INICIAR SESIÓNXlynor's POVI watched Ivara rush out of the yard until her figure disappeared around the corner, then a sly grin spread across my face. I couldn't stop it, even though I wanted to.Interesting. I had just figured out a game I'd thought was one-sided wasn't.I was starting to get pissed that Ivara could mess with my head, my nerves, and my thoughts, yet walk around, exist, and do whatever she did to me without any apparent awareness of it—acting completely unbothered by the whole thing. Well, not today. Finally, I wasn't the only one being affected by the other person. Very fulfilling.I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek and turned to the yard.The problem was that teasing her was its own trap. It wasn't so easy. I'd gotten close because I wanted to bother her, or maybe not, but then, I hadn't wanted to stop at just bothering her. That was the problem. That was always the problem with her.Her crazy and addictive cinnamon scent had a way of triggering a surge of dopamin
Ivara's POV“I beg you, please spare me.” Nathan’s screams and pleas pierced my ears, pulling me back from that ridiculous thought.I shook my head hard. What is wrong with you, Ivara? Why would you want him to touch you? This was crazy! I was sure Xlynor was manipulating me. This wasn’t me.I turned to Xlynor. “Do you…” I stopped then pressed my lips together, turning back to Nathan.“No… please—” Nathan's voice broke in half. “Alpha, please, I made mistakes, I know, I was selfish and evil but please—give me one last chance. I do not want to die.” He pulled so hard against the ropes that blood welled at his wrists. “Please—”My stomach clenched so badly I thought I might be sick. Even though I wasn't supposed to kill him, his screams made it seem so. I didn't want this.“Raise the bow.” Xlynor's command came.I tried, but my grip wasn't strong enough. It wasn’t that I couldn’t. I just wasn’t in the right state of mind. “I… I can’t.” I barely said it above a whisper.“I didn’t ask tha
Ivara's POVXlynor froze, his hand stilling on my neck mid-motion. I waited for him to step back or release me, but he just stayed pressed against me, his breath warm on my neck and his grip still on my wrist. But whatever had been moving through him a second ago went quiet, like a current being cut.The ache at the back of my neck came in slow and dull, where his hand had been. The sudden ache made me instantly regret every word I'd just said.I paused, registering what I'd just thought. Regret? I was regretting it? What was there to regret? What had this man done to me? Now I was thinking stupid things? Why was I thinking I shouldn't have taken back something I'd said to get free of him? What kind of sense did that make? None! Apparently, I was starting to lose my mind, or maybe I had already lost it.“Xlynor?” I called out to him, seeing he hadn't moved. “Are you there?”No response.I tried to twist free, but his grip on my wrists stayed firm, keeping me pinned beneath him.He slo
Ivara's POV I glanced around desperately. Thankfully, the guards weren’t openly staring, but not looking didn't mean not knowing. They had to notice what their Alpha was doing. And if they hadn't, at least they could hear.I needed to get free. I needed to get free without making this worse, since he wasn't letting go and I had approximately no leverage and no plan.Before I could think it through, a plea slipped out. “Please… I’m sorry. I take it back—everything I said. All of it. You're not stupid, I'm the stupid one, I'm dumb, I take all of it back—”He didn’t move a muscle.I swallowed emptiness. “Xlynor…” My voice was embarrassingly unsteady. “Do you realize that there are guards in this yard? Anyone could come through that entrance. We're in a yard in the barracks and you're… you're doing this. You're going to ruin your reputation,” I whispered, and it came out like pulling a splinter.“You haven't taken everything back,” he said, against my hair.I raised a brow. “I said I tak
Ivara's POV“Go get your brain checked. You're losing it, sicko.” I said to his face, then turned on my heel, facing the weapons on the table. I picked up the bow.I had approximately zero experience with guns. The bow was at least something I'd held before, ‘even if held was the extent of the relationship’ it was safer. At least I knew how it worked. Nock the arrow, pull back, aim, then release.I had no idea where the vital points were in a human body or where to avoid when it came to Nathan, so his legs were the target. Non-lethal, probably. Yeah, probably. I was literally doing my best, but there was a chance I'd cripple him. But it was better than killing him, right?I still had no idea why Xlynor was so hellbent on making me do this. None of his explanations made sense. He was obviously a terrible liar. But why would he even lie to me? It wasn’t like I could go against his absurd rules anyway.I took my stance, nocked the arrow, and raised the bow. I found Nathan in my sight-lin
Ivara's POV“Why do I have to do it? Why me?” I finally found my voice.Xlynor shrugged. “Easy. You aren’t a Dark Hounder, but you’re in Dark Hound. You can’t get anywhere with that softness. And not even finding a man to fuck you so you’ll get too filthy for me to keep you as mine would save you.”His words echoed in my head and my hand stilled on the gun while it slipped from my fingers and clattered to the ground.I turned to him. “What did you just say?”“Pick it up.”I didn’t. “What did you say?”“You thought I wouldn’t find out about how magnificent your craziness got?” He gave an upturned smile.I swallowed. He knew. How the hell did he find out? And then he kept silent all this while? I must've been a fool. Oh, damn! Wait! Xlynor wouldn't keep silent all this while, right? I told Zane too. Don't tell me that Zane snitched. No, Zane wouldn't.“That… I wasn’t… it’s my body and I decide what to do with it.” I defended shakily. “I’m not discussing that with you, and I’m done here!
IVARA What had just happened? One second, I was waiting for Adrian in the park, the next? I was here, half-conscious in some confinement.Confinement? A fvcking confinement! My eyes widened. What?I dragged myself up, my legs wobbling as the room spun around.“No, no.” I whispered, I couldn't poss
Xlynor's POVOf course, Isagi would always find a way to piss me off. Even though he knew how much I hated being called brother by him, he still did it. Always insisting that since both our mothers were demigoddesses, we were siblings.“Don’t fucking call me that,” I scowled.Isagi pouted dramatica
Ivara’s POVXlynor and Zoya had already begun walking toward the throne at the end of the hall, like royalty stepping into their rightful place.Which, unfortunately… they were.I swallowed nervously and followed the guard.The moment I stepped inside the hall, the scale of it hit me properly. It wa
Xlynor's POVI leaned back against the kitchen island the moment Ivara left, pressing my palm against my face.What the hell was wrong with me?First, I felt a spark of genuine pride when I caught her scent at the banquet—proud that my little bird had escaped so quickly and cleverly.Then the reali







