WARNING: DARK ROMANCE
"Who knew that something so beautiful could come out of filth like Edmund?" He says, as he runs the backs of his fingers up and down my bare skin.

Goosebumps spring up immediately.

"Who would have imagined," he says slowly, savoring every word, "that something so exquisite could be born from a man as vile as your father."

His eyes trace me with deliberate leisure, stripping, measuring. I felt skinned under his gaze.

"A rapist," he continues lightly, as if reciting lines from a book. "A butcher of children. A coward who kills pregnant women and plunges his weapon into a friend's back."

He stepped closer. Too close.

"And yet," he murmurs, voice dropping, "he left this behind."

His smile sharpened.

I can't move. I can't breathe.

"You should be grateful," he goes on, almost kindly. "If you had been born uglier, I would have killed you like the rest."

A pause, then his hands on my cheek, gentle.

"But beauty like yours," he adds, eyes darkening, "is worth breaking slowly."

*

What is worse than being rejected once? Being rejected two more times.

Xira Valeen is a defective wolf who never thought she would get a mate.

So when she is mated by one who only wants her for her birthright while his brother only wants her because she rises an uncontrollable hunger in him, she is doubtful. Then they reject her, she accepts quietly.

Their enemy steps up and claims her as a mate just to use her against her former mates then he also rejects her.

Three times she is rejected.

Shunned and alone, Xira disappears and when she returns all three Alphas kneel before her, begging for forgiveness and swearing that they want and love only her.

Hardened by their betrayal, she ignores them and joins the Mating Hunt, intent on finding the mate who can save her...
However, the Moon goddess sure has a cruel sense of humor, or can this time be different?

I sat in the chair, schooling my face into calm as I watched Elias touch the girl's face.


I found myself wondering how that smooth, porcelain face would feel against my palm and shuddered at the thought.


Edmund must have enlisted the services of a very strong witchdoctor. That was the only explanation for how I was feeling.


I abhor human touch. I haven't been touched by another person who was not Elias in years. Yet, here I was, wondering how the imprint of my hand would look on her no doubt pale bottom.


I needed Sitara to hurry up with the research on why only we seem to be the ones who can smell Xira.


The sooner she gets an answer, the faster she finds a way to stop it. 


Or else,I fear that I would be unable to resist the urge to take Xira and simply bury my face in her neck and bathe in the sweet smell she was emitting.


Chapter 10 - Shame