Novels by mscot1864

Nadia's pov The room smelled of wine and musk, the lanterns casting a low amber glow against the walls. He lay sprawled across the bed, his shirt discarded carelessly on the floor, his back broad and scarred from old battles. His men laughed faintly outside the door, but the room itself was still, almost suffocating.“Take off the shawl too,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at me. His tone was smug, commanding, as though he were already certain I belonged to him.My stomach tightened. If I obeyed, he would see clearly the noble face painted across every wanted board and whisper through every tavern. One glimpse, and I would be dragged out like a prize to the slaughter.But I smiled instead. Slow. Dangerous.“Why rush, Alpha?” I purred, my voice soft as velvet. I let the shawl drape lazily over my shoulders, trailing down my arms. “Some things… are better left to the imagination.”I moved closer, letting my fingers trail across the ridges of his back. His body stiffened under my t

Varic's pov “Is Nadia back?” My voice came out hoarse, weaker than I intended.The maid lowered her gaze, shaking her head. “No, sir. If she were, I would have informed you immediately.”A heavy sigh escaped me. I tried to push myself up, but my limbs trembled, my strength threatening to give out. She rushed forward, slipping an arm beneath mine to steady me.“Stand back,” I rasped, shaking my head. “I have to do this myself.”Hesitantly, she obeyed, retreating just enough to hover at my side. My body protested every movement, my chest burning with every shallow breath, but I forced myself upright. The world swayed, spots clouding my vision, yet I did not yield. At last, I managed to sit, leaning forward as a cough tore through me, sharp and rattling.“Sorry, sir,” she whispered, quickly offering me a cup of water.I accepted it with shaking hands, sipping slowly until the dryness in my throat eased. I set the cup aside and nodded faintly. “Thank you.” A pause. “I need to have a meet

Nadia's pov The laughter roared through the tavern, bouncing off the wooden beams. Some slapped their knees, others banged their mugs on the tables, jeering and egging Garren on.Elara’s face drained of color, her hands curling into fists beneath the table. I could feel the heat of her panic pressing against me like a tide, but I didn’t let mine show. I straightened in my seat, every inch of me still and deliberate.Garren leaned back in his chair, spreading his arms lazily as though this was all a harmless game. His smile was slick, his eyes sharp. “Well? A healer so confident should have no problem tending to me. A simple ache in my back,” he said, his voice slow, taunting. “Surely that’s not beyond your skill, is it?”His men howled with laughter again, one of them shouting, “Careful, Chief, she might break you!” Another chimed in, “Or you’ll break her first!”Elara looked at me, her lips parting like she wanted to stop me, to drag me out of there before this spiral grew sharper t

Nadia pov The clatter of plates had hardly faded when Garren snapped his fingers. One of his men hurried over, and with a smug grin, Garren ordered, “Bring my finest wine. The oldest in the cellars. Tonight, I will drink with my… guests.”The word “guests” rolled off his tongue. His men cheered at the indulgence, then went back to their seats, leaving the three of us in the suffocating tension of our corner.Garren leaned forward, elbows on the table, his sharp gaze studying me as though he could peel away my skin and read what lay beneath. “Tell me,” he murmured, “where do two women like you come from, wandering into my city? You don’t look like traders. Or travelers.”Elara’s hand brushed mine under the table, a silent warning not to falter. I forced a calm smile, tilting my head ever so slightly. “We’re healers,” I said evenly. “From the northern borders. We move from settlement to settlement, selling herbs and salves. That’s all.”He narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. “Healers? Hm.”

Nadia's pov Garren snapped his fingers, and the waiter hurried back to the table like a trained dog.“Bring food. The best you’ve got for the two ladies,” he ordered, his gaze never leaving me.I lifted my hand, shaking my head. “That’s not necessary. We don’t need ”His smile hardened, the edges curling with warning. “No one rejects things from me.” His voice, though quiet, carried the weight of command. The bar had gone quieter now, ears straining, eyes glancing. Everyone knew who he was and what it meant to cross him.I lowered my hand slowly, narrowing my eyes, but said nothing.Satisfied, he turned to his men. “Go sit. Give us space.”They grumbled but obeyed, scraping chairs and shifting to the next table over, still watching us like vultures. Their laughter had died, but their stares burned holes in our backs, waiting for the show to unfold.Now only three of us remained at the table. Elara stiffened beside me, her hand brushing against mine under the table as if to remind me

Nadia's pov The bar was noisy and the men were talking loudly as they cheered and drank away. Till now we had not still drawn attention and that was pretty good but we didn't know how long that was going to last for. After a while, the waiter finally returned, balancing two cloudy glasses of water on a tray. He set them down with a polite nod, but his eyes lingered as though expecting something more.“Will you ladies be having anything else?” he pressed again, his tone careful, curious.Elara shook her head quickly. “Just water.”I hadn’t even touched the glass yet when the scrape of a chair against the floor behind us made my stomach knot. Heavy footsteps drew closer, and I didn’t need to look to know who it was.One of the werewolves from the boisterous table strolled over, that smug expression plastered across his face. I recognized his voice the one who had been so loud about splitting the bounty.“Well, well,” he drawled, dropping into the seat opposite me without invitation.