EMMELINEI was sitting in Darius’s room, waiting for him to return. My foot tapped impatiently against the wooden floor as my mind spun with questions. The moment the door opened, I was on my feet, arms crossed, my eyes locked onto his."The Alphas—Why the hell were they here?" I demanded.Darius barely reacted. He shut the door behind him and loosened the first few buttons of his shirt. "Relax, Emmeline.""Relax?" I scoffed. "You just saw those ruthless Alphas here. Do I look like I’m trying to get myself killed? I certainly don't have a death wish, Darius."Darius sighed, stepping toward me. "They came to remind me about the annual hunting festival."I blinked. "...Annual what?"He smirked at my reaction. "It’s an annual festival where several Alphas from different packs come together for games—hunting, shooting, combat, and more."I frowned. "So it’s basically a testosterone-fueled pissing contest?"Darius chuckled. "Something like that.""And when is this happening?""In three day
EMMELINEThe morning of the hunting festival arrived, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to kill someone today.The whispers started the moment I stepped into the room. Soft at first, but growing bolder with every step I took.I felt their eyes crawl over me, studying, judging, wanting to figure me out. It was nothing new.I sat beside Darius, dressed in an elegant gown that clung to my curves just enough to make a statement. My hair was pinned up with a few loose strands framing my face, and I smiled politely as the chatter around us filled the open courtyard.That smile? Oh, it was all fake—nothing but an act. Forcing it took effort, trust me. But with all these vultures circling, they expected the performance. Like a well-trained puppet, I had to play along.“She’s absolutely stunning," I overheard someone whisper. "I wonder how Alpha Darius found her.”"That dress must have cost a fortune," another voice muttered. "Darius must shower her with gifts."Yeah, right.
EMMELINEThe forest had a way of making you feel small. A way of making you feel like you were just another part of its sprawling, untamed life — insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But today, I wasn’t going to be the prey.I was the predator.Few months ago, my entire family was killed before my eyes, treated just like one of the animals in this forest.Today, I would have the chance to exact my revenge.The air was crisp, the scent of damp leaves and earth filling my lungs as I moved through the dense forest. I wasn’t here for the sport like the others. I wasn’t here for fun.I was here to hunt.Not for birds, not for boars, not for bears.I was here for something far more dangerous.The rules were simple—birds were worth five points, boars twenty, and bears fifty. Most of the participants stuck to the easy prey, aiming for birds to rack up quick points without much effort. A handful of the braver ones had gone after boars. But me? I had my own prey in mind.I gripped my b
DARIUS“Yesssss!"The scream sliced through the air, and reached me instantly.. My whole body tensed.Emmeline.I know that voice anywhere. And right now, it sounded like she was either being murdered or winning a damn war. There’s no in-between with her. Panic slammed into me. Is she in danger? Is someone hurting her? My mind ran through the possibilities—an attack, a rogue animal, or worse.Before my brain could even process another thought, I was already moving, my legs moving faster than my mind. Branches snapped under my boots as I sprinted in the direction of her voice. I asked her to stay back if she wasn’t cut out for this but her usual stubborn self refused. I just hoped she was not in any danger. If someone so much as touched her, they’re fucking dead. No warnings. No second chances. I would make sure they suffer dearly.I rounded the corner, pulse hammering in my ears, ready to tear into whoever—And I stopped dead in my tracks.The scene in front of me was not what I
EMMELINEDarius won the hunting games today. Of course, he did.Apparently, he had won it multiple times over the years, and from the way the other Alphas were gathered around, admiring the dead bear like it was some legendary trophy, you’d think he had just slain a god.I exhaled slowly, watching him from a distance. He was awesome, I had to admit. And not just because he had won the stupid hunting games… again. But because he had saved my life and I should probably be more than grateful. I sighed, picking at a loose thread on my robe. If he had been even a second late, I would have been nothing more than bear food. I shuddered, the image of that bear’s snarling face flashing in my mind. I didn’t want to think about it. It was like something out of a nightmare. A nightmare Darius had pulled me out of. My arrows barely did anything to that beast, and it was charging straight at me when Darius appeared with his gun and—boom—dropped it like it was nothing.I glanced over at him agai
EMMELINEJeremy staggered back, his eyes narrowing in pure disbelief."What the hell did you just say?" he asked, his voice low, dangerous.I blinked innocently, my lips curved into a slow and deliberate smile. "Oh, nothing serious. I just meant that you'd die from pleasure tonight." I tilted my head slightly, pretending to be confused by his reaction. "Or… did you think I meant something else?"His jaw clenched so tight I thought he might break his teeth. He took a step closer, his fists curling at his sides."How dare you?" he growled, his nostrils flaring.I raised a brow, still feigning confusion. "How dare me? What exactly did I do wrong, Alpha?"His face twisted in rage. "I don't know what the hell you think you are, bitch, but you're just a common concubine," he spat. "Nothing more. And I will bring you to your place."Ah. There it was.The ugly truth these men liked to throw in my face every chance they got.I should have been angry—hell, I was angry—but I swallowed it down, b
EMMELINEThe room was dark, except for the dim glow of the lantern flickering in the corner. The scent of strong liquor lingered in the air, mixing with the faint smell of burning wood from the dying fire.I sat on the edge of Alpha Jeremy’s massive bed, my fingers gently tapping against my knee. The room was cold, but I didn’t shiver. I didn’t feel anything. Not the chill. Not the nerves. Not even the anticipation.I was just waiting.Outside, the sound of drunken laughter echoed through the halls. The men were celebrating. Drinking, dancing, losing themselves in the chaos of the night. The guards? They were useless. Too drunk to stand, let alone patrol. It was almost too easy to slip inside unnoticed.Midnight had passed.He should be here any moment now.I glanced toward the door, my heart steady, my mind sharp. This was supposed to be a night of fun. His night of fun. But it will be his last.The door swung open suddenly, slamming against the wall.Jeremy stumbled in, his boots dr
EMMELINEThe morning air was thick with tension. I stepped outside with Darius, my heart pounding, but my face calm. People had gathered in clusters, whispering, pointing, their expressions a mix of shock, fear, and anger. In the middle of the crowd, Jeremy’s lifeless body lay sprawled on the ground, blood staining his throat, his skin pale in the morning light.His wife knelt beside him, her cries loud and ugly, her whole body shaking as she clutched his unmoving form. I watched her, arms crossed, my face carefully neutral.I should have felt something—guilt, remorse, maybe even pity. But I didn’t.She must have known what kind of monster he was. She must have known about the innocent lives he had taken, the blood he had spilled, the families he had torn apart. I watched the way she was shedding tears as if she had lost the perfect love of her life. How pathetic.I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.The sight of her disgusted me.If she had been such a devoted wife, why hadn’t she be
★▪︎EMMELINE▪︎★The morning sun felt like a warm blanket as I stepped outside onto the stone path. It had been a while since I just... walked. Really walked, not just dragging my feet around a room or down a hallway. My legs felt a little shaky, like they'd forgotten how to work properly after so much time spent either passed out or confined to bed. Darius was beside me and his presence was solidly comforting. He kept his pace slow, matching mine without making a big deal out of it, which I appreciated. The garden was more beautiful than I remembered, manicured and bursting with color – vibrant roses, neat hedges, little fountains bubbling softly. It was peaceful, almost ridiculously so, after the chaos of the past few weeks. But honestly, I was just happy to breathe the fresh air without feeling like I was about to collapse or be attacked. It felt like a small victory."Feeling better?" Darius asked gently. He glanced down at me, his eyes full of a quiet concern that made my chest ach
★▪︎EMMELINE▪︎★The first thing I noticed was the dull ache in my body, a stark contrast to the searing fire that had consumed me for what felt like an eternity. I was in bed, the sheets cool against my skin. The room was dim, the kind of light that happens just before dawn or late in the evening. I blinked slowly, letting my eyes adjust.Then I saw him. Darius. Asleep beside the bed, slumped over with his head resting near my hand, his fingers still loosely intertwined with mine. He looked exhausted, lines etched around his eyes. I could see faint scratches along his neck, little red marks that hadn't been there before. My heart squeezed. He’d stayed. He’d been here the whole time.I just watched him for a bit, quiet, letting the reality sink in. I wasn't burning anymore. The pain was there, a dull throb in my muscles and bones, but it was manageable. It felt… normal. Like the soreness after a long ride, not the agony of my body trying to consume itself.Slowly, carefully, I pushed my
★DARIUS’ POV★My gut twisted tighter with every second Anastasia worked. She moved fast, thank the goddess, her hands a blur as she crushed herbs, mixing them into some kind of paste, then adding liquid. It felt like an eternity, though. Every rasping breath Emmeline took, every weak tremor that still ran through her tiny body was a hammer blow to my chest. Hurry, damn it. Please, just hurry.Finally, Anastasia held up a small, dark vial. "It's ready," she said, her voice calm but her eyes holding a flicker of urgency that mirrored my own fear.I knelt beside the cot, my heart in my throat. Gently, so damn gently, I lifted Emmeline's head, supporting the fragile weight with my hand. Her skin was still too pale, her lips almost blue. Anastasia carefully brought the vial to her mouth.The first few drops went down, and Emmeline coughed, a weak, pathetic sound that tore right through me. My jaw tightened. Swallow, Em. Please, just swallow. Anastasia waited patiently, then tried again. Th
★EMMELINE’S POV★My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, heavy and distant. Every breath was a struggle, a shallow, rattling thing that didn't seem to bring enough air. I was floating, drifting somewhere between here and... well, somewhere else. Somewhere quiet and dark. It felt peaceful, in a terrifying sort of way. Like I was letting go."Emmeline? Stay with me. Please."Sylas. His voice. It sounded tight, strained, like he was trying not to break. I wanted to answer, to tell him I was trying, but my tongue felt thick and useless. I managed a small, weak squeeze of the hand he was holding. His grip tightened instantly, almost painfully."She's fading, Sylas," a softer voice said. Anastasia. The healer. I could feel her cool fingers on my wrist, checking my pulse. "The damage... it's spreading faster than I can counter it without the proper herbs."Fading. Yeah, that felt about right. Like a candle sputtering out. The pain was a dull throb now, constant and heavy, but almost se
★DARIUS★Hours. It had been damn hours. My body screamed with every step, every bend, every time I had to push aside a thorny branch that clawed at my already torn clothes and skin. The Crying Woods lived up to its name; the wind seemed to moan through the trees, and the shadows felt heavy, pressing down on me. And for what? Nothing. I hadn't found a damn thing.My eyes scanned the forest floor, blurry with exhaustion and pain. Silver plants, they said. Surrounded by thorny roots. Sounded like something out of a twisted fairytale, and right now, I felt less like a prince on a quest and more like a broken-down mule lost in a maze.I stumbled, catching myself on a tree trunk, the rough bark scraping my cheek. "Son of a bitch," I muttered, leaning my forehead against the cool wood. My lungs burned, my muscles felt like they were tearing, and the dull ache in my ribs was a constant reminder of the fight I'd barely survived. This was insane. I was running on fumes and sheer, unadulterated
★DARIUS' POV★The air tasted like blood and dirt, thick and metallic. This bastard, this rogue Alpha, was fast, I'll give him that. He came at me, claws out, a snarling mess of muscle and rage. My own snarl ripped from my throat, a low rumble that promised pain. He swiped, a blur of grey fur. I ducked under it, the wind of his miss whipping past my ear. Instinct took over. My jaws snapped shut, finding purchase on his hind leg. God, the feel of tearing muscle and sinew... it sent a jolt of brutal satisfaction through me. I yanked hard.He howled, a sound that was music to my ears, stumbling, off-balance. That was my chance. Don't hesitate. Never hesitate. I surged upward, putting everything into it. My claws raked across his face. I felt the warm, wet spray of blood, heard his shriek of agony as one eye was taken. Good. Let him see what happens when you cross me.He didn't back down though. Credit where it's due, the son of a bitch had guts. His rage doubled, making him sloppy, predic
★DARIUS’ POV★Damn, that place was even worse than the stories. The Crying Woods… they weren’t kidding with the name. The air hung thick and heavy, clinging to my skin like a shroud. It reeked of stale blood, rot, and something else… despair, maybe? Twisted trees clawed at the perpetually grey sky, their branches like skeletal fingers. It was unnervingly quiet in some ways, but the silence was punctuated by sounds that made the hairs on my arms stand up – distant growls echoing through the suffocating woods, the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth.And the eyes. Glowing pairs of them, tracking me from the deepest shadows. Yellow, green, cold pinpricks of hate watching my every step. The rogues. They said rogues were just mindless beasts, driven mad by isolation. Bullshit. Those bastards were smart, cunning. They were hunting me, I could feel it. Packs of them, flanking me, testing my path, waiting for an opening.Being alone sucked right then, made every shadow seem like a thre
★EMMELINE’S POV★I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my body a familiar companion now. But something else felt wrong. Deeper. Colder. I reached out instinctively, my hand searching the space beside me in the bed. Empty.Darius wasn’t there.That wasn’t unusual. He was the Alpha, always busy. But this felt different. The bond, the constant hum of his presence in the back of my mind, felt… distant. Like a faint whisper across a wide, empty space. Not gone, not broken, but stretched thin, strained.Panic, cold and sharp, pricked at me. I pushed myself up, ignoring the protest from my aching muscles. “Darius?” I called out, my voice raspy from sleep.No answer.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet finding the floor. I pulled on a robe quickly, my hands fumbling with the tie. Where was he? Why did the bond feel so… far away?I opened the door to our chambers. A maid was outside, tidying the hall.“Where is the Alpha?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She curtsied. “Good
★DARIUS’ POV★The morning after Finn died, the air in the pack house felt heavy, thick with grief and unspoken fear. Six of my men, gone. Just like that. Torn apart in those cursed woods. It should have made me stop. Made me rethink. Made me listen to the fear that was gripping the pack.But it didn’t.It only made me harder. More determined. If my best warriors couldn’t get those herbs, if the Crying Woods was too much for a trained team, then there was only one person left who could go. Me. The Alpha.I didn’t waste time. I called Sylas into my study first. He was the most skilled, the bravest of my advisors.He walked in, his face etched with the sorrow of the previous night. He knew why I’d called him. He could probably smell the grim resolve on me.“Alpha,” he said quietly.“Sylas,” I nodded, getting straight to the point. No need for pleasantries. Not now. “You know what happened last night.”He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “Yes, Alpha