로그인Xlynor's POVThe city blurred into streaks of houses, glass, and lights. Cars scattered as I slipped between lanes with barely inches to spare. Suddenly, a truck drifted into my path, but I didn't touch the brake, just flicked the wheel and slipped through a gap so narrow the truck's side mirror folded in from the wind of my passing.Behind me, one of the bikes clipped the truck's front corner. It wobbled but didn't go down, which was good. At least now they knew who they were dealing with.The SUV couldn’t keep up. They clearly hadn’t planned for this outcome.“Slow down!” Ivara's voice had changed completely, all thrill gone. “We're going to die — you're going to kill me! I don't want to die with you! Slow down!”I could tell the highway wasn't going to work in my favor. There was too much visibility and too many options for them to flank. I needed narrower ground.I cut across three lanes without braking. Horns erupted in a wave behind us. The exit ramp came up fast, and I took it
Xlynor's POVShe rejected me.Ivara just rejected me, and it baffled me that she could do that.I moved back to the front seat in disbelief and sat with that for a moment.How could she reject my offer like that?Nobody rejected me. That had never happened. Of course, I was Xlynor Darkazov — Alpha, demigod, the man people built rumors about because the truth was worse — and she'd looked at my offer for less than a second before saying no like she was turning down a menu item she didn't like.It felt like a slap across the face I couldn’t just sit with. How could she?I turned to look at her, but she was back to sipping her drink. Both drinks, alternating, and completely unbothered like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't just rejected me.“You're really —” I caught myself and hit my palm against the steering wheel instead. “Fuck!”The thing was, it wasn't about the kiss anymore. It was the hurt of the rejection that was sitting in my chest like something inedible I'd accidentally s
Xlynor's POVIvara didn't respond because she was already distracted by the contents of the box and kept turning it and staring at it in admiration. “It's mine? Like actually mine? This belongs to me? I don't think I want to sell it. It's so beautiful.”“There's only one of it in all of Athynra, and I got it,” I said. “So if you try to sell it, whoever you approach will either think it's fake or think you stole it from me.”“I said I'm not selling it.” She sounded genuinely offended. “I haven't thought it through yet.”I nodded, glancing at the mirror. She was holding it up, and tilting it. The earlier red in her face was replaced by awe and admiration and then a soft, delighted laugh escaped her. For a moment, she looked completely lost in it.“So,” I said, turning back to the road. “I've been thinking.”“About what?” she cut in excitedly.“Let me finish.” I adjusted my grip on the wheel. “I thought about it carefully. It was something I suddenly thought of after you left the yard, a
Xlynor's POVI followed Ivara’s scent through the barracks until I found her in the parking garage, tucked away in my car. The guards must have brought her here after she ran off because there was absolutely no way she found the garage on her own.For some reason, she was seated in the back, not the front. I stood at the driver's door for a second and looked at her through the glass. A smirk crept onto my lips, but I said nothing, and simply slid into the driver’s seat.“You know this makes you look like a passenger,” I said, adjusting the rearview mirror until I could see her properly. “And me, like your driver.”She didn’t respond. She was staring at the window. Red-faced, expression locked down, and very committed to not acknowledging that I existed.Okay, I got it.I noticed the stuff Zane had dropped in the passenger seat. It felt weird having to do this now. I wasn't ready yet, and I had no idea Ivara would come to the barracks. Otherwise, I would have hidden it.Anyway, she had
Xlynor's POVI watched Ivara rush out of the yard until her figure disappeared around the corner, then a sly grin spread across my face. I couldn't stop it, even though I wanted to.Interesting. I had just figured out a game I'd thought was one-sided wasn't.I was starting to get pissed that Ivara could mess with my head, my nerves, and my thoughts, yet walk around, exist, and do whatever she did to me without any apparent awareness of it—acting completely unbothered by the whole thing. Well, not today. Finally, I wasn't the only one being affected by the other person. Very fulfilling.I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek and turned to the yard.The problem was that teasing her was its own trap. It wasn't so easy. I'd gotten close because I wanted to bother her, or maybe not, but then, I hadn't wanted to stop at just bothering her. That was the problem. That was always the problem with her.Her crazy and addictive cinnamon scent had a way of triggering a surge of dopamin
Ivara's POV“I beg you, please spare me.” Nathan’s screams and pleas pierced my ears, pulling me back from that ridiculous thought.I shook my head hard. What is wrong with you, Ivara? Why would you want him to touch you? This was crazy! I was sure Xlynor was manipulating me. This wasn’t me.I turned to Xlynor. “Do you…” I stopped then pressed my lips together, turning back to Nathan.“No… please—” Nathan's voice broke in half. “Alpha, please, I made mistakes, I know, I was selfish and evil but please—give me one last chance. I do not want to die.” He pulled so hard against the ropes that blood welled at his wrists. “Please—”My stomach clenched so badly I thought I might be sick. Even though I wasn't supposed to kill him, his screams made it seem so. I didn't want this.“Raise the bow.” Xlynor's command came.I tried, but my grip wasn't strong enough. It wasn’t that I couldn’t. I just wasn’t in the right state of mind. “I… I can’t.” I barely said it above a whisper.“I didn’t ask tha
Xlynor's POVOf course, Isagi would always find a way to piss me off. Even though he knew how much I hated being called brother by him, he still did it. Always insisting that since both our mothers were demigoddesses, we were siblings.“Don’t fucking call me that,” I scowled.Isagi pouted dramatica
Xlynor's POVI leaned back against the kitchen island the moment Ivara left, pressing my palm against my face.What the hell was wrong with me?First, I felt a spark of genuine pride when I caught her scent at the banquet—proud that my little bird had escaped so quickly and cleverly.Then the reali
Ivara’s POVXlynor and Zoya had already begun walking toward the throne at the end of the hall, like royalty stepping into their rightful place.Which, unfortunately… they were.I swallowed nervously and followed the guard.The moment I stepped inside the hall, the scale of it hit me properly. It wa
Xlynor’s POVI woke up feeling… strange. Usually, after a night when my demons surfaced, I woke up in agony—like my body had been ripped apart and crudely stitched back together.Sometimes the demons wouldn’t even fully release control. I would wake up half-conscious. But this time, I felt weak, ye







