TYRIONI probably couldn't look any dumber as I lay beside my mate with my mouth stretched into a full grin. The bliss. She was finally mine, and I belonged to her entirely. I had never thought that the mate bond could have such power. I felt everything she felt with insane intensity, and I knew that it was the same for her. If it weren't for the fact that our bodies needed to regenerate, I would forever stay buried inside her, exchanging the heat and pleasure in never-ending ecstasy.I could now fully understand those mate couples, burning in lust long months after they mark each other. Amusing... I had always detested them. The thought of having someone I cared about felt like a burden. I was a fool. Aria wasn't a burden or responsibility. She didn't weaken me. She was the strength I desired without knowing it. In the swirl of emotions, confessing to her felt like the most natural thing to do, although I was more than convinced that this simple "I love you" couldn't convey how I fel

ARIASix hours earlierHad I ever mentioned how much I hated bureaucracy? The second Tyrion left his mark on me and I marked him, the two of our packs merged by a blood oath. It would have been perfect if that sealed the deal, but unfortunately, it also required a lot of changes. The Moon Blade Pack was much bigger and more advanced than my one-town territory, the Bright Haven Pack. Tyrion and I had already talked about resetting the hierarchy in our merged pack, but we still needed to figure out what to do with the doubled positions of the ranked wolves. For now, Tyrion decided to leave it as it was, which meant that Aziz had officially become his second Beta while our freshly appointed Gamma Logan would naturally share that position with Zane.It took me a while before I made several calls to inform everyone about Tyrion and my decisions. Then I had to sign tons of documents that suddenly appeared in the chamber as if I had just agreed to sell my soul. My hand hurt when I was done l

ARIA"Get inside the house!" I yelled, turning around and running to the door.Nova followed me, and I slammed the door shut as soon as she passed the threshold. A second later, the demons started hitting the door, trying to ram it. I grabbed the chair that placed its back under the handle to block the door, but I knew that it wouldn't be long until those demons broke it and barged inside."Do you know any protective spells?!" I shouted at Nova."What do you think I am doing right now?!" she snapped.Then I briefly turned around and saw her stretching out her arms and chanting something as she stood by the window. Then she moved to another window and did exactly the same thing. Suddenly, we heard the sound of broken glass and then saw one of the demons trying to get through the window on the other side of the house."Fuck!" I shouted, leaving the blocked door and rushing toward the demon.I grabbed him by the neck and made him fly out through the same window. Nova ran toward me and qu

TYRIONI watched Aria turn pale while I was on the verge of exploding. "Do you know what awaits those who insult the royal family?" I squeezed through my teeth.Cybele's expression didn't change. She merely stopped pointing at my mate and turned her attention to me. "I acknowledge your laws, wolf king, yet you need to respect ours. Within our coven, the mixed-bloods are executed. I am only demanding your impure mate to leave and spare me her presence." Her eyes shifted back to Aria, who now rose from her throne."Explain! What right do you have to question my lineage?!" Her hands fisted, whitening her knuckles.A cold huff escaped Cybele's throat. "Your mother was half-blood, but it wasn't only that; she was the daughter of a warlock who was known to practice dark magic. I can still sense bits of his magic within you." She gave Aria another measuring gaze, which made my wolf dangerously scratch the surface. "You even resemble that cursed warlock.""How dare you, witch!" I snarled, slo

ARIAI sat on the bed and felt my wolf stir inside me. She was angry; she even snarled at me as if she was trying to prove that she wasn't weak.‘I don't think you are weak,’ I said to her. ‘You were always my strength, even if I didn't have my own. I would never say that you are weak.’I meant every word. That was one of many reasons I didn't want to believe Cybele, but what if she was right? What if I was going to die if I didn't get rid of this unknown part of me? The truth was that I knew nothing about magic, and it was better to ask someone who practiced magic on a daily basis. That was why I called Nova as soon as Cybele left, and we decided to meet at the familiar coffee shop near Grand Lunaville's hospital.As we sat down and took the first few sips of liquid caffeine, I told her everything that happened during the official meeting and about the conversation I had with Cybele afterward."Cybele really is a bitch!" Nova growled once I finished my story. "I used to be afraid of