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.
The change in the Hexon was noticeable. The people seemed sick and grim, and none of the packs I came across looked happy. It was as if the very life had been sucked out of Hexon, and the weight of the impending danger was all-encompassing.
I kept beating myself over how I fell for the trick. He was still a Lycan King, and I was probably already stronger than some Alphas with Lohki’s help. But the way Erik spoke that day… I couldn’t explain it but it was so hard for me to refuse his challenge. The regret and anger within me were overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but wallow in my own disappointment.
As I sat alone in my room, lost in my thoughts, I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching. The door creaked open, and I turned to see someone entering the room. It was him – Erik.
Erik’s entrance into my room sent a surge of anger coursing through me. The sight of him, with his platinum blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a body that radiated raw power, only intensified my frustration. I wanted to push him away, to banish the memories of our past, but he had an uncanny ability to pull me into his orbit.
“ Good morning, Maeve,” he said as he entered my room. He chuckled when he saw all the gifts from Leon and Caden, who had been trying hopelessly to get me to spend time with them.
“ Are you perhaps ready to talk to me about … some things?” he said, still standing. I looked at him from head to toe, trying to look for a flaw to focus on so that I could keep a disgusted look on my face, but I found none.
He attempted to engage me in conversation about my knowledge of Lohki, his voice gentle and coaxing. But I remained stubbornly silent, my eyes filled with resentment.
Eventually, his frustration became evident, his voice laced with a note of desperation as he said, “Maeve, you need to speak to me. I want to know what happened, what did Lohki make you do?”
I finally broke my silence. “If you want answers, Erik, you’ll have to torture them out of me. That’s the only way you’ll get anything from me.”
However, the fact that his scent engulfed the room and was making my wolf lose control was enough torture for me. I needed him to leave or else, some unspeakable things might happen here today.
Erik recoiled at my words, his eyes wide with shock. “Maeve, you’re my mate. I would never harm you.”
My laughter was harsh, a bitter sound that hung heavy in the room. “Mate? Don’t use that word, Erik. You broke your gemstones and severed my bond with you. Now, I only share a bond with Caden and Leon.”
His response struck a chord within me, my heart heavy with the truth of his words. “They’re no better, Maeve. They never looked for you.”
The pain of his words cut deep, but I couldn’t deny the reality of the situation. Their rejection had left scars that would never fully heal.
“ Still, they weren’t the ones who banished me. It was you. Now you keep me confined in this horrible place of yours…all for what? I thought I wasn’t good enough. I thought I was an anomaly?”
Erik’s voice hardened, a hint of anger in his eyes. “What I said and did was because of my duty to keep our Lycan blood pure but make no mistake about why you’re here now. I wanted you here because you’re the key to saving Hexon. Your presence has turned things around. That’s all”
His words were like a dagger to my heart, and I felt a pang of pain wash over me. I couldn’t even believe that I was suddenly having all of these feelings. If Lohki were here he would be embarrassed of me. He trained me not to feel anymore, yet the second I saw Erik, Leon and Caden, I lost every fiber of control in my body.
Even now, just hearing Erik say that he didn’t bring me here because he wanted me but because of what he thought I had to offer left me feeling hollow and used.
My anger boiled over, and I lunged for Erik, intending to unleash my pent-up frustration. But as our bodies collided, the intensity of the attraction between us surprised us both. The spark that had once drawn us together still burned brightly, and for a moment, it threatened to consume us.
I didn’t understand my feelings. I didn’t have a problem trying to hurt him while we fought some days ago. But with my hands up against his chest, as I pinned him to the wall, a different feeling had awoken within me. I wanted him, just like I did back then two years ago, but it hurt because he probably didn’t feel the same.
I wasn’t going to throw myself at him so easily, so I tried to step back, but I felt his hands already around my waist. Erik was looking at me intensely, his eyes ablaze with a desire that matched my own.
I didn’t even realize how close we were until our lips hovered dangerously close, the tension in the room reaching a fever pitch. The magnetic pull between us was undeniable, and for an instant, it felt like nothing else mattered.
He leaned closer, softly holding the small of my back as he pulled me closer to him, but before our lips could meet, someone interrupted us, and Erik abruptly pulled away. The person who had interrupted us walked in with a bouquet and a wrapped gift.
I stared at the young man in annoyance before he said, “These are gifts from Leon. He hopes you will join him for dinner this time around. He also left you this short note,” the young man said.
The whole time he was looking at me with so much interest as if he had never seen a woman before. “ Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked him, unable to ignore his stares.
“ It’s just… Leon said you were very beautiful. I just can’t believe how right he was,” the man said, and I noticed Erik’s burning glare on the man.
“ Leon?” He said in a low tone and the man stiffened. How he did not notice Erik’s presence was beyond me.
“ Yes, Leon. He doesn’t care for titles like some people do.” The man said, trying to sound fearless, but his voice betrayed him.
“ Of course he wouldn’t. His disregard for the rules is not new. You shouldn’t dare try that with me though, keep your foolishness to yourself.” Erik threatened and the man gulped.
With one last look at me and then the gifts, Erik’s hand tightened into a fist and he left the room. His departure left me feeling sexually tense and unfulfilled, the desire that had flared between us still lingering in the air.
“ You may leave now,” I said to the young man, and he smiled brightly before leaving.
As I sat alone in my room, the desire continued to gnaw at me, a hunger that refused to be sated. I knew that I needed an outlet for the overwhelming attraction that still existed between Erik and me. It was then that I made a decision - I would accept Leon’s invitation to dinner. After all, they all have been trying to win my heart for days – all except Erik, who only wants information on Lohki.
Still, I have two other men who would do anything to win me over. I might as well have a little fun with it, no strings attached.
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.
Maeve’s POVI managed to pull myself together as I opened the door for Faye, who rushed inside the room, hugging me and crying in my arms.“ It’s okay, it’s alright – just calm down and talk to me,” I said as I hugged her. She let go and sat on my bed, wiping tears from her eyes as she started to explain.“There is nothing much to explain…all I know was that she was doing well one minute but then the next minute, she slumped and…died.”“This makes no sense. This was exactly what happened in my dream,” was what I wanted to say, but I decided against it.“What about the child?” I asked.“The child is fine… I just don’t understand what could’ve happened to Lia,”We sat in silence for a long while before she finally broke the silence, “I will raise the child as mine,”“Can you do that? Wouldn’t it be too much stress?”She shook her head and smiled bitterly as she said, “It is our best friend’s child. It’s not stress, I would be honored…it’s just that it’s so painful that I thought we’d lo
Leon’s POVSince Maeve came to live with me, I’ve been happy. I thought it meant that she chose me over Erik, I mean, it was what she meant…kind of.That night, she was burning up but after taking this strange-looking medicine, she felt better. We had a lot of sex that night, but it was only when she slept that I noticed the mark on her neck.It was like a black flower, and I most certainly have seen that mark before. It was not a good mark and there was only one person who could give such marks – Lohki.That night, as she slept, I got out of bed and searched for the files where I kept Erik’s number. When I dialed it, I didn’t expect him to answer so quickly.“Who is this?” he asked, but it annoyed me that he didn’t have my number. I almost hung up, but I thought about Maeve. That mark on her neck got me worried, and I had just one question for Erik.“What is that mark on her neck?” I said instead. He remained quiet for a while before he said, “Leon,”“Answer me,” I persisted while he