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 question hung in the air, sharp as a blade. Julian's pulse thundered beneath my grip, the stench of his fear filling the room. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared up at me, eyes wide with terror.


I already knew the answer. His scent told me everything – how close he'd been to her, how recently he'd touched her. My mate.


"Kael." Jax's voice cut through the red haze of my rage. "Remember where we are."


I barely heard him. The room had fallen deathly silent. Every wolf remained frozen, on their knees, heads bowed under the crushing weight of my power. Only Jax remained standing, though I could see the strain it took him.


"Answer me," I demanded, yanking Julian's head back further. 


"I didn't—" he started, but I detected the lie instantly. 


My hand closed around his throat, cutting off his words. "Try again."


Julian clawed at my grip, his face turning red. I loosened my hold just enough to let him speak.


Chapter 38 - The Price of a Lie