CALANTHAI didn’t step into the guest bathroom where I had seen Nyx’s aunt go in. Instead, I waited just outside, leaning lightly against the wall as I took a moment to breathe. The noise and tension from the banquet hall felt like a distant hum now, and for the first time tonight, I felt the pressure ease off my chest.This little escape gave me time to think, and to breathe without all the masks everyone wore at that dinner.Honestly, I didn’t understand how these upper-class nobles managed to survive their lives, let alone enjoy them. The entire meal had felt like a performance. Everyone trying to outshine the next, everyone bragging about their offspring and how they would definitely win the tournament. It wasn’t just exhausting, but also suffocating.And to make matters worse, I hadn’t been feeling entirely well since yesterday. A little dizzy, slightly nauseous. This moment of quiet away from everyone felt like a small blessing.Finally, the door creaked open and Nyx’s aunt step
CALANTHAKaiden and I walked side by side, his arm gently wrapped around my waist. As we entered the grand diner, everyone stood up from their seats and bowed their heads quietly in respect.Together, moving in sync with Kaiden’s calm pace, we made our way to the grand center table. Two seats waited at the head; one for Kaiden and one for me.Only after we sat down did the others take their seats. I glanced around the table just once, catching a quick look at the people sitting there, then dropped my eyes back down to the table. My fingers clutched at the fabric of my dress nervously. My palms were damp, and my heart was racing.This was nothing like anything I had ever experienced before. I had never been in a room filled with so many powerful and royal figures not just from our pack, but beyond. It wasn’t only werewolves tonight. There were many other beings, and I could feel all their eyes on me too.They were watching me, studying me. It was their first time seeing me, and I coul
LYSANDRAThe Queen’s dinner party was finally happening tonight. The pack was already filled with respected and high-ranking people from all over the realm, and here I was in my room, getting ready to attend.The maids had just finished dressing me and I was now standing in front of the mirror, wearing my evening gown and admiring how I looked. My hair was pulled into a neat bun, and my makeup was simple but elegant. Just enough to highlight my features.A small smile formed on my lips as I twirled once in front of the mirror. I had been waiting all day for this moment. Waiting for Kaiden to see me. By now, the love potion should have taken effect. If he saw me tonight, he would fall deeply in love with me. Hopelessly.I let out a quiet giggle as I looked at my reflection. Tonight, his heart would finally be mine. Forever.Just then, a knock came at the door, pulling me out of my little celebration. I didn’t look away from the mirror as I answered.“Come in.”The door opened softly, a
IVYThe way my father was eating—his grip tight around his cutlery, his movements sharp as he cut into his steak, and his face cold and unreadable—made it obvious that he was in a terrible mood. The heavy silence filling the dining room only confirmed it. And I knew exactly why.It was because I had just told him that Calantha had returned to the packhouse.I sat stiffly at the table, barely able to eat. My eyes shifted now and then to my sisters, who were just as tense, sitting like statues and chewing quietly. This was how things always were when our father was silently furious. No one dared speak. No one even dared breathe too loudly around him.“I can’t believe the Queen and the Lycan King would go back on their word,” he finally said, breaking the silence with a voice tight with anger. His eyes stayed on his plate, dark and full of rage. “They promised me you would carry the Lycan King’s pup… that you would become his concubine.”I swallowed hard, forcing the food down my throat
CALANTHA“We’re thinking of serving vampire ceviche shots, avocado and pomegranate bruschetta for the vegan-friendly fae and witches, moon macarons, and a few other dishes you can see here on the menu.” Lorita, the head cook, explained to Queen Adeline as she showed her the digital menu on her tablet.“All the food and drinks will be specially prepared to suit every species,” she continued. “We’ll also have color codes to avoid any mix up. Red for werewolves, violet for witches, blue for sirens, black for vampires, and green for fae…”As Lorita went on, my thoughts drifted far away and back to the steamy moment I had just shared with Kaiden in the shower.His hands gently scrubbing my skin, pausing on my breasts to give them soft squeezes, his fingers teasing my nipples in slow circles… The way he slipped behind me in the tub and slid into me from behind, our wet bodies moving together under the water. His lips on mine, his slow thrusts, the stretch of him inside me…“Luna Calantha. A
CALANTHAKaiden held me close all through the night, his arms wrapped tightly around me as we slept. My body was still sore and aching all the sex, but somehow, I slept deeply and peacefully. I woke up a few times, only to feel his arms still around me, his steady breath on my neck, and the warmth of his body pressed against mine.Each time, I smiled to myself.My heart felt soft, full, remembering everything that brought us here. It felt as though it was just yesterday when Ryker had dumped and embarrassed me in front of everyone at his party. That same night when Kaiden had offered to make me feel better, which had led to our unexpected one-night stand. Then came the contract, to pretend to be his mate. And now, here we were. Lying in each other’s arms after an epic sex and Kaiden repeatedly whispering how much I meant to him.It made my heart race. And ache.Because as happy as it made me, it scared me just as much. What if one day he woke up and decided he didn’t want me anymore
CALANTHA“No… Why did you stop?” I panted, blinking rapidly through the haze.Kaiden stood, already reaching for another item.“You’re not allowed to cum just yet,” he said simply. “We still have two more to try.”He reached for something small and metallic. “This one’s a nipple clamp.”Before I could even wrap my head around the idea, I felt the pressure.A jolt of intense pleasure-pain zapped through my chest as he clipped it onto one sensitive nipple, then the other. A scream tore from my throat, but it wasn’t from pain. It was pure, euphoric overload.“Oh… fuck… Kaiden…” I whimpered, my body trembling under the heightened sensation. The pleasure was sharp and overwhelming, like my nerves were catching fire in the most delicious way.As I trembled, barely holding myself up, Kaiden bent to retrieve the final tool.The dildo.“I love watching you like this,” he murmured in a thick voice. “Wrecked. Undone. My perfect little princess.”He came to stand between my thighs again, holding
CALANTHAThe moment we crossed the threshold into the adjoining chamber, we were greeted by total darkness. Kaiden's hand moved to the wall, and with a soft click, a muted blue and red light flooded the room, casting the space in an otherworldly glow. My eyes widened instantly, my breath hitching in my throat as I took in the room. Kaiden was still holding me firmly and possessively in his arms, my body pressed to his bare chest, my legs wrapped around his waist. But even in his arms, my gaze wandered in disbelief.Mounted neatly along the walls were rows of ‘tools’. Leather, metal, satin, and things I couldn’t even name. Whips. Cuffs. Ropes. Straps. Paddles. And things shaped like… other things. Foreign things. Things that sent my already simmering body into a whirlpool of curiosity and heated dread.In one corner stood a large bed draped in dark sheets, while the other side of the room was dominated by a wide table. A massive mirror, stretched across the wall directly across from
CALANTHA My chest rose and fell in quick pants as Kaiden dragged his lips down my neck, his hands now wandering freely over my bare skin. Heat pooled between my thighs, thick and pulsing, the scent of my arousal hanging heavy in the air as I lay naked beneath him, my body surrendering to the way he touched me, craving the moment he would finally fill me.I gasped, breathless, as his fingers brushed over my sensitive nipples. He didn’t press down, didn’t give me the pressure I so desperately wanted. Instead, he traced soft, maddening circles, teasing lines that only fueled the ache in my core.“Uhhh…” I moaned, arching my back, pushing my chest closer to him, needing more—needing him. I could lose my mind from the way he made me feel.His eyes darkened as he watched me writhe beneath him, and then he leaned in, placing gentle, fluttering kisses around my breasts. His lips moved closer… and closer… but he still refused to take my nipples into his mouth.“Please…” I begged, my voice cr