I struggled to open my eyes; the daylight hit harder than I expected.
Still, I managed... Slowly, painfully, like waking from a long, cursed sleep.
It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t in the dungeon anymore. Not even in the packhouse. Instead, I was in a spacious, lavish room that smelled like a strange yet comforting blend of lilies and strawberries.
I know that combo doesn’t exactly make sense, but sense tied to your mate often don’t exist.
It's said that your mate smells like the darkest desire hidden in your heart. And that smell - lilies and strawberries - was definitely his.
He wasn’t here now, but I could still feel him, breathe him. His scent lingered, haunting every corner of this room.
Alone, my mind jumped to escape. I knew it was stupid, this had to be the palace. But the thought still came. I needed to try.
I had just planted my feet on the floor when the door opened.
Nope... Not him.
It was one of his men. Not the Alpha King. This one looked familiar; he’d been there before, less arrogant than the rest.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he smirked, walking in like he owned the place.
Funny thing is, that was the first time anyone ever called me beautiful. Not that I’d ever cared how I looked. I was too busy surviving. Too busy trying to outmatch every wolf in my old pack. I never had the time or luxury to act like a girl.
But I wasn’t ugly. I knew that. I had my mother’s beauty, and for that, I was thankful. Just thinking about her made my heart ache. She was the kindest soul I ever knew. I didn’t care what her past held or how I came to exist, I just wanted her safe.
“Earth to Amara,” the guy waved his hand, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Everything okay?”
“How do you know my name?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
He smiled. “Who doesn’t know the only elemental wolf who met the Alpha King and lived to tell the tale?”
His words cut deep.
First, because of all the others who weren’t as lucky. Second, because the Alpha King - my mate, was the one who killed them.
And third… because he was avoiding our bond.
“Anyway,” the guy continued, “I’m here to help get you ready for tonight’s ceremony.”
“Wait… what ceremony?” I interrupted, completely lost.
He didn’t even flinch. “Luther wanted to be here when you woke up, to explain everything himself. But a surprise royal ceremony doesn’t plan itself, so he sent me instead. I’m one of the few he trusts.”
He said that last part with pride, like it was a badge of honor.
Still confused, I opened my mouth to question him again when he beat me to it.
“Your Highness, it’s truly an honor. But time’s short. We need to get started.”
And with that, the door opened again, and a group of maids walked in, carrying a white gown, shoes, and boxes of jewelry.
“Whoa... This is too much,” I said, backing away. “And where is he, your king? How can he be so sure I’ll even agree to be part of… whatever this is?”
But then it hit me... The scent.
Stronger. Closer....
He was here, I could tell.
Suddenly, the room wasn’t just luxurious; it felt suffocating.
“Everyone. Leave!” The Alpha King's voice was low but commanded total obedience.
In seconds, we were alone.
He didn’t speak right away. Just walked toward me.
I tried to back away, but where could I go?
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said.
“I don’t trust you,” I replied flatly.
“Why?”
“Would I even be alive if it weren’t for the mate bond?” I challenged.
“No,” he answered, with brutal honesty.
I stared at him, heart pounding.
“Then I’ll never trust you,” I whispered. “And I want nothing to do with you.”
He moved closer. This time, I didn’t back down. I met his eyes and stood tall.
When he got too close, I waited for pain, like the last time. But pain never came.
Instead, his lips crashed into mine. Soft. Uninvited. Addicting.
Before I knew it, I was pinned to the wall. One hand on my waist, the other holding both of mine above my head.
My eyes flew wide. My cheeks burned. My heart thudded wildly.
He kissed down my neck, light touches, gentle bites that didn’t hurt. They only made me crave more.
My moan slipped before I could stop it.
His fingers traced fire along my skin, from my waist to my collarbone. Then to my shoulders. Then his lips followed, brushing past my ear.
He whispered there, in a voice like velvet and sin.
“Still so sure you don’t want to be around me?”
Then he let go.
And I stood there, breathless.
Not because I was afraid.
But because, for the first time…
I didn’t want to fight.
“ I love you!” That’s all she muttered before she was indeed gone.Her head fell on the ground, and in less than a second, I became alone again!My wolf was howling out of pain. We were both lost in our agony as the psychopath in front of us seemed to enjoy the moment.I felt anger burning through my veins as the skin of my body started getting on fire. Finally, something about being an elemental wolf that seems useful.I believe I'm able to control the fire, the fire that would burn that bastard into ashes.I closed my eyes, and I shouted, letting it all out while directing all the power that was radiating out of my body toward him.Hopefully for him, he managed to escape before he was melted by my fire.My buddy went so cold, and I went back to my normal state.The iron that was keeping me inside the cell melted by my fire, leaving a space for me to get free.I fell to my knees when I realized that even my mother's body was burned into ashes because of my fire.Meanwhile, the vampir
“Get her to a safe place!”Luther shouted, and it took me a while to realize what was happening.My mate didn’t shift because he wanted to attack me. The only reason why he shifted was because he sensed that we’d been under attack.I felt someone escorting me somewhere; I didn’t know where, but I didn’t know who I was going with. For some unknown reason, I wasn’t able to see.“Who are you?” I asked whoever the guy was I was walking with.“That’s me, Noah!”Of course, I’m not supposed to know him by his name since it’s my first time hearing it, but based on his voice, I can tell that he was the third guy of the trio.“Noah!” I called his name, then I asked, “I can’t see… why?”He didn’t answer me immediately, but the moment I was in my room, he started explaining.“It’s a vampire attack. They’re filling the air with vervain, and since you just shifted two or three days ago, your wolf is not used to it.”I took my time to realize what he was saying, then I asked him again.“Why are they
For the first time in my life, I felt that someone truly had that much control over me.In no time, he was nowhere to be seen, and I was left in the room that was suddenly full of maids.I did as I was told as I let the ladies get me ready.A few hours later, they were finally done fixing how I looked, and I was introduced to my new reflection in the mirror.It took me a while before I was finally able to recognize the girl standing before me.The dress was breathtakingly amazing, and the makeup… my goodness! It seemed more magical than magic itself.A knock on the door brought me back to reality. This time, it wasn’t the funny guy or my mate.It was actually the guy who seemed to hate me! I decided I wanted less trouble, which is why I set my mind on not saying a thing. I guess he didn’t do the same, since he introduced himself even before entering the room.“Your Highness! My name is Liam, second in charge after the Alpha King… May I come in?”I nodded while reminding myself not to
I struggled to open my eyes; the daylight hit harder than I expected.Still, I managed... Slowly, painfully, like waking from a long, cursed sleep.It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t in the dungeon anymore. Not even in the packhouse. Instead, I was in a spacious, lavish room that smelled like a strange yet comforting blend of lilies and strawberries.I know that combo doesn’t exactly make sense, but sense tied to your mate often don’t exist.It's said that your mate smells like the darkest desire hidden in your heart. And that smell - lilies and strawberries - was definitely his.He wasn’t here now, but I could still feel him, breathe him. His scent lingered, haunting every corner of this room.Alone, my mind jumped to escape. I knew it was stupid, this had to be the palace. But the thought still came. I needed to try.I had just planted my feet on the floor when the door opened.Nope... Not him.It was one of his men. Not the Alpha King. This one looked familiar; he’d been there
I still can not believe that I’ve just met my mate, and he is no one rather than the Alpha King himself.He was the most handsome man I've ever seen, a tall elegant man with a very handsome face.His blue ocean eyes suit his pale, lovely skin. He had the best neckline I've ever witnessed, which led to his very fine body.His body was another level of beauty, his muscles were neither big nor small – the perfect size.I felt my heart beating harder than it ever had.Call me dumb, but I expected that he would rush to me and try to save me.That’s the least he would do.I mean, I grew up hearing stories about the unbreakable mate bonds and love that starts with a mare's eye contact.Well, I can’t deny this, but I felt connected to his soul until he coldly stared at me and turned his face away.I felt rejected, although he didn’t utter a word, and it was a painful rejection.Even though I was in too much pain, my dignity mattered the most. So, I ended up acting as if I didn't care either.
Betrayal is a scary thing. It’s even worse when it’s from your own family.I do understand the reasons behind my father's anger, but I can’t accept what my mother did to me.My life was as perfect as a life could be. Yet, what I wanted the most was the reason I’ve lost everything.How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet.My name is Amara, Amara Kawan.I'm the first daughter of both Alpha Aeron and Luna Tiana. I'm supposed to be the next Alpha. Yet, I failed to even claim a wolf to be mine.My story starts as I was facing the moon, waiting for my fate to be settled.As the moon rises, the blood runs cold inside my veins. I wasn't sure if I could do it, or if I would turn out to be nothing but a human.The mere idea of being a human brings a fatal fear that seems capable of destroying my entire existence.No! I refuse to be just a human, I’m meant to be more.We, wolf shifters, get three chances to shift. If none of these chances are enough to pair us with a wolf, the obvious ha