Alpha King Thane is wild and ruthless. He doesn't know how to be gentle. He is exasperated by the slave in red dress. He doesn't want another mate but no one else can have her.Esmeralda is attracted to the king. He acts hot and cold towards her and stirs up emotions she doesn't understand. She has no idea what he wants from her.What does fate have for the innocent slave girl and the ruthless alpha king?
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO
He rolled in bed and reached for his mate. It was how he usually started his mornings.
He frowned as he found an empty spot on his bed. He sat up in alarm. He reached for her in his mind but something was blocking him out. He got out of bed and raced out of the room. Her scent lingered in the hallway but it was faint.
He followed her scent down the stairs and into the kitchen. A smile graced his face as he saw his mate dancing as she prepared breakfast. He walked quietly to her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him and he kissed the tip of her head.
"Stop leaving the bed before me" she turned so that she faced him.
"I wanted to give you breakfast in bed today" she pouted.
"I could have had breakfast between your legs." A blush covered her cheeks and she smacked his chest. He placed his lips against her own as they shared a kiss. The maids looked on in awe as the King and Queen publicly displayed their affection for each other.
The King rarely smiled except towards his loving mate or their pup. He lifted her into his arms, breakfast forgotten. He carried her into their bedroom and laid her on the bed. He peppered kisses on her neck. He was about to take off her dress when a knock sounded on the door. She pushed him off her and went to get the door.
"Good morning sister-in-law"
"Morning Eridian" he stepped into the room.
"Is your mate not keeping you busy enough that you have to disturb me so early in the morning"
"She is asleep. She is thoroughly exhausted from the pleasure I gave her at night. She will not be awake till late in the afternoon." He replied smugly. Thane threw a comforter at him.
"We have an important meeting in section 6 of the north" he left the room. His mate, Catalina pouted at him.
"I thought we were going to spend the day together?"
"We are. I won't take long" he kissed her lips and entered the bathroom. She was still seated on the bed when he came out. He gave her a long kiss.
"After this meeting you have me all to yourself" she nodded and he kissed her forehead.
He went for his meeting and she went in search of her friend. She opened the doors and chuckled when she saw her friend sprawled on the bed. She jumped onto the bed and her friend woke with a start.
"Catalina!" She chided.
"Let's go out"
"No. I'm exhausted" she lay back on the bed, covering herself with a duvet. Catalina pulled her out of bed.
"Okay, okay" she went into the bathroom grumbling. The two met at the edge of the forest and they strolled in talking about things. Her friend held a basket in her hands.
"You never bring food" "I didn't have breakfast today" they found a small clearing and sat and began eating.
*******
The king sat with his brother and his advisors while listening to the complaint of the beta. He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. It wasn't his pain. Something was wrong with his mate. He stood up abruptly from the table. "My king, is there a problem?" He growled loudly and ran out of the building. His insides clawed at him to get to his mate. He knew somebody was running behind him but he didn't care who it was.
He ran upstairs into the castle when he reached the central capital. He ran into the room he shared with his mate but she wasn't there. He followed her scent into the forest clearing. She lay in another's arms blood pouring from her mouth. Rage clouded his senses as he took in the woman who hurt his mate.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry" he plunged his claws into her chest and ripped out her heart.
He picked his mate into his arms and raced back to the castle. A loud growl pierced the silence. The other wolves howled loudly at the loss of their own. He laid her gently on the bed and sliced his veins. He placed it against her lips for her to drink. She held his hands and pushed it away from her mouth.
"It's too late" he shook his head in denial. She coughed and blood spilled from her mouth.
"I-I- lo- love y-you" tears spilled from her eyes and onto the bed sheet. He held her hands tightly and wept as she took her last breath. He howled loudly and his pack howled after him. He had lost a mate and they had lost a queen.
TWENTY THREE YEARS AGO
The woman clutched her stomach as a sharp pain passed through her. The babe was moving around restlessly. She groaned as she tried to stand. The babe wasn't due yet and given current circumstances, it would be unhealthy if it came out prematurely. She was the only one in the house and couldn't afford the services of a witch.
Her clan members had gone out for the day's work. Sweat poured profusely down her face. She managed to get to the poorly equipped bathroom. She squatted and held the door frame for support and felt her vagina. She was wider than normal. She didn't know much about giving birth but the incessant urge to push overwhelmed her.
She scrunched her face in pain as she pushed the baby out. Blood pooled at her feet as she continued to push the babe out. She gave a loud cry and a final push and the baby slipped out into her waiting arms.
She collapsed on the floor, babe on the cold ground. She struggled to reach the baby but she was too weak. She hoped the loud cries of the baby would attract the neighbors. She prayed to the goddess that the babe would live.
"My Elpida" she muttered just before she blacked out.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."