The Wolfless Boy Of Aridonia Castle

The bells of Aridonia rang at dawn, and River was already on his knees.The stone floor of the east corridor was colder than it had any right to be this early in autumn. He scrubbed in slow, even strokes, the way he’d learned to do everything: quietly, so nobody could say he’d made a sound.Footsteps approached. River didn’t look up. Looking up was an invitation.“Mind the hem, Ashy,” a voice sneered. “Wouldn’t want a wolf-less thing dirtying a she-wolf’s gown now, would you?”Laughter followed, loud and poisonous, the kind that turned your stomach and there was nothing you could do about it. Three of the younger maids swept past, their muddy shoes soiling the wet stones so that River had to scrub that patch again. One of them tsked and spat on the floor.The pack had a hundred ways to say the same thing, and River knew all of them.Defective.Hollow.He had been born on a winter night twenty-two winters ago, and the midwife had held him up to the pack healer, waiting for the faint s

Last Updated : 2026-10-10

Rabbit for slaughter

The council hall smelled of polished wood, expensive wine, and old power.River stood beside the serving table, holding a silver tray with both hands. Six kings sat around the long table, their voices filling the room as they argued over borders, trade, and the growing unrest between their territories. At the head sat King Dorian of Aridonia, listening with a calm expression.River’s arms trembled beneath the tray’s weight.His ribs ached with every breath. Bruises covered his back and shoulders, hidden beneath his servant’s clothes, and the beating Hesper had given him that morning had left him weak enough that even standing felt like an effort. He had not eaten since the bread crust and it was starting to get to him. “Aridonia has held the seat of peace for six months,” said King Tavish of Stormvale pack, turning his cup slowly on the table. “By the old rotation, the offering falls to the next pack in line.” “We know the order,” said Dorian. “Then there’s no confusion.” Tavish’s

Last Updated : 2026-10-10

The Keep Of The North

River had spent the past days imagining what might meet him at these gates, and he had pictured a guard, a monster, or no one at all. He had definitely not pictured a young man with hair the color of embers and a coat half-buttoned against the cold, who looked as though he had wandered out of a tavern rather than a freezing fortress. “I’m River,” he managed, once his heart stopped trying to climb out of his throat. “River Ashvale.” “River.” He said it as if tasting it. “Lovely. And I truly am sorry about the fright. Though in fairness, I’ve heard worse reactions.” He straightened. “Caius Thorne, Beta of the North, keeper of its keys, and, as of this moment, your very reluctant escort.” Beta. The word did not match the rumors. In the servants’ hall, they had said the Wolf’s right hand was a grim, silent man who never smiled. “You’re not what I expected,” River said, before he could stop himself. “Nobody’s ever what anyone expects here. It’s the keep’s one charm.” A grin flicker

Last Updated : 2026-10-10

The big bad wolf

The voice lingered outside the door. River stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the narrow strip of darkness beneath it. His heart hammered so violently that he could feel each beat in his throat. “You… I can smell your fear. How long do you think this little door will keep me from you?” He swallowed, but his mouth had gone terribly dry. The voice was deep, rough and unmistakably masculine, yet there was something wrong with it. Its words dragged against one another, as though the creature speaking had never quite learned how to use a human tongue. River took a careful step backwards. A low growl vibrated through the wood. “Don’t move.” He stopped. Something scraped against the other side of the door. Slowly, deliberately, it dragged across the surface, producing a dreadful, grating sound. River watched as the shadow beneath the door shifted. “Please,” he whispered. A pause followed. Then came a quiet chuckle. “Please?” The creature repeated the word as though it had never he

Last Updated : 2026-11-11

All Chapters of To Belong To A Beast: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

The Wolfless Boy Of Aridonia Castle

Rabbit for slaughter

The Keep Of The North

The big bad wolf