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
Eve The first question that came to mind when the priestess rose like she had just seen a ghost was—Who the hell is this woman?Fear crawled over my skin, goosebumps rising everywhere, but I forced my face to stay neutral. There was something sharp about the way she looked at me, like she was peeling back layers I had carefully built. Could she sense why I was really here?A chill ran down my spine.The way she stared at me unsettled me. It felt like a warning.I needed to stay calm, act normal. If I overreacted, Axel would notice. He wasn’t stupid. He would start piecing things together, and there was no way in hell he’d let me off easily.Axel was ruthless.And if the priestess warned him that I was a threat… I didn’t doubt he’d get rid of me."The King is right, my priestess," I said smoothly. "I’m a cook who was recommended for the job by someone the King trusts. I’m not mysterious, I assure you."She tilted her head, still watching me too closely."Interesting. And why did you l
EveThe past two days had been quiet without Axel. There wasn’t even a glimpse of him, as if he had vanished. I figured he was probably at the healing center, drowning himself in work like the emotionally constipated man he was.Shahar was another missing person on my list—not that I was about to call him. God forbid. That would just feed his ego, and the last thing I needed was for him to start thinking I actually missed him. I was perfectly fine not having him around, showering me with attention I wasn’t even sure I wanted.Okay, maybe that was too harsh.I had gotten used to Shahar. I saw him as a friend. Without him, I felt bored.Without Axel, I felt restless.Which was stupid.My eyes flicked toward the window, where the sun spilled onto the courtyard.Picking cherries in the garden sounded lik
Axel After my exhausting shift at the healing center, I had no intention of eavesdropping. I was walking back into my castle when I heard Nina’s sharp voice."There is nothing remotely special about you."I stopped in my tracks, watching the two women.Nina stood there, flawless as ever, dressed to perfection, like a sculpture carved from vanity itself. Eve, on the other hand, with her wind-swept curls and unreadable expression, looked nothing like her.Then, just like that, Eve shifted slightly and locked her gaze onto me—like she had felt me coming even before she heard me.My chest tightened.Nina still hadn’t noticed me.I compared them in my mind.Nina was a painting in a gallery—perfect and untouched.Eve, however, was the storm outside the window. Alive. Unpredictable.Nina rushed toward me, her voice dripping with false sweetness."Oh, hi, darling! There you are! I missed you so much! You never answer my calls. What’s going on?"She forced a hug, but when I pulled away, I turn
Eve The open-air markets bustled with vendors as I walked through stall after stall, haggling prices of vegetables and seafood.The banquet was in less than twelve hours. The maids helped chop vegetables, scale and clean the fish, while I began making the sauce for the baked salmon, slicing lamb racks before seasoning them.There was a lot of work to do. I was overseeing the arrangement of food, centerpiece flowers, and making sure each guest had a table.Old Victoria hadn’t bothered to make an appearance in the kitchen—not a single moment spent pretending to supervise or help. I hadn’t expected anything different from her. She had no real authority left. It was better this way, as she was utterly useless, and her presence would have been more of an inconvenience than anything else.A presence filled the room before his voice even cut through the noise. Axel walked into the kitchen, and some of the maids straightened and bowed respectfully. I focused on the stew in front of me, stirr
EightAt exactly 8:00 PM, the banquet began. Nobles, warriors, council members, and some packmates had arrived.I moved through the room, placing dishes onto the buffet table and standing behind it. The guests began serving themselves. Some of the noblewomen stared at the food as if expecting disappointment—some even had the audacity to ask for the former head cook.A noblewoman wrinkled her nose as she ladled a small portion of stew onto her plate, eyeing it before moving down the table. Her friend took a slice of meat as if testing its worth. I didn’t let it bother me. They were the least of my worries, and I knew they would be back.Minutes passed as I watched from my station. Then it happened—the first noblewoman leaned toward her companion, muttering something. They both rose from their chairs, and one by one, guests started returning to the buffet table, eager to eat more.The same woman who had initially acted unimpressed filled her plate with more than she could carry. I looke
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. Like it clung to me more than it did her.As if she was immune.She wasn’t. 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. Sweet and sharp. It pissed me off.I moved to the nightstand and picked up the perfume bottle. My mother’s. 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 came fast—screams cutting through the courtyard. I’d hidden behind a pillar, too
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
Vanessa The stench of blood hit me before I even reached the laundry hall. The metallic smell clung to my nose and throat, making every breath taste like iron.We were waiting, heads down, buckets lined along the wall. When the hunters dumped the bloodied clothes in front of us, the pile steamed in the cold air."Move," barked one of the guards.We dropped to our knees and started sorting. Thick leather cloaks soaked through, ripped and dark with blood. Some had claw marks. Others, deep slashes. My hands found a warm shirt. My stomach clenched. I bit the inside of my cheek and shoved it into the basin.The head servant, Marga, stormed past. "You're slower than a pack of drunk pups. Hurry up!"My fingers worked fast, scrubbing, rinsing and wringing. The water turned red instantly. A film of blood coated the surface. Every time I dipped the cloth back in, it felt like bathing in ghosts.The memory slipped in before I could fight it.I was thirteen years old, and my dad had just given