LOGINLyraMy hands were still trembling, my breath coming in gasps as the gravity of what he had just done hit me.That was a complete abuse of power. It was exactly what Omar had warned me about in that restroom at the Summit.“What the hell was that about?” I yelled in panic. “You humiliated those men, Raguel. We’re going to wake up tomorrow to a protest at the gates! I’ve brought my bad luck here.”“Take a breath, sweetheart.” Raguel said casually, unbothered by my horror. He chuckled quietly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”“How can you be this casual?” I demanded, my voice rising as I pushed my chair back. I got up and began to pace a few inches away from him.“You need to learn to trust me.”I let out a sceptical laugh. “Trust you? How can I trust a man who treats the people who used to be his peers like garbage? If you can do that to them, what stops you from doing it to me?”Before I could resume my pacing, Raguel got up and grabbed me by the waist. Effortlessly, he lifted me
LyraThe tension in the council room was so thick it felt like I was suffocating. All the pack alphas sat stiffly around the long oak conference table, their eyes fixed on Raguel, who sat at the head of the table with his hands clasped in front of him. I sat right beside him, feeling like a fish out of water.The silence stretched for a while. Finally, one of the Alphas—whose name I learned was Maximus—cleared his throat.“The news report regarding the car accident was a wise diplomatic move, Alpha Raguel,” Maximus said quietly. “But within these walls, we must address the reality of what occurred at the Summit. You executed Omar on the spot. What you should have done was to render him weak and then bring him before the court so we could hold a formal trial and punish him according to our laws.”Raguel simply tilted his head towards the speaker. “Which court, Maximus? The same court that watched a troop of rogues attack us?”Maximus shifted uncomfortably, looking down at his hands. “T
LyraI walked to where Omar stood with sweat pouring down his temples as he desperately tried to fight against whatever I’d done.For a second, the room was quiet. Nobody even dared to breathe. Then, low, frantic murmurs broke out.“Did she just…did she just command an alpha?”“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s impossible“She just did!”“A human female commanding an alpha??”“How did she do that?”Down on the floor, Raguel didn’t waste any time.He took advantage of the distraction and pushed himself up, wincing and groaning. The blade was still buried in his chest, but his hands shot forward and grabbed Omar by the throat before the mayor could even break free from my mental hold.Raguel lifted him off his feet. Omar’s legs kicked wildly in the air, the silver dagger dropping from his hands and clattering against the floor.“You should have made sure I was dead, Omar,” Raguel rasped. “You attacked my people, my mate. You betrayed everyone in this room.”Omar clawed at his arm.With a twis
Lyra“Lyra, move!”Emily grabbed my hand, her fingers digging into my skin around my wrist as she pulled me forward. “Come with me. Now.”I resisted immediately. “No.”“We have to get you out of here, Lyra.”“I’m not leaving him.”I looked over my shoulder.Raguel was trapped halfway through a shift. He was fighting like a man possessed but he was slower than he had been on the night I was attacked at the packhouse. It looked like he was losing the battle.“Emily…” I tried to pull away from her grip. “We can’t leave him! Emily, let me go!”“And disobey the order of my Alpha? No!” Emily yelled. Her face was covered with sweat as she practically dragged me toward the hidden exit. “He ordered me to get you out! If you die, you know what dies with you? Our entire lineage!”We were only a few steps from the doors when someone lunged at us.Before Emily could even react, a rogue grabbed her and threw her across the room. A choked gasp left my lips as her body collided against the wall with
RaguelChaos erupted and the room went completely upside down in a heartbeat.One second, the summit dinner was full of conversation and laughter. The next, tables were overturning, people screaming, chairs scraping violently against the marble floor as the rogues lunged in every direction.As King, I didn’t have the luxury of fear. I didn’t have the luxury of hiding either. I stood my ground at the table, though every instinct screamed that the odds were violently stacked against us.My eyes immediately found Lyra. She’d frozen beside Habeela, her eyes wide with shock.Good.In this case, shock was better than panic. Panic got people killed.“Emily!”My beta’s head snapped toward me immediately.“Take Lyra and get her somewhere safe now!”“Raguel, your powers are bound…I cannot leave you alone!”“That’s an order, Emily!” I snapped, slamming my shoulder into an oncoming rogue. “Get her to safety! Now!”She bit her lip, her eyes flashing with desperate frustration, but she obeyed.I di
RaguelThere was something deeply irritating about sitting through an Alpha summit after the night I’d had.I was physically present.Mentally?I was upstairs wondering if Lyra had eaten breakfast.It was pathetic.I sat at the head of the conference table while the remaining alphas sat around me. Omar, unfortunately, looked particularly energetic and that alone was suspicious.He adjusted his heavy signet ring before folding his hands together and smiling. “I’d like to raise an issue.”Wonderful.I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. Instead, I leaned back in my seat. “By all means.”He looked around the room before his gaze came back on me. “I think we should discuss what happened yesterday.”My expression remained neutral but on the inside, however, I was boiling.“What about it?”“With all due respect, King Raguel…” His tone was mocking but I let it slide. “The scene was a disgrace to our entire lineage. The girl screamed and ran off.”He shrugged.“I propose to the council
LyraI woke up smiling.It happened before my eyes even opened, before I became aware of my surroundings.Then I reached across the bed and found the space beside me empty. I opened my eyes immediately, my heart lurching.I rolled onto my side, my skin tingling with the memory of his touch under th
LyraRaguel pulled back slightly and let out a deep breath, his hands dropping from my cheeks to rest on the bed between us.“I understand if you do not believe me, Lyra,” he whispered lowly. He wouldn’t look at me, his gaze fixed somewhere on the rumpled sheets. “It is easier to believe the other
LyraI drifted in and out of consciousness, reality snapping back as I felt the lingering throbs of orgasm. My body felt heavy, the sheets damp with sweat.Raguel’s chest rose and fell against me, his hand gently stroking my hair. He looked down, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.“Are you still w
LyraBy the fifth shower, even the freezing water failed to quench the heat raging within. It only made me more hypersensitive, turning every drop of icy cold water into an agonizing tease against my flesh.I stepped back into the silver-bathed bedroom, my silk nightgown clinging to my damp body li







