Kael's POVA ball invitation?"Shit!" I hissed as I stared at the card that was just delivered.This was absolutely the worst timing.A ball means a gathering of all of the invited.That would include Raymond.If he tells the Demon Alpha that I broke the treaty on my own, then I'm dead."That shitty bastard!" I growled. "Why the fuck did he have to host a ball now?!"If he had waited even a few weeks more, I would have had Raymond completely under my control."Arrghhh!" I groaned.Things are about to get hectic."Are you okay?" Vera's voice reached me with concern, attracting my attention.She was stunning.Her nude figure sat on my bed as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Supple breasts spilling over the covers. Nipples perking up and hard. All of the wonders of her upper body tapered down to a slender waist, which in turn gave way to perfect, lean hips, completing the hourglass figure.Known for her athleticism, she was the epitome of beauty in the pack. The height of physical exce
Ava's POVThe days leading up to the ball were a controlled blur. It was all work for me, and I soon fell into a routine. Thankfully, it wasn't that hard since I'd been doing it during my life as Ava.Once I woke up in the morning, I headed over to the head maid and spent almost the whole day with her—planning, budgeting, and cross-checking—as she let me take the reins for this particular ball, intending to familiarise me with my obligated duties. Lyanna shadowed me all day regardless of my rigorous schedule and put herself in charge of making sure I ate at the perfect intervals and ended my day at the exact hour to get some early rest. It was almost unreal to be treated with that much care while doing considerably less physical activity than I did when I was Ava. Evenings were spent settling the accounts. I wasn't much of a scholar as Ava, but I had basic education and was given a quick and easy crash course in finances and accounting, so it wasn't exactly difficult—if I didn't ac
Ava's POVThey say scars fade with time. But mine? Mine only grew deeper. Like a cruel signature, it adorned my face. _Flashback_ "Oh no, what's that?""Maybe it's black coal?" another child said, staring at my face as I looked down."Come, get away from her," their mother said, dragging them along."Don't you ever look at her again. Unless you want to end up like that," she warned, gesturing toward my face."What's that, Mum?" the youngest of the boys asked."Her face is a canvas, but guess who painted on it? The devil," she joked cruelly.A tear escaped my eyelid."Her face is the devil's canvas, and that scar is his artwork." Her words pierced deep into my soul.Why was I constantly blamed for something I had no control over?Why was I always abused?Did I ask to be born this way? I asked no one but myself.That was three years ago. Nothing much had changed—except the abuse had become more of a routine... like a schedule I followed.SLAP!A slender hand collided with my cheek, sn
Ava's POV I thought my ears heard wrong, as my mother's words rang out."No, Vera. Let's give your sister a chance," she said coolly, as though the years of neglect and hatred never existed.Vera scoffed, storming out of the room with a dramatic swirl of her gown, leaving the door wide open."Come here, sweetheart," Mum called, her arms widely spread apart, waiting to receive me in its tight embrace. Her smile was unfamiliar... too soft, too calculated."Sweetheart," the word sounded strange, foreign. It had never been used on me before.A flicker of hope rose in my chest, stupid and fragile."Mother... I smell," I tried to explain, shame heavy on my tongue."Nonsense, sweetheart, come give mother a hug," her voice dripped with false affection.My feet, once rooted in suspicion, obeyed her call.But just as I reached her—crack.Pain exploded at the back of my head, and my eyes gave way to the dark....I shot my eyes open to the sight of a strange environment.The next memory wasn't
Ava's POV I should have taken the guard’s advice. Worn a mask or veil, to save myself from this humiliation.I blinked. My throat dried, my pulse raised, my palms wet with sweat. No... the moon goddess must be playing tricks on me.This had got to be a mistake.I asked for a mate, not Kael—the Alpha of BloodMoon Pack.The room was silent.So silent, I could hear my own heartbeat, threatening to leap out of my rib cage.All eyes were on us: the ugly, scarred face, and the most powerful man in the kingdom kneeling in front of her.“Mate,” he said again, firmer, his voice like thunder before a storm.I gulped down at his amazing features—blonde hair, grey eyes, and a well-sculpted jawline. He was beautiful... the most beautiful I have laid my eyes on.He stood slowly, his hands still under my chin, and I stood up as well.I waited for it. The time he would utter those words out. I wouldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t accept me also if I was him.So here it was—an even more public humiliation
Ava's POVI shot my eyes open to an unfamiliar sight... My eyes dimmed as the bright light threatened to blind me."Quick, call Her Majesty! Princess Elora is awake!" someone who was fanning over me called out. _Princess Elora?_ What sick game was this?I am not Elora. I am Ava. Ava the scarred omega. The unloved. The betrayed. I tried sitting up, but my limbs felt strange. Heavy. A sharp pain surged through me as I held my head. Sweat clung to my skin. _Wait... skin?_ I blinked again. I wasn't cold. I wasn't bleeding. I was... alive. My hands flew to my chest. _No wound_ My heart thundered in my ears. Then everything came back—my mother, my sister, Vera, Kael... my mate. Their laughter. Betrayal. The pain. The darkness. The death. And yet... Here I was. The moon goddess had granted me a rebirth, and I was sure not going to waste this chance. They would pay. Vera. Kael. Even my mother. They would taste the wrath of my sword. I would make them beg for de
Ava's POV My already heavy body sagged as I was now adorned with jewelry, the weight of gold and stone dragging me.I stared at my reflection, barely recognizing the girl in the mirror.The maid behind me twisted my hair into an elegant knot, her fingers trembling. "You are doomed for sure," she said in a whisper, but I caught her words."Don't scar her," another maid muttered under her breath, brushing a stray curl behind my ear."Quiet. It's time now!" my mother snapped as she strode into the room, her gown shimmering like moonlight. "My baby, beautiful as always," she kissed my forehead. The gesture was warming, a farewell wrapped in affection.She must have truly loved Elora... the real Elora.I swallowed my bitterness and stood, following them down the corridor. The palace was unnecessarily cold, the halls were pure sophistication with their intricate design and large artworks that made me feel small, like I didn't belong.My footsteps dragged behind theirs. This identity wasn't
Ava's POV"Strip," his harsh tone resounded in my ears.My heart thumped erratically in my chest as the silence stretched between us.My fear slowly morphed into a righteous anger at the order. Who the fuck did he think he was?Where did he think he found me?I was an actual princess before he basically forced my family into giving me away based on a betrothal made before I could even talk. He had no right to treat me that way. "I'm not a cheap whore, neither did you pick me up from a brothel." I wanted to say those words. I wanted to show him that it was going to take more than a little intimidation to make me cower. I've done enough of that in my past life.Then, I looked into those cold eyes. Black and silver stared at me, studied me. Like I was prey. My defiance died down as quick as it came.I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest so hard that I could hear it.This was the Demon Alpha. The actual devil. I came here to avoid being beheaded. Speaking out of turn would
Ava's POVThe days leading up to the ball were a controlled blur. It was all work for me, and I soon fell into a routine. Thankfully, it wasn't that hard since I'd been doing it during my life as Ava.Once I woke up in the morning, I headed over to the head maid and spent almost the whole day with her—planning, budgeting, and cross-checking—as she let me take the reins for this particular ball, intending to familiarise me with my obligated duties. Lyanna shadowed me all day regardless of my rigorous schedule and put herself in charge of making sure I ate at the perfect intervals and ended my day at the exact hour to get some early rest. It was almost unreal to be treated with that much care while doing considerably less physical activity than I did when I was Ava. Evenings were spent settling the accounts. I wasn't much of a scholar as Ava, but I had basic education and was given a quick and easy crash course in finances and accounting, so it wasn't exactly difficult—if I didn't ac
Kael's POVA ball invitation?"Shit!" I hissed as I stared at the card that was just delivered.This was absolutely the worst timing.A ball means a gathering of all of the invited.That would include Raymond.If he tells the Demon Alpha that I broke the treaty on my own, then I'm dead."That shitty bastard!" I growled. "Why the fuck did he have to host a ball now?!"If he had waited even a few weeks more, I would have had Raymond completely under my control."Arrghhh!" I groaned.Things are about to get hectic."Are you okay?" Vera's voice reached me with concern, attracting my attention.She was stunning.Her nude figure sat on my bed as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Supple breasts spilling over the covers. Nipples perking up and hard. All of the wonders of her upper body tapered down to a slender waist, which in turn gave way to perfect, lean hips, completing the hourglass figure.Known for her athleticism, she was the epitome of beauty in the pack. The height of physical exce
Ava's POV A long day.Laying on my bed at the end of the day, I couldn't help but wonder what I had gotten myself into.The whole day was a whirlwind of activities and duties more than I could handle, and I've had more than my fair share of manual labour."Being the Demon Queen doesn't seem so fun anymore, does it?" Lyanna said, a rare amusement in her voice."Shut up, Lyanna," I sighed as I rolled over on my side to watch her as she stood diligently with her back to the window.Now that I think of it, I've almost never seen her sit. That had to be uncomfortable."You should take it easy on yourself, Luna," she sighed, a bit of concern in her voice. "It's good to stay diligent, but you also need to know when to rest.""I can't rest," I sighed again as I laid back on my back. "Let's talk about what we have to do tomorrow.""No, Luna," she replied. "You will rest for now."I stared at her for a few seconds but said nothing in protest.She would listen if I gave her an order, as she tak
CRESCENT PACKRaymond's PovThere was a lot of chaos in the surrounding area as everyone scrambled to recover from the ambush. I also had to struggle to recover as well. I ran around the pack in search of possible targets or weak links who might have gone missing during the battle or killed at least. It was quite tiring to deal with all of that and it scared me to death who I might find missing or dead. While some might be fairly disposable to me, losing any of the people I care about would be too much of a pain to bear."Raymond!" Someone called but I didn't even have the time to see who it was as I waived them away.I needed to find Anna."Anna is missing!" The voice yelled, stopping me in my tracks."What?" I asked as I turned around to face Gilbert who hurried over to me. "I can't find her!" He exclaimed, panting.Gilbert was a powerful werewolf, one that does not tire easily. If a werewolf of his strength was panting like this, then it means he had pushed himself above and bey
Dravin's POV A knock on my office roused both me and Soren from the documents we were working on.I was slowly beginning to realize that shutting myself off from the world for the last two decades was a mistake.The world had moved on without me, and they did that so quickly.After the death of my Luna and Elora’s betrothal to me, I saw no reason to involve myself with the world anymore.I didn't break any alliances and let them use my name as much as they wanted, but I stayed out of the public eye. While the members of my Pack could go wherever they wanted, I expressly warned them never to reveal the name of the Pack in their travels.They listened flawlessly, as always, and it seemed like the Sulk Pack was never truly forgotten, but slowly moved to the back of people's minds.Now, I intended to come back into the world, and the politics involved were terribly exhausting.I could tell not many people were quite thrilled by my return. The Blood Moon Pack was one.They had been threat
Ava's POV My world was spinning, and not in a good way.Was there even a good way to have your world literally spinning?I couldn’t tell.I couldn’t think.I could hear voices.I could hear a name.But not my name."Ava!"I was jolted awake by the sound of my name.Opening my eyes, I met the emerald eyes of Vera. She had a smile playing on her lips.I knew that smile all too well.A mischievous smile.She was thinking of something vile."Why are you lying there like an idiot?" she asked, still smiling. "Stand up."I obeyed.I tried standing but quickly realized it was impossible. I was lying on a bed of jagged thorns. They had bitten so deep into my skin that with the protruding tips all over, they found a hold inside my flesh, never letting go.I screamed in pain.I howled at the top of my lungs.This was going to kill me.The thorns were covered in my blood."What did you do to me, Vera?" I demanded, tears in my eyes. "Why are you doing this?""Why?" she smiled. "Because it's what
Dravin's POV"Luna!" Soren yelled as he caught Elora and shook her worriedly. I was beside him in a second, staring at her as I tried to decipher if she was playing her games with me. "She's not pretending, Alpha!" Soren hissed. "Her pulse is getting weaker!" I nodded in response, and I swooped her from Soren's arms and headed out of the door. "Call the doctor, Soren.""Alpha?" Camilla said as I approached the door."Open the door," I ordered as I drew closer."What?" "Open the fucking door, Camilla," I repeated, my voice calm but threatening. I made my way down the hallway, across the living room, and hall to a hallway on the other side of the room. "Luna?" I heard Lyanna's voice call as we approached the entrance of the hallway. She was beside me in a second. "What happened to her, Alpha?""I don't know," I replied as we reached her bedroom door. "She just fell.""It might have something to do with her weight?" Camilla said, her voice mocking.From the corner of my eye, I s
Ava's POV The silence in the room was, for lack of a better word, deafening.One could almost hear a pin drop.We would most likely have heard it anyway, since our hearing is quite advanced, but the point was that it was deathly silent in that office.I could feel Dravin's eyes on me. They seemed to almost burn, probing at me to stare back into them. I couldn't tell if he was staring or glaring because I refused to look at him.I kept my eyes trained on this lady, Camilla. A deadpan, expressionless look on my face and my chin raised at a slightly higher angle than normal so that I could stare down at her. So that she could see my eyes looking down and meeting hers.A trick I learned in the short time I knew Elora's father. The man's head was always angled to look down at everyone around him, regardless of their height. The only time I ever saw him angle his head slightly downward was when Dravin came to claim me.Good thing this Camilla isn't taller than me. That would have been awkw
Dravin's POV Things are getting a little annoying.I stared at the subtle face-off going on in my office right now and couldn't help but sigh.A knock drew all of our attention, and Soren walked in."Alpha, I—"He paused at the sight I have been forced to watch for the past hour now.Seated in the living room section of my office were two ladies staring at each other from the farthest ends of the adjacent couches.One was a chubby, scarred lady, and the other a beauty that can be barely quantified. There are only a few women that I've recognized as a masterpiece of the goddess, considering my high standards, and she was one of them.Soren took a second to stare at me with a question in his eyes.When he got nothing, he cleared his throat uncomfortably."Um, I'll be back later, Alpha."He was out of the door before I could say a word of protest.That bastârd.Both women watched the door for a few seconds even after Soren left, and then turned their attention to each other—one with a c