SIENNA
Once my eyelids cracked open, the uncomfortable feeling in between my thighs was the first sensation that I paid attention to. I tried to sit up but found that I couldn't move. There was a muscular arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me immobile. I winced when the dull pounding in my head spiked up a bit.'Where am I?' I wondered, still feeling groggy.I was warm, comfortably so. And this scent washing over me was lovely. So much that I wanted to lay there for the rest of my life.Bringing a hand to my head, I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't remember what had happened the previous night. My last memory was the moment I'd escaped from the pack.I sighed, moving my limbs a little. Then, I felt it.I, Sienna West, was no longer a virgin.Straining to free myself from the arms of the stranger whom I'd slept with, I rolled to the side.Worried that I might have awoken the stranger, I glanced at him. However, he was still sound asleep.He was gorgeous. The way he slept, with a serene expression on his face, made him seem like a dark angel. His unruly bed hair was such a sight. This man's eyelashes were so long, they kissed the top of his cheekbones. His slightly parted lips were fuller at the bottom, but they were perfect. Down to his chiseled jaw, he was pure perfection.The more I watched him, the less I felt bad about sleeping with him. At one point, I actually liked the thought of it.Deciding that I'd overstayed my welcome, I figured it was time to leave.Only then did I realize that this man was a Lycan. Despite being asleep, his aura was a dead giveaway.Disgusted, I hurried out of bed.The moment I got out of bed, my legs gave out. Maybe it was out of pure shock, but I knelt there, my eyes wide.I knew that I had the stranger's impressive length to blame for the soreness between my thighs. But, I was also aching in other parts of my body that had been banged up during my struggle with Nathan.This wasn't the time to be weak. I needed to leave. I gritted my teeth, pushing myself to my feet.Slipping on my clothes in a hurry, I stumbled out of the room, hurrying towards the exit of the bar.Several drunk people were littered all over the place. It was easy for me to slip out unnoticed.I didn't know where else to go. If I wanted to escape from Nathan, I needed to go beyond the pack's border. But doing that was also risky.Finally, I made up my mind to run far away. I would rather die than allow myself to be further humiliated by that bastard.The sun was still halfway up, and the path to the woods was deserted. So, I quickened my pace, ignoring the crunches of dead leaves under my bleeding feet.If only I had a mature wolf, shifting would have been much better."Stop right there!" Someone yelled, and I took off into a sprint immediately, my heart racing against my chest.I could hear the sound of feet pounding against the ground and the not-so-subtle growls of the wolves that chased after me.Panic clawed at my senses as I ran, panting for air with sweat blinding me. I can't get caught by them. I must escape.My sides were burning as my starved lungs strained for air. Several times, my feet got torn by the sharp twigs on the ground. But I refused to let it stop me."Get her!!!""Don't let her enter the Lycan border!"For a moment, my heart stopped. The last thing I wanted was to end up in the net of the despicable monsters called Lycans. Even so, I couldn't let myself go back to where I'd run from.While I thought about this, my feet scraped against a large stone, and I stumbled forward, crashing to the ground. Pain speared through my entire body, bringing fresh tears to my eyes. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself to my feet. But, there was so much blood on the ground. My biggest toe had just been ripped open, and it hurt like a bitch.Behind me, the noise grew louder. When I tried to move, my legs gave out, and I fell. Only then did I realize that my ankle had just been sprained.Swallowing the cries that threatened to escape my lips, I pushed further, limping towards the rosemary bush that served as the pack's border.Again, my legs gave out, and I started to crawl, my nails digging into the sand.For the first time in a long time, I prayed to my dead father.'Please, save me. Dad, please save me. Help me,' I sobbed, half blind from both tears and sweat.Just a little more.With the bush only a few feet away, I reached out for it, my fingers grazing the leaf.In that moment, a boot was slammed onto my hand, crushing it to the ground. A scream escaped my lips as I felt the bones of my fingers crack under the impact.Nathan's face came into my line of vision, his face twisted with menace. He reached out to cup my jaw, his fingers digging into my chin."You thought you could escape from me? Look where you are now," he snarled.I gazed up at him with hatred brimming deep inside of me. I spat in his face, and his expression darkened."To hell with you," I spat.Right then, he slapped me across the face, hard enough to knock me out.When I opened my eyes again, I was hanging in an inverted position on a giant tree in the middle of the main pack house. A crowd was gathered around the tree. Several pairs of eyes glared at me with disdain and disgust.My gaze widened when I noticed my mother among them. I could smell the alcohol on her. She'd always been an alcoholic. I'm almost certain that she'd been just as drunk when she'd sold me as a slave.Alpha Declan, Nathan's father, cleared his throat, his fierce gaze pinned on me. I swallowed hard, my stomach tightening into knots. I had a feeling that I was knee-deep in trouble."Today, we're gathered here to announce the punishment of Sienna West," he began, and tears filled my eyes."I didn't do anything. Nathan tried to force himself on me! I swear! I was only running to save my life! Please, have mercy on me, Alpha!" I cried.One of the guards smacked me in the face and shoved a piece of cloth into my mouth to silence me.I couldn't breathe.So, I struggled against my restraints."Sienna West is a traitor to the pack. She tried to assault my son after he rejected her because he found out that she's a whore. She also tried to bring calamity into the pack by attempting to cross the pack's border."No! I wanted to scream.More tears escaped my eyes as my head swam.One more time, I met my mom's dull gaze, mentally pleading with her to save me. But all she did was stare."In three days, Sienna will be tortured to death," Alpha Declan announced, and the crowd cheered."Do you want to survive?" A female voice filled my head, and I fought to remain conscious.Yes.I want to live.SIENNA Locked in the familiar cell I'd previously escaped from, I was writhing in pain. Since my wolf was yet to mature, I couldn't heal myself. Crying wouldn't solve my problems, so I chose not to. I couldn't stop thinking about the voice I'd heard in my head a few hours ago. It was definitely not my mum. It couldn't be Aurora, my wolf. While I thought about this, the smell of lavender hit my nostrils. I looked up at the sound of steady footsteps approaching. A tall young lady stepped into my line of vision, a smile on her face. "Who are you?" I asked, furrowing my brows. "My name is Lily Declan," she said, and I stiffened. "You're..."She nodded."That's right. I am the Alpha's daughter. The sickly one who never gets out of her room. I'm sure you've heard about me."Now that she mentioned it, she did look sickly. Her skin was as pale as snow, and her dark circles were extremely visible. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a low bun, and she was wearing a loose lila
ARIES Day and night, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her rich honey scent. The softness of her skin. The sound of her moans. Her addicting suppleness. It was all driving me crazy. I hated it. Whoever she was, she had succeeded in spiking my drink and getting me to sleep with her. Was she a werewolf spy? Was she intent on carrying my seed? Or was she intent on blackmailing me?It's been two days, and my subjects are yet to find her. It's driving me insane. To think that I had imprinted on her in that state...This is a disaster. Especially since my wedding with the daughter of the alpha of Black Claw Pack is today. Her father had been desperate to sign a peace treaty with me and had asked me to marry his 'precious daughter' in return."Your majesty, your bride has arrived," Cade, my beta, said to me from his position in front of my desk. I rubbed my temples, leaning back on my seat."It's not like I'm desperate to get married," I muttered. Cade beamed at me, his eyes light
RAVEN This can't be happening. How in the world am I getting married to the Lycan king of all people? Even worse, he's the Lycan I'd slept with. To worsen it further, he's my destined mate. Just how bad is my luck? His scent was annoyingly soothing, and my body just wouldn't stop aching for him. I should have known right from the start. He had imprinted on me without my permission. "I, Aries Dorian Leander, accept you, Raven Annette Declan, as my mate and bride. May the moon goddess bear witness to this day," he said, and my stomach tightened. He must already know my name. Is he using my new name on purpose?I couldn't help but wonder. "You may make your declaration, bride of the king," the female priest said. There was only one way out of this. Get married to him and escape far away before he realizes that I'm gone.Steeling my resolve, I straightened my spine, my gaze meeting his. I wondered if he could see the defiance in my eyes. If he did, he seemed to like it because
RAVEN "You're a witch?" He breathed, and my frown deepened. "W-what? What are you talking about?" I stuttered, startled by his strange statement. "This mark is a symbol that represents the Black Rose Witch Clan," he said with a distasteful expression on his face. "So, you're saying that I'm a witch?" I snorted in amusement."How else do you explain this?" He demanded, his eyes darkening. "How laughable. I don't even have a mature wolf. Magic? If I had magic in my blood, I wouldn't be here right now," I deadpanned."Who are you exactly? Are you Raven Declan or Sienna West?" He asked, and I sighed."What do you think?"He slowly released my hand, pulling down the sleeve of his shirt to cover the rose tattoo on his arm. "Let's go back. It's late," he said, ignoring my question. I glanced at the inky night sky and scanned the woods beyond. If I made a run for it, how far would I go? King Aries was the king of the Lycans. I'd heard that he was the oldest Lycan in the kingdom. Th
ARIES The moment I saw the discoloured bruises on her legs, I knew they weren't just injuries she'd brought upon herself. They had been inflicted on her by someone else. Judging from the size of the bruises, she'd been beaten for quite a while. Rage engulfed me at the thought of it. "Strip," I said, and she frowned."What?"I dragged in a sharp breath, impatient. I needed to know if she was just as bruised on every other part of her body. "You heard me. Take off your clothes."Her eyes widened."Right here?""If you can't do it yourself, I will."When she stared at me, I realized why she looked so terrified. Cursing under my breath, I rubbed the back of my neck. I had given her the wrong idea. "It's not what you think," I said, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "It's not what I think? You're such a pervert," she hissed, her brows furrowed. "I was concerned about the bruises on your legs. I was worried that you had more of them on your body. You said you don't have a wolf. I
RAVEN Aries regarded me with a puzzled expression on his face. Behind him, the green-eyed woman glared at me. "Did you really have to hit me?" Aries asked. I remained silent, making sure my glare was enough to make him uncomfortable. "I'm going to let go of you. If you try anything stupid again, I'll be forced to do something you will regret. Nod if you agree with me," he said, and I sighed, nodding once. It was official. I was trapped. The Lycan king just won't let go of me. Slowly, he released me, and I pushed my hair away from my face. "She's your chosen mate?" I asked, gesturing at the red-haired lady in his study. She scowled at me, and I rolled my eyes."I am not your problem, woman. He is," I said, pointing at Aries. "You heard her. You can leave Ariella," he said, and my frown deepened. Aries and Ariella?They had matching names?How gross."Fine. I'm leaving. This is not over yet," Ariella spat and stormed out the door. The moment she was out of sight, Aries gr
RAVEN Savannah stared at me with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. When she still didn't respond to my question, I repeated it. "What kind of curse is it?" She blinked at me, rubbing the back of her neck. Letting out an awkward chuckle, she lowered her head. "I'm sorry, my lady. That's all I know," she said, and I groaned in frustration, burying my face in my hands. I was on edge. Since I'd just confirmed that my mother had been right about King Aries' curse, I needed to know the full details. My mother had asked me to run from him, but I'd tried that several times, enough for me to establish the fact that I could never get away from him. "His majesty must really like you. Everyone in the palace was beginning to think that he was in a romantic relationship with his beta," Savannah commented, and I looked up at her, my eyes wide."His beta? What about Ariella? She's his chosen mate, isn't she?" I asked, and she sighed."You met her already? His majesty was forced to ac
ARIES Raven sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darkening with malice. "Well, here is my response, your majesty. You can go and fuck yourself," she spat, pivoting on her heels to storm towards the door. "I can't believe I actually felt guilty towards him. He doesn't deserve my apology," I heard her mutter right before she slammed the door shut. "She treats you with disrespect, do you realize that? That's not how a queen behaves. She might be your destined mate, but there's always the option of rejecting her," Ariella drawled as she slipped on her robe and left the room. Knowing that my destined mate had yet to warm up to me was enough to dampen my mood. Therefore, even the monster in me was disturbed. "Your majesty? Can I come in?" Cade's voice echoed from outside the door. I heaved a sigh, slipping on my black robe. "Come in," I said, sinking into one of the chairs in the room. When Cade walked in, he bowed briefly and approached me. "Are you alright?" He asked, and I clos