VALERIA"Elena, shut your mouth already and go with the servant to take Edward to his room so he can rest! Michael, go fetch the doctor immediately, and we will talk later, you and I!" the Alpha began barking out orders.I stayed silent behind Aldric, frowning, with nothing else I could do.I watched as they carried the pup away, his cheeks showing more color and the bleeding stopped, which eased my worry.It seemed I was the only one who had witnessed that man's cruelty toward his brother, and I was in no position to interfere in their family matters.I truly hoped I had misinterpreted the situation."Your Majesty, what a shameful welcome. I apologize to both you and your maid. My youngest son was born with a rare weakness in his legs, very unusual for our kind, and he cannot walk properly. Even so, he’s quite mischievous and always manages to get into trouble. He will recover soon, don’t worry, miss,"The Alpha continued to apologize, bowing in front of the King.If it weren’t for H
VALERIAThe bedroom was actually lovely, with a bed, a closet, a small vanity, and a large window overlooking a beautiful lake."This is your room, and over there is the shared bathroom with the bathtub I promised," he pointed toward another small door in the back."Wait a moment—so to leave here, I have to pass through His Majesty’s room? This has no exit to the hallway. And… a shared bathroom? The King doesn’t have his own bathroom? He has to go through my entire room to use it?" I pointed out the obvious.Who designed these uncomfortable chambers?"I'm sorry. There are no other rooms available," he replied, his face harder than the stone floor."Your Majesty!" I turned indignantly toward Aldric, who watched me from the doorway between the rooms with a look of pure satisfaction."You chose to stay here, Valeria, so now we can’t offend Alpha Garret. This is the room available—stop making a fuss," he answered, and I could see just how pleased he was by the smug look on his face.A fus
VALERIAThe Altar was beautiful.Whoever had created it had clearly put great effort into it, but it lacked the intense, dark energy that had drawn me to the other one.At the foot of several snow-capped mountains, with massive waterfalls cascading in the distance, stood the altar in a clear space within the pine forest surrounding us.Its base was circular, covered in arabesque carvings that, in reality, didn’t convey anything meaningful.Above it, the statue of a beautiful woman stood, draped in a delicate, sensual veil and tunic, representing the Goddess.Her hands were open, her head tilted toward the sky, and behind her, wings extended from her back as if she were about to take flight toward the stars.A large, round disk, also filled with exquisite carvings, completed the stonework behind her.For a moment, we were all struck with awe.Even Aldric and the Alpha smiled proudly at their pack's Lunar Altar.I wondered if he knew it was fake—like many things in this strange pack.Th
VALERIAI immediately walked toward the bed, my heart tightening in my chest, but I sighed in relief when I saw him open his bright blue eyes, very much alive and well."Thank you so much, Miss Valeria, for helping me at the park," he said in a soft, polite child's voice that melted my heart.The saddest part of all, given my possible infertility, was that I had always loved pups."You're welcome, little Edward. I just did what anyone would have done," I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.He smiled sweetly, and his small, soft hand reached out to grasp mine, which rested on the blanket.He looked so lonely in this dark, isolated room.I didn’t need to stay long to realize the “defective” child was clearly not the favorite."Could you open the curtains, please? It's too dark in here," I asked the maid, and for a moment, I felt Edward’s hand tense against mine.But when I looked at him, nothing seemed wrong, and he quickly relaxed.The heavy curtains were drawn open, letting sunli
VALERIAI don't know what kind of mystery the King is hiding this time. I just hope he’s not plotting another one of his tricks to trap me in his Casanova games."Miss Valeria, I need to pee," said the timid voice suddenly, tugging on the sleeve of my dress."Now? Can you hold it just a little longer until your father arrives?" I asked, but he shook his head, fidgeting anxiously in his wheelchair."Oh, Goddess, how do I solve this now?"I thought about taking him behind some bushes in the forest, but when I asked the woman sitting next to me, she mentioned there were public bathrooms nearby.I grabbed Edward's wheelchair and we headed that way.It was located on a street near the square, at the end of a narrow alley.But when we arrived and I saw men coming in and out of an old wooden door marked "Public Restroom," I ran into another problem.How was I supposed to enter a restroom full of men?It was impossible, so I decided to take him to the women’s restroom next door instead."Wait
VALERIAI pushed the wooden door, which was barely hanging on its hinges, and it let out a loud creak.Inside, the stench of mold, rotting wood, and decay hit my nose like a slap, my eyes adjusting to the overwhelming darkness.Beside me, I noticed some remains of wooden beams from what used to be a doorframe.I picked up one with my trembling hands, playing the heroine once again.What I was doing was far too dangerous and reckless—I knew that.But I couldn’t just let them take him right in front of my eyes.I couldn't lose another pup, or I would never forgive myself.Step by step, I ventured deeper into what seemed like the entrance hall and then into a living area, keeping a watchful eye on the floor where the wooden planks were lifted in some places, leaving dark, deep holes with no visible bottom."Miss Valeria!"Edward’s tearful voice called from above, and I immediately raised my head, spotting him at the top of the staircase, trapped between the shadows and the beams of moonl
ALDRICWhen I arrived at that square and didn’t see Valeria, my blood ran cold.I immediately tried to call out to her through the bond, but she seemed too far away.I followed her scent like a madman until we found the Alpha’s son’s wheelchair abandoned in an inner courtyard.Some people shared bits of what they had heard or seen.She was in trouble again—reckless, chasing after a stranger.I knew she was doing it for the pup, but risking her life like this, exposing herself to danger, made my blood boil with the urge to bend her over my knee and spank her for her foolishness.“Valeria, I won’t punish you if you’re safe. I swear I won’t even scold you—just please, stay alive.”I begged in my mind, running at full speed through the pack, nearly shifting into my beast, leaving the Alpha struggling to keep up behind me.But when I reached that decrepit house, I could feel the rats escaping through the back. I didn’t have time for those men—I would hunt them down later.Right now, the ov
ALDRICNow that she was feeding on my powerful lycan blood, toxic and poisonous to any female, if I still had any doubts, they were completely gone."Easy, little one, don't rush, Val. I'm not going anywhere. It's yours, my whole life is yours," I whispered, kissing her sweat-dampened forehead as she went wild, sucking from my neck, biting me deep with sharp fangs.The pull of her mouth on my vein sent shivers of pleasure down to my cock, making me growl low.My body reacted even against my will. Giving life and strength to his mate was the greatest pleasure for any wolf, and I was no exception.Now that I was sure I could save her, I dared to remove that sharp iron from her chest."Hold on a second, baby. It's going to hurt for a moment," I warned her, wanting to spare her from the agony, but it was impossible.I bent the tube with my hand until I heard the "crack" of the fracture, almost flush against Valeria's chest, who moaned painfully against my neck.The worst part was still