Novel-novel oleh Joseph Ibeh

The rain in Nocturna never stops. It just changes from a drizzle to a flood.I stood on the balcony of the Spire, looking down at the city. Three years. Three years since I took the crown, and the city felt more like a cage than a kingdom. My chest ached, a hollow, dragging sensation right over my heart. The doctors called it stress. The Council called it the "burden of the throne."I called it a void; it was the only explanation left to understand this feeling. Nothing ever excited me anymore."Sire? The Council is waiting in the war room."I didn't turn around to look at my Beta. "Let them wait, Silas. They’ve been waiting three years for me to pick a Queen. Another ten minutes won't kill them.""They are agitated," Silas pressed, his voice smooth. "The rogue attacks are increasing. The people are scared. They say a King without a mate is a King without a future."I turned then, my eyes flashing gold. Silas flinched, just a fraction. Good. He should be scared. Everyone in this city

The dark wasn't peaceful. It wasn't a quiet sleep or a white light. It was a thick, oily blackness that felt like it was trying to swallow me whole.I was running.My legs felt heavy, like I was moving through very deep water. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face, but I could hear it. Thump. Thump. Thump. Something was behind me. Something huge. Each of its footsteps shook the ground, vibrating through the soles of my feet."Go away!" I screamed. My voice didn't sound like mine. It sounded hollow, echoing off walls I couldn't see.I tripped over nothing and slid across the cold floor. I scrambled up, my breath coming in slow gasps. The thing was closer now. I could smell it now; it was more frightening than I expected. I swallowed hard, standing my ground.I couldn't run anymore. My lungs were burning. My heart, the heart that had just stopped beating in that ditch, was racing very fast now."Fine!" I yelled, spinning around. I clenched my bleeding fists. "Come on then! Finish

The air outside the Spire was freezing. Rain lashed against my face, mixing with the tears and the blood already drying on my skin. The guards didn't carry me; they dragged me. My heels scraped against the wet pavement of the parking lot until my sandals snapped, leaving my bare feet to pick up every rock and shard of glass on the ground."Please," I choked out, my voice sounding like I’d swallowed broken glass. "I didn't do it. Silas is lying. Please, just listen to me."The guard on my left, a massive wolf with a scar across his nose, kicked my ankle to shut me up. "Save it for the pits, little girl. The King wants you to hurt, and I’m happy to help."They tossed me into the back of a black van. My head hit the floor with a sickening thud, everything blurred. It was hard to keep my eyes open. I lay there, gasping.The drive felt like hours. We left the city behind, heading deep into the Sunken Mines. This was where the city’s waste ended up. It was a graveyard for any wolf sent the

I stayed on my knees, my fingers bleeding into the expensive rug. Every eye in the room was on me, but I only saw him. The air around Kaelen Thorne practically hummed with power. It was making it hard to breathe, hard to think.He didn't move for a long time. He just stared at me like I was a bug he’d found in his salad."Get up," he said. His voice wasn't kind. It was a command that pulled at my very soul.I stumbled to my feet, my legs shaking. The spit from the Luna was still wet on my cheek, and my hands were a mess of blood and glass. I didn't care. I took a step toward him, my heart screaming."You..." I whispered, my voice cracking. "It’s you."Kaelen took a step back as if my scent disgusted him. He looked at my cheap, stained dress and then at the Luna, who was still fuming nearby."This?" Kaelen asked, his voice echoing through the silent ballroom. He pointed a finger at me, his lip curling. "This is what the Moon Goddess thinks I deserve?"A few people in the crowd snickere

“Move your useless legs, Aurelia! The Alpha isn’t paying you to stand there and look pathetic!”The shove nearly sent me face-first into the floor. I stumbled, my fingers gripping the edges of the heavy silver tray until my knuckles turned white. My dress was a joke—a thin, cheap long gown that did nothing to stop the cold from the air conditioner. I felt naked, shivering under the judgmental stares of the high-bloods.“I’m moving, Sarah,” I mumbled, keeping my head down.“You’ll address me as ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Alpha’s Assistant,’ you little rat,” she hissed, leaning into my ear; her perfume was uncomfortable. “You should be kissing the floor. Most omegas like you die without ever seeing the inside of the Spire. You’re here to serve Alpha Dante and the Luna. One mistake, one drop of wine on this floor, and I’ll make sure you don’t have a pack to crawl back to. Do you understand?”“Yes. I understand.”“Good. Now get out there. And for God’s sake, try to smile. You look like you’re at a funer