STRIKER “ What—What are you doing? ” She grumbled, placing her hand on mine. My eyes jumped to her Azure globes. The world stilled around us. She smiled, the soft gesture tightened the muscles in my stomach. “ Why are you still wearing this? ” My thumb ran over the gold butterfly. Words whispered on a rainy night pounded in my head. ‘ It must be important to you. ’ ‘ You are important to me. ’ “ You gave…You gave this to me. ” She slurred, her lips stretching into a grin. A few words. So many emotions. I didn’t think all it would take to lose to life was a single girl. My hold tightened on the locket. I wanted to snatch it back, tell her it didn’t belong to her. She was not mine. She refused to be. So nothing of mine should be hers either. Because I suffered alone. After that stupid rejection, the pain stayed with me like a constant reminder. I didn’t know how I got back to my territory or how I walked to my room. When I was finally alone, I was on my knees, suffering all

NORAFollowing Dustin was not a bad idea.It was the worst idea in the history of all the terrible ideas and something more.The conversation between the King and the three Alphas present was something out of the most boring novel I might have read when I was inexperienced and didn’t know my favorite genre was the explicitly detailed eighteen-plus books.My gaze flickered all around the room. Sometimes it lingered on the bald Alpha with a permanent scowl. Sometimes it moved to the Alpha Folke, the bulky mass who had muscles the size of a three-story building. Sometimes, it shot to the third Alpha who looked like he was forced to be here.The warrior had announced only Alpha Folke’s arrival but it turned out, he had brought two other Alphas with him. Just to look powerful and influential and resourceful, I could tell.I was sitting on one of the chairs at the end of the huge hall. There were rows of chairs on the left and right while the mid part was vacant. My eyes trailed the straigh

NORA“ Which dress do you like? ” Ava asked.I eyed the different blue-colored dresses that were beginning to hurt my eyes. I was not having the mating ceremony anytime soon with Dustin but everyone was all about the preparations. Pick the perfect dress. Match the sparkly jewelry. Give me meaningless tours of Wolveshire Citadel every day.It was beyond annoying. It was like I had transformed into an ant who was running from one corner to another in order to save herself from getting trampled by a heavy foot.“ All the dresses are the same. ” I groaned. “ How am I supposed to pick one? ” “ No, the designs— ”“ You can pick a dress, Ava. I know you are good at all this. ” I patted her shoulder, shutting her up.With each passing day, I missed Amanah and Granny even more. At least, my two friends knew how bad I was at dolling up so they would make it simple for me. “ But it is your big day, Nora. You should pick the dress you like. ” She huffed, folding her arms over her chest quite ch

NORA“ That’s not the reason. You and I both know. So tell me the real deal, Dustin. ” I swallowed the bitter bile in my mouth and looked at him again.He sighed. “ It’s messed up. ”“ I know that already. ” My lips puckered out.“ You know…” Dustin faced me. “ Fenric told my father about you right after you were born. He promised you to us, to me, Lenora. I was too young to understand what it meant but my father had told me only one thing…When she grows up, she is going to be your other half, your partner in everything. ” “ That’s sick.” I scrunched my nose. “ Dad did wrong by promising me to you without asking me. Well, it’s not like he could ask a newborn about all this. He should have waited until I was old enough to make such decisions.”“ That’s not how things work with royals, Lenora. When someone has secrets like ours, they have to stick together and nothing strengthens an alliance more than a mate bond. You can betray the other when you have your mark on each other.” He reas

NORA “ Yes. It’s all because of you. Cry some more. ” The voice croaked sulkily. Amanah was so hurt because of me that she felt the need to stab me in the heart. It was all because of me. Everything was my fault. “ I am sorry, Amanah! ” I sobbed. “ I know I hurt you too…so please forgive me. ” “ Amanah shouldn’t forgive you. ” The voice moped. I blinked to clear my blurred vision. Granny’s face came into my view. Her eyes threw daggers at me, and it scared the hell out of me. I yelped, jumping in my spot and almost dropping to my butt. “ Granny! ” I yelled, and before I knew it, I was throwing myself at her, holding onto her. My heart was beating so fast that I wondered if my heart had invented a new machine that pumped my blood faster in my veins. But, it was only probably shock…and then utter relief and wait a moment— “ You are alive! ” I hissed, pulling myself back from her arms. “ You wanted me dead? ” Granny glared at me. It took a fraction of a moment for me to piece