Novels by S.Imoh

I was running through a different hallway this time, heading in the direction of the garden. I figured that if I could at least get beyond the palace walls, I would be able to navigate my way even further away from this place.I didn't have a proper plan, and I had no idea where I would go once I escaped, but I would rather face the uncertainty of the outside world than remain here and wait for my death.A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the palace, making me nearly jump out of my skin.It was the kind of sound that demanded everyone's attention, and judging by the way it echoed through the corridors, I knew it wasn't an ordinary announcement.The bride had escaped.The doors were to be locked immediately."Fuck, that was quick," I muttered in a whisper.I didn't even slow down to catch my breath as I heard the footsteps of guards and maids in the corridors. Doors opened and slammed shut in the distance as they conducted a search for me.You'd think I had stolen the crown or killed

"Get off me!"I struggled in his strong arms, but he didn't budge. His grip on me was solid, like I was going to take off if he let me go for even a second. Well, technically, I would. I had no intention of staying in this palace any longer than necessary.He kept looking at me strangely, with a hint of amusement, surprise, and something else I couldn't quite place. I could also sense relief, although I had no idea why he would feel that way while holding a complete stranger against her will."Who are you, and what is your name?" he asked slowly, his voice very deep and husky. It was something I hadn't noticed earlier because I had been too busy trying to escape his grip."My name is El..."I paused, my eyes widening with the realization that if he found out who I was to the Alpha King, I might be dragged back into that room again or punished for trying to run away."Penny. My name is Penny, and I'm a maid," I said with confidence.After all, I was indeed wearing a maid's dress, so it

ElaraMy heart pounded against my ribs, fast and hard, fear driving every step. I'd counted five hallways now, moving on instinct more than any real sense of direction, when I finally ditched the bundle of towels I'd been carrying and cut toward the far wing. No maids or guards. The empty silence should have felt like relief. Instead it prickled at the back of my neck, wrong in a way I couldn't name — too quiet, the kind of quiet that felt held rather than natural, like the whole wing was waiting on something.I kept close to the windows, scanning for anything that might be an exit — a courtyard, a low wall, anything. Moonlight spilled across the floor in long silver bars, laying stripes of light and shadow over the stone that made every doorway ahead look darker than it probably was.Then I heard it.A growl, low and rough, out of nowhere. It rolled through the corridor like something I felt in my ribs before I fully registered it as sound. I froze mid-step, glancing around for the s

KlausI'd stopped looking for a mate years ago, if I was honest with myself. Not by choice — by exhaustion. I'd searched every village within our borders and half the neighboring kingdoms besides, and every search ended the same way. Nothing. No pull, no recognition, no proof that the woman meant to fix any of this still existed.The council didn't care about proof. They wanted an heir. They wanted the throne strengthened before one of our rivals decided our lack of one was an invitation. I understood the logic. I even agreed with most of it. What none of them understood — what none of them could understand, since I'd made sure of it — was that I wasn't simply unlucky in love.I was cursed.Bride after bride had walked through these gates believing she might be the one to break it. Bride after bride had died proving she wasn't. I was tired in a way sleep didn't fix anymore, and somewhere in the palace right now sat the newest one, dragged back overnight after trying to run before she'

I braced myself as the maids pushed open the large doors, ushering me into a room dressed in gold chandeliers and red velvet curtains — one more beautiful thing among the dozen I'd already seen that morning. The table stretched long enough to seat ten, but only two chairs sat pulled out, one at each far end. One for Alpha Klaus. One for the bride.Me.A maid drew back my chair and I sat, wincing as the corset dug into my ribs. I might die of suffocation before I even made it to the part where he decided whether to kill me. I shifted in my seat and smoothed my skirt flat.The dishes came out one after another — scrambled eggs glistening with butter, bread still warm enough to steam, wine the color of dark garnet, fruit I didn't have names for. My stomach answered before my mind did, growling loud enough that heat rushed to my cheeks.I waited anyway. Courtesy demanded it, and some small, foolish part of me thought maybe he'd let me eat first, before whatever came next.Minutes crawled

I woke to a sharp pain behind my eyes, my brain threatening to spill out from my skull. I remembered a hallway tilting under my feet. Had it all been a dream?Then I remembered the look on Wren's face. The wave. The smile.I sat up fast. Something felt wrong before I'd even fully opened my eyes. This wasn't my room. My room at home was plain, simple, nothing special. This one was dark and crimson red, with a dark ambiance that made me shiver.My stomach dropped. I threw the covers back and ran for the window."No. No, no, no. That little bitch."The words came out thin, more breath than sound. Beyond the glass, towers and stone I'd never seen before stretched toward a sky that felt too bright, too clean.I was in the palace.They'd drugged me. Sent me off unconscious, like a parcel too much trouble to deliver awake.How noble of my family."How could they do this to me." The words broke apart in my throat as it all settled in. This wasn't a threat anymore. Not something I could still a