Lenaleia

For six years, I was Hazel, girlfriend to the future Alpha, Julian. I thought we had forever, a cherished place in our werewolf pack, even as a human. Then Mate Hunt night ripped it all away. I woke up lost in the forest, only to find Julian with her – his true fated mate. His words hit harder than the forest floor: I was just a 'placeholder.' Six years together, and he tossed me aside, his fingers bruising my throat as he growled that I meant nothing. My world, my heart – shattered.

Left for dead, freezing and injured, a different kind of predator found me. A colossal black wolf, eyes glowing gold, big enough to swallow me whole. But instead of tearing me apart, he curled around me, a warm, terrifying shield against the biting cold. For a moment, I felt safe.

That safety vanished when my pack, my family, found us. The Alpha who raised me, Maxen, didn't see a survivor. He saw a disappointment. Turns out, he’d only taken me in hoping I’d magically become a werewolf like my mother – the fated mate who’d rejected him. When I couldn't shift, he cast me out, branding me an omega, the pack’s punching bag.

Now, I'm less than nothing, surviving on scraps and enduring their cruelty. What they don't know, what I don't know, is that my monstrous protector is no ordinary rogue. He's Lykos, the wolf of Kael, the Lycan King. And Lykos has decided I am his fated mate – a human. Kael is furious, but his wolf has a will of its own, dragging the King himself towards my abusive pack.

My old life is over. My only ally is a creature of legend. And the most feared Lycan in existence is on his way. Is he coming to save me, or is the King's arrival just another nightmare waiting to begin?

A King’s Curse, A Wolf’s Claim

The succession ceremony unfolded before me like a poor imitation of royalty. These Blue Mountain wolves dressed up in their finest clothes, playing at power they didn't truly possess. The tension beneath the surface was palpable despite their attempts at celebration.


I kept my distance from everyone, particularly the new Luna, Delia. She had been casting glances my way all evening, her interest as obvious as it was unwanted. Even Jax had noticed, shooting me amused looks whenever he caught her staring.


"Your admirers grow more obvious by the hour," Jax murmured beside me, his voice low enough that only I could hear.


I didn't dignify his comment with a response. The champagne in my hand remained untouched, a prop for appearances. My patience was wearing thin as the minutes ticked by.


The crowd parted, and I saw him approaching. Julian Thorne. The new Alpha of the Blue Mountain Pack. Hazel's ex.


My grip tightened on the glass until I heard it crack slightly.


Chapter 37 - A Rival's Tainted Scent