My heart hammered against my chest. I could feel my insides rattle as I walked. Every breath became a struggle. And yet, I kept my chin high and back straightened as I passed the long hall where Kaan and our two guests awaited me at the opposite end.My eyes fixed on Kaan, and my stupid heart began to flutter. He wore his usual black pants and half-unbuttoned shirt, teasingly exposing a decent part of his muscled chest, but tonight he was also wearing a black fitted jacket, emphasizing his broad shoulders. I resisted an urge to run into his arms. I knew we were being watched, and one false move could have ruined everything Kaan hoped to achieve.Slowly, I shifted my attention to the guests. Standing next to Kaan was Jalissa, a brunette with alabaster skin and eyes as blue as mine. Her beauty surely was mesmerizing. I bet that she could have had any man she desired… which only made me dislike her more. She was wearing a dress resembling the one I had, but hers was color of red wine. Li
KAANRage coiled at the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sure what kind of game Nathair wanted to play with me, but he wouldn't have traded two hundred warriors for a woman, even if that woman was mine.I drew a slow breath as I glanced at Asena. Her eyes widened, and I could see the dread digging its way out to the surface, no matter how carefully she tried to hide her fears. I wanted to punch that fucker just for scaring her that way…I held his stare and saw his eyes gleam in excitement. Slowly, a smirk tugged at my lips. He was testing me. He wanted to know if Asena mattered to me or not. If I objected, he would have every right to suspect that Asena meant more to me than what I had told them. Then again, I would have never jeopardized Asena's life just to call his bluff.I scratched my chin and let out a cold chuckle. “That's a tempting offer, indeed. But like I said before, Asena is not my slave. She decides whether or not she wants to be with someone.”Nathair burst into cold laught
ASENABreathe in. Breathe out. I straightened my back and forced myself to keep my eyes forward, even though I knew that his—General Nathair's—eyes remained on me. We were walking in silence from the moment we left the dining hall, heading to the gardens. With him being so close to me, I figured I should choose the place where his presence would be the least suffocating, and the gardens were the best idea I could come up with.“You're quiet, Asena.” Nathair chuckled as we exited through the castle's main entrance. “Aren't we here to talk?”I stopped, making him all but stumble as he tried to line up with me. Drawing a deep breath, I covered my irritation with a mask of nonchalance. “You said you wanted to talk in private. I figured that we should begin our conversation with no guards around.”That wasn't entirely a lie. If I were to play my role, I would want no additional audience. Furthermore, I hadn't recognized at least a few of the men we passed by on the corridors, and I could o
My heart kept pounding long after I returned to my chamber. I kept pacing about the room while rubbing my chest. I was restless. I couldn't stop thinking about Kaan and Jalissa and about everything Nathair had told me. What if Kaan was wrong about Jalissa? What if making a deal with her would be worse than trying to side with her brother?A knock on the door pulled me out of the daze. “Kaan,” I breathed out, rushing to open the door, but my excitement faded when I saw it was Delmira who was standing outside my chamber. “Come in,” I muttered, failing to hide my disappointment.She pushed past me and walked straight to the wall by my bed, where a large cabinet stood. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she pressed an engraved symbol I hadn't even noticed before, and suddenly, the wall cracked open, forming a door.“Hurry. We need to go,” she said.I frowned. “Go where?”“It's a passage that can take you to a few places without being noticed. Alpha's chamber is one of those places
Nathair approached me, his steps slow, cautious. He hadn't changed his clothes since dinner and our previous walk, but now his jacket was gone and his shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing a part of his muscled chest.Dragging my eyes away from him, I drew an uneven breath. “I'd rather be alone. Thank you,” I muttered.A soft chuckle came in response. “What if I said that I'm in need of a company?”I felt a prickle of annoyance. “Company for what? Do you want to interrogate me once more?”He stepped closer and raised his hands in surrender. “I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable in my presence. What if I promise not to ask you more questions and tell you a story instead?”My brows inched up. “What kind of a story?”A half-smile appeared. “A story about a stupid boy who made a few pretty fucked-up life choices.”I held his stare for a moment, trying to see through the harmless façade he presented in front of me. Perhaps Kaan was right, and I was too naïve to notice the true e
A hysterical chuckle bubbled in my throat, but I somehow managed to swallow it. It took me a moment to find my voice. “It sounds like something you should tell Kaan, not me.”A knowing smirk crossed Nathair's lips, sending chills down my spine. “You know why I'm telling you that.”I shook my head. “No, I don't.”The smirk disappeared, his features sharpening. “Don't insult my intelligence, Asena. I've given you nothing but honesty. I don't expect you to trust me completely, but at least don't try to lie in my face.”I sucked in a shaky breath. “I'm not Kaan's mate, if that's what you're suggesting.”“How do you know that?” He narrowed his eyes on me. “As far as I'm informed, you weren't with him during the Blood Moon yet. I believe that he is keeping you here to find out if you truly are his destined one.” When I didn't respond, he sighed. “Look, Asena, I don't expect you to confirm my suspicions. Just know that I know all the little signals that tell us we are close to our destined o
Even with my wolf deep asleep, I was ready to roar in fury. The acidic taste filled my mouth again, but this was more than jealousy. I was on the verge of striding through that corridor and then banging on Kaan's door until he opened it. I could see myself barging inside, grabbing Jalissa's hair, and dragging that bitch out of there. Certainly, once I was done with Ms. Escuro, I would return to deal with Kaan. Goddess, I was so ready to kick his balls… repeatedly.A low growl rumbled in my chest as I stared at Kaan's door. He had told me I should trust him, but right now, he was seriously testing my limits. I forced more air into my lungs, trying to slow down my pounding heart. Rage had never been a good adviser, and despite the wicked fire burning inside me, my rationality still functioned enough to tell me to wait.A minute passed, perhaps two, but I didn't see Jalissa walk out of Kaan's room. My patience left me, and I was running out of reasonable arguments that could stop me from
I cried until the raw helplessness filled the whole of me, consumed me, and then left me empty. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I ran out of tears. My throat was hoarse from sobbing. My face was swollen from scorching streams that had now dried, itching my skin.I stared blankly at the rising sun, and for the first time, I felt completely lost. I needed to talk to someone. Certainly, I needed to talk to Kaan, but I was also desperate to talk to anyone who didn't side with him. And no, talking to Nathair again certainly wasn't an option.A knock on my door forced me to drag myself out of numbness. I rose to my feet and let Delmira in. “I brought you breakfast,” she said, eyeing my face, which was likely to be covered with dark streaks of smudged kohl. Surprisingly, she didn't comment on my less-than-fresh look. She placed the plate on the table and walked back to the door. Then she stopped at the threshold and glanced over her shoulder. “Is there anything you need? Anythi