Kiara has the most beautiful smile I had ever beheld, and my love for her surpassed everything else in this world. However, she was gone; she was whisked away from me by an unknown force. I was left without any inkling of her whereabouts or the reason behind her sudden disappearance.
They said she was dead, but I didn't believe them. I knew she was alive somewhere, waiting for me to rescue her. I could feel her in my veins, in my mind, and in my soul. She was an extended part of me, and I would never give up on her. She was my Luna, my moon, and I would do anything to see her melt my heart with her smiles again. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear the door open until it was too late. I turned swiftly around and saw Scarlett, the red-haired woman who had been keeping me company in Kiara's absence.She was aware of the situation. She knew that I didn’t love her and that my only interest in her was sexual. Despite this, she claimed to be okay with it.
"Hey, Asher. How are you feeling?" She asked, walking towards me. "I'm fine," I lied, turning away to hid my tears. She wrapped her arms around me, pressing her body against mine. "You don't have to be alone, you know. I'm here for you." I sighed, feeling a stab of guilt in my chest. Scarlet was a nice person, but she was not Kiara. She was just a distraction, a way to cope with the pain. She knew that, and yet she stayed with me. "Scarlet, please. Not now," I said, gently pushing her away. She pouted but did not insist. "Fine. But can we at least talk? You've been so quiet lately." I shook my head. "There's nothing to talk about." She frowned, yet refrained from arguing, aware of my stubborn nature. Releasing her hold on me, she moved towards the sofa and perched on the edge. Her eyes, filled with hope, were fixed on me, silently inviting me to join her. My bed was off-limits. Kiara was the only woman I had ever lay with on that bed, and I intended to keep it that way. Scarlet knew better than to even glance at the sheets, let alone lie on them. I followed her reluctantly. I sat down on the sofa as she dropped to her knees, facing me. She snuggled up to me, resting her hand on my waistband as she slowly undid it. Her touch ignited a feeling in me, arousing both me and my wolf.Scarlet might not have access to my heart, but she had full control over my body. She knew exactly how to manipulate my desires, compelling me to do things for her. Her warm, succulent lips nibbled on my skin, trailing wet kisses across my bare chest.
She inched lower, her hand hovering across my stiff erection. I growled under my breath, noticing the little devilish smile on her face as she grab my shaft and squeezed slightly.“Scarlet!” I warned, not sure I was in the mood for her teasing.
“Shhhhh, relax, Asher. Let me take care of you, just like always.” I mentally forced myself to relax as I felt her warm lips wrapped around my tip before taking me in completely. A pleasurable moan escaped my mouth. “Yes, Asher. Just relax” For a moment, I could only imagine my sweet Kiara in her place, but the case would have been reversed. It would have been me, kneeling before her as I ate her up over and over again while she moaned and squirmed in my grasp. Scarlet continued to suck me off as much as she could, but my mind was far from accepting all of it. It felt wrong and disgusting, but I needed the distraction. It was better than gulping down alcohol. "I love you, Asher," she whispered. I closed my eyes, feeling a surge of anger. How dare she say that? She didn’t love me. She couldn’t love me. No one could love me except Kiara. I opened my eyes, grabbing at her hand and pausing her movement. "What did you just say?." She looked hurt, but I remained indifferent. "I do love you, Asher,” she said. “I know you better than anyone else does. I understand that you’re in pain, and I want to help you through it." I pushed Scarlet away and sprang back to my feet. "You can’t help me, Scarlet. No one can," I said, pausing to swallow hard. "The only person who could have helped me was Kiara, and she’s gone." "She's not gone, Asher. She's dead. You have to accept that." "Don't you ever say that! She's not dead! She's alive, and I will find her!" "Please, Asher. It's been six months. You can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to move on." Scarlet reached out to touch my shoulder, but I shrugged her off. “Don’t touch me,” I snapped, my voice cold and harsh. “Don’t you dare dictate what I need to do. You can’t understand. You have no idea what it’s like to lose your mate, your soulmate, your everything” Scarlet flinched, but she didn't back away. She was persistent; I had to give her that. She had been by my side since Kiara disappeared, offering me her support and comfort. She was a good friend, maybe more than that. But she was not Kiara. No one could ever replace Kiara. “I know, Asher. I know you love her. I know you miss her. But you have to face the truth. She’s gone. She’s not coming back. Yet, you’re still here. You’re still alive. You have a life to live, a pack to lead, and a future to build. You can’t let her go, can you?” I clenched my fists, a surge of anger and frustration coursing through me. How could she say that? How could she expect me to let go of the one person who completed me? How could she ask me to forget the one person who gave my life purpose? "She's not gone. She's still alive. I can feel it. I can feel her in my heart, in my mind, and in my soul. She's out there, somewhere, and I'm going to find her. I'm not giving up on her. I'm not giving up on us." Scarlet sighed, shaking her head. She looked at me with a mix of sadness and disbelief. "Asher, you're deluding yourself. You're holding on to a false hope. You're wasting your time and your life. You need to accept reality. You need to let her go." I turned to face her, my eyes blazing with fury. "No, I will never let her go. I refuse to accept reality because it feels like a lie. It’s a nightmare—a hell without her. I won’t live in that hell, and I won’t let you or anyone else drag me into it. Do you hear me? Do you understand?" Scarlet nodded, tears streaming down her face. Her expression was one of defeat, as if she had given up on me. "I hear you, Asher. I understand you,’ she said. “But I don’t agree with you. I don’t believe you’re doing the right thing. I don’t think you’re being fair to either yourself or me." She paused, taking a deep breath. She wiped her tears and composed herself. She looked at me with a determined look, as if she had made a decision. "But I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm not going to try to change your mind. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm going to respect your choice, even if I don't agree with it." She walked past me, heading towards the door. She opened it and turned to look at me one last time. She gave me a sad smile and said, "Goodbye, Asher. I hope you find what you're looking for. I hope you find your happiness. I hope you find your Kiara." She left, closing the door behind her. I was alone again, in the silence of my room. I felt a pang of guilt and a twinge of regret. I dropped to my knees, a wave of despair washing over me. I let out a heart-wrenching wail, pleading to the heavens for Kiara’s forgiveness. I was tormented by the guilt of not being there to protect her when she needed me most. The pain was unbearable, but it was a burden I had to bear, a punishment for my failure. I deserved to suffer and die. But I could not die. Living to find Kiara and bring her back was the only thing that kept me going—it was the only thing that mattered. I crawled to the window, looking at the sky. I prayed silently, hoping that Kiara could hear me and that she could feel me but all I got was silence.LISA’S POVOne minute, I was riding fast; the next, I was falling hard. But just like always, I bolted upright in my bed, gulping down lungful of air. The same nightmare has haunted me for as long as I can remember—falling off my horse with the wind screaming in my ears and the ground rushing up to meet me. But I never hit the ground. I always woke up before that, my heart racing like a wild horse.“Lisa, Lisa, it’s okay. It’s just a dream,” a familiar voice soothed me as warm arms wrapped around me. I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind. The voice belonged to Max, my older brother. At least, that’s what I was told because I don’t remember him or anyone else. Yet, his love and care for me couldn’t be mistaken, as I could see it in his eyes.Max looked worried; his hazel eyes were clouded with concern. He always looked out for me, ever since I was said to have lost my memory in a horseback riding accident. He was the one who told me who I was, who he was, and who our family
Asher's POVThe first rays of dawn had barely begun to peek through the curtains when I found myself stirring from sleep. I groaned, the weight of another day pressing down on me as I shrugged off the comforting warmth of my bed. My feet hit the cold floor, sending a shiver up my spine as I trudged toward the bathroom.The sound of water hitting the tiles filled the room as I stepped into the shower. The warm droplets washed away the remnants of sleep from my eyes. Once I was done, I dressed in my usual attire, my fingers deftly buttoning up my black shirt, which was paired with equally black pants.My gaze fell upon a drawer, and I pulled it open to reveal a portrait. It was a beautiful rendition of Kiara, my beloved mate. Her eyes, as vibrant as emeralds, seemed to sparkle in the soft morning light.The portrait, a masterpiece crafted by the region's finest artist, was a gift I had intended for our first anniversary. But fate had other plans, and she disappeared before I could pres
Jonas POVAs soon as Asher said those words to me, I clenched my hands into fists, feeling a surge of anger and resentment toward him. How could he treat me like this, like a mere servant and not his own flesh and blood? He knew how much I despised humans and their very miserable existence.He was aware of all these facts and more, yet he insisted on sending me there. I was always certain of his disdain for me. The only reason he has tolerated me until now is our shared bloodline.Despite the depth of Asher’s hatred for me, my dislikes for him matches it, if not surpasses it. Asher, under the illusion that his position as Alpha—bestowed upon him by our father—makes him superior to everyone else, remains oblivious to my plans.Plans that involve his downfall mirror the fate of his mate, Kiara. He doesn’t know that I was waiting for the right moment to strike, to claim what was rightfully mine.He is also unaware that I have already set the wheels of destiny in motion and that it’s only
LISA’S POV“Alpha Asher is a monster,” Caleb said, his voice low and filled with fear. “He doesn’t care about us humans. His only concern is his pack and the power he wields over others. He demands payment from us every month for his so-called protection. But what happens if we can’t afford it? What if we run out of money or resources? What then?”I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as I listened to my brothers, Jax and Max, along with their friend Caleb, discuss Alpha Asher. He was the formidable leader of the Red Moon pack, a werewolf of such ruthlessness that it was almost beyond comprehension.Yet, it was this very individual upon whom we, as mere humans, relied for protection against the night crawlers—creatures of the night with a gruesome appetite for blood and human flesh. The stark absurdity of our predicament did not escape me."He's not the only monster," Jax said, his voice bitter and angry. "The night crawlers are just as bad, if not worse. They're the reason why we ne
LISA POV“Move it, you filthy rat!” The guard shoved me forward, his boot kicking the heel of my shoe roughly from behind. This caused me to stumble a few feet, and I barely caught myself before I fell. My knee scraped against the gravel, its sharpness cutting my flesh open.I whimpered in pain as I struggled back on my feet, the gravel continued to crunch under my feet, the sound mocking me with each step I took.I couldn’t stop to soothe my injured knee, even if I wanted to. The pain was insignificant compared to the fate that awaited me. I knew my destination, but I harbored no regrets about taking my brother’s place. The Night Crawlers’ gladiatorial pit, a place where they cast their captives to face a cruel fate, was where I was headed. It was the place where I would meet my end tonight.As we approached the pit, I noticed something peculiar. The guard escorting me turned left, away from the entrance. He led me in a different direction, towards a cluster of tents situated just ou
JONAS POVI felt a strange tingling in my spine as I walked into my tent. It was like a swarm of needles pricking my skin, warning me of the impending storm. I had prepared myself for a clash, a fierce struggle, but what I saw was something I did not expect.She kneeled on the cold stone floor, her hands clasped in prayer. Her body was hunched over, her shoulders shaking slightly as she whispered pleas into the silence. It was a scene I had not seen in ages, and it awakened a long-buried emotion in the depths of my soul. A touch of nostalgia, as I heard her whisper a prayer. A prayer to the God who had forsaken us, the God who permitted our kind to be hunted and slaughtered. It was a prayer that stirred a long-forgotten emotion within me: pity.“How utterly unbelievable,” I muttered.I watched her rise, her movements as frantic as a frightened fawn. Her eyes, wide with fear, scanned the room. Yet, there was a spark—a glint of something indefinable—that piqued my interest. It wasn’t
Lisa povWith a sense of impending dread settling over me like a heavy cloak, I watched as Jonas paced back and forth in front of me. His every step seemed to echo in the silence of the tent, each one bringing him closer to revealing his true intentions.I wanted to run to escape this nightmare, but I knew there was no way out. Whatever fate awaited me, I would have to face it head-on.Finally, Jonas stopped his pacing and turned to face me once more, his expression unreadable. “you have been chosen, Lisa Bonnet,” he said, his voice low and menacing.“Chosen for what?” I asked, my voice barely rising above a whisper. Despite my fear of the answer, I was still compelled to know my fate.Jonas smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes as he flexed his shoulders. "Chosen to be my mate, of course. You will become one of us."My heart sank upon hearing his words. I had been privileged to tales of werewolves who mated exclusively with their kind. The thought of a human being forced into such a uni
ASHER’S POVI had thought it was a brilliant idea to send Jonas, my brother, to the human village for the annual collection. I hoped that by exposing him to their culture and their kindness, he would learn to respect them as equals, not as enemies.Jonas had always harbored a deep hatred for humans, viewing them as weak, worthless, and undeserving of sharing our world. He frequently expressed his desire to eradicate them and to claim their lands and resources for our kind. He failed to understand that we needed them as much as they relied on us for protection.As the Alpha of our pack, I bore the responsibility of maintaining peace and balance among our races, a task that Jonas complicated with his reckless actions and words. However, as hours passed since Jonas’s departure, I began to question my decision. What if he stirred up trouble in the village? What if he harmed or even killed any humans?I tried to push these thoughts away, trusting that Jonas would behave himself and heed my