But you know you want to, a softer voice whispered.
With a choked sob, Emeriel surrendered. Muscles straining, she pushed herself up, bracing her back against his knee for support. With trembling hands, she gathered her tangled hair, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. Her bare throat pulsed in the dim light, a silent plea.
“I offer my blood to you, My King,” she breathed, her voice barely louder than the rustle of her own breath. “Take it.”
The beast’s roar filled the air, a guttural sound that vibrated through Emeriel’s bones. Its massive form trembled, whether in anticipation of the feed or a primal struggle against its own nature, she couldn’t tell. Its head drew closer from behind, breath caressing her ear.
A searing pain began in her neck as a single, razor-sharp fang scraped her flesh, leaving a burning welt in its wake. Then, it sank deeper.
A jagged scream tore from Emeriel’s throat as blinding pain ripped through her. She gasped for air, fighting to breathe. Her nails dug into her palms.
The beast didn’t attempt to penetrate her with the rest of its fang-just that one tooth. It drew her blood in with small, measured sips.
Emeriel felt more than heard when he came. Spurts of warm sperm coated her insides and trickled out of her.
A wave of pleasure suddenly consumed her, triggering yet another release. She didn’t make a sound. She couldn’t.
The overwhelming sensation held her captive. Her eyes squeezed into slits, a chaotic blur of motion, while her body convulsed repeatedly, as if she were having a seizure. Maybe she was.
It was too much. Simply too much.
Finally, she slumped forward. Her vision swam, shapes and colors melting into one another. Sound lost meaning. Her body, sluggish and heavy, felt like a stranger to her. Aftershocks rippled through her, her vision going dark around the edges.
And just as her senses faded into darkness, she felt the fang withdraw from her neck.
MIXED POV
That night, the news of the beast’s escape and killings spread throughout Urai, plunging the people into terror. The savage way the feral creature tore through one of their own without reason intensified their fear.
Chaos descended. Men shifted, assuming their beastly forms, standing guard outside their homes to protect their families. Slave masters, their faces etched with a fear they’d rarely shown, scurried back to their dwellings, their hearts filled with wariness after witnessing the fate that befell their colleague.
The high lords of Urai convened an emergency meeting at the grand high court, led by the grand Lord, to discuss the situation.
Meanwhile, Aekeira rushed to Madam Livia, begging the older woman to go with her to the fourth wing to check on Emeriel.
Madam Livia agreed without hesitation and accompanied Aekeira. Upon arrival, they found Emeriel unconscious, carefully laid out in the corridors, just as before.
With practiced hands, Aekeira worked quickly. Breasts bound, breeches pulled on, and then, working together, they lifted Emeriel. Aekeira’s strength strained under the weight, but fueled by desperation, she pressed on. With Madam Livia’s steady guidance, they navigated the corridors and returned to the western wings.
In court, Lord Zaiper’s voice rang out. “Fear gnaws at Urai. Chaos reigns, and tonight, we grieve a life brutally ripped from us.” He paused dramatically. “To save our people, the feral must die. A fortnight is too long – we act in two nights.”
A ripple of surprise washed over the court.
“I will commission the finest experts,” Zaiper continued. “They will work day and night on our weapon. Every resource, and every ingredient will be ready. In two nights’ time, the beast will be dead.”
THE BEAST
Within the forbidden chamber, bathed in the crimson glow of its recent feast, the beast lay sated. The taste of blood still lingered in its mouth, savoring the flavor as it basked in the afterglow of its carnal desires fulfilled. The beast’s body shuddered, a strange metamorphosis surging from within.
Paws contorted, bones shifting with sickening snaps beneath fur. Claws became blunt nails. Hindquarters elongated, warped, and reshaped. The wild mane of black flowed and twisted, strands morphing, shimmering… and falling to frame a face not animal, but hauntingly human.
Yellow eyes burned. Then flickered, fading to the startling green eyes of a man.
For one breathless moment, the beast was gone. In its place, a naked man lay. Large, powerfully built, and strikingly handsome.
Grand King Daemonikai.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the change reversed. Power drained, energy seeping away like sand through fingers. The man convulsed, and the familiar fur and fangs returned. Exhausted, the beast fell asleep.
GREYROCK, THE NORTHERN WING
GRAND LORD ZAIPER
Grand Lord Zaiper hummed a tune of triumph as he glided along the labyrinthine corridors. The cool stones beneath his feet echoed with each step, carrying the promise of a future hewn to his will.
All the hard work he had put in would finally pay off, and he would ascend to the grand throne of Urekai.
“My lord,” a passing laborer gasped, bowing so low his sweat-slicked forehead nearly touched the floor.
“Good day to you as well,” Zaiper replied, his grin stretching wide.
Their flinches, the way their heads snapped back to their tasks like frightened sparrows, were a satisfying tribute.
On this blessed day, his heart was filled with sheer delight. Once he became the grand king, his next agenda would be to eliminate the law of the four rulers. He would be the sole ruler of his people.
To achieve such a goal would undoubtedly take years-perhaps even centuries-as the people would resist him tooth and nail. But Zaiper had all the time in the world. That was one of the perks of living a long, long life.
Eventually, they would submit. They had no choice; he would be their undisputed ruler, his word their unbreakable law.
Rounding a corner, the rhythmic clash of the training grounds abruptly ceased.
They were his finest warriors-his trusted hidden soldiers-specially trained for countless centuries. They stood at attention, their stances as rigid as the ancient stone of the fortress itself.
Their commander, Razarr, broke formation and stepped forward.
Zaiper gestured, leading him away from the others. When they were well beyond earshot, he turned. “Mobilize a select few of them. Tonight, we hunt to kill.”
“Your command, Majesty. The target?” Razarr’s voice was steady.
“The boy, Emeriel.” Zaiper’s eyes glittered with a cold light. That wretched boy must die. The beast’s rampage last night… the way it protected the boy… fueled the gnawing unease within him.
He had tortured the information out of one of the southern wing’s slaves.
The beast had torn the slave master to pieces for molesting the boy? For his scent lingering on the boy’s body?
“Forgive me for prying, but won’t the beast be killed tomorrow? Is there still a need to eliminate the boy?” Razarr asked cautiously.
Zaiper’s eyes narrowed. “My instincts are rarely wrong, Razarr. There’s something going on with the feral, something inexplicable, and it’s all connected to that boy. It makes me uneasy. Before whatever that is goes any further, that boy needs to die.” He took a step closer, his voice dropping low. “I need him gone.”
“Very well, your highness. I will assemble a squad for tonight.” Razarr inclined his head.
Zaiper nodded, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips before he turned to leave. “Choose our finest, commander. The best of the elite.”
Confusion flickered on Razarr’s features. “For a mere…”
“Not exactly. The slaves convene at the square outside Ravenshadow this evening. Strike after, when he makes for home. The forest offers perfect cover. If all goes according to plan, he should not be difficult to eliminate. However, have the elite soldiers on standby in case complications arise… as they did last time.”
“You mean Lord Vladya? Even if we combine the prowess of all our men, they would still be no match for him,” Razarr stated bluntly.
“I am aware. That is why the arrows will be coated with dragonblood.” Zaiper smirked. “It may not kill that stubborn beast outright, but it will weaken him significantly. If he is struck by more than a few, it will surely be fatal. Hence, I require the elites for this task. I am not willing to take any chances. One of those arrows aimed at the boy will undoubtedly end his life.”
EMERIEL
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply