AVERY

“ N—No. ” My back arcs.

“ Ask my name. ” He demands in an amused tone.

I can’t focus on whatever he wants. I can only feel his hand in my hair and on my breast. Calloused fingers kneading my skin, and making me breathless.

“ Ask me. ” His lips press onto mine again, just enough to make me yearn for more.

If I know his name, will I…seek him again?

I…can’t.

“ I don’t want to know. ” I shudder helplessly.

“ What do you want, Princess? ” His breath hits my cheek before sliding to my exposed neck.

He pulls at my hair, making me arc more for him. His lips press into the crook of my neck, sending chills down my spine.

“ I just want you to, Ah…make me feel good. ” I blurt hesitantly.

He chuckles against my skin. My fingers dig into his muscles, feeling the hardness and imagining his body over mine.

The tingling sensation between my thighs is driving me crazy. I open my mouth to demand him to hurry up but his hands behind my back stop me.

With a tug, he rips the back of my dress. Buttons fly in the dark, as the dress helplessly falls to the floor.

Now, I stand in front of him, naked and flushed. His hands claim my skin possessively and drag down my sides.

I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to fight the moans threatening to spill out of my mouth. He runs his fingers under the breasts, tracing the exposed lining.

His lips meet mine again. The bruising force behind the kiss makes me stumble but he catches me and tugs me back in. My naked body presses into his clothed one as he parts my lips and dives in.

All thoughts drop out of my head and the sensations take charge. One kiss leads to another, then his lips are on my neck—Kissing, sucking, nibbling, and leaving marks on my skin.

I can’t stop the moans anymore. The hot sounds echo in the room, and my hands grip his shirt tightly.

Abruptly, I am pushed into the bed and he is hovering above me. My eyes blink open to find his heated gaze fixed on me. My heart jumps into my throat.

Under the dim lights, he looks like the definition of masculine beauty. The darkness he radiates is unique and tempting.

My thighs clench harder as his gaze drops to my hardened nipples. He places his hands on my thighs and spreads my legs. My back curves and my nipples brush his shirt.

Instantly, I moan and then close my mouth. His dark gaze sweeps over my body and meets my eyes again.

A warm hand slides between my panties and another moan escapes my lips. My toes curl as the pad of his middle finger presses into my core.

This is happening.

Oh, Goddess.

Without a care, he slides the finger inside me. The uncomfortable feeling spreads in my lower half, but it goes away the moment he pulls it out and then plunges it back in. I don’t have the time to be surprised by the ease with which his fingers slide into me.

He pulls them out and leans away. Instinctively, I squeeze my eyes shut. My core is throbbing and aching with the need to get something inside me.

It’s like my body is betraying me completely. The alcohol has made me blind and the strange sparks only aid whatever this man is doing.

He slides my panties down my legs which have a mind of their own. His muscular frame settles between my legs again before he leans in and kisses me roughly.

The movement of his lips is aggressive and demanding. It’s different from the previous kisses. It’s more intense, and deeper. His tongue explores my mouth, as his fingers slide between my folds once more.

Like a brainless fool, I moan into his mouth and spread my legs wider for him.

We part for a moment and he removes his shirt hastily. I pant as I reach for his neck and tug him back in. Our lips meet with the same intensity that knocks the breath out of my lungs.

His hands fumble between our bodies. I hear the noise of the zipper, then feel something hot and hard sliding between my wet folds.

Pleasure courses through my veins, making me unable to register anything else.

His teeth tug my lower lip harshly before he pulls away and sits on his knees.

“ Look at me. ” He commands in a powerful tone. Warmth pools in my belly at the way he speaks.

My eyes snap open and meet his gaze. The corner of his mouth quirks up but I find myself staring into his eyes that hold a hint of fury.

Why is he angry? Is he mad at me? Does he not like it?

“ Keep your eyes on me. ” He orders, and breathlessly, I obey.

I have never—

My train of thought comes to a halt. He pushes inside me roughly. I hiss and clench my teeth. My lower abdomen throbs with pain as if something has split me in half. Unconsciously, my eyes roll back into my head as I struggle in agony.

“ Eyes, Princess. ” He says hoarsely.

Immediately, my gaze finds his face again. A wave of electricity goes down my spine and makes me squirm to adjust him.

I want this, I want him. I need this desperately.

He is watching me, writhing in pain and the subtle pleasure. I clench the sheets while trying to not make it so obvious.

“ First time? ” He lowers his hand to my stomach, feeling the tensed muscles.

I bite my lower lip but refuse to answer him. His eyes flash a threatening black, making my eyes widen in horror. Slowly, strange dark red veins pop under his eyes and in his cheeks.

This can’t be. Only the eyes of Lycans ever flash black. And what are those veins? I have never seen this before.

Roughly, he pushes his length inside me. I wince, as my head rolls back into the pillow. This hurts like hell.

“ Princess. ” He pushes further in.

I try to squirm away but his hands close around my waist and pull me to him.

“ You will take all of me tonight. ” He groans, pushing all of it in.

My insides cling to him while pain makes me shake my head repeatedly. I should ask him to stop.

I should ask him to stop—I repeat to myself, but the pleasure that his throbbing cock inside me brings surpasses the pain. The sparks that surround my body and make it tingle make me numb to the world.

“ P—Please, move. ” I grumble through my gritted teeth as he stays still.

“ So tight. ” He pulls out.

“ And wet. ” Thrusts back in. I grip the pillow and moan recklessly.

“ And eager to get fucked. ” Another thrust and the gravity of his voice makes me forget about the pain.

His hands move to my breasts, squeezing and pinching my nipples. I turn my head to the side and bite the pillow but it’s not enough to keep me quiet…or sane.

The slow thrusts become hard, and fast, and then quicker. His groans become an aphrodisiac, giving me a satisfaction I never felt before.

Every sensation heightens the moment his lips find the skin of my neck, my shoulders, my breasts. His lips are everywhere, and his hands are holding me down as he takes me mercilessly.

The moment I forget the pain, it becomes all about the hot pleasure that buzzes in every inch of my skin. Something builds deep inside me—Something that threatens to leave me shattered underneath him.

And then, I come undone with a shallow scream in his neck but he keeps going. My mind tells me to stop this. I am done.

But the thought of his pleasure, the pleasure he will take from my body…is intoxicating. I want him to feel the same. I want him to shatter and lose his mind.

Every desperate thrust and every desperate sound of pleasure brings me closer to another orgasm. He flips me to my stomach and slides back in before he takes me in the familiar quick strokes.

The stretch burns, and he goes deeper. But it feels so good.

Somewhere during it, I forget my name, and my identity and only remember the man who is inside me like he owns me.

I only come to my senses when I feel his teeth over my neck. He bites a little harder than necessary, and a force sweeps inside my head. I scream due to the pressure before I feel the warm liquid inside me.

What did he do?

I struggle to grasp the reigns of sanity but it’s impossible when the pressure in my head grows.

The thrusts come to a halt as he pants close to my ear, his heavy breaths making me dizzier.

“ What…did…you— ”

My tongue loosens in my mouth. I press my forehead into the pillow while trying to understand what just happened.

He sinks his teeth in the lobe of my ear, sending a sharp pain in my flesh. I try to grab the pillow but it slips from my hold. I feel so weak.

“ You… ” His deep, angry voice whispers something into my ear. “ Mine. ”

I gasp a final time and desperately try to hold onto my consciousness but I am already slipping. I am so sleepy and tired and—

“ Princess. ”

I think he is laughing to mock me. I try to blink my eyes open but it’s impossible.

“ Remember. My name is… ” I hear him say and then feel him pull out of me.

I try to make out what he said, but everything goes black.

AVERY

Everything hurts.

I groan, shifting to my back only to get the bright sunlight to burn my face. For a few moments, I keep my eyes closed and try to understand why it hurts.

But then the events of the night flash before my eyes and I sit up in the bed. The stench of alcohol and sex still lingers in the air but the atmosphere is cold now.

The warmth is gone.

I open my eyes and look around to find the room vacant. The man is gone. And I—

I look down at my body only to find myself still naked and bearing the marks from last night.

My breath hitches in my throat. Did I just give up my virginity to a stranger when I was supposed to keep myself pure for my future mate?

No. This can’t be.

Dustin will kill me when he gets to know and if he doesn’t and I end up in the South, Aleister Anasazi will know. If he finds out, he will consider this treachery.

Fear grips my heart and twists it painfully. What do I do?

Why did I do this?

Why did I lose my mind when I saw this man? Why did I feel like I was on fire when he was so close?

Who was he?

Another memory swarms my mind. Last night, I saw his eyes turning black and some strange veins appeared in his cheeks. Could it be that…he is a Lycan?

But, that’s impossible, right? Only the Royal Bloodline are Lycans. Aleister Anasazi and his family are the only Lycans in the South.

Does this mean…this man…is Aleister’s relative?

Oh, my Goddess. What did I do?

I am startled out of my thoughts when a loud knock sounds on the door. It is followed by several heavy thuds. I don’t need to open the door to know who is there. It’s Renee, her sweet scent is filling the space already.

Scent. My eyes widen in realization. I had sex. She will be able to tell instantly.

“ Princess! ” She shrieks on the other side of the door when I don’t answer.

I jump to my aching feet and gather my clothes. Panic surges in my veins as I dress up in a hurry. The urgency in Renee’s tone tells me that the worst has happened.

And as expected, when I open the door, her fear-filled eyes meet my gaze. She grabs my wrist and pulls me out.

“ His Highness— ”

She freezes, her gaze lowering to my neck which is still exposed. The temperature drops around us, and at that moment, I realize something else. Last night, he did something to me. His teeth sank into my neck and then everything became heightened before I lost consciousness.

“ Tell me you see nothing there. ” My chin wobbles.

“ Is that a… ” Her lips tremble as she meets my gaze again. “ Princess. What did you do? ”

My numb, cold fingers finally land on my neck and there is a bump there. I stumble on my feet, my back hitting the wall behind me.

No.

I dig my nails in my neck.

No, he didn’t do it.

“ It’s a… ” Renee can’t bring herself to say it.

“ Mate Mark. ” I utter and the world slows down for a while.

“ Who was it? Did you find your mate? ” She steps away from me cautiously.

Deep grey eyes keep revolving in my mind. The indifference, the amusement, and the strange glint.

My heartbeat escalates until I can’t breathe anymore.

No way.

A Princess marked by a man she doesn’t even know…That sounds just…Impossible.

This man is from the South, an enemy and he is a Lycan which means he is closely related to the man I am promised to. That’s just oil to the fire.

“ They are here to take you back, Princess. They found us. ” Renee whispers scaredly.

“ He is going to kill me. When he finds out, I did something like this, Dustin will kill me. ” I gasp, covering my neck.

Dustin, my brother, and the King. He will die before accepting this. He will kill me.

And what about the man I am promised to? He will hold this against Dustin. He sought a pure, virgin Princess who had never been touched by a man before, and when he realizes that not only did I sleep with a man but also had his mark, he will consider this a betrayal from our Kingdom and he will…wage a war.

I hyperventilate as my whole body trembles and my breath gets stuck in my throat.

Oh, Goddess.

What the hell, Avery?

What now?

My stomach tightens in knots, sending me to the edge. I might as well strangle myself now and pretend I didn’t do anything.

Heavy footsteps cover the distance to us, and my heartbeat speeds up to new limits.

“ The Royal Guards. They are coming. ” Renee lunges towards me and covers my head with the cape. “ we must not let them see this. Do you understand, Princess? ”

She is right.

“ Here. ” Hurriedly, she opens the small vial bottle which I failed to notice before, and forces the liquid down my throat. “ this is a scent-hiding potion. They won’t smell anything on you. ”

My first reaction is to agree with her. Until I come up with a solution which I doubt will be possible, I must not let my brother figure out what I did in here.

“ My Princess. ” The head Royal Guard, Austin is the first to get to me.

Respectfully, he bows his head when he approaches us and gestures at the other guards behind him to stay in the back.

There is no change in his usual respectful stance towards me which means the potion is working. He won’t be able to pick the stench on me.

I try to gather myself and act to be nonchalant but the lessons of a lifetime fail me. I can’t wipe off the look of horror, shock, and anger from my face. He notices this from the corner of his eyes and sighs.

“ His Highness is waiting for you outside, Princess. ” He informs politely.

But my world tilts off its axis. “ My brother…he is here? ”

He came personally? I gulp nervously. The potion might hide the scents but fooling my brother is no easy feat. He will know when he looks at me.

“ Yes, My Princess. ” Austin nods and steals another glance at the sweat trickling down the side of my forehead.

My brother is waiting for me. My cold hands shiver by my side. How am I supposed to face him?

I take a step back in fear. I don’t want to see him. I want to hide and—

“ If you don’t walk now, Princess, His Highness will have to come inside. ” He adds, releasing a soft sigh.

My heart jumps in my throat. If he comes inside, this whole place will burn down to ashes. He is my brother but he is a cruel man who leaves no witnesses behind in any scenario.

I break out of the dreadful trance and steel myself. “ Let’s go. ”

My soul trembles in fear of my brother, my family and the future as Austin leads me down. The club that was bustling with people is empty and the eerie silence only weighs on my senses.

Where did all the people…go?

Renee follows closely behind, the rigidity of her body increasing my nervousness. I hold my head high as we exit the premises.

And there he stands, the man who can manage to make the strongest people scared with a simple look. His calm demeanor is the same as usual. There are no cracks in the facade he puts up in front of people when his eyes move to rest on my face.

But I know better than to think he is composed. The calm Dustin is the most dangerous man to exist.

I drag my heavy feet towards him. My heart races in my chest, as fear spreads throughout my body.

It’s embarrassing.

He will know what I did. I can’t play him. My brother…He is too smart.

“ Dustin, I didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t even think about it. I just wanted to be free for a day… ” I didn’t dare mention night. “ I drank too much and passed out. ”

Lies spill out of my mouth one after another. I am digging my grave deeper. Eventually, Dustin will know and he won’t spare me.

“ Take the Princess back. ” Dustin cuts in and commands Austin without taking his eyes off me.

“ It’s not what you think. It’s… ”

It’s exactly what he thinks. I shouldn’t feel guilty but the disappointment, that only I can sense in his eyes makes me tear up.

‘ Royals don’t cry. ’ My mother’s cold voice rings in my head, accompanied by the sounds of sharp lashes and screams.

I clasp my hands together to stop the tremors. Dustin’s fleeting gaze falls on my hands but his eyes don’t soften. He has nothing to offer to me anymore.

My chest tightens in pain but I don’t utter another word. I am doomed—I know and I must suffer and pay for what I did last night.

I tighten the ribbon of my cape to hide my neck and storm away, leaving my brother behind.

He let me go without asking anything in front of so many people, but what awaited me at home won’t be this lenient.

AVERY

I hurry back to my room so I don’t stumble across her. At this time, the worst thing will be a confrontation.

Renee is running behind me as we both abandon our usual composed demeanor. She is the only person who knows why I am so out of breath.

When I finally enter my room, a sigh of relief escapes my mouth. She is not here. Renee enters behind me and closes the door.

“ You should take a bath, Princess. It’s— ”

“ I know. ” I snap, rushing towards the attached bathroom.

She closes her mouth and doesn’t stop me. I discard my clothes once I am inside and turn on the shower. Water rains on my body, wetting my hair instantly.

The wall-length mirror in front of me reflects my body. My drenched blonde hair clings to my back and shoulders. Unconsciously, my gaze rests on the exposed black half-moon and a star on my neck.

Numb—That’s all I feel when I see the mark.

Why did a stranger feel the need to mark me?

The longer I stare at the mark, the worse the fear becomes.

Once people find out, everything will be over. For me, and our Kingdom. Dustin has already promised me to Aleister. If he sends me there, the King of South will know about the mark and my wild night and if he doesn’t, it will mean breaking a deal.

In both conditions, Aleister will be coming here to do what he wants from the beginning—starting a war that will destroy both our Kingdoms and many will lose their lives for something that is not even their fault.

A chill crawls down my spine as I drop to my knees in the middle of the shower room. Pain reverberates through my legs, but it’s not enough to divert my attention.

I was always careful. I had never caused trouble for anyone. Even last night…I wanted to retaliate against my brother’s decision by running away from home and getting drunk. I thought, Dustin would be worried when he found me missing, he would come looking for me, and he might regret imposing this difficult situation on me. That’s all I wanted.

That’s all I have ever wanted—for others to choose me or show me that they at least regret not doing it. I can’t be so worthless that they don’t even feel guilty over abandoning me, right?

How did this small retaliation turn into this life-threatening situation?

“ What were you thinking, Avery Landric? ” I murmur, closing my eyes.

Why couldn’t I resist this man? Was I so drunk that my mind shut off completely?

But that…never happened before. I never blacked out like this.

Maybe, he is my mate. My mind suggests, but if he is my mate…I could have felt it, right? Other than the attraction to him, I felt nothing out of the ordinary.

My body becomes cold and numb under the freezing water as I sit there for a long time. Eventually, a loud knock on the bathroom door pulls me out of my daze.

I jump to my feet, startled out of my mind.

What am I doing?

I need to find a solution quickly.

I can’t let Dustin know and Aleister can’t know about this either. The night must remain a secret and somehow, this mark needs to be hidden.

Another knock on the door and I am turning off the shower. My hand reaches for the bathrobe to wrap it around my body before I step out of the bathroom.

My nerves become tense as my eyes first fall on Renee and then on the woman standing in the doorway. Her docile posture makes me shiver instead of putting me at ease.

Instantly, I brush my wet hair and strategically cover the mate mark with them. To my relief, the bathrobe’s neckline covers the spot.

“ Renee, step out of the room for a moment girl. I need to talk to my daughter alone. ” She clasps her hands together and throws a smile in the direction of my friend.

Renee’s hesitant gaze lifts to my face. I nod subtly, silently telling her to leave and not make it worse.

“ Where were you, Avery Sweetheart? ” Mom walks inside the room leisurely. Her golden hair and blue eyes resemble mine so much that I don’t have to wonder what I will look like when I am older.

“ I—I didn’t go far. ” I swallow the lump forming in my throat and utter.

Renee lowers her head and walks out of the room. On the way, she closes the door and immediately, Mom’s polite smile becomes a vicious glare.

“ You just had to make your stupid existence known, didn’t you? You had to cause trouble and let the whole castle know that you are a slut who runs away from home every other day to whore around. ” She closes in on me and without my control, my heartbeat speeds up.

“ Mom, I—I can explain. I didn’t— ”

“ What do you think your fiancé will do once he realizes you are not a pure girl but a common whore who throws herself at every man she sees. If your history with Tyson was not enough, you had to open your legs to other men too. ” She stops in front of me.

I take a step back to put distance between us. Every time I ran away and was brought back…this was what she said. Her daughter had always been a whore to her. I could deny her accusations before…but how do I do that now?

“ Look at you. ” Her hand shoots out and grips my jaw so tight that I instinctively flinch. “ with an ugly face like this, you should be happy a King is ready to take you in but you have to keep decreasing your value. ”

My eyes sting as I lower my gaze. I ball my hands into fists, keeping my lips tightly pressed together to not give in to her.

One day, I will be out of her clutches and free, I tell myself. My day will come.

“ This is exactly why Tyson chose a bitch over you, daughter. You never acted like a Princess. More like a cheap slut. And you keep doing it. Eventually, Aleister will throw you out. No one will ever choose you, slut! Is that what you want? To always be a burden over us? ” Mom leaves my jaw with a harsh jerk.

My head turns to the side as I find myself unable to bear the disgust in her eyes. My cold fists tremble no matter how tight I keep them closed.

She takes a step back, and sneers. “ Listen to me now. ”

I gulp, keeping my gaze low.

She reaches out and fists my hair roughly. I bite my lower lip to drown the hiss threatening to escape.

“ If you give your brother any more trouble, I will make sure he throws a bitch like you to the commoners. You will wish you were never born, Avery Landric! ” Her shrill voice is deranged and filled with malice.

“ I won’t. ” I reply quietly.

“ In a week, you will go to the South and deal with your mess! Even if Aleister throws you to every soldier of his Kingdom, you will never set foot here again, or else, your brother will find out what you did, Avery. Do you get me? ” Her voice is like a screech that unsettles every fiber of my being.

My whole life she kept holding a secret over my head and it seems like…I will never truly be free even if I escape from her clutches.

My eyes sting worse than before but tears refuse to fall.

“ Do you understand?! ” She screams in my face.

“ Yes. ” I nod quickly, my scalp beginning to burn. “ Yes, Mom. ”

She tugs at my hair forcefully and then lets me go. A few wet strands cling to her fingers that she shakes off while hate shines in her eyes.

I don’t dare move from my spot as long as she stays there and throws me one hateful glare after another. When she finally leaves, I grab the wall behind me to steady myself.

My chest tightens as it becomes hard to breathe. She didn’t know about the mark—I try to highlight the good point to myself but in the end, I am still on the floor, gasping for air and reaching out to any support I can find.

But in reality…

There is none.

No matter where I look, I will find no support.