LOGINCalitheaIt was indeed crazy. For the first time since Ryden and I became husband and wife, I had initiated a hug with him.Never once had I imagined I would be the one to bridge that gap. Yet I hadn't done it for myself.I had done it because I was afraid for someone else.Someone who should have been the last person on my mind, but nothing compared to the shock of seeing him standing outside our window, shirtless, and his chest bare to my eyes.For a moment, I had questioned if I was imagining things. But the moment our eyes met, I knew he was real. I silently pleaded with my eyes for him to stay where he was. The tightening of his jaw told me exactly what he wanted to do.“Are you sure you'll be alright staying here alone tonight?” Ryden asked after I pulled away.I nodded, still too stunned to find my voice. I could feel Valen's gaze on me through the window.“I... thought you were on border duty tonight,” I said as casually as I could, forcing a smile. “It's the middle of the m
ValenIt felt like I was seeing red. A sharp sting shot through my palm, from where my claws had driven into.Then I noticed Liam’s hand which still clamped around my shoulder. He was the only reason I hadn't gone after Ryden the second he carried her away.I met his gaze. “Why did you stop me?” Even the sound of my own voice surprised me. The same exasperated look from last night settled on his face again. “Come to your senses, Valen. It's like you're-”He never got to finish, when my fist slammed into his jaw. “Don't fucking tell me what to do.” I spat at him.He flexed his jaw, showing no sign that the punch had hurt him. “I don't care what you think,” he said in a clipped tone. “He's her husband. You can't change that.”“I didn't save her just for him to walk in and lay claim to her,” I fired back, as I felt my fists twitch violently. It was still desperate to hit something. Anything at all. No…it was someone.And that person happened to be the bastard who had taken Calithea ou
CalitheaThe next morning…A guard escorted me to the courthouse with the same cold indifference he had always shown me.Every step I took sent a sharp pain through the sole of my injured foot, where a rusted nail had pierced it a while ago as I was about to leave the dungeon.I limped after him, and by the time we reached the hall, the elders were already seated. Zirrelle sat among them, and the moment her eyes landed on me, a look of triumph spread across her face.The guards forced me to my knees, and at the same moment Valen strode into the hall with Liam following closely behind him. His gaze swept across the room before settling on me, but for only a brief second.His expression remained unreadable, but I caught the subtle tightening of his jaw when his eyes dropped to my injured foot.That tiny reaction warmed my heart more than it should have. But then I felt another pair of eyes on me. I glanced to my left and found Liam watching me.His eyes were hard. Unable to withstand th
Valen “You heard what I said,” I muttered, in a relaxed tone, folding my arms.“How can you act so carefree when you're on the verge of ruining my life?” He closed the distance between us, his eyes blazing with fury. But it was nothing compared to the rage simmering beneath my own skin, to which I’m trying so hard to keep under leash. “And now you're going after my mate?” he hissed his face shrouded in incredulity, as if he couldn’t wrap his head around it.“What have you ever done for her since she became your mate?” I asked in return. “Wouldn't it be better to set her free than keep acting like a coward every time she's in trouble? You play the role of the dutiful mate, which you're not, and you will never be,” I seethed.A vein throbbed at his temple, and it pleased me that he was barely holding himself together. I'd had enough.I wanted to push him over the edge and give both of us what we'd been waiting for.“If it weren't for the fact that you're mated to Zirrelle, I'd think
Calithea It took me a moment to understand what he meant. Immediately, I went still, knowing he was more than capable of doing exactly what he threatened. The warmth radiating from his body seeped into mine, and I closed my eyes briefly, breathing in his scent as though it alone could calm the storm welling inside of me. My hands remained stiff at my sides, unsure of where to put them. Everything suddenly felt odd between us. I had never expected to see him here, and more than anything, It was hard understanding him. He was the one who had ordered me locked away in this dungeon, yet now he was holding me as though letting go would cost him everything. Nothing he did made sense anymore. After a long moment, he finally pulled away, but his expression remained impossible to read in this dimly lit space. “You shouldn't have come here,” I muttered, my fingers fidgeting nervously at my sides as I peered at him. “Was it that night you took the ring?” he asked, ignoring my sta
CalitheaI wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the icy floor slowly seeping into my bones as I tried my hardest not to think about my perturbed life.A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. As much as I wanted to blame and cuss at Zirrelle for my misfortune, I knew this time… it was all my fault. No one else.I'd handed her the perfect chance to sink her claws into me, and she did it without hesitation. I wiped away the tears, as I heard the faint sounds of unseen little creatures skittered somewhere in the darkness around me.I curled into myself tighter. My eyes stayed fixed on the iron caged opening through which I'd been thrown inside.Footsteps echoed outside, and my body tensed instantly. I knew it was one of the guards who were patrolling to check if I was in place. Crazy indeed.They'd secured the iron caged door with an enormous lock. Did they truly think I could escape from here?I lifted my head, expecting one of the guards, instead, I froze, my irritation d
CalitheaShe quickly closed the distance between us.“What are you doing here? I thought you'd stopped this?” I asked, bewildered.Then again, I shouldn't have been that surprised. Mira had practically led the pack's notorious warrior-peeping adventures as a teenager, and it had nearly landed her i
“Look at her,” Zirelle said, her tone dripping with boredom. “You always find a way to make everything about yourself, don’t you, Calithea? The absolute audacity to stand tall while everyone else bows to our new Alpha.”I didn’t say a word. My tongue felt like lead, my eyes locked on the regal form
Calithea I felt an unexpected tightness in my core, as our position made me completely at his mercy, but it was exactly the kind of reality I needed to completely break through the one I wanted to be free from tonight. “Then please fuck me” I whispered, my voice trembling. His grip loosened, a
Calithea“What did you say?”His voice was low and rough, as a flicker of shock crossed his dark eyes. He stared down at me as if the question had come out of the blue.“I said kiss me,” I repeated courageously, without batting an eye.But the words had barely left my mouth when he stepped into my







