werewolf

Viola was once the pride of her pack, destined to rise above everyone on the day she received her wolf. Instead, that day marked her fall. She had been the villain in countless stories, untouchable and adored by the Alpha heir, until the night her wolf was supposed to awaken, and fate played its cruelest joke. She fell to the lowest rank in her pack, rejected by her sworn mate. Stripped of status, strength, and even her wolf, she was forced to live a life worse than that of an omega. Imprisoned and alone, Viola’s only hope of escape lay in finding her wolf, or her fated mate. Only, a dark past kept her powers dormant… and her fated mate didn’t want her. Sebastian Kade is powerful, ruthless, and chained to a past he refuses to release. Viola Linden does not belong in his world, and he wants her gone. Fate, however, disagrees. This fragile, stubborn girl refuses to leave his orbit. He does not believe in love. He does not want her. He has already lost too much. An Alpha who swore off weakness, hardened by loss and haunted by a prophecy that feels more like a curse, Sebastian is certain he will never allow another woman into his life. But the Moon Goddess is rarely kind. Viola carries something ancient within her, something dangerous, something powerful enough to defy him. Hate twists into desire. Desire ignites into fierce passion. And passion threatens to become love. But when Sebastian discovers what Viola truly carries within her, will it save him… or destroy everything he’s built? ~~~ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT! #Slow burn #Spicy #Morally Gray ML #Adventure #Angst

Warning Trigger: Mature Content! No Rape “You said you wanted to see your family,” he accused in a calm voice, eyes locked on her. “Were my words and actions not enough to make you understand that your place is next to me?” He said slowly, this time lacking the smile on his face that made Luna jump at every one of his next words. “You—you di—did not keep your end of the deal, and yet you expect me to. That is not fair,” She forced out, the word breaking, while willing her heart to be quiet. Draven’s eyes narrowed at her words, and he took another step closer. The other man pushed Luna back and stood in front of her in a protective stance, as if he saw the need to shield the girl from the king’s rage. This made Draven’s cold eyes darken further. His green eyes narrowed at the way the man’s body brushed against Luna’s in their current position. “Step away from her, werewolf, unless you want your blood staining the scaffold just like the other man.” Draven said, and Luna’s eyes widened hearing this, his smile coming back to grace his lips. . Author’s POV: Regency balls, 400-year-old prophecies, and a king who treats torture like afternoon tea. If you like your MLs cold, your FLs with knives, and your romance measured in body counts, welcome to the court. _I promise you’ll check for blades under your own dress._ (;..^~^.;)

Within five minutes of the first time I met Chase Dubois, he fingered me in my Father's receiving room. My mother was five steps away. He shoved a nearby door open and pulled us inside. “Chase Dubois. Are you trying to take advantage of an innocent girl like me?” His amused eyes found mine. “Yes. I very much plan to, little princess.” He was gone as quickly as he came, leaving me disheveled and furious. Only later, when I saw him sitting calmly in his wheelchair, his eyes tired and cold, did I realize the terrifying truth: This is just a game to him! **** Alpha Chase, the rightful Lycan heir, is bound to a wheelchair and a political marriage. Tilly, a dragon princess, is forced to become his bride to save her dwindling kingdom. But the brutal, passionate alpha who visits her at night bears little resemblance to the quiet prince in the wheelchair during the day. As a coup brews and secrets ignite, Tilly must uncover which version of Chase Dubois is real—and which one is using her as a pawn in a deadly game for power.

They say seven is the number of perfection. For Luna Seraphine, it was the number that ended her silence. Six times, she tore the divorce papers apart, choosing love over pride, endurance over dignity, surrendering to the cruel demands of the mate who never cherished her. The seventh time, she signed her name without trembling. Alpha Ravyn panicked. His mistress, Daisy, the daughter of Seraphine’s former nanny, laughed it off. She’s only throwing a tantrum, they said. She’ll crawl back. They were wrong. The truth shattered what little remained of her heart: the child she had loved and raised for six years was never hers. That revelation became her breaking point. This time, Luna Seraphine walked away without looking back. As her power rose, so did Ravyn’s regret. The Alpha who once discarded her now slept outside her door, desperate for a single glance. But the woman who opened that door was no longer the Luna he broke. Cold, untouchable, unforgiving. Ravyn fell to his knees, begging for her hand, only to realize he was no longer the only one. Men of influence and power now competed for her attention because Luna Seraphine was no longer just a Luna. She was a world-renowned business mogul, a shadowed philanthropist. The most sought-after surgeon of her time, and a cyber genius. Then, a powerful, cold Alpha, one infamous for hating women, just shook the entire werewolf world and the North American billionaire elite, the Sovereign Circle, with a single tweet. “Sera is mine. I’ll pluck out the eyes of anyone who dares to look at her.” The internet exploded. The pack world went silent, and Ravyn… lost his mind. But the real question is this, will he dare challenge the richest, most powerful Alpha in the world… for the ex-wife he let go?

All he needed to plan was how to stop Riddle without being in her eyesight as it's proven to be a very dangerous position. That must be why he was sent here after being killed in that dream that may not be a dream! Stop Riddle. Avoid being seen or interacted with by Riddle. Save the lives of thousands. That was his purpose and he would see it through as best he could. "Master Peverell sir, your food bes ready!" Well, his plan could wait until after Breakfast. Curious to see how this all plays out? You can catch advanced chapters of Echoes of Time—where Harry and a female Tom Riddle navigate the twists of time—over on my Website at https://percivallannister-shop.fourthwall.com or Patreon at patreon.com/PercivalLannister.

[WELCOME TO THE OMEGA ASCENSION SYSTEM] [Evaluation of Host: You’d lose to a werewolf toddler with a stubbed toe.] [Ding! First mission unlocked: Survive Estella’s attempt to murder you (again).] Reward: Access to stats. [SECOND MISSION: Change the Alpha prince's hatred for you to possessiveness within three hours. Reward: +1 to all your current stats. Failure: Poison from your last life catches up to you.] [So, uhmm... Good luck!] Wait... What?! ------- Elian Ashford—a lowly Omega slave and an orphan raised in the palace of the werewolf empire of Lunaria— was hated, humiliated, and eventually poisoned to death after finding out that he was mated to the cold Alpha Prince of Lunaria who had publicly rejected him. But fate wasn't done with him. The moon goddess showed pity on him and gave him a second chance, rewinding his life back to the moment of rejection. But Elian soon discovered how vastly different his second life was. He was reborn with a sassy system which would help him survive and also ascend from a lowly Omega. And that's not all. In his second life, Elian is mated to not just the Alpha Prince but also two others. The empire's Beta and the Rogue King. Three mates and a system! What could go wrong? Sit back and follow Elian on his journey of seduction, growth and threading forbidden desires as he gains the love of his powerful mates while ascending into something greater than an Omega.

The Moon Goddess made a mistake— or maybe this was a curse just like everyone says it is. But I always knew deep down that I was never meant to be theirs. They belonged to her. To my twin sister, Chalice, who was sweet. Perfect. Worshipped by the entire pack… and pure venom behind closed doors. The three brothers— Zevran, Kael, and Caelum— hate me with a fire that burns hotter than the bond tying us together. And I know because I see it in their eyes… I feel it in the way their burning touch lingers a second too long. They despise me. Just like everyone else does. But they want me. And no matter how much I try to stay away, the mate bond keeps dragging me back into their world of heat, power, hatred and danger. Maybe, I should leave… I know. But fate plays a cruel game. And as truths unravel and secrets come to light, the triplets— the ones who once despised me— now see me for who I am. Now, they want me— unabashedly. But by the time they realize this, it is a little too late. I’ve been broken by them a little too much. And I am done being anyone’s pawn. ~*~ “We want you, Leilani… we always have. Always would. Please take this as our way of saying sorry. For everything, for not believing you… for letting our judgements be clouded by…” Caelum said softly, his voice trailing off, his breath warm and ticklish against my fingers that he brought up to his lips as his other hand found the warm spot between my thighs. My eyes snagged on his full lips— pink and inviting; But they’d been kissed by another. And I don’t do leftovers. I sighed exasperatedly, shaking my head to rid myself of this pitiful sight and clenching my legs together to force his hands out. He didn’t budge. “No.” I said sharply, my voice coming out stronger than I expected especially with their bodies pressed against mine, and their lips creating sparks across my body. “I’m done. Go back to Chalice… she suits you more than I ever did.” Kael’s voice vibrated through my body as he pressed himself flush against me. His brothers Caelum and Zevran leaned in too, their lips on the shell of my ears, one’s fingers grazing over my taut nipple. “I’ll burn the world, Leilani,” he growled, his voice deep. Threatening. “I’ll burn the entire world, if that’s what it takes to win you back.” “Then I'd like to see you after the world’s been successfully burnt down. Maybe then we’ll have this conversation.” I answered, and with that, I pushed their hands away and leapt off the cupboard. And as I walked out of the kitchen, I felt their eyes drilling holes into my back, hotter than a thousand lasers all at once. But I didn’t falter. I didn’t turn around. I was the monster they’d made. CONTENT WARNING: This book contains triggers and explicit scenes of abuse, Graphic violence and murder, explicit sexual activities, strong language and dark, obsessive romance. Readers discretion advised. ****

Framed for poisoning Lila (her sister) at the full-moon feast, Elena lost everything in one night. Her name, her pack, her future. The Shadowpine alphas sentenced her to death by exile. They chained her and shipped her north as tribute to the Blackthorn brothers; three feral lycan kings whose wolves had already started turning rogue. Darius, Kane, and Rylan Blackthorn rule the Frostfang territories with blood on their hands. Twenty years ago their father raped a witch’s daughter. The curse that followed branded the brothers: without a true fated mate their wolves would drive them mad in six months and force them to slaughter every living thing in the North. Elena is that mate. The second she steps into their hall the bond snaps tight. They knot her that same night, hard and without mercy, because the curse leaves them no choice. What starts as captivity turns into something darker. Elena carries latent alpha blood her pack hid from her. The bond wakes it. She learns to shift just enough to command their wolves when they lose control. She learns to want the violence they offer. She stops fighting the heat and starts using it. She walks back into Shadowpine with the brothers at her back and slits her father’s throat herself. ============================ The witch returns demanding Elena’s firstborn as payment. Pregnancy nearly kills her. Rival packs smell weakness and march north. Through it all the three alphas stay possessive, brutal, and unapologetic. They never soften into safe men. Elena never asks them to. She chooses them because they are the only ones strong enough to stand beside the queen she becomes. Knotted by the Three Feral Alphas is dark reverse-harem lycan romance that stays dark. No redemption arcs that erase the teeth. Just one woman who rises from chained prisoner to ruler of the frozen North while three cursed kings knot her, fight for her, and burn the world that tried to break her. WARNING!! MATURE AND 18+ CONTENT! THIS BOOK CONTAINS BRAVE NUDITY AND VOILENCE! VIEWER DESCRIPTION IS ADVISED!!! This book contains mature and potentially distressing scenes which are intended for adult readers only. It is not suitable for person under the age of 18. You will come across depictions of Graphic sexual content, Knotting, psychological manipulation and emotional abuse, grief, trauma and PTSD. Power imbalance and captivity, Domestic abuse These scenes are intentionally created and are necessary to the characters' journeys.

For twenty or so years Isabella's life had been nothing but rainswept mountains and a mine that yielded a handful of Spirit Jades here or there; nothing grand, not even anything impressive, just... a stable, rarely interesting life where she helped her adoptive family survive for yet another week. When an Elder from the nearby Moon Resplendent Sect comes down to test those living in her town for potential Disciples, Isabella's life begins to change... and when she finally gets into the Sect, she starts to learn more and more about what could have been. As a relatively pureblooded Werewolf, Isabella has everything she needs to make a name for herself, and when her real family finds her... things change drastically, for good and for worst. ~~~ Isabella is a futanari MC - a woman who has both male and female parts - who will swing both ways; smut will be present in this novel alongside action, but the main focus will lean more towards character interaction rather than huge power trips and the like. It's a Cultivation world with a bit of a mix with Omegaverse-esque tropes like Alpha/Omega/Beta, as well as some Western Fantasy here or there to spice things up; a fun blend of all sorts of things to keep things fresh for both me and you~! If you don't like Futanari or any of those genres, then please, let me save you the time and tell you that this won't be for you; if you find that intriguing, I hope to see for a long time to come~! Enjoy~!

Nate’s fingers closed around Aire’s wrist. “You felt it,” he murmured. “The bond.” Aire’s pulse raced, but she didn’t pull away. “Feeling it,” she said softly, “doesn’t mean I’m keeping it.” ......... Aire has always been cursed, wolfless, silver-haired, tolerated, and never wanted. A punishment, the elders say, for the sin her father committed against the Moon Goddess. In a world where power is measured by the strength of your wolf and the purity of your bloodline, she is neither. She survives quietly under her uncle’s roof, enduring humiliation because survival is better than being cast out. One fateful ball, the mate bond snapped when three wolves claimed her at once. Xanden. Alaric. Nate. The Alpha triplets who rule their territory like a united front of teeth and pride. The same men everyone assumed would claim someone else, someone stronger, and someone worthy. And not her. Aire does the only thing she can think to do. She rejects them. However, Alphas are not meant to be rejected. Especially not by a cursed girl with no wolf. Now, instead of being ignored, she’s watched. Instead of being pitied, she’s claimed. The triplets don’t want romance. They want control. They drag her into their territory, into their politics, into a royal system filled with spies, rival houses, and daughters raised to become queens. Aire begins to realize something terrifying. The mate bond may not be her greatest danger. Making the Alphas feel might be. She is either destined to rule beside them… Or die before she ever gets the chance.

His free hand strayed. They burned as they slid across my waist. And higher. Dangerously close to the under curve of my breast. “The thing with girls like you, Maisie, is that you think all you need to fix to be picked is your appearance. I don’t doubt that you’d make a great fuck, but you’ll never be the type of woman men want to keep. The kind to be made Luna. You’re the kind that’s only good enough to fuck, but never good enough to be chosen.” *** After getting rejected by her mate, Cole Hayes, the future Alpha of the pack, and nearly losing her life from the pain of it, Maisie Adams and her best friends concoct a fail safe plan to get back at him and save her from dying. Phase I: Get a make over and become the hottest thing in Ashfall. Phase II: Make out with a hot stranger. Phase III: Get a boyfriend, someone hotter, someone older, and lose your V-card. Phase IV: Get Cole Hayes to apologize. Phase V: Reject Cole Hayes. What they do not, however, account for is Cole Hayes falling for Maisie and being unable to let her go. Even worse, they sure as hell couldn’t have known Maisie would catch the attention of the four Lycan royals at the academy and accidentally bond with them!

Eve never believed in fate...until three ruthless alphas claimed her as theirs. Desperate to save her dying mother, Eve works as a masked dancer at Eclipse, the city's most exclusive club, where anonymity is her only protection. When the infamous Blackwood triplets—Damian, Damon, and Silas, offer her an obscene amount of money for a six-month exclusive contract, she accepts despite the terrifying rumors. Girls whisper about their brutality, their insatiable appetites, and the way they share everything... including women. The first night, Eve discovers the rumors don't do them justice. Damian commands her body with cold precision, every touch calculated to break down her defenses. Damon's dangerous playfulness pushes her past limits she didn't know she had, making her crave the edge of fear and pleasure. Silas watches with obsessive intensity, learning every tremor and gasp, demanding complete psychological surrender. Together, they overwhelm her....three predators claiming their prey in the most primal way possible. But something is different about Eve. While other women break under the brothers' dark desires, she endures. She matches their intensity, craves their brutality, returns night after night hungry for more. They're possessive in ways that should terrify her, marking her body as their territory, but her skin burns hotter under their hands than it ever has before. The brothers don't understand why they can't stay away from her. Why her scent drives them to the edge of madness. Why the mate bond...something they never believed they'd find...pulls them to this masked human with increasing, undeniable force. Then Eve's body begins to change. After three days without them, she collapses, her body shutting down from a hunger no food can satisfy. When Damian touches her fevered skin, her eyes glow amber and an ancient binding spell shatters. The truth explodes between them in a wave of desperate, consuming need: Eve isn't human. She's a succubi—a creature who feeds on sexual energy to survive. And they are her fated mates. Suddenly, Eve's nightly visits become her lifeline. She needs them...needs their touch, their dominance, their insatiable desire....or she'll die. A dark paranormal romance of fated mates, brutal alphas, and a queen who was born to rule them all.

"What's that?" I whispered to myself as I felt something moved very fast behind me. It was very dark at night and a dim-lighted lamp was the only source of light I had to see my way home! "Oh my God!! What could that be?" I whispered to myself again as it moved again, this time, I felt it getting closer to me. Suddenly, I heard a soft whisper close to my left ear "she's back and will spare no one". I became more terrified and decided to run. As I was running, I felt that something was running after me, something I couldn't see. Suddenly, my foot hit a stone on the ground and I fell down with a loud thud, shattering the only source of light I had to pieces! And as I was trying slowly to get back to my feet, I was startled by what I perceived in my nostrils. It was as if what was chasing me was right before my face but yet, I couldn't see it, I could only perceive the smell of warm human blood! ****** On her 18th birthday, Katerina Bathas expected a miracle. Instead, she got a death sentence. Her fated mate, the cruel and powerful Alpha Kol Night, rejected her in front of the entire pack, calling her "unworthy" and "disgusting." Broken and maltreated by Ace, her own brother, on the basis that she was believed to have killed their parents, Katerina flees into the wilderness, choosing the life of a Rogue over a lifetime of shame. But the girl who left the Fallen Moon Pack isn't the woman who returns. Rescued by the mysterious Untamed Pack, Katerina undergoes a lethal transformation. Now, Kol is back, haunted by the bond he tried to break and desperate to reclaim what he threw away. Caught in a deadly tug-of-war between two Alphas, Katerina must decide: Will she return to the mate who shattered her, or surrender to the Alpha who saved her—even if his love is built on a lie? And oh, who is this third Alpha claiming to be her mate as well?

“You incompetent god! I should’ve been the Alpha with big di*k, not some pitiful Omega!” — Cherion’s death was… not heroic. Winning the lottery only to die of a heart attack five minutes later was the definition of cosmic irony. But fate wasn’t done laughing at him yet. He woke up inside a tragic omegaverse novel he once read, right in the body of the pitiful omega doomed to be rejected, humiliated, and die alone. Still, he thought, “Fine. I’ll just avoid the main plot.” Except the main plot avoided him. But the script suddenly changed! Instead of being cast aside, Cherion was married off to Zarius, the empire’s greatest war hero… and the man destined to become the villain everyone feared. A cursed Alpha, praised as a savior but fated to die by the Crown Prince’s hand. Married to the future villain? Doomed. Married to a cursed Alpha? Double doomed. No, no doomed at all! He had a plan. A brilliant, flawless, absolutely desperate plan… but still a plan! “I said I’ll help you break your curse. In exchange, you let me go. Do we have a deal or not? Or are you too insecure to trust an Omega?” “Careful, little Omega. That sharp tongue of yours is daring me to test how it tastes.”

Seren never wanted to be noticed. As the daughter of the royal medicine woman, she learned early that survival meant keeping her head down and her mouth shut. The palace was no place for curiosity, especially not when the dying King's three sons prowled its halls like caged predators. Prince Aeron, cold and calculating, leads with ruthless precision. Prince Kael, the soldier, obeys instinct over law. Prince Theron, charming and dangerous, sees through every lie. They are identical in face but opposite in nature, and the kingdom holds its breath waiting to see which one will claim the throne. When Seren witnesses a royal execution she was never meant to see, she becomes a problem the triplets cannot afford. Too dangerous to release, too innocent to kill, she finds herself confined in their private wing as political tensions threaten to tear the kingdom apart. But something unexpected happens when the princes get too close. The ancient mating bond, which should only form between wolves, sparks to life between a human servant and three alpha heirs. Now Seren is caught in a bond that defies nature and law. The triplets claim she belongs to them, body and soul, but the kingdom will never accept a human as their mate. Princess Elowen schemes to destroy her. The council demands answers. Rival packs circle like sharks scenting blood. And somewhere in the palace shadows, a traitor works to ensure none of them survive long enough to take the throne. As bodies pile up and war looms on the horizon, Seren must choose between the safe life she always wanted and the three wolves who have marked her as theirs. But in a world where power is everything and humans are nothing, loving the future kings might be the most dangerous choice of all. The triplet alphas will burn the kingdom down before they let her go. And Seren is starting to realize she would let them.

Luke grew up believing in his uncle’s words: “Love should be felt, not forced." Given but never taken advantage of.” That promise of destined love carried him through grief when his uncle’s partner was killed for loving against society’s cruel standards. Years later, fate delivers its harshest blow—Luke discovers his “mate,” the one person meant for him, was Sebastian Reed, his best friend Becca’s boyfriend. Torn between loyalty and longing, Luke hides his truth, swallowing heartbreak while watching Sebastian’s love shine for someone else. In the silence of his room, Luke confronts the impossible: that destiny has bound him to a love he can never claim.

Her eyes widened when his d*ck sprang free from constraint. He glanced down and winced, understanding her surprise. He was harder than he’d ever been in his life. His d*ck strained upward, so long and thick... **************** “What on earth were you doing there tonight Sandra? Do you have any clue what Craig could have done to you? Look, he would have had you bent over while he did unpleasant things to your body. It would have been all about his own pleasure and satisfaction. What were you thinking?” “I know exactly what I was doing, you will never understand".... His eyes widened in shock..... ********* Sandra had loved her late husband with all her heart, and after 5 years of mourning and resignation, she has decided to move on with her life. She has a deep desire and an ache in her which she felt her late husband couldn't give her, no matter how much he loved her and could give her everything as a multi billionaire. Now that he's gone, she begins her search for the one thing her beloved late husband couldn't give her. What she doesn't know is that someone she had considered as a good friend of her husband for many years has a strong feeling for her, and had been waiting patiently for an opportunity to prove it to her. Little did he know that she has a deep desire, a huge void in her, which her late husband was not able to satisfy or fill. Having been in love with her for a long time now, he was determined to go the extra length, to ensure that he will be the only man to fill that void and grant those desires in her. But what if there's a competitor or multiple competitors?

Crimson Forever Some love stories aren't written in hearts... they are written in blood. Ayaan looks like an ordinary guy. But his world is filled with darkness... and secrets he can never reveal. Alina is a simple girl- whose life is about to change forever in just one night. An unexpected meeting. An unexplainable connection. And a secret powerful enough to destroy everything. Because the truth is- Ayaan is not normal human. And the love growing between them... isn't just difficult- it's impossible. But the story doesn't end here. Something else is hiding in the darkness... something ancient... something far more dangerous. A shadow... that is slowly closing in on them. Will their love be strong enough to survive this dark world? Or will it drown in blood... and betrayal? Crimson Forever A story where love is eternal... but survival is not.

[MATURE CONTENT ALERT: 18+ Only] "Deny all you want. But you smell like defiance, and that's what makes you irresistibly dangerous, little bunny!" .......... In just one night, Earl lost his everything. His Job. His Dignity. His Love and His Mother. Crushed under the weight of the brutal world, he was driven to end his life. The moment his feet slipped off the bridge, he didn’t believe destiny would ever await another chance for him. But it did! In the most shocking way one would imagine! This time, he woke up naked, right next to an old man who miraculously bore the exact face of his vicious Boss who had pushed him to death! The same smile, the same eyes that brutally belittled him that night…now shimmered with disgusting lust! Rage came easily this time and…Murder was the only beginning! But the next moment, he was dragged into a hidden magical academy, and he realized being reborn into a crumbling world hit by a natural catastrophe after a deadly Asteroid had wiped off 60% of the population, leaving the remaining ones to die next, following an inevitable premonition! But what baffled him the most was that his identity was no longer a man…but a wolfless, weak omega. In a world where omegas are considered nothing but breeders for the potential Alphas! In a world determined by hierarchy and instincts, as a man who’s been straight since his birth…Earl was determined to defy his cruel fate… Until Three Mysterious Alphas stood in his path! One was Untouchable. One smelled like Blood and Lust. And the remaining one was a user of Cursed Sorcery. Yet those Supreme Alphas had circled him not because he was weak…but something more powerful and predestined had bound them together. No one was willing to lose to the other one, declaring one final verdict- “You can deny us all you want, but in a world that’s supposed to be ending…YOU ARE OURS!”

Selene Jameson has always been the family stain, unwanted daughter, shadow to the golden children. The night her mother dies saving her life, Selene loses the only person who ever loved her. When Atlas D'Angelo, the boy she gave everything to, betrays her in the cruelest way possible, she vows never to beg for love again. But fate has darker plans. On the night Selene finally tastes freedom, fame, money, a future of her own her family sells her to a supernatural auction. She's thrust into a hidden world ruled by lycans who see humans as nothing more than commodity. Then he buys her. Mikhail Morozov, Wintercrest Alpha and High Alpha of the Onyx Concord. Feared across Nocturna, Lycan Realm. With a shattered past, a missing sister, and a throne built on blood and betrayal, the last thing he needs is a defiant human girl with a sharp tongue and darker humor than his sins. But Selene isn't human. She bears the Crescent, a mark of ancient power that could save the Nocturna or destroy it. When Kustav Volkov, a rival ruthless Alpha, is revealed to be Selene's father, he lays his claim on her. Mikhail offers Selene a choice: marry him in a blood-bound pact that grants her protection under lycan law. But this marriage of convenience will be anything but convenient. *** "And you smell good," I interrupted, words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Really good. Like winter but not the terrifying kind. The beautiful kind. With snow and—" I scrunched my nose, grasping for the description. "Those delicate frost patterns that appear on glass." Mikhail produced a sound deep in his chest that could've been a growl or a chuckle or something caught between. "Why are there two staircases?" I blurted suddenly, fixating on the duplicated grand stairway looming before us. "Is this intentional? Seems ridiculously excessive." "There's only one staircase, moya." "Are you certain? Because I'm definitely seeing two. Perhaps you require vision correction. Do lycans need glasses? That would be hilarious. Tiny spectacles perched on a massive terrifying wolf—" "Selene." His voice emerged strained, taut in a manner that penetrated even through my fog. "You need to stop talking." I peered up at him, hurt piercing through the pleasant haze. "Why? Am I irritating you? I'm sorry. I'll stay quiet." "No." The word escaped sharp, nearly anguished. "You're not irritating me. You're—" He severed the sentence, jaw clenching so viciously I witnessed the muscle twitch. "Just... rest." But I didn't want rest. I wanted to comprehend why his expression appeared like that—all rigid and ravenous and something else I couldn't identify. "Are you alright?" I asked, raising my hand toward his jaw. He intercepted my wrist before contact, his hold gentle yet unyielding. "Don't." "Why not?" "Because I'm barely maintaining control as it is, and if you touch me right now—" He halted abruptly, eyes compressing shut momentarily. "Just don't." That should've frightened me. The ferocity in his tone, the way his restraint appeared to unravel at the seams. But intoxicated-me simply smiled, inexplicably pleased. Then I caught the way his gaze dropped. Just for a fraction of a heartbeat. To my mouth. Heat bloomed through my chest, spreading like wildfire. "You want to kiss me," I breathed, the revelation making me giddy. His eyes snapped back to mine, glacial blue turned predatory. "Kissing," he said slowly, voice dropping an octave, "doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what I want to do to you." The air left my lungs. His grip on my wrist shifted, thumb finding my pulse point. Pressing there. Feeling the frantic rhythm he'd caused. "Kissing is gentle," he continued, leaning in just enough that his breath ghosted across my lips. Close enough to take. Close enough to claim. But he didn't. "Kissing is sweet. What I want?" His eyes dragged down my face, my throat, lower then back up with deliberate slowness. "There's nothing gentle about it."