Novel-novel oleh Akomolafe Faith

Beta Alaric’s boots thudded against the marble floors as he stormed through Alpha Ronan’s chambers. Every inch of the room had been searched...bed, drawers, even the damn fireplace. Nothing. The bracelet was gone.He clenched his jaw.Fuck.Alpha Ronan wasn’t the kind of man to misplace things...especially not that bracelet. It wasn’t just jewelry. Alaric ran a hand through his hair, frustration clawing at his chest. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Ronan would have his head if he didn’t find it soon. The Alpha didn’t tolerate mistakes, especially ones that involved sentimental things...or worse, women.Just then, laughter echoed from the corridor. Female voices. Somehow annoying high pitched giggling. Alaric stepped out, his gaze instantly landing on the small group of she-wolves at the far end. Liora. And her little entourage of airheaded followers.They were leaning against the corridor wall, gossiping and squealing like they owned the damn place. The sight of them irritate

Scarlett’s lungs burned, her breath tearing raggedly from her throat as she stumbled down the mansion steps. The night air was thick and damp, clinging to her sweat-drenched skin, the bruises on her ribs screaming with every movement. Her ankle throbbed, swollen and twisted from where her mother had kicked her earlier, but she forced it to move, to carry her away from the hell that house had always been."Run, Scarlett, run."The Omega’s words echoed in her skull. "The horse will be waiting on the other street. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t let them catch you."She limped across the gravel, every step like glass piercing her bones, but the thought of staying...of being shoved back into that room, of Liora’s smirk as she whispered poison into her ear...made the pain worth it.Her heartbeat pounded louder than her footsteps. The mansion behind her glowed like a prison lit up for the night, the masked guests laughing and drinking inside, oblivious to the broken girl fleeing into th

Beta Alaric’s boots clicked against the polished stone, each step heavier than the last. His throat burned, not from drink this time, but from the weight of the mistake that had nearly cost him his head.He stopped in front of the giant blackwood doors, carved with wolves devouring serpents, the Alpha’s crest burning in silver at the center. His palms sweated as he raised his hand and knocked once.Silence.Then the deep rumble of a voice that could crush bones without raising in volume.“Enter.”Alaric swallowed hard. He dropped to his knees before the door even opened, as if his body knew better than his mind. When the massive door creaked inward, he crawled the rest of the way, bowing low until his forehead nearly touched the floor.Inside, Alpha King Ronan stood like a dark monument, broad shoulders encased in black leather and silk. His special stylist, a nervous little man with trembling fingers, was adjusting the golden clasps of Ronan’s ceremonial jacket. The Alpha’s eyes we

Scarlet’s back slammed against the carved door as Ronan shoved it open with the force of a storm. His mouth was still on hers, brutal and consuming, swallowing the gasp that escaped her throat. He kicked the door shut, and the thud echoed like a verdict in the dimly lit chamber.Her hands moved before her mind caught up, sliding up the hard lines of his chest, curling around his broad shoulders. She should have resisted. She should have thought about the consequences. But her body was a traitor, her hips arching, sliding against his with desperate hunger.His growl rumbled through her chest, vibrating against her lips. “Bold little thing, aren’t you?”Scarlet smirked against his mouth, her sass sparking even as her knees trembled. “What, you think I’m gonna beg you? Dream on, Alpha.”That flicker of defiance lit something in his eyes. He gripped her hips, dragging her flush against him, his hardness grinding against the ache between her thighs. She gasped, head tipping back, but she

A hush strangled the room.He entered.Ronan.The Alpha King of the Blackthorn Pack. The beast that mothers used to scare children into obedience.Tall, broad-shouldered, his mask black steel carved like a predator’s snarl. His aura flooded the hall, thick, oppressive, every wolf instinct in Scarlet’s body screaming danger. His eyes...icy silver...burned beneath the mask, sweeping the room as though hunting prey.Gasps rippled. Even the air seemed to bow.Liora wasted no time. She fluttered forward, skirts whispering, and dropped into a curtsy so deep it might’ve cracked her knees.“Your Highness,” she breathed, her voice dripping honey. “I am Liora Duskbane, and this...” She extended a dainty hand toward Scarlet, who stiffened like prey caught in headlights. “...is my elder sister, Scarlet. She will be the peace offering from our family to yours, as is the alliance’s decree.”A cruel murmur slithered through the hall. Peace offering. Sacrifice. Bargain bride.Scarlet’s cheeks burned.

The golden dress clung to Scarlet’s body like a cage...tight, suffocating, suffused with the kind of luxury that screamed auction piece rather than daughter. Every seam scratched her skin, every tug of the fabric whispered chains. She yanked at the sleeves, glaring at her reflection in the tall mirror.“Stop fidgeting,” her mother snapped from across the chamber. Luna Helena stood like a queen draped in black velvet, her mask already fixed over her sharp cheekbones. Her eyes...cold and measuring...flicked over Scarlet. “You’ll wrinkle the gown. Tonight must be flawless. You must be flawless.”Scarlet spun the golden mask between her fingers, her smirk edged with venom. “Translation: keep my mouth shut, smile pretty, and let the Prince pick me like I’m fruit at a market.”“Enough,” her father cut in, voice deep as thunder. Alpha Darius turned from the window where moonlight slanted across his broad shoulders. His mask dangled in one hand, carved of iron-gray leather, as harsh as the ma