LOGINThea spent her whole life at Athena Academy, raised to please the most powerful men in the land. Now, on her 18th birthday she is handed over to Alpha Cain, the most powerful Alpha in the North. He is cold, cruel, and uncaring. Thea knows she must find some warmth in his domain, or else she doesn't know how she'll survive.
View MoreMy feet were cold, aching, and bare as I hurried along next to the carriage. I hurried in an attempt to ease the fatigue in my bound arms, being pulled by the horses. The rain hammered down, clinging my knee-length, white linen dress to my body and causing my hair to stick uncomfortably to my face. My chest burned as I struggled to maintain my breathing in the cold, damp air. We must have been moving for over 2 hours at this point, and I knew there was no hope of stopping soon. Alpha Cain’s pack and mansion were at least another hour away.
Today was the day my life had been leading to, the day by purpose would be fulfilled, and the day I dreaded the most. For as long as I can remember, I was a student at the Athena Academy. I was taught to be soft and gentle, always to look down and avoid eye contact, to be clean and presentable, and, most importantly, to always follow orders. My pack was destroyed when I was just barely a child, and I, along with a few other girls, was sent to Athena. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that my true fate was revealed. I was to be a whore to an Alpha, and today was my 18th birthday.
I first saw Alpha Cain last summer. The other students and I, ready for selection, stood outside Athena Academy in a neat line, eyes cast down. There were 5 Alphas choosing today. First was Alpha Cain, the cruel, ruthless leader of the Knight Moon Pack, and the supreme Alpha of the Northern territories. I dared not raise my head as he moved down the line of girls, but he seemed to be taking time to inspect them all. Even without looking, I could sense how he towered over me. Before long, I saw him step in front of me, and a rough hand grabbed my chin and forced my head upwards.
My eyes briefly met his cold, grey, uncaring eyes before I caught myself and looked away. He continued to inspect me, forcing my head left and right and moving my hair back from my neck. I let my head drop back down as he let go and took a step back, further looking me over before moving on to the next girl. A few more minutes passed as he continued surveying the line of girls when finally he said “That one. When will she be ready?”
“Feburary 3rd, Alpha,” I heard the matron reply.
Crap. That’s my birthday.
“I want her ready 10am that day,” the cold voice of the Alpha snapped again.
And, with that, I was his.
I’d spent the last 8 months convincing myself that Alpha Cain could be a nice, gentle man. That his cold nature on the day he picked me was simply a show in front of the other Alphas. Now, as I stumbled on the stone road, on bloody feet, my hand tied to his carriage, I realised how wrong I was.
Jessa’s eyes widened the instant she saw me.Not dramatically. Not in shock. But in that small, careful way someone looks when they’re trying to piece together what they’re seeing without making you flinch.Her gaze swept over me - my flushed cheeks, the sheen of sweat along my hairline, the way one of my hands still clutched the doorframe as if I needed it to stay upright.She noticed everything.“Thea…” she whispered, brow knitting with concern. “You’re shaking.”I forced a laugh - too thin, too breathless. “I’m fine.” The lie cracked halfway through the word.Jessa stepped closer, hesitant but gentle. “You look pale. Or - maybe not pale. More like you’re overheated. Did you run here?” Her eyes dropped to my bare feet on the floor. “…You weren’t running.”My stomach tightened. Another soft pulse of heat flickered low in my belly, making my knees tremble so faintly I prayed she didn’t see.But she did.Her eyes snapped back up.“Thea - sit down.” Her voice softened even f
I woke with a sharp intake of breath, the sound catching in my throat like a swallowed cry.The room was dim - just a faint wash of early dawn creeping across the floorboards - but my body felt like it was still standing on that impossible lake.Heat simmered low and deep, spreading in slow, pulsing waves that dragged a quiet, desperate sound from my chest. My thighs tightened together instinctively, fighting the trembling that ran through them.The sheets were twisted around my hips, clinging to my damp skin. I couldn't tell if I had kicked them off… or writhed in them.My hand move down to my oussy, slick and wet. I wasn’t sure if I was moving my fingers to rubmy clit or if some higher being was moving it for me.A soft moan slipped out before I could stop it.Not pain. Not fear. Need.My breath came in short, shuddering bursts, my chest rising and falling too fast. Every inhale felt like heat. Every exhale felt like surrender.I pressed the back of my wrist to my mouth, trying t
I drifted into sleep slowly, Orion’s face lingering behind my eyes. Her voice. Her warmth. The memory of her hand brushing my cheek.The weight of the collar faded. The room dissolved. And the dream rose up around me like mist.When I opened my eyes, I stood on water.A vast lake stretched out beneath me, smooth as glass, reflecting the sky with perfect clarity. The sunset above burned with colours too vivid to be real - brilliant oranges, deep pinks, molten gold bleeding into violet.The surface of the lake glowed with those same colours, as if the sky and water were mirrors whispering to one another.Every step I took sent gentle ripples blooming out around my feet, shimmering with colour and soft light.But the water held me.As if it knew me. Recognised me. Accepted me.The air was warm. Soft. Still.And then I saw her.At the far end of the lake, light gathered - slow at first, then brightening, swirling into shape.A tall, radiant woman.Her form was unmistakably fe
My room felt colder after dinner.The hall’s buzz of voices, the clatter of bowls, even the guard’s mockery - all of it faded behind the closed door. And in the quiet, everything I’d been holding back settled in my chest like a weight.I sat on the edge of my bed, untying my shoes slowly, letting them fall softly onto the floorboards. My legs stretched out in front of me, pale in the dim lamplight, marked with the last fading shadows of bruises.The collar sat cool against my skin, a constant, steady pressure.I let my fingers trace along the fabric of my dress as my breath came out in a slow shiver.Orion… where are you now?I imagined her voice rising above the battle line, calm and commanding. I imagined her cloak billowing behind her as she stood with the troops. I imagined the fire in her eyes - the determination she carried like armour.And the ache of missing her hit with a force I wasn’t prepared for.Not romantic. Not even fully personal. Just the ache of losing someon
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