Maeve's POV
The night air was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth and comfort I had left behind. I didn’t know where I was headed; I only knew that I couldn’t bear to stay in Hexon any longer.
Hours passed, and exhaustion began to weigh me down. I found myself in an unfamiliar forest, far from the territory I had grown up in. The moon above was my only companion, its silver glow casting long shadows that danced among the trees. I had never felt so lost and alone.
As the night deepened, I settled beneath a towering oak tree, its branches providing a semblance of shelter. The events of the evening replayed in my mind like a tormenting loop, and I cried until there were no tears left to shed. I was an outcast, condemned by my own actions and the unforgiving rules of my world.
That night, as I lay beneath the tree, the forest seemed to whisper secrets to me. It was as if the ancient spirits of the woods were trying to tell me something, to guide me in a new direction. But I was too distraught to listen, too consumed by my own despair.
Then, in the darkest hours before dawn, a man appeared before me. He emerged from the shadows, his presence eerie yet strangely comforting. His eyes held a glint of otherworldly knowledge, and he regarded me with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity.
I tensed, my instincts warning me of the dangers of the unknown. But the man spoke softly, his voice a gentle murmur in the stillness of the forest. “ What is your name?” he asked.
“ Maeve,” I muttered.
“ You have been wronged, cast aside by those who fear the unknown. But I can offer you a new path, a chance for revenge and redemption.” His words sent a shiver down my spine.
Revenge? It was a dangerous proposition, one that would only deepen the divide between me and the Lycan kings. But I was desperate, with nowhere to turn and no one to confide in.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky.
The man’s lips curved into a mysterious smile. “I can help you gain the power and knowledge you need to make the kings regret their actions. Together, we can forge a path that will leave them no choice but to recognize your worth.”
I hesitated, torn between the need for vengeance and the fear of what lay ahead. But there was a fire in my heart, a burning desire to prove that I was more than just an anomaly. With no other choice, I made a decision that would change the course of my life.
“Okay,” I whispered, a tremor of determination in my voice. “ But what is your name?”
“ I am Lohki,” he said with a smile before he extended his hand, and I took it, sealing our unspoken pact.
Erik’s POV
It has been two years since the recent tragic events. Leon, Caden, and I gathered to confront the dire circumstances we found ourselves in. Hexon was plagued by tragedy: the Lycans were perishing, and the Alphas who served us were growing increasingly frail. The birth of Lycan and werewolf pups had become a rarity, and a shadow of despair loomed over the land.
The cause of this affliction remained a mystery, and it was whispered that such evil could only be wrought by the rejection of a Lycan Luna, but that could not be true. The girl I had rejected two years ago was not a Lycan, she was an Omega. So what could have caused this?
When I arrived at Hexon Court, I kept thinking about it but, somehow deep in my heart, I think I knew the answer. It was bizarre, but it was the only sensible reason for this to happen.
As I entered, the Lycan chiefs arose and bowed to me. Caden stood too to greet me even though he was a Lycan King. He knew I held the greatest power among us three. But Leon remained seated. He had no regard for rules or customs and this was one of the reasons he despised me. I always upheld the rules and our sacred tradition.
As I sat down at the round table, I avoided Leon’s burning glare. He never liked me nor did I like him, but since I rejected that woman, his dislike for me became so glaring, but I couldn’t care less. She was not deserving and he knew it.
Yola, our chief priestess, stepped forward with a sense of urgency and solemnity. Her voice trembled as she addressed us,“ Well…” she started. “ I never thought we would have to converge like this again, but given the sudden tragic events, I have come to discover that there is a way to restore the balance, to heal our land and our people.”
We all turned to look at her, giving her our full attention and she smiled. “ Tell us what is it, woman!” Jared, the Alpha of Evergreen pack said. He was under my rule, but he was quite ill-tempered and rude to women.
“ Do not speak to her like that, Jared. She’s lived a longer life than you could ever dream of, you should respect her wise words,” Caden said, taking the words right out of my mouth.
He muttered an apology and looked away from Caden, but when he caught my burning glare, he shuddered and apologized properly to Yola.
“So what exactly is this solution you speak of,” Leon said. The whole time his eyes had not left me.
“ We must find the girl you all rejected two years ago,” Yola said, and we all turned sharply at her, stunned that she could even suggest such a thing.
The suggestion was met with resistance from both Caden and I. But Leon’s face turned bright with a smile as he said,“ Well, isn’t that good news? I never rejected her anyway, it was Erik who rejected her and banished her. We had no hand in this.”
I scoffed at his statement. What does he know about responsibility? All he had was practically handed down to him. Someone like him would not have the balls to do what I did – and what I did had to be done!
I voiced my objections first, “The girl was no Lycan Yola, she was not suitable.”
“ So that night when you saw her, you felt nothing? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Leon said, his eyes seething with contempt as he awaited my answer.
I looked away, knowing the answer but reluctant to publicly admit it. She was indeed a beauty and what I felt for her that night was…indescribable. I was consumed by her scent and those beautiful brown eyes of hers. I almost lost myself in them, but I would’ve been a fool to give in.
“ Erik, she is the key to this. I know she isn’t a Lycan, but she was your mate regardless. You shouldn’t have made that decision. Everything became worse the very night you banished her.”
I respected Yola, but her words cut me like a knife. So she means to say that I should’ve defied our law for a pretty face?
“ Well, at least someone else said it,” Leon sneered.
“ If you wanted her so badly, why didn’t you counter my words? You are very much as guilty as I was.” I said, looking him cold in the eye.
“ Shut up,” he muttered while I smirked. Knowing he couldn’t deny it too. Our attraction to her was intense, but something about it was not right.
“ It’s alright Yola. I will send my men to look for the girl. You two should do the same. I need to head back, I have other business to run,” Caden said. He bowed to me before he left, while Leon just rolled his eyes and left soon after.
Months passed, and more deaths were recorded. Things were getting out of hand. I even joined the search for the girl but all to no avail. Soon, we set up another meeting, hoping to find another way this time around, but the meeting had barely begun when a messenger arrived at Hexon bearing a message from Lycan King Lohki, the demon king.
Erik’s POV The members of our court became pale at the mere mention of his name, even I was shaken. Lohki, a figure of darkness from our past, had once harbored perverse ambitions, using witchcraft and dark magic to manipulate those in need. Our rules back then were clear. Werewolves and Lycans were never to fraternize with sorceresses. It was a sorceress who cursed our kind and made us this way. The Lycans had it worse than the wolves since it was we who were directly afflicted. We didn’t simply shift like the wolves did, ours was accompanied by inexplicable pain and discomfort. By the time we finally turned, we would hunt villages and those who survived our bites became wolves, meant to serve us. But while the wolves loved the power and strength that came with it, we hated everything we were. We were the bloodthirsty ones…the real monsters, hence why they feared us. But several years ago, Lohki’s ambitions had led him to seek the help of a sorceress to challenge my father, Leon’s
Maeve’s POV It had been days since I had been defeated in the duel with Erik. The weight of remorse and anger bore down on me as I realized that I had been tricked into returning to this place, back to the very men who had rejected me two years ago. Erik, Leon, and Caden, my Mates, were now a constant presence in my life, and I couldn’t help but wonder how I fell for this trick. I should’ve known Erik would be stronger than me. There was a reason Lohki lost to their fathers back then. As I settled into my new surroundings, my thoughts wandered back to where I had been before I returned to Hexon. The man who had saved me, the one I had known as a father figure, was none other than Lohki, the very threat that loomed over Hexon now. Lohki had provided me with intense training, honing my abilities and preparing me for a purpose that he had yet to reveal to me. He had instilled in me the drive for revenge, and it was with that purpose that I found myself standing amid Hexon once more. T
Maeve’s POVI took my time getting dressed, selecting an outfit that was designed to captivate. It was a reminder to myself of the allure that still coursed through my veins, and I wasn’t about to let it go to waste. The seductive attire clung to my form, leaving little to the imagination, a stark contrast to the restraint I had practiced in Erik’s presence.Before heading to Leon’s quarters, I put on a robe to cover my scandalous appearance, but I couldn’t resist the urge to read the letter he had sent me. It was filled with his carefree spirit, laced with humor, and it was impossible not to be drawn in by his personality.“My Dearest Masked warrior,Your return has brought the much-needed spark back to our lives. Looking forward to tonight’s dinner and the mischief we’ll stir up. I promise we won’t have a certain white-haired loser in our midst today, so please will you show up today my darling?With excitement,Leon “I laughed as I read the note. It was ridiculous how boyish his n
Maeve’s POV“Get her something to eat. I’d like her to be served breakfast in bed,” I heard Leon say as I started to wake up. My night with him was beyond amazing. We had a great time together, but there was still this side of me that felt guilty about what I was doing.Lohki did not save me from the harsh rejection I faced that day just for me to betray him by sleeping with the enemy. Still, Leon was my mate. How was I to resist him? I wished I felt a little bit of regret about what I had done, but I really don’t.Leon had been kind to me, he and Caden didn’t want to reject me, but Erik…that man, his authority superseded theirs and there was nothing that could be done. Maybe me coming back here isn’t so bad after all. I can have fun with Caden and Leon while also finding a way to get right with Lohki.If I could somehow bring him Hexon, Lohki would understand why I had done this. I’m sure of it.As I was thinking about this, I felt Leon’s warm breath fanning my skin. I couldn’t bear
Erik's POVI was very furious when I learned what Leon had done. How could he be that selfish, sleeping with a woman we were all bonded to – just to spite me. I knew that was the only reason that he did what he did. If I hadn't been involved, he would’ve taken Caden into consideration, and they would have reached an agreement that would suit both them and Maeve.Due to my rejection of Maeve, I didn’t exactly feel the things Caden felt. That would’ve been torture for me, but just the way Caden described it made me feel just as annoyed over the matter.I had accompanied Caden to confront Leon about it and, like always, he was acting like an entitled idiot. His night with Maeve must’ve been superb, since he was acting more pompous than before. I was willing to just walk away from the argument for peace to reign but when I saw Maeve come out of Leon’s house, dressed in his clothes… I decided I would stay. There is no way that I would let Leon get away with this.My ability to keep my face
Maeve’s POVI was staring at the ‘gifts’ these people brought, wondering what pushed them to think it was an appropriate gift. I mean, after what they did to me, you’d think they would bring something more proper but instead, they dare bring this ridiculous thing to me.Anyway, I had already given them a proper answer and was expecting them to leave me so that I could keep searching for what I thought was a spy or messenger sent to me by Lohki.“I understand your reasons, Luna Maeve. We will also do better and present you with a more proper gift. Once again, we are truly sorry for the pain we caused you,” one of them said, but her voice seemed far too familiar, so I turned around and when I saw the woman who had spoken, all my defences were shattered.“Isn’t that Faye?” I said to myself, but when I saw her silver eyes beaming as they used to two years ago, I knew that she was my friend Faye!Without thinking twice, I hugged her and began to cry. I missed her so much. I knew that she w
Erik’s POV“Good evening, Lycan King Erik,” I heard one of my men greet as he entered my office. Quickly, I put my phone away and acknowledged the greeting of the man. His name was Luis. He was one of my most trusted betas, and he had come to report the things he had seen today after his patrol had ended.“Sit down, Luis, and tell me what new you have brought me,” I said, and watched as he sat down.“My King... I have brought news from the south side, there is still no sign of Lohki or his men there,” he said while I sighed.“King Erik, the only way we can find this man is through your mate. You already rejected her before. You owe her nothing if you decide to force the truth out of her and if she refuses, just kill her!” Alpha Jared said.I was not surprised by his suggestion. A lot of them who were currently seated in my office were probably thinking the same thing as Jared was. The only difference between them and him was that he was the only stupid enough to voice his thoughts. Th
Maeve's POVMy whole body ached as I lay on a bed I wasn’t familiar with. I managed to open my eyes, and I was met with a strong, pungent smell.A woman was sitting beside me, and she was mixing some strange herbs in a small bowl while I watched her, wondering for a moment who I was. Then…it clicked.I am Maeve. I was rejected by one of my mates and sent away from the pack. When I fled, I met Lohki, and he trained me for the most important moment of our lives – getting revenge on the three Lycan kings. But unfortunately, I ruined the plan, and I have yet to fix it.More of my memories came flooding in, and then I recalled how I was going to Erik’s quarters when someone slit my neck and left me for dead.“I see that you are awake,” the woman said, without turning to look at me.“Yes,” I said, as I sat up and watched her. She looked very familiar, but I couldn’t remember who she was for some reason.As I recalled what had happened, I reached for the back of my neck, but I felt nothing.