LOGINThe night I had been waiting for over the past few weeks had finally arrived: the Midsummer Solstice. Sokaris's words still echoed through my mind. He had told me this would be the night he would finally step into this realm... the night we would finally be together.I gazed through the window of my bedroom overlooking the palace gardens. A massive bonfire blazed at the center while omegas attended to the guests.Hundreds of people wandered about, celebrating the occasion, and the full moon hanging high above reminded us that we stood beneath the peak of her power.My palms were damp. My heart pounded relentlessly."You left me waiting all night at the inauguration ball, bambina... and you have no idea how much I hate waiting."My breath caught in my throat as a solid chest pressed against my back, his deep, gravelly voice slithering into my ear, warm and demanding.Without turning around or moving, I frowned."How did you get past the palace security, Vladimir?"He growled against my
Maddison Spencer-BennettIt took only a single second for me to want him completely. But deep down, I knew perfectly well that I neither should nor could trust him.The man had a reputation that preceded him. I understood I had to be careful.No matter how tempting he was, no matter how much I desired him, I couldn't allow myself to surrender to his charms—which were impossible to ignore.He was like the sweetest candy, silently begging to be tasted. Six-foot-three of solid muscle. Broad chest, large hands… Everything about him was enormous.Standing beside him made me feel impossibly small. Focus, Maddie!I took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of wood, whiskey, and tobacco. His scent pierced straight through my soul, refusing to let me ever forget it. It imprinted itself onto me as though it had always been part of who I was...I simply didn’t know it yet. The mate bond settled into both our souls, locking perfectly into place. What the hell am I supposed to do now?I'm so scre
Maddison Spencer-BennettThe day had finally arrived. The day they had spent weeks preparing for.Everything had to be perfect.Today, I would finally meet the twenty candidates chosen by the Celestial Chest. My heart sank into my chest the moment I realized Sokaris' name wasn't on the list.Mom had told me that in her dreams, he was standing beside me, competing for the throne. So I don't understand. Where the hell is he?I sighed as I sat on my bed, still wrapped in nothing but a towel, absentmindedly caressing the mark on my wrist. Bringing it to my lips, I gently blew across it.The lights flickered.Then Sokaris' deep, velvety voice invaded my senses. "I thought you didn't love me anymore, Suicune... It's been many days since you last called for me."Thousands of butterflies erupted inside my stomach at the sound of his voice, and a shiver raced down my spine."Do you know what's happening here, Sokaris?" I asked without wasting a second.I needed to understand why his name hadn'
Third-Person Point of ViewTwo weeks later…“Ladies and gentlemen! We warmly welcome you to this live broadcast from the royal gardens…” Thomas Coleman, the rising star of television, announced enthusiastically during his live coverage while the palace staff watched from the royal kitchen.The truth was that after the explosion, information about the tournament had finally been released, and for the first time in weeks, the royal family had been granted a brief respite from the relentless public scrutiny. The announcement had been received far better than anyone had ever imagined.From that day forward, the three great covens of the sorcerer society gathered to conjure the Celestial Chest, sealing its magic so that no one could corrupt or tamper with it. The ritual alone took an entire week to complete.Then the alphas arrived.One by one, they walked through the palace gardens, placing their names inside the Celestial Chest, each secretly hoping to be chosen. Every alpha, accompanied
Maddison Spencer-Bennett.For a second, I felt like I was dead. A sharp pain invaded my entire body, while a piercing sound overwhelmed my ears.I tried to get back up, with great difficulty, while I saw Alonso was trying to tell me something. I could see his lips moving, but I heard nothing. That completely disoriented me.As I opened and closed my eyes many times, hoping that my orientation would return, but to no avail. Since I couldn’t react, Alonso took me in his arms and carried me to another place.I looked around and everyone was running everywhere, while a large, dense curtain of dust and debris invaded us. What a few minutes ago was the inauguration of a new orphanage became a scene from a war movie.Suddenly, the sound came back.“Madison! Please little one, do you hear me?” Alonso shouted, totally desperate.I put a hand on his shoulder and in a whisper just said, “Yes, I hear you.”“Oh, thank you Goddess!” He smiled as he kissed my forehead.As I looked to my right again,
Maddison Spencer-Bennett.I frowned, confused. What the hell was she doing here? Who invited her? Why are Mom and Alonso in defensive mode? What is she planning now?As I am so clear that, if my Aunt Wilma is here, nothing good will come. I still have memories of when I was five years old, and she helped with my kidnapping.Although I don’t remember that she was the one who invaded the cabin I was in, I remember vividly that she came to my room to see me.I remember, as if it were yesterday, her words… “I will never allow you to be the queen, brat... You are nothing.”Therefore, I have never been happy that she exists, breathes or is simply alive.I crossed my arms and said, “Aunt Wilma…Who let you out of the hole you call home?”Her eyes widened, and she said, “Emma, is this how you raised this insolent brat? Without an iota of respect for their elders?”I smiled ironically. “Respect is earned, Wilma… Or don’t you remember what you told me when I was a little girl and Ezra kidnappe
Maddison Spencer-Bennett.I held my breath... I opened my eyes wide and looked for the owner of that voice, which had multiple unexpected effects on me, but to no avail... He was not here.As I sighed in disappointment, believing it was an invention of my creative brain, I heard him say, “Do not look
Maddison Spencer-Bennett. I woke up in an empty bed. I looked around, but my hot mate was not with me. And I must admit, I was a little disappointed. But there I saw the note. I picked it up and read it, making me smile with each line. I sighed and fell onto the bed, holding the note to my chest. “Y
Alonso Corleone. The second I heard the queen say that I had to meet Crystal, I knew I was going to live in a fucking hell... I had no intention of seeing her again, but now I had to meet her. Argh! It was hard enough handling with my insecurity regarding Maddison and her other mates without also ha
Maddison Spencer-Bennett.I stared at Alonso with wide eyes. I dried my hand and quickly took the phone from his hands.“Alice?”“Princess! I have tried to contact you, but to no avail. Have you seen your calendar?”I frowned and cursed myself for being careless. I sighed and said, “I haven’t seen it.”“







