EveI hid behind a stone-carved pillar, watching Axel preside over the throne room.He sat in full regalia, a dark military jacket adorned with golden insignias, a cape trimmed with fur flowing behind him like a mark of absolute authority.His presence alone was enough to command the room, and when he spoke, his voice held an effortless power that silenced all other voices—the unmistakable voice of a king.The council members, mostly older males, surrounded him, discussing political matters. Despite Axel being a major asshole, there was something undeniably majestic about him. He exuded control, and whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t deny that it was captivating.I tore my gaze away from him and turned my attention to the two brothers standing before him. A land dispute had brought them here, and I could already tell, even without hearing much, that the older one was greedy and manipulative.“That land was our father’s legacy, not your personal kingdom!” the younger brother argued
AxelWatching my packmates from a vantage point left me feeling stripped of my power, my authority—everything tied to my identity as King.I kept my hands buried in my pockets, leaning against the wall in a secluded section of the castle, a place where no one could find me. An open window and balcony overlooked the wolf parade below, but I had shielded the view with a curtain to ensure no one could look up and see me.The howls and laughter of my packmates drifted upward, piercing through the silence I had wrapped myself in. It was almost laughable how most of them hadn’t even realized something was wrong. Their king was supposed to be leading them, standing at the forefront of every ceremony—except, of course, when unavoidably absent.Perhaps I should thank the fucked up goddess for whoever was ruining my life. Maybe they had also blinded my people to the obvious.&nbs
EveI wouldn’t say I was surprised when Nina slapped me. It would have been more surprising if she hadn’t. The moment she slammed her fork down, her eyes flashing with rage, I knew what was coming.The slap wasn’t even the painful part. What hurt most was Axel sipping his wine, completely unbothered that his mate had just been assaulted—the fact that made my blood boil."Taste it!" Nina shrieked, shoving her plate forward as if daring me. "How dare you make this trash and try to pin the blame on me?"I remained composed. There was no need to taste it—I was the one who had prepared and served her meal, and I knew exactly what I had done.Yes, I had deliberately over-salted it.Maya had been relentless, whispering in my mind, urging me to do something to ruin Nina’s perfect evening. And like a fool, I had let my wolf’s
EveA deep and intense longing made my skin grow feverish with desire—all thanks to Axel’s scent.His mere presence sent my heartbeat into a frenzied rhythm, my body hyper-aware of his scent. Lust, beyond my control, wrapped around me.Although hesitant, I needed to compose myself and scan the lab for wolfsbane. Axel, dressed in protective gear, hadn't even turned around. He seemed focused on his task. The air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs, chemicals, and sterilized glass. I wondered what invention he was working on.Tonight, I was going to conclude my findings about him. If he genuinely felt nothing, he wouldn’t react—but he should have smelled me the moment I stepped in.I pushed aside my tangled emotions, focusing instead on the clinking of glass bottles as he arranged them, the bubbling of a heated solution
Axel I breathed in Eve’s scent. The moment was heady and fucking intoxicating.Her breath hitched, and a breathy moan escaped her lips—a sound so soft yet so devastating that it sent a pulse of heat straight through me. She was still fully clothed, but it didn’t matter. The silky heat between her thighs drew me in, tempting me beyond reason. Tempting me to fuck her.My fingers tightened on her waist, feeling the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her dress. She arched and pressed closer, and the friction ignited a dangerous lust in my loins.I lost the last remnants of restraint, diving in to claim her lips. The moment our mouths met, everything else ceased to exist. The kiss was sinful, like a crime I was willing to commit over and over again. Her lips were impossibly soft, molding against mine with a desperate kind of urgency. My hands roamed up her back, gripping her tighter as her fingers curled into my shirt, clutching me as if she was afraid I’d pull away.Our to
EveMy lips pressed together in a grimace as I tried to stop the panicked feeling creeping into my head. Instinct told me to put out the fire, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to move.Axel’s cough was rough, almost violent, and the industrial stove kept spewing smoke.It would be so easy to just let him choke on it, a wicked part of me whispered. But Maya wouldn’t let me abandon our mate."Put out the fire, you fool!" she cried in my head.I struggled to find my footing as my eyes started to burn. Stumbling forward, I headed for the stove. Flames licked at the metal, and the knobs and burners were different from what I was used to. It was a huge machine, and I had no idea how to work it. My heart pounded, and my vision blurred from the fumes."What the hell are these terms?" I cried out. The controls were written in some twisted scientific language. I twisted one knob desperately, but nothing happened.Axel was on all fours now. Every muscle in his body seemed locked in a
EveI unwrapped the gift Shahar gave me with a smile and stared at the box, blinking once, then twice, as if my brain needed extra time to process what I was seeing. It was a wooden cube, like some relic. Across the top, the words Swear Box were written in bold letters.I burst into laughter and looked up at him. Amusement danced in his eyes."You’ve got to be kidding me. Of course, you’d be the one to give me a swear box, you absolute menace."He chuckled. "Every time you swear, you drop a coin. Think of it as a strategic investment. I know my friend. He could make one miserable."I scoffed. "Speaking of, how do you even put up with him? Do you get as irritated as I do?"Shahar leaned forward, wrapping his arms around my waist. I swallowed my irritation."Axel is complicated. He’s got all the warmth of an ice sculpture and the emotional range of a brick wall, but he’s not completely unbearable. He’s just complicated."I raised a brow, turning back to look at him. I stepped aside and
Eve I shot Eve a fevered stare, knowing she had seen me. Then she turned and kissed Shahar.My mouth curled in disgust, and I swore under my breath. Seeing them together twisted something dark inside me, something no one could reach through.I wasn’t even mad at her. I was mad at myself.How stupid could I be? I let a woman get into my head, mess with my thoughts, pull me in with her lips—only to watch her turn around and drape herself all over my beta and best friend.Forcing myself to look away wasn’t working. My eyes kept betraying me, flicking back to the sight of her in his arms.She knew exactly what she was doing.Maybe to her, this was just a game. But I refused to play. I wouldn’t be one of those fools groveling at a woman’s feet. I had more important things to deal with—wars, politics, the healing center, and a damn curse that had been eating at my existence since the day I was born.There was no room in my life for petty distractions.Shahar, on the other hand, looked like
Alec Gary shook his head. “You quote that like it’s gospel.”“It is gospel,” Lucas snapped.“Things are changing. Traditions are breaking,” Gary said, taking a calm sip. “Same-sex mates used to be exiled. Now most packs don’t blink.”Lucas scoffed. “This isn’t about gender.”“It’s about the old rules that were made to control what people didn’t understand. Just because it’s written doesn’t mean it’s true.”“That’s easy to say when it’s not your future on the line.”Gary leaned forward. “Then what do you suggest? Kill her? Mark her? Throw her out and lose your mind while the bond eats you alive?”“She shouldn’t have been here in the first place!” Lucas growled. “Her father killed Alec’s mother. Or have you forgotten that part?”Gary’s jaw tightened. “Don’t you think I remember?”Lucas shoved the chair back halfway. “Then don’t talk like she’s just some servant girl with a pretty face. That girl’s bloodline is cursed.”“Enough.” I stood before either of them could lunge. My voice cut b
VanessaIn the middle of the night, when every being who had peace in them was asleep, I tossed and turned in bed. The sheets beneath me felt rough against my skin. Groaning in annoyance, I slid to my knees on the floor, staring at the corner of the room, blank-eyed.“Just say something,” I whispered.I needed to pray, but I didn’t even know who I was talking to. I shut my eyes tightly and tried again. My lips moved without sound; my throat was too dry. I swallowed and forced the words out.“Dear Goddess...”Ugh.It wasn’t working. She was not dear to me. She felt far, like a stranger. My hands twisted together. I had forgotten how to pray, and somehow that sent a wave of shame through me. My mother used to say the Goddess listened even when we didn’t speak, but I didn’t believe that anymore.I used to pray beside her before bed, before everything fell apart. I used to believe the Goddess cared. A broken laugh escaped my lips. My belief died when they took everything that made me happ
VanessaIn the middle of the night, when every being who had peace in them was asleep, I tossed and turned in bed. The sheets beneath me felt rough against my skin. Groaning in annoyance, I slid to my knees on the floor, staring at the corner of the room, blank-eyed.“Just say something,” I whispered.I needed to pray, but I didn’t even know who I was talking to. I shut my eyes tightly and tried again. My lips moved without sound; my throat was too dry. I swallowed and forced the words out.“Dear Goddess...”Ugh.It wasn’t working. She was not dear to me. She felt far, like a stranger. My hands twisted together. I had forgotten how to pray, and somehow that sent a wave of shame through me. My mother used to say the Goddess listened even when we didn’t speak, but I didn’t believe that anymore.I used to pray beside her before bed, before everything fell apart. I used to believe the Goddess cared. A broken laugh escaped my lips. My belief died when they took everything that made me happ
AlecIt felt like my feet were glued to the floor as I watched Vanessa vanish down the stairs. My body still reacted like she was right in front of me. I hated that. I hated how she walked off like she had a choice. Like she could somehow outrun this cursed bond.She wasn’t immune. I knew that. Her blood carried the same Alpha rage mine did. This was her problem too. But she carried it like she had already won something.I pushed my wolf down, but he kept snapping at the inside of my ribs, restless. He didn’t shut up. I started pacing, dragging my fingers through my hair. Her scent still clung to the air. It pissed me off.I moved to the nightstand and picked up my mother's perfume bottle. Jasmine and vanilla. I hated how soft it smelled, but I sprayed it anyway.I needed a different memory.The scent hit me, and the flashback of screams cutting through the courtyard hit fast. I’d hidden behind a pillar, too scared to move. I’d seen my mother fall. Her knees hit the stone, hands clutc
Vanessa In the middle of the night, I sat cross-legged with papers spread across the floor of my room. My fingers glided over the inked words from the parchment Olga had given me earlier.The Alpha bloodline is chosen by the moon. Enforced by myths. Preserved through fear.I scoffed under my breath. Of course they'd say that. That was their poetry for tyranny.I picked up another paper. A diagram. The Blackmoor pack structure. Alphas. Betas. Gammas. Deltas. Omegas. And then, at the very bottom—us.The rejects.Even their omegas lived better. We were the hands that cleaned their fields, the mouths that fed their hunger. Disposable.My eyes landed on another title: The Rebellion of Valen Hunter: A Warning to Future Traitors.My chest clenched. I leaned forward and read line by line, every word slow.Valen Hunter was executed for crimes against the bloodline. May the goddess silence his lineage.I squeezed my eyes shut.They were jokers. What crime did he commit? They didn’t even say. J
Amma didn’t look back. Her steps kicked up the dust behind her, and her fists clenched at her sides like she was dragging her anger with her. I stood still. My chest felt hollow. The rage rolling off her had knocked the wind out of me, and now all I could do was stare.I didn’t move at first. My legs didn’t listen. It took everything to shift one foot forward, like walking through thick mud. Amma was supposed to understand. She was supposed to comfort me, not make me feel like I’d burned the entire village.I turned away and started walking slowly. The trees swallowed me, and each step felt heavier than the last. I didn’t rush. I didn’t want to get home.Why did she react like I reached out to the goddess and begged for the bond? I didn’t. I never wanted it. I never wanted him.But Amma didn’t wait to hear that. She didn’t ask questions. She looked at me like I betrayed her. Like I betrayed all of them.The house buzzed when I arrived. The higher-ranked females were preparing for a p
Vanessa The air in the Omega base felt stale. Too many bodies and too little hope.The omega's were too weak to fight during the coup so they lived. But if living was like this, perhaps death was better. They were suffering in abject poverty.I stepped over a broken plank and passed a sleeping child curled beside an empty basket. Some of them looked up. Most didn’t bother. Their eyes were flat. Tired. Hungry.The housing was worse than I imagined—if you could even call it housing. Wooden shacks leaned into each other like they were too weak to stand. Some of the younger wolves squatted beside black water, brushing their teeth with twigs.A boy with matted hair sniffed the air when I passed. His stomach was swollen from hunger. I shifted my basket and kept moving. I had brought what I could—some rice, herbs, and clean rags—but it felt like pouring water into a cracked jar.Olga had told me to come. Told me to see what Alec’s “peace” looked like. Told me to remember what he took.And I
Alec I caught her scent before I saw her.Sweet, primal and alive.It hit me as I rounded the corner of the second-floor stairs.My heart slammed hard enough that I felt it in my throat. The bond snapped awake between us, yanking tight across my ribs.And there she was.Vanessa stood a few steps above me, gripping the railing, breathing like she had just run a mile. Her skin glowed under the lights, damp from a heat that hadn't touched anyone else. Her wolf was awake, I could feel it reaching for mine.Every muscle in my body locked.I wanted to take the last few steps and grab her.Bury my face against her neck.Mark her until she couldn’t belong to anyone but me.She took another shaky step down. Her knees wobbled like a newborn pup’s.I stayed rooted where I was.Her eyes found mine, like she'd been caught in the middle of a nightmare.Something primal shoved against my control.My wolf surged, howling for her.Take her. Now.Vanessa’s lips parted. She staggered. Her scent punched
Vanessa’s POVI couldn't let Nina's words slide without knowing what she was up to. I pushed through the servants, ignoring the stupid whispers.Nina was halfway up the stairs leading to the third floor, acting like she had no idea she’d just thrown a torch into dry wood. I ran up the stairs and caught up with her. She turned, calm as still water with a smile on her lips. “What are you up to?” I cried out, exasperated.Nina looked around and whispered, “Walls have ears. You don't want Isabella and Maya to hear this.”She smoothed her skirt and turned back to the stairs. Without glancing back, she said, “Follow me.”Rage crawled up my neck. I stood there with clenched fists, before forcing my legs to move.We didn’t speak as we climbed. When I stepped inside her quarters, my eyes widened.It was nothing short of beautiful and eccentric. The walls were painted deep blue, like the sky right before it surrendered to the stars. A colorful rug sprawled across the floor, alive with shapes