Nobela ni Eustoma Reyna

Althea’s throat was parched. Instinctively, she reached for the bottle on the table, uncorked it, and drank directly from it. Wine. She always kept it close because it was the only thing that ever helped her fall asleep when sleep refused to come.The alcohol wasn’t strong, but her tolerance was low. The burn hit her throat, seeped into her chest, and eased the tight grip of dread twisting in her gut. She drank again, needing just enough courage to do what the Alpha King asked of her.Gavriel observed her silently, his gaze calm and unreadable, like a predator patiently waiting for his prey to surrender.This wasn’t how she pictured her first intimacy with a man. Not like this... But her choice had long since been taken away from her.“I said strip, not get drunk,” he said, his voice low and sharp. “Or do you want me to do it?”His eyes gleamed with something dark… amusement, hunger, and danger. “If I do, I won’t be gentle. I’ll rip that dress off you without hesitation.”Althea tens

“I... I’m not sure," Althea lied, cursing her voice for trembling.His eyes narrowed as he moved closer, closing the gap gradually with slow, deliberate steps. She gulped nervously when he halted just inches away, close enough to feel his breath against her cheek.“What a terrible liar,” he murmured.Her lips parted, but no words came out. His scent of dark cedar, smoke, and something uniquely his was intoxicating and overwhelming. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she clenched her fists at her sides, trying to resist the strange, magnetic pull he had on her.He reached up, and she instinctively flinched. But instead of hitting, he softly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb skimming her cheek's soft skin. She inhaled sharply as her skin tingled from his touch. His fingers stayed a moment longer, causing a shiver to run down her spine."You feel it, don’t you?" His voice was barely above a whisper, but it rumbled through her like thunder."I don’t know what you’re ta

Althea turned at the sound of footsteps and saw a stunning woman standing in the doorway. Her shoulder-length blonde hair framed a striking face, but her sharp gaze swept over Althea from head to toe with open disdain. The fitted black and silver uniform clung to her form like armor, and the gleaming insignia over her chest marked her clearly as one of the Alpha King’s elite royal warriors.The woman didn’t bother hiding her glare. Her presence was commanding, confident, cold, and clearly not pleased to see Althea.‘This bitch. What does she have that made Gavriel let her into his bed? She’s just a weak hybrid. Sure, she’s pretty, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s not even a full-blooded wolf. I need to find a way to get rid of her. And fast.’Althea’s stomach twisted upon reading her thoughts, and her heart pounded against her ribs. The woman’s lips curved into a smile, polite but fake. “I am Cara Richmond, one of the Alpha King’s royal warriors. Allow me to escort you to

Althea bit her lower lip, fighting back the tears that welled in her eyes. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She never thought she’d feel this overwhelmed, especially standing so close to the brink of death.Her eyes accidentally locked with the king’s. In that brief moment, something inside her twisted. His gaze was cold, unreadable, like he was already weighing her life, deciding her worth.This man… he looked at her like she was nothing. Like she was property.And that made her blood boil.She had spent her entire life yearning to be free, and now? Now she was nothing but his breeder?It felt worse than death.“Take her back to her chamber,” he commanded as he turned his back on her.Althea didn’t resist when they came for her. She kept her eyes lowered.‘If only I could read the Alpha King’s mind,’ she thought bitterly. That would’ve made everything easier, she’d know exactly what he intended for her. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t read his thoughts.‘Why can

Althea stood frozen as all eyes turned to her.“Alpha Cain will be devastated if she dies!” Luna Meena suddenly shouted, her voice cracking with desperation. “Even if he’s in hiding, killing his favorite daughter will break him! She’s nothing, just a weak human born from a slave! No one will raise another rebellion for her death. But Alpha Cain? He’ll suffer. He cherishes that bastard more than anyone!”Luna Meena’s eyes burned with hatred as she spoke, but her trembling body betrayed her fear of the king who stood just a few feet away.Luna Meena was right, her death wouldn’t spark another rebellion. She was a nobody, born to a slave, unlike Luna Meena, who came from noble blood. Althea was just one of many daughters of the Alpha of the Southwest Territory of the Werewolf Realm, easily discarded, easily forgotten.Althea barely had time to react before she felt small hands grab her skirt. Her younger half-siblings, the twins, Liah and Seth, were clutching her sides like terrified pup

“Lock her up!”“No!” Althea’s voice cracked. Her legs buckled as two bulky guards dragged her down the hallway. “Please… don’t do this!”Her hands scraped against the stone floor, nails breaking as she fought to hold on to anything. But she was too weak. Too small. They yanked her like she weighed nothing.“Luna Meena! Please, I beg you!” Althea cried out toward the woman standing behind the guards. “Don’t leave me down there! I’ll do anything. I’ll stay out of your way. Just don’t lock me in that place!”But Luna Meena didn’t flinch. Her face was stone. She turned away. The heavy dungeon door slammed shut behind Althea. She collapsed to the floor, biting her lip hard as tears streamed down her face. She crawled into a corner, pulled her knees to her chest, and whispered to herself through trembling lips, “Everything will be alright, Althea.”But even she didn’t believe it.It wasn’t the first time she had been locked in the dungeon. But this time… it felt different.This time, her f