The Alpha King and His Virgin Bride (eBook)

Caden Blake (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
343 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-108333-2 (ISBN)

Infos

The wolf inside him is starving.

But it's the woman he loves who holds the key to his salvation.

Rhyland Blackthorn, the Alpha King of the Lycanthropes, is a creature torn between his humanity and his animalistic rage.

He craves peace, love, and a future with Selene, his destined mate. But his darkest fears threaten to tear them apart-the urge to dominate her, to claim her entirely, and the curse that binds them together.

A curse he must break before it destroys everything he's fought for.

When Korrin, a ruthless rival Alpha, sets his sights on both Rhyland's throne and Selene's heart, the battle for power becomes a war of blood and loyalty. Selene, once innocent, now harbors a power she doesn't fully understand-a power that could destroy them all.

But as the pack's future teeters on the edge, will she embrace the monster within to save them all? Or will she lose herself, and him, forever?

As Rhyland faces a choice that could cost him his soul, Selene must decide if her love for him is enough to defy destiny, or if their love is doomed from the start. Only one thing is certain-their bond is both their greatest strength and their most dangerous weakness.

Can Rhyland lead with both heart and strength, or will the darkness consume him?

For fans of dark fantasy and steamy romance, The Alpha King and His Virgin Bride is a spellbinding tale of power, passion, and sacrifice. Dive into a world where love is the greatest weapon and the stakes are life and death.

Textauszug

Chapter 1 - The Death of the Old Alpha

The crackle of the hearth filled the room, but it did nothing to break the silence that pressed in around Rhyland like the weight of the world. Shadows stretched across the stone walls of the central hall, the low firelight flickering on the ancient tapestries that lined the chamber. The air was thick with the sharp smell of pine resin from the trees surrounding the pack's ancestral home, mingling with the smoke of the fire. It was a scent that should have comforted him, that should have been familiar, but tonight, it felt oppressive, almost suffocating.

Rhyland stared into the flames, his gaze unfocused. His father had been ill—nothing serious, the healers had assured him. Just a few minor injuries from an old battle, perhaps a bruise or two. He had expected a simple report, the kind that kept the pack running smoothly. But it was late now. The pack was supposed to be resting, the moon high and full above the forest canopy, but his mind wouldn’t let him rest. It couldn’t.

His thoughts drifted to his father, the old Alpha King, whose presence had always been unshakable, powerful, and full of authority. And now—now there was only this.

The sound of footsteps broke his reverie, and Rhyland turned sharply. The large wooden door to the hall creaked open, and in stepped Darius, his Beta, tall and broad-shouldered, his expression unreadable. There was something in his posture that made Rhyland’s stomach tighten, something too formal in the way Darius held himself, something wrong.

Darius hesitated at the entrance, his dark eyes flicking over Rhyland before settling on the space beside him, where the shadows gathered. He didn’t speak immediately.

Rhyland’s pulse quickened, a low growl building in his chest. "What is it, Darius?"

Darius took a step forward, his voice low, almost reluctant. "Rhyland... your father is dead."

The words hit him like a physical blow. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. His father—dead? No. It didn’t make sense. There had to be a mistake. He couldn’t—he hadn’t—planned for this.

Rhyland stood abruptly, his chair scraping harshly against the stone floor. His senses roared to life—the scent of pine now mingled with the sharp tang of blood, the metallic taste that clung to the air. He could feel the heat of the fire against his skin, but it felt distant, like it wasn’t even his own body anymore.

"How?" His voice came out rough, disbelieving, as if he were speaking through a veil, a thick fog clouding his mind.

Darius didn’t meet his gaze. "The healers couldn’t save him. There was nothing they could do. He... passed in his sleep." He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "But Rhyland, it was... too sudden. Too unexpected. There’s talk among the pack. Some of the elders suspect foul play."

The ground beneath Rhyland seemed to shift, the world tilting sideways. He took a step back, but his legs felt unsteady, as though the weight of the news had drained all strength from his body. His father, the mighty Alpha King, gone? And now... the pack was leaderless.

"Foul play?" Rhyland echoed, his voice a whisper of disbelief. His pulse quickened, the blood in his veins thrumming with the urge to run, to hunt down whoever had dared to take his father’s life. The beast stirred inside him, clawing against the confines of his human skin, but he tamped it down—just barely. He couldn’t lose control now.

"Yes," Darius continued, his tone softer now, almost apologetic. "Some believe it was the work of a rival pack. Others think someone inside the pack may have... acted against him."

Rhyland felt the weight of the accusation settle into his chest. His father, the man who had ruled with iron strength and a fierce pride, was now gone. And he, Rhyland, was expected to take his place. But there was no time to mourn. There was only the looming responsibility of the pack, of the legacy his father had left behind.

"You know what this means, Rhyland," Darius said quietly, his gaze finally lifting to meet Rhyland’s. "The council is already discussing your ascension to the Alpha title. They want you to lead."

The room seemed to close in on him. The air was suffocating. His father’s death had opened a chasm between him and the life he thought he knew. He had never been prepared for this. He had never wanted it.

"I don’t—" Rhyland began, his voice thick with uncertainty, but the words died in his throat. What could he say? That he wasn’t ready? That he wasn’t capable?

"Rhyland," Darius said, his tone firm, "you have no choice. The pack needs a leader. And you are the only one who can fill that role."

Rhyland’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, the sharp pain of his nails digging into his palms grounding him. His thoughts swirled in a haze—he had never wanted this. His father’s power had always overshadowed him, had always made him feel small and insignificant. Now, in his absence, Rhyland was expected to step into those shoes, to carry the weight of the pack’s future.

His breath came in short bursts, the heat of the hearth suddenly oppressive, too much. The fire seemed to flare brighter, shadows dancing on the walls, and the pull of the wolf grew stronger in his chest, as if the very air had shifted around him.

"I don’t want this," Rhyland muttered, barely audible. "I’m not... I’m not ready."

The words felt foreign on his tongue, and the beast inside him growled in response—this was the moment, the turning point. His body was still human, but his instincts were calling, urging him to take control. To claim his rightful place.

"You don’t have a choice," Darius repeated, his voice heavy with the finality of the situation. "The pack needs you. You need to lead. And you need to do it now."

Rhyland swallowed, his throat dry. There was no escape from this. No hiding from his father’s legacy, from the power that was now his to wield. He was Alpha now, whether he was ready or not.

The weight of it pressed down on him, suffocating.

And then came the final blow, the unspoken truth that Darius wasn’t saying out loud but that hung between them like a shadow: the pack would not accept him as Alpha unless he married. The human bride. The one the council had already chosen.

Rhyland’s jaw tightened. The life he knew was slipping through his fingers, replaced by a duty he never asked for. His father’s death wasn’t just a loss—it was the beginning of a new chapter he hadn’t written, a chapter where the burden of leadership was heavier than he had ever imagined.

The fire crackled louder, the shadows dancing, and Rhyland closed his eyes for a moment, his hands trembling as the weight of his new title settled over him.

The air was thick in the war room, the scent of old leather and earth mixing with the faint chill from the mountain’s depths. Shadows clung to the walls like old secrets, the low, flickering light from a few scattered candles offering little warmth against the cold stone that surrounded them. The room was vast—too vast for the heavy silence that hung in the air. Maps of the pack’s territory were pinned across the walls, each one weathered, each line representing blood spilled in battle. The trophies of past victories—antlers, claw marks, and broken weapons—stood as grim reminders of what it meant to be a Lycanthrope.

Rhyland stood at the far end of the room, his gaze fixed on the large table in front of him, where the pack council gathered. The air between them was taut, each elder eyeing him, waiting for him to speak. The mantle of leadership, once his father’s, now lay heavy on his shoulders. His father’s death had been swift, unexpected. He still didn’t know the full truth of it, but the pack was looking to him now. He was no longer a son—he was the Alpha. Whether he wanted it or not.

Darius, his Beta, stood just behind him, arms crossed, expression tight. His loyalty was unwavering, but even he couldn’t mask the tension in his stance. Rhyland could feel it—the weight of his father’s legacy, the weight of the pack’s expectations, pressing down on him from every corner of the room.

The first elder, a tall, weathered werewolf named Garik, cleared his throat. "Rhyland," his voice rumbled, low and commanding, "we are here to discuss the next step in the future of the pack."

Rhyland’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. There was no avoiding this conversation. There was no denying what was expected of him. "What do you propose?" he asked, his voice more controlled than he felt.

Garik’s lips curled slightly, though there was no warmth in the expression. "The council has already made its decision." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "To secure your position as Alpha, we require your union with a chosen bride. The tradition must be upheld."

Rhyland’s heart skipped, his pulse quickening. "A... a bride?" The word felt foreign in his mouth, as if it didn’t belong to him. His gaze flickered toward Darius, but his Beta only offered a silent nod, confirming what he already feared.

"You must marry," Garik continued, his eyes sharp, unyielding. "The bloodline needs to remain pure. The strength of the Alpha will be rooted in that union. If the pack is to survive and thrive, this must be done."

Rhyland’s breath caught in his throat. His instincts surged—his claws, itching to emerge, his fangs grazing the back of his throat, urging him to lash out. But he held himself still, feeling the cool sweat slick against his skin. "You know how I feel about this," he said, his voice low, laced with an edge of frustration....

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.10.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-108333-3 / 0001083333
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-108333-2 / 9780001083332