MasukMy heart was beating so violently in my chest, my hands clenched tightly beside me, my palms clammy with sweat.
I told myself I was going to be strong, but my anxiety was getting the best of me. You couldn't blame me. It felt like I was being taken for execution. I followed quietly behind the mistress, eyes scanning the dark hallway like I expected something to jump out and attack or something. The place was so damn quiet, it felt like even the walls were holding their breath—like even the air had suddenly stopped. The sound of our footsteps echoed, making my heart beat even faster. I was being led to the King's chamber, a place I might likely never return from. But I refuse to let that be my fate. I refuse to be one of the many women who won't make it out of his bed. One way or the other I was going to make it out alive. I didn't have a plan. I didn't know what I was going to say or do for the King not to want to touch me. But I had to figure out something. I couldn't die, I had a whole world ahead of me. I had a lot of things to achieve and none of them would be possible if I die tonight. I released a breath through my mouth to ease the anxiety curling deep inside me. Rosella said he’d be too disgusted to touch me because of how ugly I looked. Of all the times I’ve been called ugly, this is the one time I hope it’s true. I hope the king looks at me and feels nothing but disgust—enough to send me away. And then maybe… maybe I’ll finally have a chance to escape this place. I couldn't surrender to this fate. I couldn't surrender to death. The mistress took another turn entering a different hallway and I followed. There were several guards lined up, and I knew we were getting closer to the king’s room—closer to my fate. The guards' faces were expressionless, looking so cold like they killed for fun and I bet they did. We were still walking when I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. A tall man with brown hair was walking towards us and if I thought the guards face looked cold his was another story entirely. He looked like the only thing that made him smile was the beating of his enemy's heart in his hand. But he was one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen. He was muscular, with arms that look like he'd break your neck without breaking a sweat. The way he walked was majestic, like even the ground was scared of him. He screamed power and authority. The mistress stopped and I did the same. Does this mean she doesn't continue from here? Does this mean they'll take me from here to the Alpha King? He stopped in front of us and the mistress bowed. I didn't need anyone to tell me I had to do the same. “Beta Lucien," she greeted, Oh, he must be the King's second in command. The man who is also rumored to be just as cold and merciless as the King. The man didn't respond, his eyes just narrowed to me as he studied me like he was looking for something. I clenched my hands tightly to avoid them from shaking, because of the intensity of his gaze. “She came with the new set of omegas, I was just bringing her to the king's room." The mistress explained, “There will be no need for that," Did I hear him correctly? Does this mean I won't be taken to the King? I blinked in confusion and I couldn't help myself when I looked up at him and our eyes met briefly and I quickly looked down. We were warned not to make eye contact and I just broke that rule. Will he kill me now? “What do you mean, Beta Lucien?” The mistress asked in confusion. “The King has commanded that he doesn't want to see any other woman in his room…” he paused and I could feel his gaze cut through me. "Or he might kill her before his bed does.” Without another word, the man turned and walked away. There was silence for a moment and I just stood there waiting for the mistress's order. “Well, I must say you're lucky. But well, the inevitable will still happen." She said like she has done this a thousand times. “Come with me," she commanded and I followed her back the same way we came. Does this mean that I wouldn't see the King tonight? The realization of what just happened finally dawned on me. I was supposed to see the king tonight but then he said he didn't want to see any other woman tonight. This could be a sign. This could mean that I could find a way to escape. I don't know when they'd take me to see him again but I survived tonight. The mistress stopped in front of a door and pushed it open and then she looked at me. “This is the quarters you'll be staying with the others. You'll be told what to do until the day the King decides he wants to see another woman, then you'll be called.” I nodded and then she gave me a look I didn't quite understand before walking away. I took a deep breath before stepping into the room. There were several women, I recognized some from my pack and others I didn't but I knew they were from other packs. The room was big, there were several bunk beds. A nice bed to sleep till you wait for your turn to die. I thought to myself. I quietly walked to an empty bed in the lower bunker and climbed on it. My eyes found a girl in the corner of the room who was visibly shaking because we all knew what we were brought here for. To die or heal the King's curse. I backed away from everyone as I brought the blanket to my chin. I just had to wait for everyone to fall asleep. I didn't survive tonight to wait to be a sacrifice tomorrow. I had to escape and I had to do it— Tonight.EMILIA’S POV The words scraped out of my throat before I could stop them. “H–how is any of this my fault?” I whispered, my voice shaking from fear and confusion. “Why do you have me tied here? What do you want with me?” The woman didn’t answer right away. She just stood there, her presence pressing over me like a tidal wave of cold air. Then she leaned down, and once again her fingers glided across my cheek. Her touch made every nerve in my body flinch. “You don’t even know,” she murmured, almost disappointed. “You don’t even understand the type of power you possess.” Her hand lingered on my face, her nails trailing lightly across my skin as though she was examining me, studying me, savoring the tension trembling under my flesh. Then she leaned closer, her lips brushing the shell of my ear as she whispered: “My second biggest enemy lives inside you.” My breath froze. “What are you talking about?” I forced out, choking on the panic bubbling up in my throat. The woman chuckle
LUCIEN’S POV Rogues poured out of the tree line like a wave of shadows, wild and frothing at the mouth, snarling as if something had driven them past the point of sanity. The ground trembled under the weight of their charge. The air stank of blood and dirt and something…wrong. I didn’t have time to think. I shifted mid-stride, bones snapping and reshaping as my wolf burst forward. The moment my paws hit the earth, a rogue slammed into me. I caught it by the throat, flipped it, and tore into it before it could blink. Blood sprayed across the dirt. And the battle began. We fought hard—every warrior, every guard, every wolf willing to stand between the palace and death. They kept coming. Rogues were never organized. They never fought with strategy. But these… these were different. They were wild, yes—but united. Driven. Almost frantic. And that made them easier to kill—but more dangerous too. I ripped another rogue off one of my younger warriors, snapping its spine with a quic
MAXIMUS’S POV Chaos erupted around me the moment Lucien spoke the words ‘rogues are trying to break through the east border.’ My mind went into overdrive—every piece of the puzzle snapping together into something dark, something dangerous, something that tasted like betrayal. Soraya gone. Emilia missing. Rogues attacking. It wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be. My pulse thundered so violently I could feel it echoing in my teeth. My chest was so tight it hurt to breathe, and a cold, sharp panic crawled down my spine. But I didn’t let it take over. Not when I still had a kingdom to protect. Not when Emilia was out there—alone, scared, taken. I forced myself to inhale. Once. Twice. Enough to keep from snapping completely. Then I straightened, turned to Lucien, and said the words that came out of me like a command carved from stone. “Gather every warrior we have, now.” I ordered. “Get them to the east border. I want the women and children protected—no one leaves the palace wa
EMILIA’S POV The first thing I felt was weight. A heavy, suffocating weight pinning my body down. When I opened my eyes, everything was blurry—shapes bleeding into darkness, shadows swimming like liquid. My lashes fluttered, slow and weak, and for a moment I didn’t understand where I was…or why my limbs felt so heavy. What happened? Why does everything feel…wrong? My last memory came back in pieces—the room, the cold chill, that strange sense of being watched. My breath hitching. The hair on my arms rising. Then— Nothing. Just a soft wave of warmth running through my veins, so warm it felt like it lulled me to sleep. My knees buckling. The ground rushing up. And then—darkness. I blinked harder, trying to force my vision to sharpen. Slowly, the blur began to pull itself together. A ceiling. Dark stone. The texture rough and cold-looking even from afar. My head throbbed as I tried to move. My body didn’t respond. Panic punched through my chest. I tried again—to lift my han
MAXIMUS’S POV “What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?!” My voice thundered through the office like a volcano about to erupt. I could feel my blood boiling under my skin, my pulse hammering against my temples. Lucien stood across from me, stiff and alert, but even he flinched at the roar in my voice. “We went to her cabin like you ordered,” he said carefully, “but there wasn’t any sign of her. The place was completely empty.” Empty. Vanished. Gone. I felt something snap inside me—like a thread stretched too tight finally breaking apart. My hands clenched on the edge of my desk until my knuckles ached. I forced myself to breathe, but every inhale felt like fire. This… this was it. This was the goddamn confirmation that Soraya had been lying to me for years. Playing me. Twisting me. Manipulating me. But why? Why the hell would she do this? I stared down at my desk but didn’t actually see it. My vision blurred around the edges, the anger too sharp, too deep. My parents
EMILIA’S POV Our lips were still tingling from the kiss — that desperate, shaking, soul-deep kiss that felt like it pulled the breath straight out of my lungs. My hands were still tangled in his hair, his fingers still gripping my waist like he couldn’t decide whether to keep me close or pull me fully into him. Then, slowly, Maximus pulled back. But he didn’t pull far. Just enough for our foreheads to touch. Enough that his warm breath brushed across my lips, soft and uneven. We both let out a shaky laugh at the same time. A small, quiet moment—but it felt huge. Like our bodies were finally remembering how to be light after being weighed down for so long. He lifted one hand and cupped my face gently. His thumb brushed my cheek, slow and warm, and a soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’m so happy to see you smile like this,” he murmured. My chest tightened. His eyes softened further. “I felt like dying when you wouldn’t even look at me.” His thumb traced my cheekb







