MasukElainaI didn’t need to turn around. The beautiful and suffocating scent of sandalwood clogged my nostrils. I should be holding my breath, but for some known reasons, I steal pints of his scents into my lungs.Damn me. I nearly moaned. What the hell is happening to me?Why is my body attracted to a monster? Why does my stupid wolf still crave his touch?A few days ago, he was choking me against the wall, threatening to kill the one person that truly understands me. The one person that took me in after all the hell I’ve been through. Damn Aiden. Damn him to the darkest pit of hell. He is a monster, but maybe he doesn’t know that. Or maybe he knows but just doesn’t care. Everyone surrounds him like a god. Hell, from the little I’ve seen, they even treat him like one. I won’t show that same reaction. I’m not one of his minions who will cower at his every presence. He’s nothing but a black-hearted monster, and I’m going to tell him what he is. Maybe. Just maybe he’ll leave me alone
ElainaMy heart hammers faster in my chest. I clutched my kids closer to myself as if scared the night would swallow them. “Who?” My voice trembled. “What is happening?”Before she could answer me, a wave of battle cries broke out from a near distance. It came from the other side of the border walls. Angry. Maddening. The sound of men shrieking agressively broke through the night with ear piercing volume. My pups wince as they cover their ears. “Mama, I’m scared.” Raven looked up at me with teary eyes. I didn’t even get the chance to comfort her. In the next second, more spears came hurling into the pack grounds, narrowly missing us.My instinct should have been to grab my kids and run, but instead, I shielded them on the spot, covering their tiny bodies with mine. Alarm blared through the night from this side of the wall. The warriors of the pack had sprung into action. Commands were barked, the sound of clanging metals and hurried footsteps became audible. “No single soul of
ElainaTwo days pass. No sign of Orloff, and no sign of my tormentor either. I was forced to spend my days and nights in this haunted room. His mute or ‘warned not to speak’ maids come in every morning and night to wash and clean me up as if I’m some kind of doll. I had refused their super suspicious hospitality the first day, but then their eccentric king sent word that if I didn’t behave, he would start dissecting my supposed lover, Orloff, one after the other. Those were exactly his words. ‘He’ll regret breathing the same air as you.’A chill settled at the bottom of my spine. Horrific images of what he might be doing to Orloff slammed into my vision without warning. Even worse. The imagination of Orloff exposing the identity of my pups haunted more than anything. It’s as if a lethal poison is being released into my bloodstream. I suck in a sharp breath. My eyes shift to the door, my insides rising with the hope of someone walking in to save me. But the harsh truth remains, w
ElainaMy breath hitched. Cold shivers cascaded over me, leaving goosebumps of terror in its wake. My eyes doubled in size, blurring with panic. How did he get inside my head?Throughout my entire life, I’ve heard rumors that extremely powerful mate bonds could alter telepathic abilities, or that the two lovers could seek an audience with the goddess. Those were just rumors, myths that spread faster than flame on dry leaves. But this felt different. It was real. No, it was surreal. Almost as if I’m in a dream or still hallucinating from the sedative I was shot with. I pinched my thigh to see if I was indeed dreaming, but the pain that exploded through my skin made me wince, and thus I realized this was indeed real. The hybrid-king can read my mind. “Answer me!” His hand found my throat again, slamming me hard against the wall. “Let me….go.” I choked, wriggling desperately as I tried hard to pull his hand off. “Who is here to take you from me?” He snarled, leaning close to me till
ElainaThe air shifted immediately. A heavy, forceful silence enveloped the room. Monica’s lips froze before she could utter a word, her eyes etched with pure fear as the towering figure stepped in. I swallowed an invisible lump. Every beat of my heart slammed into my chest like a hammer. The room seemed to shrink around his masculine body as he moved forward. His eyes, sharp and commanding without the need of words, sweep across the room. And then, that voice that haunted me in my sleep rumbled softly as he spoke. “Well, well,” he drawled, and I wanted to shrink under the scrutiny of his emerald gaze. “Did I misheard, or is a stranger trying to convince another of trustworthiness?”Monica stiffened beside me like a dough in harmattan season. She twitched her hands nervously like a toddler before forcing a sweet, practiced smile. “Lord Aiden ... .you shouldn’t be up,” she stammered helplessly. “The healers said you needed to rest.”Why in the goddess’ name are they referring to him
Elaina“Where are my pups?” I glare at her, stepping into her personal space. Monica doesn’t flinch or move backwards. She tilts her head and studies me, her eyes sizing me up as if I was some item to be discarded. She shrugs. “They’ll be just fine if you just do as you’re told.” “Do as I’m told?” I repeated, grimacing. “I swear to the goddess I’ll—”“You’ll do nothing.” She declares, stone-faced like I was her greatest foe. “You’re nothing but an outcast here—you and those little rascals—”My hands move automatically in response to the spark of fury my wolf felt. Without waiting for my brain to process, I grabbed her by the chin then slammed her back against the door. A growl rips from my throat while she lets out a startled whimper. “Call me anything worse you can think of. You can call me a slave even, but I won’t let a confused trophy Luna like you spew rubbish about my pups. You hear me? Never!”I release her jaw just slightly enough for her to breathe properly. “And you’ll a







