As darkness enveloped my surroundings, I found myself in an unexplainable dilemma, devoid of any recollection of how I arrived there. The disorienting atmosphere felt eerily surreal, accompanied by a tantalizing medley of scents - a subtle fusion of oil, earthy wood, verdant grass, aromatic herbs, and damp moss. Suddenly, a gentle touch laid upon my back, jolting me with a surge of shock, causing me to hastily assume a defensive stance. To my astonishment, it was the older woman, whose presence had appeared before me on the day I left Cessi in Alexander's care. She held a flambeau to her countenance, casting striking illumination upon the obscure space we now occupied. It was then that I realized our location - a basement that transcended all ordinary basements, for it was the mythical dragon dungeon. One I only heard about. "The Devil himself dwells among us and you are well acquainted with his presence!" The woman uttered in a deep voice, fixing her cloudy, cataract-filled gaze up

The council didn't seem pleased with Alexander's choice of words, it was obvious with the way they tried to rally him. I, on the other hand, had my jaw on the floor. I couldn't stop thinking about what he said. My eyes remained fixated on Alexander as he acted very unbothered. He wanted to fuck my brains out? His choice of words never ceased to amaze me, and I wondered if he really meant what he said. We were just getting to know each other over again, starting off on the right footing, and learning to be affectionate towards one another. . .but sex?It wasn't that I didn't desire intimacy with Alexander; I simply believed that I wasn't quite ready for sex yet. Also, I didn't think the weapon dangling in-between Alexander's leg could fit into me. Just the thought of that ‘bazooka’ in me was enough to send chills down my spine. My father's laughter reverberated through the room, momentarily silencing everyone. The council had their eyes on him, including sage Bernadette who was now spo

The ache I felt in my chest only got worse after leaving the Alpha king palace. Yet, despite the torment, I resolved to cloak my pain in a veil of stoicism. My head was consumed with thoughts as I watched Alexander walk ahead of me into the mansion. Thoughts about the words the older woman from Cessi had said to me, my mate bond with Calixto, the looming threat of the undead army—werebies, blended with the persistence of my pained chest. Could this be an inflammation of the heart? I made a mental note to request for a green tea — to serve as a soothing balm for the pain in my chest – for breakfast tomorrow morning. Amidst these ruminations, my attention remained drawn towards AlexanderI entered the mansion and the Knights were quick to close the door behind me. The mansion was in a hallowed silence, and since it was evening, way past the girl's bed time I knew they would be asleep. There was a presence of a few maids, their whispered footsteps echoing in the quietude of the mansion.

"Because, Annalisa, I am Dhruv," he announced resolutely. "I am Cessi's younger brother, and I know you're aware about the existence of a basement in this mansion."I blinked once, then twice, before finally comprehending what Alexander said to me. He was aware that I knew about the existence of the basement, but how? I made sure to prowl quietly. Although, with all he had said, one thing kept reverberating through my being; He was Dhruv? My head was spiraling and my chest kept on hurting, it was as though I was being pierced by thousands of needles. It hurt. It really hurt. I rose up from where I was seated, moving away from Alexander. I felt disoriented. Lost. My head throbbed, likely due to the overwhelming information that Alexander—or rather, Dhruv—had just divulged to me. I really wanted to believe him, but every word he uttered seemed far-fetched. Unbelievable. Simultaneously, I wished to trust him and desperately hoped he wasn't deceiving me. I was torn between conflicting em

The sun was scorching. The ground was hot. My back was hurting badly. With my body drenched in sweat, I tried rounding up my third set of sit-ups. It was my last set. To my surprise, I had underestimated the difficulty of the exercise. Canary had suggested I do sit-ups alongside Sophia and the tall, beautiful, lady I'd seen with them earlier. Her name was Katniss. She was my biggest cheerleader as I attempted to do my third set of sit-ups. With each sit-up, my back throbbed with an agonizing pain, yet I persisted.By the time I was done, I fell with my back to the floor, gasping for air. There was a loud cheer around, which made me sit up straight, ignoring the spasms shooting at my back. I was wrong, Katniss wasn't even my biggest cheerleader. Apparently, all the female warriors were rooting for me. Katniss, a towering figure of resolute strength and beauty, approached me. She was huge, robust, bigger than an average female warrior. She had an oblong face and her platinum blonde