "No, I don''t. I don''t know what to believe anymore."


    "Riley I love you, don''t doubt that."


    "You don''t understand. Be was your mate, your first love, the love of your life. You didn''t break up with her; she died, and now there is some possibility that she is back and in this pack. You knew that, and you kept it away from me all this time. What the hell do you want me to think?"


    "Riley..."


    "No, don''t try to give me those ''little'' exnations. You kept this away from me because you still cared, and I can''t even me you, she is your mate, you would always have to care."


    "It doesn''t mean anything, and I''ll send her away; nothing should evere between the both of us, we''vee too far.


    "I don''t want you to send her away, Thane." I turned, walking away from the garden, but Thane followed.


    "I want to be alone tonight. I need some space; that''s all I want, space."

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    Chapter Eighteen


    Chapter Neen


    Now it all made sense. Th


    ane''s reaction to Isabe finally made sense.


    I was mad, angry, and jealous, and I had every right to be. After Be''s death, Thane had been in so much pain, he couldn''t bear it all alone, and that had been the very same reason he shut everyone out; it had taken so many years for him to move on, but the effect of her death remained, even till today. So I didn''t exactly believe that he could just... Stop loving her.


    I paused in the hallways; hesitating for a moment before taking a turn, I headed to the room Isabe upied.


    I knocked once, and she opened the door. I didn''t wait for an invitation; I pushed past her and walked into her room. She shut the door before turning to me. There was a small frown on her tiny doll-like face. Her red hair had been made into a messy bun; she was beautiful, and I couldn''t deny it, and despite myself, I felt an ache in my chest. Thane never spoke of how beautiful ''Be'' had actually been.


    "I know why you are here," she said in her tiny, melodious voice.


    "I bet you do." I responded.


    "He told you, didn''t he?" She said, but I gave no response. "Don''t take it out on him; he wasn''t at fault. You should have seen how he turned me down when I tried to kiss him," she said with a small chuckle, but the sadness remained visible in her eyes. "You tried to kiss him?" I questioned, trying to bottle down my anger.


    "Yes, I did, and he literally shoved me away. I don''t know what I was thinking."


    "You did; you knew exactly what you were doing."


    She paused, staring at me, and finally she nodded. "I did know what I was doing; maybe I believed if I did kiss him, then he would remember me. I believe that single action could make him remember."


    "Make him remember what exactly?"


    "What it had been like when the both of us were together, it was like the sun and the moon and the stars; it was beautiful. I know you love him and you carry his child, but you... just have to know that I am his fated mate, not you; you were only a substitute. It is not my intention to make an enemy out of you, not at all, but you should bear this in mind."


    Chapter Neen


    "You seemed to be missing out on a big detail: you died, and Thane moved on."


    "Yes, I did. I... I don''t know how I am still alive, but when I awoke, he was all I could think about. I''m sorry, I shouldn''t be talking about him in this manner to you."


    "I came to visit because I wanted to be sure; I wanted to hear for myself; I think I''ve heard enough." I stood heading for the door


    "Have a pleasant night, Riley." She called; I paused and slowly turned to stare at her onest time. She had her hands circled around her stomach; one would have mistaken her for a child due to how small she was. I didn''t give her a response.


    Only when I was out of her room did I realize I made a mistake. Going to her was a mistake; I should have just continued to my room and ignored her.


    The moment I returned to my room, I knew I wasn''t alone.


    "Daemon, I really want to be alone right now.


    "It''s not Daemon." The voice called. It was Sebastian Bruce.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Twenty


    "How did you get in here?" I questioned him.


    "Let''s skip that part. I was hoping you would ask why I was here."


    "Well then, why are you here?" I asked him


    "I needed to apologize."


    "It doesn''t work that way, and I don''t appreciate you showing up in my home, Bruce.


    "I know, and if I will try not to do that next time-if there ever has to be a next time.


    I didn''t handle things well when you came to visit; I had been too brash and... cold. For this reason, I ask for your forgiveness.


    "Got it. You can leave now."


    "I know you wanted an exnation, but I didn''t give you one...


    "Bruce, I don''t really care, not anymore; all I need is some time alone."


    "I would leave, but I went through a lot to be here, and so I need you to hear me out."


    "You have one minute, and your time starts now."


    "I do have an exnation; there is a reason I had to stay away from you, but the problem is I cannot tell it to you."


    "If I may ask, why?"


    "I just can''t. But I want you to know that I did care for your mother; I cared for you


    too."


    He took out something from his pocket and ced it on the table. They were pictures, pictures belonging to my mother and me." "How did you get these?"


    "This was all I had to hold on to Riley. I loved your mother a lot, but I had to stay away from her."


    "You say you love her, but if you really did, then why doesn''t she remember you?"


    "Because I made her not to."


    Chapter Twenty


    It finally dawned on me. "You made her... forget?" I asked.


    "Yes. I know you will hate me after discovering the truth, but you have every right to know. I met your mother in this very same park many years ago. I watched her get maltreated by the Alpha King de, and I wanted to help her.


    I wasn''t a member of this pack; I had been here on a mission; I was what you call a spy. When I was done with my mission, I helped your mother escape; even till today, she believed that the keys to her cell had just been lying there close to her reach. I hadpelled the guards to do that, of course; killing them would''ve been a better choice, but I had to make sure Kate was safe first. I helped her out of this pack and took her far away, where de would never get his hands on her. Then I went back for the soldiers who had hurt her and I ended them all.


    Kate was used to being treated badly, and so the little good I did for her was all she needed, and she fell in love, but I fell harder."


    "Then why did you leave? Why did you make her forget?" I asked him.


    "I was putting her life in danger by keeping her with me. Let''s say I was running away from ''someone,'' and this person was very powerful. When she told me she was


    ''he'' found out about her, he pregnant with my child, I knew I had to let her go, 1 would kill her just to get back at me, and so I made her forget, I made her believe de was the father to her child." I had thought she would finally be free, little did I know that she would be subjected once again to the life I tried to save her from."


    "This doesn''t exin why you abandoned us. Is this person still pursuing after you?"


    "No. He found me, Riley. Of course I couldn''t hide forever, and he caught me. I couldn''t be with you and your mother because I was serving a sentence. That''s all I can tell you because the less you know, the better."

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    Chapter Twenty One


    "I didn''t tell my mother about... you." I said to him, "I didn''t do it for you though, but for her. She has moved on, Bruce; she''s in love now, and she is happy, it will remain that way."


    "You did the right thing. It has been so many years; she deserves to be happy."


    "She does."


    "I don''t expect your forgiveness..."


    "I don''t n on giving you that. What I am interested in knowing is what exactly you are. I know you aren''t a werewolf."


    "You are right; I am not. I am a warlock.


    "A warlock?" I repeated.


    "Yes, simr to a sorcerer but also... different in some way. A sorcerer is born with magic flowing through their veins, but a warlock isn''t born with magic; we earn it, and for this reason, we operate on a different level."


    "That''s how you were able to make Mom forget about you."


    "Yes. It was a simple spell."


    "When you my father?"


    made her forget about you, why did youpel her to believe de was


    "Because I knew it would make her hate him even more, and hate is one strong emotion; the hate in her heart would force her to go through each day just to prove to de that she was stronger than he ever thought, and that''s exactly what she did. I feared after I left her that she would... give up, and so I had to."


    "I wish I could forgive you, Bruce, but I can''t; it''s too hard."


    Bruce nodded. "I know that, and I don''t deserve it.


    You wanted to get rid of your ''darkness, but I won''t help you with that, not because I can''t but because you shouldn''t. We all have our own darkness, Riley, but being able to control it is what makes us powerful. He took out a small bottle filled with a glittering liquid. He passed it to me.


    "What is this?"


    "You should drink it immediately; it will help with your wings.


    Chapter Twenty One


    I nodded but made no move to take it. He didn''t push.


    "I''ll be gone, but Riley, for your sake, don''te looking for me."


    And with that he was gone.


    Iy on the bed, alone.


    All I could think about was Isabe, the new girl.


    Stupid as it may seem, I had this feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. I remembered Zara-the new girl Ryker had brought to the pack. Ryker had promised me that I would be named his mate; but then he betrayed me by announcing her to the pack as his mate. Thane would never do that to me, but yet, I had to remind myself that she was his first love.


    I wondered if he had been thinking of her when he mistakenly called me ''Be''.


    I walked into the bathroom, hoping to get a quick shower, when a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. I stumbled forward, my eyes scanning the space for something -anything, to grab onto, but I ended up tripping on my own footing, and I fell to the floor, my heading in contact with the hard tiled floor..


    I groaned; the metallic smell of blood filled the air. My vision blurred, but I didn''t miss the figure by the bathroom door.


    Daemon.


    "Help me." I whispered to him, but he wasn''t looking at me; his attention was on the cut on my forehead, which was now bleeding.


    Bloodlust. That was clearly what he was experiencing.


    The water dripping from between my legs got both our attention. My water just broke, but... it wasn''t time yet; the baby was barely seven months old.


    "I''ll get Daisy." He said, his voice strained, and with that, he was gone. I felt so afraid; this couldn''t be happening; it wasn''t time yet.


    Just then the contractions began; this felt even worse than the first.


    Daisy walked in, apanied by some other healers; together, they easily picked


    me up.


    "You will be fine." She assured me.


    Chapter Twenty One


    But this time I didn''t believe her.

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    Chapter Twenty Two


    THANE


    I remained in the garden. Maybe this hadn''t been the right time to tell her about Be.


    She was right.


    While I didn''t love Be anymore, I still cared, and it felt wrong.


    At that moment, I felt like something was wrong. It had been pure instincts but I felt the need to check up on Riley so I hurried back to the room we shared.


    She might need her space, but she was pregnant, and she neededpany, just in case anything happened...


    She wasn''t in the room.


    I moved to the bathroom, and there I saw the blood on the tile.


    Damn.


    I had been heading to the healers when I met Daisy halfway there.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "The Luna is inbor."


    That''s all it took, and I was sprinting to the healing room.


    Riley had been ced on the bed; sweat coated her face - maybe it was tears. I walked to her holding her hands in mine.


    "You are going to be fine." I assured her.


    "It''s not yet time; I don''t know why this is happening to me."


    "We will get through this together, okay." I said to her, and she nodded.


    I noticed her head had been wrapped with a bandage. I didn''t ask her about it; she was in enough stress, but from the bloodstains on the bathroom floor, it was clear that she might have tripped. "I''m sorry about all those things I said to you earlier in the garden."


    "It''s okay; let''s not talk about that right now."


    Chapter Twenty Two


    I kissed her knuckles.


    "I am so afraid, Thane; I don''t want anything to happen to the baby..."


    She gasped in pain.


    "Do something," I said to the healers.


    "She''s expressing contractions; it''s normal."


    ""I don''t want her in pain."


    At this point I didn''t care what they had to do.


    Daisy walked in.


    "Alpha, I need to speak to you."


    "I''m not leaving her."


    "It would only be a few minutes; she would be fine."


    I followed her out, but all I could think about was Riley in that room, in pain, and I couldn''t do a damn thing about it.


    "Riley had a bit of an ident; we suspect she might have a slight concussion but that''s the least of our worries. I had to tell you this alone because I didn''t want to give her any more anxiety than she already has. But the Luna has only a fifty-fifty survival rate." ""She will survive."


    There wasn''t just any other option; she had to.


    Daisy nodded. "I''ll advise you to wait outside; the healers might not be able to work under pressure."


    "I need to be there with her."


    "I wouldn''t advise that, Alpha; we are going to do our very best." She promised.


    I waited outside, but it took everything in me to do that. I heard her cries.


    "Make it stop," she pleaded as the healers forced her to ''push''.


    The minutes drew on, and the hours felt more like days; my patience was running


    Chapter Twenty Two


    out.


    Finally Daisy walked out; I couldn''t read her face, and she took a moment too long to speak. "The child had been delivered. It''s a boy."


    "What about Riley?"


    "She is not doing very well. We would give her some medications, and hopefully she gets better. For the next few months, the child would have toplete his growth in a child pod, what the humans call an ''incubator." Riley was asleep; I took my position by her side and held her hands.


    "You were really strong today; I had no doubt you would make it." I said to her, her fingers moved slightly. "The baby would be fine too, it''s a boy; you don''t have to worry about anything."


    I waited for her to wake; it took almost a day, but finally she opened her eyes.


    but I picked up the ss of water which had been ced on the stand beside her bed, gently lifting her head up so she could take down some. She could barely move, she was going to get better.

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    Chapter Twenty Three RILEY


    Thane never left; not once in the next three days. He used the bathroom in the healing room instead.


    I felt so weak and tired; Daisy said I should be getting better, but I most definitely wasn''t. At least the child survived, even if it would take a few more months for me to see him again.


    I tried lifting my hand, and it did take some effort for such a petty task.


    "Thane, you know you could go to work..."


    "No, nothing is more important than you and right now you need me here."


    "But I am fine Thane, the pack needs you too." I said to him, I did notice Regnux visits; there was work to be done, but Thane didn''t want to leave me alone, I could handle myself for a few hours - maybe I''ll try not to trip on my own foot while Iy on the bed. "I''ll only be gone for a few hours, and I''ll be right back," he promised.


    "It''s alright."


    Exactly an hour after Thane was gone, the door was pulled open. I had thought it was Daisy, and so I didn''t bother, but then the figure got close enough. It wasn''t Daisy; it was Gloria.


    "Congrattions," she said to me, but there was something off-putting about her being here. "I thought the Alpha would never leave."


    "Why are you here?"


    "To congratte you and also..." she drew closer to me. "We hoped you died, demon. But you survived yet again. I am here to make sure this pack is free of your evil." And with that, her hands wrapped around my neck.


    I was vulnerable; I had been a fool to let Thane go, but I believed I was safe. This was my pack and my home; I was their Luna and queen.


    I struggled against her grip, but this time, she was stronger.


    ck dots clouded my vision.


    Chapter Twenty Three


    "Go to hell, where you belong."


    Just then she let out a shriek. Behind her stood Daemon; his fang tore into her neck, and he ripped out flesh. He drank from her, holding her still; she couldn''t move. Tears spilled down her eyes.


    "Daemon, stop." I pleaded, but he wouldn''t. She slumped, barely breathing. He took out her hand and bit into her wrist.


    "Drink." He said to me, but I shook my head.


    "No, I don''t want to."


    He forced her wrist to my mouth, and I got a taste of her blood. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn''t let that happen, and finally I gave in. I drank from her, I held onto her arm, and I let her warm, tasty blood flow down my throat. When I had enough, Daemon pulled her away. "What... what have I done?"


    "No, not you. Me." He snapped her neck and let her body fall to the ground. "I killed her, not you."


    "Why would you do that?"


    "Your heart is so pure, Riley; it''s dangerous to be such a good person."


    This hadn''t been the first time someone had told me that.


    "That''s Gloria, Axel''s ex-girlfriend."


    "I don''t care who she is; she tried to kill you, and for that she dies."


    "Why did you make me drink from her?"


    He took my hands and helped me rise to my feet. "Blood could heal you, but they don''t know that. You are not a werewolf; they would never understand you."


    I hadn''t noticed it; I had regained my strength, and that only happened in a span of seconds.


    "How did this..."


    "The more you drink, the stronger you be. Take a look at her; she is not worth


    your pity; they are all the same; they quickly forget all the good, so stop trying, Riley.


    11


    Chapter Twenty Three


    "We can''t just leave her body here."


    "No, we can''t. I''ll take it away, and I''ll cut it into little parts and spread it through the woods."


    He wasn''t joking, and I had to resist the urge to puke.


    "You can''t just do that to people."


    "But I can."


    I held onto his hands. "You won''t do that; you are better than that."

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    Chapter Twenty Four


    Chapter Twenty Four


    Daisy walked into the healing room; I could see the instant rm in her eyes the moment she spotted Gloria''s corpse.


    "Daisy." I called silently, but her eyes wouldn''t leave the corpse.


    "Let me take care of this." Daemon said to me. I feared for a moment that he would kill her, but he doesn''t; instead he... kisses her. To my surprise, she kisses him back. "You won''t tell anyone about this, would you, Daisy?" "I won''t, if you don''t want me to."


    "Good girl. Now go get the Alpha, make no mention of this to anyone."


    She nodded before walking away and shutting the door behind her.


    "What did you do to her?"


    "Nothing, at all."


    "She... likes you?"


    "Obsessed is a better word."


    "You shouldn''t use her that way."


    "Riley, she wants to be used."


    Just like Daisy, Thane paused the moment he saw Gloria, dead; of course, he knew how exactly this happened, the puncture marks marring her skin was all the exnation he needed.


    "I''m sorry." I said to him, and those amber eyes trailed down on me.


    "Did you kill her?"


    "No, of course she didn''t; she is... better than that." Daemon said. "She is just too good a person to do that, but I, not so much


    "You mess with my pack, you mess with me" Thane said, his silent threat chilling.


    "Your pack? The same people who want her dead?"


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Chapter Twenty Four


    "She is dead because she tried to harm Riley It was a win-win; I fed Riley her blood to help her heal before I killed her." Daemon said simply, he walked over the corpse. "She is my priority; anyone that proves to be a threat would be killed; you are not an exemption." Thane was barely holding back; I expected him to lunged at Daemon, but he didn''t.


    "Thank you." Thane said to him, and my mouth dropped open.


    "I didn''t do it for you."


    Daemon left the both of us alone.


    "He killed Gloria." I said to Thane.


    "I would have done the same. How did she get in?"


    "She seemed to have been waiting for you to leave; she said ''she thought you would never leave'', and I don''t think she was alone on this; they believed killing me was the right thing to do, to get rid of the ''evil.''


    "I''ll find all that had been involved in this, and I will kill them all," he promised.


    In some way, Daemon and Thane were very much alike.


    Thane got rid of the body.


    IN THE IN


    "You recovered faster than I ever thought was possible." Daisy said to me, even if we both knew what had happened, she was going to carry on with the act like nothing had happened. When I was finally alone with Daisy, I thought maybe I should bring it up.


    "So you and Daemon are... a thing now?"


    "I don''t speak about it." She said and that sounded a bit cryptic, I arched my brow. I''m sorry, I just don''t want to."


    "It''s fine; I am not against it."


    "You don''t understand; he doesn''t want me sharing things that go on between the both of us, and no, we aren''t a thing. I wish, but he made it clear that we aren''t."


    "Are you okay?" I asked her.


    Chapter Twenty Four


    "I am. But I wonder if you know when... he will be back."


    "I don''t, but he does visit regrly. Is there anything you want me to tell him?" I asked her.


    "How constantly does he... visit you? If that''s okay to ask."


    "Almost daily, but that has changed since I''ve been here, but I guess I will be discharged soon."


    "He visits you daily?" she asked, as if surprised.


    "Yes, why?"


    "Nothing."


    "You can tell me, Daisy; I am your


    friend."


    "It''s just that he rarelyes by; he''s always there for a short moment and then, gone," she said with a small smile. "I just wish I didn''t have to wait so many days... to see him again." Chapter Twenty Five

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    Chapter Twenty Five


    Chapter Twenty Five


    **DAISY''S POV


    I had never been in love before; no, it didn''t bother me when my fellow friends found their mates and I didn''t; I never believed I needed a man to make me feelplete.


    That changed the moment I met Daemon.


    He wasn''t like the other men; he was different. That was the best way to describe him: ''Different.'' It had taken a single nce at him, one look at him, and I fell; this was more than love, I knew that; it was admiration, it was want, it was desire, it was so much more.


    He read me; just with a single look, he knew every single thought on my mind, and he came to me that night. He visited two more times after that, but every time I awoke, I was alone; he didn''t leave notes, messages, or anything. I was jealous that Riley got to see him almost every day; he said they were family friends. That''s all he was willing to tell; he said nothing more. He rarely spoke to me; it was sex, and that''s it, but to me it meant... everything, and even when he was gone, I couldn''t stop fantasizing about the moment we shared. I took off the scarf I had wrapped around my neck, cing it on the couch; just then I felt a presence; my heart mmed in anticipation as I turned around, and there he was at the door. His face was just as cold and emotionless as I remembered them to


    1. be.


    I knew he was dangerous, and yet... danger could be tempting atimes.


    "You did well back there," he said to me.


    That had been the closest to apliment I had ever received from him. "Thank you?"


    My words came out more like a question than a response.


    "I want to reward you for that, Daisy."


    "I would like that." I replied, licking my lips suddenly they felt dry.


    I finally noticed the cor in his hands. Was he going to use that on me?


    "Take off your clothes," he said, the silentmand ringing through the air. I do as he


    says and strip; his eyes don''t trail down my body; they remain on my face, and sometimes I wonder if I wasn''t attractive enough for him. "Come.''


    Chapter Twenty Five


    I walked to him, and he strapped the cor on my neck, tightening it till I was barely able to breathe.


    He took off his own clothes, slow, deliberate actions, and all the while, his eyes remained on me, never trailing down to my nude body, and when he was done with his clothes, he mmed me against the wall; his skin was as cold as ice, and he was by far taller than I


    was.


    He pinned both my hands to the wall above my head, and with his other hand he grabbed onto the cor, my legs wrapped around his waist. He didn''t wait for me to get ready; he mmed into me, taking me hard and fast. I cried out. It was pain, it was pleasure, it was danger, and everything else in between.


    "Remind me again, what are you willing to do for me?" he asked, just as he always does.


    "Anything," I answered.


    "What if I want more... What if I want the one thing you cannot give? Your life?"


    "Then you can have it."


    He bit into my neck; the pain faded away just as quickly, giving way to pleasure. When he bites me, he always makes it pleasurable.


    He mmed harder into me as he drank from me, and I let him.


    I moaned his name over and over again till my release came hard. He didn''t stop; I didn''t want him to, even as the darkness fought with the light, and I finally sumbed to unconsciousness.


    I woke up the next day, bright lights almost blinding my eyes; the first thing I did was take the pills I always left by my drawer before limping into the bathroom.


    The puncture hole wasn''t only by my neck; it was also on my breasts. I closed my eyes, imagining what that would have felt like. Pure ecstasy.


    I only wish I could wake up to see him by my side, but I had to make do with what I had and hope for the next time he would visit and reward me with a taste of what danger felt like.

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    Chapter Twenty Six


    RILEY''S POV


    I was finally discharged and free to go home, Daisy rmended that I get some quality rest as usual.


    "You know, you would healpletely if you took some more blood." Damon advised.


    "No! I don''t want any other person dead."


    "You don''t have to kill to feed, and as for the pain, you can make it pleasurable if you wish-no harm done."


    "I don''t need to drink from others; we could do without it."


    Daemon didn''t seem to believe that, but he said no more.


    "Back there... with Daisy, what really is going on between the both of you? - I mean, it''s okay if you don''t want to tell me."


    He turned to me. "I don''t feel anything for her, but she does for me; there''s nothing between us but sex."


    "Oh." I muttered; I felt like he told too much, but he didn''t seem to mind. "I think she was a bit jealous when I told her you visited me regrly; she wanted that." "She shouldn''t be jealous." Was his only response.


    "Who knows, maybe you''ll grow to feel something for her."


    "I love someone else." He said to me,


    "You do?"


    "Yes, I do, and she is the only person I will ever love, but she doesn''t want me."


    "I doubt anyone would ''not want you. You need to speak to her."


    He gave no response to that.


    "I''m sorry


    for my behavior earlier, when I saw you in the bathroom... I wish I had more control over the lust for blood; I felt embarrassed at my very own behavior." "It''s alright; you didn''t hurt me, and that''s a start."


    Chapter Twenty Six


    Thane didn''t seem to like Daemon at all.


    "The demon was here, wasn''t he?" he asked, a slight frown on his face.


    "You mean Daemon, my son who just stopped by to check up on me? Yes, he had been here,"


    Thane seemed about to say something but stopped.


    "You still think he is too dangerous to be around me, don''t you?"


    "Yes, and I will never trust him enough to believe you are safe with him."


    "Then trust me."


    "I trust you, Riley, but what if you don''t know him as you think you do?"


    "I do actually, and he''s opening up to me. I know he has feelings; he''s in love with this girl and afraid to tell her what he feels." Thane stared at me. "What!" I demanded. "Nothing, just a thought."


    I decided to drop the topic.


    "So, I think we should pick names for the baby."


    "I am fine with whatever you choose."


    "I know that, but you are the father and so you should participate in the name selection."


    "What names do you have in mind?" he asked.


    MAY


    "I''m thinking... Fred, Jacob, Alex- I got that idea from the name Axel."


    "Those names are nice."


    "But what names do you have in mind?"


    "Just a single one. Ethan."


    That name did sound nice, I dare say, better than all I''vee up with.


    "Ethan ckwood. That''s actually really nice." I admitted.


    "Alex as in Alexander, right?" He questioned, and I nodded. "How about we name him Ethan Alexander ckwood."


    Chapter Twenty Dis


    "Sounds a lot better." I say with a smile, At least I came up with ''something''.


    "So, what have you been up to?" I questioned him.


    "I had managed to find all those that nned the attack. It was indeed surprising; five of my very own soldiers and three other pack members had been in on this."


    Daemon''s words echoed in my mind: "They don''t deserve you Riley, so stop trying'', and that''s exactly what I would have to do.


    "Thane, there''s something I forgot to tell you, that night after I left the garden, I found my father waiting in our room." I said to him, I took out the bottle filled with the glittery liquid. "He gave this to me, I guess it''s supposed to aid in healing my wings."

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    Chapter Twenty Seven


    I told Thane everything my father had said to me that night, and all the while he listened,pletely silent.


    "Do you think I should drink this? I mean, I don''t think he had any ulterior motives, but..."


    "If you think it''s safe, then try it." Thane encouraged me. He pulled open the bottle before returning it back to me. I stared at the liquid, a bit hesitant, I lifted the bottle to my lips and I drank it all. It had a bitter-sweat taste. "How do you feel?" he asked, and I shrugged.


    "I don''t really feel anything." I say, cing the bottle back on the table. "I expected... something."


    "Try taking out your wings."


    For the past few months, summoning my wings had be extremely painful; but was willing to give it a shot. I rose to my feet, getting ready for the pain that apanied it, but the wings sprouted out of my back just as easily as they once did. That was fast.


    "I guess it worked." I said to Thane, and he nodded with a smile.


    ***


    The pack had gathered in the hall, where the culprits stood bound, their wrists and ankles shackled.


    "Before us are our fellow brothers and sisters who had turned against us. They believed attacking the Luna who had been in a vulnerable state was the right thing to do. Many here standing amongst us believe she is ''evil''." Thane said, his gaze met mine, and I gave him a small nod. "You forget that she is the reason I am alive." Thane stroded towards the traitors, his eyes transforming into inky ck. His ws lengthened, and I didn''t miss the gasps of those nearby who witnessed the change. With a swift, deadly motion, Thane plunged his ws into one of the men''s chest and tore out his heart; the second, he shed at his throat, deep enough he severed the man''s blood vessels; the other, he tore off her head from the rest of her body. He continued till the veryst one. He was covered in blood, and silence filled the hall.


    I too was stunned into silence, if this had happened some months ago, I would have


    puked, but now, the blood scented so tasty, I had to look away to break free of the temptation.


    "You just saw what I am, what I can do. Do you think of me as ''evil?"


    I couldn''t believe Thane had done that.


    "Thane, you just..."


    "Yes, I gave them a clue that I was a lycan."


    "But what happens when others find out? They wille after you."


    "It is no longer a secret anymore; it hasn''t been for a long time now."


    There was a knock on the door of our room.


    "That should be your mother."


    I


    "My mother? What is she doing here?"


    "You just had a baby; you need your mother more than ever."


    He was right, and yet, I knew my mother was also busy back at the Raven n; she wasn''t just their head chief but a mother figure to them all.


    I opened the door and she walked in. "I got your message, and I came as soon as I could." She said to Thane.


    "I''ll give you some time alone with her." Thane said before leaving.


    Mother hugged me.


    "I heard about everything; I had been so worried. I am d you are fine. You are one strong she-wolf" She said, I could see the pride in her eyes.


    "It will take some more months to finally see him. Daisy says she wouldmunicate Ethan''s progress with me."


    "I can''t believe you are going to be a mother and-I''m going to be a grandma. I still think of you as a child. And the name Ethan fits him nicely." "Thane actually came up with that." I said to her, "But I came up with Alexander, which would be his middle name."


    "Coming to think of it, I should apologize to Thane for hitting him the other time."


    Chapter Twenty Seven


    "You what?"


    "I''m sorry, but then I believed he ''kidnapped'' you, he was also attacking Nick and I didn''t know Nick was the villian." she exined. Nick was very good with ying games, so I couldn''t me him.


    "And Thane let you hit him?" I asked, surprised.


    "He was trying to win you back; thest thing he will do is retaliate."

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    Chapter Twenty Eight


    "Have you ever met someone that looks so familiar, but you can''t quite grasp where you know that person from?" my mother asked.


    "No, it hadn''t really happened to me. Why?"


    She ced down her spoon, clearly done eating.


    "I don''t want to sound all paranoid, but I saw this man; he was standing outside the pack house and just staring at me. It was strange, but then he was... gone. For some reason, I feel like I know him from somewhere, but I can''t quite ce where." I paused eating. "Wait, how does this man look?" I asked her.


    "Blonde hair, average height... I didn''t get much of him, but I felt like I had seen him before."


    I had every reason to believe that was Bruce; it just had to be.


    He had promised he would stay away from her; why was he at the Raven n?


    "Mom, listen to me: if you ever see that man again, run."


    "Run? Why?"


    ""Nothing, just run."


    "There has to be a reason; is he evil?" she asked.


    "I can''t be sure if it''s the same person," I lied, I was very sure. "But if it is, then that man is very dangerous, and you have to be as far away from him as possible."


    "Is this one of those many things you can''t talk to me about?" she asked, and I nodded.


    "Yes, it is, but promise me that you will stay away from him."


    "If you say he''s dangerous, then I will, Riley."


    **THANE POV


    "I wanted to talk to you." Riley''s mother - Kate, said to me.


    "Take a seat," I offered.


    "There won''t be any need for that. I won''t be taking much of your time. I wanted to tell you thank you for everything. I know now how much you love Riley and all you Chapter Twenty fight


    sacrifice for her safety. Also, I never got the chance to apologize for hitting you months ago; I had no right."


    "It''s fine." I replied. She was after all the mother to my mate. Kate nodded before hurrying out of the office. She wasn''tfortable around me; I knew that, and I also knew that nothing I did would change that. Regnux walked in next.


    "So how are the pack members taking my little message?" I asked him.


    "One thing is sure: no one would be trying to plot against the Luna anytime soon. But now they have other suspicions, many believe you are a... Lycan, the rumour had been around for quite a long time now but with your show back there, it has be more than just a mere rumour."


    "I know it wasn''t an Ideal solution."


    "But it was, this was an ideal solution. The news has already spread to a few other packs and many of them want to form alliances with us. They fear us, Alpha."


    "We won''t be forming any alliances just yet; at this point, it is going to be hard to tell who is loyal and who is not."


    A knock on the door drew both our attention. It was Prisci.


    "I''m starting to wonder if you were kicked out of your previous pack," I say, my voice tinged with irritation.


    "I wasn''t. You don''t seem to believe me when I say I am going to change. That''s why I am here; I agree to your offer."


    "Well, congrattions on being a ''changed person.'' I''m sure you haven''t forgotten where the maid''s quarters are. Go get yourself busy, and of course, wee back to the back."


    I didn''t think she would go through with it, but finally she nodded.


    "I will do just that." She said like this was some sort of challenge.


    "Who is she?" Regnux asked.


    "Let''s say she''s a prodigal mother who finally wants to make things right."

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    Chapter Twenty Nine ISABELLA


    I always knew I wouldn''t live a long life; I knew all I had was months, and at some point, I stopped caring; I stopped fearing death, I epted it.


    That had changed since Thane came into my life. He made me see that there was more to life, things I was missing out on and all of a sudden, my fear for death returned. I didn''t want to die.


    I watched him through the tiny window as he chopped down a tree for wood.


    He was going to be brokenhearted when he discovered the truth. I should tell him; I owed him that, and yet I couldn''t. I couldn''t because I feared he would leave me.


    Thane caught me staring and abandoned the axe; he walked into the house, easily finding me.


    "Checking me out as always?"


    "Yes." I answered truthfully, there was no need to deny it.


    "You look a bit... frail. Have you been eating well?" He asked, and I nodded. I tried to keep calm; if Thane detected any signs of unease, he would investigate further. It was hard trying to hide things from a man as smart as Thane. I couldn''t believe he noticed. Yes, I was getting quite frail; it was the sickness, but I couldn''t tell him that, so I had to lie.


    For the past few days I had made sure I was always in clothes too big for my size; I always outdid myself when using makeup. Once, I didn''t believe I needed it, but now, I watched my skin gradually lose its shine. Thane neverined; he didn''t mind the fact that I kept on caking my face with makeup twice a day, but he never failed to remind me how beautiful I was.


    I stood before the mirror, applying another round of makeup to my face; I oiled my skin. Before picking up a brush, I gently brushed through my hair. I paused when I noticed multiple strands of my hair on the brush. I passed my hand through my hair once again, only for more hair to fall off.


    A silent cry escaped my lips.


    Chapter Twenty Nine


    "Be!" Thane called; of course he must have heard that. I quickly wiped my tears away, messing up my makeup.


    "Give me a sec!" I called out, doing my best to keep my voice steady, and it worked.


    I quickly threw my hair into a bun.


    Thane''s gaze lifted from the piano when I walked into the living space; his brow furrowed, he was about to say something when the knock on the door gave us both a pause.


    "I am not expecting anyone." I said to him, "Are you?"


    "No. Stay inside," he said as he walked to the door; of course, I followed him, hiding behind his huge form. He threw the door open. "Axel," he called, and I peeped from his side to see the visitor. Was Axel rted to Thane?


    But he never told me anything about having brothers. "Who is that?" I asked.


    "It''s Axel, my beta." Thane let him in. "How did you find me?"


    "It wasn''t easy, but I connected the dots, and it led me here. You''ve been missing for a while now, and it''s getting people worried."


    "Axel, this is Be, my mate."


    "So she made you choose?" Axel asked.


    The man was just as smart as Thane if he had arrived at that conclusion so quickly.


    "I made the decision; leave her out of this." Thane defended.


    Axel turned his attention to me. "Thane is an Alpha; he doesn''t belong here. You coulde with him back to the pack."


    "I can''t." I responded.


    "You can''t do that for him, but yet you make him leave his life behind to be with you? That''s a bit selfish, isn''t it?"


    "Axel, that''s enough." Thane warned, but Axel was right; everything I had asked of Thane was simply me being selfish.


    "He is right; I shouldn''t make you choose. You have a whole pack waiting for you, and maybe you should go to them." 2/3


    Chapter Twenty Nime


    "I''m not leaving without you."


    "I cannote with you; I''m sorry."


    "Then we stay here together."


    Axel stared at Thane. "If this is your decision, then who am I to speak against it? What''s your n for the pack?"


    "Take charge," Thane said to him. "Goodbye... Be," Axel said to me; all I could manage was a nod towards him.


    Thane hugged me, and I needed that; finally, he pulled away.


    "You are burning up, Be."


    "I just need to rest; I will be fine." I lied yet again.


    Sometimes I wished I didn''t have to lie to him; I wished I coulde clean, but the man, Axel, was right: selfish as I was, I wasn''t ready to do anything that would warrant him leaving-not now when he had be the only person I truly cared about and I feared if he knew about my condition, he would leave, afterall he could never have a future with me.


    Chapter Thirty

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    Chapter Thirty RILEY


    "I can''t believe he still visited my mother; he promised me he would let her live her life." I said to Thane, exasperated.


    "She knows nothing about him; that''s all that matters."


    "What if he makes her remember? I don''t want him toe between what she has with Gabriel."


    "Think about it this way. For almost two decades he left her; maybe he thought he was trying to protect her, but that revtion is bound to leave her heartbroken. Do you think she would simply fall back in love with him like it had been all those years ago?" "I think not. At least I wouldn''t."


    "Exactly."


    A maid walked in with a tray of food.


    "Wait." I called, and she paused. "Prici?"


    She turned to me, and it was indeed Prici.


    "Why are you here?" I asked.


    "To deliver the food." She said like that wasn''t obvious.


    "You may leave, Prici," Thane says to her, and she gives a bow before dismissing herself.


    "She''s one of the maids now?"


    ""Yes."


    "How did that happen?"


    "I think she genuinely wants to be a better person. I didn''t believe her at first, but now, maybe she was being truthful. Axel''s death had impacted her... positively." Thane says with a small shrug.


    "And what if she has other ns?" I asked; I never really liked Prici very much.


    "I thought about that too; she is currently under watch, but she doesn''t know that


    yet."


    Everyone deserves a second chance, so I was going to give her the benefit of the doubt.


    The garden had be one of my favorite spots in the pack. I stood there; the soft breeze blew through my hair.


    I thought about Ethan, my son; we were finally going to be a family.


    "Nice spot." A female voice called. I would recognize that melodious voice anywhere. Isabe joined me, standing by my side. "You know Thane wanted me out of this pack because of you? I had managed to find one of the smaller rooms on thest floor." I gave her no response; I hade here to enjoy the beautiful view, but of course she just had to interrupt that.


    "Also, congrattions; no one told me you''d delivered the baby."


    "Don''t you have any other ces to be, Isabe?"


    "No, I wish I did, but here, I have literally nowhere to go and nobody to talk to. Also, would you please not tell Thane that I spoke to you?"


    I snorted. "You really are in no position to ask anything of me."


    She turned to stare at me; I was visibly taller than her by some inches. "I am here to apologize."


    "Are you really?"


    "Yes, I am. I''m sorry for trying to kiss Thane. You were right, actually; I had been gone for a long time; things can''t remain the same." "Apology epted."


    "Really?" she asked with a smile.


    "Yes, really."


    I waited for her to leave, but she didn''t; it was clear she had some other thing on her mind.


    "I''m curious to know how you met Thane." She said and there was not a trace of jealousy in her voice. "I mean, it might be strange considering I was his mate..."


    Chapter Thirty


    "If you want to know, then I will tell you. The initial n hadn''t been to fall in love. He had showed up at my pack and It had been at a point in life that I felt like g, up; I had just lost my child, my mate rejected me for another woman, and my mother was a ve, indebted to the pack. I wanted to run away, but I had nowhere to go, and so I was willing to do anything to escape the godforsaken ce. I was supposed to pretend to be his mate for six months, and that''s it, but I guess things took another turn."


    "I know what rejection feels like; I was rejected by my own family. At some point they got tired of me; I was nothing but a liability to them, and i I was clear that I would die in the end; all those who had the sickness never survived it.


    I like you, Riley, a lot."


    "You aren''t bad either; we could have been friends if you weren''t trying to take away the love of my life." I admitted.


    Sheughed at that.


    We were silent for a few minutes before she spoke up. "You know it doesn''t have to be that way-we don''t have to be enemies because we love the same man; we could create a solution to that."


    ""What solution?" I asked.


    "We can both have him."

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    Chapter


    Thirty One


    Chapter


    Thirty One


    "We can both have him." Isabe says, her eyes pinned to the ground.


    "So you want us to..." I couldn''t even say the word. "Yes." She answered simply.


    "That won''t work."


    "It will; it did before. I''ve been busy these past few days. I know about you and Axel. Your rtionship with him never came between what you had with Thane, did it?" I couldn''t give an answer to that. "Riley, if Thane felt nothing for me, I would be gone by now, but I was his mate, and so there''s a part of him that would always have those feelings for me. I''ve been gone for long, so the mate bond between us has weakened, but it''s only a matter of time. When that timees we don''t have to make him choose."


    "I don''t want that Isabe." I said to her, even if I knew that she spoke the truth, or at least partially the truth. Thane might have feelings for her, and why he would never admit it to me, I knew that letting go of one''s first love and mate couldn''t be that so easy. "But then that would only be you being selfish; he did let you have Axel, and maybe it''s time you did the same. I am not forcing you into making any decision, but I do like you a lot. I feel like we have a lot inmon, and I want us to be friends, but that wouldn''t work with jealousy in the way. Thane will fall in love with me again, but I don''t want to have you as an enemy when that happens."


    She walked away, leaving me to think about what she had just said. I couldn''t do it; I loved him too much, and maybe I was selfish, but I wouldn''t share him, not with Isabe, not with anyone.


    The garden didn''t feel very calming anymore, so I returned back to my room; on the way I bumped into Daisy.


    "Hey," I said to her.


    "I''m d I met you. Your child is doing better; in a few days time, you coulde see him."


    "Really?" I asked, surprised.


    "Yes, he is one strong child."


    Chapter Thirty the


    The excitement I felt clouded my mind, and the conversation I had with Isabe suddenly didn''t feel very important. "Thank you." I said to her,


    "By the way, have you seen Daemon?" she asked, and only then did I notice the ster on her neck.


    Daemon was already in the room by the time I walked in; he stood by the balcony, staring into the distance. I went straight to him. "Daisy wants to see you." I said to him,


    "She''s not the one I came to see," he said, his gaze never meeting mine.


    "She is a good person; you have no right to treat her like that."


    "Why? Because you told me to?"


    "Yes, because I told you to."


    "And what makes you think that what you say matters? Who I fuck is my business, Riley; stay out of it."


    I was stunned by his words.


    "If you aren''t interested in her, break it off."


    "Daisy is far gone; she''ll only cry her eyes out and keep begging. I can''t deal with that."


    "I saw her neck Daemon; it doesn''t take a genius to know what you''ve been up to; you are better than this."


    He turned to me, dark blue eyes on me. "And what if I am not better than that? What if I don''t want to change?" "There''s a better way to live..."


    "There is no," he cut me off, "better way to leave."

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    Chapter Thirty Two


    "I enjoy it, Riley; I enjoy punishing them. I am a demon; it''s a part of me."


    "Just stop, stop saying that; it makes me scared of you, and I don''t want to be scared of my own son."


    "Son." He calls the word like it disgusted him. "I don''t like when you call me that."


    Those words cut deep; what on earth was wrong with him?


    "I told you once that my heart can only belong to one person, Riley, and you want to know who that person is?" he asked. I gave no response. "It''s you, Riley. I love you, and I''ve said that to you over and again, but I don''t love you like a son loves his mother; I love you like a man would another woman."


    The revtion stunned me into silence.


    Wait... what?


    "Daemon, you can''t..."


    "I can, because that''s all I feel. Every single time I think of you, I think of what it would feel like kissing you; I think of fucking you and making love to you..."


    I pped him hard. He seized both my hands. He leaned down and kissed me. I struggled against his firm grip, but damn, was he strong. He didn''t stop kissing me; he kissed down my throat, and next I felt a sharp pain. It was his fang, but the pain disappeared and the pleasure set in.


    I didn''t want to feel it, and yet my body had a mind of its own, working against my own will; a sob escaped my lips, but he wouldn''t stop. I felt the wetness between my legs, and I knew he could smell it; finally, he let me go.


    His hands supporting me from falling to the ground, rage was all I felt, and I wed at his face, but once again, he took both my hands in a firm iron grip.


    "How dare you!" I screamed at him.


    He kissed my lips once more, licking my tears dry.


    "You are afraid; maybe it''s because you think of this as wrong, but I am not human or werewolf; your rules don''t apply to me. I am a demon, and I don''t follow rules. You might have carried me, but that doesn''t make you my mother. I''ve been alive longer than you think..." he said, his hands trailing up my thighs and higher.


    Chapter Thirty Two


    "Stop." I cried, but those cold hands only went higher, lifting my gown higher up. "I will make you into my lover, Riley. Fuck the rules."


    "I was wrong about you. I thought I made a mistake giving you to Jade, but I hadn''t. You cannot be saved, and I was a fool for not seeing that soon enough."


    He mmed me against the wall, his body flush against mine.


    "I liked it when you believed in me, even if I knew I would only disappoint you."


    "I was willing to take you as my son Daemon.


    "Again with that word. Anytime you call me that, I will kiss you."


    "Don''t you dare touch me, you bastard." I warned.


    He kissed me yet again, and I bit into his lips; he liked it, as he only kissed me harder, and finally he let go, putting some distance between the both of us.


    "I don''t want to ever see you again. Don''te to my home, and don''t fuckinge to my pack."


    "You were the one who gave me the advice; you said no one would ever turn me down."


    That had been because I didn''t realize who exactly he was referring to.


    "You are a sicko. Daemon."


    Without a single word, he was gone, leaving not even a single trace that he had been here.


    I''d made a mistake, one I would have to fix very quickly.

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    Chapter Thirty Three


    ISABELLA''S POV


    "If you had a day left, what would you spend those few hours doing?" I asked Thane. He gave me a calctive look. "Why would you want to know that?" he asked.


    "Nothing; I am just one curious creature."


    "Well, if I did have a day to live, I wouldn''t spend a minute thinking about death; I would live through the day like it was every other." he said, and I couldn''t help but smile at that. "Be, I have a question for you. Have you ever thought about having a family?" The smile on my face disappeared. I had thought about that so many times; anytime I looked at Thane, I knew if I could have a family, he would be the one I would want to have that family with.


    "No." I lied, "I will worry about that when the timees."


    I rose from the bed.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I need to use the bathroom." I said to him, but I had been trying to hide the tears; they had once again ruined my makeup. Hiding this was getting harder. I took out my powder; I just needed a few more touches.


    I stared at my face when I was done. I was dying; it was getting clearer with each passing day.


    I coughed into my hand, and just as I''d been noticing for the past few days, a faint smudge of blood stained my palm. I rinsed my mouth before returning back to the bed to join Thane.


    "I love you." I said to him,


    "I love you too, and Be?"


    Yes?"


    "I''m d I made this choice."


    "Me too."


    Chander that Tiert


    He ced a kiss on my lips.


    "Thane, if something happens and I am no more, would you ever forget me?


    "When you are no more?"


    "I mean...


    "You will be here with me, always," he said to me, but I could see the suspicion in


    his eyes.


    "I''m just being..."


    "Curious," hepleted, "And for your question, I would never stop thinking about you, not now and not in a million years."


    There, that was all I needed to hear.


    I waited for a few hours before rolling off the bed for the second time.


    I had added a good amount of sleeping pills into his drink; I didn''t think it would keep him down for long. I only hope it will be enough time.


    My body ached, my eyelids grew heavy and they drifted shut, the time was here, and yet, I felt like there was one thing I was yet to do. I spotted the pen and paper on the drawer, and I stumbled towards it, identally knocking down my picture frame in the process. Finally, I collected them and returned to the cushion.


    I stared at Thane one more time, and my heart ached. I didn''t want to die. I let out a stifled sob, trying my best to hold it down, but I couldn''t and so I let the tears out.


    "There are many bad things I have done in my life, but then there is one that outshines them all. It was the day I let myself have a nce at you; it was the day I fell in love with you; it was the day I let you in. It had been so wrong and yet, the best choice I would ever make.


    There is a secret I kept away from you; I did this because I didn''t want you to leave me. I couldn''t live without you, and so I kept it to myself. I was born with an illness, an incurable disease in my blood. I left my pack because I wanted to make the most out of the time I had left, and then I met you. You became my life, and till death I will continue to love you.


    Find it in your heart to forgive me for breaking your heart; find it in your heart to move on, and please don''t hate me, because even in death, that matters a lot to me. Chapter Thirty Three


    My One True Love Thane."


    AD


    I ced the letter beside me, before turnin about, even as my eyelid grew heavier. He w


    "We will see each other again." I whispered


    Chapter Thirty Three


    My One True Love~ Thane."


    I ced the letter beside me, before turning my back to him. He was all I thought about, even as my eyelid grew heavier. He was indeed the best gift life gave me. "We will see each other again." I whispered and the darkness took over.

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    Chapter Thirty Four THANE


    I stood before the tiny cottage that had once belonged to Be. I didn''t know exactly why I was here, yet here I was.


    The little cottage, which had been abandoned, was barely holding together; termites had infested the woods, cobwebs filled every corner. I walked into the house.


    Dustyered over every piece of furniture and dried leaves littered the floor, this ce which had once been full of life, was empty and lifeless. Not much furniture survived the years.


    There was a sound from the inner room, and I headed there. The squirrel ran past me; that must have been the source of the noise.


    I stared at the couch- rather, what remained of it, that had been the very couch Be had died on. I remember the pain I had felt waking up to see her lifeless body; at first I had been in denial; it couldn''t possibly happen- I''d thought to myself, but then the pain set in, Be had be a part of me and a part of my life, with her gone I''d felt oddly iplete.


    I picked up the frame from the ground; I wiped off the dust with the sleeve of my jacket, and there she was in the picture, the girl I had remembered. I ced the picture back on the table before walking out of the cottage.


    I strode to the back of the building, the very spot I had buried Be.


    The grave had been dug open.


    I returned back to the pack, and of course Isabe had to be the first person I sighted, she conversed with one of my soldiers. I could easily read him. His eyes roamed over her, filled with lust and he wasn''t doing a good job hiding it. He literally devoured her with his gaze, and I made a turn, heading towards them.


    "Don''t you have somewhere to be?" I asked him, and he nodded; fear reced the lust in his eyes, and he scurried away like I was going to rip his heart out if he didn''t.


    "You don''t get to do that," she hissed at me, clearly annoyed. Of course I didn''t have to protect her, but I did anyway.


    "He was staring at you like you were some piece of cake he couldn''t wait to devour."


    Chaplet That Fue


    "So you are going to y the protective mate now, are you?"


    Her words seem to snap me back to my senses. "I was just looking out for you."


    "Why? You made it clear that you


    "I don''t."


    didn''t care."


    "You keep denying it, Thane. When will you open your eyes and see it? You are still in love with me."


    "I am not in love with you, but I care for you. Yes, I admit it; I do care, but that''s not love."


    She nodded. "All you need is some time."


    I held her by the arm. "No, it will never happen."


    "I don''t believe you." She struggled against my grip, and I let her go; she walked away without another word.


    Riley was seated on the bed when I walked in.


    Only when I was close enough did I hear her silent sob.


    My eyes trailed down her body to make sure there were no injuries. I didn''t spot any except the pinkish mark on her neck; it seemed to be an injury already healing. "Are you alright?" I asked her, and she shook her head.


    "No, I am not."


    "What''s wrong?" I asked; damn, all I needed was a name, and I would be out there sending whoever caused her to cry to their deaths.


    "You were right about Daemon," she said to me. "He can''t be saved,"


    "What did he do?"


    "He showed me his true self, and gods, I hated it."

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    Chapter Thirty Five


    "Say the words, and I will kill him."


    "He''s not that easy to kill," she says, but I knew that she didn''t exactly want him dead; for some reason I failed to understand, she sorted for another option rather than killing him because she still ''cared'' for him despite everything. I had to try and understand that she still wanted to spare the very person who hurt her, simply because she gave birth to it. Riley had a kind heart, and in times like this, I wish she were less innocent.


    "Come here." I said to her, and she does.


    Riley didn''t need an avenger right now, all she needed was someone tofort her, and if that''s all I could do to help, I''d dly hold her for hours if she wanted that.


    She finally stopped crying after an hour. I couldn''t help but wonder why she shedded tears over Daemon; he wasn''t really worth it. I ced her on the bed before taking off my shirt and joining her.


    She rolled once more into my arms, just as she always did each night.


    When Riley was close by, she alone upied my thoughts. A huge part of me wished Be had never resurrected-or whatever the hell happened that brought her back to life. I had mourned her once and buried her; I wished she stayed that way.


    I didn''t know exactly when I fell asleep, but the sharp pain woke me up. The moon shone bright through the balcony; it was a full moon.


    I rose from the bed for a ss of water. The pain only got worse; it had been going on for a while. Every full moon, I felt a slight burn just around my joints, but this time, it was worse than ever. I shivered even if I felt hot inside; I couldn''t understand it. Just then, my ws extended, and so did my canines; I hadn''t willed them out. I walked out of the room; Riley didn''t need to wake up to this.


    Maybe I just needed some air.


    I felt my body begin to transform against my own will; it seemed to have a mind of its own, and never had I felt a transformation as painful as this. I was out of the pack in a sh, heading to the woods. If I was losing control, it was best I stayed asfar away from people as possible.


    I groaned in pain; I felt hot, very hot, even with the cool breeze. Finally the


    Chapter Thirty Five


    transformation wasplete; the pain should have stopped, but it didn''t. My body switched again, moving back to its human form. It felt like some kind of glitch in my system; my body couldn''t decide whether to be in its wolf form or human form, and so it kept on going back and forth, each transformation more painful than the next.


    Never in my life had I experienced a thing like this, nor had Ie across it in those damned history books.


    I couldn''t be sure how much time passed, but it must have been well over two hours.


    Just then I heard the snap of a twig, and I turned back, every instinct in me telling me to rip whoever it was apart; it must be the predatory part of me in full control.


    Isabe walked out from behind a tree.


    "Run." I whispered to her, but she didn''t. Instead she walked closer to me.


    "I can help you," she says.


    ''Get out of here!" I warned, as my transformation began all over again. "Go!"


    But she didn''t. "I know what is happening to you, and I can help you. Your wolf is in distress; it had been so close to his mate and yet unable to bond. You need to mark me; you need to renew the bond."

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    Chapter


    Thirty Six


    Chapter Thirty Six


    She wouldn''t leave; I could hurt her, and she knew that, yet there she stood.


    "Mark me, Thane, do it, and this will be over."


    "I... can''t."


    "You can; it doesn''t have to mean anything.


    In the next second I was right in front of her she didn''t run; she stood still. It was either this or Ipleted the transformation and killed her.


    I bit into her neck, marking her.


    She staggered backwards, her hand holding back the blood now spilling from her neck.


    I felt the bone in my body break one after the next.


    "Stop," she says. "I am here."


    She wasn''t talking to me, I realized, but to my wolf, and under hermand he obeyed.


    My breaths came outbored.


    "You risked your life." I said to her, and she nodded.


    "I knew it was going to work," she responded, and she was right; it did work. The pain disappearance was almost instant; I was in control again; it was over. "What did you do?"


    "I stopped it."


    "How did you know how to stop it?" I asked, but she only tossed a pair of pants at me.


    Not only did she follow me, but she was ready; she knew something I didn''t.


    "I asked a question, Be."


    "I just helped you; the least I expected is a thank you."


    "Thank you."


    "You are wee."


    Chapter Thirty Six


    "Now answer my question."


    "Have you heard of the term Lycan''s Curse?" she questioned.


    "No."


    "I suspected that."


    "I will tell you everything; follow me," she said. She turned away, heading back for the pack house.


    I didn''t make a move. After walking some distance, she noticed I wasn''t following, so she paused and turned around.


    "Do you want to know what this is about, or are you going to just stand there?"


    I followed her into her room; it was tiny, and I felt a pang in my chest.


    "Make yourself at home. Do you want some water, tea, coffee, or juice?" she asked.


    "I just want you to start talking."


    "Oh," she said, her smile fading slightly. She took a seat on the bed, but I stood, leaning against the wall. I didn''t miss her eyes trailing down my body. "The healers have been doing really well, and finally I have some memories back." "What do you


    remember?"


    "A man... he reminds me of you actually, he spoke to me about the Lycan''s Curse; he told me what I needed to do to help you when the timees. He said I should expect the signs by the next full moon, which is today.


    Many Lycans never noticed this in their first years, but as the years went on, they discovered that on full moons they were unable to control their wolves; they required their mates to help; sometimes it''s worse, and their wolves get even more violent. In these times there is only little their fated mates could do. They will hurt any and every other person, with an exception to their mates, as they get very protective..."


    "Then why isn''t this ''curse'' you talk about in the history book? Every other damn thing is in there."


    "Because when they awake, they forget all that happened in the past night; their mates keep their secrets. It had started with the first Lycan; he killed an entire pack.


    Chapter Thirty Six


    He would never have been able to live with the guilt, so his mate made it her duty to keep it a secret, she covered up what had happened. But you don''t have to worry about losing control yet; it takes years before that happens."


    I couldn''t help but stare at the mark I had given her.


    "You worry about Riley." She says, "With your mark on me, you are bound to have feelings for me; I would be your priority. Always."

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    Chapter Thirty Seven


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    Something had changed since I marked her, and I knew she was right; I was bound to have feelings for her.


    "I guess that''s what you''ve wanted, and now you have it." I said to Isabe.


    "No, I didn''t take advantage of your situation, and if I ever wanted you to love me as you once did, I would prefer it happened the right way." "The right way?"


    "Yes, the right way, but I know by now that with Riley in ce, you will never admit what you feel for me. I don''t want to hurt her either, Thane." "You don''t?" I questioned, I didn''t exactly believe that.


    "No. Riley and I are actually on the verge of bing friends; and I don''t want this toe between you both, so I will stay away. That doesn''t mean I don''t still love you; I''m only doing this for her." She said. "Here I was thinking you hated her?"


    "No, I don''t think she has done me any wrong has she?; the fact that we love the same man doesn''t mean we should hate each other."


    She was talking about me like I wasn''t seated right in front of her.


    "Earlier you said my wolf was trying to reach out to you, that it felt restless having you this close and still not able to bond. You talk about this curse, but I assume what happened tonight wouldn''t have happened if you weren''t here." "Your assumption is partly correct. What happened to you would have still urred even in my absence because that is a curse Lycans bear, but it would have taken some more years, my visit to the pack triggered it.""


    "So you still have your wolf? I mean, there are a lot of things left unexined about you. The dead don''te back to life, and the only way that can happen is if you are a demon, but you aren''t, so what exactly are you?" "I lost..."


    "Your memories." Ipleted her sentence. "I don''t buy that


    crap."


    "But it''s the truth; I am still a werewolf, though the connection to my wolf is weak. She is still in there, and that''s all I know for now."


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    "You spoke about a man who reminded you of me; could you describe him?"


    "The only thing I remember is that he reminded me of you. I didn''t know how I ended up there with him or why I was there, but I''ve been getting shes, and I knew this was what I had to do."


    "It''s no secret that one''s mind can be manipted; perhaps that''s what happened to you. Whoever that man is, he must have brought you here, but what doesn''t really make sense is why aplete stranger would be interested in helping me when most would so love to end me."


    "That I don''t understand either..But you can''t really me the others for wanting you dead, you aren''t really a good person now are you?"


    I gave no response to that.


    "I should leave now."


    "Are you sure you don''t want to spend a night here? It''s alreadyte." she says, her voiceced with concern, but I saw through that.


    "You spoke about staying away; you aren''t really doing a good job on that."


    "You are worried about what she would think if she discovered you spent the night with me."


    "I wouldn''t do that to her."


    "I know that; you don''t have to tell her about what happened tonight. I''ll be there by your side during the next full moon, but she doesn''t have to know anything."


    I wouldn''t keep this away from Riley, she had the right to know, but what I couldn''t predict was how she was going to take it.


    "I wonder if this room isfortable for you; it''s a bit small."


    "Is that Thane showing concern?"


    "That''s not an answer."


    "The room is fine; I''m quite small, so I fit, unlike you."


    I shrugged; it was almost sunrise. I headed back to my room.


    I could trust Riley, but I wouldn''t say the same for Isabe. I didn''t like the fact that


    she was the only one who could help me; I needed to find another way out of this, one that didn''t involve her. Chapter Thirty

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    Chapter Thirty Eight


    RILEY''S POV


    I felt Thane''s absence; that must have been what awoke me. He sat on the edge of the bed.


    "Thane?" I called, and he turned to me. He seemed... different.


    "Riley, hope I didn''t disturb your sleep?"


    "Why aren''t you sleeping?"


    "Do you want me to join you?" he asked, and I couldn''t help but see that as a bizarre question.


    "Of course."


    Hey by my side, a bit too stiff.


    "Are you okay, Thane?"


    "Yes, I am."


    I moved over him, kissing his lips. "Aren''t you cold? You are freezing."


    "I''m not." He rolled over so we were close enough and ced a light kiss on my lips. I kissed him back, and then it got more heated; his hands trailed down my cleavages. It was a little past midnight, but I didn''t feel like sleeping anymore. He helped me out of my clothes, and I was surprised he didn''t rip them off; he cupped my breast, and I let out a small moan; his cool lips took my nipples into his mouth, gently sucking on them.


    "It tastes like... milk."


    "Oh shit. I''m sorry." That was meant for the baby.


    He pushed me back to the bed. "There''s nothing to be shy about." He kissed me. But I want you to do something for me. I want you to touch yourself."


    A smirk formed on my lips. I did as he said; my fingers found my clit, and I gently rubbed around it. "Just like that," he whispered. He spread my legs to get a better view; finally, he took both my hands, pinning them above my head. I grinded against him, my breathing outbored. "Do you know what I would like to do to you?" he asked.


    "What."


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    "I want to have you cuffed to the bed,pletely at my mercy, and I want to fuck till you forget your name."


    I stared at me, excited and afraid, but then he took out a cuff, trapping my hands to the bedpost.


    Two fingers mmed into me, and I gasped, my hips thrusting forward. He went hard and fast; he stopped only to add a third. I moaned as his fingers thrust into me over and over again. He grabbed my ass with his other hand; finally, he pulled out, licking me off his fingers, and then he stripped. He put on a condom; I was going to ask why he needed a condomter.


    He spread my legs wider, and then he mmed into me hard; the cuff split my skin, drawing blood. He didn''t stop; he went at a ruthless pace. I was a moaning mess, blood dripping from the cuff, staining the sheets. He didn''t stop, not even when I reached my climax. He took off the cut and flipped me over so my ass was in the air.


    "I did promise to make you forget your name." He said he didn''t let me give a response to that; he mmed into me from behind. His grip on my hair was almost painful; his hand trailed down my neck, cupping my breast. I held on for dear life, and finally he gave in, cumming in me, hard.


    I needed a moment to catch my breath.


    "Thane I..."


    My words trailed off, because it wasn''t Thane at my side; it was Daemon.


    "Daemon."


    "Riley, how did you enjoy being fucked by a demon?"


    J


    "No..." I backed away from him; I grabbed onto the sheets to cover my nude form, but he was faster; he tossed the sheets to the floor, leaving me bare, my hands circled around my chest.


    "How could you?"

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    Chapter Thirty Nine


    Chapter Thirty Nine


    "You enjoyed your time; I did too; that''s all that matters."


    "No, it had been Thane in your ce."


    "It was a new trick I learnt. It turns out I can switch forms; I didn''t think you would buy it, but I might be better at this than I gave myself credit for."


    "You raped me?"


    "Rape? Should I remind you of how many times you moaned for me, Riley?


    Tears streamed down my eyes as I climbed off the bed; I could still feel him between my legs. I could still remember how many times I moaned, begged even. "I trusted you."


    "I don''t feel guilt or whatsoever. I want you; I''ve always wanted you, and I still do. When I want something, I have it.


    "But I am your..."


    "Don''t, don''t say the word."


    "Or what?"


    "Trust me, you don''t want to know," he said.


    "You deceived me."


    "That was the n. He walked closer to me, and I backed away till I was against the wall. "You are all I think about, and this was better than my imagination."


    I pped him hard in the face, and he pinned my hands against the wall. I could feel him down there; we were both nude, and he liked it. "You don''t want to be punished by me, Riley; don''t hit me ever again. He licked off my tears.


    "You twisted sicko. I never wanted to do this."


    "If loving you makes me twisted and a sicko, then I''ll be just that," he said, his body still flush against mine.


    "Thane would never forgive me for this."


    "He will. I will exin things to him; you would only be seen as the... victim. Don''t


    Chapter Thirty Nine


    worry; I won''t tell him how many times you moaned and pleaded for me."


    "I hate you, Daemon. I hate you for using me.


    "It''s a fine line between love and hate; we would get past that soon. You don''t have to feel guilty about Thane; haven''t you wondered where he is?" "What did you do to him?"


    "Me? Nothing. But you might want to ask what did happen between him and Isabe. He is with her as we speak."


    Despite everything, that revtion still tore through my heart.


    "Don''t cry; you will always have me. I will do everything and anything for you, Riley.


    "Just let me go." I cried, and to my surprise, he did. He walked toward the bed, picking up my nightgown from where I had discarded it.


    He passed it to me, and I quickly put it on. "Look at me," he says, but I don''t; I can''t look at him, not after what we''ve just done. "I wish I could get you the right way, Riley, but you love him, and you don''t see me the way I see you.'' He put on his clothes; he wasn''t looking at me, and so I slowly reached for the drawer, I pulled out a gun, and then I shot at him.


    I shot at him over and over again till the gun was out of bullets. I walked to him; hey there unmoving. I turned him over; his eyes were closed. Maybe he was dead, but I couldn''t be sure. I stared at the face of my son. I loved him, but he was a mistake. I snapped his neck.


    I dragged his body to the balcony. Our room was several feet above the ground; no one should survive this. I let out a shaky breath before I shoved him over the railing, and I watched him fall to the ground. There were two soldiers there; alerted by the noise, they headed towards the body.


    Damn. What the hell was I thinking?


    I left my room, racing down the stairs and hallways and then out of the pack house. I paused when I saw the two soldiers on the floor; one dead, and the other had blood spilling out of his neck; he had been bitten. Daemon didn''t die.

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    Chapter Forty THANE


    The first thing I noticed was the sheets on the floor, slightly stained with blood. Riley sat on the floor, her back against the wall; she held a gun in her shaky hand, and tears streamed down her eyes. "Riley." I called, and she pointed the gun at me.


    "Don''te any closer," she warned.


    "Riley, lower the gun and tell me what the hell is going on." I said to her, and she finally let go of the gun, slowly rising to her feet.


    "It''s really you?"


    "Yes, it is."


    ""Where were you?"


    "I''ll tell you everything, but first I want to know what happened here."


    "All these?" she threw her hands in the air. "It wouldn''t have happened if you were here; it wouldn''t have happened if you could stay away from Isabe."


    How did she know that? I didn''t n on her figuring this out before I told her the truth.


    "I''m sorry, but I can exin; hear me out."


    "No, you hear me out. Why you were there doing goddess knows what with Isabe, Daemon was here..." she paused, letting out a sob.


    "What did he do to you?"


    "No, he didn''t take me by force, Thane; I practically threw myself at him because I thought it was you. Daemon - he could shapeshift; I could have sworn it was you, but I should have known."


    "I am going to kill him." I swore, all I felt was hot, blinding rage.


    "No, he can''t be killed."


    "You are still protecting him? After everything?"


    "I shot him twelve times, Thane, with this very same gun. I snapped his neck just to


    Chapter Forty


    make sure, and then I threw him over the balcony, but somehow, he didn''t die. I don''t know where he is, but he''s gone, and now there are two dead soldiers down there about to be discovered by the rest of the pack, so no, I am not protecting him, just stating the fact." "I''ll go take care of the bodies, and I''ll be right back."


    "No, you aren''t going anywhere, not till I know why you left me all alone in the middle of the night."


    "I''m sorry, Riley, but I want you to trust me..."


    "Trust?" she said, cutting me off. "I don''t know what to believe anymore, Thane. I thought you loved me; I thought you cared for me, but this... this changes everything.


    "I have a curse."


    "A what?"


    "I never really understood the slight pain I felt every full moon; I always brushed it off like it was nothing, but this time it had been worse. It was more pain than I had ever felt my whole life. I lost control, shifting between my wolf and human forms over and over. I didn''t understand what was going on with me, but then Isabe was there. She knew what was going on, and she offered her help, but I would have to mark her to strengthen our bond; only then would she be able to calm my wolf." She turned away from me,pletely silent.


    "Riley." I called, but she gave no response. "Riley, please say something." I pleaded, I hated this silence more than anything, I wish I could read her mind, know what she was feeling right now.


    "Did you do it? Did you mark her?"


    "I had no choice, Riley; I didn''t want to, believe me.''


    "Did you?" she repeated.


    "Yes," I said to her.


    11


    She inhaled deeply; finally, she turned to me. "Get out."


    "Riley, this doesn''t have to mean anything. She said it herself; she would stay away...


    "I say get out!" she screamed at me.


    Chapter Forty


    "No. I left, and this happened. I would never leave you again."


    "You are just like every other man. I always knew it woulde to this, but still I trusted you. Even if I could see everything falling apart, I believed you would fix this, but I guess I was wrong. You failed me, Thane." Today''s Bonus Offer


    X

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    V


    Chapter Forty One


    RILEY


    "I will fix this, Riley, but I need more time.''


    "No, do


    you know what you are going to do? You will send Isabe away; things would go on just as they used to."


    "I can''t do that. I still need her. Next full moon, there is every possibility that I would lose control. I don''t want anyone hurt, so until I figure out a way to get through this without her, she has to stay."


    "You love her, don''t you?"


    "Riley, I..."


    "Don''t lie to me; you''ve always loved her.


    Earlier you were absent from the pack; where had you been Thane?" I asked him; his silence told me all I needed to know.


    "I was back at Be''s cottage; I had visited her grave just to be sure."


    "Just to be sure Isabe was really ''be'', right?"


    "Yes."


    "And she is the very same one, isn''t she?"


    "You want to know the truth? Yes, I care about Isabe; the fact that she had been dead for years doesn''t stop me from caring because she had been my mate, the first woman I ever loved, but that doesn''t mean I''ve stopped loving you." "So you expect me to be what? okay with this?"


    "No, I don''t have the right to ask that of you, but this is the truth you wanted from me."


    Isabe had been there to help him; could it be a coincidence? I didn''t think so, but she had told me earlier that it would be just a matter of time and the bond would grow stronger; she must have already known this would happen. "You can''t have us both, Thane."


    "It''s you I want."


    Chapter Forty One


    "You keep saying that, but she is your fated mate. I see history repeating itself; it has been Ryker, and now... it''s you."


    "I''m nothing like him; I will find a solution to this." He walked to me. "I''m sorry I left. I am proud of you, Riley. I never did think you had it in you. But you should know that no one is unkible, even the elders could die. I will find a way, and this is my promise to you, Riley." A knock on the door interrupted us. "I guess they''ve found the bodies." I said to him.


    I shut the balcony door, even if I knew that wouldn''t hinder Daemon froming in; I still needed that false sense of security. I held onto the gun Thane had given me. He had told me to leave the main door open; this way he could hear if anything went wrong. There were so many thoughts on my mind.


    Thane had marked her. I wonder if she was satisfied now, knowing the im she had over him. I hated it; I hated all of it, and yet, she couldn''t be sent away because she was still of ''use.''


    And then I thought of Daemon; I should have known it wasn''t Thane; it had felt different, but I ignored the feeling; I didn''t question the condom either; Thane would never hurt me during sex the way Daemon did, and yet I never didin because a part of me had liked the brutality.


    Worse, I shot him twelve times, snapped his neck, and threw him over the railing just to make sure he never did survive. He would be furious, and by now I knew I was no longer in his good graces; if he found me, he wouldn''t hold back in hurting me.


    I stared at my wrist; they had only begun healing, and I was sure Thane had seen this. I hated myself for being this so easy.


    Thane returned as quickly as he could. "Maybe it''s time I take you everywhere I go." Thane suggested.


    I remembered when I had attempted that with Bailey, she only needed to kill two of the pack members to get me alone. "That won''t be necessary; I had made a mistake, one I won''t fall for next time."

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    Chapter Forty Two


    For the next few days, Daemon didn''t visited. I assumed he was severely injured, though a part of me wondered if he had actually... died.


    I was heading to Daisy''s; she might be the pack''s healer, but she was the only one I could talk to, and I needed a distraction now more than ever. "Riley," the melodious voice called, and I stopped.


    Anger, That was all I felt at that moment; I turned around slowly. Isabe had a smile on her face which disappeared the moment her gaze met mine; I guess I wasn''t doing a very good job hiding what I was feeling at the moment. "How do you feel, Isabe, knowing you''ve won?"


    "What are you trying to say?" she asked; she was going to y the fool.


    I moved towards her, pulling her dress slightly to the side. "The mark."


    "He told you; I told him not to."


    11


    "And why did you think Thane would keep secrets from me?"


    "It''s not what it seems."


    "It is exactly that, and see, this little talk about friendship and all, it really wouldn''t work."


    "I know that. I had made him do this only because I wanted to help."


    "Only that?"


    "Riley, I knew what would happen after he marked me, but this was the only way, believe me. I told him to keep it a secret because I had decided to stay as far away as possible from the both of you and I knew you wouldn''t take the news well." "You were going to do that?" I asked, surprised


    "Yes." She answered.


    "I don''t really understand why."


    "I told you before, the fact that we love the same man doesn''t mean we have to be enemies. I want us to be friends, and while I know that can''t work now, I am not going to give up trying," she said, before walking past me.


    H


    Chapter Forty Two


    "Isabe." I called, and she paused. "Thank you for helping him."


    She nodded and continued on her way.


    I had wanted my son to have the best childhood; I wanted him to have both his parents by his side. But everything had changed because Isabe would always be a part of the picture. No, I didn''t hate her; I was simply... jealous. Jealous of how mature and selfless she was, she had offered that we both had Thane and why I would never agree to that; she still wanted to be friends with me, the very woman who reced her after her death. But that wasn''t the only reason I was jealous; I was jealous of the fact that she only could help Thane, and once again I could do nothing. I was jealous of the fact that she was his true mate, his fated mate, chosen for him by the moon goddess, and there I was, just a... substitute.


    I stopped right in front of Daisy''s apartment. I knocked, but there was no response. I tried the handle, and to my surprise, the door was unlocked. Maybe she wasn''t home yet- but then why would she leave her door unlocked then?; I should return back to my room, but that was thest ce I wanted to be. I walked into her apartment, and I heard the muffled soundsing from the inner room.


    "Daisy," I called again, but there was yet again no response. I walked towards her room, and only then did I realize that they weren''t just sounds, but sex noise.


    Daemon had her pinned against the wall, fucking her hard while biting into her neck. For a moment I stood there, watching them; Daisy had her eyes closed and her mouth open.


    Daemon turned, and his eyes met mine. He had a sinister smirk on his face, his hand circled around her neck in a chokehold, but his eyes still remained on me. I could read the silent threat in his eyes: ''Do anything stupid, and she is dead." I backed away slowly, and then I turned around and sprinted away.


    Be


    Daemon was here in the pack and very much alive.

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    Chapter Forty Three


    Chapter Forty Three


    I took out my gun. This would only buy me time; I hid it properly at the back of my pants.


    I sprayed some water on my face as it seemed pale.


    He was here; I could feel it. I returned to the living space, but there was no one here. Maybe I was wrong; but then I felt the presence right behind me. I let out a scream, but his hands around my mouth muffled my cries.


    "Act stupid, and dear Daisy would pay for it." He warned, and I gave a nod. He finally let me go, but not before slipping out the weapon from where I hid it.


    "I''ll hold onto this."


    "Stay away from Daisy," I warned him.


    "Why? Could it be because you are jealous?"


    "You disgust me.


    "I don''t think I do. I can read you, and I know you wanted to be in Daisy''s ce; you wanted to abandon caution, norms and surrender to me, but you will never admit that." "What do you want?"


    "Simple. You."


    "You cannot have me, I am not a toy."


    "If I can''t, then he shouldn''t either; perhaps I will kill you, just as you attempted to do to me."


    He pointed the gun at me; he came forward till the cold metal grazed my nipple; even clothed, I feltpletely vulnerable and exposed to him,


    "You won''t do it."


    "You don''t know me at all.''


    He was a demon; he was dangerous, Thane had warned me, but I had trusted him.


    "Let''s start again Daemon. I will pretend like what happened never did; it will be just as it used to be." I offered, of course it was only a ploy to deceive him and lead him into a trap. 1/3


    Chapter Forty Three


    "Do you think I buy that?" he asked, retracting the gun. He emptied the bullets and let it fall to the ground. "I let you go now; even after the little trick you pulled, I won''t be this merciful next time." **THANE''S POV**


    The knowledge of what the demon had done to her still haunted me. I made her a promise, one I would keep.


    I walked into the interrogation room.


    Daemon sat half naked on the chair, snarling at me; I could only smirk.


    "Don''t waste your time; that is no ordinary chain. It was designed to hold and confine unusual creatures and it seems like you aren''t an exception.


    "When I''m free, I will make dear Riley a widow."


    "I am not very easy to kill either, so let''s talk reality. You know why you are here, gods; I have wanted this for a long time now, but Riley, she still believed you could be saved, but you fucked up big time, and now she wouldn''t mind me ending you." "You can''t kill me."


    "Not yet, but I wonder what the Cursed Weapon does to you."


    I stabbed the cursed weapon into where his heart should be- assuming he had one, and he groaned out in pain. I took the weapon out, and ck blood poured through the cut; unlike the others, it didn''t heal back


    "It doesn''t kill you, but the result isn''t that so bad, is it?"


    I stabbed him in the eye, twisting before pulling.


    "Stop," he gasped. "What do you want?"


    "Nothing really. But you did make a mistakeing back into my pack after what you did to Riley."


    Next I stabbed him in thep.


    "You bastard," he cursed.


    "I''ve been called worse, child."


    There was literally a hole through his head, and he wasn''t dead yet.


    Chapter Forty Thre


    "I get why you are mad; I mean, she is a gem, isn''t she? It was pure bliss having my cock buried deep in her, and she is one crazy bitch, but I wore her out pretty ''fast"


    I stabbed him in the otherp, and he cried out.


    "You know, she liked it; she liked it when I made her scream and cry at the same time."


    That was it; I stabbed the dagger through the other eye, and I slit his throat.


    Finally he stopped talking or moving.


    He looked very much dead, but I wouldn''t deceive myself; demons regenerate.

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    Chapter Forty Four


    Chapter Forty Four RILEY


    "Daisy!" I called; the smile on my face felt a bit forced.


    "Is something wrong?" she asked, a look of concern in her eyes.


    "Not really. I''m not here to talk to you as the ''pack healer'' but as a friend."


    "Oh. Come in then, Luna." She invited me, and I followed her into her apartment. "If this is about your child, then know that this evening would be the perfect time for the visit we previously discussed." "Thank you, that is good news, and I can''t wait to see him, but that''s not the reason I am here. I wanted to apologize for walking in on you thest time."


    I knew she must have seen me.


    "No worries, it''s fine."


    "It is not. I shouldn''t havee in without your consent."


    "I forgive you. Daemon said it was no big deal."


    Again with Daemon, it was like Daisy had been hypnotized; this reminded me how I felt when I had been under Bailey''s control, but the only difference was Daisy was a willing participant.


    "That''s exactly what I want to talk about; I wanted to talk about you and Daemon.*


    "Luna..."


    "I know you aren''tfortable with talking about him because he told you not to, but I am concerned for you."


    "Concerned?" she repeated, and I nodded. She gave a smallugh. "I am no fool, I know what this looks like, with him and me and everything, I know it is strange to you, but he makes me feel alive Riley, I''ve never felt like this... ever." "That''s another problem; he is not what you think he is."


    "You mean he is not a creature like me? He''s a demon. I know that, and I still love him."


    11


    Chapter Forty Four


    "He is dangerous; a few days ago, he threatened me. He was going to kill you if I didn''t do as he said."


    She walked forward, grabbing my hands. "Then do as he says."


    "You aren''t worried about the fact that he was going to kill you?"


    "Riley I know he is dangerous, but I believe I can change him for the better."


    "I tried that; it didn''t work. Daisy, you can''t change him; rather, he is changing you."


    "I think you of all people should cut him some ck."


    "Me? I am trying to warn you."


    "Well, I don''t need it. I am not a child, and you can be the Luna, but that doesn''t mean you can dictate who I will be with."


    "I am not trying to do that; I was only warning you about him."


    "I will never give up on him, even if you, his mother, did."


    For a moment we stood there, staring at each other. I was the first to speak up. know?"


    "You


    "Yes, I do. To be honest, I did get jealous at a point about why he always had to see you, but finally it made sense.


    I couldn''t believe he told her.


    11


    "No one else would know about this," she assured me. "That was his instruction." "Your arm, what is that on your arm?"


    "Nothing..." She tried hiding it, but I gripped her hand to get a closer view, and there it was,


    burnt into her skin, the words ''RILEY''


    "What is this?" I asked her, but she drew back her hand, dragging down her sleeves to cover the mark. "He doesn''t see you as a mother, and by now you should already know that he is in love with you, and that... that is even worse than my fears. When we... have sex, he always wants me dressed up like you; it''s crazy, but I''ve given up trying to understand it."


    For some reason, this was very...scary.


    "And you are okay with this?"


    Chapter Forty Four


    "I am not, but I don''t have a choice.


    "You do; you don''t have to let him hurt you.


    "He isn''t hurting me, and you don''t see meining."


    I shook my head slowly; this was a lost cause. I turned around, heading for the door. "You know what I think?" she called, and that gave me a pause. "I think he doesn''t understand what he feels for you; he is a demon, and he interprets every feeling the wrong way. A mother would always be her child''s first love, and maybe he can''t differentiate it."


    "Daemon is not a child; he knows what he feels." I said, remembering his words, he said he had imagined me naked; he imagined doing things to me. "Daemon is an abomination, and the sooner you see that, the better." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Forty Five


    A healer escorted us to the ward Ethan had been kept in. Thane and I walked in, hand in hand.


    All we could do was watch the baby through the incubator ss, but seeing him for the first time brought me to tears. He was so tiny and beautiful. "That''s our baby." I whispered.


    Thane held me close. "He is. And he''s going to have the best childhood ever," he promised.


    I stepped closer to the ss and ced my hands against it. "Momma''s here, Ethan.


    "He looks a lot like you, Thane." I said when we got back from the ward.


    "I disagree; it''s the same hair color, but he got your eyes and your very cute nose."


    Thinking about it, he was right; Ethan got his features from the both of us.


    "I have a surprise for you," Thane says.


    "You do?"


    "Yes."


    "Where is it?"


    "Close your eyes."


    I did, and he swept me off my feet, carrying me bridal style.


    "I can walk, you know." I protested but I secretly liked being carried around by Thane.


    "I wouldn''t want you walking into a pir, and please, keep your eyes shut."


    "Aren''t we there yet?" I asked, but he only kissed my lips.


    Finally he came to a stop. "We are here; you can open your eyes."


    We were in the...dungeons. "Seriously, Thane, is this the surprise?"


    "No, that is." He pointed to the chair, and there sat... Daemon? Chapter Forty Five


    B


    I could hardly recognize him. "Daemon?"


    "Yes, it is the infamous Daemon.


    11


    "How did you... how did you get him here?"


    "I didn''t; he fell right into my trap."


    "Is he dead?" I asked because he seemed a little too still.


    "I don''t think so; I''m still figuring out a way to kill him." He said it like he was talking about the weather. Thane studied my face. "You don''t seem very happy."


    "I am; it''s just... I wish it didn''t have to be this way.


    He nodded, "You want a few minutes with him?"


    "Yes, I do."


    "He can''t escape those chains, but I don''t want you close to him. I''ll be by the door."


    Thane stopped by the door, far enough to give me some false sense of privacy; we both knew he could hear me, but that was okay.


    "Daemon." I began, "I''m sorry it had toe to this. I hoped you would change; I really did, but you... wouldn''t, and I saw this new part of you... You know you don''t deserve my forgiveness, not one bit, but still I forgive you, and I hope you understand that you have to die..."


    My words were cut off; I felt the presence in the room.


    I turned around and there stood Bruce.


    Thane must have sensed my distress because he returned.


    Bruce lifted his hand to the air, his eyes sparkled, and just then an invisible barrier was formed, stopping Thane from getting to me. I could see the rage and fury in his eyes.


    "Why are you here?" Thane asked.


    "I can''t let him die; he is of use to me." Bruce said.


    This should be thest thought on my mind right now, but still I wondered if he would have done this if it had been me or my mother in trouble; I doubted it.


    "If you help him, he is going toe back for me, Bruce." I said because I couldn''t


    Chapter Forty Five


    call him father, he had failed so miserably at owning that title.


    "No, he won''t, Riley."


    Despite everything, I still felt the disappointment; he was willing to set Daemon free, even with the knowledge of the threat he posed to me; it made one point clear: he didn''t care. "You''ve made an enemy out of me, Bruce." Thane warned.


    "That is not my wish, Alpha."


    "And yet you walk into my territory and attempt to take away my captive."


    "I will make sure he doesn''t return here ever again."


    "And how do I know you will keep to your words?" Thane questioned.


    "I will, and if I fail. At least you have this."


    Bruce tossed a sapphire pendant to me. "What is this?" I asked.


    "A way to free the sorceress, Jade. I''ve made an oath, and if I fail, then the pendant will lead you to her."


    "And so we just what? believe all your bullcrap?" Thane questioned, clearly not convinced.


    "I could have taken him and walked away, but I didn''t. I have no reason to lie."


    Bruce walked toward Daemon''s almost lifeless body; with a tug, he broke the chains like they were made of straw. A dark mist encircled them both, and they were gone within a blink of an eye.

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    Chapter Forty Six


    The barrier disappeared, and finally Thane could get to me.


    "So much for a surprise," he muttered.


    I passed the pendant to him and he examined it. "For all we know, it could be a piece of junk."


    "And it could also be useful." I suggested.


    "That too.


    "Do you trust him?" I asked Thane.


    "No, I don''t."


    I spent the next week constantly visiting Ethan; I couldn''t wait for the time I would finally hold him in my arms. Everything was back to normal-or at least as normal as my life could ever be.


    "I''ll be all yours for the evening." Thane says with a wide smile gracing those beautiful lips.


    "What do you suggest we do? Perhaps we could y a game?" I suggested.


    "I''m up for anything, as long as it involves the both of us naked and a whole lot of touching."


    "I had some other things in my mind, but that would work too.''


    Thane picked me up, dropping me on the bed, I bounced. "Couldn''t you be a bit more careful?" I asked jokingly.


    It waste at night when I awoke; Thane was panting in his sleep, and he was also burning up.


    "Thane, are you alright?" I asked, but his eyes remained closed. "Thane!" I called, shaking him, and his eyes snapped open, I was met with a pair of ink ck eyes; I rolled off the bed, but he was faster.


    Chapter Forty Six


    I barely escaped his ws; he was transforming. This had been what he was trying to exin to me. He let out a pained sound.


    "Be," he gasped. "I need you."


    "Thane, listen to me, it''s going to be alright." but he didn''t seem to even notice my presence.


    "Be," he called again.


    He was in pain, and I couldn''t stop it. I couldn''t do a thing about it, but I knew someone who could. I locked Thane in before sprinting down the stairs. Isabe had been moved to thest floor, making my journey even longer. I had locked him up in the room, but a door wouldn''t stop him and if he did hurt someone...


    I didn''t want to think about it.


    I bumped into Daisy; I wondered what she was doing awake by this time of the night.


    I attempted to walk past her without letting her see how panicked I was, but she blocked my path.


    "I''m in a hurry, Daisy."


    "I haven''t seen Daemon for a while now; do you happen to know where he is?"


    "No."


    I tried walking past her again, but she blocked me. "I know you are lying, and if you''ve done anything to him, Luna..."


    I shoved her out of my way. If she wanted a chat, then this wasn''t the right time.


    I banged on Isabe''s room door.


    "Geez, it''s the middle of the night..."


    She must have seen the panic on my face because she stopped talking. "What is wrong?" She questioned.


    "It''s happening again."


    "But that''s impossible; it isn''t even a full moon," she argued but wasted no time in following me, together we returned back to Thane. The door was still locked; that meant he was still in there and no one had been hurt. The moment I unlocked the door, a gasp escaped my lips.


    Chapter Forty Six


    Every single piece of furniture had been torn apart, the ss table shattered, the bed and cushions ripped open.


    "You should wait outside." Isabe suggested to me, but I shook my head.


    "I''m going in with you."


    "Thane." Isabe called, and he turned to her.


    "Be," he called, and she walked towards him. She ced her hands on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. Slowly his ws retracted.


    His eyes remained pinned on her; slowly he leaned down and imed her lips.

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    Chapter Forty Seven


    Chapter Forty Seven


    Isabe attempted pulling away from him, just for my benefit, but he wouldn''t let her go; he held onto her, kissing her. His hands ran down her body, the want in his eyes evident- No, this wasn''t him; it was his wolf, and I knew that, yet I couldn''t stop the tears. I should leave; I shouldn''t witness this, but I couldn''t bring myself to move. I watched him rip her clothes off, and finally she pulled him back.


    "Thane!" she called this time louder.


    She wanted it; I could see it in her eyes, and I could smell it in the air, but she was doing this because she wanted to be friends; the problem was... it couldn''t work. Thane blinked. "Isabe?" he called.


    "Guess I was wrong," she muttered, her breath still raspy.


    Thane''s gaze met mine; I could see the silent apology and instant regret in his eyes. I took a step back, followed by another, and then I was running. I didn''t know exactly where I was heading to, but all I knew was that I had to be far away, far away from Isabe and far away from... him.


    I found myself in the garden; this had once been my special spot.


    I wanted to hate him for what he had done; I wanted to hate her-Isabe too-but I knew it hadn''t been their fault; it was simply the mate bond, something I and Thane would never have.


    Just like that, all my hopes and ns of having a perfect family shattered before my very eyes, and I could do nothing about it. I felt so... alone. Axel was gone, Daemon... was gone. It doesn''t make sense why I still didn''t hate him, even after what he had done to me; maybe because I believed he only could understand me.


    "How do you know I was here?" I called; I had sensed his presence the moment he joined me.


    "I just knew." Thane answered before walking to me. "I didn''t know what got over


    me...''


    "It''s the mate bond, and it''s not your fault.


    "I hate the fact that I keep hurting you over and over again. I want to find a way; I don''t care what it takes; perhaps we could try the Cursed Weapon on me again."


    Chapter Forty Seven


    "What?" I questioned, turning to face him, why would he even think about doing that?


    "If I have no wolf, then I don''t need a mate, do I?"


    "I don''t want that. What would happen to the pack? You are an Alpha, their leader."


    "I thought about that, and why Regnux isn''t the best to take my ce; he''s all we''ve got. We can leave everything behind, live amongst other humans, and have the life you''ve always wanted."


    "No. That would just be extremely selfish of me."


    "It wouldn''t be. Be had asked something simr before, and I was willing to do that; now more than ever, I won''t hesitate. I don''t want to have feelings for her, Riley, but it''s always there; no matter how I try to fight it, my wolf likes you a lot, but the bond makes him want her, and I can''t even control that."


    "I understand, Thane."


    "You do?"


    "Yes. I understand that things will have to change. The curse doesn''t only take effect on a full moon, and so... she has to be always close to you at all times."


    "I don''t want her close to us. Not when I can control it."


    "No, not us, you. She would move into the same room with you because you need her, and I know and ept that. I will go far away because I can''t watch you with her, even if it''s necessary."


    "No such thing will happen. You don''t get to make that decision; a rtionship is two-sided, and I disagree with this."


    "Deep down, you know this is the right thing to do..."


    "No, it is not. The Riley I know wouldn''t give up this so soon; the Riley I knew was a fighter."


    "But even she knows when to back down, and that time hase."

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    Chapter Forty Eight RILEY


    All the destroyed furniture in the room had already been reced. I took only some of my clothes, a few other things I needed, and I was packed in no time.


    I didn''t want to think too much about this; if I did, it would only result in me breaking down in tears. I also feared that if I paused to think about what I was doing, then maybe I would change my mind.


    "What do you want, Isabe?" I asked. She remained by the door to "Thane''s room''.


    "Come on, don''t do this."


    I turned to her. "You don''t have to pretend like you don''t want it."


    "I do, Riley. I want to sleep in the same room with him, but he doesn''t; he wants to be with you."


    "This is the only way; how else would the pack be safe? It''s not going to be


    permanent, and I''ll still be a short walk away; it''s just for the meantime." I said, and finally she gave in.


    "I''m sorry, Riley."


    "Take care, Isabe, and take care of Thane too."


    "I will," she promised.


    I found a free room, a good distance away from Thane; it was a bit smaller, but I could work with it. Finally alone, I let myself cry. I knew it wasn''t his fault, and yet, H didn''t want to understand this; I just wished it had been me in Isabe''s ce. Thane walked into my new apartment, not bothering to knock- I must have forgotten to lock the door. I couldn''t let him see me in tears, so I turned my back to him.


    "What do you want?"


    "You are really going to go through with this?"


    "Yes, what did you think?"


    "Riley, you are acting crazy, and I don''t like it."


    Chapter Forty Eight


    "It is not about you, Thane; it is about the safety of the pack... and my safety." I knew what I had to say to make him give in. "When you turned, you became violent; you attacked me, and I barely escaped. I am not safe around you when you are like that." He stood there in silence. "You are right; she should be close by, but that doesn''t mean you have to go."


    "Isabe is not a bad person, but she is your mate, and for that reason I can''t stand her. I am jealous, Thane; I wish I could be the one to help you, but I can''t. What happened back there with you and her..."


    "It won''t repeat itself." He promised.


    "How do you know your wolf won''t want her?"


    "Watching you both is more than torture to me. Please, Thane, don''t make me go through that."


    "I will find another way."


    "I know you will, Thane, but until then, don''t visit; I need some space; I just need some time to think."


    "I can''t stay away from you, Riley."


    "This is what I want."


    "You are my Luna; I need you by my side now more than ever.


    11


    "I''m sorry, Thane, I''m sorry that I have to disappoint you, but I can''t be your Luna; just for now, all I want to be is Riley."


    "You are pushing me away, Riley, not the other way around."


    "It has to be this way."


    "No, it doesn''t, but you want the easy way out."


    "This is not in any way ''easy.'' I am doing it for you, Thane."


    "And I don''t want it, so stop trying to push me away."


    "Just leave; I need to be alone."


    "Is this what you want?"


    "Yes, it is."


    Chapter Forty Eight


    "I''ll inform some guards toe take watch; I can''t leave you without protection. When you change your mind, I will be waiting."


    I gave no response to that, and he walked to the door. He paused, giving me the time to change my mind, giving me the chance to say something. I wanted to, but I couldn''t, and then he was gone.

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    Chapter Forty Nine ISABELLA


    "You know, she is right." I said to Thane, I knew he was considering staying in another room; that wouldn''t be ideal, and I wasn''t suggesting this only because I wanted to be in the same room with him.


    I settled on the bed in my nightgown, and maybe I had gone a little overboard with picking something sexy, but Thane didn''t even seem to notice, and a part of me felt slightly... disappointed.


    I still believed this could work; Thane loved us both, and he could have us both. I wouldn''t mind the time he spent with Riley as long as he was going to be with me too. It might seem pathetic, but I had alreadye to terms with the fact that she would always be a part of his life.


    She helped him recover from the state I left him in, and for that I was grateful.


    I watched Thane settle on the couch.


    "What are you doing?" I questioned.


    Taking a nap," he responded as if that wasn''t clear.


    "You don''t have to sleep on the couch; join me on the bed."


    "The fact that we share a room doesn''t mean a damn thing; that doesn''t make us partners, and I don''t think sharing a bed is necessary, right?"


    "Thane... What happened to you? I mean, you are nothing like I remember."


    "What did you remember? A lovesick puppy? I was a lovestruck child then, of course


    changed."


    "No, you were not a child; you were a man, a man who was willing to do anything to make me happy."


    "I had been willing to do that, but then it turned out you kept secrets from me. Do you know what I went through after your death?"


    "It must have been hard, I know."


    "It wasn''t just ''hard''; it was terrifying. I had given up, the pain was too much to bear, and I had to doom my own Beta to a life of loneliness. Things never did remain the same, Isabe."


    Chapter Forty Nine


    "I''m sorry."


    "That doesn''t fix things."


    "I know, I wanted to live; I wanted to spend more time with you, but I couldn''t, and you have every right to hate me because I deserve it."


    "I don''t hate you; of course it wasn''t your fault. You died; life happens. It was my fault, I didn''t move on."


    "You know you don''t have to choose between the both of us; you can have us both. You won''t be the first Alpha to have two mates.


    "I don''t want to have the both of you, what I feel for you, it''s all tied to the mate bond, with Riley it''s different, what I feel for her is real."


    "But I am your mate; you''ve loved me once; you can love me again. Thane, you are all I think about; I can''t live without you...''


    "Just stop."


    "I love you, Thane. Why else would I keep hanging around even if it''s clear you both want me out? Why do you think I keep helping you? What I feel for you, it hasn''t changed one bit since all those years past.''


    "It had been over a decade, Isabe. I don''t feel the same way, and I want you to know that I will never choose you over her, not when I am in my right senses."


    His words struck me deep, hitting a ce I''d tried to keep protected, and a tear rolled down my cheek. "I wished I remained dead. I seem to always be some kind of pest, a mere difort to everyone." I whispered, shutting my eyes to avoid more tears from escaping. "You''re not, and I''m sorry if I''ve made you feel that way."


    "It''s fine. Goodnight, Thane."


    "Goodnight, Be."


    2

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    Chapter Fifty


    THANE


    I hadn''t seen Riley in three days; she was avoiding me. I wanted to pay her a visit so badly; it took everyst will in me not to. She wasn''t ready to see me, and I should respect her decision.


    Kissing Isabe right before her was the worst move I''ve ever made and I did feel guilty even if it had been my wolf who was drawn to her. Surprisingly, living with Isabe wasn''t exactly asplicated as I had thought it would be; since ourst conversation, she had stayed away, barely speaking to me. I knew my words hurt her, but I wasn''t going to lead her on; she deserved better.


    "There''s a man requesting an audience with you," a soldier reported to me.


    "Does he have a name?"


    "He had refused to say a thing till he saw you."


    "Well, if he isn''t ready to share his name in the very least, then I don''t think I''ll be entertaining him."


    "Alpha... I think you should see him." The soldier said, a hint of concern in his eyes.


    The man waited outside the pack house, surrounded by my pack soldiers. I dismissed them with a flicker of my hand.


    "I hope your reason for being here is important. I have no time to spare," I warned


    The man turned to me, and I noticed something different about him.


    "I would love to introduce myself, but there are many listening into our conversation. Perhaps we go somewhere more private, Alpha," He suggested. He must be of an Alpha Line, but I could have sworn I had never seen this man before, yet he felt... familiar. "Come with me." I led him into the meeting room.


    "Now start talking."


    "I am Logan Dimintri; you must have heard of me from your mate."


    "Not really, the Luna never mentioned you." I say pouring him a ss of whisky, he epted it with a nod, and I poured one for myself.


    Chapter Fifty


    "I speak about your true mate, Isabe."


    Everything seemed to click; Isabe had spoken to me about a man who looked very simr to me. I didn''t know if Logan looked anything like me, but I had felt this strange familiarity when I saw him; he seemed to be in histe thirties, a few years older than I was. "I finally met my ''Guardian Angel." I muttered sarcastically.


    He chuckled at that. "If that''s your way of saying ''thank you'', then you are wee.


    "So, who are you?"


    "I am Logan..."


    "I got that, but I believe you have more to yourself than a name.''


    "I do. You can consider me your big brother."


    "That''s a bit overboard, don''t you think?"


    "There''s a lot you don''t know, little brother."


    "The term ''Alpha king'' would work fine for now."


    "I know about your many achievements, and I am impressed. But there are always those secrets left in the dark waiting to be revealed, and this mighte as a shock, but I am your brother, and the man who you believed all your life to be your father isn''t." "And I guess I am just going to believe that?"


    "You felt it when you saw me


    you felt the familiarity, didn''t you?"


    "Of course that is proof enough. Wee home, brother." I said sarcastically.


    "Many believe there is only one Lycan alive. You. But they are wrong; the only difference is that one is aplete show-off and the other-me-has themon sense to keep what I am secret."


    I watched his eyes turnpletely ck. Of course I didn''t let him know I was impressed, my Lycan part onlyes forth when triggered; I couldn''t just summon it, but there was always something to trigger me, and so it never really was a problem. "So I have a brother-


    -


    Chapter Fifty


    "Half brother," he corrected. "Your mother has a lot of secrets; too bad she can''t tell you the truth now, but maybe you need to have a chat with your father."


    "I would, but the thing is, he has been dead for some time now; I expected you to know that."


    "Oh, I heard about the power-hungry son who killed his father and took his pack. If only people knew that you weren''t actually the killer."


    "How do you know that?"


    "Being in the shadows allows you to know a lot of things, brother. I also know that you see your father''s ghost, so maybe he might know a thing or two." Chapter Fifty One

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    Chapter Fifty One


    Chapter Fifty One


    "What has life in the shadows been like?" I questioned Logan.


    "What do you think it would be like?" he threw the question back at me.


    "Perhaps sad, lonely, pitiful."


    "It was all of those things, but I had to be that, knowing you were theplete opposite."


    "So, about Isabe, had you been the one who awoke her?"


    "No, I wasn''t


    what do you think I am? I don''t know how she awoke but strange things happen, brother. She told me she lost her memory, but I recognized her almost instantly, and I knew she was your mate. I believe it''s all fate. I mean, she came in the time you needed her the most." 1


    "And what about you? Do you have a mate?"


    "I did; I killed her."


    "I just might have found a match." I mused with a smile on my face as I took another sip of the whisky.


    "It had been a mistake; just like you, I had no idea about the Lycan''s curse, and then all of a sudden it happened. It had been an ident, but, well, I wouldn''t let you go through what I did."


    "So let me get this straight: you are my ''half brother who had been living in the shadows for over three decades, the very same one who seems to know a lot about me. I believe you would have known about the elders too."


    "Yes, I was aware of the elders who abducted you and almost had you killed, but of course, once again, you survived."


    "By the skin of my teeth, yeah. It is strange that you decide to help me now of all times."


    "I didn''te to your aid then because it wasn''t the right time, and you pissed them off; you deserved it."


    I nodded, partially agreeing to that.


    "I think there is more to this. I mean, you finally met me after all these years. Sure, you said you had your reasons for staying away, but you could have at least sent a ''Hi,


    Chapter Fifty One


    you have a brother'' letter sometime through the decades, but you didn''t, and now here you are, trying to help me.


    Tell me,


    what is in it for you?


    "Smart, I anticipated that. Maybe this is not all about you. I believe there is a cure to our curse, and I believe we can find it together."


    "There is no ''we'' in this." I reminded him.


    "I know you will find it, with your family on the line and also, your very own ego- you don''t like the fact that you need Be. Even if you try to deny it, she is of great importance to you, and you hate it, so you''ll be even more thirsty to find a cure, so that''s why I am here." "What do you do when it begins?" I questioned, we both knew what I was referring to the curse.


    "I chain myself up, down in a tunnel I created, and I go through the pain. Sometimes I believe it will kill me, but it doesn''t. Still, I know things would get worse; the sooner we find the cure, the better.''


    "And so you sent Isabe here purposely; you knew it would quicken my own switch; you also knew it would bring a rift between me and my Luna; still, you did it anyway.


    "I am selfish, Thane; I am only here because this will benefit me too."


    I liked that he had been honest, it''s better the devil you know.


    "I think I''ve heard enough; you may leave."


    "I didn''t expect to be shooed away this quickly; Infact, I expected more reactions from you, I mean you just discovered you have a half brother and your whole life had been a lie."


    "I gave you a listening ear; that didn''t mean I believed you. The soldiers would escort you out.


    11


    "I''ll be here if you need me."


    With that, he rose, extending his hands for a handshake, but I didn''t move; I didn''t trust him enough. He drew back his hand. Wise option.


    "Till we meet again, brother."

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    Chapter Fifty Two


    "de." I called again, but there was no response. Of course, when I needed him the most, he chose to y a disappearing scheme on me. I was not going to have that." Would you prefer I beg?"


    This felt stupid; I was alone in my office, calling for my dead father''s ghost, but of course anyone stumbling upon this scene would find it very...unsettling.


    "I can tell you need something." The voice called. de was finally here.


    "I thought I had finally lost you."


    "You don''t say that like it is a bad thing."


    "I mean, I need answers, but if I could stop seeing your ghost, then that is even better."


    "I should feel sad, but I''ve gotten ustomed to your manner of caring."


    I watched my father, once I feared this man; the whole world feared him. He was a walking, breathing terror, and now he was...nothing. I couldn''t help but feel a little pity for him, even if he had been the one digging his own grave from the very beginning.


    "Do you by any means know a man called Logan Dimintri?" I questioned, watching his face pale, which was ironic as he was a ghost. He tried to mask his little slip with a smile, but I had already picked up on that. "So you do know him?"


    "I do; he is a family friend."


    "Just a family friend? I mean, I thought he was my half brother."


    "Who told you that?"


    "Are you even listening to me? I met Logan,


    "You know better than to believe what he says."


    "I do, and that''s exactly why I came to you, hoping to get some type of exnation, but of course I know when you are lying, and you are now."


    "He is right," de said after a moment of silence.


    "Right about what exactly? Is it about the fact that he is my half brother or that you aren''t my father?"


    "Both."


    "And when were you nning on telling me this?"


    "Never. I was never going to tell you this because I epted you. Your mother was quite the slut, as you already knew. Many years ago, she confirmed she was pregnant, then I had been having doubts about her; I believed I wasn''t the only man she invited to her bed, so when she told me she was pregnant for me, I didn''t believe her; for some reason, I knew it wasn''t mine. I had waited for her to give birth to the child; my n was to request a test and if the child was not of my blood, then I would have to kill it. I was not ready to raise a weakling and a bastard, but then the test result was out, and just as I had thought, the child wasn''t mine."


    "But you kept me anyway."


    "That''s because the healers detected that you were of an Alpha Bloodline. I knew from the very day you were born that you would be a threat to me and everything I had built, still I kept you. I raised you as my own, and you grew up to be all what I imagined and more." "That''s why you weren''t willing to pass me the crown, isn''t it?"


    It finally made sense now, I had thought he held onto the crown because he was afraid of letting go and having nothing to his name.


    "Yes. I knew that there was a high chance that you wouldn''t be epted by the goddess, and yet, here you are, the Alpha King, the favored brother."


    "This doesn''t exin how you knew about Logan."


    "Oh, he visited once; he spoke of his brother-you and some other bullcrap. I had offered him some amount of money to shut the fuck up; he didn''t ept it, though, only told me he would be back when the time was right. He never returned, and so there wasn''t an issue." My father finished with a shrug, like this wasn''t worth the


    bother.

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    Chapter Fifty Three


    "Do you know Logan is also a Lycan, like me?"


    "I had no clue that any of you were lycans; believe me, I am proud of you, but if I had even a single clue that you were a lycan, then I would have killed you, then haunted him down and killed him too, just to remain in power." "What do you know about the Lycan''s curse?" I questioned de.


    "I thought you would never bring that up. I''ve been doing my homework, and I heard a thing or two about it."


    "By doing your homework, you mean ''snooping around?"


    "Yes, that. It had been interesting watching your rtionship with the Luna stumble. It''s like history repeating itself; maybe this thing called ''love'' was never meant for us."


    "Leave her out of this, will you?"


    "But it is so much more fun talking about her. You know, If I were alive, I would have had a taste of her."


    "Just as you did to her mother?" I asked, holding back my anger because I couldn''t hurt him, not when he was a ghost.


    "Kate was such a sweetheart. You know, there came a time that I thought about leaving Freya, rejecting her, just to be with Kate."


    "What stopped you from doing that?"


    "I liked the thought of punishing Freya and Kate... I didn''t want to hurt her anymore.


    11


    "So you had a conscience; that is surprising


    "When it came to her, I did. You know I wanted to have them both, Freya because she knew just how to be a Luna and how to give a good fuck, and then Kate... because... she was different and kindhearted, unlike all the people who surrounded me." "Then why didn''t you do it? You were going to let her rot if she hadn''t escaped."


    "Because if I did let myself feel for her, then that would be my greatest weakness."


    "You were afraid of being heartbroken?" I mused, with a smile.


    Chapter Fifty Three


    "I mean, I didn''t deserve her after all I did, she might turn against me, but that''s not the only reason. To love is weakness and the faster you learn that the better."


    "No, love is not weakness; it is ''living."


    "If I were to give you an advice, I would say go for the redhead, your real mate; Riley is only changing you, and I fear it is not for the better.".


    "Keep your advice to yourself..."


    He was gone before Ipleted the sentence, leaving me with the revtion that my whole life might just have been a lie, but the thing is I wasn''t exactly surprised; at this point, nothing could actually surprise me.


    Riley still hadn''t visited; I didn''t know how long this would go on, but I was not going to wait and find out. The guards I had assigned to her stood at the passageway, they bowed and I gave them a nod before walking past them.


    I knocked on the door to her room because she didn''t forget to lock the door this time - yes, I tried the handle.


    She pulled the door open, and the moment she noticed me, she mmed the door right in my face. A big part of me wanted to break down the door and give her a good shake to get her back into her senses. Damn, she didn''t even wait to hear why I was here. In the room, Isabe waited; shey on the bed, a book in her hands.


    "Wee back." was the only thing she said before returning back to her book.


    Maybe she did deserve an apology.


    "Isabe. I''m sorry for what I said to you; I might havee out a little too harsh. You deserve better treatment."


    "It''s alright; I just wish you could sleep on the bed. You don''t have to punish yourself to prove a point. I know you love her; I get it..."


    I joined her on the bed, and she immediately stopped talking. "Better?" I questioned and she nodded before cing the book she had been reading on the nightstand. Shey down at the very edge of the bed, but I did see the smile ying on her lips.

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    Chapter Fifty Four RILEY


    I paced in my room.


    What if he had something important to tell me?


    I shouldn''t have mmed the door at him as I did earlier, it was wrong of me.


    He was right; I was pushing him away, and I feared he would go to the only one avable and ready to give him a listening ear.


    You know what? Fuck it.


    He was right; I couldn''t pull through with this; it was simply impossible. I headed back to the Thane room. Nothing has changed since I moved.


    I headed to the inner room, moving as silently as I could... I stopped short.


    Be had her legs wrapped around Thane''s waist. I stood there, watching them; it took everything in me to hold in the tears and turn around.


    It was toote. I had pushed him right into Isabe''s waiting hand. If I had any tears left, I would have let them out.


    I couldn''t sleep, I couldn''t think, and for the first time I wondered if I should have taken Isabe''s offer while it was still on the table.


    I visited Ethan because I needed someone, anyone, to be with.


    Watching him made me happy; it always did. Finally I could take in breaths without feeling the pain in my chest.


    "Momma is going through a hard time now. I just want to have a family filled with love and unity. I want you to be happy. I want a happily ever after for us all-is that too much to ask?


    I feel like I have messed up everything; I should never havee up with the dumb idea, but I thought I was being selfless like Isabe always is. You know what saddens me the most? He seems happy with her, content even, and suddenly I feel like a misfit. We are supposed to have passed this stage a long time ago,


    but here I am, back here, once again."


    Daisy was waiting in my room by the time I returned.


    "I would have asked why you are here, but I already know."


    "Where is he, Luna?"


    "Gone,"


    "You did this, didn''t you?"


    "No, he did this to himself, not me." I stared at her hand; it was shaking. Something was wrong with


    Chapter Fifty Four


    her. "Hey, are you alright?"


    "No, I am not. I can''t stop thinking about it."


    "Thinking about what?"


    "His bite... I can''t stop thinking about what it will feel like to be bitten by him. I know what this is; it''s like an addiction. I can''t think straight; I had to stay off my duties for the meantime. But you can help me."


    "You think I can help you?"


    "Yes," she answered.


    "How?"


    "I know what you are; you are half demon." She walked closer to me. "I need you to feed from me," she said.


    "Are you crazy?" I asked.


    "This is the only way," she said, before taking out a pocket knife. She split her own skin and forced her arm to my mouth. I stepped back, but her blood stained my lips. The scent of it was simply enticing. "I can''t." I whispered.


    "You want to, and I am willing; you call me friend, and now I need your help, please."


    I licked my lips, and the taste of her blood was like... fine wine; I held onto her arm, and I dug my teeth into it. She let out a cry as I drank from her; finally, she pulled away, her hand shielding the cut. I walked towards her, wanting more.


    "Luna," she called, and I snapped out of my bloodlust. I wiped my lips.


    "What have you done?"


    "I''m sorry," she muttered, before walking past me and sprinting out of the room.


    The demon in me wanted more blood; it wanted to drink of her till she had no more to give.


    Chapter Fifty F

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    Chapter Fifty Five DAEMON


    "I have every reason to kill you." Bruce said to me as he tended to my wound. I should have kept an eye out for Thane; maybe I did underestimate him. "I know."


    "No, you don''t. You are a fool if you think you have a chance with my daughter; you don''t. Many have tried; she has eyes for only one man."


    "I''ve learned from


    repeat them


    my mistakes; Wes


    "Of course you won''t; I will not let you," he says.


    We were back in Bruce''s home. I hated this ce; for some reason it made me feel powerless, totally helpless


    Bruce had helped me escape from Jade; together we locked her away, but I always felt like I escaped from one prison only to fall into another. Just like Jade, Bruce wanted to control me, but unlike her, he made me feel like I had an option even if I didn''t. "You gave them the pendant; why?"


    "Why else do you think? I know about what you did to my daughter, against her will."


    "You don''t really care, so stop the pretense."


    "Is that what you think? That I don''t care?


    Just so you know, I have made a few corrections on you; from now till I see fit, you will no longer be able to shapeshift."


    "You can''t do that."


    "I can actually. I taught you just how to do it, and the first thing you did was abuse your privilege, so until I see a use for it, you will have to do without it."


    "You had no right, Bruce."


    He smirked; he did look like Riley, but he bared none of her soft features. "I do, you know why? Because you belong to me, and I did more than that. ''I had been helping you sustain your energy; demons are easily drained by the daylight. I made you an exemption, but maybe I''ve been spoiling you a little too much. You will no longer be able to walk in daylight."


    He pulled open the curtain, and the sun burnt my skin. I groaned, rolling off the bed; I hid from the sun. He shut the curtain after proving his point.


    Demons can walk under sunlight, yes it drains us, but it never posed a real threat if you your time well. "How..."


    could manage


    "How did I do it? I am impressed too, but I manage to create a spell, more like a curse. Until I release you +26 BONUS


    from this spell, you will not be able to roam the earth daylight... at all.


    In the next moment I had my hands firmly wrapped around his throat. "Why would you do this?"


    "I made a promise to them, one I n to keep."


    "Since when do you keep to your words, Bruce?"


    "Since... It has to do with my family. I will advise you to let go of me; if you kill me, you will never be free of the spell I ced on you."


    I let him go; blood trailed down his neck. I wanted to rip his head out so badly, but I couldn''t.


    "You know, you are just like Jade; you both want to control me. You think I am some toy to be used, but I am not."


    "Sure you are not," he said with a small smile. He won and he knew it.


    I watched him walk away. I couldn''t leave this ce; the sun had be my very own enemy. Despite everything, I had not a single regret; my time with her was worth it in every sense of the word. I didn''t care that she thought of me as a monster; she liked it, and so did I, and until I could make new memories, I wouldn''t stop thinking about what it felt like having my cock buried deep inside of her, what I could do for those moans and pleas. A smirk formed on my lips.


    I was going to have her to myself once more, Bruce and his feelings be damned.

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    Chapter Fifty Six


    DAISY''S POV


    It wasn''t the same.


    When Daemon made love to me, when he bit me, all I felt was pleasure. Maybe I didn''t realize it at the beginning, but he had be like an addictive drug, the more I got, the more I wanted. I thought it had just been the bites, and so I had tried getting that from Riley, but it wasn''t the same.


    The Luna knew where he was. Why wouldn''t she tell me?


    Each day, it got worse.


    I scrolled through my notebook; he upied every single page.


    I had drawn him about a hundred times, and yet, I picked up a pen, ready to make another image. This was the only way I could keep myself from losing my mind thinking about him. Twenty minutester, I was done with a perfect drawing of him. In this drawing he was shirtless, those locks of shiny ck hair fell over his eyes. Damn, was he sexy. "Hello, Daisy," the voice called.


    For a moment, I had thought it was all in my mind. It sounded so real. Slowly I turned, and there he stood, yet I couldn''t be sure, this could just be my mind ying wicked tricks on me. "Daemon," I called, tears rolling down my eyes.


    "Yes, Daisy," he answered with a smile on his face. I walked towards him, and I hugged him, sobbing in his arms. He waited for the whole thirty minutes I spent crying.


    "I thought you were dead."


    "I am very much alive."


    This was real. Daemon was here, dressed in a dashing ck tuxedo and sleek ck shades.


    "What happened? You left me all alone, and I was worried sick."


    "I had a bit of an... ident."


    "But everything is okay, because you are back now." I said to him but he gave no response to that; he finally pulled me away from me only to pick up my notebook, where I had drawn him multiple times. "I really thought I could save you, but you really can''t be safe, can you?"


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    He ced the notebook back on the table, before taking off his shades, only then did I notice the cut below his eyes.


    "You are injured."


    ""It will heal."


    "Who did this?" I questioned.


    +25 BORALIS


    "You don''t look any better either," he noted, and I clumsily ran my hand through my hair in an attempt to straighten it; I was well aware that I looked like crap


    "I''m sorry."


    "Do you know what you need?"


    "What do I need?"


    "A very long shower."


    Daemon joined me in the bathroom; he easily towered over me.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "For what?" he asked as he picked up the shampoo.


    "Foring back to me."


    He paused, watching me for a moment too long, and I fidgeted under his gaze. He tossed the bottle of shampoo before picking me up, my legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed me. He kissed down my neck, and I moaned; his hard length mmed into me, and I cried out his name. He turned on the shower, draining us both. He supported my hips, and I grinded against his cock. He kissed me, grabbing a firm hold of my breast. I could feel myself reaching my climax but he wouldn''t let that happen just yet; he pulled out of me, only to m me against the wall. His cock prated into my butt, and I groaned as his hand went round to my clit, stoking gently.


    "Please, Daemon, please." I begged


    I felt his tongue against my corbone before he bit into me, he mmed three fingers into me, and I couldn''t hold it anymore; I came, hard.


    He pulled out his fingers, now soaked with my juice, and he let me have a taste before turning me over and kissing me.

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    Chapter Fifty Seven


    Once again, the bed was empty by the time I awoke. I felt a hollow in my chest; once more, I would have to hold onto the memories he had left, until his next visit. I was sore, but I managed to get out of bed. I took my pills.


    "Good morning," the voice called, and there Daemont, still looking through my notebook.


    "You stayed."


    "Yes, I did."


    "Why? I mean, I am happy-you know what? Don''t answer that."


    He gave me a small smile, and it might just be the most human thing I had ever seen him do. "You don''t have to be ufortable around me; I won''t harm you." he assured. I couldn''te up with anything to say. "It urred to me that I don''t know anything about you pack healer. I didn''t know you drew. This drawing is really nice."


    except that you are the


    "Thank you. I have been drawing and painting for years now; it''s something I do to keep calm." This was the most he had said since I knew him, and I wanted to keep the conversation going, but I didn''t want to say the wrong words.


    "What other things do you like doing?" he questioned.


    "I am the pack healer, so of course, I like tending to people in need of help."


    "You are very kindhearted and also daring; I liked that about you."


    "I also love to sing, though I don''t think I have a good voice."


    "I''ll be the one to decide that."


    "You want to hear me sing?" I asked.


    "Yes, I want to get to know you."


    "What do you want me to sing?"


    "Anything," he said.


    When I was a teenager, my favorite song was ''ckbird.'' I felt like that would be the perfect song, and so I sang it to him, just as he requested.


    I didn''t know if he enjoyed it, but he had bepletely still.


    "Do you like it?"


    ""Yes. I do."


    "I mean, I can sing something else if you don''t like that."


    "No. No more."


    I fell silent.


    "Are you going to leave again?"


    "Yes, but I need something from you."


    "You know I would do anything."


    "I know, but this time, I need more. I want Riley, and you are going to help me get her."


    I couldn''t hide the disappointment I felt, it was written all over my face.


    "I could get killed." I began, but then I paused, knowing he didn''t care about that; he never did, and I always knew that. "It had always been her, hadn''t it?" "Yes, it has always been her."


    "Why her? Why not me? I am ready to be anything you want me to be."


    "That is the problem."


    "What do you n to do with her?"


    "I''ll take her away and start a new life with her."


    "I can''t do what you ask of me; I''m sorry."


    "You said you would do anything for me."


    "You don''t care about me, or the fact that I would be risking my life for you. I love you so much, and you can''t even see it. You want to leave me for her, and I can''t help with that." "Then youe with me; you will leave everything behind, and you wille along. Together, we will all start up a new life, and I will always be there for you."


    "I want that, but I want more..."


    "Hush," he says, cing a finger against my lips, "I know all you want; you want an eternity with me, and I will grant you that. She trusts you, and that''s why you only can pull this off." "What if I can''t? What if I get caught?"


    "I trust you; I know you can do it."


    "And are you going to hurt her-Riley?" I questioned.


    "No, never."


    "Then I would help you; just tell me what I have to do."

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    Chapter Fifty Eight


    RILEY


    "Finally you show up." I muttered, letting Thane in.


    "Are you mad at me?" he asked; of course he sensed that almost immediately. ""No, I''m not."


    "You sound mad, Riley."


    "How did you think I would feel? I hate the fact that you have to be with her."


    "You said this was what you wanted. I wanted none of this, but I did it for put it all on me?"


    "I didn''t know what I was thinking."


    "So does that mean you''ll return back to the room and stop all these?"


    I shook my head but said nothing.


    and now you are going to


    "When I brought up the idea of both of you in one room, it didn''t ur to me that you will both have to share a bed."


    "You saw that, didn''t you?"


    "Yes, I did."


    "Nothing went on between the both of us."


    "I know that, but I couldn''t help but see how perfectly matched the both of you were. She had her legs wrapped around you, and you seem to enjoy herpany. I don''t know what to think anymore." "I love you."


    "Where is it? I keep hearing those words, but I can''t see it; I can''t feel it..."


    "It''s real, and you know that."


    "No, I don''t! I am back to the insecure girl I once was. You have your mate now, and I have nobody; I am totally alone, and I hate it. I miss what we once had."


    "You can have it back; all you have to do ise back.


    "But you need her."


    "That''s what I had been here earlier to talk to you about. It turns out that there might be a way out of this."


    "What way?"


    "I don''t know yet, but I just discovered I am not thest Lycan alive after all, and also, I have a half half-brother, and let''s not forget the big revtion: my father is not my biological father."


    Chapter Fifty Fight


    "What?"


    "Shocking, right?"


    "And you are okay with this?"


    "Of course I''m not, but all I care about is finding a cure or some kind of solution to the curse, one that doesn''t involve Be."


    "Do you think it will work?"


    "It has to; there is no other option; there has to be a way.


    "Your half brother, what is his name?"


    "Logan. Logan Dimintri."


    "Where had he been all these years?"


    "It wasn''t really a reunion; he also needs a cure for the curse, and that''s the only reason he paid a visit." "What if he''s lying? He could be a total stranger for all we know."


    "He is not; he had been the one who sent Isabe here. When she talked about him, she said he looked a lot like me, and maybe he does, and I can tell he is a Lycan."


    "But that doesn''t make him your brother."


    "Half brother." Thane corrected. "You are right. Of course I had to confirm with de, and it turns out he always knew I wasn''t his child; he suspected my mother had cheated on him, and he ran a test. I wasn''t his, but I was of an Alpha bloodline, and so he took me in." I couldn''t imagine de doing that; anytime I thought of him, I only remembered the monster he had


    been.


    "That means your father was an Alpha wolf?"


    "Yes, that''s exactly what it means.


    Riley I know this is a lot to take in, but I wanted you to know that there''s still hope, we can both go on with our lives and everything will be back to normal."


    "And would you do it when the timees? Would you let her go?"


    "Yes, I will," he says, but I couldn''t see it happening; she was his mate, he had feelings for her, and he couldn''t just let her go that easily.

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    Chapter Fifty Nine


    Maybe Thane was right, I didn''t have to push him away. Isabe could stick around, but that didn''t mean I would have to leave just so she could be with him. I made a decision. I was going to fight for what belonged to me. When I returned back to Thane''s room, I was met with the sight of Thane on the floor, unconscious; w marks marred his body, and a few more identical marks on Isabe.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked her.


    "It happened again, and it''s getting worse."


    "You need a healer."


    "No, I will heal, and so will he."


    "How can I help? Just tell me what to do.''


    "Xothing. There is nothing you can do Riley, and it''s not safe for you to be around him anymore."


    "I''ll be the one to decide that."


    "Riley. You need to listen to me. I thought this would work, but it won''t. You cannot be around him." "But you can?"


    "Do you know what happened to Logan''s mate?"


    "He told you about Logan?" I asked, feeling a bit betrayed.


    "No, he didn''t. I''ve been getting some fragments of my memory back. Logan had told me a lot of things, and I recognized him earlier when he visited the pack Logan told me how he lost his mate; he had killed her ''identally''... Do you want that for yourself, Riley?" "You know what? I don''t care; he needs me now more than ever. I won''t shy away.


    00


    "No, he doesn''t need you; it might hurt to hear this, but it''s me he needs now. Think of what would happen if he hurts you or worse, he would bear the guilt for the rest of his life; it will destroy him. You cannot do that to him." She was right; I should leave.


    "I''m sorry, Thane." With that I turned around, heading to the ward Ethan had been kept.


    "Luna!" Daisy called, "I''ve been looking for you."


    She looked better. From the smile on her face, I could tell that she was back to her usual self, and damn was I d.


    "Is anything wrong?" I inquired.


    "No, I just wanted to show you something; maybe you shoulde with me to my apartment."


    Chapter Filty Nine


    "What do you want to show me?"


    "It has to do with Ethan... Could youe with me?"


    "Of course?" I answered, wondering why she wanted me in her room of all ces; that thought was immediately quenched by the sudden worry I felt. Of course if it was bad news she wouldn''t deliver it with a smile on her face, right? I followed her into the room, and she turned to lock the door.


    "Thank you foring," she said. There was something about her smile that felt quite... off.


    Just then I heard footsteps, and Daemon joined us; he had been in the room.


    "He promised." I hissed; once again my father was nothing but a disappointment.


    "He isn''t a part of this; trust me, he wanted to keep his little promise to his family so badly."


    My gaze turned to Daisy. She had tears streaming down her eyes.


    "I''m so sorry," she pleaded.


    "You did this for him?"


    "Yes, I''m sorry, I just had to."


    "You fool, he doesn''t love you; he doesn''t even care about you."


    11


    "I am going to start a new life with him, a new beginning, and I''ll see him every day for the rest of my life. I''ll be with him till eternity. Right, Daemon?" She asked, tears still streaming down her eyes. He nodded, wiping away her tears, and then he bent to kiss her lips.


    "You will be with me for eternity, Daisy, just as I promised," he says softly to her, and she nods. "But just not in this lifetime," hepleted before digging his hand into her chest and ripping out her heart. I let out a scream.


    Not interesting at all

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    Chapter Sixty


    Chapter Sixty


    TRIGGER WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS CONTAIN TRIGGERING CONTENT; READ WITH


    CAUTION.


    Tears streamed down my face as I stared at Daisy''s lifeless body; her eyes were still open, frozen in shock.


    "Why would you do this? She did nothing to you!"


    "Here you go, once again, caring for the same person who betrayed you."


    "You did this; you messed with her head."


    "She was far gone, Riley. I would have let her go, but she is going to get all crazy and try to find me. She was a loose end; I had to kill her."


    "You didn''t have to, but you did anyway because you are nothing but a monster."


    "I made her death quick; I should get some points for that, don''t you think?"


    Lpunched him in the face; it could have fazed any werewolf, but he wasn''t one. "I am stronger than you, Riley. You are only half demon; you don''t really think you can really harm me, do you?"


    I threw another punch at him, but he caught my wrist midair. I pulled free of his grasp before letting out my wings, I darted towards the window, but he caught onto my wings, forcing me down. "Let go of me!"


    I sent a flurry of kicks at him, but his hold on me never once faltered, and then the dark mist surrounded us. I struggled harder, but it was toote. We were no longer in Daisy''s apartment. Where am I?


    That had been the first question on my mind. The ce seemedpletely unfamiliar. The building was a little bigger than a cottage, simr to a chalet. Most of the furniture was made of wood. I spotted at firece where a fire had already been set to warm the house; it all seemed a bit old-fashioned.


    "What do you think?" I flinched when I noticed Daemon by my side. "Nice, right?"


    "Where am I?"


    "At my ce."


    "You have a... ce?"


    "I told you, you know nothing about me, and yes, I do have a ce."


    Daemon, whatever game this is, it has to stop."


    "Does this feel to you like a game?"


    Chapter Sixty


    I gazed around the living space, in search of a weapon anything I could use on him; themp was the


    I only object close by. "You want to know what I think about this ce?" I asked. Before he could react, I took themp, smashing it against his head. "I hate it.


    I ran as fast as I could; I didn''t know which route led to the door, and so I just had to keep moving. Finally, I spotted an exit.


    A cry escaped my lips when I ran right into Daemon. I couldn''t outrun him.


    I felt a stab in my neck, a syringe.


    "This should keep you down for some time."


    "You drugged me?" I asked, feeling my muscles goingx.


    "This would only weaken you, prevent you from using your demon side for a while, since we both know that your wolf part has been dormant for a long time. You will be as helpless as a human." "Thane will find me, and he will kill you.''


    "This building had been a perfect hideout for me; no one can find you here; no one would be able to save you, little Riley."


    He picked me up; my struggles were useless. He pulled open a door and walked in. He dropped me on the huge bed.


    "And this is my very own room."


    "I don''t want to be here."


    "This is a change you will have to learn to live with. I don''t n on letting you go, not now, not ever. You will be with me, mine... forever."


    I spat at his face. He walked closer to me and took a handful of my hair, wiping the spittle off his face with it..


    Chapter Sixty (ve


    +2

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    Chapter Sixty One


    "You cannot force me into loving you, Daemon."


    "I can and I will."


    Daemon shrugged his suit off and began unbuttoning his shirt.


    "What are you doing?" He gave no response. I scrambled out of the bed, but he caught up to me. "Don''t think your little stunt won''t go unpunished, Riley." He says, taking off his belt. ""You wouldn''t dare."


    "I saw your son, Ethan. He is one cute little thing." Daemon said with a smirk ying on his lips. I could see the unspoken threat.


    "No, not Ethan, please no!" I sobbed.


    "I didn''t hurt him... not yet, but now you know what I would do if you don''t cooperate, little Riley."


    "Don''t do anything to him."


    "I promise you, Riley, if you stop acting like a bitch, then I wouldn''t hurt him.''


    "I won''t; I will behave."


    "Good girl. Now strip."


    "What?"


    "Don''t make me repeat myself."


    "I know you, Daemon; you are better than this."


    "I''m not, and soon you will understand that. Now strip.''


    >>


    He watched me as I took off my clothes; when I waspletely naked, he positioned me so my ass was in the air. I felt so exposed, so embarrassed, and I knew he liked it. I closed my eyes, promising myself that he would pay for this. "Now I want you to count with me. Can you do that for me?"


    I nodded.


    "Let''s hear you say that."


    "Yes." I said aloud.


    I felt the firstsh of the belt against my ass cheeks, and I cried out. "One." I whispered.


    "Two...


    Three...


    Four...


    Chapter Sixty One


    Five..."


    Finally he stopped, gently massaging my reddened cheeks; it stung, but I had been through worse; the embarrassment I felt hurt more than even theshes.


    He used the belt to tie both my hands to the bedpost. closed my eyes, not wanting to watch.


    "Open your eyes. Riley, I want you to see how much of a monster I am and exactly how I n to make you mine."


    Iy on the bed,pletely sore. Daemon hadn''t been gentle, yet he managed to do it all right. I didn''t want to get all wet for him; I didn''t want him to bring me to my orgasm, and yet... he did. I hated myself for not fighting it even if it waspletely out of my control; my body had acted with a mind of its own, and I was left with the guilt.


    My hands still remained tied to the bedpost.


    He was gone now; he had been gone for some hours now, and I preferred the silence. I wanted to be alone; I wanted to think.


    I needed to get out of here, but how do I do that without risking my child''s life? I wouldn''t make even a single step if that would lead to Ethan getting hurt.


    Just then Daemon walked in, a te of food and a ss of water in his hands; he dropped it on the table. "I got you some food." He said with a small smile.


    He walked to me, taking off the belt and freeing my hands. Angry red bruises marred my wrist, and his eyes lingered a moment too long on the injuries before he looked away.


    "I could feed you." He suggested.


    "I don''t feel like eating."


    "You will have to eat, else you''ll die."


    "I don''t trust you enough to eat that."


    "If you are worried about it being poisoned, then rest assured, it is not."


    "And I''m supposed to believe you?"


    "You don''t have a choice; now eat." He said, handing the te to me, I epted it, only to toss it away. A small frown formed on his face. "You know I could make you eat it up from the floor." He rose. "But I won''t. You want an apology for earlier, then I''m sorry."


    "You know, you are a sicko, a bipr freak."


    "I will never use the belt on you ever again."


    "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"

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    Chapter Sixty Two Chapter Sixty Two


    Daemon ced the pack of ice on my wrist. Sometimes, I couldn''t even understand him. One moment he is the nice guy, and the next moment he is the viin, a total monster. It had been the other part of him I saw that made me believe I could change him.


    He took a seat on the couch, going through a notebook


    "You read; that is surprising."


    "No, this is not a novel."


    "Then what is it?"


    "I picked it up from Daisy''s room; I couldn''t leave it behind."


    "It belonged to her?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "She seemed to love drawing a lot," he said with a small smile.


    "You liked her," I stated. -


    "I felt something for her." He admitted.


    "Then why did you kill her? It makes no sense; she loved you back."


    "Because she wanted to be with me."


    "And why is that a problem?"


    "You think I don''t know about Isabe and Thane?"


    "Leave Thane out of this."


    "He keeps taking you for granted over and over again; she is his mate for fuck''s sake. He should have let her go the moment he set eyes on her, yet he''d rather put you through the pain and jealousy of watching her close to him, and he doesn''t even think it''s wrong. So if it came to choosing, Riley, I picked you, and you don''t even have to be jealous because she is dead."


    The crazy thing was that he thought it was alright to kill people just for those dumb reasons.


    "You aren''t any better. I forgave you once for what you did to me, but this, this I won''t forgive you."


    "I was mad at you; when I''m angry, I make very rash decisions."


    "Like involving a child?"


    "You should know by now that I would do just anything to be with you; I don''t have a conscience and so I can''t bring myself to care."


    "I don''t believe that. I think that''s what YOU want to believe, but you know you are wrong.''


    "I need to ask you a question. Is the thought of a life with me that so repulsive to you?"


    "I have a life; you are forcefully taking me away from that."


    Chapter Sixty Two


    425 BCAKS


    "You were all alone back there; he wouldn''t understand, but I know how you felt. Why would you want to go back?"


    "Because despite everything. I still love him, and I have a child."


    "You will never escape this ce; I won''t let you, but we could bothe to an agreement. I would give you time to get used to this; in this period I won''t... touch you without your consent, I won''t hurt you as I did earlier, and I won''t lock you up in your room; you will be free,"


    "What exactly do I have to get used to?"


    "The fact that you are mine, I would protect you, love you unconditionally, and fight for you till my veryst breath, but all you have to do is stay with me and put in an effort."


    "If I do this, promise me you will stop killing people; promise me that you will try to be a better person... for me."


    "I will, I promise," he says, and for a moment, I could finally see through those eyes; he was finally letting me in.


    "Your father didn''t want to disappoint you." He began "He had been so furious at me for what I did to you, and as punishment, he casted a spell on me; this spell prevents me from walking under the sun, and he also took away my ability to shapeshift." "How do you feel without those... abilities?" I questioned.


    "Iplete. But I deserve it, and I really don''t care what happened to me; it all led me to this moment.


    I looked away from his intense stare.


    "I couldn''t find my clothes."


    "I''ll get you a new one by tomorrow. You should sleep now."


    "Join me." I say, inviting him to the bed, and he did just that. I cuddled against him, well aware that I was naked.


    I only hope he could fall for my little act; how else would I be able to make it out of this ce?

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    aucet Blkry Three


    I didn''t sleep all night. Finally, when It was dawn, I rose from the bed and headed into the bathroom, rummaging through the closets for my clothes. They weren''t here; I only found a robe, and so I put it on quickly before returning back into the room. "Riley. What are you doing? Come back to bed, you need some more rest." Daemon muttered.


    "I''m sorry." I said, and with that I threw the blinds open. He should have never told me about his newfound weakness. The sun burnt his skin, I didn''t wait to watch him die.


    I raced down the stairs and out of the main entrance door, and I froze.


    The house was practically in the middle of nowhere; snow covered the ground. Where exactly was this ce?


    The drugs he had used on me prevented me from using my wings, and so I ran on my feet; the wild wind blew through my hair, causing my eyes to water, but I couldn''t stop running. After a few hours, I slowed down, I couldn''t run anymore; My breaths were shallow and foggy, visible in the cold air. With each passing hour I lost hope; I couldn''t see any buildings; was in the middle of nowhere.


    It was already night time.


    I didn''t put on shoes, and I could no longer feel my legs anymore, snow gathered on myshes, I was so ... cold.


    I fell to the ground.


    This was it.


    I was going to die in the middle of nowhere, my body would most likely be buried in the snow.


    The darkness evaded my visions, but not before I saw the figure looking down on me. "You silly girl." Daemon muttered before picking me up.


    I was warm once again, and I missed this. I opened my eyes to notice I had been ced close to the firece; that exined why I felt so warm.


    "You would have frozen to death. What the hell were you thinking?"


    He wasn''t dead, he had managed to escape death once again.


    "Where exactly is this ce?"


    "I told you, somewhere no one would ever find you, but you had to go running out into the cold in nothing but a bathrobe." he said, like I was the stupid one. I noticed the new set of sweaters and pants I was dressed in. "You dressed me?"


    "Yes, I did, because you were unconscious. Don''t work, I didn''t do anything more than just ''dressing YOUN


    Chapter Sixty Thres


    I was trapped; I was trapped in this house, right in the middle of nowhere. I felt the panic rising.


    "Are you alright?"


    I was breathing fast.


    "Riley!"


    "Let me out of here; I want to return back to my pack. can''t spend the rest of my life here."


    "Breathe, Riley, breathe."


    I took a deep breath, followed by another.


    "You''re supposed to be dead."


    "Did you really think I didn''t suspect you would do that? I was a bit prepared."


    "Then why did you tell me if you didn''t trust me?"


    "It was a test, one you failed woefully. Also, if I died, you would have too."


    rose to my feet, trying my legs; they were functioning now. "Death would have been better than this."


    My eyes settled on the te of soup, and at the side was a te filled with roasted beef. I wasn''t interested in the food; what I was more interested in was the knife on the tray. I walked towards the food and picked the knife up.


    "Is this some kind of a joke? You can''t harm me with that."


    "I know, but I can hurt myself." I lowered the knife to my wrist.


    "Don''t be stupid..." I applied enough pressure to draw blood. "You want me alive, don''t you?" I pressed the knife harder, resulting in more blood; his eyes darkened at the sight of blood, but he looked away, fighting the bloodlust. "I will be of no use dead; maybe I could just... end it all. It would be easier this way.


    Daemon''s next movement was a blur, and he had somehow managed to steal the knife from my hand.


    "First," he says, cing the knife back on the tray. "You won''t get an opportunity like this ever again, and secondly... our little deal, it''s off."

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    Chapter Sixty Four


    Chapter Sixty Four


    ISABELLA


    EARLIER...


    I knew about Logan Diminitri''s visit; I also knew about their n to find a cure.


    Thane didn''t like the control I had over him, I knew it woulde to this. I wondered what I would be to him when he had found the cure. I won''t be of any use to him if that happened, he would have no reason to let me stay at the pack.


    Was it selfish that I didn''t exactly want him to find a cure?


    I stared at him lying on the bed.


    It was still there, his feelings for me were still somewhere in there but he would never admit it because he loved her more.


    I was bing a different version of myself, and I didn''t like it one bit. Thane needed the cure; I knew and then this would only get worse if he didn''t find it, yet a part of me didn''t want him to find the cure, Riley-I had sent her away because I wanted to be alone with Thane; I wanted him to wake up to my presence; I wanted him to see that I would always be there for him. It was a selfish thing to do, and here I was, alone with him.


    Thane had been unconscious for a day now, and I was getting worried; a man named Regnux had visited twice to check up on him, and of course I had toe up with lies.


    ''The Alpha is feeling a bit down; he will not be able to see you now, but I will be sure to inform him about your visit.''


    I went into the bathroom to get a quick bath, but when I returned, I noticed Thane was awake.


    "Thane, you are awake!" I cried out in relief.


    "What happened?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.


    "It''s the curse. I can''t exin why you fell into unconsciousness, but you''ve been down for a whole day. Also a man named Regnux came looking for you. I had to lie to him; I''m sorry..." "Where is Riley?" he asked, cutting me off, and my smile disappeared.


    "Maybe she''s in her room... I don''t know."


    "I have to go see her."


    "No, you don''t; you just awoke from aa. You need to think of yourself first."


    He ignored me, putting on a shirt before heading for the door. I blocked his path. "Why does it always have to be her? I had been here for you throughout, and now she is the only person you want to see? She didn''t even care enough about you to stay, so please, go back to bed; you need rest."


    "Isabe, get out of my way." He says, I wasn''t going to be able to stop him. I moved aside, and he walked past me.


    Chapter Sixty Four


    I followed after him. He headed for Riley''s room. He knocked, but there was no response so he pushed the door open, and even from a mere nce, I knew she wasn''t here.


    He walked towards the guards, who straightened their pose the moment they saw him.


    "Where is the Luna?"


    "She is at the healer''s house."


    Thane seemed to know exactly who the guards spoke about; he headed to a room simr to Riley''s, and he knocked. Once again, there was no response; he kicked the door open, and we were met by the stench.


    A woman -clearly not Riley,y motionless on the floor, blood pooling around her lifeless body; she must have been dead for some time.


    Thane pushed her over to reveal her face and I saw the hole in her chest; her heart had been torn out of her own body and I spotted the organ a small distance away from her corpse.


    "Daisy." Thane muttered. This must be the pack healer the guards were referring to, and if she was dead, that meant Riley was in danger.


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    Chapter Sixty Five


    Chapter Sixty Five


    RILEY


    "Change of ns." Daemon said, a frown etched to his face. "You will pay a visit to your pack."


    "What?" I questioned, this must be some kind of a trick.


    "You heard me right. Maybe I underestimated Thane''s feelings for you; I''d rather not take the risk, so it''s time to end this off the right way."


    "End what?"


    "You will say yourst goodbyes to Thane, just so he will stop searching. He had involved Bruce, your father, in this, and now I have even more enemies, but it wouldn''t be so if you told him how much you love me and how you n to live the rest of your life with me." "You are going to force me into doing this too?" I asked.


    "Yes, I will."


    "I will do as you said, but leave the people I care about and every other person out of this."


    "Of course," he promised. "I''ll be back in an hour; I''ll leave you to prepare a very convincing speech," he said before leaving me alone. I stared at Daisy''s notebook. Could I be able to pass a secret message to Thane without Daemon finding out?


    The answer was ''no.''. He was smarter than I could ever think; he would always be one step ahead.


    Daemon returned, just as he said he would.


    "Ready?"


    I gave a nod; this time he didn''t force me to speak up. His arm circled around my lower back, and the mist engulfed us once more.


    Daemon brought us to the woods. I recognized this ce even at nighttime; I had run through these woods multiple times. We were back at the Nightshade pack.


    "What is the n?" I asked him.


    "We wait; this is the spot we agreed to meet."


    "Aren''t you worried? What if Thane brings backup?"


    "He won''t; he believes I will kill you if he makes any wrong move."


    I knew that too; I knew Thane would never risk my life for any reason, he would rather die.


    "He should be here anytime soon. I would give you both some privacy, but I will be listening."


    Thane seems to appear from the shadows. My heart raced in my chest, and I had to take in a deep breath to calm it.


    Chapter Sixty Five


    "Riley, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" The genuine concern in his eyes caused my heart to ache.


    "No. He didn''t." I lied.


    "I will free you, and then I will kill him."


    "And what made you think I would want that?" I asked, keeping my face emotionless. Thane stared at me, as if trying to make sure I was in my right senses. What makes you think I would want to return back to you?" "Riley, is he threatening you?"


    "I want you to stop, stop trying to save me because I am sick of it. You are just so selfish and self-centered; you will never understand how hurt I feel anytime I see you with her. You just don''t care, and I have to live with that. I hated it, and maybe you both were always meant to be; maybe it was fate that brought her back to you."


    "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "Don''t act clueless; you know what I am talking about. I bet you''ve fucked her already."


    "You know I wouldn''t."


    "Just stop with all the pretense; I hate it. No one understands me the way Daemon does. He would do anything to make sure I am happy; he adores me, but you-you believe I would always be there, sticking around even after you mess up. You believed I''ll always be there to forgive you. Well not anymore."


    "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Riley. I would do anything to be with you, and you know that."


    "No, I don''t. Move on with her, because I had already done that with Daemon." I moved closer to him. "I want you to know that I forgive you... for every hurt you made me suffer."


    I hugged him onest time a final goodbye, and he hugged me back.


    It took everything in me to pull away; it took even more effort to walk away. Each step felt heavier than the next, but it was done; I had sealed my own fate. Chapter Sixty Six

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    Chapter Sixty Six THANE


    Maybe it had been because this had happened once before, or maybe because despite her words, I still saw through her.


    She didn''t mean any of it; she must have been forced, wondered what Daemon could have over her.


    Riley would never move on without Ethan.


    I slipped my hands into my pocket, and I noticed a piece of paper. I was sure it hadn''t been there a while ago. I pulled it out.


    Riley must have slipped it into my pocket, maybe at the time she hugged me. I couldn''t help but smirk; that was a smart move. On the paper were written three words that seemed to be scrambled in a haste. ''Use the pendant.''


    "Thank you foring." Bruce said, letting me in.


    The building was a perfect hideout; the outside made it seem like this was an abandoned space, but inside waspletely... different.


    "Did you bring the pendant along?" he asked, and I nodded, tossing the emerald pendant to him; he caught it.


    I spotted a mid aged woman, she stood by his side with a smile that looked too fake on her face. "This is Tracy; she would be our host." "Host?"


    "Yes, Jade would need a body to return to when she is free.


    "And she agreed to this?" I asked, referring to Tracy.


    "Not exactly," he said.


    Tracy walked by his side as he led me deeper into the building; the woman seemed to have been hypnotized. I could easily tell that; there was no light in her eyes, and the smile remained on her face all through the short tour. "Tracy, you know what to do. When you go into Hades, you will find Jade. She needs your body, and you will offer it to her."


    Tracy nodded.


    Bruce took out a dagger; using it to split her palm, he let her blood drop on the pendant, and the emerald color turned ck; so did her eyes.


    She let out a loud scream, but suddenly she fell silent.


    I''ve heard about the ce called ''hades'' before I only thought just like the rest, they were myths. Hades


    Chapter Sixty Six


    is a ce where souls are... trapped. Captives are condemned to a fate far more terrifying than the darkest depths of any imagination.


    "She would remain in Hades till her body is returned to her, but trust me, Tracy isn''t worth your pity; she had spilled more blood than anyone I had ever met my whole life."


    "I don''t pity her."


    "Daemon''s escape was my mistake, and I am going to fix it. It will take some time for Tracy to find Jade and make the trade."


    "We don''t have time; perhaps you tell me where exactly Daemon keeps Riley, and I would go end him myself."


    "Believe me, I want to know even more than you, just so I could end him, but I don''t."


    "Don''t you have some kind of spell to find him?"


    "The spell requires that I go with you, but I can''t. I have exhausted all my chances."


    "What does that mean?"


    "I am not here by choice; let''s say I pissed off someone really powerful, and I''ve been ced under something simr to a ''lifetime house arrest.'' I was only able to find a loophole, but the more I use it, the more dangerous it bes." "That''s why you couldn''t be there for Riley and her mother, isn''t it? It wasn''t because you abandoned them, but because you couldn''t leave this ce."


    "Well, you did connect the dots faster than I thought you would."


    "Why didn''t you just tell her that?"


    "I...couldn''t. Maybe it''s better they hate me; only then would they be able to move on with their lives, and they don''t really need me anymore, so it''s better this way."


    "You paid Kate a visit; I wonder if that is part of the n of allowing them to move on."."


    "How did..."


    "How did I find out? Riley told me she was pretty pissed."


    "I took away Kate''s memory; she wasn''t supposed to recognize me." He said, but I could see the hope in his eyes.


    "She didn''t. She just thought you looked very familiar."


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    X

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    Chapter Sixty Seven


    RILEY


    "Was the hug really necessary?" Daemon asked.


    "You said I should make it convincing, and I did."


    "All those things you said back there... did you mean them?" he asked.


    "You mean when I said you make me happy? No, not really."


    "You know, you could have lied and said, ''Yes''."


    "Did I hurt your feelings? Good, because that serves you right."


    Daemon''s gaze drifted past me to the notebook on the table. "Did you touch the book?" he asked me, and I rolled my eyes at him. "Of course not." I lied.


    But he walked past me and picked the book up. He scrolled through the pages and paused.


    "This book is missing a page, Riley."


    "What do you mean?"


    ""Where is it?"


    "I''m not in the mood for this..."


    My words were cut off when Daemon mmed me hard against the wall; my head collided against the wall, and for a moment I felt dizzy. "You little bitch, I did everything for you, and yet, this is how you repay me?"


    "I don''t understand what you are talking about!" I cried out.


    "Don''t y the fool; you passed him a message, didn''t you?"


    "No, I swear, I didn''t."


    "You bloody liar!"


    He pped me hard. I spit out blood.


    "I did as you asked; I didn''t send him a message.


    "You are just like the rest of them, ungrateful beings. I was going to take care of you; I never wanted to hurt you, but you took it all for granted, and now I''ll make you regret that."


    He gripped onto my hair and tilted my neck before his fangs dug into my skin. Pain radiated through my whole body as he ripped off flesh. I cried out, shoving him away and sprinting for the door; he caught up to me, picking me up like I weighed nothing and tossing me against the table; it shattered.


    I tried escaping him once again, but I just had to trip on my own foot, and I fell to the ground. He held


    Chapter Sixty Sever¨ª


    me by the leg, drawing me back into the room; My fingers scraped the floor, desperately searching for something to hold on to, but I came up empty. Once in the room he tossed me to bed. I was losing blood, but he didn''t seem to care. "Please..." I choked out.


    "I never wanted you to see this part of me, but you always had to do the wrong thing, every fucking time.


    "1


    "I''m sorry, I won''t..."


    "You won''t what? You won''t do it again? It''s toote for that, Riley. You didn''t keep to your bargain; don''t expect me to keep to mine."


    "Give me another chance, please; I won''t fail you."


    "You won''t be getting that, Riley."


    Daemon stitched up my wound; he hadn''t uttered a single word to me since the incident.


    I had been a fool; I should have known he would find out about my little message; all I hoped was that Thane discovered it and was working on something. "Just kill me." I muttered.


    "I won''t make it that simple, love," he promised.


    That night we slept on the same bed. I stayed on the very edge, tears rolling down my eyes. He was a monster; I hated him, and even in death, I would continue to hate him. "You should sleep," he muttered, already sensing I wasn''t sleeping. I gave him no response, still refusing to sleep.


    The next day, he brought me a ss of human blood; I had refused to take it.


    "Don''t make me force you," he warned, and I took the ss, gulping it down. My wounds easily healed up, and he nodded-in satisfaction.


    Just then there was a sound, it came from the living area; we both grew silent. Someone was here.


    "Help me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, but he wrapped his hands around my mouth, muffling


    1. go. my cry. I bit into his hands, but he wouldn''t let


    The door to our room was pulled open, and a woman I had never seen before walked in. Daemon finally let me go, his attention now on the woman. "Jade," he gasped.


    This woman looked nothing like the sorceress, but there was something familiar in her eyes.


    "It''s nice to see you too, my favorite demon."

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    Chapter Sixty Eight- Chapter Sixty Eight


    ISABELLA''S POV


    I was worried about Riley; since she was gone, Thane refused to allow himself even a few minutes of sleep. He med himself for everything-but it wasnt his fault; it was mine.


    I paced round the room, waiting for any update about Riley''s whereabouts; just then, Thane walked in.


    "Thane! Is she alright?" I asked him.


    "She is alive," he responded.


    "What happened to her? Where is she?"


    "I think we need to talk," Thane says.


    "I know, I''m sorry about earlier; I had no clue she was in danger; I shouldn''t have tried to stop you from going to her."


    "It''s not about that, Be," he said, and I couldn''t help but notice how he wouldn''t even look at me.


    Then what do you want us to talk about?"


    "I want you out of this pack."


    For a moment I doubted if I heard the right words, but there it was, what he wanted to talk about.


    "What... why? I am sorry if I did anything wrong. I just... I don''t have anywhere to go."


    "You can''t stay here anymore."


    "No, you need me; I can help you-I know about the cure; we can find it together."


    "There is no ''we.'' There never was."


    I walked closer to him, gripping onto his arms. "I am the very same Be you loved, Thane; please don''t do this to me, I beg you."


    He pulled away from my grip.


    "I, Alpha Thane ckwood, reject you, Be, as my fated mate."


    "No!" I cried out; I couldn''t believe this was happening. He couldn''t do this to me; I loved him; I was willing to give my life to him. "I love you, Thane. Please, I''m sorry... just don''t do this to me."


    "I should have done this a long time ago; I should have made my decision the moment I realized who you were, and you know it was always going to be her.


    "But I am your mate!"


    "No, Riley is my mate."


    "You loved me; I refuse to believe that all you felt form had all disappeared."


    11


    "No, it didn''t. But so many years have gone by, and it can''t be as it was a decade ago. I have moved on,


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    and it''s time you do too; ept my rejection, Be."


    "I will not. I refuse to let you go; I refuse to lose faith in us."


    "I am setting you free."


    "I don''t want to be free; I want to be with you."


    "I can''t be with you..."


    11


    "I can stay away, as far away as you want; you don''t have to send me out of the pack."


    "That didn''t work. I am not leaving you with an option, Be; all you need to do is ept the rejection, and you will be free to live your life and fall in love with someone else."


    "My life, it''s not worth living without you. I reject your rejection."


    "You don''t have to make this difficult; you know that, right?"


    "It is difficult; the man I am willing to dedicate my life to doesn''t want me. It''s fine, Thane; I''ll leave, just as you said, and I will never show my face back here ever again, but I will not ept your rejection."


    He passed me a piece of paper. A cheque.


    "I don''t need your money; I don''t need anything from you", and with that I walked out of the room.


    My heart clenched in my chest.


    When I met Thane all those years ago, I finally wanted to live; I didn''t want to die because I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. I thought of the both of us having children, building a family, but maybe that was never meant to be. I wished I had never been awoken; I wished I had remained dead.


    Tears streamed down my face as I ran into the woods, pushing deeper into the dense forest. I didn''t care if I got lost. I came to a stop before a stream. I watched as the water flowed, uninterrupted. It was beautiful.


    I walked towards it and then I jumped in.


    I was drowning, but I didn''t try to save myself; it took only a short while, and the darkness took over. I was finally free.


    Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around me, hauling me above the water''s surface.


    It wasn''t Thane.


    It was Logan Dimintri. Thane''s half brother.

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    Chapter Sixty Nine


    RILEY POV


    "Hello, Riley." The woman said, "Don''t mind my newly acquired body.


    Thane did get your message and managed to free me from Hades."


    Daemon turned to me; I had never seen such hate in his eyes before and this time it was directed at me.


    "Where is Thane?" I asked Jade.


    "He should be here in a few minutes, assuming Bruce got the shifting spell right."


    "How did you find me?" Daemon asked her.


    "It was easy; we are linked in a way.


    In a sh, Daemon appeared right before me, gripping me tightly as the ck mist swirled around us. He was escaping, and he was taking me with him, I had no right to fight him.


    But something was wrong; I could see it on Daemon''s face. He finally let go of me.


    It didn''t work. We were both still in his room.


    Daemon let out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his ear; blood dripped down his nose. Jade seemed to be doing something to him; her eyes glowed, and her hands were outstretched. She didn''t stop till the footsteps drew both our attentions. Thane walked in, and the moment he spotted me, I could see the pure relief in his eyes; I ran into his arms, and he picked me up.


    "I''m so sorry, Riley..."


    "Those things I said, I didn''t mean them."


    "I know, but you deserve an apology for everything. Isabe is gone; it would always be you and nobody else."


    "But you need her..."


    "No, I don''t; we would find another way," he assured me. "It''s time to go home."


    I nodded, tears spilling down my eyes, but this time, it was tears of joy.


    "Riley," the voice called from behind us. It was Daemon. "Please don''t leave me with her; I will be better, I promise you, but you can''t leave me with her."


    "You deserve everything that is going to happen to you and worse." I spat the words at him.


    "I never meant to hurt you; I loved you, but we can both start again; just give me a chance, please. "I really hope you die and burn in hell."


    Thane led me out of the room; I tuned out Daemon''s pleas.


    11


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    "How do we get back?"


    "With this." Thane said, revealing the pendant in his hands, the color had changed from emerald to pure ck. "Bruce casted a spell on it; it won''tst long." The object glowed in his hands and a gust of wind blew through the whole house, then there was pure


    darkness.


    I awoke in a strange bed.


    "Thane!" I called panicked; could everything have been a dream?


    "I''m here, Riley." He said with a smile that told me he knew just what had been on my mind.


    ""Where are we?"


    "At Bruce''s ce. How are you feeling?


    "Better, now I''m with you.


    "What did Daemon do to you?"


    How do I tell him? How do I tell him what Daemon did to me?


    Thane read it all even without me saying the words, of course he tried hiding his anger.


    "You are back, and that is all that matters to me." He says, but for some reason, I knew he wouldn''t let this that so easily.


    go


    He leaned in and kissed me; I kissed him back. I had missed him so much.


    I never thought he would be able to send Isabe away she was his fated mate, his first love, and yet, he did that... for me.


    The knock on the door interrupted us. It was Bruce.


    Maybe I was wrong; maybe Bruce wasn''t all bad after all.


    "Riley... we need to talk." Bruce said to me. "I''ve not been exactly truthful with you, and it''s time you knew theplete truth; you deserve to know the truth about why I abandoned you and your mother." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Seventy


    Chapter Seventy


    "I once told you the difference between a sorcerer and a warlock: a sorcerer is born into magic while warlocks have to earn theirs.


    Our magices from a... dark source. All my life, I hungered for power. I believed I wasn''t born to live an ordinary life and I wouldn''t settle for less. I studied every supernatural creature, and that''s how I knew about Vox." "Who is Vox?" I asked Bruce.


    "He is the Demon Overlord, a powerful entity, and he saw me as useful. I went on missions for him- while I wasn''t skilled in the physical aspect, my knowledge and resourcefulness made up for it. I wanted to be his favorite, but with Vox, things don''t work that way. You are only important to him when you are of use.


    I was able toplete all my tasks; I did really bad things, none of which I am proud of, and finally I was rewarded; he made me a warlock. Just as I had wanted.


    Still, I wanted more, and my greed got in the way.


    A warlock''s magic never does die. If a warlock kills another, he gets a portion of their strength, so the more you kill, the more powerful you be. Of course, when I discovered that, I shifted my target. I began hunting for other warlocks; they are the hardest to kill, but I had my ways. I killed ten of Vox''s creatures, and I buried their bodies beneath this very building. With each warlock I killed, I got stronger, and finally I believed I was ready to take him down too


    If I killed him, I would be the next Demon Overlord, and so I began plotting. I was simply careless; I let the wrong people into my circle, and they ratted me out. Vox discovered everything I had been up to, and so he hunted me. I was able to stay hidden for some time due to the protection spell I ced on myself.


    RK 00 00 00 000 000 00


    That had been around the time I met your mother.


    The thing about a warlock''s power is that the more it''s getting used, the weaker it bes. My protection spell wore out, and your mother, Kate and our unborn child were in danger. I had to let her go. It was the hardest decision I had ever made. I didn''t n to abandon her; the n was to return to her when things were safer.


    I had gone after yet another warlock; I needed to be stronger if I was going to face Vox, but it turned out to be a trap, and the Demon Overlord was waiting. He didn''t kill me as I thought he would, but instead he sentenced me; I would forever be caged in this building, just like the warlocks I had ended and buried


    beneath it.


    For decades I had tried everything to escape this ce but I couldn''t, and that''s why I wasn''t there for you and Kate."


    "Where is Vox now?" I questioned.


    "He is in hibernation or something simr to that."


    "Doesn''t that mean you are free?"


    Chapter Seventy


    +25


    "No, it doesn''t. I had only managed to leave this godforsaken ce a dozen times, and that had been because I was consuming demon blood."


    "That had been what you needed Daemon for, wasn''t?"


    "Yes. Earlier, the sorceress, Jade, had made me an offer; she was going to supply me pure demon blood, and in exchange I would help her on her quest. I never nned to help, but I epted the blood; it only took some time before she realized I was never going to keep to my part of the n, and so..."


    "She stopped supplying that."


    "Yes. Somehow Daemon discovered me, and so he offered me a constant supply if only I could help him lock Jade away. But the more I took the demon blood, the weaker I became; it had almost killed me thest time. There is no way out for me, except Vox freed me.", "You said something about Jade asking you to join her on her quest. What had that been about?" I asked. "Jade wants to revive Vox, the demon overlord."


    "And why would she want to do that?" It had been Thane who asked this time.


    "Vox had captured her lover; he believes she only can awaken him when the timees, so only then would he let her partner go."


    "But she can''t, can she?" I asked.


    "No. She had been trying, but it''s not working; it''s like something is wrong. She wouldn''t give up though; she would keep trying till it worked, and Vox knew that.


    "If he is a powerful overlord, then can''t he just wake himself? Why does he need her to do that?"


    "It doesn''t work that way, Riley. He might be powerful and all, but when he goes into hibernation, he can''t just wake up; he needs someone to revive him." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Seventy One


    Chapter Seventy One DEMON


    Jade had brought me back to her little hermitage. I''ve been here before; the small rustic building in the middle of the wood was the closest she had to a home.


    I was bound to a chair-not that I could escape if I tried, and she knew that.


    "Daemon. She gave you the name, didn''t she?" Jade questioned; I didn''t give her a response; I knew exactly what she was getting at. "What was really going through your mind when you had me locked up? Did you think she would leave everything behind and fall in love with you, and you both would have a family?"


    "Stop talking about her."


    "You still care? Even after everything." She said and chuckled.


    "No, I don''t. It took me time to understand that they are all the same, but now I do, and if I want to meet her again, it will be to end her."


    "So you are finally back to your senses; d to hear that."


    "What do you want with me?"


    "The very same thing I''ve always wanted. I need you to free Vox."


    I had suspected this, but it never made sense why a sorceress would want to awaken the Demon


    Overlord.


    "You are just as stupid, Jade. He is dangerous; if he awakens, who knows what chaos he would unleash."


    "I don''t really care; all I want is for Ralph to be free."


    I smirked. Now it all made sense. "You love Ralph, and Vox took him captive, didn''t he?"


    "Yes. I have to do this if I am going to see him ever again.''


    "He might be dead for all we know?" I said, knowing just how to push her buttons.


    but it


    Jade''s eyes glowed, and a screeching sound filled my head. I ced my hands around my ears, didn''t stop. The high-pitched sound sliced through the air like splintered ss; blood trickled down my


    ears.


    "He. Is. Not. Dead." She sneered. Her eyes returned to their usual color, and the disturbing noise ceased.


    "How do you know that?" I asked. "How do you know he hadn''t already killed Ralph? Everyone knows how a deal with the overlord always turns out- and that would mean everything you did was all in vain."


    "He had no reason to kill Ralph. He is still alive, and Vox will free him when he has been awoken."


    She lit up a candle and ced it in the middle of the room. She drew an arc around the candle with a strange white powder.


    Chapter Seventy One


    I knew what she was doing. She was attempting the ritual, again. I dreaded what was toe. She brought forth a pot filled with coal; she set that on fire with a flick of her fingers.


    Next, she took out what I assume was Vox''s body; it was wrapped in a white cloth, but I could see parts of his body; his head held only a few strands of grey hair his lips cracked and dry, his eyes had sunken into his skull, and his skin waspletely white. "Now all we need is a drop of your tears," she said with a smile. I struggled against the chain, but it was no use, every damned thing was spelled.


    "Don''t..."


    With a wave of her hand, I was silenced. She couldn''t bear the sound of my pleas. My lips moved, forming words, but no sound escaped.


    "I have to do this." She says that was the very same exnation she gave every single time. She shut her eyes and muttered incantations.


    It felt like my insides were set on fire; I let out a silent cry; the agony seemed worse every session maybe I could just never get used to the pain. Three hours.


    or


    That''s how long it took before a single tear rolled down my eyes. She was ready with the pot of burning coal to collect the tear; a hiss-like noise erupted when the tear made contact with the coal, and finally her magic wore off and the pain seized. She had gotten what she wanted, but this wasn''t the end; she would do this over and over again till it worked.

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    Chapter Seventy Two


    Jade ced the pot filled with burning coal beside the candle. She knelt in the middle of the circle. "Expergiscere, dominus inferorum," she chanted over and again. Those were Latin words. Suddenly, the white, powdery substance ignited in a burst of me, surrounding her with green fire.


    "It''s working," she gasped. She rose to her feet, chanting the Latin words louder; a gust of wind blew through the room, and I watched curiously, but then everything stopped. The lights went off and the wind ceased. There wasplete silence.


    "I... I did everything right; why wouldn''t it work!" She screamed, kicking over the pot of coal.


    I was used to this outburst; she was always like this anytime it didn''t work, but I had to admit, this seemed to have gone to a different level unlike her other trials.


    "What am I doing wrong? Why wouldn''t this stupid spell work?"


    She pushed over the bottle of potions, and it shattered spilling on the floor. She ran her hands through her hair; it seemed like she wanted to pull it out. Then she turned to me.


    "Maybe you aren''t doing it right. You are holding back why?"


    I wasn''t, but I couldn''t tell her that; her spell hindered me from speaking.


    "Say something!" She said, pping me hard. I could understand that she needed to let out her frustration, and she needed someone to let it out on.


    She backed away before crumbling to the ground; she broke down in sobs.


    I reached out to her, slowly patting her hair, and for a moment she enjoyed that; she neededfort, and she didn''t mind who she was receiving that from. Finally her breaths slowed; she shrugged my hands off her.


    She released her spell, and I could speak again.


    "It''s fine. It''s going to be alright; we will just try it again, maybe tomorrow... I''ll find a way...


    "Jade." I called, but she wasn''t listening. "Jade!"


    "What!"


    "Behind you.


    Slowly she turned.


    Vox was alive. Hispletely ck eyes trailed between Jade and me.


    The sorceress fell on her knees, her head bowed in reverence to Vox the Demon Overlord.


    I could sense his power, so strong I didn''t dare look him in the eye.


    Chapter Seventy Two


    He tore off the white material that had been used to cover his body.


    ''I did as you asked; I brought you back to life."


    "You will meet him, Ralph." Vox said.


    +28 BONUS


    "Thank you." She said, but she didn''t get it; she didn'' understand what was happening even as Vox materialized before her and tore into her neck, drinking of her blood. She didn''t understand that Vox meant she would meet her lover in the otherworld. Jade was one of the most powerful sorceresses alive, but to Vox she was... nothing.


    I watched as he transformed from a lifeless corpse to a creature to be reckoned with. White mass of hair reced the few grey strands that had been there a while ago; his skin remained pale, but now it had a glow to it. He stood tall and imposing, his presencemanding.


    I waited for my death; even as he got closer. The chains Jade had spelled and used to bind me melted away just by his touch.


    He freed me.


    That action took me by surprise.


    "I should kill you." He said, "But you are different from the rest of my creatures, and I''m... intrigued. You will join me on my mission, and in the end, I will reward you with whatsoever you desire."


    "I only desire one thing. The death of the Luna Queen''


    "Many would have requested for other things: power, wealth."


    "I have no need for those things, Overlord."


    "I will grant it to you as you wish," he said, offering me a hand, which I epted. He lifted me to my feet. "And so much more." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Seventy Three


    I wondered why Bruce had kept the truth to himself all these years. Now it did make sense why he left us and just maybe, he deserved my forgiveness.


    My mother never did know anything about the man she fell in love with; she didn''t know he was a warlock several years older than he looked. She knew nothing, and he shouldn''t have left her in the dark, but still I could understand why he did that; maybe he believed he was protecting her.


    The members of the Nightshade pack paid their respect to Daisy. Many wept over her death; of course, they didn''t know the truth about her betrayal. Thane, on the other hand, didn''t like this idea; he didn''t think she deserved to be buried with honor after what she did. "You don''t have to watch all these." Thane said to me, he believed me being here at Daisy''s burial was just an act, a simple cover up.


    "You know, I don''t me her for anything she did; she was not in her right senses. Daemon messed with her, just as he always does, and so it''s him I me.


    "Daemon is gone now; I don''t think Jade would be letting him go anytime soon."


    "Not until Vox is awoken."


    00


    "She has been trying for decades; The chances that it would work in our lifetime are very... slim.


    "Thane, I know you want Daemon to die by your hands; I know you never did n on letting Jade handle him."


    "You seem to know me more than I know myself," he said with a smirk, but that confirmed my theory. I knew Thane would never let Daemon go for what he did to me, but I needed him to understand that he was all I had, and I couldn''t have him running back into danger. "Please don''t go against him."


    "I won''t," he said, but of course he had only said that so I would let go of the topic, not because he had changed his mind.


    "lose"


    "I only got you back; I am not going to Daemon; I had lost a lot to him already."


    "It''s in my nature; I am a possessive creature, and he hurt what belongs to me. I cannot let him


    go."


    I held onto Thane''s hands. "Then do it for me."


    I could see the internal conflict in his eyes; he wasn''t used to letting things go; he was an Alpha; it was a part of his nature just as he had said. Finally, he nodded.


    "I won''t go after him, but if I ever cross paths with him, I will kill him."


    "Fine by me."


    One of the packmanders stood before the crowd, giving a speech; he seemed to have been a distant rtive to Daisy.


    "Daisy had been an active member of this pack, and everyone can attest to that. She always put her duty


    Chapter Seventy Three


    +25 BORUS


    first, even before her own desires and wants; she was always there to tend to us, always avable to help. Though she is dead, she lives on in our hearts and mils." He finished with the repetitive line. Apuse erupted from the crowd of listeners.


    I couldn''t help but agree with themander; Daisy ced her job first, always. Everything changed when Daemon came into her life and ruined her.


    Thane led me back into our room. He took off his coat and helped me with mine. He kissed me and it all got heated really fast, his hands fisted into my hair. I knew what was about to happen, and I was... scared. He paused, sensing my fear.


    ""What is wrong?"


    "Nothing." I say, trying to kiss him back, but he pulls away.


    "It''s Daemon, isn''t it? That''s why you are afraid of having sex; he hurt you, didn''t he?"


    Thane was literally shaking in anger; I bet he was regretting the promise he made to me or at least trying to think of a way out of it.


    "No, it is not." I lied.


    "And you don''t think I can tell you are lying?"

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    ww


    Chapter Seventy Four


    "I feel so guilty... I didn''t want any of it, but still it happened, and I can''t help but think that I don''t deserve you. I feel tainted..."


    "Don''t say


    that. He forced you; that was not your fault so don''t you me yourself for anything. Maybe I do know a way to make you feel better and we will do this together. We are going to rece those memories of him with new ones. I will make you forget about him; you don''t have to be afraid."


    Thane kept to his promise; when he was done making love to me, he was all I could feel down there, all I could think about.


    Hey beside me. It was already night time but we were both very much awake.


    "What is your biggest fear?" I asked him, in the mood for a conversation after being away from him for so long.


    "Can you guess?"


    "Easy, the Lycan''s Curse."


    "That is one. When you were away with Daemon, I was afraid; I had an idea of what he would do, and I felt so restless, but my biggest fear is losing you.''


    "I will always be here; I am not going anywhere anytime soon.''


    "I want that, Riley.


    When I was little, de had taught me to fear nothing you know why? He believes what you fear the most always ends up happening, and so if you fear nothing, you will be unstoppable."


    "He is wrong."


    "No, he is not. Somehow I always manage to let you slip out of my grasp, and you end up hurt. How do I protect this pack and the whole werewolvesmunity when I can''t even keep my own mate from danger?


    "You''ve saved me more times than I can count, and I would forever be grateful for that, but not all dangers are avoidable, so you can''t keep ming yourself for everything."


    "You look tired; you should go to sleep."


    "You need to sleep too." I said to him, but he shook his head. "I''d rather stay awake." He said and I knew why he chose that; he didn''t want to lose control as he had before. With Isabe gone now, he could be a threat, but I would never see him as that. "Thane. If anything happens to me due to the... curse, I don''t want you to me yourself; I want you to know that you have my forgiveness..."


    "Nothing will happen; I won''t let it."


    "But..."


    Chapter Seventy Four


    "No buts. I would never be able to live with it. I know you will forgive me, but that wouldn''t make it easier. I will not forgive myself."


    I nodded; I was not going to push it, so I let it go.


    any


    THANE


    "You keep jumping from one bad decision to another. de said to me.


    "I''m in no mood to hear anything from you." I responded, looking through the paperwork. There are many approvals I should have given by now, but they''re still pending. Thest thing I needed was his fruitless little lectures.


    "You should never have sent your mate away; you keep making wrong decisions, and all I can do is stand and watch."


    I smirked at him. "That is literally all you can do."


    "Listen to me, Riley has be a liability; she only brings threats to this pack and to you. Letting her go would have been the best decision. Think of it this way if you let her go, she won''t be used against you by your many enemies."


    "I tried that once." I said, remembering when I did let Riley go, thinking that was the best decision, that had ended up an absolute disaster because I realized I couldn''t live without her, and then Nick was invited into the picture. That was a mistake I would never, ever make. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Seventy Five


    Chapter Seventy Five


    Regnux walked into my office, escorted by one of my soldiers.


    "Alpha, the woman named Isabe is back here, she says she has very important information for you."


    "I believe I made myself clear earlier. Do not let her in


    "There''s someone else with her. The man''s name is Logan, and he''s been here before."


    Since Logan''sst visit, I hadn''t heard anything from him; he might be my half brother, but that didn''t mean I trusted him.


    "Let the man in, alone" I said to the soldier. "Regnux, go get the Luna."


    This time I wanted Riley present; I wanted her to know she would always be a part of my decisions.


    Riley walked in; she was in a tight pink dress, looking all innocent. For a moment, I wondered how long it would take Logan to get here; the thought of throwing her against the table and iming her once again clouded my mind.


    "Thane?" she called, and I snapped out of it.


    "Logan is here. I''m inviting him in, and I want you by my side."


    I didn''t mention Isabe, things were getting better between Riley and me, I wasn''t going to do a thing to spoil that. Still a part of me felt guilty for how I had thrown Be out of the pack, because I still cared, if only she had epted the rejection and moved on, it would have been so much easier, but of course she refused that. I hadn''t even bothered to know how she managed to leave the pack, I had simply forgotten about her.


    Logan walked in a few minutester.


    "Well, isn''t it nice to meet my very own little brother?


    "I did warn you before; I don''t appreciate the term."


    The alpha wolf in me didn''t appreciate being called that even one bit, especially not in front of my mate.


    "I have good news for you: while you were trying to save your damsel in distress, I was off trying to trace down the cure, and we have a lead."


    "You do?" Riley asked, and Logan nodded with a smile. I noticed his eyes trailing down her dress and stopping at her nipple; the material wasn''t doing a good job hiding that. One nce at him and he looked away. I didn''t mind turning this meeting into an all-out war. "Where is it?" Riley asked.


    "Up the Everveil mountains."


    "When you say ''we,'' who are you referring to?"


    "Isabe, in fact, she is outside the pack boundaries because my brother here wouldn''t let her in. Even if you both refuse to see it, she is of use, now more than ever."


    Chapter Seventy Five


    "Then let her in, Thane." Riley said.


    ""We would find another way to the cure."


    "And what if we don''t? She is the best chance we have and all we have to do is hear what she has to say. I trust you, Thane."


    "You both make me feel so jealous." Logan said, rolling his eyes at us. Too bad he killed his mate.


    Here we go again, letting Isabe back in here; something told me that this wasn''t a smart idea.


    The first thing I noticed when I saw Isabe was how frail she looked; it brought me back to those years ago when she had been dying right before my eyes, but I couldn''t see it; now I did. "Be... you look different. Are you alright?" Riley asked. I didn''t miss her emphasis on the word different".


    I wasn''t the only one who noticed the change.


    (


    "You don''t have to act like you care, Riley. I am here because I need this too; believe me, this is the veryst ce I want to be."


    Never once did Be nce my way; I guess she had finally gotten the clue. I only wished she didn''t have to go through all that to see it.

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    Chapter Seventy Six


    RILEY


    My day couldn''t get any stranger.


    I saw Logan for the first time, and he did look a lot like Thane. It was clear that they were rted; more to that, I could feel the power he emitted. Having two powerful people in the same room was never the best idea.


    I did notice Logan''s eyes roaming down my body and How enraged that made Thane; for a moment I thought he would lunge at him for staring. Any other day, I would have been irritated at that, but I couldn''t bring myself to care now. He had the cure, and that''s all we needed from hitm.


    I couldn''t deny that I was impressed by Thane''s action, the fact that he kept Isabe out of the pack gave me some level of satisfaction, I would always be first in his heart.


    Isabe came in, and I noticed how sickly she looked. She had always been tiny, but now she was all bones, her skin even paler than it had ever been.


    "I thought whatever sickness that had brought me to my ''first'' death was over. I was wrong. After Neft the pack, I began noticing the signs. Turns out my disease is not incurable, there is a way out, and it''s up in the Everveil mountains. Logan and I discovered a nt with magical properties; it''s kept hidden away, but we have no doubt we can find it.


    We believed this very nt can cure anything. It had been tried once before, many years ago and it worked. I believed this could also serve as a cure to the curse. I need you because I can''t go with Logan, he is... unstable, I will most likely get killed when he loses control but with you... I can still calm your wolf.


    "And what if it doesn''t work?"


    "I believe it will."


    "And how do I know I can trust you?"


    "I''m not stupid, I know I don''t stand a chance against you and also you don''t really have a choice."


    "I do. You need this as much as I do and I can choose not to go with you." Thane said with a shrug. Isabe frowned at that.


    "Thane, please. Just go with her."


    "Listen to her." Isabe chirped in.


    "When do we leave?" Thane asked.


    "Tonight." She answered.


    *


    Tonight'' felt too soon.


    I had to remind myself that Thane would simply be going on a journey; he would be back in a few days.


    Chapter Seventy Six


    With him absent, Regnux and I would be taking charge.


    Still, watching him pack was the saddest thing.


    y


    "Riley, please don''t cry; I''ll be back as soon as possible" He promised, and I nodded, hugging him. He kissed my forehead and then my lips.


    Our eyes locked.


    "I have two minutes," he said with a smirk on his face


    "I wonder what we could do with such little time." I said, of course we were both thinking the very same thing.


    He pushed me up against the wall and I took off my shirt, I helped him with his, soon we were both naked. I was already wet and ready for him when he mmed into me, he kissed me and I bit into his lips, he let out a deep growl and just then there was a knock on the door.


    To my bliss, Thane ignored it. I rode him, wanting to hear him moan, he gripped onto my ass and with one powerful thrust, I came, taking him with me.


    He helped me get dressed, before he put on a pair of pants


    "Now I can go check on the door."


    It was Logan.


    "May Ie in?" he asked, but he didn''t wait for a response before walking in.


    A smirk stretched on his lips, "Nothing like goodbye sex."


    "Hmmm."


    My breaths still came outbored from our... session. My hair was a mess, but I wasn''t the only one with messy hair; Thane didn''t mind his; I couldn''t me him; it looked sexy on him. This man could make anything look sexy.


    X


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    Chapter Seventy Seven THANE


    I had flown by my private jet before; I rarely used it. I do believe technology has done more harm than good, and as werewolves we had less need for it. While the humans relied fully on the use of technology for almost... everything.


    Logan had left me with Isabe. She hadn''t uttered a single word to me but things were better that way, as long as she was able tomunicate the directions to Simon, my pilot, I was fine with the silence. The flight stretched on for a full day, and I didn''t enjoy a minute of it; I would prefer Bruce ''Shifting Spell'' anytime to this.


    "This is the onlynding space closest to the mountains." Simon informed us from the cockpit.


    "It will have to do." I responded.


    Finally, the jet lowered down on a natural clearing.


    It was snowing lightly but I didn''t need to worry about the cold; my body could maintain the heat.


    Isabe was the first to get out; it seemed like she had been counting the minutes and seconds till she could finally get out of the aircraft, and I didn''t me her; I felt the same.


    I got out next, instructing Simon to stay and wait; he nodded.


    I could travel in my wolf form, but it will take even more time, and I wanted to get back to Riley as soon as I could, just as I promised.


    "That." Isabe pointed, "It''s the Everveil Mountains. If we can get there before nighttime, then we can get back here and leave just as quickly."


    "How did you figure all this out?" I asked her, slightly impressed.


    "This little trip doesn''t make us friends or anything... I hate you, Thane, and I am here for my sake." She reminded me before walking forward.


    Come to think of it, I had never seen Be mad. All those years ago when we had been together, she never once got angry; maybe it was because she knew her death was near, and so she wasn''t willing to waste even a second on something so trivial. I couldn''t say the same about now.


    "We would get there faster if we ran."


    "Just in case you didn''t notice. I can''t exactly reach my wolf right now; I wouldn''t have asked for your help if I could transform."


    I took off my clothes.


    She immediately turned away, but I did catch her peeping.


    "I trust that if I go... out of control, you help me get back in line."


    She only gave a slight nod, and then I transformed. I paused, waiting for her to climb on. She walked closer, running her hands through my fur; my wolf liked it, but I was still in control. I took a step back,


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    giving her a warning stare. She snapped back to her old self-the very same one that was still mad at me for throwing her out of my pack and attempting to reject her.


    She picked up my clothes and climbed on, albeit a bit reluctantly. The moment she was seated, I took off for the mountains.


    I had doubts; if this was that easy to get, shouldn''t people have discovered it?


    It was toote to turn back now.


    We got to the top of the mountains by noon, I spotted strange pink lights in the distance; only when I got closer did I realize they weren''t just lights. They were flowers. the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. I couldn''t deny they did look magical. Isabe climbed off my back, and I switched back to my human form; she passed my clothes back to me, but her eyes remained on the flowers.


    "I can''t believe it. It''s really true-I didn''t know if we would find it, if it would still be here, but it is real. "She gasped in awe. "They are called the healer lilies, she said to me.


    "Take one and try; if it does heal, then we take a portion back." I said, and she red at me, obviously not liking the fact that I wasn''t gaping at some flowers just like she was. She walked towards the flowerbed, and she gently uprooted one. It glowed in her hands. "I don''t know how exactly this works."


    "So you managed to find a nt that cures every illness but didn''t bother to discover how it''s been used?

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    Chapter Seventy Eight


    Chapter Seventy Eight


    "The scrolls didn''t say anything about how it''s been used." Isabe said to me.


    I took the flower from her hand and tore it open; it immediately turned ck. Its inside stored a strange ckish liquid. I had this weird feeling like I had seen this before.


    "Maybe I''m supposed to drink this," she muttered. I gave a shrug. She took it back from my hand, and I watched her drink of its sap. This was even weirder than I thought it would be. "How do you feel?" I asked.


    She stared down her body like she hoped to see some kind of instant change. "Nothing. I feel the same."


    "That means it isn''t quite it. Let''s get going."


    "No, we didn''te all this way to leave with nothing


    "What do you suggest we do? Drink of all the flower''s sap till we find the ''chosen flower that cures?"


    "That is a smart n."


    "I meant it as a joke."


    Just then she coughed. She bent over and threw up dark blood. "Are you alright?" I asked; she shook her head.


    "I don''t know what is happening," she cried.


    But then her eyes glowed, and in a span of seconds, I watched her heal; her once bony structure seemed even more healthy, and her white lips gained color. "It''s working." I said. I had never seen a thing like it all my life.


    Tears streamed down her eyes, but this time, it was tears of joy. "I knew it; there was a cure..." she trailed off, simply short of words. "Try it," she encouraged.


    Plucking another flower and passing it to me. I tore it open; just as I did, the smell of the liquid was sharp. I proceeded to take a taste. The moment the ckish liquid touched my tongue, I knew why I always thought this looked familiar. Back with the elders, they had inserted tubes into my body, passing a strange liquid, one that looked very simr with this one, or maybe....


    They were the very same thing. I spat it out, but it was toote; some of the liquid had gotten in. The result was instant; my muscles felt limp, and I fell to the ground, clutching at my throat. I couldn''t breathe.


    I stared up at Be, who still had tears running down her eyes.


    "I''m sorry, Thane, I''m so sorry."


    It had been a trap, everything had been a trap. Logan was involved in this.


    My thoughts drifted back to Riley. I had promised her, and now... I failed.


    Chapter Seventy Eight


    The darkness took over; but her words rang through my head; ''Some dangers are just unavoidable.''


    Isabe had known what I wanted the most and had used it against me. A part of me trusted her because I didn''t think she would ever be capable of doing this. She still loved me; that''s what I thought, and I


    was wrong.


    RILEY


    I walked into the ward to see Ethan, just as always, but when I stopped at his incubator, I noticed the broken shards of ss. Ethan was missing.


    I panicked.


    "Ethan!" I called, even if I knew he wouldn''t be able to answer.


    A blur of movement caught my attention, and I turned the movements were fast, too fast for even me to catch, and finally the figure came to a stop some distance away from me. It was Daemon, and he had Ethan cradled in his arms, fast asleep. "Let him go, please. You can take me, but don''t hurt him."


    "I promised you didn''t I? I told you if you made any wrong moves, I would make you regret it."


    "I''m sorry..."


    "It''s toote, Riley, and this is only the beginning."


    With that he was gone with my child, and I couldn''t stop him.

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    Chapter Seventy Nine


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    I awoke with a start. It was already morning.


    Gods, it had only been a dream.


    The tears falling down my eyes were tears of relief.


    I wasn''t alone - I realized; slowly, Iturned to see the other person on the bed, it was Thane, and he was very much awake.


    "You seem to be having a nightmare," he said, but there was something different about him.


    "You scared me. When did you return from your trip with Isabe?" Lasked, watching him; I couldn''t push away the strange feeling, like something was very wrong and yet his scent hadn''t changed.


    "A few hours ago. I didn''t want to wake you," he exined.


    "Did you... did you get the cure?" I asked him, and he nodded.


    "Yes, I did."


    So Isabe was right; there is a cure."


    "She is, and now you don''t have to worry about me losing control; I have been curedpletely."


    "That was..."


    "Fast?"


    11


    The word on my mind was unbelievable, but I nodded, with a smile on my face.


    "You know I am really d to hear this." I say, rising to my feet and heading to the balcony. I threw the door wide open, letting the sun in.


    For some reason I felt like this wasn''t Thane. There was something bizarre about his response, and I had


    to be sure.


    "Join me." I said to him, giving him a smile.


    He rose from the bed, walking to my side; the sun showered on his form, but he remained unfazed.


    Demons hadpletely cold skin; that was another way to find out, and so I reached out to him, holding his hands in mine, and they were the very same warm hands. Gods, I felt like a fool.


    Maybe it had been the unsettling dream I had earlier, but I had thought he sounded different; I could not believe I hadn''t been able to tell that this was Thane right away.


    I hugged him; he patted my back gently.


    "I''m so d you are back, I didn''t think you would be back this soon, you kept to your promise. Thank you."


    "I have to go to work now."


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    "But you just came back; you need to rest.


    "I am fine, and there are a lot of things that require my attention."


    I watched him walk away to get dressed; he hadn''t even kissed me. Thane was the type that could hardly keep his hands to himself. He had finally managed to get the cure; of course, ''sex'' should have been the way to celebrate this, but he didn''t seem in the mood. I wouldn''t force him; all he needed was some time.


    I took a long bath, washing myself clean, and then I slipped on a nightgown that was a bit on the revealing side. I waited for his return.


    He dide back right on time, but he didn''t spare even a single nce at me; he walked right into his dressing room and changed off his clothes before returning back to bed.


    "Uhmm, how was work?" I asked, in an attempt to start up a conversation.


    ""It was fine."


    "Any news about..."


    "Riley. I really need to sleep."


    "Oh, sorry, I guess."


    I felt my cheeks redden with embarrassment at being told off.


    I let him sleep, but I wouldn''t give up; if something was bothering him, then he could share it with me, I had to make him understand that.


    The next day passed in much the same manner.


    "Thane, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"


    "I know that, Riley."


    "Then what is going on?"


    "What do you mean by that? Nothing is going on."


    "You know what?" I took off my clothes before him. "Fuck me, Thane, that''s what I want."


    I watched his lustful eyes trail down my body, but then he walked away, leaving me naked, embarrassed, and in tears.

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    Chapter Eighty THANE


    I woke up on the cold ground, my surroundings dim and unfamiliar-was this... a cave?


    I hadn''t been chained; there was no need for that; I couldn''t move. Everything flooded back, Isabe''s betrayal-I shouldn''t have trusted her.


    "You are awake," the voice called. Speak about the little devil.


    "It isn''t wise to be this close to me, don''t you


    you think?"


    "You can''t harm me; at this state, you can''t even hurt a fly."


    "Did Logan keep you here to babysit me?"


    "Ah, you figured that out too; of course he is in on this too."


    "I guess this is revenge for sending you away from the pack?"


    "No. I would never do that, but that action did change everything."


    "I guess this is where the big revtiones in?"


    "Yes, it is and there is a lot to be revealed. I didn''t lose my memories. I knew who awoke me, and it was de, your father."


    "de?" I asked, surprised. "I think I''m done with your lies; you can keep your little exnations to yourself."


    "Do you really think that ghosts are real? de was no ghost; he was alive. His body might have been destroyed, but he isn''t dead. Think about it: you dreamt of me, of making love to me, and a few dayster, I''m at your pack." "de is a werewolf; he would die like one."


    "Not if a very powerful warlock managed to make him partially immortal. The warlock goes by the name Flynn, and your father saved his life twice, so he granted your father a little favor. de always knew his bad acts would catch up to him one day, and so he always wanted to make sure he was safe."


    "What do you get out of this?" I asked her.


    "All my life, I had always wondered what living without this disease feels like, and finally I had been given a chance, but if I do make this choice, then I would lose the one person I care about the most, you. At one point, I didn''t think I could do it; I was willing to risk my life because I believed there could be a future for all three of us. I guess Riley never did tell you about my offer; I was willing to be a second mate. It could have worked for us all, but she was selfish, and she wanted you all to herself, but you-l never believed I would live to see a time when Thane ckwood would stop loving me, but I did. You threw me out of your pack, and since I couldn''t have you, I had to settle for this."


    "Simply summarizing your statement; this was your revenge."


    "I didn''t want this; I never wanted any of this to happen, but I was going to die, and you would move on


    Chapter Eighty.


    with your life... with Riley. I couldn''t bear it. Still I wonder if I made the right choice; I wonder if life without y would be worth living."


    "Is this some kind of apology?"


    "Yes. It is. I love you, Thane, and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I only did this because I wanted to live; I don''t want to die, Thane," she pleaded. Just then de strode in.


    I had been surprised when Isabe turned to him; she could see him.


    He had a smile on his face, the same smile he always had when he believed he had won.


    "You may leave now," he said to her, and she obeyed.


    "I guess her exnation has some atom of truth to it; you are still... alive."


    "Partially," he corrected. I watched him walk through the solid stone formation, his ghostly form passing through it.


    "Now I do understand why you seem to be always on ''her'' side over Riley''s."


    "It was quite fun while itsted making you believe it was all in your head. You know you had been about to screw up the whole n when you sent Be away; I thought we were in for a huge flop, but I guess I was wrong. You made a single wrong decision and that''s all it took."


    ww

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    Chapter Eighty One


    "I''m guessing there were no truths to all you told me.


    "Actually, the part about me not being your father was true." de responded, clearly enjoying this.


    "What is the point of all these? Kill me; one of the biggest packs in the world will be left without their Alpha."


    "No, I would be there to fill the space."


    "As a ghost? Come on, you''ve got to think better than that."


    "You are a lycan, a powerful creature; also, you are the Alpha King and that''s why you are here." he cuts his sentence off, not wanting to give out too much information. "You know it had once been me, and it could be like that again. You don''t know what it felt like watching you take over my pack, what it felt like watching you take my ce, what rightfully belonged to me. You were just the bastard son, and yet, the goddess gave you the crown. I think Logan is a bit jealous. He had to spend his whole life hiding while you were out there, you became everything he wanted to be and much more."


    "The longer I stay missing, the more questions would arise, and you don''t want that."


    "You don''t have to worry. There has been a substitute


    I didn''t know how much time had gone by; I couldn''t exactly tell from the cave I had been ced in. I would guess it had been two days since anyone visited. "May Ie in?"


    The figure looked exactly like me. I knew about demons and their shapeshifting skills; I also happened to know exactly which demon this was.


    Fevi


    "Thest I remember, you were supposed to be under jade''s watch."


    "Yes, I was supposed to be under her watch but she is dead now," he said.


    I had questions about her death but I kept them to myself, I wouldn''t let him know I was curious.


    "So, how are you enjoying my undeniably attractive body?" I asked with a grin.


    He smirked. "I guess I get why she is crazy over you.


    My grin instantly vanished.


    "By now, you should know better than to attempt hurting her. If youy a single finger on her..."


    "I won''t. I am trying to be as convincing as possible."


    "She would know it''s you; she is not a fool."


    You are right; she is not. She had some doubts earlier she believes the sun still burns me, and so she led me to the sun to be sure. What she doesn''t realize is that I''m an updated version of my previous self, all thanks to Vox." Chapter Eighty One


    "Vox?"


    "Yes, Vox. The Demon Overlord. He is awake, in case you didn''t know. Jadepleted the ritual before she lost her life, unfortunately."


    "If anything happens to Riley, then I will kill you and send your Overlord back to hell, that''s a promise."


    "As I said, she would be alive for as long as she is useful. Vox has no interest in killing her, it''s me who wants her dead. I do need her now, but I can''t deny it has been fun making her feelpletely worthless. You know she has been trying to impress me for a while now. She went from dressing in sexy little clothes to walking around naked just to get my attention. You know what I do? I make her feel like the little bitch she is. I really love it when she reddens in embarrassment and sheds tears after I reject her, over and over again." 11


    I let out a warning growl, and he took a step back. "Maybe it''s time for a dose of the ''lycan''s bane. You are getting really violent, and we wouldn''t want that.


    "The nt-it was no healer''s lilies, was it?"


    "Actually, that is one of its many names. She made a deal with de; how else do you think she discovered its location? He told her about it. But the very same magical nt capable of healing could turn out to be dangerous to others. For Lycans like you, it bes a... bane."


    "What about the curse? That was supposed to be a cure to the curse..." I trailed off, something finally registering in my mind. The curse had begun with her arrival, and for the few days she left the pack, there wasn''t a single incident, I had brushed that away because it happened randomly, but what if there was more to that?


    "There was never a curse,


    was there?"


    He shook his head. "No, there wasn''t."

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    Chapter Eighty Two Chapter Eighty Two


    The history books said nothing about the curse, and everything else was in there. She had brought up an exnation for that. I should have known she was lying, but I had no idea of what was happening; at that point, I would have believed anything. "Flynn gave her a potion; she managed to slip it into your meals before they got delivered."


    "That doesn''t sound very convincing; my meals are only handled by the cooks and maids; they know better than to try poison me."


    "Of course they do, but then again, there is... Prici." Realization dawned on me almost immediately. I had let her back into my pack for Axel''s sake; she was his mother despite everything she had done, I wanted to give her a chance. That was my mistake. "You don''t have to hate her; it wasn''t exactly her fault. She was simply the easiest option. When she came to you, she never nned to betray you or the pack; she had pleaded a whole lot about how she wanted to be a changed person and how she didn''t want to disappoint you because that would mean disappointing her son, Axel-that was his name. Extra measures were taken; her second son and sweetheart was taken and held hostage. He had been released now; she hadpleted her task brilliantly.


    The n was simple. Flynn ''the warlock'' makes a potion that unsettles your werewolf, in other words it bes violent; he passes this potion to Be, who also passes it to your maid, Prici. It wouldn''t affect Riley; her wolf is dormant." "All along, you''ve been a part of this?"


    "There is hardly anything one could keep from a demon."


    "Being here feels like d¨¦j¨¤ vu; I must be pretty important having so many people after me." I said, and


    he smiled.


    "You are."


    I had to find a way out of here fast, but I would have to deceive them into believing I had given up.


    "I would let you in on a secret." He says.


    "Is it not like I would be getting out of here alive now, will I?"


    "No. All possible ends suggest you die."


    "d to know my fate had already been decided."


    "Every single person here wants something from you. We might havee together to ensure you are captured, but soon the real battle will begin; each person will turn against the next. Your brother..."


    "Half brother." I corrected.


    "Your half-brother, Logan Dimintri, wants you dead, not just because he is jealous of you, but because if he kills you, your crown could possibly be passed down to him by the goddess. He would be the next Alpha King; your father needs your body; he believes when the ritual ispleted and his entity is being passed into your body, he would be as strong as you, maybe even stronger; he would be the Alpha King once again, and he would reim his pack Vox, the Dark Overlord, wants something


    Chapter Eighty Two


    different. He is not interested in your crown; he wants an alliance, but that wouldn''t work if it''s you in ce, so he needs someone who can take the throne and still bend to his every wish. He prefers working behind the scenes, and with the Alpha King under his control, he could take down packs, and no one can do a thing about it, and then me... All I want is to see you suffer; I want to watch Riley cry herself to death when she discovers that she would never be enough. We are all bound to have a sh, but whatever the case may be, you won''t survive it; this is the end of the road for you, Thane.

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    Chapter Eighty Three ISABELLA


    "He''s out there in the cold; he''s not being fed, and it has been a whole week; he is going to die!" I said to Logan, who only shrugged. He never did like Thane; he didn''t really care. "You know what? I''m going to him." I headed for the door, but in a sh, he was already by


    the door, right in front of me.


    "Should I remind you what this ''Thane'' did to you? He wouldn''t have cared if you drowned to death; he doesn''t really give a fuck about anybody but himself and his little mate. Any other person bes a nuisance-you became a nuisance. He rejected you, sent you away."


    "I betrayed him! I deserve everything I got and more.


    "He didn''t know about your n; he wouldn''t have cared if you were innocent." I attempted walking past him, but he blocked my path once again. "After what had happened, all he would want to do is kill you; you don''t need to worry about him anymore; focus on yourself and what makes you happy."


    Logan picked me up, his palm massaging my thigh, going higher; he mped my ass and let out a moan. I could feel him poking against me from the fabric of his clothing. He carried me back to the room and ced me on the bed; he took off his belt and lowered his pants before taking off my panties next and lifting my gown so my lower body was exposed to him. He spread my legs.


    He mmed into me, letting his whole length in at a go, and I gasped; my hand circled around his upper body, holding onto him as he fucked me.


    When he was asleep, I slowly pushed his arm away from my body. I rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom, I cleaned myself and put on a shirt, a pair of pants, and a furry jacket over it, and then I tiptoed to the room door. The moment I pulled it open, Logan awoke.


    "And where are you going?"


    "Nowhere," I responded.


    "Dressed like that?"


    "I just needed some air," I said to him.


    "Fine, I would


    go


    with you."


    I nodded, and he stood from the bed,pletely naked, and he went to get dressed.


    I took a small bag, putting in a loaf of bread and a bottle of water in it before Logan returned.


    "When we get back, I will prepare your favorite dish and..."


    His words were cut off when I mmed themp I had silently picked onto his head. I didn''t wait for a second; I sprinted to the exit and out of the house. I ran as fast as my leg could take me.


    The little cave-like structure in which Thane had been kept was not a very long distance from Logan''s house, and I headed there,


    Thane was barely moving; hey on the bare ground, and all I felt was guilt.


    He was my mate, and I had caused this.


    "Thane." I called, and his eyes snapped open. "I brought you some food and water; it is not much, but..."


    "Why are you here?" he asked.


    "I can''t..." I closed my eyes and let out the tears. "I''m so sorry, Thane; I made a mistake, and it cannot be corrected. I am not a bad person; I never wanted to do this. I''m so sorry." "There was never a curse; it was always you."


    I grew silent. "How... how did you discover that?"


    I wasn''t going to tell him that truth; the n had been to keep it away from him. He already hated me; I didn''t need to give him more reasons.


    "You know," he began, "I am more surprised by your betrayal than any of the others."

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    Chapter Eighty Four


    Chapter Eighty Four


    ÐÄ


    I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and for a moment I wondered if there was another what if he didn''t have to die?


    way;


    "When you rejected me, I had felt so broken; I... attempted taking my own life just to end it all. Logan saved me."


    "Be, once I did love you. I was willing to do anything for you. After you passed, a lot happened. I couldn''t recover from your loss, and at a point, I lost myself. Yearster, I met Riley, and she saved me from the monster I was bing. I can''t love two at the same time without hurting the other."


    "But you''ve always loved her more."


    "Yes. I do."


    Every time he said those words, they broke me, maybe because I knew it was true: Riley wasn''t his fated mate, and still he loved her. I, on the other hand, have the benefit of the mate bond; his wolf would always be drawn to me, and yet, he didn''t want me. What he felt for her was more than love; it was devotion, obsession, admiration, and so much more. Not even what we shared in the past could bepared to that.


    The moon goddess might have made us mates, but I was never meant to be a part of his life. Riley was always the one, and for that reason... I hated her.


    "You know, even after everything, I still want to have a part of you to myself, and that''s why I chose Logan- to be a reminder of what we shared. What I feel for him ispletely different from what I feel for you, but maybe it could grow into something bigger one day; maybe it will grow into something simr to what you have with Riley."


    "Logan told me a story of what happened to his mate. Had that been true or just another lie to add to the rest?"


    "It is true. Partially true. He did kill his mate, not because of the curse but because he lost control of his wolf; his wife had... cheated on him, and when he discovered it, he killed her, but it had been a mistake, a slip-just as he had said." I exined, and I could see the question in his eyes, and I was quick to defend. "He is not like that anymore; he has changed; he doesn''t want to be the violent person he had once been."


    "Do you want a congrattions from me?" he asked.


    Strangely, I wanted his approval, but he didn''t need to know that. "No, I just needed you to know."


    "Be, this wouldn''t have happened if you had epted my rejection and left the pack...."


    "I would have died." I said cutting him off.


    "Now do you know how many would lose their lives? Vox would go against other packs and burn them to the ground."


    I rose to my feet. I didn''t need to hear this; I didn''t want to hear this. "The Thane I knew would have


    risked anything to make sure I stayed alive,"


    Chapter Eighty Four


    "The Be I knew, the one who was my mate, would never risk the lives of many others just to keep hers.


    Tears spilled down my eyes. I would have to live with this, but I thought I hade to terms with it until now. "You are no different from me; you are no saint. You''ve done worse."


    "I never said I was one. I kill with purpose, Be."


    "Do you think I am a monster?"


    He gave me a long, unreadable look and I fidgeted under his gaze. "No. I just think you are a girl with a broken heart, a girl who just wants to live. In the end, it won''t be worth it."


    "You want to save lives? Then here is your chance. I will find a way to let you out of this ce, but then you will spend the rest of your life with me; you will send Riley away, and it will be the both of us; no one will have to die."

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    Chapter Eighty Five


    Chapter Eighty Five


    He didn''t give a response; that''s exactly what I had expected. "I guess you would rather they die than for Riley to get hurt. We aren''t much different after all"


    "No, I would never hurt her, and maybe you are right; we aren''t much different after all, but let''s not pretend like you can actually get me out of here, because I know you can''t."


    He was right; I couldn''t do a thing. I could not help him, and yet I wanted to hear his answer, maybe because I wanted to remind him that I wasn''t the only selfish person here or because I wanted to feel less guilty about what I was doing. "You should eat something."


    "Be?"


    "Yes," I answered, hopeful.


    "Go to hell."


    "You jerk. Do you know what it took me toe here? was worried about you; Logan didn''t care if you died."


    "I''ll die anyway, but I wouldn''t wish your face to be thest I see before I die."


    I waspletely speechless. I couldn''t hold back the tears; I turned away from him and walked away.


    I returned to Logan''s. He sat on his couch.


    "Really smart move, Be," he began, but the moment his gaze found mine, the look of concern clouded his features. "What did the bastard do to you?" he asked.


    "Thane didn''t do anything, and that is the problem."


    He walked to me and wrapped his arms around me.


    "You have to move on; he isn''t worth your time or your tears."


    I nodded silently; he was right; it''s time I let go.


    But anytime I closed my eyes, I saw her-Riley. The girl who took my position and snatched my mate. She had to die; even if that is thest thing I do, only then would I be capable of moving on. RILEY


    I walked into Thane''s office, not caring that he was seated with Regnux.


    "I need to talk to you,


    Thane."


    "I am busy; I''ll speak to you when I''m done."


    Chapter Eighty Five


    "I will not leave this ce until we have a discussion."


    "I think I should leave." Regnux said, about to excuse himself.


    "There is no need for that; you will remain here." Thane stood to his feet and walked to me. "Don''t you dare barge into my office next time; your ce is my bedroom, and your duty is to be my fuck thing whenever I want you to be, but for now, I see no use for you, so go back to the bedroom, and we will talk


    I pped him hard.


    "Don''t you dare speak to me like that ever again. I am your Luna, not your whore."


    The look he gave me was not exactly what I was expecting. He looked... turned on.


    He lifted me up, easily cing me on the office desk, and he positioned himself between my legs.


    Regnux rose to his feet again, but one nce from Thane sent him back to his seat.


    "Is this what you want? Sex?"


    I pushed him off me."Your things would be waiting for you outside the room. Find a ce to sleep tonight and every other night till you get back to your senses."


    "Is that a threat, my love?"


    "See it as what you want to, Alpha." I spit out the title before walking away from his office.


    Thane had changed. It had all started when he returned from Everveil. It felt very strange and bizarre. Be was nowhere to be found; neither was Logan.


    There was something sketchy about this all, and I was going to get to the bottom of this.

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    Chapter Eighty Six


    Thane might notice my absence from the pack, but I couldn''t bring myself to care about that now; I needed to find Isabe or Logan; they were the only ones who could give me an exnation of what happened to Thane. And I couldn''t find them without help, so I was off to Jade, the sorceress. 1


    11


    Lately, I''ve been having doubts. What if that wasn''t Thane? What if Daemon had somehow gotten back his ''abilities?'' But then if it was Daemon, he would have killed me a long time ago for what I did to him; he had no reason to keep me alive, and let''s not forget that Jade had promised to keep him away. But she had lost him once, there is a possibility she could lose him again.


    I flew down to the familiar spot, d to have my wings back in action; this had been Jade''s court, where Nick had brought me to, but the ce lookedpletely different; trees had sprouted out from the midst of the court, making it look like she was never here.


    I punched a tree hard, causing it to crack under the impact. I hade all this way for nothing; she wasn''t here; she was gone, and so were my answers. I was all alone in this.


    Lcouldn''t reconcile the man Thane was before he left the pack and the one standing before me now.


    "So, where did you go?" he asked me.


    "What do you care?"


    "You did tell me my things would be waiting outside the room; when I didn''t find them there, I believed I had been forgiven, only to discover you were gone.


    11


    "I went to the sorceress. Thane, she''s gone, and I don''t even know how to trace her."


    "Why did you go to her?" he questioned.


    "Again, how is that your business?"


    "It is my business when you run off without telling me, Riley. I hope this never repeats itself. We don''t want to have you punished, do we?"


    "The moment youy your hands on me, the same moment they go missing, try me."


    "Feisty." He says, "I like a good fight."


    He walked into the dressing room. "What are you doing?" I asked him.


    "Taking off my clothes, or would you prefer to do that yourself?"


    "I am not going to sleep in the same room with you, and I mean it."


    "It''s been a long day at work; your bickering is getting irritating."


    I headed to the door. "If you won''t leave, then I will."


    Maybe a part of me had expected him to try to stop me "Stay safe, honey, and shut the door on your way."


    Chapter Eighty Six


    I mmed the door as hard as I could before walking away.


    I settled into the very same room I had stayed in when Be had to stay with Thane.


    It waste in the night when I heard a knock on my door. I contemted ignoring it; I didn''t need to see Thane right now, but sluggishly I got off the bed and pulled the door open. It was Regnux.


    I felt slightly disappointed.


    "Thane is not in here," I said to him.


    "I know that. It''s you I need to speak to; can Ie in"


    I wanted to remind him that it waste at night and not a proper time to be having conversations, but whatever he had to say must be very important, and so I let him in and shut the door. No, I didn''t feel threatened about being alone with him; I could handle myself. "What the Alpha did to you back there in the office..."


    "Is that why you are here?" I asked, "To apologize on his behalf?"


    "No, that is not why I am here. I have reasons to believe the Alpha is... not in his right senses."


    He stared at me, fear in his eyes; he knew that if I did turn on him and report this to Thane, he would be punished or killed for speaking against the Alpha, I couldn''t deny that he was brave for saying this out loud especially to me. "Well, I''m d I''m not the only one who noticed that.""

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    Chapter Eighty Seven


    Chapter Eighty Seven


    "Lately, He had been acting strange, and I was going to say something, but I had to be sure, and then the way he spoke to you back there, Thane would never do that."


    "What do you suggest?" I asked.


    "I don''t know what might be the cause, but a day ago I overheard his conversation; I believe he ns to attack a neighboring pack; the n is to take theirnd and resources; their people would be forced into very." "A neighboring pack?"


    "Yes, he said the ''Alpha'' trusted him enough, and before he realized where the attack wasing from, it would be toote."


    "Trent." I gasped, "He was referring to Alpha Trent. When are they going to attack?"


    "Two days from today."


    "Arrange me a meeting with Trent; make sure no one finds out about it. I will meet him by the pack borders."


    "Yes, Luna."


    Again, Thane would never attack a pack who had done him no wrong; the man I had been living with, he wasn''t Thane, and I was sure of it.


    Despite that knowledge, I would have to pretend; I wouldn''t let him know that I knew the truth.


    There was one more thing I needed to do.


    I visited the ward and let out a breath of relief when I spotted Ethan. Since the nightmare, a constant fear lingered in my heart whenever I wasn''t near him. The healers didn''t rmend moving him, but I had no choice. I ced my palm over the ss separating Ethan from me, he couldn''t remain here. Not if I wanted him to be safe; I had to do something and fast.


    I met with Alpha Trent and his beta by the borders at noon. Regnux had made sure the patrollers stayed away; no one could know that Trent visited.


    The moment he spotted me, he smiled. His beta stayed behind while he headed in my direction.


    "Wee, Alpha Trent, and I''m d you came on such short notice."


    "I would never keep the Luna Queen waiting," he said, taking my hands and cing a kiss on them.


    "I need to talk to you, and I fear it''s an urgent matter."


    "I am all ears."


    "It''s about the safety of your pack; I would like to inquire if you have a safe hold, a ce you can take your members to if a war does break out."


    "With all due respect, information like that is strictly confidential."


    "There is a waring, a day from now; if there is one, I want you to take all your members there."


    "And how do you know that?"


    "I know a lot of things, Alpha."


    Chapter Eighty Seven


    "I don''t fear a fight, my queen.''


    "You should; there''s no need for blood being spilled when i can be avoided. Take all the supplies you need, remain in your hiding spot; onlye out when a week has gone by. That''s all I have to tell you-and of course, keep this between the both of us." He nodded.


    I waited anxiously; if Trent''s pack had been destroyed, the news would be everywhere by now, and two days had passed, yet there was nothing. I toyed with my little gun; of course I needed a weapon for some extrayer of protection.


    I had been on the couch when the door to my apartment was mmed open; the lock broke free.


    "What did you do, Riley?" It was Thane, and he was very mad.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I know about your little meeting with Trent; don''t y the fool. What did you do?"


    "I did nothing."


    11


    He walked to the couch, picking me up by the hair, he was strong, very strong. I kicked at his abdomen hard, and his grip loosened; I pulled free of him. Picking up the gun, pointed it at him and shot. Faster than the speed of a moving bullet, he dodged, and then he was right next to me He took the gun from my hand, snapping it into two.


    That was far from normal.


    I threw anything my hand coulde in contact with at him, but he easily dodged them.


    "You will pay for this, Riley... or maybe it will be more fun making little Ethan pay in your stead."


    That gave him out. This was Daemon, only that he was stronger and faster than he had ever been. "You are kind of toote. You see, Ethan is... gone.


    He smirked. "You knew, didn''t you?


    I might as well stop with the pretense; it is getting a bit... tiring."


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    Chapter Eighty Eight


    Riley''s


    POV


    I knew it; I knew this wasn''t Thane. There had been something different about him, and despite the fact that he bore no attributes of a demon, I still had my doubts.


    Right before my eyes, the man who had taken Thane''s form shifted; of course, it was Daemon.


    "How is this possible? Your skin- it was warm, you walked under sunlight, and you shapeshifted..."


    "Earlier you told me you visited Jade; did you find her?"


    It finally sunk in. If he was here, free, then Jade must be in danger or worse.


    "What did you do to her?" I sneered at him.


    "Me? No, I didn''t do anything; this is not on me but on her. After you gave me over to her to be tortured for her little ritual, a lot did happen. Did you know that the ritual did work, Vox-the Demon Overlord, He is very much alive. More to that, he killed Jade after she resurrected him


    "I don''t believe you. What did you do to Jade?"


    "And why do you think I would lie? To make you see me as a ''better person?'' I don''t really care what you think about me anymore, Riley."


    If Daemon was here, taking Thane''s ce, then where was Thane?


    "Where is he?"


    "Be specific, please."


    "Where is Thane?"


    "Far away, you will never get to him."


    I pushed past him, heading for the door, but his grip on my hand restricted me from going any further.


    "A lot of people want him dead: de, Logan, Be-she was in on this; Vox wouldn''t mind him getting killed, and let''s not forget... me."


    "Why? You could have taken me; I am the one you have the issue with."


    "Turns out, you are not of much use; fuckable, yeah, but apart from that, you aren''t up for the task."


    I attempted pping him, but he caught my hand midair. "Tsk, tsk. If you hit me, I will retaliate, and you wouldn''t like it one bit."


    "Vox is dangerous; do you know how many people will die by him?"


    "I don''t care who has to die; you don''t seem to be getting that into your little skull. Vox gave me everything, my abilities-he made them... better, I am more powerful than I have ever been, and I didn''t even ask for it. The one thing I asked for was you." "You will not be getting me. So you might as well go to hell"


    "Yet here you are, standing before me. I could kill you, and no one will question it."


    "Why haven''t you? After what I did, I believed killing me would be the first thing on your to-do list."


    Chapter Eighty Eight


    "Don''t worry, Riley, we will get to that part soon enough, but for now, you are of more use alive than dead." "Take me to Thane; I need to see him."


    "Don''t you worry; he is still alive... atleast for now."


    "Daemon, you can''t do this to him; you cannot do this to... me."


    In a sh, he had me pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped firmly around my throat, an almost-shocking grip.


    "Don''t expect any favors from me, Riley; I will not be granting any. Once I let my emotions get in my way, we both know where that ended me."


    I took in a deep breath, and against everything I felt, I drew closer to him, and I kissed him. I kissed him with all that I had, imagining Thane in his stead; that didn''t make me feel any less guilty.


    He pulled away.


    "Not even that would win me over this time." He let me go and I slumped to the ground. "There would be new rules, Riley. I want you to be by my side every damn ce I go to. You will tell me everything I need to know; I don''t trust Regnux anymore."


    .


    "I will not do that; the whole pack would discover who you are, I will make sure of it."


    "Then I will just have to kill as many of them as I can."


    "You won''t."


    "Again with the doubting. Maybe you need more action over empty words."


    "No!" I called, "I will do as you said; please don''t hurt anyone."


    "I won''t, only if they don''t get in my way."

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    Chapter Eighty Nine


    Chapter


    Eighty Nine


    Daemon stroded towards the door; he paused only to shift back into an imitation of Thane.


    "Daemon." I called, and he turned to me. "The Dawn pack, why did you want to go to war against them?"


    ""No reason; it was Vox orders."


    "And you just... obeyed."


    "Yes. I just obey." With that he was gone.


    I walked through the underground chambers; I''ve heard about a secret exit somewhere in here. I spotted arge rectangr metal container; I was sure it hadn''t been here before, so I ignored it.


    There was indeed an exit, the space so small it could barely fit my body. I managed to go through the space, and I headed to the pack borders where Trent was waiting. He had done just as I had asked, and now he was back. I only hope there was no bad news. "Luna." He called. "I owe you my sincere gratitude. Whoever had led those armies, they would have caught us unaware; we wouldn''t have survived it. The Dawn pack owes you big time."


    "This is good news, and I am d to hear it."


    He didn''t know the attack was from our pack, but for the fact I was here, meeting him in the hidden ''without Thane by my side, he may have a few spections. "The attack was from this pack." I said to him, he didn''t look particrly surprised. "The Alpha king and I have never had an issue, so I am quite curious where I went wrong."


    "No-you didn''t do anything wrong." I didn''t want to tell him anythingelse, but maybe I should... I trusted him more than any of the other Alphas right now. "The man who gave the order wasn''t Thane."


    "I don''t understand that."


    "I believe you know about demons and their shapeshifting abilities?" I asked, and he nodded. "The one who gave the order isn''t Thane but a demon. Now you will be wondering why I have done anything about it yet.


    "No. Rather, I will advise you not to do anything about it yet, not if this ''demon'' is under Vox orders."


    "You know about Vox?"


    >>


    "There have been rumors; he was sighted a few days ago, and I figured if a demon dares to take Thane''s ce, then it must have someone even more powerful working behind the stage. The question on my mind is, where is Thane?" "Your guess is as good as mine; he had left for the Everveils mountain, and he never returned."


    "The Everveils? And what was he there for?"


    I stared at him, wondering if I was giving out too much, but if he knew something, then I needed to find out.


    "He went there for a cure."


    "Riley, I assure you that you can trust me. I know a lot; I know about him being a Lycan, but I also know that the cure up in Everveils Mountain can only cure wolves; for Lycans, it does the opposite.


    Chapter Eighty Nine


    "What do you mean?"


    "I had used the ''healer''s lily'' on my daughter; it did work, but it doesn''t always work, and if it doesn''t cure, then it destroys, but for a Lycan, it can only... destroy."


    I had led Thane right into a trap; he didn''t want to go, but had forced him. I had trusted Be to bring him back safe, and I trusted Logan; I shouldn''t have.


    "Someone ising; it''s best I leave, but feel free to visit anytime you wish."


    I nodded, but I couldn''t process a thing; I needed to find Thane, but I had no clue on where he had been kept.


    I wouldn''t let Daemon win; this time I was going to fight, and I didn''t care what I had to stake, but I will find Thane, and then I will kill every one of them, Be first. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Ny


    I returned to the pack as quickly as I could, using the underground entry to avoid getting spotted by Daemon. It felt off-putting that I had to sneak around in my own pack really couldn''t wait for the moment I got to kill him.


    I stopped before the rectangr metal container; I thought a stench wasing from it. I should keep moving, but I got curious. I pulled open the heavy lid, and the stench of the dposed body filled my nose; I gagged, looking inside; it was a body, a dead body floating in a greenish-looking liquid. The body was unrecognizable, but I thought the clothes looked slightly familiar. I had seen this on someone. I racked my mind to know who, but I came up empty. Who could have done this?


    Finally I remembered; the outfit looked familiar because I had seen it on someone only a few days ago. Regnux. This was.., Regnux.


    I leaned to the side of the container, puking everything I had eaten. Tears streamed down my eyes.


    Daemon had said he didn''t trust Regnux anymore, and so he wanted me by his side instead. I didn''t wait to think about his words. He must have discovered Regnux snooping around and then... he did this. He killed him.


    I knew I must look as pale as a ghost right now; I felt sick to my guts.


    I returned to my room only to notice the figure waiting. He had his back to me; of course he had taken back his natural form; there was no need for the pretenses anymore.


    "You killed him." I cried. "You killed Regnux!"


    "He was getting a bit too nosy, and I suspect he knew something."


    "And so you killed him?"


    "Yes."


    "You are a monster."


    "I know that."


    "You promised me. You said if I kept this-"I motioned to him, "-a secret, you said no one would get hurt."


    "I did mention I will not spare anyone that got in the way, and that''s what he did; he got in my way, and I had to kill him."


    "Why are you here?" I asked; I felt so furious, I was practically shaking. He couldn''t just kill people like their lives meant nothing!


    "I don''t really like the arrangement anymore; with you being here, I want to have my eyes on you all the time."


    "I want to stay here."


    Daemon took some steps forward till he was practically invading my personal space.


    "When I tell you to do something, you do it. If you want to stay alive longer, I advise you stop challenging me."


    "Can you even hear yourself? You killed Regnux!"


    "He is dead, gone. Nothing can be done about it; the best you can do is move on," he said, his voice devoid of emotion, as if Regnux was nothing but some insignificant object. 1/2


    Chapter Ny


    "I couldn''t believe I once saw any good in you; I wish I never knew you.".


    "I couldn''t care less. Come with me; let''s get back to our room." I didn''t miss his emphasis on the pronoun ''our''.


    "No."


    He was silent for a second. "I didn''t want to do this, but I guess this is the only way."


    He bit into my neck, drinking of my blood; the pain radiated through me, I couldn''t help but note how this felt even more painful than thest time he drank from me.. I cried out, but he wouldn''t stop. My vision blurred. "I''m dying... Daemon." I choked out.


    Finally, he pulled away, I dropped to the ground, and my vision wentpletely ck.


    I awoke on a familiar bed. The room I shared with Thane.


    Daemon was seated beside the bed. I attempted moving, but my neck felt so sore.


    "Stay still." Daemon says to me. "You know, you cked out for a whole day."


    "You drank from me." I said; my throat felt so dry.


    "Make this easier for us both by doing as you are told." "Please." He added. "No." I sneered back.

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    Chapter Ny One


    Daemon tossed me a blood bag.


    "What do I do with this?"


    "What else? Have a drink. It will help you heal faster."


    "So now you are going to pretend like you care?"


    "No, I don''t, but for as long as I need you by my side, I need you alive and... healthy."


    "Yet you go ahead and drink my blood."


    "You were being stubborn; you left me with no choice."


    "I''m not drinking this." I said to him,


    "Oh, you are." He snatched the blood bag from my hand and pulled the cap open; he was going to force me into drinking this.


    "Okay, you don''t have to feed me; I''ll take the damned blood."


    I snatched the bag back and took a huge gulp. It tasted warm.


    "You will need to empty the bag, Riley."


    "Where did you get this from?" I asked him.


    "From the healers. Where else?"


    I just needed to be sure.


    I emptied the bag, just as he said. All the while he watched me like a freak.


    "Wasn''t so hard now, was it?"


    "Daemon... I just want to know if Thane is safe-I want to see him; I need to see him..."


    "Shut up. Thane is gone, it''s just me now and you have to learn to deal with it. Now get dressed; we have a meeting with some other Alphas."


    "A meeting?" I asked, for some reasons my heart pounded; whatever he wants to share, it won''t be good news.


    "Yes, and don''t worry, no one is getting killed."


    "What do you need to speak to them about?" I asked him.


    "Patience, Riley. If you needed to know, then you would have been told by now."


    "I like the red dress." Daemon said to me. I had been about to pick the red dress but I quickly changed my choice and selected a ck strapless gown.


    "I need to get dressed."


    "Then get dressed."


    "I am not taking off my clothes before you."


    Chapter Ny One


    "Stop with the little acts; I''ve memorized every part of you''


    That was... horrifying.


    I turned my back to him before taking off my clothes and quickly changing into the ck dress.


    "I think I like this better." He said with a small smile. I gave no response.


    He stretched his hands for mine, but I wouldn''t ept it.


    "They have to believe we are still the perfect couple, so try make it convincing, and I wouldn''t mind the kisses either."


    "I would rather pull out my own lips than endure kissing you one more time."


    "That''s not what you said when I was making youe over and again, was it?


    "You used me, you raped me, and karma will catch up with you."


    "Riley, it doesn''t always work that way; bad guys get away with things; justice... it''s not real."


    I didn''t have an answer to that, and so I remained silent.


    "Okay, I am sorry for draining you of blood. I did promise myself not to hurt you until it''s time to kill you; I shouldn''t have done that to you."


    "Is this supposed to be an apology? Because it sure as hell doesn''t sound like one."


    "Well, that''s all you get."


    He took my hands in his and literally dragged me to the door.


    "Wait! I need to ask you a question: earlier, when you said de wanted Thane dead... what did you mean? I mean, de is dead, right? His ghost is powerless." "Ghosts are not real. The man who had been with Thane all these while is his very own father-if we can call him that, considering Thane isn''t his."


    "But he had been killed; I attended his funeral."


    "You did, didn''t you? Well, de is alive, though he needs body toplete transfiguration, and Thane''s is just what he needs."


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    Chapter Ny Two


    Chapter Ny Two


    I couldn''t believe it. de hadn''t died. The same man who had ruined I and my mother''s life was still alive, and he was a part of all this.


    I didn''t agree with Daemon on many things, but there was ene quote I did: ''Justice is not real.'' A man like de deserves to die in the worst way possible, yet he still lives.


    "You seem a bit quiet. Still thinking about de?" Daemon asked as we headed to the meeting room.


    "He deserved to die."


    "Yes, he does, but you don''t have to worry; he is useless without a body. The chances of things going as he nned is very low. The warlock Flynn might be powerful, but so is Logan."


    "Thank you all for joining us." Daemon said to the Alphas gathered, some of them came along with their Beta. Daemon took a seat, and I had to sit beside him. I spotted Trent and immediately looked away; I couldn''t let Daemon have any suspicions. I knew very well how that had ended with Regnux.


    "There is a matter of importance I want to discuss with you all." Damon began, and everyone grew silent. "For so long, many of your packs relied on our goodwill for their survival-some for ammunition, others for protection, and many for various needs. Beginning today, all of that aid will be cut off."


    "What?" I gasped. Murmurs filled the room.


    "If I may speak, Alpha." Alpha Cane requested.


    "No, you may not; your input means nothing to me. Starting from this moment, all those who depend on this pack in one way or another will have to pay for it. Ten percent of your pack earnings would be sent directly to this pack; only then will you have ess to anything belonging to this pack. You are dismissed."


    "But Alpha..."


    "No buts." Daemon said, silencing Alpha Zack. "I''ve passed the information; now leave, all of you."


    One thing about Alphas is that they don''t like being publicly disrespected, they had their egos to protect.


    "You cannot do this." I said to him, and he gave me a warning look, but I wouldn''t give in. I was the werewolf queen; I wouldn''t let this happen. I turned to them. "No such rule will be in ce; please let me talk some sense into the King."


    There was a few nods before they all rose, bowing to Thane and then me. Trent''s eyes lingered a moment too long; he was passing a silent message. I guess this was all the confirmation he needed.


    The moment they were gone, Daemon rose to his feet, pissed, and he walked away. I followed after him.


    "Have you gone crazy?" I asked, but he gave no response. You are creating enemies out of them; Why the hell would you say that?"


    He grabbed me, dragging me into the next empty room. He pushed me hard, and I fell to the ground.


    Looking up, I noticed a man standing before me; he was huge, with pure white hair andpletely ck eyes. He was the scariest and most imposing creature I had ever seen. I knew who he was even by a single nce. This was Vox, the Demon Overlord, and he was in this pack.


    Chapter Ny Two


    He walked past me like I wasn''t even there.


    "Did you do as I told you?" he asked Daemon, his voice calm and yet threatening.


    "I did."


    "And they agreed to it?"


    Daemon''s eyes met mine. "I''ll need more time.""


    "So what did go wrong?" Vox asked. His gaze following Daemon''s to find me. "She was the problem?"


    "No." Daemon said to my absolute surprise. "I was, forgive me, Vox. I will not fail you again."


    "Take care of her and put her in her ce. She is of no use to me."


    Daemon nodded.


    But I wouldn''t take any more of this; he could be the Demon Overlord, but I was the Werewolf Queen, and this was my pack; he was the intruder, not the other way around.


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    Chapter Ny Three


    1 rose to my feet. It didn''t make much of a difference. Vox had a very intimidating height.


    "Now you listen to me." I said to Vox, "You are in my pack didn''t remember inviting you here. You captured my mate too. In his absence, I am the leader here, so you could go be the Lord over your little demons but not here." "Shut up, Riley." Damon warned.


    "You shut up. This is my pack, and I will sabotage every single n you make."


    Vox had a look of irritation on his face; suddenly I felt a burning sensation right in my chest, spreading through my whole body, and I fell down to my knees.


    "What... what are..." I couldn''tplete the word. I coughed out blood; the pain only got more unbearable.


    "I still need her alive. The pack needs their Luna for now; with her by my side, there would be fewer suspicions." "Then put your woman on a leash.''


    The pain seized, and Vox was gone; he had just... disappeared.


    "He would have killed you." Daemon said to me.


    "Isn''t that why you brought me here?"


    "Can''t you get it? I don''t want you dead, and if you are going to die; it will be by my hands."


    "I wouldn''t stand by and watch you do these."


    "You don''t have an option, and I hope you''ve learned never to disrespect the Demon Overlord in that manner ever again."


    He gave me his hand to help me up, but I ignored it. Rising to my feet, I walked away from the empty room and headed straight for the gardens.


    Daemon didn''t have to lie for my sake; he didn''t have to take the me, but that doesn''t make him any less of the monster he is.


    I sat on the bare ground in the garden. The only thought keeping me sane was the assurance that Ethan was safe; everything else seemed to be going all bad. Anytime I thought about Thane, all I felt was pain. Jade was dead now and so was Regnux.


    I spotted Prici, Axel''s mother, who now worked as a maid. She stood some distance away, looking a bit nervous; she kept on staring at me every once in a while like she wanted to tell me something. I couldn''t help but notice how Axel did have a resemnce to her. Finally, she walked to me.


    "Good day, Luna."


    "Prisci, how have you been?" I asked, not exactly in the right mood for a conversation.


    "I''ve been better." She paused. She seemed to be holding back on saying something. "See you around, Luna."


    I watched her walk away, my eyebrow arched. That was very... strange.


    "Riley." The voice called from behind me. He sounded so much like Thane, and for a moment I wanted to close my


    Chapter Ny Three


    eyes and pretend it was him, but it wasn''t.


    "I want to be alone; please let me be."


    "It''ste in the night; you should be sleeping."


    "This is the only ce I find sce. When I return back in there, I have to remember things; I have to remember what a mess my life is and how messier it''s going to be. I don''t want to go back to the room." "Then can I join you?"


    "No. You are right at the center of everything I don''t want to think about."


    Despite my decline, he still walked up to me.


    "I didn''t want any of this."


    "Come on, we all know you are the viin; you live for things like this."


    "No. I never asked Vox to make me this... powerful, neither did I want to do his bidding, though I can''t deny it does have its allure sometimes."


    I turned to him. "What you are doing, it''s wrong. Please just... stop.".


    "Why? What else do I have to live for?" He questioned and now I could understand him, Vox gave him purpose.


    The pack could move on without me; I had no doubts Thane would be capable of raising our son. Even if I would have to live every single day of my life in regret, I would know it was worth it.


    "Then I will run away with you; I won''t try to escape; I''ll be just what you want me to be and more; I''ll never mention Thane''s name; I''ll try my best to love you, all we have to do is make the pack and every other person believe that I''m dead or we could create a cover up story: no one wille after me; it will be just the both of us, forever."


    "I wanted that once."


    "And nothing has changed, Daemon."


    "No, everything has changed." He says.


    "You don''t love me anymore-that is what changed, isn''t it?"


    "With Vox, that offer can never be an option; he will haunt me and kill you."

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    Chapter Ny Four


    Chapter


    Ny Four


    I couldn''t bring myself to sleep; Thane clouded my thoughts.


    "Still thinking about him?" Daemon asked. We both knew who he was referring to.


    ""No." I lied.


    "I can tell when you are lying."


    "What difference does it make? It''s not like you will let me go to him."


    "And what if I can?"


    "Vox wouldn''t let you." I stated.


    "You know, I have never truly been a ''free'' creature. Every time I feel as though I''ve achieved it, I realize I am still in servitude."


    "It had been from Jade to Bruce and then... Vox." I said to him, and he nodded in agreement.


    "I want to ask you a question, and I need a genuine answer from you. When I was gone with Jade, you knew what was going to happen to me. Did you at any moment regret your decision? Did you ever think about me?" I was silent for a long while. "Daemon, I..."


    "Just answer the question."


    "You want an answer, then it''s ''No:. I never regretted my decision; I never thought about you-at least not in the way you think."


    "Do you hate me, Riley?"


    "I sometimes believe I do. When you be that monster, I do hate you, but then you change, and you actpletely different. I want to hate you, Daemon, for everything you''ve done to me. I really want to, and yet..."


    "You don''t," hepleted.


    I couldn''t give a response.


    "When you betrayed me ''once again,'' I made up my mind that I was going to make you pay for it. I spent hours and hours thinking about how you were going to suffer, ways I would put you in pain, but then... I saw you. The monster you hate-that''s me, the real me, but anytime I am with you, I want to be something else; I want to be someone you wouldn''t look at with disgust or hatred. I am not supposed to care about what you think of me, and yet I do."


    -


    "When you warned me not to anger Vox, it was because you wanted me alive?"


    "Yes. I do, despite everything; I still need to be reminded of a reason to kill you. But so many things will change, Riley; I will have to make decisions that will make you very pissed. I will do everything Vox orders me to do, and you will hate me all over again... But before, let this be the one good thing I have ever done."


    He rose from the bed, and I watched him curiously. "What are you doing?"


    "You may want to grab some food; we are going to see Thane."


    I didn''t believe it, even as I packed up the food the maids had brought with shaky hands into the bag; I didn''t believe Daemon would do it, but I kept silent.


    Chapter Ny Four


    "Ready?" he asked, and I nodded.


    He took out a blindfold and wrapped it around my eyes. "I wouldn''t want you having a single clue of where we are going to."


    I nodded; I didn''t really care; all I wanted to do was see him again. He held me close; I could feel his hand settle at the small of my back, a possessive hold, and then the chill wind blew through my hair. It felt like only a few seconds had passed by, but even from the smell of the ce, I knew we were no longer in our room.


    The ce had this pleasant natural smell of wet soil.


    I lifted my hand to the blindfold.


    "Not yet," Daemon said.


    He ced what I assume to be a jacket over my nightgown. It was indeed cold here.


    After about thirty minutes of walking, he came to a stop and took off my blindfold.

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    Chapter Ny Five


    Chapter Ny Five


    Tears welled up in my eyes the moment I spotted Thane.


    For a moment I thought he was dead, but then I noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest. His facial hair was a bit more grown. I spotted the remains of food they must have kept for him, but knowing him, he would never eat anything from them; he would rather die, and


    that''s what was happening: Thane was dying.


    I fell to my knees beside him and managed to lift his body. He was cold, very cold.


    I immediately pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around him.


    "Thane!" I cried, but he didn''t seem to hear me. "Thane!" cried louder, and finally he stared at me.


    "How... how..."


    "Don''t speak. I brought you food."


    Only when he was done eating did I speak up. "I''m sorry; I wish I could have done something."


    "Are you alright?" He asked; I couldn''t believe him; I should be asking him that question.


    "I am going to get you out of here, Thane. I promise you."


    "Riley, it''s better you stay put. You will get hurt if you make any rash decisions."


    I nodded, but I was not nning on staying put; I was going to make a very rash decision.


    "Thane, Vox is in the pack, and Daemon is working with him; he is creating enemies of the other packs; he killed Regnux and Jade. I can''t find Isabe; I would have wanted to kill her myself, but she is... gone." "She is with Logan."


    I paused. "How did you know that?"


    "Because she told me."


    "This is all messed up."


    "You don''t have to be a part of it, Riley."


    "I am the Luna Queen; I am a part of this."


    "Do you want to make me happy, Riley?"


    "Of course, you know I will do anything for you- I''ll do anything to make you happy."


    "I want you to prioritize your own safety first, don''t intervene, and don''t try to rescue me. Please... Ethan needs his mother."


    I nodded. His hands felt so cold.


    "I won''t." I lied.


    I would do anything for him, anything but this. There had to be a way; I couldn''t do this alone; I needed him by my side, and so I would fight for his freedom. We could win. We had to.


    "I don''t want you toe see me again."


    Chapter Ny Five


    "What?"


    "I want you to stay as far away as you can from here and from me."


    "Why would you say that to me?" I cried out.


    "I don''t want you to watch me die. Believe me, it is better this way."


    "It is not. You won''t die; you cannot give up that so easily.


    "I haven''t, but just in case..."


    "No. You will not die. I am not going to lose you too."


    "You won''t," he said to me, cing a kiss on my forehead.


    "Riley, we have to go now," Daemon called, his voice carrying clearly from a distance. "Give me a second!"


    "You should stay with Daemon." Thane said, and I almost believed I heard him wrong.


    "What?" I asked for the second time.


    "That doesn''t mean I consider him safe for you, but he will keep you alive."


    "No, he ns to kill me."


    "If he brought you here and to me, despite everything, then believe me, you will be safer with him."


    "You would be out of here soon, and then it will be the both of us once again."


    +25 POAKUS


    "Hope you enjoyed your little chat with dear old Thane, but we have to go..."


    Daemon''s sentence was cut off when I mmed the rock on his head as hard as I could. He fell to the ground, ck blood pouring down his neck. He had a snarl on his face, I didn''t waste even a single second; I ran back down the tunnel. He had blindfolded me when we got here, and so I didn''t know exactly which direction to take. I took a right, then a left, followed by another right, and then I mmed into a wall-


    No, not a wall, a person. Daemon.


    Giftemmy Author


    Seasonal Greetings, Emmysquad.


    Giftemmy wishes you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous


    new year.

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    Chapter


    Ny Six.


    Chapter Ny Six


    Daemon stood before me, furious.


    I crawled away from him. "Don''t touch me." I warned, but the Daemon I knew was gone, and the monster-the demon-was all I could see.


    "I''m going to hurt you, Riley, and this time, you deserve it.


    A kick to my abdomen sent me flying through the air, and I crashed into the wall with a cry. He walked to me, taking deliberate steps. I aimed for his ankle, trying to make him lose his bnce, but he didn''t even flinch at my strike. He picked me up by the hair, his grip firm, no doubt would lose a few strands. I head-butted him; dark blood poured down his nose, but he didn''t seem to notice that. He mmed me face-first into the jagged cave wall, and I crumpled to the ground.


    Blood dripped down my face. I curled into a ball as my vision blurred-maybe from the tears, or maybe from the blood.


    He picked me up once again, this time by the arm, and in a matter of seconds we were back in our room.


    "Take a bath, wash up. I have work to attend to."


    With that he was gone. I walked into the bathroom, not because he told me to, but because I needed a wash.


    I wouldn''t ept that I lost. I would have to find a way to rescue Thane.


    After I took a quick shower, I got dressed. Lpaused when I saw my own image in the mirror. My face was aplete mess; small cuts and injuries marred my face, my lips were swollen, and one of my eyes had turned red. Not to mention my abdomen hurt like a bitch. I put on a hoodie and a pair of pants to cover the bruises on my body and let my hair down to cover as much of my face as it could.


    Just then Daemon walked in; his eyes lingered on my face a little too long.


    "Are you hungry?" he asked.


    "No, I just need to sleep."


    "Is there anything else you would need?"


    "No." I responded. All I wanted was for him to leave me alone; I just wanted to be alone, and he seemed to get that.


    "I had to check up on you, to be sure you don''t do anything stupid."


    "Okay."


    He paused, about to say something, but he seemed to reconsider.


    I woke


    up to discover I wasn''t alone. A maid ced the tray of food on the table. It was Prisci.


    The moment our eyes met, I clearly noted the look of pity that crossed her eyes. I knew that look; it had been the very same look I gave to Freya the first time I saw her face unveiled. I had never felt so embarrassed in my life. "Would you be needing anything else, Luna?"


    "No, you may leave and keep this to yourself."


    >>


    Chapter Ny Six


    I didn''t need to exin any more than that; she knew exactly what I was referring to.


    "There''s something I have to tell you, Luna."


    "That can wait; I need to be alone now.''


    "It''s about Thane."


    For a moment my heart sped up, then I realized she must be referring to Daemon, who was pretending to be Thane.


    "What about him?"


    "I know where he is."


    "Of course we know where he is; he is in his office or somewhere around the pack."


    "You don''t have to pretend; we both know Thane would never do this to you. Just as we know that the man in this pack is not Thane."


    I rose from the bed and headed to the door; I made sure it was shut.


    "You know?"


    "Yes, I do."


    "Then you have to keep this to yourself; he will kill you if he finds out that you know. Tell no one about this, as telling anyone will only mean putting their lives in danger. "You don''t understand Luna. I was a part of it all."

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    Chapter


    Ny Seven


    Chapter Ny Seven


    "So the Lycan''s curse, it was never real?" I asked her, and she nodded, wiping the tears off her face. Despite everything, I couldn''t bring myself to feel even a tinge of sympathy for her; Thane had been like a brother to Axel, and yet...


    Maybe I was just being unreasonable; I mean, if I had been ced in her ce and Thane or Ethan''s life was at stake, wouldn''t I do anything to get them back? "No, it wasn''t," she answered.


    If this was the truth, then why didn''t Thane tell me any of these? It could be possible that he knew nothing about it yet, or maybe he kept it away from me because he didn''t want me getting involved. He wanted me safe, but he was wrong. I wasn''t safe with Daemon; I had lost his trust and gained his hatred.


    "Why should I believe you?"


    Everyone seemed to be a traitor; I didn''t know who to believe and who not to, but one thing was clear: I had no choice, and so I was ready to stake it all.


    "So many times, I have wanted to tell you the truth..."


    "Like back in the garden?" I asked. I did remember how awkward our little conversation had been.


    "Yes. I wanted to tell you then, but it was an open ce. What if someone heard us?"


    "None of this exins how you know where Thane is."


    "I may have been a bit sneaky. I couldn''t live with the guilt and so I swore to help in any way I could. I might lose my life for this, but at least Adrian is safe now." She passed me a piece of paper.


    "What is this?"


    "It''s a portion of a map. I believe Thane had been kept somewhere there. I also marked a few spots there where I believe you will have higher chances of finding him. Good luck." Just then the door was pulled open and Prici took a step away from me.


    "I will leave now, Luna." She says, and I nodded, shoving the piece of paper into my pants pocket.


    Daemon blocked her path.


    "You weren''t the one I sent here. Why are you here?"


    "I am here to deliver the Luna''s meal as requested, Alpha. I didn''t know you''d already picked out someone for the task. I apologize."


    Daemon watched her, and I had to say, Prici did a good job at keeping her face unreadable. Finally, Daemon stepped away and let her through.


    "You are back... again."


    "I needed to make sure you were going to eat the food."


    "I don''t need a babysitter. You have work to do-remember?"


    "I also brought you some blood to recover faster."


    Chapter Ny Seven


    "I don''t want that."


    "No offense, you look like crap, and I don''t want to give the pack the wrong impression."


    "It won''t exactly be the ''wrong impression,'' don''t you think?"


    "I don''t like seeing you this way.


    "Then maybe you should stop hitting me.


    "You started it; I gave you just what you wanted, but you turned on me."


    "What the hell did you expect me to do? He was dying in there; I got desperate."


    "I should have known that''s exactly what you would do. Do you have any idea what would happen if Vox discovers


    I took you to Thane?" he asked, and I remained silent. "Of course. You don''t care."


    "You are right, I don''t; you could rot in hell." I stared at the blood bag in his hands. "I''m starting to think this is your own way of apologizing."


    "You don''t deserve an apology, yet I feel sorry for you."


    He pulled open the cap of the blood bag and took a sip; his lip stained with the blood, he walked to me, and it took everything in me not to move backwards. He held me steady, and then he... kissed me. That caught me unaware, and I gasped. He used that opportunity to pass the blood he had taken from the bag right into my mouth.


    The moment I tasted the blood, my bloodlust surged. I snatched the blood bag from his hands and gulped it down to thest drop.


    He kissed me again, but this time I refused him. Trying to push him away, he was stronger. He kissed down my neck despite the struggles and slowly bit into my neck; this time it was different; the pain was gone, almost immediately reced by... pleasure. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Ny Eight


    Chapter


    Ny Eight


    Daemon''s hands slipped down my hips; I felt like I had been ced under some kind of spell. My mind knew the right thing to do, but my body... my body was under his spell.


    Tears streamed down my eyes; this reminded me of time I spent under Bailey''s control, when I knew what I wanted, but I had no control over my own body. His bite had never had this powerful influence on me, and I guess this was all thanks to Vox.


    I knew for a fact that right now, if he touched me, if he... did more than just ''touching,'' I wouldn''t be able to fight him. What I felt now, it was natural, and I hated it. His hand slipped into my pants pocket, and before I could understand what he was doing, he pulled away. He held the piece of paper Prici had earlier passed to me in his hands.


    "I''ll always be one step ahead of you, Riley."


    "Is not what you think."


    "It''s not?" he asked, and I shook my head. "Then what is it?"


    "It''s nothing."


    "If it''s nothing, then you wouldn''t mind this."


    In a flicker the paper caught fire, his eyes glowed, the same color as the mes, and in that moment... I realized just how scared of him I was. I always knew he was a threat; I knew he was powerful too, but it never urred to me just how much of a threat he posed. "Of course I know about Prici and her... ns. Too bad I''ll have to kill her too."


    "No, please don''t." I pleaded. I shouldn''t care about her, and maybe I wouldn''t have if she hadn''t been Axel''s mother.


    Axel loved her, even after everything, and for that reason, I had to keep her alive.


    "How bad do you want her alive?" Daemon asked; I could see the challenge in those inhuman eyes as I slowly went to my knees.


    This was me lowering myself to nothing, this was me admitting that I had lost, and this was me stripping off my own self-dignity.


    My hands found his belt, and I fumbled with it, aware of his eyes on me. He ced his hands over mine and then he lowered to his knees before me. "I wouldn''t do that to you."


    "I thought this was what you wanted?" I asked him, noticing how he still towered over me, even in this position.


    "I thought so too and yet... I don''t want to see you being brought down to that, not when you don''t want it." "You can''t kill her.""


    "After everything she did to you, I would have thought you wouldn''t be so emotional over her."


    "I wasn''t doing this for her, but for Axel."


    "You''ve got a big heart. Thane is one lucky guy.


    He helped me up. "I will let her slide, this onest time."


    "Thank you."


    Chapter Ny Eight


    "But I''m doing this just for you; remember that."


    AN


    DAEMON


    I wasn''t being thorough; I knew that.


    Leaving out loose ends always ends up in disasters; I also knew that, and yet seeing her on her knees did something to me, I couldn''t exin it.


    I watched her sleep, relieved that all the marks and bruises had left on her face had healed up. I hated seeing that, and for a demon like me, that felt like some kind of a glitch in the system. We revel in others'' pain; that''s what makes us the viins. Riley brought out another part of me, the weaker part; it made me feel humane, and I hated that feeling.


    I waited till she fell asleep before I rose from the bed. I knew Vox was already in the pack; I could sense his presence, and I might just know why he was here.


    23

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    Chapter Ny Nine


    I didn''t like the fact that Vox chose the garden for our meeting. This was Riley''s spot.


    "Vox. Wee back." I said to him, I didn''t need to ce a fake smile on my lips. Demons weren''t like humans; they couldn''t be easily deceived with falsities.


    I didn''t like Vox being in this pack either; I couldn''t control him-actually, it was the other way around; he controlled me, and I hated being under another''s control. Of course it always feels exciting at the beginning, but then all of a sudden... it''s just not.


    "I can see you have not done as I asked. Perhaps you still need more time?"


    "I have been a bit upied." I answered.


    "With what, if I may ask? Could it have been your little trip!"


    "What trip?"


    "You visited the Lycan, didn''t you?" he asked, and I gave no response. "She made you do it." He added, it wasn''t a question; he was simply stating facts.


    "It was a mistake that won''t repeat itself."


    "I do not believe you. The queen seems to have you wrapped around her finger. You will have to choose who you pay loyalty to."


    "You should not question my loyalty."


    "Son, I think it''s time you killed her."


    I didn''t let him see how those words had affected me.


    "As I have clearly stated before, we need her."


    "No, we don''t. But you do you lust after her. She will only make you weak; you are far stronger without her by your side."


    "I''ll be the one to decide that, Vox."


    He had a small smile on his face. Vox wasn''t like any other ruler; he liked when he was being challenged, and that was exactly what I was doing now, but even I too knew my limit.


    "Your lust can be satisfied by any other maiden; you can make them submissive and they will fulfill your needs." He didn''t get it; I didn''t want any other woman; I wanted Riley. "I will keep her in line, she would be of no issue." "Good, because if shees between my n, I will not hesitate to kill her myself." He said, and I nodded.


    There had been another letter from Bruce. For a while now he had been sending letters to his ''daughter''; little did he know that none of them had reached her. He believed she was ignoring him, but I had been the one cornering the messages, making sure none got to her, Bruce was smart; he had discovered something was wrong, and though he was isted in his building, I had no doubt that he could be of help.


    Vox was right; I was getting soft; Riley had me wrapped around her fingers. How else would I be able to exin the truth that I knew just where her son, Ethan, had been kept, and I did nothing about it?


    Chapter Ny Nine


    7


    I knew Ethan was thest straw, and if I took him away from her, she would never be the same, ... I didn''t want to break her in that manner. Not yet.


    I returned back to the room to notice the bed was empty. Riley wasn''t there.


    I went to the garden, her favourite spot; she wasn''t there either.


    It seemed little Riley had once again made a very stupid decision.


    "Where is my mate, the luna?" I asked the patrolling soldier.


    "She informed us she was going for a short journey." One of them said, clearly surprised I knew nothing about it.


    "Did she tell you where she was heading to?" I asked.


    "No, she didn''t mention." The second one said,


    I nodded. "Thank you for your time."


    In a sh, I snapped the neck of the first soldier. The second one fell to his knees, pleading; he knew better than to run. These people didn''t offend me in any way, but I made Riley a promise; all she had to do was keep to her part of the deal and no one would get hurt. Once again, she didnt.


    I tore out the second soldier''s head from his body, ending him instantly- at least their deaths were quick ones.


    "Look what you made me do, Riley."

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    Chapter Hundred RILEY


    I waited until Daemon left before taking the crumpled paper out of the drawer.


    If he had given even a single nce at the piece of paper he had set on fire, he would have known it wasn''t the right one. It was pure luck that he had searched the wrong pocket. I too had believed it was all over. It wasn''t until I had unconsciously dipped my hand into my pocket did I realized it was still there the portion of the map Prici had given me was still there, and that meant there was still a chance. I could find Thane.


    I was well aware of what Daemon could do if he discovered had escaped but if I did find Thane, then it would be worth it.


    Two days. That''s how long it took for me to get to the first location. I had only managed to spot a small scrawny building but other than that, there was nothing else on the wide expanse ofnd. I had been about to continue on with the journey when I noticed the dim lighting from one of the windows in the building. Someone was in there.


    I walked to the door and knocked.


    There was no response. I knocked two more times, still no response, and so I gave up, turning around to continue on my way. Just then the door was pushed open, and I was hit with the familiar scent. I turned, and it was thest person I expected to see. It was Isabe, and she had a look of panic in her eyes.


    She had been about to shut the door, but I kicked it open.


    Anger and fury was all I felt.


    "Where is he?" I growled at her. She slowly backed away. "You little bitch, how could you!"


    I felt a presence behind me, everything had happened in a sh - I couldn''t defend myself; I felt the piece of material blocking my intake of breath, and I was forced to inhale. My vision went blurry, but never once did I take my eyes off Be.


    I woke up in an unfamiliar room; Be sat on a wooden chair, directly facing me. My hands and feet had been bound to the chair I had been ced on.


    "You were a fool foring here with no backup."


    "Where is Thane?" I repeated.


    "Somewhere, rotting to his death."


    "Why? Why did you do this?"


    "Because he chose you, he chose you over me, and I am his mate; I am the rightful Luna, and yet it was always you."


    "You lied about everything, Be. I might not deserve him, but you don''t either."


    She pped me hard. "You don''t tell me what I do and do not deserve. It''s not him I want there; it''s you, and yet it had to be this way. If I am not going to have him, then you won''t be either."


    "So this is what it''s all about?"


    Chapter Hundred


    "There is so much you don''t know, so much you don''t understand. You haven''t been through one tenth of what I had to suffer. Do you know what it felt like, wishing you could live just to be with the man you love? That''s why the ritual worked on me; even after so many years, I had still been holding onto the memories- I had been holding unto him, and so I was never really dead, just somewhere in between. Finally, I am offered a chance to be with him once again, but he doesn''t want me; he wants you" she spat out the words, a sneer on her face.


    Logan walked in; he didn''t give me even a single nce; he must have been the same person who drugged me earlier. He ced a kiss on Be''s lips, and she kissed him back, but her eyes remained on me.


    "I have alerted Daemon that she is in our custody; he should be here soon to take her away." Logan said like I wasn''t right in front of him.


    "No, you cannot let him have me."


    "She is right; why do we have to give her to him when we could just... kill her?".


    B

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    Chapter Hundred and One


    Logan seemed to be considering what Be said as an option.


    "It would be easier to do that, but we have a lot on our table we wouldn''t want a lovesick demon against us too." He said, but Be didn''t seem to agree to that. "I believe you can watch over her while I''m gone; she poses no threat-not with the toxin still in her system." "I will be happy to watch over her." Be replied with a smile.


    She had changed- I noticed. All that had gone on between thane and me had changed her, and now she was someone entirely different.


    The moment Logan left, Be brought out a small dagger.


    "Killing me won''t be a wise option." I reminded her.


    "Who said I am killing you?" she asked. She pointed the dagger at my throat. "It wouldn''t hurt to leave a mark or two." She brought the dagger closer to my cor and then she made a small cut, enough to draw blood. She smiled at the sight before going ahead to make an even deeper cut. "You know this is no fun when you aren''t in tears."


    She stabbed the dagger into myp, and I let out a small whimper.


    "Better." Shemented, she tore the dagger out of her skin, not yet done.


    A loud sound rang out, resembling a gunshot, three more gunshots followed. The main door was knocked down, and I heard footsteps approaching. Be turned in the direction of the noise, her dagger lifted as if that could do anything to protect her. The door to the room I had been ced in was mmed open too, and before she could make a move, a shot struck her square in the abdomen; she fell to the ground, her mouth agape in surprise.


    The man who had walked in had his facepletely wrapped with a grey cloth; only his eyes were left visible. I recognized those eyes, but I couldn''t quite ce where I has seen them.


    He picked up the dagger Be had used on me, for a moment I thought he was going to kill me but then he tore me free of the ropes that had been used to bind me to the chair. His hold kept me from falling. With the poison. still in my system, my limbs felt heavy and weak; I could barely stand on my own feet.


    The man ced me over his shoulders and took me out of the house. About ten men were waiting outside, all with their faces covered by the same brown cloth. Three ck SUVs awaited us, their engines still running."


    The moment he had me in the car, the rest followed, and we drove away.


    I turned to look at him as he drove.


    ""Who are you?"


    "I am surprised you didn''t recognize me, but that is a good thing." He took off the cloth covering his face, and I couldn''t deny that this was unexpected. It was Trent. Alpha Trent.


    "How did you know I was here?"


    "Your father, Bruce, sent me to get you."


    "He did?" I asked, surprised. I had been trying to reach Bruce for a long time now.


    "He sent me a letter; he seems to know just where you were and also where you are heading to. He wants me to bring you to him."


    "But I have to find Thane." I objected.


    Chapter Hundred and One


    "Well, in the form you currently are in, I don''t think that would be exactly possible, and who knows if he can help you with that?" Trent was right..


    "Thank you. I honestly don''t know what I would have done


    "You are wee, and I think that injury needs to be taken care of." He said, pointing at myp.


    "It will heal." I assured him.


    "Not as fast as usual considering you''ve been drugged. I think there is a Care Kit in the jet."


    "You came with a jet?" I asked, surprised.


    "These cars wouldn''t get us out of here in time. We wouldn''t want Thane''s stepbrother catching up with us.

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    Chapter Hundred and Two


    Trent soldiers split into two groups; five apanied us, while the rest continued with the cars. It was only a matter of time before Logan discovered what had happened and sought revenge. The other soldiers would lead him on the wrong trail." I had worried about their lives, but Trent assured me they would survive.


    The poison in my system was slowly wearing off. Trent had ended to my injuries, and by the time we were at the familiar-looking building that belonged to Bruce, I could walk on my own without any form of assistance. Trent had been about to knock, but the door creaked open on its own.


    "I will leave you here; I think my work is done."


    "Trent, wait." I called, and he paused. "Why did you help me?" I asked. I knew he was trustworthy and always ready to help, but it was indeed strange that he had left his own pack for this; that was no typical Alpha behavior.


    "I have my reasons. You will find out in the years toe." He said, and with that, he was gone. I didn''t understand that one bit, but I was more than grateful for his help. I watched him walk away, and only when he was out of sight did I walk into Bruce''s house. He was there in the hallways waiting.


    "I didn''t think you would agree toe here."


    "Why wouldn''t I?" I asked. If only he knew how I had been desperately trying to get to him.


    "You never sent a reply to all my messages."


    "What messages?"


    His gaze met mine; we were both thinking the very same thing. "None of the letters did get to you, did they?"


    "No. They didn''t."


    "I suspected that, and that''s why I had to contact Alpha Trent, and I''m d he was able to find you. There is something of importance I want to discuss with you, and it has to do with Vox, but first you need to eat something; you must be famished." He said, directing me into his living area. I took a seat on the old-fashioned porch.


    "How do you get food supplies in here?"


    "I have a few people I pay to deliver what I need." He answered with a wave of his hand.


    "I am not really hungry; a ss of water will do."


    He snapped his fingers, and a wooden cup filled with water appeared on the table.


    "That was..."


    "Cool?"


    "I was going to say fast, but that would work too." I picked up the cup, studying the designs on the wooden cup before I brought it to my lips. I drank till thest drop. I was thirsty. "Perhaps some more?"


    "No, there won''t be any need for that."


    Chapter Hundred and Twin


    "I want you to pass a message to Vox for me. I want you to let him know I have what he wants the most, and I would only release it to him under a few... conditions."


    I didn''t know if he realized I was trying to escape Daemon and Vox, but I wasn''t about to walk straight back into


    their arms.


    "Vox would kill me before I have the chance to utter a word, that''s if Daemon doesn''t make it to me first."


    "Vox is in search of a sacred jewelry. ''Nexus Amulet'' is more than just a plece of jewelry, though.


    I had always wondered why Vox fought to escape the ''underworld.'' I mean, he is the Demon Overlord; that should be his fortress, and yet he would do anything to remain here. That is because in the underworld, he is not seen as a ruler, not without the Nexus amulet in his possession. Demons In the underworld pay no reference to titles and bloodlines; they only submit to the wielder of the amulet.


    It had once been in Vox''s possession, but his brother had stolen it from him, and now it is in my possession; with this, we can strike a bargain with him."


    "What do I have to do?"


    "Tell him I will only trade the amulet under two conditions Thane will be set free, and he will break the curse he ced on me, finally freeing me from this godforsaken ce."


    "Do you really have the amulet?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "I do."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Three DAEMON,


    "Where the hell is she?" I asked. Logan had Isabe in his arms; there was a lot of blood, the female seemed to have been shot, but that was their problem. She was still alive though, and she was going to survive, but that didn''t stop Logan from acting like a wimp. He kept on whispering apologies to her as though she were dying I walked to them, ripping him off her, and I held him against the wall. "Where is she?" I questioned again.


    He finally seemed to notice my presence. "She is gone!" he said, shrugging off my hold and returning back to the bleeding girl.


    "Gone? What do you mean, gone? You told me you have her, and she was drugged. How the hell did she escape?" "I have no fucking idea!"


    I was not going to get anything from him.


    I had to check up on Thane; if she hade this close, then maybe...


    I didn''t want to think about it.


    Ishifted, appearing in front of the cave. A spell had been casted to secure the ce, it refrained anyone from spotting the entry until they got close enough.


    Inside was pitch ck, but I could see clearly through the darkness.


    Thane was still there. That means she never did get here. That left me without any lead, and despite my annoyance, I would have to wait for little Be to wake so could question her. I didn''t think Riley did all these on her own.


    I returned to the pack; the first thing I noticed was his presence. Vox was here.


    This time he waited in the office.


    "She escaped, didn''t she?" he asked the moment I walked in.


    "I am going to find her." I promised.


    "I know you will. But you''ve failed me more than once, and I am beginning to wonder if you were a mistake."


    "I won''t fail you again."


    "You made a promise to me that she would not be a problem and neither would shee between our ns. She did just that. Since you are unable to handle her I will take the burden off you."


    This time there was no room to make bargains; he was going to go through with it, and I couldn''t protect her.


    Foolish little girl-I thought to myself.


    Just then the door to the office was pulled open, and Riley walked in without a single care in the world. She gave me a nce before her eyes met Vox


    "Smart of you to deliver yourself to your own death," He said.


    Chapter One Hundred and Three


    Vox lifted two fingers, and Riley fell on her knees; she let out a small grunt of pain. I looked away; I wasn''t going


    to watch this.


    Vox was going to kill her right before me just to teach me a lesson.


    Riley seemed to be choking on her own words, but then she managed to mutter, "The amulet... I can get you- the amulet."


    Vox released her from the magic he had used to hold her down.


    "I don''t have time for games." He warned, but I could see how important this ''amulet'' was to him.


    "I know where the Nexus Amulet is, and I''ll tell you, but first, you''ll have to agree to my conditions."


    Vox''s eyes glowed again, and Riley gasped in pain, coughing up blood.


    "I could kill you." He warned.


    "Kill me and say goodbye to your beloved jewelry once again. Imagine what would happen when you return back to the underworld without it. It will be pure torment, Vox, so let''s not pretend like we don''t know it''s worth." She said with a smile that revealed her blood stained teeth.


    I had never seen Vox look so conflicted; he always seemed to be above everything, and yet, she made him think twice"

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    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    RILEY''S POV


    I had thought Vox would kill me before I had a chance to speak. For a moment, I doubted Bruce''s words. But the instant I mentioned the amulet, I saw something flicker in Vox''s eyes-it seemed to pique his interest.


    "Do you have the Nexus Amulet?" he asked.


    "I know how you can get it."


    "I need proof."


    "I don''t have any; you will have to believe me."


    Those ck orbs found me once again. "What are your conditions?"


    "Thane will be set free. My father, Bruce, must be released from the spell you cast on him. And finally, you will end this madness of turning the other packs against us."


    Thest part hadn''t been part of the conversation I had with Bruce.


    "The warlock." Vox whispered, seemingly deep in thought "It will be interesting to meet him again after so 11 years; I didn''t think he would survive it, but just like you, he is a survivor."


    "I''m d you still remember just whom I am referring to."


    A cold, humorless smile formed on his lips.


    "And what if I don''t agree to your terms? I mean, being the Overlord in this world is far more profitable; maybe I don''t need the amulet afterall."


    I did my best to suppress the panic rising in my chest; this was the only way to free Thane, and if he refuses, then it is all over.


    "Fine. If you don''t need the amulet, then perhaps I would trade with someone who really sees its worth." With that I turned away, heading for the door; the fact that I wasn''t yet dead meant he was still considering my offer. Each step felt heavier than the next. I waited for him to speak up, but he didn''t. At the veryst second, he finally spoke up.


    ""Wait." He called in his usual calm tone.


    A smile formed on my face as I turned around.


    "I guess we have a deal?" I asked.


    Every of your conditions will be met, but one. Thane would remain locked away until I have set my eyes on the jewel."


    Vox knew exactly what I wanted the most; I would have to believe him just as he would have to trust me.


    "How do I know you will keep to your words when the timees?"


    "I swear to you, let my very own words bind me if I fail to keep to the bargain."


    Bruce said he had it, but I hadn''t exactly seen it, yet I believed him; I had no other options. If he wasn''t being


    honest, then we would all be doomed for sure. This bargain could either be a sess or an absolute disaster; I was well aware that I could lose my life, and yet, I had no other choice. "Then we have a deal,"


    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    I stretched out my hand to shake his, but he stared at my outstretched hand with a cocked eyebrow.


    "I know you are ancient and all, bute on, it''s a handshake."


    Finally, he grasped my hand, his grip firm. I was sure going to have some bruises; maybe exchanging handshakes with Demon Overlord isn''t exactly the best idea.


    "Are you really agreeing to this?" Daemon questioned, the surprise clear on his face. "This is going to ruin everything we''ve nned,"


    "Perhaps it''s time we changed the n."


    Daemon didn''t seem at all pleased with my bargain.


    "I want my jewel in three days." Vox said and I nodded.


    The D The Demon Overlord disappeared into thin air, leaving me alone with Daemon


    "That did work out better than I thought it would."


    "I want to know, what is this amulet Vox is ready to risk everything for?" Daemon asked.


    "It must be new that I know something you don''t, right?" asked with a sly smile on my face.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    "Did you for one moment think about what would happen things had gone the other way? I mean, Vox could have killed you even before you had the chance to ce a bargain." Dactnon said to me, and his worry for me still caught me by surprise. "Believe me, that did cross my mind more than once."


    "And yet you were willing to risk it all for... him."


    "Yes, I was," I answered, making myselffortable in one of the office chairs. "Things are going to change, Daemon, and it will happen really, really fast."


    "You seem so confident now; it looks like you''ve forgotten what I can do to you."


    "No, I haven''t, but you see, Vox would want me alive now more than ever, so you can''t really kill me."


    "I don''t have to kill you to have my fun." He reminded me, a smile curved on his lips, exposing his fangs. I held back a shiver as the memory of how it felt when he bit me shed past my mind. I had hated it because my body loved it; I hated it because I had no control, and he... Daemon was in full control.


    He was right; While Vox needed me alive, I didn''t think he would care if I got delivered back to him without an


    "Does it bother you?" I began, just to change the topic. "That Thane would be back, and all you think you''ve built will be gone?" I asked.


    "Yes. It does."


    His genuine answer surprised me.


    "Who had helped you escape from Logan?" he questioned.


    "Like I will tell you that."


    "You don''t really think I''d be going after them to massacre them, do you?"


    "I wouldn''t put that past you."


    "I am capable of controlling my murder spree. And on a side note, I will advise you to stay away from the stepbrother."


    "Logan?"


    "Yes. He seemed pretty ''fucked up'' when Isabe got shot; bet he wants revenge now more than ever."


    "You know, I did run away from you, breaking out little agreement; I expected you to get mad, maybe even beat me up as you usually do, but here you are giving me survival tips. I am curious: what do you have under your sleeve, Daemon?"


    "Would you prefer that?" he asked, a glint in his eyes. "You are right." He continued. "I would have been mad at you, but only a few minutes ago, I thought I would be witnessing your own death. You survived by a very slim chance, but at that moment I was scared." "Scared... for me?"


    I didn''t quite believe it, and neither did I understand why he was telling me this.


    "I would have med myself, lived with guilt for the rest of my miserable life, and, of course, I wouldn''t have been able to forget you, but then you survived, and I can''t even bring myself to be mad at you for running away or


    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    destroying all my ns.


    I didn''t know what to say; I waspletely speechless. I racked my brain for something to say as a response but came up nk.


    "So Isabe died?" I asked in a voice too high-pitched, internally smacking myself for acting so strange.


    "No, she didn''t. She will survive, and so you have two eneres added to the list."


    Trent hadn''t shot to kill; if he had wanted to kill her, he would have aimed for her heart.


    That night, I could barely sleep; all I could think about was Thane...and Ethan who I hadn''t visited for a while, afraid that if I did, I might put him in danger.


    I would have to meet with Bruce once again and inform him of everything I had discussed with Vox. We didn''t have much time; three days wasn''t exactly a lot, and if I wanted to get to Bruce faster, then I was going to need... Daemon''s help. He was thest person I should be asking for help.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Six


    "So... Do you have the amulet?" Daemon asked me as I got dressed.


    "Not exactly."


    He was right in front of me in the next second, forcing me to take a step back. "You know you have to stop doing that."


    "Riley, you don''t y games with Vox. He will have you killed, and for leading him on, he might exact a punishment worse than death on you.


    "I know that." I admitted, running my hands through my hair-something I had seen Thane do when he is agitated. "He says he has it."


    "Who?"


    "Bruce."


    "And you believe him?"


    "I don''t have an option.


    "Stop saying that; you do-or at least you ''did.''. You didn''t have to y hero; if you remained at the pack, Vox wouldn''t have any wish to kill you, you would have been safe." "You are right; I did have an option." I agreed. "Just not one I was willing to take."


    He took a step back. "Have it your way then. You''ve always been stubborn."


    I took a deep inhale. "I need your help."


    "You need my help?" he asked, surprised by my statement.


    "Yes. Vox only gave me three days, which is already counting. I need to get to Bruce the quickest way I can, and... your ''shifting'' is the fastest method I know of."


    Daemon cocked a brow at me. "So you want me to help you get to Bruce so you can take the amulet, free Thane, and kick me out of your life?"


    Now that he said it out loud, it indeed sounded strange of me to ask him for any help in this. You know what? Forget it; I''m sorry I asked."


    I guess I would just have to find another way....


    He had done one of those really quick movements again, easily sweeping me off my feet; his hold on me was sure, and in what seemed like seconds, we were right in front of Bruce''s house.


    He let me down to my feet, his gaze locked into mine. He didn''t need to say the words; I could see them written in his eyes. ''I''m doing this... just for you.''.


    And then he disappeared.


    The door swung open even before I knocked, and I walked in.


    "Bruce?" I called, but there was no response. "Bruce!" I called louder, feeling slightly panicked.


    "A moment!" he called back, and finally I spotted him. He walked towards me, but I noticed the slight limp to his


    Chapter One Hundred and Six


    walk.


    "Are you alright?" I asked, my gaze trailing down to his seemingly injured leg.


    "I am totally fine. How did it go?"


    "Vox is willing to make a trade, but he has his... conditions too. "He had agreed to release you from the spell-but he refused to let Thane go until he had the jewel." I said to him, "I added a third condition; I hope that won''t offset things?" "It''s fine." Bruce responded, but I noticed the slight frown on his features.


    "Everything went perfectly well... didn''t it?"


    "Yes-it did-it went well."


    Bruce... What aren''t you telling me?


    "It''s nothing."


    "Bruce." I called again an edge to my voice.


    "It''s just that I hoped he would fulfill all the conditions before I fulfill mine."


    "Don''t worry, everything will be fine as long as you have the jewel. And you do have it, right?"


    "About that..."


    "You said you had the jewel!"


    "I did... but..."


    "Vox is going to kill me and you and then he will destroy my pack if he believes I lied to him."


    "I have it. Okay. And I will deliver it to him when the timees."


    "If you have it, then let me see it."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seven


    My system slowly got ustomed to the pain the Lycan''s bine brought, or maybe I was just getting numb.


    I barely heard the footsteps approaching. It was Flynn; de followed next.


    "This is almost too sad to watch." de began. "Watching a powerful man fall from grace is indeed sad; it reminds me of what I had to suffer."


    I gave no response.


    "The time hase." Flynn said, "He is weak enough; the ritual can bepleted."


    He ced down the brown bag he had brought along with him. He took out some bottles from the bag; I could. only recognize one, the smaller bottle in the middle filled with a ckish liquid. I recognized it because that was the very same thing which had been continually administered to me from time to time. Lycan''s Bane.


    "For de to take over your body, you will have to be killed. I will give you a minute. Do you have anyst words?" He asked, eyebrows cocked at me.


    What was he expecting me to say? Perhaps I could make promises that I will get back at de for this, but I was going to be dead, so I couldn''t exactly do that.


    Flynn offered me a bottle of water, and I epted, draining it before tossing it aside


    "I do havest words." I began, my voice rough fromck of use. "I want you to have one thing in mind: the world won''t remember you. Nothing you do will change that. My name will go down in history-not yours." de took a step forward; he seemed to be forgetting he was nothing but a ghost; reality caught up quick.


    with him real


    "Let''s get on with the goddamn ritual already." He said, and Flynn nodded, picking up the bottle filled with a white powdery substance. He pulled open the cap; he formed an arc around me with the powder. ''Ignis," he whispered, and the white substance caught fire. He lifted his hands to the air, muttering what sounded like Latin words.


    I closed my eyes, thinking about Riley. She was going to be fine-Iforted myself; she was going to train the child, and he would grow up to be a good man, unlike me, unlike de; he would have a mother who loved him. I leaned against the wall as the mes rose higher and higher. Flynn''s eyes turned purple, and so did the mes.


    "Is it working?" de asked but didn''t get a response.


    I heard a loud wail, the cries seeming toe from everywhere and nowhere at once. The bridge to the otherworld had been opened. The very ce I was going to be sent to, and just then the chanting stopped.


    Flynn stood wide-eyed, blood poured out of his mouth; It took me moment to spot therge sword protruding from his stomach. It was pulled out and he slumped to the floor, revealing the wielder of the sword. Logan. He had a crazed smile on his face.


    "No!" de cried out. "What have you done?"


    "Rest in peace, Alpha de." Logan said to him, and right before our eyes, de dissolved into a cloud of mist. His gaze never did leave me. Once again, he failed, but this time, there were no second chances.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seven


    Daemon was right; Logan would never allow de to win. He wanted to be the one to kill me so he could take over the throne, and what better time to kill a Lycan than when He had been poisoned with Lycan''s bane? He threw a sword at me.


    "I am giving you a chance to fight and die on your feet with a sword in your hands; you deserve that in the very least. But make no mistake, you will not live to see the light of day." Chapter One Hundred

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    I picked up the sword and staggered to my feet.


    "I have dreamt of this day." He began. "You were the brother who got everything he wanted; even the moon goddess was on your side, but I... I never got those things, Don''t you think I wanted them to? Don''t you think! wanted to stay away from the shadows and rule? Don''t you think I wanted my name spread abroad?"


    "It is not my fault you chose to be a coward; no one forced you into hiding, but you were afraid of your own shadow. I will always be willing to take the risk-because that''s what living means.


    I was right; he knew it, and that maddened him. I watch the frown curve on his lips.


    His sword came at me, but I blocked it. He didn''t stop with the attack; he came at me again and again. I hated the feeling of weakness; I hated the fact that we were unmatched and I wascking, I wasn''t as fast as I used to be, nor was I as strong, but I wasn''t giving up either.


    I managed to give him a nick in the shoulder.


    He growled,ing at me harder this time, knocking the sword out of my hands. His next aim was true, giving me a deep cut in the back. I reached for my sword, picking it up, and despite the pain and dizziness I felt, I rose to my feet once again. "I''m beginning to wonder if the Bane was as effective as I was told they were. Killing you should be easy."


    "Sorry to disappoint you, brother, but I really want to live." I said to him, a small smile curving on my lips. He didn''t appreciate my humor even a bit. He charged at me, attempting to knock me off bnce. I saw that moveing, and so I dodged. I gave him another cut to the cheeks.


    Of course that didn''t slow him down; he attacked on, leaving me with no option but to switch to defense. Once again he knocked the sword out of my hands; his sword pressed against my ribcage, digging deeper-his aim was the heart. I gripped the de, applying pressure; if I let go, then this would be the end. The sword cut into my palm, and blood poured down to the ground. Despite the pain, I held on, but as the seconds passed by, he was getting the upper hand. I wouldn''t win this time.


    A single drop of sweat dripped down my eyebrow; everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Maybe this was the time people spoke about, when they say your whole life shed before your very eyes.


    1 spotted the figure approaching. Axel.


    Axel was dead.


    This could only mean one thing.


    Just then the pressure was gone from my chest, and the sword Logan had held fell to the ground. Logan clutched his head, letting out a cry. I couldn''t process what was going on.


    But Axel stood before me, the remains of a broken bottle in his hands. The same bottle that had once contained Lycan''s Bane.


    It wasn''t my imagination. Axel was standing right before me.


    "You look like you''ve seen a ghost." He said, "Maybe because you are indeed seeing one."


    "How?"


    "I don''t know either. Ghosts shouldn''t be able to feel things, right?"


    "I can see you."


    Chapter One Hundred and


    Axel paused, cocking a brow at me. "This is getting very word; we have a Lycan that needs to be killed," he reminded me.


    Axel picked up the sword and walked to Logan, who''s skin seemed to have been burnt by the Lycan''s bane.


    "What are you?" Logan asked Axel, just as surprised as I was.


    "Many referred to me as The Beta, but I don''t mind what you call me." Axel answered.


    +

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    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    I finally snapped back to my senses and joined him, cing my feet over Logan''s chest to keep him from moving


    Axel thrust the sword into his heart and twisted.


    "Now look who won''t be seeing the light of day." I said to him as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.


    I turned to Axel, still astonished.


    "The warlock had opened the portal. I don''t know how I managed to get here, but I don''t have much time. I can feel it the portal is about to shut." Axel said.


    "Thank you." I said to him, epting the sword from his hands.


    "I can''t believe even in death, I''m still saving your ass; you need to give me a raise or something" He demanded. The smile faded from his face almost instantly. "Riley-what about Riley? Did she survive?" "Yes, she did, and we have a child... His name is Ethan."


    "Let me guess, you came up with the name?"


    "It was a joint contribution, but... yeah, I did."


    Make sense; Ethan is clearly a rewrite of your name, Thane."


    "I didn''t have that in mind."


    "Yeah, yeah."


    I couldn''t help but let out a smallugh. "We do miss you, the whole pack does." I said to him,


    "Now when the hell did Thane ckwood get very emotional? I guess I have Riley to me for that."


    I didn''t realize we were already at the cave''s exit till the bright light hit my eyes. It did take more than a few seconds for me to adjust to it.


    I was about to say something to Axel, but when I looked to my side... he was gone.


    Each step grew harder. Despite the cold, sweat clung to my skin. I was losing blood-too much blood.


    I finally spotted a building; hopefully whoever lives in there would have something I could use on the injuries.


    I kicked the door open and walked in.


    The ce was silent, but I could perceive the familiar scent I heard footsteps; someone wasing down the stairs. "Logan?" the tiny voice called. I knew just who it was. The moment she spotted me, she let out a cry and backed away.


    Isabe looked horrified. I couldn''t me her; I was covered in blood and had an equally bloody sword in my hands.


    I walked to her, taking slow, deliberate steps. She ran back up the stairs and locked herself in one of the rooms. I followed her. Kicking open the door, I found her hiding behind a bookshelf. "Did you really think you wouldn''t pay for what you did? You betrayed me, Be."


    +26 BONUS


    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    "I didn''t mean to; I am sorry; please forgive me. I don''t want to die." She begged, tears streaming down her face.


    I pointed the sword at her neck. One quick movement and this would be over; she would be dead. She deserved it. My sword cut into her skin, and she stilled, her eyes closed


    It shouldn''t be this hard, and yet... I couldn''t do it... I could''t bring myself to kill her. Not because I felt anything for her, but simply because, despite everything, she was st my mate.


    "I had rejected you before, now, I want you to ept my rejection."


    If we were no longer mates, it would be easier to kill her.


    "No. I love you, Thane; please let me hold onto this."


    "You are willing to hold onto the mate bond, even to death?


    "Yes." She answered, and I withdrew the sword.


    I couldn''t do it.


    "Leave, get out of my sight, go somewhere very far away from me and Riley; if you get spotted, even by soldiers, I will have you killed." "Thank you-thank..."


    "Go!"


    She hurried away, and only when she was gone did I let go of the sword.

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    Chapter One ndred and fom Chapter One Hundred and Ten RILEY''S POV


    Bruce had pleaded with me to trust him. I wish I could; I wish his words were enough. But Seeing was believing, Still, I had no other choice; there was no way around it. It was either I y along, or I let Vox know that the amulet wasn''t in my keep that would lead to my death or a punishment ''much worse than death."


    We had only a few hours left.


    A few hours, and Vox would be here, right outside Bruce''s house. This decision was going to determine'' everything.''. I tried to keep calm; I had to put on my big girl''s panties. Fear was no good in times like this; it didn''t let people think straight. I was a queen; it was time showed it.


    Too soon, the time was up. Three days was spent.


    Vox was right on time, with Daemon by his side.


    I and Bruce stood by the doorway of his building.


    "We meet again, young warlock." Vox says to Bruce.


    "Has the Demon Overlord decided that I have suffered enough for my crimes?"


    "No punishment would ever be adequate for the atrocities youmitted."


    "You''ve spoken like a just man."


    "I havee here on the basis of the bargain." Vox gaze found me. "Where is my amulet woman?"


    I turned to Bruce, and he gave me a reassuring nod. "He will give it to you, but first you will have toplete your bargain as agreed."


    I was indeed surprised; not once did my voice falter. Vox gave me yet another long look; a smile formed on his face, revealing white, razor-sharp teeth.


    "Of course. You maye forth, Warlock."


    "That''s it? The spell has been broken?" I asked, giving him a bewildered look.


    "Yes, that''s it." He answered with a smile.


    I had expected that a spell strong enough to keep a warlock trapped here for years would need some effort to get


    broken.


    Bruce took a deep breath, loud enough for me to hear, and stepped forward, stepping out the door as the sunlight bathed his skin.


    "It''s broken." He muttered like he couldn''t believe it. "I am free."


    "Not yet." Vox answered, "Not till I get my amulet."


    There was aplete silence. It was getting even clearer that I didn''t have it, and a frown formed on Vox''s face.


    "Did you take me for a fool?" he asked me.


    Before I could respond, Bruce tossed a piece of jewel to Vox itnded at his feet.


    By mere staring at it, I could tell this held power. Daemon took a step back; he looked disturbed by the sight of the Nexus Amulet''.


    Tiraiser One Hose and ter


    The amulet was a bracelet made of gold, it had a gem in the middle the gem the color of the sky at night. Vox slowly picked it up; he ced it on his wrist, and the bracelet widened to his fitting.


    "You have your bracelet now." I said to him, "Now where i Thane?"


    "I will do as I have promised..."


    He trailed off. ck vines covered his arms, spreading outward from the Nexus Amulet.


    Vox tried taking off the bracelet, but it had gotten attached he couldn''t take it off. The ck tendrils covered and wrapped around his body, holding him bound. He broke through, but thicker vines reced them, this time he couldn''t escape them. "What is this?" he demanded. "You traitor!" He spits out.


    "Bruce..." I began, but he shook his head, indicating I be quite.


    I saw the female figure approaching; I couldn''t believe my very own eyes. It was Jade. She nodded to Bruce before turning to Vox.


    "You!" he growled, no longer trying to keep calm.


    "Yes." She replied, a smile gracing her face. "Me."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    You must have thought me stupid. Do you for one momen think I didn''t have a backup?


    I might have had high hopes that you didn''t kill Ralph, but was no fool; I know who you are and what you are good at. You don''t keep to your words, and so I made sure I was protected. There is a reason I have lived for so many years." Jade says, the smile remained


    on her face, "I know how to stay alive."


    Her eyes glowed.


    "I will send you to the otherworld, where you belong."


    "No! Daemon, kill them all!" hemanded, but Daemon didn''t move an inch.


    "I did warn you; you are setting yourself up for destruction You didn''t listen; you brought it upon yourself."


    "I will return, I promise you... and when I do, every one of you will pay!" His words held a promise.


    "And how long will that take?" Daemon asked. "A century? I''wo? Three?"


    "The tendrils... They stop him from using any of his powers." Jade exins, "Even Nexus herself has her favorites, and it turns out... you aren''t one of her favorites.


    Jade''s eyes turned white as she began chanting. "Abi! Redi mundum tuum et dormi usque ad diem r¨¦versionis tuae."


    "What is she saying?" I asked Bruce.


    "A spell to send the Overlord back to his realm until the day of his awakening." Bruce responded.


    "Why can''t she just... kill him?"


    0


    "Killing an overlord will bring down the wrath of Nexus, and her wrath is grievous. He might be the least favorite, but he is still her creature."


    I watched Vox burn to his bones.


    "What about Thane?" I asked.


    "I will find him." Bruce promised.


    Jade took off the amulet from Vox''s wrist. "I will be on my way now."


    "Where to?" Bruce asked.


    "Somewhere far away from here, warlock." She answered. Daemon. If you have no purpose, then perhaps youe with me."


    "Thank you for your offer, Jade, but I have unfinished business to attend to:".


    Jade nodded, and right before us, she disappeared.


    ***FLASHBACK***


    Bruce had never seen a jewel so beautiful and divine-looking in his life; he gently ced his hands on the stone; the color was so unique he hadn''t seen a thing like it. The Nexus Amulet. Once he thought it was all a part of some 1/2


    $


    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    myth. But it turns out some myths do have a little truth in them; when it came to this, it was more than a little


    truth


    The scrolls and books said that this Jewel was one of a kind. It was the only thing belonging to Nexus that survived the test of time, and that had been because it contained magic.


    Jade had given it to him for safekeeping; she trusted him; of course, he was the only one that knew she still lived. It was best that way; no one should know that the sorceress was alive, and this amulet was her chance to destroy the Overlord for good. He felt a presence and he knew even without turning back that he wasn''t alone.


    "Jade, d to see you visit once again." He said to her.


    "What is this thing that I hear about a bargain with Vox?"


    "I thought you were supposed to be in hiding; how had you managed to hear that from under the rocks?"


    "I hope I heard wrong."


    "You did not hear wrong."


    "The Nexus amulet is not for your personal gain; that is not the reason I entrusted it to you."


    "Think about it; we can use this to destroy him-isn''t this what you wanted?" I asked.


    "I never knew you for being a foolish man, but perhaps the years you have spent locked in here have made you one." "We all want the same thing...''


    "No, you want your freedom so you could run back to the queen''s mother and profess your love; I want peace in thends."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    You must have thought me stupid. Do you for one momen think I didn''t have a backup?


    I might have had high hopes that you didn''t kill Ralph, but was no fool; I know who you are and what you are good at. You don''t keep to your words, and so I made sure I was protected. There is a reason I have lived for so many years." Jade says, the smile remained


    on her face, "I know how to stay alive."


    Her eyes glowed.


    "I will send you to the otherworld, where you belong."


    "No! Daemon, kill them all!" hemanded, but Daemon didn''t move an inch.


    "I did warn you; you are setting yourself up for destruction You didn''t listen; you brought it upon yourself."


    "I will return, I promise you... and when I do, every one of you will pay!" His words held a promise.


    "And how long will that take?" Daemon asked. "A century? I''wo? Three?"


    "The tendrils... They stop him from using any of his powers." Jade exins, "Even Nexus herself has her favorites, and it turns out... you aren''t one of her favorites.


    Jade''s eyes turned white as she began chanting. "Abi! Redi mundum tuum et dormi usque ad diem r¨¦versionis tuae."


    "What is she saying?" I asked Bruce.


    "A spell to send the Overlord back to his realm until the day of his awakening." Bruce responded.


    "Why can''t she just... kill him?"


    0


    "Killing an overlord will bring down the wrath of Nexus, and her wrath is grievous. He might be the least favorite, but he is still her creature."


    I watched Vox burn to his bones.


    "What about Thane?" I asked.


    "I will find him." Bruce promised.


    Jade took off the amulet from Vox''s wrist. "I will be on my way now."


    "Where to?" Bruce asked.


    "Somewhere far away from here, warlock." She answered. Daemon. If you have no purpose, then perhaps youe with me."


    "Thank you for your offer, Jade, but I have unfinished business to attend to:".


    Jade nodded, and right before us, she disappeared.


    ***FLASHBACK***


    Bruce had never seen a jewel so beautiful and divine-looking in his life; he gently ced his hands on the stone; the color was so unique he hadn''t seen a thing like it. The Nexus Amulet. Once he thought it was all a part of some 1/2


    $


    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    myth. But it turns out some myths do have a little truth in them; when it came to this, it was more than a little


    truth


    The scrolls and books said that this Jewel was one of a kind. It was the only thing belonging to Nexus that survived the test of time, and that had been because it contained magic.


    Jade had given it to him for safekeeping; she trusted him; of course, he was the only one that knew she still lived. It was best that way; no one should know that the sorceress was alive, and this amulet was her chance to destroy the Overlord for good. He felt a presence and he knew even without turning back that he wasn''t alone.


    "Jade, d to see you visit once again." He said to her.


    "What is this thing that I hear about a bargain with Vox?"


    "I thought you were supposed to be in hiding; how had you managed to hear that from under the rocks?"


    "I hope I heard wrong."


    "You did not hear wrong."


    "The Nexus amulet is not for your personal gain; that is not the reason I entrusted it to you."


    "Think about it; we can use this to destroy him-isn''t this what you wanted?" I asked.


    "I never knew you for being a foolish man, but perhaps the years you have spent locked in here have made you one." "We all want the same thing...''


    "No, you want your freedom so you could run back to the queen''s mother and profess your love; I want peace in thends."

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    Chapter One Hundred and twelve


    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    Bruce watched Jade; her eyes trailed to the amulet in his hands.


    "So what will it be now, Jade?"


    "I''ll have the Jewel back."


    1:1:10 1:1:0 0 0000 00 00 0 1:I:I::


    "I can''t give it to you; I have made a bargain with Vox. The Ife of my daughter, the queen, will be at risk if I do not have this at the time of Vox''s return."


    "There has to be another way."


    "There is no other way.


    "Then I''m sorry." Jade says.


    It wasn''t wise to make an enemy of the sorceress, but he had made a to Riley; she would be disappointed if he failed her.


    He closed his eyes and muttered a spell. He didn''t want to hurt the sorceress, but he wanted her out of the way. The spell would only make her fall into a deep slumber; the moment this was over, she would awaken. He opened his eyes, only to see Jade unfazed. "I came prepared; I knew you wouldn''t be willing to give it up so easily."


    The warlock didn''t expect the kick Jade had sent at him; she was never a physical person. She got him hard in the kneecap, and he had let go of the amulet, she used the opportunity to grasp it, and then she was gone. He couldn''t chase after her; he was trapped in this damned building.


    There was a knock on the door. He knew it was Riley.


    How do he tell her that he had lost the very thing they had ced the bargain with Vox on? He couldn''t fail her again.


    He heard her call his name twice-the second time, paned her voice; she didn''t trust him; he knew that; that''s why she feared he had set her up. He couldn''t me her; he hadn''t exactly been a good person, let alone a father.


    "A moment!" he called back and rose to join his daughter. He hoped she wouldn''t notice his limp, but the thing about Riley is that she never did miss anything.


    Jade paced around the clearing in the woods, the amulet in her hands. Vox would kill Riley if he believed he had been tricked; for some reason, she felt the need to keep the Half Demon Queen alive, and so she had to return back to Bruce; she was going to agree to his n and hope it wouldn''t turn out to be her biggest mistake.


    END OF FLASHBACK***


    RILEY''S POV


    "So what are we supposed to do with Vox''s bones?"


    "I don''t know, bury them?" Bruce responded.


    "I have an even better idea: why not we spread them across the seas? There no one would ever be able to find


    ****


    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    them. Daemon says, and I couldn''t deny that idea seemed to make even more sense.


    "No. Leave it to me; I''ll find a ce for it."


    Daemon turned to me. "It has been a long day. Bruce''s house has many rooms; perhaps we settle in one and head back to the pack tomorrow?"


    "There is no more ''we..".


    I had taken one of the rooms in Bruce''s house, one very far way from Daemon''s.


    I wanted to be away from the pack; even if it was for a few hours, all I needed was a moment to think on how to rescue Thane. There was a knock on the door, and I went to open it, believing it was Bruce, but Daemon stood by the door. I attempted to m the door shut, but his foot at the loop hindered me from doing just that.


    "At least, listen to what I came here to tell you."


    "I don''t want to hear anything you have to say."


    "Riley..."


    "No! If you think the fact that you denied Vox at his death grounds means you are now in my good books, then you are wrong.


    >>

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    Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen


    Despite making it clear that I wanted him gone, he easily pushed past me and walked into my room. I mmed the door a bit too hard.


    "What! What is it you want to talk about?"


    "Would you listen?"


    "Well, you didn''t give me an option now, did you?"


    "Once you spoke about the both of us, leaving the pack behind and going far away... I couldn''t do that because of Vox, but with him gone..." "No."


    "What do you mean, ''no''?"


    "It is exactly what you think. I will not go anywhere with you."


    "So you had said that only to... fool me?" he asked, the hurt clear in his eyes.


    "That had been why you didn''t aid Vox, hadn''t it? Because you believed that if he was dead, then there would be nothing in the way." I asked, and his silence confirmed it.


    "I should have known. As long as Thane lives, there will be no space for another." He said, and his eyes... They held a promise. He turned, heading for the door, but I blocked him. "You will not harm Thane."


    "Of course." He said, a smirk on his face. "I won''t."


    I mmed my fist against his chest. "I mean it."


    "The thing is, I don''t have to listen to you anymore-I don''t have to listen to anyone, ever again."


    "I agree!"


    He paused. "What?"


    "I agree, but only under one condition: you help me set Thane free, and then I''m all yours."


    "Come on, I know you will try killing me the moment he is free; I am no fool."


    I walked to him, taking his hands; I ced it over my chest. "If you help me free Thane... then Lam all yours, I promise."


    The next morning, we got ready to move back to the Nightshade pack.


    "Bruce, thank you, for everything." I said to him.


    "As long as Thane is still held captive, then... my mission is not done."


    Daemon joined us outside. "Ready?" he asked me, and I nodded.


    "Riley... um... I was wondering about-Kate-your mother


    "What about her?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirden


    "How is she doing?"


    I read into his words. "If you''re wondering whether I mentioned you to her, know that I didn''t."


    "Oh." He said, and I wondered if it was just me or he sounded a bit disappointed. "Do you perceive that?"


    "Perceive what?" I asked.


    "The scent... someone ising.


    "


    "Are you expecting anyone?" I asked.


    "No... No onees up here at all."


    "The footsteps areing from over there." Damon pointed. It took a few more minutes before I could hear the footsteps. Just then we sighted the figure-Be.


    A snarl left my lips; I had been about to run after her, but Daemon held me back.


    "She might have some news you want to hear." He says, and he was right.


    She came to a stop before us and I was happy to see she looked like crap.


    "They are all dead... He killed them all. Logan, de, Flynn. they are all dead!" She cried.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, the anger I felt toward her momentarily pushed aside. "Who killed them all?"


    "Thane-he escaped, and he killed them all."


    "Where is he?"


    "I don''t-"


    "He is here." Daemon said, cutting her off.


    He was right; I could feel it. My heart mmed faster against my chest; I could feel Thane''s presence; I could almost taste it.


    I pulled free of Daemon''s hold, and I ran forward. I didn''t care about anyone else; at that moment, it was just Thane. Everyone else didn''t matter.


    I finally spotted him. I was brought back to the moment I saw him for the first time, I had known beginning that this was the man my heart had chosen.


    even from the


    He raced towards me, the desperation in his eyes matching mine. His gaze shifted to something behind me. I could see the rm written on his face before I could read the warning; I felt the burning pain and fell to the ground, the tip of a dagger jutting from my chest.

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    Chapter One Hundred and fourthen


    Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen THANE


    My eyes locked on Riley, and I sprinted toward her with every ounce of strength I had left. Then I spotted Be- her hand raised, a dagger in her grip. No one had noticed her until the de was in the air.


    Everything seemed to slow as I watched in horror. The dagger struck its mark before I could get to her, embedding itself deep in Riley''s chest. It pierced through her heart, the de tip jutting out. Riley staggered, her eyes wide with shock, and my breath caught in my throat.


    Daemon snarled, picking Be up like she weighed nothing he bit into her neck. But a smile remained on her face.


    "I ept your rejection." Her mouth formed the words right before Daemon tore her head off her shoulders.


    Blood dribbled from her mouth


    "Thane..."


    "I''m here." I said to her.


    "Ethan... he is... find him..." she coughed. "Am I dying?" she asked, and I shook my head. "No, no, you aren''t..."


    "You-you are finally free." She muttered before her eyes shut and she stopped moving.


    "No, please, Riley, don''t leave me." I said, shaking her. She didn''t move; she had no pulse. "Riley! Wake up!"


    Mistakes.


    I had made a lot of mistakes, but the day I had let Be go free, the day I had showed her mercy, would forever be the worst mistake I had ever made.


    I pulled the dagger from her. It was made of silver.


    She was dead; she died because of me; she died because of my mistake.


    I roared, a cry of pain, sorrow, and loss escaping my lips.


    And then all I felt was rage. This time not even blood could satisfy it.


    "Thane." Bruce called, cautiously approaching me. "Than"


    I shed widely at him; he dodged, but he wasn''t fast enough. He clutched his injured arm to his chest.


    My gaze returned back to Riley''s limp form.


    It couldn''t happen. She couldn''t die. I wouldn''t let it.


    "You''re a Warlock," I said to Bruce, trying to keep calm. "Can''t you cast a damn spell or do something?"


    "I wish there was something I could do. Jade is better acquainted with things like this, and she just left. Even if she were here, she wouldn''t be able to do a thing." The sorceress, she had been here... she still lives?"


    "She does, but she is gone now."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen


    "Find her, I don''t care what has to be done."


    Bruce nodded and headed back to his building.


    Daemon had beenpletely quiet. Slowly he walked forward, staring at Riley''s corpse like he couldn''t believe his own sight. I growled at him when he trieding closer


    "How was Be still alive?" he asked.


    "I spared her life." I confessed.


    "And she imed hers. You say I am dangerous, but your mistake always put her in danger, and now... she is dead. You should have stayed in the cave. Maybe she would still be alive."


    Once, I would never let a demon speak to me in that manner, but now, even I could agree that he was right. If I had killed Be, if I hadn''t let what I felt get in the way, none of this would have ever happened. This was all my fault, and that''s why it was up to me to correct it. She couldn''t die.


    "I was able to contact the sorceress; she hadn''t gone too far She said she would meet you by the Azure Hollow; it''s only a small distance from here."


    Inodded, picking up Riley''s body.


    "Alpha. I beg you not to expect anything; I love my daughter, and I wish anything could be done, but she is dead."


    "She isn''t dead." I growled at him. He had the look of pity in his eyes, and I hated it.


    "I aming too," Daemon says.


    "No, you aren''t."


    "Did you n to get there on foot? You need me."


    He was right; I needed his ''shifting'' abilities to reach there as quickly as possible.


    "It will be alright, Riley." I say, brushing the hair off her eyes. "You will be fine.''


    I kissed her lips.

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    212


    Chapter One Hundred and Filtern


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen


    Many believe the Azure Grounds hold some kind of magical energy; perhaps that''s why warlocks, witches, and the likese here.


    I spotted Jade, and I headed straight to her.


    She took Riley from me and ced her on the ground. She checked her pulse.


    "She is dead." Jade says to me.


    "I know that. But there must be something you can do."


    "To wake the dead? There is nothing I can do."


    "Riley cannot die... You have to do something."


    "There is no life force in her; I could have done something, but it is toote. Nothing can be done. Take her back to the pack and give her a befitting burial; that''s all you can do."


    I grasp her by the throat, her eyes widened, panicked.


    "You told me to bring her here; why?"


    "I-I thought-she still had a chance. Look at her-she is paler than snow."


    "Alpha." Daemon called from behind me. "Killing her wouldn''t do you any good." He says, and I let Jade go. "But there is a way to bring her back to life, turn her into a demon." Daemon says to Jade.


    "I could have done that, but she is half demon already; the ritual will require-"


    "Another demon. You already have that.


    10


    "You don''t understand; you will die."


    "I do know that." Daemon responded.


    Jade walked forward. "You betrayed Vox. When he returns to the otherworld, he will make you pay.''


    "I know that too. And yet I can''t seem to find a reason to live if she isn''t a part of it. It will be worth it." "Thene with me."


    I was finally beginning to realize something: what Daemon had felt for Riley, twisted as it was, it was all... real.


    I followed after Jade, Riley in my arms.


    "Alpha, you should know that when people are turned to demons after they die, there could be many negative consequences. You might get her back alive, but that doesn''t mean she would remain the same person. She could be aplete stranger, a beast, a monster. What she feels for you might not be the same, and these consequences might or might not be immediate."


    "Riley will live, and that''s all that matters."


    Jade nodded and finally came to a stop before a small water store. The shiny rock surrounded the water pool that was only big enough to contain a full-grown man.


    "This is the choice you have made, Daemon. Now step into the waters."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen


    Daemon did as the sorceress had said; hey t, his face the only thing above the water surface.


    Riley was ced beside the pool.


    "From one to another, let the water of life flow; the same water that gives life, now take from one and grant the other." Jade chanted intin.


    She knew from the beginning, she knew Daemon woulde with me and volunteer his life, that''s why she wanted to meet here of all ces..


    The water glowed an even brighter blue, and then Daemon was forced below the surface. I never thought the water was deep enough, but it seemed this water had some magical qualities and just then Riley coughed. I helped her up as she coughed out water, like someone who had been drowned.


    Her eyes were wide.


    "Riley... You are awake."


    I ce kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, everywhere.


    "What happened?" she asked.


    "You survived; that''s what happened."


    I did notice that her blue eyes seemed brighter, her blonde hair was a few shades darker.


    "Thank you." I say to Jade.


    "I am not the one who made the sacrifice. But never forget what I told you."


    Daemon might have done many bad things, but some good does outshine the bad, and I would have thanked him if he still lived.


    "Where are we?" Riley asked.


    "Somewhere far from home."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixten


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen


    RILEY


    I remembered it all. The feeling of the dagger tearing through me, the pain so unbearable I became numb. Thane''s pleads. I had died... but I was awoken a demon. Nothing was the same.


    I stood in front of the mirror staring at myself. My hair, my eyes, my skin-nothing was the same.


    A maid came in with a tray of food.


    "Luna." She called, giving a low bow.


    I settled on the couch, taking a te and filling it up with food. Even this smelled different. I put a spoon with rice into my mouth; I spit it out immediately.


    "What is this?"


    "Rice and soup, Luna." She said, panic written on her face,


    filled


    It didn''t taste right, and that wasn''t because it was wrongly cooked but because I had a different food preference now that I was a full demon. I didn''t want to live on only blood like Daemon; I wanted to be normal, or at least try to be.


    "I feel a bit sick; that should be the reason the food tasted different."


    "Would you like anything else? Perhaps another meal?"


    "No, I have no appetite for now; I will eatter. Thank you.


    I let the maid style my hair; usually I leave it down, but for today, I wanted something different.


    "You look even more radiant today, Luna." The maidplimented.


    "Thank you, and so do you."


    "Your skin." She began, "It''s very cold."


    For a moment, I was silent, unable to say a word. I hadn''t realized it.


    ""Is it?" I asked.


    "Yes, I think you should go for a checkup."


    "I will do just that." I say to her with a smile.


    ***


    I would bete to the meeting, but I couldn''t bring myself to leave the room. There were so many things I hadn''t thought about that were going to change with me bing a demon.


    Demons don''t eat the usual food, demons have cold skin, demons get weakened by the sun, and demons can never have children. I scrambled for the drawer, and I took out a dagger. I cut myself in the arm and gasped at the color of blood that came forth. It was ck. My breaths came out faster; the door to the room busted open, and Thane walked in.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    "I-I''m a demon, Thane- I don''t want to be a demon; I would never be able to bear you another child. I can''t eat


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen


    thismon food." I threw the tray to the ground, and its contents scattered direction.


    "Riley"


    "No! You don''t understand; you don''t know what it feels like."


    "You are right. I don''t. I don''t know what being a demon feels like, but I know what watching you die felt like; it was pure hell, Riley, pure fucking hell. I didn''t care if youe back a bear; I was ready to love you till the day I die. We have a child that is and would always be more than enough; you can have as much blood as you want; I will make sure of that."


    "I''m sorry-I don''t know what got over me."


    "It''s fine; we would be fine. You will ovee this." He said and walked towards me; he ced a kiss on my lips and then my neck."


    I moaned, taking off my dress and tossing it away. He took off his suit.


    "Wait, what about the meeting?"


    "They can wait."


    Soon we were both naked. Thane picked me up, showering me with kisses, I grinded my lower waist against him.


    "I need you, Thane; I need you to feel sane."


    "And I''m all yours, for now and forever."


    Thane ced me on the bed, his eyes studying me for a few seconds before he joined me.


    "You know what I n to do to you?"


    "What do you n to do to me?" I asked, my breathsing out faster.


    "I n to ruin you, Riley, over and... over again, until all you can feel is me."


    "And I am going to let you do to me as you please. Wreck me, ruin me... I am yours... all yours, Alpha Thane."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen THANE


    I never did tell Riley about Axel. He wouldn''t have wanted me to; he would have wanted her to move on. She was dealing with a lot, but I was going to stand by her through all.


    She didn''t like me watching her drinking blood; if only she knew I found it... sexy.


    I stood before over twenty Alphas, many of whom had frowns on their faces. I had to tell them the truth and try to make peace with them.


    "Thank you all foring. I am d to see you all well.


    I had gathered you here to address an issue, in which some of you had no clue about."


    I went ahead to inform them that there had indeed been a demon ruling in my ce; I didn''t go deep into that. Despite everything, I still owed Daemon big time. I exined our plight with the Demon Overlord and how he is being held down now. By the time I was done, I noticed the change, the way they stared at Riley with an eye of respect. I guess they were finally adding the dots.


    "All of the previous rules made will be canceled." I informed them, and they nodded in approval.


    When the meeting was over, I walked to Trent.


    "I hear I am indebted to you?"


    "I was only being a loyal soldier."


    I smiled at that. "Thank you, Trent. And I will never forget this, I promise."


    "My pleasure, Alpha."


    He bowed before walking away.


    Riley''s hand circled around mine. Those fragile hands. I brought them to my lips and ced a kiss on her cold skin.


    "I got a message from my mother." She began.


    "What does the message say?"


    "She''ll be getting married to Gabriel next week."


    "We will be there." I said to her, and she nodded, a smile on her face. She had the most beautiful smile.


    She led me to the garden.


    "I want to show you something." She said,


    She checked to make sure we were alone, and then she... disappeared.


    She reappeared behind me, and my smile grew wider.


    "Seems like you can shift now." I stated.


    "I know I don''t have wings anymore and all-but this is really cool too."


    "It is." I agreed, drawing her to me, and I ced a kiss on her lips. "Once, I made a promise to myself and to you that I''d help you recover your dormant wolf. I failed." "Thane, you''ve never failed me, not once."


    RILEY


    It was two days to my mother''s wedding, we arrived at the Raven n pack. The very ce where it all began. Nick was gone now, but being here reminded me of him. I had forgiven him for every wrong he did to me. Gabriel weed us warmly, so did the pack


    My mother waited in the living area. She was in a beautiful silk dress, her hair had been done in an updo, and I couldn''t deny she was indeed very beautiful. A soft smile graced her lips.


    "Wee back to our humble pack, Alpha King and Queen'' She gave a bow.


    "Mom, you don''t need to call me that." I said to her,


    "You might be my daughter, but you are still my queen."


    "You look beautiful." Iplimented her, also an attempt to change the topic.


    I walked into her open arms. For a long moment we embraced each other.


    Thane engaged Gabriel in small talks about the pack.


    "You look beautiful too, my dear, you look every bit a queen" She said, Finally we pulled away.


    "I''ll show you to your room. I know you need your rest; it must have been a long trip."


    It wasn''t. I had shifted, and so it took seconds to get here. In times like this, those demon skills doe in handy.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen


    I had to make sure I was fully covered at all times; we couldn''t risk people discovering what I was, and my cold skin would give the clue.


    "How is Ethan, your son?" Mom asked the moment we were alone in the room.


    "I had entrusted him to one of the healers; he wasn''t safe the pack, and so I had to let her take him away. He stayed amongst the humans, but I had sent for him. Things are better now, and it''s time I gave him my full attention. "Why didn''t you tell me anything about what was going on I would have helped."


    "You would have been in danger; I didn''t want that."


    "Oh Riley, always thinking about others before yourself."


    "Gabriel seems to be treating you very well."


    "He is, more than that, I love this pack too; this ce feels like home." She said,


    "So when are you going to show me the dress?" I asked, and she chuckled like a teenager; for a moment we bothughed over nothing.


    "You look beautiful in that dress." Iplimented. My mother had gone for a white wedding dress; she was really in love with the human culture.


    I, on the other hand, was in a peach-colored fitted dress, which highlighted my curves. I had to add a matching color glove. In two days, I will be walking her up the aisle.


    "I would like you to have this." She said, passing me a ne.


    "Mom-but this belongs to you.''


    "I''ve had it with me since... forever, and I want you to have it. You can see it does fit your clothes."


    She was right.


    "Thank you so much, Mom. I love it." I said to her sincerely


    Bruce shed across my mind; it wasn''t right to tell her about him. She would find out one day, but definitely not today.


    "I wouldn''t want anyone to see me in my wedding dress this early." Mom said as she took it off.


    "We want them in awe of your beauty when the dayes.


    "I should let you rest now; Thane must be waiting to join you." She said, and I nodded; she ced a kiss on my hair before walking away.


    A few minutester, the door to the room opened again. I had thought my mom forgot something, but it wasn''t her; it was Thane.


    "gods, that dress looks so... sexy."


    "It does, right?"


    I had been surprised that my mom picked this out; it seems she does have a good taste in fashion.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen.


    "Now I wonder if we should get married again." He said, I could tell he wasn''t just making jokes.


    "That doesn''t sound like a bad idea."


    He walked to me, hungry eyes trailing down my form.


    "Wait-I need to take off the dress first."


    "Afraid I will rip it off you?"


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised."


    The day hade, the day my mother was going to be getting married to Gabriel.


    I had walked into Gabriel some hours earlier; he was in a dashing navy suit. He looked nervous, and that was good; it was okay to be nervous.


    The ceremony started, and I had no idea where my mother was.


    "Have you seen my mother?" I asked a maid, and she shook her head. Indicating a ''no.''.


    "Riley." A woman called. I didn''t know who she was, but she bore some resemnce to Gabriel, so I was guessing they were rted. "I cannot find Luna Kate, and the wedding ceremony has already begun." This was weird.


    "I... I haven''t seen her either."

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    Epitoque 1


    Epilogue 1


    1 had found my mother an hourter at the farm; she was dressed in a regr gown.


    "What are you doing? The ceremony had begun, and people were getting very worried." I said to her, but she gave no response; she had her back to me. "Mom!" I walked to lier, and only when I saw her face did I notice something was wrong. Tears streamed down her


    "I can''t do it," she says.


    eyes.


    "What do you mean you can''t do it? Gabriel is the love of your life; you wanted this. What changed?"


    "Everything. Everything changed."


    "I don''t understand you-what is wrong? Why are you crying?"


    "You never told me. You knew, and you never told me." She says, and that silenced me. "You knew that your father, Sebastian Bruce, was alive. You always hide things from me, and I had to go on with it because you are the queen, and you can''t always share things with me like you once would do, but this wasn''t about you-this was my life, and you never uttered a word. You were going to leave me in the dark."


    "Bruce had left us for years; you moved on. How do you expect me to mention him again? How do you expect me to bring him up at your own wedding?"


    "He had a reason-there was a reason he had to abandon us."


    "What did that matter? It was in the past; he was in our past, but Gabriel... you love him."


    "You know, I always felt like something was missing. I always felt iplete, and sometimes Iy down, imagining a person that was never real, a man I had loved once, and it turns out it wasn''t all my imagination, Riley. I loved him, and even if he made me forget, I didn''t I still unconsciously yearned for him; I yearned for that emptiness in me to be filled up, and then... I saw him, and everything came back."


    "He made you remember?"


    "Yes, he made me remember. I remember it all now. I thought I could go ahead and marry Gabriel even after my discovery, I thought I could forget it all but couldn''t. I can''t be with Gabriel. I love him, but my heart belongs to another."


    "You said it before: this pack, it''s your home; they love you here; Gabriel needs you. Don''t do this, Mom, please."


    "You made your decisions; they did look stupid at times, but I let you. Now all I ask of you is to let me make mine." She passed a paper to me.


    "What is this?"


    "You might think me a coward, but I can''t face the pack to tell them this; I can''t face Gabriel and tell him I love another man, and the years away didn''t change that, and so I wrote it all down. You will help me pass it to him. He is a good man; he would find someone fitting." "Mom, please don''t do this."


    "If I marry Gabriel, I would forever keep wondering what it would have been like if I followed my heart instead; he doesn''t deserve that; he deserves better, and so I have to make this decision. I hope he will find it in his heart to forgive me for this."


    Epilogue 1


    "You are just being in selfish, Mother."


    "You aren''t the judge of that."


    "What if Bruce leaves you? What if he isn''t the same as you remember?"


    "He won''t leave me; he promised not to, he loves me, Riley and you know that."


    "And you are going to believe his words?"


    Epitoque 1


    Epilogue 1


    1 had found my mother an hourter at the farm; she was dressed in a regr gown.


    "What are you doing? The ceremony had begun, and people were getting very worried." I said to her, but she gave no response; she had her back to me. "Mom!" I walked to lier, and only when I saw her face did I notice something was wrong. Tears streamed down her


    "I can''t do it," she says.


    eyes.


    "What do you mean you can''t do it? Gabriel is the love of your life; you wanted this. What changed?"


    "Everything. Everything changed."


    "I don''t understand you-what is wrong? Why are you crying?"


    "You never told me. You knew, and you never told me." She says, and that silenced me. "You knew that your father, Sebastian Bruce, was alive. You always hide things from me, and I had to go on with it because you are the queen, and you can''t always share things with me like you once would do, but this wasn''t about you-this was my life, and you never uttered a word. You were going to leave me in the dark."


    "Bruce had left us for years; you moved on. How do you expect me to mention him again? How do you expect me to bring him up at your own wedding?"


    "He had a reason-there was a reason he had to abandon us."


    "What did that matter? It was in the past; he was in our past, but Gabriel... you love him."


    "You know, I always felt like something was missing. I always felt iplete, and sometimes Iy down, imagining a person that was never real, a man I had loved once, and it turns out it wasn''t all my imagination, Riley. I loved him, and even if he made me forget, I didn''t I still unconsciously yearned for him; I yearned for that emptiness in me to be filled up, and then... I saw him, and everything came back."


    "He made you remember?"


    "Yes, he made me remember. I remember it all now. I thought I could go ahead and marry Gabriel even after my discovery, I thought I could forget it all but couldn''t. I can''t be with Gabriel. I love him, but my heart belongs to another."


    "You said it before: this pack, it''s your home; they love you here; Gabriel needs you. Don''t do this, Mom, please."


    "You made your decisions; they did look stupid at times, but I let you. Now all I ask of you is to let me make mine."


    She passed a paper to me.


    "What is this?"


    "You might think me a coward, but I can''t face the pack to tell them this; I can''t face Gabriel and tell him I love another man, and the years away didn''t change that, and so I wrote it all down. You will help me pass it to him. He is a good man; he would find someone fitting." "Mom, please don''t do this."


    "If I marry Gabriel, I would forever keep wondering what it would have been like if I followed my heart instead; he doesn''t deserve that; he deserves better, and so I have to make this decision. I hope he will find it in his heart to forgive me for this."


    Epilogue 1


    "You are just being in selfish, Mother."


    "You aren''t the judge of that."


    "What if Bruce leaves you? What if he isn''t the same as you remember?"


    "He won''t leave me; he promised not to, he loves me, Riley and you know that."


    "And you are going to believe his words?"


    "Yes. I am going to believe him."


    I should have known Bruce never nned on moving on; I should have tried preventing this, but it was toote, and maybe she was right: she could make her own decisions, and if this was what she wanted, then I was going to stand by her. "I want you to know that in whatever choice you make, I will stand by you." I promised her, and I could see the relief on her face.


    "I feared I would lose you too. Thank you." She said, pulling me into a hug. "And one more thing: you don''t need to hide what you are from me; I know you aren''t a werewolf-at least not anymore-and I love you anyway."


    I should have known Bruce never nned on moving on; I should have tried preventing this, but it was toote, and maybe she was right: she could make her own decisions, and if this was what she wanted, then I was going to stand by her. "I want you to know that in whatever choice you make, I will stand by you." I promised her, and I could see the relief on her face.


    "I feared I would lose you too. Thank you." She said, pulling me into a hug. "And one more thing: you don''t need to hide what you are from me; I know you aren''t a werewolf-at least not anymore-and I love you anyway."

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    Epilogue 2 Epilogue 2


    Thane and I returned back to the Nightshade pack. I couldn''t stay at the Raven n pack even a bit longer. I couldn''t look into Gabriel''s face and see how shattered he was. Mother had broken his heart, not just his'' but the whole pack''s, and all she left was a letter. No one deserved that treatment, and yet, there was nothing I could do


    about it.


    "So she ran away with the warlock?" Thane asked.


    "Seem so. I had checked his ce; he burnt the whole building to the ground, possibly because he hated the house or maybe..."


    "He wanted to start afresh." Thanepleted.


    "Yes, I can''t trace him; he is gone and maybe... I don''t want to find him. My mother says she would visit to see Ethan, but that could be in months or even years."


    There was a knock on the door. It was Meredith; she had Ethan in her arms.


    "Your son is well and healthy." She said before passing him to me. I held him in my hands; he had grown considerably, and he stared at me with big blue eyes, and in that moment I fell in love with the little creature. I might never be able to have another child, but I was grateful that I got Ethan.


    I passed him to Thane, and he had the very same look of awe in his eyes. We were a family; even after everything, we stood together.


    It waste in the night when I rose from bed. I looked to my side, surprised Thane wasn''t in bed. When did he leave?


    I walked to the crib Ethan had been ced in. He was still asleep; I rocked the crib gently, and that''s when I perceived the scent. Delicious, beautiful scent of... blood.


    I hadn''t taken my daily dose of blood, it had skipped my mind. I stared at Ethan. His heart pounded softly, he was full of... life.


    This was wrong, it was so wrong, and yet I wanted a taste. A taste of my own son. I picked him up from his crib, tears streaming down my eyes. I could feel my fangs dig out of my gum and then...


    I awoke with a start, my body drenched in sweat. Thane was awake too; he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.


    "It''s just a nightmare," he whispered, but it felt so real. I looked at Ethan''s crib and saw him still there, still asleep.


    It was just a dream I repeated to myself, and yet, I knew it was more than that; it was a warning.


    The End.


    AUTHOR''S NOTE


    Hello, Emmy Squad!


    We''ve reached the end of Book 2: The Lycan''s Curse, and I want to thank you for the incredible love and support.


    Epilogue 2


    Writing this book and reading yourments has been an amazing journey, and I''m so grateful to have shared it with you.


    But don''t worry-this is only the end of this book. I''m thrilled to announce there will be a Book 3: The Warrior Luna!


    If you enjoy strong female leads and dark, steamy romance, you''re in for an unforgettable ride. While it can be read as a standalone, I highly rmend reading the series in this order:


    1. Contractually Yours, Alpha


    2. The Lycan''s Curse


    3. The Warrior Luna


    Don''t forget to leave your gems and reviews-I absolutely love reading them! Your feedback helps us reach more readers and makes all the difference.


    With love,


    XOXO

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    THE WARRIOR LUNA (Book III)


    THE WARRIOR LUNA (Book III)


    PROLOGUE.


    Kaida''s POV


    I was not like the other girls; I knew that even as a little child. My father had found it strange that a girl of my age was more interested in watching the pack warriors train rather than ying with toys like the other kids her age did at the pack.


    I had one dream, and though it may sound impossible, I held onto it. I believed that I could one day be an... Alpha. The first Female Alpha.


    My father had no male child to inherit his title and take his ce, and so each day, I trained to be the best at everything.


    I was twenty and five years of age and yet to find my mate. To be honest, I hadn''t even been searching for him- whoever he was; on the contrary, I dreaded finding my mate, because that would only bring an end to my dream of bing an Alpha. I believed it was all fate pointing me in the right direction; this was my destiny.


    That had been what I thought until everything changed right before my eyes.


    My father, Alpha Trent, of the Dawn pack, summoned me into his courtroom.


    He sat on his favorite chair; the vibrant smile he always had on his face was gone. He was getting worse with each passing day; he barely steps out of this ce. I could see it clearly-he was dying, and yet I was still in denial. There had to be a way to save him; he was all I had left.


    "Kaida, my daughter. Come closer." He says and I do just that. "You know I love you-so very much."


    "I know that dad." I responded; something about his tone made me feel uneasy.


    "And you know I would always want what is best for you and the... pack." He said the word with a little difficulty.


    "Yes, father."


    "I wish... I wish I had more time to prepare you for this news, but there isn''t much time."


    "You are scaring me, Father."


    "I had made an arrangement for you to get married..."


    "Married?" I questioned. "What do you mean by that?"


    "Maybe you aren''t familiar with the human term. Mated is the right word."


    "I am familiar with the term," I sneered.


    "Thave made the arrangements; you will be mated/married to King Ethan Alexander ckwood of the Nightshade pack."


    I took a step away from my father; I couldn''t believe my own ears, and yet I heard it right.


    "How could you do this to me father?" I asked; this was unlike him, very unlike the caring man I grew up with.


    "Kaida, I am not trying to hurt you in any way, but this pack needs an Alpha. I have no male children; this is the only way our pack can be safe."


    THE WARRIOR LUNA (Book III)


    "And what happened to what I want? What happens to me!


    "What do you want, daughter?" he asked, his gaze boring into me. This had been the first time he had asked me such a question.


    "You know, I always thought you could see it; I always thought you would figure it out on your own. Has it ever urred to you that I could be the next Alpha?"


    My father stared at me like I had gone crazy. "But you are a.."


    Woman.


    That was the word left unspoken. My gender had stripped me of many privileges; I had fought to be amongst the pack warriors; the men didn''t have to fight as hard, and then I had to prove to them every damned day that I earned my position and it wasn''t given to me just because my father was the Alpha.


    "You think a woman cannot be an Alpha?" I asked.


    "I think you, my daughter, can be anything you want to be.


    "Then it''s settled; I will take over from you if ites to that, but it won''t because you will live, father."


    "You are a warrior, Kaida, one of the best I had ever seen, but there is more to being an Alpha; you need influence, you need alliances, and..."


    "You fear." I say cutting him off, he didn''t like that one bit. "You fear that the other packs would turn on me if I am named Alpha; you fear that the Dawn pack would be seen as... weak."


    "Not just that; I fear you will get hurt."


    "You know more than anyone that I can handle myself."


    "I am not just your father, Kaida; I am your Alpha. You will marry the king."


    "Ethan ckwood is three years younger than I am!"


    "He is no child, and you know that."


    "He also has a reputation. I''m sure you''re aware he''s a... Casanova, a yboy, spends his time partying, drinking, and bedding women. Is that who you want for me?" I asked my father; I could see the guilt in his eyes, but he was quick to wipe off every emotion from his face.


    "And yet he is one of the most excellent rulers to have ever lived, and he is doing all that at such a young age; there clearly must be something he is doing right. You should consider this a privilege; do you know how many women all around the world are seeking such an opportunity?"


    "I am not like other women. I don''t belong in a man''s bed; belong in the war grounds, and you know it."


    "You are the daughter of an Alpha; this is your destiny."


    "I should be the one to decide that."


    "You will do as I havemanded, daughter."


    "Father, you know I will go to the grave for you, but this I will not do."


    My father coughed into a white handkerchief pressed to his mouth, and though he tried to hide it, I couldn''t miss the bloodstain on the fabric or the tremor in his hands.


    "Are you alright?" I asked.


    THE WARRIOR LUNA (Book III)


    "I am." He said, for a moment we both remained silent, and then he spoke up. "I never meant to force you into this, but there are bad people out there who will strike after I die. While I don''t doubt your skills, I fear what will happen to you when theyy their hands on you, my daughter; they will taint you in every meaning of the word. I want to make sure you are protected; King Ethan can protect you, at least from the scavengers out there. But that''s not all there is to be gained; your son, my grandchild will be the next Alpha King." I feared no one; if only my father could understand that I didn''t want to hide under anyone''s protective wings.


    "And what is in it for him?" I asked because the Alpha king does nothing except it profits him.


    "When he ims this pack... the Nightshade pack would increase in strength, force, and numbers."


    "And this is what you want? That your pack be given away?"


    "No. Not given away, sometimes sacrifices have to be made and while I wish I could remain and rule the pack, I know my time is almost up. It will give me great joy to know you are safe with him at least as safe as you can be, and the pack members are out of harm''s way too; only then will Iy in peace."


    "The Healers Liles-they can cure all illnesses. You''ve used it before on me, when I was little..."


    "I tried that. It didn''t work." He coughed again. If the healer lilies didn''t heal, they destroyed; that exins why he looked even worse than he had some days before. "I can''t force you; I''ve lived my life, and it''s time for you to live yours."


    I knew I was going to regret this decision even as I said the words;


    "I will honor your wish, Father. I will marry the Alpha King and be his Luna."

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    Chapter


    One Chapter One


    Kaida''s POV


    With each passing day, I couldn''t help but wonder if I''d made a mistake, if I''d doomed myself with my own words-but it was toote to turn back now. I had never met Alpha Ethan before. Though we were neighboring packs, my father and the beta had always been the one going for the meetings, I didn''t do well with meetings and parties and maybe my father was right. Being an Alpha was about more than just being a warrior.


    I got dressed in my usual clothing, leather pants matched with a ck leather jacket and a glove to cover my missing pinkie finger. Had I forgotten to mention that some little ''ident'' had cost me a finger? As if that w wasn''t enough, my body was also marked with a number of scars, so while I had always despised wearing fancy gowns and pretty little dresses, it did make sense why I had to cover up.


    The men carried their scars with pride, like it was some kind of proof of how fierce they were; scars on a woman had apletely different representation; it was an imperfection, a w, and so I always kept mine hidden.


    Aric joined me in my room. He was the pack''s Beta, and also ten years older than I was; he had watched me grow into the woman I was today, and the age difference never did hinder us from being very close and loyal friends. He would die for me if it came to that, and I would not hesitate to do the same.


    "You awoke early today; I nned to sneak up on you."


    "I couldn''t sleep."


    A frown arched his brow, but he said nothing. I knew he was worried, but he knew more than any other person that I hated being babied, and so he kept silent, and I did appreciate that. Aric was the only person who really understood me, who saw me for more than just the Alpha''s Daughter.


    "How about a run in the woods to clear your mind?" he suggested.


    "Well, I wish I could, but unfortunately, today might not be the best day."


    "Okay, something is indeed very wrong, the Kaida I know never says ''no'' to a race."


    "Well I have somewhere else to be."


    "You know what I think? I think you are afraid I will outrun you this time."


    "In your dreams, thest time you outran me, I was still ad."


    "Kaida. What is going on?" he asked, finally giving in.


    "I''m getting married." For a moment there wasplete silence. "Or ''Mated'', if you don''t understand the human'' term." I added, imitating my father. "Everyone understands the human term."


    "That''s what I said."


    "Kaida, is this some kind of a joke?"


    "If I am joking you will know, but how I wish it was that just a joke."


    "But how... why?"


    "My father had arranged my marriage to Alpha Ethan"


    "Wait, Alpha King Ethan Alexander ckwood."


    Chapter One


    "He goes by many names." I responded.


    "And you are okay with it? you will just go ahead and marry him?"


    "I am not. I am not okay with it, but this is what my father wants."


    "But this is not you; this is not what ''you'' want."


    "No, it''s not. But he is dying, and it only makes sense that honor hisst wish."


    "No, it doesn''t make sense. I hope he lives, but even if he doesn''t, you will be under the Alpha King''s control. The man is ruthless, and your father knows that."


    "I considered all there is to the Alpha King, Aric, and despite everything, it does make sense; my father is worried about my safety and that of the pack."


    "I''ll understand if he is worried about the pack, but being worried for you? You are one of the best warriors in this pack."


    "My father would always see me as his daughter, nothing can and would ever change that."


    "You know what, I will go talk to your father."


    "Don''t waste your time, nothing is going to change his mind."


    Aric walked out of the door, furious, he wasn''t only furious at my father for marrying me out like I was insignificant, but also at me for yielding to his will so easily. This wasn''t what I wanted, it was quite the opposite, but maybe it''s time I stepped out of the clouds and face reality, and the reality was that I am the daughter of an Alpha and also unmated, being given out to marriage to gain alliances and favors for the pack was indeed my destiny.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Two Chapter


    Two


    It was time, I would have to pay a visit to the Nightshade pack.


    Beta Aric was nowhere to be found.


    I stopped in the courtroom to inform my father that I was leaving, but I noticed he wasn''t alone, Aric was there too. I stopped by the entrance, they hadn''t noticed me and so I hid away from view.


    "You are marrying her to the Alpha King?" Aric asked, this was indeed the first time I had heard him question the Alpha.


    "Yes, my daughter will marry the Alpha King."


    "You know that''s not where she belongs."


    "I will be having no discussion over this matter, it is already settled and done."


    "You know who he is..."


    My father cut Aric off. "He is ruthless, every powerful Alpha is, fear is sometimes power."


    "The ckwood lineage is a powerful one, but it''s cursed that''s what I think. How else would you exin the mysterious deaths? de had been killed by his own son, Thane who wanted the throne - there had been other rumours too, that Freya, his mate, had actually been the one behind his death and then she also died mysteriously. Riley too was another mystery to add to the long list, many said she had been turned into a creature of the night on her quest for power, the sun itself became her enemy, she would spend months locked in her room, even the pack members believed she was dead and Thane was only hiding away her corpse, but then... they disappeared, Thane and Riley were gone. There were no exnations, everything was a mystery, but the fact that the crown was passed to their son could only mean one thing."


    "I know the Nightshade''s pack history, Aric."


    "And yet, you send your own daughter to her own death."


    Aric walked out of the courtroom.


    "You cane out now, Kaida. I knew you were here, eavesdropping as usual."


    "I wasn''t." I lied.


    "Walk with me, will you?"


    We walked down the passageways.


    "As you earlier said, your father refused to change his mind so I''ll go with you to the Nightshade pack, and before you refuse, know that you don''t have an option."


    I looked up at him. "Of course you areing with me. I wasn''t nning on going alone."


    The Nightshade pack was by far bigger than ours; everything about this ce was intimidating. The soldiers paraded the borders, and of course they spotted us. They let us in with no questions. Alpha Ethan had been expecting us.


    Aric walked beside me, leading the way to the main pack house, which was also equally intimidating. The Nightshade pack was a wealthy pack, there was no doubt about it.


    Chapter Two


    A soldier walked up to us. He bowed.


    "I have been instructed to take you to your room to settle before the grand feast." He said to me,


    "And what about my Beta?"


    "The Alpha hadn''t been expecting anyone else, but a room will be created."


    "You know what? There would be no need for that, a room is enough."


    The soldier opened his mouth, as if to say something, but I cocked a brow at him, daring him to, he wisely kept silent and led the way.


    If it had been any other pack, the Alpha would be the one doing the weing, the frown on Aric''s face said he wasn''t very impressed with the Alpha Kings attitude of weing high-born guests, but I on the other hand, didn''t want to see this man called Ethan, just yet. The soldier stopped before a room.


    "I guess this is it?" I asked, and he nodded. He turned to leave but paused,


    "Onest thing, the Alpha invites you to join the Grand Feast and he requests you be there early." The soldier muttered thest part silently before hurrying away.

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    Chapter Three


    The room was just as elegant as everything in the Nightshade pack; it was bigger than my room back in the Dawn Pack. I spotted the dress on the bed. A flimsy thing. If it had been any other day, I would''ve been attending the Grand Feast in my leather pants and jacket-l hated parties and public gatherings, but that didn''t mean I wasn''t invited to a few back at my pack. I was the Alpha''s daughter it was required of me. My father tried to force me into dresses more than once, but of course, I never did wear them. It was different now; this was not my pack, and here I was a stranger. Wearing my ''usual'' clothing would only make me stick out in the crowd.


    I didn''t want that, but that didn''t mean I would wear the dress he had picked out for me.


    "It will be amusing to see you in a dress." Aric said, a smirk ying on his lips.


    "I''ll be in a dress alright, but just not this one."


    "Rebellious as always, let''s hope the Alpha King doesn''t notice." He said with a smile.


    "I really don''t give a damn."


    The hours flew past, and too soon, the Grand Feast Ceremony began.


    High-ranked members from all around the world attended this Feast. Not just because of the delicacy being served here but because this was an opportunity for them to make ties with equally powerful persons and also catch the eye of the Alpha King. "You know we''re going to bete, and I remember the Alpha King not wanting that." Aric says to me. I rolled my


    eyes.


    "I would have been there early, but then he just had to make it an order, and I don''t take orders."


    "Alphas... men like him, they like their mates submissive-I warned your father; this is not you."


    "Aric. I don''t like this either; I don''t like being here or having to put on a dress, but I will try to make this work. Not for the Alpha King, but for my father... for my pack."


    I got dressed in the only gown I had brought along with me; it was a ck fitted dress. It covered most of my skin, and of course, I put on my elbow-length ve, I paired it all with a pair of ck shinybat boots.


    A


    I didn''t bother with any jewelry; I always felt like it was extra weight, one I didn''t need. I removed the band from my hair, letting it fall freely; I brushed through it before proceeding to strap a dagger to my thigh, making sure it was properly hidden, and I was done. I walked out of the dressing room.


    "Wow, you look..." Aric began, but he seemed to be having trouble finding the right words.


    "Ridiculous? Trust me, I know."


    "That wasn''t what I wanted to say. Different-you look different but in a good way."


    Compliments from Aric were rare, and I knew he was only saying this because we were friends. I wasn''t exactly ugly; I knew that. I was fit with long ck hair and grey eyes. But whenever I stared at the mirror, the only


    thought on my mind was, ''I''ve seen better. For an Alpha''s Daughter, I was quite average.


    Aric was in a ck suit, matching my dress; he looked good too.


    "Lead the way; we don''t want to arrive at the end of the feast now, do we?"


    Chapter Three


    The feast was all what I imagined and more. Lots of food, lets of people, women in dresses, men in suits and tuxedos.


    My eyes trailed round the hall, in search of one person.


    And then I perceived the scent.


    Beautiful, alluring and hypnotizing- that was the only way to describe the pleasant scent. My heart pounded in my chest; it was getting even more difficult to breathe, and the pounding in my chest got even more painful. Every single part of me wanted to trace that scent and find out who it was.


    "Kaida, are you alright?" Aric asked, noticing my unease.


    I looked up to him. "My mate, he is here."

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    Chapter Four


    Chapter Four


    "My mate, he is here."


    "What?" Aric questioned. "How is that even possible?"


    "I don''t know, but he is here, I can feel it."


    Just then,plete silence fell; all chatter ceased as The Alpha King rose to his feet. He was huge, clearly above six feet; he had sea blue eyes and brown hair, which he cut short into a buzz cut. His features were sharp, and maybe my father was right about one thing- the man before me didn''t look twenty-two years of age; he was no child; he was an Alpha in every sense of the word. The scent I had been perceiving, the one that made my heart pound, it was him.


    Fear was not something I had felt in years; I always liked to think of myself as fearless, but for the first time in a very long while, I was afraid. I was afraid of a man, the very man standing right before me.


    "He is my mate." I whispered.


    "Who?" Aric asked.


    "The Alpha King." I whispered back.


    As if he heard me, the Alpha King''s eyes met mine. I wonder if he was feeling the same thing I felt; that was how it worked right? All I felt, he had to have felt them too.


    But then his eyes shifted from my direction. He walked away. I wasn''t the only one staring after him, so were other Alphas and... other she-wolves. I couldn''t me them, he was a strikingly good looking man. "Are you sure?" Aric asked.


    If the Alpha King was indeed my mate, he would have walked right to me and imed me as his, here and now, but he had done none of that, he simply walked away.


    "I-I... don''t know."


    Could it have been his presence that made me feel that way!


    Alpha Ethan carried a powerful aura, and I wondered if it was my wolf recognizing the king-he was the werewolf king, after all.


    No, it was more than that.


    Even with him gone, I could still perceive the scent; it made my wolf uneasy.


    A soldier walked up to me.


    "The Alpha King requests your presence." He informed me. My heart went all wild in my chest. I hated the feeling of not being in control. Aric took my hands. "Alone." The soldier added.


    I stared up at Aric; for the first time in my life, I didn''t feel safe, I didn''t want to be alone, and I wanted Aric by my side.


    But he nodded and let go of my hand. The soldier walked forward, and I followed.


    He led me out of the feast and through the hallways; the loud music sting through the speakers in the hall faded away as we went on, and finally he came to a stop. He knocked on the door before walking away. A woman opened the door, a brte who waspletely naked.


    "You maye in," she says with a small smile.


    Chapter Four


    "I am here to meet the Alpha King." I said to her, and she only gave a nod.


    I felt for my dagger, which was still strapped to my thigh before walking into the room.


    Alpha Ethan stood there, his back to me.


    "Come in," he says, and that had been the first time I had ever heard his voice; just like everything else about him, it sounded intimidating.


    The Alpha King was always all over the news channels and papers, I always knew he was good looking but in person... it was on another level.


    I walked in, remaining by the door. The scent got stronger; my heart was beating so fast that I felt dizzy.


    He turned, his eyes on the naked girl. "Leave." He tells her and she does just that.


    "Take a seat." He invited.


    "I''m fine here."


    His eyes met mine; the intensity of it made me feel ufortable.


    All my life, I had fought against this; I had promised myself to never fear a man, but this man, Ethan Alexander Darkwood, scared the shit out of me.

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    Chapter Five


    Despite all the warning bells ringing in my head, I walked in and took a seat, just as he had requested of me. I didn''t know many things about this man, but one thing I knew for sure was that he was used to having hismand being obeyed.


    "A drink?" he offered. Pouring me a ss of whiskey.


    "From where Ie from, a girl does not drink."


    "This is your home now; soon the Dawn pack will be no more, so get used to it." He says, passing me the ss, I took it, but I didn''t drink.


    "You know, it is wrong to refuse a drink from the King."


    "I do not drink, and if I will, it won''t be because you told me to." I said, cing the ss down on the table.


    Those ruthless eyes pinned me down once more; I felt for my dagger once more.


    "I''ve heard a thing or two about you. The girl who aspired for greatness, you fought your way into that; you''ve gone to battles and never failed a mission. I admire that, but in this pack, you are just another girl; all you''ve built, everything dies with your pack. Here you will be seen as no other person but the Alpha''s bride. You will never wield a weapon, you will never walk into battle; your wild dreams end here. You will be the one person you''ve always hated, and that is the submissive mate. You will bear my pups and mother my children; that would be your destiny, Kaida."


    I rose from the couch and headed to the door, but his grip on me brought me to a halt.


    Fury and anger were all I felt. I turned, and I did something knew very well I would regret: I pped him as hard as I could.


    "I don''t care who you think you are; If you''re used to everyone doing as you wish, then you''re in for the shock of a lifetime."


    In a sh he had me pinned to the wall, eyes furious.


    He reached up my thigh and for a moment I stilled in fear, past memories resurface. He pulled out my dagger and tossed it away.


    I pushed him away, but he was stronger. I would have to do better than that. I sent a kick to his balls, but he saw thating. He held onto my gown and tore it open, my hands instinctively wrapped around my chest now bare.


    "You were wrong." He says, his eyes pinned to my face, "I am not used to getting all I ask; sometimes I take it by force."


    "Stop!" I cried out.


    I was there again, where I was so many years ago, and once again I was powerless; my years spent training still weren''t enough. Panic and fear weakened me; I couldn''t think clearly.


    He pushed me over the table, my back to him, and then he paused.


    "Get up!" he ordered, and for a moment, I remained there.


    I felt humiliated. It couldn''t be more than twenty minutes had spent with him, and he had managed to strip me of every confidence I had.


    I rose to my feet. Spotting my dress, I picked it up, and I wrapped the torn piece around my body.


    Chapter Five


    I knew why he stopped. He had seen the scars.


    No one was supposed to see the scars.


    "Take off the gloves." He ordered. If I did, he would notice the missing finger. I wasn''t going to do as he had asked. To hell with him. "No."


    "I don''t mind doing it myself."


    "Don''t you darey your hands on me ever again." I warned. I pushed past him and walked out of the door.

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    Chapter Six


    That was it.


    I was done.


    Aric had been waiting for me, and as soon as he saw me, he quickly took off his suit and wrapped it around me. I felt like a fool.


    The moment we were both in the room and alone, he finally spoke up.


    "What happened?"


    "There''s not much to exin; it''s all right here," I say, gesturing to my torn clothes.


    "If heid a finger on you, I''ll¡ª"


    "You will what? He is the Alpha King; he is also very strong and so there isn''t much any of us could do to him."


    "Where are you going?"


    "Packing my stuff and leaving."


    "What are you going to say to your father?" he asked.


    "I wanted to do this-for him, for the pack, but I can''t. The man is a monster; I cannot imagine sharing the same bed with him and his many... whores.


    I stuffed my things into the bag. I hadn''t brought a lot of things, and so in a few minutes I was packed.


    "Kaida, I don''t think you should leave now." Aric says.


    "Why shouldn''t I?"


    "At least wait till the feast is over."


    "Well, to hell with the etiquette and morals; I''m going home, and you can eithere with me or stay."


    I didn''t know what the hell I was thinking when I had agreed to this. All I had to do was try to exin it all to my father; he loved me; he wouldn''t force me any more than he already had.


    Being back at the Dawn Pack felt like a breath of fresh air. This was home; the Nightshade pack would never beat that. Not for me.


    I headed to the courtroom but he wasn''t there.


    Strange. He never does leave this ce.


    I checked his room next; he wasn''t there either. I bumped into a soldier named Benjamin.


    "Have you seen my father?" I asked him.


    "He had been taken to the healing room."


    "Why? What happened?"


    "The healers wouldn''t tell anyone, but maybe you should go to him and find out."


    I raced down the hallway for the healing room.


    Chapter Six


    I stopped before the door and gently pushed it open. Sarah rose to her feet immediately, she was one of the pack healers and my very favorite. "Where is he?" I asked.


    "He is in the inner room." She replied, her voice low.


    "What happened?"


    "The Alpha... I don''t think he would make it through the next few days. His body already decays like that of a dead man; it''s only a matter of time..." She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. It was only a matter of time before he would die. "Let me see him."


    "If there is any offsetting news, I''ll advise you not to tell him; he doesn''t need to hear that now." She said and I nodded.


    She was right; I could smell the rot. I was familiar with the smell of dead bodies, and if not for the rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought him dead.


    "Daughter." He called, but his eyes remained closed.


    "Father!" I replied, walking to him, and I knelt by the side of the bed. I held back my tears, I had to be strong. You can''t die; you are all I have left."


    This was really happening; he was going to die.


    "No, you will have the Alpha King by your side soon; it might take some time for any true feelings to blossom, but it will."


    If only he knew this was no matter of time. There was never going to be anything between us; we were twopletely different people, and while many believe opposites attract, it doesn''t always work that way; sometimes opposites repel.

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    Chapter Seven


    My father had told me countless times the story of when I was just a child, and he thought he was going to lose me, he had done everything in his power but it all failed and then he discovered the ''healer''s lilies'', it healed me. Words could never fully capture what it feels like to stand on the edge of losing a loved one.


    I didn''t miss my mother much-I never had the chance to how her. She died giving birth to me. All that was left of her were only her pictures. Alpha Trent was a strong man not many Alphas carry on after the loss of their mates, and yet he did. Now, the very same man I once believed was invincible,id on his deathbed. I held in the tears because they were of no use. Crying never changes anything.


    "Kaida, I want you to know that I love you so very much. I know you will take care of this pack, even in my absence."


    "I will." I promised.


    "You met with the Alpha... I know he might seem..."


    I cut him off. "He is my mate."


    "That... is very convenient." He said with a small smile.


    "It is." I responded, grateful his eyes were shut; if he could see me, he would''ve read what exactly was on my mind.


    "When I die." My father began, "I want to be buried here, with my fathers and the ones before me."


    "And here you will be buried." I promised him.


    ..


    "The pack needs to know." I said to Aric, pacing around his office.


    "No, they don''t. He is not dead yet."


    "He is dying! Have you taken a look at himtely?"


    "Kaida, they will panic, and until we have ns on what to do next, it''s best we keep this to ourselves."


    There was a knock on the door; it was the Imp. That was what he was referred to as here. Haga was a dwarf, cast away and rejected by his own family; he stumbled upon this pack, and my father epted him in. He became the pack''s messenger. "A message for you." He said with a bow.


    "Thank you." I said, taking the envelope from his hand. He walked away immediately.


    Haga didn''t like being called by his name; I had never asked why, simply because I didn''t want to pry, but he preferred being called ''Imp,'' which had now be his name. The Imp.


    "It''s signed by the King." I said, passing the message to Aric.


    He tore it open and read it out.


    "The Alpha King writes to inform you that the Dawn Pack is under hismand now, and so is every member of this pack." he summarized.


    "What? But I hadn''t... mated him yet."


    Chapter Seven


    Aric stared at the piece of paper "It seems your father had surrendered the pack to him; your marriage to him was only so you could remain Luna at the very least." "I will not marry him... I can''t."


    "I know that. But all members of the pack are under hismand. This isn''t just limited to the pack members but to me, you, and even your father while he still lives." "My father would never do that!"


    "Did you tell him about your refusal to wed the king?"


    "I-I couldn''t, I couldn''t tell him. I tried to, but I... didn''t.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter now. It''s no longer an option. I hate this as much as you do, but you have to do as your father had said... else, this pack would be only at his mercy. "And what if nothing changes, even if I be his Luna?"


    "Seeing you by his side will give the pack members hope. They wouldn''t feel like they had been... sold out." He was right, and I knew it.

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    Chapter Eight


    Chapter Eight


    It had taken every ounce of willpower in me to return here


    But if I was going to be his Luna, then the rules would have to change; I didn''t care who the hell he was.


    The soldiers escorted me to his chambers. He wasn''t alone. There were about a dozen men seated there, many of whom were middle-aged; they should be the ones people refer to as the king''s ''advisors.


    Alpha Ethan''s eyes settled on me.


    The scent was even stronger now, but I was going to rein inny wolf; I was in control, not her, and it''s time she knew that.


    I had expected to see a smirk on his face; after all, he won. I was here because I had no other options, but his face remained unreadable, and maybe that''s one of the many things I found unsettling about him. I couldn''t read his emotions, and I was very good at that. I didn''t like surprises, but the man seated before me had a bottle filled with surprises, waiting and ready for me.


    "Leave, every one of you." He ordered, and all the men rose and walked away, leaving me alone with him. His presence was indeed intimidating, but I wouldn''t let him see that. I looked him in the eyes as I said.


    "I will be your Luna. But I have my own conditions."


    "Conditions?" he questioned, a sly smile forming on his face.


    "Yes. Conditions. You will not force me against my will, you will not treat me like a whore, you will pay me the respect a Luna deserves, you will let me look after my pack, and you will not keep me out of the pack affairs."


    "And if I don''t agree to these ''conditions''?" he asked. I could hear the mockery in his tone. The pack already belonged to him, so did I. I had no right to bargain, I had nothing to bargain with, and yet here I was, doing just that because I would not cower away and let him do as he wished.


    "I agree to your ''conditions."" He says, and that does surprise me; he didn''t have to agree, and yet he did.


    "But I have my own conditions."


    "I''m all ears."


    "You will not disrespect me, and in exchange, I can let you have a say in what happens in your pack. As my Luna, you are not allowed to have an affair with anyone but me."


    "And if I don''t want to go to bed with you?"


    "You are my mate; you will be expected to bear my children so you don''t have a way out of that."


    "Then I need time."


    "Time for what? I don''t think you are a virgin, so tell me, why exactly do you need time?"


    "I cannot go to bed with a man I do not know."


    "And a man like me has needs, Kaida."


    Again with him calling my name like he had known me all my life.


    "Then... take your whores. I know you have a lot of them; they can satisfy you.''


    "And you will be okay with that?"


    Chapter Eight


    "I don''t care what you do, Alpha Ethan."


    Call me Alexander. I don''t go by the name Ethan, not


    I couldn''t help but wonder why he had chosen to go on "Okay then. I don''t care what you do, Alexander."


    "Soon enough you will, and if it does ever bother you, I


    "You don''t have to worry. It won''t."


    Today''s Bonus Offer


    Chapter Eight


    "I don''t care what you do, Alpha Ethan."


    "Call me Alexander. I don''t go by the name Ethan, not anymore."


    I couldn''t help but wonder why he had chosen to go on with his middle name, but I wasn''t going to ask him either.


    "Okay then. I don''t care what you do, Alexander."


    "Soon enough you will, and if it does ever bother you, leave behind your pride and tell me, would you?"


    "You don''t have to worry. It won''t."

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    Chapter Nine


    I''d heard other she-wolves talk about how it felt when they met their mates. The scent, the pull-I felt it all.


    "Do you feel it?" I asked him, and a small smirk spread on his face.


    "Feel what?" he asked. "The mate bond?"


    "You knew." My tone was using.


    "I''ve known for a very long time now, Kaida. Even before I agreed to your father''s proposal."


    "How long ago did you know?"


    "Your father and his beta made constant visits to this pack your scent was all over them."


    "And yet you made no move, why?"


    "I don''t say this to offend you, but you aren''t exactly my type."


    "Oh, I know. I guess brtes are your type, and maybe you''d have preferred a girl who would fall on her knees and worship the very ground you walk upon, a girl who would obey every single word you utter without questions."


    "I would have liked that, but that wasn''t what I was referring to. You see only a few girls shut the doors to love and choose the parts of bing ''warriors''. Of course, most times there were reasons behind such decisions. The thing is I don''t like my toys broken." I was no toy of his, and I had made sure he knew that.


    Yet, hisst statement prated into me-though I would never let him see that; it only did hurt because I knew he had had a glimpse of my imperfections, my scars, and just like I had expected, it repulsed him.


    My scars were the one thing I felt self-conscious about, and that''s why I needed time; that''s why I wouldn''t mind Alexander taking whores to bed, because I wasn''t bold or confident enough to stand before him, naked and marked with scars-let''s not forget my missing pinky finger.


    "You could have rejected me. I never did want a mate."


    "Of course you didn''t, what you wanted the most was to be an Alpha."


    I paused, staring up at him.


    "How did you know that?"


    "I''ve heard of many strange and abnormal things, but nothing beats this. I have to say, I admire you for that."


    He did not answer my question; I didn''t miss that.


    "I have one more request." I said to him, "I ask that you give a suitable position to Beta Aric."


    "You''ve run out of favors, Kaida. Aric would be treated like every other soldier in this pack, till he chooses to retire."


    "But he is no ordinary soldier. He will be of great use to this pack, I promise you."


    "You are very close to this... Aric. Who is he to you?"


    "I don''t understand your question."


    Chapter Nine


    "Do you fuck him?"


    "He is the pack''s Beta!"


    "And that makes him... out of reach?"


    There were a lot of things I wanted to do; smacking him didn''t feel like such a bad idea at this moment. Instead, I took a deep breath and let go of the anger and fury I felt; he was only baiting me.


    "Aric and I are just friends, nothing more than that."


    ""Friends who share the same room."


    Now I understood him; I had invited Aric to stay in the very same room with me thest time I had been here. It didn''t seem like such a big deal; we didn''t share a bed; We both slept on the couch because I refused to sleep in the bed while he slept on the couch, and his ego wouldn''t let him take the bed. Neither of us yielded, so we ended up on the couch, which wasn''t so bad.


    "And if I do bed my Beta, why should you care?"


    "My wolf is possessive of you. If you have an itch,e to me-no one else."


    I would have challenged him, but I was the one who came up with the idea of him meeting with other women till I was ready.


    I didn''t see Aric that way-not just because he was ten years older than me, but because the bond we shared had always been one of friendship. I hadn''t bedded any man before, not because I was preserving myself for a mate, but because I never felt the need to have


    sex.

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    Chapter Ten


    Chapter Ten


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    Kaida Dawn was different.


    She was different from any other woman I had ever had in my bed.


    I had discovered she was my mate four years ago, but unlike many other werewolves, the thought of having mates never did intrigue me. I didn''t want to be loyal to anyone; I didn''t want a family, and that''s why I stayed away.


    And then Alpha Trent Dawn hade to me with his proposal. He was one of the few people in my good books; I knew what he had done for this pack, and I was aware that we owed him a favor. But I did find it strange; He had a Beta, going by the name Aric. Since he had no male children, the Beta could''ve taken over, and Kaida could''ve mated him instead. But for some reason... he didn''t hand the pack to his Beta.


    I had spotted her the moment she walked into the feast. How couldn''t I? Her scent was all over the ce. My wolf inside didn''t like the Beta being so close to her, or the fact that they had slept in the very same room, but I reined him in. What happened before I imed her as mine was none of my business.


    She wore a ck dress, the only color I had ever seen her in among the few pictures I''d seen of her; perhaps the colour ck was her favorite. She had a weapon on her, maybe a dagger which had been carefully hidden. She must have caught the scent; there was no keeping it a secret now. I was her mate, and soon enough, she would know it too.


    Having her with me alone was more than just a test of my self-control. I wanted to know more about her, and everything I heard was indeed true. No one had ever looked up at me with pure disgust until I met this strange woman.


    She was nothing like I expected. For one, she didn''t mention her discovery that we were mates; Any other she-wolf would''ve stripped naked and waited to be imed. At least that''s what I thought, but she-she didn''t seem to like me a lot, and while that shouldn''t be a problem, it was a bruise on my ego.


    I was used to people cowering at my presence; I was used to the fear they held for me, the distance every single person gave me, but Kaida, of course, wasn''t like them; she had raised her hands on the Alpha King, a crime punishable by death, mate or not. I should have punished her; I shouldn''t have let her go so easily, and yet I did.


    Ever since I was a boy, I was used to things going my way. Kaida had a strong will; she wasn''t used to doing as she was told, and maybe that''s what I found interesting about her. I was going to teach her how to be a Luna and how to be my Mate.


    And then I saw her scars. Werewolves heal quickly; scars only remain from severe torture, and I wondered how that could have happened. I didn''t let her know I was curious; But I was indeed very curious to discover how those scars she hid from me came to be. I had let her go knowing she was going to return here; she had no option; we both knew it.


    And she did return.


    With her own conditions.


    I had to admit, I did enjoy a good argument. I would let her feel like she had an option, just to make the game even more interesting. I needed this, a little spark in my very boring life, Drinking and fucking were interesting too, but so was she.


    Chapter Ten


    Twice, she had wounded my ego. She had refused sex with me. Maybe it was the scars she was trying to hide, maybe it was something more, but again, I would let her believe she had a say; I would do as she had requested; I wouldn''t fuck her, no. For that she was going to beg, on her knees, and I was going to take her as I would any other slut.


    "I don''t think an alliance with the Gray Moon Pack would be of any benefit." Austin-one of my advisors said to


    1. me.


    "I agree." Phil joins in.


    I was in the meeting room, surrounded by a dozen of my advisors; this was thest ce I wanted to be at this


    moment.


    "What do you think, Alpha?" Austin asked as I hadn''t uttered a single word since this meeting began.


    "I think I need more whiskey."

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    Chapter Eleven


    KAIDA''S POV


    Aric brought me a few of my belongings-the little he had managed to pack on such short notice. I had refused to wear anything the Alpha King had selected for me, good thing I now had options.


    "Thank you," I said to him, and he nodded, a slight smile on his face.


    "Some of the pack members have already been moved here; the rest will have to wait till there are more rooms to amodate them." "How is my father?" I asked, The smile on his face faded, reced by a somber expression. "I guess that''s all the exnation I needed." "How has the Alpha been to you?"


    "He has been very loving," I said sarcastically, motioning to the empty room. Alexander had instructed a soldier to lead me to ''our'' room. And yes, I would be sharing a room with him, I wasn''t looking forward to that. "Kaida..."


    "No, don''t tryforting me, I don''t need that from you. I know what I have to do and why I am here, he is my mate so I guess it was... meant to be." I said with a smile that was clearly false.


    "I wonder if you had anything to do with me being assigned Chief Commander of the Nightshade pack?" "Wait, what?"


    "I was just as surprised as you are."


    "I talked to him about it, but I didn''t think he would do it."


    "Maybe he is not all that bad." Aric said, mostly tofort me.


    "No. This is a game to him; everything is a game to him."


    Alexander walked into the room; I remained seated on the couch.


    "I really hope you don''t n to sleep on the couch."


    "It''s not your business where I sleep."


    "But it is; you are my mate, remember?"


    "You made Aric Chief Commander." I stated.


    it had to be done."


    "Yes, I did. It pissed off a few others,


    "Thank you," I said to him, the words feeling like lead on my tongue; I didn''t mean them.


    "I didn''t do it to appease you.


    "Then why did you do it?"


    "Because now, you are indebted to me."


    I knew it; it was all a game to him.


    Chapter Eleven


    "What do you want, Alexander?"


    He smiled, exposing his fangs. "I need toy a im on you I have to mark you."


    "I will not carry your mark."


    "I didn''t have to be polite about it, trust me, it would have been more fun my way."


    "What is your way?"


    "There used to be a tradition, it''s called the Joining Ritual. am supposed to mark you before the whole pack, and sometimes things get... heated."


    I had heard of this tradition. Late Alpha de had marked his mate and bedded her before the whole pack. That was simply horrifying. I couldn''t even imagine how it would feel like having every single person in this pack seeing my ''imperfections'', not that I would ever allow such a foolish tradition to be imposed on me.


    Alexander marking me was another event bound to happen. With his mark on me, our bond would grow even stronger, and so would my link to the pack.


    I pulled down my dress a little to expose my neck.


    "Do what you must."


    His hands settled round my shoulders, and in a sh he bit into me. I didn''t know exactly how this was supposed to feel, but something tells me he wasn''t being as gentle. I shut my eyes, holding in the pain, and then it faded, giving way to something else. A foreign feeling, one I had never felt before. Need. Lust. For the first time I found myself wondering what it would feel like to give in; a moan escaped my lips. I felt my nipples harden, and I could smell my own want.


    I pushed him away.


    "Enough!" I say, pulling my dress back up to cover the injury.


    "Afraid?" He asked, walking closer. I didn''t take a step back; I looked him in the eyes and muttered.


    "You don''t scare me, Alexander."

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    Chapter


    Twelve


    I hadn''t realized when I had fallen asleep on the couch until something woke me- pain.


    My whole body seemed to be on fire. I knew what was happening; how the hell hadn''t I thought about it? We were fated mates; of course, if he was with his whores, I was going to know-I was going to feel it.


    After Alexander had marked me, he walked out of the room. I knew exactly what he was off to do, and I didn''t care; I was happy to have the room all to myself. I didn''t realize what I would have to endure while he was having fun, but I had been through worse. He knew what he was doing, and if he thought even for a second that this would make me change my mind about going to bed with him, then he was wrong; I''d rather endure it.


    I managed to draw myself a bath; I was hoping this would help ease the pain, but of course it didn''t. It went on for longer than I expected, but finally it came to an end.


    I got dressed, making sure I was fully clothed. I couldn''t sleep, and so I spent my time practicing with a sword- one of the weapons I barely used; a gun could do better with less stress and also, less mess.


    Too soon, morning came, Alexander never did return to our room.


    A whole day passed, and I decided I was done sitting around in the room. I was going to go out there and do something, maybe join the soldiers train... or anything else.


    I walked down the hallways, trying to master every route, and soon I was out of the pack house.


    I followed the noise and screams, and they led me to the training grounds.


    I couldn''t help the smile that spread across my face. The soldiers were good - very good actually.


    Aric walked up to me.


    "Reminds you of the good old days, doesn''t it?"


    "Come on, it hasn''t been that long since I left the Dawn pack." I said and he shrugged.


    "How was your first night with the Alpha King?"


    "I don''t think it''s right to disclose private matters to the likes of you," I said, and he was silent, looking at me like I had grown two heads. "gods, I was trying to make a joke!"


    He chuckled, finally catching on, I swear Aric used to be more fun in his twenties.


    "It wasn''t so bad-I mean, he was absent for most of it, but that is a good thing; he did mark me and then went away to bed some whore."


    The smile on Aric''s face faded. "He can''t treat you that way you are his Luna now."


    "Oh, don''t you worry; I had agreed to this. Until... I was ready; he could seek satisfaction between the brte''s legs."


    "Kaida..."


    "


    "No, I don''t want to hear it. My father wanted me to be his Luna; I did that, but everything else I do from there on would be my decision."


    Aric nodded, clearly not pushing it.


    "How about we spar?" he asked with a small smile. "Like we used to do before."


    He picked up a sword and tossed it at me, I caught it midair. I could notice we were gathering some attention. By


    Chapter Twelve


    now the news should have already spread, they knew I was the Luna - at least some of them did.


    "I waited patiently for Aric to attack first as he usually did. He lunged at me, and I sidestepped, anticipating his move. He quickly regained his bnce and approached again, sword raised. I met him; our swords shed. He pulled away, he swept his sword in an arc, but I saw thating too. I ced a foot on the tip of the sword, and he sent a kick to my abdomen. I lost my bnce and fell to the ground. Before I had the chance to rise, his de sliced at me again. I blocked, dodged, and rose to my feet. I kicked him in the knee, payback for his earlier strike, and just like me, he lost bnce. I pointed the sword to his neck


    "Got you."


    "You sure?" he questioned and only then did I notice his sword also pointed at my abdomen.


    Apuse erupted from the crowd of watchers; I had almost forgotten they were there. I gave a half bow. Only when I rose did I notice his presence. Alexander was here, and his gaze was fixed on me.

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    Chapter Thirteen


    Chapter Thirteen


    "Walk with me," Alexander said to me.


    Many curious gazes followed us.


    "Where to?" I inquired.


    "To the Dining Room."


    "I''m not hungry."


    "But I am, soe with me."


    I clenched my teeth, following after him.


    "How do you feel?" he asked.


    "Really? You are going to ask me that question?"


    "Last night, you felt it, didn''t you?"


    "I''m sure you were so happy and satisfied knowing I was in pain." He passed me a vial filled with a clear, thick liquid. "What is this?"


    "Something I should have given you earlier. You should take it; while it won''tpletely take the pain away, you would barely feel it." he exined.


    ""I don''t need it."


    "You don''t have to be stubborn, Kaida; it will do you no good. Tormenting yourself is not fearlessness; it''s stupidity."


    "If I can endure being with you, then no amount of torment is too grave to endure." With that I walked past him, heading back to my room. I had lost my appetite.


    I stood at the balcony, all I could think about was my father. He was all alone-I should be angry at him for ruining my life, but I couldn''t bring myself to feel any form of anger at him. He believed I would be safe here, and that''s why he had made the deal.


    I wondered what it would feel like leaping off this balcony and down the many stories... I''d get a few bruises maybe a broken bone or two, but it''d be worth it...


    My thoughts were cut off when I felt the familiar burning pain. gods, he cannot seem to keep his dick in his pants. The pain only intensified. There was no getting used to this


    I returned to the room, rummaging through the drawer for the vial. I found it.


    I didn''t trust him, and yet... he was right; tormenting myself was not bravery. I pulled the cap open and drank the liquid. It had a weird taste, and strangely I felt... weaker. Did this have some kind of side effects?


    My eyebrow grew heavy.


    Had he... Had he drugged me?


    Darkness took over my vision.


    Chapter Thirteen


    I woke up on the bed. I didn''t recall falling asleep here. What happened?


    It all came back; The potion - or whatever that thing was, rank it and then... I cked out.


    I wasn''t alone. Alexander was seated on the couch, a ss of what seemed to be whisky in his hands.


    My gloves.


    They were gone?


    "You drugged me, you bastard." I sneered at him.


    "I was curious to find out why you always had that on." He said, referring to the gloves which now sat on the table.


    "You had no right."


    "No right to stare at your missing finger?"


    "I shouldn''t have taken it; I should have known better."


    "I didn''t drug you; the potiones with a few side effects and you shouldn''t have taken it on an empty stomach."


    ""Why didn''t you tell me?"


    He stared at me with a cocked eyebrow.


    I did remember walking away when he led me to the Dining Room.


    There was a tray of food on the table.


    "Very caring of you to bring me food."


    "Don''t get used to it, little mate."


    "Don''t call me that."


    "What? Little mate? But you are little and also my mate."


    I took a deep breath. I couldn''t let him annoy me more. I rose from the bed. I was still fully clothed; at least he had only taken off the gloves.


    "Do you always have to bed women every few hours?"


    "Are you jealous? You don''t have to be, but if you go down on your knees and beg, I will consider fucking you instead."


    I knew he was only trying to goad me; still, I couldn''t help the sneer that formed on my lips. How had Ie from one of the most feared warriors to... this? "Go to hell."


    He stared at me; those blue eyes were unlike any I had ever seen. "You should be grateful I don''t bring them here and make you watch."

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    Chapter Fourteen


    Chapter Fourteen


    The moment Alexander was gone, I wolfed down the food he had brought as I was starving.


    I began my daily exercises. I had been cking off for the past few days, so I started with 100 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and then resumed my squat routine. The hours passed by in a blur; I hadn''t even realized how long I took exercising; the sun had gone down, giving way to dusk.,


    I was covered in sweat. I had to take a quick sliower; I was Alexander back anytime soon; I guessed he would spend the room all to myself.


    The cold water was just what I needed.


    I paused, turning off the shower.


    no mood for long baths and I wasn''t expecting night with his whores, and I will once again have the


    I thought I heard a sound. I listened in harder, but there was nothing. I must have been mistaken. I stepped out of the shower stall; only then did I notice him. Alexander stood by the door, his eyes trailing down my very naked body. "Get out!"


    "You are my mate; you don''t need to be shy."


    There was something slightly off about him; the wicked glint in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine, which I quickly suppressed.


    I hated the fact that my scars were on full disy once more. I quickly wrapped the towel around my body before walking to the door where he stood.


    "You had no right to do this."


    "Do what? Watch you shower?"


    I could smell the alcohol in his breath.


    "Are you drunk?"


    "I spent five hours, surrounded by my advisors, each of them had something even more boring to say, I''m sick of them Kaida, can''t they do as they wish and let me spend my time drinking whiskey and fucking whores?" he asked me. "I don''t know; seeing as it is indeed your pack, they are only trying to help.


    "Being a King is not as interesting as it sounds - I mean, ordering people around is, but ruling... it''s quite boring."


    "Then why don''t you give up your crown?"


    "I can''t. It''s tied to my lineage." He said and took a sip of the bottle of vodka in his hands.


    I wondered how much fun a drunk Alexander could be.


    "You could let me rule in your stead."


    "And you would want that, wouldn''t you... little mate?"


    "Yes, I would love it."


    "No."


    Chapter Fourteen


    "No?"


    "I''d rather have you here, in my room, the position suits you better."


    He still managed to be even more annoying when he was drunk.


    "Do you find me attractive, Alexander?" I asked, it was a stupid question and yet for some reason I wanted to know, he would probably forget all these by morning and things would go back to how they had been, that was alway the case when my father got drunk. "You do fight well; watching you spar with your Beta turned me on, but do you want to know something else that does turn me on?"


    "Yes, what else turns you on, Alexander?"


    "Those scars." He whispers; he was so close to him, I could perceive his scent, mixed with the smell of alcohol; I could feel his warmth... being so close to him made me remember what it felt like to want something... different. " The smell of your wetness when I marked you... gods, it was divine. Yes, I do find you sexually attractive."


    "I''m d to hear that," I said before pushing past him.


    "There have been so many rumors about this pack-your lineage, to be exact; many believed it is cursed." "I think the ckwood Bloodline is cursed too. Does that scare you? You are no longer Kaida Dawn, but a ckwood, just like me and the ones before me." I was never going to be giving away myst name, but Alexander could think as he liked.


    "No. It doesn''t scare me. My mother died giving birth to me; my father is... dying. Nothing scares me, not anymore."


    "I don''t believe you. I see through you, Kaida; you put up an act, but inside, you still hold that fear, the very fear you will hold for the rest of your life.

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    Chapter Fifteen


    Chapter Fifteen


    He was right. I was not as fearless as I made people believe was.


    He took another swig of his liquor. That was good; I needed him as drunk as he could be for the question I was about to ask.


    "Tell me... did you ever n on telling me what happened to your parents?"


    "Do you want to know, little mate?"


    "Yes, I do."


    "And you will, only if you tell me how you got those scars.


    A frown formed on my face; I had my back to him so he wouldn''t notice it. I had told nobody about my scars, no other person but Aric. Not even my father knew the full story.


    Alexander was curious about my scars, just as much as I was curious to know what happened to his own parents, and while I would have never told him the truth of how I got these scars, there was no harm in telling him now; he was drunk, and he would probably forget it all, but I would get the truth out of him.


    "I had a friend. A female friend. Her name was Cassandra, but I called her Cas, and she called me Kai. We were best friends, though she was very different from me. All she would talk about was love, mates, and all that bullshit; she wasn''t interested in the things I liked, but I couldn''t me her; most girls weren''t. She was supportive; she was always present anytime I spared with the other soldiers. Her voice was always the loudest.


    She was only thirteen, and I was a few months younger.


    Cas had a huge crush on this boy; he was a high-ranked member. I can''t remember what pack exactly he was from, but it wasn''t a neighboring pack. I went with her, of course, but it turned out to be a trap."


    I paused. It had been so many years ago, but still my eyes watered. I shouldn''t be sharing this with him; what if he did remember by morning time?


    Aric would tell me it wasn''t wise to share your fears with your enemy. I wondered if that''s who Alexander was. My


    enemy.


    "Go on." He prompted.


    I took a deep breath. I tried to remind myself that it was all in the past, no one would ever be able to hurt me, stronger now, and I could protect myself. FLASHBACK


    TWELVE YEARS AGO


    I was


    Cas always had a smile on her face. Sometimes I wondered how she does it; she always seemed happy; it was like she never had a bad day before.


    "Guess what!" she asked, a wide smile on her face.


    "What?" I questioned, feigning boredom, but I was interested in what she had to say, though we were so different; she was... fun, more fun that I could ever be. If Cas was born the Alpha''s Daughter, I bet she would have been everything my father wanted in a daughter and more.


    "I''m meeting him!" she eximed. "I''m finally meeting E."


    ""Who is Eli?"


    Chapter Fifteen


    *


    "The charming man I was talking to at the party, the one with beautiful blonde locks and ck eyes.


    1 couldn''t help but stare at her. Cas was always in love. She did believe that one day I would find ''The One'', that''s what she calls it, she believes I was going to fall in love oney, I never argued when she spoke about her high hopes for me, but I knew that was never my path.


    "Brown."


    "What?"


    "He has brown eyes, not ck."


    "So you do know him."


    "I''m having a hard time keeping up with your many crushes, but yes, I do and I know he is not from this pack or around here, he is also four years older than you meaning in a year''s time he would be of age to find his mate and it won''t be you. Also, your parents won''t let you go."


    "My father wouldn''t be home; my mother-she has her business to run and ''age'' are just numbers. I really like him, and what if he turns out to be my mate? I mean, I feel like we were meant for each other." She said with dreamy eyes and a smile on her lips. Cas was a highborn; her father was one of the Commanders in the pack, and her mother Oversees a branch of the pack business. They never really had time for their daughter, and so she spent most of her time with me.


    "Then you could ask my father, the Alpha, for permission.


    "I can''t."


    "Why?"


    "He is the Alpha. He may be your father and a very good man, but he is still the Alpha."


    "What if something happens to you?"


    "Eli is a good person, and I will be going with you; you can protect me."


    "I-I still have a lot of things I need to learn..."


    "I''ve seen you beat up a full grown man... do this for me, pretty please?" she asked.


    I couldn''t help but feel a small swell of pride inside. She thought I could protect her.


    "We would only be away for a few hours; we have to be home before nightfall."


    "Yes, yes. Eli will take us in those human vehicles, we will be back in no time." She assured me.


    My father wouldn''t like this, I know that, but breaking the rules was always... Exciting. Chapter Sixteen

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    Chapter Sixteen


    Chapter Sixteen


    I knew something was wrong the moment I set my eyes on the boy named Eli.


    Maybe it was because he seemed so... nervous. The car came to an abrupt stop before a tiny building that didn''t look anything like a romantic spot. My hands wrapped around the dagger I had carried along with me. Eli was quick to open the door and Cas walked out.


    "Wait!" I called out, but it was toote. There was a man behind her, he ced a brown rag to her nose and she immediately fell into his arms. She had been drugged.


    "Come,e. Child." The man cooed, but I moved backwards. He let out a growl. Something about him didn''t feel right and I could finally ce it, it was his scent, he didn''t scent like a wolf and yet he was one.


    A rogue.


    He was a rogue.


    The man reached out to pull me out, but I shed at him with my dagger; I got him across the eyes, and he let out a snarl. More men appeared; there were about six of them. The other door was pulled open, and I had no ce to hide. One of the men picked me out of the car; I lost the dagger and was left with no weapon. I fought him, the best I could, but he was strong. He tossed me to the floor and sent a kick to my rib.


    "You... said you just needed to ask them questions." Eli stammered.


    "Yes, questions, that''s all we needed to ask." One of them replied.


    I rose from the ground. "Let us go; if you want money, my father would pay you..."


    I never got to finish the sentence; the man pped me.


    My father had never hit me before and maybe that was while the strike had felt so painful. I spit out a tooth. Blood poured down my nose, and half of my face seemed to have been set on fire. For a moment all I saw was white.


    The same brown clothing was ced on my nose. I fought even harder, but I couldn''t win, and soon I couldn''t even move a limb.


    Cas trusted me; she trusted me to protect her, and I failed. I let this happen because I wasn''t strong enough.


    I woke up in an unfamiliar room. I knew it was the very same building I had spotted through the car windows. My hands had been chained to the wall. Cas was already awake, tears streaming down her eyes, just like me, she was bound too, but with a rope which was clearly digging into her skin.


    "They''re both awake!" The man who must have been kept here to watch over us announced, and the other five barged in.


    I recognized the man with a sh across his eyes-I had inflicted that on him; the injury was bound to leave him blind in one eye and hopefully a scar too. He seemed to be the leader here, and I couldn''t help but imagine how much that would have been a bruise to his pride; a little girl had done that to him.


    Eli walked inst. I noticed his hands shook, he was afraid. Things weren''t going as he thought. My gaze found him, and hatred was all I felt for him; he had betrayed her. She loved him, and he betrayed her. What I couldn''t understand was why?


    She never did him any wrong; Cas was a girl loved by everyone she met. He was feeling guilty. I could tell that from the way his eyes kept flickering to Cas and then to me


    Chapter Sixteen


    +25 B


    BONUS


    "You know what this is?" one of the men asked me. I stared at the coal pot, burning with a strange green fire.


    "Cursed mes." I gasped. I had only heard of it, but never had I seen it until this day. "Intelligent little girl. You know, not many your age would know what type of fire this is." "What do you want?"


    "I am getting to that part. There''s no hurry." He said, a small smile forming on his lips.

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    Chapter Seventeen


    Chapter Seventeen


    **TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapters contain themes of trauma and abuse. Read with caution!**


    The man ced a de over the green mes.


    "I have a question; I need an answer, else..." he motioned to the de. I understood his threat. "Our brother, Mason, was taken by your father; where was he kept?" "I-I don''t know."


    "Well, too bad." He picked the de from the mes; the iron shone purple, instead of red.


    "No!" Cas cried out.


    "You said you would only ask questions!" the fool, Eli, screamed above his lungs. I looked away.


    Father told me sometimes fear contributes to the pain.


    The smell of burnt flesh filled the room and a single tear escaped my eyes.


    "A strong one we have here," the man said. The leader with the one eye didn''t look impressed.


    "She would break with time."


    He was right. I did break, just about when the iron met my skin for the seventh time. I called for my father, for myte mother, for the moon goddess, and every supernatural creature I knew. "Where did he keep my brother?"


    "I don''t know!" I cried.


    The man tossed the metal away; he seemed irritated. I had never seen men so cruel in all my life. I knew about rogues; I knew they were heartless creatures, but I never really understood what my father meant by that. "Take her fingers," the Leader ordered.


    Cas cried even louder, but Eli had strangely be silent, His face empty.


    "Still don''t know anything?" the man inquired.


    "I don''t! I''ve told you."


    ">


    The man had no single look of regret as he took my finger.


    This time I didn''t cry, crying... It never did change anything men like these enjoyed the tears.


    "She doesn''t know a thing." Another man spoke up..


    "I don''t believe that." The leader responds.


    He walked to Cas, and she backed away. From the stench; I knew she''d wet herself.


    Fear.


    That''s all she felt, and she was right to be afraid.


    "Maybe you should say goodbye to your little friend." He suggested.


    "Wait!" I called out. "Mason hadn''t been kept in the dungeons like the other prisoners; he had been kept in an underground fortress, the pack''s secret hideout." I revealed. Chapter Seventeen


    "Where is this ce?" the leader asked.


    "Close to the pack boundaries," I whispered.


    "So you knew this and you let us cut off your finger and burn your pretty little skin before you spoke up?" one of the men asked, in surprise.


    "She is a brave one. I would have let you and your friend go BUT, you took my eyes, you see, and I will have to take away something valuable from you too.''


    He walked to Casa and tore off her gown.


    }}-


    "I told you what you wanted to know! Leave her alone... please."


    He smirked.


    Men like him also liked watching people beg.


    "When we are done with her, she will wish she was never born."


    "Kai, please don''t let them take me, Kai!" she called for me


    I failed her.


    Her screams tore through the whole building, and I was forced to listen. It could have been days, hours, or just a few minutes, but it felt like... forever, and finally she was silent.


    The men returned, theirughs filling the building.


    Fun.


    That''s what it all was to them.


    "Keep an eye on her, would you?" One of them said to Eli, and he nodded. The leader turned to me. "If I find out that you lied to us, your death would be worse than ya little friend''s, and that''s a promise." The moment they were gone, Eli broke down in tears.


    "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry... they said they just wanted to talk they lied... they would have killed me if I tried saving her..."


    "Do you want my forgiveness?" I asked him and he looked up at me with hopeful eyes. "Free me and I will forgive you."


    +

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    Chapter Eighteen


    Chapter


    Eighteen


    "You will forgive ine?" Eli asked, his eyes wide.


    "Yes, no one would know anything - I promise you, I''ll tell the Alpha I never did see her, all you have to do is free me." "But they will kill me."


    "I will have my father kill them all. He is an Alpha, a powerful man."


    Eli nodded and walked up to me; he unlocked the chains and took them off. I spotted my dagger tucked in his belt.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "Do you forgive me?"


    I drew closer to him, close enough to reach for the dagger, pulled it out and in a fluid motion, I stabbed it into his


    chest.


    "You will rot in hell. You killed her; you did this, and you will pay." I said to him, and I pulled out the dagger and stabbed it into his stomach. He cried out. "She loved you; she was innocent." I pulled it out and stabbed it into his chest again. "You destroyed her... all for what? Money!" I growled, stabbing him over and over again, tearing through his body.


    That was my first ever kill.


    I rose, covered in blood, and I walked out of the room. I traced the steps right to where Cas''s screams had beening from. There her bodyy, dead.


    I didn''t cry; I didn''t shed a single tear.


    "I killed him Cas, I took his life for this." I said to her.


    Her parents couldn''t know, they couldn''t know what happened to their daughter, they would never be able to survive it, they would me themselves for not giving her the required attention and then they would me each


    other.


    The men would return. They would return furious because had lied to them. Mason had not been kept in the secret hideout; he was kept down in the coldest, darkest part of the dungeons to rot to death.


    I waited for them, a gallon of gasoline I had found in the basement in my grip.


    "Where is the girl!" one of them screamed out.


    "The boy... he is dead... she escaped!" another one called.


    The sounds seemed to blend together in my mind and I finally walked to the entrance, standing by the door. They were all injured, I guess our soldiers hadn''t made things easy for them.


    "What is that smell...?" The man neverpleted his question.


    I lifted my dagger; before they had the chance to run, I aimed for the one closest to the pot of burning coal. The Cursed me still burned bright. My daggernded square on his shoulder. He staggered back, bringing down the pot of coal to the floor. The gasoline I had earlier sprayed had aided the fire spread. I was quick to lock them in before running as fast as my feet could take me.


    Once outside the building, I waited.


    Their cries were loud, just as Cas'' had been; I could even hear it from a distance. They burnt; none of them


    Chapter Eighteen


    escaped, none of them but the one who didn''t return with the rest. The one-eyed leader.


    He must have been killed when trying to sneak into our pack; he had to have.


    Aric found me wandering through the woods. And that''s how he managed to discover the truth."


    ***END OF FLASHBACK***


    Alexander had gotten so close to me; if I moved even a tiny bit...


    I pulled away from him once more.


    Maybe I wanted him to know this, maybe I''ve always wanted to tell somebody about it all and suddenly I felt lighter. But he would forget it all by morning time. Chapter Neen

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    Chapter Neen


    1 took the bottle of vodka from his hands and lifted it to his lips.


    "Have a drink." I encouraged, and with his eyes on me, he did take a drink, a rather long one. I watched the movement of his adam''s apple as the drink went down. "If the man still lives-the one with the scar."


    "He doesn''t. I had searched for him for years, but there was no trace of him."


    "Had you tried inquiring about their secret hideout from his brother, the one who was in your father''s custody?"


    "I couldn''t. I killed him the moment I had the chance. But as I said, he is most likely dead, Aric was a good tracker, he could have found him if he still lived."


    "The amount of time you mention your Beta''s name is sickening."


    "Is it?"


    "Very." He said drawing closer.


    His eyes seemed to have darkened, it wasn''t lust, I could tell, it was something... scarier.


    "Drink some more." I encouraged.


    "Are you trying to get me drunk, little mate?"


    I stilled.


    "You are already drunk... A little more wouldn''t be so bad, would it?"


    "I guess not." He said, taking a sip. "Assuming he still lived, contrary to what you believe, what will you do?"


    "I would give anything to have him; Just so I could kill him."


    "Anything?" he asked.


    "Anything." I repeated, meeting his gaze. "Now I have told you what you wanted to know. It''s your turn to tell me what happened to your parents... what is your own story, Alpha Alexander?


    "The thing, Kaida, is that I can''t tell you that. Not when I''m in my right mind."


    Realization dawned on me. "You aren''t drunk... are you?"


    ""No. I''m not."


    I felt like a fool. How in the hell did I fall for that?


    I was furious and angry, at myself, at him, and everything. He knew-he knew it all, and he deceived me. He was never going to tell me the truth about his parents, and I had told him everything he needed to torment me. I felt like my protective shield had been ripped away from me and now he could see through me. I hated it, I hated him.


    "Kaida..." he began.


    I grabbed onto his clothing.


    "If you ever use what I have just told you against me, mate or not, I will kill you."


    Chapter Neen


    His eyes locked into mine as he pried my hands off him.


    "That was very... intense. Maybe you need a drink to rx.


    No, I didn''t need a drink. What I needed to do was get dressed, and then I was going to take a very long time to sit and reflect on what I had just done.


    "You are a very skilled liar, Alpha Alexander. Has anyone ever told you that?"


    He smirked. "It wasn''t all a lie-I mean, I do find you attractive."


    I turned away to hide the reddening of my cheeks. Now I made him believe that I cared about what he thought of


    1. me.


    "You also have good fighting skills-I didn''t lie about that either."


    "Don''t you have somewhere else to be?"


    "You make it seem like you don''t care, but you do, Kaida," he said to me. "And I don''t think you need to be ashamed of your scars."


    "I am not ashamed of it."


    "Then why do you keep them covered?"


    "Maybe because I don''t want curious eyes on me everywhere I go."


    "You are the Luna now; you will be having a lot of that."


    "I''m not about to change the way I dress just because you told me to."


    I settled on the couch.


    "Come on, sleeping on the same bed with me can''t be that bad."


    "I''d rather not."


    "I''ll keep my hands to myself, I promise."


    "Well, your words don''t mean anything; you are a liar, and how do I know that you wouldn''t..."


    "Force myself on you?" he asked with a glint in his eyes. "You are afraid; you are afraid of being close to me, that''s why you prefer I spend the night with my whores." and


    "Why didn''t you?... I mean that would have been even more convenient for the both of us."


    "Not for you."


    "So you are worried about my well-being, Alpha Alexander?"


    "You are a member of the pack now; it is my duty."


    "Well, I''m notining. Am I?"


    "You are very stubborn. Has anyone ever told you that?"


    "No, not really." I lied.

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    Chapter Twenty


    Chapter Twenty


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    My stubborn little mate slept on the couch, I watched her. One would think being the daughter of an Alpha meant she was to be protected. She should have been protected.


    I also thought her story was a bit simr to one I had heard before.


    As dawn broke, I rose from my bed. Her eyes snapped open; she was very sensitive to sounds and also a light sleeper.


    "I''ll be back early today." I informed her.


    "Whatever." She muttered before rolling over; I had a fine view of her ass, which was considerably bigger than many girls I had been with or... noticed. I remembered exactly how she had looked naked. Scars marked her body: one across her chest, another extending to her hip, two on her back, and one tracing up her corbone. I was furious seeing those scars; I didn''t think they were repulsive to look at, but I hated the fact that someone had put her through pain. I looked away, heading to the bathroom.


    My type-what exactly was my type?


    Once I had thought she wasn''t that, I thought she wasn''t my type, but now... I saw her in a different light. She was unique and... different. She wouldn''t agree to everything I said like the other women did; she had her self-control, and I admired that.


    My advisors were seated around me. I had known them ever since I became the Alpha at the age of fifteen. I was different, but so was my whole lineage. My father was a Lycan, and I... had be an Alpha and a king at the age of fifteen. Many believed I wouldn''t be able to inherit the throne; some suggested that abled men rule till I was of age, and others believed that without an elder to crown me, I could never be king. I proved them all wrong when I emerged with the crown.


    Much was expected of me; many wanted me to be like my father, and many awaited my fall, just so they could make mockeries, and so I couldn''t afford to fail-failure was never an option for me. I had selected the council of advisors, but sometimes I wonder if it was worth the hours and hours of boredom I had to bear listening to them.


    "You spoke about an alliance with the Gray Moon Pack." I spoke up, and they all quieted. Of course, most times I let them do the talking.


    "Yes, Alpha, but we have triple of all they have, so I don''t see what we would gain from forming an alliance with them." Austin says, always wanting to get my attention. He was good at what he did, but he was trying too hard, and sometimes it got... irritating. "Arrange a meeting with Alpha Grayson as soon as possible I need to have a talk with him."


    Austin nodded before rising to his feet; the rest followed, irritated looks on their faces. None of them liked Austin; maybe that was because they believed he was my favorite.


    Alpha Grayson of the Gray Moon Pack arrived in a matter of hours. Of course he needed this alliance; he had more to gain, and also, he could go bragging around that he was now protected by the Nightshade pack, just so he could be... feared. He bowed.


    Chapter Twenty


    "Rise. And do take a seat." I invited him. He sat on one of the chairs in the meeting room.


    "I hear you want to form an alliance with this pack, but I wonder, what do you have to offer?" I asked him.


    "I would have said weapons, but you have those;nds-but you also have that in abundance, and so I would offer you something else, something better. Women."


    "I had no idea your pack was involved in ve trade."


    "I wouldn''t call it that. These women are being paid; they weren''t taken by force." He said, but I didn''t believe


    him.


    "And why do you think I need them? I mean, I have many willing whores here too."


    "Our pack has the finest; they are skilled."


    I smiled at him.


    ""Deal. But I have two questions for you."

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    Chapter Twenty One


    Chapter Twenty One


    "I will be willing to answer every one of your questions." He replied eagerly.


    "Good. I hear that your pack is also in alliance with the... rogues."


    He looked up at me, clearly about to deny but thought better of it.


    "Yes. Alpha. But you know how much rogues hate packs and theirws. They would not let themselves be involved in any other pack matters."


    "I didn''t ask because I need their alliance. Some years back you told me a story of a boy who was found burnt to death-this boy was from your pack.


    "Yes, he was. His father was a Captain. He did well in his service before he retired. That had been around the time his son was killed. The fire might not have been the cause of his death-that''s what the healers said." "What was his name?"


    "I can''t remember-I think it was... Eli... Eliott."


    "Eliott." I repeated. It does make sense that the boy hadn''t told them his full name.


    "What interest does the Alpha have with this lowly deceased boy?"


    "His death interests me. Do you know this man?" I said, passing him a picture, he caught it before it slid off the


    table.


    The moment he stared at it, his face paled just a bit, enough to tell me he did know him and the man was very


    much alive.


    "No-I don''t," he said.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Positive, Alpha."


    "Then why do I think you are lying, my friend?"


    "Only a fool would lie to the Alpha King."


    "And so you are a fool. That man is a rogue; I want him alive."


    "I don''t-"


    I passed him another picture, and he picked it up; his face turned white. It was a recent picture, just a few months back, and he was in the picture, so was the rogue. "Would you keep on with the lies?"


    "Alpha, please. Part of the deal was that I keep him protected and that is one of the reasons the rogues are in alliance with my pack."


    "Protected from what?" I asked.


    "I don''t know."


    But he is in hiding."


    "Yes, and now I understand why he is in hiding; he must have done something to offend you..."


    Chapter Twenty One


    "Me? And why do you think it''s me who he offended?"


    "I thought-"


    "You thought wrong; I want him here to have a talk with him."


    "I''ll find him and send him to you.''


    "Good. And just so you know, if the rogue doesn''t make it here alive, I will take your head and leave your pack without an Alpha."


    I noticed the slight tremor in his fingers; he tried to hide it.


    "I understand, Alpha."


    "And don''t forget our little deal; let''s see how skilled the Gray Moon Pack women could be."


    "Of course." He said before hurrying away.


    The moment I walked out of the meeting room, Austin, who seemed to have been waiting by the door, walked to


    1. me.


    "So you struck a deal?" he asked.


    "Of course, I did." I said, and he smiled.


    "What would they be offering in exchange for the alliance?"


    "Whores, skilled whores." I say with a smile before walking away and leaving him behind.


    I returned to the room. Kaida looked all sexy covered in sweat, she must have been exercising and training.


    She nced at me and looked away. No ''Hey, hello, hi''s.''


    "How has your day been?" I asked.


    "Go fuck yourself."


    "You would love to see that, wouldn''t you?" I asked as I took off my clothes. I noticed her eyes linger a bit longer before she looked away.


    ¡°I


    guess you are nning to spend the night here?"


    "Of course, I n to spend the night with my mate."


    "Stop calling me that." She snapped, clearly in a mood today.

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    Chapter Twenty Two


    Chapter Twenty Two


    KAIDA''S POV


    The days went by in a blur, and I found myself preferring staying indoors.


    The knock on the door was expected; it should be Aric. I hadn''t seen or spoken to him in days. I walked to the door and pulled it open.


    I couldn''t hide the disappointment written on my face when I saw a Nightshade soldier standing by the door.


    "Can I help you?" I asked when he didn''t speak up.


    He had tried to cover up his little w, but I caught him staring. I wasn''t fully clothed, and of course he was unsettled by the scars-at least the portion he could see.


    "Luna." He bows. The Alpha requests your presence in the meeting room."


    "Wait." I told him before I returned to my room, got dressed in my usual ck pants and long-sleeved shirt, I followed him.


    "Is he alone?" I asked.


    "No... he haspany." The soldier replied.


    The moment I entered the meeting room, I caught a strangely familiar scent. No, this was not from Alexander.


    I looked around the room; some of the advisors were seated and also Alpha Grayson of the Gray Moon Pack-I knew him because I had seen his pictures, but other than that, I had never met him, and then... My eyes stopped on the man; he had a scar stretching down his eyes, a very familiar mark-how couldn''t it not be familiar? I was the one who took his eyes.


    I stared at him, at the face I could recognize even in my dreams; he was the very man I had tried finding for years and also the same man I had thought was dead. He stared at me as if trying to remember where he knew me from before shrugging and looking away deciding I wasn''t worth the stress.


    My gaze met Alexander''s, and all I could feel was anger.


    (


    He knew that the rogue lived; he had sounded so sure back then. He had brought him here because he knew how tormented this would make me. I had been a fool to open up to him, and now, he found another way to make the games'' even more entertaining for him. It was all a joke to him, my past, my pack, my life... everything was a joke to him, and I had given him the opening he needed; I had told him my weakness, and he was going to use it against me everyway he could.


    I had never felt a hatred so strong before; Alexander, on the other hand, only had a smirk on his face.


    "Are you familiar with my Luna?" He asked the rogue.


    "I might have seen her face somewhere; I can''t be sure."


    "I think she knows you a lot."


    I stood there, silent. Thinking.


    The man still lived; the man who had killed my best friend was still alive and in this pack-maybe he hadn''t died as I thought, but with him this close, I had a chance.


    I nced around. These advisors were not old men; they were powerful werewolves, and if I did make a move, they would be an issue.


    Chapter Twenty Two


    "If you weren''t a rogue and very disinterested in the pack affairs, I would have employed you to be my mate''s personal bodyguard." Alexander said.


    "I mean... that does sound like a good idea; I could watch over her really well." The rogue stared at me with his one eye, and I knew he remembered; how could he forget? was the little girl who took his eye and burnt his crew members to death.


    "It would be a bad idea; I''d prefer that my personal bodyguard assigned to ''watch'' over me has both eyes intact," I said. Some of the advisors chuckled, quickly masking their musement with coughs and throat clearing.


    The rogue snarled at me, furious. Alexander rose to his feet Walking towards me, he grabbed me by the arm. " Forgive my Luna; she could tend to be very rude sometimes"


    Alexander''s gaze met mine; I held his stare, challenging him.


    He led me out of the meeting room, I opened my mouth to speak.


    "Hush. Not yet."


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    Chapter


    Twenty Three


    Chapter Twenty Three


    The moment we were alone in our room, I ced my dagger at his throat.


    "I warned you. I told you if you tried ying games with what I told you, I was going to kill you."


    I pushed the dagger against his throat, nicking him, and a thin line of blood rolled down his neck and disappeared beneath his clothing.


    "Then kill me, Kaida."


    "Don''t tempt me." I warned.


    "You cannot kill me, not even if you want to. You have me in this position because I choose to let it be."


    In a sh, he had somehow managed to flip me around so I had my back against his chest, his hand wrapped around mine, and now the dagger was at my own throat. He was stronger than me; I hated times when I got reminded of that. He held me closer; I could feel him against my ass, strong and hard.


    "If I wanted you in this position-in other, more... interesting positions, I wouldn''t have a problem making it happen. You don''t threaten me; you might be my mate, but I am still your king." He whispered in my ear before letting me go. "I hate you."


    "And that doesn''t change a thing." He said, walking towards the keep to fetch a bottle of his favorite wine. "And just so you know, I don''t get drunk easily." He added, taking a swig straight from the bottle."


    "Why? Why did you bring him to me? I know you for many things: a manwhore, a drunk, a jerk, but a sicko isn''t one of them."


    "I don''t think you can say that; you''ve only been with me for a few days, so you don''t really know me."


    "Does it excite you when others are in pain?"


    "The anger and fire in your eyes was exciting to watch."


    I was ready to do anything, just as long as the rogue died by my hands; I would give anything for that.


    "I want him dead."


    "I know that."


    "By my hands."


    "I also know that." He responded, taking another swing. "But the thing is, if I do kill this man, then the other rogues will turn against the Gray Pack. The man is under the Alpha''s protection, and the rogues won''t care about the fact that Alpha Grayson wasn''t the murderer. If Grayson has a lot to gain from the rogues, more than he has to gain from an alliance with this pack then he might start a war - just to prove his loyalty to the rogues, and it will all be... catastrophic."


    "I had told you once I would give anything-just anything in exchange if you can grant me this one thing."


    "You want it so desperately, don''t you? Tell me, how desperately do you want to see this man dead, his blood all over your hands?


    I stared at him. He was attracted to me-or at least I thought he was.


    Chapter Twenty Three


    I took off my shirt, exposing my bra. "Anything." I promised. His eyes lingered on my cleavages, and he inhaled deeply.


    "Tempting... Kaida. But I had made you a promise: if I am going to fuck you, then you will beg, on your knees. And for the rogue, I don''t n on taking anything from you in exchange."


    He walked to me and picked up my shirt; he passed it to me


    "I want you to be willing enough."


    "The rogue...


    "He is all yours. Consider that a gift, from me... to you."


    I stood there surprised. I had thought Alexander brought him here to torment me, but I was wrong. I also thought he would take me here and now; after all, he won fair and square, but he didn''t, and maybe he was right. I didn''t know the man I lived with; I didn''t know him at


    all.

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    Chapter Twenty Four


    Chapter Twenty Four


    Trigger Warning: The following chapters contain themes of trauma. Read with caution!


    I followed Alexander down the dungeons.


    The rogue had been chained up in one of the dungeon rooms.


    "They wille after you the rogues; they will be your biggest enemy." He threatens Alexander, but I could see the fear in his eyes; he knew his death was near. "Then let theme." Alexander responded.


    "Is the bitch even worth it? The amount of lives that would be lost?"


    "Careful, she decides your life now and you wouldn''t want to make things any worse." He paused, "If there can be anything considered as ''worse'' in your case."


    "You can''t do this... Please, I beg you, I can make you a deal"


    "I hate rogues-they are barbaric, untrustworthy, and cunning creatures. I think I''ll pass on that one."


    Alexander left me alone with the rogue.


    "Do you remember me now?" I asked him.


    "I don''t know who the fuck you are." He lied through his teeth.


    "Pity. I''ll help you remember."


    The room had been furnished with an abundance of weapons and torture tools, but my dagger would have to do for now.


    I walked towards him.


    "What are you doing? What are you doing you little bitch!"


    I tore open his pants. "Have you ever been... castrated before?"


    "Get the fuck away from me, you fucking sicko." He cursed his spittle apanied his words. His eyes wide in fear. He should be afraid; a man without his dick was no man.


    A move; that''s all he took, and his skin fell to the ground, blood soaking the remains of his pants.


    His scream tore through the room, so loud that I imagine those above could hear it.


    "So I''ll ask you again, do you remember me?"


    "I do!" He cried out like the little c*nt he was.


    "Who am I?" I asked.


    "Kaida, daughter of Alpha Dawn."


    "That''s not the answer I expected."


    I chopped off his middle finger next. And he cried out, snot running down his nose; all his courage had disappeared, and he cried like a wounded puppy. "Now answer me. Who am I?"


    Chapter Twenty Four


    "I saw you... with your friend-you were... the girl that took away my eye... I spent days, weeks, months, and years regretting the decision I had made, and it was all because of you. I spent years hating you, but I couldn''te out from hiding because I was afraid- afraid of the little girl that had taken my eye, the girl who had yed me and my crew as fools, the girl who burnt my crew members to their very bones, and the very same girl who killed my brother."


    I nodded slowly. "I did do all that; I also castrated a grown man.''


    Tears streamed down his eyes as he cried on in pain. "I''m sorry... I just wanted my brother-that''s all I had wanted."


    "And I wanted my friend, but they are both dead, and it''s me and you


    "Please." He begged as I took his other hand.


    left."


    "I remember how she cried-she was only a child, only... a child. You know, I always think back to that day, and all I would think about was that those men deserved a death worse than what I had given. I am more than d you survived.


    I took off two of his fingers, and he cried even louder; his whole body shook. He was losing blood, but he wasn''t dying just yet; he was a rogue; he wouldst for a while. "She called out for me-you know why?, because I told her was going to protect her; she believed I would, and so went along with her. I couldn''t do a thing when you sentenced her to a death so... brutal, and all the while you bothughed.


    I shoved the fingers I had cut off into his mouth, and he choked and gagged and threw up.


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    Chapter Twenty Five


    Chapter


    Twenty Five


    I had always wanted this; I dreamt about it so many times that it felt surreal now. I dreamt about killing them over and over again.


    "It must be hard having just one eye left to see with." He pleaded some more. "You know, you did leave some scars too. I would spend the rest of my life with them, so it only fair that I, Kaida Dawn, be thest person you will ever see," I shed at his eyes, and his scream grew louder. Soon his cries turned into whimpers.


    "Just kill me, he pleaded. Please, just kill me."


    "Not yet." I whispered.


    "I... am-no better than a-" he paused to take in a shaky breath. "I am no better than a dead man... Just kill me and end the torment."


    "End the torment? Where is the fun in that?" I asked, and he broke down in tears. "Oh baby, don''t cry, little kitten; no one is going to hurt you. I mean, you didn''t really think you would go scot-free after what you''ve done, did you?" "Please..."


    "Okay, no more begging; how about we take your tongue next?"


    "No... no... please!"


    Begging didn''t save him, I turned a deaf ear to his cry just as he did to me.


    He spat out a mouthful of blood. If he could see, he would have seen his tongue lying on the bare ground; now I wouldn''t have to worry about hearing his voice ever again. His voice had haunted me for years, not anymore.


    "Now I can kill you." I said, bringing my dagger to his throat, he stilled. He wanted this; he wanted me to put him out of his misery. I wouldn''t give him that. "Or better yet, I''ll let you die slowly, locked in here. If you ever get hungry, your body parts are scattered here; all you have to do is feel around to find them."


    His choked cries followed me as I walked out of the room and shut the door, locking him in.


    I looked at my hands; they were covered in blood and strangely... I felt satisfied and aplished. It was like a weight in my chest had been lifted off. I felt relief; it was all over. It was all over; I had avenged her death, and I could finally move on from that.


    I hadn''t done it on my own... Alexander had helped me; he had helped me ovee my greatest fear.


    I wiped my hands on my pants; the ck color masked the stain well.


    I returned to my room.


    I felt excited; I had never felt this excited in... years, and maybe Aric was right; maybe the Alpha King wasn''t that bad; maybe things could work out, and I didn''t have to shy away.


    I watched the hours, waiting for Alexander''s return, something I never did in times past. There was a knock on the door, and my heart skipped; I had thought it was him for a slight second, but Alexander doesn''t knock; he simply walks in.


    I headed to the door, and standing before me was Aric.


    He had this strange, unsettled look in his eyes.


    Chapter Twenty Five


    "Aric, I had been expecting you." I said, ncing once more at the time, Alexander would be here any moment


    from now.


    "You barely leave this room anymore." He said with a chuckle that I found quite unsettling too. "So may Ie in?" "Yes... I mean, of course."


    "You seem in a good mood today." He said, I opened my mouth about to recount to him everything that had happened, but then I thought, Do I really want to hear what he hade to say instead?


    "Do I?" I responded, refusing to give anything out.


    "Okay, Kaida-I have a n; I know you don''t like it here...


    "What are you saying?"


    "I''m saying I should''ve been a better man; I''m saying I should have found a way for the both of us to escape all these-"he motioned around with his hands. "I''m saying I shouldn''t have forced you into the hands of a man like Alexander." "I can handle this..."


    00


    "You always try to be strong, but I know you are not. I know you are not okay with the fact that he spends the nights with other women, and staying away from you for these few days made me realize something."


    "I don''t understand what you are trying to say, Aric."


    "Then let me show you."


    Aric leaned in and.... kissed me. I was momentarily stunned, frozen in ce. Just then, the door swung open, and Alexander walked in.

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    Chapter


    Twenty Six


    Chapter Twenty Six


    I shoved Aric away, quickly putting some distance between us.


    Alexander''s gaze met mine, and I thought I saw a look of betrayal on his face before his emotionless mask returned. "Leave." I said to Aric.


    "No," he replied, his eyes also fixed on the Alpha King, his fists clenched.


    "Get out!" I growled at him, and He gave me a long look before walking away, ncing once more at Alexander on his way out. "Is not what you think..." I began.


    "So you weren''t about to fuck your beta in our room?" he asked, his voice calm, a different type of calm. The dangerous type. "No, I wasn''t going to do that."


    "Lies." He says, "All lies. I thought you were better than that, Kaida. I did remember making a deal with you; you cannot fuck another man while you are in this pack; that was my rule, and in exchange your ''conditions'' would be met." "Aric and I are just friends."


    "Friends don''t fuck each other, Kaida. Now tell me, do you prefer older men?"


    Things had finally started falling into ce; my life here was finally getting better, but Aric had to ruin it all.


    ""The deal..."


    "It''s off. I don''t like liars, and you seem to be a very good one. I''ll make your Beta pay for daring to touch my mate, and then I''ll make you watch."


    ""You cannot do that."


    "Can''t I?"


    "Please... don''t."


    "Your pleading means nothing to me, dear mate."


    "I don''t have feelings for him; I am not lying."


    Alexander took deliberate steps toward me and wrapped his hand around my neck. "It will be so easy." He whispered, "So easy to strangle you and watch you die-but you are my mafe, so I can''t do that." He said before letting go. "Alex, I''m not lying to you; I had never gone to bed with my Beta. He kissed me, but I didn''t want it. I had no idea that''s what he was going to do."


    "You didn''t look to be struggling, Kaida; you let him."


    "1-1..."


    "That''s what I thought.


    I trust you have some of the potion I gave you earlier left. I advise you to take it; it will save you from the pain."


    Chapter Twenty Six


    He said before walking to the door. I knew where he was heading to; he was going to pay a visit to one of his many


    whores.


    Everything was about to go very wrong... very wrong, I had to do something before it was toote.


    "Wait!" I called, and he paused. "What if I can prove it to you? What if I can prove to you that I had never been with Aric-or any man before?"


    He turned to me, watching me take off my clothes.


    "If you want me in you, then you know what you have to do." He says to me, the fury still bright in his eyes. I went on my knees because I wanted to prove to him that I was not a liar; I had never been with any man before, but he didn''t believe me. He would never believe it until he saw for himself, and I was ready. While I wasn''t one of the many girls who fantasized about this moment, I didn''t think this would be how I would lose my virginity.


    "Please... Alexander, I want you." I whispered, my face burning. I hated it; this was everything I was against. Why did I feel the need to prove anything to him? He had been with his fair share of whores, so I didn''t have to do this, and yet... he was going to hurt Aric; I couldn''t let that happen.


    "I didn''t quite catch that." He says, just to spite me, he was going to make sure I never forget this day; he was doing this to humiliate me. I held back the sneer threatening to form on my lips.


    "Please, fuck me, Alexander." I said a bit louder, and a wicked smirk appeared on his face.


    "I think I liked that better."

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    Chapter


    Twenty Seven


    Chapter Twenty Seven


    He took off his clothes, all the while, his eyes remained on me. He grasped my hair, motioning for me to rise, his grip almost painful.


    "I can walk." I said, not liking his grip on my hair.


    "I know that, but I like this better," He threw me onto the bed. "Now bend, with your ass in the air."


    I turned red.


    It was a challenge, one he believed I would back out from. This time, I won''t. Slowly I moved to position. His hands trailed down my back, and then round to grasp onto my breast firmly, and I stilled. "Afraid?"


    "Fuck you."


    "You would like that, wouldn''t you?" He held onto my hair, tight. "Go a bit lower, my little slut."


    Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wouldn''t cry; he wouldn''t break me.


    I gasped for breath when he thrust into me, hard. His punishment.


    "Tight." He whispered. "Just how small is he?" He wondered aloud; his next thrust was even harder, and he pounded on, going deeper, and then he paused.


    I could smell the blood. "Now you know." I whispered, "I''ve never been with a man before and I wasn''t lying." He attempted pulling away.


    "No! It''s already done; now don''t be a pussy; finish what you''ve started."


    His next thrust wasn''t as hard; he went slow, but it made no difference; the pain between my legs throbbed on. I hid the difort I felt as I let him take the onest thing I had to offer, the onest thing which had been left untouched, and finally he came, filling me up. He pulled away.


    I rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom to wash up: I wouldn''t let him know I was hurt. The cold water from the shower washed me clean; I closed my eyes, finally letting the tears out.


    Nobody was to me, not Aric, not my father, but myself. I had myself to me for everything; I was in the very position I dreaded the most, and I let it happen.


    I turned off the shower, and only then did I notice Alexander in the bathroom. He was shirtless, with only his pants on.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know."


    "Of course you didn''t; you had no idea, and yet you called me a liar."


    "How... how are you still a virgin?"


    It was umon; most she-wolves with Alpha''s blood always ended up with a couple of men before they finally found their mates.


    "I always believed I remained a virgin because I never felt the need to have sex, but it wasn''t just that. I never found the right person."


    })


    "You shouldn''t have let me."


    Chapter Twenty Seven


    "You are the Alpha King, Alexander; you take what you want, and nobody could ever stop you, but I wanted this. I wanted to prove to you that I''m not a liar. What I can''t understand is why your opinion of me suddenly matters." "You should go to the healers."


    "I''m not in pain." I lied, but I was most definitely not going to the healers.


    He walked to the shower enclosure, where I stood-naked, if I may add.


    "What are you doing?" I asked.


    He picked me up like I weighed nothing.


    "Put me down, now." I sneered.


    He didn''t. I twisted in his grip, attempting to free myself.


    "Please don''t fight me. I''m taking you to bed."


    "I can walk.''


    "I know, but I don''t want you to."


    "I''m also very naked." I said, very much aware of my hardened nipples flushed against his chest.


    "I''ve seen you naked more than once; you don''t have to be shy."


    "I am not shy." I argued.


    He carried me back into the room,id me on the bed, and pulled the freshly changed sheets over my nude form before joining me on the bed. "You hate me, don''t you?" he asked.


    "I-I don''t know."

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    Chapter Twenty Eight


    Chapter Twenty Eight


    "It doesn''t have to be this way, you know." He says. "We don''t have to be this distant."


    "I don''t get what you''re trying to say."


    "It could be just the two of us, no fighting, no whores, just us - as mates."


    I was silent. He was offering me a life as his mate and his Luna, when we didn''t have to hate each other. Cas would have wanted this; this would have been to her a dreame true, but I didn''t know if this was what I wanted.


    Maybe I was afraid. Alexander was a charmer, no doubtmitting to a man like him could never end well. What if this all turned out to be another game to him? What if breaking my heart was his master n?


    Yet, a small part of me lusted after something... different, something new, but then there was the other part-the other part that told me love was never meant for me.


    "No. It can''t. What happened tonight doesn''t change a thing. I only agreed to this to prove my point, but... You are better off with your whores; things are better off left how they had been."


    "You are afraid; I can see that." He says.


    I hated how easily he read me, but it was more than just fear. I didn''t trust him, and what ismitment without trust?


    "I guess I''m just... different."


    Wey in silence for the next few hours.


    "Alex." I whispered.


    "Kaida?"


    "Thank you for your gift." I said, referring to the rogue.


    He turned to me, and for a moment I saw something different in those beautiful blue eyes. "And thank you for making me your first."


    ALEXANDER POV


    Kaida was a mystery.


    I had taken her so brutally with no idea that she was a virgin; I should have figured that out when she felt so tight, but I didn''t believe her. Just to prove her point, she discarded her pride and went on her knees. I couldn''t understand my mate and the lengths she was willing to go just to get what she wanted, I admired that.


    I hated myself for hurting her; I wanted to make it up to her, and that''s the only reason I was sparing her Beta. I never did like the man. It''s clear she didn''t know about the beta''s feelings for her, but I did. The moment I saw the both of them together, I knew that he saw her as more than just a friend; that had led me into assuming they were lovers.


    I made her beg on her knees, like a slut, just to satisfy my bruised ego. I should be happy now, but I wasn''t.


    I didn''t want to think any more about how being in her felt like; it had been... amazing. She didn''t have to do anything, yet being in her filled me with an animalistic need, stronger than I had ever felt before. She turned me on, and now sheid beside me,pletely naked and fully asleep.


    I had been her first. Something about that filled me with a different kind of pride and, at the same time, shame. While I spent nearly each night with a different woman, my mate kept herself for me. Maybe she wasn''t the


    Chapter Twenty Eight


    broken one after all.


    I wanted something from her, something I had never wanted from any other woman before; it was more than casual sex-I couldn''t exin it, but I just wanted her, and yet... she wasn''t ready. I couldn''t me her; she had every right to be afraid. I didn''t have a great reputation among my pack members or beyond; I was known as the ruthless king who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. The truth is many were just the same.

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    Chapter Twenty Nine


    Chapter Twenty Nine


    Kaida remained at the very edge of the bed, the sheet wrapped tightly around her body. She was still very much alert. It was clear she didn''t trust me; neither did she like to be ced in such a vulnerable position.


    Trose in the early hours of the morning, doing my best not to wake her. I got dressed, giving her onest nce before leaving the room.


    I headed down to the dungeons to where the rogue had been kept; I needed to return his body to Grayson for whatever ritual they did with their dead.


    Turns out, the man was not yet dead, but he was no different from a corpse. I couldn''t help the smirk that formed on my lips.


    It wasn''t all talk without truth; my little mate was every bit as dangerous as they imed.


    Stark, one of my advisors, met with me in my office.


    "Alpha Grayson is furious." he began.


    "He should be."


    "Did you really have to kill the rogue?"


    "Yes. He had to die." I responded, the rogue to me was a breathing corpse, he would be fully dead in a few days. Where is Grayson?"


    "I had invited him to meet you; he should be here in a matter of minutes."


    "Okay then. If you have no more to say, you may leave."


    "But..."


    00


    "Leave." I said, and he rose to his feet, bowed, and walked away.


    Grayson had a frown on his face.


    "You said you needed to talk to him." he said to me.


    "And we talked." I responded.


    "I told you what would be at stake. The news is yet to reach the rogues, but it will soon, and what happens then?"


    "Maybe you start a war against this pack to prove to them which side you are on-but don''t be mistaken; we will fight back, and you won''t win."


    "I don''t n on attacking your pack, King."


    "In that case, there is another option. I send three dozen of my most skilled soldiers to watch over the pack boundaries; they will be there as long as it''s required of you."


    "I''ll be grateful." He said with a bow. "Who am I to question you? I know you had a reason for killing the rogue,''


    "Oh, I did."


    442


    Chapter Twenty Nine


    There was a knock before Lara let herself into my office. Lara used to be my favorite whore.


    "I didn''t call for you.


    "I know that." She says, her voice sensual, just like everything about her. It was like she was made for this purpose, alone. "You haven''t called in a while, and I had to check up on you. She said, walking closer, she got on her knees before me. "Not today, Lara."


    "You''ve never turned me down; I know how to make you very... happy." she said and then giggled.


    Her hands trailed up my thigh.


    I rose from my seated position and walked to the window. "Not today, Lara." I repeated, and a small pout formed on her lips.


    "It''s because of her, isn''t it? You can be with other women; I''m sure she would understand."


    "Do you need wine?" I asked, and I could see the slightly surprised look in her eyes before she nodded. I gestured for her to get seated, and she did. I poured two sses of wine, one for myself and the other for her.


    She took a sip of her wine, and I gulped down mine in one go.


    "Nice wine; it tastes... expensive."


    "Because it is." I said, watching her empty the cup.


    She opened her mouth to say something, and then she paused. Her eyes widened.


    "Wolf''s bane." She gasped, there was nothing sensual about her voice now.


    "Did I forget to mention that I added a little portion of wolfbane to my drinks?"


    She tried standing from her seat only to lose her bnce and fall to the ground.


    The smirk disappeared from my face. "You don''te to me if I didn''t call for you. Understand?"


    She nodded.


    "I''m sorry... Alpha." She choked out.


    "Go to the healers; if you are able to get there fast enough, you may survive. If not..." I left the remaining words unsaid as I filled up my ss once again. Chapter Thirty

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    Chapter Thirty


    Kaida''s POV


    I met Aric in the training grounds.


    The moment he saw me, a small frown appeared on his face, "Are you alright?" he asked.


    "Come with me." I said, avoiding his question. I, on the other hand, was happy to see him unharmed; perhaps Alexander had chosen to let what happened earlier slip-at least I hoped so. The moment we were out of sight, I stopped walking.


    "What was that stunt you pulled earlier?"


    "What?" he asked, acting innocent.


    "Don''t y the fool - why did you kiss me?" I asked and he looked away. "Look at me Aric." I demanded but he wouldn''t.


    "I have feelings for you, Kaida."


    "For how long?"


    "How long?" he repeated. "I don''t know; since I watched you grow into the woman you are today.''


    "But... you never said anything, you never told me."


    "I had been waiting for the right time-it never came."


    "Aric, you have to let it go-whatever you feel for me, you have to push it aside because it cannot happen, not now and not anytime soon. You are better off with any other woman."


    "I don''t want any other woman; I want you. I had watched you grow, and sometimes it felt wrong to feel this way about you, but I couldn''t help it, and then, your father had to marry you off, but it turned out the Alpha King was mate after all, so this was bound to happen... Back there, I didn''t know what I was thinking, but kissing you didn''t feel wrong... it felt right."


    your


    "Alexander would have made you pay for that."


    "Why did he change his mind?" Aric asked, and it was my turn to look away. "Of course you had to give him something in exchange. What did you give him?"


    "That''s none of your business. You are safe now; that''s all that matters."


    Aric looked down at me. "I can protect you. Kaida."


    "I don''t need your protection. I want you alive, and kissing me wouldn''t do the trick, not when I''m mated to the Alpha King."


    "Tell me... did you like it?" he asked. "Did it feel as good to you as it did to me?"


    Did I like his kiss? I''m not sure if I did; he had taken me by surprise. I couldn''t think, but it felt... wrong. Not because Alexander was standing by the door, but because I had always seen him as a friend, we were meant to be friends and nothing more. "Don''t worry, you don''t have to answer that." he said, trying to hide the disappointment from his face.


    I took his hand in mine.


    Chapter Thirty


    00


    "Aric, I need you alive. There are not many people I can trust here; you know me better than anyone, and you are like family to me. I can''t lose you too, please."


    He finally nodded. "You are right, what I did was stupid and insensitive, forgive me, Luna."


    "You know you don''t have to call me that, at least not when we are alone."


    "I might as well get used to it." he said with a small smile.


    "Also, If you have any message for me, it''s best you send a maid or servant... for now."


    "So the King wouldn''t spot us together?"


    "Just do as I have said."


    A girl staggered down the hallway; she looked slightly familiar. Perhaps she was drunk.


    It wasn''t until she was close enough that I realized why she looked familiar; it was the brte girl, the one I had met in my room. Sweat coated her face, and blood dripped down her nose.


    She wasn''t drunk; she had been... poisoned.


    "Help me." She gasped. My jaw clenched; she was Alexander''s whore. Why should I help her? But again, I agreed to the deal, and I had no right to hate her. I swept her up in my arms, she was not as heavy as I had anticipated. I traced the familiar paths to the healers. I met Sarah; she was one of the Dawn Pack healers, but I guessed she had also been moved here. I handed the half-conscious girl over to her.


    "What happened?" Sarah asked me.


    "Maybe she had been poisoned."


    "Wolf...bane" The girl muttered, and Sarah''s eyes widened, she quickly went to work. I didn''t wait behind; I walked out of the healing room and continued to my room


    Walt

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    Chapter Thirty One


    "I know you want me-more than you will ever admit." He whispered.


    "Stay away from me." I said, but my voice shook.


    Alexander walked closer. "Are you sure that''s what you want?" I opened my mouth to tell him off, but no words came out. He was so close... too close. "You say one thing, Kaida, but your body, it says another." It had been a dream.


    The first dream I had ever had about Alexander. The dream felt so real... In this dream, I had wanted him to touch me, to satisfy a need he had awoken in me. I could still feel the wetness between my legs. Alexander walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his lower waist. I found my eyes lingering on his toned abs; his hair had also grown out a bit. I couldn''t deny that Alexander was a very good-looking man, and he also had a reputation for it.


    He stared at me, a small smirk ying on his lips, his eyes slightly darkened.


    "You are on your ''heat''," he says.


    "What?"


    "I''m sure you know what that means.''


    I was familiar with the word; I knew about it. He was my fated mate, and he had marked me. If I had paid more attention to lessons about mating like Cas did, I wouldn''t be so caught off guard by this news. When a she-wolf was in her heat, she attracted more ''attention''; her smell is stronger at this point, and unmated male wolves are easily drawn to the smell, but it''s even stronger with her mate.


    ww


    Now I could understand the strange dream I had earlier and why I had felt so... ''needy.''


    "I can manage; it''ll only be a few days."


    "Kaida, your wolf needs her mate- you can''t hold her back"


    "I won''t have sex with you."


    "You are so stubborn Kaida, you know that, right?''


    "As I said, I can manage; it will be over."


    It doesn''t just pass as easily as I made it sound and I knew that too, but I wasn''t going to give in, not this time. "You''ll be in pain for the whole time; why do you always like tormenting yourself?"


    "I''m sure you''ll enjoy my pain." I muttered before rising from the bed. I walked past him.


    My wolf was in a state of unrest, she wanted her mate and I was holding her back. Soon the pain began and with each hour it grew worse. I had to pause my exercise. I triedying down. That didn''t help; anytime I closed my eyes, he was all I could think about, Alexander in all his naked glory.


    I could do this; I had survived worse I kept repeating to myself; maybe if I said it enough times, I would start


    Chapter Thirty One


    believing it.


    Alexander returnedte. The moment he stepped into the room, his scent filled the air.


    I shivered-it had nothing to do with the cold.


    "Kaida..."


    "No!" I said cutting him off.


    "You are tormenting me just as much as you are tormenting yourself."


    "Then go seek satisfaction from your whores as you always do."


    "I''m drawn to you, now more than ever."


    "So you feel the pain too?" I asked hopefully.


    "Not in the way you feel it."


    When I thought the pain couldn''t get worse, I discovered that it could, for a moment my vision went white.


    I managed to find the vial Alexander had given me, I emptied its contents into my mouth.


    "That wouldn''t stop the pain," he says.


    "Have you ever tried it?" I asked, and his silence was answer enough. "So you wouldn''t know. There is no harm in trying.


    The potion barely reduced the pain, so he was right.


    Why did the she-wolves have to suffer this alone? Why were the males who did the marking left unharmed? It wasn''t fair; I would have felt so much better if he was going through the same pain I had to endure.

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    Chapter Thirty Two


    A day passed, and I hadn''t cracked-that''s what I made him believe. The few hours of sleep I managed to get were the only escape from the pain, and even then, I dreamt about him.


    Now I couldn''t help but wonder how people were so in love with the idea of finding their mates if this was what they had to bear. But I guess many of them won''t see this as torture; they would give in easily. I had an idea, quite a crazy one.


    I had never touched myself before, but perhaps... I could try


    I slowly lowered my fingers, watching as my hands slipped beneath the waistband of my panties. I rubbed my finger around my clit.


    I groaned, frustrated; it wasn''t working either.


    The knock on the door drew my attention. Aric. I just knew it had to be him.


    I didn''t make a move to go to the door but he didn''t go away either, he knocked once more.


    I managed to rise to my feet, stagger to the door and pull it open.


    "Kaida, are you alright?" he asked, rmed.


    "I do remember telling you to send a maid, if there is any information you want to pass to me."


    "I just wanted to check on you."


    "Just to make sure the Alpha King hadn''t killed me and was hiding my body in this room?" I inquired, a small smile ying on my lips. I was d I could be doing something other than thinking of my mate ''naked''. "You are in ''heat''." Aric says. "I shouldn''t be here."


    I noticed his unease. He was unmated; I shouldn''t be around him now either.


    "You should go."


    "You''re in pain... Does the Alpha King know about that?" he asked, his voice rising in irritation.


    I nced around the hall to make sure there was no one close by. "Keep your voice down, would you?"


    "Does he know?" he asked again.


    "Yes."


    "And still he lets you suffer, the bastard," Aric sneered, and a part of me hated that he disrespected my mate-of course, it was my wolf.


    "It''s not him I didn''t want to..."


    "You need him, you could die."


    "That''s exaggerating the whole thing. The pain doesn''t kill "


    "I''vee across a few cases, Kaida. I know you don''t like agreeing to his will, but he alone can help you and after this it will be over." ""You should leave."


    He opened his mouth to say something, but I closed to the door right in his face


    Chapter Thirty Two


    I didn''t need anyone''s help; a few more days and it will be all over.


    Just a few more days.


    "Changed your mind yet?"


    "You wish."


    "You seem to enjoy being in pain." He said, walking to me. But this madness has to end, Kaida."


    "What are you doing?"


    "Putting you out of your misery."


    "I don''t need..."


    "Yes, I get it; you don''t need my help. You''ve proven your point; you win."


    He attempted picking me up, but this time I fought him, pulling free of his hold. "Don''t you dare touch me."


    A smirk formed on his lips, and before I knew it, he was behind me, holding me firmly. I jabbed my elbow into his gut; that should have been enough to break free of him, but Alexander was stronger than any other man I had ever faced. He pulled down my shirt. I struggled harder, head-butting him in the nose, and finally he let me go. Blood trickled down his nose, and he wiped it off. The smirk never left his face. If I didn''t know better, I would think he was enjoying this, and then he mmed me against the wall. I felt his hands slip into my panties even before I could make a move, and then they expertly flicked my clit... the pain faded away and I... I couldn''t bring myself to fight him anymore.

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    Chapter Thirty Three


    Slowly and gently, he slipped a finger into me, going in and out. A moan escaped my lips. He added in a second finger and this time he went a bit faster, I moaned out, the pleasure was unlike anything I had ever felt and then... he pulled out. I wanted more and this time I let him take me to the bed. I took off my clothes, stripping naked, but he didn''t take


    his off.


    He kissed my corbone, and then he took my nipple in his mouth; my back ached as I gripped his neck. With his other hand, he caressed my hardened nipple. He proceeded to kiss down my stomach, my belly button, and... lower.


    I stilled. "No." I tried rising, but he forced me down. At this point, I wanted him so bad and yet... I didn''t like being so exposed to him.


    Then I felt his tongue.


    I couldn''t hold back the sensual sound that escaped my lips. He nibbled at my clit, and I spread my legs even wider. His tongue slipped into me, I gripped onto the slick sheets; he went in and out with his tongue, and slowly I began matching pace, moving my hips to meet his thrust.


    I noticed something I hadn''t noticed before. How couldn''t I not have seen the bite mark on his upper arm?


    Another thrust into me with his tongue and I cried out.


    "Alex..."


    I didn''t know what was happening, but I felt like I was going to explode.


    He pulled out only to kiss me down there.


    "Let it out, Kaida." He said, and this time he dove back into me, adding a finger, he went fast. I fisted the sheets as I felt myself build; I rocked my hips faster, and then I shattered into a million pieces. I might have cried out his


    name.


    He took off his clothes before joining me on the bed, he settled between my legs and then he thrusted into me, not as hard as he had done the first time, but hard enough that I had to hold onto him. I was a mess, and I... liked it. He kissed my lips, letting me have a taste, and for the first time, I kissed back.


    It was different from when Aric had kissed me, it felt... good. Right.


    I bit into his lower lip, and he groaned, going a bit faster.


    "The thing you do to me, Kaida," he whispered, before iming my lips once more. I built up once again, and then I came, taking him with me. He pulled out and fell to bed beside me.


    I had long forgotten the pain I felt earlier.


    "Wasn''t so hard now, was it?"


    "The thing you did with your tongue..."


    "You liked it?"


    0


    I nodded. I shouldn''t have, but I did enjoy it. Alot.


    The bite mark on your arm-I hadn''t seen it before; how did you get it?" I asked curious, and the faint smile on his lips vanished instantly.


    He rose from the bed. I couldn''t deny I missed his warmth


    Chapter Thirty Three


    "Where are you going?"


    "You are no longer in pain; you don''t need me anymore, now do you?"


    For some reason, I felt... used.


    "You know, you can''t keep those secrets hidden forever."


    "It''s best if you don''t know."


    "Why? Do you think I can''t handle it?"


    "Drop it, Kaida; we will speak no more about this."


    "You know you tricked me once; we made a deal, you didn''t keep to your part."


    "You weren''t so innocent either, you believed I was drunk and hoped to get as much off me as you could. The difference is I seeded; you didn''t." "Fuck you, Alex."


    "You already did, and should I remind you how you screamed out my name when I fucked you?"

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    Chapter Thirty Four


    I hadn''t spoken a word to Alexander in days, and I wasn''t nning to. I shouldn''t have let him touch me; I should have endured the pain longer, but once again, he won.


    "So you coulde visit me, but I can''t do the same?" Aric asked the moment he saw me by his door.


    I pushed past him and walked into the room.


    "Not bad." I say, looking around. It was smaller than the one I shared with the Alpha King, but elegant and nicely furnished.


    "Why are you here, Kaida?"


    "Do I need a reason to visit my beta and friend?"


    "I''m not the Beta anymore; I am a Commander and Chief.


    "You will always be the Dawn''s pack Beta."


    "Well the Dawn''s pack is no more; you are a Luna now..."


    >>


    "Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? If you don''t want me here, all you have to do is tell me."


    "I''m a man who had just been rejected by the woman he had been in love with for years; how do you expect me to react?"


    "Aric... It can''t work."


    "I know that¡ªat least now I do. I''m not a fool; I know when to draw back, and you were right: you''ve found your mate now; I cannot hold you back from your future." My future. I hated the way that sounded.


    "So... are we cool?"


    "Of course." He says. Pouring me a ss of red wine-non alcoholic, of course. I epted it and took a sip.


    "How are our pack members?"


    "Technically, they are the Nightshade''s pack members now."


    "How has the Alpha been treating them?"


    "Alpha Alexander had outdone himself; each of them has a ce to stay; some had to live outside the pack house, but they were all catered for."


    Aric walked further into his apartment; he picked up a file from the table and passed it to me; it was our pack''s business information.


    "It''s all under him too."


    "I... had no idea. Who gave the signatures?"


    ""Your father did."


    "Great! More things he did behind our backs."


    I looked through the financial record for the River-Dawn Enterprise. I tried to hide my surprise when I saw the


    figures.


    "How had he managed to raise thepany''s worth ten times what it had been in just a few weeks?"


    "Well, he is the Alpha King, and so others were willing to invest in a business running under his name and thus the figures."


    "He is always good at everything, isn''t it?" I muttered to myself, taking another sip of the wine.


    "You don''t look particrly happy about that."


    "Of course I''m not happy. He''s taking over everything and he is doing it so damn well."


    "Kaida, there is nothing any of us could do about it. He''s taking good care of the pack and its businesses. You''re still alive, so, so far, it''s better than I ever expected" "So you are on his side now?"


    "Come on, Kaida, I''m not picking sides; I''m just saying."


    "I need to get out of here. Being stuck in here for so long is messing with my head. So, how about that race you mentioned earlier?"


    Aric led me into the woods.


    I needed to let my wolf out. Normally, I shifted regrly, but ever since I arrived at this pack, I hadn''t transformed, and it had been quite a while since I beat Aric in a race.


    Aric turned away as I undressed, and I switched into my wolf form. He joined me, and together we sprinted into the woods.


    My wolf was a beauty; many had told me that. In my wolf form, I had white fur with a few stripes of grey matching my eyes. Aric''s wolf was brown and a littlerger than mine Usually female wolves were smaller than the males,


    and but I wasrger than most females. I felt more confident in my wolf form than I felt in my human skin -, sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to never turn back, to run into the woods, and be... free.


    Aric ran past me; I let him, saving my strength for the end, and just when we were close enough to the stream, I sped up, overtaking him. I finally came to a stop.


    I was so going to brag about this.

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    Chapter Thirty Five-


    Chapter


    Thirty Five


    "Where have you been?" Alexander asked the moment I entered the room.


    "Not your business."


    "You must keep me informed about your whereabouts."


    I turned to him. "I must not. I don''t try keeping up with your whereabouts now, do I?"


    "You are mad at me. I shouldn''t have said what I did earlier!"


    "Oh, an apology from the high and mighty Alpha king; that should solve everything." I said, rolling my eyes.


    "Usually, it does solve everything most of the time." He said with a smirk. "And I do like the term ''high and mighty."." He added. "Unfortunately, pretty boy, your words don''t mean shit-not to me."


    "I expected my Luna to be less profane"


    I flipped him the middle finger.


    ¡°I


    I spent the day with my Beta. I n to be out there more often; I get sick of this ce and also-you."


    "Come on, let''s not lie to ourselves. I don''t infuriate you- scare you, and that''s what''s got you all riled up."


    "You would have liked it, wouldn''t you? If I was afraid of you?"


    "I mean, I''m liking it now. But that''s beside the point; I shouldn''t have said what I did earlier."


    "Skip the false apologies; what do you want?"


    He gave me a long look. "We''ll have visitors arriving any moment now, and I want you by my side."


    "Sorry, I''ve got more important things to do like take a long, long bath and let''s not forget my hair, It''s such a mess."


    "Kaida, you wanted to be a part of the pack''s affairs. You are my Luna, and I won''t deny you the right. I think you might want to hear what our visitors would like to say."


    If this is indeed important, then I have to be there. My curiosity won over my annoyance.


    "Okay then, let''s go."


    "Perfect, you should get dressed."


    "What''s wrong with my clothes?"


    "I''m not against your dressing Kaida, but you should wear a gown for this."


    "Who exactly are we expecting?"


    "The Aureonna''s representatives and, of course, their... god''s Chosen."


    I had never heard the name before. "The Areona''s?"


    "You aren''t pronouncing it quite well."


    "I''m not familiar with the name; are they a pack?"


    Chapter Thirty Five


    "No, they are not. I am surprised; the daughter of an Alpha doesn''t know who the Aureonnas are."


    "My duty is to protect the pack, and that''s what I had been doing. So are you going to tell me who these people are, or would I have to find out myself?"


    "They are a religious group of people. Over the past twenty years they''ve grown considerably stronger; they have an aim- a life purpose, and that is to destroy the Demon Overlord."


    "But the Demon Overlord is no more."


    "He is not dead either; he will be back, and they are there to make sure he is destroyed once and for all."


    "I''m guessing they are not werewolves?"


    "You guessed right."


    "If they are not werewolves, then what are they?"


    "The Aureonnas don''t serve the moon goddess; they believe in another god; they call him the god of light. They are only slightly different from the humans, but I''ve heard rumors that they age as slowly as wolves-if not slower -and also their ''god'' grants them the ability to wield the mes when in grave danger."


    "That sounds like what a demon can do."


    "Yes. Demon wields that very same power; the difference is they aren''t limited by the ''god of light'' like the Aureonnas are."


    "So, what happens if the Demon Overlord is killed?"


    "They believe in many myths and legends. I''m sure they will create another target when the timees.''


    "And do you believe them?"


    >>


    "I don''t believe in their god. But I''ve seen them wield the mes before. Over the past years they''ve grown in numbers."


    "How many are they?"


    "They''re in their thousands."


    "What? How is that even possible?"


    "Their tales are very... convincing.


    Any member who joins them would have to be ''purified'', I call it ''brainwashed'' - they have a ritual for that. Only then would the member be considered fit to serve the god of light."

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    Chapter Thirty Six Chapter Thirty Six


    I had never heard of them before, and for some reason, I felt... ''humbled'' by that knowledge. If they were such argemunity, why had they never been mentioned in all the conversations I had with Aric and my father? I was going to have to speak to Aric about this. "What do they want from us?" I asked.


    "I am yet to find out; perhaps they just want an alliance or a pact."


    "Don''t you think it''s dangerous making pacts with them? What if they have other ns?


    "Like what? Ending the werewolf''s cycle?" Alexander asked, a smirk ying on his face.


    "They aren''t werewolves; they are different, and no doubt they would only grow stronger; it''s all a matter of time."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. They will never be able to beat the werewolves-not in numbers. So would you please put on a dress?" he asked.


    I would have liked to argue some more, but I was very curious to meet these people. I picked out a purple, long-sleeved dress that stopped a little above my knee; it was just perfect. I slip on a pair ofbat boots. Next, I freed my hair, strapped my dagger safely to my thigh and I was done.


    "They are here," Alexander said to me. He stretched out his hands for mine.


    "I wore a dress; that''s as far as I go in trying to cooperate," I said, refusing to take his hand.


    "We need to give the pack a show, make them believe we are very much in love."


    "Like they don''t already know about your whores."


    "I''m a king; it is absolutely normal to love one and fuck andther." He says before taking my hand in his.


    "You are lucky. I''m curious; on a normal day, I''d cut off my own hands before I let you hold me."


    "I''ll call your bluff."


    He led me to his chambers, where the pack soldiers and council were already present; they bowed as we walked past them.


    Two chairs had been ced side by side for the both of us, and I took mine, releasing Alex''s hand the moment I had the chance.


    "Let them in," Alexander says, and I noticed something different about him. He didn''t look like the same man I had shared a room with; it was as if he had put on an even thicker mask, his eyes cold and emotionless. Something about that was off-putting.


    Therge double doors were pulled open, and four men walked in, lifting a carrier- a woman sat inside, fully clothed, with a hood covering her hair and face. Carriers were a bit old-fashioned, but that wasn''t the first weird thing I noticed. The first thing I noticed was their odd clothing; the soldiers kept their faces wrapped in brown fabric, revealing only their eyes.


    The Aureonna''s representatives walked in next, about three women and four men. The women were all dressed in flowing white gowns that swept the ground as they walked, their hair styled identically in elegant updos. The men wore clothing identical to the soldiers'', only theirs were blue, with a badge resting on their chests.


    "Who is in the carriage?" I asked Alexander, and for a moment I thought he wouldn''t respond.


    Chapter Thirty Six


    "Their Chosen. She''s always kept protected from the ''contaminations'' of the world. That''s what they call it."


    "Does she have a name?"


    "Aliya. But she''s never called that."


    I stared at the carriage; the light curtains obstructed my view. It was as if she was meant to be present, yet somehow never really there.


    "Alpha King." One of the women said with a small bow. She had light brown eyes and wrinkled skin, but the other women looked to be many years younger than she was. "Thank you for letting us into your pack. It''s a pleasure to be here." "The pleasure is all mine," Alexander responded.


    "Unfortunately, we havee with bad news." She paused to look around. "I would like to share this with you... alone."

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    Chapter


    Thirty Seven


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    One of the council members, who I believed was named Austin, was the first to speak up.


    The Alpha is as alone as he can be," he said, eyeing their soldiers.


    "Leave us." Alexander said, and for a moment no one made a move. "Now!"


    "Are-are you sure?" another of the advisors asked.


    "They are my guests; it will be rude of me not to hear them out." Alexander said, and the woman smiled. The smile might have seemed a little flirty, but she was old enough to be my mother, so maybe that was just me looking too deep into things.


    Our soldiers left first, followed by the council of advisors, who seemed to be everywhere Alexander was.


    The woman''s eyes turned to me.


    "She is my Luna; she stays." Alexander says, and the woman only nods.


    One of the men in blue passed the woman a wooden box, she took out a key and unlocked it.


    "May I?" she asked, and Alexander nodded.


    She walked forward, up the stairs, until she was only a few feet away from where we sat. She ced the wooden box before his feet.


    Inside the box was a... hand.


    A hand which must have once belonged to a living person.


    "Is this what you wanted to show me?" Alexander asked. I thought he would be furious-this felt like some kind of insult, but, on the contrary, he seemed to find it funny.


    "It''s not just a hand."


    "I can see that." Alexander says.


    I looked into the box-hoping to find something other than a corpse''s hand.


    "Those bite marks." She said, "Have you seen anything like it?"


    Alex picked up the box. "This bite mark is not from a werewolf or a demon; it''s from a creature with a lot of teeth."


    "You are very wise. I havee to bring to you an issue of dire need. Three of our soldiers had been sent outside our walls, and their corpses were returned-at least what remained of them. We had sent ten more soldiers to investigate what happened to the three; only one returned, one of his hands chopped out. He says he had seen a creature that should only exist in a person''s nightmares.


    The only survivor had been traumatized and is still under care-he won''t make it, but we were able to discover the truth. The creatures that attacked them are called Flesh Eaters."


    "Like vampires?" I asked, and for a moment the woman wentpletely silent.


    "The only simrities they have to the myth are that both are dead creatures. In the myth, vampires are beautiful


    that''s how they manage to trap their prey, but this creature is far from that; they are like walking corpses, but with no eyes. While vampires feed on blood, they feed on flesh. They don''t think, they don''t feel, they don''t see. They smell-they can detect life by the scent, and they feed on anything with a beating heart. They have no other purpose other than to kill.


    Chapter Thirty Seven


    They''ve been in the mountains-for how long? I don''t know, but what I do know is that they''ve never made it this close. I fear it''s a matter of time, and this would lead to a worldwide crisis. No one will be spared. Not even the humans."


    "Well, they''ve been away for ages; let''s hope they stay that way." Alexander said, suddenly disinterested.


    "Are we going to wait till they attack us at our very own front doors? We have to act now and act fast."


    "I don''t have to do anything."


    I turned to Alexander. "We cannot just cancel what she had said; she saw something, and that''s why they are all here."


    "The womanes with tales of a man who was already slipping into the dark depths of death, and let''s not forget the hand-it''s all the proof we need to start a world war."


    "I have spoken no lie."


    "Then tell me. Have you seen any of these creatures with your naked eyes?" he asked the woman.


    "No, but..."


    "That''s all I had wanted to hear. You haven''t seen this creature; none of the men standing in this room had.


    Thank you for your visit. You are free to spend the night here, but this meeting is over."


    The woman nodded, turned and walked away. The other men followed her. The girl in the carriage was taken away


    too.


    "She wasn''t lying." I said to Alexander.


    "I didn''t say she was."


    "Then why? Why did you turn her away?"


    "To rule a pack, you need to be smart; to be an Alpha king, you have to be even smarter. She is not worried about the safety of the werewolves, the humans, or others that would be in danger. She is worried about the Aureonnas; the first attack had been on them. She has no idea how many of those things are out there, and she wouldn''t risk finding out with her own soldiers, so she makes the next wise move. Shees to me."

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    Chapter Thirty Eight Chapter Thirty Eight


    ALIYA''S POV


    I didn''t think Empress Julia liked the way things had gone with the Alpha King. No pack had disregarded us like the Nightshade pack did. I had reasons to believe the other packs were afraid of us, but I couldn''t say the same for the Nightshade pack. My maid, Vera, brushed through my hair.


    King Alexander was an intriguing man, but I had my focus on the woman seated by his side. There was something about her-something fierce, something I hadn''t seen in other Lunas-and she kept on staring at me; it was like she knew exactly what I was thinking. The Chosen One. That''s what they called me; they say I was a gift from the god of light''s, and that I would lead the people of Aureonna into victory.


    One would think of me as a powerful person, but I was nothing more than a mortal woman. Empress Julia believes everything would change on my neenth birthday, when the god of light herself would pay me a visit. Julia refers to it as "The Encounter.".


    For the past thirteen years of my life, I was groomed by the empresses to be everything the god of light wanted. At first it had been exciting; I thought I would be taught how to be powerful like the empresses, but no. I was locked up in my room like a prisoner, restricted from speaking to anyone.


    Many would call this a princess treatment. I called it torture. I was forced to see the world through the curtains of the carriage.


    Once I had asked Julia why I could not walk in the streets of our own city, and she had given me a long look before exining that no one out there is without sin and I would have to be presented to the god of light without blemishes. I didn''t understand her; I never did. My maid, the two soldiers by the door, and the empresses were among the few I was allowed to see regrly.


    "You look as radiant as the sun," my maid said. Each time she dresses me up, she always has one of those praises to say.


    "Thank you, and you look beautiful too." I said, but my dull voice wasn''t even convincing to my own ears.


    I stared at the mirror, I had a mass of silver-colored hair and green eyes. My looks were the only thing special about me, but that too didn''t matter because I hardly ever left the room, and when I did, I couldn''t leave behind my hood. Only a few knew the color of my hair, or my eyes... or my skin-which was pale as snow.


    My daily routine was the same. Get dressed, read, read some more, and then eat.


    If I was indeed the Chosen One meant to save the Aureonnas from the ''storm''ing, I should be out there, bonding with my people, getting to know them. But no. I''m being locked in here, morning, day, and night. The little window was most times my only view of the outside world.


    There was a loud sound from outside the room.


    A gunshot?


    My maid''s gaze met mine, her eyes wide in fear. "Come." She said to me, her voice silent, and I rose; she led me to the wardrobe. "You need to hide." She says. "What about you?" I asked.


    "I''ll be fine, the soldiers outside would kill them before they had the chance..."


    Chapter Thirty Eight


    Just then the door to my room was knocked open. The corpses of the two soldiers, who I had known for most of my life,y outside the door, the blood staining the floor. Three men walked in.


    Vera picked up a knife from the table. Pointing it at them with shaky hands.


    They walked forward, not at all threatened.


    I had never seen these men before, but they stared at me with hungry eyes.


    "Stay away." I warned, my voice shook.


    "So this is who the whole city is waiting on? A pretty little girl?"


    The other one burst intoughter. "Save us, Chosen One, from the creatures outside the walls," the man said mockingly.


    "You will pay for this, all of you." Vera promised.


    "They''ve been lying to us, giving us false hope; she might be he pretty with a tight ass cunt, but she is no savior." The third man said, ignoring Vera''s threat.

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    Chapter Thirty Nine


    Chapter


    Thirty Nine


    The one in the middle approached us, and I backed away.


    Vera didn''t; she held the knife in her hands, ready to fight. He took out his handgun, and before she could make a move, he shot.


    She fell to the ground, a bullet embedded in her forehead.


    "So tell me, Chosen. Have you ever been... fucked?"


    "I did you all no wrong."


    "You didn''t, but the Empress did. It''s our brother she sent out there to be killed."


    "My condolences. But these men swore oaths; they swore to serve and protect; they weren''t forced."


    All three burst intoughter. "My condolences." One of the men mimicked. "Your condolences don''t bring back the dead, do they?"


    "Why don''t we leave the Empress a message, one she would never forget? Let''s find out how pure the Chosen One is, shall we?"


    "When we are done with you, you will wish you had never been born, but don''t worry, we won''t kill you. You are too pretty to die." said the third man.


    One of the men pushed me to the ground; before I could rise, his weight upon me held me down. I struggled, but that only caused the others to burst intoughter; theirughter was abruptly cut off. Blood sprayed on my face as two heads fell beside me. I let out a strangled scream. The man on top of me had no time to react before a sword tore through his stomach.


    The corpse was lifted off me.


    I was covered in blood, my dress ruined.


    "Are you alright, Aliya?" The man with a sword in his grip asked, and for a moment I couldn''t speak. No one had called me by my name for over a decade.


    "Who are you?" I asked, staring into the dark blue eyes of aplete stranger. His ck, thick hair fell just above his jaw. He didn''t seem to be from around here.


    "I am Trian. Trian Valtor."


    Just then, Empress Julian walked in, stepping over the bodies.


    My attention had been called for outside the building when this happened," Julia exined.


    "It must have been nned then." Trian suggested.


    "Has she been touched?" She asked Trian like I wasn''t there.


    "No. She''s still pure." He answered.


    "Good. I am d you were here; only the gods know what would have happened if you weren''t." She said,


    Julia seemed to be more concerned about my ''purity'' than the number of dead people scattered all around the room. I shouldn''t be surprised, yet I was. Finally, she turned to me. "Go wash up. A new maid will be assigned to you, and Trian will be your personal bodyguard. You will not go anywhere without him, do you understand?"


    "What about Vera?" I asked, tears stinging my eyes.


    Chapter Thirty Nine


    "She is dead; a new maid would be assigned to you. Now go wash off all that blood immediately."


    Trian helped me to my feet and led me to the washroom.


    He left me alone, returning to Julia.


    I took off my blood-stained clothes and walked into the bathtub. The water went up to my chest. Vera was dead, and so were the two soldiers who always stood by the door. A single tear trailed down my cheek. I was fully aware that if Julia ever found me ''crying,'' I would be punished. I wiped away the tears quickly, distracting myself with the man who had saved me. How had he managed to walk in undetected?


    He had been so fast; I never saw him move.


    I had never seen a more beautiful set of blue eyes before. He had this air around him, one would believe he was a high-ranked member or a powerful man. He didn''t fit to be a bodyguard or a soldier and yet he was.


    After an hour of trying to wash all the blood away, I put on a new dress and returned to the room. Trian stood dutifully by the door.


    The room had already been cleaned up with no trace of blood left as I already expected. Covering things up was what the Empress was very good at.


    "I owe you my appreciation. Thank you for saving me.


    He simply stared at me, which I found unsettling. Most of the soldiers assigned to watch over me would hardly ever look my way, but this man was... different. "Are you alright?" he asked and I nodded.


    "Next time, if you are ever ced in that position, a knee to the nuts would do the trick."

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    Chapter Forty Chapter Forty


    Kaida''s POV


    I paused at the door when I noticed the brte whore-the same one I had helped get to the healers-sitting on one of the couches with her legs crossed and a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in a very revealing ck gown.


    I might have thought that saving her life would bring about a change, but I was wrong.


    "Did Alexander ask you toe here?" I questioned.


    "No."


    "So why are you here?"


    "I wanted to see you... alone. He cannot know about my visit."


    I chuckled. "You don''t want the Alpha King to know you''ve been here, and yet youe to the very room he spent his nights in."


    "I''m not stupid, I know I shouldn''t be here; but this is the only ce I could meet you without having prying eyes on us."


    "So, why do you need to see me?"


    She rose to her feet. "I want to thank you for what you did for me. I would have died if not for you." She said,


    I was tempted to ask how she had gotten poisoned with wolfbane, but perhaps it was better I didn''t know. I didn''t like to pry into people''s personal affairs and she hadn''t offered to tell me. "Well, you''re wee..." I trailed off, realizing I didn''t know her name.


    "Lara. My name is Lara," she said.


    Now that I knew her real name, I didn''t have to refer to her as the ''brte whore''.


    "Lara." I repeated. "You are wee, Lara."


    "You know, you didn''t have to do it. I know it''s normal for Alphas to have their whores, but usually, the Luna hates them."


    "And why do you think I don''t hate you?"


    "You saved my life."


    "That doesn''t mean I like you."


    "Also, you are different. You are not like other Lunas, and I''ve noticed that. I want you to know that I''m deeply indebted to you for helping me."


    "I won''t be needing anything from you, so you don''t have to worry." I said, taking a seat on the couch beside her.


    "I know this might not be regarded as something to brag about, but I am one of the most talented whores there is."


    I cocked my brow at her. "Okay?"


    "You don''t get it. I am offering my service to you."


    Chapter Forty


    I quickly rose to my feet. "Oh no, I don''t do I don''t do those things with... women." I said to her,


    Sheughed. "Sorry, your expression, it''s very funny, Luna?" I stared at her, so I was the funny one? She just offered me her ''service.''. "I''m having problems exining to you what I mean. But I am trying to say I could teach you." "Teach me what? How to be a very good... whore?" I wasn''t sure if hearing someone else use the term would offend her, but it clearly didn''t-she seemed proud of what she did.


    "No, how to have him in the palm of your hand."


    "Him? You are referring to Alexander?"


    "Yes. I have never seen him interested in any other woman as he has been with you."


    "How do you know that?"


    She opened her mouth about to say something and then paused and started all over again. "He had not been with any other whores for a while; that''s very unlikely of him."


    "That doesn''t mean he is interested in me. Maybe he is just very busy."


    "The King always has time for his whores; it''s not that. He is attracted to you. You can use that Luna; you can bring him down to his knees, but you will have to know how." "And did you manage to do that? I mean ''control him''?"


    "I''m a whore; you are his mate; it''s two different things.''


    "I don''t trust you, Lara. So, no thanks."


    "Luna, you saved my life; this is the only way I can repay you for that."


    "I won''t be his whore, Lara; that''s why you are there. If he wants some nice sex, he can go to you." I said, shrugging like it meant nothing, but it didn''t mean ''nothing.''


    "You will not be his whore my Luna; you will have power over him. The king is a powerful man, but if you can control him, you will not only get favors from him, but he will bend his will to fit yours. It doesn''t make you any less the woman you are-rather, it makes you even more... powerful."


    Such wise words from a whore- this I didn''t say out loud.


    "Alexander is not the kind of man that could be controlled. You might know other men, but you don''t know him."


    "Have you ever tried?"


    "Tried what?"


    "Have you ever fucked him so good that he is ready to do anything you ask of him?"

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    Chapter Forty One


    Chapter Forty One


    1 was stunned into silence; Lara spoke on.


    "Meet me at noon. I stay on the fifth floor, in thest apartment to your right. I''ll be waiting."


    She rose and walked to the door. "Onest thing." She called. "I swear to the gods, I have no ulterior motives. And I am excited for this." She said with a smile on her face.


    She was good-looking; I could understand why Alexander packed her.


    I watched as Aric gave instructions to the Trainees, teaching them how to deliver an unexpected strike against their opponent. They listened intently. He spotted me and waved; I waved back. The moment he was done with them, he walked to me. "Want to spar?"


    "Come on, aren''t you tired of losing?"


    "I''ve only lost to you twice while sparring. Most of the time, it ends in a tie-or you cheat your way to victory."


    Ido cheat sometimes, but you don''t expect your enemies to be honorable fighters; I was just training him to be a better warrior.


    "I wanted to ask you a question." I said, remembering why came here.


    "About what?"


    "The Aureonnas"


    He was silent for a second too long. "I don''t know anything about that.''


    "That''s a lie. I can see it clearly on your face."


    "Okay, I know a thing or two."


    "Why do I have no knowledge about them? I mean, I felt like a fool when they visited."


    "They visited?" he asked. "What did they want?"


    "Oh, so you know more than just ''a thing or two.'' about them."


    "Why were they here?" he asked again.


    "First, tell me why they were never spoken about in the pack."


    "It''s no serious reason; your father didn''t believe in their cause."


    "And so, he thought keeping me in the dark would contribute to bringing them down?" I asked with a cocked brow.


    I know it doesn''t make much sense, but he didn''t like talking about them. Maybe it''s because they believe in a so-called ''mind-made-up'' god they call the god of light." Aric said.


    "The Aureonnas hade to bring to Alexander''s awareness the danger that lies outside their walls.'' They call the strange creatures ''flesh eaters''-odd beings that feed on living flesh,


    "And what did Alexander suggest to them?"


    Chapter Forty One


    "You seem interested in this a little too much. What else do you know?"


    "Come on, I''ve always been this curious; and you are always trying to find meaning in everything."


    "Alexander didn''t do anything; he typically sent them away-they didn''t look very pleased."


    "He did the right thing."


    "Why do you think so?"


    "I just don''t like them very much; they are just a bit too sketchy for my taste. With all their fake stories and bullcrap about The Chosen. It''s like some kind of cult, but they feel like they are the most righteous, the pure ones. It''s... sickening.''


    I wonder if there was more to it-or maybe it was just me being too suspicious of everything as Aric had said.


    "How is my father?"


    "There''s been no news about him, Luna." Aric says knowing how much I hated when he called me the term.


    It was about two hours past the time Lara had told me to meet her.


    I didn''t know if this was a very bright idea, but what if Lara was right? What if this was a way of finally getting even with him for all those many times he had outdone me?


    I traced my way to the fifth floor. I told myself that I was only doing this to get back at him; I was doing this to have some control over him. Thest time he touched me, I had been ready to do anything he asked. I waspletely powerless and entirely under his control. Maybe it was time I let go of my fear and became a yer in his game.

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    Chapter Forty Two


    I knocked on the door. I suppose this was Lara''s apartment


    Of course, I still didn''t fully trust the woman; she could swear on all her gods as much as she wanted; that didn''t mean I''ll let my guard down.


    The door was pulled open, and there Lara stood,pletely naked save for the beads hanging on her waist.


    "I almost thought you wouldn''t make it," she said, letting me in. I felt for my dagger; of course, I carried it


    everywhere I went. It was my favorite weapon: light and easy to hide. "I have a few guests." She said, and I spotted the men who sat naked on the couch, panting.


    "You may all leave now; The Luna would like to talk to me.


    They stood quickly, bowing-yes, it was awkward watching naked men curtsy.


    They grabbed their clothes and walked away.


    "I''m d you came. Have a seat."


    "That won''t be necessary."


    "Would you prefer the bed then?"


    "I''m here to learn how to..." I couldn''t say the word.


    "I know. Engaging in practicals is a better way of learning.


    I took a seat on the couch. She sat on myp, facing me.


    "You need to be confident; you need to look him in his eyes.""


    How would I look her in the eyes when I was very aware of her ''lower part'' against mine?


    If I wanted to learn, then I would have to do as she said. I looked her in the eyes; for a moment her gaze


    was fixed on me, and then she looked away. "Sorry." She muttered, "But that was very intense." She led my hands to wrap around her waist.


    "Don''t keep those hands to yourself; touch him, tease him it''s necessary."


    I gripped her waist, and then she began moving, rocking slowly.


    "You explore-always explore-and don''t be silent; moan call out his name; men like this stuff and then...


    go faster. Take his breath away. At this very point he is... desperate; he would say or do almost anything


    you ask, tease him some more, but don''t hold back for too long. Ride him, this time even faster; don''t stop till he submits."


    I watched her hands trail up my cleavage, and I pulled away


    "Thank you... so much for this." I said and she slowly rose to her feet, getting the signal.


    "My doors are always open. I''ll be d if you could stop by again; there is still so much more to learn."


    I nodded, not making any promises, and then I walked out of her apartment.


    What the hell did I just do?


    Never in a million years would I imagine myself going to a whore to learn the act of seduction.


    I never considered myself as sexy, but staring in the mirror in nothing but lingerie, I wondered if I might be 1/2


    Chapter Forty Two


    wrong. There was a lot I needed to know about Alexander, and tonight I will shoot my shot. Let''s see if my little lessons were really any good, considering I didn''tplete my ''training session'' with Lara.


    Alexander walked in; he smelled of alcohol and cigarettes.


    "Damn Councilmen, sometimes I feel like killing them all..."


    He trailed off the moment he saw me.


    "Kaida?" He called like he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Well, I was even more shocked than he was. I was in nothing but my lingerie, my whole body on disy, but this time it was my choice; I wanted this.


    It was all part of the n.


    "Alex." I called, walking towards him.


    "You''re..."


    "Naked?"


    "Beautiful and naked."


    "But you are fully clothed; take off your clothes, Alexander.


    His gaze met mine; for a moment I could see the slight debate; he gave in. A smirk on his face as he took off his suit and then his shirt.

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    Chapter Forty Three


    We were both naked. My eyes never left him; he stalked towards me, and picked me up, he ced me on the bed.


    "You don''t have the slightest idea what you''ve just awoken."


    I leaned closer so my lips were against his ears.


    "Oh, I know." I whispered.


    Like a starved man, he ripped off my lingerie, tossing it to the floor.


    Heat pooled between my legs; I had never been so ready.


    "Wait."


    "I have no patience, Kaida... I''m one second away from taking you like the animal I am.''


    "You will have that and more if you let me."


    He stared at me, the look of amusement in his eyes as he rolled over so I was on top.


    "I''m not a very curious man, but today I am curious... what are you up to?"


    "I can''t tell you, Alpha, but I can show you."


    I took my position; he was hard, firm, and very huge. Slowly I took him in, and then I began moving. I rode him, just as Lara had done. He let out a guttural sound. My hands trailed down his chest.


    "Alex." I moaned, increasing my pace.


    I could see it in his eyes; he was losing control, and he wasn''t trying to hide it.


    His hands gripped my waist as he rocked me faster against his pelvis; I let out a cry. I felt myself building up; I could feel him pulse inside me.


    It was time. I pulled away from him. Despite the need in me to never stop going, I had to do this.


    "No, no, Kaida. I''m not going to let you go." He said flipping me over so he was on top of me.


    "You will not have me, Alexander. Not until you tell me how the hell you got those bite marks."


    He leaned closer to me. "All this for the stupid bite marks?


    "If they mean nothing, they wouldn''t have been a secret."


    His hands caressed my nipples. I pushed them away, knowing how fatal and dangerous his touch was, I had to be in control, and if I lost that, then it would all be for nothing


    "My mother. The marks are from my mother." He said, and he gave me no second to think on his words


    before he mmed into me hard. I pulled him closer, kissing his lips; he moaned in my mouth as he thrust harder into me. I came, harder than I had ever done before, and he followed after.


    He pulled away, finally.


    "You are good, Kaida. Very, very good."


    "How...?"


    "No. no more questions. You asked, and I answered, and now I know your little trick."


    Chapter Forty Three


    "But that doesn''t mean you wouldn''t fall right into it next time."


    He smirked. "Where did you learn that?" He asked.


    "I''m not a novice."


    "You were a virgin."


    "I learned."


    He stared at me with a cocked eyebrow.


    "Have you ever touched yourself, Kaida?"


    I tried to hide my shock. I was d my hair covered my face if not, he would have noticed my reddened cheeks." No." I said, and then I remembered the one time, when I was in my heat and was ready to ease the pain without involving Alex. "Once." I corrected.


    "I''d like to watch you do that."


    "That would most likely never happen."


    "There she is, the Kaida I know. But never say never."


    My eyes trailed down to the bite mark on his arm. I reached out to touch it and then pulled away.


    I had so many questions-questions I knew he wouldn''t answer.


    On his hips, I noticed another ckened skin. I looked up at him to see him watching me.


    "Most of the other marks healed up." He said to me, "But this one didn''t."


    "I''m sorry."


    "I don''t need your pity, Kaida."


    I nodded. I could rte; I never liked it when Aric apologized for the things he had no control over. Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Forty Four


    Chapter Forty Four


    Aliya''s POV


    Trian stood dutifully at his post by the door. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, careful not to let him know I was looking. The man was indeed handsome.


    I wanted to say something to him-anything-but I didn''t know what to say. Since the incident, we hadn''t exchanged a single word. He went on breaks and returned as quickly as he could; he was always present, and suddenly my room didn''t feel like a cage anymore.


    If only I could talk to him. What would I say?


    Ask him about the weather?... maybeplement his... clothes. His uniform was different from the soldiers here. He wore a thick, ck, high-cored jacket paired with fitted pants. From the texture, it looked like it was either made of crocodile skin or something that closely resembled it.


    I found my eyes trailing lower.


    "Aren''t you hungry?" He asked, and I quickly looked away from him, my gaze returning to the book in my hands, the one I held up-side-down.


    I was indeed hungry, but I was used to being starved.


    "It''s not yet time to eat."


    "You''ve not eaten in days." He reminded me. Of course, I hadn''t. It''s not new to me. Empress Julia only brings me food when she believes it''s the right time; this is time for studies. I was to keep reading and reading until she thinks I had read enough.


    "The Empress will send me a meal if she believes it''s time. I voiced out.


    "You''ve not answered my question, Aliya," he said, calling me by my name again; my stomach fluttered with ''butterflies''-I got those anytime he called my name. "Are you hungry?"


    "Yes. I am hungry, but I have learned to ignore hunger."


    "Stay here." He says, pulling the door open.


    I watched him walk away. I knew for a fact that it wasn''t yet time for his usual breaks. The previous


    soldiers assigned to watch over me had never left me alone, not even once; they''d rather take turns to do their business.


    I sat on the chair, curious as to what he went to do.


    He returned in about thirty minutes. A tray of food in his hands. My stomach growled from the mouthwatering


    smell.


    "Eat." He says the words sounded more like an order.


    I wanted to eat, all so badly; I wet my lips, but I couldn''t make a move because I knew what this was: It was a test. The Empress wanted to test me, and if I failed, I would be punished.


    "Thank you, but it''s not time to eat. If it''s time, the Empress would bring me some food." I repeated. "The Empress is not around now; she won''t be for the next two days." He says, and my eyes drift back to the food. A temptation-that''s what it was.


    "Had she sent you to test me?" I asked, of course even if she had, he would deny it, and yet I still asked.


    "No. She isn''t aware."


    Chapter Forty Four


    I took the tray of food with visibly shaking hands. I was going to be punished, but I was so hungry, I gave in to the temptation. I took a handful of blueberries and shoved it into my mouth; I continued with the roastedmb and bread rolls. I had never been given this much- in a very, very long time-and I emptied the tray of food in a matter of minutes; only then did I realize how uncourteous I had behaved. I didn''t invite him to eat, and he might be disgusted watching me eat like a pig. This would have earned me some punishment if I dared this with Empress Julia present.


    I looked up, only to see him watching me.


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    Chapter Forty Five


    "I''m sorry for not inviting you to join me." I apologize.


    "I am not hungry, but you are."


    I wiped my mouth with the paper towel before cing it back on the tray.


    "You must be disgusted..."


    "No. I''m not." He said, walking to me and taking the tray, I gripped his sleeve. "She cannot know, please... She would punish me for this."


    He nods, but the slight confusion is clearly written across his face.


    He took the tray away and returned to his position; he didn''t say another word. I waited and waited for


    Julia to walk in and tell me how she had tried testing me and I failed, but she never dide in.


    Even as the night came.


    In the ninth hour, I turned off mymp, shut my book, and headed to the bathroom. I took a quick wash before changing into my nightgown.


    I returned to the room.


    "You are not from here, are you?" I asked.


    "No. He answered. I''m from the North."


    "I don''t hear much about the North."


    "It''s far from here and surrounded by humans."


    "Are you a werewolf?"


    "No. I''m not."


    "Why did you choose this ce? You could have gone to any other ce- ces with much, much more fun and yet here you are.


    "I wanted to be a soldier."


    "You know, it''s strange that the Empress entrusted me to you."


    "That decision had left a number of soldiers sore. I guess she believes I have what it takes to protect you." He said, and I thought I saw him smirk.


    "You don''t look like a soldier." I said to him,


    "I don''t? Then what do I look like, Aliya?


    "A... a powerful person."


    Heughed-he actuallyughed. He must have thought me a stupid person. Why would I say that? "I''m sorry.


    "There''s nothing to be sorry about. I find you funny, Aliya.


    I smiled. "You always call me by my name.


    Chapter Forty Five


    "Would you like me to refer to you as the ''god of light''s Chosen?"


    "No. I like it... when you call me by my name."


    I had never spoken this much to any soldier-or man-before.


    I turned away, headed to my bed. Usually the soldiers spend the most of their nights ''watching'', I felt bad for Trian, he would have to stand there all night.


    Two more days passed, and unfortunately, I hadn''t gathered the bravery to start up a conversation with him again. But today I got to leave the room. It was Friday, and usually I visited the library. That wasn''t the reason I was excited. I would finally see Ash.


    Trian escorted me to the library and waited outside. I couldn''t be more grateful. I went through the rows of books, but I was just putting on a show. I wasn''t interested in the books; I had many back in my room, many also which I hadn''t even opened.


    I traced the far corner of the library walls and finally found the lever. I pulled it, revealing the secret passage. Stepping into the darkness, I ran my hands along the uneven wall, feeling my way around. I took a right, followed by a left, and finally I could see the light. I ran forward and into the small garden. This has been my haven since I discovered it ''seven years ago, the garden wasn''t the only thing I discovered. That very same day, I found a loyal friend.


    I had no idea how he got into this ce, but I had been so happy to find the pup; he had be my only true friend. I tell him everything, and he listens. I know he does, even if he couldn''t speak.


    I had been sick of my room and the castle too; I wanted to escape. While I couldn''t escape through this hidden pathway, I could at least see the sky in full view. I wish I could spend my days here.


    The rain watered the nts-as no one everes here, and still the nts and flowers remained healthy. I spotted Ash, my wolf pet; he seemed to have been trying to hunt down something, but the moment he smelled me, he ran in my direction, knocking me off my feet. He licked my face, and Iughed, rubbing his soft gray fur- his fur color had been the reason I named him Ash.


    "I miss you too, Ash."


    I stared into his golden eyes. He was a miracle; the Aureonnas hated all animals that fell into the ''Hound Kin''- ranging from dogs, foxes, and wolves... They called them impurities, so it was a miracle I had found Ash in a ce like this.


    The hours easily passed by.


    I threw a stick, and he caught it, bringing it back to me. I threw it again, but this time he didn''t try catching


    it, his eyes drifted to something behind me, and he growled.


    I turned around to see Trian.

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    Chapter Forty Six


    How had he found me?


    I had never felt so afraid before; if he told the Empress about this...


    I rushed to him, falling on my knees. "Please, she can''t know..."


    "Are you referring to me?" the familiar voice belonging to Julia called from behind him. I rose to my feet quickly." How did you find this ce?" she asked, staring around.


    "I-I..."


    "Don''t lie to me, child."


    "I found it a few years ago, Empress."


    Her eyesnded on the wolf.


    "What is this?" she asked. I could see the pure disappointment on her face.


    "Please, he''s my friend..."


    The p came so fast and hard that, for a moment, everything went ck, and my ear rang. When my vision cleared, I realized I was on the floor.


    Ash snarled and lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. Its ws swiped at her face, narrowly missing.


    "Ash, no!"


    Trian walked to the Empress and picked the wolf up like it weighed nothing. Ash immediately went silent. The Empress rose to her feet, a cut on her neck-I hadn''t even noticed when that had happened. Trian had stepped in before Ash did any serious harm. He ced the wolf on the ground.


    "Kill it," she said to Trian.


    "No! Please." I begged. She held me by the arm, her grip firm and strong; I couldn''t pull free.


    I heard Ash''s loud howl before he abruptly fell silent. Trian caught up with us, blood now stained his ck uniform. Ash''s blood.


    "Walk." The Empress said to me, letting go of my arm. I let my hair fall over my face as I followed her. I knew what was about to happen, and yet all I could think about was that Ash was dead; he was gone, and so was the garden, my little haven. I would never be able to escape this ce ever again.


    She stopped before the huge doors that led to her own chambers. She pushed open the door and pulled me into her private space.


    Trian walked in before shutting the door.


    "Where have I failed?" she asked me.


    I fell once again to my knees. "Forgive me, I had made a grave mistake..."


    "A very grave one." She said as she disappeared into the inner room, she returned with a leather belt. "Take off your clothes."


    "Empress... I beg you; I will make no such mistakes."


    Chapter Forty Six


    "You will be punished for your sins, and you will ept your punishment," she said, the warning clear in her eyes. No amount of begging will change my fate. I nodded and took off my gown. I was in nothing but my panties, my hair falling over my breasts, the only coverage I had. I peeked to see Trian, who was looking away from my exposed form.


    The beltnded hard against my back, and I held in the cry attempting to escape my lips; she didn''t stop, and I couldn''t hold it in; I cried out.


    "Empress." Trian called, and she paused to stare at him. "Aliya will need to be present at the meeting tomorrow. It would be inconvenient if she couldn''t sit." He reminded Her.


    "Of course." Julia says, "You are right." She said, tossing the belt away.


    "Rise." She said to me, "I don''t hate you. This is required of the gods, you have to be corrected for every w you make." she exined, and I nodded, even if what she said made little sense to me.


    She took off her own clothes and led me to the bed. Iy down dutifully; the rough sheets burnt my already sensitive back, and she joined me, spreading my legs.


    I felt her fingers push into my opening, just before she kissed my lips.


    This was the part I hated the most, though she always made sure I was in no form of pain, the message was clear: I didn''t have the power to choose what happens to my body, but she does.


    Her finger thrusted into me as she imed my lips, pushing her tongue into my mouth, soon it was over and finally she rose.


    "The god of light is pleased." She says. "Now leave and sin no more."


    Trian was ready with a coat in his hands; he wrapped it around my body before leading me out of her chambers.


    "She touches you too?" he asked.


    "It''s punishment for my sin." I repeated Julia''s words.


    "It''s ironic this ''god'' is called the ''god of light," he said, and his words took me by surprise. No one had ever boldly spoken ill of the god of light in front of me before.


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    Chapter


    Forty Seven


    Chapter Forty Seven


    **Anonymous Narrator POV**


    Trent Dawn had always believed he would live a long, fulfilling life-one where he''d watch his daughter grow, fall in love, and have children of her own. But life rarely goes as nned. Now, here he was, lying on his deathbed, awaiting the inevitable.


    His pack was gone, so was his daughter. Everything he had spent his years building was no more, he had given it all away, but he had no other option, he only wished his daughter could understand one day that he did all these for her.


    A female healer was the only one left to tend to him for the little time he had left.


    He heard footsteps approaching. It wasn''t yet time for the healer''s daily medications. He looked up, staring at the blurry figure. His eyes were weak, but he knew exactly who it was. It was the very person he was trying to save his daughter from. His ex-mate, Cynthia.


    "You are a very strong man, Alpha Trent -or perhaps I''ll call you Trent, since you are no longer an Alpha." She said mockingly, but he remained silent. "I actually thought you would be dead by now, but of course, you aren''t, the poison hasn''t killed you yet."


    "I have nothing to offer you, so why are you here?"


    "True. You don''t have anything to offer me." She said, staring around. "What a shame. A few years ago, no one would have believed that your name and pack would be wiped off the face of this earth," she said, feigning pity. He couldn''t see her clearly, but he knew there was a smile on her face. She thought she had won, but she didn''t.


    "Kaida is beyond your reach, you will never be able to harm her."


    "That''s why you sent her to the Alpha King isn''t it? You believe he would be able to protect her, even more than you ever could."


    "She is safer with him."


    "You know, I saw her a few days ago, she had grown into a true woman."


    Trent tried to hide the sudden unease he felt; he didn''t like this woman anywhere close to his daughter. "Stay away from her, you hear me? Stay away!"


    "I will kill her, just as I did her mother. You will not be able to do anything about it; you know why? Because the dead have no power."


    "I am sorry... I am sorry for everything I did to you," he said, and he meant it. But this woman had cut off her ability to feel; hatred had be a living, breathing part of her.


    "She was my friend, Trent. My best friend and you were supposed to be with me, but you chose her, why?"


    "I-Hoved her."


    "But you were MY mate, you belonged to me and yet, you chose my own best friend over me, you rejected me. You know, I thought you were a good person, people sang good songs about you, if only they knew the true you."


    Trent Dawn had regretted that day. He had been a fool in love, he loved two women but he loved one more. These two women were best friends and what he felt for them would destroy their friendship. He made his choice as he wouldn''t lead them both on, but he hadn''t picked his fated mate, instead he had picked his heart''s choice and made her his Luna, stripping his mate of her right and giving it to Lydia - her best friend.


    Chapter Forty Seven


    Trent lived every single day with guilt. When his Luna, Lydia, was pregnant with her first child, his ex- mate Cynthia made an appearance, promising him that she would be his downfall.


    Cynthia had made a pact with the god of light, sacrificing her body and soul in exchange for power-power so great that she could exact revenge on her mate and best friend for the evil they had done to her. The healers believed that Luna Lydia had died during childbirth but Trent knew that it wasn''t just that, he believed his ex-mate was involved. She hadn''t stopped at that, she swore to take his life too and when she got the chance, she poisoned him. Nothing could cure the poison she had inflicted upon him... Not even the Healer''s lilies.


    Trent realized then that he had made a huge mistake. Driven by his selfish desires and choices, not only had Lydia died, but the entire pack had to suffer for his mistakes. He had been forced to send off his daughter to the Alpha King, knowing the rumors that swirled around him. It was toote to make a different choice; the hand of the clock could not be turned back.


    "You''vee to take my life. Whatever you have to do, do it fast."


    "Does she know? Does your daughter Kaida know the truth about her father?"


    "No, she doesn''t."


    "You were never brave enough to tell her, and now you''ll never have the chance to say it to her face." Little does the woman know that somewhere hidden in the building was a letter Trent had left for his daughter, a letter that would reveal every single secret he kept hidden from her, but the only question was... would she ever find it?


    /


    13


    A


    Chapter Forty Seven


    Trent lived every single day with guilt. When his Luna, Lydia, was pregnant with her first child, his ex- mate Cynthia made an appearance, promising him that she would be his downfall.


    Cynthia had made a pact with the god of light, sacrificing her body and soul in exchange for power-power so great that she could exact revenge on her mate and best friend for the evil they had done to her. The healers believed that Luna Lydia had died during childbirth but Trent knew that it wasn''t just that, he believed his ex-mate was involved. She hadn''t stopped at that, she swore to take his life too and when she got the chance, she poisoned him. Nothing could cure the poison she had inflicted upon him... Not even the Healer''s lilies.


    Trent realized then that he had made a huge mistake. Driven by his selfish desires and choices, not only had Lydia died, but the entire pack had to suffer for his mistakes. He had been forced to send off his daughter to the Alpha King, knowing the rumors that swirled around him. It was toote to make a different choice; the hand of the clock could not be turned back.


    "You''vee to take my life. Whatever you have to do, do it fast."


    "Does she know? Does your daughter Kaida know the truth about her father?"


    "No, she doesn''t."


    "You were never brave enough to tell her, and now you''ll never have the chance to say it to her face." Little does the woman know that somewhere hidden in the building was a letter Trent had left for his daughter, a letter that would reveal every single secret he kept hidden from her, but the only question was... would she ever find it?

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    Chapter Forty Eight


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    I should have guessed what my little mate was up to when I saw her in nothing but the sexy lingerie. The image lived rent-free in my mind even as I worked.


    I had seen another part of Kaida, one that drove me insane. closed my eyes, remembering how she rode me, gods those hips... I was willing to do anything, just so she wouldn''t stop. She''d discovered my weakness and she exploited it to her advantage. I shouldn''t be turned on by that, but damn was I hard. "The rogue is dead." Keith-one of the council members said to me.


    "Well, toss his body into the sea." I said to him dismissively


    "The rogues had already turned against the Gray Pack; the least we could do is return the body to the rogues.


    I chuckled. "Did you get a glimpse of the body?"


    "No. A guard informed me that he was starting to rot."


    "If you did get a glimpse, you would know that sending the mauled corpse to the rogues would be considered more an act of war than throwing it into the sea."


    His eyes widened. "How bad is it..."


    "He had been unmaned; his tongue chopped off, his eye damaged, and some of his fingers are missing... But you know what? Return his body to the rogues." I said with a smirk on my face. "Tell them that Luna sends her regards."


    He paled. "But I thought you said that would be considered more as an act of war."


    "Yes, I did. They coulde for this pack; I don''t mind getting a little bit more blood on my hands." "But... Alpha, what is there to gain?"


    "For the first, it''s fun, and also, they won''t go too hard on the Gray pack when they discover who did it." Keith nodded before turning around and walking away. There was more to gain; I was passing a message. I wanted them to know how ruthless my Luna was; the story will go around soon, and they will be too afraid to stand against her.


    I was in the mood for some good fun, and since fucking whores haven''t felt the same since Kaida, I had to find something else to spend my time on, something that also gave me the rush.


    I walked down to the dungeons. A traitor from our pack had just been caught ''trying'' to pass confidential information to the Moon Valley Pack. While I knew he would talk without being pelled,'' I wasn''t going to let -him off the hook so easily. Today definitely wasn''t his lucky day.


    I pulled open the metal door and stepped into the cell where he had been held prisoner. He looked up, fear clear in his eyes.


    "Please, I can exin... I will tell you all you need to know. He pleaded, visibly shaking.


    "I know," I said, before shutting the door, leaving us both in the room.


    Chapter Forty Eight


    The bastard had passed out on me. I would be back for him; if he thought he had escaped, then he was very much mistaken.


    The underground tunnel waspletely dark. I had no trouble with the darkness; my wolf''s perfect vision allowed me to see clearly through it. Still, I needed to know if my... ''abilities'' were still somewhere in there. With a flick of my fingers, the fire stick, which had been ced on the wall, flickered to life.


    I stared at the burning mes, with a frown on my face- a part of me had wished it didn''t work.


    I could summon fire, a secret that no one else knew about. I had discovered this when I turned seventeen.


    I remember being so furious at a soldier who attempted raping a little child; I wanted him dead, and the


    next I knew, he was burning-it was like he had been set on fire. There was no other person present in my chambers when it happened.


    Wolves don''t harness the ability to summon fire; the only creatures that could do that were the Aureonnas or a... demon.

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    Chapter Forty Nine KAIDA''S POV


    There were so many things I didn''t know about Alexander. But now I could understand why he hid them. I was aware that histe mother was part demon; could she have lost control- could that have been what resulted in the marks she inflicted on her own son? I couldn''t imagine Luna Riley doing that in her right mind. Alex would say no more than what he had told me earlier; I wish he trusted me enough to tell me the truth.


    I knocked on the door to Lara''s room; it was partly opened.


    "Come in!" her voice called from inside the room, and I walked in, shutting the door behind me. I walked into the inner room. There Lara was, on her knees, before a man. A naked man. She had his cock in her mouth, his hand fisted into her hair, fucking her mouth. His eyes remained closed as if lost in his own world, and then he moved faster, thrusting deeper into her mouth.


    "Oh, gods." The man moaned.


    I considered turning back and walking away. I shouldn''t be seeing this, but of course Lara never minds who is watching. Finally she pulled away, leaving the man hard and unfinished.


    "Go to the bed. I''ll be with you in a minute." She said, and the man walked away. Blinded by his lust, he hadn''t even noticed me.


    She wiped her mouth before turning to me. "Dogs-that''s what they all are. Animals with no control, they think with their cock; appease that, and you will have them feeding from the palm of your hands. Most can''t resist it. We have power over them because we know their greatest weakness." She said with a smile and then curtsied. Luna, I am d you are back."


    "(


    "Yes, I am. I came to thank you for your ''lessons."."


    "So, they did work." She said with a smirk.


    "Yes, it did. And I have a gift for you." I said, taking out the ne from my pocket, "It''s a very expensive piece. I''ve had it for a while, but I''m not one for jewelry."


    "It''s beautiful... and costly, pure gold and emerald." She said, entranced by the piece. "But I can''t take it. I had only tried to pay off the debt I owe you; it doesn''t count if you still gift me this." She said, but her eyes tarried on the ne. Whores loved their expensive jewelries; she was trying to be mannered, but I could see past that. I walked around her and ced the ne on her neck, locking it in.


    "You owe me no debts, Lara."


    "Thank you, Luna." She said, and I nodded.


    Alexander always made sure he had wine stored somewhere; he never ran out of those. In his Keep were his favorite types of wine.


    In the Dawn Pack I was raised to never drink wine, but I was no longer in the Dawn Pack. I took a bottle along with a ss cup, and just then Alexander walked in.


    "You are back early." I stated.


    Yes, we have a journey to embark on."


    "We?"


    Chapter Forty Nine


    "Yes, ''we''. The Alpha of the Gray Moon Pack would be getting married to his third wife. We will only stay


    for a few hours to celebrate with him. I owe him that for all the trouble he had gone through because of me." He exined, and I nodded. His eyes trailed down to the bottle in my hands.


    "I wasn''t going to drink it." I lied.


    "I''m not your father, Kaida; we don''t believe in the same... customs."


    "What are your customs?"


    "Nothing too difficult to keep up with. But I think women should drink as much as they want-but for starters,


    you


    should try this." He took out another bottle,.collecting the one in my hands. "This is a bit too strong for you." "But it''s not too strong for you?" I asked-a stupid question, of course it wasn''t.


    "No, it is not," he answers, his eyes drifting over my figure reminding me of that night I had tried seducing him.

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    Chapter


    Fifty


    I wore a gown-an elegant, mid-length, midnight blue dress. The neckline dipping just enough to reveal a of cleavage.


    hint


    "You should wear dresses more often," Alexander said.


    "I wouldn''t have worn one if not for the fear of sticking out


    "You are the Luna of the Nightshade pack; you will always stick out."


    We took the ck Range Rovers, and the three cars following us carried five of our soldiers. Alexander


    took the lead, and I sat beside him in the passenger seat while he drove.


    "I didn''t know you were such a good driver."


    "Is that apliment?" he asked, looking away from the road ahead and at me.


    "No. I''m just surprised. Most ''Alphas'' prefer seating behind while their drivers do the driving.


    "Well, I''m not like most Alphas." He said, his eyes still on me instead of on the road.


    "You will get us killed if you don''t focus on the road, you know."


    Heughed. "Have more faith in me, Kaida."


    "I would, if you were staring ahead instead of at me.''


    "You know what I think? I think I make you very nervous." He says, his hands dropping to my thigh. I saw the trucking our way, and swiftly he dodged it without having to look. "I have dangerously good eyesight."


    "Show off." I muttered, still aware of his hand on my thigh


    "You know... we still have a few minutes to spare. We could be doing other things with this extra time." "Things like what?" The moment the question left my lips. I mentally smacked myself at how stupid I was; his hands went higher and stopped between my legs.


    "Alex..."


    "What? I can''t touch you? I mean, after the stunt you pulled thest time, I am bound to want more."


    He pulled my dress up, and then his hand went below. I gasped when I felt them against the fabric of my panties.


    "We shouldn''t..." I began, but then he moved my panties to the side, and his finger slipped into me. I let out a moan, unable to stop myself. He thrust into me, hard.


    "So... wet." He whispered, thrusting his finger deeper. He pulled out of me and ced the very same finger in his mouth, linking my juice clean. I had never witnessed an action more sexy.


    He pulled the car over to the verge, and the other cars followed suit, though he paid them no mind


    I wanted this.


    I allowed him to guide me into position, I sat on hisp, facing him; every slight movement he made caused my lower part to graze against his, but then he kissed me. I kissed him back, taking his lower lip into my mouth; the kiss turned heated very quickly, and his hands trailed down my body as mine did his. I pulled at his belt, loosening it and taking it off. I proceeded to unzip his pants, feeling him; he was hard and huge; he took down his briefs as I managed to pull off my panties.


    Chapter Fifty


    I slowly took him in, feeling his length stretching into me and feeling me up. His hand held my hips as he thrust into me, hard. I held on to him, rocking my hips to match his pace, but he only went faster and harder. I let out a cry. He kissed me as he fucked me. He kissed my cleavage, his hands grabbing my ass; he helped me meet his pace. All I could feel was him; all I wanted was him, and then I came, moaning out his name. He finished after two quick thrusts.


    "Things like this." He whispered, answering the question I had asked earlier.


    He rolled down the car window. I attempted moving back to my seat, but he held me firm. "No," he said. "Don''t."


    He drove, and the other cars followed.

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    Chapter Fifty One


    Chapter Fifty One


    "Kaida, I know you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I''ll ask that you stay close to me at all times." Alexander said to me.


    The Gray Moon Pack was smaller than both the Nightshade and the Dawn Pack, but was built a bit differently. There were sub-houses around the pack to amodate other members; instead, there were three huge buildings, and I guess that''s where all the pack members stayed. The soldier led us into the one on the left, the biggest of the three buildings, I believed, where the Alpha and other top-ranked members were housed.


    "Wee, our King!" The man I assumed to be Alpha Grayson said with a bow. "It had been so long since youst visited."


    "Not so much has changed." Alexander said with his usual smirk, but I noticed the ''mask'' was back on. "You are right; I don''t n on making any new notable changes to the pack anytime soon."


    "Thank you for having us, Alpha Grayson."


    "The pleasure is all mine." Grayson replied. There was something about this man, something... off. ignored the feeling. "Well, lead our guests to the party, you fool!" Grayson said to the soldier, who nodded, leading us to where I assumed was the ''party.''


    There were already two seats waiting for us on the tform


    The members of the Gray Moon Pack bowed as we walked past them; we took our seats.


    A slow music began, and women-all naked, save for the tiny skirts they wore-moved to the floor and danced.


    I stared at Alexander; he seemed to be enjoying the view, an emotion I had never felt before surfaced. Jealousy? I pushed it away; I didn''t need it.


    Menughed, and so did some other women; the music stopped, and the men grabbed some of the scantily dressed women. I watched as a man further away bent one of the women over the feasting table as he fucked her publicly.


    "They behave like savages in these modern times." I whispered to Alexander.


    "Sometimes... there is joy in freedom."


    "You call this freedom?" I asked.


    "The women are whores; this is what they are here for, to entertain."


    "I''m sure you would have so loved to be one of those men fucking the whores." I said, suddenly disgusted.


    "No, the women don''t interest me, not when I have you by my side."


    Grayson joined us once again. "Enjoying the show?" he asked. He reeked of alcohol. Strangely, most


    Alphas I hade across were good-looking, but Grayson had somehow missed out on the good genes;


    I couldn''t look away from his crooked nose.


    "Yes, indeed." Alexander replied. "Where is the bride?" He asked.


    "She is over there." He pointed. My gaze followed his direction, and there I saw a girl-not ady or a


    woman, a girl. She was beautiful, no doubt, but she couldn''t be more than fifteen.


    I stared at Alexander, but his face remained indifferent.


    "She seems a bit too... young.


    Chapter Fifty One


    Grayson stared at me, the smile on his lips fading away. "Werewolves are not humans; age is nothing but numbers, and as you can see, she is very excited."


    She wasn''t-clearly, the smile on her lips was forced. A man and a woman stood by her side; from the woman''s uncanny resemnce to the girl, I knew she was her mother- those were her parents and they were both excited, with wide smiles on their faces.


    All I could feel was disgust.


    The moment Grayson was gone, I turned to Alexander.


    "You have to do something, or I will."


    "Do what?"


    "She''s only a child."


    "Each pack has their rules, and here it''s normal for girls her age to get married off."


    "She is not happy; she clearly doesn''t want this."


    "But her parents are they are the only ones that could have done something, so you won''t only be fighting the Alpha and the whole pack; you will also be fighting her parents and surprisingly, the girl might take her parent''s side. You are a stranger to her."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter Fifty Two


    Chapter Fifty Two


    The moment I set my eyes on the man named Grayson, I felt an instant dislike for him; something about him was uninviting, and now I could see why. I couldn''t help but watch as he drank andughed in his loud, unpleasant voice, even attempting to crack jokes. His pack membersughed-not because his jokes were funny, but because they felt they had to.


    Grayson grabbed one of the naked girls, and she giggled as He pulled her onto hisp. Without hesitation, he cupped her breast. "I think you have pretty tits, but I have to save myself for my wife at least for tonight." He said, and everyoneughed at that. "I remember telling my father about my intentions to marry as many beautiful women as I could. He called me a fool; he said ''one would have to do; you don''t need so many wives''... But guess what? He is dead, and I am Alpha now."


    Peopleughed even harder like that was funny; I, on the other hand, was doing my very best to hide my grimace.


    "It''s time!" The Alpha called with a loud voice, and everyone cheered. My stomach churned with unease. "The bedding ceremony shallmence!"


    Alexander took my hand. "Perhaps we should go somewhere else?"


    "What''s he going to do to her?"


    "What every man does to his newly wedded wife. He is going to fuck her."


    "She''s only a child."


    "She''s not. Not in the Gray Moon Pack''s standards."


    "You know, I used to believe there was some good in you, but now I see you''re just like him."


    I yanked my hands out of his grasp.


    I watched as the girl rose; the smile still remained on her lips, but I could see a single tear slide down her face. I was pulled back to twelve years ago once again, though this time the case was different; she was getting married, her parents had agreed to it; it couldn''t possibly be considered rape, not in a werewolf''s world, but I couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    She stepped forward and halted before us, curtsying gracefully. "It is a great honor to have you here on this special day; I will never forget it. I plead that you stay for the feast; we have delicacies prepared, and I''m sure you will enjoy them." She said to us, and I nodded. A man lifted her, passing her to the crowd, who eagerly received her and carried her to Alpha Grayson. He led her into a small room, leaving the door ajar.


    "I didn''t know she was this young." Alexander says, and I stared up at him. "I would never have brought you here if I had known. But we can leave, Kaida, we can leave right now."


    "I will stay for the feast." I insisted.


    Just then Grayson''s deep moans filled the room, and the girl''s whimpers suddenly turned into loud cries. The crowd celebrated; her parents had huge smiles on their faces. I wanted to kill them all, from the


    parents, to the people celebrating, and finally, Grayson. We were dangerously outnumbered here; the five soldiers wouldn''t do, and of course, Alexander hade to make peace, not start up a war.


    I tried thinking of random things to distract myself from the girl''s cries.


    "To be a Luna, you must be ustomed to violence; you cannot afford to shy away from it. And it doesn''t mean you condone it."


    bec even


    "I suppose you''ve witnessed and even indulged in your fair share of violence over the years as Alpha and King.


    Chapter Fifty Two


    "The Nightshade pack has a reputation to keep up."


    "And you are willing to do a lot for this ''reputation''."


    "Yes. I might not be a rapist, but I''m not a good man; none of the Darkwoods are. You were right; I am no different from him.''


    "Are you telling me this to scare me? Because you don''t scare me, Alexander Darkwood." I lied.


    "No, I''m not telling you this to scare you, but to make sure you don''t expect too much from me so you


    won''t be disappointed when you realize I''m no better than the man fucking a fifteen year old." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter Fifty Three


    Grayson finally walked out of the room after what felt like hours; the girl''s sobs still stung my ears. I sat and I did... nothing.


    An elderly woman rushed into the room, perhaps to nurse the girl-that''s what I thought until I saw her walk out with the white sheet that was now stained with blood. A lot of blood. She threw the sheet into the air, and many reached for it, cheering for their Alpha.


    "A screamer she is... but I do like screamers." He said with smile.


    Grayson walked up to us. "Join us; the feast is about to begin."


    Alexander rose, stretching his hand for mine; I rose without his help. Grayson led the way to the hall where we were meant to eat, drink, and party like a girl hadn''t been violently taken just a while ago. Our soldiers walked a good distance behind us.


    "Please, take your seats! Enjoy!" Grayson says, and we took the two chairs at the head of the table; he sat on the single one opposite us. The others joined in, taking their seats. Our soldiers took the first five chairs closest to us.


    They all dug in, so did Alexander-without even a single hesitation.


    I was in no mood to eat, but perhaps some wine - I needed it now more than ever. I took the cup and drank till it was empty.


    "The Luna needs more wine!" Grayson called out, and omegas rushed out with wine bottles to fill up my ss of wine.


    "I hope the Alpha King and Luna will spend the night with us," Grayson says.


    "We need to get back to the pack quickly; it is not right for the Alpha and Luna to be away too long." Alexander answered, managing to sound calm and controlled.


    "True..."


    "Grayson was interrupted by one of our soldiers'' coughs. The coughing didn''t stop; he coughed up blood onto the tablecloth. "Wolfsbane," the soldier gasped. One by one, our soldiers copsed to the ground, coughing up blood.


    "Why?" Alexander questioned Grayson.


    "You killed the rogue; now the others are out for my fucking head!"


    I felt the pain surge in my chest as blood dripped down my nose. It had all been a setup; we had been poisoned, each and every one of us, at a wedding feast.


    Grayson rose to his feet. "It''s just a matter of time-I don''t even have to lift a finger, and you''ll all die. The thing is that you don''t have to work hard; you only have to work smart. Alexander, I can''t face you in war- call me a coward, but I know this... this was the only way. This was me working smart."


    I drew my dagger and threw it at Grayson. He dodged, but it still struck him-not in the heart as I''d aimed, but in the arm.. He pulled the dagger out of his arm and threw the blood-covered de to the floor. "Bitch!" he cursed. "This is the easiest death for you. Trust me, I could have nned more fun ways to kill you, but I couldn''t risk it."


    "I''ll take you home," Alexander promised. He was furious more furious than I had ever seen him. Then... his eyes glowed, the color of burning mes, the me within them growing brighter and brighter. Grayson backed away, as did the others. They were right to be afraid; I too feared. I


    Chapter Fifty Three


    "The wolf''s bane should kill you." Grayson said, confusion written across his face. I couldn''t help but smirk at him, even as the darkness took over.


    "I''ll take you home." Those were thest words I heard.


    I wanted to see him again; I wanted to see my mate, and maybe it took death itself to bring me to a sudden realization. I wanted more... more than I was willing to admit.

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    Chapter Fifty Four


    Chapter Fifty Four


    I rolled over on the bed-wait. Bed?


    My eyes snapped open.


    "Alexander?" I called, but there was no one in the room. Just then, the door creaked open, and a familiar scent filled the air. His scent. "Alexander!" I called again, and finally, he appeared before me.


    "I went to get you some food." He said a smile-not a smirk, a smile on his face. I stared down at his hands; he held a tray of food. He was in a ck t-shirt and jeans-I had never seen him in casual clothes before, and... damn, was he hot. "Are you... are you okay?" he asked.


    "Yes, I am."


    I pulled off the covers and rose to my feet. A sudden dizziness overcame me, and I lost my bnce.


    Before I could fall, Alexander caught me. The tray still remained in his other hand.


    "You should rest some more and eat too." He said, leading me back to the bed. I epted the tray of


    food. "I am d you are awake; the past two days were not very exciting. I spent thest forty-eight hours worrying myself to near death."


    I had been asleep for two days?


    "You were worried... about me?"


    "You are my mate, and Luna, I wouldn''t want you dead." He said.


    All the memories resurfaced: we had attended the wedding ceremony and were poisoned with wolf''s bane.


    "Your eyes they had turned a different color."


    "Kaida, you''ve been unconscious for two days; you need to eat."


    "No. I know what I saw; your eyes were the colors of burning mes-I saw it."


    "Come on, it doesn''t even sound realistic; don''t be ridiculous."


    "But it happened, and you were poisoned too... but it didn''t affect you."


    "I had been adding a small portion of wolf''s bane to my drinks, and I happen to be a drunk, so I''ve been consuming wolfbane for a long time now."


    It clicked.


    "That''s why you wouldn''t let me take that bottle of wine; it wasn''t because it was too ''strong'' for me, was it?"


    "It is actually, but also, it did contain a little bit of wolfsbane, and we can''t have you drinking yourself to death."


    "But... why? I mean, why consume wolf''s bane?"


    I was d we were able to get out of the Gray Pack alive, but... wolf''s bane was any werewolf''s worst fear, I wondered why anyone would willingly take it? Was it some kind of self-torture?


    "To build an immunity to it. When I started, I hated it, but now, I''ve gotten a bit ''addicted'' to it. I should have noticed the drinks were poisoned, but the taste of wolfsbane in fresh wine had gotten so usual that I thought it was normal."


    "How long have you been trying to build immunity to it?"


    Chapter Fifty Four


    "Over a decade. I''m not immune to it yet, but my body can handle it better than most would."


    "You were just a boy when you started taking the ''doses,"" said. Despite myself, I felt pity for him. I looked away before he could read it in my eyes.


    "The world is not a kind ce, not even for a boy; I became the Alpha King at the age of fifteen. Taking


    the crown was a risk; I was always a target. I was forced to learn the hard way, so it was... necessary."


    He passed me my dagger. It was the very one I had thrown at Grayson.


    "How did you get it back?"


    "It was lying on the floor; it was no hard task.''


    "You know what I mean."


    "I know what you mean. And I think you should eat. We will talkter."


    Later never came. Alexander was mostly too busy to talk about what happened that night, but I was going


    to find out. I knew what I saw; his eyes... they glowed, and I hadn''t been imagining it.


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    0

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    Chapter Fifty Five


    +25 BOHUS


    In a few days, the wolfsbane waspletely out of my system, I could finally walk without any support.


    So I decided to pay Aric a visit. I knocked on the door to his apartment, and as if he had been waiting right there, he opened it immediately and pulled me into a hug.


    "I wanted to visit you and see how you were doing, but Alexander is a bit more possessive of you now." "It''s alright; I''m fine now."


    Finally, he pulled away and shut the door behind him. "You would have died-I should have gone with you."


    "But I didn''t. All thanks to Alexander."


    "I might not like the Alpha very much, but I will always be grateful to him for this."


    "He saved my life, and that''s why I''m here. I want to know what happened to the Gray Moon Pack and how I was able to make it here alive.


    "I don''t know all the details, but I heard that every pack member at the Wedding Feast was burned alive- none survived. What''s strange is that the fire didn''t spread. It never went past the hall; it just... quenched.


    "And what about Grayson?"


    He''s dead, burned to the bone-just like the others. The pack will need a new Alpha, someone to take charge until his sones of age. Most of the time, those chosen aren''t willing to step down when the timees, not after they''ve had a taste of power. For now, the Beta will take his ce until a decision is made."


    "Before I cked out, I saw something-Grayson''s eyes. They were the color of mes."


    "mes?" He repeated, and I nodded; he knew I wasn''t just making this up. "Are you trying to say he burnt them to the ground with strange magical mes?"


    "I am trying to say he wielded the mes; how else would you exin why a fire so huge didn''t spread?" "Werewolves don''t..."


    "I know that, I know a werewolf shouldn''t do that, but I saw it, and I am sure."


    "What do you think? How could he do it?"


    "I don''t know."


    Grayson was dead; he deserved to die, and I didn''t pity him one bit, but the girl.


    "Did our soldiers make it out?" I asked.


    "Surprisingly, they did. They''re still under the healer''s care, and Alexander brought a girl with him-she''s from their pack as well."


    "A girl? What does she look like?"


    "She''s young, maybe around..."


    "Fifteen." Ipleted his sentence.


    "Do you know her?" he asked,


    "She was Grayson''s wife."


    Chapter Filty Five


    "Wife? The Gray Pack''s disgusting traditions never cease to amaze me."


    "They are truly disgusting; hopefully Grayson''s death brings a positive change."


    "Why did King Alexander bring this... girl here?"


    "Apparently, she is a widow and an orphan now; she needs a new home."


    I paid the little girl a visit; she was being tended to by Saral a healer from the Dawn Pack. She tried sitting up the moment she spotted me.


    "Please, lie down; I only came to see how you were faring.


    "Why am I here?" she asked.


    I sat beside her. "No hurt wille to you here. You hear me? No one would hurt you ever again." Tears rolled down her cheeks, and it took everything in me not to hug her. "My parents?"


    I didn''t know how to tell her, but she had the right to know perhaps she would have already suspected it. "They are dead." I said to her, choosing to be in with her.


    ''Good." She whispered, and that surprised me. I could see the hatred in her eyes-the same hatred she had hidden behind her smile the wedding ceremony. "They deserved to die. I was their only daughter, and yet they sold me to the pig-they knew what he would do to me, and they did not only force me into marrying him; they trained me into being a true, submissive bride.


    "They didn''t have the right." I said to her.


    "I want to know, Luna. Did they scream when the fire burnt their flesh?"


    I stared at her. "Yes, they cried and begged till their voices went hoarse, but the fire didn''t cease; it burnt them alive - every single one that cheered in the ceremony."


    She nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Good." She repeated again.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter Fifty Six


    Chapter Fifty Six


    Alexander wasn''t in his office; neither was he in the meeting room.


    I walked into Phil''s-one of the council members and the eldest among them all.


    "Luna," he called, bowing.


    "Phil. I wonder if you have an idea where the Alpha is now


    "He is in the bar, Luna- I don''t advise you go to him now,


    "Why?" I asked.


    "He is a bit... upied."


    "Point me in the direction to the bar and I''ll be on my way.


    If he was having sex with a whore, I would feel it.


    I stopped before the ''bar.'' The only thing blocking my view of the room was a curtain made of beads. I took a deep breath and walked in.


    The ce reeked of alcohol as expected. I spotted Alexander; he had a bottle in his hand, and sitting beside him was Austin, another council member.


    Three naked women danced on poles; the one in the middle had her eyes trained on Alexander. The strange feeling I had felt earlier in the Gray Moon Pack resurfaced. Jealousy I didn''t like the fact that Alexander watched them, though he made no move towards her.


    Phil was right; I shouldn''t havee. Right before I could silently walk out of the room, the voice stopped


    me.


    "Here for some wine, Kaida?" Alexander''s voice called. Of course, he had seen me. I turned to him. "No. I wanted to speak to you, but I guess it can wait."


    "Everyone out." He said, and Austin rose to his feet and walked out; the naked women followed. I watched thest one, the very one who had her eyes on Alexander, and I felt a strange dislike for her. It was an uncalled-for emotion; she was a whore, he is a filthy rich, good-looking man, and also the Alpha; of course he would be the focus.


    "You shouldn''t have sent them out-I could have waited," I said, though my voice sounded a bit fake. That was because I was trying to hide how angry I felt.


    "I don''t want to keep you waiting.''


    I lingered at the entrance a few seconds longer before walking to him.


    "I wanted to thank you for bringing the girl back... It means a lot to me." I said to him, but his eyes remained on my lips.


    "You are angry; I can tell- and mad at me too."


    "I am not."


    "You are also very... jealous."


    "I have no reason to be jealous."


    +28 BONUS


    Chapter Fifty Six


    He drew closer to me. "I brought the girl back because I knew it would make you happy, and I want you happy."


    "Do you?"


    "Yes. I do." He answered genuinely.


    "You were right," I said to him. "I thought I could go on and not feel a thing, but those few seconds, when the darkness took over and I thought I would die... I wanted you


    Earlier, I was jealous. I didn''t like the way the whore looked at you; I don''t like the fact you watched her... disy


    -I thought I would be okay with you being with other girls, but I am not; I would never be..."


    Alexander picked me up, cutting off my words; he ced me on the table and kissed my lips- hungrily; I could feel his... need and his desire. He pulled off my shirt, his hands cupped my breasts, and he guided me to lie on the table. He joined me, supporting his weight with an elbow; he took my nipple in his mouth, his sharp teeth grazing against it. I let out a moan. He tore off his shirt - impatiently and his pants next, before resuming his torment, he went lower to ce a kiss on my belly button.


    "These leather pants are damn tight." He said, and I chuckled. He took them off along with my panties and tossed them to the floor before spreading my legs. His finger gently rubbed circles around my clit. "You were the only one on my mind, Kaida; there''s only a little I cannot do for you."


    "I want something from you, Alexander. I want you to fuck me like you''ve never fucked a woman before." "Are you ready for that?"


    "Yes... I am."


    He spread my legs wider and then he mmed into me. The table groaned under the pressure, and I had


    to hold on like my life depended on it. His next thrust was even harder and I let out a cry.


    "I can stop."


    "No, don''t stop."


    He pounded into me till all I could feel was him. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he went faster, and


    I couldn''t hold it anymore; I shattered into a million pieces.

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    Chapter Fifty Seven


    Alexander was in a fresh pair of pants, though I didn''t think he minded being naked.


    "You should join me for a drink, Kaida." he offered.


    I did need a drink. I walked to him, trying to hide the difort I felt between my legs. I had asked for it, and I was given just that. It was fun; it was exciting, but now, all could feel was pain. I had no regrets, though; I would do it all over again if time was taken back.


    Alexander helped me to the stool beside him.


    I epted the ss filled with a light brown liquid. I didn''t mind asking what it was; I drank it all. He stared


    at me. "I''m a very bad influence on you." He said.


    "You are." I agreed, adjusting on the seat.


    "You are sore and in pain."


    "I''m not."


    "You don''t have to lie; I can see that. Perhaps I went too hard."


    "I asked for it."


    "You weren''t ready. I shouldn''t have listened to you."


    "I was. I was ready." I said and his eyes fixed on me. "I... I wanted to give you everything ''they'' would give, so you won''t have a reason to want them."


    His gaze dropped to my lips; for a moment I thought he was going to im me once again, but he looked away. You don''t even have to try, Kaida. That''s the difference. Fucking any other person but you doesn''t even feel right; there''s no... excitement."


    "But I thought..."


    "You thought wrong.''


    "I heard about everything that happened back in the Gray Moon Pack." I said, changing the topic.


    "What did you hear?"


    "You burnt them; you burnt them all, and you saved the girl."


    "They deserved to die. I should have burnt the whole pack to the ground for what they attempted to do- that would have been a warning to any other person stupid enough to try that."


    "But you didn''t."


    "But I didn''t," he said.


    "Your hair... it''s grown so much longer since I first saw you. I like it this way," I said. He smirked, his gaze dipping once again to my lips, then Tower.


    "I''m d you like it."


    For a moment, we simply stared at each other inplete silence. He was the first to break it.


    "You wanted to know what happened back in the Gray''s pack? You were right; I did burn them to the ground."


    Chapter Fifty Seven


    "How could you do it?"


    "Five years ago, I discovered my ability to wield mes. My mother was half demon, and I suspect that''s connected to it."


    "Half demons don''t wield mes; only full and powerful demons could do that. The demon blood in you is barely existent and yet..." I trailed off.


    "There is no other exnation for this; I''ve always hated this ability and never appreciated it until we were at Gray Moon''s pack. Watching you poisoned, the fear that you might die and I''d never be able to keep my promise of bringing you back here alive-it filled me with so much rage. It took every will in me to stop at just the hall."


    I was silent, lost in thoughts, also aware that his eyes studied me.


    "Now that you know the truth, do you see me as a freak?" he asked.


    "No, of course not. I owe you my life.''


    "You owe me nothing; if I had been more watchful, I would have figured it was a setup."


    "Well, I didn''t figure it out either."


    He rose to his feet, carrying me off the stool.


    "I can walk."


    "You are sore and tipsy; let me take you to the bed."


    I should have struggled out of his hold, but I didn''t. I wanted to be here. I closed my eyes, enjoying his


    scent.


    ''I get it, Cas, I understand now.''

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    Chapter Fifty Eight


    Chapter


    Fifty Eight


    It was a dream. That much I could tell.


    I watched a younger version of myself lying on the bed, sickly thin. Her skin was pale as snow, and her breaths came inbored gasps. Beside her was my father, Alpha Trent, in his prime. He was handsome as I always knew he was, but he had a pained look on his face as he watched me I was dying, and I could see that.


    "Nothing can be done for her-we''ve done all we could, but the sickness... we don''t understand it; we''ve never seen a thing like it." a female healer said to him.


    "She can''t die." My father says, "She''s all I have, and she cannot die. There has to be a way."


    The healer walked closer to him. "There might be another option-the healer''s lilies. But I would never rmend it; if it doesn''t work... she would die."


    "Do it," my father says without even a single hesitation.


    "Alpha, are you sure?"


    "Yes. She would die anyway; do it."


    "The flowers are up the Everveil mountains-my grandmother told me about them. I know how to pluck them and keep them fresh."


    "Then you must go along with the soldiers; go quickly."


    The healer nodded and hurried away. The moment the healer was gone, my father let a single tear slip down his eyes. I had never seen him cry, and watching him do so now broke me. "Dad... I am here," I called to him, but he couldn''t hear me; it was like I wasn''t there, like I was a ghost.


    "It is all my fault." He whispered to the child on the bed, who was indeed me. "She had done this; I know it-she wanted her revenge, and she... she is going to take the one person I care about the most and..." He broke down in tears, and I couldn''t help but cry along.


    The little child began shaking violently; my father urgently rose to his feet. He picked up the baby, rocking her and whispering words into her ear, and finally she calmed. "If you survive this, Kaida, I will protect you. I don''t care what I would have to lose; I would do anything to protect you."


    The door mmed open, and he turned; a figure walked in, a woman who had every inch of her body covered with ck clothing-save for her eyes.


    "You!" Father shouted. "You did this!" But the woman didn''t say a word. I saw the dagger in her hand, and before my father could react, she drove it into her chest, right through her heart.


    I screamed as my father fell to the ground, with the child in his hands.


    "I did promise you I''d be your downfall, Alpha Trent," the strange woman said, then she turned her gaze to me. I''ll be back for you, child," she added before walking away.


    "Father!" I cried out.


    11


    My eyes snapped open; tears streamed down my face. I was not on the bed; I was being cradled in Alexander''s


    arms.


    "It was a nightmare... It was just a dream."


    Chapter Fifty Fight


    "Father... where is my father?"


    The knock on the door silenced us. Alexander ced me back on the bed before heading toward the door. I ros¨¦ and walked out of the room, curious to see who would be visiting at such an hour. The first thing I noticed was the frown on Alexander''s face, and then Aric standing by the door; there was a third person; I hadn''t noticed him at first. The Dwarf-our Messenger.


    I couldn''t move; I stood there, staring at him. It wasn''t just a dream... It was a vision.


    "Kaida, you should go back to bed...''


    "No! Why is he here?"


    They were all silent, and then Alexander slowly approached me. "Everything is going to be alright." "Why is he here!" I demanded.


    "It''s your father. He is dead."

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    Chapter Fifty Nine


    Chapter Fifty Nine


    ALIYA''S POV


    Trian rarely speaks.


    I wish he did; he stood there, day and night, but never uttered a word. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Thest time we spoke, he said he was from the North, which exined his pale skin; the Aureonnas had darker shades.


    "What is life in the North like?" I asked him.


    "Cold." Was his only response. It was clear he didn''t want to speak to me.


    I picked up a book and began reading. I hadn''t even heard him move, but he was right before me. "You move very quietly."


    "Do I?"


    "Yes."


    "Every soldier should possess that skill, don''t you think?"


    "You are right." I said, notfortable with


    took everything in me to sit still.


    man being this close. He sat beside me on the bed, and it


    "The North is more than just a cold ce. As I told you before, there are humans, a lot of them, but there are also werewolves. In the North, the werewolves still live in medieval times, doing things the old- fashioned way-just like the Aureonnas, your people, still do. They don''t believe in change, nor do they care much for humans, especially their technology-though, ironically, some werewolves have contributed to it."


    "We don''t do things the old-fashioned way. We travel by car and even fly on nes."


    11


    "That''s because you ''have'' to travel. But other than that, there isn''t much difference."


    "Have you ever been among humans?"


    "Yes. I''ve been to many ces."


    "Are humans different?"


    "Not much, just not as strong. They live in a different world, though. They fear the unknown, so they''d rather shut their eyes to the truth than face what''s standing right in front of them."


    "Ignorance is bliss, I''ve heard."


    "It is, but it won''t be for long. The werewolves y an important role; though the humans are not aware, the werewolves keep them safe from the creatures lurking in the night, but they don''t even know that.'' "The Flesh Eaters, when they do attack... no one would be spared-that''s what Julia says."


    To that he gave no response.


    "I thought you would hate me for what I did. I killed your pet." he said.


    "You did it under her orders; you had no option. I understand that."


    "You are pure, just as they say. Your pet is injured, but he is not dead; he is out there in the wild."


    >>


    Chapter Fifty Nine


    "You didn''t kill him?"


    "No, I didn''t."


    "The Empress..."


    "I know what the empress would do if she finds out. But she won''t find out," he said, his gaze locked on mine.


    "No, she won''t."


    There was a knock on the door, and Trian walked over to open it.


    Empress Julia walked in, I immediately rose to my feet. "Empress..."


    "Walk with me." She said, cutting me off.


    My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to hide the fear I felt. Had I done something wrong? I couldn''t read her; I couldn''t tell if she was angry.


    I followed her out of the room, with Trian a few steps behind us, his hands resting on his sword as he moved.


    "Empress Cynthia would like to teach you a few new things: do not disrespect her; she has the right to punish you if you do anything stupid.''


    I nodded. "I would do no such thing."


    She led me into her chambers, and my stomach churned. "Are you hungry?" she asked.


    "No." I lied.


    "Do you know why I brought you here?" she asked.


    "No, Empress."


    "I want to show you something. Have you ever wondered why the empresses stay young, even for decades?" she asked.


    "I have wondered, but I hear it''s a gift from the god of light."


    "And that is correct."


    I had never ventured this far into her chambers before. She pulled a lever, revealing a secret door, and stepped inside.


    "Come,e." She said, and I walked in.


    Trian waited outside.


    There was a glowing pool, but what was strange about it was that the water was stagnant, too stagnant; it looked unreal-like a picture.


    Empress Julia stripped off her clothes, shed me a smile, and dove into the water. She didn''t resurface. Time ticked by, yet she remained below the surface.

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    Chapter Sixty


    Chapter Sixty


    About five minutes passed, and there was still no sign of her.


    "Empress!" I called out. "Empress...''


    Just then, she broke through the surface. Her face looked different-youthful. She had entered the pool looking to be in her forties, but when she emerged, she appeared to be in herte twenties. "Empress, you look..."


    "Beautiful, magnificent... I know."


    "How?"


    "The water, many believe the god of light once bathed in these waters; it''s called the Lake of Youth-It was once bigger than this, but, well, this is all that remains of it."


    She put on her clothes.


    "It was like time had reversed, and she was given her youth again." I said to Trian when we were back in my room.


    "It seems to me that you would like to take a dip in the Lake of Youth one day."


    "Of course, not... the Empress would never let me."


    "You fear the Empress like she is a god."


    "She is a powerful woman."


    "I agree, not many men alive could build amunity as big as this one. But have you ever thought about how exciting it would be to go against her, even once?"


    "I-I....."


    Of course, I''ve thought about it so many times. I wanted to run away, but it was impossible; Empress Julia was going to find me, and when she does... she is going to make me pay.


    "I really want to oppose her, I do. But I fear what she will do to me when she finds out."


    "What if she doesn''t find out?"


    "She will; you cannot hide things from her."


    "Well, I have seeded in doing that more than once; perhaps I will try my luck once again."


    "You don''t understand; she would kill you, and this wouldn''t be the first time she did something as cruel."


    "Killing me is thest thing on Julia''s mind right now." He said, and there was something about how confident he sounded that was indeed off-putting. "How many times have you been outside this building?''


    "A couple of times, when we go to have meetings."


    "How many times have you been outside this building just to explore on your own?"


    I was silent, because the answer was never. I could go nowhere without the Empress''s permission; the one time I


    tried, I paid dearly.


    "I want to go outside... I want to see the people."


    Chapter Sixty


    "Then I will take you outside. Get ready; we will leave in two hours. We have to be back before midnight."


    Trian was back in exactly two hours.


    "I''m ready." I said, but my voice sounded shaky even to my own ears, and my palm was all sweaty. I


    shouldn''t be doing this, and yet I wanted to leave this ce so bad, even if it was just for a few hours. I was in a long ck gown as I needed to be fully covered.


    Trian walked to me; he drew the hood of my gown over my hair.


    "Your hair draws attention." He said, and I nodded, pulling the hood lower to cover my face.


    "What of the guards?" I asked.


    "I handled them." He said, taking my hands.


    He led me out of the room and through the many winding passageways. He seemed to know this ce even better than me, and I spent most of my life here. We passed a couple of soldiers, but none of them questioned him, and finally we got to the back door; there were about five soldiers stationed there. My heartbeats were so loud I feared they would hear it.


    "Stop." One of the soldiers called to us.


    "Can I help you?" Trian asked him.


    "Who is the girl?" the man asked. Trian drew me closer to his side, his hands wrapped around my back and going lower. "The Empresses don''t like whores in their castle."


    Had he called me a... whore?


    The manughed and stepped away, but he wouldn''t stop trying to get a closer look at me. I couldn''t meet


    his eyes, but I saw the smirk on his lips. Trian led me out of the castle; the moment we were out of sight, I pulled away from his touch.


    "What was that?" I asked, and he smirked he had the audacity to smirk at me.


    "I was trying to get us out."


    "I don''t appreciate being called that." I said since I couldn''t say the exact word he had used.


    "Are you a whore?"


    "No, I am not."


    "Then why are you angry?"

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    Chapter Sixty One Chapter


    Sixty One


    I looked around, taking in the crowd-more people than I Had ever seen. A smile spread across my lips, the incident with the soldiers at the exit already long forgotten.


    Trian took my hands again; his were huge and rough-just as I imagined a warrior''s hands to be. He led me into the thick of Aureonna''s city; people stared-especially women, but the stares weren''t directed at me, but at Trian. "What is that?" I asked, pointing to a group of people gathered nearby. They seemed to beughing at something.


    "It''s a y, a drama."


    "I want to see it.".


    "Of course."


    We weaved through the crowd of excited people, until we reached the front row.


    A woman with a silver wig sat on a make-shift throne; her skin seemed to have been painted white. The other woman by her side had a blonde wig on. It took me a moment to realize this was a drama about me the woman in the silver wig was meant to be me, while the one in the blonde wig was portraying Empress Julia.


    "Soon, you will lead us to victory. The fate of the Aureonnas rests on your shoulders," said the one in the blonde wig.


    "I don''t know if I''m strong enough-what if I fail?" the one in the silver wig asked, overly dramatic.


    "You can''t fail. Do you know what I would do if you fail? I would marry you off like some slut." She said, rising to her feet, she turned to the crowd. "Who wants to fuck the Chosen?"


    Peopleughed hard.


    Trian pulled me away from the crowd, and I clutched my hood as he led me further from the scene.


    "That drama or whatever it was, was disgusting... It clearly had no meaning."


    "Many like to make jokes about Empress Julia and you."


    "What types of jokes?"


    "You wouldn''t want to hear them."


    "Tell me." I demanded.


    "Some say the Empress and you are... lovers."


    Lovers? Why would they ever think that?


    "Perhaps we avoid the crowds for now." Trian suggested, and I nod in agreement.


    I stopped before a hut, its structure unlike any I had seen in the city. Hanging from the door were... bones


    and skulls. A man and a woman walked out of the hut, hand in hand, with smiles on their faces. "What''s inside?"


    "Just a fortune teller-the oldest alive."


    "A fortune teller?"


    "Yes, they are also called soothsayers. They tell you about your future."


    *****


    Chapter Sixty One


    "I want to know about my future."


    "Aliya, they are mostly liars and deceivers; they tell lies and confuse people."


    Another couple walked into the hut.


    "Then why do peoplee here if all she tells are lies?"


    "Some prefer a good lie over the harsh truth. Couplese here to learn if their current partner is their true love; some leave disappointed, while others leave pleased.


    I walked in, and Trian followed, bowing his head to fit through the tiny doorway. An old woman, looking to


    be about eighty years of age, sat there; so did the two couples that walked in earlier. She took both their hands in hers, her eyes remaining shut.


    "You are going to be blessed with strong, beautiful children, but the first child will die at birth."


    "No!" the woman being read gasped, breaking down into tears.


    "You will birth great men and women; the gods would console you for the loss of your first."


    When she was done, the couples left the hut and it was our turn.


    "She would like to be read." Trian said to the woman.


    "We are closed for the day;e back tomorrow."


    Trian walked up to her and handed her something; her face paled. "Gold," she muttered.


    "There''s more from where that came from."


    "I think I have a few more minutes to spare," she said with a crooked smile.


    I took a seat before the old woman.


    "I can read your palm to tell you how many children you''ll have, or perhaps you''d like to know where you''ll meet the love of your life?"


    "No. I want to know about my... future."


    Would I ever leave the castle, is there really some great destiny awaiting me?


    "That''s quite expensive." She began, but Trian passed her another gold coin, and she smiled wide. She ced the coin in her pocket before taking my hands in hers and shutting her eyes. For about ten minutes she muttered strange, foreign words. I exchanged nces with Trian who seemed on the verge of bursting intoughter. Finally she fell silent.


    "You are a highborn-a very important person but you are not from around here. You feel... lonely all the time; all you''ve ever wanted was to have ''somebody.. A great change woulde... yes, a very great change. I see light, happiness... you will fall in love, and you will be happy." She said letting go of my hands and then she paused, her eyes turnedpletely white. "There is more... pain. So much pain." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.


    "What else do you see?" I asked.


    She shook her head. "That''s as much as they are willing to reveal to me." She turned to Trian. "I still have some time to read you, if you have more... gold."


    "Don''t bother, I don''t believe in fortune telling."


    Chapter Sixty One


    "Trian. It would only take a few minutes." I said, and finally he gave in, passing her another coin, which she epted with an even wider smile, revealing her yellow teeth. She took his hands and immediately her eyes went white.


    Minutes passed, and she said nothing; finally, she let go of his hands with a gasp, fear in her eyes. "What did you see?" I asked her.


    "Darkness. I saw darkness."

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    Chapter


    Sixty Two


    Chapter Sixty Two


    Trian led me away from the old creepy woman. "I did tell you that fortune tellers are liars."


    "But she seemed to know a lot about me."


    "From your skin tone, anyone could tell you aren''t an Aureonna by birth. The majority of the poption herees from all over the world, bound by the ''Purifying Ritual. She''s a good guesser, but there''s nothing special about that, and you don''t have to worry about anything she says. She is a hungry woman, looking for her daily bread."


    "She would be rich with all those gold coins-where did you get them?"


    "I was an orphan, but not a poor one. I found my way around things and also built myself some good fortune."


    "Then why are you here?"


    "Money is not the answer to everything. I am here because want to be, not because I need the money.'' "Where are we going?" I asked, realizing they were fewer people the further we went.


    "Wait and see," he said with a smile that made my stomach flutter. We stopped before ake.


    "I never knew there was a Lake in this city.''


    "That''s because you''ve been locked in the castle for the most of your life. At this hour, there is rarely anybody here. Ie here to think and clear my head."


    "It''s a beautiful ce." I admitted.


    He undid his jacket; I had never seen him without his ck leather jacket, and for a moment, I couldn''t look away. Everything about Trian Valtor was intimidating and beautiful.


    "What... what are you doing?"


    "Taking a swim," he said, pulling off his belt and sword, cing them beside his jacket. Next, he took off his pants, and I looked away, hearing his chuckle.


    "Do you just undress right in front of girls?"


    "Usually, they''re the first to take off their clothes." he says and my face reddens. I peeped, curious to see more. Do you know how to swim?" he asked, aware that I was checking him out, but I couldn''t look away, my eyes trailed lower. gods.


    "No. I don''t."


    "I''ll teach you. Take off your clothes and join me."


    I was well aware of what the Empress would do if she knew I had been this close to a man and naked. I was supposed to keep ''pure'', but... when would I ever have this chance ever again? I took off my clothes, and unlike me, who had the decency to pretend to look away, Trian didn''t. He watched me undress, and I thought I saw something in his eyes, something dark and sinister. It was gone just as quickly. I joined him in the water, and he held me, preventing me from sinking. I was very aware of his naked body against mine.


    A strange need I never knew existed came alive in me, and he could see it. He ran his hands down my body,


    moving lower. My breath came out in a gasp as I felt his hands against my backside.


    "Learning how to swim is quite easy. I believe you''re a fast learner; you''ll get the hang of it soon." Swimming. That''s why we were here, I had almost forgotten.


    Chapter Sixty Two


    I did get the hang of it, and in a few minutes, I was able to move around without the fear of drowning. Trian was a great swimmer and teacher; he seemed to be good at... everything.


    "Thank you." I said to him,


    "For what?" he asked.


    "For sneaking me out of the castle, this is the best choice I have ever made." More like the only choice I was ever allowed to make.


    I swam closer to him and ced a kiss on his cheek. We stared at each other, and then he drew me closer once more, kissing my lips, iming them. This was my first kiss, and I feared I might mess it up, but somehow, I didn''t- or I thought I didn''t. The more I kissed him, the more I wanted to go on and never stop; I let out a foreign sound-a moan of pure pleasure. It all came to an end too soon as he pulled away. "We should get dressed." He said, helping me out of the water. He handed me my clothes, helping me get fully dressed before putting on his own clothes. "It''ste; we should return back to the castle."


    I nodded, but I wish I didn''t have to; I wish I could spend forever in thosekes with Trian, kissing him.

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    Chapter Sixty Three


    Chapter Sixty Three


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    Kaida was never one to admit her feelings-especially not when they made her look weak. But back at the bar, she did. She admitted her jealousy; she admitted what she felt for me. And right then and there, I swore to myself to be loyal to her. I wanted her happy; I loved seeing her smile, but everything changed too soon when the news of her father''s death reached us.


    She wouldn''t speak. She wouldn''t eat. She


    ouldn''t even sleep. And for the first time, I saw her cry. She mourned


    for her father, and all I wanted to do was taby her pain


    Aric sat with me in my office.


    "The healer who had been present when he died said he had fallen into a strangea some days before he passed. The only sign of life had been his beating heart," Aric said.


    "Alpha Trent knew he was going to die; that''s why he made all the necessary arrangements. Still, I believe his illness is indeed very strange; all illnesses have their cause, but Alpha Trent''s didn''t."


    "Maybe it was more than just an illness; maybe it was some sort of curse," Aric suggested. I couldn''t help


    but agree with him, but who would ce a curse on a man like Alpha Trent?


    "You will return to what remains of the Dawn Pack and run a total search there."


    11


    He nodded.


    "About the Luna. When we arrived to tell her the news, she seemed troubled. Was everything okay?" Aric asked. Of course, he wanted to know if I had hurt her.


    "She had a nightmare-one unlike any I had ever seen; she kept calling for her father. Perhaps she was having some kind of ''vision'' about his death."


    "Maybe it''s wise that shees with me as I return back to the Dawn Pack; that could help her... condition."


    "I will take care of my mate." I said to him, for a moment I saw the challenge in his eyes before he bowed and walked away. I didn''t like Aric very much; maybe it was because he was head over heels for my girl or maybe it was something more. Still, I kept him close; that way, I was able to watch over him.


    "Kaida, you need to eat something." I tried reasoning with her; she never epted the food, never said a word; she just kept sitting there and watching the skies through the balcony. She was in a ck gown- ck was her favorite color, but I could tell this time she wore it to mourn her father''s death.


    "I didn''t believe it," she whispered. I knew he was dying; all the signs were there that he would not survive, but I thought there would be some kind of... miracle. I thought somehow he would make it. He was all the family I had, and now he''s dead too. First it was my mother, then my best friend, and now my father. How many more would I have to lose before the gods decide that I''ve suffered enough?"


    I sat beside her. "Your father was a good man. He had made sure his daughter and the pack were out of harm''s way before he passed. He was a brave man. My mother owed him her life."


    "Was he in any pain when he passed?"


    No, he was in aa; his death was painless."


    "I wish I had been there with him as he drew hisst breath" she said, then turned to me. "How were you able to survive it? How did you live on after both your parents died?"


    Chapter Sixty Three


    "All my parents left me before their deaths was a letter and few cryptic words," I said, thinking back to that


    day


    -the very same day a boy was forced to be a man.


    ¤¢

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    Chapter Sixty Four


    KAIDA POV


    Alexander had never once talked about his parents. I had always wanted to know, but seeing the pain in his eyes, I could understand why he kept it all to himself.


    "You don''t have to talk about it if you are not ready."


    "You deserve to know.


    I''ve heard so many good stories about Luna Riley, my mother, and even more about thest Lycan, Alpha Thane. But I never saw it. My father loved my mother so dearly, even when she was turned. She would have died if not for a sorceress who brought her back-as a demon. I could still remember her cold skin; she always wanted me close to her; she always wanted to carry me around like a mother would her child, but she couldn''t.


    Demons get weakened by the sun, so she had to be locked away in her room, but that wasn''t the only reason she was being locked away. Demons have a strong thirst for blood; sometimes the pack members go missing. Every time she mistakenly kills a person, she cries day and night. She knew that having her child with her at all times was dangerous, and so she demanded I be kept far away.


    I still remember the times she would visit; she would cradle me in her arms and sing songs to me, but she wasn''t strong enough to ovee the bloodlust, her eyes would gopletely ck. She did try to fight it, I knew, but she never won the fight. I still remember the blinding pain I felt when her teeth sunk into my skin.


    When it was all over and she discovered what she had done, she would cry and beg for my forgiveness before locking herself away for months.


    Thane never stopped loving her even then, and one day, I remember watching her pack up a bag, I had asked her where she was going as she barely goes anywhere. She told me that she doesn''t want to be a monster anymore; she told me there was a way to end it. I didn''t realize what she meant. My father told me it was time to ''return the gift the moon goddess had given.'' I asked when they would be back. He said he would return as soon as he could.


    A few dayster, a soldier delivered a letter from my parents. The date showed it was written the very same day they left. There was no exnation, only seven words: ''Take over, Ethan. You are King now,'' the letter said. But I was only a child, I had little idea of what being a King meant. I waited, day and night for their return; they never came back. I was tossed into the brutality of this cruel world, and they were never there to tell me how to do things


    the right way. I learned from my own mistakes mistakes that would have cost me my life."


    It all made sense now. Why he chose to be seen as the drunk, as the casanova, was that it was a mask to shield who he truly was inside.


    "Is this somehow connected to your refusal to bear Ethan as a name?"


    "Ethan was their son; Alexander is the Alp


    King.


    >>


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know," I said. I had judged him without knowing him-a mistake many make so easily. "You shouldn''t be; it is no one''s fault but theirs. I don''t me them anymore; I am who I am today because of the decision they made."


    "Have you ever wondered if they still... lived?"


    "For years I wondered, but when I became Alpha King, I knew for a fact that they were dead, and even if they aren''t, even if somehow they still lived, to me, they are both dead."


    My father had loved me; he had made sure I was safe even if that was thest thing he did. But Alpha Thane and Luna Riley had just... walked away. No one deserved that.


    Chapter Sixty Four


    I turned to him and hugged him; he was still for a moment and finally I felt his arms wrapped around


    me.


    Chapter Sixty Five

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    Chapter Sixty Five


    I managed to force down a few spoonfuls of food; I couldn''t take more than that. After a quick bath, I joined


    Alexander on the bed.


    Two hours passed, and I still couldn''t sleep. Iy there, staring at the ceiling.


    "I could get you a sleeping pill from the healers, it should help you sleep." Alexander suggested.


    "I don''t think a pill would work this time," I said. "Every time I close my eyes, I see this woman-the same one I saw in my nightmare, the one who killed my father."


    "Your father died from an illness."


    "Do you believe that? Don''t you find it all strange?"


    "I do. I find it very strange. I sent Aric to search the pack house for anything he could find, but the one person who might have a clue about this is your father."


    "And he is dead." Ipleted his sentence. "Maybe you are right; maybe it was just an illness, and I am overthinking."


    "It''s never a bad thing to be suspicious," Alexander said. "Now, try to get some sleep.".


    After a few minutes of trying, I finally fell into a dreamless sleep.


    :


    The day had finallye, the day my father would be buried. The burial was to take ce at the Dawn Park, just as my father had wanted it.


    There was a knock on the door, and Sarah let herself in.


    "Luna." She addressed me with a bow.


    "The Alpha sent me here to help you get dressed," she said, and I turned to her, arching a brow.


    "You are a healer, not a maid."


    "The pack doesn''tck healers, and besides, I am here voluntarily."


    I was already clothed; I never needed a maid to help me get dressed, but I took a seat, letting her style my hair. She ended up straightening it and leaving it down.


    "I am sorry for the loss of your father, our Alpha; the Dawn Pack members mourn his loss. He was the best Alpha there ever was, and he would continue to live on in our hearts and minds."


    "Thank you, Sarah, for your kind words."


    Through the mirror, I could see her smile, but I could also tell she had something on her mind. "You seem troubled."


    "I... don''t want to offend you in any way, and perhaps this is not the appropriate time to speak of this matter." "You won''t be offending me in any way. You may speak."


    "With the Alpha dead, the pack members look up to you. You might not know it, but many had hoped you would be


    Chapter Sixty Five


    ... the next Alpha."


    I remained silent for a few seconds. "I am a female; females don''t be Alphas."


    "But you are not any ordinary female; I''ve seen it, so has the whole pack. You have everything it takes."


    "The pack has an Alpha, and he is King Alexander."


    "Have you ever wondered if he was the pack''s choice?" "Aren''t they being treated well in the pack?" I asked.


    Sarah hesitated. "Forget I said a thing, apologies."


    "I asked a question; you didn''t give me a response."


    "The Alpha treats them equally as he would their pack members, but some of the members fear that all this might end as Alpha Trent is dead."


    "It won''t. Nothing will change."


    "How many times, Luna, do you visit the members living outside the pack house?" she asked. She spoke on before ? could respond-not that I had any response to give. "You might not have noticed, but the Nightshade pack members see us as intruders. They think they are better than us-and they''re right. They bully our members and leave only scraps behind for us. This is a foreignnd, Luna; you are the reason we endure the member''s ill treatments. Many believe you have a n...


    "I don''t. There is no n other than what has already been implemented."

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    Chapter Sixty Six


    Chapter Sixty Six


    I stared at my father''s lifeless body from the casket he had been ced in. He looked very much the same as he always had the worry lines on his face were gone, and he seemed to be at peace. Alexander tightened his grip on my hands,fortingly.


    All the members of the Dawn Pack were present, and even some from the Nightshade Pack.


    "We gather to mourn the loss of a great man-a father to us all, an Alpha. Death truly is vile; it renders even the greatest helpless. He was taken from us too soon; only the goddess knows the reason. Though he is dead, his legacy lives on. Dawn will never forget him; I will never forget him." Gadiel finished. He was once Chief Commander of the Dawn Pack''s soldiers, I didn''t know the position he held in the Nightshade pack. It was my turn to speak before the pack; it was my turn tofort them; I didn''t think I could do it. There was moment ofplete silence. I looked up at Alexander, and he nodded at me; somehow that was motivation enough.


    "My father was indeed a good man. He loved this pack; each and every one of you had a ce in his heart; he lived his life in service to the ''pack. He was also a strong man; nothing fazed him, and I''m sure when death dide to im him, he looked upon death with a smile on his face." paused; I couldn''t cry; I had to be strong, so I held in my tears. "He would always be a source of strength to us all, a source of motivation, and though dead, he lives on in our minds and in our hearts."


    "He lives on in our minds and hearts," the crowd re-echoed. Aric took his position by my side as we all watched my father''s casket being lowered into the burial pit, on the same sacred grounds as his father''s and grandfather''s. A stone lid was then ced over the pit, sealing it.


    "This was what he wanted. He wanted to be buried here."


    "And you''ve fulfilled hisst wish." Aric said. "You did everything in your power, Kaida; you couldn''t have been able to save him."


    "I know that. Alexander informed me that you will take a look in the pack house to see what you can find." "There''s nothing in there, Kaida."


    One by one, people left; life had to move on. In the end, only Alexander, Aric, Gadiel, and I remained. "We should..."


    Gadiel never got to finish speaking-an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing his back and stabbing through his heart. His eyes widened, and he fell to the ground, his blood spilling over the stone covering my father''s grave.


    Alexander shielded me and in this same moment, he took out his gun and shot. A bodynded from the trees afar off to the floor. The footsteps approaching got louder; it seemed to being from all sides. "Rogues." Aric sneered.


    I drew both my daggers, there were about twenty-three of them.


    "For Malone!" they shouted in unison, charging toward us. I ran to meet them head-on. I stabbed the first in the heart, the second, I slit his throat, the third wasn''t as easy to kill; he kicked me to the ground, but I was quick to rise back to my feet. I stabbed my dagger into his eyes, and he let out a pained scream. His head was severed off and blood sttered on my face. I looked up to see Alexander with a sword in his hands-of course the sword must have belonged to the rogues.


    I slid beneath one of the rogues and tore through his lower half. I sliced at his leg, and he copsed to the ground.


    I kicked him over and again until his nose smashed into his skull. I felt a rogue''s grip on my neck as he brought me down to the ground. Before I could react, he was sliced in two by... Alexander.


    Chapter Sixty


    "I don''t need your help."


    "Well, I can''t focus when a rogue has you..." He sliced through another rogueing at us. "Pinned down


    to the ground," he finished, before gutting another with a swift strike. I rose to my feet, staring at the lifeless bodies of the rogues.


    Chapter Sixty Six


    Chapter Sixty Six


    I stared at my father''s lifeless body from the casket he had been ced in. He looked very much the same as he always had the worry lines on his face were gone, and he seemed to be at peace. Alexander tightened his grip on my hands,fortingly.


    All the members of the Dawn Pack were present, and even some from the Nightshade Pack.


    "We gather to mourn the loss of a great man-a father to us all, an Alpha. Death truly is vile; it renders even the greatest helpless. He was taken from us too soon; only the goddess knows the reason. Though he is dead, his legacy lives on. Dawn will never forget him; I will never forget him." Gadiel finished. He was once Chief Commander of the Dawn Pack''s soldiers, I didn''t know the position he held in the Nightshade pack. It was my turn to speak before the pack; it was my turn tofort them; I didn''t think I could do it. There was a moment ofplete silence. I looked up at Alexander, and he nodded at me; somehow that was motivation enough.


    "My father was indeed a good man. He loved this pack; each and every one of you had a ce in his heart; he lived his life in service to the ''pack. He was also a strong man; nothing fazed him, and I''m sure when death dide to im him, he looked upon death with a smile on his face." paused; I couldn''t cry; I had to be strong, so I held in my tears. "He would always be a source of strength to us all, a source of motivation, and though dead, he lives on in our minds and in our hearts."


    "He lives on in our minds and hearts," the crowd re-echoed. Aric took his position by my side as we all watched my father''s casket being lowered into the burial pit, on the same sacred grounds as his father''s and grandfather''s. A stone lid was then ced over the pit, sealing it.


    "This was what he wanted. He wanted to be buried here."


    "And you''ve fulfilled hisst wish." Aric said. "You did everything in your power, Kaida; you couldn''t have been able to save him."


    "I know that. Alexander informed me that you will take a look in the pack house to see what you can find." "There''s nothing in there, Kaida."


    One by one, people left; life had to move on. In the end, only Alexander, Aric, Gadiel, and I remained. "We should..."


    Gadiel never got to finish speaking-an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing his back and stabbing through his heart. His eyes widened, and he fell to the ground, his blood spilling over the stone covering my father''s grave.


    Alexander shielded me and in this same moment, he took out his gun and shot. A bodynded from the trees afar off to the floor. The footsteps approaching got louder; it seemed to being from all sides. "Rogues." Aric sneered.


    I drew both my daggers, there were about twenty-three of them.


    "For Malone!" they shouted in unison, charging toward us. I ran to meet them head-on. I stabbed the first in the heart, the second, I slit his throat, the third wasn''t as easy to kill; he kicked me to the ground, but I was quick to rise back to my feet. I stabbed my dagger into his eyes, and he let out a pained scream. His head was severed off and blood sttered on my face. I looked up to see Alexander with a sword in his hands-of course the sword must have belonged to the rogues.


    I slid beneath one of the rogues and tore through his lower half. I sliced at his leg, and he copsed to the ground.


    I kicked him over and again until his nose smashed into his skull. I felt a rogue''s grip on my neck as he brought me down to the ground. Before I could react, he was sliced in two by... Alexander.


    Chapter Sixty


    "I don''t need your help."


    Chapter Sixty Six


    Chapter Sixty Six


    I stared at my father''s lifeless body from the casket he had been ced in. He looked very much the same as he always had the worry lines on his face were gone, and he seemed to be at peace. Alexander tightened his grip on my hands,fortingly.


    All the members of the Dawn Pack were present, and even some from the Nightshade Pack. "We gather to mourn the loss of a great man-a father to us all, an Alpha. Death truly is vile; it renders even the greatest helpless. He was taken from us too soon; only the goddess knows the reason. Though he is dead, his legacy lives on. Dawn will never forget him; I will never forget him." Gadiel finished. He was once Chief Commander of the Dawn Pack''s soldiers, I didn''t know the position he held in the Nightshade pack. It was my turn to speak before the pack; it was my turn tofort them; I didn''t think I could do it. There was a moment ofplete silence. I looked up at Alexander, and he nodded at me; somehow that was motivation enough.


    "My father was indeed a good man. He loved this pack; each and every one of you had a ce in his heart; he lived his life in service to the ''pack. He was also a strong man; nothing fazed him, and I''m sure when death dide to im him, he looked upon death with a smile on his face." paused; I couldn''t cry; I had to be strong, so I held in my tears. "He would always be a source of strength to us all, a source of motivation, and though dead, he lives on in our minds and in our hearts.''


    "He lives on in our minds and hearts," the crowd re-echoed. Aric took his position by my side as we all watched my father''s casket being lowered into the burial pit, on the same sacred grounds as his father''s and grandfather''s. A stone lid was then ced over the pit, sealing it.


    "This was what he wanted. He wanted to be buried here."


    "And you''ve fulfilled hisst wish." Aric said. "You did everything in your power, Kaida; you couldn''t have been able to save him."


    "I know that. Alexander informed me that you will take a look in the pack house to see what you can find." "There''s nothing in there, Kaida."


    One by one, people left; life had to move on. In the end, only Alexander, Aric, Gadiel, and I remained. "We should..."


    Gadiel never got to finish speaking-an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing his back and stabbing through his heart. His eyes widened, and he fell to the ground, his blood spilling over the stone covering my father''s grave.


    Alexander shielded me and in this same moment, he took out his gun and shot. A bodynded from the trees afar off to the floor. The footsteps approaching got louder; it seemed to being from all sides. "Rogues." Aric sneered.


    I drew both my daggers, there were about twenty-three of them.


    "For Malone!" they shouted in unison, charging toward us. I ran to meet them head-on. I stabbed the first in the heart, the second, I slit his throat, the third wasn''t as easy to kill; he kicked me to the ground, but I was quick to rise back to my feet. I stabbed my dagger into his eyes, and he let out a pained scream. His head was severed off and blood sttered on my face. I looked up to see Alexander with a sword in his hands-of course the sword must have belonged to the rogues.


    I slid beneath one of the rogues and tore through his lower half. I sliced at his leg, and he copsed to the ground.


    I kicked him over and again until his nose smashed into his skull. I felt a rogue''s grip on my neck as he brought me down to the ground. Before I could react, he was sliced in two by... Alexander.


    Chapter Sixty


    "I don''t need your help."


    "Well, I can''t focus when a rogue has you..." He sliced through another rogueing at us. "Pinned down to the ground," he finished, before gutting another with a swift strike. I rose to my feet, staring at the lifeless bodies of the rogues.


    "If you know Kaida well, then you will know that she really didn''t need your help or protection; she can handle herself." Aric said, wiping his blood-covered dagger on the body of a rogue.


    "That won''t stop me from protecting her, but I don''t expect you to understand. From what I''ve heard, you don''t have a mate," Alexander said with a smirk, clearly enjoying Aric''s irritation. Aric frowned, never one to show his emotions openly, but Alexander seemed to be getting to him.


    "Well, I can''t focus when a rogue has you..." He sliced through another rogueing at us. "Pinned down to the ground," he finished, before gutting another with a swift strike. I rose to my feet, staring at the lifeless bodies of the rogues.


    "If you know Kaida well, then you will know that she really didn''t need your help or protection; she can handle herself." Aric said, wiping his blood-covered dagger on the body of a rogue.


    "That won''t stop me from protecting her, but I don''t expect you to understand. From what I''ve heard, you don''t have a mate," Alexander said with a smirk, clearly enjoying Aric''s irritation. Aric frowned, never one to show his emotions openly, but Alexander seemed to be getting to him.


    "If you know Kaida well, then you will know that she really didn''t need your help or protection; she can handle herself." Aric said, wiping his blood-covered dagger on the body of a rogue.


    "That won''t stop me from protecting her, but I don''t expect you to understand. From what I''ve heard, you don''t have a mate," Alexander said with a smirk, clearly enjoying Aric''s irritation. Aric frowned, never one to show his emotions openly, but Alexander seemed to be getting to him.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter Sixty Seven


    "This is uneptable!" Austin says. "Even though rogues are not familiar with customs and traditions, it ismon sense not to attack on burial grounds.


    "One of ourmanders was killed." Aric said. "It''s clear the rogues want a war."


    We were all seated with the council of advisors; Alexander hadn''t said a word since the meeting began.


    The Dawn pack members would be devastated to hear about Gadiel''s death.


    "I say we give them what they want; I say we go to war." Stark says, and some nodded in approval.


    "War? The rogues have the numbers, and we all know that many will die." Seth, another of the advisors said.


    "They asked for it," Austin says.


    "They hadn''te into ournds, Alpha. The attack was at the Dawn''s Pack." Seth said, he gave me a quick nce before looking away.


    "The Dawn Pack is now part of our pack, and the attack was aimed at my Luna, my Commander, and me. But I don''t think it''s wise to go to war. I doubt the rogue leaders are aware of this attack; perhaps those rogues were rebellious and took matters into their own hands. I will speak with the rogue leaders, and if they refuse my terms, there will be a war." Alexander says.


    "The rogues don''t agree to ''terms''; you are the Alpha King, and that makes it even worse, all they will ever be interested in, is in your death."


    "Fortunately, I''m not easily killed.


    Before the rogues attacked, they chanted the name of their brother, the one I killed. I started this, and I''ll be the one to end it.


    Alexander didn''t kill the rogue; I did. Despite everything-despite knowing Gadiel would still be alive if not for my selfish pursuit of revenge-I couldn''t bring myself to regret my actions. The man deserved to die; my only regret was that I couldn''t save Gadiel''s life.


    After the meeting, I followed Aric to the Training Field.


    "I want to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer from you." I said to him.


    "I would tell you anything." He said.


    "I heard that our members are not... being treated fairly here; how true is that?"


    "Who told you that?"


    "That''s not an answer


    Aric looked away from me, suddenly interested in staring at anything else but me. "Aric..."


    "You settled in well." He began: "A little too well. I never thought you would fall in love with your position as the Luna; none of the members thought you would, everyone was ready for your next move, but there was... none There had been this fire in you; I had always seen it, but suddenly it''s


    no more.


    Chapter Sixty Seven


    "I had to learn to settle in; this was what my father wanted; this is the only way to keep the pack safe." "You''re forgetting one thing. You love him. You love the Alpha King, and you''re willing to change everything for him. This isn''t just about keeping the pack safe or fulfilling your father''s wishes.


    "I don''t love him."


    "You can''t lie to me, Kaida; I see it in your eyes when you look at him, but he clearly has feelings for you too.''


    "And what if I do? What if I love him? How is that a problem? He is my mate!"


    I couldn''t believe I admitted the words, I had never said it out, not once.


    "Yes, he is and also our king. You ask me for the truth, but I don''t think you want to know the truth." "I can speak to Alexander..."


    "No. He might be the king, but there are still things that are out of his power. The Nightshade pack members were born and raised in this pack."


    "Not all of them. You are forgetting the New Blood pack; they had merged after the death of thete Alpha King, de."


    "The New Blood members had always been a part of the Nightshade pack before they were forcefully split apart. The Nightshade members are very different from us; it is in their nature to be brutal and fearless. Their soldiers are trained to be the best at everything; they go through hectic training, and yet they keep going on. The Dawn pack has its strength, but they would never be like them; our members were born and raised to be loving and. caring. I hoped that when we joined this pack, we would create some kind of bnce, but I was wrong. The Nightshade members believe in one thing, and that is survival of the fittest; the weak suffer the most, and not even King Alexander can change that system."

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    Chapter


    Sixty Eight


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    ALIYA''S POV


    The man standing before me was all I could think about. Sometimes he stares at me, as if trying to figure something out, then looks away. I thought about how it felt like beingpletely naked with Trian, alone, free. "May I ask a question?"


    "Of course!" I said a little too quickly. "Sorry. Yes, you may


    "Was it your first kiss?" Trian asked.


    I stared up at him and gave a nod. "You should have already guessed that; it''s no secret that I have never been with a man."


    "Being with a man and kissing a man are two different things, Aliya."


    "I liked it," I said, shielding my face with my hair to hide the blush on my cheeks.


    "I can''t possibly imagine how you feel, with all your daily activities arranged out for you, so many fucking rules." "I hate it. The more I think about it, the more I hate it, so I stopped thinking about it. I made myself believe this was home, and then it felt better, bearable even. But then I went out there, and I was reminded of all the things I''ve been missing for years, and... I can''t deceive myself anymore. I can''t deceive myself into believing this was'' living."


    "I shouldn''t have taken you out there; I put you in danger, and that was reckless of me."


    "No. It wasn''t. I had never wanted anything so badly my whole life. Do you know what Empress Julia would do to me if she finds out about all the things I did?"


    "Not very kind things, I imagine."


    "Anytime I believe things couldn''t get worse, that she couldn''te up with anything worse than there already was, I end up wrong. I hate it when she touches me; it doesn''t hurt as bad as the whipping, but..." I trailed off, unable to exin. How do I exin that I feel vited? I feel less than a living being anytime she does that. "If you ever had the chance to end her life, would you take it?" he asked. His question took me by surprise.


    "Why would you even ask me that? She is an Empress."


    "And when she dies, she is nothing but meat and bones, just like every other person."


    I rose and walked to him. "You don''t fear the Empress. It''s unwise of you not to."


    Trian led the way to Empress Cynthia''s Chambers. I had been told earlier by Julia that Cynthia wanted to see me.


    I walked in, but Trian waited by the entrance.


    "Daughter." The woman called with a smile on her face; for some reason, she reminded me of Julia, even if they looked nothing alike. The woman was thinner, with very short hair styled in a pixie


    cut.


    "Empress, I was told you wanted to see me."


    "Yes, I did. Take a seat. She said, and I did. "As the Chosen It''s important that you learn as manynguages as possible. I wasn''t born here and I had the opportunity to or a few, I would be teaching you all that I know.


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    "I am grateful for this privilege, but I have already been tasked with learning so manynguages; I fail to


    see the use in learning more." I said, and immediately the words were out of my mouth; I realized I had just made a grave mistake.


    "Are you saying you are tired of learning?"


    "No, I meant..."


    "What did you mean?"


    "Apologies, Empress, forgive me. You are right."


    "When wares, do you think your pretty face would save you from it all? Do you think you can escape the sinful world with a few smiles?"


    "I... I never said that."


    "Only a fool thinks she has learned enough. Leave. Now."


    "But..."


    "Leave!"


    I stood to my feet and walked away. I quickly wiped away the tears from my face. Julia had warned me


    not to anger the woman, but I hadn''t said anything wrong or... had I?


    "You were right, you know. Why learn so manynguages when you''ll waste all that knowledge locked in here?" Trian asked.


    "I shouldn''t have said it; I should have kept my mouth shut."


    "You read day and night; that''s enough knowledge tost a goddamn eternity."


    Chapter Sixty Nine

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    Chapter Sixty Nine


    I knew Julia was going to pay me a visit-I had anticipated it. But as the hours passed, I began to hope I


    had been pardoned. That hope shattered when I awoke from my slumber to find her seated in the chair facing me.


    "Empress." I acknowledged, about to rise to my feet.


    "There would be no need for that," she says.


    I looked up to see Trian standing there, his gaze hard.


    "I''m so sorry; I disrespected the Empress, but I didn''t mean to."


    "I hear you are tired of learning."


    "I never said that."


    "Are you calling her a liar?"


    "No... of course not. It was simply a misunderstanding."


    "I''ve already been tasked with learning so manynguages; I fail to see the use in learning more." She quoted the very words I had spoken. "When I was little, I had so many questions-why did strange things always happen to me? I asked myself, why me? But as I grew older, I realized that every single ''strange'' thing that happened was meant to push me toward my destiny.


    Understand her through the signs she


    The god of light speaks, but no one knows the exactnguage she uses. I shows me, but the Encounter is only a few months away. You''re learning thesenguages so you''ll be able tomunicate with her when the timees. But of course, you didn''t


    how that." Thest part came out in a whisper. She rose from her chair and joined me on the bed. Her hands trailed down my cheeks and lower to my cor, and then she loosened my nightgown. My punishment was due.


    "I wonder, Empress, why you choose to trouble yourself with someone so unremarkable. I doubt she''s worth your attention." Trian says.


    She stilled, and so did I-then a smile broke across her lips. "If I didn''t know better, I would say you are trying to protect her." Empress Julia said.


    "But you know better." He responded. I had never seen a soldier fearless enough to speak directly to the like she was just another woman.


    Empress


    "I have a lot of time to spend." She says, rising to her feet, What do you suggest I do with this rare free time?" she asked. She seemed to be... flirting.


    "I do have an idea." Trian answered, giving her an intense look, and in that moment, I wished to be in Julia''s position; I wished to have his hungry eyes on me instead,


    Julia turned to me. "This is not yet over." She said, "You will have a new guard to watch over you for a night.... or two."


    I didn''t want a new soldier; I wanted Trian, but of course I couldn''t say that out loud, not to her. I only nodded, and she walked out with Trian following behind. He turned to give me a small smirk before walking away.


    In a matter of minutes, Trian was reced, and the soldier stood outside the door, I was only notified of his presence by the sound of his footsteps. I knew he would be ke every other soldier that was too scared to look at my face.


    I hardly slept Sometimes I imagine Trian and the Empress doing... things, but what if Julia had other intentions? What if she wanted to hurt film for trying to protect me? How hadn''t I thought about that?


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    Two days felt like two months, and each day I waited for him toe. Finally, the two days came to an end, and yet he didn''t return. I had never felt so restless in my life, not even when I thought Ash, my only friend, was dead.


    On the third day, the soldiers posted to watch over me walked in for the first time; he had his face to the ground.


    "The Empress would like to see you now." He informed me and I put down my book, immediately rising to my feet.


    "Then we should not keep her waiting."

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    Chapter Seventy


    I walked into Julia''s chambers. The soldier escorting me waited behind.


    "You maye in," she called out to me, and I stepped into the private room, finding her naked. Trian stood nearby with a ss of wine, dressed only in his pants.


    "Hey there." He said to me with a smirk.


    I couldn''t help the sudden anger I felt. I shouldn''t be angry; I should be happy that he was totally fine and I was, but he seemed a little... too fine. One would think he was one of the High Regents, given how rxed he looked. He fit perfectly into luxury. I had been worried for no reason, but that wasn''t the real cause of my anger; I knew it. I looked away from him.


    "You called for me, Empress."


    "Yes, I did. Empress Cynthia has decided to ignore your foolishness and engage you in lessons as previously arranged. You''ll be wise not to mess this up. I might not be as merciful next time."


    "Thank you for giving me another chance; I promise not to speak out of turn or disrespect her in any way."


    "Of course," she said.


    "Would that be all?" I asked, looking anywhere but at her naked body.


    "Get me a robe; it''s over there." She pointed, and I hurried towards her dressing room and returned with a robe. I helped her into it. "He''s a good-looking man." She said to me,


    "What?"


    "Look at him." She whispered, and I did. Trian put on his jacket; he was far enough that he wouldn''t hear us. "He is a good-looking man." She repeated.


    "I do not look at men in that manner, Empress."


    "Spare me. The whole city can see it, and you might be the chosen, but you are still a girl with eyes.


    "I don''t think he is bad-looking." I agreed.


    "I hope you know the importance of remaining pure?" she asked silently.


    "Of course, Empress, I do." I said, but for some reason my Heart sped up.


    "Good. You may leave."


    I walked away, and Trian followed.


    I didn''t utter a word to him even as we reached my room.


    I picked up my book and began reading.


    "You''re mad at me," he stated.


    "I''m not."


    "You sure sound mad, even now."


    L... okay, maybe I am a bit mad at you."


    "Why?"


    >>


    Chapter Seventy


    "I was here, dying of worry, and you were there..." I trailed off, returning to my book, I couldn''t say the words. He walked to me; I tried to keep my attention on my book; I tried to remain unfazed by how close he was, but he took the book from my hands.


    "You were worried about me?"


    "Give me my book back."


    "You will have it after you''ve answered my question."


    "Yes. I was worried about you, but, well, I am not anymore; you seemed to be more than fine."


    "That''s not why you are mad, is it?"


    "My book. You said if..."


    "I lied."


    "You know what, you can keep it; you don''t seem like much of a reader; you will return it soon." I said, picking up another book, he stole it from my hands once again.


    "I don''t think it''s right for a soldier to be this close to the Chosen."


    "Would you prefer me to stand by the door?"


    "Yes."


    "Liar," he said, a smile curling on his lips. For a moment, I just watched him, then Julia''s words hit me, and


    I snapped out of it. "Answer, and I''ll return your books."


    "How do I know you aren''t lying?"


    "You don''t."


    "You''re different, Trian."


    "I''ve heard that a time or two."


    "No... You are very different from any other soldier, you don''t even act like one. You don''t ask for things; you demand for them."


    "Would you rather I beg? Would that give me a faster result?"


    "Did you enjoy your time with her?"


    "Aha! You were jealous."


    "I am most definitely not!" I defended. He returned my books.


    "You are a liar, but not a very good one, I fear."


    "I am not a r; you are."


    "You shouldn''t be jealous. I mean, I did manage to conving the Empress never to touch you again; that''s what you wanted, right?"


    "But she gets to touch you. Don''t you feel vited?"


    He burst intoughter. Vited? No. Trust me, I was not ted in the least!!


    "How did you manage to convince the empress?"


    Chapter Seventy


    "How else? Imunicated with her."


    "On the bed? It must have been goodmunication.


    Now that you are back and I don''t have to worry anymore, I''d like to take a long rest for the nights I spent staying awake and worrying."

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    Chapter Seventy One


    Chapter Seventy One


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    It was a risky n, but I had always had a taste for danger.


    I could spot about a hundred rogues, not counting those lurking in the bushes and trees. This could either be a clever move or a very reckless one.


    I stepped forward, and the rogues followed. Some moved silently, slipping easily through the shadows, while others didn''t bother hiding. None of them attacked-they knew better. The deeper I went, the more of them I saw. "Alpha King." The familiar voice belonging to Edna called.


    Edna was one of the rogue''s leaders.


    I smiled. "We meet again."


    "I wasn''t expecting your visit. Brave of you toe here with no backup."


    "I came to talk."


    Edna smiled wide, exposing his fangs. "Of course. Come with me, you must meet the other leaders." Edna walked ahead, and I let him lead me to the lone building standing in the middle of practically nowhere. It was a small, abandoned structure with thick wooden doors. He banged on them, and after a moment, a tiny man with huge curious eyes pulled the door open. He walked in and so did I. Seated inside were five massive men, their clothes appearing to be made from wolf fur. They were already on their feet; no doubt, they had been informed of my arrival even before I got to them. "Kev, Gal, Timothy, Brad... Thest one is a new member; don''t think I know him too well."


    That''s Skale; he is indeed a new member," Edna exined before turning to his fellow leaders. "The Alpha King came to talk," he announced to the members.


    "What business does the Alpha King have with the rogues? Brad questioned.


    "Maybe you should get seated and hear what I''vee to say."


    "First take off your weapons." Edna says.


    "Of course."


    I took out my gun, and they stilled; I tossed it to the floor, along with my sword, which was, in fact, one of my best weapons, as it was made with silver.


    "We would like to search you," Edna says. "It''s not our fault that we don''t trust you folks."


    "Fair." I said, and Timothy walked forward, patting through my clothes, and finally he nodded. "He''s clean."


    "Now, Is It really true that you brought no backup?"


    "You didn''t see any with me, did you?"


    "I''ve been surprised more than once; I just want to be sure


    "I am unarmed and done, I came to talk


    Chapter Seventy One


    "Take a seat then." He said, motioning to one of the wooden chairs and I sat. One by one the other leaders took their seats. "We are all ears." Edna says.


    "A few days ago, your rogues attacked us. We had just buried the Alpha of the Dawn Pack, and these rogues attacked my Luna, themander, and me."


    "We are not aware, nor did we give any orders." Edna says.


    "I suspected that. But this is still an act of war, and I''m sure you did discover what your members were up to-or at least you''ve discovered their dead bodies by now."


    "Malone was a respected member; you butchered him and sent us his remains; that- I believe was an act of war."


    "Perhaps you were more involved in the attack than you are willing to admit."


    "I wasn''t, but I knew about it and didn''t stop them; you killed one of theirs." "What punishment do you give to a man who rapes and kills a child."


    "We are not a pack; we do not have rules,ws, protocols, and punishment. If we were to kill every rapist here, then we would all be dead."


    "Your people are enraged because of the death of one of ''theirs'', and they wanted revenge. You say you don''t havews and protocol, but that''s nonsense. You''re very simr to the packs, even if you try to deny it. You have your leaders, we have our leaders; you have your way of punishing those who step out of line, and so do we. You fight for the people you care about, and so do


    1. e. My Luna had a friend, a child who had been raped by this man called


    Malone, the very same man who left her with scars she would forever live with. I brought him as a gift to her; - Have I done any wrong?" I asked, and they remained silent.

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    Chapter Seventy Two


    Chapter Seventy Two


    "Why are you really here, Alpha King?" Edna asked.


    "As I''ve said, I am here to talk. Your people attacked my Luna; an attack on her is an attack on the pack. I havee to you with my peace terms."


    "And what if we don''t give a shit about your ''peace terms''? Brad asks.


    "What if you don''t give a shit about my ''peace terms''?" I repeated, "Then there would be a war.''


    "You are here, unarmed, with no backup. We could easily kill you. Yes, you will bring many of us down, but it will be worth it."


    "Brad." Edna called, and the fool finally fell silent.


    "You will make sure you and your rogues stay very far from my pack and what remains of the Dawn Pack. You will hold your grudges to yourself. If any of your rogues are spotted near my borders, I''ll consider it an act of war against the Nightshade pack and I can assure you, you will lose sorely."


    "Rogues are untamed creatures, I cannot control where they go and where they do not."


    "Then you better get to work, because it''s either my way or the hard way." I said, rising to my feet.


    "He is the Alpha King, without him the werewolves will be scattered, we would never get this chance ever again, I say we kill him now." Brad said.


    "Brad." Enda warned, but the man rose to his feet.


    "All of you are cunts, how could you let the same man we''ve always wanted to kill into our home and then he gets to bark orders at us!"


    "You try to sound brave, but you end up sounding like a scared little bitch, you know that?" I asked. "Fuck you!"


    "I spot a rogue anywhere near my boundary, and you will be fucked." I said, Heading to the door.


    I knew he wasing-I could feel it. I dodged just in time before the sword could strike. He was aiming to kill in


    a cowardly way, but I couldn''t deny it was smart; honor doesn''t apply in times like this.


    I took out my dagger from my boots- of course I couldn''t leave myselfpletely unarmed and I do hide


    my weapons very well. I mmed the dagger into his eye socket, and he cried out.


    "You scream like a bitch too," I muttered, before pulling the dagger out and stabbing it straight into his brain, killing him. I wiped the de clean on his fur cloth. "Seem like you guys need another new recement."


    None of them made a move as I walked away.


    KAIDA''S FOV


    Alexander was absent, which felt strange. I had no idea where he had gone. I feared be had gone to discuss peace terms'' with the rogues. He would be foolish to leave without taking some soldiers along for basboup, right


    Perhaps Im was riseyshers, and all my warties were in vain. If he was going to meet with the stuen, he scall have spoken to me about it first, and then i could have convinced him to bring me along


    will worrying about your mate?" Arrushed


    Chapter Seventy Two


    +25 BONU


    "Well, he never leaves without informing me," I said, watching the soldiers spar against each other in the training field. My attention was on one of the Dawn Pack''s soldiers; he was one of the best, and yet he was getting his ''ass'' kicked by a soldier of the Nightshade pack. It was hard to watch. The Nightshade soldier brought him down, and I looked away not wanting to watch his defeat.


    "Why not ask his Council of Advisors where he''d gone to? They should be aware."


    "I should ask them. But I won''t."


    "You don''t want them to believe you and the Alpha don''tmunicate well," Aric stated, easily reading my mind.


    "I don''t like them much-well, not all of them, but some.

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    Chapter Seventy Three


    Chapter Seventy Three


    "You''ve been standing here for too long; don''t you want to rest? I could escort you to your room" Aric said.


    "Don''t treat me like that"


    "Like what?" Aric asked, his smile widening.


    "Like a... Queen. I don''t like it and no, I am not tired. But I have something more interesting in mind to do and I think now is the best time."


    "Sounds like fun; I''m up for it."


    "You don''t even know what I want to do."


    "Anything that is ''interesting'' to you, would most definitely be fun for me."


    "I''ll be paying a visit to the Pack Quarters; I think it''s also called the Outpost."


    "Then I muste with you."


    "No, you''ll stay here."


    "Kaida. Many of the pack members are yet t


    see you in person; in the Outpost, some might not even know you- especially the Nightshade members and... You don''t dress like a queen-no offense, I like your choice of clothes, but you get what I mean.'' "None taken. I think it is better this way; if they don''t know me, it''s easier to blend. I need to see how the Dawn members are settling with this... ''change."


    I was dressed in a in brown gown; the only good thing about this dress was the hood attached to it.


    I had never been to this pack''s Outpost before. It was indeed one of the biggest I''d ever seen. It had over fifty smaller buildings, housing the rest of the pack members. I pulled my hood up to shield my face as I walked deeper into the Pack Quarters. It was easy to differentiate the Dawn Pack members from the Nightshade members. The Dawnites were in average clothing; they looked... simple, but that didn''t apply to the Nightshade members.


    I remembered Sarah''s words. ''They pick the best of everything.'' She had said.


    "I''m sorry!" a woman cried out. I turned around to see her being dragged out of the building by her hair. "You thief!" the man yelled, his grip firm on her hair. I recognized the woman; she was from our pack.


    "I only stole some medicines for my son." she said. I also knew her son and I knew she had no reason to lie.


    "We pay you, Dawnite bitch. This is a business not charity and we can''t afford to run loss, I don''t give a flying fuck if your son lives or dies, and you are fired!"


    Their seene gathered attention and people began crowding


    "Please, I only took some medicines to give to my son, I need this job."


    "You should have thought of that before you stole the damn medicine!" he said, snatching the small leather bag from her. "You will pay, I will make sure of it and I will make sure you stay jobless, mark my words."


    "Please...!" she tried grabbing onto him but he sidestep, purposely stepping on her fingers, crushing it. I had never felt such anger before. I pushed through the crowd, walking toward the man, my heart racing, fury


    Chapter Seventy Three


    rising in my chest. I drew my dagger and drove it into the man''s gut. He stared at me, eyes wide, but I gave him no time to react. I pulled the dagger out and immediately stabbed it into his heart.


    Blood poured out of his mouth and I finally pulled away from him, letting him copse to the ground. The woman looked up.


    "Luna!" she called, hope shining in her eyes. I picked up the leather bag containing the medicines the man had dropped and passed it to her. "Go now." I urged, and she nodded, hurrying away.


    "I am Kaida Dawn, the Luna and Queen of the Nightshade Pack and the only living child of thete Alpha Trent Dawn. Let this be a warning to everyone who threatens their fellow member..." My words were cut off.


    "You are Luna and Queen, but that gives you no right to kill an innocent man," a familiar voice called. It belonged to Seth.


    "Innocent?" I questioned. "This man is anything but innocent."


    "You killed a victim and released the thief," he said. "Soldiers, take her!" he ordered, but they stood there, hesitating. He turned to them. "I am a member of the Alpha King''s Council of Advisors, next inmand after the Alpha King himself. This woman had saved a thief and murdered an innocent man because she is loyal to her pack!"


    There were some nods from the Nightshade members.


    The soldiers came forward.


    "Touch me and you die."


    Giftemmy Author


    To my Emmysquad, PLEASE DON''T SKIP.


    I want to apologize for not sticking to my usual time-frame for publishing chapters. I know some of you may have been waiting,

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    Chapter Seventy Four


    Chapter


    Seventy Four


    I came to the Pack''s Quarters to check how the Dawn Pack members were settling with the change, but I hadn''t bothered with the Nightshade members who also had to adjust. They had to wee a new Luna


    and Queen-one raised to fight and protect her own people and ept new members into their pack without having any say in it.


    Perhaps I was being unfair.


    The soldiers approached cautiously.


    "I don''t want to hurt any of you; don''t force me."


    "There doesn''t have to be any kind of violence." Seth agreed. "Juste willingly; you will be ced in


    the dungeons, but I assure you, you will get your chance to exin your actions to the Alpha King, and he will give the final verdict."


    "I am your Luna and Queen; I will not be ced in the dungeons."


    "Then you leave us with no other choice."


    of course, they were aiming for a clean


    The soldiers surrounded me, but none of them reached for their guns, of


    capture.


    I dodged a punch aimed at me andnded a kick to the soldier''s knee, and he lost bnce. I took that to my advantage, sending another kick straight to his nose, and the crunch was unmistakable.


    Another soldier struck me from behind with a wooden pipe. I quickly snatched the pipe from his hand and kneed him in the groin, then swung the pipe at his face. The other soldiers drew their swords, and I unsheathed my daggers.


    I blocked a sword aimed at my arm with both daggers, and in a swift move, I shed his cheeks. He cried out, clutching his face to stop the bleeding. I ced my dagger at his throat, ending the fight.


    "Walk away, all of you, or he dies." I warned the rest.


    "Kill him then." Seth says, "Kill him and have another innocent''s blood on your hands.


    You know, I warned him when your father came to make the proposal; I warned him that this would bring division but he wouldn''t listen, and now it all ys out."


    I released the soldier and tossed my daggers to the ground. marked the faces of all the soldiers. They were going to pay for this, but not today.


    I let them walk me away from the Outpost and back to the Pack House. I spotted Aric on my way, he stared at me, confusion written on his face. I shook my head, indicating he should do nothing.


    The soldiers led me to the dungeons. Seth pulled open one of the cells, and I walked in; he locked me in. "When the Alpha returns, I''ll be d to know what punishment he''ll enforce on you." Seth said with a smile.


    "The woman wasn''t a thief." I said to him,


    "What do you call people who take things that don''t belong to them?"


    "Her son is ill."


    She could have saved up and bought the drugs the way it is supposed to be."


    "He called her a Dawnite bitch; he abused her-his worker in public. He didn''t only fire her but threatened to make sure she remained jobless."


    Chapter Seventy Four


    "And so you took matters into your hands and killed him. You will be here for a long time, Luna. Reserve your strength; you would need it," he said before walking away.


    Seth was one of the Council Advisors I didn''t like at all. I should have picked up on his dislike for the Dawn Members during the meeting where he suggested that no move be made against the rogues since the attack hadn''t been on this pack''snd. He hadn''t said that because he was worried about the number


    of soldiers that would die in battle, but because he didn''t want the Nightshade Soldiers dying due an attack on the ''Dawn'' pack.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter Seventy Five


    I lost track of time, but I estimated it had been over two days since I had been locked down here.


    Alexander should have returned by now. He should havee for me, but instead, I''m left here alone, seething with fury.


    Perhaps the idea of me being down here entertained him; perhaps this was another fun game...


    My thoughts were cut off when I heard footsteps approaching.


    It wasn''t Alexander as I had expected, it was Aric.


    "I should have visited earlier, but a few of the council members didn''t want me in here.


    I need to know what happened."


    "I killed a man." I admitted.


    "Seth had no right to lock you down here, none of them do."


    "Actually they have the right. The Council is next inmand after the Alpha; it''s been that way for years."


    "Fuck the Council."


    "You aren''t going to ask why I killed the man?"


    "No. If he is dead, then he most likely deserved it." Aric said, and I couldn''t help but smile.


    "He did deserve it, and if time was taken back, I would have stabbed him over and again, at least to make it worth the trouble."


    "I brought you some food." Aric says.


    "I am not hungry."


    "You have to eat. No one knows how long the Alpha would be away..."


    "Alexander is not yet back?"


    "No, he''s not. There''s spection he might return by tomorrow," Aric informs me, slipping the food and bottle of water through the food slot.


    "Thank you." I said to him,


    "You know I''ll always be here for you. All I ask is that you make the fuckers pay when you get out of here."


    "If I get out of here."


    "Alexander would not leave you in here."


    "That''s what I think, but I''d rather not be left surprised; I have to imagine the worst scenario."


    "And what is the worst scenario?"


    "Alexander gets mad that I killed one of his pack members to protect mine; he punishes me or perhaps leaves me in here to learn my lesson."


    "He would not do that, and you know it."


    Aric was right; Alexander had saved my life more than once. Maybe... just maybe, he had grown a certain fondness


    Chapter Seventy Five


    for me. Whatever the case maybe, I didn''t think he was bored of me just yet.


    "They hate me, Aric. I paid a visit to the Outpost, and though I only spent a few minutes there, I could tell


    that neither the Nightshade members nor the Dawn Pack members are adjusting well to the change. They resent me because they believe I''ll always prioritize my own pack."


    "That''s why you let the soldiers take you; that''s why you let Seth bring you here, it was all to prove to them that they''re wrong."


    My silence was all the answer he needed.


    "They don''t hate you..."


    "Yes, they do. I can''t trust the Advisors either."


    "Not every one of them supports Seth. Others believe he''s making a big mistake, but he is a stubborn man; he would have to learn the hard way."


    "Someone ising," I said.


    "Probably one of the soldiers here to tell me that my time with you is up. I should leave now."


    I nodded, and he walked away; he was right, it was indeed a soldier.


    I didn''t realize when I fell asleep, but the bang on my cell bars awoke me. It was Seth; he was escorted by four soldiers.


    "It''s time, Luna," he said, a small smile remained on his face. He unlocked the cell, and I rose, following him out of the dungeons.


    I ignored the stares that followed me to the hall. Many pack members were present, but my attention


    traveled to Alexander who was seated on the tform with a ss of wine in his hands, looking every bit the king. I had never felt so intimidated by him as I did now. I walked forward, keeping my head high. "Kneel." Seth says to me, but I ignored him.


    "What is my mate''s offense?" he asked, his expression unreadable...


    "She killed a man at the Outpost."


    Alexander''s gaze met mine. "Come," he said to me. I hesitated. Seth pushed me forward, and I snarled at him; he was smart enough to take a step back.

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    Chapter Seventy Six


    I climbed up the stairs and stood right in front of my mate, Alexander.


    "The man was not innocent..." I began, but my words were cut off as he pulled me onto hisp and kissed me. The kiss was passionate, raw, and full of need.


    "Hush. You need not say a word."


    There wasplete silence in the hall.


    Alexander rose, gently setting me down before walking over to Seth.


    "You ced your Queen Luna and my mate in the dungeons. Who gave you that authority?"


    Seth fell to his knees. "I apologize. I meant her no harm..."


    "It seems I need to set more examples, and you''ll be the unlucky one I use to make them."


    "But I am your advisor; I have been by your side ever since you were only a boy.


    11


    "I haven''t forgotten that," Alex said, his ws tearing through his skin. "But you forgot your ce."


    I watched inplete astonishment as Alex ripped Seth''s head off his body and tossed it aside, the lifeless body crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around it.


    "The soldiers who had been stupid enough to carry out Seth''smand would be locked in the dungeons; my mate would decide how they die."


    I walked to stand by Alex''s side.


    "I had been looking forward to killing him myself, but this is... impressive so I''ll let it slide."


    "One less advisor to bug me; this feels relieving."


    After the long bath, I felt cleaner than I had in days. I returned to the room where Alexander sat on the couch, taking a sip of his wine.


    "The amount of alcohol you drink is concerning, especially with the wolf''s bane mixed in it, it can be dangerous."


    "It''s not dangerous to me. More like... necessary. But if it makes you feel any better, this bottle doesn''t contain even a drop of wolf''s bane," he said, setting the ss down on the table before walking toward me. He ran his fingers through my hair, then, in an instant, picked me up and kissed me. I tasted the wine on his tongue, and I now understood why he chose the bottle without wolf''s bane.


    I noticed the roughness in his kiss, the intensity behind it, and pulled away.


    "You''re mad at me aren''t you?"


    "No, I''m not."


    "I can tell from this kiss. You are mad that I let them take me down to the dungeons; you are mad at me for not taking my stand."


    "I knew why you did it. You fear that if you did kill those soldiers, the people would hate you. Aric told me." 1/2


    Chapter Seventy Six


    "Yes. That had been my fear."


    "When I became Alpha, my own people didn''t like me very much. Some felt insulted. ''How could a boy


    rule us?'' they said. If I had tried to please them all, then I wouldn''t be standing before you now."


    "In my case it''s different. They have a good reason to dislike me, and if I don''t prove to them..." "You have nothing to prove, Kaida.


    Do you think everyone was in support of me killing Seth? I did it anyway. The members of this pack follow the strong, so you don''t back down. Never."


    "I won''t. I promise."


    "Good," he said, leaning in to kiss me, but once again I pulled away. "What now?"


    "Where did you go? You were gone for days, and you never told me you were leaving. I guess it''s my turn to be mad at you."


    "I went to meet the rogue leaders."


    "Alone?" I asked in surprise.


    "It was better that way, and I''m fine, so you don''t have to worry."


    "They would have killed you."


    "But they didn''t."


    I was furious now. I walked over to the table, grabbed his ss of wine, and drank it down in one gulp. "Easy." He cautioned, taking the ss from my hand.


    "Did you even stop to think, for one second, how I would feel if something happened to things went wrong? Did you even care?"


    "I''m sorry."


    "Of course, that solves everything."


    "It doesn''t. But I couldn''t tell you."


    "Why?"


    "You know why. You would have tried to talk me into going with some backup, or insisted on following me, and you''re very hard to turn down."


    "Next time, please keep me informed."


    "I will," he promised. "Now can I kiss you?"

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    Chapter Seventy Seven


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    Returning from my ''trip,'' all I wanted was to see my mate. I''d missed her, missed kissing her, but then I discovered she had been kept in the dungeons for over three nights. My own advisors had seen fit to humiliate her. It took all my will to remain calm.


    There were going to be changes to the Council; perhaps I never needed so many advisors after all. "The woman''s name is Helen; she does have a five-year-old child. She worked for Eamon as a sales representative." Austin read from the file.


    "She was paid pennies; that''s very low for a full-time worker." I said.


    "Yes, it is very far below the minimum wage." Austin agreed.


    "Get in touch with this woman; make sure she''s well taken care of and established." I said to him, and he nodded, taking the file along before walking away.


    I turned to the rest of my advisors; tension hung in the air. They weren''t just unsettled; they were afraid, and they were right to be.


    "Alpha, if I may speak..." Ronan began, but I cut him off.


    "No, you may not. I heard that some of you supported Seth in his stupidity. Now which of you were involved?"


    "We tried stopping him, but he wouldn''t listen." Keith says.


    "So, he overpowered all of you. I find that very hard to believe."


    "We apologize, Alpha; a mistake like this would never repeat itself." Eamon said.


    "No, it won''t. Malek, Theron, Eamon, Luthor, Kade, and Zander. You are all dismissed from the council." "What! But Alpha..."


    "Seth lost his head trying to exin to me how ''important he was; don''t make the same mistake." I warned.


    One after the other, they rose, angrily walking away. "Phil, keep an eye on them. I don''t think I can trust them anymore." I said, and he nodded.


    I watched Kaida spar with Aric; he was fast, but she was smart. She won in the end, her sword pointed at his neck;


    I couldn''t help but smile. It was like she could sense me staring at her, and she looked up, meeting my gaze.


    I joined her on the training field.


    "You seem to enjoy watching me spar."


    If only she knew how that turned me on. "Yes, I do enjoy watching you fight." I admitted.


    "Then spar with me."


    "No."


    "Why? Afraid I''ll beat you and hurt your ego?"


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    Iughed. "You are a good fighter." I admitted.


    "But not as good as you. I know that. But there is one thing could beat you in."


    "And what is that?"


    "A race."


    "Why don''t we make a bet? It''ll make things more interesting. If you win, I''ll do anything you ask. If I win, you''ll be at my mercy, doing whatever Imand."


    "There are so many things I could make you do; are you sure you are up for this?" She asked, confident as always.


    "What can I say? I''ll do my best." I replied, and she smiled.


    "First to get to the stream shore wins." she announced.


    "Fair enough." I said.


    I stripped off my clothes and shifted into my wolf form. For a moment, she simply stared at me, and both my wolf and I reveled in her gaze. Then, she shed her clothes and stood before me, bare. I moved toward her.


    "Hey! We are here to race." She warned before switching into her wolf form, and I had never seen anything so beautiful. The smirk on her face told me she was aware of her wolf''s striking appearance. She was truly unique, with her white fur and a few gray stripes.


    Together we set off into the woods; she was fast, but still not fast enough. I slowed down, letting her bypass me, and when she was close enough to the stream, I picked up pace. The look on her face when I ran past her was priceless. Of course letting her win would have been fun too, but I had a bet to win.

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    Chapter Seventy Eight


    KAIDA


    I should have won. I had been so close, and then he appeared out of nowhere.


    Alexander switched to his human form and then he.... bursted intoughter, of course he found my failure funny. "I guess it was your pride that got bruised." he said.


    I transformed back to my human form too. "You are a guy, and I''m a girl-you shouldn''t bepeting against me." I said to him, and that only made himugh harder.


    "I wasn''t. I wasn''t trying, and I still beat you."


    "It was just luck; it won''t happen again." I promised him; what I meant to say was I would never be foolish enough to challenge him to a race. He was not only stronger than me; he was also faster. He was better than me in everything, and that bruised my pride. "We should get back" I turned to walk away, but in a sh he was right in front of me.


    "Forgotten our little bet?" he asked.


    Yes, that had slipped my mind; now that I think of it, I was indeed a proud fool for agreeing to it.


    "What would you have me do, Alpha King?"


    "If you won... what would you have asked of me?" he inquired.


    "I''d have made sure I humiliated you so badly." I said, "It would have been fun to watch."


    "Too bad you didn''t win. I, on the other hand, wouldn''t humiliate you; I want something more." He said the predator look in his eyes was enough to tell me just what he wanted.


    "Alex, what if people see us?"


    "No one is here."


    "What if..."


    "No more ''what ifs.'' I won a bet, and I want to im my reward." He pinned me against a tree. "You want this just as much as I do; I can smell your need."


    I ran my hands through his hair and kissed him; just when he thought I had submitted to his idea, I shoved him away and ran as fast as my legs could take me. I had managed to run only a short distance before I was picked up and shoved against a tree.


    "You can''t escape me, Kaida; you cannot run away from me." He said, and with that, he mmed into me, hard and strong.


    "Let me go." I said, but my battle against him was half-hearted, he was right, I did want to be in this position. He hammered into me, and soon I stopped fighting; a moan rippled from the back of my throat. He was animalistic, feral, and I wanted to explore this part of him. I sank my ws into his skin, and he let out a growl, his hands wrapped around my throat. "Mine," he growled before resuming his kiss. I bit into his lips, drawing blood, and then I sucked on it. He enjoyed it; I could tell that from how his eyes darkened. I saw a glimpse of his own darkness, his own fears, and with each thrust, we became one, body and mind. I couldn''t hold back; I came hard.


    Alex retrieved our clothes, and he helped me into mine; my lower part was numb; all I could feel was him. "Alex." I called, and he turned to me. "I''m d you won."


    Chapter Seventy Eight


    We were back in our room and he ced me on the bed.


    "I''d ask how you felt, but I already know the answer to that!" "I''m fine."


    "That''s a lie."


    "You know, if you''d offer to go again, I wouldn''t mind."


    "That''s going to kill you. It''s a tempting offer, but I''d rather not be known as the man who fucked his mate to death."


    "I won''t be able to use my legs for a few days, but I won''t die."


    "You need to rest."


    "Can you send Sarah in on your way out? I need help drawing a bath."


    "I could do that."


    "No, you have work to attend to."


    He ced a kiss on my forehead. "Sure thing."

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    Chapter Seventy Nine


    I didn''t exactly call for Sarah just so she could help me draw a bath.


    "Luna." Sarah addressed, bowing. "The Alpha informed me that you requested my presence.''


    "Yes. I wanted to ask about the girl... the little one Alexander brought from the Gray Moon Pack."


    I caught the slight hesitation on her face before she answered. "Her name is Amanda."


    "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. How has she been recovering?"


    "She''s doing very well, better than I ever expected, actually. She''s blending in with the other kids, which is nice- she should be around people her age and..." Sarah kept talking. I couldn''t help but smile.


    "You seem to have grown a fondness for this girl."


    "I... I just feel sorry for her; I want to protect her in any way


    "Sarah, you know you can tell me anything." I reminded her, and she nodded.


    "Of course. It''s just that I don''t know if you''ll approve."


    "Approve of what?"


    "I had taken her back to my apartment; she has been living with me-I didn''t ask for your permission; it''s just that she is such a nice kid, and I want to help her. I should have spoken to you earlier about this, but I didn''t. I was also thinking about adopting her as... my child. I know that sounds stupid; she had her own parents and her pack, and it''s wrong to..."


    "No it''s not." I said cutting her off. It doesn''t sound stupid, nor is it wrong. I can tell that you really like this girl, and I can see no other person fit enough to take care of her but you. I only have two conditions. First, I would have to speak to her if this is what she wants, and secondly, you would have to promise me to take good care of her and protect her; she has indeed been through a lot."


    Sarah nodded eagerly. "Of course, I promise, and you can speak to her anytime you are free to." "Then it''s settled; you have my permission."


    Sarah smiled. "Thank you, Luna. I never imagined myself bing a mother, but then I saw her, and there was not a single thing I wanted more. Have you ever thought about what holding a child of your own would feel like?" she asked, and her question hit me by surprise. Strangely, I haven''t thought deeply into it. Yes, I knew it was bound to happen, but I hadn''t imagined what motherhood meant.


    "I haven''t thought about it-at least not in that way." I said.


    "It''s a beautiful experience."


    "I''m sure it is," I agreed. But whenever I imagined having children, I didn''t feel ready. When would I be? Surely not now. "I''ve been having unprotected sex..." I trailed off, realizing I was speaking out loud. She nodded. "The chances of you getting pregnant soon is pretty high."


    I wasn''t ready. It felt like the final line-thest straw that sealed the end of my dream of bing an Alpha. By now, I knew that dream was out of reach, yet having children felt like closing the door on something I had wanted for as long as I could remember.


    "I am not ready to have a child." I said to her, "Does that make me a bad person?"


    "Of course not. Children... Theye with responsibilities, total devotion. It''s alright to not be ready."


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    "I think Alexander would want children soon."


    "It''s your body, Luna, not his. Having children means shutting the doors to many opportunities," she said,


    as if reading my mind-that was exactly what I had been thinking, and it felt eerie. I had always been close


    to Sarah, but she seemed to know me far better than I realized."


    "I don''t n to be with any other person but him, he is my mate."


    "That''s not what I was referring to, and you know it. You visited the Outpost; what did you see?" she


    asked but I remained silent; still, she spoke on. "Many believe in you, and what you did back there was


    the spark they had been waiting for. Do you know the woman you saved was taken care of? I don''t think she''ll everck anything again.


    "I didn''t do that." I said to her,


    "But it wouldn''t have happened without you. They believe in you, Luna, in only you.''

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    Chapter Eighty


    ALIYA''S POV


    heard footsteps approaching and quickly hid the book I had been reading. Empress Julia never liked seeing me with leisure novels; I doubted I was even allowed to read anything that didn''t concern my studies or my future as the god of light''s chosen.


    "Empress," I addressed.


    "You look well," She said, "How have your lessons with Cynthia been going?"


    1


    "Very well, she is a good teacher." I lied.


    Empress Cynthia''s lessons were the worst; I hated every minute and second of it. I was currently learning an ancient, ''forgotten''nguage called Sumerian. Most times, all I imagined was shoving the textbook down her throat. I couldn''t deny that there was something off-putting about her-but then again, so was every Empress in this damned city.


    "I don''t expect less." Julia said. I could tell that wasn''t exactly the reason she was here, and she was getting to that part soon. "Have you seen Trian by any chance? I''ve sent a few soldiers to find him, but he seems to be out of reach."


    "How would I know where he is? He spends more time with you than he does with me'' -I would have said, but of course, I knew better than to say that out loud.


    "No, Empress. I have no idea, but if I do see him, I will be sure to inform him that you asked for him." "Good," she said, heading to the door. As soon as she turned away from me, my smile disappeared. She paused at the door.


    "You are fond of Trian, aren''t you?" she asked.


    "He is a good man."


    "He is, and he is also a charmer."


    "Perhaps he is." I agreed, and she nodded before finally walking away and shutting the door behind her. I had always disliked Julia, but now it was more than just dislike. It was hate.


    Since her encounter with Trian and my discovery of what she''d been doing with him, I hated her even more. I wouldn''t say Trian was being forced; he seemed to like it; he seemed to like having... sex with her, and maybe that''s what maddened me the most. He was rarely with me he spent most of his time with her, and maybe I was the fool.


    I rose from the bed and walked to the door. I peered through the hole in the door but couldn''t spot any soldier standing guard. That was weird; I was never left unprotected, no matter what.


    I pulled open the door, and to my surprise, no one was there. My heart raced. Could this be my chance? I knew I couldn''t escape this ce; I was no fool, but perhaps I could pay the city a visit one more time. Trian had shown me the way; I wouldn''t get lost if I stuck to our path But what if I got caught? I mean,st time, I had Trian by my side to protect me; now he wasn''t here.


    I returned back to the room. It wasn''t safe, I told myself, and yet, I wanted to go out there. I had no idea where Trian was, and maybe I should stop caring; maybe I should focus more on my happiness.


    I put on a coat, drawing the cape over my hair, and I walked out of the room. My heart pounded in my chest, but I


    Chapter Eighty


    couldn''t stop walking. The soldiers strolled past me, all seeming to be in a rush. This was the best chance I''ll ever have. There was only going to be one issue, and that was the soldiers at the exit. Thest time I had passed through the back exit, Trian had to make them believe I was his whore. I didn''t have Trian by my side now, nor did I have his smart mouth. It was just me, and I had to be smart. To my surprise, when I reached the back exit, there wasn''t a single soldier in sight.


    This felt too easy... and when things were too easy, it usually meant a trap was waiting. I hade too far, I was willing to take the risk.


    Chapter Eighty One

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    Chapter Eighty One


    I ran as fast as my feet could carry me away from the castle. I could only hope that while I was gone, Julia wouldn''t have a reason to check on me-because if she discovered I was missing. Then I was doomed. The city was alive as always.


    I headed straight to the fortune teller''s hut. Ever since myst visit, all I could think about wasing back here to ask her more questions-normal questions any girl would want to know. Questions that had nothing to do with me being a ''chosen.''


    Trian believed that fortune tellers were all liars, maybe they were, maybe they weren''t.


    I stopped before the small, odd-looking hut with bones hanging from its door. I walked in and immediately spotted the old woman. She sat on a wooden stool directly in front of the firece, her eyes fixed on the fire. She muttered some foreign words before blowing a whitish powder into the mes, causing them to burn brighter.


    "How can I help you, girl?" She asked, without looking at me.


    "I came here to ask some more questions."


    "You came alone this time." She noted, her gaze still on the mes.


    "Yes, I did."


    "You want answers, and I want good pay. Do you have any money?" She asked, and that''s when I realized something important I had let slip my mind. I never had much use for money, so it was easy to forget that I needed it.


    "No."


    "Well, I can''t help you."


    "Please, I will make sure you are paid."


    "When? Next year? In a decade?"


    "Do me this favor..."


    "I don''t give out favors. This is a business, my source of livelihood. If I gave out favors, I would be nothing but a broke, old woman."


    "Thest time we came here, my friend paid you very handsomely. I will make sure you get your money." "You want to be read?" she asked, and I nodded.


    "You will meet a long-lost friend, and you will lose him again. That''s all the reading you get with no money."


    I gave her onest look before walking away from the hut.


    Well, that didn''t work out well.


    I stopped at the fields, close to theke. The very sameke where Trian had taught me how to swim. Alone, theke looked darker, scarier; I couldn''t even imagine swimming in it.


    I caught a sh of gold eyes and grey fur. A wolf.


    Ash.


    He was supposed to be in the wild. What was he doing here?


    Chapter Eighty One


    "Ash," I called, but he zipped off, running away. I chased after him. "Ash, don''t go, wait!"


    Ash finally came to a stop on a farnd, a good distance from theke. I walked to him. "Why would you run off like that?" I asked, and he circled around me before pouncing on me and bringing me down to the ground. He licked my face, and I couldn''t help but burst intoughter. I thought you were dead."


    I sat on the bare floor, running my fingers through his fur. had missed him so much. "You shouldn''t be here. They hate wolves; they will kill you."


    I should take him somewhere safe, but I knew nothing about this ce and... I might have just gotten myself lost.


    Ash snarled.


    "You are fine..." I began but his gaze was fixed on something behind me, he snarled again. I turned, and from a distance, I could spot a man walking towards me. The man waspletely naked, with deep injuries all around his body. But the closer he got, the more I realized this was no man. The creature had no eyes-only a nose and mouth.


    Flesh eaters.


    Empress Julia had exined it to the Alpha king; she called it a creature straight out of a person''s nightmares. She wasn''t exaggerating.


    the


    "Ash, run!" I screamed, but he wouldn''t budge; he stood his ground, snarling at the creature. Ash lunged at it, tearing out its arm. The creature didn''t scream, didn''t even seem to be in pain; but it retaliated, sinking its teeth into Ash''s neck, and the wolf howled in agony.


    I picked up a rock and smashed it into the creature''s skull, freeing Ash from its grip. Just then, I felt a hand wrap around my ankle, and I was yanked to the ground by another of the nightmarish creatures. I cried


    out as I fell. I struggled to fight it off, but it was too strong. It all happened in a sh. The creature''s head was severed,nding beside me with a sickening thud.


    Standing above me was Trian, his sword in hand.


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    Chapter Eighty Two


    Ash gave me onest look-hesitant, uncertain-before he ran. "We need to leave now." Trian said, helping me up to my feet. "Where are we going to go?"


    "My ce," He answered. I could tell he was angry.


    He pulled me along, and after twenty minutes of walking, we came to a stop before a house. I had no time


    to study the ce before he led me inside. It looked even nicer; only the wealthy here could afford such houses.


    "I never knew you had a house."


    "I only just got it," he said, passing me a bottle of water. I twisted off the cap and took a drink.


    "I''m sorry..." I began.


    "Don''t. Don''t even say that. What the hell were you thinking running out of the castle all on your own? Did you even know where you were going?"


    "I was bored."


    "Being bored is better than getting killed. There are bad people out here, Aliya; do you know what would have happened if the wrong set of people had found you? Some would have sold you for gold; others wouldn''t mind tainting you just to anger those empresses. You were a fool to leave the castle, and we are heading right back. I''ll make sure you are locked in your room at all times."


    "And who do you think you are, Trian Valtor?"


    "I am to keep you safe."


    "To keep me safe, you say? Then where were you when I escaped? Having sex with the Empress, I guess.


    "I was not with the Empress.


    "But you are with her most of the time, aren''t you? I was bored and tired of sitting around, reading, and learning damned forgottennguages-so I ran."


    "That creature would have torn you apart and fed on you."


    "But you saved me; do you expect I fall on my knees and thank you for doing your job?"


    "What is wrong with you, Aliya?"


    "You want to know what''s wrong with me? It''s that I have feelings for you. We kissed-it might mean nothing to you, but it meant everything to me. I am jealous; I hate it when you are with her; I hate it because Julia always gets what she wants, and she''d easily have you too..."


    Trian cut me off with a kiss; he lifted me-without breaking our kiss-so I was seated on a bar-height table.


    He trailed kisses down my neck while my legs wrapped around his torso; my head fell back as I let out a small moan of pure desire. He kissed further down before pulling open the button of my dress, freeing my breasts; my nipples were hardened. I flushed red, but I didn''t want him to stop. He stared at me as he took both breasts in his hands, slowly massaging them and then he took a nipple into his mouth, gently sucking on it. I moaned; he let go only to take the other one into his mouth. He grazed slightly against the sensitive skin before pulling away.


    "Do you know how many times I have imagined doing this?'' he asked, clearing off the table. "Lay down." He said, and I obeyed. He took out his dagger, and for a moment, I was afraid, but then he tore off my gown with it, leaving


    Chapter Eighty Two


    me in only my panties. My hands wrapped around my breast, but he forced them down. "Don''t hide it from me, just don''t," he said, his voice raw and full of need.


    This was happening, and I wasn''t stopping it; I didn''t want to stop it. I felt the cold metal once again against my hips as he carefully tore off my panties, and I was finally naked and exposed. He tossed the dagger away and spread my legs wide open. I tried shutting them, but that wasn''t an option. Trian demanded for thing, he took things. He never asks nicely.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter Eighty Three Chapter Eighty Three


    "Are you scared, Aliya?


    "No." I lied.


    "I can tell when you are lying."


    "I''m not."


    "Another lie."


    "Yes. I am scared."


    "Good. You should be."


    "Are you going to hurt me?"


    "No. I won''t. But I have another question. Have you ever touched yourself?"


    "No." I answered, avoiding his gaze.


    "Then I''ll be the first person to make you cum.


    He slowly circled a finger around my clit, and my breaths grew shallow. "Trian..."


    "Don''t speak. If this is to be thest night I spend with you, then it must be worth it."


    Thest night? What did he mean?


    I had no time to think about it as the pleasure consumed me. He went lower, a ce no one but the


    Empress had ever gone. I didn''t like it then, but now... I wanted it so bad. ''Don''t look away, Aliya; watch as I fuck you with my fingers."


    He thrust two fingers into me hard, and I cried out; he went even harder, his thrusts unrelenting. I built up quickly, hard and fast.


    "Train." I warned, but he wouldn''t stop; he ced a kiss on my clit


    his fingers, and I came hard.


    When nibbled on it as he fucked me with


    "I''m sorry." I began, but he didn''t seem to mind, on the I me dry.


    ought h


    Was turned on. I watched him lick


    "Why are you sorry?"


    "1..."


    "Cummed, that''s what I wanted." He said, helping me down from the table, my legs gave out immediately, but he caught me before I fell to the ground. "How long had you been gone from the castle?" he asked, but my mind was mush; for a moment, I only stared at him, unable to think of a response.


    "A few hours, more... I don''t know."


    "You need a new dress." He said, staring at the ruins, which had once been my dress. "It felt good at the moment." He admitted it, and I couldn''t help butugh.


    He walked up the stairs to one of the rooms and returned with a dress and a coat.


    "Why do you have female clothes in your... house?"


    Chapter Eighty Three


    "I used to have visitors." He said. He helped me get dressed the only thing I was missing was panties, but I could work with that.


    Together we headed back to the castle, which wasn''t hard to find with Trian leading the way.


    "I paid a visit to the fortune teller." I informed him on our way.


    "I knew you would do that. So, what new things did you discover?"


    "I had no money." I said, and he chuckled.


    "Of course, you didn''t."


    "I told her I would make sure she got paid, but she got very wordy. She did tell me that I would find a long-lost friend and lose him again. She said that''s all the reading I''ll get with no money."


    "Fortune tellers are big on their pay. But I guess she was referring to Ash."


    I stopped walking. Of course, that''s who she was referring to.


    "So, she didn''t lie."


    "No, she guessed. You''ve been walking a long way; are you tired?"


    "I spent my time locked in my room; I don''t think I''ll ever be tired of walking out here."


    "A car would have been a much faster method, but it would attract too much attention."


    "Not to mention that there are not many good roads in the city. And also, you don''t have a car." "It''s not difficult to acquire." he said with a sinister smirk.


    We went through the back entrance, and once again, the soldiers were nowhere to be found. "They hadn''t been here when I left; isn''t it weird that they are still not here?" I asked to un "They should be back by now; this is most likely a trap."


    "A trap? Then why are we not running away?"


    "Because you would be safe here,"


    We walked into the castle, but this time, all eyes were on us


    he nodded.


    "Wee home," the familiar voice called. I turned to see Empress Julia, and my heart raced in panic.

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    Chapter Eighty Three


    Chapter Eighty Three


    "Empress," I called. But she was not alone-I noticed other empresses and high regents trailing behind her.


    "You were gone for quite a long time." She said to me, "Did you really think you could run away?"


    "I didn''t intend on running away... All I wanted to do was explore the city."


    "Explore the city?" she questioned, walking closer to me. You are the Chosen; out there, all you would find is sinful people, ready to taint you; there is nothing out there?


    "Then maybe I don''t want to be the god of light''s chosen! Maybe I want to just live my life like any other girl; maybe I think this-everything, it''s all a lie."


    She pped me hard, and the sharp sting was followed by the metallic taste of blood on my tongue.


    "How dare you say something so sphemous?"


    "I don''t take back my words. You lock me in here, day and night, forcing me to read stupid books, forcing me to learn stupidnguages. If the god of light was so


    powerful, she shouldn''t have an issue in speaking with themon tongue. You said everyone is full of sin, but so far the only living, breathing sin I''ve seen is you."


    The empress lifted her hands to p me again; I waited for the hit, but it never came; Trian stopped her hand midair.


    "If you''re looking for someone to punish, then punish me. helped her escape this ce twice. This


    was all my n, and she was na?ve enough to follow me. I''m sure she doesn''t mean anything she just said; she is only a child." He said to her,


    "Why?" she asked him. "Why did you take her out there?"


    "Breaking the rules excites me, that''s why."


    The others watched, waiting for Julia''s choice of punishment for Trian. But I could


    want to punish him. And yet... she had to, or she would be seen as


    jetin her eyes-she didn''t


    "I weed you into our home, gave you a position above others- and this is how you repay my kindness?"


    "I guess this is the part where you sentence me to death?" He inquired with a smirk on his face. "Death? No, that''s too easy for you. You''ll be taken to the darkest depths of the dungeons, where all you''ll ever know is darkness-you''ll wake to it each day and sleep in it for the rest of your life." "No!" I cried out. "Please don''t do this." I begged Julia, but she didn''t spare me a single nce. The soldiers took Trian away; he didn''t fight or even try to resist. I ran toward him, but the empress held me back -she was strong, very strong.


    "Please don''t leave me, Trian." I cried.


    But no one made a move; the other empresses and high regents wore frowns, their faces marked with disappointment.


    "You will suffer for what you''ve done; I''ll make sure of it." Julia said to me, but her threats meant nothing.


    Back at his house, Trian had said something about this being thest night he would spend with me.


    I hadn''t read deep into that; of course he knew that this time, we wouldn''t be as lucky. He could


    have escaped; he didn''t have to bring me back. The Empress would never kill me, but she would kill him to punish me.


    Julia shoved me into my room and shut the door, locking me in. I banged on the door until my knuckles bruised,


    Chapter Eighty Three


    but there was no response. Finally, I slumped to the floor. Trian was down there because of me; if I


    had been patient, if I hadn''t gone out to the city on my own, this would never have happened. Trian


    was going to die, the only person who called me by my name, the only person who didn''t see me as a sacred object, was going to die, and it would all be my fault.


    Chapter Eighty Five

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    Chapter Eighty Five


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    "I still can''t wrap my head around how you managed to kill one of the rogue leaders and make it back


    here unharmed," Austin wondered aloud. Ever since I told him about my little adventure, he hadn''t let the topic rest.


    Austin and Phil sat in my office. Phil was busy reading through some files, barely paying attention, but Austin was rather bothered with the long past incident.


    "He attacked me." I rified. "I didn''t just kill him for the fun of it."


    "Of course, he did. That''s what I expected the other leaders to do the moment they set their eyes on you.''


    I couldn''t help but agree. "They have certain... rules."


    "The rogues? That is hard to believe-not that I''m calling you a liar."


    >>


    "I could have snuck up on them and brought a good number down with me, but I wasn''t there to start a war and I had to make that clear to them. They were willing to give me an audience and we conversed. But there was one- Brad. He never knew when to shut up or keep his thoughts to himself. I''m sure they''d been wanting him dead for a while now, and I just did them the favor."


    "How did you kill him?" Austin asked, seeming way too interested.


    "The same way I would kill any other person. We should remain prepared for anything; the rogue leaders are cunning creatures. I don''t hold them by their words."


    There was a knock on the door before a soldier stepped in.


    "Alpha... There are some people at the boundary. They im to know you-a man and a woman."


    I had never seen these people in my life. I was sure of it, and yet they imed they knew me. The woman looked to be in her fifties, maybe older-it was hard to tell. The man, on the other hand, appeared to be in his forties, yet something about him felt... off. I had heard stories of people who aged even slower than werewolves, and looking at him now, I couldn''t help but wonder if he


    Was one of them


    The woman stepped forward, but my soldiers moved to block her path. I signaled them to stand down, and they obeyed, allowing her to approach. She stopped in front of me, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she reached for my face. I caught her hand midair.


    "Who are you?" I asked, and she drew back her hand, as if realizing her mistake.


    "You are very handsome." She said with a smile. "But so was he."


    I cocked a brow at her. "You do realize that if you lied to my soldiers and made mee all the way here, then I would have to throw you into the dungeons."


    "Ruthless too. Just like your father." She said, tears falling down her cheeks. I didn''t do well with crying women, especially when they were strangers.


    "My father was the Alpha King; of course, many knew him


    The man walked to her side. "We''vee a long way. Perhaps we could talk somewhere more... warmer?"


    "I am not letting you into the pack house, nor am I going to receive you. Anything you want to say, say it now." "We are not your enemies, my son.''


    Chapter Eighty Five


    "Don''t call me that; you''ll address me as Alpha or King."


    "You might not know me, but I know you." the woman said "I knew you when you were only a child. I still remember the joy in her eyes when she spoke about you. I am Kate Kaidon and this is my husband, Sebastian Bruce.


    Kaidon. That was a familiar name; how could I forget that that had been Riley''sst name before she became a ckwood?


    I looked at the woman; I had seen Riley''s pictures, the few there were and I could see the resemnce. "This better not be some fucking game.


    "It''s not, Ethan


    We are your grandparents."


    C

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    hapter Eighty Six


    Chapter Eighty Six


    "I''ve stopped going by the name Ethan a long time ago," I told her.


    "But that''s the name your mother gave to you."


    "I hated it."


    Kate looked up at me. "Then my apologies, King Alexander''


    "Leave us." I said to the soldiers, and they walked away. "We are alone now; you said you needed to speak to me."


    "Yes. It''s about the Demon Overlord." Sebastian said.


    "He had been gone for years; what about him?"


    "He has risen, and he now lives amongst us."


    "I do appreciate your efforts ining here to tell me about your discovery. If that is all, you may both leave.


    They both exchanged nces. "I know you''re angry. I never once visited you all these years... it''s just that I couldn''t..."


    "Save it. Exining wouldn''t be necessary."


    "She is your grandmother."


    "She is also a stranger," I said, turning around and walking away from them.


    "I''m sure by now you''ve seen the signs. Don''t you want to know why you''re able to wield and control


    mes?" He called out, and I paused. "I can help you; I know we were never there for you, but we are here now; let us help you."


    "I came this far without help. I am sure I can do it all over again."


    KADIA''S POV


    "You shouldn''t be here." I said to Aric.


    "I know that. Yet here I am."


    I rose from the couch. "Sarah gave me a pregnancy pill," I said, and Aric looked up at me.


    "Why?"


    "You know me better than most. You know the answer to that question."


    "You don''t want children, do you?"


    "No. I am not ready."


    "Are you going to take the pills?" he asked.


    "No. I might flush it down the toilet."


    "Then why did you ept it?"


    "I don''t know. I wasn''t thinking... but it felt like I was betraying him. She also said the Dawn Pack members look up to me."


    "That''s true. They do look up to you."


    Chapter Eighty Six


    "Why? Alexander takes good care of them; he takes good care of me too. He''d kill for me, burn down people to keep me alive. What more do they possibly want?"


    What more do I want?


    "An option. Your father didn''t give them one."


    "I would never betray him, you know that?"


    He opened his mouth to speak, but the knock on the door interrupted us. I walked to the door, and there stood Austin, his eyes wide; he seemed to be... afraid.


    "Luna..." he began, but his gaze shifted past me-to where Aric stood. "I need to speak with you." "Go on."


    "The Alpha is... unstable; we were wondering if you could help.''


    "Where is he?" I asked.


    "In the dining hall."


    The dining hall was aplete mess-shattered furniture, broken ss windows, and the chandelier lying on the floor. The grand piano in the middle of the hall had been split in two. Alexander stood in the far corner, a bottle of wine in his hand.


    "Be careful, Luna. He''s drunk," Austin said.


    "He never gets drunk," I responded.


    Alexander''s gaze met mine. From this distance, his blue eyes looked almost ck, and I hesitated for a second. "I''ll be fine. You may leave," I said to Austin. He gave me a long look before nodding and walking away.


    My eyes drifted over the deep w marks-on the walls, the floor, even the ceiling.


    I walked to Alexander; he didn''t say a word to me. "I think you''ve had enough to drink for one day." I said, reaching for the bottle.


    "Don''t you dare." He growled.


    "You don''t scare me," I said-that was a lie.


    I took the bottle from his grasp, but he simply turned around and grabbed another from the keep. I noticed


    the slight stagger in his step. Austin was right; he was drunk, and I couldn''t help but imagin


    e how many bottles had brought him to this state.

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    Chapter Eighty Seven


    Chapter Eighty Seven


    I didn''t say another word. I just watched him take gulps straight from the bottle of wine. When it was finally empty and nothing was left to drink, he lit a cigarette.


    "Alexander..." I began, and he exhaled a slow stream of smoke in my direction. He did it again, and I snatched the cigarette from his mouth, tossing it aside. "What is your problem? You''re the Alpha and King, and here you are getting drunk and wasting away."


    "I''ll choose this over being the Alpha King any day," he said, pulling out another cigarette. I wrapped my hand around his, stopping him, and for the first time, he really looked at me. I noticed his red, bloodshot eyes; he was in pain; finally, I could tell. "I don''t like hurting women, but touch me again and I might reconsider." He said, his voice cold, Alex had never spoken to me in that manner before. I should give up; at least I tried my best. I should leave before things got really messy, but the advisors had called for me because I was the only one who could help him at least that''s what they believed. He needed me now more than ever; but I couldn''t help him if he wouldn''t speak to me.


    "Then hurt me, Alexander ckwood. What scares me the most is not what you can do to me; it''s failing you. I want to be here for you; tell me how to help you."


    "You really want to help me?" he asked, and I nodded.


    "That''s exactly why I''m here-to help."


    "Then do me a favor and leave. I need to be alone."


    "Maybe you don''t want me here, but you need me here, and I am not going anywhere."


    "You are so fucking stubborn, Kaida. Has anyone ever told you that?"


    "Yes, I think I''ve heard that once or twice," I said with a small smile.


    He looked around. "This ce is a mess."


    "It is. But it doesn''t matter."


    We sat infortable silence for a few minutes before he broke it.


    "I didn''t know they were still alive.


    I always told myself I had moved on from my past, but maybe I had only been fooling myself. I knew I had grandparents, and after my parents disappeared, I hoped-believed-they would hear the news ande back to stand by their grandson. They were myst hope. But years passed, and they never came, they never even bothered to visit. They didn''t care.


    I did not handle this situation as a king should; they came here with information that might have been valuable. I should have let them in, weed them as guests, heard what they had to say before sending them away. But I couldn''t do that. I felt so much anger and so much hate, and I let ite in the way ofmon reasoning. I sent them away because I was furious; I sent them away knowing that was the wrong thing to do, and yet I did it anyway."


    "We are not expected to always make the right choices; our emotions get in the way at times. That human part in us without it we are nothing but animals. We can''t always pretend to be fine, and you had every reason to be angry."


    "So many people believed I didn''t deserve to be King; sometimes I wonder if they are right,"


    "You admitted your mistakes; you didn''t try to justify them-something not many can do. You''re also the most


    Chapter Eighty Seven


    intelligent man I''ve ever known, and I''m not just saying that because you''re my mate, but because it''s true.''


    "Do you believe in me, Kaida?"


    "Yes. And I will always believe in you-even when others don''t, even when you don''t believe in yourself," I said to him.


    He ced a kiss on my forehead.


    "I wish you didn''t have to see me in this state."


    "It''s fun to watch you drunk-or at least the closest to that you will ever be." I said, and heughed.


    "I might have scared my advisors."


    "I''m sure they''ll understand," I said before cing a kiss on his lips, then his neck. He gently stopped me, his hand resting on mine.


    "Your presence is more than enough; for now, that''s all I need."


    Chapter Eighty Eight

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    Chapter Eighty Eight


    Chapter Eighty Eight


    I walked to the bathroom, the packet of pregnancy pills in my hands. I emptied the contents of the packet into the toilet and then flushed. This was my home now; if the time came to bear children for Alexander, then I would do my duty. The Dawn pack would have to learn to stand strong; they would have to learn to be bold and demand their rights.


    The dining hall was going through reconstruction; of course, everything would be reced, and there would be no clue left of what happened there.


    "So, why did King Alexander tear down the poor hall? It didn''t deserve that." Aric said.


    "I don''t know, perhaps he grew bored of seeing the same stuff each day and thought... maybe it would be a good idea."


    Aric smiled. "You don''t want to tell me, do you?"


    "I...can''t."


    "I am your friend; you know you can tell me anything, and you also know that we can''t keep secrets from each other."


    He was right; he was all the family I had left, and yet telling him this without asking Alexander''s


    permission didn''t feel right. He had entrusted me with his secrets, and even if I trusted Aric with my life, I wondered if I was making the right decision.


    "There are a lot of things you don''t know, things about him I haven''t told anyone, but you have to promise me that you will never speak to anyone about what I am about to tell you."


    "Kaida, I would never do that, you know this."


    "Promise me."


    "I promise."


    "We should go somewhere more... private." I said, leading him out into the open space. "Alex told me about his parents; he told me about Riley and Thane."


    I went on to tell him everything Alex had told me about his parents and exined why he had gotten so furious after the visit of his grandparents, and when I was done, Aric waspletely silent.


    "Say something."


    "You remember when I spoke to your father about the ckwood being... cursed? Well, shit just got more real." "You seem to be forgetting something. Though I still hold on to my father''s name, some might address me as a ckwood now."


    "I didn''t mean it that way... I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine; I think it''s all creepy too."


    "What if there was a reason they never visited... I mean, it doesn''t make sense."


    "Whatever reason they had didn''t hold them back from paying him a visit now, did it?"


    I spotted a familiar figure heading our way-the Dwarf who served as our messenger. He approached us and bowed.


    "Luna," he greeted.


    Chapter Eighty Eight


    "Long time no see," I responded with a smile.


    "I will catch up with youter." Aric said before excusing himself.


    "I''vee to apologize for not attending Alpha Trent''s burial. He was a good man to me, and I should


    have been there, but I had to return to my homnd after hearing of my father''s passing and by the time I made it back, it was toote.


    Hugo had never spoken to me about his birthce before.


    "I am sure you would have been there if it was possible. I hold no grudge against you."


    "Thank you, Luna." He said.


    "I have always been curious about you. I am never one to pry, but I have always wanted to know, what exactly is your story?"


    "You have every right to know, Luna. You might have guessed it already. I was cast aside by my father, who was the Gamma of the Moon Valley Pack."


    "Your father was a Gamma?"


    "Yes, he was. All the more reason why I was a shame and reproach to him. I was also his first son; I have two younger ones before me. From the story I was told, my father tried to kill me when I was just a child. He called me the devil''s spawn, a cursed child. My full name, Haga, is short for Hagaziel, which means ''child of the wicked one. ''Every day of my life I was punished for being a dwarf, but didn''t choose this; I didn''t ask to be born, and yet I could neverin. My life was my most prized possession, and with each breath I took, I had to be grateful to them for not killing me. I didn''t leave because I was thrown out of the pack but because I was sick and tired of living a life like that."


    Chapter Eighty Nine

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    Chapter Eighty Nine


    Chapter


    Eighty Nine


    Maybe I should have tried to know Haga better. I always thought it would be prying, but perhaps all he needed was someone willing to listen.


    "That''s why you''d rather not answer the name Haga, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, names, I believe, have a way of shaping a person''s future. My father knew that when he named me Hagaziel, so I''ll prefer to be called any other thing but that name."


    "You are a good person, even if he never cared to see it. The fact that you still attended his burial, despite everything he did to you, proves that."


    "He might have been a monster, but he was still my father."


    "You''ll always have a ce here at the Nightshade pack - I hope you know that. I will make sure you are well taken care of."


    "I''d love that, but I won''t be staying."


    "Where would you go?"


    "Back to my pack. With my father dead, I am now the Gamma of the Moon Valley pack. I knew my father would have abhorred the idea of it; he probably believed I would die and the title would be passed to my younger brother."


    "You''re a Gamma now?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise. "I didn''t mean it like that," I added quickly, trying to cover my slip.


    "I don''t mind, not really. I''m the first dwarf to ever hold this title. Many didn''t take the news well, but change is sometimes necessary-it only takes one person to break the cycle." He said, turning to me. "There are so many cycles that need to be broken, changes that I believe must be made for growth." I felt like he was trying to pass some kind of coded message to me. Finally he handed me an envelope. "What is this?"


    "I wasn''t present at your father''s burial, but as soon as I returned, I visited his grave to say myst words to him. I also paid onest visit to the pack house-a ce that had be my home. That''s where I found that." he said, pointing to the envelope in my hands. "It''s a letter from your father to you. I didn''t read any more than the first line. The moment I saw it was addressed to you, I knew he would want you to have it.''


    I stared at the envelope; it felt so light and at the same time so... heavy. What had my father wanted to tell me? I guess I would find out soon enough.


    I bid farewell to The Messenger, and he promises to keep in touch.


    Earlier, Aric had checked the pack house, yet he somehow managed to miss thi better than the messenger, and still, he hadn''t spotted it. Perhaps he didn''t even know what exactly he was


    He knew the pack house far supposed to be checking for.


    I paced in my room; I hadn''t told anyone about the message from myte father, and I hadn''t opened it


    either. I was nervous and scared of what I would find in there, and maybe I wasn''t ready.


    Alexander walked into the room; he was back to his normal self, and I was relieved to see he had moved past whatever had happened back in the dining hall.


    Chapter Eighty Nine


    "Alexander, you are back early." I said, feeling strangely nervous. He cocked a brow at me.


    "I wouldn''t call this early."


    No, it wasn''t; it was only an hour to midnight.


    "I-I didn''t realize it was already sote; I''ve been upied."


    "upied? By what?" He questioned.


    "You might be familiar with The Dwarf. Do you remember the messenger who came to inform me that my father was dead?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "I never knew his father was the Gamma of the Moon Valley Pack, and after his father''s passing, he was made the Gamma.


    "Does that worry you?" he asked.


    "No, I think it''s a change that might bring positive returns. He is a good man."


    "Usually, werewolves respect powerful leaders, but I have no doubt he would do well in his position." Alexander said, and I agree with a nod.


    The words never did leave my mouth; why couldn''t I tell him about my father''s letter? Maybe because it


    felt way too personal, I wanted to discover what it said before telling anyone about it, and I wasn''t ready to find out just yet.


    Chapter Ny

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    Chapter


    Ny


    Chapter Ny


    "I''ve been doing a lot of thinking, and perhaps it''s best I invite my grandparents to the pack, right my wrongs." Alexander said.


    "I agree, but how would you get to them?"


    "Now that I know for sure they''re both alive and exactly what they look like, the odds are in my favor." He said and then walked to me. "Thank you, Kaida, for what you did back there, and just so you would know, I''ll never hurt you that threat, I didn''t mean it.


    "I understand, Alex. You were mad and angry, and you should be. It''s alright."


    He ced a kiss on my forehead and then on my lips, and our eyes locked in an intense gaze. "You make me feel sane, Kaida.


    "You make me feel more...alive."


    He was the first to look away. "I need a shower." He says.


    "I need one too."


    He smiled a genuine smile. I stripped off my clothes, but before I could step into the bathroom, he picked me up and carried me to the shower enclosure.


    He finally set me down. Turning on the shower, he took the bottle of shampoo and applied it to my hair, and then he slowly began washing, massaging my scalp - damn, I needed this. It was so rxing; I moaned, and then he went still.


    "I''m sorry, I..."


    "I made a promise to myself that I''ll be good tonight, but you, Kaida, made a liar out of me."


    I backed away till my back hit the wall; he met me with a single stride, his body so close to mine, I could feel how hard he was, and my insides throbbed. "Alex..." I began, but my words were cut off when he mmed into me, taking mepletely off guard. He was hard and thick, filling me up; a moan escaped my lips. He didn''t stop; he went at a ruthless pace, pounding into me. I instinctively wrapped my leg around his waist; I felt his hands grip my ass. "Mine." He whispered as he gave it a light spank. I cried out, holding onto him for dear life; I could feel myself building up very fast. He pulled outpletely only to thrust his whole length into me; he repeated this thrice, and I shattered; he finished in two quick thrusts but he didn''t pull out; he waited, and when I was finally stable, he slowly pulled out of me, and I copsed into his arms. He held me, letting the water wash off all traces of sex.


    "You spanked me." I said my tone was using.


    "And you liked it, you know why? Because you are not very innocent, Kaida."


    "You are a bad influence."


    "I guess I am." He said, turning off the shower and helping me out. "Did I hurt you?"


    "No, I''m fine."


    Better than fine, actually-but I wasn''t going to pump his ego by telling him that."


    It was noon, and I was alone.


    Chapter Ny


    I picked up the envelope and tore it open, taking out the letter. I read it.


    "To my daughter, Kaida.


    I miss you so much; I can''t even exin it. I hope that you will one day forgive me for forcing you into the arms of


    a stranger. I had no right to do that, and it hurt me deeply, but this was a choice I had to make.


    I always thought there was time. There were so many things I never told you because I believed I had plenty of time to tell you the truth-but I was wrong. My time is running out, and if you''re reading this, then I''m already


    gone.


    Do you remember all those stories I told you of how helpless I had felt when you were so sick and ill? I never did tell you theplete story. Your strange sickness had a cause, and her name is Cynthia, a devoted servant of the god of light. She should have been my mate- my chosen mate but I rejected her. She made me a promise after I rejected her to be with her friend-your mother, Lydia. My selfish decision shattered their friendship, and I was a fool. Your mother didn''t die giving birth to you; she died because of my selfishness. Somehow, Cynthia found her way into our pack the day you were born.


    Lydia''s death had always been mysterious, and I always suspected Cynthia had a hand in it. I was right- your mother was drugged. But Cynthia didn''t stop there. She came for you two years and some monthster. Somehow, you survived.


    That still wasn''t enough for her, she had sworn to bring me down, she had made it her soul purpose and so she returned many yearster; this time she was stronger and better. Somehow, she got to me too-l would have


    was


    sworn I had been very careful. The sickness which would most likely lead to my deal all her doing, and this


    time there was no escape.


    I''ve always wanted the best for you; I''ve always wanted you to be happy, and maybe I have requested too much from you already, but this onest thing I ask of you: Avenge me.

 Chapter Eighty Three

    Chapter Ny One


    I stared at the letter, tears streaming down my face. I read it over and over until every word was etched into my memory. My gaze fell to the date-it was written just weeks before his death. A sob escaped my lips, and I let it all out. I cried, my tears soaking the paper. Why hadn''t he told me? I would have understood, but he had kept it to himself.


    ''I forgive you, Father. For everything.'' I muttered.


    I stared at the paper onest time, unable to shake the feeling that the final line didn''t belong. The words ''Avenge me.'' didn''t sound like my father''s, yet the handwriting was his. And maybe, just maybe, he truly believed I could do it.


    "Kaida." Aric''s familiar voice called. I had been too caught up in the letter to notice him approaching. Despite myself, a flicker of embarrassment crept in at how easy I had been snuck up on-I should have sensed his scent or heard his footsteps.


    I had my back to him, and I quickly shoved the letter into my pocket, but there was no need; he had already seen it.


    "Leave." I said, but my voice shook.


    "No."


    "I am your Luna, and Imand you to leave."


    He walked to me. "And I said no."


    I finally turned to him, enraged. "You have no right to be in here."


    "I know that." He said, and then his eyes met mine. "What is in that letter, Kaida?"


    "None of your goddamn business."


    "It is my business if it makes you cry like that," he said, and I knew he wouldn''t let it go. I had wanted to speak to Alexander first, but ?ric was my father''s beta; he was the right person to see this. I pulled the letter from my pocket and handed it to him and he quickly read through it.


    "How did you get this?" he asked.


    "The dwarf, he brought the letter to me; he said he found it in the main pack house.''


    "This is..." he trailed off, unable to find the words.


    "Cynthia, that''s her name. The woman that took my mother and father, the woman who made me an orphan. She is out there, still drawing breath. I am going to find her and end her." I promised before turning to Aric. "And if you try stopping me, I will kill you too."


    "I won''t," he said, and for a moment I doubted I heard him right.


    "You won''t?" I asked, surprised.


    "No. Not just because I want to live but because I can understand. I can understand why you want to give your parents the justice they deserve, and not even I can stop you. Only one has that power to do that." "Alexander." I said, and he nodded. "He doesn''t know about the letter yet."


    "That''s good. He doesn''t have to know; but the decision is yours to make." Aric said.


    If Alexander knew what I was up to, he would try to stop me, or he would take the risk and go find the woman named Cynthia on his own. I didn''t want that.


    Chapter Ny One


    Cynthia will die, but it will be me who kills her. I didn''t want anyone taking that away from me. So, I couldn''t tell him; I had to keep this to myself, and when it is all over, I will tell him everything. "He can''t know." I decided.


    "You are aware that you will most likely spend days, weeks, or months hunting down your father''s ex- mate. Alexander would find you in the end."


    Aric was right, but at that moment, all I wanted was to process everything I had just discovered.


    "You should leave." I said to him, and this time he nodded.


    "If you need me, I''m sure you know where to find me." Aric said, before walking away.

 Chapter Ninety Four

    Chapter Ny Two


    ALIYA''S


    POV


    "I should have known; gods forgive me for being so stupid. Of course, you will fall in love with him; of course, you will break every rule and destroy everything we''ve spent years building just for one man." Empress Julia said to me, her eyes filled with clear disgust and disappointment.


    I was in her chambers, naked and on my knees, awaiting my punishment.


    I had never seen her look so furious before, but I couldn''t even bring myself to care about how she or the other Empresses and High Regents felt.


    "You let him into your bed, didn''t you? I imagine he must have been quite the man." I said, and her whipshed across my skin; it took every will in me to hold back the cry threatening to escape my lips.


    "I wasn''t the one the gods chose; she chose you, and now you''ve shamed her.


    Did he defy you?"


    "What I did with him is none of your business, Juli¨¤." I sneered at her.


    The whipnded against my chest this time, harder than before. "Oh, I will find out; I will dig my hands into you and discover if you are still pure."


    He had used his fingers and his tongue. If he had... disvirgined me, then there was supposed to be blood. Still, I didn''t feel very pure anymore, and I liked it.


    "No, he didn''t." I said. That wasn''t the truth, but it also wasn''t exactly a lie.


    "Good." She whispered, seemingly satisfied by my answer.


    "What would happen to him... what will happen to Trian?" asked.


    "He could have been executed immediately, but I chose that he spend the rest of his days down in the dark dungeons. That was mercy."


    I''d heard of the dark dungeons before-I knew that anyone thrown in there never makes it out. It wasn''t like any dungeon in a werewolf pack. They called it The Pit for a reason. The castle had an underground pit designed for the worst offenders, a ce of torment and...finality.


    No one escaped the pit. Many had tried to climb its walls, only to fall to their deaths before reaching even a quarter of the way up. Some had been mutted before they were ced in the pit, their bodies broken beyond repair. After a while, most people run mad. The stench of rotting corpses clung to the air, the pit reeked of death.


    I couldn''t even imagine Trian in a ce like that.


    "You don''t know the meaning of mercy." I said to her, "You sentenced a man to death, all because he took me outside the castle; you didn''t even give him a trial. He saved me - eaters that would have ripped me apart."


    did you know that? He saved me from the flesh


    "Flesh eaters? It is impossible; they only exist outside our walls."


    "Maybe they''ve found a way in. I fought two of them, and if it hadn''t been for him, they would have torn me to shreds."


    "They''ve never been this close," she said, trying to mask the panic in her eyes. She lowered herself to my level." Don''t breathe a word of this to anyone."


    Chapter Ny Two


    "And why should I keep it a secret? They have to be aware and prepared." I say partly to spite her. "Listen to me. We would go out there and kill any who had managed to get it."


    "Or maybe they will get to you first; maybe they will tear you to pieces, and I will be lucky enough to watch." She pped me so hard I fell to the ground.


    "You will pay for your crimes; you are not as bold as you try to make it seem. I know you, and I know the scared little girl you''ve always been. Nothing has changed."


    Thirty strokes. That''s how many times she whipped me. I flinched when the sponge met another open wound.


    After her punishment, she had returned me back to my room and locked me in. I was left to tend to my injuries. After I was done bathing, I rose from the tub and walked to the mirror. I couldn''t recognize the girl standing before me; she looked broken, with marks all over her body, her lips busted, and one eyepletely ck. I let out a sob. I should never have roped Trian into my miserable life.


    Chapter Eighty Three


    Chapter Eighty Three

 Chapter Ninety Five

    Chapter Eighty Three


    Chapter Eighty Three Five days.


    That''s how long I had stayed without food or water. My stomach rumbled for the one thousandth time; I was sore to my bones, I couldn''t even stand properly on my feet. I looked through the tiny window, watching the birds fly.


    I envied them. At least they were free.


    Maybe I might die of thirst and the god of light could find another ''Chosen''.


    The door was unlocked, and Julia walked in, a tray of food in her hands. My mouth watered instantly. "Hungry?" she asked, and despite myself, I nodded. "I brought you some food. But you will have to earn it. Thest time we met, you said so many sphemous things. I know you didn''t mean them. The deal is simple; all you have to do is stand before the other empresses and confess your crimes." She said with a smile.


    "Confess my crime? Imitted no crime." I said my voice sounded dry. "You condemn an innocent man to death; YOU are the problem, you and the other twisted empresses. To hell with you all."


    The smile on her face disappeared. "Too bad, I wasn''t nning on returning back with this food, but you gave me no option."


    "If I die, then it would all be in vain. You can''t kill me; we both know that."


    "No, I can''t, and I don''t n on doing so." She said, taking the ss of water and holding it out to me. I swallowed hard; it looked so crisp and clear... I never knew in water could seem so beautiful. I reached for it, fingertips just inches away-then she tilted her hand. The water spilled onto the floor, every drop wasted, and she watched me the entire time. When the cup was empty, she turned and walked away. The door lock clicked.


    Of course, I had considered quenching my thirst with the water from the washroom, but Julia was smart; the chemical in the water made it poisonous to consume. Still, I wondered if that was still an option.


    I knelt on the ground, held up my hair, and drank the water she had spilled. Tears trailed down from my cheeks, but I wouldn''t stop drinking.


    Julia visited after two days with the same offer, and again, refused; she spilled the water on the ground, but this time she watched as I went on my fours and drank the water.


    "Stupid girl." She muttered before walking away.


    Despite the hunger, there was only one thought that made it all bearable. Train. I remember how it felt when his mouth was down there eating me out, when his fingers had been in me, and I let out a small moan. That had felt so ... hot-I thought, but then I remembered where he was now, in the pit, dying. I deserved this; I deserve to suffer.


    That had been thest thought on my mind before I went to sleep.


    I woke up with a start, it was stillte in the night, something had woken me up.


    I caught the shadow of a man. Panic surged through me, but I didn''t stop to see who it was. I opened my mouth to scream, but he was faster, mping a hand over my mouth I struggled, but he was just too strong. I knew what was about to happen-Trian wasn''t here to save me this time. A muffled sob tore from my throat as tears streamed down my face.


    "Fuck, it''s me."


    I paused and he slowly took off his hands as if unsure I would start screaming all over again.


    Chapter Eighty Three


    It couldn''t be; this had to be a dream. Trian Valtor was dressed in his usual uniform; he looked even better than I remember; his ck hair fell over his striking blue eyes.


    My chest tightened just by looking at him, and then I was sobbing. "You aren''t real. This is a dream." "Aliya."


    "No. I can''t stop thinking of what I did to you; I caused it all and..."


    He held my hands. "I am real."


    I sat up, staring at him. I didn''t want to believe it. Any moment now, I would wake up from this dream and drown myself in more tears. But then he ced a kiss on my knuckles, and I felt the sparks. It was enough to tell me I wasn''t dreaming. He was here. Really here.


    For a moment I don''t know the right move to make. Hug him? Try kissing him?... I didn''t know what to do, so I just stared at him

 Chapter Ninety Six

    Chapter Ny Four


    Chapter Ny Four


    "How did you get out of there? It''s impossible..."


    He ced a finger over my lips. "No questions; I can''t answer them now." He said and then rose to his feet.


    "Where are you going?"


    He picked up the tray of food; I hadn''t even noticed it, even if the scent filled the room; all my attention


    had been on him. My mouth watered instantly. "You remember the first time I snuck in some food for you?" he asked.


    "I''ll never forget.''


    He passed me the tray, and I epted it with shaky hands. emptied the bottle of water before emptying the te of food. When I was done, I looked up to see he was watching me.


    His eyes trailed down my body, taking in the bruises, and I couldn''t help but try to hide them. I looked my worst, and I wonder if it irritated him.


    "Sorry I wasn''t here to protect you from that." He said it, and I knew what he was referring to.


    "I deserve it."


    "No, you don''t," he said, taking a seat beside me on the bed. "If there''s a way to get you out of here, forever, would you take it?"


    I stared at him, trying to read him, but he was impossible to read. "I will do anything to leave this ce, anything.


    "Anything?" he asked, and I nodded.


    "What if I ask you to be the person that you hate the most, would you also do that?"


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    "Yes, you do. I want you to be the girl you were before you met me. I want you to do every single thing they say; I want you to make them believe you are changed. In a short while, I''ll be back, and when Ie to take you, you will be with me forever, far away from this ce."


    "I''ll like that very much." I said, unable to stop crying. He wiped away my tears.


    "Do you trust me?" He asked, "Do you trust me toe back for you?"


    I stared at him. I didn''t know how he had escaped The Pit, how he had managed to sneak in food without being caught, or how he had helped me escape this ce once without anyone finding out-but Ltrusted him. If I had waited for him before leaving the castle, things would have been much different. For one, he would still be my bodyguard.


    "I trust you. Trian."


    "Good. Your trust is all I need for now."


    "I wish you didn''t have to go."


    "I don''t wish to leave either. But I have to; I need to get things ready."


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?" I inquired, and he nodded. This had been a question on my mind for days. "When we were at your ce and you... did all those things, why didn'' you... why did you go further..." "You are asking why I kept my cock to myself?" he said bluntly, and I turned red. "I will take your virginity, but it


    Chapter Ny Four


    wasn''t yet the right time."


    If it was possible, I would be even redder. "I need to leave now." He said, and only then did I wonder how he managed to get in; a soldier was by the door, and the window was way too tiny. "Close your eyes." He said. I didn''t want to, but yet I did; I closed my eyes. "Well? Can I open it now?" I asked, but there was no response. I opened my eyes, and I waspletely alone. He was gone; so was the tray and every other sign that indicated he had just been here.


    I couldn''t believe my eyes. Could it have been a dream?


    No. It wasn''t. t was no dream. It was all real.

 Chapter Ninety Seven

    Chapter Ny Five


    So many questions clouded my mind-questions about Trian. I always thought he was mysterious, but perhaps I underexaggerated it all. He left me with so many unanswered questions. How had he escaped the Pit? How had he gotten into my room? And how in the hell did he disappear into thin air?


    He had asked if I trusted him. I did-more than anyone in my life, though there weren''t many to begin with. He said he woulde back for me; he also told me what I would have to do. I didn''t know his ns, but I had no choice but to trust him blindly.


    Two days passed. I knew Julia would be visiting anytime from now, but this time I was ready.


    The door was pulled open, and she walked in with the biggest smile on her face and a tray of food in her hands. I wasn''t very hungry; two days without food was no big deal to me, and Trian had made sure I was well fed. I knew what I had to do.


    "I brought you some food. But as I have told you before, it alles with a price." She said, "It''s just one simple task, and this torment-it would be all over, your sins forgotten. That''s not too much to ask, is it? On the contrary, it''s fair..."


    >>


    "You are right." I said, cutting her off and enjoying the surprise on her face; she hadn''t expected me to give in. "I have sinned, I have sphemed, and I want to be clean again. I was the fool; I should have listened to you, and I am ready to make amendments if you will let me."


    Slowly the look of shock on her face was ovee by the wide smile. "You finally understand. It wasn''t that hard, was it?"


    "No. I needed time to realize my mistake. I thank you, Empress, for helping me see just how deeply I had been tainted by sin.''


    Her smile broadened even wider if that was possible. "You need to eat; you are weak, and then you will make your confessions."


    "Thank you, Empress." I said, epting the food with shaky hands-that was also an act, and I could tell she was falling so miserably for it; it took everything in me to hide my smile. I felt like the queen in a chess game, while every other person in this castle-empresses and regents alike-were merely pawns in my game.


    I ate the food like a starved animal, and when I was done, Julia led me to the washroom. "Clean up and get dressed; I will be back to pick you up in an hour." She said,


    An hour-that was more than enough time. I spent thirty minutes in the bathtub, lost in thoughts of Trian and how enticing of a man he was. Another ten minutes reying every word he had spoken to me in the room, lingering on the promises he made. Thest twenty minutes were spent getting dressed.


    In exactly one hour, Julia walked in, seemingly happy to see me all dressed and ready.


    "Shall we?" she asked, and I opened my mouth to give a sweet response, but I wonder if overdoing it will bring about suspicion, so I shut my mouth and issued a nod. "Great! They are all waiting." She announced.


    By ''they'' she meant the Empress and High Regent. She led me out of my room, down the corridor, and finally into


    a hall.


    Therge circr hall had about fifteen seats arranged on the tform, encircling the center. They all sat, staring down at me-some with disgust, others with curiosity. I lowered my gaze, letting them believe I was submitting


    to their will.


    §ã

 Chapter Ninety Eight

    hapter Ny Six


    Chapter Ny Six


    "Don''t be afraid; you''vee to confess your sins and plead for mercy from the god of light; you have nothing to fear." Julia said to me, and I nodded, but my eyes remained on the ground.


    High Regent Gregold rose to his feet and walked to my side.


    "Together, we are gathered here with the god of light''s Chosen; she has made a mistake and is here to atone for her mistakes."


    "Go on." Julia encouraged, and I finally looked up.


    "I had disgraced myself, this house, and everything sacred. I had brought shame and reproach; all the while I thought I was right; I thought I was missing something, but I was wrong. Everything I had ever needed was in here, but I failed to see it. I had been blinded by my own selfishness. Empress Julia helped me see my mistakes and ..." I broke down, sobbing. Crying wasn''t a hard task for me it was easy to let a few tears slide down my cheeks. "I feel so ashamed of myself; I was weak. I do not deserve the god of light''s mercy, but I plead for it. I promise to never ck from the right part, to never covet what isn''t mine..." The lie slipped effortlessly from my lips, which was strange, considering I had always tried to avoid lying-and whenever I did, I was quickly found out. Yet here I was, lying as if it were second nature. Julia ced aforting hand on my back. I didn''t think she cared about me, but I do believe she was pleased I mentioned her name in my speech of atonement. "My fate has been sealed since the day I was born, and I epted it, because it is and would always be an honor to serve the god of light." I finished and looked up to see a few with smiles on their faces, others void of emotion, but the disgust and curiosity were gone.


    High Regent Gregold passed a bowl filled with a dark-colored liquid to Julia. She epted it and turned to me." Kneel." She said, and I fell down to my knees. "The god of light is merciful, but only she can tell the intentions of one''s heart." She said, and then poured the dark liquid over my hair. It ran down my body, soaking my clothes, and as it flowed, its color faded, turning as clear as water.


    I looked up at Julia; she had a smile on her face. "The god of light deems your words true and just, pure as the


    liquid," she said.


    It was a lie; it was all a lie, and yet... this god of light deemed my words to be true.


    "Rise." She said, and I rose to my feet. "You have been given another chance; don''t fail."


    "I won''t." I lied.


    One after the other, the empresses and regents rose and walked away; Cynthia was thest to leave. I was left alone with Julia.


    "You''ve made me very proud." She praised,


    "I have only done what is right, what I should have done a long time ago."


    "To be honest, I never thought you had it in you. And I will reward you for this. You will get your meals delivered to you daily."


    I waited for her to name the reward, but as the silence stretched on, I finally understood-the daily meals were the reward.


    "Thank you, Empress," I said, hoping my dyed response didn''t betray my slight disappointment. She led me back into my room and shut the door behind her I wondered if she knew that Trian was no longer down in the dungeons, that he had somehow managed to escape the pit-I doubted it. I didn''t think she knew.


    Chapter Ny Six


    "It was important you bemitted to your role as the Chosen. You have only three weeks left, and then the great ''Encounter.''


    I paled. Somehow, I had shoved that to the back of my mind Panic crept in-what if Trian arrived toote? Three weeks was a long time, wasn''t it? He should have made it back before my time ran out. He had to have.

 Chapter Ninety Nine

    Chapter Ny Seven


    ALEXANDER POV


    **NINE YEARS AGO**


    My mother, Riley, stared at me from a distance. I could see the longing in her eyes-the need to be close


    to her son. I saw her almost every single day-except for the times she locked herself away in her room, and yet, there seemed to be this distance between us; we could never have a normal mother-to-son rtionship. I knew that.


    The bruise on my neck still stung, a wound inflicted by her but I knew she hadn''t been in her right mind. I could tell the moment the switch flipped and her demon took control. I was strong enough to fight her now, but I''d rather die than hurt my own mother. The pain from each bite was bearable, but the thought of raising a hand against the woman who gave me life-that, I couldn''t endure.


    I waved awkwardly at her, and she smiled, teary-eyed.


    I walked towards her; her eyes widened in panic, and she turned around returning to her room, fleeing down the passageways, but I followed after her, and before she could shut the door on me, I slid into her


    room.


    "Why are you here?" She asked, a frown on her face, but I could still see her fear. She wanted me close to her, and at the same time, she didn''t.


    1 inherited her eyes, mine a bit lighter, but I didn''t think I looked a lot like her.


    "Can I not pay my own mother a visit?"


    The term takes her by surprise, as if she doesn''t believe she deserves it, but the small smile on her face vanishes almost immediately. "You can''t be this close to me; I can hurt you..."


    "And I don''t care."


    "No. You should. If it happens next time, fight me, Ethan. Promise that you will fight me."


    I gave no response because we both knew that would be thest thing I''ll ever do. "All I want to do is speak to my mother. I won''t leave, not even if you ask me to."


    "You remind me of your father, very stubborn."


    "Father wouldn''t want me here either."


    That was true, Alpha Thane always did his best to keep me away from her. The only time I was allowed to visit my own mother was when he was present, just to ensure things wouldn''t get out of hand. Yet, one of us-either me or my mother, Riley-always ended up breaking that rule, and things ended up getting out of hand. I have learned to hide the scars-never let my father see them, never let Riley see them either, and hate herself more than she already does.


    They both loved me in their own way, and I loved them too.


    We did speak; I told her how excited I felt every time I got to switch to my wolf form. I was thirteen and just a new shifter, so it was always exhrating to switch into another formpletely. She smiled a lot and was ready to answer any questions even if she had no wolf,


    Only after I had departed to my own room did I wonder if telling her about the joy of having a wolf was stupid- what if she missed having one? She was born a werewolf and reborn a demon; of course she would miss her past life. I was stupid.


    Just then, the door to my personal space swung open, and I heard footsteps. I knew it was my mother before I even saw her.


    Chapter Ny Seven


    "Mom... It''ste; what are you doing here? You should be sleeping.


    I''ve been having some very weird thoughtstely about demons. I wonder if they slept-if they even


    needed sleep; they were known as the true creatures of the night; maybe they operated in the night and slept in the day.


    "I shouldn''t be here, but I just needed to see you." She said, and I led her to sit on the couch, I sat opposite her.


    "I will always be here for you."


    "I don''t want to lose you, Ethan. You are my pride, my beautiful boy."


    I didn''t like being called a ''boy,'' but I let that slide seeing how emotional she was. "You won''t be losing me, Mom; I will always be here for you," I said, walking to her and embracing her.


    I shouldn''t have done that.


    I instantly tried pulling away, but her grip tightened. "I love you so much, Ethan. I hope you know that."


    "I know that, Mom." I said, though I felt her trembling, want and hunger slowly taking over. A single tear from her eyes fell on my exposed shoulder.


    I finally pulled away from her hold, but shetched onto my arm. her eyes had turnedpletely ck. "I''m sorry." She whispered, and then her teeth sank into my skin, and a scream tore through my throat.


    She drank and drank till I felt lightheaded. Fight her; you could do it I knew I could, and yet... I didn''t. I let her take her fill; she must have been very hungry.


    Darkness took over, and my world vanished.

 Chapter Hundred

    Chapter


    Ny Eight


    Chapter Ny Eight


    It had never gone this far before. This was the first time she had nearly drained me dry, and I knew it would not be thest.


    I awoke in the healing room; my vision blurred, but I could faintly make out my father''s figure standing beside


    1. me.


    "Where is she?"


    "She is in her room." he answered.


    I felt a slight fear-not for myself, but for her. Something was about to go terribly wrong.


    And I was right.


    She didn''t visit, not even after I was discharged from the healers. The scar on my arms was another addition to the others, but I really didn''t care about the scars; if anyone asked, I usually came up with some crap story about how I had been bitten by a wild animal.


    After a whole month of not getting even a glimpse of my mother''s face, I went to visit her. I knocked on the door to her apartment, but there was no response. The bad feeling that had been growing stronger since I woke up in the healing room was even worse now. Stepping back, I broke down the door.


    I walked into her apartment, my heart racing; I checked her room first, then the shower next - nothing, she wasn''t in there, I came to a stop when I spotted her. She stood by the balcony, lost, her eyes pinned at something up in the sky - something I couldn''t see.


    "Mom, gods, I was so worried." It took everything in me not to let out a curse from the sheer relief that washed over me. She didn''t look at me; she didn''t even move; she stood still like some statue. I walked to her and ced my hands on her shoulders, and she flinched; she seemed to only be noticing my presence now. It was impossible that the sound of her door being broken down and me calling her name hadn''t snapped her out of her trance-yet it wasn''t until I touched her that she reacted. Her eyes widened. "I''m sorry." She muttered as always. "I''m sorry I did that to you, I''m sorry I didn''t visit when you were at the healing room, I''m sorry I stayed away..."


    "It''s alright." I assured, but that didn''t stop her from backing away.


    "I told you to fight me; you didn''t fight; you epted it."


    "I told you that would be thest thing I would ever do. I meant it."


    "I don''t deserve to be called your mother; I deserve to die after what I''ve done to you."


    "No, why would you say that? I haven''t stopped loving you and the only way you''ll ever hurt me is by choosing


    death."


    She nodded. "I shouldn''t have said that. I''m sorry."


    "It''s alright." I said once again.


    For the next week, my mother was apletely different person. It was strange to see my father and mother abandon their work, duties, and even caution to spend time with me- together. For those few days, we were just a normal family.


    "If you became the Alpha King, what would you do?" Alpha Thane, my father asked one of the evenings. The truth was that I haven''t given that a deep thought. A part of me really didn''t care, but the question seemed


    Chapter Ny Eight


    important to him.


    "Make the pack so freaking wealthy." I answered, and he smiled, seemingly satisfied with my response.


    I should have picked up on that clue, but I didn''t. I should have known the little get-together was a kind of '' goodbye,'' but I wasn''t that smart. I didn''t read between the lines.


    "We will be back as soon as we can." My father said to me, and I believed him; he had no reason to lie to me; but they never came back.


    That night when they both left, I had felt that disturbing worry, like something was off, but I didn''t put two and two together.


    I knew my mother was responsible for the deaths of a few pack members-sometimes she lost control, and they paid the price. And yet, I never saw her as a monster, not even when she bit me and all I felt was pain. But when I discovered the truth that she was gone, leaving me to shoulder a life of responsibility, pain and suffering I wasn''t ready for my love turned to hate and all the good memories were blotted by the


    bad ones.

 Chapter One Hundred and One

    Chapter Ny Nine


    ALEXANDER POV


    **PRESENT**


    "Thanks foring." I said to Sebastian who had his arms wrapped around Kate''s waist.


    They hadn''t been hard to find-maybe because they wanted to be found.


    "It is my pleasure; I am d you reconsidered." Sebastian responded.


    "I am d to see you once again, Ethan." Kate said. She didn''t seem to notice her slip; she had called me by the very name I abhorred.


    Acting had never been difficult for me; in fact, it had be second nature. But for some reason, around these two, keeping my emotions in check felt like a struggle. Still, I had made a promise to get through this, and I intended to keep it.


    "Wee to the Nightshade pack." I said, forcing on a smile that didn''t feel at all weing.


    I led them into the pack house and straight to the meeting room.


    "An apartment will be assigned to you-stay as long as you need," I said. Just as long as you keep out of my way and I don''t have to see you.


    "Son..." Sebastian began, but he must have seen something in my eyes because he quickly corrected himself. "Alexander. I know you hate us. You have every right to."


    I waited, expecting him to go on and tell me why he couldn''t visit, but he said nothing else, and I wouldn''t ask either.


    "Thest time you visited, you said you had something to tell me?"


    That is the only reason you are here, so let''s skip to the point.


    "Yes, I did. I have something to tell you, and I mentioned it also has to do with..."


    "My ability to wield fire."


    "Yes. There is a little family history you need to know about. You had a brother-a half brother-and he was a demon."


    "I know all about Daemon and his sick, twisted love for his own mother-my mother."


    Riley hadn''t kept that a secret; she had told me everything about him and also how he gave his life for hers in the end. I didn''t think that was salvation enough for him, but he was dead, and so I couldn''t bring myself to bother.


    "I''m d she told you that. Thest I knew about him was that he had been sent back to the Underground world... in other words, killed. But I don''t think he''s still down there."


    "What?"


    "I had a vision, and in it, he had overpowered the Demon Overlord and taken his ce."


    "And I guess you also found out about my ability via this vision?" I asked; I couldn''t hide the mockery from


    my voice. The incident in the Gray Moon Pack would have given anyone that looked deeper a clue. "Demons don''t escape the underground world; that is their final destination."


    Chapter Ny Nine


    "But the Overlord had done that once; all he needed was a sorcerer and a demon toplete the ritual."


    My head throbbed. I was never the superstitious type, and for a bleak moment, I wondered if this information had been worth knowing.


    "So did your vision reveal to you where exactly he is?" I asked.


    "No. But I believe he is very close. He could be a few packs away, or even in this very pack, carrying the face of an unfamiliar person.''


    "If he had indeed changed at thest moment of his first death, then perhaps he is not a threat."


    "I would say the same, but then... if he is here, he wants something. Riley is no more; she is the only one that truly knew and understood him."


    I didn''t think he deserved to say her name. Did he really love her? If she was their only child, I would have expected her grandchild to be at the top of their list.


    "So, I''m guessing that my stepbrother being the Demon Overlord somehow provoked the tiny demon side of me, making it even more evident?"


    "Exactly! You are partially rted to him, and with him being the Overlord, your demon side might grow more and more powerful."


    I always knew I had demon blood in me, but I thought the dominant Alpha blood suppressed it-until now. I couldn''t help but imagine bing like her-my mother, unable to control my demon side.


    It will never get to that; she was a full demon, and I was less than half a demon.


    "I am sure you want to know why we never visited." Kate said and I noticed Sebastian gaze locked on her


    as if to stop her from saying more, but she spoke on anyway. "I wish I could tell you there was a reason. I wish I could say something was holding us back, but that would be a lie."


    "So you just... stayed away?"


    "Yes." She answered, and I nodded, not willing to hear anymore. I had kept up with my n, but I think I''ve heard enough. "Thank you for your time; the maids will assist you with anything you need." I said rising to my feet and walking to the door.


    "She was all I had," Kate''s voice called, stopping me. I could hear the pain in her voice-her anger, her fury, and also... her guilt. "I loved her, but I was never there for her, not when she suffered in pain, not when she was forced to be a monster; I was never there for her. I failed her as a mother and a friend. You know, she kept so many things from me... I always tell myself she did it to keep me safe, but perhaps it wasn''t that; perhaps she stopped trusting me. I was far away when I heard the news that she and Thane were gone." Kate broke down in tears. "It broke me; it haunted me, day and night. I didn''te to you because I was afraid had already failed... How much worse could it get?" she whispered. "I don''t hate you, Kate. I don''t feel... anything towards you

 Chapter One Hundred and Two

    Chapter Hundred


    Chapter Hundred


    I returned to my private chambers. I wanted to see Kaida so badly; she only could take away the tension I felt. The moment I walked in, I spotted her; she stoodpletely naked, her back, or rather, her ass, to me. I felt myself harden instantly. All I wanted to do was bend her over and sink my cock deep into her warmth; I yearned for her, and damn, was she my darkest obsession.


    She turned immediately when she heard my footsteps.


    "You''re back." She said with a smile, looking slightly nervous.


    "You''re naked." I pointed out.


    "Yes, I am. Would you prefer me fully clothed?" She asked innocently, but there was nothing innocent about this girl, named Kaida.


    She walked to me, swaying her hips; I watched her breasts bounce with every stride she took. gods, she was going to be the death of me. All the tension I felt disappeared, and all I could think about was her. She had that power over me. I felt my wolf pushing at my boundaries; he wanted a taste of her too. She stopped right before me, and then she dropped to her knees. Her hands pulled at my belt, but I stopped her. "What are you doing?" I asked.


    "Don''t act dumb." She said before pulling the belt loose and unzipping my pants, I watched her, unable to take my gaze off from her face; she reached out for me, pulling me out of my boxer brief, her hands wrapped around my cock, and I let out a groan of pure need. She kissed the tip before taking it into her mouth. I was burning and, at the same time, cold; there were sparks, and this time they grew into pure fucking electricity.


    I fought so damn hard to keep my hands to myself, but then she took me deeper into her mouth, sucking hard. I let out a growl, fisting my hands into her hair. I fucked her mouth hard but still careful not to throttle her. She moaned against my dick, the sound vibrating through me; she took in my length. I never thought she had it in her. Damn, Kaida was filled with surprises. I trembled, so close but I didn''t want to let go yet, not in her mouth. I pulled her up by the hair and mmed her against the wall, and then I thrust into her, deep and hard. I imed her lips, kissing her like my life depended on it. She let out a cry of pain and pleasure when I thrust deeper, hitting the very spot in which I couldn''t go further. Despite my animalistic drive, a part of me worried at how hurt she would be.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Don''t stop." She pleaded; I could see the want and lust, bright in her eyes; she hungered for the pain just as much as she hungered for pleasure. I mmed inside of her, going again and again; she could hardly meet my pace. I had never gone this wild with her, and yet I couldn''t stop, my hands wrapped around her throat. The room was filled with our moans, the p of skin against skin, and her cries-painced with pleasure. She came hard, her body milking me and forcing me into my own release.


    We were both covered in sweat when I carried her to the bed.


    I wanted to go for another round, but staring at her, all spent, I decided I had hurt her enough for one day. "Where did you learn how to do that?" I questioned.


    "Do what?" She asked with a smile; of course she knew what I was referring to. "If I tell you, promise you won''t get mad."


    I would only get mad if she had learned it from trying it out on other guys... or perhaps Aric. Without waiting for my answer, she responded.


    Chapter Hundred


    "I watched Lara do it."


    For a moment I couldn''t ce the name. "Wait, you mean the brte whore?" I questioned, and she smiled at


    the term.


    "I used to call her that, before I knew her real name. I shouldn''t feel sad for her, but it is sad that the man she had given her body to countless times had trouble remembering her name.


    "How..."


    How did Lara and Kaidae to be? I mean, I didn''t know much about women, but they usually hate the whores their mate fucks, right?


    "I didn''t like her at first. But then it turns out she is a good person. She had offered to teach me a few things on how to... make you happy, and she was always more than ready to help."


    My chest tightened. Kaida was willing to meet with the whore I fucked just to learn the act of pleasing me. "You were very good." Iplimented but that was an understatement. That had been the best blowjob I had gotten my whole life, and I have been with my own share of women.


    "I''m d you liked it," she said. "But next time, perhaps you should think twice before feeding Lara wolf''s bane.''


    Shit, she knew about that too.

 Chapter One Hundred and Three

    Chapter One Hundred and One


    I could tell she wasn''t sleeping-something was on her mind.


    "You asked me once if I believed in you," she began, and I turned to her.


    "I remember that," I said. I could never forget her words: ''I will always believe in you-even when others don''t, even when you don''t believe in yourself,'' she had said.


    "Now I want you to do something for me; it might be too much to ask."


    "What is it?" I questioned, there was only little I wouldn''t do for her, if only she knew that.


    "I want you to believe in me too. I want you to trust that I''ll make the right decisions."


    I stared at her, wondering what she wasn''t telling me, before I could question her; she spoke on, perhaps


    to change the topic. "How did the meeting with your grandparents go?"


    "I spent half the time contemting if I made the right decision inviting them in. Sebastian had a lot to say;


    he believes my ''ability'' is somehow tied to my stepbrother, Daemon." I paused, realizing Kaida might not know much about my stepbrother.


    "I know Daemon... I''m familiar with the name. My father told me about the demon who switched faces- how he pretended to be Alpha Thane while the real Thane was captured somewhere far from here."


    I was impressed; Kaida knew more about me and my family than she let on.


    "Sebastian believes that Daemon had somehow dethroned Vox and is now the Demon Overlord. He also believes that Daemon is here, roaming the earth.


    "And how does he know all these?" she asked.


    "Apparently, he saw it all in a vision," I exined, noticing a trace of doubt in her eyes-that was exactly how I felt when he told me how he had acquired the knowledge.


    "Do you believe him?" she asked me.


    "I don''t know what to believe. But that is the only exnation I would ever get, so I''d be a fool to ignore his warning."


    "What do you think Daemon is here for?"


    "I don''t know. But I think I should send a message to Empresses of Aureonna; they believe it is their life''s purpose to end the Overlord for good. This news would give them a cause worth dying for," I said mockingly. "No!" Kaida burst out, and for a moment, I thought she sounded panicked. "I-I mean, why should you go to them? They came here, and we turned them down. Don''t you think they would want to do the same?" "It''s a different case. I tell you, they''ve been waiting for this news for decades."


    "So, what would you say to them? That the Overlord is back and you got that off some old man''s visions- no offense, but you need some kind of proof, and without that there is no need to send them a message.'' She didn''t seem to be aware that Sebastian was a warlock. But she was right; I needed concrete proof, and I did shoo them away when they visited, I''m sure Empress Julia would love to do the same. "You know what? Let''s forget all this talk about demons and the Demon Overlord and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead tomorrow.''


    "I can''t sleep." She said, "I just have a lot on my mind."


    Chapter One Hundred and One


    I waited for her to go on, but she didn''t say more than that. I drew her closer.


    "I might just know how to help." I whispered into her ears.


    "How?" she asked.


    I flipped her over so that her ass was positioned against my pelvis. I hardened, but I couldn''t let myself lose control. My hands trail down her hips to her opening. ¨¢ small moan escaped her lips as I rubbed against her clit, slowly stroking her. She only grew wetter. My body hummed with need, but now it wasn''t about me; it was all about the woman lying on the bed right beside me, my woman, my mate.


    I thrust a finger gently into her, and she moaned louder, grinding her hips against my finger. I held her still; I nned on taking this slow. I thrust in and out of her, never increasing the pace; I felt her rx into me, and then I added in another finger. Still maintaining the rhythm, she tightened around my fingers before shattering with a cry. I pulled away and watched her fall into sleep, content with myself.

 Chapter One Hundred and Four

    Chapter One Hundred and Two


    The first thing I noticed when I awoke was the empty bed-Kaida was not by my side.


    So many times, I had spent my nights with women and left before they even woke; I had never once thought about how painful it was for them until now.


    Kaida wasn''t in our apartment either.


    The second thing I noticed was that it was already well past noon.


    I had been sleeping for hours-that was unlike me. I was never a deep sleeper; even the smallest noises were enough to wake me. The real question was, how had she managed to leave without me noticing? And how the hell did I sleep until noon?


    I rose from bed, putting on a new pair of pants and an ash grey shirt, and I walked out of my room.


    She was not in the training grounds either. There was only one person that would know where exactly she was. I stopped by Aric''s room and knocked. There was no response.


    Well, I tried.


    I forced the door open, breaking the lock. I didn''t care that I was invading his privacy-I didn''t care what I had to invade to find her. Walking inside, I caught a slight whiff of her scent. She had been here not too long ago. The thought alone filled me up with jealousy.


    I walked out, immediately spotting Austin who hurried in my direction.


    "Alpha, I need to talk to you."


    "Not now."


    "Alpha..."


    "I said, not now!" I growled.


    "It''s about the Luna; she sent me to you."


    My irritation disappeared. "Where is she?" "Gone."


    "Gone? What the fuck do you mean by that?"


    "She left the packnds. She gave me this..." he said, passing a vial to me. I recognized it almost instantly; I''ve used it more than once; it was a sleeping potion, albeit more effective than the others. had wondered why I didn''t sense when she left or why I awoke at noon; the answer stared right in front of me. A sleeping potion.


    I didn''t remember drinking or eating anything after I returned to her room, but I did remember kissing her. That must have been it.


    But... why?


    It didn''t make sense.


    "Quoting her, she said she was sorry but had to do this. She promised to be back as soon as it was all over and wouldn''t be gone long."


    "Where did you meet her?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Two


    "On her way out of the pack house."


    "You didn''t stop her?"


    His face paled. "I can''t... I couldn''t. Not after what happened to..." he trailed off, but I knew the name lingering on his tongue-Seth, the advisor I had killed because he ced her in the dungeons. I couldn''t me him; he had the right to fear for his life.


    "Was she alone?" I asked, already knowing the answer to that.


    "No, she went with Commander Aric."


    "Get the cars ready; we will find her."


    "She said she didn''t want to be followed, that she would exin everything when she gets back."


    "I don''t give a fuck what she said; get the goddamned cars ready now!"


    I was fucking furious.


    ''Why?'' That was the only question on my mind. Why did she have to drug me with the sleeping potion? Why did she have to leave? Why had she taken Aric along with her and not me?


    Ayer of disappointment settled over me I felt betrayed. I had expected better from her. If only she had talked to me, I would have helped her the best I could, and she knew it. I would have been there for her, but she''d rather go with Aric, after everything... after all the promises and kisses.


    She''d had it all nned out, even as she sucked on my cock. I should have known, once, she had seduced me, just as she didst night, then she had wanted something too; she had wanted to know the truth behind my scars, she had gotten it out of me.


    and


    Had everything she''d said, every action she made, been as false as the kiss she ced on my lipsst night? I didn''t think so; I refused to believe that.


    But then I remembered her words: "I want you to believe in me too. I want you to trust that I''ll make the right decisions."


    She might not have left a letter or message, but she left a clue. She wanted me to believe in her and in whatever ns she was about to make. I wanted to help her; I wanted to interfere so bad. I didn''t want to sit back here; she could get hurt. But her words rang over and again in my mind.


    Kaida was different; she didn''t like being controlled; she hated the idea of being a Luna and submitting to a man; she''d always wanted more, and perhaps I couldn''t give her that, but I could show her that I trusted her decision; I could make her see that I believed in her strength. That didn''t mean I would easily let go of her trickery, I was looking forward to hearing what she had to say for herself when she returned. "Alpha, the cars are ready." Austin notified me.


    "There would be no need for that. If she isn''t back in a week, then I would be left with no choice but to find her." That was me being fucking generous.

 Chapter One Hundred and Five

    Chapter One Hundred and Three


    KAIDA''S POV


    My n had worked perfectly, even though at every step I expected it to fail.


    I had taken a dose of the sleeping potion. I had drugged myself just to get to him, but I also had the antidote, a capsule hidden in my palm.


    I felt guilty even as I kissed him; he had given me so much that night, and I was going to hurt him in return. I had no right to do that, and yet I did. The moment we were on the bed and I felt the drug working its way into my head, making me warm and drowsy, I swallowed the pill, freeing myself from its grasp. Alexander, on the other hand, didn''t seem the least bit affected. I feared the potion had no effect on him. I forced my breathing to steady, forced myself to rx, and somehow drifted into a light sleep. I was still very aware of the time. Alex had finally fallen asleep, I didn''t think I would get a chance like this ever again.


    I slipped from his firm hold a few hours before dawn. He stirred-damn, the drug wasn''t as effective on him as I had hoped. But then he stilled, and I seized my chance to escape. I missed his warmth almost instantly. I gave him onest look, the guilt tightening in my chest.


    I wish I could tell him, but Aric was right; it was best he didn''t know. At least not yet.


    I grabbed the bag I had already prepared and tiptoed out of our apartment. My chest hurt; for a moment, I wondered if I was making the right decision. I took out the letter my father had left for me and reread it. I needed strength; the fury and anger I felt after reading the letter was motivation enough. I headed to Aric''s room, knowing Alex would be pissed when he found out I had left with him.


    I would have to handle that when I got back; I would do my best to exin and hope he understands, but for now, I had someone I needed to murder, and her name was Cynthia.


    I couldn''t hide the slight limp, my body still aching fromst night. Aric was quick to notice. Last night had been beautiful-sometimes pain is required toplete beauty but now, well, I was... sore.


    "Are you alright?" Aric asked.


    "Yes, of course, we should get going."


    "I wondered how you were nning to convince the Alpha, he said, his gaze drifting down my frame and stopping where I didn''t want it to. "You offered him sex in exchange.


    ">


    "Alexander wouldn''t have agreed to that-he would never let me go that easily. I had to use the sleeping potion. We don''t have much time; it should knock him out for at least seventeen hours, but knowing him, he''ll be awake sooner. We have to get going."


    Aric nodded, letting go of the subject.


    "You told me you would look into Cynthia''s records. Have you found anything important?"


    The problem was that there were a lot of people bearing the name, we had to narrow down to find our culprit and Aric was better at those sorts of things.


    "Yes, I believe I know exactly who our target is. But first, we need to leave. I''ll exin everything once we''re at the house."


    "What house?" I asked; I didn''t remember arranging for a mouse.


    "I might be themander now, but I was the beta of the Dawn Pack, and I have a boastful amount of properties


    Chapter One Hundred and Three


    to my name. We would be staying in one of my houses."


    "Staying? We aren''t staying anywhere; we would go find Cynthia, I''ll kill her, and then we would return back here."


    "What if it does take months? We need a ce to stay."


    He was right about us needing a ce to stay. "It won''t take months. I don''t think I''ll have that much time before Alexanderes searching for me."


    "How much time do you think we have?"


    "Weeks at most."


    "What if that''s not enough?"


    "Well, we have to work with it. I hope you are right about Cynthia being one of the nobles in the City of Aureonna." "I am quite sure." He said.


    That had been the reason I had stopped Alex from sending them a message; for now I wanted him far away from my destination. I was going to kill one of their ''noble'' members; this would lead to an all-out war if Alexander was somehow discovered in the middle of it.


    ?


    It was a selfish move-I knew it. If Sebastian was telling the truth, then the Demon Overlord was out there. And yet, I had stopped him from informing the Aureonnas because I feared it would ruin my own n. But if I sat back and dwelled on my fears, guilt, and selfishness, I''d never be able to go through with my n. I picked up a piece of paper to write a message for Alex-I couldn''t go without giving him some kind of exnation. But then I paused. There was a better way. I could pass the message to someone he trusted. He needed to see that I wasn''t being forced into anything, that I was leaving of my own ord. And I knew exactly who to turn to-Austin.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Four


    "Wee to my humble home." Aric said and I stared at the building in awe. There was nothing humble about this ce.


    "This is beyond..." My expectations-I wanted to say, but I quickly chose another word. "...beyond amazing. Nice ce," Iplimented.


    "Thank you. Feel at home; this is your ce as much as it is mine." He said with a warm smile.


    It was a modern house with ss walls and modern furniture; the floors gleamed; it must have been recently cleaned, but looking around, I saw no cleaners or maids, the house waspletely empty. "Theye in from time to time to clean the ce." He exined, already reading the question off my eyes. Aureonna City is only twelve hours away-assuming you run in your wolf form."


    I wished we could get closer to the city, but this would have to do for now.


    Aric took my bag, tucking it away. "Do you want anything to eat? Drink?"


    "No. Not really."


    "It was a long run-you must be dehydrated. I''ve kept this ce stocked so we''d never go hungry while we''re here."


    11


    "A ss of wine would be fine for now." I said only because I didn''t want to turn him down the second time but I really didn''t want to take anything; I just wanted to go through with this and return to Alexander. I never thought I''d be so tied to a man that it would feel like I depended on him. And yet, here I am-miles away from him-but he still clouds my thoughts.


    Aric poured me a ss of nonalcoholic wine. Of course, he had no idea that I drank-and now, more than ever, I needed something strong. But I epted the wine anyway with a small ''thank you'' and took a sip. Aric disappeared into one of the inner rooms and returned with a file. I set my ss on the table, my attention fixed on the file he ced before me. I flipped through it and pulled out the pictures.


    "Turns out, she is an empress-I just figured that out now He said, taking a sip from his own ss, which was filled with a rich brown liquid.


    I stared at the picture of a frail woman with short hair and light blue eyes. Her eyes glowed with mischief;


    a chill ran down my spine. This was her; for some reason, I just knew.


    "I will kill her." I promised, rising to my feet.


    "Where are you going?"


    "To end her. She is twelve hours away; I would take her by surprise, and she wouldn''t be able to defend herself."


    "Kaida, I know how you are feeling right now..."


    "You don''t know anything, Aric. Not a single goddamned thing. I lost two of my parents; this woman took them away from me. I have the chance to kill her, and not even you can stop me."


    "We are in this together, but I think you should wait. There will be a ceremony soon. A big one, all the empresses and regents would be present; that is our chance."


    "When is it?"


    "We''ll have to wait here for five days. If we leave then, we''ll arrive just in time for the ceremony."


    Chapter One Hundred and four


    "I can''t wait five days!"


    "I can''t let you get yourself killed. The castle is being protected with soldiers, and they are armed-don''t forget they too have the ability to wield fire."


    "Their ability is limited."


    "Still, we can''t afford to be taken by surprise.


    Once again, he was right.


    Three days passed; we''ve done nothing but n. We just couldn''t screw this up, there was too much at stake.


    I hardly slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about Alex and how furious he would be with each passing day I stayed here. I wished I could send him a message-something to let him know I was still alive, that I was fine, that he didn''t have to worry. But I couldn''t. My thoughts shifted to those light brown eyes-the ones staring at me from the pictures, belonging to the woman who had taken my parents away. The very same eyes I would shut forever.


    There was a knock on the door before Aric walked in, his eyes troubled.


    "I think we need to talk." He said.


    "Talk? That''s all we''ve been doing these past three days."


    "This has nothing to do with the Empress. We might try to ignore how risky this ''mission'' is, but things can go wrong, and we have to be prepared for that too. If anything happens...


    "Nothing will happen."


    He inhaled deeply. "I like you, Kaida. A lot. I tried to ignore it, overlook it, but what I feel for you cannot be shoved away and ignored..."


    "Aric, this is not the time."


    "There is no perfect time, Kaida. Before you walk in there attempting to kill an empress, I want you to know this." He said, walking closer, he took my hand and slowly ced it on his heart. "Feel it, how it reacts to your very presence. I might never get a chance like this again, but just let me have this." he pleaded before cing a kiss on my lips. Just like I had done before, I froze.


    Aric was my friend; he was my family. I never wanted to hurt him, but I wish he could understand that I''ll never love him... He was a good person, but he would never be more than a friend to me.


    Finally, he pulled away, getting the clue. "For fuck''s sake, Kaida. I''ve always been there for you-you just never saw me. And I''m still here, standing by your side, just like always. I should have taken my chance a long time ago, but you never liked the idea of love. How wrong I was. Maybe if I had tried, you would have been mine."


    "Aric, I never saw you that way," I said softly, noticing the flicker of irritation on his face.


    "Tell me. Do you feel drawn to him because of his power and influence?"


    "No... stop..."


    "Or am I not good-looking enough?"


    "You are, Aric, but it can''t...''


    "Why?" 2/3


    "I don''t know


    *** praus


    The wallowed, the hurt of rejection clear in tits eyes, he did even try hiding it. "I''m sorry." It said, and t nodded, it''s fine. I said hugging him "1''th sorry for


    11


    I felt the puncture on my elin. Before I could pull away, a ring one Thadn''t even noticed in his grasp was emptied into my bloodstream.


    "Aric, what have you done?"


    "I drugged you."


    Betrayal, hot burning betrayal was all I felt. "You are going to have your way with me, against my will?" I asked, unable to believe what he had done and what he was about to do. "I''d expect this from an enemy, but not you, Aric-you were the only family I had, but you threw that away."


    My vision blurred.


    "I am not going to rape you, Kaida. When you awake, you will forget I came here, you''ll forget how vulnerable I had been."


    A single tear slipped down my cheek as darkness slowly took over. I remember arms around me,ying me on the bed. Half-conscious, I still felt his hands trailing down my stomach-then, suddenly, he withdrew.


    "I''m sorry." He whispered. "I''m so, so sorry, Kaida."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    I knew what was happening the moment I felt the pain-Kaida was having sex.


    The day I took her virginity, I vowed to change-for her. Now, I was reconsidering that very promise. It didn''t take a genius to figure out who she was with: her beta, Aric, I was going to fucking kill him, but then again, Kaida considered him as family. I should be angry at her, but yet here I sat wondering if this was what she was forced to bear when I was with other women.


    Could this be her own way of getting back at me? I did deserve it, no doubt, but I had believed that Kadia and I had formed something together, a bond or at least an agreement. I was wrong.


    A thought shed past my mind; what if she wasn''t willing doing this? What if she was being forced? Fuck.


    Kaida couldn''t be forced to do anything- she was a force to be reckoned with and she hadn''t gone alone, she had taken him along. Still, I didn''t like the idea of sitting here and doing nothing, I wanted to go find her, for all I know she could be in trouble.


    Her words ran again in my mind. Trust-she wanted me to trust her.


    Four days had passed, and I promised myself if she wasn''t back in a week, I was going to find her. One week was all I was going to give her, but if she was indeed in danger, was there any need for waiting? But then, what if there was no danger and being alone with Aric had been enough temptation for her to fall?


    She had always been very close to him and it was no secret the fucker had feelings for her; this was the most reasonable assumption. Perhaps all I needed was an excuse to hunt him down, and make him pay for touching her; I didn''t care if she had agreed to it.


    I downed another ss of liquor. The heightened dose of wolf''s bane in this bottle made the pain worse- but I needed to feel it; Pain was the only thing keeping me sane right now.


    Betrayal stung so bad; I was a fool to think I had gotten away with all I made her suffer, to think she could have forgiven me that so easily. I was so mad at her, still I hoped she had a damn good exnation. For the first time in my life, I felt used. Could she have nned all this? Did all those words she said to me mean anything at all?


    I wanted her to feel the pain I felt; I wanted her to suffer for her actions, but knowing myself, I would forgive her if she asked for it. Because around Kaida I was so damned weak.


    Fuck it. I was going to trace her and find her, no more waiting, I had lost my patience.


    *KADIA POV*


    I walked down the stairs to meet Aric.


    "How was your night?" he asked, curious eyes on me.


    "Rxing." I answered with a small frown. It was strange; I always spend my nights overthinking, butst night I fell into a long dreamless slumber.


    "I''m d to hear that." He responded.


    "You sound strange, are you alright?" I asked, he seemed a bit unsettled to me.


    "Strange, how?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Five


    "I can''t exin it just forget I asked that question. Every hing feels off today; I feel like I''m missing something, But I can''t quite put my finger on it."


    "You''ve been stressedtely, workingte nights-that should exin why you feel that way." He said. I joined him on the couch; the table was littered with papers, files, and pictures. "You''ve been busy." "Yes, and it turns out we don''t have five days. I miscalcted. We will be leaving today, two hours from now; you should get ready.


    My heart mmed in my chest. I nodded, rising to my feet. Aric... this is my assignment; if anything goes wrong... leave."


    Aric didn''t respond; of course I knew he would never leave, he was just too stubborn; he would rather we died together.


    My thoughts trailed back to Thane. The sooner we get this over with, the faster I can return to him.

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    Chapter One Hundred and SIX


    Chapter


    One Hundred and Six


    ALIYA''S POV


    Three weeks had passed.


    Three weeks of waiting for Trian''s return. I didn''t doubt him; he would be back for me, but he would be toote.


    For some reason I felt like "The Encounter with the goddess of light was going to change me, totally andpletely; I wouldn''t be the same person I was. In a way, felt like my end.


    Julia became more friendly, always wanting to be close. Some nights ago, she had sung me to sleep. That was very unlike her. Just like me, I knew everything she did was an act; she wanted me to remain on my best behavior now more than ever. This was important to not just her but the whole city.


    She had told me that almost the whole city would be gathered for the ceremony. I didn''t know how I would be able to handle so many eyes on me. I couldn''t hold back the tears that slipped down my cheeks. I had believed he would make it back to me in time before it was toote, I should have known it was wishful thinking, this was my destiny and I would have to live it.


    "It is time." Julia announced, and my heart skipped.


    This was it. It was over. My shoulders sagged; I gave up.


    The dress I was meant to wear had beenid out on the bed the most beautiful one I had ever seen. It was a pure white flowing gown, adorned with hundreds upon hundreds of diamond crystals; I couldn''t even imagine how much it would cost.


    Two maids walked in; they bowed to Julia and then to me.


    "She should sparkle like the stars when you are done. I expect nothing less." Julia instructed them before finally leaving me alone. It took everything in me to hold in the tears. I had done everything he had said. I had followed their rules, and at the end...


    I couldn''t think about it; I should be grateful he was able to escape the dungeons.


    What if he had been hurt by dangerous people? Could that be why he wasn''t here yet?


    I closed my eyes and made a decision. I had had enough of resisting destiny.


    I let the maids work; they applied makeup to my face, whispering to me about how I didn''t need it. Next, they worked on my hair, styling my silver locks into an elegant updo. They brought forth the jewelry, all made of diamonds to match the dress, they put on the earrings and ne before helping me into the gown. Lastly, they slipped my feet into a pair of silver heels which blended perfectly with the gown''s icy elegance and I was done- ready for what was toe.


    I stared at the mirror and held in a gasp; I looked like a real-life princess.


    The people would get a look at my face for the first time; they would see me, and this time there was no hiding behind the curtains of my carriage.


    "You sparkle, like the stars." One of the maids repeated Julia''s words, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Thank you. You may both leave now." I said, and they nodded before excusing themselves.


    I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the crowd I would have to face-people I''d been protected from my entire


    life. Now, I wasn''t just going to see a few of them, but a whole crowd. My heart raced as I took steady breaths, trying to calm myself.


    Chapter One Hundred and Six


    The door opened behind me, and I heard the footsteps. It must be Julia.


    I turned to her but immediately froze. It wasn''t Julia. It was Trian, dressed in a ck suit, his now long hair tied at the nape of his neck with a few strands left loose. One strand fell over his eyes. For a moment, my heart seized


    He was here; he was really here.


    It felt surreal-his beauty, everything about him. But he was just as stunned and affected as I was. "Aliya?"


    The word came out like a question; he walked slowly towards me, but I couldn''t move; it felt like my feet had been glued to the ground. His gaze trailed down my body, and then his eyes darkened.


    1


    124


    Chapter One Hundred and Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Seven


    It took more than a minute for the shock to wear off and then the anger set in.


    He came, just as he had said he would, but now he couldn''t save me, it was toote. The encounter was only a few hours away; he couldn''t sneak me out of this ce, not without being caught. If he had been here even a day earlier, we would have had the chance, but now... it was sealed.


    "You are back." I said, keeping the enthusiasm away from my voice.


    "You don''t sound particrly happy about that."


    "That''s because I am not. You shouldn''t havee." The second sentence was a lie, even if I was doomed to this fate, I still wanted to see his face one more time.


    His expression remained calm and controlled. "I''m sorry I camete."


    "That''s fine. Well now, you don''t have a chance to rescue me."


    "Are you mad at me?"


    "Of course, I am mad at you, Trian."


    "Why? I told you I would return for you, and here I am.".


    He didn''t understand; he might have gotten away with a few things in the past, but he wouldn''t get away with this too. He couldn''t save me this time; this was my destiny, and I couldn''t fight it.


    "I almost went nuts thinking about you, where you were, when you woulde for me... Three weeks, Trian- that''s how long you stayed away, and I waited for you, each passing minute and hour. You expect me to be happy? You expect me to take your hands and flee? It''s not possible; we wouldn''t get away...


    >>


    He cut me off with a rough kiss, his hands trailing down the fabric of my gown. The anger vanished, reced by a need I couldn''t even understand. Finally, he pulled away. I wanted more, no, it wasn''t a want but a need, I needed more. I would have reached out for him if I wasn''t so shy,


    "You look so beautiful... so pure. It makes me want to ruin you."


    I turned red; if only he knew how many times I had thought about him and what he did to me back at his ce.


    "You look... nice too."


    Nice? That was a big understatement; the words I had in mind were ''dangerous, sexy, and hot.''


    "I''m sorry if I made you worry, but I will stay true to my word. You''ll see."


    "Do you have a n?"


    "What do you think I''ve been doing for the past three weeks? I have a n, but you''ll have to trust me."


    "I trust you, Trian."


    "You''ll go along with the ceremony, but when I give the signal, run as fast as you can. I''ll find you." "What''s the signal?"


    "You''ll know it when you see it."


    "What if I run the wrong way?"


    §ã

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    hapter One Hundred and Seven


    "You don''t have to worry about that; just run." he said and nodded. "You''ll have to promise me, Aliya, promise me you will run."


    "I will. I am more desperate to escape this ce than you think."


    "Good. I will leave now, but we will see again, soon." He promised, and just like that, all my fears, everything I had felt, disappeared.


    It didn''t matter how many eyes would be on me; I didn''t care about the encounter either. Maybe I wasn''t done fighting fate just yet.


    Gasps followed me as I walked down the path. Some fell to their knees, and only then did I realize they believed I was some kind of deity. Julia and the other empresses stood on the tform-lwas meant to join them


    I felt like a bride walking down the aisle; in a way, this was very simr to that. The moment a bride gets married, she begins a new life, one she would spend with her husband by her side. The Encounter would have been the beginning of a new life for me.


    It took me about ten minutes to reach them. The empresses wore royal blue, high-cored, long-sleeved gowns, while the high regents dressed in dark brown cassocks.


    A seat, simr to a throne, awaited me. Julia led me to it, and somehow, I managed to gather the fabric of my gown before lowering myself into the seat. She took her position, standing by my right hand. The people would believe I was someone to be feared, they would think I was powerful, but this was all for show, the Empresses and high regent held the true power, the wise ones knew that.


    My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the familiar blue eyes of Trian. There were too many people; I couldn''t find him.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    "We are gathered here to witness the great Encounter. The hosen will see the god of light, face to face; they will be one body, one soul. This is the dawn of a new era...


    Julia''s voice trailed off as I noticed a female figure enter. She should have been hard to spot in the crowd, but I easily found her. She was dressed in all ck, a hood covering her hair and a mask shielding the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible.


    Grey eyes.


    I had seen those grey eyes somewhere; I tried to pick out where I saw them from, and then I remembered.


    When I visited the Nightshade Pack with the other Empresses and regent, I had seen those same Grey eyes, belonged to the Luna. I remembered how drawn I was to her; for some reason, I knew she was different.


    it


    If this was indeed the Werewolf Queen Kaida, what was she doing here in the South, so far from her home?


    Everything seemed to go in slow-mode, her eyes stopped on me, she didn''t give me more than a nce, those grey eyes were pinned to the woman standing at my left-hand side. Empress Cynthia, and then she raised a weapon... a gun. No one saw her; her movement was too quick.


    She shot. Thrice.


    Her aim was true, and the bullets struck straight into Cynthia''s chest.


    It took a moment for people to register what had happened; by then she was already gone, and the hall broke into


    chaos.


    He said there was going to be a distraction... Could this be it?


    I didn''t linger to see what happened next. I ran down the dias.


    "Wait!" Julia called, but I was already mixed into the crowd of people; not even the soldiers could push their way in. The crowd pulled me every which way; finally, I saw my chance. Shoving through the bodies and elbowing a few, I finally found myself in the familiar hallway; I knew just where the exit was. I ran for it, as fast as I could go in my heels, there was no time to stop and take them off and so I didn''t bother. "You shouldn''t go out there!" A soldier called, but I ignored him. I thought I could lose him; I was wrong. He raced after me; he was faster, my legs gave out, and I fell to the ground.


    My heart mmed in my chest as he picked me up. "I''ll be taking you back to the Empress..."


    He was ripped from me, and I watched in horror as Trian snapped his neck in one swift move. "Trian... you found me."


    "I told you I would."


    Trian picked me up, carrying me bridal style; he didn''t seem the least affected by the puffy dress. He ran out the exit door, and we left the castle behind. A sleek ck car was already waiting.


    How did he know I would follow this route?


    He ced me in the back seat, mming the door shut before taking the driver''s seat. He reversed to set into the right path and then drove off. He went at a very high speed; I couldn''t even bear to look through the window.


    It must have been about an hour before he slowed down.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yes." I answered, but I knew I still looked pale.


    The remnants of fear and the alkaline still pumping through my veins made me feel lightheaded. I couldn''t believe it... It felt like a dream, and yet it was happening. I had escaped. I didn''t know how he did it but he had kept to his promise and I was free. I should have never doubted him.


    "Was that the signal? Killing Cynthia?" I asked; my voice sounded a bit breathy.


    "No. It wasn''t. That hadn''t been a part of my n, but it saved me the stress; someone else wanted her dead, but clearly they weren''t well informed, the empress isn''t dead yet."


    "She was shot thrice."


    "She is a servant of the god of light; whoever attempted the kill didn''t realize that bullets alone can''t kill them." He said.


    "You sound so sure of yourself."


    "I am. She isn''t dead. Not yet."


    I remember those grey eyes, of course I could be wrong about it being Luna Kaida, but for some reason she was the only one that came to my mind.


    "If this wasn''t your signal, then what was it? Were you nning to throw a bomb?"


    "Not quite. I was going to let in another crowd into the party - the flesh eaters, there would have been a lot more bloodshed."


    I was silent for a moment, then burst intoughter, and he let out a chuckle. He was amused by me, but he was the funny one.


    "That was a joke right?" I asked and he nodded.


    "Of course, it was."

 Claim Me 491

    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    KADIA''S POV


    I searched for the light brown eyes that had stared at me from those pictures-and I found them. She looked younger than she had in the photos.


    Fury filled my chest. Anger burned through me. She was the one who had taken my parents from me.


    I fired. Three times.


    It was over too soon, too quick. It felt almost too easy.


    "You killed her, didn''t you?" Aric asked.


    "I think." I responded but I wasn''t unsure. The silver bullets had dug through her heart, thrice, my aim was perfect, I never missed.


    "You don''t seem very content with your sess; I expected moreplications."


    Me too.


    "I took her out too quickly; I could have captured her and made her deathst longer; I should have put her through pain till she begged for death; my face should have been thest thing she saw before she died, slowly and painfully."


    "She is an Empress. These people do not serve beneath the Alpha King or Queen; they are a city of their own. This was the smartest way to end her; dying her death would only put you in worse danger." "I can be fast. I could have found a way to get her out of there."


    "I know you''re fast, but it was too much of a risk. You entered theirnds on the most sacred day and killed their empress; the whole city would be against you if they discovered who you are and what you''ve done. Thank the goddess no one saw you." He said, but I gave no response. No one saw you, right?" "Of course, no one saw me."


    Aric walked forward, blocking my part. "No one saw you, right?" he repeated.


    "The girl... with the silver hair, she saw me, but I was fully covered; she wouldn''t be able to tell it was me."


    Aric let out a breath. "Then there is no need to be worried." He said as we walked on.


    "Aric, thank you for everything." I said and he stared at me, I thought I saw the tiny flicker of guilt there but then


    it was gone.


    "Admit it, you wouldn''t have been able to go through this without me," he said yfully.


    "You just had to feed your ego on that." I muttered before walking past him.


    "Kaida..." he called, a conflicted look in his eyes.


    "If you want to tell me something, spit it out."


    "I need to leave you now, we''ll meet back at the pack, but just in case Alexander finds you, I don''t think he would like the idea of seeing me by your side."


    He was right and yet I didn''t want him gone.


    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    "Stay, I would talk to him."


    "Something tells me he won''t have the patience to listen if showed up with you."


    I gave in. "Okay, we will meet at the pack. Maybe you could ta


    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    KADIA''S POV


    I searched for the light brown eyes that had stared at me from those pictures-and I found them. She looked younger than she had in the photos.


    Fury filled my chest. Anger burned through me. She was the one who had taken my parents from me.


    I fired. Three times.


    It was over too soon, too quick. It felt almost too easy.


    "You killed her, didn''t you?" Aric asked.


    "I think." I responded but I wasn''t unsure. The silver bullets had dug through her heart, thrice, my aim was perfect, I never missed.


    "You don''t seem very content with your sess; I expected moreplications."


    Me too.


    "I took her out too quickly; I could have captured her and made her deathst longer; I should have put her through pain till she begged for death; my face should have been thest thing she saw before she died, slowly and painfully."


    "She is an Empress. These people do not serve beneath the Alpha King or Queen; they are a city of their own. This was the smartest way to end her; dying her death would only put you in worse danger." "I can be fast. I could have found a way to get her out of there."


    "I know you''re fast, but it was too much of a risk. You entered theirnds on the most sacred day and killed their empress; the whole city would be against you if they discovered who you are and what you''ve done. Thank the goddess no one saw you." He said, but I gave no response. No one saw you, right?" "Of course, no one saw me."


    Aric walked forward, blocking my part. "No one saw you, right?" he repeated.


    "The girl... with the silver hair, she saw me, but I was fully covered; she wouldn''t be able to tell it was me."


    Aric let out a breath. "Then there is no need to be worried." He said as we walked on.


    "Aric, thank you for everything." I said and he stared at me, I thought I saw the tiny flicker of guilt there but then


    it was gone.


    "Admit it, you wouldn''t have been able to go through this without me," he said yfully.


    "You just had to feed your ego on that." I muttered before walking past him.


    "Kaida..." he called, a conflicted look in his eyes.


    "If you want to tell me something, spit it out."


    "I need to leave you now, we''ll meet back at the pack, but just in case Alexander finds you, I don''t think he would like the idea of seeing me by your side."


    He was right and yet I didn''t want him gone.


    Chapter One Hundred and Nine


    "Stay, I would talk to him."


    "Something tells me he won''t have the patience to listen if showed up with you."


    I gave in. "Okay, we will meet at the pack. Maybe you could take a day or two before returning; by then he should be a bit calmer." I nned on smoothing things out with Alexander before Aric''s return.


    I stepped up to him, gave him a brief hug, then let go. The quilt in his eyes was unmistakable-it wasn''t my imagination. He seemed to be holding something back, but then he turned away without another word and left.


    I watched him until he vanished, then shifted back into my wolf form and returned to his house to grab a few of my things before heading back to my pack-and to Alexander.


    I was afraid-afraid of Alexander, but I wasn''t going to shy away. I would face him and exin, just as I had promised. I had done what my father wanted, and now he could rest in peace.


    ke a day or two before returning; by then he should be a bit calmer." I nned on smoothing things out with Alexander before Aric''s return.


    I stepped up to him, gave him a brief hug, then let go. The quilt in his eyes was unmistakable-it wasn''t my imagination. He seemed to be holding something back, but then he turned away without another word and left.


    I watched him until he vanished, then shifted back into my wolf form and returned to his house to grab a few of my things before heading back to my pack-and to Alexander.


    I was afraid-afraid of Alexander, but I wasn''t going to shy away. I would face him and exin, just as I


    had promised. I had done what my father wanted, and now he could rest in peace.

 Claim Me 492

    Chapter One Hundred and Ten


    Chapter


    One Hundred and Ten


    ALEXANDER POV


    This was thest ce they had been. It was an apartment owned by Aric.


    My chest tightened. Had she slept with him here?


    I could pick the locks, but I didn''t bother with that, I broke down the door. I was right, she had been here, there was no mistaking it, her scent filled the ce and it was fucking intoxicating.


    I entered the apartment and searched the rooms. As expected, she was already gone. In thest room, her scent hit me stronger than anywhere else in the house. A few of her clothes were still left in here. That could only mean one thing-she wasing back. I returned to the living room and stopped when I saw the table. Pictures were scattered across it.


    I sat on the couch and looked through the pictures. They were all of the same woman-Cynthia. I knew her. Empress Cynthia.


    What the hell did Kaida have to do with this woman?


    There were many write-ups and notes too. I read through them all, not caring about the fact that this might be seen as intruding. There was nothing more ''intruding'' than breaking into a person''s house. From what I gathered, they were both making ns on how to sneak into Aureonna City and find the woman named Cynthia. It seems like the n was to kill her.


    I remember how strongly she had convinced me against sending a letter to the Empresses in Aureonna City; now I understood why: she was going to be there, and she didn''t want iting in the way of her ns.


    Fuck.


    Someone wasing. I could sense it even from a distance.


    It could be Kaida, but even if it wasn''t, I had a good idea of where she would be right now.


    I set the pictures back on the table.


    *KAIDA POV*


    I could tell someone was inside. The door had been broken open.


    I drew my gun, pointing it forward, while my dagger remained tucked in my boot. I approached the house, moving as silently as possible. Stepping inside, I entered the living space.


    Was I imagining it or did this ce scent like him? Maybe I''ve begun missing him way too much that it was ying with my senses.


    "Got you." The voice whispered from behind me, and I turned around, almost dropping my gun in surprise. I thought I was being silent; but he outdid me. I hadn''t even heard him till he made his presence known.


    It was Alexander and despite myself and my ns of exining things to him, I ran into his arms, hugging him tight, drinking in his scent, I had missed him so much. He didn''t move or attempt to hug me back. "Alexander... I''m sorry."


    "What exactly are you sorry for?" he asked.


    "I''m sorry for leaving, I''m sorry for using the sleeping potion on you, and I''m sorry for everything.


    +26 BONUS


    Chapter One Flued and Ten


    He didn''t seem content; it was as if he expected me to say inore.


    "You better have a fucking good exnation, Kaida."


    "I do." I said, hating how shaky my voice sounded. "I do." I repeated, my voice a bit bolder.


    "Well, feel at home, take a seat, and then exin it all to me."


    "How did you find me?"


    "I won''t be answering any of your questions, not until I know everything that happened and why?" "You have every right to be mad at me. I understand."


    I dug into my pocket and fetched the letter, the same one my father had left for me, and I passed it to him.


    "The messenger had brought it to me some days ago.


    He stared at me; he was furious but still epted the letter from my hand. I let out a breath of relief. "Why didn''t you tell me?" he asked.


    "I''m sorry; I knew you would try stopping me from doing this..."


    "I would have helped you in any way I could."


    "I... it was too risky."


    "Too risky for me? But I bet your partner Aric could handle it better."


    "I didn''t mean it that way; I care about you; I didn''t want you hurt."


    "And you don''t care about him?"


    "You are making this hard..."


    "No, you are making this hard!"


    He had never raised his voice on me and for some reason this scared me. "I''m sorry, I should have told


    you." "You should have. If you did, I would tell you that this letter might not be from your father."


    Ch


    Chapter One Hundred and Twel


    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    ALIYA POV


    We pulled up in front of a house that resembled the one Trian owned in Aureonna City.


    "How many houses do you own?"


    He smirked, "You don''t want to know."


    "I do, actually."


    "A lot." He answered.


    "Why do you need so many houses?"


    "I used to be a traveler, obsessed with owning houses." He admitted, before leading me into the house.


    We didn''t stop at the living area; he led me to one of the rooms.


    The design in this room felt more masculine.


    "This is your room, isn''t it?"


    "Yes," he answered.


    I ventured deeper into the room, looking around the ce; my eyesnded on the king-size bed in the middle. Dark thoughts filled my mind, but I managed to force my eyes away from the bed.


    "Those three weeks that I was away... I thought about you. It felt like an obsession, but I couldn''t stop thinking about you."


    "I thought about you too, every single day." I admitted, walking back to him, I took his hands in mine. "I believe in you now, fully andpletely."


    "I haven''t earned it, Aliya."


    "You have, over and again. You are the best thing that happened to be Trian Valtor, the best thing life gave me."


    "You look beautiful in this dress. You look like an angel."


    I could say the same thing about him, but he looked more like a fallen angel: dangerous, dark, and mysterious.


    His hands trailed down my neck, and then, in an instant, he tore the bodice of my gown. Some of the diamonds embedded in the fabric scattered to the ground.


    "What are you doing?" I ask, surprised.


    He gave no response, but he didn''t stop ripping the beautiful fabrics off my body. I should be angry, it was a beautiful dress but strangely, I wasn''t.


    Back in the castle, I wasvished with fineries, but I always knew I was still in a prison, the castle


    everyone adored was my own prison. I was supposed to be grateful for all the elegant dresses, for the


    diamond and gold jewelry... but I hated them. The gown was reminder of what ''they'' wanted me to be. Maybe I wanted it torn off me.


    I was left in only my panties as I wore no bra beneath the gown.


    I shielded my nipples with my hands; he had seen me naked before, but still I felt shy as I always do.


    "Do I make you ufortable?" he asked, and I nodded. "Speak up."


    >>


    Chapter One Hundred and Twel


    "Yes."


    "Then that''s good."


    He held both my hands, forcing them down, and then he stared at me, his palm wrapping around my breasts.


    "Don''t you ever hide what belongs to me."


    "I won''t." I whispered.


    "Good girl." He said before picking me up, my shredded gown remained on the floor as he ced me on the bed. My heart raced with fear and excitement.


    He tore off his clothes, yanking his shirt so roughly that the buttons popped off and scattered on the floor. Then, he was naked.


    I swallowed, staring at him. Never had I felt so self-conscious before; he was perfect, too good to be true. My eyes couldn''t leave his male part... gods, he wasrge. It was going to hurt; Trian was not going to be gentle, even if it was my first time. I could tell, and yet I wasn''t stopping him, even as he joined me on the bed.


    "I promised to ruin you; I always keep my promises."


    With his teeth around my panties, he slowly took off thest piece of fabric shielding me from him leaving me naked.

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    apter One Hundred and Eleven


    Chapter One Hundred and Eleven


    A small frown etched on my face.


    "It is, that''s his handwriting." I argued.


    "Maybe, but thatst line... it''s not his words."


    That had been my very thought, but maybe no one really knew my father.


    "He knew I could do it."


    "He mated you to me and gave me his pack too-to keep you safe. Why in the world would he send you to kill the person who he was trying to save you from?" he asked and stared at him, speechless.


    "Did you kill her?" he asked. "The empress?"


    I nodded.


    "How?"


    "Silver bullets. I shot her thrice in the heart."


    "And you believe she is dead?"


    "I shot..."


    "I know you shot her thrice, but if bullets could kill them, they would all be dead now, don''t you think?" "What are you saying?" I asked. My hands shook slightly, so I sped them together to steady them. "I''m saying there is a high possibility she still lives. I don''t believe in their god but I know that physical methods are hardly ever enough to kill any of those empresses. They''ve been blessed with the gift of immortality- that''s what I heard."


    "I killed her. I watch her bleed."


    "And then her body would be dipped into this strange pool, and she woulde back to life, many years younger than she was before.


    I was visibly shaking now. "I need to go back there; I need to kill her."


    "No, you won''t. Not when you don''t have a clue on how to actually ''kill'' her. I''m assuming she didn''t see your face?"


    I shook my head. "No, she didn''t."


    "Good, you have a chance. But then... What if the letter is not from your father? Handwriting can be copied, Kaida." He said it like he was speaking to a child.


    "If it is not from him, then who was it from?"


    "I don''t know, perhaps someone that wants you dead. You can''t rush into things, you need to think, when we are clear that this is truly a letter from your father, then we would have to research on how those creatures are killed." He finished, and I nodded.


    "I should have known you would still find me.''


    "I would have given you a week before I came searching for you, but then I changed my mind." He said, and his eyes darkened. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me, Kiada?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Eleve


    "I''m very sorry, I should have told you about all these, I messed up and this would have cost us both... I''m so sorry Alexander."


    He nodded; this time when I hugged him, his hands were wrapped around me... loosely.


    Something was different about him; I couldn''t tell what exactly it was, but he seemed distant. **ALEXANDER''S POV**


    All she had to do was tell me the truth, I would have forgive her if she exined it, but she kept silent and that was the worst of it all. She didn''t care, at least not as much as I cared for her.


    I wished I could put an end to what I felt for her and things would go back to how they used to be, but it was impossible. I was still relieved at the fact that she was alive and unhurt but I had made my own decision. If she was going to pretend that what she had done with her beta Aric never happened then I wasn''t going to mention it either.


    Slowly I felt my walls building. This wasn''t the first time a person I cared about had lied to me. My very own parents lied to me, I was the fool to think she was a better person.


    "We should return to the pack," I said to her. She nodded, then kissed my lips, her fingers trailing down my jaw. I couldn''t deny how her touch turned me on, but I couldn''t do this, I couldn''t y whatever game she was trying to y. I pulled away from her kiss and gently ced her hands down to herp.


    "A ride is waiting not far from here. We don''t have time-let''s go."


    The hurt in her eyes filled me with guilt, but I had to remind myself that she did this to herself.

 Claim Me 494

    ter One Hundred and Twel


    Chapter One Hundred and Twelve


    ALIYA


    POV


    We pulled up in front of a house that resembled the one Trian owned in Aureonna City.


    "How many houses do you own?"


    He smirked, "You don''t want to know."


    "I do, actually."


    "A lot." He answered.


    "Why do you need so many houses?"


    "I used to be a traveler, obsessed with owning houses." He admitted, before leading me into the house.


    We didn''t stop at the living area; he led me to one of the rooms.


    The design in this room felt more masculine.


    "This is your room, isn''t it?"


    "Yes," he answered.


    I ventured deeper into the room, looking around the ce; my eyesnded on the king-size bed in the middle. Dark thoughts filled my mind, but I managed to force my eyes away from the bed.


    "Those three weeks that I was away... I thought about you. It felt like an obsession, but I couldn''t stop thinking about you."


    "I thought about you too, every single day." I admitted, walking back to him, I took his hands in mine. "I believe in you now, fully andpletely."


    "I haven''t earned it, Aliya."


    "You have, over and again. You are the best thing that happened to be Trian Valtor, the best thing life gave me."


    "You look beautiful in this dress. You look like an angel."


    I could say the same thing about him, but he looked more like a fallen angel: dangerous, dark, and mysterious.


    His hands trailed down my neck, and then, in an instant, he tore the bodice of my gown. Some of the diamonds embedded in the fabric scattered to the ground.


    "What are you doing?" I ask, surprised.


    He gave no response, but he didn''t stop ripping the beautiful fabrics off my body. I should be angry, it was a beautiful dress but strangely, I wasn''t.


    Back in the castle, I wasvished with fineries, but I always knew I was still in a prison, the castle everyone adored was my own prison. I was supposed to be grateful for all the elegant dresses, for the diamond and gold jewelry... but I hated them. The gown was a reminder of what ''they'' wanted me to be. Maybe I wanted it torn off me.


    I was left in only my panties as I wore no bra beneath the gown.


    I shielded my nipples with my hands; he had seen me naked before, but still I felt shy as I always do. "Do I make you ufortable?" he asked, and I nodded. "Speak up."


    >>


    Chapter One Hundred and Twel


    "Yes."


    "Then that''s good."


    He held both my hands, forcing them down, and then he stared at me, his palm wrapping around my breasts.


    "Don''t you ever hide what belongs to me."


    "I won''t." I whispered.


    "Good girl." He said before picking me up, my shredded gown remained on the floor as he ced me on the bed. My heart raced with fear and excitement.


    He tore off his clothes, yanking his shirt so roughly that the buttons popped off and scattered on the floor. Then, he was naked.


    I swallowed, staring at him. Never had I felt so self-conscious before; he was perfect, too good to be true. My eyes couldn''t leave his male part... gods, he wasrge. It was going to hurt; Trian was not going to be gentle, even if it was my first time. I could tell, and yet I wasn''t stopping him, even as he joined me on the bed.


    "I promised to ruin you; I always keep my promises."


    With his teeth around my panties, he slowly took off thest piece of fabric shielding me from him leaving me naked.

 Claim Me 495

    Chapter One Hundred and Thitteen


    Trian spread my legs wide, until / waspletely vulnerable to him, I tried hiding away from him once again but


    he wouldn''t have that.


    That was the thing about Trian, he doesn''t asks for things, he demands for them, yet I knew all I had to say was a word and he would stop, but I couldn''t say the word, every right I had to make decisions about my own life had been taken from me by the Empresses, but this time I wanted this, I wanted him to be the one. My first.


    He kissed my nipples before taking them into his mouth.


    "Trian..." I gasped, but he didn''t stop. His tongue flicked over my hardened nipple while his fingers teased the other. The moment he let go, he took the other into his mouth, repeating the motion. Heat surged through me-I had never craved anything more. Then, he kissed lower.


    "When I saw you, walking down that path, looking so fucking beautiful, I couldn''t wait to see you naked." He whispered, his voice thick with lust and then he took my clit in his mouth. I jerked, moaning, my legs wrapped around his head but he forced them open, holding me down in that position.


    "Please." I begged.


    I didn''t know what I was begging for, but Trian did.


    "I wish I could be gentle with you, but I''m not sure I can do that, I want to make sure you are ready."


    I could only nod before he slipped a finger inside me, moving in and out while his thumb circled my clit. A loud moan escaped me. Then he added a second finger, stretching and filling me.


    "You''re so fucking tight," he gasped, thrusting his fingers deeper inside me. My back arched as I gripped the sheets-but then he pulled out.


    He spread my legs wider, positioning himself between them.


    "It will hurt." He said, and I nodded. He ced a kiss on my lips; his lips glistened with my wetness, and I could taste my own self.


    I felt him in my opening, and then he thrust into me.


    I cried out as the pain overcame the pleasure; he wasn''t even halfway in yet.


    "Rx." He whispered in my ears.


    "It hurts."


    "I know, you need to rx." He repeated, his fingers stroking my clit and igniting the pleasure; in one unexpected thrust, he was inside. I let out another cry.


    "I can stop." He says, but I quickly shook my head.


    "No, don''t stop."


    I could feel him, hard and strong in me, stretching my walls wider than I ever thought they could go; he waited till


    I was used to the feeling of him in me, and then he thrust into me. He didn''t go slow, but I could tell he was trying; this didn''t seem to be his style.


    "Don''t hold back." I whispered, I was ready to give him everything; he deserved it all.


    He let out a groan, and then he picked up pace, thrusting into me harder; tears slipped down my eyes, but


    he licked them off my face. With each thrust, he went deeper. He did tell me he was going to ruin me, and


    I was going


    Chapter One Hundred and Thilder


    to let him do that.


    He kissed me as his pace quickened; he was hitting all the right spots, forcing my body to feel pleasure even amidst the pain. I let out a moan; my body responded to him; it wanted more... more pain, more pleasure, more of Trian, and he gave all that and so much more; soon I was rocking my hips, trying to match his pace-keyword'' trying. gods, I was going to be very sore.


    "You''re so fucking sexy," he whispered in my ear before gently biting it. My finger dug into his back. My whole body throbbed; something was happening, something I couldn''t exin.


    "Train..."


    "Let it out."


    My body grew taut, and then I shattered-stars bursting behind my eyes. Trian didn''t stop, drawing out the pleasure as my body trembled from the aftermath. Two more thrusts, and he came hard, the force of it making me gasp. Slowly, he pulled away. I was so sore, I wasn''t sure I could move.


    Trian looked between my legs.


    "There''s a lot of blood." He said, and I thought I saw his eyes turnpletely ck, but when he looked at me, they were back to their normal color.


    He rose from the bed, picking me up gently, even the slightest of movement hurt. "Sorry." He said to me, "I wanted it; I should be thanking you." I said, but he shook his head.


    "The other way around, actually."


    I would have argued that but I decided to let it go.

 Claim Me 496

    Chapter One Hundred and Fourthen


    Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen


    I woke up to Trian by my side.


    After the bathst night, he brought me back to bed; I didn miss the fact that he had reced the sheets with fresh ones. Despite the throbbing pain between my legs, I couldn''t help but feel satisfied.


    It was better than I had ever expected, and I was d Trian had been my first.


    Now Iy there, staring at him like some creep while he slept, noticing how tense he seemed-even in sleep. Maybe that was something all soldiers had inmon. The thought of tracing my fingers down his perfectly sculpted face was enticing, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it, afraid I might wake him-and then things would get very... awkward.


    I managed to rise to my feet, certain I''d be feeling him down there for days. Himped out of the room, nning to take a small tour of the house, and made my way to the kitchen. That was when I realized something I hadpletely


    overlooked-I didn''t know how to cook. For most of my life, the maids brought me food, and I ate whatever the empresses saw fit.


    I didn''t want to dwell on that thought; It was never toote to learn.


    I moved on and found another room-maybe a guest room. I tried the door, but it


    was locked. The next room, however, was unlocked, so I stepped inside. My mouth dropped open at the sight before me.


    The walls were lined with all sorts of swords-Trian seemed to have a particr fondness for them. On the tables guns were arranged by size and type, alongside daggers and crossbows.


    Why did he need so much weaponry?


    It was understandable to have a few of these, seeing as he was a soldier, but having this many... it was like he was preparing for something. My eyes fixed on the golden glow of a familiar object as I walked toward it. It was ced inside a transparent box-a gold bracelet with a dark-colored gem at its center. It looked so familiar. I had seen this somewhere before, but I couldn''t quite remember where.


    It only took a few minutes to remember.


    I had seen it in one of the books Julia had forced me to read. Nexus'' Amulet, it was said to be one of the most powerful jewels to ever be created. Staring at it, I couldn''t tell if this was just a copy, there was something about the gem that seemed alive. I stared at it more closely.


    "Aliya." The voice called from directly behind me and I jumped. Startled.


    I hadn''t heard him enter-it was as if he had appeared out of nowhere. Appear.


    Just like he had ''appeared'' in my room after escaping The Pit.


    "Sorry if I scared you.¡± He said walking to me, but I found myself taking steps back. He paused, cocking a brow at


    1. me.


    I swallowed. "How did you escape The Pit?"


    "What?"


    "Thest time I asked, you said you couldn''t exin then. Well, we have all the time now."


    "I found a way out," he said with a shrug.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen


    "The Pit was built long before the city itself came to be. the former residents of


    the castle used it as a form of lifelong punishment; no one has ever escaped it, no one but you."


    "Maybe that''s because I am different."


    Different.


    "The fortune teller, when she read you... She seemed afraid she said all she saw was darkness."


    "For fuck''s sake, Aliya, fortune tellers lie."


    "Well, most of what she said dide to pass, so I won''t call her a liar yet."


    "Do you see darkness in me?" He asked, walking closer to me.


    To me, he was the man who had made love to me, the man who had saved me


    from the cage I had been trapped in, the man who took the me on his shoulders in my stead and did his best to keep me out of harm''s way, the man I''ve fallen in love with.


    "I don''t know." I responded, my eyes trailing to the amulet "Why do you have that?"


    "I can''t tell you."


    "That''s the problem. I believe you are a good person, but I only know little about you, and... it''s not enough.''


    "Maybe you are right to doubt me; you are smarter than I gave you credit for." Chapter One Hundred and Fitects

 Claim Me 497

    Chapter One Hundred and Fitects


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen


    A smirk curved on his lips; his eyes, once full of emotion, were empty, cold, and... distant.


    Suddenly he looked like a stranger.


    In a blink, he was no longer in front of me. I felt his presence right behind me; my heart pounded as I slowly turned around, and there he stood only a few inches away from me.


    "You wanted to know how I got out of The Pit? Well now you do."


    "What are you?" I asked, backing away once again.


    "Fortune tellers might be liars, but she didn''t lie. I do haverkness living and breeding inside of me. Your empresses, they were all fools; they couldn''t see that the very thing they fought against was living with them, under their very noses."


    "You are scaring me, Trian."


    "No, not Trian. Daemon."


    #20 BONUS


    That name was also familiar; it took only a few seconds for my brain to ce it. Julia had told me about the demon that had been born into the world by the Luna Queen. The demon that was supposed to be dead, he went by the very same name Daemon.


    "No!" I gasped.


    "Now you''re scared. Since you were so curious, perhaps it''s time you heard a little story-about a demon who killed an overlord and took his ce."


    The wielder of the Nexus amulet had power over all demons in the underworld. I should have known, but how could I? Even Julia didn''t have the slightest idea that she went to bed with the very creature she had sworn to destroy.


    "You are..."


    "}


    "The Demon Overlord. Yes."


    I shook my head slowly. "I don''t believe you; tell me this is all a lie, please..." I begged, tears streaming down my eyes. He was all I had, and I didn''t want to believe it. A part of me wished I had swallowed whatever curiosity I had and just kept away from this room.


    A


    ¡°Pathetic little girl, fell in love with a demon. Curiosity kills the cat; now you will have your answers... at a price." He whispered.


    "This is all a lie; tell me this is all a lie, Trian." I pleaded, but he continued anyway.


    "Getting into the city and the castle was easier than I thought it would be. A few lies, and Julia was willing to give me a position, but I had to prove myself; I had to make her know that I was capable of protecting you, so I sent those men."


    My body went numb as the memory resurfaced: the three men who had killed the two soldiers assigned to watch over me and also Vera, my maid. She had tried protecting me, but got a bullet in the head for that. They were about to rape me before he saved me. Little did I know that it was all part of his n.


    The blood drained from my face, and I knew I looked paler than ever.


    "They killed Vera and those soldiers-they were good people and they died protecting me."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fiftee


    $28 BONUS


    That''s the problem, Allya; sometimes good people have to die just so we can get what we want. With those soldiers gone, the spot was open to me, and of course, Julia wanted you protected, so she gave me the post." "Why? Why did you do it?¡± I questioned, my vision blurred by tears; it all didn''t make sense. Last night was the best night of my life, but then everything changed in just a matter of hours.


    "The Empresses n to end me; they can''t do that without you, and so I needed to steal you away from them." He said the smirk on his lips only grew wider. "You see, the first time I took you out of the castle, I was running a test. I wanted to see how much you enjoyed life outside the castle, and it turns out you were desperate for it. I would have gotten you out of there a long time ago; the flesh eaters were supposed to be a distraction, but then I arrived at your room, but you weren''t there. You''ve left the castle on your own and destroyed my ns."


    I remembered it all. Julia had been asking about him; she thought he was with me, and I thought he was with her, but all the while he was out there plotting. I left the room out of boredom, unaware that I was unknowingly ying into his n. At the time, the soldiers were all absent, and I had worried it might be a trap-it felt far too easy to escape the castle without being caught. And I was right.


    th


    Avers


    GE

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen


    I felt so stupid foolish enough to believe I was the queen in this game, with everyone else as mere pawns in my scheme. Little did I know there was a master n, one far greater than iny petty game. And in His n, I was nothing more


    than a pawn.


    "You released those flesh eaters that attacked me; I could have died!"


    "That wasn''t exactly part of my n, but again, I didn''t think you would go running off."


    "You want me to believe that everything you said to me was a lie, but I don''t believe that. I know there was some truth to it all; you took the me for me, risking your life. More than once you''ve risked your very position to make sure I am fed; you saved me from them. The kiss we shared in theke, the memories we''ve made-they aren''t fake; they are all real."


    I sounded so sure of myself, but in reality, I wasn''t. Perhaps it was all real to me, but never real to him.


    Trian-no, Daemon-gripped my chin, his eyes shing from their usual blue to pure ck before returning to their original color. I had believed I was imagining itst night; when he saw the blood, the same thing happened. I shoved away all the signs standing right in front of me.


    "Everything I did, I did just so you could trust me. You would never have willingly run away with me. And while it would be fun to steal you, your cooperation would make things much easier."


    I shattered, sobs racking my body. "You bastard! How could you?"


    "You wanted to know who I am; well, now you have your answer."


    "I gave you my body, my virginity, I trusted you, I loved you, and you used me."


    I thought I saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but it disappeared too soon, and he stared back at me with empty, cold eyes.


    "That was your decision; you wanted it, and I gave it to you''


    All the pain I felt twisted into anger, and I lunged at him. I hit him as hard as I could, wing at his flesh-and he let me; he didn''t even move. It took me a short moment to register that he wasn''t even a bit affected by my violent


    outburst.


    I wanted to hurt him; I had never felt the strong urge to hurt anyone before, but I wanted to hurt him so bad. I had let him defile me; the Empresses wouldn''t take me back, not like this. He deceived me, making me believe he was giving me freedom; it was a lie. Julia was right. She had tried to protect me, but I fled from her safety-straight- into the arms of the devil himself.


    I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. Before he could register what I was about


    to do, I had the transparent ss container in my hands-the one that held the amulet-and hurled it straight through the window.


    "No!" he snarled, before disappearing-no doubt to reim it.


    This was my chance to escape; I ran for the exit. I was so close to the door when I felt arms wrap around my waist.


    A scream tore from my lips as Daemon slung me over his shoulder. My attempts


    to break free were futile; he shoved me into the room and locked the door behind


    us.


    "Let me go!"


    "If I may ask, where do you n on going to? Without your virginity, you are impure and worthless to them."


    "That''s why you did it, isn''t it?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixten


    "Aliya..."


    I pped him hard. "Don''t you ever call my name again, you bastard!"


    "Do you think they are any different from me?" he asked, now he was furious.


    "They tried protecting me; you stole me, fucked me, and broke my trust." Broke my heart.


    "Their duty was to protect you until the day of The Encounter-but had you ever thought to ask what would happen after that?"


    "I don''t care. Whatever it was, I would have preferred it."


    "You were going to die, you stupid girl. The god of light needed your body, not you."


    ww


    ANY

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    I couldn''t bear to look at her. I came homete and left earlwe hadn''t had a real conversation since we returned a week ago. She had tried starting one a few times but after noticing myck of interest, she stopped trying.


    I should get over this and move on. After all, I had been with other women too- but that was before Kaida and I became more than just unwillingpanions. What hurt me the most wasn''t the act itself, but the fact that she hadn''t said a word about it. I had waited for her to finally gather the courage to speak up, only to realize she was going to pretend nothing had happened-like she hadn''t broken my trust. And that was what annoyed me the


    most.


    I would have forgiven her, damn, I still would- if she spoke about it.


    I drowned myself with work, and of course it paid off; the pack earnings had increased significantly this past week. When I wasn''t working, I was drinking myself to death. Usually, women, liquor, and violence were my only ways to let off steam. But despite what Kaida had done, I couldn''t bring myself to go pay any of those women a visit... I just couldn''t do it. I let out a groan; she was messing with my head, and she didn''t even know it.


    I took another gulp of alcohol, the sharp burn of wolf''s bane stronger in this bottle. In a way, I was punishing myself just as much as I was punishing her with my silence


    The knock on the door drew my attention.


    I leaned back in my seat as Austin let K?te into my


    office.


    "Ethan," she called out with a wide smile. I distinctly remember telling her never to use that name, but I chose not to correct her. I knew why she was here-to inform


    me they were leaving-so perhaps I could let it slide, considering they''d be gone soon anyway.


    ¤«


    "Kate," I acknowledged, but I couldn''t bring myself to return the smile.


    "Are you alright?" She asked; The softness in her voice annoyed me. Did she


    think she could pop out of nowhere and y the motherly role?


    "Why are you here?" I asked, not bothering to answer her question. .*


    "I was... I wanted to talk to you." About leaving? I didn''t say that part out loud-I let her continue. "I was wrong earlier. You are nothing like your father. Thane was apletely different man; Riley had brought some kind of softness into his once stony heart. But you are different; you have the ability to feel, you have more control than he or de ever had, and I believe you would make a better ruler."


    In summary, she meant I was weak. Feelings made people weak; I was well aware of that. I didn''t have any response for her, but she didn''t seem to be expecting any.


    "We are grateful that you let us stay here; we wish we could stay longer, but unfortunately we can''t. We will be Teaving by nightfall tomorrow."


    "Safe travels."


    She stared at me, as if expecting more; I had nothing else to say, and slowly she nodded and rose to her feet before walking through the door and away from the office.


    Austin walked in almost immediately. "Alpha,


    Commander Aric just arrived at the pack."


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen


    "About damn time."


    M


    00

 Claim Me 500

    Chapter One Hundred and Elghteen


    The sun had begun to set as I approached Aric in the field; thankfully, the ce waspletely empty of people.


    "I knew I would be seeing you soon." Aric said with a smile


    "I had been waiting for you; I almost thought you chickened out."


    "I had sex with her," he said abruptly, and despite the fact that I already knew that, hearing it from the man who she had fucked only made it all worse.


    "I should have known you''d take your chance the moment you were left alone with her."


    "For all you know, she might have been the one begging for it. Maybe you weren''t enough to satisfy her, or perhaps... she was craving something different."


    I''ve always excelled at keeping my emotions in check, but this time it took everything in me to keep calm. I was one step away from cracking his skull.


    "You know you can''t kill me." He says, "She wouldn''t like that one bit, and you don''t want to make her mad."


    "On the contrary, I do."


    He hadn''t expected it; I grabbed his arm, snapping it. He let out a growl. "You broke my arm, you fucker!"


    I punched him again in the face, satisfied at the crunch of his nose; I watched him drop to the floor.


    I was aiming to injure, not to kill¡ªat least not yet. "Get close to her again and your arm won''t be the only thing I''ll be breaking."


    "What if she wants more?" He questioned, "What if you are not good enough for her?"


    I walked towards him and squatted to his level.


    "I''ve always wondered about the rtionship between you and thete Alpha Trent," I said, and that seemed to catch him off guard.


    "I was his beta."


    "Yes, you were. You spent most of your life fighting by his side, alongside his daughter and the rest of the pack. Even if he didn''t think she should be the next Alpha, everyone assumed you would take his ce-maybe even wed his daughter, and the two of you would rule together. But to him, you were never an option. The question is, why was that?"


    "I don''t have Alpha blood running through my veins." He said, stating the obvious, "Besides, you are her fated mate; you would havee for her anyway." He added, ncing at his arm which now hung in the wrong position, he would heal... after a while.


    I had discovered that Kaida was my fated mate a long time ago and I made no move; Alpha Trent''s proposition had been the only reason I decided to take things into the next stage. I wondered if I would have gone for Kaida i end if the deal hadn''t forced us together.


    "I don''t trust you very much, and I believe neither did Trent. Despite you being his Beta, he didn''t really trust you; if he did, you would have known about his ns; he would have told you, but he didn''t."


    "What are you implying?" he asked, a pained look on his face. I didn''t know what hurt him more-the broken arm and bleeding nose or my words.


    "After Trent''s death, I had sent you to run a quick check on the pack house; you did, and you found nothing. But


    Chapter One Hundred and Eightsen


    suddenly, the dwarf man goes in there and finds a very conspicuous envelope sitting on the floor-the very ce you supposedly checked and saw nothing.


    Perhaps it was indeed a letter from Trent, but I believed it had been tampered with -thest line had been addedter; those are not Trent''s words. I wonder who would do such a thing?"


    "I would die before I lead her to her own death."


    "Then you have nothing to worry about." I assured him.


    I felt his eyes on me as I walked away.


    "I guess I am no longer Commander?" He called out to me.


    "Why would I strip you of your position?" I questioned leaving him speechless.


    He might be a suspect, but having him close was the better option; this way, I could watch over him, just as I had been doing to the ex-advisors I sent out of the council. So far so good; they''ve not been a problem. I was not a fool to think it was safe to let them be; they might be waiting for a chance; it was my duty to make sure they never got


    any.


    ÐÄ

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty


    Iy on the bed, wide awake.


    I couldn''t sleep, even with Alexander so close to me. This time, his presence offered nofort; we were on the same bed but might as well have been worlds apart, the gap between us growing wider and wider with each passing day.


    After he had fucked ine against the table, I managed to make my way back to the bed and attempt to sleep. Clearly, it wasn''t working. I hadn''t said another word to him, and he seemed to prefer the silence.


    My memories pulled me back to an incident from a few years ago, back in the Dawn Pack. I remembered finding a woman in the woods-she was in so much pain. I tried to calm her down, but without being able to speak, she couldn''t tell me what was wrong. I finally convinced her to shift back, and the moment she did, she broke down in tears. I had thought something terrible had happened to her, but I was... disappointed to realize that all that agony was simply because she was having issues with her mate.


    I had tried consoling her the best I could, because it was expected of me as the daughter of an Alpha, but deep inside, I saw her as weak; I could never imagine myself getting hurt by a man. That would never happen because I was going to be the Alpha, and no one could hurt an Alpha. Then, I was young and stupid, with big, impossible dreams.


    Only now did I understand why the woman was in so much pain. Crying had never been something that came easily to me, but I wish it did; I wanted to cry and release all the pain I felt inside.


    "Get some sleep, Kaida." The voice pulled me from my trail of thoughts. It was Alexander, and those words alone were enough to send my heart racing. Was this what love felt like? Weakness?


    Somehow, I managed to fall asleep.


    I had a strange dream about Aric drugging me; it felt more like a memory than a dream, but I knew it wasn''t real; Aric would never do that.


    If I thought those few words he said to me the other night meant we had begun making some kind of progress, then I was wrong because the silent treatment continued, worse than ever. Perhaps if he could talk to me, I would have told him that I had been feeling very strangetely.


    I threw up everything I had eaten. This had been happening for a few days now, and I wasn''t sure if my body was reacting to the distance between my mate and me or if it was something else-but it was only getting worse. All of a sudden, I was all skin and bones; my body refused to keep down any food. I might have to go to the healers if this persists.


    "Luna!" Sarah called. "Are you alright?" she asked as she gently held my hair back.


    "Yes." I said, but of course, we both knew that was a lie. "How did you get in here?"


    "The door was unlocked." She exined she had been very good with her duty as a maid; at the same time, she still managed her duties as a healer. Most times I had nothing for her to do, left to me; I didn''t want to stress her; I could handle things on my own, but she seemed to like being here, so I couldn''t send her away. At least not now that I literally have no one.


    Aric still hadn''t visited, and that was... strange.


    "How long has this been going on?" Sarah questioned, quickly switching to ''Healer''s Mode.''


    "I''m fine."


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty


    "You clearly aren''t."


    "A few days." I admitted it.


    "And you''ve not gotten a checkup?"


    "I didn''t think it was anything serious."


    "Uhmm, have you been using the pills I gave you?" she questioned.


    Uhmmm... No. I flushed it down the toilet the moment you were gone. "No." I answered.


    "Luna, I think you are pregnant.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One


    Nothing in the world could have prepared me for that news Sarah''s eyes held nothing but sympathy. I should have taken the pills. Now it was toote.


    I wasn''t ready; I wasn''t ready to train a child. Damn, I couldn''t even control myself; how am I expected to raise a child?


    I began panicking. "I can''t-it can''t be; there''s too much of the line; I can''t be pregnant." The words came out in a panicked whisper.


    "We haven''t run any tests yet; I''m only speaking based on the visible signs; we are not yet sure of anything till we run a test." She exined to me, and I nodded, but I could barely understand any word she was saying.


    I paced around my room, waiting for Sarah to bring the results. She had asked me to pee in a cup for the test; I didn''t even mind how awkward it was-I didn''t care. Please let her be wrong. If she is wrong, I would ask her for those pills and stay regr with them.


    Anytime I closed my eyes, I imagined myself getting big and round. I couldn''t fight with a child in my stomach.


    I could never be an Alpha.


    I always thought my childish dreams were dead, but the truth was that I had only managed to lock them away at the deepest parts of my mind; that didn''t mean they were all gone. I had wanted that ever since I watched the soldiers train. I was never meant to be like the other women who had to spend their lives bearing children and raising them.


    Sarah walked in; from the look on her face, I could guess what she was about to say.


    "I''m really pregnant, aren''t I?" I asked, and she passed me the result.


    "A few weeks pregnant, Luna."


    "I can''t..."


    "There is another option."


    "What option?" I asked, my eyes wide with hope.


    "You can abort it. No one would have to know about it."


    Abort it. Kill an innocent child. I would never do that.


    "No, I can''t do that. I will keep it."


    Her mouth dropped open. "What? But you can''t keep it... You have so much at stake; see this as a sacrifice for the greater cause."


    "I will keep it." I repeated, my voice sounded bold and sure and that was surprising seeing as I felt theplete opposite. "Thank you very much for your help, you may leave Sarah."


    She gave a slight bow before turning to leave. She seemed angry; I could understand her. She knew exactly what was on my mind, and she might actually believe she was trying to help me, but I would never kill my own child.


    The moment she was gone, I let go of every bit of bravery I had held onto; I let the tears stream down my eyes. I didn''t know how long I stayed crying, but the door opened once more, alerting me that Alexander had just returned from work. Unlike every other day, when he would walk past me like I didn''t exist or I was some ghost,


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One


    this time he stopped right in front of me.


    "Are you alright?"


    Alright. Of course, I wasn''t; when I thought things couldn''t get any worse, they did; they got worse, life... was a disaster.


    and now my


    "I''m pregnant."


    I hadn''t wanted to spill it to him just yet-I would have kept it to myself till I was ready-but I couldn''t. I wasn''t strong enough. I needed his support... I needed him now more than ever. But my words were met with silence.


    I stared up at him, unable to read his expression.


    "Say something." I said to him, on the brink of losing it, "Damn it, say something."


    "Whose child is it?"


    He did say something, but his words shattered me into a million pieces. Tears poured down my face as I tried to speak, but no words came.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two


    My mind shed back to the woman I had met in the woods all those years ago. If I could turn back time, I would have asked her exactly how her mate had broken her heart. Had he cheated on her? Had he beaten her? Or had he said the very same words Alexander ckwoods had just said to me?


    "How dare you." I growled at him. He was my first, the only man I had ever been with. "How dare you ask such a question, Alexander?" My voice sounded so cold; I couldn''t even recognize it.


    Alexander sat beside me as I shook with fury. "The healer had warned me when I began taking the doses of wolf''s bane. I didn''t listen; I was so obsessed with the idea of growing some kind of immunity to it. She was right in the end; it rendered me infertile¡ªat least until I stopped my daily doses. And even then, we aren''t sure things will return to normal. With the amount of wolfsbane in my system, I am incapable of impregnating you, Kaida."


    "I''ve only been with you."


    "No. Just stop the act. I felt it... I felt it that night when you were with him."


    "With whom?"


    "Aric. I felt the pain. I know what you did with him, so stop lying and just end it. I''m sick of enduring the lies and pretense."


    That was all I could take before I lunged at him. He wasn''t ready for my attack-he didn''t see iting. Inded a single blow before he caught both my hands in a firm lock. You fucking bastard! I didn''t do anything. But then you never did trust me, did you? Even when you were the one whoring around, fucking every woman who fit your idea of beauty.


    "So, was it some kind of payback?"


    He wasn''t even listening to me. I pulled away from him.


    "For the past few days, I had been dying inside, little by little. All I needed was for you to speak to me-just a few words. That''s all it would have taken to end my misery, but I never got them. You let me suffer. You watched me fade away each day, and you didn''t care. All you care about is yourself, Alexander. And I was the fool-the fool who fell for you. Loving you will forever be my biggest mistake.


    I pulled free from his hold and headed for the door. A wave of nausea hit me, making me stumble slightly.


    "Kaida, where are you going?"


    I didn''t give him a response; he didn''t deserve it.


    I walked away. I had no destination in mind, but one thing was sure: I wasn''t returning to that room. I thought he would be happy. Most people are when they hear such news, but I was very wrong.


    I knew Alexander for many things; a liar wasn''t part of it, and yet, he imed he felt the pain. I didn''t understand exactly what he meant by that.


    "Kaida."


    I turned back. Somehow, I had wandered deep into the woods barefoot. I hadn''t even realized how far I had gone until a familiar voice snapped me out of my trance. Aric.


    I faced him, and he did a double take.


    "You look like shit," he said, not even bothering to sugarcoat it. "Are you alright?¡±


    I could say the same about him. He looked like he had lost a good amount of weight, and his overgrown facial hair


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two


    was something I wasn''t used to. He also seemed to be struggling with his arm.


    "You never visited. After you returned, I expected you to cone, but you never did. Why?"


    "Alexander wouldn''t let the anywhere near you, and you know that."


    "No, there is more to this. You''ve always found your way to get to me, but this time you didn''t."


    ¡°I''m sorry. I couldn''t... I couldn''t look at you, not after what I did.¡±


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "There is something I really need to tell you."


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 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three


    I had known Aric all my life. I grew up with him-he was family to me. But never had I seen Aric look so scared, never had he let himself appear this vulnerable before me. In that instant, my own fears and worries were cast


    aside.


    "I betrayed your trust, Kaida. After everything you have done for me, I betrayed you, and I am so sorry. I was selfish and stupid; I let my feelings and desires get the best of me."


    "I don''t understand. What are you trying to say?"


    "When I convinced you to leave Alpha Alexander out of the mission, it wasn''t because I thought it was the best decision-it was because I wanted to have you alone with me. I thought that if you were far enough away from him, you would be able to-I don''t know-think clearly. Finally, we were alone and far from him, just as I had always wanted, and then... I told you how I felt. I told you everything...''


    11


    He didn''t need to say more; bit by bit, the memories flooded in. The dream I had earlier was more than just a dream. I remembered that day I woke up feeling like something was missing; Aric had told me it was just stress taking its toll on me. He had lied. I felt that way because of the drugs. I also recalled how guilty he had looked thest time I saw him. When we parted, it was as if he wanted to tell me something but kept it to himself


    "You... you..." I couldn''t say the words; tears welled in my eyes. I had never been one to cry, but now I couldn''t hold it back-I broke down. "You drugged me and raped me just because I turned you down?"


    I couldn''t believe it. Now it all made sense-why Alexander had been so mad at me, why Aric had stayed away all


    this time.


    "I didn''t rape you..."


    "You fucking liar!" I punched him hard and didn''t stop-I hit him twice more before finally pulling away. I suddenly felt... numb.


    "I am not lying, Kaida, please believe me."


    "I don''t know what to believe anymore; you were supposed to be my family, and yet..."


    "I didn''t touch you, I swear to all the gods I know. I wanted to, I thought I could, but when I got the chance, I couldn''t do it."


    "Alexander felt it; he felt the pain. You are the reason he hates me; it''s all because of you!"


    ¡°That was a side effect of the drugs¨Cit made him feel pain, even though nothing was happening. I didn''t know about the side effects until muchter. I''m so sorry, Kaida. wronged you and I had no right to do that."


    "I don''t believe any word you say. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong; maybe I never knew you at all. The man I knew would never do this."


    "I know you have no reason to believe me, but if I did take advantage of you in your unconscious state, you would have known, right? Still, what I did is simply unforgivable; deserve whatever punishment you choose to execute. I deserve it- and so much more."


    "You are right." I said to him, "You deserve much worse."


    I hade out here to find some relief, to take my mind off everything that was happening; little did I know what awaited me.


    I returned to the pack house. I was going to find an empty room and spend the


    night there, but most of the rooms were upied. The Nightshade pack was one


    of the biggest packs in the world, and with more people came the


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three


    rising need for amodation.


    "Lu?a Kaida, I''m d I met you here. I''ve been looking all around for you." Sarah said.


    "I am not in the mood for any conversation right now, Sarah." I said, walking past her.


    "I''m so sorry, Luna. There was a mistake," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were the wrong test results.


    I turned to her; she finally had my full attention.


    "How is that even possible?"


    Yes, we all made mistakes, but such mistakes should be rare to none, she had taken my samples, how had she mixed them up?


    "I''ve... had a lot on my mindtely. This was all my fault. I''ll be taking a break to get myself together before resuming my position as a Healer-I can''t afford to let mistakes like this happen again. I''m sorry."


    "Stop." I hissed; the words ''I''m sorry'' seemed to be thrown around a lot for the past few hours and I was getting sick of the apologies. Sarah was one of the best healers in our pack; it was unlikely for her to make such a mistake. "If that wasn''t my result, then it means you were wrong about the pregnancy?" I questioned, and she nodded, afraid to speak up. I left her before she had the chance to apologize once again.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    I didn''t know how to feel. While I had been venting about not being ready, a small part of me had already epted the pregnancy-the challenges that came with it. For those few hours when I thought I was pregnant, I couldn''t deny a strange fascination with the idea of a life growing inside of me. Her news should have brought relief, but strangely, it didn''t.


    It was midnight. I didn''t know exactly how I had ended up at the door of our apartment. Letting out a sigh of resignation, I stepped inside. Maybe I did need to talk to Alexander.


    I found him seated in the exact same position I had left him, but this time, a bottle


    of liquor was in his hand. Even from here, I could smell the harsh smell of


    wolfsbane. My eyes widened, and I rushed to him.


    "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?"


    "Well, that would just mean one less person for anyone to worry about."


    "Are you crazy? You are the Alpha king!"


    He smirked; it was humorless. I had never seen him look so scary and at the same time so broken. "I didn''t expect you toe back anytime soon."


    "I didn''t n oning back either."


    This was the moment I told him everything-the truth about Aric and what he had done. The image of him, wounded and lying on the ground in the woods, shed through my mind. Sympathy filled my chest. Despite everything he had done, despite the pain and betrayal he had put me through, I couldn''t bring myself to say the words. I knew that in Alexander''s state, he would kill him for what he did, and... I wanted him alive. Because, in spite of everything, he was still family.


    "You are right." I said to Alexander; he didn''t look at me, not once. "I am a liar. I lied because I was afraid. I betrayed you. I don''t know how it happened-one thing led to the other, and then..." I let out a small sob.


    Alexander reached out as if to hold me, but then he drew back. "I''m sorry I jeopardized the rtionship we had. It all happened in the heat of the moment, and I will never stop regretting it," I said to him. I wished I could tell him the truth; maybe then he wouldn''t stare at me with those disappointment-filled eyes.


    "I should never have reacted the way I did, even if the child wasn''t mine..."


    "Turns out there was no child to begin with... There was some sort of mix-up with the test results. Maybe it''s all for the best, after all; I wasn''t ready to raise a child; I wouldn''t have been a good mother."


    "I doubt that," he said, and his words surprised me. I had just admitted to him that


    I had indeed cheated on him; even if that wasn''t entirely true, I had expected him to be furious at me, but strangely, he was very calm.


    He tilted my jaw so I stared into his eyes. His touch felt so electrifying.


    "I Should have known." He muttered more to himself than to me; that didn''t stop me from asking, "You should


    have known what?"


    "You didn''t do it, did you? You are never one to fall into temptations; I was too mad at you to really think."


    "No, I did it. I betrayed you."


    "I should have done a better job at reading you; of course, that''s why you said nothing, because there was nothing to be said. Why are you trying to protect him, Kaida?"


    I couldn''t speak, couldn''t say anything; how had he figured it all out?


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "You do. Please don''t lie to me; tell me everything that happened."


    "Promise me you won''t hurt him; promise me that if I tell you the truth, you won''t make a move against him."


    "I can''t promise you that, if he did touch you against your will, I will kill him." Alexander said, his words sounded more like a promise. I knew that If I didn''t tell him the truth, he would find out anyway, and so I told him everything, and just as I had expected, he was furious. But for the first time in what felt like a very long time- though it had only been days-his anger wasn''t directed at me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    How could I have missed it?


    I always knew Kaida was different; she was not like other girls, and yet I doubted her. I had been the one wrong. She never did betray me.


    For the past few days, I had avoided looking at her-her eyes had this power over me, and I wasn''t ready to let her in again. But now, I noticed her-every part of her. I noticed she had lost weight. This was all my fault; I had jumped into conclusions too quickly.


    "Don''t hurt him." She pleaded, and once again, that surprised me; after what he had done to her, he deserved to pay. Why was she protecting him?


    Because he would always remain family to her. Even after everything he had done, she was going to forgive him.


    "If he doesn''t suffer for what he''s done, he may never understand the severity of his offense."


    "I know he deserves to be punished; I mean, he''s not exactly in the best state right now," she said. I couldn''t help the small smile that formed on my lips-of course, she must have thrown in a few punches at him, and damn, was I proud of her. But the smile instantly disappeared when I remembered the pain-both physical and mental- that I had inflicted on her.


    "I''ll do this for you, but you will never be alone with him again; I will make sure of that."


    "Thank you," she said, her shoulders sagging with relief.


    I sent for some food; she looked starved, and seeing her like this filled me up with even more guilt.


    The maid delivered the food, and Kaida dug in. Halfway through, she paused¡ª then suddenly bolted for the bathroom. I followed, watching as she threw up into the toilet. I knelt beside her, running a soothing hand down her back. When she was done, she flushed and brushed her teeth.


    "Are you alright?" I asked.


    "No," she said. "Earlier, Sarah thought these signs meant I was pregnant. She might have been wrong about that, but I need to know why this keeps happening."


    This wasn''t the first time it happened.


    "How long have you been sick?"


    "A few days." She answered.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "You were hardly around Alexander, and you were never in the mood to talk. I couldn''t tell you."


    That was true I had done my best to stay away from her. Still, no matter how hard


    I tried to push her from my thoughts, she was always there.


    "You didn''t deserve the treatment I gave you, and you were right; I was being a hypocrite."


    "Alexander, when I came here, you gave me a choice. You needed to be satisfied, and I wasn''t willing to go through with it. At first, I made myself believe I didn''t mind you being with other women, but the truth was, I did. Then I grew tired of pretending. You''ve stayed away from those women since then."


    "When I felt the pain, the first thing I thought about was how I had subjected you to go through all that... I would


    12


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    never forgive myself for doing that."


    "Everything is all in the past now. I only ask one thing of you."


    "Anything." I replied, and I meant it.


    "Don''t shut me out like that ever again. Please."


    "Never." I said, pulling her closer, and ced a kiss on her lips.


    I didn''t deserve her, and I probably never will, but I would spend the rest of my


    days trying my very best to make her happy.


    I escorted her to the healers. Turns out the cause of her sickness was the remnant of the drug Aric had used on her still in her system. It took everything for


    me to hold back my anger and not rip out mymander''s head from his body, but he''d just messed with my girl, and I was waiting for one more slip, and that''s all it would take.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    I didn''t know how to feel. While I had been venting about not being ready, a small part of me had already epted the pregnancy-the challenges that came with it. For those few hours when I thought I was pregnant, I couldn''t deny a strange fascination with the idea of a life growing inside of me. Her news should have brought relief, but strangely, it didn''t.


    It was midnight. I didn''t know exactly how I had ended up at the door of our apartment. Letting out a sigh of resignation, I stepped inside. Maybe I did need to talk to Alexander.


    I found him seated in the exact same position I had left him, but this time, a bottle


    of liquor was in his hand. Even from here, I could smell the harsh smell of


    wolfsbane. My eyes widened, and I rushed to him.


    "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?"


    "Well, that would just mean one less person for anyone to worry about."


    "Are you crazy? You are the Alpha king!"


    He smirked; it was humorless. I had never seen him look so scary and at the same time so broken. "I didn''t expect you toe back anytime soon."


    "I didn''t n oning back either."


    This was the moment I told him everything-the truth about Aric and what he had done. The image of him, wounded and lying on the ground in the woods, shed through my mind. Sympathy filled my chest. Despite everything he had done, despite the pain and betrayal he had put me through, I couldn''t bring myself to say the words. I knew that in Alexander''s state, he would kill him for what he did, and... I wanted him alive. Because, in spite of everything, he was still family.


    "You are right." I said to Alexander; he didn''t look at me, not once. "I am a liar. I lied because I was afraid. I betrayed you. I don''t know how it happened-one thing led to the other, and then..." I let out a small sob.


    Alexander reached out as if to hold me, but then he drew back. "I''m sorry I jeopardized the rtionship we had. It all happened in the heat of the moment, and I will never stop regretting it," I said to him. I wished I could tell him the truth; maybe then he wouldn''t stare at me with those disappointment-filled eyes.


    "I should never have reacted the way I did, even if the child wasn''t mine..."


    "Turns out there was no child to begin with... There was some sort of mix-up with the test results. Maybe it''s all for the best, after all; I wasn''t ready to raise a child; I wouldn''t have been a good mother."


    "I doubt that," he said, and his words surprised me. I had just admitted to him that


    I had indeed cheated on him; even if that wasn''t entirely true, I had expected him to be furious at me, but strangely, he was very calm.


    He tilted my jaw so I stared into his eyes. His touch felt so electrifying.


    "I Should have known." He muttered more to himself than to me; that didn''t stop me from asking, "You should


    have known what?"


    "You didn''t do it, did you? You are never one to fall into temptations; I was too mad at you to really think."


    "No, I did it. I betrayed you."


    "I should have done a better job at reading you; of course, that''s why you said nothing, because there was nothing to be said. Why are you trying to protect him, Kaida?"


    I couldn''t speak, couldn''t say anything; how had he figured it all out?


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four


    "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "You do. Please don''t lie to me; tell me everything that happened."


    "Promise me you won''t hurt him; promise me that if I tell you the truth, you won''t make a move against him."


    "I can''t promise you that, if he did touch you against your will, I will kill him." Alexander said, his words sounded more like a promise. I knew that If I didn''t tell him the truth, he would find out anyway, and so I told him everything, and just as I had expected, he was furious. But for the first time in what felt like a very long time- though it had only been days-his anger wasn''t directed at me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    How could I have missed it?


    I always knew Kaida was different; she was not like other girls, and yet I doubted her. I had been the one wrong. She never did betray me.


    For the past few days, I had avoided looking at her-her eyes had this power over me, and I wasn''t ready to let her in again. But now, I noticed her-every part of her. I noticed she had lost weight. This was all my fault; I had jumped into conclusions too quickly.


    "Don''t hurt him." She pleaded, and once again, that surprised me; after what he had done to her, he deserved to pay. Why was she protecting him?


    Because he would always remain family to her. Even after everything he had done, she was going to forgive him.


    "If he doesn''t suffer for what he''s done, he may never understand the severity of his offense."


    "I know he deserves to be punished; I mean, he''s not exactly in the best state right now," she said. I couldn''t help the small smile that formed on my lips-of course, she must have thrown in a few punches at him, and damn, was I proud of her. But the smile instantly disappeared when I remembered the pain-both physical and mental- that I had inflicted on her.


    "I''ll do this for you, but you will never be alone with him again; I will make sure of that."


    "Thank you," she said, her shoulders sagging with relief.


    I sent for some food; she looked starved, and seeing her like this filled me up with even more guilt.


    The maid delivered the food, and Kaida dug in. Halfway through, she paused¡ª then suddenly bolted for the bathroom. I followed, watching as she threw up into the toilet. I knelt beside her, running a soothing hand down her back. When she was done, she flushed and brushed her teeth.


    "Are you alright?" I asked.


    "No," she said. "Earlier, Sarah thought these signs meant I was pregnant. She might have been wrong about that, but I need to know why this keeps happening."


    This wasn''t the first time it happened.


    "How long have you been sick?"


    "A few days." She answered.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "You were hardly around Alexander, and you were never in the mood to talk. I couldn''t tell you."


    That was true I had done my best to stay away from her. Still, no matter how hard


    I tried to push her from my thoughts, she was always there.


    "You didn''t deserve the treatment I gave you, and you were right; I was being a hypocrite."


    "Alexander, when I came here, you gave me a choice. You needed to be satisfied, and I wasn''t willing to go through with it. At first, I made myself believe I didn''t mind you being with other women, but the truth was, I did. Then I grew tired of pretending. You''ve stayed away from those women since then."


    "When I felt the pain, the first thing I thought about was how I had subjected you to go through all that... I would


    12


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five


    never forgive myself for doing that."


    "Everything is all in the past now. I only ask one thing of you."


    "Anything." I replied, and I meant it.


    "Don''t shut me out like that ever again. Please."


    "Never." I said, pulling her closer, and ced a kiss on her lips.


    I didn''t deserve her, and I probably never will, but I would spend the rest of my


    days trying my very best to make her happy.


    I escorted her to the healers. Turns out the cause of her sickness was the remnant of the drug Aric had used on her still in her system. It took everything for


    me to hold back my anger and not rip out mymander''s head from his body, but he''d just messed with my girl, and I was waiting for one more slip, and that''s all it would take.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Tweiny Six


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six


    Kaida had been given medication to help her recover faster watched her sleep, my mind drifted back to the moment she told me she was pregnant. Very few things took me by surprise, but the news did. The first emotion I felt was... hope. For a split second, I wondered if the healers had been wrong-if the wolfsbane hadn''t rendered me infertile after all. But then came the internal conflict-there was a big possibility that the child could belong to her former beta, Aric.


    I should have told Kaida about my inability. I couldn''t believe I had never stopped to consider how she would feel about not having children. I mean, there was a chance, but only if I stopped consuming wolfsbane and allowed my body to heal from years of damage.


    For years, I had taken daily doses of wolfsbane-a habit born from the day it nearly killed me. I had sworn then that I would never let that happen again.


    I was fully aware of the fact that I was risking my life every day by taking the doses, but I couldn''t stop. Not now. It had be more than just a means of protection; wolfsbane had be an addiction. I couldn''t go a day without it.


    ***NINE YEARS AGO***


    I was almost fourteen, yet I looked much older than most kids my age. More than that, I felt older. Maybe it was because I had already been named Alpha of the Nightshade Pack at such a young age, or perhaps it was simply that werewolves grew faster. By then, I already looked like a seventeen-year-old.


    There was one more thing I had toe to terms with-I was being watched. Everyone had their eyes on me, and I knew it. They watched to see my next move, waiting for the moment I would make a childish mistake that would lead to my downfall. It was suffocating, almost intoxicating, to stay in my own home-a ce that no longer felt like home. Ever since my parents left, I had felt like a stranger in my own pack.


    I was well aware of the tight-lipped smiles themanders gave as they bowed


    to me-they didn''t believe I was old enough tomand their respect. Everywhere I went, I had to keep up a facade, hiding my true self from a world of devourers waiting just beyond my door.


    They were all hypocrites-even the one who pretended to love me the most. Yet somehow, I endured each day, and little by little, I was proving myself to be a true leader. But everything changed on the fateful day


    I stepped into my room and saw the woman on my bed.


    I thought she had the looks of an angel. She had beautiful long gold hair that went down to her waist; she seemed to be around the age of neen or twenty. I didn''t know how she got into my room, but somehow, she did, and now shey on the bed,pletely naked.


    I had been with three women before her, but none of them were as appealing as the woman lying naked on my bed, she was a seductress in every sense of the word.


    "How did you get in here?" I asked, managing to take my eyes off her body. Her skin was the perfect tan, just like. everything about her.


    "By the door, how else?" She responded with a flirtatious smile; she had an exotic voice; everything about her was simply appealing. I walked towards her.


    "What do you want?" I questioned.


    "I am on your bed, naked. We both know why I am here and what exactly I want." She said to me,


    I wanted her; I lusted after her, and she could see it clearly in my eyes. I should have been wiser, I should have seen the trap ahead, but I was young and foolish.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six


    I remember every word she said¡ªall the beautiful lies she whispered with those sensual lips.


    For the next four days, my life felt perfect-or at least as perfect as it could be for someone like me. I had sex with her, and when I was done, she usually left. But on the fifth day, to my surprise, she stayed. The maid brought food, and the gold haired girl sat beside me. I didn''t know her name and I never bothered to ask. It was never more than sex between us.


    "Can I join you?" She asked; her voice sounded so angelic, no one could turn that down. I nodded, and she joined me; the smile on her face melted through me, but then I noticed the blood.


    "Your nose. It''s bleeding." I said to her, and she paused eating, the smile remained on her face, but it didn''t look very angelic anymore.


    "They were all right about you." She said with some effort, more blood gushed down her nose, "You are nothing but a weak little boy, you cannot rule us."


    I watched as she gasped for air, clutching at her throat as if invisible hands were cutting off her breath. She died right before my eyes, leaving me inplete shock. It had happened too fast-too suddenly for me to react.


    The door to my room burst open. Danger flooded my senses I tried to rise, but dizziness forced me back down. Clutching my head, I struggled to understand- what was happening?


    I felt pain everywhere; my werewolf senses felt all weird.


    When the men walked in, I recognized them; they were about five. Two of them weremanders, and the other three were high-ranking members of the pack, people who had served under my parents. Now they approached me with silver daggers in their hands, ready to end my life.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven


    I wanted to fight. I wanted to defend myself, but I was weak-helpless. All I could


    do was watch as they drove their silver daggers into me, one after the other. Five stabs, yet none aimed at my heart. They wanted me to bleed out- slowly, painfully.


    When they were done, they left me lying on the floor in a puddle of my own blood.


    At that moment, I didn''t feel like an Alpha. I didn''t feel powerful. I felt like a child-a weak, defenseless child. But as the pieces fell into ce, I realized the girl had given her life to ensure my death. And yet, I couldn''t help but wonder-what price had they offered her to make such a sacrifice worth it? Or had she done this willingly? Perhaps she truly believed she was saving the pack by killing me- because in her eyes, I wasn''t fit to rule.


    I had never been so afraid and alone; I could literally feel the life slip out of me. "Mom.¡± I called out, choking on my own blood, but there was no response. This was it; they both left me to face the monsters alone, and now those very same monsters had just murdered me. I believed I was going to die, but somehow a soldier had smelt out the blood and miraculously came to my aid.


    I was only half-conscious as they carried me to the healing room. My pack members'' stares followed me-some filled with curiosity, others with excitement. Some looked at me as if I were a stranger, their gazes devoid of sympathy, while only a few seemed truly disturbed by what they saw.


    "I told you all-he is not fit to be our Alpha," Commander Jack muttered under his breath. But if I could hear him even in my condition, I was certain everyone else could too.


    I had been poisoned with wolf''s bane and stabbed five times, but yet, many stared


    at me with disappointment as if I had failed them. They wheeled the bed I was ced on into the healing room.


    I would never let myself be so vulnerable ever again.


    The first thing I did the moment I recovered and was back on my feet was execute the men who had attacked me. Watching them die filled me with this strange rush of power; I liked it. I liked how it made me feel.


    I decided then-I was done trying to impress people. I had nothing to prove. I didn''t need to convince anyone that I deserved to be the Alpha; they could either ept it or walk away.


    From that day on, I took wolfsbane daily. I started with small doses-just a few drops in a bottle of liquor¨Cbut as the years passed, I found myself wanting... no, needing more.


    ALIYA''S POV


    I didn''t believe a single word he had said.


    The Empresses would never have killed me. He was lying trying to make me believe I had no other choice but to stay. Maybe I wasn''t ''pure'' anymore-I lost that when I lost my virginity-but I knew the only ce I would be safe was back in Aureonna City, the same ce I had run away from.


    I was living under the same roof as a monster. I couldn''t stay here with him. But I was trapped. Daemon was faster and stronger than me. I would never escape this ce-at least not without a n.


    I wracked my brain, trying toe up with a n, but nothing came. My thoughts were a tangled mess-I couldn''t even think straight. Inside, it felt like my heart had been torn from my chest and shredded to pieces. And he was the one who did it¡ª the only man I had ever loved had betrayed me.


    I heard a faint noise and rose from the cushion where I was seated, following the sound. I stopped in front of the room that had always been locked. I tried the handle, but just like before, it didn''t budge.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven


    Daemon came here constantly; it was the only room in this entire ce that remained locked almost all the time. I didn''t know what was beyond those doors, and I wasn''t sure I wanted to find out.


    I turned away, ready to leave, when another noise stopped the. This time, I could have sworn I heard a quiet sob.


    "Anyone in there?" I asked, but there wasplete silence it was like I had imagined the sounds.


    "What are you doing there?" the cold voice belonging to Daemon called out, and I flinched, carefully taking a step back. I stared at the man who I had once trusted; he looked the same; everything about him was just as I remembered, and at the same time, he was aplete stranger.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight


    "I heard soundsing from this room. Who''s in there?" I asked him.


    "Come." He said, avoiding my question.


    "No. I want to know who is in there."


    A flicker of annoyance crossed his face before he walked toward me. Maybe he knew his sudden disappearances and reappearances were already unsettling me-but I doubted he cared. Maybe he just didn''t feel like doing it this time.


    He took out a key from the pocket of his jeans and unlocked the door; his eyes remained on me. It took all my strength to tear my gaze away and look into the room. There, locked up in the room, were three girls- they were around my age, though the one in the middle seemed a few years older. They looked afraid, but no tears ran down their faces, even though they were chained up like animals. Maybe I had imagined the sounds after all.


    "You kidnapped them," I said, totally mortified. I shouldn''t be surprised by his actions, and yet, I was. I was surprised because I didn''t want to believe that the Trian I knew was gone; despite everything, I still held onto the part of him that I believed was real. I wasn''t ready to let go.


    "No, I didn''t kidnap them; they came here willingly."


    "Just as I came here willingly." I said, realization dawned on me; I would be just like them. Soon, I would be chained up like an animal.


    "I won''t do that to you." He said, easily reading what had been on my mind.


    "They did you no wrong, Trian. Let them go."


    His real name, Daemon, lingered on my lips.


    "They want to be here. They won''t go even if they have the option."


    I stared at them; there was something I didn''t notice about them. They were


    clearly human, but there was something lifeless about them.


    "What did you do to them?"


    "Nothing they didn''t want."


    He responded before shutting the door. "I got some groceries. You must be starving."


    My earlier worries returned back to me; I couldn''t cook, but that was the least of my concerns now, death by starvation was a better way to die than whatever he had nned for me.


    "I don''t know how to cook." I stated.


    "I know that. I would be the one cooking."


    Do demons cook? That had been the question I was curious to know, but I kept my curiosity to myself, like I should have done before.


    He led me to the kitchen. "Take a seat." He encouraged me and I did just as he said. I watched him cook, and for some reason, I couldn''t look away. He seemed to be good at everything, I didn''t know how to cook but he seemed to be doing it right; the aroma filled the whole ce. He took out four tes after he was done cooking and served the spaghetti, topping each te with a generous helping of sauce. Then, he ced a te in front of me


    "Eat," he said.


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight


    The food could have been poisoned, but I didn''t really care was starving and needed all of my strength if I really wanted to escape this ce, and so I ate. It was delicious, one of the best dishes I had ever tasted, I didn''tpliment him.


    "Do you want more?" he asked when I finished my portion shook my head, indicating ''no''. I watched as he took the remaining three tes and walked up the few stairs. I assumed he was heading to the girls, so I quickly followed him.


    The starved girls jerked forward at the scent of food. As soon as he unchained them, they grabbed their tes and emptied them faster than I ever could. "You didn''t eat." I stated, wondering if he had indeed poisoned the food. "This kind of food doesn''t satisfy me," he said.


    I recalled one of the books Julia had forced me to read-it was about demons and how they drank blood to survive. Back then, it had felt like nothing more than a dark fantasy, a story meant to scare children. But now... now I knew better. I had wondered why these girls were here. Now I understood. He needed a constant supply of blood. He needed their blood.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine

    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine:


    Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine.


    Daemon didn''t bother restraining the girls with chains again after they had finished eating.


    My heart ached for them-innocent girls who had no idea what kind of monster he truly was. They gazed up at him, captivated by his good looks, just as I had once been. I had thought he had the beauty of a fallen angel, and I wasn''t wrong. In every sense of the word, he was after all-the Demon Overlord. His looks weren''t the only reason I fell for him. With Trian, I had felt free, he was the only one who regarded me like I was more than just a sacred vessel. He made me feel like a woman, made me want things I never imagined I could, and showed me the world through an entirely new lens. But Trian was gone, and Daemon had taken over


    his body.


    "Who''ll be first?" He questioned the girls with a small smile on his lips and just as they had rushed for the food, they now flocked to him. I wanted to scream at them, didn'' they know what he was about to do?


    Daemon''s words hit me: ''I don''t do anything they don''t want.''


    Could people in their right senses ever want this?


    He stepped toward the oldest of the girls, and she eagerly tilted her head, exposing her neck to him. He brushed her hair aside, and that was when I saw it- fangs. Had they always been there? I would have noticed... or perhaps he had simply hidden them too well.


    But with his fangs bared and his eyes- which had turnedpletely ck, he looked every bit like the Demon Overlord I had imagined. I didn''t even realize I was shaking ''Run!'' my mind screamed at me, but fear had rooted me to the spot. I watched him sink his fangs into her skin; the girl let out a scream. She never stopped screaming, but the tone... it shifted. The raw agony melted into something else, something almost euphoric. Soft, breathless moans slipped from her lips. I watched her grind her hips against him, her eyes dazed like she was under some kind of spell. The other girls watched, a strange look in their eyes, and I was surprised to note it was jealousy. They were jealous of the girl Daemon had chosen to feed off from.


    After what felt like forever, he pulled away, licking his blood stained lips and leaving behind two bite marks to add to the other scars marring her neck. He shoved her away like the thought of being too close to her suddenly disgusted him, and she fell back to the ground; Her breaths came out in quiet, shallow pants, yet the desire in her eyes remained.


    A wave of nausea crashed over me, threatening to bring up everything I had eaten, but thankfully, it passed. I stumbled backward, suddenly dizzy.


    "Aliya." He called, catching me before I could fall.


    "Don''t touch me." I snapped, and he seemed surprised by my outburst.


    Fear gripped me. I didn''t know who these girls were, but to him, they were nothing more than blood bags. I'' wondered what he was going to do to me; what exactly were his ns for me?


    "Aliya, you need to calm down."


    I couldn''t. My heart pounded, and ck dots clouded my vision. I tried to fight it, but slowly, I felt myself slipping


    away.


    I had no idea how he got me into the room so quickly, but before I knew it, my back sank into the soft bed.


    "What would you do to me?" I asked in me?"


    y half-conscious state, "Why am I here, and what do you want with


    Minutes passed, or perhaps it was just seconds; I faded away into the darkness,


    but not before I heard his response.


    "I am supposed to kill you; that was the n, yet you still live."

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty


    I woke up feeling disoriented. His words kept reying in my mind: "I am


    supposed to kill you; that was the n, yet you still live."


    I should have known that was the n. Without me, the Encounter would never take ce, and the Empresses would never fulfill their ''life''s purpose''-to kill the Demon Overlord: him.


    Yet, somehow, I still hoped; I still believed that the man I knew was in there somewhere. I was wrong. I couldn''t waste any more time; each minute each second-spent doing nothing counted. I couldn''t let this happen; I had to do something and fast.


    He was not in the living room or kitchen by the time I came down; I was pretty sure he wasn''t in the house, but he would be close by; running away now would be a stupid decision. I needed a weapon, and kitchen knives wouldn''t do.


    I went up the stairs to his weapons room and was surprised to find it open; the Nexus Amulet was still there. The only difference was that the windows were shut-perhaps to keep me from tossing the jewel out, as I had before. Daemon didn''t seem to mind me being here. He didn''t see me as a threat.


    I looked through the weapons; they were all good, but I needed something small and easy to hide. I spotted a weapon simr to a dagger, but it was slender, with a narrow, sharp pointed tip. A smile curved on my lips. This was just it. I hid it away in my clothes, returning to the room.


    I knew Daemon would be here soon, and so I waited for him; he came, just as I had expected.


    "How are you feeling?" he questioned; one would actually believe he cared, that he wasn''t nning on ending my life to save his.


    "I''m fine." I answered curtly.


    "I''m sorry; I shouldn''t have made you see that."


    "Are you really? Are you really sorry? From what I can tell, you let me watch just to scare me-to make sure I saw how ''evil'' you are. Well, message received. You did a perfect job. Consider mepletely and utterly terrified of you."


    "To demons, this is normal. Just the same way you consume food to satisfy your hunger, we need blood to quench the thirst."


    "It''s definitely not the same thing; we don''t have to feed at the expense of another person''s life!"


    "I don''t take enough to kill them."


    "When you bit her, she seemed to... like it."


    "Yes, when the pain passes, the pleasure sets in... almost as close as the feeling of having sex."


    For some reason, my face reddened. A memory I didn''t want to think about resurfaced. I remembered what it felt like... Having him so close to me, his touch..... the kisses and his powerful thrusts, filling me up, but then I locked away all those thoughts.


    I had been stupid; I was a young girl in love, and I made bad decisions. Now I have the power to correct it. I would go through with my n, and I would kill him before he ever got the chance to do that to me.


    I always knew you were different. From the very first day I met you, you were so... daring and fearless. You had the looks and grace of a royal or a highborn, I almost couldn''t believe you were a soldier and I was right to doubt that.


    He walked closer to me, just as I hoped he would; I felt for the weapon, satisfied it was still there. "I thought you


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty


    were simply fascinating." He said, his voice had lowered to a whisper, his words sent chills down my spine. "I wish things were different; I wish there was truly and happily ever after for us. Everything would have been perfect. But you just had to betray me." I said, looking up at him. "That was your biggest mistake."


    I reached for the dagger and, with a deliberate thrust, buried it in his heart. I knew exactly where to aim-and surprisingly, I didn''t miss.


    X


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 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty One

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty One


    I never believed I could do it, but as I stared at him with mygger buried in his heart, I couldn''t stop the tears that slipped from my eyes, they weren''t tears of


    relief.


    "You should never have lied to me, Daemon," I said. His eyes never left mine, even as he copsed to the ground, his hands clutching the dagger protruding from his chest as if to pull it out. ck blood seeped into his gray shirt. I didn''t wait to watch. I ran straight to the room where the girls were kept, but as expected, it was locked.


    I rushed to the weapons room, grabbed a gun, and returned I had never used a firearm before, but I had a rough idea of how it worked. I fired at the lock three times-missed twice, but on the third shot, I hit my mark. It was purely idental,


    I could hear my own heart hammering, each beat a painful attempt to break free from my chest.


    The door swung open, revealing the three girls huddled together, trembling in fear. But that wasn''t the first thing I noticed-the first thing I noticed was that they weren''t in chains. That was good. It seemed luck was indeed on my side.


    "P-please don''t k-kill us," one of them begged.


    "I am here to set you free. All of you." I said, expecting to see a spark of


    happiness in their eyes; there was none. They didn''t move; they just stared at me.


    "I am setting you free; leave this ce, go on with your lives-I am sure some of you have family; return to your family...¡±


    I trailed off when I noticed they still sat there, making no move to flee; did they think I was trying to trick them? Couldn''t they see I was trying to help them?


    "I know what you''re doing," the eldest said. I had never heard her voice before, but I was surprised by how sane she sounded. ¡°You want us gone so you can have him all to yourself."


    What?


    "He kidnapped you..."


    "No, he didn''t." The third girl said. "We agreed toe. This is our home now." "He was going to kill you!" I said I was frustrated and irritated by their stupidity


    "We also know that."


    What the hell was wrong with them? "It doesn''t matter now; he is dead, and this is our chance."


    The oldest stared at me; for a moment I saw the flicker of sadness in her eyes, but then it was gone. "He is not dead. You can''t kill him." She said,


    "I stabbed him through the..."


    There was no point in arguing; if they liked being locked in here, then they could stay. I had wasted enough time trying to convince them.


    I grabbed Daemon''s car key from the table and bolted out of the house. The car was only a few steps away. I ripped off the cover and jumped inside. I had never driven before, but I had watched him drive, and I was a quick learner. After a few tries, the engine roared to life, and I sped away


    It had been five hours of driving and I still hadn''t spotted any houses; the road seemed to stretch on and on.


    I finally had a moment to process what I''d done. It all happened so fast-one moment, we were talking; the next, I had driven a dagger through his heart. My hands trembled against the steering wheel as the weight of it sank in. I


    would never see him again. A sob broke free from my lips.


    I still loved him-I realized, and every part of me wanted to turn the car around and try to undo what had already been done. I was crazy for even thinking that, but at that moment that had been exactly how I felt.


    When he was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in The Pit, I had cried my eyes out. I hated being away from him, and I hated knowing it was all my fault he was down there. But even then, I had clung to a flicker of hope- because he wasn''t dead yet. Despite everything I knew about The Pit, part of me still believed. But now... now he was gone for real.


    I hadn''t seen the figure until I mmed into it. I could have sworn the road had been empty, but maybe I''d been too lost in my thoughts.


    I stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind me. It could have been an animal... or a person. But judging by the dent in the car, the impact had been hard-hard enough to cause serious injury or, worse, death.


    I frantically searched for the person or animal I had hit but found nothing-no blood, no sign of impact... nothing. I might have convinced myself that it was just my mind ying tricks on me, but the dents on the car were proof enough. Feelingpletely unsettled by everything, I got back into the car. Strangely, I felt safer locked inside. I rested my head on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths until my racing heart finally calmed. Sitting up, I turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing.


    Something caught my attention in the rearview mirror-a figure seated behind me. "Daemon," I gasped.

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Two

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty wo


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Two


    KAIDA''S POV


    I woke up in the healing room. It took me a moment to remember why I was here.


    "Alexander," I called softly, but there was no response. Turning over, I spotted a woman standing a few steps away, her back turned to me.


    "Sarah-?"


    The woman finally turned to me, her light brown eyes filled with irritation-the very same eyes I had once sworn to close forever. Cynthia.


    Why was she here?


    I already knew the answer-she had seen me. Of course, she had seen me shoot


    at her three times. I was in my most vulnerable state; I didn''t think I could even stand on my own without feeling dizzy; I had to take her on wisely.


    "How did you get in here?" I asked her.


    "It wasn''t very hard; my only problem was the ckwood wolf; he wouldn''t leave your side. Well, at least now he''s gone."


    I pushed up the bed, doing my very best to hide my panic; I couldn''t afford to show any sign of fear. "What did you do to Alexander?"


    "I did nothing; he''s stronger than most, aplication, but he got called for some business and he''d believed that cing guards to watch over you is protection enough."


    I almost let out a breath of relief at the fact that Alexander was unhurt and unharmed. I was going to have to stall for time. I didn''t know exactly why she was here-or maybe I did;


    I couldn''t help but feel like the biggest fool of the century. Clearly, being shot thrice wasn''t enough to kill her, because here she stood, unscathed.


    "Why are you here?" I questioned her.


    The thing was, I had been fully covered during that mission. She must have only seen my eyes and made a guess. Perhaps if I yed innocent, I could outmaneuver her.


    "Do you take me for a fool?" She shot back. Well, I guess she wasn''t here by randomly guessing. "But I must say, it was brave of you to attempt to kill me. I dare say, you were braver than both your parentsbined."


    I jerked up again at the mention of my parents, anger seeping into me. "What do you know about my parents?"


    The letter imed she had killed them, but we weren''t sure how much of it was true; one thing was sure: my father would never request that I go against her, and her surprise proved all our suspicions right.


    "I know a lot about them. I know your mother, Lydia. She was such a true beauty; I dare say she was more beautiful than you in her youth. Everyone adored her; she was like a sister to me, and we lived together in a small vige in the Middle East. Everyone loved her in the vige they adored her and worshiped her. It wasn''t the same for me; I was a disgrace in their eyes, always making the wrong decisions. But there had been one good thing the moon goddess had offered me. My mate, an Alpha.


    You must know what it feels like for an average wolf, living in a small vige, to get mated to an Alpha. I was so happy; all of a sudden, I didn''t care about any other person or what they thought about me; it was just him. I cared


    about him.


    Chapter One Hundred and thirtyTwo


    Even after so many years, I still remember that fateful afternoon when he and his soldiers had traveled through our vige and I saw him for the first time. I thought he was the most good-looking man I had ever seen. But when he got to me, his eyes¡ªthey weren''t on me, but on her- Lydia."


    She sneered out the name in total disgust.


    "He was all I had, all I could brag about, and she had to take him too; he wasn''t her mate, and yet... He chose her, just like every other person in the pack; they picked her over me. She begged for my forgiveness; she told me she was in love, but so was I... He was mine and I was his, but she was the beautiful one, and everyone always picks the beautiful one.


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 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Three

    Chapter One Hundred and Thaly Three


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Three


    Lydia went with him, and the whole vige celebrated even those who knew of her wickedness, the ones who were aware that the Alpha was never her mate. They were all happy for her, and no one cared about how that made me feel; no one cared about me, and when I ran away from the vige, no one bothered to check, but it was alright. I went to the one person who wanted me, the god of light. She was willing to give me a chance and also grant me the vengeance my soul desperately seeks; she was the only one who truly loved me, the love that never leaves.


    She granted me the power to wield mes, but that wasn''t the only gift she bestowed upon me. She gave me something far greater-an ability unlike any other, the power to push into a person''s mind and take full control, the Gift of Compulsion. The rarest of all gifts-she granted it to me; she made me powerful; she made me into a weapon for her own use, but her gifts came with a price. When my walk with her was over, every gift she gave would be stripped away from me, and I would wither away; that was the price, and I epted it. All minds are bare and naked to me, all minds but one-his mind.


    The ckwood wolf seemed to have something protecting him; I can''t tell what exactly it is, but it prevents me from reaching into his mind, and this is where I have a problem. I cannot control him." She paused, seemingly lost in thought. She didn''t seem to mind passing me all this information. I hated the fact that she referred to Alexander as The ckwood wolf, he was the Werewolf King but she didn''t seem to acknowledge that.


    I couldn''t stop reying her story in my mind. I suppose no one is born evil-some just have darkness buried inside them, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed. But no one is truly destined to be a viin, and she was no exception. I almost felt sympathy for her; I never thought of my mother or father as people who could do such a thing. Of course, I didn''t know if her story was true for all I knew, she could have been lying. But something in me told me she wasn''t. Still, that didn''t mean I should trust her words.


    "Did you ever return to your vige?" I asked, and she nodded.


    "I did. They are all dead now."


    I hope she didn''t see how pale I had be. "You killed them?" I asked; How


    could one single woman take down a whole vige?


    "Yes."


    "How?"


    "I will tell you that sometimeter."


    Closing my eyes, I couldn''t help but imagine the cries of the mother and children,


    the men too, who had no part in it all.


    "You''ve not yet asked the most important question." She said,


    Of course, I hadn''t.


    "You killed my parents.''


    "Yes, and I could have killed you too. I still remember how your mother cried when I let her have a nce through my head; I let her see the pain I endured when she took my mate away, and the pain alone almost consumed her. Then I choked out the breath from her lungs. I didn''t need to touch her; all I needed to do was create an illusion, make her believe that she was out of air, when in reality all she had to do was take a breath. I remember her sobs, her pleas; she wanted forgiveness, and I wanted her blood. She''d managed to give him a child before I killed her."


    It all happened so fast; the anger that filled me was uncontroble. I leapt out of the bed and brought her down


    with me. "You crazy bitch!" I cried out as I strangled the woman; a smile remained on her face. I had been holding hard enough to crush her throat; blood ran down her nose, but she still seemed unaffected.


    Chapter One Hundred and ThatyThree


    "Your father called me that; he called me a lot of names. Still, I knew he felt the guilt, even until his death day" she said, her voice unwavering despite my hands pressing against her neck. "I killed him too; his death was more enjoyable because I got to watch him suffer and panic over the life of his child and his pack members. You know, that''s why he sent you here; he wanted you to be protected from me. The ckwood wolf is possessive; he is also very strong, your father made the right move."


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four


    I pulled away when I realized choking her wasn''t really affecting her.


    I was raging, tears streamed down my eyes. My father might have made mistakes, but he was a good man; God knows he dodged a bullet when he went for Lydia instead of the crazy bitch. I kicked her hard in the stomach, and she only chuckled, rising to her feet. I kicked her again, and she lost bnce; this time she only looked annoyed. I sent a punch to her face, but my wrist met with thin air; she was no longer there but at the other corner of the


    room.


    "I didn''te here to kill anyone, but make one more move, Kaida, and I will make you watch as I kill another innocent from your pack." She said, Despite my anger, I had to calm down. She was an Empress; it was clear brute force didn''t work on her. As if reading my thoughts, she spoke.


    "You can''t kill me. Many tried; they all failed." She said, wiping the blood from her nose. "This is not the reason I am here. You came into our city uninvited; you shot me thrice; clearly your aim was to kill, and you did this on the sacred day of The Encounter. More than that, you took away our Chosen. Why? Do you really want to start a war?"


    "You were my target; I didn''t harm anyone from your city. You started the war when you killed my parents."


    "By taking away the god of light''s Chosen, you involved the whole city."


    "What do you mean? I didn''t take anyone."


    Her face scrunched up in disgust and pure anger. "Don''t y games with me, child. You shot at me and took her; why?"


    "I said I didn''t. I came for you, no one else." I snapped back


    "She''s missing, and she was taken at the exact time of the incident."


    "That is not my problem.''


    "I would get the truth out of you." She promised, a small smile yed on her lips; she looked every bit as crazy as she did in those pictures, and then her eyes glowed, the color of mes. I had seen something simr before, Alexander''s eyes had glowed a simr color back in the Grey Moon Pack. That had been before everyone in the hall had been sent on fire.


    And then I felt it... It was like I was drowning, struggling for breath, but there was no water, and yet I drowned. I couldn''t breathe, and then the feeling disappeared.


    I coughed hard, panting. "What was that?" This time I couldn''t hide my panic well; I had never felt anything like


    1. it.


    "Your mind controls your body; anyone who controls the mind can control the whole body. I made you believe you were drowning; you weren''t, and yet... you felt like you were. Now tell me, Kaida, where is the girl?"


    "I had told you before... I don''t know-"


    I never got the chance toplete my sentence; once again I was drowning,


    choking, and yet there was no water. I tried to fight it, tried to make myself breathe, but it felt real; this time she held on a little longer, so I was on the brink of passing out before she stopped.


    I took deep breaths. "I came there for you; if she is gone, then someone else took her."


    Cynthia stared at me; she knew I was telling the truth, and yet she continued on with her torture. I ''drowned'' three more times; I was too weak to even move, and she finally seemed satisfied.


    "It seems like you really don''t know where the girl is. I would have to leave now; the ckwood wolf would be


    Chapter One Hundred and Thiny Four


    here anytime now. But you can''t tell him a thing about us." She said, pointing between the both of us, like we were in some secret rtionship. I was going to tell him the first chance I got, but she didn''t have to know that. "That is amand." She added, and her words sank into my mind. I knew that even if I tried to tell Alexander everything that happened, no words woulde out-she had somehowpelled me to stay silent. "The guards who are supposed to be protecting you are also under apulsion; they won''t even remember me being here even if they were the ones who let me in," she said with a smile that said she was proud of herself.


    She walked to the door and pulled it open before turning to me onest time. "I will be back, and don''t you for once think that I have forgotten your attempt on my life; I will make you pay for that too... soon."


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 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Five

    ALIYA''S POV


    What the hell was I thinking?


    After years of studying and reading through half the books in the library, you''d think I would know thatmon weapons can''t harm demons-let alone the Demon Overlord himself. Even the human girl Daemon had locked away knew that. Yet somehow, I thought I had killed him.


    What surprised me more than my own foolishness was the fact that I actually cried for him when I thought he was dead-when I thought I had killed him. I didn''t feel aplished; instead, a part of me regretted it. That very part of me was d that Daemon still lived. The other reasonable part knew that I was in big trouble; I had angered him, and I would pay for that.


    Thest thing I remember was a cloth being ced over my nose, and then I awoke in his room, on his bed, but this time, my hands had been cuffed to the bedpost, and my legs had been tied with a thick and itchy brown rope. For the past two hours since waking, I had tried to free myself-but I couldn''t. The Empresses had taught me many things, yet never the basics. They never bothered training me on how to cook, survive, or even how to fight. They had nned out my life for me, and in their ns, I had no need for such skills.


    The door creaked open, and Daemon walked in. I struggled harder against the cuffs binding my hands. It was a futile attempt, and yet I didn''t stop struggling. This was it. The moment he would finally make me pay.


    In his hand was the very same dagger I had pierced into his heart.


    "Stay away from me Daemon. If you hurt me, I am going to kill you."


    Of course, I knew I couldn''t kill him; I tried and failed, but what more did I have to use against him than baseless threats?


    He grabbed my legs; he was too strong for me to resist. He brought the dagger to the rope binding my ankles and sliced through it, freeing me before unlocking the cuffs.


    en


    "Sorry I had to tie you up; I can''t have you running again." He said, his eyes on my bruised wrist. "I''m sorry I hurt you."


    I pushed myself off the bed; I didn''t like how vulnerable I felt lying there. A wave of dizziness hit me from standing up too fast, but I forced myself to shake it off.


    "I don''t understand you, Daemon. You act all good today, and the next you are an entirely different person."


    "I am the very same person, Aliya; I never changed."


    "No. You are not Trian; you are not the man I fell in love with. You deceived me and lied to me. Why do you think I would ever believe anything you have to say?" "Yes, I lied, but would you havee with me willingly if you knew who I was?"


    "Of course not. You are a monster, even worse than the empresses; at least with them, I didn''t have to fear for my life."


    ¡°Aliya, the n was never to keep


    you alive, yet@ach day I keep you alive, I disappoint many who


    believed in me. I haven''t hurt you et


    and I am not nning to, but if you keep running away, you might end up in the wrong hands, and those people would hurt and torment you."

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Six

    "I doubt there''s anyone worse than the Demon Overlord himself."


    "Maybe there aren''t. I am not a good person; I am the viin of the story, and yet... I would kill for you. Strange that all it takes is one woman to knock me off course, history repeating itself."


    I didn''t know what exactly he meant by that, and I didn''t really care.


    "You had no right to drug me."


    "You are right, I didn''t, nor did I have any right to tie you up, but it had to be done."


    For a moment I could close my eyes and pretend that he was still Trian Valtor, the man I fell in love with, but he wasn''t.


    "I want to be alone."


    "You don''t want that."


    "So you''ll tell me what I want now?"


    "I''m trying to keep you safe, but you aren''t making things easy for me, Aliya."


    "That''s the n; I don''t intend to make things easy for you. I hate you, Daemon. I hate you for deceiving me, and I wish you died."


    A dark look crossed his eyes. "I am still the same man you fell for."


    "No, you''re not."


    "You say that, yet I can see the relief in your eyes. I don''t think you really wanted me dead."


    "I stabbed you in the heart."


    "With this." He said, twirling the dagger in his hands. "This can''t kill me."


    "How did it feel?" I asked.


    "What?"


    "How did it feel watching me fall for your lies?"


    The smirk disappeared from his lips. "Aliya¡ª"


    "How did it feel?" I demanded.


    V


    "I could have taken you away from the castle the first time we left. It would have been easy, but I didn''t. I waited. I told myself it was because you weren''t ready yet, but that was not entirely true. The truth is, I knew that once we were away, you''d see me for who I really am, and everything would change. I didn''t want things to change, Aliya. I might have lied about my name and almost everything else, but one thing was real-I liked being close to you. I miss the way you trusted me, the way you believed in me. I thought it would be easy to get over what I felt for you, but it isn''t."


    "How do I know this isn''t just another lie? You admitted it yourself-everything you told me was a lie. Everything that happened between us was just a ploy to make me trust you."


    Daemon stalked toward me, but this time, I didn''t back away. Slowly, he leaned in¡ªand then he kissed me. For a few seconds, I was frozen, but then I found myself kissing him. back. His sharp fangs grazed my lips; how had I not noticed them before? His tongue brushed against my lips, seeking entrance, and I let him.


    I felt his hands on the small of my back; going lower, he grabbed my ass, lifting me up. On instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist. A moan escaped my lips when he rocked me gently against him. The clothes felt like a barrier, and at that moment I wanted him to rip them off...


    He killed Vera, he killed those soldiers, and he didn''t mind ending the lives of many more innocents to get what he wanted. What the hell was I doing? He sensed my hesitation, and finally I pulled away from him, my breaths still raspy. "I don''t want..."


    "It didn''t seem so."


    He held me against him, giving me no chance to escape; he kissed my lips, his hands trailing up my thighs.


    "You won''t force me." I said.


    "Yet you want me to. Perhaps if this could be written off as rape, you wouldn''t have to worry about how guilty you''d feel, fucking the same man who''d murdered innocent people."


    "I lifted my hand to p him, but he caught it in midair, already anticipating my move.


    "You are wrong." I argued.


    He wasn''t. I wanted this; I wanted


    the viin to make love to me, and I wouldn''t have to feel guilty about it. Maybe he wasn''t the only crazy person in the room. He ced another kiss on my forehead, and I realized it was over; he wouldn''t make any more advances towards me. I should be relieved, right?


    Yet strangely, I wasn''t.


    "Come downstairs, your food is getting cold."


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 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven

    Chapter One Hundred and turn


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven


    KAIDA''S POV


    "Luna, are you alright?" Sarah asked.


    I had zoned out again, Cynthia''s visit had only been a few hours ago, I still recalled how it felt like being ''drowned.


    My throat felt sore, but it wasn''t the pain that bothered me Until now, I had no idea how powerful she was; I couldn''t believe that I thought I could take her. If I had waited even a little longer and gathered more information about her if I hadn''t rushed into this things would have been much better. I mean, I know she''d never really let me off, not after what my parents did to her, but I wouldn''t be at the top of her list of priorities.


    Another surprise was the news that someone had taken the girl. I think her name was... Aliya. I still remembered Alexander telling me about her-how ''important'' she was to the empresses, and their entire city. Could it really be pure coincidence that she was taken on the same day I attacked the Empress? Or had someone known about my n, waiting for me to make my move so they could take their chance?


    I had no idea, but I was definitely caught in the middle of all this. If news of what I had done got out, many would believe I had a hand in Aliya''s capture. And now that Cynthia knew who I was and what I nned to do... I had no clue how she intended to use that information, but whatever her n was, I was certain I wouldn''t like it.


    The Aureonnas didn''t operate under the Alpha King or Queen, which made what I had done even more reckless; I might have ''mistakenly'' started a war.


    I took a deep breath; I needed to think and clear my head.


    Only then did I realize that Sarah was still awaiting my response.


    "I''m fine." I lied; she didn''t buy that.


    "You look kind of pale; are you sure you are strong enough to leave?"


    I had been discharged, but she was considering running another check.


    "I am fine, Sarah." I repeated, getting up from the bed and rising to my feet. That was just so she could see that I was all set and ready to leave the healing room.


    "Would you be needing... the pills?" She asked and it took a moment for me to realize she was referring to the pregnancy pills. I had promised myself that if I wasn''t pregnant, I would use the pills, but now... I wasn''t so sure anymore; what was the use? With the wolf''s bane in his system, my chances of getting pregnant were low to... nil.


    "No, I don''t think I would be needing it."


    "Are you sure?" she asked; the look on her face clearly said she wanted me on those pills, but since when did Sarah, amon pack healer, have a say in my own life? I thought back to her advice on aborting the baby-I hadn''t considered that at all, but I didn''t like the fact she''d even brought it up..


    "I said I don''t need the pills." I snapped and immediately felt guilty.


    I was still on edge due to Cynthia''s visit, but I''m sure Sarah believed she was helping.


    "I''m sorry, Luna. If that is all, I''ll leave," she said, her voice sounding... professional-no longer like she was speaking to a friend.


    "That would be all." I said, and she left without a single word.


    I had been expecting him even before he entered. Alexander looked just as


    stressed as I was. In times like this, I


    Chapter One Hundred and Thaiy seven


    **


    had to remind myself that I was three years older than him though, to anyone who saw us together, he would eastly pass for the older one. He looked dashing in his coat, a scarf wrapped around his neck, paired with well-fitted trousers and polished boots. The air was considerably cold, but werewolves weren''t as affected by it as humans especially not an Alpha like him.


    The moment he saw me, his eyes brightened, and a simile yed paused. He cocked his eyebrow.


    "How many people have been here?" he questioned.


    on his lips; he walked towards me and then


    I gave a nervousugh, "It''s the healing room, so imagine a lot. Why?"


    "I''m perceiving an unfamiliar scent."


    Cynthia.


    I knew it was her scent he was referring to. I opened my mouth to spill all that had happened between me and the Empress, but no words came out. Alexander waited expectantly, but I couldn''t say the words.


    "As I said, it''s the healing room and you can''t tell me you know the scent of each person in this pack." I responded, and he finally shrugged.

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight

    Chapter One Hundred am Tight


    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight


    Alexander led me back to our room, and of course I missed the warm, elegant space.


    "Are you sure you are alright?" Alexander questioned for the second time, as he studied me.


    "Of course, I had told you before. I ampletely fine."


    "You look very pale, and your skin is cold- "He took off his coat and helped me


    into it, his scent enveloping me." And you''re a bit... jumpy," he added. How had he managed to notice all that in just a few minutes?


    "I''m fine, just... curious."


    "Curious about what?"


    "Back in the healing room, I had a lot of time to think... and I was wondering-do you know anyone with the ability topel others?"


    The question sounded even more stupid than I thought it would, and from the amused smile on Alexander''s lips, he thought the same. I expected him tough at my curiosity and brush it off, but he didn''t.


    "That ability ispletely unnatural. A few sorceresses and witches possess it, but even for them, it''s difficult and wears off after some time. The only ones who could fullypel were the Elders-and they''re all dead now." He paused, of course remembering that his father had been the one who ended them all; people still told stories about that incident. "But they could onlypel demons." He added, and my face fell a little. I had hoped I was getting somewhere with this, but clearly, I wasn''t.


    The true story of the Elders'' deaths remained unclear; over the past years, lies and rumors had muddled the truth. Some imed he sought power from the moon goddess and used it to destroy them. Others believed he had tricked them into turning on one another until they had all fallen. But a few insisted he had done it with a magical dagger


    "Why are you suddenly so interested in Elders and their... abilities?"


    "I was just being curious as always."


    "I was wondering if we could talk." Alexander said, and for the first time I noticed the hesitation in his eyes; I could also tell that he was itching for a bottle of liquor ''spiked'' with wolf''s bane to calm himself.


    "Of course," I said, taking a seat. He sat directly across from me, taking my hands in hisrge, rough ones. "I wronged you, Kaida. What I did to you... it was awful, and I never stopped thinking about it. You didn''t deserve any of it. I also should have told you about my condition sooner. I was selfish for making a decision that affected you without giving you a choice. When I started, I didn''t know you, but even at that, you deserved to know and decide if this was what you wanted."


    There was nothing to forgive; he had every right to be angry with me. Also, if it hadn''t been for his partial immunity to wolf''s bane, we would all have died in the Gray Moon Pack. Of course, to Alpha Grayson, that would have been something worth boasting about-a lowly, barbaric Alpha killing the Alpha King and his mate. But Alexander had saved us all. This was why he had continued with the doses, to ensure he was never caught off guard.


    "I don''t mind you taking the doses; I just don''t want you to get hurt."


    "Have you considered the possibility of living your life without a child?" He asked; this time he didn''t look at me, as if afraid to see my reaction.


    "Yes, I have and I don''t think that would be a problem."


    "You won''t now; you''re still so young." - I wanted to remind him that I was three years older than he was, but


    Chapter One Mordred and Thuty ight.


    sometimes we both seemed to forget that. "In the years toe, when you watch the other women give birth to beautiful little beings, you won''t be as satisfied."


    "That''s not true. I love children, but I don''t mind not having one."


    He still had that sad expression on his face; It seemed like he knew me more than I knew myself. I didn''t think I''d ever be bothered about not having children, but he clearly thought otherwise.


    "For this reason Kaida, I''ll stop taking the doses."

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Nine

    Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Nine


    "What?" I eximed. "No, you can''t stop I don''t mind..."


    "You will," he repeated, seemingly sure of himself.


    "You told me you''ve formed a kind of... addiction to wolfsbane," I said, "You would suffer without it."


    "Yes. I would face withdrawal symptoms, but not until this incident did I realize how reckless and selfish I had been. Wolfsbane is dangerous-I risked my life taking it, but I did it because I didn''t care about living a long life. I lived for the moment, and at that moment, it had been what I needed to do. But then you came into my life, and I realized I can''t be reckless anymore. I can''t keep living for the moment, not when I have a future with you. I know the pain you would be in if..." He paused, unable to finish. don''t want to leave you alone. Ever. And so I have to stop and let my body heal. It might take months, even years but I will learn. And when I do... maybe then, we''ll have a chance to have a baby."


    I only realized I was crying when he wiped away a tear with his thumb. At that moment I realized something-I wanted this, I wanted the life he had envisioned, I wanted to have children-though I wouldn''t mind if I didn''t, I wanted to be a mate and a Luna. I wanted to be his.


    "Then I''ll help you get over it." I promised, and he drew closer to ce a kiss on my lips. His eyes told me he''d wanted more than a kiss but was cautious after what had happened thest time. I didn''t want to think about it, how he had ''fucked'' me so hard I felt him in me for days; there was no passion then, but now... now it waspletely different. I drew closer to him, showing him what I wanted with a single look. In an instant, he had picked me up from the couch. He carried me to the bed and set me down, almost gently.


    I quickly took off his coat, and then the in, loose dress I wore came off next. That was all I managed to pull off before he settled on top of me, iming my lips once again. Every part of my body that made contact with his tingled with electricity; I was very aware of his hard length between my legs, with only his boxer briefs and my panties separating us.


    He was quick to take off my panties; I was surprised he hadn''t ripped them off. His boxer brief followed next. He kissed my throat and lower, but I had other ns. I used all my strength to roll us over so I was on top. He hadn''t expected that-there was no way I could have freed myself if he had anticipated it¡ªbut the smirk on his lips told me he was curious, very curious.


    I kissed his lips, then trailed down his throat as he had done to me. My hands brushed over his toned abs, moving lower, and his eyes darkened with raw desire. I wrapped my fingers around him, earning a low growl. For a moment, I thought he might flip me over and take control, but he didn''t-he let me tease him. When I was sure he couldn''t take any more, I positioned myself before sinking onto his thick length. We both moaned in pleasure as I rocked against him, moving as fast as I could, though I never quite matched his pace. He thrust his hips, driving deeper inside me, his hands roaming from my breasts to my ass, gripping me possessively.


    "You know, I have a thing for your ass," he murmured, giving it a light spank. I let out a gasp, moving faster. His hands finally gripped my hips, guiding my movements, and soon, our moans filled the room along with the sound of flesh against flesh.


    I could feel him tense-he was close, but of course, he wouldn''t cum until I had. His fingers found my clit, stroking and massaging, and I couldn''t hold back any longer-l shattered. My strength was gone, but Alexander wasn''t finished. He rolled me onto my back, spreading my legs over his shoulders before thrusting into me, harder and faster. Pleasure built up again, and when I came the second time, I took him with me.


    Hey beside me, both of us sweaty and panting from an intense ''workout'' session.


    Alexander drew me closer to him. "You are so fucking sexy He whispered into my ear, and I couldn''t help but smile as the tiredness overcame me, and I fell into a dreamless sleep.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty

    Chapter One Hundr¨¦d and Forty


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    "You really are that pathetic, aren''t you, Commander Aric? I questioned. Aric didn''t deserve the title-we both


    knew that.


    Just when I thought the man couldn''t get any more stupid, he proved me wrong. I had found him before he could reach Kaida. When I''d said I would keep him away from her I meant it. I had installed high-tech cameras, monitoring nearly every corner of this pack. I had spotted him heading to her room- our room. The pack soldiers had brought him straight to me.


    "You don''t understand; I have to see her right now." he said, there was an edge to his voice, but he was in no ce to make demands,


    "Well, you don''t get that privilege anymore. You lost it the moment you drugged her, remember?" I reminded him.


    ¡°I¡ªI shouldn''t have lied. I shouldn''t have told you all those things about her not wanting you. You''re all she ever talks about. She cares about you-a lot. And it... it made me jealous. I''ve been by her side for years, yet she never looked at me the way she looks at you..."


    "Save it, jackass. No one gives a damn about your sob story. I don''t even know why I keep you alive."


    "Neither do I. I believed you would kill me this time, but strangely you didn''t."


    "For some reason, my sweet mate still feels some kind of obligation to keep you... alive. Berwarned, Commander -you''re walking a razor-thin line, and it''s only a matter of time before it snaps. When it does, I''ll be right there to make sure you don''t take another breath." I said with a small smile, I couldn''t help but imagine how entertaining it would be ripping off his head from his body.


    "She is so... pure," he said, sounding almost dazed. But I knew exactly who he was thinking about-my mate.


    "She is," I agreed. "Sometimes, I wonder if I even deserve her. Truth is, I don''t... but you? You never even had the right to."


    "She hates me," he said, almost as if he expected sympathy or maybe he was just finally epting the obvious. I wondered if Kaida would notice if I quietly killed him and dumped his body in the river. "But I have to see her. I don''t know why ''she'' came to this pack, but I have to find out." He paused as if realizing he had said something he shouldn''t.


    I didn''t know who he was talking about. Who had visited the pack? He didn''t seem to be referring to Kaida; it seems there was another woman involved in this discussion.


    "I have been watching her; she is not in any form of danger at the moment, so you may leave, and next time I find


    you trying to sneak into her room, I''ll chop off your fingers- I don''t think Kaida would mind that." I promised. He walked away without a single word, but I still caught the concerned look on his face. Through the camera, I hadn''t seen anyone enter her room, but I wasn''t going to take any chances-not when it came to her. I left my office and headed straight to our room, throwing the door open. Just as I thought, she was there, all sweaty- probably from her daily exercise.


    "Did you forget something?" She asked, knowing this was nowhere near the time for my return; I should be working.


    No. I didn''t; I just wanted to make sure you were alright."


    The confusion faded from her face, reced by a smile. I loved watching her


    smile it was so infectious that I found myself smiling back. For a moment, I was tempted to ignore the piles of work waiting for me and just stay


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty


    here with her. It took everything in me to push that thought aside. This pack


    generated a lot of money on a daily basis but consumed a great deal. To keep the bnce, I had to get back to work.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty One

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty One


    I tried to keep it from her because I didn''t want her to worry about me, but as the days passed, it became harder to conceal.


    The withdrawal symptoms had kicked in hard. Kaida was only aware of the progress I was making, but I didn''t let her know what I had to endure. I wiped away the blood trickling from my nose. It had been five days since I stopped taking the doses of wolfsbane, and every moment had been pure torment. Breaking free from my addiction'' was easier said than done.


    I rarely got any work done. The withdrawal symptoms were impossible to ignore- involuntary shaking, random bleeding, a relentless pounding in my head, dizziness, irritability, and the tinypses in time that seemed to stretch wider with each passing day without my doses.


    I stared at the bottle of aged bourbon spiked with wolfsbane, sitting on the wooden cab. all I had to do was reach out, take a drink, and it would be all over; the pain would disappear. I hadn''t realized when I rose from my chair and made my way toward it. I picked it up, pulled off the cap- then Kaida''s face shed through my mind. I had to do this for her.


    With a sharp breath, I let the bottle slip from my grasp, watching in agony as the veryst spiked liquor shattered against the floor.


    "Alpha." A voice called, cautiously.


    I turned around, expecting to see Austin, but it was Phil.


    Phil was more reserved than the rest of my advisors; he only approached me when he had important information or when I summoned him. But this time, neither seemed to be the reason for his visit.


    Without the wolfsbane, my senses were sharper than ever but that didn''t make things any easier. If anything, it only made them more... overwhelming. So overwhelming that I still ended up missing things, like Phil''s arrival. I had been too caught up in my own head to hear himing


    "Why are you here?" I asked, and it was a reasonable question; in my state, I didn''t think I could still ask reasonable questions.


    "You are bleeding." He pointed out, but that was not an answer to my question. Usually masking my emotions was easy, but now I couldn''t help but feel irritated at the fact that Phil hadn''t answered my question. "You''ve been a... messtely and I believe I know what is happening to you."


    "No, you don''t." My addiction to one of the deadliest banes was a secret-one that only a few had any idea about.


    "I might be quiet, but that also makes me a keen observer. I know about your... immunity to wolfsbane." Now he had my full attention. He took a step back as if to create a good distance between the both of us. "It had always been spection-l had no real proof. But after the incident at the Gray Moon Pack, I dug deeper. Still, I wasn''t certain until two days ago. I watched you and knew something was off."


    "That still doesn''t exin why you are here."


    "Join me for a drink, Alpha. You could use some time off from work."


    Until now, I hadn''t even considered whether drinking ''unspiked'' alcohol might take my mind off things. I wasmitted to ending my addiction to wolfsbane, but that didn''t mean I had to stop drinking. Maybe the hard liquor could still offer me some of the numbness it once did


    We got to the bar, and it was empty-not even the bartender was present. Phil poured me a ss of whiskey before pouring one for himself. I downed mine in one go, waiting for the numbness to set in, but I felt nothing. I took three more sses before realizing it wasn''t working. Even the strongest whiskey couldn''t dull the edge. I


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty One


    knew what my body craved-it called out to me-but I couldn''t have it.

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Two

    apter One Hundred and Forty Two


    "The drink isn''t helping, is it?" Phil questioned.


    "I needed it-I guess, but I need to head back now."


    I dropped the ss back on the table, noticing how shaky and unsteady my hands were. Phil didn''t miss that either.


    "There is another way, you know," he said, and I wasn''t entirely sure what he meant. "A way to ovee the addiction-one that would be less... troubling."


    "There''s no other way." I said, not wanting to get my hopes high.


    "There is," he insisted. "If you are this affected, it means you''ve been on the doses for years... You can''t just quit; you''d have to take it slow."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    I was snappy, restless, and on edge for no reason.


    "What I''m trying to say is that you''ll need doses of wolfsbane to survive this. You''d have to start over-but this time, with each dose, you''d gradually reduce your intake, letting your body adjust to smaller portions. Then, you''d slowly begin skipping days between doses. Eventually, you wouldn''t depend on it as much, and stopping would be easier than just quitting abruptly."


    "You don''t understand. The more I take, the more I crave," I said, running a shaky hand through my hair.


    "You''d have to learn how to control your cravings."


    "You speak like you''ve got experience. Tell me, Phil, have you tried this technique on anyone before?"


    I was well aware I sounded like a jerk, but I couldn''t help it. The music sting from the speaker was normally easy to ignore, blending into the background noise, but this time, it was too loud. The colored bulbs were too bright, and my head pounded.


    "No, I haven''t tried this technique on anyone, but I am your advisor. I want to help..."


    All his words blurred together, mixing with the surrounding


    He was just too much of it.


    "Shut up," I whispered, but the sounds wouldn''t fade. "I said, the up!"


    000


    When I opened my eyes, Phil wasn''t even talking. At some point, he''d stopped, and I hadn''t even noticed.


    "You need help, Alpha."


    Like hell I did.


    "Healers can treat wolfsbane injuries and poisoning-but they can''t help someone addicted to it."


    Phil finally fell silent.


    I headed to the door, but his next words made me pause.


    "I wouldn''t return to the Luna in that state," he said.


    Only now did I realize how intelligent the man was. I needed help he was right


    about that-but not many knew exactly how to give it.


    I turned to him.


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Two


    "About your "technique''... How long do you think it would take... for the addiction to fade?"


    "It could be months. It could be years..."


    I didn''t wait to hear more. I walked away from the bar, leaving him behind.


    The problem was, I didn''t have ''years''.


    I ignored Phil''s advice and went straight to Kaida.


    For the past few days, I had done my best to pretend like everything was fine when I was around her; I had a feeling it would be harder to do so today, and I was right. The moment she saw me, her smile disappeared. I wonder what gave me away so quickly.


    "Are you alright?" She asked, walking towards me.


    Had she always smelled like this? Her scent seemed stronger than ever.


    "Yes, I''m fine."


    "You''re not. Your shirt is stained with blood."


    1 cocked a brow and looked down. There it was the little stain that gave me away. I hadn''t even noticed it.


    "That... you don''t have to worry about it," I said, walking past her. I stopped, then went back and ced a kiss on her forehead. My hands remained in my pockets, though I was afraid she''d notice them trembling. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. Rising onto her tiptoes, she kissed my lips, and just like that, I got carried away. I wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her fiercely. Somehow, the pounding headache I had been feeling dulled-but then she pulled away. I grabbed her, unwilling to let go. I kissed her again, but she pulled away once more.


    "Blood..." she whispered. She wasn''t referring to the stain on my shirt.


    Kaida was never really affected by the sight of blood; she''d seen enough spilled to be unfazed by anything. At least, that''s what I had always thought. But this time, she looked... scared.


    "I''m sorry," I pleaded, wiping the blood away. "I''m sorry, I repeated.


    "Are you alright?" she asked again.


    I wanted to keep apologizing, to say it over and over until it meant something-but the fear in her eyes knocked me back to my senses.


    Her gaze drifted down to my trembling hands. Slowly, she took my hands in hers.


    "What''s happening, Alex?" she asked, her voice small. But we both knew the


    answer.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three


    "Have you gone to see the healers?" Kaida questioned.


    "No." I answered; she got the clue that there''s nothing they could do to help me right now. "I''m fine."


    "You''re not," she said. I couldn''t me her-she might even be scared that I was losing my mind. "How long has this been going on?" she asked. There was something about her voice that kept me calm.


    "Ever since I stopped taking the doses."


    "Why didn''t you tell me? I told you that we would do this together; you should have told me..."


    "What would you have done?" I asked.


    I saw anger flicker across her face. "You told me you wouldn''t push me away. You promised me."


    Was that how she felt? Did she think my silence was pushing her away? Guilt settled deep in my chest-a reminder that I didn''t deserve her.


    "I just didn''t want you to worry. You were so happy when I told you about my progress-I didn''t want to ruin that.


    The anger faded from her eyes. "I''m just... I''m just so scared. I don''t want anything to happen to you."


    I wrapped my hands around her, bringing her close once again and hoping I don''t start bleeding all over her. "This will pass, but it''s necessary. You have no reason to be scared; this ispletely normal."


    Normal?


    Nothing about this was particrly normal. Yet I wanted her to believe that; I didn''t want her worrying.


    "Being close to you helps. Your presence alone makes it all bearable. But when we kissed..." I said,


    absentmindedly twirling a strand of her ck hair between my fingers. "I almost couldn''t feel anything-I could almost forget the raging need for wolfsbane. You''re that intoxicating, Kaida."


    I could see hope building in her eyes. "Do you think you would feel better if we had sex?"


    I would always feel better if we did, but I had noticed three days ago, when I was deep inside her warmth, that I hadn''t cared about anything else in the world-l hadn''t even wanted anything more. She had all my attention. But after our moment was over, the feeling crept back. Yet, I could see in her eyes what she was offering. She was willing to take the pain away, over and over again.


    "I can''t do that to you, Kaida."


    "This is the only way I can help, and I would."


    I thought back to when she was in heat-the moment I touched her, the pain had ceased, but when I pulled away, it returned. It felt simr to what I was going through now, except this wouldn''t pass in a few days. She didn''t understand what she was offering.


    "I''ll take a bath and join you. Have you eaten?" I asked.


    "Yes, I have. Are you going to be alright in there?"


    "Are you offering to bathe me?" I managed a smile. She turned red.


    "No-I didn''t mean you know what, just forget it." She said, turning her back to


    me and giving me a nice view of her ass. I found her really cute.


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three


    In the bathroom, a wave of dizziness swept over me. The noise from the shower, the water hitting the tiles-it was all too loud. Somehow, I managed to bathe and make my way back to bed beside Kaida.


    She kissed me. "We''ll get through this together," she promised again. And I wondered¨Cwhat good had I done in my life to deserve the woman lying beside me? I couldn''t think of anything worthy enough to have earned her as my mate.

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four


    ALIYA''S POV


    I dreamt about theke, the very first ce we''d shared a kiss; it had been one of the best days of my life. But too soon, the perfect dream was interrupted by another memory. I stood in front of the fortune teller''s hut, the bones and skulls hanging from the door cking together with an unsettling sound. The old woman sat in her hut with a smile on her face.


    "Back so soon?" she asked.


    "You were right... about his darkness, he is the-"


    "Demon Overlord. Yes." She agreed, seemingly unsurprised. "I had never seen such an amount of darkness in anyone before."


    "You were right about me too. You told me there would be a big change-I didn''t believe you. But now I see. I fell in love, just as you said I would, and I was happy. But the pain you spoke of... I understand it now. He lied to me. I hate him for his lies, for deceiving me."


    The old woman smiled. "No, you don''t hate him. That''s just a lie you tell yourself because you want to believe it."


    "Fortune tellers are liars," I said, echoing Trian''s words. "Maybe you did get all those things right, but it could have been pure luck. You don''t know anything about me."


    I wondered why I was taking my anger out on the poor woman, but it was toote to take my words back now.


    "Give me your hands." She said,


    "Why?"


    "I''ll give you one more reading... I''ll show you something you want."


    I regarded her outstretched hands for a few seconds, wondering why she was still being kind to me after what I had said. But slowly, I took her hands, and then... I was in a different dream.


    The house was one I had grown familiar with-it was Daemon''s house, the one I was living in now.


    I heard moansing from upstairs and followed the sound, stopping in front of the room where the human girls had been kept. Daemon was with the eldest of them-she seemed to be his favorite. His fangs were deep in her skin. I waited for the nausea toe, but it didn''t. Watching them didn''t feel repulsive.


    Daemon once told me that the feeling of being bitten was almost like having sex. I hadn''t understood it then, but as I watched the human girl moan, her neck tilted and exposed to him, I finally did.


    I shouldn''t be watching them; this felt a bit private, but I couldn''t pull my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me, but then I felt a strange emotion, one I wasn''t familiar with... envy.


    I wanted to take her position; I wanted to have his fangs sinking into ''me,'' not her.


    As if the human girl could sense my presence, her eyes shot open, and she stared directly at me, a smirk curving on her lips as she let out another moan.


    I awoke with a start, drenched in sweat-even though the weather was freezing.


    I could still remember the dream, almost vividly.


    The fortune teller had revealed to me what I wanted the most, but she was wrong; I''d never wanted that. Shoving the dream into the back of my mind, I headed downstairs. Following the scent of food, I stopped in the kitchen.


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four


    It always surprised me to see Daefhon cooking; it just didn''t feel like something he should know how to do; he didn''t seem like the one who''d be patient enough to learn the procedures. This time he was making pancakes.


    Of course, he could sense my presence even before he saw me.


    "How was your night?" He asked; he still had his back to me, but I imagined a small smile on his lips.


    I thought about the dream once more. "Fine," I replied before taking a seat. "Why did you learn how to cook? I mean, since you don''t eat food... how did you even know you were doing the right thing?"


    "I can tell from the scent, and it didn''t take me years to learn this, only a few months."


    "It''s hard to believe."


    "I am a fast learner, and as for the ''why,'' I learned it because I knew I would have to cook for you."


    His words stirred something strange in me. "So, you just guessed I wouldn''t know how to cook?"


    "Yes. I had to be prepared for everything."


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    X

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five


    Daemon served the food on four tes, just as he always did, but this time, the girls came down to join us. I wondered if he was doing this to make me feelfortable around him-no, I shouldn''t try to find meaning in everything he did.


    The girls finished their food first, just as always.


    I didn''t miss the way the older girl kept throwing side nces at me throughout the meal. The moment she was done, she pulled her hair to the side, baring her neck to Daemon.


    Daemon pushed her aside, clearly not wanting to feed from her in front of me.


    "You''ve had your turn," he said, looking past her to the other girls, who kept their eyes down. Unlike the older girl, the younger ones were quieter, shyer, and more reserved.


    "You know my blood tastes better than any of theirs." She bragged like it was some sort of achievement. She dug her fingers into the healing wound on her neck, and a single drop of blood trickled down. Daemon''s eyes darkened with need; he wanted this, but he was only holding back for my sake so I wouldn''t end up passing out again.


    "It''s alright."


    I hadn''t realized the words were from me; what the hell was I thinking?


    Daemon nced at me before grabbing the girl. But instead of biting her neck, he took her arm and sank his fangs into her wrist. She let out a whimper, and then... she was moaning. I was drawn back to the dream I had, as I


    watched them.


    I watched as the girl satisfied him with her blood, and in return, he gave her pleasure. It might havested a few minutes or a few hours, but finally, it came to an end.


    I felt... envious. Just as I had in the dream. And I wasn''t the only one-envy was written all over the faces of the other two human girls as well.


    I looked down at my food, forcing the strange emotion away. What was wrong with me?


    When I first saw the girls, I feared he would turn me into one of them. He didn''t. I was doing that all on my own.


    I couldn''t even look into his eyes, afraid he might read me.


    A ringing sound broke the silence, and he picked up the gadget on the table-a phone. Of course, back in the city, many didn''t use those human-made devices, but I guess Daemon did.


    I wonder who was on the other line. I never got to find out as he stood up and walked away to answer the call.


    "What is your name?" I asked the younger girls. But before they could answer, the older one spoke up.


    "That''s June; the other is Juliette, their cousins. I am Tasha" She introduced. I could tell she waited on me to introduce myself too.


    "I am... Aliya."


    Many called me "The god of light''s chosen,'' but that didn''t quite sound like a name, and these people didn''t have a clue about who I was.


    "Beautiful name," she said, but from her, it didn''t quite sound like apliment. "So, does he fuck you?"


    The question was so abrupt I almost choked on my food.


    "What?" I questioned, perhaps thadn''t heard her well.


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five


    "Does he fuck you? How does it feel? I had always wanted him to move on to the next phase, but he doesn''t- well, at least he drinks from me constantly, these two-" she pointed to June and Juliette. "They don''t get any action. Not my fault their blood isn''t his taste. Has he drunk from you?"


    "I... no, he hasn''t fed from me, and I wouldn''t let him."


    She stared at me for a moment before she chuckled. "ying hard to get doesn''t make you better than any of us. I can see you for who you truly are, Aliya; you believe your pretty face is enough to win his heart. You won''t get that, you know why? Because he has none, he keeps you as his pretty little doll, and when he''s bored, he will get a new one." She said, straightening her messy brown hair.


    Daemon returned, and as if sensing the tension, he turned to me. "Are you okay?" he asked.


    "Yes, I just want to return to my room now." I said, and he offered to help me up; I ignored him and walked back to the room, alone.


    Tasha was a bitch.

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Six

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Wix


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Six


    KAIDA''S POV


    For the next week, Alexander went to work as usual and returned home on time. Except for the slight tremor in his hands, he seemed to be getting better-or at least, that''s what he wanted me to believe. But I saw right through the act. He wasn''t getting better.


    The light footsteps caught my attention¨Csomeone was in my apartment.


    I grabbed a handgun from the drawer and silently followed the sound, only to stop abruptly. It was Amanda-the girl Alex had brought back to our pack from the Gray Pack after her parents attempted forcibly marrying her off to Alpha Grayson.


    "Hey,¡± I said, shoving the handgun into the back of my waistband.


    "Luna, I''m so sorry-I shouldn''t havee," she said, about to leave.


    "No... it''s alright, Amanda," I said to her, and her eyes brightened at the fact that I still remembered her name. She stared at me with a strange kind of adoration.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you since I got here. Do you know the soldiers are practically terrified of you?"


    "I don''t think they are particrly ''terrified.'' I am their Luna, so it''s more like they ''respect'' me."


    "They said it themselves. I overheard them talking about you and how... badass you are." She said, her smile widening. There was something about her that was different; she might be young, but there was this fire burning in her eyes. Maybe it was because she had been pushed into adulthood by her parents at a young age, but I could see it and for some reason, it reminded me of myself. She didn''t act her age.


    Her next request shouldn''t have caught me by surprise, but it did.


    "I was wondering if you could train me¨CI mean, I know you are busy, but it would be an honor. I am a quick learner-I swear..."


    "Train you on how to fight?" I asked, still surprised.


    "Yes."


    "But you are still so young."


    Her age wasn''t the problem; many pack members train even from younger ages, but I didn''t know if she was truly ready for that.


    "I am not very young; I just turned sixteen a few weeks ago. I am ready." She said, Determination, shining bright in her eyes. "I don''t want to ever be forced against my will; want to be able to stand and fight-this is all I''ve ever wanted, and I would do anything-I could join the maids, scrub the floors... I could work for you in exchange."


    "You don''t have to do all that. I would train you, and I think you are the perfect age. We can begin whenever you are ready."


    "I''m ready now-except, well, you''re busy; I know you are always busy...''


    "Actually, I''m not. I have some free time, and we could start now if you wish."


    She was literally jumping in excitement. I returned the handgun to the drawer before following her out of my apartment.


    712


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty


    She stopped before a door leading to a small hall. The pack used it for training when outdoor conditions were unsuitable, though it was rarely needed. Werewolves weret affected by the cold and didn''t mind training in the rain or snow-to them, it was just another way to toughen up.


    "I heard that this hall is soundproof-I think it would be good to train in-what do you think?¡± she asked me. For such a young girl, she sure was confident and bold around prople. I liked that for her.


    "I think it''s perfect."


    Her smile widened as she pulled the door open and stepped inside. I followed, and behind us, the door swung shut -I hadn''t closed it. Before I could process what was happening, something hard struck my head, and everything went ck.


    +26 BORIUS


    Charter One Hundred and Forty Seve

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven

    1


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven


    I woke up with a pounding headache. It took only seconds to realize this had been


    a setup-and Arnanda, the girl we rescued, was part of it.


    I wasn''t chained or restrained-just ced in a corner of the hall. Sitting right in front of me was Empress Cynthia, with Amanda by her side and....


    "Sarah?"


    It came out as more of a question. My gaze shifted between Amanda and Sarah, and the pieces finally fell into ce. Amanda had been ''adopted'' by Sarah-this had all been a carefully nned setup.


    "I am doing this for you." She said, there was no hint of regret on her face.


    Sarah was one of the few I had allowed close to me. I saw her as a friend-thest person I would ever expect to betray me. But I couldn''t let them see how much it hurt. These were people I cared about.


    Alexander had wanted me to stay out of the Gray Moon Pack''s business, but I didn''t. I wanted justice for the little girl being sent against her will to marry a barbaric man like Grayson. And now, that very same girl had turned against me.


    As I stared at her, I noticed something I hadn''t before. Her skin was pale- unnaturally pale-and her eyes held a chilling iciness. It was almost like she was apletely different person.


    "I told you I would be back for you, and I kept good to my word. It''s a pity we had


    to go through all this to bring you here, but the ckwood wolf got cameras everywhere; this was the only way."


    "Well, I can''t say I''m exactly d to see you again." I said to her, and a small smile formed on her lips.


    "I am not here to cause any harm; I am just here to talk."


    "I told you I didn''t take the girl-"


    "I''m not here for the girl; of course I knew you didn''t take her. I knew from the very first moment I questioned you."


    "Then why are you here? What do you want?"


    "I want you to listen to my story."


    "Come on, you can''t be that pathetic."


    She only smiled and went on with her tale.


    "After my encounter with the god of light, I returned to my vige... apletely different person. The power within me drew people in-suddenly, they saw me. For years, that had been all I wanted. But I had no need for such petty things anymore.


    Many curious eyes watched me that night. I went straight to the square, where I had a good audience-and then, I let them see. I ignited mes from nothing.


    They gasped. At first, they regarded me as if I were a god. But too soon, the adoration in their eyes vanished, reced by fear.


    ''Witch!'' an old woman shouted. One by one, they joined in, their voices rose in usation. They called me a witch.


    She was the first to pick up a stone. The first to throw it at me. But this time, I didn''t have to care wha


    thought of me and I didn''t care when I set her on fire. She was the first to burn.


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven


    I still remember her cries-so loud. I never knew someone to old could scream like that.


    Many ran, but none escaped.


    I burned them to the ground-their houses, their belongings, their very existence reduced to ash. None escaped; I made sure of it, and it was easy-too easy; all I had to do was stretch forth my hands, and they were all on fire. Screaming and begging me to ¡®make it stop. Nothing had been more satisfying than watching the fear in their eyes when they cried.


    Somehow, your mother, Lydia, heard about what happened and she believed I was behind it all. You see, I and your mother were best friends; she knew me even more than I knew myself, and maybe she had always seen the darkness in me; that exined why she''d believed I did it.


    She feared for the life of her mate and the life of her unborn child too. She was being protected by your father, Alpha Trent, but I had a way of getting to her. I had loyal servants. Dear Sarah had been so young, but she had always been of great importance to my mission. No one could beat her-well, no one but one. Your Beta, Aric."


    I noticed the figure-I hadn''t realized he was standing there.


    "Don''t be shy, join us." She called to him, and Aric finally walked forward.

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Eight

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Eight


    Aric had been the Beta, second inmand-it only made sense for my father to leave him in charge of the pack, but he never did. He had seen something I hadn''t. Instead, he wanted me mated to Alexander, believing it was the best way to keep me safe. I had thought it was just to protect me from Cynthia, but that wasn''t the only reason. He knew there were others who posed a threat.


    Cynthia waited for me to piece everything together and slowly, I did.


    My father never informed Aric of his ns to marry me off had found that strange but never thought much of it. Now, thinking back to their conversation¡ªwhen Aric had tried to convince him to end the agreement-my father had firmly refused.


    "The letter... it was false." I finally spoke up.


    "Your father would never have sent you against her. He wanted you far away from her. But it wasn''t entirely false -there was some truth to it," he said, his eyes never meeting mine.


    "You advised me against telling Alexander about my ns to face the Empress." The words came out in a whisper.


    Aric had failed me once-he had drugged me-but I had been willing to forgive that. Despite everything he had done, I had still seen him as family.


    "That''s not all he did." Cynthia''s voice wasced with satisfaction. "How do you think I got to your father? I needed a healer and someone who could get me into the pack without question. Aric was perfect for that. And Sarah? She helped drug your father-I delivered the final blow..."


    She was still talking, but I couldn''t hear her. It was all starting to make sense. Sarah had tried turning me against the Nightshade Pack members under the guise that our pack was being mistreated-our people weren''t receiving the best treatment, but I had a feeling she had tried to convince me in hopes of starting a war. Now that I knew who she really was, I no longer believed the pregnancy test mix-up was a mistake. It had all been part of a n.


    My father had loved Aric like a son and regarded him as a brother. If he had suspected anything, he had kept it to himself¡ªand in the end, this was his reward: a stab in the back and an insult to his face.


    I lunged at Aric, mming him to the ground. My fists crashed into him over and over, tears streaking down my face. He didn''t fight back; he justy there, letting me beat him into a pulp. I wished he would fight back-l


    wanted to break him.


    Alexander had wanted him dead for a long time now; he never trusted Aric. But I had been the one to stand in his defense. He was my friend-he knew me, and I cared about him...


    "That''s enough," the Empress said, but I didn''t stop. My anger was stronger than herpulsion-I refused to let him go..


    "I trusted you." Punch. "You bastard." Punch. "I cared about you-he cared about you." Punch. "You took them away from me." Punch.


    "I said that''s enough!" The empress roared, and the force of herpulsion hit me hard. I couldn''t fight it. Amanda pulled Aric''s limp form away with a strength that surprised me; he had been knocked out, barely breathing but still alive. Her skin had the smallest contact with mine, and I noticed how cold it was.


    "Traitors." I whispered. "I will kill you all; I will tear you apart." I promised.


    Sarah held no remorse in her eyes.


    "They all wanted something," the Empress continued. "Just as I had once desired from the god of light. The little girl wanted immortality-same as Sarah. They chose death over the struggles of life. They chose to be


    Chapter One Hundred and i


    creatures of the night. Demons."


    +20 BONUS


    Amanda''s skin had been so cold, and her eyes... they still held that fire, but beneath it, I now saw the emptiness I hadn''t noticed before. Sarah, however, looked exactly the same her skin wasn''t pale; she hadn''t changed at all.


    "That''s why you adopted her you let this happen to her. You told me you were going to protect her."


    ¡°She wanted it,¡± Sarah snapped, her eyes narrowing in anger. ¡°She was lucky to be turned-that''s all I ever wanted."


    "But you haven''t received your reward yet. You''re not a demon-at least not yet." "I will be. Soon."


    She nced at the Empress, but Cynthia''s eyes were on me


    Demons were real-I knew that-but there weren''t many left. I knew what turning into one meant. Some changedpletely, losing all that made them human, while others managed to hold on to some part of themselves. But there was always a risk.


    Looking at Amanda, I saw a stranger. She might look and sound the same, but the girl we rescued from the Gray Moon Pack was gone. The one standing before me was nothing more than a demon. Sarah knew the risks, yet she still wanted to be turned. She wanted it so badly that she didn''t hesitate to betray me and my family-just to get what she thought she deserved.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Nine

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty


    "Let me help you, Kaida," Cynthia said, her voice only a little above a whisper.


    "I told you, I don''t need your help. Alexander will find me, and none of you will get away with this."


    "You''ve only been here for a few hours; besides, Amanda would hardly be considered a threat, and all the camera captured was the little girl leading you in here. He wouldn'' think you are in any form of danger."


    "So, you aren''t here for the missing girl. You''ve revealed all your secret ns to me... I can''t help but wonder- why are you here? If you wanted to make me pay for what did to you, you would have done it a long time ago."


    "We are getting to that. But I believe there is something you need to know. Addiction to wolfsbane may be dangerous, but stopping is even more dangerous."


    For some reason, I believed her. I had seen what the withdrawal symptoms did to Alexander; it was slowly killing him, but his response remained the same anytime I asked; A little while and it would pass.'' The question was, when would it pass, how long would he have to suffer?


    I didn''t know exactly how Cynthia knew about Alexander and what he was dealing with, but something told me she had her ways of finding out.


    "Then I''ll make him keep taking it. He was fine until he stopped."


    "That''s what you think. He might have believed he was fine too, but he wasn''t. The wolfsbane weakened his wolf''s strength and abilities, but more than that, it was destroying him slowly. If he continues, it will be a matter of years-a few more years, and he will die a more terrible death. But if he manages to suppress the urge for it, though the torment won''t stop, he will at least die a quicker death. There is no escaping this; he had no idea what he was getting himself into."


    "I don''t believe you."


    "That''s fine. You will find out soon enough."


    I didn''t trust her. I hated her for murdering my parents, and I would never stop plotting on how to end her life, but I loved Alexander; he was all I had left, and if keeping him alive meant I would have to listen to what Cynthia had to say, then I had no other choice.


    "You said you knew a way to cure him," I questioned. The word she had used was ''help''.


    "Yes, I do."


    "What is this method?"


    "I can''t tell you."


    "Well, if you can''t tell me, then I have no reason to believe you."


    "You''re right. But I can tell that you are out of options here


    "I will not let you anywhere close to him."


    She held my gaze for a long moment before finally speaking. "The only way to heal him is to take away his wolf."


    "What?"


    You heard me.''


    "No. I won''t let you do that.


    Chapter One Hundred and fifty


    "It is the only way, Kaida."


    "I won''t let you mess with my head like you''ve done all these years. I know there''s something in this for you- you never do anything that doesn''t benefit you."


    "Of course, there is. The ckwood wolf!!


    "Alpha Alexander. You will address him by his title."


    Another moment of silence passed as our eyes remained locked in a firm gaze.


    "Alpha Alexander," she corrected, "Is the only one I cannot control. Thest time we came here to speak to him about the creatures that stand as a threat to us all, he ignored our warning. This pack is one of the most influential; others would be more willing to join forces if it agrees to stand with us in our war against the army of the dead. The Alpha King didn''t see that as his problem, even if it would eventually be a global war. But with you in ce..."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I mean, I''m going to give you what you''ve always dreamed of. You will be the Alpha, just as you always wanted. You will be the Werewolf Queen, and you will rule. My only condition is that when the timees, you must be willing to join forces and fight with us."


    "You must be a fool if you think I''d be tempted by such an offer. I would never want that¡ªespecially not at the expense of my mate."


    "You don''t understand. When he''s cured, he would lose his wolf; with his wolf gone... He can''t be the Alpha King. You will have to take his ce this is your destiny, and you were meant to face it alone."

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty

    Chapter One Hundred and Forty Yine


    Chapter One Hundred and Forty One


    "There must be another way to cure him." I insisted.


    "There is no other way. It''s either this or he dies. We don''t have much time. If you refuse my offer, I won''t be generous enough to grant it a second time. You will have to watch him die-knowing you had the power to save him, but you refused."


    I held back the sob, threatening to escape my lips. They would not see me cry, especially not the woman who killed my parents.


    "You want a puppet; someone you can control."


    "I only have one request from you, the very same one I had already mentioned. Other than that, I won''t make your decisions for you. You will rule.¡±


    "When you take away his wolf. What would he be?"


    "He won''t change; he will be the very same man," she said, a small smile curving on her lips. "And since I''m so generous, I''ll leave your Beta Aric, and Sarah with you to do as you wish. Punish them as you see fit."


    "No!" Sarah cried out, falling to her knees before the Empress. "I did as you asked of me. I did everything you said -everything you wanted. I killed for you... You promised to turn me, and I would spend the rest of my life in your service."


    The Empressughed, and at that moment, I wondered just how stable she was- she seemed on the brink of lunacy. "If you could betray your Alpha, your family, and your very own pack, how am I sure you won''t betray me in the long run?"


    "Please! I would never betray you." Sarah begged. "You can''t let her have me; she will kill me."


    "Damn right, I will," I responded, my body trembling with rage. I hadn''t even realized I was shaking. Sarah was supposed to be my friend; my father had trusted her too, and she betrayed us all.


    "You did well, Sarah; you served your purpose, child." Cynthia said, and then her eyes turned to Amanda. "But you are a true servant. I will groom you. I will teach you to be powerful, and you will be a force to be reckoned with."


    Amanda smiled, exposing her tiny fangs.


    Cynthia rose, heading to the door.


    "Where are you going?" I asked.


    She smiled at me, and right before my eyes, she transformed. Those brown eyes shifted into a familiar shade of gray... Standing before me was my exact doppelg?nger. She looked exactly like me-from the hair to the skin tone, down to the missing pinkie finger. If even I couldn''t tell the difference, how could anyone else?


    "Don''t leave this ce just yet-we can''t raise any form of suspicion," she said before turning to Amanda. She took her hand, and together, they left. The camera would record me walking in with the girl and then walking out; there would be no sign of danger.


    Her words had sounded like a mere suggestion-''Don''t leave yet, to avoid raising suspicion''¡ªbut only when I tried to leave and couldn''t did I realize I had beenpelled.


    Aric was still out cold, his limp body ced at the side of the hall, while Sarah remained on her knees, tears streaming down her face. I didn''t have time for either of them-my only thought was Alexander. She could kill him, and he wouldn''t know it wasn''t me; it would be my face he remembered as the one that ended his life. But


    Chapter


    One Hundred and Forty Cine


    for some reason, I didn''t think she would do that. I didn''t trust her, but I believed she needed this pack''s strength to face the ''army of the dead.'' She wouldn''t kill him, at least not today.


    It had only been minutes, but it felt more like hours. Cynthia returned alone; she was still disguised as me. She transformed back to her original form.


    "What did you do?" I asked her.


    "Exactly what we agreed. Now I will take my leave. Don''t forget the favor you owe me," she said, and with that, she vanished into thin air.


    The moment she was gone, I was free of herpulsion. I ran out of the hall, not sparing a single nce at Sarah or Aric. I ran as fast as my feet could take me, ignoring the pack members who stared after me.


    He wasn''t in his office, so I returned to our apartment. The door was wide open.


    The first thing I noticed was the smell of blood.


    I ran straight to our room, where the scent was strongest and there, Alexandery


    on the bed, shirtless, a dagger buried in his heart.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Claim Me 531

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two


    It felt surreal-the blood on the sheets, the body-Alexander. I couldn''t process any of it.


    "No!" I cried.


    Foolish, foolish girl.


    I held him. ¡°You can''t die, please, you can''t die. I''m here, look at me, open your eyes, dammit!"


    I had never felt this afraid, not even when I received news that my father had passed.


    Soon, I heard footsteps approaching-the door was still open. They wereing to find the source of the noise. I hadn''t even realized how loudly I had been screaming.


    "I didn''t mean to... She said she wouldn''t kill him."


    More people gathered, and soon, our room was crowded, every face frozen in shock.


    A hand pressed against my back-Phil. He was saying something, but I couldn''t understand him. Austin was there too, along with some of the other advisors.


    A woman stepped forward.


    "I have to take him, Luna."


    I let out a snarl. "Don''t touch him... No one touches him!"


    There must have been something in my voice because she stepped back immediately-so did some of the other pack members.


    "Luna, you have to let them take him." Austin said, trying to reason with me.


    "No!" I growled.


    "They want to help. They''re not taking him from you, but just they need to see if they can save him," Phil exins, and the words finally sink in.


    "They will heal him, right? He will live again."


    Phil didn''t say anything, but when the healers took his body, I didn''t stop them. Pack soldiers led the crowds away, and I was finally alone with the advisors.


    "What happened?" Keith asked.


    "Leave. All of you. Get out!"


    And they did.


    Guilt.


    That''s all I felt. I could have been stronger; I could have fought herpulsion and followed after her, but I didn''t because I believed her. I believed the woman who killed my parents.


    And now she killed him-no, not her, me. I killed him; I caused this because I was weak. One would think all those years of training would make me smarter. It didn''t. Because I fell for the very same petty lie.


    I wouldn''t be able to live without Alexander; I wouldn''t be able to live with the guilt that I had caused this.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two


    My eyes remained pinned to the bed, the blood-stained sheets would forever haunt me. I could still perceive his scent, so strong, one would think he was still here.


    "Alexander, please don''t leave me." I whispered to the empty room. I had never realized how alone and lonely I was. The few people I trusted had ended up being traitors; he was all I had.


    Numb, I stepped into the bathroom and let the water wash away the blood-his blood. Afterward, I got dressed in my ck leather pants, leather jacket, and ck boots.


    She won''t get away with this.


    Cynthia had killed my mother and my father and there was nothing I could do about it, but this time, I wouldn''t let her go, I would kill her or die trying, this was my only redemption.


    "Luna!" Austin''s voice rang out as he entered the apartment without bothering to knock. "The Alpha is awake."


    Those four words were all I needed to hear, and I sprinted toward the healing room. Pack soldiers struggled to hold back the crowd of pack members filling the passage. I pushed my way through the mass of people and finally stopped in front of the healing room, where a soldier stood guard.


    "I need to see the Alpha," I said, attempting to step past him, but he blocked my path. "Get the hell out of my way, or I swear-"


    I never got to finish my threat.


    "It''s alright, let Luna in,¡± Phil said. The soldier gave me a long look before finally stepping aside.


    I pulled open the door-the only thing separating me from him¡ªand there he was.


    Seated on the bed, a bandage wrapped across his chest, yet still alive. Still breathing, despite a dagger having been driven through his heart.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Three


    There was something different about the way he looked at me the way he regarded me. I saw it in the way his body tensed the moment I stepped inside. He saw me as a threat, and it took a moment to understand why. Cynthia had taken my form when she approached him, making him believe it was me. The moment his guard dropped, she struck.


    But what he remembered was me stabbing him-my face, my hands, delivering the blow.


    "Alexander," I whispered, unable to say anything more. He only stared at me, as if trying to read me. I had wanted to see him so badly, but I hadn''t stopped for even a moment to think about what I would say to him when we met.


    "The Cursed Weapon-how did you find it?" he asked.


    "I don''t understand."


    "The dagger you used on me."


    The cursed weapon, I''ve heard about that too. History says the Elders had been the original keepers of the steel; that had been before they were killed. The weapon had the ability to take away one''s wolf. It made more sense now, what Cynthia was saying. She told me she knew how to heal him, but he would lose his wolf in the process. She hadn''t tried killing him; I was wrong. She did exactly what she said she would; she healed him.


    2


    Alexander watched me, still guarded. It would be easy to tell him the truth. He would be furious; perhaps he would go face Cynthia on his own. But I couldn''t. I couldn''t because a part of me knew she hadn''t told me the story about how she burned her vige to the ground simply because she was in the mood to tell stories about her past. I could finally see the hidden threat behind her words one I hadn''t noticed before. A threat against the whole pack. That was why she told me that story; she wanted me to know what she was capable of.


    "I-I''m so sorry, Alexander. I never meant to hurt you; I only did it to help you. You were dying; you needed help, and that was the only way to help.¡±


    "That wasn''t the only reason you did it. You said it to me yourself."


    "I love you. I would never hurt you-you know that. You know me."


    "And I don''t doubt your love for me, Kaida," he said, rising from the bed with some difficulty. He walked up to me, cing a hand on my cheek. "I know you love me, and I''d be a fool to deny it-it''s clear in your eyes. But there''s something you want even more, something you''ve dreamt of your whole life. Bing an Alpha.''


    I should say something. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came forth. I had no idea what Cynthia had told him before she stabbed him. Had she told him that I was doing this to take his ce as the Alpha?


    "I should be grateful to you." He said finally when he realized I wasn''t going to say anything. "The pain is all gone now; everything is gone. I feel... like a new person.


    "I''m so sorry, but I had to do it. I couldn''t watch you fade away. But now... you''re whole again."


    "I am not whole. A part of me is missing. The physical pain is gone, but there''s still an emptiness inside me- something that should be there, but isn''t.¡±


    "Your wolf. He is gone." I noted more to myself. "It had to be this way. There was no other option. You would have died; I couldn''t let that happen to you."


    "Sweet, sweet Kaida," he murmured, cing a kiss on my forehead. I couldn''t stop the tears streaming down my face. "Did it ever ur to you that I deserve a say in what happens to me?" he asked, and I could sense his anger. As much as he tried to mask it, I could tell he was disappointed.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Three

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four


    The disappointment in his voice was even harder to bear than the betrayal I had suffered from people I once called friends.


    "I should have told you, but I knew you would''ve kept assuring me you were fine- even when we both knew you were dying inside. She said you were going to die, whether you stopped or continued with the doses. I just... couldn''t lose you."


    "Who is this ''she'' you are referring to?" he asked, and I immediately realized my slip.


    "I... it doesn''t matter. You''re alive, and that''s what''s important."


    Slowly, he let go of me, and I instantly missed his warmth. How does it feel?"


    "What?"


    "To be so close to achieving your dreams?" he asked. I wanted to tell him I didn''t care anymore about the goddamn title; all I wanted was to have him by my side. I wanted him, but before I could tell him just that, he spoke on. "I hope it was worth it."


    Those final words had felt like some kind of goodbye.


    "I, Ethan Alexander Darkwood, reject you, Kaida Dawn, as my fated mate." He said.


    Seeing Alexander with a dagger through his heart had been horrifying, but this... I couldn''t even put it into words. I could only stare at him.


    He didn''t look away. He watched me, a single tear slipping down his face-the only sign of his pain.


    He was hurting. And it was because of me.


    "No, please, I beg you, don''t do this. Don''t leave me. I have no one else-the rest, they are all traitors; you are all I have left."


    "I am giving you what you''ve always wanted."


    "I don''t want it! What I want is you."


    "You know, I almost believe you mean what you say-I want to believe you, Kaida. But... I don''t know what to believe anymore."


    "You will not leave me; you will remain in this pack and rule..."


    "You don''t get it!" he said, his voice rising. "I don''t have a wolf-I can''t be their king!"


    "Your mother was a demon; it didn''t stop her from being the queen..."


    His next words came out more like a plea "Set me free, Kaida. This is all I ask of you: ept the rejection and end our bond. Let me go."


    "I can''t.... I love you, and you love me too."


    "That is the problem. Loving you is my biggest weakness; I don''t want to love you anymore. That''s why you have to let me go."


    "What we have, it''s beyond the mate bond, Alex. I would never love another man the way I love you."


    "You would never know, not until you let me go."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Rour


    I watched his face, the plea still in his eyes. He wanted this realized; he wanted to leave me, all alone, and he


    I couldn''t have the bond holding him back. I had taken so much from him; it was only fair I gave him this one thing And yet I couldn''t do it.


    I wanted to fall on my knees and beg; I wanted to make him see reason, but we were past all that; no amount of begging or pleading would change his mind; he had made his decision, and not even I could make him change it.


    "I, Kaida ckwood Dawn, ept your rejection."


    I recoiled from the impact as the bond between us shattered. The pain only worsened, but he didn''t seem as affected as I was. And then, with a haunting rity, I realized-when Cynthia drove that dagger through his heart, she had changed something. She had broken something that could never be repaired or fixed.


    I couldn''t bear to look at him standing there any longer, so walked out the door, ignoring the eyes watching me. The crowd parted as I passed-some too afraid to step too close-but I didn''t care. All I wanted to do was get to my room and break down in peace.


    Alexander hadn''t died, but the man I loved was gone.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four

    Chapter One Hundred And Fins Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Five


    425 BOHUS


    The bond was gone, leaving a void in my chest. But what I felt for him didn''t change. Despite the fact that we were no longer mates, I still loved him. I was right-what we had was beyond the mate bond.


    I had given up far too quickly, I realized. I wasn''t willing to let him go just yet.


    The crowd was gone by the time I returned to the healing room. I stood by the door of the room where Alexander had been kept, contemting what to say. I could apologize again, but something told me it wouldn''t be enough. He believed I could ''move on,'' but he needed to see that I never would that I could never love another. My heart belonged to him, mate bond or not. Nothing had changed. And maybe, if he saw that, he would change his mind.


    Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. No response. I lifted my hand to try again when the door creaked


    open.


    I pushed it fully open-only to find the bed empty.


    His scent in the room was still strong, enough to tell me he hadn''t been gone for long. I walked into a healer on my way out.


    "Where is the Alpha?" I asked.


    Sadness clouded her eyes. "Gone."


    "What do you mean by ''gone''? He was supposed to be here, under medication."


    "I told him the same, but he wouldn''t listen. He''s gone, Luna, and... I don''t think he''sing back."


    I was running before she even finished speaking. He hadn''t been gone for long-l could catch up. I followed his scent deep into the woods, but then I stopped.


    His scent hadpletely... vanished.


    ¡°No.¡± The word slipped from my lips. ¡°It can''t be gone."


    I picked a route and followed it; I wasn''t going to give up; I couldn''t. I had to find him.


    Night fell, and still, I hadn''t found him or picked up another trail. With each passing hour, my desperation grew.


    The drizzle started softly, but within minutes, rain poured down in sheets. If there was any trail, I wouldn''t be able to find it now. Still I couldn''t go back; I had to find him He couldn''t have left me. Maybe he was just angry... maybe he would return in a few days. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I was only clinging to false hope. I still remembered his plea for me to set him free. He didn''t want anything to do with me.


    I hadn''t seen the log in my path and tripped, falling into a puddle of thick mud and decayed leaves.


    It was finally dawning on me. He was gone; he was really gone, and I might never be able to find him. He left no letter, nor did he bother with a goodbye. Maybe he knew that if he told me he was leaving, I would never let him


    1. go.


    "Luna!" Someone called, but I couldn''t ce the voice-everything sounded off in my ears. Then the figure stepped forward.


    "Goddess," he gasped. "We heard you ran off, but no one knew where you were. I was worried you''d done something rash."


    "Like drowning myself?" I asked-though, suddenly, it felt like an option.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, worry clear in his eyes.


    Chapter One Hundred and Filly Ave


    425 BORUS


    1 knew I looked like I''d been through hell-soaked, covered in mud and filth. On any other day, I would have told him I was fine. In any other situation, I would have acted like I had everything under control, because that was what was expected of me.


    But now... I couldn''t.


    "No. I''m not. He left me-he really left me."


    Saying it out loud made it feel even more real.


    "Not just you. He''d left the pack too."

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Five

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six


    Austin helped me back to the pack house. I was filthy, covered in mud-but I didn''t care.


    "Gather the council of advisors." I instructed him.


    "Now?" he asked, surprised. "You should rest, Luna. You are in no condition...¡±


    "I gave you an order." I said and that seemed to surprise him too, he nodded before turning away.


    I stripped off my filthy clothes, took a quick bath, and stepped into another leather outfit-identical to the one before. My hair, still damp, was twisted into a bun before I headed to the meeting room.


    I had expected to be bombarded with questions from the advisors; I had expected


    some of them with frowns on their faces. I was ready to take all the disappointed looks casted at me, but what I wasn''t ready for was to find all the seats


    unupied-all except two.


    Austin and Phil.


    "Where are the others?" I questioned.


    ¡°Erh... Luna, I really don''t think this is the right time..."


    Leut Austin off for the second time. "Where are the others?" I repeated.


    "They left."


    "What do you mean by they left?"


    "They swore out of their posts as advisors."


    "Why?"


    That was a question I shouldn''t have asked; a part of me knew exactly why they had done that.


    "With Alexander gone... they believe their service has ended."


    "There is more, right? There is something you aren''t telling me.


    Phil exchanged looks with Austin before he spoke up. "They don''t believe you are worthy of their service."


    "Why? Because I am a woman?"


    "That could be one of the reasons, but the major reason had been because of what they believe you did."


    Austin spoke next. "The cameras caught clips of you walking into that room right around the time the Alpha was stabbed. A certain healer has been spreading rumors that you nned to take him down to im his position- that your grief and everything that followed were just an act to gain the pack''s sympathy."


    I could already guess who this ''certain healer'' was.


    "You should have exined what happened to the Advisors. If they had heard your side of the story, they could have challenged the rumors. But now, all they have is what the cameras showed and what that woman told them."


    "Is that why you are here? To know what happened so you would leave like the rest?¡± I asked, unable to hide the anger and irritation from my voice.


    "The Alpha loved you," Phil said. "He would want you safe at all times. He would want us by your side during these critical moments, so we aren''t going anywhere. We just want to know what happened so we can help in any way possible."


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six


    "You want to know the truth? The woman was right... The camera too is proof. I did attempt murdering the Alpha." I confessed, expecting a reaction from them, but got nothing. There was a long silence before Phil broke it. "I saw the dagger-I caught a glimpse of it. That was no ordinary dagger; I had seen it before. The Cursed Weapon. And unlike everyone else, I knew the ordeal the Alpha had suffered from the withdrawal symptoms."


    From the way Austin looked unsurprised, it was clear he knew about it too. Well, it wasn''t necessarily meant to be kept a secret anymore.


    "And in the healing room, he looked better than he had ever been. The pack might believe you tried to murder him, but I don''t; I know you-well, I know you love him, and he loves you too. You might have made a mistake, but killing or hurting him wasn''t what you had intended for. You wanted to help." He said, and my eyes got teary. He understood. They were the only ones that understood that I had done what I did to help him; they only could see that I would never sit idle and watch as my mate suffered through pain for the rest of his life.


    I blinked away the tears before anyone could notice how much their words had affected me.


    "If you are to be my advisors, I need to know that I can trust you."


    "Our loyalty is yours," they said almost in unison.


    "Good. The two of you will do; I don''t need any more. The others are free to live their lives however they wish / hold no grudge against them as long as they don''t interfere with my ns," I said. Then, my eyes met my advisors''. "People I once trusted with my life betrayed me, and if there''s one thing I hate most, it''s traitors. You are both


    free to leave my service whenever you wish. But if you choose to stay, know this- if I ever discover that either of you has deceived me, I will end you with my own hands. Understood?"


    A small smile curved on Austin''s lips. "Crystal."


    "Understood." Phil responded.


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 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Seven


    "Is there anything else I should be aware of?" I questioned my advisors. Once again, they seemed to be holding something back-1 could tell.


    "We worry about what will happen when the news reaches the other packs," Austin says, giving me a look that suggests I read between the lines and figure out what he isn''t saying. When he realizes I''m not catching on, he speaks up. "There has never been a female Alpha before. There will be a lot of opinions- especially with you being the... Alpha Queen. The others might not ept this change,"


    "We should be ready for anything. The other packs might see this change as a sign of weakness and think it''s the best time to attack. The Nightshade pack might have been enjoying peace for years, but it would be foolish to think that that would continue."


    "When they attack, we will be ready, we will go to war and I will take the front lines and prove to them how wrong they are."


    Phil nodded, and with that, I dismissed them.


    As I stepped out of the meeting room, I noticed something hadn''t paid enough attention to before the looks the pack members gave me. These weren''t the curious nces I had grown used to, but looks filled with hate and disgust; some even stared at me with clear disappointment in their eyes. I hadn''t anticipated this, but I had to face


    1. it.


    I couldn''t show any sign of weakness, even if my heart still ached for Alexander. I wanted to find him-to leave the pack and track him down, no matter how long it took. But that would mean leaving them exposed, without a leader. I couldn''t do that, not in such critical times. I had to be there for them, even if most of them seemed to hate me now.


    The soldiers bowed as I walked past them; they were loyal because they had sworn their loyalty to the pack, not necessarily because they loved me or saw me as a true leader.


    The farther I went, the louder the murmurs grew, until a female voice rose above the rest-Sarah''s.


    "She always wanted to be Alpha. She hated her own father when she found out he wouldn''t let her take his position after his death-"


    "We watched her mourn her father; it was clear she loved him." Another woman cut in, and Sarah didn''t seem to like that; the irritation was clear on her face, and


    once again I felt like a fool for not seeing through her facade.


    "Or maybe it was an act; maybe it was all a part of her big master n-"


    "One would think you''d have run for your dear life.¡±


    This time, I was the one to cut her off. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn''t noticed my approach. For a brief moment, fear flickered across Sarah''s face, but she quickly hid it.


    "Why run? I know you will find me, one way or the other."


    ¡°You''re right about that; I would have found you. I hear you''ve been busy.¡± I said to her,


    "They were curious, and you have to admit, they had the right to know the truth."


    "I wonder if you also mentioned that you''re a traitor-the same one who aided in the death of your own Alpha, my father?" I asked, my voiceced with anger I no longer bothered to hide. She fell silent. "I guess you left that part out of your little rumour."


    "You can''t deny this all turned out to be a win for you; I might not have gotten what I wanted but look at you. The


    Chapter One Hundred and fitty


    first female Alpha, the Queen. This must really be a dreame true. I guess my effort did pay off."


    "You didn''t do this for me-you did it for yourself. But since your all-so-awesome n failed, you had to make onest desperate move by spreading rumors," I said, stepping closer to her.


    "You won''t kill me-not in front of all these people." She said, and I was aware of the people watching, Since it waste, there was no child present.


    "That''s where you''re wrong, little traitor."


    I grabbed her by the hair before she could react and mmed her face into the wall-hard. Bone crunched on impact, but I didn''t stop. Again and again, I drove her into it. By the time I let go, her nose was broken and swollen, blood poured from her split lips, and a few teethy scattered on the ground. One of her eyes was already swelling shut.


    "You will die an ugly bitch." I let the words sink in, watching as thest bit of defiance drained from her face. Finally, the fear she had been trying to hide shone through her eyes.


    She muttered something-broken, incoherent. It didn''t matter.


    My hands wrapped around her throat. Her eyes widened as realization set in. She shook her head furiously, panic twisting her bloody features, but all I could think about was my father-how he had suffered through his sickness. A powerful man, reduced to weakness. Withered. Dying before my eyes and I couldn''t do a thing about it.


    My hands tightened around her throat, blocking her passage of air. She fought desperately, her ws digging into me, but I could barely register the pain.


    Traitors.


    Her struggles grew frantic. She wed at my hands, kicking, twisting-desperate. But I was stronger. She couldn''t win.


    I wanted it tost longer. I wanted to drag it out until she begged for death, then leave her there to rot. But this would have to do.


    I could save all of that for the Empress-the true mastermind. If she thought I would follow her n, fight alongside her people, then she was the fool.


    Sarah''s face darkened to a deep purple. Her movements turned sluggish, weaker........ until finally, she went limp.


    I held on for a whole minute-just to be sure. Then, I let her body drop to the ground.


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 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Seven

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Right


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Eight


    ALIYA''S POV


    Daemon had kept his distance, reminding me once again of the times back at the castle when he would withdraw into himself. He had a lot on his mind, none of which he was willing to share with me.


    I didn''t miss the fact that he seemed to enjoy mypany, even though he never made a move on me-and I wasn''t sure how that made me feel. As the days went by, I found myself settling into this ''new life.'' It didn''t seem so... bad, now that / knew Daemon wasn''t about to end my life anytime soon. But there was still one problem- Tasha.


    It didn''t take a genius to see that she was jealous. Daemon fed from her, but beyond that, she was just another person living in his house. He never seemed to look at her twice, despite her efforts. The twins were nicer, but they mostly kept to themselves. Tasha had no interest in making friends with them or with me, for that matter.


    Today, something changed.


    Lying on the bed in Daemon''s room, I felt trapped. It shouldn''t have bothered me I had lived my whole life in the castle-but it did. I wanted more; I couldn''t spend the rest of my life trapped here.


    Daemon was in his study when I burst in. He didn''t seem startled by my sudden, violent entry.


    "I''m sick of this ce! You can''t keep me here forever."


    From the glint in his eyes, he found my outburst amusing; that wasn''t exactly the expression I was hoping to receive from him.


    "Here I was, thinking you were finally settling in. Go grab a jacket; let''s go somewhere."


    His words startled me, and for a moment, I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. He cocked a brow at me. "You said you wanted to leave this ce, right? Well here''s your chance. Be quick before I change my mind."


    I finally got my legs to move and hurried to his room, as that was where I stayed. I had no jackets of my own, but he had plenty, even if he rarely wore them. I grabbed a brown jacket that belonged to him¡ªI didn''t think he would mind. After slipping it on, I brushed through my hair, applied a little lip gloss, and I was done. Daemon had made sure I had everything I needed in this room¡ªfrom makeup to designer bags, shoes, jewelry, and dresses. I had never worn any of the clothes, though, as most of them were far too revealing.


    The jacket was way too big, and I thought I looked awkward in it, but I really didn''t care. I returned to the study room, hoping this wasn''t some kind of trick, but there he was already on his feet. He had discarded his ck uniform for a more casual wear, a ck leather jacket over his equally ck shirt and jeans. Even in casual wear, he still carried that dark aura, and I wanted to smack myself for not realizing it sooner. It had been right in front of me all those months.


    His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought they darkened. He stared down at my choice of outfit and nodded as if in approval.


    "You look good in that jacket."


    "I think it looks awkward." I said with a nervousugh.


    "Believe me when I say, nothing looks awkward on you, Aliya."


    I shivered. There was something about the way he said my name-it was almost like a lover''s call. Dark thoughts cloud my mind. His tongue on me, licking me, bringing me to a level of ecstasy I never thought possible... then his fangs. Strangely, I have been fantasizing a lot about his fangstely, and they were not good thoughts.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Right


    He watched me with that amused look, as if he could read e-like he knew everything I felt. When he stepped toward me, I braced myself, expecting him to force his will on me, to im me without my permission. But he did none of that. For a viin, he sure had a good amount of self-control.


    "Ready?" He asked me, and I nodded, as I didn''t trust myself to speak just yet. Finally, when I found my voice, I asked, "Are we traveling by car?"


    I recalled thest time I had used his car-to try to escape from him. Somehow, it had stopped working. I didn''t know if it had been fixed yet.


    "No. Now that you know who I am, I don''t have to hide this from you anymore."


    "Hide what?"


    "My favorite method of transportation," he said.


    With his hand wrapped tightly around me, a strange ck mist engulfed us both, and the sight of Daemon''s apartment faded away.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Eight

    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Nine


    The mist disappeared, giving way to apletely different ocation. Daemon''s hand steadied me.


    "Are you alright?" he asked. I could only nod. Our ''travel''d been one of the strangest experiences I had ever encountered.


    "Where are we?" I asked, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.


    "In a museum."


    I nced around, noting the towering dinosaur skeleton, the paintings, and the sculptures. The more I observed, the more I appreciated the beauty of each piece. This museum was unlike anything I had ever seen, it fascinated


    1. me.


    "That painting... it''s so beautiful," I said to Daemon.


    "Yes, it is," he agreed. Daemon had his hands shoved in his pockets, standing still while I moved around, gushing over the beautiful artifacts. "Humans have this obsession with preserving things from the past."


    I paused.


    "Humans?" I repeated.


    He nodded.


    "If you haven''t noticed, we''ve traveled far from home." He took my hands in his and led me to the door. A guard sat in a small booth, his posture rxed-until he heard our footsteps. He jolted upright, his eyes wide with fear.


    Of course, his attention was on Daemon. I couldn''t me him-Daemon was the most intimidating and imposing person I had ever met. He was right to be afraid.


    ¡°Requesting backup-intruders in the main exhibit hall.¡± The man spoke silently into his radio, pressing a button on the small device clipped to his uniform. Daemon didn''t seem bothered by this exchange. "If you could kindly open the door, we would be on our way." He said, and I thought his eyes glowed; the fear on the man''s face disappeared, and suddenly he seemed... emotionless, like he was being controlled. He rose without a word and entered a code into the keypad beside the door. Immediately, it unlocked, opening on its own as Daemon led me forward.


    "You there!" another voice called. It was another guard, dressed in white and ck like the man who had just unlocked the door. More guards rushed in, but Daemon didn''t turn back-he simply kept walking.


    There was a ck car waiting outside.


    "Is this your car?" I asked him.


    "No, it belonged to the guard. I took the keys," he said, his tone indifferent.


    "But that means you stole it," I said usingly.


    "Call it whatever you want," Daemon said, pulling the car door open. "Get in."


    I hesitated, but we didn''t have much time. With a sharp intake of breath, I climbed inside. He turned and got in after me.


    A loud crack split the air-I knew what it was. A gunshot, aimed at us. But Daemon was already driving. Though everything, he had seemed so calm; it was almost unnerving.


    "Why were they so mad at us for being there? I thought all those things were kept there for people to admire.


    Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Nine


    "You''re right. But the museum was closed for the day, and that guard never saw us enter. They value their history so much that they''d do almost anything to protect it."


    "So, they think we came there to steal?"


    "Yes. And they weren''t exactly wrong." He said, referring to the car.


    I stared out the window. It waste, but the streets were alive. Streetlights lined the roads, and cars filled the streets-more than I had ever seen in my life. On the sidewalk, a few people lingered while others hurried home. I also notice some scantily dressed women. Whores. They were practically naked with heavyyers of makeup on their faces. A few of them were actually quite beautiful, though they all seemed either drunk or under the influence of drugs.


    "They don''t seem scared," I said, referring to the scantily dressed women. I couldn''t imagine walking around alone at this time of night-let alone in clothes like that.


    "They''re not. Most of the time, they love the danger," he answered without even ncing at them.


    "Back at the museum... that man who let us out-why did he do it? I mean, he seemed scared at first, and then all of a sudden, he was helping us."


    "Humans are easy to manipte," Daemon said. That was his only response.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Nine

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    I had never seen anything like this ce; it felt more... alive. This had been all I wanted, and here I was. Free of the castle and out in the open. The world was far bigger than I could ever know-far more diverse too. I didn''t realize I was smiling until I noticed his eyes on me. His attention was no longer on the road ahead of us. "It''s beautiful," I said after a moment.


    "I would have done this sooner if I knew how happy it would make you."


    "Daemon, thank you for doing this," I said, and for a moment, our eyes locked. I reddened and looked away." Where are we going?" I asked to fill the silence.


    "To watch a movie. It''s a rewrite of Romeo and Juliet," he said.


    For some reason, I couldn''t help butugh.


    "What?" he questioned.


    "Who would have thought? The Demon Overlord watches movies."


    "I like to see myself as a normal person at times."


    "But there is nothing normal about you."


    ¡°I''ve been good since we arrived here. That should win me some points in normality, shouldn''t it?"


    #1


    "Yes, I guess. But let''s not forget the car was stolen, and of course, you didn''t look very normal when you werepelling'' the innocent human man to unlock the door for us."


    "Two points gone, but I''ll make up for it."


    He sounded so... rxed. I had only known one side of him the mysterious, dark side. Seeing him this free was something I didn''t want to end.


    We arrived at the movie theater, and I was surprised by the crowd. I wasn''t used to being this close to so many people. Back in Aureonna City, I only faced crowds during public announcements and events-and even those


    were rare.


    I noticed the women practically drooling over Daemon. I had always known he was a very good-looking man, but the way they stared at him-it was as if they had seen an angel. I was sure that if not for the intimidating aura surrounding him, they would have crowded around him, asking for autographs and pictures.


    Daemon was oblivious to the attention he was receiving.


    Everyone took their seats, and the movie began; the theater fell intoplete silence. I was surprised at how such arge crowd could organize itself without being told to. Still, I noticed a few women straining their necks for a better look at Daemon. The familiar sting of jealousy threatened to tarnish what had been a perfect night. But I managed to focus on the movie, and by the end, I was in tears.


    "He really died." I whispered to myself.


    "Who?" Daemon asked, and I wondered if he was even watching the thing.


    "Romeo."


    He said nothing, but the indifferent look on his face said everything.


    "Did you like the movie?"


    "It''s difficult to say," I said, quickly wiping away my tears before he could notice- but of course, he did.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    "I shouldn''t have made you watch this."


    "No, I wanted to. It just made me realize something... I haven''t been around a lot of people I deeply care about, so I never truly thought about the pain of losing a loved one.¡± said, my eyes once again meeting him. I recalled the pain I had felt when I thought he was going to die in the pit-or the time I had shot him. It had taken everything in me not to run back to his aid, despite all he had done. I still cared.


    "Can I call this a... date? I mean, this is what people do on dates-they watch movies, sneak into museums, steal cars..."


    Heughed. Like, actuallyughed. And there I was, staring at him,pletely dazed.


    I knew about dates from the romance books I read, but I was also pretty sure that stealing cars and touring museums at restricted hours weren''t things couples typically did on a date.


    Too soon, the beautiful sound of hisughter faded. I knew what came next-we would leave this ce and return back to his home.


    "Trian." I called, and that got his full attention. "I don''t want this to be over yet. Can we stay a few more hours?" I said, giving him my cutest look; of course, I didn''t think that would affect him; he barely seemed to notice when women were practically throwing themselves at him, but to my surprise, it does work.


    "We could stay till the morning."


    I grinned. ¡°Thank you, thank you..."


    And then, I was hugging him. He went still, clearly unused to such contact. I


    started to pull away, wondering if I had gone too far-but then, slowly, he patted my back.

 Claim Me 540

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One


    On our way out, more women stared. It was getting unnerving-I wanted to snap at them.


    I was tempted to show them he was mine by wrapping my arms around his torso, but I wasn''t sure he would like that. He had never been one for such close contact, so I kept my hands to myself. But as if he could read my mind, he wrapped his arm around me-possessively.


    I stared up at him in surprise.


    ¡°I''m on my best behavior, but if those guys don''t stop undressing you with their eyes, I might have to reconsider," he said. I followed his line of sight, and sure enough, about five guys stood there, watching me. The moment Daemon''s gaze fell on them, they quickly walked away.


    don''t seem to be noticing how almost every female in the building is checking you out." I said, and his eyes met mine again, making me realize that he truly hadn''t noticed them. How was that even possible? Some had walked past him multiple times just to get a single look from him, I couldn''t help but feel a little sympathy for them.


    "We need to go now."


    "Where are we going?"


    "A hotel close by," he said, and I followed him back into the stolen car.


    "You are going to return the car, right?"


    "Only if that earns me more points?"


    "Yes. One point for being a gentleman and returning the car you stole."


    "Two points." He negotiated.


    I pretended to be deep in thought before finally speaking. ¡°Okay, two points it is."


    "Then it''s a deal."


    We stopped in front of a grand, elegant building with the name ''Goles Haven Hotel, London'' disyed in golden letters.


    A valet attendant approached, opening my door. I stepped out, and before he could do the same for Daemon, he was already out.


    "Wee to Goles Haven. Do you have a reservation?"


    "No." Daemon pulled a few crisp bills from his jacket and handed them over. The valet''s eyes flickered with surprise before he quickly masked it, tucking the money away with a nod.


    "Come with me; I will show you to the receptionist." He said, shoving the notes into his own pocket. He led us into the hotel. It was even more beautiful from the inside; everything about the ce screamed money, and Daemon fitted right into it all. The receptionist was a female who seemed to be in her early twenties; she could easily be a model with her long blonde hair, green eyes, sizable breasts, and beautiful smile-though I could notice her smile was directed at Daemon.


    "We would only be staying the night." He informs her, and her smile widens like he just told some kind of joke.


    "I see you haven''t made a reservation, but I can arrange one of our best suites for you-perhaps the one overlooking the city," she said, subtly arching her back to emphasize her figure.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One


    "Would you like that?" Daemon asked me, and I nodded, not really caring where I slept, but in this five-star hotel, it was clear that everything had to be the best of the best, nothing less than perfection.


    The woman barely spared me a nce at first, but then her smile faltered as she gave me a slow once-over, assessing me. For the first time, she seemed to see me as a treat or at least, someone worth noticing.


    Daemon paid with his card, then smoothly ced a crisp bi on the counter. The receptionist''s smile returned instantly-she might have just fallen in love right then and there.


    "If you need anything at all, just let me know," she said, her voice smooth, her smile lingering a little too long. I knew exactly what kind of invitation that was.


    She slid the key card across the counter in a sleek holder, and Daemon took it without a word. A staff member was already waiting to escort us to our suite.


    "Tell me you didn''t notice her flirting."


    "Actually, I did," he admitted, then his eyes met mine. "But I don''t have eyes for her-or anyone else. Just one."


    The room was just as perfect as the rest of the hotel. Floor-to-ceiling ss walls separated us from the city, offering a breathtaking view. At night, the city lights were mesmerizing-I could watch them for hours and never grow tired. Now, I understood the hype.


    But then there was the bed. Staring at it, it brought back memories. I remember the first time we had sex... It had been in his room, on a bed, just like this one.


    "I''ll take the couch," he says.


    He always lets me have the bed while he takes the couch-or, more often, he doesn''t sleep at all. I had asked him about it once, and he simply said he could survive on little to no sleep.


    So much had changed in just a few hours. I had seen a different side of him, and I wanted to explore it for the little time we had left here.


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 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two


    I stood there for a moment, watching him, aware of every inch between us.


    I stepped closer. "Daem-Trian, I..." The words wouldn''te. I wasn''t sure if I was afraid of saying them or if I simply didn''t know how. So instead, I rose onto my tiptoes reaching for him. But he was too tall, and my lips only grazed his jaw.


    I lingered, searching his face, hoping he would understand what I couldn''t say.


    "For a demon, you have a surprising amount of self-control"


    "Every moment with you pushes me closer to losing it."


    "Then why didn''t you? Why didn''t you make a move?"


    "After what I did to you, I have no right to touch you."


    I watched his fangs as he spoke, then lifted my gaze to meet his. Once again, he knew exactly what I wanted. He bared his fangs, allowing me to touch them. Their tips were so sharp that with just a little more pressure, they could have easily pierced my finger. Like everything about him, his fangs were both beautiful and terrifying-they scared me just as much as they amazed me.


    "I dream about it. I dream about you feeding from me. I even fantasize about it."


    "I can''t do that to you." He said he seemed to be barely trying to constrain himself.


    "Why? You do it to them."


    Them-as in the other human girls.


    ex


    "I don''t care about them the way I care about you. It has disadvantages, Aliya. The more you are fed from, the more you want it, and I can''t take chances... not with you."


    I couldn''t hide my disappointment; a part of me felt ashamed by his rejection.


    Of course, he read me easily; he knew exactly how I felt. He brushed my silver hair aside, exposing my neck, and my breath hitched as I realized what he was about to do.


    Cold lips met my skin, and then I felt his fangs. The pain was too brief to register- but then, all I felt was... pleasure. The tension I had felt earlier melted away, my whole body heating up. A deep, unfamiliar ache settled within me, and I could feel the wetness between my legs as he drank from me.


    I moaned, and that only seemed to fuel his desire. In an instant, my clothes were gone, discarded without hesitation. His fangs still buried deep in me, he guided me toward the bed. Only then did he pull away. I missed him the moment he did- but the hunger in his eyes promised I wouldn''t be without him for long.


    "I hope you''re ready, because I have no patience left," he murmured, his voice rough, inhuman, his irises were rimmed with a sharp circle of red. His clothes came off even faster. I barely had time to take in the sheer perfection of the man before me before he spread my legs, settled between them, and, without another word, mmed into me.


    I gasp from the shock of his abrupt entrance, the pain, and the pure pleasure. He thrusts into me again, hitting a spot that gets me moaning his name. My fingers dig into his back, maybe drawing blood, but that too is a turn-on for him. The next thrust is even harder, going deeper. He is huge and hard, filling me uppletely. His palms wrap around my breast, his fingers expertly flicking my stone-hard nipples.


    He kissed my lips, this time more fiercely.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two


    It was clear, all his self-control had gone out the window. He kissed down my throat, and then he bit into me again. The ecstasy from the bite and the next thrust were almost too much pleasure for my body to handle; I felt like I was in apletely different world, one I could stay in forever.


    When he pulled away, his hand settled on my waist, holding me still as he mmed into me, going deeper than


    ever.


    "Daemon," I cried out.


    The snarl that tore from him was almost scary enough to sap me back to reality. Almost.


    He picked up his pace, pounding into me. The bed rocked with each thrust, and pressure built within me. With one more thrust, I shattered, my whole body shaking violently,


    Without giving me a second to recover, he flipped me over, his hands circling my throat in a firm chokehold as he drove into me from behind.


    I let out a cry. His other hand found my clit, rubbing against it with no gentleness. But soon, I was growing even wetter, hungry for another moment with him. I jerked in his hold.


    "Please..."


    Before I could let out another plea, he bit into me for the third time. This time, the pleasure was too much. I couldn''t hold on... Darkness clouded my vision, and then I passed out.

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Thren


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Three


    I awoke in bed, wrapped in a nket-but beneath it, I waspletely naked. Daemony beside me.


    "I''m sorry." He said, "I lost control."


    I recalled passing out and couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. "That wasn''t on you. It was my fault."


    "Not really. You passed out from blood loss. I should have fed before, but I had never tasted any blood as sweet as yours," he said.


    "That feels and sounds like apliment."


    A small smile yed on his lips. "Now, everything else tastes like dirt."


    "You''re always wee to drink from me.


    "No. I''m not putting you through that."


    I reached for my neck, and the bruise from his fangs was almostpletely gone. "How...?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that," he said.


    I nodded, rising from the bed.


    "You shouldn''t..."


    I didn''t listen. The moment my feet touched the floor, my legs gave out. He caught me instantly and ced me back on the bed.


    "You are severely sore." He said, and I could almost see the guilt in his eyes. Not many things made him feel guilty.


    "Afterst night, you''ve earned all the points that there are to earn.


    He chuckled at that. "That almost feels too easy."


    "Believe me when I say, you deserve them all, mystery guy


    ">


    Anotherugh from him; I could listen to that sound for years and never get tired.


    "I am not very mysterious. The only mysterious one in the room is you."


    He must be joking, because that wasn''t true. I am very far away from being ''mysterious,'' but he-he was like a mystery box, full of surprises.


    "I don''t believe you."


    "I might know about your position as the ''Blessed'' and all, but I have no idea about your past. Did you spend all your life in the castle?"


    I was about to say yes, because it felt like it, but the truth was that I didn''t.


    "For most of my life, I lived in the castle. But I still faintly remember a time before that. I was young-a child. An orphan. I think there was someone I had been close to back then, but I can''t remember. All I know is that the Empress took me away from that miserable life, only to subject me to another equally miserable life."


    "It might have been years ago, but the thought of you ever suffering..." He closed his eyes, as if trying to push the


    memory away.


    I recalled his words from weeks ago. I had ignored them then, but now, thinking about them left me wondering.


    11


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Three


    All it took was a woman to throw me off course. History repeats itself." What did


    he mean? Had he loved someone


    before?


    The thought alone filled me up with jealousy.


    "Have you ever been in love before?" I asked.


    He clearly hadn''t expected the question. The smile on his lips faded, and I watched as he slowly retreated into his cold demeanor.


    "Yes."


    His answer affected me more than I thought it ever could. I should let this go; it


    was clear he didn''t want to talk about it, but I couldn''t; I had to ask.


    "Where is she now?"


    "Dead. Gone."


    He rose from the bed, done with answering the questions. I''ll go get you something to eat. Don''t go anywhere."


    It''s not like I could, even if I wanted to. Then, the mist wrapped around him, and


    he was gone-leaving me alone with my thoughts.

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Three

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Four


    KADIA''S POV


    The whole pack had gathered before me-some drawn by curiosity, others eager to know what would happen next.


    I looked upon the faces of those I had to protect, their lives resting in my hands. One wrong decision, and they would all suffer. I couldn''t let that happen.


    Austin and Phil sat on either side of me, on the tform overlooking the pack members.


    After the incident with Sarah, her body had been disposed of. I supposed I should feel bad that she hadn''t been given a proper burial, but I couldn''t bring myself to. She was a traitor, and she had died a traitor. News of her betrayal had spread through the pack, giving people even more to gossip about. Aric deserved the same fate. I should have killed him-made his death slow and painful. might have once considered Sarah a friend, but Aric... I had seen him as family. His betrayal cut the deepest, yet I couldn''t bring myself to expose his treachery-not until I heard everything he had to say. For now, he rotted in the cold, dark cells, wasting away.


    Once the crowd had settled, Austin rose to his feet.


    "We are gathered here today to announce our new leader. By right, she is next inmand after the Alpha. She has proven herself brave and capable of leading this pack...


    His words were cut off by a voice from the crowd-Stark. One of the advisors who had chosen to walk away.


    "A woman cannot lead us," he said. From the crowd, a few nodded in agreement and that urged him to continue." What will the other packs think of us? They will see us as weak. The Nightshade Pack has never been seen as weak! Making a woman Alpha will only bring war upon us." His voice rose with every word.


    Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.


    Austin and Phil had mentioned this, so I had expected it.


    "You''re right,¡± I said, finally speaking up. "The Nightshade Pack has never been seen as weak, and that won''t change now. If theye for us, we''ll fight and remind them who we are."


    Another murmur of agreement, though I noticed it came mostly from the Dawn Pack members. Now that I was paying attention, I realized the crowd had split into two-Dawn Pack members on the left, Nightshade Pack members on the right.


    "We came here in hopes that you would tell us what happened to our Alpha, not to watch you im a title that never belonged to you."


    "The Alpha is gone. That''s all I can say about that. And if you believe you can challenge me for the title, then go ahead." I said that, and that silenced him.


    Austin continued. "Kaida Dawn ckwood is, by right, the leader and Alpha of the Nightshade pack." He finished.


    One by one, I watched the Dawn Pack members drop to their knees. The Nightshade Pack members, however, remained standing.


    "Say the words, Alpha, and the soldiers would force them to submission." Phil whispered into my ear.


    I shook my head. "No. If they will submit, then they will have to be willing."


    Keith-another ex-advisor-walked out. This time he didn''t face me but the Nightshade members.


    "I always knew it woulde to this. This foreign woman walks into our pack with her people, and they think they can take what''s ours?"


    +25


    More grumbles of agreement followed his statement.


    "A foreign woman, you call her. Yet you know you cannot face her in a fair fight- she is stronger than almost everyone in this pack. I have fought beside her in war, and she is a true force to be reckoned with. Don''t forget that the blood of an Alpha runs in her veins. She is our Alpha.".


    Aaron, one of the formermanders of the Dawn Pack, spoke. I remembered him well-it was true that I had fought by his side.


    "Says the Dawnite." Keith sneers. "You think we don''t know you all have been waiting for this? A time she would take over and rule? We know you''ve hated your


    own Alpha ever since you joined this pack, and looking around, it''s hard to see what you all peasants have contributed to this pack."


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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five


    Chaos erupted people spoke over one another, everyone desperate to be heard.


    "Enough," I snarled. "You bicker like children. I am not for one side or the other this pack is one, and everyone will be treated equally. You''re right that I don''t deserve this position, but..." I paused, weighing my next words. " The Alpha will return" I assured them.


    Keith spat on the ground. "That''s a lie, and you know it. You did something to him, and he''s noting back."


    I couldn''t hold it in anymore. "I did what I did to help him I hated the fact that I lost it, but I felt the need to let them know. "I love him, and I will never stop loving him."


    "And yet here you are, taking his title and taking over his pack. You didn''t do this for love, but greed-greed for power. What you fail to realize is that you might im the title as yours, but loyalty and respect are not passed down; they''re earned." Keith finished; with one cold nce at me, he turned around and walked away. Many others followed.


    "You can''t let them talk to you this way; you have to do something." Austin said, but once again, I shook my head.


    "He''s right," I said. Austin and Phil stared at me like I''d lost a nut. "I have yet to earn their respect. If I thought I could step in and im both the title and their loyalty, then I''d be the fool. It''s a gradual process-one step at a time. And this... this went better than I expected." I said, my gaze drifting back to the others still kneeling before me. Most were from the Dawn Pack, but among them were a few Nightshade members.


    This was more than I should ever expect-I kept telling myself that.


    But when I was finally alone, locked in my room, I cried. I cried until there were no more tears left.


    That night I dreamt of Alexandering back, and then everything was back to the way they used to be.


    I made my way down to the dungeon, stopping at Aric''s cell He was asleep.


    He looked like hell. Dried blood stained his clothes, and his face bore the brutal aftermath of his beating- swollen, bruised, and marked with cuts. Pain was etched into him as hey on the cold, bare floor.


    I banged on the cell bars. His eyes snapped open, wide with rm. Without hesitation, I unlocked the gate and stepped inside.


    The guards kept their distance, though their earlier surprise still lingered as I stepped into the criminal''s cell unarmed. Well, they didn''t see the gun I had brought along but I hadn''t brought it for protection-I wasn''t afraid of Aric. Even if he weren''t chained, beaten, and confined, I still wouldn''t fear him.


    The moment he saw me,


    his eyes


    widened.


    "Kaida," he called, lunging toward me, but the chains yanked him back, stopping him short. "I''m so sorry, Kaida. Please, I beg you-forgive me. Please." "Forgive you? Really?"


    "I know nothing I do can ever make up for it, but I need your forgiveness. I can''t live with myself after what I did to you."


    "You never told me about your sister." I said to him and that ended his pleas. "I-I couldn''t tell you."


    Chapter One Hunted and it fire


    24 BOPRIS


    "Why? Why couldn''t you tell me?


    "Shepelled me not to."


    "But everything else you did betraying me, betraying your pack-had shepelled you to do that too?" I asked, unaware of the tear slipping down my cheek.


    "No... I did that on my own," he admitted. "She didn''tpel me."


    "How could you? I trusted you, Aric; you were supposed to be my friend."


    "I know..."


    "No, you don''t! Friends don''t try to rape their friends! They don''t help kill their parents! They don''t betray their trust!


    You were never a friend, and I trusted you. Do you know how many fucking times I stood up for you? Alexander would have killed you, but I begged for your life. Do you remember the time you kissed me and he walked in on us?" I questioned, but I didn''t need his reply; I continued. "He thought we were together. He thought I was about to cheat on him¡ªand he was ready to kill you for disrespecting him, in his own pack, with his mate. I had to make him believe that I never... that there was never anything between us.


    He didn''t believe me when I told him I was a virgin. He thought I''d been with you. I had to prove it to him-bhad to let him..... take my virginity just to convince him.¡± I paused. ¡°And that was just the first of many times I stood op for you. I did it because I cared about you¡ªI would have given my life for you. And you betrayed


    me.


    Something strange happened. Aric broke down in tears.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six


    We were both in tears, but there was something about the way he looked-so


    couldn''t bear to watch; I looked away.


    Vulnerable, so helpless, so pained. I


    "I don''t deserve your forgiveness, but I''m so fucking sorry told her-I told her that no matter what, I would never hurt you, even if it meant choosing between my sister and you.


    My sister could be dead for all I knew. But every time I felt like I had already done too much wrong, I told myself- what was one more bad deed to add to the cart? Your father had been like a father to me-that''s how he so easily picked up on the fact that something was wrong. He tried to talk to me about it, and I felt so guilty. But you have to understand-one way or another, Cynthia would have killed him. She was never going to let him live."


    "That doesn''t make you any less of a murderer. That doesn''t make you any less of a criminal.


    You know, I had thought of all the things I could do to you all the ways I could kill you slowly and painfully. But now that I''m here, I can''t bring myself to do it. I can''t look at you and hurt you, because despite everything..." I closed my eyes, remembering the man who had been by my side all my life. Then, I pulled out my gun and pointed it at his head.


    There was no fear in his eyes, only pain and sorrow.


    "It would be so easy to pull the trigger, to end your life right here. And that would be merciful-too easy a death."


    "And I would deserve it," he whispered. "Kill me, Kaida. I deserve this for what I''ve done to you."


    "You deserve so much worse." And then I shot.


    The only sign of pain from him was a shaky exhale, like he was trying to suppress


    a scream. At thest moment, I had shifted my aim and shot him in the thigh. I hit the right spot-no major artery or bone was damaged. He would suffer intense blood loss, but if he managed to remove the silver bullet, he would heal.


    I walked out of his cell.


    "Please forgive me, Kaida."


    "You will die, Aric."


    With that, I left him behind, but his pleas followed me until his voice finally faded into the distance.


    Austin and Phil were both seated in my office, clearly waiting for me.


    There was a shitload of paperwork waiting for me. This was the part I knew I''d hate the most, and a small part of me wondered if my father had been right to deny me the Alpha title. Ruling wasn''t just about charging into battle or settling disputes-it required handling finances, careful strategic nning, and the kind of patience I didn''t have. Fortunately, I had Phil. He was good at this, and I figured I had a thing or two to learn from him.


    "Alpha, there''s something we need to discuss," Austin announced.


    "I know... I''m behind on the paperwork."


    "No. Well, yes, that too. But that''s not why we''re here." He hesitated before continuing. ¡°We''ve received reports -some of the members who opposed your leadership have started forming small rebellions.''


    I ran a hand through my hair-something Alexander always did when he was stressed.


    "We think it''s best you assign guards to apany you at all times," Phil said, his voice calm, but the gravity of


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty


    the situation was clear in his eyes. "This ce... I fear it''s be too dangerous."


    "That would only make me look like a coward. They already believe a woman isn''t strong enough-assigning guards would only prove them right," I argued.


    "Maybe it''ll bruise your pride," Phil said, his voice unusually sharp. "But that''s a small price to pay for keeping your head on your shoulders."


    "Alexander became an Alpha when he was just a child. Many were against him, yet he didn''t hide behind guards. Keith was right-respect and loyalty are earned, and I have to earn mine."


    "You are not Alexander," Phil countered. "I believe in your strength, but even he didn''t have as many enemies. He may have been young, but he was still the Alpha''s only son-everyone knew he would be the next Alpha. His ce as Alpha was never questioned. Yours... is different."


    I knew he was right.


    "I can protect myself, I don''t need guards," I said, finality in my tone.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven


    ALIYA''S POV


    I caught the tension in his eyes. He didn''t have to say a word-I could tell


    something was very wrong. Daemon was rarely unsettled, and if this was enough to shake him, had to be serious.


    "What is wrong?" I asked.


    His gaze, slightly unfocused, finally settled on me. After I had brought up his past lover and he had left- supposedly to get me ''food,'' though I knew it was really to avoid the conversation-I hadn''t seen him for the next three hours. He could have easily called for room service, so I couldn''t help but wonder if ''getting food'' should really take that long.


    "We need to leave now."


    "What?"


    He said nothing more, simply dropping the clothes in front of me. They were new.


    "What is going on, Daemon?"


    "They''re here," he said, his gaze locking onto mine. I waspletely naked beneath the nket; the clothes I had been wearing were in shreds. He took off the nket slowly a part of me still felt the need to hide my nudity from him, even if he had seen me naked more than once now. He expertly helped me into the soft cotton pants and shirt. "This will have to do for now."


    I couldn''t stand on my own, but with a swift motion, he lifted me into his arms, carrying me bridal style.


    With one hand, he pulled out his phone and made a call. His words were too fast for me to catch everything, but I picked up enough-he was informing some ''authority'' about the car he had stolen. I supposed he was keeping his promise.


    He ended the call. "I have no time to return the car to its owner; the police will handle it," he exined. I nodded,


    but then realization hit me.


    "Without the car, how are we going to get back in time?" or escape whatever it was that had discovered he was


    here.


    "Vehicles are too slow." He exined as we headed out. He didn''t seem to mind the looks we got from the humans; I still noticed the way the women''s attention lingered on him. From their looks, it was clear that some of them would love to be in my position. Well, too bad.


    The receptionist had a wide smile on her face, but this time Daemon hadn''t even considered her, I almost felt bad


    for her.


    "Are we going to... teleport again?" I asked, unsure what else to call his strange ability to move from one ce to another.


    "No. They will be able to sense it if I use my demon abilities."


    "So, you n on... what? Walking home?"


    "Running, actually."


    I stared at him, searching for any sign that he was joking but he wasn''t. He truly


    believed a car was too slow and


    that running would be faster.


    Without another word, he carried me into a quieter side street.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven


    "Hold on," he instructed, leaving nie momentarily dumbfounded. He took my hands and ced them around his neck. "Now, close your eyes."


    I did. And then... all I felt was the chill breeze rushing through my hair. Curiosity


    got the better of me, and when I opened my eyes, nausea hit me instantly. Everything blurred past-houses streaked by so fast that if I blinked, I''d miss them.


    I looked up at Daemon. The wind pushed his hair back, yet he remained strangely steady. There was something almost otherworldly about him-he looked like an immortal. As if sensing my stare, his eyes met mine.


    Somehow, he managed to run at an inhuman speed while keeping his gaze on me. It was almost impossible to believe he was even moving. He was saying something, but couldn''t hear it over the wind. Still, I could read his lips.


    ''Close your eyes.''


    Finally, I obeyed. I had no idea how long he had been running, but then I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Seven

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Sight


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight


    "You can open your eyes now," he assured me.


    But my eyes were squeezed shut, and I wasn''t sure I could open them even if I tried. It took a full minute before I finally managed to pry them open-and to my surprise, we were standing right in front of the familiar building, the one I now saw as home.


    "How..." I trailed off. I knew just how we got here. He ran.


    Daemon took me inside, straight up to his room, before cing me down on his bed.


    "Who were those people after you?"


    "My people." He answered.


    "If they are your people, they shouldn''t be a threat, right?"


    He regarded me again. "The deal was for me to kill you that was the agreement. But now, you''re under my roof, and I can''t go through with it. They feel betrayed, disappointed. And if given the chance, they wouldn''t hesitate to kill you."


    He took a strand of my silver hair between his fingers, his touch lingering. ¡°I won''t let them hurt you," he promised.


    "Thank you," I said.


    "For what?"


    "For letting me glimpse the human world, for..." I thought about how electric it had felt when his fangs were deep inside my skin, then my thought shifted to the pure ecstasy I had felt when he was buried inside me, pounding into me so hard that I couldn''t feel anything else. Subconsciously, I clenched my thigh together; the pain I felt made me remember how real it was. "Thank you for everything." Ipleted it, but those dark blue eyes remained on me almost like he could read what I wasn''t saying.


    "You, Aliya, gave me everything-and so much more," he said, his gaze drifting to my neck. Since he hadst fed on me, I didn''t think he had taken any more blood.


    I pulled down my shirt, an open invitation. "No... don''t tempt me."


    "I know you want it."


    "I do more than you could ever understand. I lust after it. But thest time, I had almost drained you, and you are still so weak."


    "I can handle it," I assured him, though I wasn''t sure if it was really me speaking- or the high, the craving for the pleasure his fangs brought. He gave in, just as I knew he would. He pulled off my shirt, and I let him. My upper body was bare before him.


    "There are so many ces to drink from," he whispered. "Some may offer less blood, but you''ll enjoy them much more."


    His gaze drifted downward, stopping between my legs. A shiver ran through me-l had no idea what it would feel like to be bitten there. The curious part of me wanted to find out, but he cupped my breasts, and then, without warning, sank his fangs in. The pleasure struck so fast that barely registered the pain. My hands tangled in his hair as I moaned over and again. Despite how sore I was, I had been ready; I would have dly let him take me, but of course, he held back-and too soon, he pulled away,


    Licking his blood-stained lips, he lowered his mouth to my breast once more, right where his fangs had been. His


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Right


    cold lips pressed against my skin, and then I felt his tongue slow and deliberate, licking away every trace of blood. A strange tingling sensation followed, and when


    I looked, the mark was gone-only another faint scar remained, just like the one on my neck.


    "How did you do that?" I asked, realizing I''d been asking a lot of ''how'' questionstely.


    "The enzymes quicken the scar''s healing," he exined.


    "You must be starving." It wasn''t a question.


    I remembered that he had intended to bring food before ''his people'' arrived, forcing us to leave the hotel.


    "Yes, I am,¡± I responded. The truth was, I didn''t feel all that hungry, but he always liked it when I was well-fed.


    He ced a kiss on my lips before leaving me once again to my thoughts of what his fangs would feel like down there.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine


    425 BONS


    Three days passed, and Daemon was mostly away from home. I didn''t know exactly where he went all the time, but I assumed it was more demon business. No matter how curious I was, I knew he wouldn''t tell me even if I asked.


    I could finally move around without assistance, so I decided to make the most of my day-even if there wasn''t much to keep me busy. I swept my hair into a loose bun before heading to the living room.


    I couldn''t believe I had forgotten about Tasha-the human girl who seemed to have an issue with me simply existing. She was seated on one of the couches, and I took the one opposite her.


    She looked up at me.


    "Sleeping beauty finally awakens from her long slumber. He really must be good if he had made you so sore you couldn''t walk for days."


    My mouth fell open. How did she know?


    Then again, she had always been the prying type. I quickly recovered from my initial surprise.


    "It is none of your business, Tasha."


    She scoffed. "I can''t quite put my finger on it-I tried to figure out what you are, but


    I can''t. You''re not like him, but you''re also not like me or the twins. That left me wondering... what exactly are you?"


    "Again, not your business."


    "I am a curious person. Trust me, I will find out. Perhaps he has a liking for you only because he thinks you are different from us all."


    I couldn''t deal with all these. I rose from the couch, heading back to my room.


    "You let him feed from you too, didn''t you?" she said, and that gave me a pause. The mark on my neck was long gone, and again I was left wondering how the hell she knew about this. "He hadn''t drunk from me since you both left, and something tells me it''s not because he''s found a new blood source." She said, rising to her feet. "You just had to have it all, didn''t you? You selfish bitch."


    "You''re jealous," I said, more a statement than a question. "Well, I''m sorry if he sees you as nothing more than a breathing blood supply. It''s not my fault."


    "It is! I was his favorite until you came."


    "Have some dignity, woman," I hissed, irritation ring at how she spoke of us like we were nothing more than ythings.


    "You speak to me about dignity but you will eagerly spread your legs for the same man you wanted dead; you would let him drink from you and make you his whore. You have no right to speak to me about dignity, bitch!" She sneered; she had been about to say more when the voice cut her off.


    "Is everything alright here?" Daemon asked, walking towards us.


    "Of course, everything is fine." Tasha said, but his eyes were not on her but on


    me.


    "Everything is fine." I repeated before turning away and heading to the room.


    Soon Daemon joined me. "I didn''t buy that."


    "Girls argue; it is no big deal." I said, trying to shrug it off, but her words had affected me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine


    He passed me a gift bag; I hadn''t even seen him carrying it.


    "What is this?" I asked.


    "Aptop and a phone. Since our time in London had been cut off, I thought this might be some kind ofpensation. Humans are big on these things, and with it you can find out more about them."


    I stared at him in surprise, then flung myself into his arms. This time, he didn''t hesitate before wrapping his strong arms around me, holding me so gently, as if he feared he might break my bones.


    "Thank you."


    He only drew me closer, as if my gratitude was unnecessary Maybe to him, this meant little-but to me, it meant everything.


    When I finally pulled away, his darkened blue eyes remained fixed on me.


    "What?" I asked suddenly, self-conscious.


    "You''ve changed." He said.


    "Good change or bad...?"


    "You are no longer the innocent, pure maiden, chosen by the gods. Now, you are the tainted beauty-imed, marked, and loved by a demon."


    Loved by a demon.


    He had never said it outright before; this was the closest I had ever gotten. Yet, it was all the confirmation I needed. I had to know I wasn''t just some intriguing toy


    to him. Maybe... just maybe, I was something more.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    KAIDA''S POV


    Austin walked into my room. Right on time.


    "You requested my presence, Alpha."


    "Yes. I did. I wanted to know if you''ve gotten anything on Alexander''s whereabouts."


    He had told me that if he found anything useful or important, he would inform me immediately, so the fact that he hadn''t meant there was no important news. Yet, I still had to ask.


    The only thing I know for sure is he hadn''t joined any of the other packs."


    I wasn''t surprised. Of course, he wouldn''t join another pack. The big question was, where could he have gone?


    He had nobody, no other family members-well, except...


    "How much do you know about his grandparents?" I asked


    Austin looked confused, and then realization dawned on him. "Kate and Sebastian, the visitors he had invited into the pack, were his grandparents? I should have known." A part of me felt guilty for revealing something Alexander would have wanted to keep a secret, but these were desperate times, and I needed to know if his grandparents could be our next link to finding him. "Do you think he is with them?" Austin asked me.


    I thought for a moment. Alexander hardly tolerated them; I didn''t think he liked them very much. After all, they had abandoned him too. But then, if being with them meant he could stay far away from me, maybe he would tolerate them a little longer. Still...


    "No. I don''t think he had gone to them."


    One thing about Alexander was that he was his own man. He must have also deduced that the moment he was gone, I would start searching for him-his grandparents being the first people I''d visit. So, he would go somewhere his obsessed lover (me) couldn''t find him, which left us back where we started.


    I missed him, and I wondered if he felt the same.


    ***


    The pounding on my door jolted me awake.


    It was only midnight, and I knew no one would be visiting thiste. I rose from the bed, grabbed a gun from my drawer, and headed to the door.


    It was a pack soldier. From his tense posture, I could tell something was wrong. "What happened?" I asked.


    "We have visitors-or rather, intruders. I think they were heading to the pack house before they were sp They''re being restrained right now," he reported.


    Together, we left the pack house and headed to the woods, where the ''intruders'' were being held down.


    I stopped abruptly.


    "Right this way, Luna." the soldier urged.


    Luna. Not Alpha. It could have easily been a slip, but suddenly I thought about


    what Austin and Phil had said about the rebels rising.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    I pointed my gun at his head, and he stilled.


    "For some reason, I find your ''story'' very hard to believe. I wonder, why is that?"


    "I-I was..."


    I felt something hard m against my head.


    I had been so focused on him that I hadn''t realized someone was sneaking up on me. The impact sent me crashing to the ground, my weapon slipping from my grasp. For a moment, my vision blurred, and the strong metallic smell of blood filled the air.


    As my sight cleared slightly, I saw the figures standing over me. I recognized Luther and Kade-both among those the Alpha had exiled from the council. Then Stark stepped forward, joining them. They all held iron rods as weapons, but Stark''s was already bloody. I had no doubt he was the one who had struck me. "Did anyone see you with her?" Stark asked the soldier. The soldier shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. "You yed your role well."


    I memorized the soldier''s face; the fact that he hadn''t bothered to shield it or wear


    a mask told me all I needed to know. He didn''t think I''d make it out of here alive.


    "Cowards. All of you. You couldn''t face me in a fair fight, so you set me up instead."


    "I''ve wanted to kill you for a very long time," Luther said, a smirk etching onto his face. "I always knew you were trouble and I was right."


    I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. I punched him over and over until a hand fisted into my hair, yanking me off him. Stark was strong-stronger than he looked.


    I twisted in his grip and kicked him hard in the knee. He finally let go of my hair, though a few strands still clung to his hand. An iron rod mmed into my back, and I let out a growl of pure fury. The soldier had hit me. Without hesitation, I grabbed him and mmed him against a tree, his head snapping back as it struck the trunk with a crack. He slumped to the ground, unmoving-either unconscious or too dazed to get up.


    A gunshot shattered the silence, sending the birds in the trees into a frenzy. They took off, disappearing into the night.


    The adrenaline in my system dyed the pain-I''d been shot. In the arm. I spun around to find Kade gripping my gun. He fired again. This time, the bullet buried itself in my stomach.

 Claim Me 550

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    Thit the ground, struggling to grasp what had just happened. I''d been shot twice. Bleeding out. Dying.


    Death hadn''t been a concept that scared me until now. I was going to die in the woods, murdered by rebels. No one would ever know what had happened, and then I thought of Alexander. I would never see him again; I would never get to look into those beautiful sea blue eyes, I would never get to kiss those lips. My thoughts went to the pack. I had failed them. They were right-I was never meant to rule. I was not as smart as Alexander, and neither was I as strong. The damp earth beneath me drank my blood, as if hungry for more. I choked on the thick, metallic taste flooding my mouth. The scent was so overpowering it made me nauseous. I tried to move-tried to fight-but I barely managed to crawl a few inches before copsing again.


    "I told you a gun would make this easier. But no-you thought rods would be more ''effective.'' I should''ve let her kill you." The bitter voice belonged to the man who had shot me.


    "What if someone heard the gunshot?" Stark hissed.


    "No one was close by; I don''t think anyone would being for us just yet."


    "What do we do with the body?" Luther asked. His face was bruised; he had gotten the worst of it all.


    "We do nothing." Stark said, limping forward, he looked down at me. "She would most likely bleed to death."


    "And the soldier?" Kade inquired.


    "Kill him." Stark says. "He would only end up being a loose end, we can''t afford to keep him alive."


    The others seemed to agree to this.


    Kade walked forward; he knelt beside the soldier. ¡°Good thing you are


    unconscious. You won''t even feel it. Sleep on, brother." With that, he shot the soldier in the head.


    He then turned to me.


    "No," Stark cut in. "Death is mercy to her. I want her to suffer a little longer before her timees."


    Kade hesitated, but then he walked past me.


    I was alone in the woods. Cold seeped into my bones.


    Stark was right-death was mercy. And I wanted it. Anything to end the pain. I didn''t know how long I had been lying there, bleeding out, but then-I felt a presence.


    "Alexander?" I called.


    "No. Not Alexander. Drink this." The female voice said.


    She pressed a vial against my lips. I wonder how she expected me to drink it; I couldn''t take down anything. Drink," she ordered, her voice sharper this time. But I couldn''t. I couldn''t bring myself to do anything. And then, death embraced me. The pain faded.


    "1


    The bright light was almost blinding.


    "Am I dead?"


    "No. Thankfully, you aren''t." My eyes finally adjusted to the light. I was in my room, on my bed, and Cynthia stood before me, her brown eyes watching me. "You''ll feel some pain and difort, but I''m sure your werewolf healing will handle the rest."


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    "I thought I was going to die," I mittered. "How am I still alive?"


    "Well, it''s a good thing I got to you in time. I gave you a potion-it saved you."


    I finally realized who I was in the room with-she was neither a friend nor an ally.


    "How did you know I needed help?"


    "I saw it in a vision and so I came to your aid.".


    "I want you out of this pack," I snarled.


    She arched a brow, clearly surprised by my outburst. "I just saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?"


    "I know you, Cynthia. You murdered my family; you don''t help people, it''s just not


    in


    your


    nature."


    ere''s a refined version for smoother flow and impact:


    "You''re right. I don''t. But I need you alive. Remember our deal about joining forces? It would all be in vain if you had died," she said. I snorted internally-I was


    have the power topel you to do as I ask. Buver nning to help her. "And I wanted to remind you that I


    of the bargain."


    you don''t have to worry about that... as long as you keep your end


    "If you think saving my life changes anything wrong. The moment I get the chance, I will kill you."


    "Good. I didn''t expect anything to change either." She said and then walked to the window.


    "You knew this would happen, didn''t you? You told me Alexander would stay the same even without his wolf- but that was a lie too. He didn''t stay the same, he changed. The Alexander I knew would never have left me."


    "I did tell you that this was a path you''d have to conquer on your own."


    I stared at the woman who took my family from me-the same woman who ripped


    me away from the love of my life. Then, an idea struck me. Maybe it was time I


    used her, just like she''d been using me.


    "You must know where Alexander is, right?"


    She stared at me. "Of course not. What do you think I am?"


    The disappointment that followed was almost too hard to hide.


    "Well, I did believe you


    knew everything."


    She scoffed. "If I could magically track people, don''t you think I''d be searching for


    the god of light''s Chosem instead?"


    Good point.


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 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    I took a quick shower, though every step sent pain shooting through me. Cynthia said it would pass¡ªI couldn''t see that happening anytime soon. But then again, I shouldn''t rely on her words.


    I stared at the mirror. New bruises covered my body, some deep enough to leave permanent scars-like the ones on my arm and lower stomach, where I''d been shot. I had no idea how Cynthia managed to get the bullet out, but the bruise wasn''t fading anytime soon.


    All those responsible for what happened to me were now locked in the dungeons. Phil had advised me to dy the trials until I was stronger-it was wise counsel. I couldn''t afford to appear weak before them.


    I wasn''t sure why I was here, standing in front of Aric''s cell


    I unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was pale-no doubt from blood loss- but his injuries had healed. Somehow, he had managed to remove the bullet. The moment our eyes met, his gaze darkened. Even in his weakened state, I could feel his anger.


    "Who did this to you?" he asked, as if forgetting he wasn''t in the best position himself.


    "Rebels,¡± I answered. ¡°I imagine seeing me like this satisfies you?"


    "I will kill them."


    I studied him. The anger in his eyes wasn''t directed at me.


    "There''s little you can do from here," I reminded him. Only then did he seem to grasp where he was¡ªand how empty his threat truly was.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be there. I''m so sorry-"


    "Stop." My voice cut through his words. "I don''t need your apologies. I don''t want to hear them."


    I hated the look of sympathy in his eyes; it almost made me believe that despite everything, he still cared for me. I didn''t want to believe that.


    "I had always wanted this, I dreamt of it more times than I could count. To rule. To be an Alpha. It was everything I had ever worked for. But only now do I realize I wanted the wrong thing. My own people turned against me. I could have died. And I keep wondering... what am I doing wrong? What am I missing? I don''t know what else to do. And now, I feel like a failure."


    "You aren''t a failure."


    I shot him a re. "Of course, you''d say what you think I want to hear." I pushed to my feet. "I shouldn''t havee here."


    "You could have died, but you didn''t. And I know about Alexander-I only know that because the guards here gossip more than bored housewives. But even with your mate gone, you''re not wasting away in grief. You took the reins. That''s what


    makes a true leader. Your father saw it too. If he hadn''t been trying to keep you safe, he would have passed the title to you."


    ¨Ó


    "How do you know that?"


    "Because he told me. He knew this was your destiny, and I knew that too."


    I saw the sincerity in his eyes, but I looked away, reminding myself how easily he had fooled me before. But then I thought about his sister; he had betrayed me for a reason. It wasn''t because of his ambition or greed but because


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    he wanted his sister set free.


    "What is her name?"


    "Who are we talking about?"


    "Your sister?"


    He stared at me, as if trying to read me. I gave nothing away, and soon, he gave up.


    "Rose. Her name is Rose."


    "I will find her." I said, and it was a promise; before he could speak, I was out of his cell.


    The longer I stayed there, the more I remembered the friend Aric had once been- if there had ever been any truth to it. I didn''t want to trust him again. He had lost that the moment he chose betrayal.


    Everyone I cared about always ended up leaving me-maybe that was my curse.


    "Prepare the traitors. They will be tried tonight," I said to Austin, who stared at me in surprise.


    "But Alpha, you need to rest and recover..."


    "I''ve done enough resting; the trial will be held tonight."


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 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    I didn''t need a crowd to witness the trial. I had only invited en pack members, but no doubt, once it was over, news of what happened here would spread to the whole pack. The trial would take ce in the dungeon chamber.


    Phil and Austin took their positions by my side. I doubted looked any better than I had a few hours ago, but I was ready to face them. The door swung open, and three soldiers dragged in the rebels-Stark, Luthor, and, of course, Kade. The very one who had shot me.


    The moment they spotted me, they went pale.


    The soldiers didn''t have to force them to their knees-they went down willingly.


    "We... you shouldn''t be alive. There''s no way you could have survived that," Stark said, disbelief clear in his eyes. "It shouldn''t be possible..." he kept muttering to himself.


    "Silence," I said, and they fell quiet. The tension in the room thickened with each passing second. "This is how this will go you speak only when I ask you a question."


    They nodded, but Stark still looked uncertain. He stared at me as if he had just seen a ghost.


    He was right-I shouldn''t be alive. The shot to my stomach had been fatal, but the Empress had appeared out of nowhere with a magical potion.


    "What was the n? When you killed me, did you for one moment think about how it would affect the pack?"


    "We did." Luthor spoke up; he seemed to be the only one brave enough to answer. "The n was for the next Alpha to be chosen by strength-the strongest in the pack would rule."


    "There''s more you''re not telling me," I said. I could see it in the way the others kept darting their eyes to him.


    "Yes-yes, there is more. We had other ns too, just in case the previous one failed. Military rule. We believed that this could be the beginning of something new and... different. But there were many ws to the n. So we decided that leadership would fall into the hands of the council till a decision is made."


    "But you''re not part of the council," I said. From the look in their eyes, I knew exactly what they weren''t saying. The n was to seize control-to force their way into the council even after walking away from it, afterall, I would be dead, there would be no one to stop them. I chuckled, finding it all amusing. "How many others are part of this n?"


    "There are many. But the others were too reluctant to act... perhaps even afraid."


    I thought back to Keith; he had talked about respect and loyalty being earned, but these people had wanted to seize power into their hands; they didn''t care about ''earning'' it.


    If I had to guess which of the ex-council advisors would attempt to murder me, Keith would have been the first toe to mind. He never liked the idea of a woman as Alpha. But to my surprise, he hadn''t been brave enough to make a move.


    ¡°Mercy, Alpha,¡± Kade finally cried out, tears streaming down his face. ¡°I swear my undying loyalty to you. I don''t care if I''m stripped of my title or forced to work in the fields among the farmers-I''ll do it. But I don''t want to die. I beg you."


    "We all swear our loyalty to you," Stark said. He tried to sound brave, but I could see the fear in his eyes, he knew death wasying wait for them all. "We''ve made a grave mistake-one that will never be repeated. We know the consequences of our actions, but I beg you... forgive us."


    "Alpha..." Phil began, but I silenced him with a small wave. This time, I didn''t need anyone''s counsel-I knew


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    exactly what to do."


    4


    I gave a nod to the soldiers, and they moved forward. One by one, they injected the rebels with syringes filled with wolfsbane-before they even realized what was happening


    Once again, I had left them speechless. They believe I would show them mercy. I had let Keith talk back to me and


    get away with it. I had let many walkaway free despite their disrespect. But this time, there was no


    give.

 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    The effects of the wolfsbane were almost immediate. Soon, the pain had them crying out, pleading, and begging even more desperately. They wanted me to ''make it stop.'' I watched them, forcing away the flicker of sympathy I felt. Rebels or not, they had once been my pack-my people. And even though they had to die, a part of me wished it didn''t have to be this way.


    I had believed Alexander was a ruthless killer-there had been no sympathy in his eyes when he ended those who rebelled against him. But for the first time, I wondered if that was a facade, if deep down, there had still been the tiniest trace of sympathy.


    "You ask for mercy, but I believe it would have been different if your n had seeded," I said, though I wasn''t sure if they could even hear me through the pain. Blood poured from their ears, nose, eyes, and mouth-a horrifying sight.


    I didn''t want them to suffer anymore. They had paid their price. So, I drew my gun and fired three times. The bullets embedded in their foreheads, granting them a quicker death.


    The chamber remainedpletely silent as I walked away. didn''t think I would be dealing with any more rebels anytime soon.


    I stepped into my room and mmed the door shut. Leaning against it, I finally let the tears fall. I cried until there was nothing left-until I had no more tears to shed. It was necessary. Crying didn''t make us weak; it was a release, a way to let out the built-up pain and anger. And now, with it all poured out, I felt lighter. Empty, but lighter.


    This was only the beginning. I might have silenced the conflict within my pack, but I wasn''t na?ve enough to believe the war was over. The other packs wanted what we had-they were simply biding their time, watching and waiting.


    I had to be ready for anything.


    The knock on the door cut me out of my train of thoughts. I wasn''t in the mood to see anyone now, so I ignored whoever was at the door. The knock came a second time, then a third- whoever it was didn''t n on leaving. I cursed before walking to the door and pulling it open. Austin stood by the door.


    "I want to be alone right now. Handle whatever issue hase up," I said. I was about to close the door, but he stopped me.


    "Perhaps I shoulde in," he said, ncing down the hall as if checking for witnesses.


    Curiosity got the better of me, and I let him in.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped. ¡°What is so important?¡±


    "We''ve discovered where to find Alexander."


    Whatever irritation or anger I had been feeling disappeared, leaving me very alert. "Where is he?"


    "He lives among humans, somewhere on the West Coast-in Sundew, California. This is the address." He handed me a tiny piece of paper.


    My heart pounded frantically. I rushed to the dressing room and grabbed a jacket.


    "I need to go now." I said to Austin.


    "You shouldn''t go alone. I mean, I could go with you, or you could take a few of the pack soldiers with you, just to be safe."


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    "I will be safe." I assured him. "Thank you."


    Austin nodded, and I left him behind in my room, heading out. I wonder if this is a sign; maybe it wasn''t over for the both of us-not that I would ever agree to let go of Alexander.


    It was a six-hour flight to California. I traveled by a private et that had originally belonged to Alexander. He hadn''t taken anything from the pack when he left. I spent the six-hour flight thinking about what to say to him, imagining different scenarios. This time, I was willing to do anything to bring him home. But what if he had already left by the time I got there?


    The rest of the journey was by road. The Nightshade Pack had strongholds andpanies scattered across the world, so getting a car wasn''t difficult. After a thirty-minute drive, the car finally came to a stop.


    "This is your location, Miss. I will be waiting outside."


    "Thank you, and there is no need to wait." I said to the driver. He looked puzzled


    but nodded. He drove away the moment I stepped out of the car.


    I stared at the building before me and gasped. I had expected to find him in a


    much smaller apartment, but instead, I stood before an elegant mansion.

 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four

    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five


    Chaos erupted-people spoke over one another, everyone desperate to be heard.


    "Enough," I snarled. "You bicker like children. I am not for one side or the other- this pack is one, and everyone will be treated equally. You''re right that I don''t deserve this position, but..." I paused, weighing my next words. The Alpha will return" I assured them.


    Keith spat on the ground. "That''s a lie, and you know it. You did something to him, and he''s noting back."


    I couldn''t hold it in anymore. "I did what I did to help him! I hated the fact that I lost it, but I felt the need to let them know. "I love him, and I will never stop loving him."


    "And yet here you are, taking his title and taking over his pack. You didn''t do this for love, but greed-greed for power. What you fail to realize is that you might im the title as yours, but loyalty and respect are not passed down; they''re earned." Keith finished; with one cold nce at me, he turned around and walked away. Many others followed.


    14


    "You can''t let them talk to you this way; you have to do something." Austin said, but once again, I shook my head.


    "He''s right," I said. Austin and Phil stared at me like I''d lost a nut. "I have yet to earn their respect. If I thought I could step in and im both the title and their loyalty, then I''d be the fool. It''s a gradual process-one step at a time. And this... this went better than I expected." I said, my gaze drifting back to the others still kneeling before me. Most were from the Dawn Pack, but among them were a few Nightshade members.


    This was more than I should ever expect-I kept telling myself that.


    But when I was finally alone, locked in my room, I cried. I cried until there were no more tears left.


    That night I dreamt of Alexandering back, and then everything was back to the way they used to be.


    I made my way down to the dungeon, stopping at Aric''s cell He was asleep.


    He looked like hell. Dried blood stained his clothes, and his face bore the brutal aftermath of his beating- swollen, bruised, and marked with cuts. Pain was etched into him as hey on the cold, bare floor.


    I banged on the cell bars. His eyes snapped open, wide with rm. Without hesitation, I unlocked the gate and stepped inside.


    The guards kept their distance, though their earlier surprise still lingered as I stepped into the criminal''s cell unarmed. Well, they didn''t see the gun I had brought along but I hadn''t brought it for protection-I wasn''t afraid of Aric. Even if he weren''t chained, beaten, and confined, I still wouldn''t fear him.


    The moment he saw me, his eyes widened.


    "Kaida," he called, lunging toward me, but the chains yanked him back, stopping him short. "I''m so sorry, Kaida. Please, I beg you-forgive me. Please." "Forgive you? Really?"


    "I know nothing I do can ever make up for it, but I need your forgiveness. I can''t live with myself after what I did to you."


    "You never told me about your sister." I said to him and that ended his pleas. "I-I couldn''t tell you."


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five


    "Why? Why couldn''t you tell me?"


    "Shepelled me not to."


    "But everything else you did-betraying me, betraying your pack-had shepelled you to do that too?" I asked, unaware of the tear slipping down my cheek.


    ¡°No..... I did that on my own," he admitted. "She didn''tpel me."


    "How could you? I trusted you, Aric; you were supposed to be my friend."


    "I know..."


    "No, you don''t! Friends don''t try to rape their friends! They don''t help kill their parents! They don''t betray their trust!


    You were never a friend, and I trusted you. Do you know how many fucking times I stood up for you? Alexander would have killed you, but I begged for your life. Do you remember the time you kissed me-and he walked in on us?" I questioned, but I didn''t need his reply; I continued. "He thought we were together. He thought I was about to cheat on him¡ªand he was ready to kill you for disrespecting him, in his own pack, with his mate. I had to make him believe that I never... that there was never anything between us.


    He didn''t believe me when I told him I was a virgin. He thought I''d been with you. I had to prove it to him-Nhad to let him... take my virginity just to convince him." I paused. ¡°And that was just the first of many times I stood up for you. I did it because I cared about you-I would have given my life for you. And you betrayed


    me.


    Something strange happened. Aric broke down in tears.

 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six


    I was heading toward the huge gates when a voice stopped me.


    "Who are you, Miss?" the uniformed man asked. A guard. I realized.


    "I came to see Alexander ckwood," I said. Of course, I wasn''t even sure if he lived here. Austin had given me the address, but what if it was wrong? What if this house belonged to some stranger?


    "Do you have an appointment with him?" the guard asked.


    My heart lurched. That meant he was here-the man had recognized the name.


    "I need to see him right now," I said urgently. The only other way in was to climb over the high gates-not a difficult task for me-but something told me more guards were waiting inside.


    "Are you a rtive?" the guard asked. I had no time for his questions.


    "No. I am his mate.''


    A moment of silence passed, and only then did I realize I was speaking to a human, who also thought I was human.


    "I''m sorry, miss, I can''t let you in unless you have an appointment with him."


    "I am his wife!" I bet he would understand that term.


    "Mr. Alexander didn''t tell us about any ''wife'' or rtives. You can only meet him if you have an appointment with him." The man repeated, staring at me like I was crazy. Of course, calling Alexander my ''mate'' had been what made him believe I wasn''t mentally fit.


    "Then inform him that I am here; he will let me in."


    "Mr. Alexander doesn''t want to be disturbed. You can only meet..."


    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" I screamed at him, and that silenced him.


    "Leave, Miss, or I will call the guards to escort you out."


    That did it.


    The gate wasn''t the only way in; the small room cut out for the guard was another way in. I climbed my way into the guardhouse, and he bolted to set off the rm. He didn''t make it. I mmed his head against the wall.


    He fell unconscious.


    I hurried into the building. Following the walkway. I could spot the cameras; they were almost everywhere. Alexander would have been alerted to my arrival by


    now.


    There were even more human guards at the entrance to the house.


    "Who are you?" one of the guards with a thick Russian ent asked. "Alexander''s wife," I said. The guards exchanged looks, and for a moment I thought I would have to fight them all, but then the guy with the Russian ent walked forward.


    "I will escort you." He said, though he still sounded unsure I was a stranger to him, and he didn''t know if this was the right thing to do or if it would end up causing him his job.


    Alexander was here. I could feel it. His intoxicating scent filled the whole ce. The guard stopped before the double door. He knocked once. There was no response from the other side of the room, but the man spoke on.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six


    "A woman is here; she said she is your... wife."


    Another silence followed, and the guard nced at me. Before he could speak, I heard Alexander''s voice.


    "Let her in."


    The door was pulled open, and I walked in before it was shut behind me.


    My eyes met Alexander''s, and for a moment, I couldn''t bring myself to even breathe. Has he always been this beautiful? Had those blue eyes always been this bright?


    His brown hair was neatly cut. He wore only a pair of sweats that hung sinfully low on his hips. A bottle of wine sat on the table before him, a cigarette resting between his lips.


    He wasn''t alone.


    There were girls-many of them. Some barely dressed, otherspletely naked.


    ¡°Alexander,¡± I called. His eyes met mine, but there was no anger, no pleasure-just indifference

 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven


    He hadn''t cared. Not even when he found out I had almost been killed. He still


    didn''t care.


    He didn''t love me anymore. He wasn''t just saying it-he meant it, and I could see it in his eyes. The bottle of alcohol seemed to interest him more than I did. I should have realized it the moment I stepped into this room; he had been at ease-until he saw me. Then, everything changed.


    All those days, I had been in pain, but part of me still believed Alexander wasn''t truly gone. I held onto the hope that we still had a future. But I was wrong-so very wrong


    I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But instead, Iughed, the sound foreign to my ears. I sounded crazy. Maybe I was. And then, I was crying.


    "I did it to help you! She gave me no choice-shepelled me, and I couldn''t say


    a word to you. But everything I did was for you! I took the risk so you wouldn''t have to suffer anymore. I couldn''t bear watching you in pain. You act like I took something from you, but all I ever wanted was to help!"


    It happened so fast. His calm exterior vanished as he shot to his feet with unnatural speed, knocking over the ss table. It shattered, shards barely missing me. The moment yanked me back to that night in the dining hall. He had looked just as furious then. I took a step back, but before I could move any farther, he mmed me hard against the wall.


    He didn''t seem to notice how unnatural his strength was.


    "You did! You took something from me, something you had no right to take!"


    I wanted to cower as his gaze burned through me, but there were two Alphas in the room.


    "You are just like your parents. You keep talking about how you hated them for leaving you alone. You fucking hypocrite." He was shaking now; I had no doubt that anytime from now he''d wrap his hand around my throat and choke the life out of me, but I didn''t care. "They left you when you needed them the most, and you are doing the very same thing. You are abandoning your pack and your mate to go fuck some whores. I never took you for a coward, but perhaps I was wrong."


    "I am nothing like my parents, and who I fuck is not your goddamn business."


    "It is! You had no right to do that. You think words are enough to break what we have? I never stopped loving you;


    I was devoted to you, devoted to finding you, and all the while you were here!"


    ¡°I don''t need your devotion; I don''t need anything from you. Can''t you see you''ve done enough?"


    There was a long moment of silence before I broke it.


    "If you im you''re nothing like your parents, then prove it. Come back. Do the one thing they never could."


    "I''m not easily manipted, Kaida," he said, finally letting go. His calm demeanor was back, as if he weren''t the same person who had just been on the verge of violence. "I want you out of here. Don''te back."


    "Coward," I sneered at him, then turned and walked away from the man I once loved, the man I still love.


    I was alone. I was truly alone.


    It seems Cynthia was indeed right about one thing.


    The trip back passed in a haze. I had no sense of how many hours had gone by, but eventually, I reached the pack. It was alreadyte. Austin caught up with me almost instantly, of course he had been hoping I''d return with Alexander.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven


    "He is noting back," was all I said to him before disappearing into my room once more.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight


    "You can open your eyes now," he assured me.


    But my eyes were squeezed shut, and I wasn''t sure I could open them even if I tried. It took a full minute before I finally managed to pry them open-and to my surprise, we were standing right in front of the familiar building, the one I now saw as home.


    "How..." I trailed off. I knew just how we got here. He ran.


    Daemon took me inside, straight up to his room, before cing me down on his bed.


    "Who were those people after you?"


    "My people." He answered.


    "If they are your people, they shouldn''t be a threat, right?''


    He regarded me again. "The deal was for me to kill you that was the agreement. But now, you''re under my roof, and I can''t go through with it. They feel betrayed, disappointed. And if given the chance, they wouldn''t hesitate to kill you."


    He took a strand of my silver hair between his fingers, his touch lingering. "I won''t let them hurt you," he promised.


    "Thank you," I said.


    "For what?"


    "For letting me glimpse the human world, for..." I thought about how electric it had felt when his fangs were deep inside my skin, then my thought shifted to the pure ecstasy I had felt when he was buried inside me, pounding into me so hard that I couldn''t feel anything else. Subconsciously, I clenched my thigh together; the pain I felt made me remember how real it was. "Thank you for everything." Ipleted it, but those dark blue eyes remained on me almost like he could read what I wasn''t saying.


    "You, Aliya, gave me everything-and so much more," he said, his gaze drifting to my neck. Since he hadst fed on me, I didn''t think he had taken any more blood. I pulled down my shirt, an open invitation. "No... don''t tempt me."


    "I know you want it.''


    "I do more than you could ever understand. I lust after it. But thest time, I had almost drained you, and you are still so weak."


    "I can handle it," I assured him, though I wasn''t sure if it was really me speaking-


    or the high, the craving for the pleasure his fangs brought. He gave in, just as I knew he would. He pulled off my shirt, and I let him. My upper body was bare before him.


    "There are so many ces to drink from," he whispered. "Some may offer less blood, but you''ll enjoy them much


    more.''


    His


    IT


    gaze drifted downward, stopping between my legs. A shiver ran through me-l had no idea what it would feel like to be bitten there. The curious part of me wanted to find out, but he cupped my breasts, and then, without warning, sank his fangs in. The pleasure struck so fast that barely registered the pain. My hands tangled in his hair as I moaned over and again. Despite how sore I was, I had been ready; I would have dly let him take me, but of course, he held back-and too soon, he pulled away.


    Licking his blood-stained lips, he lowered his mouth to my breast once more, right where his fangs had been. His


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Eight


    cold lips pressed against my skin, and then I felt his tongue slow and deliberate, licking away every trace of blood. A strange tingling sensation followed, and when I looked, the mark was gone-only another faint scar remained, just like the one on my neck.


    "How did you do that?¡± I asked, realizing I''d been asking a lot of ''how'' questionstely.


    "The enzymes quicken the scar''s healing," he exined.


    "You must be starving." It wasn''t a question.


    I remembered that he had intended to bring food before ''his people'' arrived, forcing us to leave the hotel.


    "Yes, I am," I responded. The truth was, I didn''t feel all that hungry, but he always liked it when I was well-fed.


    He ced a kiss on my lips before leaving me once again to my thoughts of what his fangs would feel like down there.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine


    Three days passed, and Daemon was mostly away from home. I didn''t know exactly where he went all the time, but I assumed it was more demon business. No matter how curious I was, I knew he wouldn''t tell me even if I asked


    I could finally move around without assistance, so I decided to make the most of my day even if there wasn''t much to keep me busy. I swept my hair into a loose bun before heading to the living room.


    I couldn''t believe I had forgotten about Tasha-the human girl who seemed to have an issue with me simply existing. She was seated on one of the couches, and I took the one opposite her.


    She looked up at me.


    "Sleeping beauty finally awakens from her long slumber. He really must be good if he had made you so sore you couldn''t walk for days."


    My mouth fell open. How did she know?


    Then again, she had always been the prying type. I quickly recovered from my initial surprise.


    "It is none of your business, Tasha."


    She scoffed. "I can''t quite put my finger on it-I tried to figure out what you are, but


    I can''t. You''re not like him, but you''re also not like me or the twins. That left me wondering... what exactly are you?"


    "Again, not your business."


    "I am a curious person. Trust me, I will find out. Perhaps he has a liking for you only because he thinks you are different from us all."


    I couldn''t deal with all these. I rose from the couch, heading back to my room.


    "You let him feed from you too, didn''t you?" she said, and that gave me a pause. The mark on my neck was long gone, and again I was left wondering how the hell she knew about this. "He hadn''t drunk from me since you both left, and something tells me it''s not because he''s found a new blood source." She said, rising to her feet. "You just had to have it all, didn''t you? You selfish bitch."


    "You''re jealous," I said, more a statement than a question. "Well, I''m sorry if he sees you as nothing more than a breathing blood supply. It''s not my fault."


    "It is! I was his favorite until you came."


    "Have some dignity, woman," I hissed, irritation ring at how she spoke of us like we were nothing more than ythings.


    "You speak to me about dignity but you will eagerly spread your legs for the same man you wanted dead; you would let him drink from you and make you his whore. You have no right to speak to me about dignity, bitch!" She sneered; she had been about to say more when the voice cut her off.


    "Is everything alright here?" Daemon asked, walking towards us.


    "Of course, everything is fine." Tasha said, but his eyes were not on her but on


    me.


    "Everything is fine." I repeated before turning away and heading to the room.


    Soon Daemon joined me. "I didn''t buy that."


    "Girls argue; it is no big deal." I said, trying to shrug it off, but her words had affected me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine


    He passed me a gift bag; I hadn''t even seen him carrying it.


    "What is this?" I asked.


    "Aptop and a phone. Since our time in London had been cut off, I thought this might be some kind ofpensation. Humans are big on these things, and with it you can find out more about them."


    I stared at him in surprise, then flung myself into his arms. This time, he didn''t hesitate before wrapping his strong arms around me, holding me so gently, as if he feared he might break my bones.


    "Thank you."


    He only drew me closer, as if my gratitude was unnecessary Maybe to him, this meant little-but to me, it meant everything.


    When I finally pulled away, his darkened blue eyes remained fixed on me.


    "What?" I asked suddenly, self-conscious.


    "You''ve changed." He said.


    "Good change or bad...?"


    "You are no longer the innocent, pure maiden, chosen by the gods. Now, you are the tainted beauty-imed, marked, and loved by a demon."


    Loved by a demon.


    He had never said it outright before; this was the closest I had ever gotten. Yet, it was all the confirmation I needed. I had to know I wasn''t just some intriguing toy to him. Maybe... just maybe, I was something more.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    KAIDA''S POV


    Austin walked into my room. Right on time.


    "You requested my presence, Alpha."


    "Yes. I did. I wanted to know if you''ve gotten anything on Alexander''s whereabouts."


    He had told me that if he found anything useful or important, he would inform me immediately, so the fact that he hadn''t meant there was no important news. Yet, I still had to ask.


    "The only thing I know for sure is he hadn''t joined any of the other packs."


    I wasn''t surprised. Of course, he wouldn''t join another pack. The big question was, where could he have gone?


    He had nobody, no other family members-well, except...


    "How much do you know about his grandparents?" I asked.


    Austin looked confused, and then realization dawned on him. "Kate and Sebastian, the visitors he had invited into the pack, were his grandparents? I should have known." A part of me felt guilty for revealing something Alexander would have wanted to keep a secret, but these were desperate times, and I needed to know if his grandparents could be our next link to finding him. "Do you think he is with them?" Austin asked me.


    I thought for a moment. Alexander hardly tolerated them; I didn''t think he liked them very much. After all, they had abandoned him too. But then, if being with them meant he could stay far away from me, maybe he would tolerate them a little longer. Still...


    "No. I don''t think he had gone to them."


    One thing about Alexander was that he was his own man. He must have also deduced that the moment he was gone, I would start searching for him-his grandparents being the first people I''d visit. So, he would go somewhere his obsessed lover (me) couldn''t find him, which left us back where we started.


    I missed him, and I wondered if he felt the same.


    ***


    The pounding on my door jolted me awake.


    It was only midnight, and I knew no one would be visiting thiste. I rose from the bed, grabbed a gun from my drawer, and headed to the door.


    It was a pack soldier. From his tense posture, I could tell something was wrong. "What happened?" I asked.


    "We have visitors-or rather, intruders. I think they were heading to the pack house before they were spotted. They''re being restrained right now," he reported.


    Together, we left the pack house and headed to the woods, where the ''intruders'' were being held down.


    I stopped abruptly.


    "Right this way, Luna." the soldier urged.


    Luna. Not Alpha. It could have easily been a slip, but suddenly I thought about what Austin and Phil had said about the rebels rising.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy


    I pointed my gun at his head, and he stilled.


    "For some reason, I find your ''story'' very hard to believe. I wonder, why is that?¡±


    "I-I was..."


    I felt something hard m against my head.


    I had been so focused on him that I hadn''t realized someone was sneaking up on me. The impact sent me crashing to the ground, my weapon slipping from my grasp. For a moment, my vision blurred, and the strong metallic smell of blood filled the air.


    As my sight cleared slightly, I saw the figures standing over me. I recognized Luther and Kade-both among those the Alpha had exiled from the council. Then Stark stepped forward, joining them. They all held iron rods as weapons, but Stark''s was already bloody. I had no doubt he was the one who had struck me. "Did anyone see you with her?" Stark asked the soldier. The soldier shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. "You yed your role well."


    I memorized the soldier''s face; the fact that he hadn''t bothered to shield it or wear


    a mask told me all I needed to know. He didn''t think I''d make it out of here alive.


    "Cowards. All of you. You couldn''t face me in a fair fight, so you set me up instead."


    "I''ve wanted to kill you for a very long time," Luther said, a smirk etching onto his face. ¡°I always knew you were trouble- and I was right."


    I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. I punched him over and over until a hand fisted into my hair, yanking me off him. Stark was strong-stronger than he looked.


    I twisted in his grip and kicked him hard in the knee. He finally let go of my hair, though a few strands still clung to his hand. An iron rod mmed into my back, and I let out a growl of pure fury. The soldier had hit me. Without hesitation, I grabbed him and mmed him against a tree, his head snapping back as it struck the trunk with a crack. He slumped to the ground, unmoving¡ªeither unconscious or too dazed to get up.


    A gunshot shattered the silence, sending the birds in the trees into a frenzy. They took off, disappearing into the night.


    The adrenaline in my system dyed the pain-I''d been shot. In the arm. I spun around to find Kade gripping my gun. He fired again. This time, the bullet buried itself in my stomach.


    Chapter One Hundred and Savenly One

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    Chapter One Hundred and Savenly One


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    I hit the ground, struggling to grasp what had just happened. I''d been shot twice. Bleeding out. Dying


    Death hadn''t been a concept that scared me until now. I was going to die in the woods, murdered by rebels. No one would ever know what had happened, and then I thought of Alexander. I would never see him again; I would never get to look into those beautiful sea blue eyes, I would never get to kiss those lips. My thoughts went to the pack. I had failed them. They were right-I was never meant to rule. I was not as smart as Alexander, and neither was I as strong. The damp earth beneath me drank my blood, as if hungry for more. I choked on the thick, metallic taste flooding my mouth. The scent was so overpowering it made me nauseous. I tried to move-tried to fight¨Cbut I barely managed to crawl a few inches before copsing again.


    "I told you a gun would make this easier. But no-you thought rods would be more ''effective.'' I should''ve let her kill you." The bitter voice belonged to the man who had shot me.


    "What if someone heard the gunshot?" Stark hissed.


    "No one was close by; I don''t think anyone would being for us just yet."


    "What do we do with the body?" Luther asked. His face was bruised; he had gotten the worst of it all.


    "We do nothing." Stark said, limping forward, he looked down at me. "She would most likely bleed to death."


    "And the soldier?" Kade inquired.


    "Kill him." Stark says. "He would only end up being a loose end, we can''t afford to keep him alive."


    The others seemed to agree to this.


    Kade walked forward; he knelt beside the soldier. ¡°Good thing you are


    unconscious. You won''t even feel it. Sleep on, brother." With that, he shot the soldier in the head.


    He then turned to me.


    "No," Stark cut in. "Death is mercy to her. I want her to suffer a little longer before her timees."


    Kade hesitated, but then he walked past me.


    I was alone in the woods. Cold seeped into my bones.


    Stark was right-death was mercy. And I wanted it. Anything to end the pain. I didn''t know how long I had been lying there, bleeding out, but then-I felt a presence.


    "Alexander?" I called.


    "No. Not Alexander. Drink this." The female voice said.


    She pressed a vial against my lips. I wonder how she expected me to drink it; I couldn''t take down anything. " Drink," she ordered, her voice sharper this time. But I couldn''t. I couldn''t bring myself to do anything. And then, death embraced me. The pain faded.


    The bright light was almost blinding.


    "Am I dead?"


    hia


    "No. Thankfully, you aren''t." My eyes finally adjusted to the light. I was in my room, on my bed, and stood before me, her brown eyes watching me. "You''ll feel some pain and difort, but I''m sure you. werewolf healing will handle the rest."


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy One


    "I thought I was going to die," I muttered. "How am I still alive?"


    "Well, it''s a good thing I got to you in time. I gave you a potion-it saved you."


    I finally realized who I was in the room with-she was neither a friend nor an ally.


    "How did you know I needed help?"


    "I saw it in a vision and so I came to your aid."


    "I want you out of this pack," I snarled.


    She arched a brow, clearly surprised by my outburst. "I just saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?"


    "I know you, Cynthia. You murdered my family; you don''t help people, it''s just not in your nature."


    "You''re right. I don''t. But I need you alive. Remember our deal about joining forces? It would all be in vain if you had died," she said. I snorted internally-I was never nning to help her. "And I wanted to remind you that I have the power topel you to do as I ask. But you don''t have to worry about that... as long as you keep your end of the bargain."


    "If you think saving my life changes anything, you''re wrong. The moment I get the chance, I will kill you." "Good. I didn''t expect anything to change either." She said and then walked to the window.


    "You knew this would happen, didn''t you? You told me Alexander would stay the same even without his wolf¡ª but that was a lie too. He didn''t stay the same, he changed. The Alexander I knew would never have left me."


    "I did tell you that this was a path you''d have to conquer on your own."


    I stared at the woman who took my family from me-the same woman who ripped


    me away from the love of my life. Then, an idea struck me. Maybe it was time I used her, just like she''d been using me.


    "You must know where Alexander is, right?"


    She stared at me. "Of course not. What do you think I am?"


    The disappointment that followed was almost too hard to hide.


    "Well, I did believe you knew everything."


    She scoffed. "If I could magically track people, don''t you think I''d be searching for


    the god of light''s Chosen instead?"


    Good point.


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 Claim Me 562

    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    I took a quick shower, though every step sent pain shooting through me. Cynthia said it would pass-I couldn''t see that happening anytime soon. But then again, I shouldn''t rely on her words.


    I stared at the mirror. New bruises covered my body, some deep enough to leave permanent scars-like the ones on my arm and lower stomach, where I''d been shot. I had no idea how Cynthia managed to get the bullet out, but the bruise wasn''t fading anytime soon.


    All those responsible for what happened to me were now locked in the dungeons. Phil had advised me to dy the trials until I was stronger-it was wise counsel. I couldn''t afford to appear weak before them.


    I wasn''t sure why I was here, standing in front of Aric''s cell


    I unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was pale-no doubt from blood loss- but his injuries had healed. Somehow, he had managed to remove the bullet. The moment our eyes met, his gaze darkened. Even in his weakened state, I could feel his anger.


    "Who did this to you?" he asked, as if forgetting he wasn''t in the best position himself.


    "Rebels," I answered. "I imagine seeing me like this satisfies you?"


    "I will kill them."


    I studied him. The anger in his eyes wasn''t directed at me.


    "There''s little you can do from here," I reminded him. Only then did he seem to grasp where he was-and how empty his threat truly was.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be there. I''m so sorry-''


    11


    "Stop." My voice cut through his words. "I don''t need your apologies. I don''t want to hear them."


    I hated the look of sympathy in his eyes; it almost made me believe that despite everything, he still cared for me. I didn''t want to believe that.


    "I had always wanted this, I dreamt of it more times than I could count. To rule. To be an Alpha. It was everything I had ever worked for. But only now do I realize I wanted the wrong thing. My own people turned against me. I could have died. And I keep wondering... what am I doing wrong? What am I missing? I don''t know what else to do. And now, I feel like a failure."


    "You aren''t a failure."


    I shot him a re. "Of course, you''d say what you think I want to hear." I pushed to my feet. "I shouldn''t havee here."


    "You could have died, but you didn''t. And I know about Alexander-I only know that because the guards here gossip more than bored housewives. But even with your mate gone, you''re not wasting away in grief. You took the reins. That''s what makes a true leader. Your father saw it top. If he hadn''t been trying to keep you safe, he would have passed the title to you."


    "How do you know that?"


    "Because he told me. He knew this was your destiny, and I knew that too."


    I saw the sincerity in his eyes, but I looked away, reminding myself how easily he had fooled me before. But then I thought about his sister; he had betrayed me for a reason. It wasn''t because of his ambition or greed but because


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two


    he wanted his sister set free.


    "What is her name?".


    "Who are we talking about?"


    "Your sister?"


    He stared at me, as if trying to read me. I gave nothing away, and soon, he gave up.


    "Rose. Her name is Rose."


    ¡°I will find her.¡± I said, and it was a promise; before he could speak, I was out of his cell.


    The longer I stayed there, the more I remembered the friend Aric had once been- if there had ever been any truth to it. I didn''t want to trust him again. He had lost that the moment he chose betrayal.


    Everyone I cared about always ended up leaving me-maybe that was my curse.


    "Prepare the traitors. They will be tried tonight," I said to Austin, who stared at me in surprise.


    "But Alpha, you need to rest and recover..."


    }}


    "I''ve done enough resting; the trial will be held tonight."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    I didn''t need a crowd to witness the trial. I had only invited en pack members, but no doubt, once it was over, news of what happened here would spread to the whole pack. The trial would take ce in the dungeon chamber.


    Phil and Austin took their positions by my side. I doubted I looked any better than I had a few hours ago, but I was ready to face them. The door swung open, and three soldiers dragged in the rebels-Stark, Luthor, and, of course, Kade. The very one who had shot me.


    The moment they spotted me, they went pale.


    The soldiers didn''t have to force them to their knees-they went down willingly.


    "We... you shouldn''t be alive. There''s no way you could have survived that," Stark said, disbelief clear in his eyes. "It shouldn''t be possible..." he kept muttering to himself.


    "Silence," I said, and they fell quiet. The tension in the room thickened with each passing second. "This is how this will go-you speak only when I ask you a question."


    They nodded, but Stark still looked uncertain. He stared at me as if he had just seen a ghost.


    He was right-I shouldn''t be alive. The shot to my stomach had been fatal, but the Empress had appeared out of nowhere with a magical potion.


    "What was the n? When you killed me, did you for one moment think about how it would affect the pack?"


    "We did." Luthor spoke up; he seemed to be the only one brave enough to answer. "The n was for the next Alpha to be chosen by strength-the strongest in the pack would rule."


    "There''s more you''re not telling me," I said. I could see it in the way the others kept darting their eyes to him.


    "Yes-yes, there is more. We had other ns too, just in case the previous one failed. Military rule. We believed that this could be the beginning of something new and..... different. But there were many ws to the n. So we decided that leadership would fall into the hands of the council till a decision is made."


    "But you''re not part of the council," I said. From the look in their eyes, I knew exactly what they weren''t saying. The n was to seize control-to force their way into the council even after walking away from it, afterall, I would be dead, there would be no one to stop them. I chuckled, finding it all amusing. ¡°How many others are part of this n?"


    ¡°There are many. But the others were too reluctant to act... perhaps even afraid.¡±


    I thought back to Keith; he had talked about respect and loyalty being earned, but these people had wanted to seize power into their hands; they didn''t care about ''earning'' it.


    If I had to guess which of the ex-council advisors would attempt to murder me, Keith would have been the first toe to mind. He never liked the idea of a woman as Alpha. But to my surprise, he hadn''t been brave enough to


    make a move.


    ¡°Mercy, Alpha,¡± Kade finally cried out, tears streaming down his face. ¡°I swear my undying loyalty to you. I don''t care if I''m stripped of my title or forced to work in the fields among the farmers-I''ll do it. But I don''t want to die. I beg you."


    "We all swear our loyalty to you," Stark said. He tried to sound brave, but I could see the fear in his eyes, he knew death wasying wait for them all. "We''ve made a grave mistake-one that will never be repeated. We know the consequences of our actions, but I beg you... forgive us."


    "Alpha..." Phil began, but I silenced him with a small wave. This time, I didn''t need anyone''s counsel-I knew


    172


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three


    exactly what to do."


    I gave a nod to the soldiers, and they moved forward. One by one, they injected the rebels with syringes filled with wolfsbane-before they even realized what was happening


    Once again, I had left them speechless. They believe I would show them mercy. I had let Keith talk back to me and get away with it. I had let many walkaway free despite their disrespect. But this time, there was no mercy left to give.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    The effects of the wolfsbane were almost immediate. Soon, the pain had them crying out, pleading, and begging


    ven more desperately. They wanted me to ''make it stop.'' I watched them, forcing away the flicker of sympathy I


    felt. Rebels or not, they had once been my pack-my people And even though they had to die, a part of me wished it didn''t have to be this way.


    I had believed Alexander was a ruthless killer-there had been no sympathy in his eyes when he ended those who rebelled against him. But for the first time, I wondered if that was a facade, if deep down, there had still been the tiniest trace of sympathy.


    "You ask for mercy, but I believe it would have been different if your n had seeded," I said, though I wasn''t sure if they could even hear me through the pain. Blood poured from their ears, nose, eyes, and mouth-a horrifying sight.


    I didn''t want them to suffer anymore. They had paid their price. So, I drew my gun and fired three times. The bullets embedded in their foreheads, granting them a quicker death.


    The chamber remainedpletely silent as I walked away. didn''t think I would be dealing with any more rebels anytime soon.


    I stepped into my room and mmed the door shut. Leaning against it, I finally let the tears fall. I cried until there was nothing left-until I had no more tears to shed. It was necessary. Crying didn''t make us weak; it was a release, a way to let out the built-up pain and anger. And now, with it all poured out, I felt lighter. Empty, but lighter.


    This was only the beginning. I might have silenced the conflict within my pack, but I wasn''t na?ve enough to believe the war was over. The other packs wanted what we had-they were simply biding their time, watching and waiting.


    I had to be ready for anything.


    The knock on the door cut me out of my train of thoughts. I wasn''t in the mood to see anyone now, so I ignored whoever was at the door. The knock came a second time, then a third- whoever it was didn''t n on leaving. I cursed before walking to the door and pulling it open. Austin stood by the door.


    "I want to be alone right now. Handle whatever issue hase up," I said. I was about to close the door, but he stopped me.


    "Perhaps I shoulde in," he said, ncing down the hall as if checking for witnesses.


    Curiosity got the better of me, and I let him in.


    "What?" I snapped. "What is so important?"


    "We''ve discovered where to find Alexander."


    Whatever irritation or anger I had been feeling disappeared leaving me very alert. "Where is he?"


    "He lives among humans, somewhere on the West Coast-in Sundew, California. This is the address." He handed me a tiny piece of paper.


    My heart pounded frantically. I rushed to the dressing room and grabbed a jacket. "I need to go now." I said to Austin.


    "You shouldn''t go alone. I mean, I could go with you, or you could take a few of the pack soldiers with you, just to be safe."


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Four


    "I will be safe." I assured him. "Thank you."


    Austin nodded, and I left him behind in my room, heading out. I wonder if this is a sign; maybe it wasn''t over for the both of us-not that I would ever agree to let go of Alexander.


    It was a six-hour flight to California. I traveled by a private jet that had originally belonged to Alexander. He hadn''t taken anything from the pack when he left. I spent the six-hour flight thinking about what to say to him, imagining different scenarios. This time, I was willing to do anything to bring him home. But what if he had already left by the time I got there?


    The rest of the journey was by road. The Nightshade Pack had strongholds andpanies scattered across the world, so getting a car wasn''t difficult. After a thirty-minute drive, the car finally came to a stop.


    "This is your location, Miss. I will be waiting outside."


    "Thank you, and there is no need to wait." I said to the driver. He looked puzzled


    but nodded. He drove away the moment I stepped out of the car.


    I stared at the building before me and gasped. I had expected to find him

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Eight


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    The bottle was empty.


    I sighed, setting it aside as I pushed myself off the couch. Another bottle. Another drink. I poured a generous amount into the ss, I lifted it to my lips and drank, not bothering to pace myself. The burn was familiar, settling deep in my chest.


    Why couldn''t I stop thinking about her?


    I lit another cigarette. At this point, my liver was probably fried, and my lungs were most likely ck. As a werewolf, I could heal easily, but now, this stuff was dangerous-and yet, I didn''t really care. I took a slow drag, letting the smoke curl around me. One puff, then another. Too soon, the stick burned down to nothing


    I reached out for another cigarette; the packet was empty.


    "Fuck!" I cursed-and then I saw the figure. Kaida. "Why are you still here?" I asked, but my question didn''t carry enough venom; in fact, I felt a bit... relieved to see her, and then she got closer, and I realized it wasn''t her, it was just another whore with the same hair color. She walked toward me, deliberate in her movements.


    "I can see you are... troubled. I can help." She said seductively, and that brought


    a smirk to my lips. She walked closer and sat on myp. "I can make you forget her."


    She was referring to Kaida, and the smirk on my lips disappeared. Why did she have to bring up the very person I was trying to forget?


    I pushed myself off the couch, and she stumbled. I caught her easily, then loosened my belt. She moved into position without hesitation, spreading her legs for me. But that wasn''t exactly how I wanted her. I flipped her over, positioning her the way I preferred, and then I thrust into her from behind. She let out a string of moans and pleas that always annoyed the hell out of me. ''Please, fuck me harder.'' ''Oh my goodness.'' ''Oh, Alexander.'' ''Yes, that''s it, right there...''


    "Shut the fuck up!" That immediately silenced her. I finished in her before pulling out. "You''ll get double pay." I assured her, and of course, the mention of money quickly got her smiling. I dismissed her.


    I headed to the bathroom to wash up. That''s when it hit me the guilt. Something I hadn''t felt since I started living like this.


    I had been doing my best not to think about her, but now nothing could shove her words away from my mind. The scalding water burned my skin, but I needed it-I needed the pain to focus, to clear the haze of alcohol.


    What she didn''t realize was that this routine was anything but ''fun''. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was born an Alpha-being away from my pack was the hardest thing could ever do, and no amount of activities could make me forget or dull the feeling that I was supposed to be with them. But I couldn''t go back.


    I remembered the surprise in her eyes when I hadn''t reacted to the news of her near-death. I had meant what I said-what I felt wasn''t the same. But still, the thought of her dead made me realize just how much I wanted her alive.


    I was nothing like my parents.


    But no matter how many times I repeated that mantra to myself, I knew she was right.


    My thoughts were cut off abruptly. I sensed a presence.


    Something told me it wasn''t human.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Eight


    I turned off the shower-of course, I''d pretend I didn''t know. Wrapping a towel


    around my waist, I stepped toward the mirror, fully alert.


    I wiped the fog away.


    And there it was. The intruder, standing behind me.


    I turned.


    "It''s extremely rude to walk in..." My words trailed off when I stared at the woman now standing before me. I recognized her; how wouldn''t I? She had been the first woman in my life. "Mother?"


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine

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    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine


    Riley''s blue eyes were just like mine-that was the only thing I''d gotten from her. The rest was all my father.


    Her skin was pale-paler than snow, the kind of ghostly pale I''d only imagined. Her white dress clung to her body as if it were wet. I couldn''t speak. I was frozen.


    "Ethan, you need to return to your pack. There''s a war"


    I let out a bitterugh, the shock finally wearing off. "You can''t be serious, Mother. You finally show up after all these years, and that''s the first thing you say? No ''How are you?'' No ''How did you manage to stay alive? You know, those kinds of basic questions?"


    "I don''t have time."


    "I get it; you are indeed very busy. Perhaps we should start with, ''Where the hell have you been all these years?"


    She gave me a sad smile. "I never wanted to leave, but I was a danger to the pack-to everyone around me. I was a threat to you. I couldn''t let that happen. I was trying to protect you."


    "Protect." I repeated the word, "Seems like everyone is either trying to help me or protect me-like I''ve lost the ability to do either myself."


    "I had hoped it wouldn''te to this, but you need to know the truth. The only reason Thane lived long enough to raise you, even for those few years, was because the Moon Goddess intervened. He should have died in that cave."


    I didn''t bother asking about the ''cave''-Even though I had no idea what she was talking about. But if her time was limited, I needed to discover the truth.


    "She had gone against fate to save his life. I cannot exin it to you, but perhaps I could show you."


    She stepped closer, cing her hands over mine. But I felt nothing. She was no longer flesh and blood, I realized-she was a ghost.


    A burst of bright light red, and suddenly, I was no longer in the bathroom. I was in a... cave. This must have been the very one she had spoken about. The air was cold, and only then did I realize I was wearing nothing but a towel-except, when I looked down, the towel was gone. In its ce was a pair of washed-out blue jeans. I had no memory of putting them on.


    "This is where it all began." She whispered to me.


    Two men were in the cave with us.


    When I looked closer, I recognized one of them-Thane. My father. The other man bore a resemnce to him, but he was a stranger to me. The stranger held a de to my father''s heart. Thane wasn''t giving up, his hands gripping the weapon, trying to keep it from driving any deeper. Blood seeped from his palms where the de cut into his flesh. But it was clear-he was losing. The other man had the upper hand. It was only a matter of time before he couldn''t hold it back any longer.


    I refused to stand by and watch. I moved to help-but I passed right through them, like a ghost. They didn''t even flinch. They couldn''t see me. I turned to her, my jaw tightening. "We need to do something. He is going to die."


    But she only shook her head.


    "It might look very realistic but this incident happened a long time ago. There''s nothing you can do about it," she said.


    A man appeared-literally out of nowhere. I recognized him instantly. I''d seen his pictures before-Beta Axel. The Beta who had died trying to save my mother. And yet, here he was, very much alive.


    Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine


    I watched as he picked up a bottle and silently closed in on the man pinning Thane to the ground. Then, without hesitation, he struck.


    The attacker jolted in shock, his expression shifting to something almost like fear. He had every right to be afraid. Axel had practically materialized from thin air.


    "He was supposed to be dead," Riley said, her voice unreadable. I wasn''t sure if she meant Axel, Thane-or both." Thane should have died here. But the Moon Goddess had mercy. And yet, interfering with fate alwayses at a price." Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty


    The scene shifted,


    We were no longer in the cave but standing in an open expanse of valleys and hills. The air itself felt different- charged, ancient. There was something unique about this ce-something magical.


    "Where are we?"


    "The Azure Hollows. This is where my story ended," she said.


    Thane was here too, holding a younger version of my mother-Riley, She was unmoving


    "I had died," Riley said, "But Thane was ready to do anything to bring me back. The woman beside him is a sorceress. Her name is Jade."


    "Who is that?" I asked, motioning to the man with deep ck hair and blue eyes standing before an unnaturally sparkling pool of water. There was something about him-something familiar, it was as though I had seen him before.


    "Your half-brother. Daemon."


    I watched as Daemon stepped into the pool of water, the sorceresses'' chants echoing around us. The water began to glow, and invisible hands dragged him beneath the surface. At that very moment, the younger version of Riley jolted awake.


    "Sometimes, I wondered what would have happened if he had let me die." She whispered before the illusion faded away and I was back in my bathroom.


    "The Moon Goddess had disrupted the natural order to keep Thane alive and had been merciful enough to grant us some time together. But, of course, Thane would eventually have to die-fate would not be denied.


    Still, that night, we went to plead for more time. We wanted to see you grow older. All we wanted was a few more years. But his time was up. And he had to go."


    "If the Moon Goddess really cared, she wouldn''t have taken you both."


    ¡°She didn''t. I told you earlier that I left because I was afraid of hurting you, and that was true-but that wasn''t the only reason. When he died, I finally understood how he felt. I understood why he had been so desperate to bring me back. I couldn''t live without him, so I chose to die-to be with him for eternity.


    I know you will never forgive me for what I did, for leaving you... but you had every right to know the truth."


    "I forgive you." I said, and her eyes met mine; she was surprised.


    All I had wanted was an exnation as to why they left. Now I understand. My father had no choice, and I couldn''t me her for choosing the love of her life over her son.


    Her image flickered. "I don''t have much time, but you need to return to the pack; you need to return to your


    mate."


    "We are no longer mates. I rejected her, and I cannot go back. Without my wolf, I''m weak."


    That had been the truth I hadn''t admitted to Kaida.


    "Do you really believe that?" she asked, and then she was gone.


    I didn''t know if she was questioning my im that Kaida and I were no longer


    mates or the moment I had admitted to being weak.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty


    I stepped out of the bathroom, only to realize it was already nighttime. How long had I been in there?


    My eyesnded on a piece of clothing I hadn''t noticed before. In her hurry to leave, Kaida had left her jacket behind, only managing to take her shirt with her. I picked up the ck jacket and brought it to my nose, inhaling deeply. A low growl rumbled from my chest-her scent was unlike any other, intoxicating and familiar.


    Then came the bone-cracking sound, sharp and undeniable My body trembled as the shift took hold, and in that moment, I felt it-him. My wolf.


    The part of me that had been missing.


    He was back.


    Sometimes, we never really know what we have till we lose it.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One


    ALIYAH''S POV


    I spent most of my time on theptop Daemon had gifted me. Sometimes, I watched movies; other times, I looked up information about magical creatures. Turns out humans did suspect that non-human beings roamed the earth, but out of fear for the unknown they dismissed these theories as ''fairy tales'' or ''myths.''


    Daemon had been distanttely, and it troubled me. Speaking about the devil. I spotted a note on the table. I picked it up, a small smile curving on my face.


    ''Meet me at the yard.'' the note read.


    For some reason, I had imagined that Daemon''s handwriting would be perfect- just like everything else about him¡ªbut the words looked as if they were written by a seven-year-old. I found it both funny and cute.


    I headed to the yard and spotted him standing with his back to me. I stopped halfway. The man waiting was a bit shorter and thinner than Daemon, with dirty blonde hair.


    As if sensing my presence, he turned to me. That was definitely not Daemon. I should have taken advantage of his brief hesitation to run back into the house, but I was frozen in ce. There was something about his unique gold eyes-they seemed familiar. I felt like I knew him but couldn''t recall where I had seen him before. A part of me was certain this wasn''t our first meeting.


    "That''s because it''s not."


    Had I said that out loud?


    "No. But I can sense your questions-plus your facial expressions give everything away.''


    He walked to me.


    "Don''te any closer," I warned him, and he stopped immediately.


    "I won''t hurt you," he assured me, but I couldn''t believe that.


    "Who are you?" I asked, and a smile spread across his lips.


    "Come on, take a guess.


    Was he serious?


    >>


    "Yes, I am serious. Make a guess.''


    >>


    "Stop doing that-whatever it is you''re doing."


    I couldn''t even understand why I was still here, talking to him. I should leave, yet strangely, I didn''t see him as a threat.


    "Ash had the same eyes," I muttered to myself, remembering exactly why they looked so familiar. The wolf Julia had ordered Daemon to kill had the very same eye color.


    "Yes! Ash-well, that''s the name you called me."


    "That''s not possible. Ash was a wolf-you are human." Well, with that eye colour, it was clear he wasn''t exactly


    human.


    I was familiar with werewolves, but Ash had been a normal sized wolf. I had met him when he was just a baby.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One


    The man standing before me looked to be in his mid-tote twenties.


    "I had to take that form to protect you."


    "I... I don''t believe you."


    "But you do. You know I am not lying."


    "I have to go." I said staggering backwards.


    "Wait! You were an orphan before the Empress took you," he said, and I froze. The only people who knew about that were a few of the Empresses, Daemon, and me. They had done their best to keep my past a secret-in fact, they had tried so hard to make me forget it entirely.


    "How did you know that?" I asked.


    "Because I was there with you.


    I couldn''t remember much about the few years I had spent as an orphan, but whenever I tried to recall them, I always saw someone by my side-I just couldn''t ce who it was.


    Now, thinking about him, I realized I truly hadn''t been alone. There had been a younger boy, seemingly around thirteen. Slowly, the memories I once thought were lost began to return. That was when I understood why those gold eyes felt so familiar.


    "You''d always bring me food-stolen food." I whispered, and he nodded. I couldn''t understand why memories that had been out of my reach for so many years were finally returning.


    "Because seeing me in my physical form somehow disrupted the magic the Empresses ced on you," he said, answering the question I hadn''t realized I''d spoken out loud.


    "What if this is all some kind of a trick..."


    "It''s not. When the Empresses came for you that day, they promised me you would have the best life. They said you would never suffer again and swore to ensure it. So, I let them take you-little did I know the ns they truly had for you."


    "What ns?"


    "During "The Encounter'' the god of light would take over your form. In other words, you would die to give her a mortal form." He said, the exact same thing Daemon had told me, but I hadn''t believed him then.


    "They wouldn''t do that. They had been preparing me for years, making me read all those books and learn all those foreignnguages; if they were going to kill me in the end, then what was the use?"


    "It was of no use- at least not to you. They wanted you pure and untouched; they wanted you equipped, but all those would only benefit the god of light when the timees, not you. You were just a vessel for their use."


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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Two


    1 had been a fool. They had yed me for one.


    All those years, I had waited. I had believed them, but they were the true viins, hiding behind a fa?ade of false holiness.''


    "When you discovered this, why didn''t you try to save me from them? Why didn''t you do anything?"


    "I did. I sought out a powerful warlock to cast a spell on me I knew the only way I could be with you was to take another form. So, I became a wolf and listened to every single thing you said. You cried a lot, and I med myself


    even more.


    But the warlock had warned me-the longer I stayed in that form, the more likely I''d remain that way. At some point, I lost all my human sense and truly believed I was one of the other wolves.


    I came to you as soon as I could, Aliya."


    I stared at the man-he could be aplete stranger or someone I had known all my life. Yet, for some reason, I trusted him. I believed him.


    "How could you subject yourself to that for all those years just to watch over me?"


    I asked,pletely awed and surprised that a person could make such a grave sacrifice.


    "Because... you are my soulmate."


    Instantly my smile disappeared. "What?"


    "I''d always known that since you were little..."


    "Werewolves have their mates, but that doesn''t apply to people like me."


    "Mates are different from soulmates." He said.


    "I... you got it all wrong. I don''t feel-well, I don''t feel that way about you, and I love someone else."


    I had spoken without grasping the weight of my words. I loved Daemon.


    The slight look of disappointment crossed over his face. "I know that. I know you came here with the Demon Overlord. But soulmates are different from mates. Mates are two people destined to be life partners, sharing amitted bond. But soulmates are moreplex than that. Being your soulmate means I am meant to be there for you; there will always be an urge in me to protect you. I could be anything you need me to be-your partner, yourpanion, your closest friend- anything."


    "I-I don''t know what to say.''


    "That''s understandable. This was a lot to take in, and you need time to process it."


    He was right; I needed some time. After a few minutes, I finally spoke. "This all seems unfair to you. Why do you have to spend your life being ''anything'' I want you to be?"


    "That''s how it works. You be my life purpose."


    7


    "But it''s not fair, is there a way to release you from...this?" I asked.


    "Soulmates are very rare, and no, there is no way known to man to break the bond. But even if there were, I wouldn''t want that. So, Aliyah, what do you want me to be to you?"


    I had always felt alone back in the castle; all I wanted was someone to talk to, and yet....


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Two


    "I don''t know." I said finally.


    "I''ll give you time to think about it, and you are safe here. I seems the Demon Overlord has also taken an interest in you."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "He is killing his own people just to keep you safe. He''s also risking his title and respect just to be here. I think he''s trustworthy."


    "Ash-can I still call you that?"


    "Yes." He answered.


    "Thank you for everything." I said.


    "It''s my pleasure, and it''s best if the Demon Overlord doesn''t know about my visit,¡± he said, and I nodded in understanding.


    I could trust Daemon to protect me, but I didn''t think he extended that care to others.


    I didn''t know exactly how Ash had found me, but I hoped he would visit again.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Three

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Three


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Three


    I returned to the house. Tasha was sitting on the couch with a sly smile on her


    lips. I ignored her, I wasn''t in the mood for her drama.


    "So, who was the cute guy?"


    "What?" I questioned. Once again, she had caught me by surprise.


    "The guy you were just speaking to?"


    "I wasn''t speaking to anyone." I lied.


    "Do you take me for a fool?" she asked, her smile widening "You''re such a skank. Did you really think you could y along with two men-especially when one is a powerful Demon?".


    "Tasha, there is nothing going on between that man and me. He''s only a friend."


    "A friend you''re being very sneaky with? Yeah, right. Well, if he''s ''only'' a friend, I suppose you wouldn''t mind me letting Daemon know what you''ve been up to."


    I hated how my eyes gave me away. She was going to tell him, and I had a feeling this would end very badly.


    "You can''t tell him, please, Tasha."


    I could tell from the glint in her eyes that she was enjoying this. Of course, this was what she had always wanted- to have something over me.


    "Why should I keep my mouth shut? I mean, if I tell him, I''ll surely get a reward¡ª or at the very least, be on his good side."


    "I know that, but... you can''t. Please. I know we started on the wrong foot, but that could change." I said desperately.


    She let out a snort. "Started on the wrong foot, you say. But what you won''t admit is that you are the problem- you came out of nowhere and think you can im the very man I''ve wanted since I firstid eyes on him. If you want me to keep quiet, then promise me you''ll stay away from him-promise me you''ll let me have him."


    "I don''t understand what you''re asking of me."


    "Of course, you''d rather y the fool. You''d never take your ws off him, would you?"


    ¡°And what if he still doesn''t want you?¡± I asked, unable to keep the venom out of my voice.


    "When he gets a taste of me, he''ll never be able to resist me again."


    I burst intoughter, unable to help myself. "He doesn''t see you that way, Tasha. You might as well give up on that ridiculous fantasy-it won''t get you anywhere.''


    She smiled at me. "He''ll be back soon, and he''ll know the truth about you, little slutty bitch."


    I pped her-hard.


    She looked up at me, surprised, but the shock faded within seconds. Then she lunged, driving a kick into my stomach, knocking the breath from me. I lost my bnce and fell to the floor.


    I had never been a violent person. All my life, I had been taught the ways of peace. I was never trained to fight, but


    I wasn''t about to let amon human bring me down.


    I pushed myself up to my feet. This time, I was ready for her.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Three


    She swung at me, but I dodged and mmed her against the wall. For a brief


    moment, fear flickered in her Then, suddenly, her gaze shifted past me.


    Someone was here.


    I let her go and turned. Daemon.


    eyes.


    Tasha ran to him. "She wanted to kill me! She wanted to kill me just because I was going to tell you about the man


    She never got to finish. With a single, swift motion, he snapped her neck. Her body went limp and crumpled to the ground.


    "Are you alright?" he asked me. But I couldn''t take my eyes off Tasha''s corpse. She was gone-dead.


    I should be mad at him. I should be running from him. He was a monster-he had murdered Tasha without a second thought. But strangely... I wasn''t. All I could think about was that she never got to tell him about Ash. My little secret was safe.


    For the first time, I wondered if Daemon was right¡ªif I really was changing. "I''m fine." I finally answered.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Four


    "I shouldn''t have left you alone with her," Daemon said.


    "I could handle myself."


    "Yes, I saw," he said with a small smirk.


    "Your eyes... they''re darker," I noted. "You haven''t fed yet, have you?"


    "It''s nothing to worry about," he said, rolling up my shirt to reveal the bruise from Tasha''s kick. A low, inhuman hiss escaped his lips. "I shouldn''t have let her die that easily," he said-and I knew he meant it.


    "Daemon, it''s fine. It''s just a bruise-it''ll heal in a few days," I said.


    I was used to bruises, ones far worse than this. One of Julia''s favorite


    punishments had been whipping, so this was nothing.


    "What are you thinking about?" Daemon asked as he applied a colorless ointment


    to the bruise.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I lied, but the way his brow cocked told me he knew better.


    "I was thinking about Julia and how much she loved her whip."


    He paused, and I wondered if I''d said something wrong.


    "She will never get her hands on you again. I''ll make sure of that," he promised- and I believed him.


    I recalled what Ash had told me earlier.


    "You always knew what they nned to do to me, didn''t you?" My eyes met his. "Do you think I''m useless to them now? I mean... I''m no longer a virgin."


    "I don''t think your virginity is a vital part of their ''sacrifice They could do without it."


    "But earlier you said..."


    "I didn''t mean what I said then."


    I was very aware of his hands on me.


    "Why haven''t you fed yet?" I asked.


    "I will."


    "When?"


    "Soon."


    "Feed from me," I said, though it came out more like a plea


    "No."


    "I don''t mind really, and with Tasha dead, the options are limited." I said, feeling the tiniest bit of guilt, that I spoke about her like she didn''t just die some minutes ago. gods, what was I turning into?


    "After tasting your blood, nothing else was as... satisfying. And believe me, I searched-nothingpares to yours," he said, his eyes turningpletely ck before fading back to their original color. I doubted he even noticed the shift, which meant he wasn''t as ''okay'' as he wanted me to believe. "That''s why I have to be careful. I don''t want to hurt you."


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Four


    When he was done applying the ointment, I rose from the couch.


    "Where are you going?" he asked, but I didn''t respond. Instead, I opened the drawer and took out the small knife I''d noticed there a few days ago. "Aliyah..." he called, his tone a clear warning, but I ignored him, pressing the de to my skin.


    He moved too fast-too fast for me to react- and in an instant, the knife was gone from my grip.


    "What are you doing?" he demanded, surpris¨¦ shing across his face.


    He had been quick, but not quick enough. A thin line of red welled on my wrist, and a single drop of blood fell to the ground.


    Daemon stared at it, his expression darkening as if he were fighting an internal


    war.


    "Stop..." he warned, but I only drew closer to him, lifting my wrist to his lips. I let him have a taste. He couldn''t hold back now. He bit into my wrist, and the pleasure seeped into me. I let out a small moan, a smile spreading on my lips. I had won.


    Daemon pulled away too soon, barely taking enough.


    "Thank you." He whispered, cing a kiss on my forehead and then on my lips before letting me go.


    I wasn''t sure if this was the right time, but I needed to ask the question that had been on my mind for so long.


    "Daemon, I need to ask you a question."


    He smirked. "Always curious. Well, I''m all ears."


    "You told me earlier you''ve been in love before?" I asked, and just like back in the hotel, his smile vanishes. The seconds pass by, and he doesn''t give a response; I didn''t think he would give one.


    "And I also told you she died."


    "How did she die?" I asked.


    "Suicide. Shemitted suicide."


    "I''m so sorry-I shouldn''t have asked; I was just..."


    "Curious.¡± Hepleted it. "It''s fine. I suppose you have the right to know. The woman I loved never felt the same way about me. She loved another, but that never stopped me from loving her. And now, I wonder if I was truly a fool. I gave my life so she could live.


    Then, Vox had been the Overlord, and I served him-until I betrayed him. I aided in destroying his mortal body, forcing him to return to the underworld. But when I gave my life for her, I was dragged back to where I''de from as well.


    Vox was waiting. He made me pay-over and over-for everything I had done to him. The only way to escape the never-ending torment was to kill him. I had only won because of his own brother''s support. And in the end, I became the Demon Overlord.


    Imagine my surprise when I learned that the very person I had died for chose to take her own life. I was furious."


    I couldn''t imagine Daemon loving someone enough to sacrifice his life for them.


    He must have truly loved her. Yet, despite knowing she was gone, a strange


    jealousy still consumed me.


    "What was her name?" I asked.


    "Riley Kaidon ckwood. My... mother."


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Four


    I waited for him to tell me he was joking, but Daemon was hardly a man for jokes.


    "How...?"


    My shock didn''t seem to faze him.


    "She was the one who brought me into this mortal world. I loved her, but twisted


    as it was, I never saw her as my mother. I had existed long before she gave me a name. Back then, I saw no w in my reasoning, but now... now I see that whatever I felt for her was an... abomination. In the end, I could never have her, and my attempt to save her had been in vain.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Five


    KADIA''S POV


    I couldn''t sit in my room sulking over Alexander. There was a lot to be done, so I did the next best thing¨CI immersed myself in a busy life, hoping it would take my mind off him. I should move on, maybe even allow myself a few healthy affairs.


    I noticed the way some men in the pack watched me, their interest unmistakable. There would be no strings attached, just casual flings-those too could help me stop thinking about him. But for some reason, I couldn''t bring myself to do it, despite knowing he had done the same. Alexander was the only man I had ever given my body to, and I didn''t think there could be any other person


    "Alpha," Austin called, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. "Alpha Derek of the Onyx Pack had just arrived." Austin reported.


    "Let him in," I said. Austin nodded and went to pass the message to the patrollers.


    The Onyx pack was also a well-known pack. They were big on the production of quality ammunition; this had given their pack a strong financial standing. I remembered my father speaking about the pack; we sometimes did business with them, but the Onyx Pack hadn''t always been this financially stable. Alpha Derek had brought about the change when he took over the title. He has been ruling for fifteen years, and those years have brought impressive, noteworthy results to the pack. It was fair to say he was one of the best Alphas the Onyx pack had ever gotten, and his people practically worshipped him.


    Austin returned to inform me that Alpha Derek was waiting in the meeting room for an audience with me. I remained for twenty more minutes before finally getting up to meet my visitor.


    I hadn''t seen him in years, so of course I was surprised at how good-looking he was. The man had a mass of curly brown hair, piercing green eyes, and an admirably strong build. He looked every bit the Alpha, his aura radiating power.


    His eyes trailed down my frame, studying and evaluating me. He wanted to determine whether I was truly a threat, then his gaze met mine. I couldn''t tell if he saw me as one-his face revealed nothing. He also didn''t mention the minutes he had spent waiting for my arrival.


    Phil and Austin were already seated by the time I arrived, but he was apanied by his Beta and Gamma-both of whom I had forgotten their names.


    "Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," he said, and I gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "This is my beta, James, and my gamma, Timothy," he


    introduced.


    The beta looked like he would have loved to be anywhere else but here; the Gamma, on the other hand, was on high alert; in fact, from how tense he was, I could tell he was a well trained warrior.


    "A pleasure to meet you."


    They both rose to their feet, and we shook hands.


    "Same." The Gamma responded.


    "I don''t intend to offend you, but I have some questions-ones I''m curious to have answered."


    JJ


    I said nothing, but he continued speaking.


    "I would like to know where the Alpha King, Alexander, had disappeared to."


    "I am just as clueless as you are." I lied swiftly.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eight Rive


    "It is indeed a surprise that he just... left. It''s almost hard to believe."


    "Well, that''s what happened." I said, refusing to give anything away.


    Derek stared at both my advisors. "I wonder if we could have some time to speak... alone?" He asked.


    "Of course." I said. "If you woulde with me.''

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Six


    I led him into the second section of the meeting room, leaving my advisors, his beta, and gamma behind.


    "The room is soundproof." I informed him.


    A tense silence stretched between us, as if he were choosing his words carefully before finally speaking.


    "I hear rumors," he began. "Rumors of a female Alpha."


    "They aren''t rumors. I am the Alpha-for now."


    I waited for him to ask if that meant Alexander wasing back, but he didn''t.


    "I do not underestimate your strength, Alpha Kaida." I could tell he had just added the title to attempt a respectful conversation, not because he regarded me as an Alpha. "But women have many responsibilities. You cannot deny that they were born weaker; there are few exemptions, but what happens when you get pregnant-because you will need an heir? People will always look down on you, simply because you are a woman." He said it, and he was right.


    "Tell me, Alpha Derek, why are you really here?" I asked, sensing there was more to his visit-more to why he wanted to speak with me privately.


    He paused again, a flicker of respect in his eyes.


    "I came with an offer for you." He said, once again, his eyes assessed me. "Out there, many packs would be ready to wage war against this one if they learn that the feared Alexander isn''ting back. I''d advise you to form new alliances, but I doubt many would be interested. In fact, that would mean admitting you feel threatened.


    But I have a proposal for you. A simple way to end all this marriage."


    I nearly choke on my own saliva. "What?"


    "I know this isn''t what you expected, but it''s a wise decision. And fortunately, you have an eligible bachelor."


    "You? You want me to marry you?"


    "Alpha Kaida. I think you are a very brave, strong, and independent woman, and you may actually make a suitable Alpha one day. But the werewolves need an Alpha King."


    "I don''t even like you-no offense."


    "None taken. But this is bigger than you and mebined. This is about the hundreds of people who will lose their lives if a war breaks out. Marriage doesn''t always have to be about love, but I promise to treat you well. I may never love you, and you may never develop any feelings for me, but I will do what''s necessary to ensure we coexist peacefully. I won''t force you into anything you don''t want, and you will rule alongside me," he said.


    I didn''t need to think twice about his offer. He was a good-looking man-one I could almost picture as the Alpha King. And yet... I thought of Alexander. After all my talk about moving on, I realized I didn''t want to. I was hurt by his words, by how cruel he had been. I was furious that he cast me aside after all the time I spent searching for him. But despite it all, I couldn''t let another man take his ce, even if I was very mad at him.


    "And if I refused?"


    Alpha Derek looked slightly disappointed. "The others are wary of attacking, in fear that this is some kind of test Alexander was making up to know who truly was trustworthy enough. But I know the truth; I know he is gone, and I am not going to hang around. I do wish it doesn''te to this, but this is a game of power-you either step on others, or they step on you. I''m sure you know that the Nightshade Pack trampled many to reach this level.


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Six


    "I am an honorable man, so I won''t ambush you. I''ll tell you to your face- prepare yourself. If you refuse my offer, my soldiers and I will attack this pack and seize control by force. But I must warn you, by then, I won''t be reasonable. I will see it through, and in the end, this pack will be mine."


    "Do you really believe you can actually face the Nightshade pack in a battle? We have the numbers, our soldiers are skilled, you can''t win this war," I said to him.


    "I don''t doubt the Nightshade Pack''s strength. But while your pack has been open about its progress, the Onyx Pack has remained private with ours. We have trained soldiers. We have the numbers. And until now, you weren''t aware that we''ve been raiding small viges. Our forces have grown significantly over the past few years.


    I believe we stand a chance."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Seven


    I recounted everything Alpha Derek had told me to Austin and Phil.


    "From one perspective, he''s right," Phil said. "Marrying an Alpha-especially one as powerful as Derek-would be the best option. But," he added, thankfully before I could unleash my fury on him for even suggesting it, "you were right to reject the proposal. He has no right to force a marriage on you. He threatened you, giving you a choice... which sounds much like a form of surrender."


    "Yes. Surrender. That''s what his proposal was. And if there''s one thing the Nightshade Pack is known for, it''s that we don''t surrender. That won''t change now."


    "What do we do?" Austin asked me.


    I would have told him to check with those we have alliances with; maybe I could convince some to help, and in return I could reward them, but there was, of course, some truth in what Alpha Derek had said: if I did ask for help, they would believe that Alexander was really gone and the pack was defenseless.


    This wasn''t a matter of pride. I was well aware that not many are as ''honorable'' as Derek; if they believed we were defenseless, they would attack without any form of warning.


    ¡°Derek had informed me they would be attacking, but we can''t tell when. It could be two days from now or two months from now." I said.


    "Something tells me it will be soon." Phil said. "He knows the more he tarries, the more the chances that others might try their luck and, as he believes,'' im the pack."


    Phil was right.,


    "We need to make sure our soldiers are battle-ready. We need as many fighters as we can gather, and we need all ourmanders'' hands on deck," I said. Then, a thought crossed my mind. I knew someone who was an expert in battle strategy-someone wasting away in the dungeons. "Send a letter to the Empress Cynthia; inform her that I would like to have a word with her."


    My advisors didn''t question why I was asking for the Empress, even though werewolves had no ties to the people of Aureonna City. In fact, Cynthia''s arrival was a gamble-but one I had to take.


    After dismissing them, I headed to the dungeons where Arid had been kept. He looked worse each time I came. His beard had grown wild and unkempt, his hair just as disheveled. His eyes were dull, his lips cracked and drier than a desert, and the stench only made it worse


    "Kai-da," he called, his voice rough, as if speaking was a struggle. I tossed him a bottle of water, and he grabbed it with shaky hands. Fumbling with the cap, he drank like it was the water of life, some of it spilling over his face. and dripping down his jaw. But he didn''t stop until the bottle was empty. "Thank you," he murmured, setting the bottle down.


    "A war ising, and I need mymander. You don''t deserve this mercy I''m granting to you, but I swear, if you make me regret this, then I promise you, Aric, I will kill you in the worst possible way imaginable."


    "I will do anything to help. I won''t fail you-I promise."


    "Your promises mean nothing to me.


    "I know. And I know my words hold no weight. But still, I want you to know this-l will protect you and this pack until my dying breath. I swear it."


    "The guards will escort you to your room. You will change out of those filthy rags. You will be fed and bathed-if you prefer, the maids can assist you. And once you''re presentable, you will meet me. Let''s talk tactics."


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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight


    I was in the meeting room with Aric, going over the n we had been working on, when I sensed her presence.


    Empress Cynthia appeared out of thin air. I hadn''t expected her to answer my call, and I certainly hadn''t nned for her to be in the same room as Aric. But she was here now, and that was beyond my control.


    "You couldn''t arrive at the pack like a normal person, could you, Cynthia?"


    "Now where is the fun in that?" she answered.


    From the corner of my eye, I watched Aric, half-expecting him to lunge at her.


    I couldn''t believe what my life had be-I was working with the man who betrayed me and the woman who killed my parents. Though, with Cynthia, it was different. We both knew we weren''t friends or allies. The moment I got the chance, I would kill her. And I would relish it.


    ¡°I almost can''t believe my eyes," Cynthia said, her gaze drifting past me to Aric. "He''s still alive-I could have sworn he''d be long dead by now. Maybe you finally realized you''ve always felt more for him than you were willing to admit."


    I didn''t give her words a second thought-she was only trying to bait me, and I wasn''t about to fall for it. Still, I kept my eyes on Aric, expecting him to strike. I knew he hated her; I could see it in the way his body tensed. But he never moved. He just stood there, silent.


    "I hadn''t anticipated your arrival so soon."


    "Well I was hoping you had some really good news for me. I got curious and now, here I am. So spill, why am I here?"


    "You''re here because I need your help."


    I doubted she considered my request for help as ''good news,'' and from the slight frown tugging at her lips, I was certain she was already regretting her decision toe. So, I pressed on quickly.


    "The pack is under threat. We have far more enemies than allies. A war ising, and I need all the help I can


    get."


    "And what deluded you into thinking I would ever assist you in a war against your own kind?"


    "Because you equally need my help in fighting the undead remember?"


    Her frown deepens. ¡°What are you doing, Kaida? Our agreement was that you would y your part if I helped you, and I did just that."


    I didn''t mention to her that her ''help'' was the reason we were in all these in the first ce.


    "I know, but you will never get such help from me if the Onyx pack defeats us."


    >>


    "You stupid girl." she hissed. "What did you think would happen? That I''d fly my soldiers over here on a goddamn ne to fight by your side? Some of them have never even been on a ne their entire lives. And we need our soldiers-we have our own wars to fight, and we don''t interfere in the wars of your kind.¡±


    "Actually, I wasn''t thinking about nes at all. I just assumed you had a way to magic them here¡ªno flight tickets necessary."


    "I cannot help you, Alpha," she said, her voice clipped, firm, and edged with finality.


    "Then I might not be able to keep to my part of the agreement."


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight


    "I did tell you; I have other ways of making sure you do. So you don''t have to worry about that." She said, and then she turned away from me, about to leave.


    "Wait!" I called.


    "This is getting really irritating."


    Ignoring her response, I pressed on. "I want to know where Aric''s sister, Rose, is." From the corner of my eye, I caught the way Aric''s hands curled into fists.


    Cynthiaughed, the sound rising, unrestrained. For a moment, I wondered if she was alright-if there was a thread of madness woven into her.


    "She''s dead." Cynthia said when she finally stoppedughing. "It was fun deceiving him-and you too. But don''t worry, I didn''t kill her. A sickness did. She''s been dead for years. He was never going to get her back, but I would havepensated him in other ways..."


    She never got to finish.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine


    I''d seen Aric fight before, seen him furious and full of rage, but I had never seen himpletely lose himself. He moved with astonishing speed, lunging at her andnding a brutal punch to her face, the sickening crack of her nose breaking echoing through the room.


    "You told me she was alive!"


    "You fucking sicko!" Punch.


    "You used me!" Punch.


    Tears streamed down Aric''s face, his pain sharp and consuming. Despite everything, I understood-losing a loved one was a pain that never truly faded. Everything he had done, every choice he made, was for his sister, driven by the desperate hope of saving her. It was what any big brother would have done he had fought for her, believing he could bring her back home.


    Aric had stopped punching her; now he stared at his trembling hands, as if struggling to believe what he had just done. I stepped to his side, ready. Cynthia wasn''t the type to take a beating without striking back-I stood ready, expecting her to unleash whatever ''magic'' she had on him. I wouldn''t let her hurt him.


    To my surprise, she did nothing. Shock flickered across her face, but then, just like that, she was gone-vanishing into thin air.


    "I''m sorry." Aric said to me, "I shouldn''t have attacked her I just-it was all for nothing. She told me Rose was still alive. She deceived me, but I feel like the bigger fool; I should have known, but of course, I believed the words of a murderer. I guess this serves me right; I deserve it-"


    "No, you don''t. You did what you had to do to save your sister, and I forgive you for that. Everyone deserves a second chance, Aric."


    He opened his mouth to say something, but that''s when we heard the rm system go off.


    They''re here.


    Derek had warned me, and we all knew he wasing. Phil was certain the Onyx Alpha wouldn''t dy, and he was right. Still, a part of me had hoped for more time. I knew what wasing-I understood the cost of war. Even in victory, not everyone would make it. I would have to face the fallen, pack soldiers who had fought and died. There was another option-one I had refused to consider. If I married Alpha Derek, no one would have to die. I wouldn''t have to carry the guilt of knowing I could have saved them but chose not to.


    A new n was beginning to take shape in my mind, somethingpletely different from what Aric and I had spent days preparing.


    Austin and Phil were by my side almost instantly. "The soldiers have taken position and are ready to attack," Phil said.


    "Tell them to hold back."


    "What?" This time, it was Austin who spoke. My advisors rarely questioned me, but in moments like this, I couldn''t me them.


    I repeated myself, my voice steady. "Tell them to hold back


    "The Onyx Pack soldiers are here for blood, Alpha. We can''t just stand down and let them ughter our people."


    "No, we can''t. And that''s why I need to talk to Alpha Derek There''s a way to avoid bloodshed."


    Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine


    The three men exchanged uncertain nces, confusion clear on their faces. "You can''t agree to Derek''s marriage proposal... You said it yourself-that''s surrender." Phil says.


    "Yes, I did. But sometimes, leading means making difficult choices." I met their eyes, unwavering. "Send word to Derek. I want to have a little chat with him."


    Austin looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end, he only nodded. Maybe he trusted that I knew what I was doing-maybe he thought I was wise enough to make the right choice. But he was wrong. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Today''s Bonus Offer


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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    Of course, Phil and Austin didn''t think facing the Onyx Pack''s Alpha unarmed and unprotected was the brightest idea. I knew the risk I was taking, but I had to do this. My advisors and Aric-who had volunteered toe with me-were the only ones apanying me.


    Alpha Derek and his soldiers waited a short distance from the pack borders.


    His eyes studied me, just as they had in the meeting room still measuring whether


    I was a threat. But once again, his expression revealed nothing.


    I came to a stop a few feet away from him.


    "I remember telling you that once Ie for war, my offer will be off the table," he reminded.


    "I didn''t forget, Alpha Derek," I said, assessing him just as much. The air was thick with tension. The Onyx Pack''s soldiers stood ready, prepared to strike if it came to that. Things could easily turn very messy.


    "I have an offer for you. You want the Alpha King title? Then earn it."


    "That''s what I intend to do when I conquer this pack."


    "My offer is even better, but I wonder if you''re as brave as they say."


    Derek smirked; there was no humor in his eyes. "I am curious to find out what this offer is all about."


    "I challenge you, Alpha Derek of the Onyx Pack, to a fight till surrender. If you win, the pack and the title- everything-is yours."


    My offer took everyone by surprise-my advisors and Aric included.


    Derek smiled-wider than I had ever seen before. "Challenge epted," he said without the slightest hesitation.


    "Tell me when and where you want the fight, and I''ll be there."


    "Five hours is all I''m willing to spare. As for the location, it''s only fair you choose," Derek replied.


    Five hours was hardly enough time. I had expected a few days to prepare but I would have to work with what I was given. "There''s a clearing in the woods, that should do."


    He nodded, but I noticed a new look in his eyes-this time, he regarded me with respect.


    I turned away from him and headed back to the pack house


    "Tell me you have a n... that you''re not actually going through with this," Phil said.


    "I gave him my words and I will keep to it."


    "Are you crazy?" This came from Austin. Any other time, I wouldn''t have let him speak to me like that, but this time, I couldn''t really me him.


    "You don''t think I can take him?"


    "Alpha Derek is a strong and powerful man. You might be equally matched with him but it''s too much of a risk." Phil said. "It''s better we face the Onyx pack in an all-out war than risk it all in a one on one fight."


    "Many would die." I stated.


    "Each and every one of those soldiers had trained their lives for this, they are aware that death coulde anytime and they are prepared for the inevitable."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny


    "I know that, but this is a way to prevent unnecessary bloodshed."


    "And what if..." Phil trails off, but what he isn''t saying is still somehow loud enough for me to read. ''What if I lose?''


    "At least then, I''d know I did everything I could to keep my pack safe."


    Aric hadn''t said a single word but I could almost sense his disapproval. He has been trained on battle strategy all his life and He too didn''t think this was the wisest decision. Well toote to back out now.


    "The Nightshade pack would never agree to be ves under a new leader."


    "They won''t have to be, if I seed in forcing him to surrender."


    "A man like Derek doesn''t summit. He would rather die."


    "Well if that is the only way, then I would have to kill him.


    Look, I have five hours left. I''d rather spend that time training and nning, so if you''ll excuse me," I said, walking away. They weren''t helping in the slightest.


    I was no fool to think taking down Derek would be easy, but I had to try. Losing wasn''t an option, simply because I couldn''t fail my pack.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny One


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny One


    A knock sounded at my door, and I walked over to let Aric in


    "I know what you''re about to say. I know you think what I did was dumb and reckless-"


    "I think you''re the bravest person I''ve ever known, Kaida. You''re willing to risk your life for a pack that doesn''t even deserve it. The n might not be ideal, but it was a bold move-one not many would dare to make."


    The sincerity in his voice told me he wasn''t just saying this-he truly meant every word. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Aric had always been my closest friendl; he knew me-sometimes even better than I knew myself. But maybe Cynthia was right. Maybe I was the selfish one.


    I never knew about his sister. I had always been too caught up in my own goals,


    and through it all, he had stood by my side. I knew how he felt about me, yet I had pushed those feelings aside like they meant nothing.


    "Thank you. That means a lot to me," I said. My eyes drifted to the clock.


    I had exactly two hours thirty minutes to go.


    "Are you ready?" he asked.


    "As ready as I''ll ever be." A thought crossed my mind. "Aric, if things get rough, I don''t want you to intervene."


    A long silence stretched between us before he finally nodded.


    I expected him to leave, but he didn''t. Instead, he took a seat on the couch.


    I hadn''t realized how much I needed someone right now. But a part of me wished it were someone else- Alexander.


    "You know, I didn''t actually think he wouldn''te." I said, and we both knew who


    I was referring to. "I should let go of this stupid hope, but I can''t. Every time he does the opposite of what I expect, I still hold on. He knew about the war, he knew I was in danger-the whole pack is in danger-yet he didn''t care."


    "You are strong Kaida, I believe in you and I think it''s time you believe in yourself too."


    He was right, all my life I always had someone to lean on. My father, Aric, Alexander, but this time... I would have to stand on my own.


    Only representatives from both packs were present-around eighty in total. A barricade had been set up to keep the crowd out. Cameras were mounted on the trees, their red lights tracking my every move. To some, it might look like just a show, but for me, it was a fight for survival.


    Alpha Derek stood shirtless in the middle of the clearing, flexing his muscles. Maybe my leather outfit wasn''t the best choice. I stepped forward to join him.


    A bald man from the Onyx Pack walked ahead-he was the announcer.


    "We gather here today to witness a battle between Alpha Derek of the Onyx Pack." The crowd roared. "And Alpha Kaida of the Nightshade Pack.".


    The cheers from my pack weren''t nearly as loud. I didn''t let it get to me. I knew many of them were against this, though I could understand why.


    Alpha Derek practically towered over me.


    Scanning the small crowd, I spotted Aric and my advisors at the front lines, cheering.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny One


    "They will fight until one party yields," the announcer continued before Derek cut him off.


    "I get the pack and the title if I win, while you''re only fighting to keep what''s already yours. What kind of madness made you agree to this?" Derek asked, sounding almost curious.


    "You''re not the only one who has something to prove. If I cannot fight for my pack


    then maybe I am not fit enough to lead them."


    ¤¬


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two


    "Let the fight begin!" the announcer''s voice rang out.


    Derek took his time, his watchful eyes never straying from me. Most men make the mistake of underestimating me in a fight¨Cit always gives me the upper hand. But not Derek. He saw me as an equal, the only obstacle standing between him and the power he must have dreamt of.


    I walked up to the weapon stand. Guns, wolfsbane, and silver were forbidden in challenges like this-fighters had to rely on skill and strength, and not luck.


    I picked up two daggers, one for each hand.


    Derek''s fingers brushed over an axe, and I expected him to take it. A brutal weapon, but heavy-one that would have given me an advantage. Instead, to my surprise, he chose a sword.


    The smirk on his face told me he knew exactly what I had been thinking.


    We circle each other slowly; I wait for him to strike, but he doesn''t make the move, so I do.


    I shed at him with my daggers, but he blocked every strike with ease beforeunching his own attack. I dodged, but there was no time to savor the small victory-he was alreadying at me again. For someone his size, he was shockingly fast.


    I dodged once more, but not fast enough. The tip of his sword sliced through my leather, cutting into my skin.


    He drew first blood.


    His people roared in support. He never took his eyes off me. Now gripping his sword with both hands, he braced himself.


    I attacked.


    I made him think I was aiming for his chest, but at thest second, I slid beneath him, knocking him off his feet. I raised my dagger to strike, but he drove his foot into my leg, sending me crashing down beside him.


    Before I could recover, he was on top of me, pinning me down. I thrust my hips forward, breaking his grip, and rolled us over, forcing him beneath me. I shed at him, but with a sudden burst of strength, he shoved me away, sending me flying. Inded on my feet-barely. One of my daggers was gone.


    Not wasting a second, I charged, mming him hard against a tree.


    With a swift thrust, I bury my dagger into his gut. "Yield," I snarl.


    But he only smirks.


    I tighten my grip, ready to twist the de, when he suddenly headbutts me. Pain explodes through my skull, and I crash onto the ground,nding hard, this time on my butt. Blood streams from my nose.


    Derek yanks the dagger from his stomach and tosses it aside. My weapon is gone.


    And he''s already closing in.


    His sword lifts, aiming for my gut-right where I had stabbed him. At thest second, I rolled away, my d digging into the dirt. Grabbing a fistful of sand and grass, I flung it into his eyes.


    The brief moment of confusion was all I needed. I swung my leg,nding a brutal kick to his face. A tooth flew from his mouth, and his sword ttered to the ground.


    I lunged for it.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Two


    But just as my fingers brushed the hilt, searing pain tore through my back-ws ripping into my flesh.


    1 let out a cry, reaching for my back. The smell of my blood filled the air.


    Derek stood, his ws extended and dripping with my blood, his eyes glowing-a


    clear sign that his wolf was on the brink of taking over.


    Abandoning the sword, I aimed a kick at him, but he anticipated it. His grip tightened around my ankle, twisting until a sickening pop rang out.


    "When I take over this pack, I will take you as my whore. That''s if you surrender. I really do believe killing you is a big waste."


    I rose to my feet, careful to put most of the weight on my right uninjured leg.


    "d you recognize my importance." I said with a small smirk of my own.


    "It''s time to end this," he said, then leaped at me, shifting midair. His fur was a deep brownish-red. I twisted away just in time, narrowly avoiding his massive form. Hended heavily where I had just been, ws digging into the dirt as he turned to face me.


    I switched into my wolf form too.


    Derek paused, staring at my wolf in awe. My pure white wolf was beautiful, and I knew it, but more than that, she was strong, powerful, and fearless. Too soon, Derek snapped out of his trance. Once again, we circled each other. A low growl rumbled from him before he lunged, snapping at my neck. I wed at him, narrowly dodging his fangs. Spotting a small opening, I sank my teeth into his back, and he let out another growl as I tore into his flesh.


    Now he was really pissed. He swiped at my eyes, barely missing them. But it was enough to give him the advantage, and he didn''t waste the chance. He sank his teeth into my neck. I fought against him, but his grip was too strong. He only released me when I copsed, drifting in and out of consciousness. I felt my body shifting back to human form-naked, covered in scars and blood.


    I couldn''t stand. I couldn''t move.


    It was over. I had lost. The pack was his.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Three


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Three


    Maybe this was history repeating itself. My father had given up the Dawn Pack to Alexander and I - I gave away the Nightshade pack to Derek.


    It is believed that in moments like this-when you''re on the verge of giving up- someone dear to you appears, offering words of strength. A vision of a parent, a loved one a guiding voice to pull you back. I waited for that. I waited for Alexander or my father to appear, to tell me what to do next, to remind me that I wasn''t done yet. But no one came. No reassuring voice, no outstretched hand.


    There was nothing but darkness.


    I was alone.


    I thought about the pack-the people who never believed I deserved the title. I thought back to when I was a little girl, watching the soldiers train and repeating their steps. I remembered the first time I held a gun-the realization that I could so easily end a life was as terrifying as it was thrilling.


    I remembered how happy and proud I was when I defeated my first opponent-he was anky boy who felt insulted for being paired with a girl. Through all those years, there was one thing I never did: give up.


    So, I fought the darkness. It felt like I was drowning while desperately trying to break through the surface. I pushed harder, and finally, my eyes snapped open.


    There was noise-cheering, rejoicing-but on the other side of the field, there was only silence.


    Slowly, I staggered to my feet.


    The crowd, which was once loud, grew silent. Derek turned around to see what had caused that reaction, and when his eyes met mine, I could see something different in his eyes; this time when he regarded me, he saw a threat; he saw danger.


    He withdrew from his people and headed to me. "Surrender now or I will kill you." He promised, all humor gone from his eyes. I bet if I looked closer, I would see the fear he was trying so hard to hide.


    I didn''t know where the strength came from; maybe it was the realization that I had been this close to losing my pack, maybe it was desperation finally wing its way into me, but I ran to him, ignoring the blinding pain in my legs and every other part of my body, or the fact that I was naked. He stood ready to face me, but I leaped over him,nding behind him. I grabbed his arm and, with every ounce of my strength, tore it right off his body.


    For a moment, there was absolute silence. Even the birds fell quiet as he copsed to the ground.


    "I yield!" he cried out. "I yield!" His voice rose in desperation.


    A bell rang twice, signaling the winner.


    One by one, members of the Nightshade Pack dropped to their knees before me, followed by the Onyx Pack. They bared their necks in reverence.


    "Kaida!" Aric called, but I didn''t understand the panic in his voice. I had won. It was over.


    He threw himself in front of me, and the arrow-meant for his back, piercing clean through his chest.


    "Aric! No, no, no! He said he wouldn''t attack-I won fair and square!" I cried out, but Aric only shook his head."


    "Rogues." He whispered.


    I looked up, and sure enough, he was right. They came from every corner. Had they been here all along?


    ***


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Three


    I couldn''t tell.


    But now, I saw them-here in their multitudes. More rogues than I had ever seen


    before. The attack at my father''s burial was nothingpared to this.


    "Aric, I need to get you out of here."


    "No," he gasped, choking on his own blood. "I... I...¡±


    "Don''t speak! I''ll get help, I promise-1 will-"


    "No." He coughed, his voice barely a whisper. "I... can''t... make it."


    "You will," I said, but even I didn''t believe that.


    "Kaida," he rasped, his trembling hands found mine, but his grip was tight. "Thank you... for giving me... a second chance."


    His grip on me weakened, then slipped away as his body went limp in my hands. He was gone.


    A scream tore from my throat-so loud, so raw, I was certain the entire pack could hear it.


    They killed him; the rogues had killed him. The arrow had been for me, but he had taken the hit, and now he was dead in my ce.


    The feud between the two packs was forgotten as they united against amon enemy-the rogues.


    But they were just too many.


    I rose to my feet, ignoring the pain. I swore to myself-I would take down as many as I could.


    Then I saw the mes.


    Fire burned bright, consuming the rogues. Confusion spread amongst them. The rogues fled, and those too slow were swallowed by the hungry mes. Even from a distance, I could feel the scorching heat.


    I watched in wonder; I had never seen a thing like this.


    I couldn''t believe the Empress came to our aid; Cynthia had sworn not to help... only, it wasn''t Cynthia.


    The figure wielding the mes looked like a god in human form. His eyes zed like the very fire he controlled as Alexander Darkwood stepped forward.


    The Alpha King was back-his glowing orange eyes locked on me.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    **EARLIER**


    All I could think about was Kaida. I couldn''t shake the memory of the jagged scar from a gunshot on her midsection. She could have died, and I had acted like it didnt bother me.


    you care even a little bit for me, you woulde with me,'' she had said. What she didn''t realize was that I cared for her far more than a ''little bit.''


    Transforming into my wolf form was as painful as it was the first time I''d shifted. I tried reining in my wolf, at least until I got out of my building and far from anyone''s sight. But he wanted to be free-I could feel his desperation.


    I pushed past the guards, heading for the exit.


    "Sir..." one of the human guards called to me, but I didn''t look back. If I did, he''d notice my not-so-naturally glowing eyes. I didn''t want to scare the poor guy.


    Taking the stairs or the elevator would have been the normal choice, but my wolf was getting restless. So, without a second thought, I leaped over the railing-and somehow, Inded on my feet.


    Unluckily for me, several guards noticed that inhumane move. I didn''t stay to see their reactions, but I didn''t miss the string of startled curses they let out.


    I hurried toward the main exit, but it was toote-my clothes were already in shreds as my wolf took over.


    The human guards I had employed fled; I couldn''t me them. It''s not every day you see a man turn into a massive ck-grey wolf.


    For the next few days, I spent my time in the woods like some kind of wild animal- which, in all fairness, I was. My wolf had taken full control, locking me away.


    I knew there was something I needed to do-something urgent-but I couldn''t quite grasp what had been weighing on me before. Every part of me wanted to stay in the woods, to be free, yet the throbbing worry returned every so often.


    I had no idea how long I''d stayed in the woods, chasing after smaller animals and living like a wildling. But then, her face shed in my mind.


    Kaida.


    That was where I was supposed to be.


    I tried once again to take the reins and control my wolf, but he was too damn stubborn. Kaida could be in danger- that thought alone gave me the strength I needed. Somehow, I managed to shift back into my human form.


    I was practically in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea how long it would take to reach her, but I had to hurry. For some reason, I felt like I was running out of time.


    **KADIA POV**


    All my broken bones had already been set and were healing. Thanks to my wolf genes, I should be out of here in a few days.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Four


    I''d asked that no one be let into the healing room. Not my advisors, not Alexander,


    no one.


    I needed to be alone. I wanted to be alone.


    Aric was gone and he died protecting me.


    I felt selfish and unworthy of his sacrifice. All these years, I never once stopped to think about what he wanted; it was always about me, and I''d believed he enjoyed what I did, but what if he didn''t? What if he had his own dreams, his own hopes, many of which never came to pass, all because he had to stick to my side every step I took?


    I heard voices outside, then the door to my room swung open, and Alexander walked in.


    "I don''t want you here. I want to be alone; can''t you respect that?" I asked, suddenly emotional.


    "I had to see you."


    "Well now you have, can you leave?"


    "Kaida..."


    "No. I don''t want to hear anything you have to say."


    "I know I hurt your feelings; I''m sorry.


    "Of course, you''re sorry. And that should sort everything out, right?


    I needed you; I had been so afraid with no clue on what to do next, but what did you do? You pushed me away; you made it clear that you don''t care about me, so stop pretending like you do."


    "I thought I could shut off my feelings, but I was wrong. Every word I said-I can''t take them back, but I need you to know I never meant any of it."


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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Five


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Five


    Lying here on the bed made me feel vulnerable before him, but I didn''t trust myself to stand without getting dizzy. I stared up into those beautiful eyes-so beautiful that, for a moment, I wanted to forget everything that went wrong and just hold him close... No,


    I shove the thought away.


    "It didn''t look that way to me. You told me that you''ve found a new life, one I wasn''t part of-it seemed to me that you''d meant exactly what you said."


    "I thought I could start over-I wanted to leave it all behind. But I couldn''t. Not because of the pack but because of you. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t let you go."


    "And those women?" I asked, unable to keep the jealousy from my tone.


    "I thought using them would help me get over you. But it didn''t."


    "It hurts knowing you were with others. I know we weren''t mated anymore, but I just thought..." My voice faltered. I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "I can''t do this right now. Just leave."


    "Not this time. I''m not leaving this time, Kaida."


    My eyes met his. "I me you Alexander. I me you for Aric''s death. If you had arrived sooner, he wouldn''t have died. He died saving my life-I should have been the one dead."


    Of course, I knew how much he wanted Aric dead, and perhaps this was an added bonus for him, but Aric was a good person, and he didn''t deserve to die


    that way.


    "You''re right. He would have still been alive if I''de earlier."


    "Then why didn''t you? Did you need onest taste of your new life'' before letting it go?"


    He was silent for a few seconds, guilt written all over his face. Good. He should feel guilty. I still remembered how indifferent he had been when I told him I had almost been killed.


    "A few hours after you left, something happened. That''s when I realized my wolf was back-but what I didn''t expect was to be stuck in my wolf form. For days, I knew there was something I had to do, somewhere I needed to be, but my wolf was inplete control."


    "Your wolf is back? How is that... How is that possible?"


    "I don''t know either. But with my father, I figured it was because he was a Lycan. This? No damn clue."


    I was happy for him; with his wolf back, he wasplete and...


    "That''s why you came back." I said realization finally dawning on me. "You''d never havee back without your wolf, would you?" I asked.


    "Kaida, you were the only one on my mind. Leaving you and this pack was a cowardly move; I should never have left."


    "I''m sorry." I finally say.


    "You have nothing to be sorry for; I, on the other hand, keep messing things up."


    No, I do. Aric''s death wasn''t your fault. I just... I feel unworthy, like I don''t deserve to live while he dies. I am not any better than him; why do I get to live and he has to die in my stead? It just feels so... unfair."


    Alexander''s expression tightened, like he was envisioning it all all over again.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Five


    "I was so close when I heard your cry. That sound... it broke me." His voice dipped lower. "I''ll never forgive myself for leaving you, and I won''t ask you to. But don''t push me away. I know I don''t deserve you-but that doesn''t stop me from wanting you."


    "But we''re no longer mates. What if I had taken your advice and, like any ''big girl'' would, moved on?" I threw his own words back at him.


    Alexander came closer, sitting beside me on the bed.


    I tried to steady my racing heart, but it refused to settle. His scent was calming- rich, deep, undeniably him.


    "That would be very unfortunate." He said, silently; he seemed to have taken my words seriously. ¡°Because I''m nning to fight for you, no matter how long it takes."


    ¡°Good,¡± I whispered. His gaze locked onto mine, his eyes silently asking for permission. I must have given it because, in the next breath, his lips were on mine¨Csoft at first, slow and searching, then rougher, needier. His tongue explored my mouth, and a low, satisfied sound rumbled from his chest.


    I felt heat pulling between my legs; despite the pain I was in, my arms still circled around his neck, drawing him closer. His eyes glowed; he was not fully in control; stopping would be wise; I was still healing, but I couldn''t.


    Somewhere in there, he found the restraint and finally pulled away.


    "You''re so beautiful." He whispers, staring at me like he could see something I couldn''t. I was covered in scars and cuts; I couldn''t exactly find anything beautiful about me right now, but when he looks at me, he makes me feel special.


    "Alexander. I never moved on... I couldn''t."


    He imed my lips again, drawing a soft moan from me. His hands trailed beneath the loose blue gown I wore... but then, just as suddenly, he pulled away. "Why did you stop?"


    "You need to heal," he said, his voice strained. I could tell he was holding back for my sake.


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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Six


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Six


    Three days had passed. I was finally discharged with instructions to be careful for the next few weeks.


    While I was healing, Alexander had taken over the pack''s activities, and for that, I was more than grateful. The weight of the pack no longer rested solely on my shoulders, and that was a huge relief.


    Now, I thought back to the ''moment'' with Alexander-the one we never got to finish. I paced my room, debating whether to go to him. I already knew his response: ''Rest''. He would insist I needed more time to heal. But my body wanted him. It had been so long since I''d had any... action, and I hadn''t realized how much I missed having sex until now.


    Screw it. I was going to him.


    I reached for the door, but before I could open it, it swung wide, and there stood Alexander. One nce at me, and I was sure he knew exactly where I was going- and why. In his hand was a jacket, the very one I had left behind at


    his house.


    "This belongs to you," he said, handing me the jacket. I took it from his hands.


    "Thank you," I responded, and for a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other.


    "I should be the reasonable one, but fuck that. I can''t stop thinking about you, and I want you-right here, right now."


    "What''s stopping you?"


    In an instant, he had me pinned against the wall, his lips crashing onto mine with the same hunger I felt. Our kiss was a battle of tongues and teeth, raw and desperate.


    My legs wrapped around his waist on instinct, and he picked me up, leading me to the couch, even though the bed wasn''t so far away. He set me down, and I wasted no time slipping out of my gown, leaving only my panties.


    A low growl rumbled from his chest, the sound sending a rush of heat pooling in my core.


    "You will be the death of me, Kaida.", He whispered before kissing down my throat and taking my nipples into his mouth. I arched my back, my hands fisting into his hair.


    "Alexander..." I moaned out.


    "Fuck."


    His hand slipped into my panties, finding my most sensitive spot. He stroked my clit in slow, deliberate movements while his mouth remained on my hardened nipple. Then, he took the other into his mouth, and at the same time, he thrust two fingers into me-hard. A moan escaped my lips as my grip on his hair tightened. His thick, rough fingers plunged deeper, each stroke sending a new wave of heat through me. My breaths came in ragged pants.


    I couldn''t take it anymore. I wanted more. I reached for his pants, feeling his hardened member. I stroked him from the fabric of his pants, and another moan that almost brings me to my climax escapes his lips. He pulled away from me only to take off his own clothes. He spread my legs wider, his eyes darkening at the sight of my wetness.


    If only he knew what he did to me. He settled between my thighs and mmed into me, hard. A gasp escaped me as he filled mepletely. He was huge-l could never get used to that.


    "Thinking of you as an Alpha turns me on so much." He mutters into my ear before thrusting, harder this time. I could feel him everywhere, in my womb, between my legs. Everywhere.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Six


    "Alexander... I can''t hold it in.".


    "Then don''t."


    He mmed into me faster and harder; my whole body quivered as I came hard.


    He wasn''t done. He sat up, cing me on hisp. His hands cupped my breast, and the other trailed down my hips


    to my ass.


    "How I''ve missed this." He whispered, giving it a small squeeze. I moaned. I just couldn''t get enough.


    I moved, riding him, my hips rolling in rhythm with his. His hands gripped my waist, guiding me, urging me faster. My hair was a mess, but I didn''t care-none of


    it mattered. All that mattered was us and what we shared in this moment.


    I felt him throb inside me; he was close. That only made me ride him harder,


    chasing the pleasure that built. between us.


    "Kaida, what are you doing to me?"


    Alexander made me feel things I never imagined, and the thrill of knowing I did


    the same to him was intoxicating.


    "You''re mine, Alexander. No one else''s."


    "I like it when you get possessive."


    I shattered around him, dragging him over the edge with me. For a moment, we stayed like that, lost in the warmth and closeness, neither of us ready to let go.


    I didn''t think the rogues would be disturbing us anytime soon; Alexander had done way more than ''scaring them off."


    "You know, that thing you did with the fire-how you set them aze so easily. That was really cool."


    "Not nearly as cool as you defeating Derek."

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    Derek had been taken away from the pack after or fight Amall part of me felt hout felt. In his park, he had been worshipped, but now everything was about to changepally the fact that he would have to rule as an Alpha with only one arth


    If his story taught me anything, it was that we all rte what we have. He had a park, people who loved him, but like every other Alph, P


    whow ny


    you, bee


    He was an honorable mom, and to that on, I had the wayven after his demeaning words about malding me his ''whore when he took owry the pack


    "I have to admit. You did very well with the pack" Alesan peabed, and couldn''t help the swell of pride I had felt in that instant


    We were currently in the bed, none of us wanting to leave the room or each other''spany


    "Most of the time, I didn''t even know what I was doing."


    "Well, that makes the two of us. You were born a leader, Kada."


    "No, I wasn''t. I might be the daughter of an Alpha, and I might have had big dreams, but being a leader isn''t easy. Only now do I realize that I''ve been chasing the wrong thing for years. I don''t want to be an Alpha. All I want is to be with you- by your side, forever."


    Alexander kissed me once again. "You''ve proved yourself, not just to this pack but to the whole world."


    "That doesn''t make me an Alpha. You are the rightful Alpha"


    "I don''t see any rule that states two alphas can''t rule a pack"


    Iughed, thinking back to Derek. In a way, I was just like him-never content with what I had, always wanting more. I never wanted to be like the other girls. Sometimes, even wondered if being born female was some kind of mistake. But it wasn''t. My destiny was by Alexander''s side to support him at every step, and that, I would do.


    "I want to be your Luna... if you''ll haye me."


    At that he chuckled. "Come on, you will always be my Luna and mate."


    Mate.


    The bond was gone, but strangely there was something stronger between us, and I liked it even better.


    "There''s something you need to know." Alexander began. I met my mother-well, she was a... ghost."


    He paused to see if I saw him as crazy for talking about ghosts, but I believed him, and besides, I had seen much worse things.


    "You did?" I asked, urging him to go on.


    "Yes, and I know the truth now. My parents never intended to leave. My father had to go because technically time was up, and my mother... well, she couldn''t live without him, and so she died to be with him."


    "Does that make you sad?" I asked.


    "No. In a way, I get it. When you told me about the attack-how you were almost killed-I knew that if anything had happened to you, I would''ve med myself... and I wouldn''t have wanted to live either."


    I could tell he meant those words.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    Derek had been taken away from the pack after our fight. A small part of me felt bad for him. In his pack, he had been worshipped, but now... everything was about to change-especially the fact that he would have to rule as an Alpha with only one arm.


    If his story taught me anything, it was that we often fall toppreciate what we have. He had a pack, people who loved him, but like every other Alpha, he wanted


    more.


    He was an honorable man, and for that reason, I had let him go his way-even after his demeaning words about making me his ''whore'' when he took over the pack.


    "I have to admit. You did very well with the pack." Alexander praised, and I couldn''t help the swell of pride I had felt in that instant.


    We were currently in the bed, none of us wanting to leave the room or each other''spany.


    "Most of the time, I didn''t even know what I was doing.".


    "Well, that makes the two of us. You were born a leader, Kaida."


    "No, I wasn''t. I might be the daughter of an Alpha, and I might have had big dreams, but being a leader isn''t easy. Only now do I realize that I''ve been chasing the wrong thing for years. I don''t want to be an Alpha. All I want is to be with you- by your side, forever."


    Alexander kissed me once again. "You''ve proved yourself, not just to this pack but to the whole world."


    "That doesn''t make me an Alpha. You are the rightful Alpha."


    "I don''t see any rule that states two alphas can''t rule a pack"


    Iughed, thinking back to Derek. In a way, I was just like him-never content with what I had, always wanting more. I never wanted to be like the other girls. Sometimes, even wondered if being born female was some kind of mistake. But it wasn''t. My destiny was by Alexander''s side to support him at every step, and that, I would do.


    "I want to be your Luna... if you''ll haye me."


    At that he chuckled. "Come on, you will always be my Luna and mate."


    Mate.


    The bond was gone, but strangely there was something stronger between us, and I liked it even better.


    "There''s something you need to know." Alexander began. I met my mother-well, she was a... ghost."


    He paused to see if I saw him as crazy for talking about ghosts, but I believed him, and besides, I had seen much worse things.


    "You did?" I asked, urging him to go


    "Yes, and I know the truth now. My parents never intended to leave. My father had to go because technically his time was up, and my mother... well, she couldn''t live without him, and so she died to be with him."


    "Does that make you sad?" I asked.


    "No. In a way, I get it. When you told me about the attack-how you were almost killed-I knew that if anything had happened to you, I would''ve med myself... and I wouldn''t have wanted to live either."


    I could tell he meant those words.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Seven


    "Alexander... You cannot do that."


    isn''t worth living without you. Even when I was away I couldn''t stop thinking about you-no matter how much I wanted to shove you out of my mind."


    I was about to tell him that there was still so much to life, with or without me, but


    that would be hypocritical because I would most likely do the same.


    "Well, then thank goodness I''m not very easy to kill." I said to him with a smile. "Right. Thank goodness."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    I watched as Aric''s casket was lowered into the ground.


    All the memories were buried along with him. Guilt ate at me, knowing he shouldn''t be down there.


    Many who knew Aric were also present. He had once been a beta to the Dawn pack, then amander to the Nightshade Pack. He was loved by many, but the strangest thing about life was how fast people tend to move on.


    Two hourster, everyone was gone, back to their lives. A few months from now, some would forget him. In a few years, others wouldn''t even remember that a man named Aric had once lived among us. He''d be just another tombstone like the rest. No one was ever truly too important-life always moved on.


    I stood before Aric''s grave, eyes puffy and red, tears rolling down my cheeks, and Alexander stood beside me. His


    eyes were on me.


    "You know, he had a sister. I had no clue about her; she was the reason he betrayed me; he wanted to save her." I paused when I realized who I was talking to. "Sorry, I know you''d always hated him."


    "I''d be a liar if I said I didn''t, but anyone you care about, I am obliged to care about too. And anyone who jumps in front of an arrow to save your life... I owe him more than words can express. For what it''s worth, I wish I was there to save him, and I failed for not being there."


    "You didn''t fail; if it hadn''t been for you, many of us would have died." I said, thinking back to the number of rogues I''d seen. In my wounded form, I didn''t think I would have made it alive.


    "If it hadn''t been for me, you wouldn''t have had to face Derek; the rogues would never have attacked either. So, this is all my fault; you shouldn''t feel guilty."


    "I wonder if he was ever genuinely happy." I whispered more to myself.


    The sun went down, and we had to return to the pack house As sad as it was, life had to move on-but I would never forget Aric, nor will I forget the sacrifice he made for me.


    Alexander had to round up with work before joining me for the night. I was counting the minutes and seconds till


    his arrival.


    That''s when a strange chill crept over me. I wasn''t alone-just knew it.


    "Hello, Kaida." Cynthia called.


    "Get out."


    She continued on like I hadn''t said anything. "I can''t say I wasn''t disappointed. I mean, when I heard you defeated the strong and mighty Alpha Derek, I had thought finally you were taking the position you were born for. I mean, everyone is talking about it and how good of a fighter you are. But do you know what else they are talking about? The ckwood wolf''s dramatic entrance. Everyone is curious, and so am I.


    What happens next? Would he leave, return to wherever he ising from?"


    "Not really. He is staying; the pack needs their Alpha."


    She red at me, then her lips curled into a smile. "I was considerate enough. We


    made a deal I kept my part, and now I just have to make sure you keep yours."


    >>


    I know what she was about to do, she was about to use her magic'' on me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    "Well, the deal is off." Another voice countered. A voice belonging to Alexander.


    "I''d advise you to stay out of this, but knowing your obsession with her, you won''t. Kaida will keep to our agreement-one way or another."


    "Yeah, you''re right about my ''obsession.'' That''s exactly why I''ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."


    Alexander''s eyes returned to that mesmerizing yet terrifying orange glow.


    "I am blessed by the god of light-the god of fire. Your mes don''t affect me."


    "We''ll see about that."


    I didn''t know exactly how he did it, but in an instant, Cynthia was engulfed in mes. At first, she stood still, unaffected but then the orange fire turned purple. Her eyes widened in panic as her skin began to burn away. A piercing cry tore from her lips.


    "Stop!" she pleaded, all bravery stripped away. But Alexander had no intention of ending her torment anytime soon. Her skin burned away, her hair disintegrating into ash¡ªuntil something shifted. She changed. She took another form-my form. "Please!" she begged, her voice now identical to mine.


    Alexander faltered, and that was all the time she needed to vanish into thin air.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Claim Me 587

    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    I watched as Aric''s casket was lowered into the ground.


    All the memories were buried along with him. Guilt ate at me, knowing he shouldn''t be down there.


    Many who knew Aric were also present. He had once been a beta to the Dawn pack, then amander to the Nightshade Pack. He was loved by many, but the strangest thing about life was how fast people tend to move on.


    Two hourster, everyone was gone, back to their lives. A few months from now, some would forget him. In a few years, others wouldn''t even remember that a man named Aric had once lived among us. He''d be just another tombstone like the rest. No one was ever truly too important-life always moved on.


    I stood before Aric''s grave, eyes puffy and red, tears rolling down my cheeks, and Alexander stood beside me. His


    eyes were on me.


    "You know, he had a sister. I had no clue about her; she was the reason he betrayed me; he wanted to save her." I paused when I realized who I was talking to. "Sorry, I know you''d always hated him."


    0


    "I''d be a liar if I said I didn''t, but anyone you care about, I am obliged to care about too. And anyone who jumps in front of an arrow to save your life... I owe him more than words can express. For what it''s worth, I wish I was there to save him, and I failed for not being there."


    "You didn''t fail; if it hadn''t been for you, many of us would have died." I said, thinking back to the number of rogues I''d seen. In my wounded form, I didn''t think I would have made it alive.


    "If it hadn''t been for me, you wouldn''t have had to face Derek; the rogues would never have attacked either. So, this is all my fault; you shouldn''t feel guilty."


    "I wonder if he was ever genuinely happy." I whispered more to myself.


    The sun went down, and we had to return to the pack house. As sad as it was, life had to move on¡ªbut I would never forget Aric, nor will I forget the sacrifice he made for me.


    Alexander had to round up with work before joining me for the night. I was counting the minutes and seconds till his arrival.


    That''s when a strange chill crept over me. I wasn''t alone- just knew it.


    "Hello, Kaida." Cynthia called.


    "Get out."


    She continued on like I hadn''t said anything. "I can''t say I wasn''t disappointed. I mean, when I heard you defeated the strong and mighty Alpha Derek, I had thought finally you were taking the position you were born for. I mean, everyone is talking about it and how good of a fighter you are. But do you know what else they are talking about? The ckwood wolf''s dramatic entrance. Everyone is curious, and so am I.


    What happens next? Would he leave, return to wherever he ising from?"


    "Not really. He is staying; the pack needs their Alpha."


    She red at me, then her lips curled into a smile. "I was considerate enough. We made a deal I kept my part, and now I just have to make sure you keep yours."


    I know what she was about to do, she was about to use her magic'' on me.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Eight


    "Well, the deal is off." Another voice countered. A voice belonging to Alexander.


    "I''d advise you to stay out of this, but knowing your obsession with her, you won''t. Kaida will keep to our agreement-one way or another."


    "Yeah, you''re right about my ''obsession.'' That''s exactly why I''ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."


    Alexander''s eyes returned to that mesmerizing yet terrifying orange glow.


    "I am blessed by the god of light-the god of fire. Your mes don''t affect me."


    "We''ll see about that."


    I didn''t know exactly how he did it, but in an instant, Cynthia was engulfed in mes. At first, she stood still, unaffected but then the orange fire turned purple. Her eyes widened in panic as her skin began to burn away. A piercing cry tore from her lips.


    "Stop!" she pleaded, all bravery stripped away. But Alexander had no intention of ending her torment anytime soon. Her skin burned away, her hair disintegrating into ash-until something shifted. She changed. She took another form-my form. "Please!" she begged, her voice now identical to mine.


    Alexander faltered, and that was all the time she needed to vanish into thin air.

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    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine


    ALIYAH''S POV


    I stared at the empty room, once upied by the human girls. Now, the chains that had been used to bind them were the only sign that they had ever been here.


    After the incident with Tasha, Daemon wasn''t willing to take any chances. He had let the two cousins return to their homes.


    When Daemon wasn''t home, I had the whole house to myself.


    I returned to my room to take a quick shower before his return. I peeled off my clothes and walked into the shower. I was done in less than twenty minutes. I was about to step out of the bathroom when my reflection caught my eye. I paused, staring at the figure in the mirror that was mine.


    My eyes were the only thing alive; every other part of my body seemed to be fading away. My silver hair didn''t look as healthy, and my pale skin was even paler. I spotted the bite marks marring my skin. I didn''t mind them at all; maybe I was getting just as crazy as Tasha, but I liked seeing those marks on my skin; they reminded me of him, and so I had stopped him from healing them. I didn''t want them gone.


    Daemon had sumbed to his desire for my blood, and now I was the only thing he hungered for.


    I put on a robe and stepped out of the bathroom. The door to my room was open. Strange-I was sure I had closed


    1. it.


    "Daemon?" I called. No response.


    A chill crept down my spine. My body went tense, every nerve on high alert. I didn''t dare make another sound, afraid the intruder would pinpoint my location. Someone was here. And they weren''t supposed to be.


    Then I heard footsteps-silent, deliberate. The intruder wasing. Coming here. To my room.


    My eyes darted around, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. But it was toote-he had already reached me. He stood before the door.


    "Ash?"


    The tension drained from my body, reced by a surge of anger-yet relief flickered beneath it. I was still happy to see him. "You scared me."


    "I''m sorry; I didn''t mean to." He said, but there was something about him that was off.


    "Ash. Are you okay?" I asked; he didn''t give a response. He stalked towards me; his eyes weren''t on me but on the robe I had on. "What are you doing?" I asked.


    "I should have known." He said.


    "Known what?"


    "I thought you were safe with him, but you aren''t. He''s hurting you."


    When he was close enough, he slightly pulled down the robe to expose only my shoulders; that''s when I realized what got him all riled up. The bite marks. The same marks I had begged Daemon not to heal.


    "He''s not hurting me," I said, pulling my robe back up to hide the bite marks. "That''s what you think. A demon''s bite can easily get into one''s head."


    "No. It''s not that. This... I wanted it," I admitted, my cheeks reddening at the confession.


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine.


    "He shouldn''t have let it happen; he knew what it would do to you."


    "I am fine." I said with emphasis on the word ''fine''.


    "No, you''re not. You''re thin, pale, and you''re wasting away Aliya. You are most definitely not fine."


    There was a small moment of silence, and then I realized, why do I have to listen to him? Why does his opinion about my life count? I barely knew him. I might know the wolf Ash, but that doesn''t give him any right to tell me how to live my life.


    "Leave." I said to him, and that seemed to surprise him, but he gathered himself together quickly.


    "I will. But you areing with me."


    "What? Are you crazy?"


    "No. But I told you that my purpose is to keep you safe.¡±


    "I am safe here."


    "No, you''re not. I made a mistake; this is all my fault. I told you that you could trust him, but I was wrong. I had no idea and for that, I''m sorry. But you have toe with me, Aliyah.¡±


    "I don''t have to do anything. Daemon only fed on me because I begged him to. He didn''t want to, but I made him; he''d also wanted to heal me of the marks, but I''d stopped him. The only person I should be worried about is the one who''d break into my room without my permission."


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have scared you like that-but we can talk about thister." "No. I said leave, or I''ll call for him."


    The truth was, I had no way to reach him. I had a phone, but I didn''t have his number, so that was an empty threat.


    "It''s him messing with your mind; this is what happens when he feeds from you- you change. But It''s not toote to end this."


    "You don''t get it. I love him, Ash. I cannot leave. And even if I were foolish enough


    to try, he would track me down -he would find me."


    "I will take you somewhere safe, somewhere even he can''t get to you."


    I shook my head. "I know what danger feels like. He might be the Demon Overlord, but he would never hurt me." I knew that with absolute certainty.


    "Did he tell you how special your blood is?" Ash asked.


    "Yes." I said confidently. "He told me that it outshines the rest."


    Ash scoffs. ¡°You are a special being, Aliya. Your blood doesn''t just taste nice to him; it strengthens him; it makes him stronger, and maybe that''s why he wants you all to himself."


    "That''s not true. He had never forced me once; I let him feed from me, and if I chose not to, he would find another alternative."


    I knew Daemon well enough to know that.


    "He is a demon; maniption is what they do best. He knew he didn''t have to


    force you, not when you were so willing."


    "Stop it. Just stop it; I don''t want to hear any more lies."


    Chapter One Hundred and Ny Nine


    "The same man you love once fell in ''love'' with his own mother." He watched me,


    a tight smile forming on his lips. "You know, don''t you? And yet that''s still not


    enough for you to see that he''s pretty fucked up."


    I wanted to defend Daemon, to say his case was different, but I couldn''t-because even I struggled toprehend


    1. it.


    "You knew that too when you told me he was ''safe.""


    "He hadn''t been an immediate threat or danger. I knew you couldn''t stay with him for too long, but I thought you could remain for a while as I made preparations."


    ¡°Make preparations? I''m an adult; I don''t need to be babied. I can make my own decisions, and right now, what I want is for you to leave."


    He nodded. "I''m sorry." He apologized once more before walking away.


    I heard the front door m shut. He was gone.


    I ran a shaky hand through my wet silver hair.


    Lies. They were all lies.

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    Chapter Two Hundred


    Chapter Two Hundred


    I shouldn''t be thinking about Ash''s words, but I was. No matter how many times I tried to shove them out of my mind, they always found their way back.


    "Dinner is served. Come eat," Daemon announced. Staring at him, I could almost forget that he was a demon; he just seemed so... human. But when you looked deeper into those dark blue eyes, that''s when you noticed something off- something that screamed predator.


    "I''m not hungry."


    "That''s a lie. Come with me," he said. I might be hungry, but I was in no mood to eat, yet I followed him. He had already dished out the food for me and, as usual, none for himself.


    "Thank you." I muttered, taking a seat. The smoky scent of spiced grilled meat filled the air. On any other day, it would be enough to make my mouth water and my stomach rumble, but this time, I could barely force myself to eat more than a few small pieces.


    "Aliyah," Daemon called, and I looked up at him. "I can make something else if you don''t like this."


    "It''s not that. I''m just not hungry."


    He watched me, to himself.


    those curious eyes prying into me as if they could read me. "Something is wrong," he muttered


    I let out a sharp breath. "You know what? You''re right. What are we doing?" I asked.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean... this. Living together, you cooking for me-all of it. What are we doing? Are we like a couple? Is marriage on your list of things to do? What happens next?"


    "Marriage?" He pronounced it like he''d never heard the word before.


    "It''s something couples do."


    "I know what it is." He said, and then he carefully studied me. "Where is all thising from?"


    "I-I don''t know. I guess with you constantly away, I have enough time to think, and


    I don''t know what your ns are- did you even have any?"


    "The n I made only covered getting you here and keeping you alive, but you


    don''t have to worry about all that- we''ll take it one step at a time."


    "That''s the problem; you make it sound like we''re just two couples getting to know each other better, but you are the Demon Overlord, and I¡ªI am.....¡±


    Who was I? The blessed, the chosen, the maiden.


    Another moment of silence passed between us. I waited for him to say something-anything. But he didn''t, and as the silence stretched, my anger only


    grew.


    "You know, I want to understand you, but it''s so hard. I want to understand why you do the things you do, but it is impossible to get into your head."


    "What do you want to know?" he asked, finally speaking up, but yet he had avoided all my questions.


    "I want to know how you felt about it; I want to understand how you could fall in love with your own mother."


    I hadn''t realized he''d been leaning in until he withdrew. A scowl on his face.


    Chapter Two Hundred


    "I told you already-I never saw it as wrong. Not until muchter. And I never saw her as my mother either. Damn. I should never have told you about her. You weren''t ready. I''m sure you see me as some kind of sicko."


    The pain in his eyes knocked me back to my senses. What the hell was I doing?


    "I''m sorry; I shouldn''t have said all that. I don''t know what got into me-


    The rest of my words were swallowed up by a sounding from upstairs.


    Somehow, Daemon had already pulled me behind him, shielding me from whoever was bold enough toe here with him present. If I had ever looked at Daemon and thought of him as a ''normal'' human, maybe it was time to question my own sanity-because Daemon was anything but normal.


    Chapter Two Hundred and One

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    Chapter Two Hundred and One


    My thoughts drifted to Ash. Could he have been stupid enough toe back here with Daemon present?


    Something told me Daemon wouldn''t be pleased about me seeing him behind his back.


    A small sense of relief washed over me when I realized the footsteps approaching weren''t from a man. There was something feminine, something familiar about them.


    It was Empress Julia.


    Of course, I would recognize the sound of her footsteps; I had spent over a decade of my life listening to them.


    Daemon seemed genuinely surprised. "How did you find this ce?" he asked.


    "I can''t say. You see, it''s a small secret, Trian-I guess that''s the name you stole."


    Daemon''s eyes drifted from her face to the object she held in her hand: the Nexus Amulet. She had somehow gotten it out of the transparent ss container- perhaps that exined the noise that had alerted us we weren''t alone.


    "Give it to me," Daemon all but growled.


    "Tsk, tsk. Not so fast."


    Daemon looked like he was about to lunge for her.


    "You won''t get to me fast enough, Trian. I''ll be gone before you even move an inch, and I''ll be taking the jewel with me."


    "You shouldn''t be able to find this ce," Daemon muttered to himself, as if in denial. That only made Julia''s


    smile widen.


    "But here I am," she said in a singsong voice.


    I could feel the tension thickening in the air.


    "You did a good job fooling me, Daemon. We had no idea that the very person we were searching for was living under our roof. I have to say, I''m more than impressed. More than that, you even got me to trust you. I can''t believe we actually... had sex-though, that wasn''t part of the bad stuff." She said, her voiceced with a small, seductive smile. Despite myself, I felt a twinge of jealousy, even knowing this had all been part of his n to gain


    her trust.


    "I can''t say the same." He responded, and Julia''s smile vanished.


    "All my years on earth, no one had ever made me feel so stupid," she muttered. I was about to throw in something like ''You and me both,'' but I knew this wasn''t the right time for that.


    "I put the Demon Overlord to guard the Chosen. Wow, was I stupid. But you didn''t just fool me-you fooled us all. Here I thought a good-looking man was wasting away in the pit, only you weren''t there. You saw an opening and you took it. What I can''t understand is why you kept her alive, even with the knowledge that she could bring about your downfall.¡±


    She paused, as if expecting a response from Daemon. When none came, she continued.


    "Well, let''s cut to the chase. The amulet, for the girl."


    "That''s a trade I''m not willing to make." Daemon responds


    ¡°That''s sad. I know there are a lot of people who would want this jewel-people who would do just anything for


    Chapter Two Hundred and One


    1. it. And from what I know, your ''people'' are not very pleased with the way you choose to handle things. I don''t think they support the idea of keeping her alive and bedding her when you''re supposed to kill her."


    Earlier, I had been curious about what happened next. Daemon had told me to take things one step at a time, and that advice had never made as much sense as it did right now. Suddenly, I wasn''t interested in knowing what came next. I would have given anything for things to return to how they had been just a few minutes earlier-and maybe then, I could have tried to enjoy the meal.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Two

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Two


    "I know the truth," I said to Julia, finally speaking up.


    "What truth? Don''t tell me you still fall for his falsehoods you should have learned your lessons by now."


    "He tried to protect me. He kept me safe. That''s more than you''ve ever done?"


    "Protect you-you really think you are safe here with him?"


    "Safer than I ever was back in the castle."


    "I taught you better than this, Aliya. I taught you about bad people who would want


    to taint you, but you were always the curious type; I should have known." She said, I didn''t miss the fact that she addressed me by my name.


    "I remember everything you taught me, Julia. Thanks to you, I know morenguages than I''ll ever have the chance to use in my lifetime.


    You spoke endlessly about good and evil-you painted yourselves as saints, but you all are far from that. I know the truth now. Your n was to sacrifice me. That encounter-all of it-was a lie. I was nothing but a vessel to you.¡±


    "And do you think you mean anything to him?" she asked, her gaze drifting back to Daemon, who had remained worryingly silent. A smile spread across her face before she tossed the amulet into the air.


    Daemon lunged for it instantly, leaving me exposed. In that split second, she seized me in her iron grip-her strength never ceased to amaze me.


    "Daemon!" I cried out. His eyes snapped to me, his hand reaching-but it was toote.


    He had to make a choice, and he had made it. He could only save one-and he hadn''t chosen me.


    I didn''t know how I got there or how long it had taken.


    But when I opened my eyes, I was on the floor of a familiar room-a ce that had once haunted me. It seemed my fear of it had never truly faded.


    I was back in the castle, the very ce I had escaped from. And worse, I was in Julia''s room-the ce I hated


    most.


    A small cough broke the silence, reminding me I wasn''t alone. Julia sat on her bed, watching me.


    "How..."


    "How did you get here? I brought you, but the trip was too long-you cked out on the way."


    I sped my hands together to hide the trembling. "Why am I here, Julia?" "Bold." She noted, her smile still remaining on her lips. "You''re here because this is your destiny; the sooner you stop fighting it, the better."


    "You mean death? Is that what my destiny is?"


    "This is a great honor, one many would give their lives to receive. You should see it as nothing less."


    "The god of light won''t want me anymore," I said, a smile somehow finding its way


    to my lips, mirroring hers." You see, I''m not very pure anymore."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Two


    "I know of your harlotry. I know you''ve spread your legs for a demon."


    I chuckled. "Strange you say that, considering you did the same. Guess we''re both harlots."


    A frown tugged at her lips-I had struck a nerve. I could see the urge to p me sh across her face, but for some reason, she held back.


    "I didn''t know who he was."


    "Of course. Typical of you- ''spreading your legs'' for a man you don''t even know."


    "Bitch." She snarled. I had never heard her curse before, and for a moment, I was almost proud of myself for pushing her that far. But she quickly regained herposure.


    "You know, I want to be mad at you, but all I feel is pity. You were so easily deceived by him-falling for it desperately, not once, but twice. He is the Demon Overlord, and your life means nothing next to his thirst for power."


    I opened my mouth to argue, but the image was clear in my mind. He had gone for the amulet, giving Julia the opening she needed to take me. He might love me, but he loved power more.


    It shouldn''t have surprised me he was no angel, in fact, theplete opposite. And yet, I still felt the sting of betrayal. He had given his own life for her-Riley. But


    I wasn''t Riley. And I wasn''t worth his sacrifice.


    "I don''t need your pity." I countered.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Three


    ALEXANDER''S POV


    It was almost unnerving how simr she had looked to Kaida. Her voice sounded so much like hers-I had hesitated, and in that moment of weakness, Cynthia escaped.


    It all made sense now. I could recall that incident. When Ka had walked into the room, looking all seductive, I had given in so easily. And then-she ''d lifted the dagger to my chest. I hadn''t realized it wasn''t her. For a fleeting moment, I had even thought the weapon was just another tease.


    But then she''d stabbed me, and toote I realized something different about her- something I hadn''t picked up on earlier. Her eyes. They were different, not because they weren''t the same grey I knew, but because it felt like they belonged to a stranger, not the woman I had known and fallen for.


    Kaida had taken the me, but of course, she could never have done such a thing. She''d never have gone through with it, and I couldn''t believe I was just realizing that now.


    "It''s not your fault. Cynthia excels at those kinds of mind tricks," Kaida said to me, her eyes scanning me-she only needed one nce to know exactly what was on my mind.


    "I could have ended her-I mean, I knew that wasn''t you, and yet..."


    Kadia walked towards me. "Everyone makes mistakes, but this is the closest we''vee to actually breaking through to her. She always seemed so untouchable. How did you pull that off? How did you even know it would work?" she asked.


    I thought back to the incident. I had walked in on her threatening Kaida, and I was mad, but as for the ''how''-I


    had no idea how I did it.


    "I guess I just knew."


    She shook her head. "You''re something else. I don''t know what would''ve happened if you hadn''t shown up when you did."


    The thought that she would constantly remain in danger till Cynthia was dead bothered me. I had to do something,


    and fast.


    ¡°Alpha, the rogue leaders are here to meet with you,¡± Austin announced.


    A small smirk tugged at my lips.


    The rogue leaders hardly ever visited packs; their rule was that anyone who sought their presence had toe to them, not the other way around.


    They were arrogant, prideful creatures who hated being kept waiting, and that''s exactly what I was going to make them do.


    "Let them know I''ll be avable to speak with them in two days.''


    "But Alpha..." He cut himself off. "Of course," he corrected


    If they really needed to see me, they''d wait. And if they were too impatient, they could leave,


    Another knock came at my door, and irritation red within me. Since my return, I''d been receiving a steady stream of visitors, and while it was expected, there was a limit.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thre


    It was Keith, Ronan, and a few of the former council advisors I had cut off from the council.


    Keith stepped forward, taking on the role of their spokesperson.


    "Alpha, we are d to see you again. When the Luna informed me that you would be back, I didn''t believe it. But here you are.


    A lot has changed since you left."


    "I noticed, but all good changes I see."


    Keith nodded in agreement. "I''vee to apologize. I didn''t believe in the Luna; I didn''t think she had what it took to rule us all, and I was wrong. But I left the council only because I was loyal to you. I see now that I was mistaken, and I intend to make things right."


    "You opposed my mate''s rulership," I replied coldly. "In fact, you went so far as to organize rebels. Loyalty had nothing to do with it-greed, perhaps."


    "Forgive me, Alpha. We are all here to plead for your forgiveness, and we hope we could be weed back to the council."


    "It''s not my forgiveness you should be seeking, and as for the council, it no longer exists."

 Claim Me 593

    Chapter Two Hundred and Four


    Chapter Two Hundred and Four


    The Rogue leaders had waited. When the two days were over, I invited them into the meeting room.


    A maid brought over bottles of beer, and Edna was the first to take a deep gulp, the others following soon after. The maid excused herself.


    "Edna, Skale, Kev, Gal, and of course, Timothy. Wee to the Nightshade Pack."


    "I didn''t remember keeping you waiting this long when you paid us a visit." Edna said to me.


    "I''d hoped you''d get impatient enough to leave."


    Edna chuckled; it was silent and humorless. "Unfortunately, we''vee to speak on an important matter."


    "I assumed as much."


    "We allowed a peace treaty with you once, and now we''vee to discuss the terms."


    "I made you a promise, Edna. I told you that if you couldn''t keep the rogues under control, there would be war. This time, something tells me you were the brains behind the earlier attack."


    "Yes. I was. Like the rest, we believed you were gone, and we did what anyone would do-we attacked."


    "But I guess you were wrong."


    "Sorely."


    Timothy spoke up next. "Many see you as some kind of god Only a god could bring hell to earth. So tell us, Alpha. What are you?"


    "A god? No. Not even close. I''m just a man of my words.


    You''vee for peace, but peace isn''t something I have to offer. You attacked my Luna; the arrow was meant for her. Fortunately or unfortunately, someone else took the hit.


    I had every intention of staying out of your business, as long as you stayed out of mine. That was the agreement. But you didn''t honor it. If you want to know what I am... I''m your greatest fear. I''m your downfall."


    There was silence for a moment, then Edna mmed the bottle of beer onto the table with a sharp ''thud''.


    "You will not seed."


    "I''ve heard that before. They always get it wrong"


    "We are here to make a deal," Edna said, his patience thinning. I waited eagerly for it to snap.


    "You have nothing of value to offer me."


    "Maybe I do. I could offer you the rogue who shot the arrow at the Luna. He survived with only a few burns. Consider this my attempt at making peace."


    "That won''t do. But I know what will count as an effort at ''making peace.''


    I expected him to crack right there, but instead, he set his pride aside. "What is this thing?" he asked.


    "Deliver your own head to me, and I''ll decide if it''s good enough. After all, you led the attack. Why should the man who followed orders suffer while you go scot- free?"


    That did it. He sprang to his feet so quickly that his chair flew to the opposite side of the room.


    Chapter Two Hundred and fo


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "Some refer to me as a ''god,'' but I prefer the title ''Alpha King."


    "You want a war? Then a war you will get."


    He walked away, but the others remained for a moment. They exchanged nces before rising to their feet, offering a small bow before walking away too.


    The pack''s annual mating ball was set for two days from now. Unmated werewolves from other neighboring packs would also be in attendance. Preparations were in full swing, and it seemed like it was all the pack could talk


    about.


    I never saw anything special in the mating balls, maybe because I had always known who I was mated to. I now wondered what would have been different if I had approached Kaida earlier-if our first official meeting hadn''t been over an agreement.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Five

 Claim Me 594

    Chapter Two Hundred and Five


    The dark blue dress would look beautiful on Kaida. That was the first thought on my mind when I saw it in the store. I knew I had to get it for her.


    Kaida was on the training field, she''d taken up Aric''s position. I believed it was another way to honor his memory. She trained the soldiers just as he had done... before everything went downhill. I had to admit, she was very good at it. Even the soldiers seemed to be enjoying the session with her.


    "Your weight on this leg," she instructed, adjusting the soldier''s stance. I didn''t miss the way his gaze flickered to her ass for a split second before he quickly looked away, likely fearing he''d be caught staring. The possessive part of me wanted to pry out his eyes for even looking, then drag her into our room and fuck her all day long for looking so damn sexy.


    The longer I watched, the more something dark stirred inside me. She was too damn close to that guy, and those leathers-hell, they were so tight, her ass was practically on disy. I had to fight the urge to go pull her away when she patted one of the trainees on the arm.


    I should leave before I do something rash... That was the n, but somehow, I found myself walking towards her. The soldier closest to her noticed me first and quickly moved away, wisely putting some distance between himself and my girl. "Alex, I wasn''t expecting you anytime soon. You should be working," she said when she noticed me, but a smile tugged at her lips.


    "I should be, but I couldn''t stop thinking about you," I replied, pulling her close and kissing her.


    It might''ve been stupid, but I couldn''t help the need to remind everyone who she belonged to.


    "I think I''ll have to steal you away for a while." I whispered into her ear.


    "Karl, take over," shemanded, and the guy named Karl quickly obeyed. I led her away from the training grounds and into the pack house.


    "You know, you should stop doing that."


    "Stop doing what?" I asked, ying innocent.


    "You''re scaring the poor soldiers. They can barely look me in the eyes out of fear that you might burn them alive for staring."


    Oh. That exins why the trainee who''d been staring at her ass looked away so fast.


    "That is not my intention, Kaida," I lied. The thought of setting anyone on fire for staring at her too long was far too tempting to ignore.


    "It''s not?"


    "Of course not." I continued with my little act. "I got you something."


    "And it couldn''t wait tillter?"


    No, it couldn''t, simply because I couldn''t bear watching her so close to so many unmated males.


    "The mate ball is only a few hours away; I needed to be sure the dress was your size."


    The truth was that I knew it was her size.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Five


    "You bought me a dress for the mate ball?"


    "Of course. Why does that surprise you?"


    "I have a closet full of dresses, many of which I haven''t wom."


    "I keep hoping one day you''ll get over your love for leather and wear some of them."


    "Keep dreaming." She said with a grin, and I couldn''t help but smile back.


    I led her into the room, where the dress was waiting on the bed.


    Her mouth dropped open as she stared at it in adoration. I captured that look, locking it away in my mind to revisitter.


    "I might not be a lover of dresses, but even a blind person can tell this is beautiful. You picked this?" She asked, her eyes glowing with a hint of tears she was struggling to hold back.


    "Yes, and I''m d you like it."


    "Like? I love it!"


    I chuckled, and then she hugged me. That familiarvender scent in her hair wrapped around me-it had be my favorite.


    The party had already started.


    Kaida was getting dressed while I took a slow drag from my cigarette. As I exhaled the smoke, I was about to take another when she stepped out of the dressing room. I quickly tossed the cigarette aside, feeling like a kid caught sneaking sweets.


    When I looked up at her, my breath caught, and my chest tightened.


    The dress was perfect on her, my imagination did it no good. She was a fucking goddess.


    "How do I look?" she asked, turning around to give me a full spin, and I couldn''t help but notice her perfectly shaped ass.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but I waspletely out of words.


    A small frown tugged at her lips. "You don''t like it?"


    I walked up to her and kissed her, not caring that her lipstick was now smudged


    on my lips.


    "I love it."

 Claim Me 595

    Chapter Two Hundred and Six


    I couldn''t take my eyes off her.


    "Care for a dance?" I asked her and she nodded. It didn''t seem like she enjoyed parties much.


    I took her hand and led her to the dance floor, aware of how people kept their distance. Seriously, what did they think? That I''d take their heads off just for bumping into me on the dance floor?


    This was getting ridiculous. But I couldn''t dwell on that thought any longer-Kaida was staring.


    "We match," she said, motioning to my ck tuxedo with its dark blue vest and tie. Maybe that wasn''t entirely a coincidence. "And you look really hot in that tuxedo, but then again, when do you not?" Her cheeks reddened. Kaida could be a badass fighter, but she wasn''t always as confident when it came to... well, other things.


    I stepped closer, letting her feel the subtle shift of my arousal. "Giving mepliments like that in public is dangerous."


    She let out a breathyugh, her cheeks still flushed. I saw the need sh in her eyes. I had been contemting leaving with her, maybe to the nearest empty room, when a voice sliced through my thoughts.


    "Alpha," Austin called, giving a small bow before turning to Kaida. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?" he asked. It was then that I noticed the others were exchanging partners as well.


    "Of course," Kaida says, taking his hands.


    I had to take my next dance with a brte. I recognized her almost instantly. Lara. The brte whore who had once been my favorite, also the very same woman I''d offered wine spiked with wolfsbane when she became too bothersome.


    My eyes trailed back to Kaida and Austin-this was all his fault.


    Lara wore a smile-I''d expected a frown, maybe a scowl, but no, she had a goddamn smile on her face. We danced for a few minutes, and her smile never faltered. I knew exactly what she was doing.


    "Okay. I think I owe you an apology.".


    "Sorry, I didn''t catch that," she responded. Of course, she''d make me say it again.


    "What I did to you was wrong, and I apologize."


    "Good. You''re forgiven."


    Unlike the others, she didn''t seem afraid that I would set her ame for the slightest misstep.


    We danced on.


    "I appreciate what you did... I mean with Kaida."


    "Believe me." Lara lowered her voice, "She is a natural." She replied, her smile widening, and I couldn''t help but wonder if she was another person I should keep Kaida away from. But then she paused, stopping mid-dance.


    "Lara." I called. "Are you okay?"


    "Do you smell that?" she asked. I was about to ask, ''What smell?'' when I realized what it must be.


    Her mate.


    I let go of her hands. "I think your mate is here."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Six


    "How... I mean, are you sure?" she asked, and for a moment, she looked like a child-a very hopeful child. I had only known one part of Lara, the whore, but now I could see more to that.


    "Pretty sure."


    "But what if he doesn''t want me?" She was freaking out, muttering out possibilities.


    "You won''t know unless you go to him." I said, surprised at myself-since when did I be a pep talker?


    "I''m a whore; not many would want me as a mate, and maybe I shouldn''t have one. Whoever he is, he deserves better."


    "Yet you came to the mate ball. I believe you wanted this more than you''re willing


    to admit. Go find him." I urged, and she nodded before taking off.


    I politely turned down the other girls who, probably encouraged by the fact that Lara had made it through the dance unharmed, decided to approach me. Given how shaky they were, turning them down was probably the best


    move.


    I returned to the throne-like chair, where I had a perfect view of everything happening around me. But of course my eyes searched for one person, and I found her. Kaida.


    She was dancing with another soldier now, one of the men she had trained. Why did they always have to be around her? But then she turned, and I caught sight of the wide smile on her face. Goddess, she looked so beautiful when she smiled. She said something I couldn''t quite catch, then burst intoughter.


    I watched as many discovered their mates; the atmosphere was filled with joy, excitement, and anticipation. I had never understood what was so special about the annual mate ball until now. I imagined how it would''ve been if I had met Kaida here. How wide her smile would have been if I''d walked up to her the moment Iid eyes on her and imed her, as most did here. Instead, I had taken her back to our room and threatened her. I remembered how scared she had been-she


    hadn''t expected that. I had humiliated her. I really was an asshole.


    She might not realize it yet, but I had robbed her of a moment that could''ve been magical.


    Then, she made her way toward me. Kaida joined me, taking her ce beside


    me.


    "Want some wine?" I offered, but she shook her head.


    ¡°So," she began, ¡°What were you talking about with Lara? It must have been interesting, judging by how seemed so... invested in whatever you were discussing."


    you


    both

 Claim Me 596

    Chapter Two Hundred and Seven


    I found her jealousy amusing.


    "You''re jealous, aren''t you?"


    "Why wouldn''t I be? Sure, she might be a good person, but let''s not forget that you two used to have sex. I have every right to feel insecure, especially with the way she kept looking at you..." Kaida trailed off.


    I watched her, feeling unworthy. She had been faithful to me, even when we had broken things up, but I was stupid enough to think being with other women could take my mind off her.


    "I was apologizing for what I did to her earlier, and then she found her mate-she hesitated to go to him at first, but changed her mind in the end. That''s about it."


    Kaida ran her hands through her thick ck hair. "I feel like an insecure fool. I''m really sorry."


    "You have nothing to apologize for."


    She was staring at something, and I followed her gaze to Lara, who was kissing a dark-skinned guy. I figured that had to be her mate.


    "Wow. This mate ball turned out to be far more fun than I anticipated." She said,


    I lingered on her expression, searching for a trace of longing for what I had denied her, but she only seemed


    content.


    "I think it''s time to make the announcement," I said to her and she nodded. I stood, adjusting my tie.


    "Alexander," she called, and I turned to her. "You made the right decision," she said, reassuringly.


    I wasn''t much for making speeches, but unfortunately, it came with the role.


    I stepped up to the tform, and the hall instantly fell silent.


    "I want to wee everyone to the Nightshade Pack''s Annual Mate Ball. And of course, congrattions to those who''ve found their... mates."


    The pack apuded.


    "Secondly, I want to take this opportunity to make an important announcement about the pack.


    For years, the Nightshade Pack has operated without a beta and a gamma. That changes tonight."


    My eyes found Austin and Phil in the crowd, and I gave them a small nod. They understood immediately, stepping forward to join me. I should''ve discussed this with them first, but it had been an abrupt decision.


    "Some leaders are born leaders, while others are made. These two men have proven their unwavering loyalty and shown the true qualities of leadership. From this moment on, Philip Dawson will be the newly appointed beta of the pack, and Austin Carter will serve as gamma.


    ">


    The pack received the news better than I''d expected-cheers, whistles, and chants filled the air. Kaida was on her feet, apuding. I shot her a wink, and she smiled even wider. I nced back at my beta and gamma, both still in shock. Perhaps I should''ve given them a heads-up first.


    "Alpha," Austin said. "You do us a great honor."


    "You both deserve it," I replied. I couldn''t think of anyone more suited for these positions.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Seven


    "I will not fail you, Alpha," Phil promised.


    "You better not," I shot back.


    I returned to Kaida. "Come with me," I said, and she followed. I led her out of the hall to a room, which turned out to be the Dress-up room. I locked the door behind us. I noted the single loveseat in the room and of course theck of beds. That was unfortunate, but it would have to do.


    "What are we doing here?"


    "I couldn''t wait any longer to get you out of that dress."


    I kissed her, and she responded with equal passion, her teeth sinking into my lip just enough to draw blood. I let out a low growl, and she smirked, the corner of her lips curling.


    "Did I hurt you, Alpha Alexander?" she teased.


    Damn, if she only knew how it drove me wild when she called me by the title. I lifted her effortlessly, my muscles tensed with every inch of her body in contact with mine. She moaned softly. The dress kept her from wrapping her legs around me, but soon enough, it would be off. I carried her to the loveseat and set her gently on myp, then began helping her out of her clothes.


    I couldn''t rip off this dress, not after seeing how beautiful it had looked on her.


    My hands slid down to her back, unhooking her bra and exposing her breasts. Her temptingly hardened nipples were too alluring to resist, I leaned in, kissing them before taking one in my mouth, savoring the soft feel of her. Kaida wouldn''t stop moving; each small movement sent my cock throbbing with need.


    "Stay still." I hissed, taking her other nipples in my mouth. She moaned, throwing her hair back. Exposing her neck, I wanted to wrap my hand around it, and then she moved again, teasing me.


    That was it.


    I undid my pants, quickly shedding my clothes. Before she could adjust herself, I lifted her, mming her down on me, and she gasped.


    I froze for a heartbeat, worried I had hurt her.


    But then she took control, moving with a steady rhythm, her hand gripping me tighter as she pulled me deeper. Goddess, this girl was going to be the death of me.


    "I want to im you so hard; I will be all you feel." I whispered.


    "Then do it," she dared.


    Iid her down on the loveseat, my eyes locking with hers. This was meant to be the moment I took her, hard- just as I promised-but when I thrust into her, I held back. eased into her, wanting to make love to her. Slowly, I moved deeper, and she let out a soft moan, her fingers digging into my flesh. The sensation only ignited my desire


    even more.


    "Alexander," she moaned as I sank deeper into her.


    "I love you, Kaida, and I can never stop loving you."


    "I love you too," she whispered.


    I imed her lips once more, deepening the kiss as I increased my pace. Soon,


    her moans turned into pleas, her


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sever


    body trembling with every movement.


    I felt her tighten around me; she was close, and I thrust 1 three more deep


    thrusts, I came with a growl, my body ti


    away.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t go as hard as I promised," I whispered


    "No..." she breathed, her voice soft and breathless. "I wa


    Chapter Two Hundred and Seven


    body trembling with every movement.


    I felt her tighten around me; she was close, and I thrust harder, picking up the


    pace. She shattered with a cry. With three more deep thrusts, I came with a growl,


    my body trembling as I stayed buried inside her, unwilling to pull


    away.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t go as hard as I promised," I whispered.


    "No..." she breathed, her voice soft and breathless. "I wanted this."

 Claim Me 597

    Two Hundred and Eight


    The knock on the door cut our momo


    short.


    Normally, when a door''s locked, it''s a clear sign that the person inside doesn''t


    want visitors. But I guess the heads outside couldn''t take the hint.


    Kaida got back in her dress, and I helped adjust her hair.


    "How do I look?".


    "Beautiful."


    "Thanks, but not that. Do I look like someone who just had sex?" She asked, and I shook my head.


    "No, you look fine."


    Well, sometimes a little lie was necessary. Her hair, smudged lipstick, and rumpled clothes would surely give her out, but she didn''t need to know that.


    I pulled the door open to find two teenage girls with wide smiles-smiles that dropped the moment they saw us.


    Their eyes quickly raked over both of us, immediately figuring out what we''d been up to, and their cheeks flushed deep red.


    "Sorry, we didn''t mean to interrupt. We came to pick up our rented dresses, but we can ¨C juste back...ter," one of them stammered, and they both hurried off without waiting for a reply.


    "Hey?" Kaida called, and I turned to her, eyebrow raised. She punched me in the


    arm.


    "What was that for?" I asked, feigning hurt.


    "For lying, jackass."


    The mate ball was over, and everything had returned to normal-thankfully.


    I was just returning from the training field, where I had spent a few hours and was now heading to my office.


    "Alpha." The voice called out. I didn''t stop, but Keith caught up to me, just like I knew he would.


    "I was wondering if we could talk."


    I knew just what he wanted to talk about.


    "I wanted to know... If I hadn''t walked out of the council like I did, and things weren''t the way they are between... well, us, would I have been appointed as beta or gamma?"


    "No."


    "No?"


    I stopped walking. "I''m really considering making you disappear right now. I mean, she might not even notice you''re gone."


    Keith was trying to figure out if this was a joke or a threat.


    "I think you made the best choice though. I have to admit, they do deserve it," he


    said, but I could tell that that hadn''t been exactly what was on his mind.


    Two Hundred and fight


    "Yes. They were the only ones who stayed when things got difficult."


    Keith nodded, a tight smile on his lips. "I should head back


    "Good idea."


    *


    Austin was already in my office by the time I arrived, arge, red, gift box in hand.


    "Where is that from?" I asked.


    "Thebel says it''s from the Rogue leaders.".


    "Rogues sending gifts now? Guess the apocalypse is closer than I thought. Open


    it."


    Austin opened up the box, and then his face drained.


    The foul smell of decayed blood hit my nose.


    I walked over to him and peered into the box. Inside were two severed heads. One I recognized-Edna, the rogue leader who had orchestrated the attack on the pack. The other, I couldn''t ce. Beneath thaty another note, stained with filthy blood.


    We hope you consider this a peace offering. Inside the box lies the head of the man who attempted to murder your Luna-and, of course, Edna, one of our own.


    We were unaware of his ns, and we had no idea what he was doing until everything was already in motion. We will not pay the price for his greed.''


    That was another thing about rogues-they would never risk their necks to save anyone, not even Edna, who had been one of the leaders.


    Of course, I couldn''t be certain if the other man was truly the one who had attempted to kill the Luna, but if they had killed Edna, then a lowly rogue would likely mean even less to them.


    "Send the rogues a letter," I ordered, "and tell them their message has been received."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Claim Me 598

    Chapter Two Hundred and Nine


    Chapter Two Hundred and Nine


    KADIA''S POV


    My session with the soldiers had ended for the day. I needed a hot bath and enough food to feed a small vige- preferably before I copsed from starvation.


    I was heading to the pack house when I spotted Phil. I''d been meaning to see him. For the past few days, he''d been a bit... absent, and that was-well, weird.


    Ignoring my stomach''s protests, I walked up to him, but he was so lost in thought that he didn''t even notice me until I tapped him. He turned, looking a little startled before quickly masking it.


    "Luna, sorry, I was just... caught up in my thoughts," he said.


    I nodded, offering a small smile.


    "That, I can understand." I paused, studying him. There were faint bags underneath his eyes, like he hadn''t been sleeping well. His facial hair was a little overgrown. He looked exhausted-he''d been like this since the... announcement. Was it all too much for him?


    "Phil, are you alright?" I asked.


    "Yes, of course. Why?"


    "Nothing. It''s just-you''ve been distant these past few days."


    "I''ve just been busy, but I apologize if I made it seem that way," he said. But his eyes never met mine. Something wasn''t adding up.


    "I know we should have told you about the n before making the announcement, but-


    >>


    "No," he cut in quickly. "It''s not that. I''m honored to be the pack''s beta."


    Usually, I would have let it go-I was never one to pry. But then I thought back to Aric. Maybe if I had been the prying type, I would have known more about his personal life. Maybe things would have been different.


    "Do you remember when Alexander had been going through that... addiction?" He smiled. "How could I ever forget?"


    "I can''t forget it either. You were one of the few who knew, and you tried to help. And when he... left, I was scared, even if I tried to act brave. I never really understood how hard it was to rule a pack until then, but having you and Austin by my side made me realize it wasn''t impossible. You''ve always been there-for me, for him, for the pack. I don''t know what''s bothering you, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I''m always here."


    He was silent for a while before he nodded. "I would keep that in mind, thank you." He said.


    I tried to hide my disappointment as I walked away. I knew something was


    bothering him, but I wouldn''t be able to help if I didn''t know what it was.


    The moment I heard the knock, I practically flew to the door, expecting to see Phil. But when I opened it, standing there was Keith.


    He was thest person I expected-or wanted-to see.


    "Can I help you?" I asked, or rather snapped.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Nine.


    "I-I just want to know if we could... talk."


    "About what?" I asked.


    "If I coulde in..."


    "No, you may not."


    He released a breath. "I just want you to know that I am very sorry." He says, but I couldn''t help but wonder if his apology was indeed sincere. "I should never have..."


    The footsteps approaching cut him off. It was Phil. The very person I had been expecting for quite awhile.


    "Phil," I called.


    "I didn''t realize you havepany; I could returnter."


    "No." I said. "Keith was just leaving."


    Keith gave a nod of resignation before walking away.


    "You were right." Phil said. "I think I do need to speak to someone."

 Claim Me 599

    Chapter Two Hundred and Ten


    Chapter Two Hundred and Ten


    Phil and I joined the pack patrollers.


    "We''ve got it covered here." Phil assured them, and they spread out, giving us some privacy.


    "You''re very observant," he says, and I assumed he was referring to my carlier suspicion.


    "It''s actually written all over your face. You look stressed."


    "Well, you''re the only one who noticed."


    "Maybe I do have a knack for picking up on things."


    I knew he wasn''t the type to share his personal problems, so I couldn''t push him;


    he''d talk when he felt ready. At least he had admitted to my suspicion that something was indeed wrong.


    "It all started back at the mate ball. Right after the ''big announcement.''


    I had gone to grab some champagne when I caught the scent. That''s when I finally understood what everyone had been going on about. The scent was heavenly. She must have arrivedte, I''m sure I would''ve noticed if she''d been at the ball earlier."


    I didn''t bother admitting that all this time, I had assumed he was mated. I realized I knew so little about those close to me. I had always seen Phil as my advisor, never thinking to ask about his personal life because he clearly wasn''t one to share. I couldn''t imagine what it must have felt like to be mate-less all these years. Some were okay with not having mates; in fact, I once thought I didn''t care about having one myself.


    "Wow! Congrattions. I''m so happy for you." I said truthfully, even if my response hade a bitte.


    "That''s the problem. I can''t... I can''t im her."


    "What do you mean you can''t im her?" I asked, but he didn''t seem ready to


    answer that. So, I tried again. "Does she know you''re her mate?"


    "She does, but I kind of... walked away.''


    I stared at him, at a loss for words. I wasn''t great with these kinds of


    conversations, but I had to try.


    "Was it her... looks?"


    "No. She''s... very, very beautiful." He said, seeming lost in thought, as if picturing


    her, before he shrugged. "But I can''t."


    "You seem physically attracted to this girl. That''s a start," I pointed out.


    "It''s not that simple. She''s... young."


    "That''s hardly a problem-


    "Kaida. She cannot be more than eighteen, and I''m forty."


    Oh.


    Oh.


    I was definitely not prepared for this at all. I took a moment to think of what to say


    next.


    "Still, I think you should talk to her about it."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Ten


    Phil shook his head. "She had been trying to reach out to me, but... I can''t be her mate."


    "The moon goddess paired you both for a reason."


    "You realize that if I had a daughter, she would be around her age."


    "But she''s not your daughter. She''s your mate."


    "The moon goddess could sometimes make mistakes."


    "Then tell me when you think about her, does it feel wrong?" I asked.


    "No. It doesn''t. But that doesn''t make it right."


    "So, what is your n?"


    "I''ll have to reject her. I''m sure she would find someone better and... younger."


    I thought back to how broken I had felt when Alexander rejected me; a part of me had been ripped out, and I imagined how the poor girl would feel if that happened to her.


    "What if she never truly recovers from that? It could destroy herpletely. You might think that it''s the best idea, but what if it''s not? What if things turn out to be so much worse?"


    "That''s my worry and also the reason I haven''t reached back to her."


    "Phil. I know this is allplicated, but I want you to try speaking with her."


    He nodded, finally. "You''re right. I should." His eyes met mine then. "Any tips on what not to do?"


    Oh, hell. I had to give rtionship advice too?


    ¡°Uhmm, just don''t speak to her like she''s a child. Make her feel like an adult capable of making her own decisions and a person who understands what she wants."


    A small smile spread on his face. "You''re very good at this, you know."


    "Well, I surprised myself on this one." I replied, and heughed; I couldn''t help but join in.

 Claim Me 600

    Chapter Two Hundred and Eleven


    **BETA PHIL''S POV**


    EARLIER... (MATE BALL)


    I wasn''t born into any of the ''noble'' bloodlines. None of my ancestors had ever been part of the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma ns, so I never thought I could ascend to such a position. But if my mother were alive today, she would wear that same warm smile-the one that said, ''I told you so.'' She had believed in me, even in times when I didn''t share that belief.


    Pack members stepped forward to congratte me. I couldn''t recall thest time I had felt this happy.


    Then, I caught the scent.


    Many years ago, I would have been overjoyed; many years ago, the thought of finding my mate-my other half- consumed me. But those prime years were gone, and now I saw how people were overly obsessed with the ideology of having mates. We didn''t need mates to beplete; it was all a matter of the mind. I never needed one.


    So why now?


    Why now when everything was finally falling into ce?


    Abandoning my half-drunk ss of champagne, I rose and followed the scent. That''s when I saw her. She had alsoe to a stop, and then our eyes met.


    She wore a ck top and an equally ck skirt, with fis tights beneath and ck shoes to match. Her skin was naturally pale, but I could tell the whiteness of her face was enhanced by makeup. Her eyes were painted ck, and she had multiple piercings-on her nose, lips, eyelids, ears, and even her belly button.


    I never considered any of that as ''good looking'', but this time, I could almost overlook it. Her dark brown eyes were huge and sad. She could pass for seventeen, but of course, she had to be eighteen to find her mate.


    Then she took a step forward. I turned around and walked away.


    *Present*


    I still think about it.


    How she would have felt when I walked away.


    I took the Luna''s advice, and the next day, I set off for the Riverdale Pack. They were a small pack, not too far from the Nightshade pack. I informed Alexander of my whereabouts, but he had no idea what I was going for. Perhaps Kaida had already told him about my mate, but he hadn''t asked why I was visiting the pack. Now, I stood before the small cottage where Selene Ashford, my mate, lived.


    I walked up the front steps and knocked once. The sound of approaching footsteps told me someone wasing.


    A woman, appearing to be in herte thirties, stood by the door. She had ck hair, just like Selene''s, but her eyes were a golden-brown.


    "I''m Philip Dawson." I introduced myself, and immediately her eyes lit up in recognition.


    "Yes, of course you are. And I''m Reba Ashford. Selene''s mother." She introduced. "Pleasee in."


    I walked into the small cottage, which I could barely fit in.


    "Selene, you have a visitor. It''s Beta Phillip," Reba called out. "She''ll be out in


    a few minutes. In the


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eleve


    meantime, get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" she asked and I was about to turn her down but thought better


    of it.


    "Coffee would do. Thank you.''


    "I''ll get it right away. Please, make yourself at home," she said before walking away.


    I took a seat on the small, worn-out couch. When she entered, it wasn''t Reba who returned with the cup of coffee.


    Selene walked forward, and once again, I found it hard to look away.


    Today, she lookedpletely different. All the rings were gone; she''d cut her hair, and now it stopped just beneath her jaw. Her face was bare of makeup, and she wore a bright yellow dress with flowery designs. She looked even more beautiful, and I couldn''t deny how dangerously attractive she was.


    "I didn''t know how you liked your coffee, so I prepared it the way I''d prepare mine,¡± she said with a small smile. Her voice was soft, perfectly fitting her angelic face.


    I epted the coffee with a ''thanks'' and took a sip. ''It''s perfect,'' I said, and she smiled wider.


    "I''m d you like it," she said.


    "Can I ask a question?"


    "Of course." She said it with that beautiful soft voice.


    "How old are you?" I asked, hoping it didn''t sound rude or too forward. She didn''t seem bothered.


    "I''m neen."


    Neen. A year older than I''d thought. But still, not old enough.


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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twei?e Chapter Two Hundred and Twelve.


    "You look younger," 1 remarked.


    "I get that a lot." She responded.


    I nced around the house, taking in the pictures. It seemed Selene was an only child-just like I was. In one of the photos, her mother had her arms around a man with curly blonde hair. I assumed he was Selene''s father.


    Older photographs crowded the walls. Her voice drew my attention away from my inspection.


    "I''m sorry about...st time."


    "What?"


    "The rings and all ck must have scared you off.''


    While I thought she looked better without all


    that hadn''t been the reason I walked away.


    "No, it''s not that. I just hadn''t expected you to be so... young."


    "Oh." She said, and at that moment, Reba Ashford walked in.


    "If you need anything else, all you have to do is say," she said with a smile.


    "Actually, I''d like to speak to you. Alone," I replied. I didn''t miss the brief flicker of disappointment that crossed Selene''s face. "It''ll just be a few minutes," I added.


    "Of course." Reba said and nodded to Selene, who rose and walked away, probably back to her room.


    I hated that I already missed her presence.


    "I was hoping to speak to you and Mr. Ashford," I said.


    From the sadness in her eyes, I knew I''d made a slip. I should have dug deeper into Selene''s file, but I hadn''t wanted to invade her privacy. The fact that I had ess to her information didn''t give me the right to read it, so I had only picked out her name and address.


    "My husband died six years ago." She said,


    "I''m sorry, I wasn''t aware."


    "Of course, it''spletely fine."


    I could tell his death had affected her; her eyes betrayed it. I might have been six years, but she wasn''t over it. I couldn''t help but wonder how little Selene had been able to cope with the loss of her father.


    "She told me, you know. She told me you were her mate," Reba said. I tensed but quickly masked it.


    "I know what you must think about it, and I understand. I don''t n on iming her."


    "You can''t reject her," Reba said, her words catching me off guard.


    "I thought you wouldn''t want your daughter dating someone much older." Twenty- one years older, actually.


    "What I want it doesn''t matter. What matters is her happiness. Since she met you, she''s... changed. When her father passed, it was hard on her. She took her grief to a different level. She shut herself off from friends, her cousins-everyone. Everything changed; it''s like she doesn''t want anyone getting close to her. I even had to force her to go to the mate ball."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twei?e


    That exins why she''d arrivedte.


    "But then she met you, and you''re all she talks about. She''s taken off all those rings she''d loved so much and had not worn the color ck since then. I knew that whoever had that impact on her was the one meant for her. You changed her, and I believe you can make her happy."


    "She''s only a child. I don''t want her to miss out on her youth; she deserves better."


    ¡°I''m not a child.¡± The voice belonging to Selene called, and I was immediately reminded of Kaida''s advice.


    "I''m sorry. You''re not. But you might not understand this until you''re a little older."


    "How I feel right now won''t change.¡± Says Selene. "I like you a lot, and I would learn to be a woman just to be with you. This is what I want."


    I stared at the bold, confident woman standing before me, and I realized something: I couldn''t do it; I couldn''t let her go.


    I had been silent for way too long.


    "I kind of guessed you were going to reject me, and it''s fine, but I wanted you to know how I felt before it happened." She said it, trying to put on a brave face, but I could see the fear in her eyes.


    ¡°I won''t reject you.¡± I said, rising to my feet and walking to her. I took her tiny, soft hands in mine. ¡°I''ll take care of you and make sure you''re safe, but nothing more will happen for now. I''ll give you two years to live and enjoy your youthful years, two years to decide if this is what you really want. If, after that, you still want this, I''ll be waiting."


    In two years, she would be twenty-one. Old enough.


    She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it back, and then she nodded. "Two years and we would be together. Forever."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Thursen

 Claim Me 602

    Chapter Two Hundred and Thirteen


    KAIDA''S POV


    I walked into Alexander''s office.


    "On a scale of one to ten, how busy are you?" I asked.


    "I''ll always have time for you, Kaida," he said, shutting the file and setting it aside, giving me his full attention. I couldn''t help but smile at that.


    "I wanted to ask about Austin."


    "Seriously, Kaida? Here I was thinking this was your way of inviting me to sex."


    I stared at him. "We just did that a few minutes ago!"


    He shrugged. "That was in the bedroom. Heard office sex hits different."


    I stared at his table. It would be sexy to watch him clear off that table and ce me right...


    Austin. I was here to talk about Austin.


    "So. What about Austin?"


    "I want to know more about him."


    Alexander cocked his brow at me, surprise-flickering in his gaze.


    "You want to know more about him?" he repeated.


    I realized I hadn''t exactly phrased that the best way.


    "I just feel like I don''t know


    enough about the people around me. Like I never knew Phil didn''t have a mate until he told me he found his mate at the ball." I paused, unsure if Phil would want me sharing that, but Alexander was my mate-and his Alpha.


    If Alexander hadn''t heard the news about Phil, he didn''t let on.


    "Well, Austin is mated. His mate, Ruth, is a healer in the Winter Pack."


    "Why didn''t shee to stay with him here, in the Nightshade Pack?"


    "She loves her job, but more than that, she also loves her pack. She wasn''t willing to let go of that yet."


    "Not even for her mate?" I asked.


    "She wanted him there, by her side, but he couldn''t leave either. So, it''s only fair.¡±


    I nodded in agreement.


    "You see, I''m supposed to know things like that. What kind of Luna does that make me if I don''t even know anything about the people close to me?"


    "If it helps, many don''t know about this either.


    But why are you worrying about all of these now?" he asked-of course, Alexander hardly missed anything.


    "Because I keep wondering if Cynthia''s right. Maybe I''m just a self-centered bitch."


    "Cynthia''s words aren''t something you should be worried about, don''t you think?"


    Chapter Two hundred and ThirlSen


    "I know. But it just feels like she is right. I mean, most of the time-"


    My sentence was cut off by the sharp rap on the door. I walked over, pulling it


    open, and there stood a soldier. "Luna. Alpha. I think there''s something you need to see."


    The soldier led us to the pack''s square, where many members had already gathered.


    They parted like the Red Sea for Alexander to walk through and then...


    I saw it. Keith''s body hung from one of the poles.


    "How did this happen?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    "He did this to himself, Luna. Took his own life." The soldier''s words hit me like a


    blow, and I couldn''t breathe. My throat felt like it was closing in.


    "Kaida, are you alright?"


    I couldn''t say a word. Without thinking, I turned and ran. Alexander was right behind me.


    "Kaida..."


    "It''s my fault."


    "What do you mean it''s your fault?"


    "He came to speak to me; he wanted to apologize. I sent him away. He had been


    feeling guilty, and he came to


    away." plead for mercy, and I sent him


    "Kaida, this is not your fault."


    "Stop defending me. I am the reason he''s dead. If I had forgiven him, if I had at least spoken to him, none of this would have happened."


    "You didn''t owe him anything, not after what he did. If he chose to end his life, that was his decision, and it''s in no way your fault." Alexander tucked a rogue strand of hair behind my ear.


    "What are we going to do?" I asked, unable to keep the slight trembling away from my voice.


    "First, we take him down from there, then we give him a befitting burial.¡± He said, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "You don''t have to go back with me, you know."


    "I know. But I want to be there."


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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen


    ALIYAH''S POV


    With each passing day, I began to doubt everything I had once believed. I knew what the Empresses wanted-at least that was clear-but Daemon? I wasn''t sure about anything anymore. Had everything he''d done for me been part of some maniption scheme? Had he been trying to deceive me all over again?


    If he''d really loved me, he should have taken me away from this ce by now. But he was nowhere to be found. And as the days dragged on, I felt myself breaking apart-losing faith in him. Had he ever truly loved me?


    And then there was the urge. I think about it every second that passes-the feeling of being bitten. I had been warned; I knew the consequences. I''d seen what happened to Tasha, how she''d gone mad, willing to do anything for a single bite. And yet, I let it happen. Now, I might have to face the consequences.


    The door to my room creaks open, snapping me out of my thoughts. Julia walks in-and of course, still no food.


    "You stink," she said, nose scrunched up in what I assumed was disgust.


    Okay, maybe I''ve missed a few days of bathing.


    She walked to me. "That''s it, young girl. You will be taking your bath now."


    She practically dragged me into the washroom, and shes of how she''d assaulted me in the past flickered through my mind. I remembered how Daemon once said Julia would nevery a hand on me-he''d make sure of that. I guess my mistake was believing the words of the Demon Overlord.


    I didn''t want to take off my clothes in front of her, but I knew it was either I do it, or she would do it for me. So, I removed them, and that''s when I remembered something I had forgotten-the bite marks.


    I almost heard her hold her breath, then she shook her head and let out a hystericalugh.


    "I must say, I may have underestimated you. It seems no amount of coverage can keep a sinner from sinning."


    I didn''t have a response for that. I simply walked into the bathtub.


    "How long?" she asked. "And how many times?"


    "I don''t know. I can''t remember."


    "How could you let him do this to you?" she asked.


    I thought about what Ash had said about my blood and how it made him stronger.


    For the first time, I wondered if he''d been partly right. Daemon knew he didn''t need to ask me; he knew I would offer my life if it came to that- and he could have used that against me.


    I didn''t think Julia cared about me, but her question had struck a nerve. I didn''t give her an answer, and her lips


    curled into a scowl.


    "If I were you, I''d be trying to stay on my good side if you don''t n on starving to death."


    "Except I know you won''t kill me, so I''ll live."


    "Wash up. It''s time to meet the council." She said before walking away and, thankfully, leaving me alone to my thoughts.


    By the ''council'', she meant the other empresses and, of course, high regents.


    I stepped out of the bathtub, quickly putting on a robe before heading back to my


    room.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen.


    A scream escaped my lips when I saw the old woman sitting on my couch. My heart raced, and my mind seemed to be working in slow mode.


    "Silence." she hissed, "No one can know I''m here."


    I pressed my palm over my mouth, trying to suppress the scream. I recognized her. She was the fortune teller Daemon and I had visited to get a reading.


    My heart did a flip when I realized why she was here.


    "He sent you here, didn''t he?" I asked, a small smile spreading on my lips.


    "I was indeed sent here, but I fear it is not by the one you think."


    "Then who sent you?" I pushed.


    "First, I need to get you out of here." She said, walking to me.


    "How would you do that?"


    "Take my hands." She instructed, and I hesitated for a few seconds before I ced my hands in hers.


    And then she began chanting. Nothing changed-at least that''s what I thought, but when she pulled her hands away, we were back in her hut.


    I knew demons could ''shift,'' and some of the Empresses could do the same, but fortune tellers shouldn''t have that ability.


    I looked up at the old woman. "What are you?"


    She smiled, exposing those yellow teeth. "I am more than your average fortune teller."


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    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifteen


    Still in shock, I didn''t realize there was another person in the hut until he spoke.


    ¡°Aliyah,¡± Ash called as he walked toward me, his eyes scanning me as if checking for injuries. I was in a robe, my hair still wet, but the only visible scars were the healing bite marks on my neck. I quickly hid them with my hair, but of course, he had already seen them.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''te


    abo


    he said genuinely.


    "There''s nothing to be sorry at least you came," I said, relieved to be away from the castle. My gaze returned to the old woman, who stood there watching us. I couldn''t help but find her a little creepy. Today, she had ck tribal markings painted on her face,


    "She''s a witch," Ash said.


    "I thought she was just a fortune teller."


    "Thankfully, she''s not."


    "How do you know her?" I questioned.


    "Well, it''s a long story, but I''ve known Agatha for a while."


    He knew her name?


    "Just keep in mind, I won''t be doing you any more favors, wolf boy."


    Wolf boy?


    "Understood and thank you."


    "You were right, you know. About the big change, about the part of falling in love and... the pain. You were right about Dea-Trian''s darkness too."


    She smiled. "You didn''t actually believe I read you, did you?" she asked and then chuckled. The sound was a bit off-putting. "There''s no such thing as fortune tellers. No one can tell the future."


    "But


    "I just made some easy guesses.


    I knew the man was different from the moment I met him. When I touched him, I felt his power. I could tell he was powerful, and given that he had taken such a lowly position as a soldier, it was clear he had ulterior motives- ones that involved you. It was obvious those motives would lead to a huge change, probably one you were practically dying for. The part about falling in love? That was easy to guess too. I could tell by the way you looked at him, and the way he looked at you."


    I was about to tell her that there was nothing in the way Daemon looked at me, but I decided against speaking on


    1. it.


    "I also knew loving him would only lead to more pain because falling in love with a man like him was... dangerous."


    "You also mentioned something too, about me meeting an old friend...''


    35


    My words trailed off. The old friend she referred to had been Ash-Ash, whom she


    had known. It had all really been a guess.


    Daemon had been right about fortune tellers; they were mostly liars.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Fifteen


    "If you''re not a fortune teller, then why deceive people?"


    "As a witch, I can read more about people than most, but more importantly, I need the money," she said with a shrug, clearly done with the conversation. I would have liked to ask why she hadn''t warned me when she discovered that Trian was hiding something, but then again, she might have been trying to protect herself. If keeping silent meant staying out of anyplications, then that was already an answer to my question.


    "We need to go now." Ash said to me.


    "The moment I step out of here, people will recognize me.


    "That''s why I''ll be putting a spell on you," Agatha said. She picked up a jar, poured


    the contents into her hand-dried, ground-up grass-and then muttered more foreign words before blowing the contents of her palm straight


    at me.


    Just like every other time she did her ''magic'', I didn''t feel any different.


    "Was that supposed to do something?"


    "Yeah, she kind of looks the same," Ash added.


    "That''s because you''re actually looking. But to anyone else, she would look like a stranger," Agatha exined. Now, leave-both of you. And I expect my payment soon, wolf boy."


    "Of course." Ash said before leading me out of the hut.


    "Do you think it actually worked?" I asked him.


    7


    "Well, we''ll have to find out, but I think we need to get you into more appropriate clothes," Ash said.


    ((


    I was now in a in brown gown, nothing too eye-catching-the n was to blend


    in.


    We walked through the city, heading toward the gates. A couple passed us, but none of them spared us a nce. Another group of friends walked past, and this time, I shielded my face with my hair. They didn''t seem bothered by my unnatural silver hair-maybe that was because to them, it wasn''t silver at all.


    The spell had worked.


    From the smile on Ash''s face, he had the very same thought on his mind.


    "How long do you think this can hold for?"


    "Usually the concealment spell onlysts for a few hours. We have to be far from here when ites off."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixten


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen.

 Claim Me 605

    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixten


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen.


    "It''s not much, but it should do," Ash said, referring to the worn-out dark red car. I didn''t care what vehicle we used, as long as it got us out of the city.


    I opened the door and slid into the shotgun seat. Ash walked around the car and took the driver''s seat. The car was big enough tofortably fit five people.


    Ash reversed and then drove through the busy city streets. I couldn''t help but worry what if the spell had worn off?


    By the time we reached the city gates, I was beside myself with anxiety.


    "Aliyah, the only reason we''d get caught is if you make it look too suspicious," he warned, and I tried to calm him.


    We stopped in front of the soldiers. There hadn''t been this many thest time Daemon and I left this ce.. Perhaps security had been tightened since then-it made sense, but as of now, it wasn''t exactly working in our favor.


    A single soldier stepped forward and peered into the car. I kept my hair down, hoping it helped with the disguise. "I''m on an errand for the Empress," Ash said, and I couldn''t help but wonder why he had to use that excuse. He could''ve just said we were travelers or something simpler, something that wouldn''t draw as much attention to us. The soldiers gave him another nce before nodding, their expression passive, as though they had done this with him before.


    "Who is the girl?" the soldier questioned, and my heart thudded in my chest. I managed to steady myself. If he was asking who I was, then the spell was still very much active.


    "I''m Tasha," I said, the first name that came to my mind. I couldn''t help but feel a pang of guilt for using the name of the girl who had died because of me.


    "She your girl?" the soldier asked, smirking. Ash returned the smirk easily. The soldier patted the roof of the old car before stepping back, allowing us to pass through.


    Well, that was weird, but still, we got out, and that''s all that matters.


    "I can''t believe this worked!"


    Ash smiled. "For a moment there, I worried it wouldn''t."


    "Now all we have to do is return to Daemon. I''m not sure where the house is, but luckily, you know."


    The smile had disappeared from Ash''s face.


    "We aren''t going back there."


    +


    "What? You have to take me back to him right now."


    "Are you even listening to yourself? I got you out of there, and I''m not nning on taking you back."


    There was a long-stretched silence.


    "What do you mean by ''you got me out of there?"


    I thought back to Julia''s visit. Daemon, who was hardly ever caught off guard, had been genuinely surprised that she had discovered the ce. He kept asking her how she found it, but she refused to answer, You''d expect her to brag about it, but she kept the secret to herself. I never bothered to ask how Ash knew I was in Aureonna City. I just assumed he''d found me the same way he discovered I was at Daemon''s ce. Then I remembered the


    Chapter Two Hundred and Sixten


    soldiers. He had told them he was on an errand for the Empress, and they had let him through without any questions.


    "You told her, didn''t you? You told Julia where I was and how to find me."


    I waited for him to deny it, but he didn''t. He stayed silent, and that made everything so much worse. I had thought I''d finally found a friend-Ash, my wolf friend-but now, it seemed he was no different from the others.


    "Stop the car."


    "No."


    "Stop the car!".


    "I can''t."


    "What do you intend to do? Kidnap me?"


    "You can''t even see that I''m trying to help."


    "Trying to help? Are you crazy? You gave me out to the people who wanted to kill


    me, and I''m supposed to be grateful for that?"


    "I was going to take you out of there before they hurt you.


    "And what if you were toote?"


    ¡°Aliyah, I couldn''t leave you with him. He was killing you slowly, and you were blind to it.''


    "Everyone is full of deceit; everyone is after their own personal gain."


    "Hypocritical of you to say that. I''m doing this to keep you away from him, to keep you alive-alive as in body, soul, and mind. You refuse to see that he''s no good for you. He chose an object over you. You''ll alwayse second to him, and even with that, you''re willing to return to him-the very same man who gave you up so easily."


    I couldn''t speak; I couldn''t say a word because he was right and it hurt. It hurt


    knowing that Daemon had given me away so easily.


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    Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen


    We drove inplete silence. I didn''t know where he was taking me to, but I didn''t care to ask.


    "Aliyah, I''m sorry," Ash says, sparing a nce at me. "It was dangerous of me to tell the Empress your location. They could have killed you, and it would''ve been entirely my fault. But I couldn''t bear to do nothing-not when I knew what he does to you."


    I couldn''t look at him.


    "I''m really sorry, okay? I know I had no right to force all this on you." He tried again, but when I remained silent, he gave up.


    A few minutes passed in silence before I finally said, "You were right.¡±


    His eyes snapped to mine.


    "I shouldn''t have let him... feed from me. It was stupid. But after being locked in a castle and controlled for most of my life, I guess I craved something reckless- something fun. And maybe that''s what draws me to him." I looked away. "I know he''s dangerous, but I''ve spent my whole life being kept away from danger. I want to know what it feels like to abandon caution. I miss him... And I miss him feeding from me. I guess thetter is just a side effect."


    "It will pass. He hadn''t been feeding long enough to cause permanent damage.''


    I nodded, not knowing what exactly to say to that-and then he stopped the car.


    Both sides of the road were thick with forest, and the road itself stretched endlessly ahead.


    "Why are we stopping?"


    Ash stepped out of the car and walked around to let me out, but I was already climbing out.


    "There''s a stream nearby. I don''t know about you, but I need a bath.¡±


    He led the way, and I followed. We hiked into the forest. Thorns from the nts scraped my skin, and I stumbled more times than I could count, but eventually, we reached the stream. A small waterfall fed the pool.


    I stared at it in awe. It was beautiful. It reminded me a little of the Lake of Youth- the one Julia showed me. Not particrly because they looked simr, but because they both had that magical feel.


    Ash was already out of his shirt and pants and dove into the stream. When wet, his dirty blond hair looked closer to ck, making his golden eyes stand out even more.


    Without a second thought, I slipped off my dress and stepped into the water, surprised by its warmth. Then I realized he was watching me-our eyes met for a moment before he looked away, sinking deeper into the water to give me some privacy.


    A soft sound of satisfaction escaped my lips as I sank neck-deep into the stream. The water held a strange kind offort. I found myself chuckling... and then I paused.


    "Ash?"


    He hadn''t resurfaced.


    "Ash!" I called louder, panic creeping into my voice.


    Then suddenly-he appeared right in front of me. I gave him a small shove.


    "You scared me."


    ****


    Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen


    Heughed. "Sorry."


    Once again, our eyes met, and I was struck by a sudden feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It took only a split second to realize why. Daemon and I had done something simr. Strangely, having this moment with someone who wasn''t him- even if it was just two people having fun and taking a nice bath still felt weird.


    Ash must have noticed my difort because he quickly put some space between the two of us.


    "The water feels so... calming."


    "I''ve been here before; I think the same, and sometimes I wonder if it is magical."


    I smiled at the fact that we had thought the same thing, and that''s when we heard the sound from the woods.


    "What was that?" I asked.


    "Perhaps a wild animal," he suggested. "Come on, let''s get out of here."


    I took his hand, and he led me out of the stream, tossing me my dress. I quickly pulled it on as he got dressed.


    He walked beside me, protectively, his eyes scanning every part of the forest. Then, once again, he came to a stop.


    "What?" I asked.


    "Run. These aren''t wild animals."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Eighteen


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eighteen


    I couldn''t leave him behind, so I stood beside him. "I''m not leaving you here."


    He seemed about to argue but thought better of it. From the woods emerged five figures. Not people-I''d seen them before. The undead. Hellish, blind creatures, dead but somehow still alive.


    Without hesitation, Ash drew a gun I hadn''t realized he was carrying and fired. I pressed my hands to my ears in an attempt to block out the deafening sound, but it did no good. Soon, the five creatures were on the ground. They weren''t dead- the bullet in their heads didn''t kill them, but it was enough to buy us some time to escape.


    Ash was fast, but he had to slow down for my sake. I could hear the creatures pursuing us, closing in with each passing second. Of course, this was the moment I had to trip over a rock. I fell to the ground. One of the creatures grabbed hold of my leg, and I let out a scream. Ash pried it off me and somehow managed to toss the creature- roughly the size of a full-grown man-away.


    Soon, I spotted the clear road, and I had never been so happy to see the worn- out car. I made my way to it, and Ash followed. He started the car and drove off.


    "They''re spreading," Ash said. That was the very same thought on my mind. This wasn''t just an issue for Aureonna City. Soon, it would be a global problem. That had been what Julia had tried to exin to the Alpha King, but he hadn''t understood how dangerous these creatures were.


    "Ash, you''re bleeding." I pointed out, and he looked down at his arm, only then noticing the bite mark. I hadn''t even realized when it had happened, and from the look on his face, neither had he. It must have been when he was prying one of the creatures off me.


    "You need treatment; it doesn''t look good."


    I didn''t think it was my imagination-the skin around the bite was turning a bit greenish, like it was infected.


    "I''ll be fine."


    "How do you know that?" I asked.


    "Because..." he pulled down his shirt to reveal the scar on his neck. I remembered when this had happened. It was around the time I''d left the castle on my own, simply because I was bored and jealous that Trian was away with Julia- at least, that''s what I had thought.


    I would have died if it hadn''t been Ash-in his wolf form-who held them off before Trian found me. But in the process, he''d gotten hurt. One of the flesh-eaters had bitten into his neck-I could still vividly remember his howl of pain.


    A wave of guilt washed over me. Ash was always there, trying to protect me. I couldn''t pay him back for everything, but the least I could do was be grateful. "I''m sorry." I said to him,


    "It''s fine," he said.


    "Does this hurt?" I asked, referring to the new injury.


    "Only now that I noticed it, but it''s nothing serious. It just feels a bit... weird."


    I cast a worried nce at him. I''d have to hope wherever we were heading was close; that wound needed to be treated.


    "Where are we going?" I finally asked.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Eightien


    "Somewhere safe," he replied, still giving nothing away. Then he nced at me. "Are you hurt?"


    ¡°Ash, you should be more worried about yourself. I''m fine, I assured him, and he nodded, content. Finally, the car slowed as we turned onto the pathway leading to a two-story building. It came to a stop in front of the house an average-looking ce.


    "Aliya, one more thing," he said. "The people living here might not be very happy to see us, but it''s the only ce I can guarantee you''ll be safe." Without giving me a chance to respond, he got out of the car.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Neen


    Right before we reached the front yard, a man who looked to be in histe forties stepped outside, a hunter''s rifle in his hand, aimed directly at us.


    Ash instinctively ced his body right in front of mine to shield me.


    "Bruce. It''s me."


    The man didn''t lower the weapon for a long while, and I worried he might shoot. Just then, another woman stepped out. She seemed a few years older.


    "Bruce, put the gun down," she said, her tone affectionate. It was clear that they shared some kind of bond- either siblings or a couple.


    The man whose name I just realized was Bruce finally put down his weapon. He walked towards us.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked, furyced with his words.


    "I knew you told me not to return here, but I had to. This is the only ce she can be safe."


    Ash stepped aside to reveal me, and the man''s eyes met mine. But unlike the many lustful stares that usually fixated on my cleavage, he simply looked away. I wondered if the spell Agatha had put on me was still lingering. I usually got more than just a single nce from men.


    "She''s the chosen one, isn''t she?" He said.


    I hadn''t been called that in a while, and I didn''t really like the term, but I kept those thoughts to myself.


    Ash nodded to the man''s question.


    "And she is in danger."


    "So, you thought bringing her here and directing ''them'' to us was the best option."


    "They won''t be able to find this ce even if they tried. You are the greatest warlock alive."


    "And there''s a reason I''m still alive," he said, motioning toward me. "It''s because I stay out of this kind of thing."


    "Bruce, they are our guests," the woman said, before her eyes met mine. "I''m Kate, and this is my husband, Sebastian. Please forgive his rudeness."


    "It''s fine. I understand," I muttered, though I really didn''t. Ash kept repeating how this ce was ''safe,'' but if they didn''t want us here, why should we stay? At least the woman seemed a bit nicer.


    She led us to the house, where the front porch was decorated with flowers and nts growing in various pots.


    "I like growing them; they''ve be a part of my life." Kate exined to me.


    "They look very beautiful; you''ve done a marvelous job." I praised.


    The inside of the house was decorated with even more flowers, but other than that, it was simple, with basic furniture. Nothing too much.


    On the wall I noticed a picture; the young woman in the picture was simr to the one Julia had shown me a few years back.


    "Is that..."


    "Riley. Yes, it is." Kate said. Her eyes grew sad.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Neen


    I looked at her, really looked at her, and then I saw the resemnce. "You''re her parents?" I asked, and Kate shot a nce at Bruce before nodding.


    "She was my daughter. Our child."


    This could only mean one thing. They were grandparents to the werewolf king, Alpha Ethan Alexander.


    Even the empresses didn''t have much information on them they had just... disappeared. I couldn''t help but wonder what they were doing so far away. I had also heard how the Alpha King had to take on responsibilities at a young age, yet I wondered why they had stayed away all those years. It just didn''t make sense.


    I had the feeling that Kate could read the judgment in my gaze, but she said nothing. I didn''t think asking was the right thing to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself.


    "Remember when I told you about the warlock who cast a spell on me to turn me into a wolf?" he asked, probably to enlighten me-or maybe to lighten the mood. "Bruce was the one who helped me."


    I couldn''t believe it. The man was a warlock. Perhaps that exins why he seemed young, even if I had no doubt he was much older than he looked.


    "Wow, I''ve never met a warlock before."


    "Not many still live." Bruce answered, before his gaze shifted to Ash. "We need to talk." He said and Ash nodded, already expecting that. The two men walked into one of the rooms.


    "I''m sure you''re famished. I''ll make you both some soup," Kate said.


    "That would be nice. Thank you." I said to the woman who smiled warmly. She seemed so kind, and I couldn''t understand what had happened between her and her grandson that had thrown them so far apart.


    "I told you I didn''t want any trouble, and you bring it right to my front door?" Bruce''s voice questioned. "You know I wouldn''t be here if it weren''t of dire importance. She has to be kept safe."


    There was a long-stretched silence before the man asked. "How long would she be here?"


    "I don''t know."


    The rest of their conversation was too quiet for my ears to catch, and after a moment, they both walked out of the and I room, just as Kate entered with a tray in her hands. Two bowls of soup sat on the tray. She passed one to me, said a ''thank you'' before she passed the next to Ash, who gave her a small, appreciative smile in return.


    "This smells nice," I said, taking a taste. Once again, I was reminded of Daemon and his excellent cooking. "And very delicious too."


    "Hmmm," Ash agreed.


    Of course, the thought of the food being poisoned crossed my mind, but something told me that if they wanted us dead, we would have been long gone by


    now.


    "You''re injured," Kate noted, her gaze fixed on Ash''s arm.


    "We were attacked on the way. By flesh eaters," I exined


    "It''s infected," Kate said, but Ash shook his head.


    "It''s going to be fine."


    "No, it won''t." This time it was Bruce who had spoken.


    Chapter Two Hundred and Neen


    "I''d been bitten before. It healed quite quickly." Ash exined, not liking the attention.


    "But this was done by an older one. The older ones are stronger and much more dangerous. Their bites don''t just heal easily... they carry a venom that, if not removed, will spread."


    I had known from the moment I saw it that it wasn''t normal. A wave of fear


    washed over me at the realization that I was right.


    "How do you take the venom out?" I asked.


    "There aren''t many known ways. Amputation can work."


    "You mean we have to cut off his arm?" I asked, and he nodded. "Or the venom


    can be extracted by someone strong enough to hold it in."


    "I don''t understand."


    "The venom kills werewolves-no one is spared. But I wonder what it does to demons. I mean, they''re already dead creatures. Still, I don''t think any of them would be willing to try and find out."


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 Claim Me 609

    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    KADIA''S POV


    It was alreadyte at night. I''d spent the hours patrolling alongside Alexander. Well, we''d done a little more than just patrolling.


    A slow smile curled my lips at the memory of Alexander taking me right there on the hard forest ground.


    "We''re supposed to be watching over the pack borders," I''d reminded him as he kissed me.


    "I''m still very much alert. I think I can do both at a time," he''d replied.


    I now had dirt, crumpled leaves, and a few stubborn twigs tangled in my hair. Alexander didn''t look much better, but he still managed to pull off that rough, roguish charm that made my stomach flutter.


    We walked to our apartment together, stopping in front of the door.


    "Keep looking at me like that," he said with a grin, "and we won''t be sleeping much tonight."


    "I''m not staring," I lied, immediately looking away with a blush creeping on my cheeks.


    He smiled. "You can stare all you want, baby. I''m all yours.


    His words stirred butterflies in my stomach. Maybe it really was going to be a long night-because thest thing I wanted to do was sleep.


    But the second Alexander opened the door, he went still, his smirk disappearing like it had never been there. I looked past him into the room, trying to see what had thrown him off. Everything looked normal-except for a single sheet of paper sitting on the table.


    "Someone''s been here," he said.


    "Are you sure?"


    He walked in, and I followed.


    "Cynthia. She must have been the one. Damn, I should''ve killed the bitch when I had the chance."


    I picked up the letter from the table. This hadn''t been here before, and the paper had a strange texture-one that told me it didn''te from this pack.


    ''It''s time to y your part as agreed, Kaida.''


    C.''


    Alexander walked over to me; he stared at the letter, and his hands balled into a fist.


    "I''ll find her, and I''ll kill her," he promised as he headed for the door. I followed after him.


    "What, are you nning to march into Aureonna City and kill her?"


    "Yes."


    "Alexander, you can''t do that. What if you get hurt?¡±


    "I won''t sit here and watch her send you threat notes. She has the power to manipte your mind, just as she had


    +28 BONUS


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    done before. I cannot let her vite you in that manner ever again."


    "I would listen to the girl if I were you." A new voice said.


    The woman stood by the balcony. How long had she been there?


    "I just arrived." She said, answering a question I never voiced.


    I''d never seen this woman before, but my body knew something was off every muscle locked, ready to react.


    Alexander stared at her, recognition slowly settling in his eyes.


    "Jade."


    He spoke her name, and I nced up at him. Did he know her?


    "Ethan. You called for me."


    "I didn''t call for you," Alexander replied. "And I go by Alexander now."


    "Who is she?" I asked, watching as Alexander''s gaze dropped to mine.


    His voice was quiet, guarded. "She''s a sorceress. I''ve seen her before. My mother... showed me."


    "I''m d Riley introduced us. It would have been a bigger problem having to do that and, at the same time, exin what I''m doing here."


    "You still have to exin what you''re doing here. I didn''t call for you. I didn''t even know you were still alive."


    "Not consciously then, but you reached out for help."


    Alexander frowned. "Help? How exactly do you n to help me?"


    "You tell me you''re the one who called."


    Alexander opened his mouth, as if to tell her again that he hadn''t called for her, but then seemed to reconsider. Do you know where I can find the Demon Overlord?"


    "You mean your half-brother?"


    Alexander and I exchanged a nce. Only a few knew who the Demon Overlord was, and even then, it wasn''t a confirmed truth. We had no real proof, just Sebastian Bruce''s word.


    "You seem to know a lot of things; I can''t help but wonder where you''ve been all these years."


    "Living my life, any other questions?"


    "So, can you track him?" Alexander questioned.


    "I could try summoning him, but if he doesn''t respond to the call, it won''t work.''


    "When do you begin?" Alexander asked.


    "Right now." She unstrapped the odd bag made of animal skin from her shoulders and set it down. From it, she pulled out a jar filled with a whitish substance.


    "What is that?" I asked.


    "Summoning powder-well, that''s the name I gave it." she said. "Could you shut the windows?"


    Alexander did as she asked, and Jade set to work. She used the whitish powder to draw a circle on the floor, then, with the same powder, carefully added a star- shaped drawing inside it.


    4


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty


    "Do you trust her?" I asked Alexander because this woman had practically out of nowhere.


    "No. But my mother had. Still, many years had passed; she could have changed." "You know I can hear you guys." Jade called out. "And trustine, I''m counting the seconds till I leave."


    When she finished the drawing, she rose, admiring her work. She had used the whitish powder to expertly create what I believed to be a summoning circle.


    "Ignis," she whispered, and the circle immediately caught fire.


    Alexander pulled me back, shielding me with his body.


    "Te invoco, princeps daemoniorum," she repeated the phrase over and over, and each word seemed to fuel the fire. It grew higher and higher, and I feared it might set our room aze. But then, just as quickly, the fire seized, and a smoky figure appeared before us.


    He had pure ck wings, and his hair matched the darkness of his wings. His eyes shone a piercing blue.


    "Hello, Brother."

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One


    DAEMON''S POV


    Earlier...


    I stood before the house I had set aze, watching as it burned to the ground.


    I was a fool to believe I could ever have a silent life. Part of the had craved that kind of peace, while another part longed for more-wanting to rule and, at the same time, have the girl I loved by my side. I wanted both, and that was the problem: I could only choose one.


    I picked wrong.


    I stared at the amulet, the only thing I had retrieved from the house I had set on fire.


    I had promised to protect her; I had promised to keep her safe and away from harm''s way, and I failed. The moment she was taken, I returned to the castle to find her, but the empresses weren''t as unwise as they had been before. They had found the strongest witches and sorceresses to cast a spell on the castle, preventing my entry. The spell was strong enough to serve its purpose, but it must''ve drained those who had cast it. They would need months to recover.


    But like every spell, it would fade eventually, and that would be my chance to save her. The question was: how long would it take? A few weeks? A few months?


    The empresses wouldn''t keep her alive that long.


    I couldn''t contain the mes; everything I touched, I burned to the ground.


    I could only imagine the surprise on her face when I left her open and vulnerable to go after the amulet that had the power to strip me of my title. Hours passed, and I wondered what was happening to her at this moment. Was she starving? Being beaten or vited by Julia? The thought alone was too much to bear. This was my fault, all my fault.


    I clenched the amulet in my hands. If I were indeed a good person, I would toss the jewel into the middle of the sea and be done with it, yet I still held on to it.


    I felt the presence behind me but refused to turn around.


    "Reid," I called. I didn''t need to look to know it was him-one of the oldest of demons alive.


    "Overlord. You don''t seem to be in a very good mood."


    "I''m d you noticed, just so you could keep whatever you have to say to yourself."


    "You lost her. I know that. But I''m not here to talk down to you or judge your actions."


    I turned to face him. "Then why are you here, Reid? To try and kill me?"


    "I know the n was to kill the girl, but you didn''t follow through. Perhaps I was wrong-maybe she''s more useful alive than dead.".


    "Well, she''s gone now and out of my reach, so you might want to reconsider your ns."


    Reid''s eyes trailed down to the amulet, and I could see the greed there. It was part of our nature as demons. Greed and lust for more power-we always want more, and that had been the very same reason I still held onto the


    amulet.


    "I am here to know when you n on returning to your kingdom."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One


    "I will when I''m done with all I need to, but for now, don''t expect me back anytime soon."


    "I want you to know that you always have my support." Reid said, and I nodded, even if I knew that was a lie. Demons supported the winning side. If they thought him a failure, they would be off to find themselves someone more fit to rule.


    Reid disappeared into thin air.


    That''s when I heard the whispers.


    Someone was calling to me. Summoning me.


    I should ignore the call, but for some reason, I didn''t. And so, I responded.

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    Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Two


    PRESENT.


    1 pulled my wings back, making them vanish as I stepped out of the circle.


    "Hello, Brother," I said to the Alpha King, my half-brother


    He saw me as a threat, of course, and he was right to. My gaze shifted to the second figure in the room-Jade.


    "An old bat who just refuses to die. You''re tough, I''ll give you that.¡±


    Jade''s eyes shot daggers at him. "I haven''t forgotten you stole from me."


    "It was never yours to keep." I responded.


    Many years ago, I had taken the amulet from her possession, cementing my ce as the Demon Overlord.


    "This is not over," she said, pointing a crooked hand at me before turning to Ethan-or as he preferred to be called, Alexander.


    "I''ve done as you asked. Just so you know, I might not be avable if you reach out again," she added, then turned and walked toward the balcony. She pushed open the windows and leaped down.


    The werewolf queen gasped, walking to the railing to look below, and a bird flew up, its eyes the same color as Jade''s. It was no surprise the sorceresses had learned a few new tricks.


    "Farewell, Jade," I whispered, and the bird red at me with piercing eyes before soaring into the sky.


    "Wow," Kaida said before stepping back to stand by Alexander''s side.


    "You know, I get what you see in her. She''s hot." I said to Alexander, smirking. I could tell he was doing his best to stay calm and controlled. "I''m even more surprised you recognized me; maybe it has something to do with the brotherly bond we share."


    "No. When I met with Riley, she showed me a bit of her past, and that''s when I saw you."


    I paused. "Riley?" I asked, my heart-if I even had one-stilled.


    "Yes. Your mother. My mother."


    "She came to you? How?"


    "Not exactly her, but her ghost-I think."


    A small flicker of jealousy stirred within me, a sharp anger that she had visited him and not me. All those years, I had been consumed by rage over her death, but of course, she''d visit her son, not the bastard who had be obsessed with his own mother.


    "I guess I''m here because you want something. But don''t think for a second I''ll hand out favors just because we''re partially rted."


    "I know that, Daemon. That''s why we''ll make a deal. I have plenty to offer, but I only need one thing in excha


    "This is getting interesting," I said, a n already beginning to form in my mind. Alexander hesitated; of course he knew that a demon wasn''t one to trust. The fact that he was taking his chances meant he was truly in need, and I nned to use that against him.


    "I think I''ve heard a few rumors about demons being able to control another''s mind."


    Chapter Two Hundred and Twerky Two


    "The minds of humans, I can prod. But creatures higher than them... they''re difficult to control, and I''m better than most demons."


    Not just difficult, but nearly impossible. Thest time I had tried, my victim had lost some of his memories. The mind wasplicated, and only a few had truly mastered the art.


    "What are you doing?" Kaida asked Alexander, clearly unaware of his ns


    "If there was a way to lock her out of your head, I''ll take it,


    "I''m guessing you''re referring to Cynthia."


    Two pairs of eyesnded on me. Before they could ask how I knew, I spoke. "I don''t know what your personal differences with the Empress are but I figured you were the mysterious person who shot her on the day of the Great Encounter. Of course, she woulde after you. She''s also one of the few I know who has mastered the art of mind control. What I don''t understand is why you need me when you have the Alpha King here."


    "I don''t control minds." Alexander says.


    "You didn''t learn how to, probably because Thane didn''t have the time to teach you, but he possessed the skill. I don''t doubt you have that ability in you somewhere-you just need to learn how to use it."


    "And I guess you''ll be the one teaching me how to use this ability''?" Alexander asked.


    "Yes, but my services aren''t free. I need your help just as much as you need mine."


    "What do I have to do?"


    "The Empresses have someone I want. They''ve spelled the castle so I can''t get in, but you can."


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