I WAS HIS ASSASSIN, NOW HIS OBSESSION

VIPERAssassins shouldn’t breathe too loudly, or make loud footsteps that give their presence away, or make a single mistake that’ll definitely cost their lives. We’re fast, precise—just one lethal strike is enough to kill a target. I chant my usual mantra in my head, clutching my sword tightly as I attack a stupid scarecrow.“How long have you been here, Viper?” Emily asks as she approaches me. “You’re the most skilled already. What else do you want?”I don’t stop attacking the scarecrow. “Until Hades acknowledges me. Until he fucking sees me.” “I know you’re trying to make him notice you, but your obsession for him is unhealthy.” Emily says softly. “I thought you already buried this feeling, he’s not good for you.”I wipe some sweat off my forehead. Of course I know Hades isn’t good for me, but he’s the one for me. In his ruthlessness, I see myself, but even after I’d been killing for him for years, he still doesn’t see me as one of the Nameless. I clutch my sword tightly as that

VIPER I stumble into the Nameless soaked in blood—not mine, though. Alpha Tyler’s. A warrior guarding the gates eyes me, perhaps checking if I came with the Alpha’s head, and I roll my eyes. “You came back empty,” he sneers, holding a dagger to my throat. “So much for being the best assassin here. Hades will kill you anyway, why should I even spare you?”I don’t blink. “You’re quite good at holding grudges. You never forget the past, do you?”“My twin died because of you,” he growls in my face, putting more pressure on the dagger. It cuts my skin, and it stings. “You fucking killed her, and now I get to kill you.”“I didn’t kill your twin. It was a fair fight. She chose to challenge me.”“And you chose to slit her throat!”“She would have killed me first!”“What the fuck is going on here?!”The bastard pulls away immediately when he hears Hades’ voice. He lowers his head, and I suck in a breath, tracing the scar on my wrist as several thoughts push through my head. “Viper,” Hades s

TYLER Aurelia. That was all she gave me. And though it’s been a week, I’ve found absolutely nothing on that name. No pack, no clan, no family. What surprises me more is the reason she came to kill me. Is she an assassin? No. Assassins work in groups. Then did she come for a personal grudge? My door slams open, nearly ripping out of its hinges, and I facepalm myself. “The fuck is wrong with you, Xander?” I bark at my little brother, who comes to sit across from me, putting his damn legs over my study desk. “Hi, big brother.”“Get your fucking legs off my desk.”“Aren’t you worried about why I’m acting out of character?”I roll my eyes. “Denying who you are again because of some shitty heartbreak?” I hissed, slapping some files over his feet just so he’d move them. “This isn’t just some shitty heartbreak.”“Right, this one’s more serious, just like the one with Shayla.”“Yeah, just like the one with….” he bites his lips, standing up abruptly. “You know what? I can’t discuss hea

TYLER“How about you tell me what you were looking for in the pack border? You’re strong enough to fight off a rogue—why did you let it bite you?”I hear Nicklaus’s chilly voice as I stalk down the hallway. He’s standing in front of my mate, effortlessly towering over her, and Kyle becomes restless.“Cat got your tongue?” Nicklaus asks her again, and I clear my throat to announce my presence.“Nick, what did I tell you about intimidating my guests like this?” I step between them, casting a quick glance at my mate, who’s all dolled up.Her skin is spotless, fierce hazel eyes flickering between my brother and me. Her black hair flows down her back, stopping below her waist, and I briefly picture gripping it as I drill into her from behind.Our mate is sexy as hell, Kyle mutters.I shove him out of my head.My brother glares at me, his breaths harsh, like I’ve just betrayed him. “Really?” He spits the word, violence flashing in his eyes. “That’s all you have to say about this? Just becau

TYLER ‘Yes, she should rip that fucking shirt off her body.’ Kyle’s possessive words echo in my head. ‘She’s ours. She should only wear things that belong to us.’And he’s fucking right.Do I have to give a warning to make her understand that I don’t share anything that belongs to me?“I have nothing else to change into.” Aurelia is quick to say, her voice sharp, though there’s a slight tremor I can’t ignore. She has one of those melodious voices you’d want to hear every morning, and a face card so insane she deserves to be on the cover of various magazines.Her messy bun is distracting.And I know this is Kael talking.Because there’s no way in hell I’d be fantasizing about this woman. I need only one thing from her—an heir. She doesn’t need to know I can only conceive one with my mate. As long as she doesn’t know that, she won’t try anything stupid.“I have some clothes that’ll fit.” I tuck my hands into my pockets, then clear my throat when I catch Xander’s questioning gaze. He kn