ARIAI heard a woman and a man yelling in the corridor. Their voices became more aggressive as they stomped closer to my room. It couldn't be anyone who worked at the palace. No one in their right mind spoke that way in Alpha King's home. My curiosity won against my common sense. I crawled out of my bed, tip-toed to the door, opened it slightly, and peeked outside."The rumors were right! Alpha Tyrion is a fucking idiot!" A brunette wearing a long, black high-end dress certainly didn't mince her words. Someone might think that she had a death wish, but she wasn't the only one. A sturdy, muscular guy in an expensive suit walking next to her spat venom just like the brunette."He's not a king but a joke! He might be untouchable now, but that will change! I will make sure of it!" This man's eyes flashed red as he passed by my door.Were they the Alpha and the Luna Felix mentioned? What the hell happened that got them so mad? I could hear their enraged voices until they passed the whole c
ARIATyrion had already found his mate. He had met his fated one, and she died… The news hit me hard in the gut. It was time to acknowledge the fact that there was no sacred bond between the Alpha King and me. He had already shared that bond with someone else, someone who was no longer alive. It meant that I had feelings for someone with whom I might not have a future with. Idiot. I was arrogant and greedy. I was the daughter of a criminal, and yet I dared hope that I was the Alpha King's destined mate. Now I was paying the price for my stupidity...My wolf cried out in my head as the vicious pain pierced right through my heart. I struggled to breathe as if something crushed my lungs from the inside, and my eyes widened as I tried to keep the wall of water that gathered in my eyes from falling."Red, are you OK?" Felix placed his hand on my shoulder, leveling his eyes with mine.I gave him a thin smile and nodded while trying to regain my composure as quickly as possible. It required
TYRIONI hated the fact that I had to listen to all that crap Alpha Maddox, Jake, and Hawk were saying about Red and her Bright Haven, but what had happened after the three shitheads told their so-called "stories," was the worst kind of dick move ever. I had no idea if that poor, shaking Omega had been bribed, or threatened, but it was crystal clear that she didn't believe in the single word she said in this courtroom. As a King, I should remain calm and restrained until the prosecutors end their part, but I kept looking at Red and saw how much this Omega's words hurt her, and my fury grew by the second.I was at my limit. My wolf was ready to come out and tear those fuckers to shreds after at least three hours of their bullshitting. Even Felix, the coldest and most composed bastard I knew, had his eyes glowing gold and was ready to draw his claws.The shitty law my Grandfather had written forbade the defense from questioning the witnesses until the whole venom was spilled. To make th
TYRION "What the fuck did you just say?!" I grabbed Freya by the shoulders, my fingers viciously digging into her flesh. She hissed in pain, cowering as I applied more strength to my grip. "I... I saw Ragnar Venard with a witch!" she cried out. I released her, and she collapsed to her knees. I glared at her. "You'd better be telling the truth," I warned. "I am!" she exclaimed, trying to get herself up from the floor. "I need to know the whole situation; when, where, how it happened," I said curtly. She nodded, precautiously stepping away from me. "A year ago, there was a party after the Alphas' annual meeting... I drank a bit too much, and I was going to lie down. I got lost on my way to the palace guest rooms in the east wing. Before I knew it, I entered a long, dark corridor. I noticed a woman in a dark cape standing at the end of it. I decided to walk over to her, hoping that she would help me find my room, but she disappeared behind the marble pillar. I took a few steps close
ARIAOne hour earlierFelix nervously walked in circles around my room for over fifteen minutes. My eyes followed his every move while he pondered our next move during the trial. Finally, he stopped and looked at me."I'm fucking glad Tyrion did what he did, but he also made it harder for us, you know? Everyone will think that the King is on your side," he grumbled."What he did was just. In my eyes, he did something the King should do," I said.Felix cocked his eyebrow and chuckled. "Oh, I can only imagine what the King looks like in "your eyes," Red. Your fuck-me look at him was more than obvious."A wave of heat flooded my cheeks in a flash. "I did not give him the fuck-me look!" I argued."Seriously? Thankfully, the courtroom is well-ventilated. Otherwise, every corner of it would have been filled with the scent of arousal, his and yours. Someone should lock you up so you can take care of that problem already." The smug smirk on his face put more blush on my cheeks."You were the
ARIALavender. I breathed the familiar scent through my nose and inwardly smiled. It soothed me, even if I had yet to open my eyes or acknowledge the state I was in. My mind worked lazily, making me slowly recall the moment I lost consciousness. I remembered that I was in pain, I was wounded, and I was… completely naked!I opened my eyes with an audible gasp and instantly felt the pain in every part of my body. My lips twisted uncomfortably as I tried to calm my overly sensitive senses. My vision was blurry. I blinked several times before I regained my focus. Once I did, it took me less than a second to know where the lavender scent was coming from... I was lying in Tyrion's bed. Someone clearly treated my wounds since red-stained bandages were lying on the bedside table.I heard the door open, and my heart started to pound. I expected to see Tyrion, but it was Nova who entered the room instead. As soon as she saw me awake, she smiled and sighed in relief."How do you feel?" she asked
ARIA "I object!" Alpha Jake seethed as he jumped to his feet. "Mates can't testify against each other!" Anna stood only a few feet away from his bench. Her hands were tightly fisted, but I could still see her tremble beneath that mask of pretended confidence. I admired her bravery, but I wasn't going to let her stand there alone, even if I was not allowed to stand beside her. "Felix," I whispered to him. "I need you to stand between her and her husband." "Mind telling me, what is the story behind her coming here?" He cocked his eyebrow and smirked. "Later, Felix, we need to protect her." I gave him a meaningful stare, urging him to move. Felix nodded and did what I told him to, blocking Alpha Jake from looking at his ex-wife. As soon as he did, I could see her muscles relax. "Alpha King! You cannot let my mate testify!" Alpha Jake roared. Tyrion looked at me with a sly smirk before shifting his gaze to the prosecutors' bench. "Can I see your mark, Alpha Jake?" He turned pale w
TYRION I was staring at Red, her eyes shedding tears, and her relieved smile. I wanted to jump out of my seat and pull her close to me. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, press her body against mine, and claim her lips. That need inside me was even stronger than my desire to rip Alpha Jake's heart out and smile while watching as the fucker's soul leaves in his dying eyes. For now, I placed a temporary house arrest on Alpha Jake, with guards watching his every move until he heard my sentence. I had my verdict set in my head, but it was wiser to announce it the next day, pretending that I needed to spend some time deliberating. As I closed the session, my eyes stayed glued to Red. I watched people leaving the courtroom, and I dreamed of finally spending time alone with her. I was about to approach her when a few members of the royal council blocked my way. "Alpha King, we need to talk to you," said Ulisses Cordeiro, as he stepped in front of them. I raised my eyebrows at them. "Abo