One chapter tonight. Are they safe already? Or are there more to come? Thank you for reading and for all the love - gems, gifts, reviews, and comments! Please keep them coming.
KAEL. Adessa’s screams were drawn by the explosion behind us as we made it to the next exit.I shifted my eyes from the side mirror to the rearview and caught sight of her looking through the back window. I could only see the back of her head, but I could tell she was shaking. I wanted to check on her, but I needed to be far away from here before any of their backup came, or worse, the police officers.I reached the end of the bridge and found myself at a roundabout. I had no idea where the road I chose would lead us, but I kept driving. Anywhere would be fine, as long as we ended far away from the scene. It didn’t take long for the siren’s sound to reverberate through the air, but it quickly faded as my car accelerated away.“Adessa…” I was finally able to utter a word, and it snapped her from looking at the back window. It had already been a long time since the explosion was no longer visible, yet she remained staring. She moved swiftly, crawling back to the front seat just in ti
KAEL. Adessa’s eyes fluttered open. She was looking straight ahead, still lost in her thoughts, and I just let her be. We were already threading a narrow, rough road through the deep part of the forest. The canopies of the trees filtered the sun, casting shadows across the path and making the area darker and gloomy, even if it was already midmorning. The road was barely wide enough for a car, but it only meant I was in the right direction. It had been almost a decade since I’d been here, but it looked and felt the same. “Where are we heading?” she finally asked, breaking the silence between us. “We need a place to stay for at least a day so you can rest, and I can make some adjustments on our way to the north.”“This seems to be too far from civilization already.”“Are you scared of where I would take you?” I teased her. She turned her head to me, and a smile slowly curled on her red lips. “You can tell me we’re on the road to hell, and I will still come with you. Hell with you s
ADESSA.“I’m not complaining. It was a good one year.” I told him, still smiling, and this time I nodded my head to convince him more.He took my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. “The best is yet to come. I promise…”He lowered our hands but kept holding mine as we continued to drive in silence. Despite losing his memory, Kael was still the same Kael I knew. He was always calculated and never seemed fazed by uncertainties or danger, but something about him changed. He became more expressive.Before his accident, he would always kiss me or hug me, which frequently ended up with us having sex. But lately, he would do the same but never push more. He was content to simply hold my hand or give me a hug. And I liked it.If I were being honest, I had no idea if I should be grateful for all the things happening in my life at the moment because Kael was being extra protective and attentive to me like he had never been before.“We’re here.” His voice snapped back to the p
ADESSA.Meeting Erika was a pleasant surprise. She was very motherly and immediately offered a home-cooked meal that I’d been missing. In the last three weeks, my only good meal was when I was with Aunt Aria, so my growling stomach welcomed the warm meal she shared with us.During mealtime, she finally confessed that she had seen the news that the King’s Court was looking for me. But the moment I showed up here with Kael, she knew there was something more to it than just me killing them. And I was grateful for her honesty.Kael then talked about his accident and him losing his memory. She didn’t hide her animosity with Miranda and directly told Kael how disgusting her behavior was toward me. I was glad Kael didn’t defend his stepmother this time. “I’ve heard about the accident, but I never thought it was that bad as I called, and I was told you were resting. I called twice after that, and I was given different excuses. The excuses seemed like you were working and not in a coma.” She s
ADESSA.Sasha came, and I felt out of place right away because she made it seem she knew Kael more than I did. Or maybe I was just overthinking things, as they obviously knew each other way before I existed in Kael’s life. But to be fair with Kael, he made it a point to include me in their conversation or at least explain things when Sasha would throw remarks or tell a story like it was their little secret.Maybe I was just being jealous, but I couldn’t help it. It seemed every female I encountered these days was, in one way or another, related to Kael and had a past with him. “More drinks?” Sasha approached and filled Kael’s glass with red wine. Kael was sitting beside me, his arm resting on the back of my chair so his skin was brushing against the back of my neck.“Tell me, you really don’t drink?” Kael asked as Sasha sat back on her chair in front of us. The three of us were seated at the dining table while Erika took four-year-old Gabe, Sasha’s son, for a bath before bed. I shoo
ADESSA.A drunk Kael was heavy to assist, but a pretending to be “too drunk,” Kael was heavier. He was surely having a great time throwing his weight on me as we walked down the corridor to our room while singing the same song he had sung to me the last time he was drunk. “♫🎜And it’s you and me and all of the people. And I don’t know why I can’t keep my eyes off of you. 🎜🎝” He sang, off-tune of course, but I loved it more. I hoped that song was meant specifically for me, as he had started singing it a few weeks prior to his accident. But as much as I wanted to believe that, it was also the time he began to feel a little more distant and the time that Desiree came back to the territory.“Kael, you’re heavy,” I mumbled. “I thought you’d take care of me when I’m drunk.” He replied, pausing from singing and pressing a kiss on my cheek.“I said, take care of you, not carry you!” I feigned a scowl despite feeling giddy with the kiss. I still held his arm around my shoulders while my
ADESSA. “Fuck me, Kael.” I finally said it. A growl reverberated from his chest, and his lips crashed into mine without a warning. My arms wrapped around his neck as we hungrily kissed each other.I couldn’t hear anything but the loud beating of my own heart and the grunts coming from him.In no time, I felt cold air brushing against my skin, waking me up from my trance.Kael had let me go and left me fully naked, splayed out in the middle, while he stood at the foot of the bed without a shirt and unbuckling his pants. He was undressing himself slowly while his eyes were devouring every part of my naked body. I was sure he could smell my arousal as his eyes were dilating, and I could see lust all over his face. His reaction was giving me the confidence I needed to play the seductress that always made him want me more. I anchored my feet on the mattress and spread my legs wider before letting my hand crawl my belly down to my core. The moment my fingers touched my wet pussyfolds,
KAEL.Adessa continued to whimper, her body shuddering at her release. I didn’t even give her time to enjoy her orgasm before I reached for her waist and lowered her from the bed, positioning her onto my thighs while I remained half kneeling on the floor.She looked at me with her mouth parted and lust in her eyes.I didn’t need to tell her what to do. She knew exactly how to proceed like we had done this in this position before.She reached for her pussy and opened her folds wider before I positioned her onto my erection. The moment her folds welcomed the tip of my shaft, she removed her hand and arched her body backward.I plunged my throbbing cock into her without warning, causing a sultry moan to escape her lips as she threw her head back.A growl escaped my throat at the feel of her pussy clenching around my hard cock as she adjusted to my girth. She was so tight and warm, and if I didn’t take time to gather myself, I might end up exploding soon. My hands on her waist tightened a
ADESSA.“Desiree quit her job because she came back. I was giving her money for her apartment and for everything her child needed. Without me, she had no way to work and take care of her child at the same time…”Miranda was still talking, but nothing was sinking in except the part where Desiree had a child. I didn’t even question that she was Desiree’s mother because all I heard was about the child. “Is it Kael’s son?” I asked, unaware that I had already reached out to hold Esmaeel’s arm for support. My brother held me, supporting my body so I could remain standing.“No, no, no…” She said as she shook her head. “It’s not his son.”“Don’t lie to me.”“Desiree has a child from another man whose name I don’t even know. The same man that Kael caught her in bed with.” My hand went to my mouth, suppressing myself from gasping. Rasmus. Desiree had a child with Rasmus. “I’m not lying, Adessa… You can ask me anything now, and I will tell you the truth in exchange for my freedom. Please let
ADESSA.I had no idea there was a Beta task that happened last night. I couldn’t believe Draco won this part, and I had to see him for breakfast. But if anything, at least I wouldn’t be dining with him alone. I was told the whole family would, so I didn’t need to coerce myself to talk with him. I hadn’t forgiven him for all this mess, and I never thought I would. I was also only informed last night that the current task would last for three days, and we would never hear from the participants unless they got out and finished the challenge. I kept bugging Esriel about what task lay ahead, but this time, he kept his mouth shut and avoided me, which made me worry more.I woke up early despite not being able to sleep at all, because aside from breakfast, I was finally meeting Miranda. She was captured a few days back, and Father wanted me to face her.As much as I would rather not deal with her, I had to. I also wanted my father to find out that she sold me to Draco as a slave. But if I
KAEL. I was still trying to digest the information I witnessed when another surprise was presented.After the crowd toned down from greeting and celebrating with the Royal couple, the Game Master stood before us in the middle of the arena—with more breaking news. “The fourth task had already begun last night from the moment you stepped back into the manor. The food you ate and the drink you consumed were illusions, so if you thought that food was enough and skipped meals the whole day, then you are already at a disadvantage. You will feel the hunger later on.”I swallowed—grateful that I didn’t consume a lot last night and that I went to the kitchen and asked for food when I woke up today. “And the naked women you found in your rooms last night…” He added, and I immediately saw Adessa shift in her seat.She looked mortified. She had no idea about the women.“...were not who they seemed to be.” The Game Master continued. “ You met our first creatures. The faeries of the Eternal Fore
KAEL. Before I could think more, the speaker already announced our entrance. Draco walked ahead of us while the rest were in a straight line behind him. “Where is Randolf?” I heard Constantin ask as we walked, and when I tilted my head to the right, as I was the first on the left, I counted only three: Vaidas, Constantin, and Nicholas.I didn’t notice he was not there as we all left the manor in our own cars with just our Betas. And I didn’t notice him. In fact, I hadn’t seen him the whole day. “I’m sure they will tell us soon,” Nicholas said, and no one discussed it until we stopped in front of the stage. Everything went fast after that. Draco was congratulated for winning the last task and was asked to join them on the stage. I was right, he was to sit next to Adessa. I made every effort to remain unaffected. This was what they wanted, not what she wanted. I would not let it destroy my confidence and focus for the next game. I would use this as my motivation to win this round
KAEL.As soon as the Game Master dismissed us, Landon and I headed back to our room. The rest did as well, except for Draco and Roman, who headed toward the open bar of this manor. Of course, they had no task to think about and wanted to celebrate.I couldn’t be happy for them, not only because I loathed the man but also because Landon told me he was cheated, maybe not by Roman but by the game itself. “Tell me what happened,” I said after I heard the door lock while I leaned on the windowsill, looking at the garden below. I heard him let out a deep sigh before he began talking while I remained in my position. “The game wasn’t hard. It was all about how well you know your Alpha. From the first car to the age you shifted and the many names connected to you to the farthest place you’d been. Roman and I were both doing well. We were acing all the questions, and Beta Samuel was just right behind us. Then the fucking final question came, and I was so confident about my answer.” I could h
KAEL. I left the French balcony door slightly open, letting the crisp air in while I lay awake in bed. Sleep would surely not come tonight. Not when I had no idea what was going on with my Beta. The balcony of our room faced southward, toward the forest, but I could see part of the driveway from here. When it was too quiet, like tonight, I was sure I would hear if there were any commotion going on.After a long while, I could feel my eyes drooping, and just when I was about to lose consciousness, the sound of an approaching vehicle reached my ears. I immediately jolted up from my bed and checked the balcony. I saw a light getting closer. It must be them. I went back inside to grab a shirt and put it on. I already had my sweatpants on, so I went ahead and rushed out of my bedroom. Like the scene earlier, I was not the only one in the corridor. The other Alphas were also heading downstairs. No words were spoken between us as we hurriedly trod the way down. I could only assume they we
KAEL. We were the first to arrive and were asked to surrender our treasures. It didn’t take long before a vehicle came, and the challenger team, led by Alpha Randolf, stepped out. And with the smirk plastered on his face, I could tell they were able to snag a treasure. I thought we were waiting for the rest or at least one more team, but the Game Master told us everyone who was supposed to be here was already here and requested Randolf to surrender the treasure they got. They didn’t get just one treasure; they got six. All six treasures of the two teams. I was certain they found the obsidian necklace and Liam’s team still tied up. It was the only explanation for their treasures, but it seemed they also wiped out Alpha Leon’s.I couldn’t believe it, as I thought Leon’s team was stronger than them, but maybe I just didn’t know their full strength. In the end, the twelve became six in an instant. But it didn’t matter to me. In fact, I was grateful. The fewer the contenders, the faste
KAEL.When I turned to Draco, the necklace was not around his neck anymore. Gunner was gripping it tightly, but before I could do anything to help him, Draco shifted, ripping his clothes apart and landing exactly on top of Gunner. I shifted back into my human form and grabbed the necklace from Gunner’s hand while Draco still had his teeth on the side of his shoulder, near his throat. One wrong move, and Draco could snap the vein on his neck, so the fucker stayed paralyzed under his hold. Vaidas, on the other hand, was already dragging forest vines. I helped him, and it didn’t take long before we were able to tie the three of them together under the tree with their hands bound as well. We were about to leave them when Draco returned and took Gunner’s treasure from his pocket. They lied—no one stole his treasure. “You started this game. It’s only fair we play along…” He tossed the ring in the air before catching it, clutching it tightly in his hand and smirking at them. “I don’t thi
KAEL. Deciding what to do with the cloak was making me uneasy. If I were Superman, this would be easy to handle, but how the fuck do I move and kick ass with this thing around me? I could take it off, but I didn’t have the luxury of time to work on the fucking zipper to take out the citrine. And I had nowhere to hide it. They were coming closer. “No matter what happens, we can’t trust anyone. Except for the three of us.” I told them. It was hard to let those words pass my throat because Draco was part of the team, but at this point, with all our fates in this game entwined, it was all or nothing. The sounds of leaves rustling and twigs snapping at the other side of the trees became louder, and the three of us moved into position, ready to leap and attack. But when the faint light beaming from the canopy of the trees as the moon and sun shared the dawn fell on the forms that emerged from the bushes, I heard the sighs of relief from the two men with me.It was Alpha Liam with his tea