LOGINElise's pov
I kept dangling on Damon's broad shoulders, his scent enveloping my entire being. I could hear the whispers hidden at each turn of the heavily guarded mansion, servants I could swear, tried as much as possible to be invisible. Nevertheless, I was still a damn werewolf. I could hear their whispered words and the longing in them. " She doesn't know what's good for her..." " You could say that again. I wish I were the one being spanked!" " Just thinking about it is making me wet!" Damn, horny servants! I would gladly switch places if that would get me away from these monsters. Still stuck in my thoughts, anger slowly creeping in, I could do nothing to these mates of mine. I started to struggle again, and true to his words, Damon gave me another spank. This time, the lingering sensation coursed through my entire body, forcing a muffled moan from my mouth. I quickly stopped myself, embarrassment shooting in every direction. I heard them chuckling, obviously enjoying whatever antic they were melting out. My ears grew red, and I could feel the burning sensation, my arousal wafting even through my nose. Embarrassed as fuck, as I let the devil swing my tired body towards whatever hell they had planned for me. These guys were insane, and I shuddered to think what dirty things they might do in public if I kept resisting them. Fine. I will let them have their way. I let out a frustrated growl as we got inside the chamber, my mind muddled by that very question. Why didn't the rejection work? I clearly mentioned their names! Absentmindedly, I hit Damon's back. The next second or less, I felt the same tingling sensation on my ass again. It wouldn't have mattered if it were just a tingling sensation. Instead, I could literally tell that my V-spot was dripping wet. Fuck the emotional bond stuff! " Let me down, you fucking bullies!" I blurted out as soon as we got into the spacious room. " Beg me..." Damon's thick voice filled the room. Shameless! " You shamelessly took me away from my pack and expect me to beg you?" I snapped, my chest heaving. I wanted to hit him again, but then I remembered the spankings. Biting hard on my lower lip, I let out a cheerful voice. " Let me down, please. Can you?" Without looking at either of them, I could already envision the smug look on their faces. " Good kitten!" Derek patted my head while I was still dangling on Damon's shoulder. You are the kitten! Your whole family are kittens! I truly wished I could curse them. Instead, I plastered a stiff smile on my face while allowing him to pat as much as he wanted. At first, my anger kept rising at the bar. But when I felt my feet on the marble floor, I smirked, giving them a dubious gaze. Facing the first culprit, I desperately kicked at Damon. It felt damn satisfying seeing the pain on that handsome face. I had long wanted to do this right from when he chose to embarrass me in public. I was still celebrating, grinning in my little victory when I heard Damon let out a growl. And with a painful thud, I saw myself on the ground. A flicker of surprise passed my face. He didn't push me but how did I end up on the floor with just a growl from him? Surely, these guys weren't ordinary werewolves. Could they be Lycans? But no matter how I tried to feel their inner scent, it ended in a werewolf scent. Still thinking about the powerful growl that landed me on my ass, the shooting pain made me glare at the unconcerned bully. I swear Damon would be the first one I kill, if possible. " Ouch! Asshole!" I cursed the umpteenth time as I bared my fangs at the icy devil who looked unperturbed. Although the pain was brief, I hated the feeling of helplessness around these bastards. If only I weren't hiding my inner wolf, I would have been able to train. I could have been able to fight to keep my pack safe. Amidst my anger, my eyes darted around the room, and I was awed by what I saw. The room was adorned with elegance and sophistication, meticulously decorated to make a lasting impression. Soft, warm lighting glowed around plush pink furnishings. The walls were adorned with exquisite artwork and tasteful decor, while the floor was covered in a plush, pink-colored carpet. Fresh flowers in a delicate vase added a touch of elegance to the room. My eyes wandered to the exquisite artwork adorning the walls, and I noticed the tasteful decor that reflects my personal style. " It seems our feisty Bonnie likes our present. I told you so," One of the annoying triplet blurted out smugly. I raised my head to see him smiling. I was about to respond, denying whatever I was feeling when my eyes caught the gift basket filled with my favourite treats and the velvet box containing several sets of stunning diamond necklaces. These people were freaking wealthy! Nevertheless, that wasn't my plan. I need to get the hell out of here. " You did something, right? You assholes did something to the rejection!" I concluded, letting out a weak, annoyed growl. Damon raised his brows, obviously enjoying my frustration. Then he replied lazily, " Did something? Kitten, do you think we are the moon goddess?" I rolled my eyes at his question. Something was definitely not right. " Probably a direct descendant born with mysterious hidden powers!" I might have sounded ridiculous, but the rejection scene was also ridiculous. What can better explain it? I creased my brows, another possibility slowly creeping up. With eyes wide and a frown doused on my face, I blurted out. " The names. Your names, could they be wrong?" I asked myself, biting my lips. That was probably a more reasonable possibility. "Cutie, you got the names right. Regardless, you are in no position to reject us," Drake answered, shrugging. In no position to reject them? Every mate has the right to reject their mates. What exactly were these bullies up to? Damon walked towards the spacious bed with Derek and Drake trailing behind him. I had no time to admire their handsome faces as all I wanted was to get away from them. I wasn't going to stay in the same room with them. I needed another plan. With that, I made a move to dash out of the room when I felt someone wrap their hands around my waist from behind. I shivered, feeling his mouth sucking on my neck. I bit my lower lip hard to stop a moan as delicious shivers coursed through my veins. Damn, how the hell did he get to me barely second after I made my move? Derek's dripping voice sent tingles all over as his breath spread all over my neck." Kitten, it seems you weren't satisfied that night. Maybe we could do better and probably jog your memory?" Do better? I didn't have time to think or reply because the next moment I was left gasping and wobbling.Elise Pov For the longest time, I believed love was a chain.Something invisible, yet heavy enough to pull at my chest until breathing felt like a burden. They called it the mate bond, sacred, unbreakable, destined. But no one ever spoke about how lonely destiny could feel when it was forced upon you.I had been that girl once. Trapped inside expectations, watched by eyes that measured my worth by bloodlines and power. I smiled when I was told to smile. I nodded when I was told to choose. And inside, I slowly disappeared.Until Derek.It still surprised me how quietly he became my refuge.There was no thunder when I first realized it. No dramatic confession. No moment where the world stopped spinning. It was in the little things, how he waited when I walked slower, how he listened without interrupting, how he never demanded my affection but earned it.Now, as the morning sun poured gently into our chamber, I lay awake beside him, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.This.
Elise’s POVThe news of Derek being chosen did not arrive quietly.It exploded.By sunrise, the entire palace hummed with voices, some joyful, some doubtful, some sharp with resentment. I heard my name whispered in corners, heard Derek’s spoken with reverence and envy alike. Even the walls seemed to listen.Yet inside my chamber, everything felt strangely still.I stood before the mirror as the maids dressed me for the coronation, my reflection staring back with eyes that had seen too much blood, too many broken bonds. Gold fabric slid over my shoulders, soft and heavy, stitched with the ancient markings of a Luna. My wolf stirred beneath my skin not restless this time, but alert. Watchful.“You look radiant, my lady,” one maid whispered.I did not answer. My thoughts were elsewhere.With Derek.Three weeks ago, I had lain unconscious, suspended between life and death. When I woke, I had asked for Damon and Drake first not because I loved them more, but because I needed to see the ful
Derek’s POVI did not expect this.Not after everything.Not after the way Elise had looked through me these past weeks as though I were smoke instead of flesh.Not after the silence she wrapped around herself whenever I entered a room, polite, distant, unbreakable.When Damon failed, the hall erupted.Not with shock,.no, most of them had expected Damon to succeed but with confusion. Whispers skittered across the stone walls like frightened insects. I stood frozen among them, my arms crossed, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt.I told myself I did not care.I told myself it meant nothing.Then Drake failed too.That… that was when something shifted.Drake stormed out of the council chamber like a wounded beast, fury rolling off him in waves so sharp it made the guards step back. Elise emerged moments later, calm, composed, her face unreadable. She did not look at Drake. She did not look at Damon.She looked straight ahead.And then..Her voice rang through the hall.“Summon Derek.”The
Elise’s POVMorning came quietly, as though the world itself was holding its breath.The palace buzzed with restrained anticipation, whispers slipping through corridors like shadows. Everyone knew what today meant. Damon’s rejection had shaken the pack to its core, and now all eyes were on the next walk into the woods, on me, and on Drake.I dressed slowly, deliberately. Not for beauty, not for ceremony, but for resolve. My reflection stared back at me with unfamiliar steadiness. Three weeks ago, I had been bleeding on cold stone, caught between brothers who forgot what love meant the moment power entered the room. Today, I was the one deciding their fate.When Drake arrived to escort me, he bowed slightly, a boyish smile tugging at his lips.“You look… radiant,” he said, clearly nervous. “The Moon must be smiling today.”I smiled back, soft and practiced. “You’ve always had a way with words, Drake.”His ears reddened faintly as we walked side by side toward the forest. Unlike Damon,
Elise’s POVIts towering trees stood like ancient witnesses, their roots tangled deep beneath the earth, holding memories older than the throne, older than the pack itself. As I stepped beneath the canopy with Damon beside me, the air thick with pine and damp soil, I wondered how many lies had been whispered here, and how many truths had been broken open under the Moon’s gaze.Everyone knew where we were going.The elders had not tried to hide it. The guards had bowed as we passed. The pack watched from a distance, pretending not to stare while silently weighing the fate of their future Alpha. By nightfall, the entire kingdom would know whether Damon would rise or fall.Damon walked close to me, his shoulder almost brushing mine. Too close.“You’re quiet, my Luna,” he said gently, his voice smooth, practiced. “Are you nervous?”That word, Luna hit me like a stone to the chest.I kept my gaze forward. “I’m thinking.”He smiled, as if pleased by that. “You always think too much. Tonight
Elise’s POVIn the days leading up to the council’s decision, silence became the only thing Derek ever gave me.Damon visited often, always with purpose sharpened into kindness checking on my strength, speaking of the pack, reminding me gently of the burden resting on my shoulders. Drake, on the other hand, sent messages through servants and guards, asking for private moments, for explanations, for reassurance that whatever lay between us had not dissolved with blood and steel. He was restless, desperate to be seen, to be heard.But Derek never came.At first, I told myself it was pride. Or restraint. Or perhaps the elders had ordered him away from me until the final decision was made. Each excuse fit neatly enough to keep the ache in my chest from swelling into something unbearable.Yet as the days passed, it became clear, Derek was choosing distance.When we crossed paths in the corridors, he bowed respectfully, his expression unreadable, his eyes never lingering on mine. When the p







