Tell me: What do you think about this chapter so far? Do you think Aveline has something to do with her past?
Chapter 59: His Protection“So what brings you to Crescent? You’ve never cared for your roots, always lurking in human packs, falling in love with mortals,” Thorne said, his voice edged with a challenge.Raven chuckled, tsking her tongue, her white-blonde hair catching the light.“Such a pleasant way to welcome your aunt. You never really gave me that welcoming that sounds like, This is my fiancé aunty, even though I already know her name.” Her gaze snapped to Thorne, expectant.Thorne went quiet, his jaw tight, like he was calculating his next move or trying to keep something locked down. Slowly, he eased me off his lap, setting me on my feet, but he didn’t let go. He stood beside me, towering over us both, his hand finding my waist again, pulling me close as he led me toward his aunt. His alpha aura rolled off him, heavy and commanding, filling the room with a weight that made my knees weak.“Why are you here, Aunt?” he asked, his voice dead serious, his grip tightening on me like h
Chapter 58: The Weight of His ClaimI couldn’t believe I was back here again, staring at the heavy door in front of me, my heart pounding like it was trying to break free.When I got the message that the Alpha King demanded my presence, my mind went wild with questions.Why did he want me here? Had I messed up somehow?Was he canceling the wedding?Taylor wouldn’t tell me a damn thing, just ordered his maids to dress me up.I took a deep breath, smoothing my hands over the long floral black dress that clung to my curves, showing a hint of my chest. The big ribbon at the back swished when I moved.The door swung open, and I froze, my eyes locking on Thorne standing by his dresser, leaning against the wall with his hands tucked in his pockets. He was dressed in a tailored black pant and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to show off his thick biceps and the tattoos snaking down his arms, dark and intricate.I swallowed hard, my throat dry as we stared at each other for what felt like fore
Chapter 57: The Ghost of Her Shadow“Something brought you here? And you never knocked?” I snarled at Taylor, my eyes narrowing at the envelope in his hand, the royal purple glinting under the dim light.“Well, I don’t know. Maybe to deliver a message, dear brother. But I was knocking so hard and ringing the bell, and I thought some disease must’ve caught the Alpha. But rather… well, you were kinda busy with stuffs.” He chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery, and I had to grip the edge of the dresser to keep from lunging at him and knocking that smug grin off his face.“Nephew, what brings you here?” I asked, ignoring his taunting, my voice low and sharp.“Brother, you know I’m not your nephew. Just ‘cause you outgrow me by years immortal enough to birth six generations doesn’t make me your nephew. You’re not my uncle, you’re my cousin. Three hundred years should’ve taught you that by now.” His tone turned sharp, almost offended, and I nearly rolled my eyes at his whining. He never
Chapter 56: Her NameI watched the door slam shut behind me, my eyes dropping to the raging beast between my legs, straining against my sweatpants. I’d been dodging Aveline for over a week now, trying to shove down the gnawing need to grab her, rip her apart, and make her mine until she was nothing but my undoing. My wolf, Caelum, was clawing at me, worse than ever, wanting her so bad it felt like my bones were burning. I couldn’t tell if it was him or me—or both of us—craving her with this kind of hunger. Never had I wanted someone like this, not even Lydia.Had I ever wanted Lydia this much? Had I ever ached to be close to her like this? Hell, Lydia and I were never meant to be, not really. Our fucking, even as mates, was all duty, cold and mechanical. Sometimes I wondered if the goddess screwed up, pairing me with her. We never loved each other, not once. The bond was there, sure, like some chain tying us together, but it was hollow. Maybe it was my fault. My curse, chaining me to
Chapter 55: The wanting“What do you think?” Roselyn asked, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at her, then back at the dress hanging in the wardrobe. It was a long white gown, so soft and delicate it looked like it’d hug my body like a whisper. The fabric wasn’t see-through, but it looked like it would match the color of my skin so perfectly that it’d look like I was wearing nothing but lace and light. Tiny diamonds sparkled across the bodice, catching the glow of the chandelier, and the neckline had these intricate wolf patterns stitched into it, like they were howling just for me. The gown was so breathtaking I couldn’t even put it into words, like it was something out of a dream I didn’t know I had.“Can I try it on?” I asked, my voice shaky with excitement I couldn’t hide, my fingers itching to touch the fabric.“Hmm, well, I believe you can,” Roselyn said, a small smirk playing on her lips, like she knew how much this meant to me.“I’ll help her with the dressin
Chapter 54: The FittingAVELINE"He wouldn't," I finally found myself saying, the words coming out breathy as I clasped my thighs together, remembering how he had just shoved me out almost an hour ago.Roselyn turned slightly, her eyes glancing at me before grabbing a hanger from the closet."He never really fucks women just like that. I tried to get into his bed one drunken night at a party - we never really went far. He sent a guard to take me home, and I ended up fucking the guard instead. So you should consider yourself lucky that you get to be his replacement mate. Or maybe it's just because you look like her."Every word hit me, but the last words hit me harder, and I knew I wanted to know what Lydia was like."What was his former mate like?" I asked.Roselyn seemed to freeze at my question, her eyes scanning through the room."No one gets to talk about the Alpha King's dead mate. It's forbidden. Yes, we can speak the obvious part - you look so much like her, which you've probab