“A scarred slave is no mate for a Lycan King." Used, discarded, and carrying the Lycan’s unborn child, Thalia's nightmare deepens when she overhears a chilling plan: after she gives birth, they'll take her baby and cast her out. But before she can escape, tragedy strikes and she barely escaped with her life. Saved by a mysterious stranger, Thalia recovers with vengeance burning in her heart, but what she never expects is to find herself in the center of a dangerous web of desire and political intrigue and now she must flee again and find out the truth about her identity and her mother’s death. But fate has other plans On the run, Thalia stumbles upon a familiar figure in the forest—Lycan Alaric, lying in a pool of his own blood, clinging on to his dear life. The mate who destroyed her is now at her mercy. Caught in a dilemma, Thalia must decide to put her hatred aside for her quest for justice. As she navigates her path full of danger, betrayals and unexpected alliance. Can Thalia find love and redemption, when her mate reappears, seeking to claim her?
View MoreThalia’s POV:
“Selene, stop!” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to do this.” She shoved the iron into the coals, as she yanked the glowing red iron from the fire, raised it high and made her way back to me. She turned toward me. “Don’t I? You already stole him. Everyone sees it, even if you pretend not to. But I won’t let you win.” The iron hissed violently in the coals, as she yanked the glowing red iron from the fire, raised it high, and made her way back to me. I tried to back away, but she was faster. “Selene!” I screamed, clawing at the dirt. “Please!” "This is what you deserve!" she shrieked. I tried to crawl away, but it was too late. A searing pain exploded across the left side of my face. I screamed loudly as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. "Let’s see if they still call you beautiful after this," She whispered. "Noooo!” I screamed, scrambling to get up. But I was too weak from the pain to even move my limbs. Three hours earlier, I’d have sworn Selene loved me. --- *Flashback: Earlier That Day* “You’ll probably wear that silly smile all day,” Selene scoffed from behind me. I could see her reflection in the mirror, as she crossed her arms over her chest. While standing in her red gown, with her hair braided with silver threads, trying so hard to look elegant. I adjusted my veil slightly, letting it fall over my golden locks. “It’s a special day for the Pack, Selene. The hunting ceremony is important.” “Special for you.” She hissed, walking toward me. “Everyone already calls you the Pack’s jewel. Do you think they don’t talk about it behind closed doors? About how every unmated wolf is drooling over you?” Her eyes narrowed. “Especially Nero.” I turned to face her, trying to mask the discomfort her words stirred in me. Nero — Orion’s son — had always shown me attention, though I never encouraged it. His bold, lingering glances were unsettling, but no one dared challenge the future Alpha. Certainly not me. “I don’t care about Nero,” I replied, firmly. “He is free to choose whoever he wants for the mating ceremony.” She chuckled. “We’ll see about that.” She said, then stormed out. Fastening the last pearl on the hem of my blue gown, I ran my fingers across the silk. The annual hunting ceremony was today, and although I had attended every year since I was a child, this year felt... different. I looked at myself in the mirror once more, before joining Selene outside. And together we rode a carriage to the hunting grounds. The Hunting Grounds was bursting with life when we arrived. Young men showed off their freshly sharpened arrows, boasting about their future catches, while the elders gathered beneath the towering oaks, smiling with pride. As I stepped out of the carriage, all heads turned. I felt it instantly — the gaze of admiration from the crowd. And the whispers followed immediately. “There she is.” “Thalia, the most beautiful in the Pack.” “She’ll make a perfect Luna.” “By the Moon Goddess, she is more beautiful than last year.” I held my breath, forcing myself to walk gracefully despite the knot forming in my stomach. My father, Elder Malakai, stood near the podium, exchanging greetings with other Elders. His stern face never softened when he looked at me. But I didn't care, because I had long accepted that I was just another pawn in his political game. Suddenly, Nero approached with the confidence only an Alpha’s son could carry. His blond hair shimmered under the sun, and a wicked grin tugged at his lips. “Thalia,” He greeted, taking my hand without permission. "You are breathtaking, as always. The Moon Goddess surely created you for me." I tugged my hand away gently. "Good day, Nero." His brow twitched. "Playing hard to get, huh?" His voice dropped low. "I like that." I forced a tight smile. I could already hear Selene’s sharp inhale behind me. "Nero!" Selene called, walking up to us, eyes flashing with desperation. "You haven't even said hello to me." Nero barely glanced at her. "Hello, Selene." Then his gaze returned to me. "Thalia, perhaps we can take a walk after the ceremony." I opened my mouth to refuse politely, but Selene stepped in, linking her arm with his. "She'll be too busy helping me later. Won't you, sister?" I clenched my jaw. "Of course.” I said, turning to leave. But his words stopped me. “I hope you’re ready for next week. I’m certain the Moon Goddess has fated us.” I forced out a smile “Fate has yet to decide.” He chuckled. “Oh, it has. You’ll see soon enough.” I turned, seeking refuge among the other women, but even there, I found little peace. The envy in their eyes was as sharp as daggers, but none pierced deeper than Selene’s. She stood beside Nero, clinging to his arm like a desperate Pup. By late evening, the crowd dispersed into the woods for the hunt. While I lingered near the riverbank, watching the moon on the water’s surface. The breeze cooled my skin, but something in me felt warm — too warm. I was being watched. “Thalia.” Selene called sweetly, stepping from behind a tree. “Come, I want to show you something.” I hesitated. My wolf stirred inside me, sensing unease, but I pushed it aside. I didn’t want to believe my own sister could mean harm. We walked deeper into the woods until we reached a clearing. The moonlight revealed no one else around. “What is it, Selene?” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her hands were clenched at her sides, knuckles pale, and there was a tremble in her fingers that she tried to mask by adjusting the sleeves of her dress. "I just wanted to talk. About Nero." She began. "You’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately." My heart stuttered. "He’s a friend. That’s all." She interjected smoothly. “You really think you’re better than me, don’t you?” I blinked. “What are you talking about?” “You seduced Nero.” She spat, eyes blazing. “You stood there today, flaunting yourself like some harlot. He was supposed to be mine!” My stomach dropped. “ I didn’t—I swear, I have no interest in him!” Selene’s gaze darkened. "You think you're above me?!" I backed away slowly. "Selene, please, calm down.” Selene lunged before I could react, knocking me to the ground. She stood above me, pulling something from under her cloak. “Selene, what are you—?” Before I could finish, I saw it — a brick. I was about to scream out loud when she hit it hard in my head and I let out a gut wrenching scream as hot tears slipped out of my eyes and warm blood out the side of my head. Suddenly, her gaze darted to the side—to the firepit near the stables where a branding iron leaned, cold and untouched. She strode toward it, and lifted the iron with a cloth. But her movements were shaky, as if even her body rebelled against what she was about to do. --- **Back to Now: The Clearing** The burning metal touched my face. I screamed. The pain was worse than anything—like my skin was melting. The smell of cooked meat filled my nose. Everything went blurry. Selene leaned close. “Now you know,” she whispered. “How it feels to be nothing.” She yanked the iron away. I fell to the dirt, choking. The world spun. People were shouting. Running toward us. “*Thalia!*” Was that Nero? Father? I couldn’t tell. The last thing I saw before darkness was Selene’s face—Alaric’s POV: "Consider it done, Alpha." Jonah's words hung in the air for a moment before the heavy door thudded shut, sealing me in with my fury. I had given the command to bring the stranger to me—the man my Luna, Valerie, had the audacity to call her cousin. A tempest of emotions warred within me. Rage was the most potent, a fire in my veins, but beneath it churned a cold, bewildered betrayal. I couldn't reconcile it. Valerie had fought, schemed, and pleaded to become my Luna. She had acted as if the very sun rose and set with my approval. And yet, on the night of her coronation, she was sneaking around with another man under my own roof. It was a calculated, brazen insult. I had been a fool. I'd mistaken her ambition for devotion. The obsession I thought was for me was only for the crown that came with me. It had all been a performance, and I, the captivated audience, had fallen for it completely. She definitely didn’t think I’d find out. But now she was. And she w
Author’s POV: "Oh, no." The words were a low, horrified whisper, but they cut through the noise of the search like a knife. Every guard in the room froze. Their ransacking ceased mid-motion, and all eyes snapped to Jonah, who was rigid at the window. "What's wrong, boss?" a junior guard called from across the room, his voice tinged with unease. Jonah didn't answer. He was transfixed, his knuckles white where they gripped the window frame, his face a mask of stunned disbelief. "Jonah?" It was his friend, the one he'd been drinking with earlier. He approached cautiously from behind him before placing a hand on Jonah's shoulder. Jonah jolted violently at the touch, spinning around as if struck. His eyes were wide, his breath caught in his throat. "Relax, man," the guard said, taking a slight step back at the intense reaction. "You look like you've seen a—" "He's dead." Jonah's voice was hollow, cutting off the jest before it could finish. A collect
Author’s POV: “You are absolutely certain you heard her call him her cousin?” Alaric pressed, taking a menacing step closer to Jonah, his gaze piercing. “I’m certain, Alpha,” Jonah affirmed with a firm nod. “In fact, I was surprised. I never knew the Queen had any family.” “That’s because she doesn’t,” Alaric muttered to himself, the words a low, dangerous rumble as he turned his back on the guard. He dragged a hand through his hair, a gesture of pure, frustrated confusion, before striding back to the table where the wine bottle stood. He snatched the bottle, his movements sharp and agitated, and tilted it into the cup beside it to pour more wine. But his mind was a storm of contradictions. Nothing made sense. Valerie’s frantic accusation against Jonah, and now this—a mysterious man fronting as her cousin appearing from the shadows. A new, venomous thought slithered into his mind: *Had Valerie been secretly cheating on him?* The thought was a spark on gasoline. Rag
Alaric’s POV: "A-Alpha?" he stammered, the word thin and brittle in the night's quiet. I didn't move. I simply held my ground, my gaze a physical weight upon them as they approached. Their drunken swagger evaporated with each step, replaced by a stiff, conscious effort to appear sober and disciplined. When they finally stopped a few feet away, the scent of cheap beer wafted toward me. "Jonah." His name was a low growl that seemed to vibrate in the air between us. "Y-yes, Alpha." He stood rigid, the other guard frozen beside him. "My chambers." I didn't wait for a reply. I turned and began walking toward the Alpha wing, a sharp flick of my wrist the only command for him to follow. Silence trailed behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw them still rooted to the spot, heads bent together in frantic, cowardly whispers. "NOW!” The single word cracked like a whip. Jonah flinched as if struck. His head snapped up, and he broke into a hurried jog to catch up. I turne
Back at Alaric’s Pack.. Alaric’s POV: “I want him beheaded.” The words hung in the hallway, cold and sharp as an executioner’s blade. They had come from Valerie’s lips without a moment’s hesitation, the moment I asked what she wanted done to Jonah—the guard she accused of assault. A deep unease twisted in my gut. The story felt… wrong. I’d known Jonah for years; he was a man of steady, quiet duty. The idea of him forcing himself on anyone, let alone Valerie was absurd. But Valerie stood before me, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling with what appeared to be genuine anguish. This was definitely not the time to begin questioning her, to voice my doubts and champion a guard’s honor over her supposed trauma. And so with that, I schooled my features into a mask of grim resolve and nodded. “It will be done. We will see to it at first light.” I moved to pull her into an embrace, a gesture of comfort I felt was expected, but she stiffened and pulled away. “
Thalia’s POV: “W-who are you?” I stammered, stumbling backward. My foot caught on a rock, and I landed hard on the damp grass, staring up at the luminous figure. “Don’t be afraid, Thalia.” Her voice was like soft wind chimes, yet it echoed with an ancient power that filled the vast field. A gentle smile graced her features as she looked down at me. “H-how do you know my name?” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. “You called to me,” she replied, her smile unwavering. “..and I answered.” I shook my head vehemently, scrambling backward on my hands, the dew-soaked grass soaking through my clothes. “I-I don’t remember calling anyone.” She simply extended a hand toward me. It glowed with a soft, inner light. “Take my hand, child.” I hesitated, my eyes darting around the empty field. Seeing no escape, I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly lifted my trembling hand. The moment my skin touched hers, a jolt of energy—cold and electric—shot up my arm. It was like tou
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