Lunessa's POV
Liora bowed. I blinked, stunned. Liora? Bowing? She lowered her head toward the stranger before signaling to the guards to release me, and walked away. He turned to face me, by the gods, he was the most breathtaking man I had ever seen. Not just handsome, otherworldly. Like he’d stepped out of a myth. His features were sharp, regal. His aura pulsed with unshakable power. ‘You’re being awkward. Close your mouth,’ Due said through the mindlink. I snapped out of my daze and quickly bowed my head. “Thank you,” I said politely. He tilted his head slightly. “Do you want to go upstairs for a drink?” That voice, deep, velvety and commanding. The kind of voice that could make kingdoms bend or bring wolves to heel. I glanced around, eyes were still on me. Whispers are still floating. I needed to escape. “Yes,” I replied softly. He led me to the elevator. Neither of us spoke as the elevator ascended. Floor after floor passed until we reached the very top, the penthouse. My brows lifted slightly. The penthouse? Kellan is throwing an engagement party and didn’t book the penthouse? ‘Maybe this man’s more powerful than Kellan,’ Due said happily. ‘He probably wanted the penthouse, and your dear Alpha had no choice but to step down.’ The thought made me smile faintly. He opened the door and gestured for me to enter. Inside, the space was tastefully elegant. He motioned toward a plush sofa, and I took a seat, still slightly tense. “Forgive my manners,” he said. “I’m Azrik.” “Lunessa,” I replied. “Let me get us something to drink,” he offered, moving toward a sleek liquor rack tucked in the corner. ‘Azrik? That name doesn’t ring a bell,’ I said to Due. ‘Maybe he’s from far regions. He doesn’t smell like us.’ He returned with two glasses and poured the drink. Then, without invading my space, he sat beside me, close enough to offer comfort, but not close enough to intrude. I stared at the amber liquid in my glass before speaking. “Kellan is my ex,” I said, voice quiet. “That’s why Liora tried to humiliate me.” Azrik met my eyes. “You don’t have to explain anything to me,” he said gently. And just like that, I exhaled. The tension slipped from my shoulders. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward, it was soothing. “You’re very beautiful,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Too beautiful even, like a goddess.” Heat rose to my cheeks. I wasn’t even trying tonight. I felt broken, yet somehow, this stranger saw me. “You don’t look familiar,” I said. Azrik smiled. “I’m from a very distant region. One I’d like to show you someday.” I let out a soft chuckle. “What region is that?” He shrugged with a cryptic smile. “It’ll be a surprise.” Something about the way he said it sent a curious thrill down my spine. I smiled and took a slow sip of my drink. ‘Are you going to chitchat all day or kiss him already?’ Due asked through the mindlink, her tone completely unserious. I nearly choked. Azrik leaned in concerned. “Are you alright?” “Yes,” I coughed lightly, waving a hand. “Your face is flushed,” he said. “Do you feel sick?” ‘Damnit, Due!’ ‘Oh well,’ she sang, clearly amused. ‘I’ll leave you to clean up the mess.’ And with that, she retreated to the back of my mind. I smiled weakly, trying to compose myself. “I’m fine, really.” Azrik didn’t press further. He kept complimenting me, slipping in silly stories that made me laugh so hard. He didn't for once check his phone, or get distracted. He gave me all the attention. His voice wove through the haze of my wine, until I was tipsy, my body loose, and my guard long gone. I shifted closer to him on the couch, our thighs brushing. I looked up into his eyes, and without thinking, my gaze followed a path I couldn’t stop. Left eye, lips, right eye. The triangle. And gods, he noticed. Azrik leaned in slowly, and when his lips finally met mine, the kiss was soft, achingly soft. The kind that makes your breath catch and your heart forget how to beat. I melted into him, our mouths moving in rhythm as though we’d done this a thousand times. Our hands found each other’s bodies like we were rediscovering something lost. He lifted me effortlessly, holding me against his hips, and carried me toward the bedroom. He laid me gently on the bed. His touch was grounding, his kisses tender and deep, igniting every nerve in me. His voice, low and husky in my ear, only drove the fire deeper. He slid off his shirt, and I gasped softly. Tattoos coiled from his left hand up to his chest, elegant, mysterious and dangerously beautiful. He undressed me with care, never rushing, never breaking eye contact. When his hands found my body, it wasn’t lust, it was reverence. His thumbs brushed over my breasts with a gentleness that sent shivers down my spine, before he slowly descended between my thighs. When his tongue found me, I cried out, fingers tangled in his hair, back arched against the sheets. He devoured me with worshipful patience, like my pleasure was his only purpose. And when he rose again to kiss me, I moaned into his mouth, tasting myself on his lips, the heat in me pulsed harder. “Are you sure about this?” Azrik asked between kisses, after noticing I was a virgin. “Yes,” I whispered, breathless. “Have me. Please.” My body was begging, aching to be his. He kissed me, then eased forward. He didn’t rush, didn’t push. He teased gently, letting his tip glide against me, in and out, until my body welcomed him. Little by little, he pressed deeper, giving me time to adjust, to stretch around his length. My breath came in short, broken gasps as the pleasure slowly built, full and overwhelming. Our moans tangled in the dark, his body moving with mine like a tide. I was wanted. I was worshipped. When it was over, I lay against his chest breathless. His fingers traced soft patterns along my skin, grounding me in the afterglow. “Are you okay?” he asked gently, his voice brushing my ear. “Yes,” I whispered. He kissed my forehead and pulled me close, like he was afraid I might vanish if he let go. Wrapped in his warmth, his scent, his soft murmurings, I drifted into sleep. Morning came quietly. The light filtered through the curtains, brushing over my bare skin. I stirred, smiling as I inhaled the lingering scent of him, the memory of last night still humming through my body. But when I turned to the other side of the bed, he was gone. I sat up sharply, heart thudding in my chest. He must be in the bathroom. I scrambled to check, my feet barely touching the ground, it was empty. I turned back to the room, his clothes gone. The glass he drank from vanished. His scent faint. He hadn’t just left, he’d disappeared. Panic coiled in my chest. “Okay… okay, calm down,” I muttered to myself. “It was just a one-night stand. That’s all.” But as I moved toward the mirror I froze. There, on the curve of my neck, etched into my skin was a mark. My eyes widened in horror. Azrik marked me.Lunessa’s POVI walked through the night until my legs could barely carry me. My feet throbbed, every step away from him felt like I was peeling off a piece of myself.The veil that once hid my face now lay crumpled in my bag. I shifted into wolf form, and Due took the bag between her teeth, her silent presence grounding me as we moved through unfamiliar woods.By the time dawn broke, we had reached the outer edges of a small pack. Due shifted behind a cluster of trees, and I dressed in a plain simple gown from the bag, nothing that hinted at royalty or Lunahood.I wandered into the town’s open market and found a lonely bench near a bakery. I sat with my arms wrapped tightly around myself, the early morning chill sinking deep into my skin, right down to my soul.I hadn’t slept or cried. I just existed.By morning pack members began to emerge, traders, vendors, elders. I kept my head down, hugging myself tighter. I stood eventually and found a small grocery stall. With shaking hands, I
Azrik’s POVMy heartbeat thudded loud in my ears. I scanned the words once, then again, until they burned into me like acid.> You never loved me, AzrikYou loved the idea of me carrying your children more than you ever loved me. I was alone, when I needed you most. I'm done living such a pathetic life. I'm rejecting you, and severing every bond we ever had, don't come looking for me.—Lunessa.I stared at the paper, the ink smearing slightly under my grip.“Wait… I… I don’t understand,” I whispered, looking up at Draven.Draven lifted his hands slightly. “I didn’t read through the note. I just took it from Mira and came straight here.”I didn’t wait for more. I gave him the paper. I scrambled to find my trousers. I was shirtless, and barefoot, I didn’t care. I tore through the hallways like light. Within seconds, I was in her wing of the palace, my pulse thundering in my ears.Mira gasped when I stormed in, startled by the sight of me.“Where is she?” I demanded.Mira shook her head
Azrik’s POVHe continued growling. ‘Dowen, what is it?’ I asked, irritation building.His voice came low. ‘I don’t know... but something is wrong. The energy around her is dark, Azrik.’I exhaled sharply. ‘Relax. You said you haven’t been feeling her wolf, maybe when we reconnect properly, you will. This distance has thrown us all off.’‘I’m not sure we're saying the same thing,’ Dowen murmured.I shook my head and dismissed the unease clawing at the edges of my mind. She was here with me, that was all that mattered. I opened the car door for her, like I always did, and drove us back to the palace.When we stepped into my sitting room, the moonlight spilling through the glass windows, I leaned in to kiss her.But before I could touch her, Dowen surged from inside me and threw my body back, hard. I slammed against the wall with a dull thud.She hurried to my side. “Are you okay?”I forced a smile. “Yes... I’m fine. Must’ve lost my footing.”But my hands trembled as I reached out again
Azrik’s POVFighting Royal Alpha Nick was far more brutal than I’d imagined. The bastard had laid traps at every corner and commanded a legion of allies who fought like men possessed. But in the end, I cornered him, stripped him of his arrogance and cleaved the life from his eyes.With his death, the alliance unraveled. His armies scattered like frightened crows, and the war that had dragged on far too long finally crumbled into silence.I should’ve felt victorious, and I did, until the hunger to see her overtook every other feeling. After two months away, my bones ached for Lunessa. The scent of her, the sound of her laughter, the warmth of her hand in mine. I abandoned protocol the moment I stepped through the palace gates and headed straight to her chambers.She was standing by the window, halfway dressed, her hair spilling down her back like liquid. I must’ve startled her, she turned abruptly, eyes wide with disbelief.“Azrik?” she whispered, breath catching in her throat.“Lune
Lunessa's POV She walked past me like I didn’t exist, calm and collected.She moved to Azrik’s wine rack and poured herself a drink, completely unbothered, as though this was her home.I swallowed hard, my throat like glass. Arassac was the reverse of Cassara.“Cassara?” I croaked, my voice trembling with disbelief.She rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Ugh. Finally.”Her voice held no shame, or guilt. Just the irritation of someone tired of pretending.“I… I don’t understand,” I whispered, holding back my tears.‘Let me out!’ Due roared inside me, her fury shaking the walls of my mind. ‘Let me out, I’ll shred her into pieces!’‘That won’t solve anything, Due,’ I replied, barely holding her back.‘But it’ll give me the satisfaction,” she growled.I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to stand tall. “If you're really Cassara why did you pretend to be my friend? What was the game?”She didn’t answer right away. She simply sipped her wine, and turned to face me, lounging
Lunessa's POV Before I could spiral further, I made a decision, I would confront him. But each time I tried, each time I pushed even gently, he would deflect.It was like he’d built a wall between us made of silence, and every time I tried to chip at it, he smiled and said nothing.With the full moon approaching, he busied himself with preparations. I watched from a distance as he poured his energy into the celebration, into appearances, into everything except me.He sent gifts, boxes of velvets, rare perfumes, handwritten letters laced with romantic words, but they felt cold. Like he was going through the motions of loving me without feeling it.I used to think I craved his presence. That if only he were here, the ache would ease, but even when he stood beside me, my senses felt dulled, as if the very bond that once electrified my soul had slipped into sleep.How long could I keep pretending?One quiet afternoon, I went to his palace office. He looked up from some documents, smiling