LOGINThe morning light in the Queen’s Wing was pale, as it filtered through the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the jagged peaks. I sat at my vanity, the invitation letter that had been sent for me to look at. It was a cream colored cardstock embossed with the gold seal of the High Council.“A formal apology brunch,” it read. “To mend the unfortunate misunderstandings in the garden.”I traced the elegant script with my finger. It was signed by Lady Elara and four other daughters of the Council. I could practically smell the venom through the perfume on the paper.Keal had warned me that they would surely try something else after the previous altercation as they wouldn't easily back down. He had come to my room after the garden incident, his presence filling the space. "Serpents do not stop being serpents simply because they have been stepped on. They just wait until you are no longer looking at their fangs.” He stood a few meters from me as he gripped something tightly in his
The silence that followed Elara’s venomous remark was thick enough to choke on. They expected me to crumble. They truly expected the discarded Luna to weep or flee but if that was truly what they were thinking then they didn't know me at all.I took a slow, deliberate sip of my tea, the porcelain clicking softly against my teeth. I let the silence stretch until the smirk on Elara’s face began to waver, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. When I finally set the cup down, I leaned forward, my movements fluid and predatory."It is fascinating, Elara," I began, my voice a melodic purr that carried to every corner of the garden. "That you speak of purity but maybe you just lack the opportunity I have. You’ve spent your life in the safety of these walls, a hothouse flower waiting for a King who never looked your way. You speak of me being used by a lesser Alpha? I call it being forged."I stood up, and the sheer force of my presence made the women at the table flinch back. I didn't shout.
Since Kael's unhinged announcement the other day at council, I knew the news was bound to be crazy. Even though I tried to avoid the news tablets, the headlines still found me. -News Update: THE DIVORCED LUNA. ASCENSION OR SCANDAL?-Then they wrote a long ass article about how I had left my previous mate because I longed for the crown then ended the damn thing saying ‘maybe it was my destiny after sll’. Other tabloids read,-ALPHA KING TO MARK GRAYSON’S REJECT-They seriously knew how to make the news colourful. After the buzz, the realm was divided as half the netizens saw me as a symbol of female empowerment, a woman who knew the power she held and could capture powerful men, while the other half, the strong traditionalists, viewed me as a stain on the royal lineage.But Kael seemed to thrive in the chaos. He didn't just want a ceremony, he wanted a spectacle that would silence the world and bring the biggest buzz and longest articles.I stood on a velvet covered pedestal in the ro
~ Risa's POV ~The dark walls of the Alpha King’s palace seemed to pulse with a life of their own, cold and unforgiving. Life here was nothing but a dance of power, and I was still learning the steps. The Queen’s Wing was incredibly beautiful and had everything I could ever want, but the most unsettling part of my new life wasn't the beauty of it but it was the King himself.Every morning and evening, I was expected to dine with Kael. The dining hall was a large space of dark marble, illuminated by floating crystals that cast a pale light. The food was exquisite, having rare meats, succulent fruits, and wines that tasted of mountain air, but I could barely swallow a bite whenever I ate.Kael sat at the head of the table, his presence a constant weight in the room. His eyes, which looked like ice over deep water, never left me for even a second as he'd watch me. He didn't eat much either, he just simply watched. He watched the way I held my fork, the way my throat moved when I sipped w
The door opened softly behind me and Zara was there . She didn't look horrified but she looked at me with pity. She knelt beside me, pulling my head into her lap, her fingers stroking my hair softly."You're just going through a rough patch, my love," she cooed, her voice like silk over a blade. "The betrayal you suffered... it would break any man. Here. Drink this."She handed me the silver vial from before. I didn't even ask what was in it this time. I grabbed it and swallowed the liquid in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous and the shaking stopped, the rage receded into a dull, manageable ache, and the image of Kael’s face blurred into the background. I slumped against her, my mind turning to cotton."You'll be okay," she whispered, her eyes watching me. "I’ll make sure of it."The next day, I stood before the Council as they summoned an emergency meeting after hearing about what happened in the training ground. The seven Elders sat in a semi circle, their faces hard as they st
I stood in the middle of my study, with a glass of liquor held tightly in my hand that trembled slightly.Seriously, what was wrong with me? I had Zara now. I had the woman I had wept for, the woman I had blamed the heavens for losing. So why did the air in the room feel so thin? Why did the void in my chest feel like an open, festering wound that just wouldn't heal no matter how much I tried?I tried. I honestly tried. I swallowed my stupid pride when no one was there and I reached out to Risa, painfully hoping that she would respond to me but she had blocked me everywhere so I couldn't reach her. “Fuck!” I groaned as I threw the glass to the ground, and it shattered to pieces. During these days Zara was constantly at my side, her voice a soft but persistent whisper in my ear as she reminded me. “She never loved you, Cade. She only loved to see you depend on her. She’s with the King now, laughing at how easily she broke you.”Every time she spoke, the hatred for Kael solidified har
I felt the heat of a hundred stares prickling my skin as everyone watched us in shock. I could already hear the whispers starting, but Kael somehow drew my attention back to him."The music is far too beautiful to waste, don't you think?" Kael said with a smile plastered on his unbelievably handsom
The last of the cars rolled down the gravel drive, their head lights fading as the guards shut the gates. I stood on the entrance, my feet aching in the silver heels as I let the sudden silence sink in. My soul felt like it had been scraped raw and left bare for the whole world to see. I had spent
The air in the room was suffocating as Cade released his Alpha pheromones and it filled my senses but the sweet scent which usually turned me on only made me sick in the stomach now. He looked at me with eyes not full of longing, but I could see anger and possession in those grey depths. "You thin
The gray light of dawn filtered through the curtains of the guest room at the far end of the mansion, casting long shadows across the floor. I yawned, scratching my eyes as I sat up. I didn't sleep early and I annoyingly woke up way too early. I was probably too stressed and my body was refusing to







