"I have many rules for my pack. Everyone must follow them, including you. If you follow these rules, your stay here will be bearable. Who knows, I might even move you to a better room." he spoke, his voice deep but smooth. It was cold, but I could listen to it all day.
I didn't say anything. I couldn't trust my voice. Instead, I listened, obeying him like a submissive wolf.
"First, speak only when spoken to. Second, don't leave your chambers without my permission. Third, only come to my office when called, and never enter my chambers. Fourth, don't leave the castle without my permission. Lastly, you're not allowed to die unless I say so... That's a warning."
His intense hatred made me stare in disbelief. Without hesitation, he turned away, heading to the door. "W-Why?" I asked, feeling hurt and broken. "Why, Liam? My father gave me away to you as a mate, as your Luna."
He stopped, turned back, and in an instant, he was upon me, but not in the way I wanted. His strong grip tightened around my neck, slamming me against the harsh wall.
"L-L-Liam?" I choked, unable to breathe, trying to pry his hands off me.
"Why? Because I simply can," his grip tightened, and I gasped for air, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Please, you're hurting me," I managed to say, looking into his eyes glowing with an eerie light.
Reluctantly, he released me, letting me fall to the floor. I clutched my neck, trying to breathe. "You'll spend the night serving your discipline," he said coldly before storming out, leaving me in the dark and cold.
I curled up on the floor, crying. After a while, the door creaked open, and a plate of food was tossed inside. I ate in silence, locked up by my own mate. I slept but was constantly afraid.
Moments later, and the door opened, the person who entered was wearing a maid's uniform.
"The Alpha wants to see you."
She handed me a beautiful blue dress and informed me that he had summoned me to his chambers.
Before leaving, she instructed me to clean myself up first. As I made my way to the bathroom, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
I thought he left me here to rot away?
After taking a refreshing shower, I slipped into the dress and was amazed at how perfectly it fit me.
It was almost as if it had been tailored specifically for my body. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I noticed dark circles under my eyes that were evidence of many sleepless nights spent crying.
With each step, my heart raced faster until we finally arrived at his door. Taking a deep breath, I knocked gently and waited nervously for him to answer.
When he did finally open the door, I was struck by his commanding presence and piercing gaze.
"Come in," his voice boomed, commanding and powerful, as he beckoned me into the room. I entered, unsure of what awaited me, and he wasted no time in explaining why he had summoned me.
"Y-you called for me, sir?" I stammered, my voice betraying my nervousness.
"Take off your clothes," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for dissent.
"What?" I stammered, stunned by his request.
"Did you just ask my decree?" His voice grew sharper, his authority palpable in the air.
The aura surrounding him was suffocating, like a heavy fog that threatened to choke him. I felt my hands tremble as I obeyed his command, reluctantly removing the new dress I had received only moments before.
I didn't wear any underwear, I was completely naked.
Alpha Liam's gaze remained steady, his expression unfazed despite the turmoil swirling within me.
Every fiber of my being screamed to flee, to escape the intensity of his presence, but fear rooted me to the spot, immobilizing me in his presence.
"Come here," his voice cut through the air, commanding obedience with unwavering authority.
My legs quivered beneath me as I hesitantly obeyed his summons, my hands instinctively moving to shield my chest, overwhelmed by shame and vulnerability. The weight of his presence bore down on me, suffocating any semblance of defiance.
He ordered me to turn around, and without hesitation, I complied, the fear gripping my heart intensifying with each passing moment. His commanding presence left no room for hesitation, no space for disobedience.
"Bend down," his voice rang out, firm and unwavering. I trembled at his command, my body obeying out of instinctual fear. With trembling limbs, I lowered myself as instructed, bracing for the inevitable.
As I bent down, the anticipation of his next move hung heavy in the air, thick with tension and uncertainty. I could feel the weight of his gaze upon me, a silent reminder of his dominance and control.
The sharp sting of his hand against my buttocks sent shockwaves of pain reverberating through my body. I bit my lip to stifle a cry, the heat of embarrassment flooding my cheeks as I endured his punishment.
"Get on the bed," his words cut through the silence.
The fear of what was to come left my heart pounding profoundly.
I climbed onto the bed as my heart raced even more.
The sharp sting of his hand against my buttocks sent waves of pain coursing through me, and I stifled a cry as my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Get on the bed," his words hung heavy in the air. It sent shivers down my spine. "Tonight, I am going to devour you whole. Prepare yourself."
Liam.
I have always gotten whatever I wanted.
Since I am absolute, the strongest Alpha there is, why should an Alpha have only one Luna?
The concept irked me, so I adopted a different approach—I would take a woman and use her as I pleased before discarding her.
It has become my modus operandi for quite some time now.
Among all the women I've encountered, I hate to admit it, but Maxine is undeniably stunning.
MAXINEI got a job working at the pack hospital again. This time, I signed up to be a real medical practitioner. I was going to become a midwife. There were a few familiar faces at the hospital and lots of new ones.Still, I was grateful to Ronan for giving them this opportunity again.That evening, I walked back into my apartment. The dead herbs were still in a box on the floor in the kitchen. I wondered if I would go back. I used to pick herbs and sell them to women who wanted to get pregnant.It felt like eons ago. Times were simpler. Back then, I saved lives not help take them. That was a time when I didn’t have blood on my hands.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I wanted my simple life again. It was simple but everything made sense. I didn't have to try to untangle myself from this mess that was my reality.A knock on the door brought me back. Zel was back from work. She worked as a bartender a little while from our apartment. Zel had gotten the job. After the manag
MAXINEI nodded, not trusting myself to speak without crying. Ella was right. I needed to let myself grieve. The love I once had for Ronan still occupied my heart.Lindsey reached out and held my hand. "We’re here for you, Maxine."I squeezed her hand, grateful for their support. They were right. I didn’t have to go through this alone. I had them.Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.***Going back to my old life felt like stepping into a strange place. There was the feeling of losing something. My apartment felt like a place from a faraway memory. Zel was gone and I was feeling so sad.I was back from saying goodbye. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The space was just as I’d left it. There was still dust over everything. At least, I had something to do with my time.I took a deep breath. I hadn't lost everything. I was still okay.I began to clean up slowly. Lindsey stopped by to help me out and together, we covered a lot. As I was cleaning, I heard a knock on the door.“Are you
MAXINEI wanted to believe her that everything would be okay but deep down, I felt guilt and grief. This was my fault. I pulled back from her and wiped my eyes. I gave her a shaky smile. “It doesn’t feel like it.”She cupped my cheek. “Everything isn't always as it seems, my dear. But, I can tell you one thing I know for sure.” She said.“What's that?”“It's not your fault. I'm sure you don't know where to go from here, what to do, or where you belong. You want to come with me, you want to continue your life back at the place where you and Zel liked and you want to go back to how things were in this pack.” Cinder explained.“But, I see you staying here. This is where your strength lies, where hope lives, where you have friends and support.” She lowered her eyes and winked. “It's where you have a future.”“And, we'll always be here for you to fall back on, regardless of what happens. We're your home away from home.” The Luna Queen said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I'm very proud.
MAXINEI didn't feel anything. No pain from a stab whatsoever. I looked between us and that's when Ronan smiled. His lips were close to my ear and he whispered, “I would never hurt you on purpose, love.”I didn't know when I screamed.Ronan collapsed into my arms, taking the both of us down to the ground with him. I tried my best to hold his head up on my lap. My eyes traveled down to the blood pouring down the stab wound in his belly.“Ronan,” I called, tears filling my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. He had stabbed himself.My hand shook as it hovered over the wound. I didn't know what to do. The dagger was in his chest.Ronan had chosen death. Death over a life without me.“Maxine…” he called, his voice unnaturally calm for someone who was dying. He reached up to touch me and I guided his hand to my cheek.“I'm here, I'm here,” I cried. “I'm sorry,” I whispered the last part. My hands shook as I held him. I never wanted this. I didn’t want him to die.Ronan gasped. He looked up
MAXINEI held my breath as Ronan kept his eyes on mine. When he was close enough, he stopped. Neither of us said a word. The battle continued around us but I couldn't get myself to make the first move.He didn't either. I wondered if it was hard for him to see me. I wondered if he thought he could fight me. I also wondered if he thought that he could kill me.I spoke up first. “Ronan,” I called. My voice was sounding more longing than I wanted.I missed him, to be honest. I missed sitting down in the quiet and reading books. Strangely, I missed making his cinnamon coffee.Ronan didn't say anything. Instead, he took a step closer. “You don’t have to do this,” he said.There was no hurt, no anger in his voice, just nothing but kindness. I wished he would yell. I wished he would curse me and call me evil for everything I've done.“Come with me.” He said, softly. I heard it regardless of the noise. “We can fix this, Maxine. We'll leave everything behind together.”It sounded so good. But,
MAXINEHe caught me off guard. It meant that he still cared about me. I didn't focus on that though. “I won’t, I promise,” I replied.We stood there in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to say. I could feel it though. I could feel it. The unspoken feelings and questions we didn't have the time to ask.Or we didn't dare to ask, I guess.After everything that had happened, I still wasn’t sure where we stood. I said I was okay with him hating me but, I didn't know anymore. The lines between us were confusing now. I didn't know how to fix that.But now wasn’t the time to focus on that. We had a mission and that was a priority. Every other thing could come after. We would cross that bridge later.For some reason, Liam stepped closer and I held my breath. “Regardless of what has happened between us, out there?” He said, “No matter what happens, we’ll get through this together. Do you understand?”I nodded. “Together,” I repeated.Before I could say anything else, Zel appeared
MAXINECinder gave me and Zel a brief of the plans that night when she showed us a bedroom. She and the Luna Queen were sharing the one right next to us. They told us to come to them if we faced any issues.Sleep didn't come easy because my mind was entirely on Ronan. I didn't know how I was going to face him again after betraying his trust. But, I knew I couldn't sit out of this fight.The sun had not even risen when I was woken up by the sound of Liam's voice. He was given instructions and I heard more footsteps around the house than the number of people I had seen the previous day.It meant that Liam was already up and gathering the troops. I could hear him giving commands like it hadn't been two months since he was last in power. He was a natural-born leader. He carried this air of authority around him.He was giving orders, explaining ranks and positions for this fight. Every single detail was important to winning.Zel was still asleep, of course. She wasn't a wolf so she wouldn'
MAXINEI chuckled bitterly. “What about now?” I asked. “Will you take me back now that I have a wolf? Isn't that what you've always wanted?”His eyes widened slightly but he kept himself composed. “That would be unfair to you. It would be wrong. If you want to come back to me, I will take you but the choice is yours now. You have a choice and I see now that I was wrong. I’m so sorry, Maxine. I hope you can forgive me.”Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn't thought about this but I let the anger roll away from me. He was still family. He was my father. “I forgive you. You're my father, whether you abandon me or not.” I said.“Thank you, Maxine.” He said. He reached for me hesitantly. I would have settled for a handshake but he wrapped his hands around me. For the first time in what I knew was forever, my father hugged me.I didn't know what to feel about that.LIAMAfter Maxine spoke to her father, they returned to the living room. However, she moved toward the far end of the room, away
LIAMDespite everything that was unfolding in front of me, my thoughts were stuck on one thing.Maxine had a wolf.I couldn't wrap my head around it. After everything that had happened to her, it didn’t make sense. I glanced at her. The strange white-haired girl was sitting between us.Maxine was staring out of the window. The white-haired girl squeezed her hand. Maxine turned to look at her and offered her a small smile. That was when she caught me staring. She looked away, taking her eyes back to the window.It left me confused. Was she pissed at me? I was the one who had the right to be mad at her. She had chosen him over me. Well, the distance between us was necessary.I didn't know what I would say or do if I were sitting next to her. Kris took a sharp turn, causing Maxine to grab the handle of the car door. I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped myself. There would be time for questions later.“You alright back there?” Varis asked.“We’re fine,” I said. I didn't know i