Chapter 1The day before the full moon gala, my succubus bloodline was on the verge of awakening.
As usual, I trudged through the heavy snow to find Jaxon at the packhouse.
Thick, heavy snowflakes fell as I arrived, melting into my hair the moment I stepped out of the car.
A gust of frigid wind made me shiver uncontrollably.
The heavy oak door to the packhouse lounge was ajar, and through the crack, I saw Jaxon's handsome profile.
He held a glass of bourbon, lounging on the leather sofa with a stunning woman in his arms.
I stood there, frozen, my mind completely blank.
Jaxon had pursued me relentlessly for three years.
I had only agreed to be his girlfriend less than six months ago.
Just last week, he had cupped my face, smiling as he told me he loved me.
He said he had a surprise for me at the charity gala the next night.
But now, he was holding another woman.
A woman more gorgeous, more alluring than me.
Jaxon's friends glanced at him, their voices laced with teasing.
"Jaxon, Chloe's back. What's the plan?"
Chloe. Jaxon's childhood sweetheart.
My fists clenched at my sides.
In their circle, everyone acknowledged Chloe as the future Luna.
Jaxon's voice was a low drawl.
"What plan?"
"No way, you really think Chloe came back for nothing?"
"Yeah, Chloe's made it so obvious. You're not still planning on that mating ceremony with your little girlfriend, are you? Don't break Chloe's heart, or you'll live to regret it."
Jaxon lit a cigarette, a careless smile playing on his lips.
"When did I ever say I was going to have a mating ceremony with Hazel?"
"Hazel is just for fun. She's a far cry from Luna material."
"Besides, it's been half a year, and she won't even let me touch her."
"I got tired of her a long time ago."
One of the guys beside him chimed in.
"Still, Hazel's got a pretty face."
Jaxon shook his head and scoffed.
"What's the use of a pretty face? She doesn't have the scent of a true mate, and her body is as flat as a board. Wouldn't you get tired of that?"
The man beside him agreed.
"True, she's a total stick. Even with a face like an angel, she doesn't get you going."
"But Jaxon, are you sure you want to dump her?"
Jaxon's voice was cold.
"When have I ever lied? I'll take her to the party tomorrow night, then find the right moment to kick her to the curb."
"Then... if I go after Hazel, you wouldn't mind, right?"
"Go for it."
Jaxon nonchalantly stubbed out his cigarette.
"If you don't mind my leftovers."
Chloe giggled, her voice dripping with flirtation.
"You'd dare take on someone Jaxon's already tired of? Aren't you afraid of the embarrassment if word gets out?"
"Hey, one Alpha's trash is another's treasure, hahaha."
Another round of roaring laughter echoed in the room.
I looked down at myself.
My body was indeed flat, even less developed than a human teenager's.
I certainly didn't have Chloe's luscious, curvy figure that turned every man’s head.
I'm not human; I'm a succubus.
Before my bloodline awakens, I cannot be intimate with anyone. Otherwise, I'll be stuck with this underdeveloped body forever.
But if I can be with an Alpha during the few days of my awakening, my body will undergo a dramatic transformation.
However, if I can't be intimate with a man within a week of awakening, my body will begin to wither, my beauty will fade, and I will eventually die a slow, painful death.
My succubus bloodline was about to awaken.
Jaxon was my ideal candidate—a strong Alpha.
As long as I could feed on him during my awakening, I didn't care if he loved me or not.
Chapter 2
The next day, Jaxon took me to the full moon charity gala in the territory's grand hall.
I leaned weakly against him, burying my face in the crook of his neck.
I tried desperately to draw in his Alpha scent, but it wasn't enough.
I pressed my thighs together, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.
A deadly sweet fragrance began to emanate from my skin. There was only one explanation.
The succubus within me had fully awakened.
Jaxon stood ramrod straight, his expression impatient.
I pleaded in a hushed, desperate voice.
"Can you take me to a room? I want to kiss you."
I tilted my flushed face up to his, my skin burning. The low-cut gown rose and fell dramatically with my ragged breaths.
My feverish eyes were locked on Jaxon. Only he can save me. He has to.
My body was so hot I unconsciously tugged at my collar, desperate for any relief.
Jaxon clicked his tongue, stunned by my rare initiative and the faint, alluring scent. He grabbed my chin and crashed his lips onto mine.
I was trembling uncontrollably. In all the time Jaxon and I had been together, we had only ever kissed.
But it was different now. Kissing was no longer enough.
I had to possess him.
My hand moved slowly toward his belt, my eyes shimmering with unshed tears as I gazed at him with raw longing.
The only thought consuming me was I want him. If I didn't feed soon, I couldn't trust myself.
Jaxon froze for a second, clearly stunned. I'd always been so reserved with him.
The most intimate we had ever been was a simple kiss.
My sudden forwardness left him with no reason to refuse.
But the next moment, his phone rang. Jaxon was still kissing me, but when he glanced at the screen, his body went rigid.
He shoved me away without a flicker of remorse.
I stumbled back, my clothes in disarray, and could only watch as an intense anxiety washed over Jaxon's face.
Then, a familiar, saccharine voice came from the other end of the line.
"Jaxon, I'm alone near the edge of the pack territory. I think I got caught in the middle of a border skirmish. Can you... can you come save me?"
Hearing this, Jaxon lost all composure, his expression impossibly tense.
"Which sector are you in? Don't move. I'm on my way now."
I was already burning alive. The fact that I had waited for him to finish the call was the last shred of my self-control.
What will I do if he leaves? I gripped the hem of his suit jacket, my expression pleading.
"Jaxon, you can't go. I want you."
The moment he heard Chloe's name, all concern for me vanished from his face.
His eyes were bloodshot as he ruthlessly shoved me away again.
"Chloe's in danger! I have to go to her now!"
I bit my tongue, forcing back the agony wracking my body, and looked up at him with begging eyes.
"Jaxon, please... don't go. I'm so hungry... I need to feed. Please... feed me!"
I had to awaken my inner succubus this week, or I would rapidly age into a withered hag and die.
But already, my skin was starting to feel tight and rough.
Jaxon, however, glanced coldly at the heavy silver watch on his wrist.
"Do you have any idea what's happening? And you're still clinging to me like this!"
"Get lost!"
"Jaxon, don't leave me. Without you, I'll die."
"Then you can die here for all I care!"
Jaxon rushed down the grand staircase and disappeared without a single backward glance.
My mouth was parched, my chest heaving. Even the slight friction of my dress was unbearable.
The cold wind drifting from the rooftop garden was an irresistible siren's call.
Finally, I couldn't hold on any longer and fainted among the rose bushes.
Chapter 3
When I woke up, I was lying on a velvet king-sized bed in the Alpha King's private suite.
The door pushed open.
I instinctively pulled the covers tighter around me.
The man who entered was over six-foot-four, even taller and more imposing than Jaxon.
The dominating, suffocating presence of a supreme Alpha was overwhelming. There was no mistaking the absolute authority in the pack hierarchy radiating from him.
Primal power seemed to thrum just beneath his tanned skin. His arms were broad and corded with muscle, and his powerful shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist, his entire frame radiating a raw, sexual tension.
Before I could process anything, the desire I had suppressed began to stir again.
If I couldn't find a suitable Alpha soon, I was going to die.
I had lost all reason, my mind filled with nothing but a craving for pure energy.
The man strode toward me. I swallowed hard, my eyes fixed on his solid chest, breathing in the intoxicating, heavy musk of pine and danger rolling off him.
I ran my tongue over my sharpened canines and whispered, "So hungry... need to eat..."
The man pinched my chin, forcing it up.
Only then did I get a clear look at him. He was the Alpha King, Sterling.
His gaze was sharp and predatory. He asked in a deep voice:
"What do you want to eat?"
I gulped.
"You!"
The room went utterly silent.
The man's brow furrowed. His eyes swept over me, then quickly darted away.
"You're not wearing a bra."
"It was uncomfortable, so I took it off."
I stared at him intently.
"I want to take a shower. You don't mind, do you?"
He grunted.
"Go ahead."
Tilting my head, I slowly approached him.
"I'm going to take everything off. Will you come in and help me?"
I looked at him pleadingly.
"I want it so badly... Please, help me, okay?"
I wanted it so badly I thought I might die. Starve to death. My secret couldn't get out, but I couldn't die either. My only hope was the man in front of me. I had to seduce him. I had to make him lose control.
Sterling wrapped an arm around my waist, his large hand burning through the thin fabric of my dress.
"I'm afraid if I take what I want right now, you'll break apart in my hands."
I heard his heavy breathing and saw the fire ignite in his eyes.
"It's okay," I whispered, clinging to his neck, my voice trembling. "I... I can take it."
"Can't you feel it?"
Sterling smiled at me, but I didn't understand what he meant.
But the heat coursing through my veins was a stark reminder.
If this continued, I would either starve to death or burn up from the inside out.
I needed to feed.
The next moment, he gripped my hand, his gaze burning into me.
Before he could speak, his phone rang.
Sterling let me go and walked to the window to answer the call.
It was Jaxon.
"Sterling, there's a girl at the party. Can you look after her for me?"
"A girl?"
Sterling scoffed.
"Who could possibly make you so concerned?"
Jaxon stammered, "A... a drunk, troublesome girlfriend."
"Oh. A 'friend'."
Sterling enunciated the word with pure derision.
He looked up just in time to see me stumble and throw myself at him.
I buried my face in his chest and took a deep, shuddering sniff.
Then I opened my mouth and bit down.
Sterling let out a muffled grunt.
I moaned into his chest. Gods, so firm, so pliant... I want to devour it.
Sterling immediately clamped a hand over my mouth.
I turned my head and took his thick fingers into my mouth, sucking the tips greedily.
I looked up at Sterling, momentarily dazed.
"Sterling?!"
Jaxon's confused voice crackled through the phone.
