LOGINA/n: Anticuchos are grilled skewers of marinated beef heart.
VALEN’S POV“I know seeing me with her hurts, but I was trying to uncover her next move,” I explained, brushing strands of hair off Raina’s neck. “I'd rather endure your anger for a minute than let another threat slip past me to harm you.”Hellbent on interrupting us, Jiya laughed me to scorn. “Tell her how we were just playing it rough. You were showing me what you'd be like in the bedroom. Tell her…hahaha. I was just feeding you what you came here hungry for. Hahaha.”Dropping my hands from Raina, I swung sideways, eyeing Jiya maliciously.Her eyes fell to my crotch, as if she expected to see my cock stir for her.Now who's the naive one?My anger flared at her jeering, and the pure disgust I felt from being connected to something like her brewed with it. I wouldn’t dare to seal this botched-up mate bond, not even with a ten-foot pole."Fucking had enough of this one for the day," Zeus growled at me, finally sorting out his head.In that moment, we decided to do something we should
VALEN’S POVAlthough I wasn't hiding anything, I didn't want Raina to know I had sought Jiya out.My heart thumped against my chest as it registered. Shit. I knew how bad this looked.“That’s an understatement,” Hera murmured worriedly.Like a live wire, the bond I had with Raina tugged at my heartstrings, her scent intoxicating me.I instantly gave in to it, and with a contemptuous sneer, I pushed Jiya's legs down off me and shoved her to the ground, then backed away from her.“Valen, we should talk about this first; it's better this way," Jiya said, grabbing onto my arm, trying to hold me back. I bet she counted on Raina showing up.Without a second look, I growled a string of vile curses and tore my arm away.My heart thundered as I swung around to look at my precious mate. My real and only mate. The only sun I wanted to rotate around every day, always.Those blue eyes pierced me through her long, burgundy strands that gently fluttered in the breeze. She stole my attention, fixating
VALEN’S POV"Training,” Jiya stated, staring distractedly at the white building.“I'm busy,” I hissed through my teeth.“Not you.” Her eyes flashed at me, peeved. “I need proper sessions."“I won't let Raina train you. If you want to learn Luna duties, I suggest you go read a book,” I denied her."Ugh! Not that. With Raj." She emphasized. “Training with Raj.”That threw me off.For a second, I thought I had misheard. "Raj?""Mmm-hmm. Yes."Narrowing my eyes, my confusion deepened. "You want me to arrange for you to have private training with Raina's father? Wasn’t it clear, just now, how much he hates you?"Jiya's expression softened into a plea, and it made something twist uncomfortably inside of me.She shifted on her feet and folded her right arm across her stomach to grip her left bicep."This is something important." She blinked and averted her gaze at the memorial wall to our right. “He'll be difficult if the Elders approach him. I think he'll be receptive if it came from you.”
VALEN’S POVZeus roared. My desire to protect and nurture was well in overdrive.I curled my hands into fists against the strong compulsion to run to Jiya’s defense.To keep the impulse down, I quickly bit my fist, drawing blood. I didn’t want to bring their talk to a premature end. Neither would I ever let this damn connection control me."Raj, you will understand one day, I promise," Jiya stated, her tone mellowing.“You don't get to approach me and interrogate me about my family,” Raj snarled. “Not when you're after my daughter. Leave my family alone.”“You shouldn't discriminate,” Jiya responded flatly. “Everyone is treating me like I'm stealing something. I'm not against Raina, but I should be happy too.”Raj snorted. “Then be happy but not at the expense of others. You know what's funny to me? How you were here before and never once did you chase Valen, or declare this cock-and-bull bond.”“I explained that before,” she defended harshly.Raj laughed mockingly. “It didn't exist. I
VALEN’S POV Dense, foggy wolfsbane gas thinned into a pale, translucent mist as I stood in the corridor of the dingy dungeon.Next, the glass-clad polycarbonate chamber unlocked. Then the transparent door hissed and automatically slid open.“Get him up,” I commanded, stepping through the threshold.Theo and Thaines moved ahead of me towards a disoriented Benji lying on the cold, grayish-blue floor.“Wake up, sunshine,” Theo said, gripping his arm and yanking him to sit up. “It's time to talk to your Alpha.”Thaines grasped Benji's nape to angle his head in my direction.“Alpha Val-Valen,” Benji wheezed out with a cough, taking long and arduous breaths.I put my hands into my jeans pockets, staring down at him in displeasure.“Tell me your full name,” I ordered sturdily, checking his coherence.He breathed noisily. “Benjamin Morgan-Anders. Alpha, are you going to kill me with this gas? I want to go home.”He tried to get up, but his weak attempt was nothing against the Gamma twins' str
RAINA’S POV“Good grief, Raina!” Elder Jacob exclaimed, his face twisted in anger. “You just can’t bear to lose, can you? You are definitely no match to be queen.”My mouth instantly parched, and I struggled to address the furious man. "W-what…"“May the moon weep on you!” Elder Mitchell cursed me like I was something to spit on while rushing forward to the bleeding woman.They kneeled on the ground on either side of Jiya, gently holding up her trembling upper body as blood seeped through her fingers. Both looked stricken by her pain, like they were losing their most precious person.Elder Mitchell looked at me with a dicing glare, and snapped, “Silver? You resort to such vile means! You had no right!”Commotion broke out with the crowd’s fury swelling into a deafening roar, and my eyes swiftly darted around. A flare of panic rose in me as the upset mass drew nearer.My heart thundered in my chest as the mob’s outrageous accusation hit me from every direction: “Murdering woman!” “Unfi
-VALEN'S POV- Explosions of glittery shards sliced through the space, hurling Raina's fragile body swiftly backwards. In the mighty burst of glass, her hands flailed wildly, and several lacerations began appearing all over her flesh as she sailed further and further from me. Her spine-curdling screa
-RAINA'S POV- My fidgeting fingers froze. I blinked twice at the devil-may-care goddess. My stomach did a calcified dip as Artemis stood there in her glorious silver aura, tall and straight with pure sobriety in her silverware eyes. The panda cub was drumming up some enthusiasm with a single-stroke
-VALEN’S POV- Pheromones wrap me like a tight, red cloak. Jazz fingers lightly trailed down my torso and Raina began rotating her hips. My skin felt like it absorbed fire. It was a heat that centered in my groins. Raina was the cause. But I couldn’t do shit about it unless she consented. So I’ll fig
-RAINA’S POV- Hera growled erotically, daring Valen to act on his promise. Muffled and soft moans spewed from me, accompanying the distinct sound of flesh slapping against each other that resonated throughout the cave. Sweat dripped down from Valen’s forehead. The sheen of his flesh, the pleasure-fi







