Se connecterDinner began with Diana sitting awkwardly and occasionally throwing glances at the couple. She just stared at her food while they seemed to enjoy every bite, savoring it's taste. “This can't be happening,” she muttered, her fists clenched around the knife and fork that she held. Esme and Grant looked in her direction. She froze, but only for a moment, her stare turned into a glare. “Is the food not to your liking, Miss Diana?” Esme asked. It isn't like Esme to celebrate another's misfortune, having been on the receiving end of it her whole life, but she didn't feel bad for Diana. Grant was her mate, her second chance mate. She couldn't let another take him away. She didn't want to experience the pain of the mate bond snapping loose again. It was already unbearable the first time. A second might just kill her. Especially after she was starting to feel comfortable with Grant. Esme didn't wish to be queen. She just wanted to be his mate. To be treated kindly and respected a
The person before her was a woman Esme had never seen within the palace walls. Yet, there was something about her, the way she stood, that arrogant glint in her eyes as though she owned the place.Esme paused, her brows furrowing. The woman’s very presence unsettled her, and she didn’t like the feeling one bit.“Well? What do you want?” The woman’s tone dripped with rudeness, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe, a perfectly carved brow arched in arrogance.Her rudeness was one thing—but why did she act as if Esme were the intruder here? Esme wondered silently.“Are you mute?” the woman asked, impatience curling her lips. “If you can’t talk, at least—”“Where is Grant?” Esme cut in, her voice steady. Her eyes narrowed at the woman, and satisfaction flickered within her when the woman’s face twisted in shock at the mention of the king’s name—without a single title.“What did you just call—”“I’m here for Grant, not you. Please, step out of the way,” Esme
A month had passed since Dawson had been locked up inside the dungeon. He spent many days left alone, and other times, he was visited either by the alpha king or his beta. Two faces he has come to despise more than anything. During this time, he never once saw Esme, not even catching a whiff of her scent.The sound of approaching footsteps had his ears perking up and gase fixated at the hallway until the now familiar scent of a palace maid greeted his nostrils, and a scowl appeared formed between his brows. “Hey Dawson,” said the maid once she was right in front of him. “I've brought your breakfast. I know it's not easy staying down here, so I even added a little something in there for you.”Dawson stared at expressionless, but that didn't seem enough to take the bright smile away from the maid's face.“I'll try to speak with King’s mate today on your behalf. I'm sure if she is the one asking him to set you free, His Majesty would listen. He truly dotes on her.” She continued anyway
Inside the king's study, Grant sat, his expression cold and unamused. The deep furrow between his brows only grew deeper. Although Leonardo was right in front of him, giving a summary of everything that happened during the day, his mind reeled back to Dawson and his claim on Esme.The more he thought about it, the more restless his beast became. Even though he knew ew it wasn't true, he couldn't shake it off his mind.“Alpha…!” Leonardo called when he could no longer ignore the growing tension in the air. It was almost suffocating even for him. “....” Grant looked at him but uttered no words. “Do you want to talk about it?” Leo asked, but he still said nothing. “I can't help you if I don't know what is going through your mind. Your mood does not only affect me. Everyone else is suffering from it.” “I want to know who her ex-mates are. How many they are and what they mean to her,” Grant suddenly said.His words took Leonardo off guard, but he was quick to recover. Knowing there w
Alpha Dane could barely restrain himself even though he knew that it was true that Leonardo had not left them since their arrival. Even now, despite the king asking a few of the council members to wait behind, Leonardo was still with him and Grimes, not with the other alphas.But that didn't mean Leonardo had no idea where Dawson was. As the royal beta, he had the ability to mindlink almost everyone within Lyrria. Keeping contact and an active link with all of the palace staff and guards was nothing to him.“Do not test my patience beta Leo. I don’t have much of it…” Dane uttered but interrupted by Leonardo’s chuckles. He looked truly amused, and that rubbed Dane's pride and ego the wrong way.“You didn’t answer my question, Alpha Dane.” Leo said after his laughter ceased. His eyes narrowed pointedly, and he leaned forward just a little. “Why did he come with you? Why didn't he accompany you to our little gathering earlier? Why was it only you and your beta that were seen stepping thr
Don't you ever say I just walked awayI will always want youI can't live a lie, running for my lifeI will always want you~Wrecking Ball — Miley Cyrus~============He could see her struggle in her eyes. Maintaining eye contact alone was already troublesome for her as it was. He couldn't fathom how hard it must be for her to say what was in her heart.Her lips quivered, and the solution she thought of to stop the trembling was to bite them, hold them between her teeth. But that pricked his heart. He wanted to stop her. To tell her she didn't have to force herself to speak, but then that would deprive her of the chance to speak. She was trying, and she had to be patient. That was what he did. He waited, even sitting beside silently. Silently encouraging her.“I…I don't want to go back to my pack. I want to stay here. I… want to accept the…the bond… that we have now. C…can you help me?” She stuttered through every word. Her voice trembled, lips quivering and nearly biting on her to







