Novels by Nayko Ayasame

Elira was taken aback by Kael's sudden honeymoon proposal. Especially when he mentioned the word wife in his statement. This was the second time he called her like that, and somehow each time it sent an uncomfortable twinge through her chest. His playfulness hid beneath his cold calculation. She could smell the affection in that word that shouldn't mean anything. It was a contracted marriage. Funny enough how she reminded herself about it when he called her his wife. "Why do we need to act as blissful newlyweds for our undercover? I'm sure we have plenty of options to make the plan go smoothly," Elira tried to make an excuse just to reject his proposal. "Oh right, give me one example," Kael nodded and smirked playfully at her remark, as if challenging her and sure that he would come out as the winner. "Well!" Elira lifted her chin, determined to prove him wrong.But after a long pause, even her sharp mind couldn't come up with anything. Kael's smirk grew wider. "See? Honeymoon's p

The ride to Rennar's mansion was only filled with the rattle of the carriage wheels and Kael's soft breathing. Elira, on the other hand, was staring through the window. So when they reached the mansion and the carriage stopped, she knew they had to get down. But she stayed still because Kael was deeply asleep.The door was opened by the servant after announcing their arrival. All of them were surprised to see their lord sleeping soundly on the lady's shoulder. "Apologies, my lady. Should we wake the commander now?" asked the head servant politely.Elira took a glance at Kael's sleeping face, then lifted her hand. "No, close the door. Just wait quietly," she ordered the servant.He bowed, then carefully closed the carriage door, leaving the pair alone.Almost thirty minutes passed after they reached the mansion when Kael's eyelids fluttered. The lavender scent from Elira was the first thing that welcomed him as he came back to his senses. He could feel her warm shoulder under his che

Kael and Elira now sat silently inside the Rennar carriage that drove them back to the mansion. While Elira's eyes focused on something—nothing particular—in front of them, Kael's eyes focused on her hand which was still holding his. Kael slowly interlocked their fingers together, which surprised her and made Elira aware that their hands were still holding each other. She turned to his side and tried to yank her hand away, but Kael's grip became stronger. "Aren't you supposed to calm me down till the end?" he meant to tease her.But the tiredness in his tone and his worn eyes made it appear more like a plea than a tease.Yet Elira, being too aware of their close contact, didn't want to continue again. She pulled her hand away from him strongly, leaving Kael's hand in mid air, gripping at nothing. He smirked, yet his eyes seemed sad. The emptiness of her absent touch lingered on his empty palm. "You look terrible. Shouldn't you take a rest instead? I don't think you would be pleased

Kael walked in a rush, his hand scraping the stain of lipstick from his ear wildly. He hated it all - hated how Ilyana's words got on his nerves so easily because he knew she was right. No matter how long he had watched Elira from the sidelines, she would never look in his direction. It hurt because it was true. He hated the way Elira had to appear at the exact moment of his vulnerability, hated the way she looked at him like he was a lost child desperate for help. Hated that every opinion she had about him mattered deeply to him.He wanted to disappear. He was sure that he could just disappear. Until he heard the king's attendant speak to Elira, who was left behind. "His Majesty calls for you, my lady." Those words automatically stopped him in his tracks.The king - a man he had previously seen as an uncle - now left a bitter taste in his mouth after discovering he was partly responsible for his father's death. And now the king sought his wife. What could the king possibly want from

Kael's gaze was full of agony, and the hand holding hers trembled. His wrecked heartbeat drummed in her ears, his pulse transferring into hers. He was broken. Elira could clearly feel his desperation through it all—and it pained her.No. She didn't care about his emotions. She shouldn't care.Kael was just a wolf hunter who would seize any chance to slit her throat if he could... But he never did, even when he had plenty of chances.Instead, he would do things like this in front of her—begging for something she was sure he didn't even understand himself.And she had no obligation to understand him.No reason to accept any plea he offered her through his silence. "Did you forget? Or are you pretending to forget?" Her voice dripped with coldness. "You knew exactly what kind of monster lives inside me, Kael. And you knew how this society would treat someone like me. So tell me—do you prefer I let the wolf loose in front of the assassins, risk being sold and caged in the dark once the pu

Meanwhile, Into the Deep CaveThane's hand warmed the nape of her neck as they stood breathlessly close, lips almost touching. Elira could feel his eyes tracing her mouth, hear the nervous gulp he tried to hide. His scent - citrus and fresh-cut pine - wrapped around her just as her lavender perfume filled his lungs, each intoxicating the other.They hovered there, caught in that charged space between desire and restraint. Elira kept her gaze down, afraid to meet his eyes - afraid of the raw hunger she knew she'd find there.Their wolves called silently to each other, drawing them closer. Elira's claws bit deeper into her own palm, the sharp pain anchoring her. At the last second, she turned her face away - just enough for him to understand.Thane caressed her cheek. Then, he cupped both sides of her jaw, lifted her face to meet his gaze, and smiled—softly—before pulling back.There was an urge within him, a deep instinct to go further. But he chose to retreat, because he knew the cons