LOGINArceThis asshole. Just as he was about to open the door, I slammed my hand against it, blocking his way. Bad move—because now I had him cornered. On the damn door.But I didn’t budge.“Allow it, or I won’t let you go,” I said firmly.That made him turn, crouching just enough so our faces aligned. “I wouldn’t mind that,” he whispered, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.I lifted my chin defiantly. “Alright,” I shot back, planting my other hand on the wall beside him, fully caging him in now.That made him straighten abruptly, his back thumping against the door.I arched a brow. Take that, mutt.He only sighed, then suddenly his hands gripped my waist. In one smooth motion, he lifted me off the ground like I weighed nothing—like I was some bratty kid.I yelped, caught off guard, as he carried me to the sofa and set me down with infuriating ease.“As much as I’d like to indulge you,” he smirked, “I have a harvest to oversee.” He said before heading to the door, leaving me on the couch,
ArceI hated these mutts with every fiber of my being, and yet someone thought it amusing to play a prank on me. Fine. I would deal with him myself—Lord Hades. Though I wasn’t sure how just yet.But first, I had an Alpha to pursuade.“There’s no way I’ll cower after what happened last night,” I muttered as I stepped out of my room.“What happened last night?” a woman’s voice cut in from behind me.I turned to see the other dog from dinner, her brows lifted in feigned innocence.“Don’t tell me it was about the meat?” she asked sweetly. “If it upset you, I would like to apologize.”“Who are you to apologize?” I spat, crossing my arms and lifting an eyebrow like a blade.She chuckled, a high little sound that only made my skin prickle. Then she tapped my shoulder as if we were old friends. I stared at the touch for a beat, then shot her a cold look. How dare she.“You should loosen up,” she said, laughing again, the note in her voice tinkling at my last nerve. “I thought vampires were ca
ArceThat damn puppy was starting to bare his fangs. Very well. It was time for me to bite back. I had only been taken aback before, that was all.Father had ordered me to kill the Alpha discreetly, but that was impossible for now. The moment he dropped dead, all eyes would turn to me, the outsider, the foreign threat.So I would wait. I would prove myself first, show them I wanted nothing more than to endure this cursed year.With nothing else to do, I decided to take a walk through the halls, memorizing the house’s structure and every turn it offered. When I returned, the Beta had already interfered with my chambers. The coffin was gone, replaced with something more tolerable, a proper bed soft and warm. At the very least, he had spared me the insult of that ridiculous stage set.And then, at last, came dinner.I furrowed my brows at the sight of a woman I had never met, seated beside the largest dog in this pack, already tearing into her meat.“Finally,” he drawled, not even bother
Arce I froze, eyes snapping toward him, my hands instinctively shooting up to grab both his shoulders. I shook him lightly, abandoning the carefully crafted mask of the untouchable princess for one raw second. “What do you mean required there?”The words clawed at my throat. We both knew what it meant. To be required in a man’s bedroom meant only one thing, and it was something I had no experience in.“Sex, of course, princess. I imagine vampires are more than knowledgeable in that area… even a Bloodling like you.” His tone was casual, mocking, as he gently pried my hands off his shoulders.Damn it. I hadn’t even realized I’d touched a dog on my own.“Whatever do you mean?” I shot back, my voice sharp, though the words tumbled out faster than I’d planned. “You mutts are the ones always in heat. Clearly, you’d know more in that area. Fuck.”The curse slipped past my lips before I could stop it. Again, not the image of the untouchable princess I wanted to uphold.“You are indeed still
ArceThe Alpha strode inside as though nothing had happened, as if that vile act had meant less than air to him. But to me? It was far from nothing. His scent still clung to me, thick and revolting, like a stain I couldn’t scrub off fast enough.And did he just call me little bird?I forced myself to still, to compose, to bury the fire in my chest beneath a calm mask. If he wanted indifference, I would give him indifference, venom dressed as poise. With a lift of my chin, I followed after him, mirroring his ease, acting as if his touch hadn’t irked me.The Alpha house was nothing like the lavish castles or glittering manors of the vampires. It lacked the cold opulence of marble and chandeliers, favoring instead a warmth that almost felt… cozy. Despite its towering exterior and grand arches, the inside was far simpler, humble, even.“As you can see, Princess,” the Beta, whose name I had already dismissed as forgettable, droned beside me, “this will be your home for the year. It would b
Arce“I must apologize for the arrangement,” Orion said, his voice smoother than I expected. “Both the Alpha and Beta were occupied with urgent matters to prepare for your arrival.”“Preparing?” I repeated with a dry laugh. “That is what you call it? How utterly predictable. Breaking every tradition, spitting on every rule, and still, you can’t even welcome me properly. Tell me, is your Alpha always this… unprepared? Or is this incompetence reserved for special occasions?”I tried to restrain myself from laughing, though it was difficult with the way Orion’s anger practically radiated off him. It was almost comical, if I squinted, I could imagine steam curling above his head like a boiling kettle.Werewolves were infamous for their tempers, and he was barely holding himself together. The only reason he hadn’t snapped yet was out of reverence for his Alpha, the same Alpha who had so generously handed the vampires a Bloodmoon Duel victory just to claim me.When he didn’t speak, though h







