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A CROWN OF ASH AND FIRE

Author: LUNA INK
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-14 22:08:22

(Kael's POV)

The scent of Alaric's Alpha lingered on my skin like a promise I wasn’t sure I was allowed to keep. It clung to the sheets, soaked into the fibers of the lightweight robe he’d dressed me in, haunted the bruised places on my neck where his mouth had pressed like he was trying to brand me. I should’ve felt elated, or at least satisfied. I should’ve been glowing in the aftermath of what had happened between us.

Instead, I felt hollow.

I sat on the edge of his massive bed, staring at the distant doorway where Amora had appeared like an echo of everything I wasn’t allowed to be. A queen. A wife. His. Alaric hadn’t brought her in, no, but that didn’t erase the heavy truth: she existed within the palace, within his life, within his name. She bore the crown, while I bore the bond—silent, unseen, unacknowledged.

He’d gone back to her. Not inside, but he’d gone.

And I had watched. Goddess, why did I watch?

The pit in my stomach gnawed deeper. Was I just a secret? A distraction? A r
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  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    YOURS

    The knock was too sharp to be polite.Kael blinked awake, heart thudding, the remnants of restless dreams still clinging to his skin. He sat up slowly, squinting at the faint light spilling in from under the door. Dawn hadn’t even broken yet.Another knock. No—it was a pound this time.He dragged himself out of bed, bare feet silent on the stone floor. When he opened the door, the breath caught in his throat.“Alaric?”The prince stood in the hall, dressed in a loose dark tunic and pants that did nothing to hide the tension in his frame. His jaw was set. His eyes—those gold-tinged eyes—were wild.Kael barely got a word out before Alaric pushed past him into the room and shut the door behind them.“You’re mine,” Alaric said hoarsely, like the words had been scraped from his throat.Kael stared at him, stunned. “What—?”“I watched you,” Alaric ground out. “All day. With him. You laughed. You let him touch you.”Kael stiffened. “And why shouldn’t I? He treats me like I matter.”“Because

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    THE PRINCE'S SHADOWS

    The scent of spring clung to the garden, warm and heady beneath the midday sun. It was the same garden where Kael had once knelt in the dirt, pruning royal flowers like they were sacred. Now he strolled its cobbled paths with a quiet kind of ease—a freedom he hadn’t possessed before.Alaric watched from the balcony above, his hands clenched around the stone balustrade.Kael wasn’t alone.Aaron walked beside him, shoulder brushing shoulder as they rounded a corner near the wisteria arch. The younger prince was saying something—lighthearted, probably, judging by the laugh Kael let slip. It was soft and fleeting, like a breeze against Alaric’s skin. And it burned.He couldn’t hear the words, but he didn’t need to.Aaron tilted his head as Kael plucked a small bloom from a vine, and Alaric watched—fuming—as Aaron reached out and gently tucked the flower behind Kael’s ear.Kael stilled.So did Alaric.The Omega looked up, caught off guard, a faint flush creeping into his cheeks.Aaron smil

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    ASHES AND BLOOM

    (Kael's POV)The garden was quiet when dawn broke, except for the soft rustle of wind through dew-laced leaves and the sleepy hum of birds testing their voices. I hadn’t returned to Alaric’s room. I hadn’t returned anywhere, really. I’d wandered until my legs ached and then curled up beneath a moonlit arbor, too tired to cry and too wired to sleep.When the palace woke, I rose with it, slipping through the halls like a ghost in borrowed clothes.No one noticed me.No one ever did.Except now they did. It was in the way a pair of patrolling guards glanced at me and whispered. In how a maid stilled when I passed, then turned her head too quickly. Word had spread.I wondered what they thought they knew.At mid-morning, I returned to my tiny servant’s quarters, the room I'd once thought of as a sanctuary. It felt too small now, too shallow. The bed untouched. The chest at the foot filled with old linens and half-read books.There was a knock.I stiffened, heart leaping in my throat.But i

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    A CROWN OF ASH AND FIRE

    (Kael's POV)The scent of Alaric's Alpha lingered on my skin like a promise I wasn’t sure I was allowed to keep. It clung to the sheets, soaked into the fibers of the lightweight robe he’d dressed me in, haunted the bruised places on my neck where his mouth had pressed like he was trying to brand me. I should’ve felt elated, or at least satisfied. I should’ve been glowing in the aftermath of what had happened between us.Instead, I felt hollow.I sat on the edge of his massive bed, staring at the distant doorway where Amora had appeared like an echo of everything I wasn’t allowed to be. A queen. A wife. His. Alaric hadn’t brought her in, no, but that didn’t erase the heavy truth: she existed within the palace, within his life, within his name. She bore the crown, while I bore the bond—silent, unseen, unacknowledged.He’d gone back to her. Not inside, but he’d gone.And I had watched. Goddess, why did I watch?The pit in my stomach gnawed deeper. Was I just a secret? A distraction? A r

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    SATISFACTION?

    The sunlight filtering through the heavy velvet curtains was a gentle caress on my skin, a stark contrast to the fire that had consumed me just hours before. I stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in muscles I didn't know I had, a tangible reminder of the night I thought I'd only ever dream of. There was a weight beside me, warm and solid, and I turned my head to find Alaric watching me, his eyes filled with something I couldn't quite name. It was a mixture of adoration, relief, and a possessiveness that made my heart flutter."Good morning," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep and…something else. Satisfaction? It felt too bold to assume, but I couldn't deny the heat that bloomed in my chest at the thought."Morning," I replied, my voice a breathy whisper. I felt shy, vulnerable, like a flower unfolding in the sun for the very first time.He reached out, his fingers tracing the curve of my cheek. "How are you feeling?""Sore," I admitted, a blush creeping up my neck. "But…good."H

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    HIS OMEGA

    “Do you have the slightest idea of what it will mean once I take you?” He whispers in my ear and a hot wave of lust rolls through me. I nod, letting him know I'm aware of what it'd mean.“Are you sure, baby?” Alaric's hand travels down to my pelvis and then back to my neck. “Because once I get to taste you and take you just the way I want, you'll be mine forever. No going back, no changing your mind. Every inch of you will be mine. Do you understand, dearest darling?” My goodness, I'm flooding with slick. I would do anything to keep this side of him.His fingers suddenly circle my slick wet entrance before I get to answer him, he pushes a digit inside me and my lips part in a breathless moan.“Give me your words, do you understand?” He demanded, his finger starting to abuse my hole.“Yes.” I replied, my shaky breath making it sound less audible.“Hmm, so who do you belong to, pretty little prince?” Alaric asks, pumping his finger in and out of me. I clench around him, getting used to

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    HE CHOOSE TO BE WITH ME ON THEIR WEDDING NIGHT

    (Kael's POV)The chill of the night air clung to my skin as Alaric hauled me from the waterfall’s embrace. My teeth chattered, a frantic rhythm against the silence that had stretched taut between us since his torrent of apologies. He didn’t say another word as he lifted me, cradling me against his chest like I was something precious, something fragile.I wanted to protest, to wriggle free and vanish back into the woods, but his grip was firm, possessive. Each step he took towards the palace sent a fresh wave of despair crashing over me. He should be with Amora. He should be celebrating their union, not carrying me, dripping and miserable, back to… to what?He didn't stop until we were inside his chambers. My chambers. The ones I cleaned and arranged.He set me gently on my feet, then turned to the door and locked it, the sound echoing in the sudden, oppressive silence. "Amora is not here," he said, his voice low and rough. "I arranged for her own suite, away from mine."He gestured ar

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    WATCHING HIM CHOOSE HER

    (Kael's POV)I smiled through the agony as the man who marked my soul pledged forever to someone else. The sun beat down on the gathered crowd, reflecting off the golden carriage, the silken banners, and the polished armor of the royal guard. It was a glorious day—for everyone but me.My hands trembled as I held the silver tray laden with goblets of chilled wine, offering it to a passing noble. He took one without a glance, his eyes fixed on the approaching royal chariot, the air thick with anticipation. I forced myself to meet his gaze, to offer a polite nod, but the effort felt monumental. Every movement was an act of defiance against the crushing weight in my chest.The cheers erupted as the chariot finally rolled to a stop. Prince Alaric emerged first, every inch the regal Alpha, his jaw firm, his eyes holding a flicker of something unreadable. He offered a hand to Princess Amora, and she stepped out, a vision in white and gold, her Omega scent light and sweet on the air. A perfec

  • FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire    ACCUSATION

    Alaric stared at the back of Kael's head, the delicate curve of his neck visible just above the crisp white collar of his servant uniform. He knew he shouldn't be, not after the betrothal announcement, not after the damage he'd inflicted… Not after he promised it won't happen again. Yet, his wolf howled a constant, agonizing lament, a symphony of loss and regret that echoed in his very bones.He found himself inexplicably drawn to Kael's discarded tunic after the day's work, the faint, lingering scent of lavender and something intrinsically Kael clinging to the fabric. It was a cruel torture, a ghost of what could have been. He knew smelling the tunic was wrong, disrespectful, bordering on obsessive. But the craving, the desperate need to inhale that scent, was a force he couldn't entirely control.Late evening, after he'd dismissed Kael for the day, driven to the edge of sanity, Alaric summoned Kael to his private study under the guise of needing assistance with some documents. Kael

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