VALERIA"Are... are you sure, Esther?" I ask with a broken voice.My heart races, filled with happiness."Very sure, Luna. You're pregnant.""Why haven't I been able to smell it, or his father?" I ask, worried."It's very recent, perhaps that's why. Give it a few more days and you should be able to sense the pheromones."She replies, and I nod, my eyes blurred with tears.I am the Luna of the "Autumn Forest" pack.Three years ago, I married the man I love madly, despite not being destined mates, my Alpha Dorian.I've given everything to be the perfect Luna, the pillar he can lean on. However, a shadow looms over my marriage—the topic of an heir.I've never been able to get pregnant, and I admit I don't share the bed with Dorian as often. But I know his duties as Alpha keep him extremely busy and stressed."Please, don't tell anyone in the pack. I want to surprise my husband.""Don't worry, Luna, I won't say anything. Congratulations!" She smiles at me, and I return the smile, overflow
VALERIAHe bites my thigh viciously and drags me beneath his body, controlling me mercilessly.I try to resist, to call for help, my hands clutching my stomach, trying to protect my pup, but his claws, like deadly weapons, pierce my skin, tearing apart my small, vulnerable body.I have to raise my arms instinctively when his sharp claws aim for my face, and I scream in agony as a deep wound slices across my cheek from my forehead.Leaving my belly exposed, he struck our child."Nooo, not the pup, please, Dorian, not my son!"Tears poured endlessly from my eyes as I begged him, but his canines tore through my flesh, and his claws dug into the depths of my insides with chilling cruelty, seeking to rip out the life growing inside me.I don’t know how long this agony lasted—I sobbed, pleading as long as I could speak.The pain in my entire body was unbearable, but worse was the pain in my soul, bleeding and shattered.I was discarded on the ground like trash, on the edge of a precipice, m
VALERIAI hear piercing screams, the sound of shattering glass, a savage roar, an Alpha's growls, struggling, and fighting.Something hot splashes against my face and arms.My claws shred, and my canines tear.I can't stop. I can't. Rage consumes me from the inside, demanding release.I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not conscious of myself.All I know is that when I regain control of my body, the first thing I see is my blood-soaked hands.I'm kneeling on the floor, everything around me drenched in red, wreckage, and pieces of what once was a powerful Alpha—Dorian.What have I done? What in the name of the Goddess have I done?!I stare at his severed head, lying just a meter away from me.Those honey-colored eyes still stare back at me in frozen terror, and I feel bile rising in my throat.I vomit to the side, unable to hold it back, disgusted by this scene of death and violence.Did I do all this? There's no one else here.I scan the area, not knowing where Sophia went. The only th
VALERIA His entire demeanor screamed, I'm the damn master of everything here, the absolute ruler.I immediately lowered my head, trembling.It didn’t matter that I lacked an inner she-wolf— the power radiating from that man felt like it could suffocate you, crush your soul, and he wasn't even standing that close to me.He was a Lycan, the superior species of werewolves, the ultimate evolution, and I was almost certain this was the most powerful of them all—Aldric Thorne, the Lycan King."Sasha, take out the trash and make sure my next personal maid isn’t a scheming whore, or she'll lose more than her head," his deep, cold, and intimidating voice echoed, followed by the sound of footsteps retreating."This is a disaster. That's the fifth one in two months. I don’t know what goes through these girls' heads. I warned them," the housekeeper muttered as she approached, pulling a small vial from the dead woman’s hand."Another one who tried to drug the King with an aphrodisiac. Idiot. I'll
VALERIA"Aahh, it’s horrible, she’s deformed!""You’re just jealous, that’s why you want to keep us away from the King!""The Lord has said you must leave now," I repeated impassively, standing at the foot of the bed while they hurled insults at me.But I felt nothing—not cold, not heat.I thought about how to get them out since, weakened or not, there were three of them and only one of me.Just then, loud knocks echoed from the side door leading to the hallway, a door I hadn’t even noticed before. It had to be the person sent to remove them from the castle.I walked over and opened it, revealing two sturdy servants who entered without a word.The women began to resist, covering their nakedness, screaming that their bodies were only for the King, threatening that our heads would roll.I didn’t need to be here long to see through their lies.That man had used them like disposable objects and was now discarding them like trash.The blonde rushed toward the door leading to the dining hal
VALERIAI summon courage from a place I didn’t even know existed and turn around, trying to keep the basket from shaking too much in my trembling hands."S-Sir… the towel… I can replace it with a fresh one. I'm sorry for mentioning it, it was just… just a harmless conversation…"I had no idea what else to say, my heart pounding wildly as he took a step closer, his shadow enveloping me completely.He was a giant, dominating every inch of space around me.A wall pressed against my back, cutting off any chance of retreat."Answer my question, Valeria. Don't try to be clever." He suddenly snatched the basket from my hands, moving it aside with ease while stepping even closer. That basket had been my only shield of defense!"Do you prefer being around another Guardian? Perhaps the handsome Quinn? You were practically dazzled staring at him."The danger in his voice was unmistakable. I didn’t understand why he was so angry—I hadn’t even said anything!"No, Sir. I… I’m honored to be your mai
VALERIAWith that pressure weighing on my shoulders and trying not to focus on the fact that he was only wearing boxers, I began testing the clothing options I had selected.“Hmm, too plain… The gray matches his eyes, but not the pants… This detail doesn’t work…”I was so absorbed in holding the garments against him, measuring and matching, that I hadn’t realized I was voicing my thoughts out loud.“This one looks too short… Would this belt fit you?” I asked, suddenly raising my head—and immediately realizing how close we were.I was practically pressed against the King.A drop of water from his damp hair fell onto my lips, and the way this Lycan was staring at me made my heart race uncontrollably.Everything about this screamed danger.What exactly am I doing?“I— I apologi—”“Try it on me. Let's see how it fits,” he cut me off, spreading his arms wide.The gesture was clear: Come and test it yourself.Swallowing hard, I stepped closer, gripping the leather belt tightly as I wrapped
VALERIAA strong scent of wine assaulted my senses, making me feel slightly dizzy.My senses were dulled, and for some reason, my body began to react as if an unbearable heat was consuming me from within.A heavy steel and wood door blocked my path.From the other side, I could hear growls and sounds like something or someone scratching the walls or the floor."Aaggrr..." Upon recognizing the King's voice for a brief moment, I finally decided to enter—perhaps he was in trouble.However, I wasn’t prepared to find him naked and nearly unconscious, kneeling on the hard stone floor.His hands were restrained above him by heavy steel rings anchored to the ancient wall, and thick chains held him captive with powerful, rusted shackles around his wrists.The King's breathing was labored, as though he were enduring intense pain, and his muscular body was drenched in sweat.His red hair hung damply over his face, which was tilted downward, obscuring his features in the dim light."Sir!" I ran t