LYKOAN’S POVThough the dawn whispered promises of closeness, I remained adrift in a bittersweet longing, plagued by the discrete wish that our bond would blossom into mutual love.“Must you call me Alpha, Nia?” I pouted with a thumping ache in my chest, piercing deeply into her eyes. “Are we strangers?”Her dark brows flew up as she gazed at me. Stunned and confused by the question, her voice faltered a bit. “Um, you are my Alpha.”“I am much more.” My hands coasted down past the curves of her hips, stopping at the light brush of the hem of her chemise, pulling it haphazardly up as I squeezed her thighs. “Your body knows it. I don’t even need to feel you to know that you’re desperately wet.”She gasped, taking in a large breath when I moved my hands to the supple roundness of her bottom, cupping her buxom cheeks.“Nia, you don't have to love me, but for goddess' sake, don't insinuate that I'm nothing to you. It's not acceptable.” I released a deep growl as she touched my chiseled che
LYKOAN’S POVStepping from the shower, steam swelled around me in great billows. I rubbed a towel through my wet hair, standing entirely naked in front of the foggy mirror. I grabbed a dry, gray towel to wrap loosely around my hips.Walking out of the bathroom into the dimly lit suite, I halted with a frown. I immediately became unnerved when I saw the empty king-sized bed at this murky morning hour.”Nia?” I called out, tilting my nose in the air and sniffing for a trail of her scent.“Out here.” The melodic sound of her voice warmed my soul as I realized she was on the balcony.As I crossed the room, it was a great relief to see her graceful figure standing with her hands on the glass railing. Her slender back was turned to me with the full length of her black hair down. Her head was slightly tilted back, glancing into the starry sky while the cool night air played with her silky strands.She was quite the sexy vision, as if lit by an ethereal spotlight that elevated her serene beau
NIA’S POV"You're just going to stand there and not do anything?" Elder Neagan griped over the horrified echoes in the ballroom. His vicious glare lingered on me, his tone stone cold. I tried lurching forward, but Julius’ rough hands clamped down on my shoulders, holding me on the spot.“Let go of me, Julius,” I wrestled against his grip to no avail.“No,” Julius replied, baring his teeth like he teetered on the edge between human and beast. "We do not interfere. This is justice.”“Only one can be left standing, Nia,” came from Gawain. “Do not dishonor him.”Sultan began circling Deadboltz slowly, menacingly. Spittle dripped down his muzzle, teeth snapping at the floored wolf with fierce growls of determination.All human logic was gone. He was going to make the kill, ready to deliver the final blow. Goosebumps rose on my skin in apprehension.“Dalton, Lykoan, both of you, calm down,” I yelled, despite the suffocating tightness in my throat.From the other side of the room, Harrison s
NIA’S POVSwoosh!Crash!Ghaaah!At first, everyone was mesmerized by Lykoan’s distinguished, horse-sized, silver Lycan. However, this was short-lived, as chaos ensued, and they began fearing for their lives. My thrumming heart pounded tirelessly, pacing like my anxious mind, which set my teeth on edge.It had been less than five minutes, and most of the nearby tables were smashed. The broken crockery and wood splinters strewn all over the floor did not hamper the feud; they only added to the injuries.“Grrauh! Grrr!” Viscous snarls resonated in the ballroom from both the fighters and the surrounding alphas, who yipped and howled at the brutal scene.Julius kept me close, bound by his relentless hold on my waist. Evangeline cracking her knuckles betrayed her uneasiness. Francine was stumped, and Brooke chewed on her thumbnail. Chase and Layton watched silently.The gruesome fight made my blood run cold, and my heart almost stopped. An immense, gloomy aura reached our senses. Their mas
NIA’S POVDalton was raising an Alpha Cabal for Subjugation. No doubt, it was the advice of his council to use the alphas to show Lykoan that he had no authority, similarly to what the ten alphas who died had done.What a night!This battle of power could escalate all the way to the fearsome Lycan Diabolyn.Did I predict any of this? Certainly not, but with Lykoan, he always went overboard. I could see the sheer rage bubbling inside him, just waiting to burst out like a volcano.“Isn’t this more trouble than we wanted?” I leaned towards Lykoan and asked, “I thought we were going to do things the right way. Will fighting him clear my name?”“No, but it’s more fun,” he answered surprisingly soft, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear coyly. “Don’t you think I know he’ll attempt to seduce you the moment you are alone with him?”“You overestimate his charms.” I released a tense breath, sitting back.“He doesn’t even look like the lovemaking type,” Lykoan groused, deeply analyzing the Alpha
NIA’S POV“Your lack of manners is a flaw,” Lykoan said coolly, yet a subtle, lethal undertone bled into every word. “Do not recklessly disturb us. As you can see, this is a Volkes table, and yet you want to drag away my date without my consent.”“Consent is not required when an APB is active for her, so thank you for bringing Nia home. Now that you have delivered her, I will take her out of your hands.” Dalton shot back, hands tightening into fists at his side.Lykoan’s arm went around my shoulder. He shrugged and muttered, “That won’t be necessary.”“Listen,” Dalton’s expression grew murderous. “I don’t care which Volkes you are. You’re not the Alpha of Volkecrest Krowns. That makes your inferior stance quite irrelevant, so take your reward and leave.”He grabbed the black briefcase from Chase’s hand and flung it onto our table. The glasses tipped over, liquid spilled on the tablecloth. Silverware and plates sailed through the air, smashing to the floor. A deep chasm of worry opened