He was supposed to kill her. Instead, he claimed her. Rian is the rejected Omega no one wanted—until she’s thrown into the den of the Hellhound King, a cursed Lycan rumored to be more beast than man. His touch is fatal. His court is cruel. And his soul is a battlefield of monsters. She was supposed to be broken. Ruined. But when his eyes lock onto hers, something ancient awakens. His wolf doesn’t just want her—it claims her. For the first time, his deadly power falters. For the first time, someone survives him. But monsters don’t love. And Rian is about to discover that in a kingdom of curses and blood-soaked thrones, surviving him might be the easiest part.
View MoreRian’s POV
I thought being mated to the Alpha would save me. That maybe just maybe the bond would mean something. That he would see me. Not as an Omega. Not as a burden. But as his mate. His forever. But what was I thinking? It shattered me. The Alpha rejected me in front of the entire pack like I was nothing. My wolf whimpered and went deathly quiet inside me, my heart breaking even softer, even deeper. Then I was saved. Not by a savior, a prince, or an alpha. I was claimed by the dangerous Lycan King. _______ ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* *:・゚✧*:・゚✧________ “You filthy bitch,” one of the warriors spat, his words sharp and venomous as I accidentally stepped on his foot. He shoved me hard, sending me crashing to the ground. I winced, but stayed silent Being the lowest ranked wolf is a nightmare and a curse. No home. No family. My parents had abandoned me the moment I shifted and they realized what I was-an Omega. Parents were supposed to love you. Protect you. Mine? They left me like I was broken, useless. I wiped my tears quickly before heading into the kitchen where I worked, trying to disappear. “Run over here!” Lylah called as soon as she saw me, waving her hand frantically. As soon as I got there she checked my body thoroughly checking any signs of wound or abuse. “ did they push you again ?” She asked and I nodded she sighed and hugged me. She and Madam Sera were the only ones who didn’t treat me like I was something to be scraped off their shoes. “Have you eaten?” Madam Sera asked, her voice low and kind. I shook my head, slowly She pressed a plate of rice into my hands, her eyes full of worry. “Hide and eat fast,” she whispered. “If they catch you, they’ll punish you again…with silver.” I mumbled a thank you and slipped into the storage room, eating quickly while listening to the distant hum of excitement outside. Tonight was the Mate Gathering. Tonight, the Moon Goddess would reveal true mates under the full moon. swallowed the last bite, nerves crawling under my skin. We had spent the entire day preparing scrubbing floors, stringing lights through the trees, setting tables with fresh linens and wildflowers picked from the woods. Every corner of the courtyard shimmered under the soft glow of lanterns, ready for the Moon Goddess’s blessing. Now, the night had arrived. The courtyard was flooded with wolves, fur gleaming under the silver light. I stood at the edge, forgotten and unwanted, my heart pounding against my ribs. One by one, wolves shifted back to their human forms, excitement flashing in their eyes as they searched the crowd. Their scents filled the air hope, lust, nerves. I stayed in my human skin, too scared to move, too scared to hope! Then….. I smelled it. That pull. That perfect scent. My wolf stirred weakly inside me, her ears perking. My eyes locked onto his. The Alpha. Jake. My mate. My breath caught in my chest. The world seemed to fall away until it was just the two of us. He shifted back, bones cracking, muscles rippling, until he stood tall and human again. His eyes so cold, so unreadable landed right on me. For one desperate second, I let myself believe. Maybe he would come to me. Maybe he would claim me. Maybe someone would finally want me. He moved toward me, every step echoing loudly in my ears. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t look away. He stopped right in front of me, close enough that I could smell his scent woodsy, familiar. “You,” he said, voice low and sharp, filled with disbelief. I swallowed hard, forcing the words out past the lump in my throat. “I feel the bond,” I whispered. “Don’t you?” There was a long, awful silence. Then he laughed a cold, humorless sound that made my stomach twist. “You?” he said again, louder this time so everyone around could hear. “You’re my mate?” People started murmuring, turning to look. Some snickered. “I’d rather tear my own heart out,” he said, his voice cruel and clear, “than be mated to a pathetic Omega.” Gasps rippled through the crowd. Someone actually laughed. I felt my knees wobble, but I forced myself to stand tall. My hands were trembling. “I… I don’t understand,” I said, my voice breaking despite myself. “The bond…” “I reject you,” Jake said, cutting me off. “I reject this bond. I reject you RIAN VIRELLI.” It hit like a blade straight to the chest. My wolf let out a soft, broken whine inside me. She folded into herself, disappearing somewhere deep where I couldn’t reach her anymore. Pain exploded through me. Real, physical pain. I collapsed onto my knees, the stone courtyard unforgiving beneath me. I pressed my hand to my chest, gasping, trying to hold myself together as the bond tore apart inside me like shredded fabric. It felt like dying. It felt worse than dying. I could feel every pair of eyes on me. I could hear them whispering. “Figures. She’s just an Omega.” “Pathetic.” “Why would an Alpha want her?” No one came to help me. No one even looked sorry. I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn’t work. Everything inside me was shattered, bleeding. “Get her out of here,” Jake said with disgust, turning his back on me like I was less than nothing. Madam Sera and Lylah rushed over finally, helping me to my feet. I barely noticed. Everything was blurry. Everything hurt. I didn’t even hear what they said. I just kept staring at the spot where he had stood, where everything had fallen apart. The mate bond the fragile, sacred thing I had prayed for my whole life was….gone. Just like that. And I was alone. Again. Maybe the Moon Goddess had forgotten me after all.Toran POV They had me in chains. Good. Let them believe they’d caught the villain. Let them think this was justice. They didn’t realize this was part of the plan. Darius’s dungeon was colder than I remembered. Damp stone, rusted iron, the faint scent of mold and forgotten blood. I’d sent men here myself. Criminals. Spies. Dissidents. Traitors. Now I sat in their place. The irony tasted sweet on my tongue. The guards had beaten me, hoping for answers. But they didn’t understand me. No one did. Not really. Not Darius. Not his precious little council. Certainly not Rian, the half-blood princess who stole his reason. They all thought I served the crown. But I didn’t. I served myself. From the moment I stepped into the court, I knew the truth — I was smarter than them. Sharper. Hungrier. Darius had been handed power like it was a birthright, and he wore it like a burden. He never had the stomach for rulership. He wanted to guide, to inspire. I wanted to rule. I wa
Rian’s POV Pain came first. A low throb at the base of my skull, blooming behind my eyes like a dark flower. My limbs felt heavy, cold, not my own. The air was damp, stale, laced with mildew and something metallic. Blood. I blinked slowly, the world tilting sideways. I was lying on stone. Chains rattled when I shifted, iron cuffs biting into my wrists and ankles. My throat felt raw, my mouth dry. I wasn’t alone. The torchlight was dim, flickering from the far end of the chamber. A long room—stone walls, no windows. A single iron door. And in the corner, a figure sat in shadow, watching. “Welcome back,” a voice said. Male. Smooth. Familiar in the worst way. I tried to sit up. The chains resisted. “Where… am I?” “Somewhere beneath the eastern cliffs,” the man replied. “An old prison. One the wolves forgot.” I squinted at him. Recognition bloomed slow and cruel. Lord Elion. “You,” I whispered. “You remember me.” He stood, stepping into the torchlight. His f
Darius POV She was late. Not by much—twenty minutes, maybe. But Rian wasn’t the kind of woman who lost track of time, especially not after the week we’d had. She’d promised to speak to Avery before moving her things into my wing. She was laughing when she left. Light in a way I hadn’t seen her in days. Now that laughter echoed in my mind like a knife being slowly drawn across stone. I waited another five minutes. Then I moved. The corridor outside my chambers was quiet. My guards straightened at my approach, offering small bows. “Have you seen Rian?” I asked. They exchanged glances. “She passed through heading toward Lady Avery’s quarters about half an hour ago.” “And after?” A beat of silence. Too long. “No, my king.” My throat went tight. I nodded, turned, and walked—fast. By the time I reached Avery’s wing, the anxiety had turned acidic in my stomach. Mira opened the door, hair damp from a bath, wrapped in a robe. “Where’s Rian?” I asked, voice sharper
The first thing I felt was cold. Not the kind that came from winter winds or stone floors—but the deep, invasive kind that seeped into your bones and stayed there. It wrapped around my spine, curled behind my ribs, and made each breath feel too shallow. The second thing I felt was pain. A dull, throbbing ache bloomed at the base of my skull. Each pulse sent a wave of nausea through my gut. When I tried to lift my hand to touch it, I couldn’t. Chains. Iron ones. Silver-tipped. Clamped around my wrists and ankles, fixed to the stone wall behind me. Panic struck hard and fast, nearly robbing me of breath. I yanked once—twice. The sound of metal scraping stone echoed in the darkness. Too strong. They knew what I was. The cell was dimly lit by a single torch mounted high above the door. Shadows twisted on damp, moss-lined stone. The air was thick with mildew and blood. Old blood. I could smell it. Could feel it in the cold bite of the floor beneath me. I wasn’t alone.
Rian’s POV It had been weeks. Mira had returned home to check on her clan. Avery had gone to the capital on court business. I hadn’t realized how much I missed them until now—until I felt safe in their presence again. Then I told them everything. About the attack. About the emissary. About the dreams. And then—I told them the truth. What I was. What I had always been. “A hybrid,” I said quietly. “Half-witch. Half-wolf. My mother hid it. My father never knew. But it’s why I survived the fire. It’s why I keep seeing things before they happen.” Neither of them said a word at first. Mira only blinked. “That explains a lot,” she said, then picked up her tea and took a sip like I’d told her I preferred black over sweetened. Avery tilted her head, brows raised. “You thought we’d hate you for that?” “I’ve been hated for less,” I said, the words sharp around the edge. “Darius could’ve rejected me. Banished me. But he didn’t.” “No,” Avery said softly, “he wouldn’t.” They
Rian’s POV His mouth was fire. Not the kind that scorched—but the kind that claimed. Branded. Like he wanted to kiss the truth out of me and replace it with something new. Something ours. And for one reckless heartbeat, I let him. I let myself melt into his warmth, forget the ticking clock of secrets buried too deep, forget the way my blood had once curled into spirals of ash at the mere thought of touch. His hands were strong, calloused, and careful. One curved around my jaw. The other slid to my waist like he was anchoring me—afraid I’d vanish. Maybe I would’ve. Maybe I should’ve. But then I tasted blood. Not his. Mine. A sharp sting where my lip had split. I didn’t even realize it had happened until the copper tang bloomed on my tongue. And with it came the memory. Of a whip. Of symbols carved into skin. Of a voice chanting my name like a curse. Witch. I tore away like I’d been struck. “Rian—” “No.” My voice came out hoarse. “You don’t understand what you’re
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