Moan Of An Alpha Queen

Raya sat in the stone bath, steam curling around her like misted silk. The scent of crushed herbs floated in the air—lavender, eucalyptus, cedar. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth soak into her bruised body, though nothing could reach deep enough to soothe the ache that lived in her now.Not physical.Not entirely.The mark at her throat pulsed—not visible, not bloody, but raw all the same. A phantom imprint, buried under her skin like a secret waiting to awaken.She should have told someone.She didn't.She tried to remember.What was his name? She wondered. But she couldn't remember.The water shifted behind her, soft ripples brushing against her spine."I heard you returned wounded," came the low, familiar voice.Riven.Her Beta.The only one allowed near her when her walls cracked."I'm not," she said, her voice barely audible over the quiet hiss of steam. "Just sore."A pause. Then he chuckled and said,“Her highness was drunk last night and decided to bang some stranger”“

Raya’s eyes fluttered open. Her vision was hazy at first, the world around her spinning in slow, jagged circles. She felt weightless, as if she were floating on air, but the soft pressure beneath her head reminded her that she was resting on something solid.A soft groan escaped her lips, and she blinked, trying to clear the fog from her mind. The air smelled of herbs and something slightly metallic,like fresh blood, though faint. Slowly, she became aware of the warm, callused hand that brushed the hair from her face.She turned her head, and there, just beyond her blurred vision, was Riven. His expression was tight, eyes full of concern, though he held a perfect mask of control, as always. The Beta, ever composed. Ever loyal.“You’re awake,” he said softly, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate through her.She nodded slowly, trying to push herself up but feeling a wave of dizziness. His hand pressed gently to her shoulder, urging her back down.“You should rest.” His eyes f

He didn’t say a word.Riven stormed through the palace halls with Raya in his arms, her body limp against his chest. The weight of what had happened still clung to the air like mist—her scream, the rogue’s collapse, the scent of blood, the way her eyes had gone wide with something he couldn’t place.Not fear.Something deeper.Something dangerous.The guards parted before them as he passed, his aura flaring with barely restrained rage. Her chambers were just ahead. His boots slammed the stone floor with each step, echoing his fury with every stride.When he reached the door, he didn’t bother knocking. He kicked it open and carried her inside, then dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed.She bounced slightly, then sat up, breath catching as she met his eyes.“You didn’t have to carry me like I’m some broken thing,” she snapped.“You weren’t walking,” he growled.“I was thinking.”“Thinking?” He turned sharply, pacing. “You call what you did in that forest thinking? Running out there

The palace was quiet at midnight, the usual bustling sounds of the day now replaced with an eerie stillness. Raya moved through the corridors of the palace like a shadow, her footsteps soft against the cold stone floors. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts—about the rogue, about the kingdom, about the poison that still coursed through their land. But above all, it was him—the rogue—who lingered at the forefront of her thoughts.She had given the order to lock him away, but something inside her—something that she couldn’t quite name—drove her back to the dungeon that night. She needed to know if he was still alive, if he was still as defiant as he had been earlier, or if he had somehow changed.She reached the door to his cell and paused for a moment, her hand resting on the cold metal. The rogue’s presence, even from behind the bars, still felt heavy, almost tangible. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find, but the curiosity—the pull—was undeniab

Raya’s POVSleep didn’t come as fast as usual.Something around me didn’t feel right.The suffocating silence wrapped around me like a blanket, yet I could breathe. My lungs burned for air that I didn’t need. I was drowning, suffocating beneath an invisible weight, but there was nothing to hold me down. My body ached as if I had been submerged in a cold ocean for too long. But there was no water, no deep abyss—just an emptiness that pressed on my chest.I felt eyes on me. Heavy, predatory eyes. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them, dark and knowing, pricking my skin like a thousand unseen needles. My breath quickened, each inhale sharp and shallow. It was as though the weight of centuries was in the gaze that followed me, creeping through my veins, entwining with my blood.Then the whispers started."Welcome home."The words were soft, like a lover’s breath, yet the meaning hit me like a blow to the gut. Home? I was already home. Wasn’t I?Something grabbed me—icy fingers brushi