Scenario:Penny, an ordinary werewolf, is irresistibly drawn to Darius, a powerful lycan with icy blue eyes, during a charged first encounter. Despite her determination, Darius remains aloof, pushing Penny to the brink of giving up. Deciding to embrace her freedom, Penny plans to explore her desires without him, sparking a fierce jealousy in Darius who can't bear the thought of her with another. In a dramatic turn, Penny joins her friends at a lavish ball in Russia, hoping to reignite Darius's interest. Dressed provocatively in a beaded gown and feathered stilettos, she becomes the center of attention. However, her heart shatters when Darius arrives, arm-in-arm with the stunning Karla, igniting a fiery jealousy in Penny. The night at the palace unfolds with forbidden glances and simmering tensions, suggesting that the fight for love and dominance is far from over. Amidst the opulent setting and sexual intrigue, Penny must decide whether to pursue her passionate quest or protect her heart from the dangerous allure of the lycan world.
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Penny, an ordinary werewolf, is irresistibly drawn to Darius, a powerful lycan with icy blue eyes, during a charged first encounter. Despite her determination, Darius remains aloof, pushing Penny to the brink of giving up. Deciding to embrace her freedom, Penny plans to explore her desires without him, sparking a fierce jealousy in Darius who can't bear the thought of her with another. In a dramatic turn, Penny joins her friends at a lavish ball in Russia, hoping to reignite Darius's interest. Dressed provocatively in a beaded gown and feathered stilettos, she becomes the center of attention. However, her heart shatters when Darius arrives, arm-in-arm with the stunning Karla, igniting a fiery jealousy in Penny. The night at the palace unfolds with forbidden glances and simmering tensions, suggesting that the fight for love and dominance is far from over. Amidst the opulent setting and sexual intrigue, Penny must decide whether to pursue her passionate quest or protect her heart from the dangerous allure of the lycan world.
I’m at a crossroads.
My best friend, Sarah Moretti, has found love and acceptance in her triad, and I’m so happy for her.
But as for me, my future isn’t looking so rosy.
I’m an ordinary werewolf, not an alpha or a powerful lycan like the men in my pack.
I’m not even a dominant, which is why I crave the firm hands of a man who knows how to control me in the bedroom.
Unfortunately, the more time passes, the more I realize I may never get what I want.
I don’t think I’ll be as lucky as Sarah.
I refuse to let Darius Blackwood force me into a mating ceremony like he did with my parents.
I’ve seen the way he looks at me, and it makes my heart race with desire.
But Darius is the leader of all lycans, powerful and aloof.
He’s not someone who will ever be interested in a woman like me.
So I’m going out tonight to enjoy myself and to make the most of my freedom before everything changes forever.
The Russian palace is buzzing with excitement as we prepare for the pack party tonight.
I’m so excited that I can’t stop smiling, and even Darius’ icy gaze can’t dampen my mood.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t look any happier to see me either.
We’re packing up the final bits of equipment we need to take with us when Darius suddenly speaks, his voice commanding and cold.
“You will not attend the party,” he says without preamble, his gaze fixed on mine.
I blink up at him, shocked that he’s trying to give me orders.
“Do you really think you have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do?”
Darius’ eyes flash with anger, but he quickly masters himself again.
“Do not make me punish you, little wolf,” he warns.
God, if only he knew how much his anger turned me on.
I’ve been trying to get him to notice me for weeks now, but it seems that nothing I do has the desired effect on him.
I’m so tired of trying to get his attention.
Part of me just wants to give up and admit defeat.
I’d have more luck getting a straight answer out of him if I asked him to recite the entire phone book from memory than I would with anything else.
I can never tell what he’s thinking or feeling, and I hate feeling like I’m being played with.
“I’m going,” I tell him firmly.
“I want to go out with my friends tonight and have a good time before everything changes.
And nothing you say will change my mind.”
Darius’ eyes narrow dangerously and a muscle ticks in his jaw.
What will he do if I refuse to obey him?
He’s been trying to keep me on a tight leash for weeks now, and I know he won’t be happy when he sees what I’m wearing tonight.
But I don’t care.
I’m not letting him dictate every aspect of my life any longer.
I’m tired of playing by his rules.
“Fine,” he says through gritted teeth.
“If you want to go out and whore around like a bitch in heat then be my guest.
But when your friends leave I want you on my bed.
I can’t believe he’s trying to use my desire against me.
The worst part is that it’s working.
No matter how hard I try to deny it, I crave his touch like a drug.
I’ve always been shameless when it comes to giving my body away, but I’ve never wanted a man like I want Darius.
And no matter how hard I push, I can’t seem to shake the desire I feel for him.
Even though I know he won’t ever return my feelings.
I shoot him one last glare and then walk away before I do something stupid like throw myself into his arms.
God help me, I want him so much that it hurts.
But I’ll be damned if I’ll let him know that.
I want to enjoy my last night of freedom before everything changes forever.
The party is already in full swing by the time we get there and I can’t wait to join in on all the fun.
Everyone rushes around getting things ready and I join in on all the excitement.
I make sure to go out of my way to taunt Darius every chance I get.
I dance provocatively with other men and flash as much skin as possible.
When I don’t think he’s watching I even let one man put his hands on me, all in the hopes that it will make Darius jealous.
It seems to work two-fold, since the other lycans all seem to think I’m a sweet piece of ass, and Darius’ fists clench so hard around the glass in his hand that I’m afraid he’ll shatter it into a million pieces.
His icy blue eyes promise retribution, but I can’t seem to bring myself to care.
I may not be able to get him out of my head, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have fun while I still have the chance.
Darius may be the one I want, but that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy all the men who are desperate for me while I still have the chance.
I can see why they all want me too.
My parents were both incredibly beautiful and they gave me good genetics.
I’m tall with long legs, big tits, and a curvy ass.
My long brown hair is shiny and straight, and my golden eyes shine with mischief.
Darius isn’t the only one who wants me.
But unlike them, I only have eyes for him.
And the more men I fuck, the more I realize that.
I may not be able to control my attraction for him, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up trying.
I don’t know what it is about Darius Blackwood that attracts me, but I’ve learned the hard way that he’ll never feel the same way about me.
Sarah and Vincent eventually join me on the dance floor, and we dance until we’re hot and sweaty and our feet are sore.
But no matter how many times I glance at Darius, he doesn’t seem interested in joining us or dancing with me.
He finally breaks away from his conversation and strides across the room towards us, but his gaze remains cold and indifferent as he greets both Sarah and Vincent warmly while ignoring me completely.
I frown up at him as Sarah introduces us, but Darius’ face remains as expressionless as ever as she steps away from him so that he can kiss the back of my hand.
“You look absolutely stunning, Penny,” he murmurs, his icy blue gaze roving over my body as if it has a mind of its own.
He’s holding on to my hand far longer than necessary, and I can feel his touch like a jolt of electricity that zings through me, reigniting my desire despite his coldness.
I’m wearing a dress that’s barely decent, and I can tell by the way his eyes are darkening that he’s thinking about all the things he wants to do to me while I’m wearing it.
I give him a saucy smile that I hope is enough to tell him that I’d be more than willing if he’d just ask me, but the next moment he’s shaking my hand and stepping away from me as if I’m nothing more than a stranger in a bar.
“Thank you,” I say, even though I don’t want him to think that I need his approval, because I don’t.
Not that I’d ever admit that to him, of course, but just because I think Darius is hot doesn’t mean that I don’t have plenty of options when it comes to men who are interested in me.
My smile falters when I realize that Darius is staring at me again, as if the sight of me in this dress has made him forget about my earlier humiliation, and for a moment, I think that maybe he’s going to change his mind and ask me to dance with him after all.
His icy blue gaze is locked on mine, and my heart is pounding hard in my chest as I wait for him to make a move.
But then Karla appears at his side, and his face is as cold as ice again as he takes her by the hand and leads her away from us without a backward glance.
I watch them go, blinking back tears when Sarah puts a comforting hand on my shoulder as she stands beside me and Vincent wraps an arm around my waist on the other side.
Karla Nightshade is almost as beautiful as Darius is, with dark hair that falls in waves down her back, completely unblemished porcelain skin, and green eyes that sparkle like emeralds in the light.
She’s dressed in a red gown that clings to her body like a second skin, and she’s wearing heels so high that she almost looks taller than Darius.
I know instantly that she must be a vampire, because no werewolf would ever let their mate walk into a room looking so vulnerable and unprotected, but I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces just the same.
“Hello, I’m Karla,” she says warmly as she holds out her hand to shake mine, as if we’re meeting for the first time.
“I hope you don’t mind, but Darius and I are going to go get a drink at the bar with Sarah.
We’ll be back in a little while.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond before she glides away from us, her fingers laced with Darius’ as he drags her through the crowd.
I try to hold it together until they’re out of sight, but then I can’t help it anymore.
The tears come pouring down my cheeks, and I run away from Vincent and Sarah so that no one will see me crying.
The courtyard is icy and slick, and I slip on something as I run away from them, but then strong arms come around me from behind, and I’m being pulled up against an even stronger body before I can hit the ground.
The second I’m in his arms, my body knows that it’s him.
His scent wraps around me like a warm blanket in winter, and all of the hurt inside me turns into white-hot desire in an instant.
I can feel it rushing through me as if it’s going to burn me alive from the inside out, and I know there’s no way he doesn’t realize what’s happening to me right now.
But when I turn to look at him, his face is as cold and expressionless as it was before, and he gives me another little push away from him as if he didn’t just save me from breaking my neck on the ice.
“What are you doing?”
he demands, holding me out at arm’s length and giving me an icy glare with those piercing blue eyes of his.
I try and shrug it off, but it feels like he’s stabbed me in the heart, because how can he be so indifferent to me?
“Nothing,” I say, trying not to let my voice break even though I’m on the verge of tears.
“I was just going for a walk.”
His gaze doesn’t move from mine, and his expression doesn’t change one bit as he holds me pinned in place with his eyes.
“Don’t get in my way,” he says after a moment, and then he lets go of me, leaving me shivering in his absence.
I watch him walk away from me with tears still streaming down my cheeks, my heart breaking a little more with every step that he takes away from me.
Why does he have to be so cold?
I know he’s not like this with everyone, because I’ve seen the way he looks at Sarah and the way he treats her like she’s the most precious thing in the world, even though she’s only human.
I know that he’s capable of being warm and affectionate with someone who isn’t a lycan like him, so why does he treat me like I’m nothing?
I want to call out to him to ask him why he hates me so much when I’ve never done anything wrong to him, but I don’t want him to see how much power he has over me.
I don’t want him to know how much I care about what he thinks of me.
So instead I stand there for a moment longer until the tears finally stop coming before I turn on my heel and walk away from him as if nothing has happened.
“Where did you go?”
Sarah asks as soon as I find her again.
She takes one look at my face and puts an arm around my shoulders, guiding me back toward the warmth of the palace.
“Are you okay?”
I give her a watery smile as I nod my head, even though everything about this night is wrong.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever feel okay again now that Darius has rejected me so harshly, but I don’t want anyone else to know how much it hurts.
“I’m fine,” I say as we rejoin the rest of our friends at our table.
“I just needed some air.”
“Darius is such an asshole,” Karla says as soon as she sees us.
I look up at her in surprise, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she sits down at the table beside me.
“He was giving you the look while you were dancing with all those men,” she says as she takes a sip of her drink.
“But then I guess he decided that if you weren’t going to come to him, he’d come to you instead.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Darius,” she says with a roll of her eyes.
“He’s been giving Penny the eye all night, but then when she finally goes over to talk to him, he rejects her.”
My friends all gasp in shock, and I can’t help but join them.
Was Darius really interested in me like I thought that he was?
But then why did he reject me so harshly when I went over there?
“Why did you reject her?”
Karla asks him, obviously confused by what’s happened.
“Do you really have to ask?”
he says with a snarl as he turns his sharp gaze on me.
I flinch away from him, unable to meet those icy blue eyes again after the way that they’ve looked at me tonight.
“Penny isn’t my type,” he says as he stares me down.
His words cut through me like a knife, but I still don’t understand why.
I couldn’t be any more different from the other women here, so what is it about me that repels him so much?
“Why are you being so mean?”
I ask him, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice.
“Why do you treat me like this?”
His only response is a snarl, but I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anyone look more terrifying than Darius does in this moment.
He’s so much bigger than me with his broad shoulders and thick muscles, and I can see the strength rolling off of him in waves.
The way that he’s looking at me right now is incredibly intimidating, and I’m almost tempted to run away and hide from him rather than trying to get close.
But then I remember the way that he looked at Sarah earlier, the way that he took care of her and protected her without even having to think about it.
I know that he would never hurt me intentionally, so I push away my fear and do my best to stand tall in front of him.
“You’re being mean to me for no reason,” I say as firmly as I can.
“I’ve never done anything to hurt you, so why do you keep treating me like this when you’re so nice to everyone else?”
He takes a step closer to me until he’s towering over me with his chest only inches away from my face.
He smells like cedar and mint with a hint of something spicy that makes my whole body tingle with desire, and I find myself leaning forward slightly until our bodies are almost touching.
He stares down at me with those icy blue eyes, and I feel another shiver run down my spine.
“Don’t come near me again,” he says in a low growl that sends shivers throughout my entire body.
His breath is warm against my skin as he speaks, and I find myself leaning forward even further until our lips are only inches away from each other.
I want to close the distance between us and feel his body against mine, but something tells me that I shouldn’t.
Something tells me that Darius is dangerous, and I shouldn’t be tempting him the way that I am.
So instead I take a step back and nod my head, unable to meet his eyes again after the way they’ve just looked at me.
“Okay,” I say as I look down at the ground.
I can feel the tears burning at the back of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall in front of him.
Instead I hold them back as I turn on my heel and walk away from him one last time.
I can feel his eyes on my back as I go, and I’m half-tempted to look over my shoulder to see if he’s watching me go.
But then I remember that he told me not to come near him again, and I know that I have no other choice but to do what he’s asked me to do.
Which is why I don’t stop walking even as I feel tears start to fall down my face.
“Penny, are you okay?”
Sarah asks as she grabs onto my arm and pulls me away from Darius before anyone else can see me crying.
She wraps one arm around me and pulls me into her side as she leads me away from the party and towards a more private area, with Vincent following close behind us the entire time.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” she says gently as she leads me through the palace’s long hallways.
“We don’t have to go back if you don’t want to.”
“No, no, I’m fine,” I lie as I do everything in my power to hold back the tears.
“I don’t want to ruin your night by making you leave early.”
“You’re not ruining anything,” she says firmly.
“That’s not what’s happening here at all, Penny.You’re my best friend and you mean everything to me – we’re not going to leave you alone when you’re hurting like this.”
She pulls me into her side even tighter as she speaks, and I do my best to hold myself together for her sake.
I know that she’s only trying to help, but I don’t want to upset her by making her leave early.
I know how much she loves coming to these events, even though they’re always a bit awkward for her since she’s the only human there.
But tonight is especially important because she’s only been mated to Vincent for a few months, and this is the first time she’s been able to attend one of the Elders’ parties as his mate.
She’s been looking forward to this night for weeks, and I would hate to be the reason why she can’t enjoy herself the way she wants to.
So instead of asking her to leave, I just nod my head silently as I try to pull myself together once again.
“It’s okay,” I say as we walk through the hallways.
“I’m fine, I promise.”
Sarah gives me a sad smile before pulling away from me slightly so that she can look me in the eyes.
I know you are,” she says softly as she lifts one hand to brush away the tears that still fall down my face.
“And I know that this isn’t going to change your mind, but I’m so sorry he was so mean to you.You don’t deserve to be treated like this, Penny.”
I give her a small smile as I try to pull myself together once again.
“I know,” I say with a shrug.
“And besides, it’s not really his fault.
He told me he wasn’t interested in me, and I should have listened to him.”
She gives me one last sad smile before pulling away from me and leading me towards the bar where we were all planning on meeting later in the night.
“Come on,” she says as she takes my hand in hers and starts to lead me back towards the party once again.
“We’ll get you some food and drinks and you’ll feel better in no time.”
I let her drag me along behind her as I try my best to stop crying and get myself back under control before we go back inside.
When we get to the bar, I take a moment to collect myself as Sarah and Vincent go and find somewhere to sit while they wait for me to join them.
As soon as I’m alone, I take a few deep breaths and do my best to try and stop the tears from falling altogether as I try to put myself back together once again.
I don’t want Sarah or Vincent to worry about me unnecessarily, and I definitely don’t want to ruin their night by making them worry about me.
After all, we came here so that Sarah could show off her ring and celebrate with all of their friends, and I don’t want anything to take away from this special night for her if I can help it.
So instead of wallowing in self-pity like I really want to do, I do my best to pull myself together so that I can go back out there and pretend like everything is fine.
And after a few moments, I finally feel like I’m ready to face everyone once again.
Taking one last deep breath, I quickly wipe the remaining tears off my face before heading over to the bar so that I can order myself a drink to help settle my nerves.
I’m not really sure what I want yet, but I know that I need something strong to help me forget about the way he treated me earlier.
So when the bartender finally comes over to me so that I can order my drink, I look up at him with hopeful eyes as I try to figure out what I want to order.
“How can I help you?”
he asks with a smile, but the smile quickly drops off his face as he takes one look at me.
“Are you okay?”
he asks softly.
I nod my head silently without meeting his eyes as I do my best to hold myself together.
“Of course,” I say softly as I try to force the tears to stop falling down my face.
“Just get me something strong,” I say finally.
He gives me one last sad smile before turning around and mixing up something for me quickly before handing it over to me so that I can pay and take it with me.
I take the glass in my hands and bring it up to my lips to take a sip of it before glancing around the room so that I can find Sarah and Vincent.
They’re sitting together on one of the plush couches near the entrance, both of them laughing and smiling at something one of their friends said as they continue to celebrate their engagement.
I smile when I see them having such a good time together since I know that tonight is so important to them, and I don’t want to do anything to ruin their night by making them worry about me.
So I turn back around and lean against the bar as I try to do my best to blend in with the crowd around me so that I can enjoy the night.
My heart jumps in surprise when I turn around and bump right into Darius, who is standing only a foot or two away from me with a strange look in his eyes.
I’m not really sure what I did to set him off just now if I’m being honest, but I know that he’s not happy with me right now.
I can see it in the way he’s looking at me, and the way his eyes are glowing softly in the dim light of the room.
But instead of getting angry with him like I normally would, I take a deep breath and smile at him as I try to figure out what I did wrong this time.
“What?”
I ask him softly as I glance up at him.
“What did I do wrong this time?”
I ask him gently as I try to keep my voice as soft as possible so that we don’t end up causing a scene.
His eyes flash with anger for a moment, but he quickly forces them back under control as he takes a step back from me once again.
“You know exactly what you did,” he says coldly.
My breath catches in my throat at the sound of his voice, and I can feel my heart starting to race in my chest at the sound of it.
I’m not really sure why it’s happening right now if I’m being honest since I know that we’re still in the middle of a fight.
But at the same time, there’s something about it that just makes me want to forget all about our fight so that I can lean up against him again so that he can whisper sweet nothings into my ears.
I shake my head firmly when I realize that’s what I want him to do since I know that’s exactly what he wants me to do right now.
But at the same time, I can’t help but take a step closer to him since I know that’s exactly what he wants me to do right now.
“Why are you doing this?”
I ask him softly as I glance up at him.
My breath catches in my throat for a moment as we lock eyes for a moment.
But after a few seconds have passed, I turn away from him so that he can’t see me staring at him anymore.
“I don’t know,” he says icily as he glances down at me.
“Maybe you should ask yourself that,” he says firmly before turning on his heel and striding away from me without another word.
My heart starts to race in my chest as soon as he’s out of sight as I try to hold back the urge to follow after him so that we can finish our conversation right now.
I don’t know why we were fighting just now, but I know that we need to clear the air between us so that we can move on.
But before I can take another step in his direction, Sarah is suddenly there beside me as she reaches out and grabs onto my hand tightly so that she can stop me before I go running after him like an idiot.
“What was that all about?”
she asks softly as she glances up at me.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly as I take another sip of my drink to try and settle my nerves.