He was said to be powerful, the most powerful of them all. A king of kings- a dark king. Complete control. He needed it-thrived on it. He was power, he was dark, and he was beautiful. They say he was a descendant of the first wolves- of shape-shifters so fierce they could kill with barely a glance. He was respected, and revered. Feared. The King of the North. And we were the idiots sneaking into his territory.
"We shouldn't be here." Mae groaned as we crouched lower under the bush just outside the soldier's eyesight.
"Shush." I hissed under my breath and shot her a glare before turning my gaze back on the small squadron jogging pass. They were the border patrol, and with how heightened and trained their sense were- I was surprised they hadn't caught us.
"Do you want to see him or not?" I grumbled when the patrol was far enough out of hearing range.
"Yes, but not at this risk-!"
"This is the only way, Mae. It's not like he's going to pay a peaceful visit to the village anytime soon."
I could feel her nervous, crouched figure
shuffling behind me, but I tried not to take my attention too far away from our situation. I could lie to her all I wanted, but there was no hiding the truth from myself. This was a bad idea. And we were too far into his territory to turn and make a run for it now.
It was almost mid-day, and we would have to wait at least six more hours until nightfall. That was the only chance we had at making it back down the mountain without getting caught.
"We shouldn't have done this." She groaned as I slowly rose from my crouched position behind the leafy bush, the heavy skirts of my dress catching on the sharp twigs. Perhaps I should have stolen some of Leikos's pants for this little adventure.
I glanced carefully over the leafy bush that had provided our much-needed hiding spot, and could just barely make out the tops of his castle over the tree tops.
"Maybe we should just head back, Emrie." The grip Mae had on my sleeve tightened, by I ignored the frightened and stressed tone in her voice. She was right, but that didn't mean I wanted to leave.
"We are so close. I can see his castle." I whispered in something close to awe as I double checked the tiny dirt path before crawling out from under the bush- Mae reluctantly followed behind me.
"We'll head back as soon as the sun sets. I promise." I gave her a small smile that she tried to return, but I could see the fear and worry in her eyes.
"He'll eat the raw flesh from our bones Em!" Mae's tone trembled as she voiced the very thing I was thinking- but hearing it out loud just made me laugh. Out in the air, that idea sounded ridiculous. Not even wolf-bornes could do that, right?
"Yes, and he will also make soup with our blood and liver." I snickered at the horrified look that crossed her face and shook my head. She was too easy sometimes. "Relax Mae, those are just stories. I highly doubt that they're true."
She didn't look convinced, and if anything- she only seemed to be turning greener by the minute. I rolled my eyes and turned back towards the path. She was such a worry wart sometimes.
And yet, even I was beyond nervous.
The King of the North.
That's what they called him. No one knew his true name, but his title alone was enough to make most shiver. Even me, though I tried to hide that fact from the trembling girl a few feet behind me.
I had no doubt that the rumors circling around the King of the North were true, and none of them were pleasant. I honestly didn't know what drove me to suggest our little adventure up the mountain and into his territory- I really didn't. The stories of what he did to simple travelers that stumbled across his land were horrifying enough. I didn't want to think about what he would do to us.
The King and a few of his soldiers had visited the Lower Kingdom a few months ago, and word of his awe-inspiring beauty had reached even the darkest corners of the far North that made up our home. This little trip wasn't an attempt to meet him, or even fawn over him like many of the southern women were said to have done.
We just wanted a glimpse of him. One teeny, tiny, little glimpse of that other-worldly beauty the villagers and townspeople seemed consumed by.
But no one was ever dumb enough to venture into his castle- much less his territory- to find out. Except, you know, for me. And I dragged poor, dear, sweet Mae along with me. I wouldn't let her fool me though- I knew she wanted to see him too. I just could not get that rambling nagging out of my head.
One look. Just one look.
It repeated over and over again in my mind like a dark mantra until it was the only thought taking over my subconscious. I needed to see him, even if it was only one quick glimpse. That should have been enough to satisfy the persistent voice pounding away in my skull.
Mae's death grip held onto the long lapel of my rather thin cloak as her frightened hazel eyes glanced frantically around the forest. I tried to shake off that same fear coursing through her gaze as it crept slowly into my chest.
Just one look, just one.
The small squad of soldiers were nowhere in sight, and I let the soft sounds of the forest slowly calm my racing nerves. I was never one to do something so- so dangerous. Usually Mae and I were in the same boat when it came to keeping our noses out of trouble, but I could not stop this desire inside of me. That inner abyss that made me yearn, tremble, and disregard everything to come here.
One look, just one.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .