āđāļāđāļēāļŠāļđāđāļĢāļ°āļāļāđāļāļĢāđ
Chapter 17- Run but don't hide
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2022-05-06 10:19:24
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Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 18- The trial
Jo watched Danteâs eyes in amusement, the golden melting completely into silver now, swirling like twin storms. It was almost as if somethingâno, someoneâhad taken over."Mate," he breathed again, voice raw and unsteady.A strange pull tightened around Joâs heart. Without meaning to, she echoed him, almost under a trance. "Mate."Dante smiled faintly, heartbreakingly, as he brushed his fingers along her cheek with reverence. Like she was made of porcelain. Like she could disappear.Jo didnât realize she was leaning into the touch until it vanished.She tried to reason with herselfâthis wasnât real. She had read about mate bonds. She knew how dangerous they could be. Jayden had proven it. She couldn't survive another false hope. Another curse wearing the face of destiny."Youâre mistaken," she said hoarsely. "I canât beâ"Dante silenced her, gently pressing a finger to her lips."Iâm glad," he whispered. "I'm glad itâs you. I wasnât sure before... but now, I am."Her heart gave a p
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-06Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 19- The Runaway friends
"This aura..." Lucy murmured, stopping in her tracks and sniffing the air. "It feels different... and so powerful.""Lucy, keep running! We donât have time to spare," Jo snapped, reaching out to tug her forward before murmuring a rushed apology.After Dante had been dragged away for his trial, Jo had gathered herself â and the girls. While chaos erupted back at the training grounds, they ran, heading east without looking back.The patrols had thinned, reduced to just two warriors posted at the edge due to the trial. It was the break Jo needed.She nodded at Lucy. Time to set the plan into motion.Lucy approached the two warriors guarding the post, feigning confusion."What do you want?" one of them grunted."Um... I'm a bit lost," Lucy said, trying to sound innocent."Lost?" They snickered."You went to our school, didnât you? Always getting top scores â even in forest hunts," one of them said. Lucy blinked, recognizing them now. Mason, with the brown hair, and Taz, taller, with ma
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-06Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 20- To be or not to be
Watching her werewolf mate snap the demonâs neck with ease did nothing to her. How could it?The dead look in his golden eyes when he had rejected her â without a flicker of hesitation â was burned into her memory. She refused to be swooned again by his kind voice, his magnetic pull. Werewolves were all the same in the end. Most craved power above all else, worshipping rank, bound by primal instincts.Still... Jo shivered slightly at the riddle left behind by the dying Aamon demon. It might have sounded cryptic to others â but to her, it was clear as day. The darkness... the seek...She forced herself not to think about it.As Dante stood, wiping blood from his hands, he turned â facing her once more. Those golden eyes locked onto hers, steady and piercing.Jo swallowed hard, her body betraying her. Those eyes... At first they lured you in, bathed you in warmth â the silver swirls whispering promises of safety. But the moment you dared to trust them, you realized their true
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-06Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 21- When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Dante sank into his large office chair as his eyes darted on the piling folders on the desk. It was going to take him days to go through all the cases and read them thoroughly. He called Caleb via mind link. âYes bossâ.âCaleb, send all the royal healers to your pack immediatelyâ, he told his right hand.âSure, but why?â, Calebâs big mouth wanted to know everything as always.âJust do itâ, with that, he cut off the mind link. Caleb was the Alpha of Ice warrior pack and could easily keep the royal healers there for a couple of weeks. It was wrong to do this, but he wanted more time with Jo. Just the thought of parting and sending her off to the human settlements made him feel sick. As he opened the first case file, he took a deep breath in. It was time to get to work*Lucy yawned as she stretched her hands, the birds were chirping outside, and the sunrise was falling shyly in her room. It was a good-sized room considering that she was not really a special guest for the royal kingdom.
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-07Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 22- Child's play
Garden CourtyardâLook at this tulip, Lucy! It smell funny,â Daya said, handing her a small, bright pink flower.Lucy sniffed it curiously. The scent was mild â almost citrusy â but it was quickly drowned out by something else. A surge of ocean breeze mixed with orange bergamot flooded her senses, sharp and utterly irresistible.Lucy closed her eyes, momentarily lost."Lucy! Come back!" Daya rattled her shoulder hastily.Lucy blinked â and found Caleb standing before her, smiling sheepishly."Good morning, ladies," he greeted, silver hair catching the sunlight."Hey," Lucy muttered, pretending to study the flower like her life depended on it."Can I speak to you alone, Lucy?" Caleb asked, scratching the back of his neck, looking strangely nervous."I, uh â I should check on Mina," Daya said swiftly, abandoning ship. She gave Lucy a guilty "sorry not sorry" look before vanishing.Lucy kept her head down, pretending to admire a nearby shrub."About my proposal," Caleb said quietly. "Can
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-08Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 23- Strong
In the Dark Realm"My king, you called for me," Belial said, materializing from a cloud of black smoke.Belial â the demon kingâs right hand.A creature who could make the undead dance on his fingertips if he willed it.His power, second only to King Victor himself.Victor lounged lazily on his dark throne, chin resting against one hand."Follow the dispatched Aamons near the no-manâs border," he commanded. "Weâre close to finding her. Jolene."Victorâs silver eyes gleamed with cold certainty."No loose ends, Belial."Belial simply bowed â and vanished without a word.Victor smiled faintly to himself, a predator tasting the scent of his prey."There is no escape this time," he whispered. "My little siren."*Royal Mansion, Playroom"Evelyn!" an elderly maid burst into the playroom, scowling. "Did you spill tea on someone again? Olivia will not be happy!"Jo blinked, jolted out of her thoughts.Olivia again? That was the third time sheâd heard the name.Curiosity burned in her chest."W
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-08Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 24- High tea
Bewildered by the sudden declaration, Jo took a few steps back. She could feel herself palpitate as her body released an extra gush of adrenaline. Queen? She pondered to herself. âYou are married to Dante?â, Jo heard herself speak, her body no longer under her control. Olivaâs pretty honey-coloured eyes gazed at her oddly, her lips lop siding for a fraction of second. âI am. You must be very close to my husband to call him by his first nameâ, a hint of challenge was present in the queenâs voice.âI- I met the Alpha King under extraordinary circumstances. Please pardon my rude manners, my queenâ, Jo curtsied before her and kept her head down. Finally.âRise Joleneâ, Oliva commanded as she observed the girl closely. She was not cowering in her presence like other werewolves did. She had Alphaâs blood in her after all. âYou are very well spoken. I have been meaning to change the entrance rules for a while now. Susan, remove the endurance point requirement for the warrior training from
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-08Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 25- Honour Thy Vows
The encounter with Olivia left a bitter test in her mouth. Jo was finally back to her room after a long hard day. Olivia paraded her with the noble ladies around the mansion to lunch, dinner and all the other discussions all day long. She was not even sure why she was being included and so suddenly? Jo learnt that most of the noble women had high ranked husbands in the royal kingdom. Except for Veronica, the short, bobbed hair who was a widow. It was a tradition in the royal kingdom that widows were supposed to keep their hair short as an honour to their dead mate. Jo wondered why she never remarried, especially by the type of glances she was throwing at Don earlier at the canopy. Jo heaved heavily as she sat on the bed thinking about her day. It tired her easily. She had asked for her novel back from Daya. Right now, the girls were taking turns on reading each chapter and today was her turn. Yay!As she opened the book, she read through all the chapters to catch up including the sp
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-05-09
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Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 49- Confused
The dream returned.Same shore. Same call. Her feet drifted forward without thinking, the cool sand pressing between her toes as that soundâfaint and familiarâdrew her in. It was gentle, almost like a lullaby, but there was something sad buried in it. Like someone was calling her... and missing her at the same time.The waves rolled slowly and steady, their rhythm syncing with the tight, quiet thud of her heart.And thenâsuddenlyâthe light broke through.It wasnât warm or cold. It was blinding. A pure white form emerged from the waves, and as Jo blinked against the glow, a figure began to shape.Someone familiar. Someone long gone.But before she could name themâbefore she could scream or fall to her kneesâthe dream shattered, pulling her back into darkness.Jo woke with a soft gasp, her body tangled in sheets, her heart racing like a war drum. The dream lingered like salt on her lips as if she really was just at the ocean, blinded by the light.What were these dreams? And why did th
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 48- More than friends
Jo exhaled slowly, her voice a low murmur.âI donât know why it failed.âEvie blinked. âYou meanâĶ it wasnât Victor?âJoâs eyes flicked to the firelight, shadows dancing over her scarred cheek. âI gave it everything I had. My intentions were realâraw, even. I didnât walk into that chamber planning to lie, and I wasnât afraid of the truth. That Goblet shouldâve accepted us.âSarah studied her carefully. âBut it didnât.ââNo,â Jo said softly. âIt didnât.âThe former Queen tilted her head. âSoâĶ you think it was him?ââI donât know.â Jo leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees. âThatâs the part that haunts me. Maybe it was Victor. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was both of us carrying too many secrets, too much shame. The Goblet doesnât care about feelingsâit cares about truth.âSarahâs voice was quieter now. âDo you regret it?âJoâs eyes sharpened. âNo.âThe room held its breath.âI donât regret what I gave him. Or what I told him. I meant every word. Even the parts that scared me,â she
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 47- Goblet of true feelings- Final part
Jo had been wandering the hallways of the demon kingdom, lost in her thoughts, when she found herself outside Victor's room. She hadnât planned on visiting him, but something drew her to the door. She hesitated, her hand hovering just above the handle. She could sense something was wrong. The air around the door felt thick with a strange energy, almost suffocating.She heard a low, pained whimper from inside. Her heart clenched.Victor? Without thinking, Jo pushed the door open and stepped inside.The room was shrouded in darkness, but it wasnât just the absence of light. This darkness felt alive, pulsating, almost like it was breathing. And there, in the middle of it, was Victor, doubled over in pain, his hands clutching his head.âVictor!â Joâs voice trembled with concern as she rushed to his side. She could see his body trembling, sweat glistening on his brow. He looked up at her, his eyes a mixture of pain and something elseâfear.âJoâĶstay back,â he managed to gasp out between brea
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 46- Goblet of true feelings- Part II
Jo sat stiffly on the edge of the opulent bed, her gaze fixed on Belial. The dim light filtering through the heavy curtains cast long shadows across the room.Belial's presence suddenly became commanding, his dark armor and intense gaze making the room feel even colder. There was only seriousness in the air now.He took a deliberate step closer to Jo, his voice dropping to a low, grim tone. "There is something you need to understand about the demon kings, Jolene. Victor killed Hades because his madness turned to the point of no return. Hades wanted Sea kingdom's most precious weapon, and Victor had a change of heart after meeting you. However, I am now worried about what this means for Victor.The madness is a truth that haunts every ruler who sits upon the throne of the underworld."Joâs heart quickened, her thoughts racing as she tried to grasp the gravity of Belialâs words. "What are you talking about? What truth?"Belialâs eyes, sharp and unwavering, met hers. "The madness. Every d
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 45- Goble of true feelings- Part I
Victor stared at Jo dangerously. If looks could kill, Jo would be six feet deep already. Before the siren could decently cover herself in front of the crowd that was now gathering, Victor snapped his fingers, and instantly the warrior next to her started grasping for air, his hands around his neck as if something invisible was choking him, robbing him of air. 'Victor, stop', the siren pleaded for the warrior who she knew was probably a victim of Pat's evil plan. 'Fuck this Jo', the demon king mumbled. 'You care about this warrior so much?'. Jo knew it was a wrong move because the warrior's body suddenly went still. She knew he was dead, so she dared not look at the body lying next to her. Tears were welling up in her eyes, this was not how she imagined her 18th birthday to have been celebrated. Damn it. She did not even want to have a celebration in the first place. 'Everyone who dares lay their eyes on my soon-to-be bride will have it ripped out of their socket. OUT!', Victor
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 44- Taste like deceit
Victor did not know when and how this has happened but Jo was the only one he could think of every single day. Before he even realised, he had fallen hard for the siren. Joâs voice that sounded like melodies had drawn Victor to her, and he had fallen for her enchanting voice, her vibrant red hair, and the way her eyes held the depths of the ocean. But now, as Victorâs words echoed through the night, Joâs world shattered. His confession hung heavy in the air, like a curse that could never be undone. He had killed his own fatherâthe reigning demon kingâ Joâs voice trembled as she whispered, âWhy, Victor? Why would you do such a thing?â His eyes, once filled with tenderness, now bore the weight of guilt. âBecause I love you, Jo. More than my own life. The former King Hades had ordered me to kill the entire royal family of the sea world on the day we were supposed to be married.â Joâs heart clenched. 'Why would Hades want such thing and to wait till the wedding day? If he wanted to, he
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 43- Back again
The island was chilly and breezy. Jo looked around and realised she was alone again. And then she heard that serenading sound that had been calling for her, yearning for her and haunting her. She wanted to know where it was coming from. It sounded so eerily familiar like she had heard it before. As she felt the soft shoreline sand beneath her bare foot, she knew she was getting close to that sound. It was coming from inside the Islands. But every time she tried to get closer, she would alwaysâĶâĶâĶâĶJo woke up panting. She had the same dream again. Ever since Belialâs attack, she had been having the same recurring dream of a serenading sound calling for her. But every time she tried to get close to it, she would wake up. Damn her luck.Not wasting any more time, she quickly got up and checked todayâs date on a nearby table calendar. Her heart sank realizing that the day of the fairiesâ departure was getting closer and closer. They were leaving in three days. It almost felt like a part of
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 42- Feels like home
'Marriage?', Lucy repeated her mate's words. Perhaps she misheard because none of this was making sense. Caleb massaged his temples and tried to maintain a calm posture. This was not like Caleb at all. He has always been the goofy type, and it felt weird to see him all so serious. 'Yes. Unfortunately, most Alphas have arranged marriages with other pack leaders to bring strong alliances, keep pure lineages, and build long-lasting relationships. I have been sworn to marry the daughter of Alpha Ramos from the Fawn pack'. Caleb chose his words carefully, knowing this would not be taken well.'Well, have a happy marriage life. I hope you have strong pups. Don't you dare dirty the pure Alpha lineage by considering someone like me, "Lucy said sarcastically and turned to walk away when Caleb yanked her right into his arms.'I don't care about the lineage, not one bit. You could be a vampire for all I care, and I would still love you and let you suck all of my blood', Caleb's words were makin
Alpha's Second Choice    Chapter 41- Back to reality
Suddenly there was no more running.No more sleeping with one eye closed.It was safe now. ...Jo slowly tried opening her eyes, she was finally discharged from the pack hospital and back to her guest room. Dante had been busy with his meetings and tightening the pack borders, but he would try his best to check in on her. She blushed thinking about the kiss they shared under the dome. Nothing more has happened ever since. Dante has really been respectful of her boundaries and giving her space.Jo was still walking on eggshells, not sure if this is really meant to be. Dante was married and that was the biggest barrier to everything right now. Even if he did not love Olivia or see her as his wife, they were still lawfully wedded. And Jo was pretty sure, Olivia would not take the news of her being Dante's fated mate well. Or maybe she already knew? Jo could not tell.At least she did not have to pretend with Dante anymore about being an omega. Infact, their mate bond was growing ever
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