The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster - Chapter 24: Preparation

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

Ace Carter Greyson, her husband of five long years forcefully divorced her on the night of their fifth wedding anniversary. Reason? Simply because she can't bear him a male heir.

Phoenix begged him to stay but his decision was firm and unbendable so she finally let him go. Her life was even more shattered after she discovered his long time affair with his secretary, and now, the mistress was pregnant. Just months after their divorce he married the impregnated secretary.

Phoenix's world suddenly turns upside down when she discovers she's four months pregnant.

“You are my mate…” Leland said with a hoarse voice. “Don't you know what I am doing?”

He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, and right then and there, Sophie thought she could understand him. She could feel his overflowing emotions. Was this what they meant by the mate bond?

She could feel so much desire engulfing Leland and she just knew what he wanted.

He wanted her. He wanted to ravage her body and mark her with his love bites, he wanted her to scream his name over, and over, and over again. He wanted to pound her and make love to her like there was no tomorrow.

The man climbed on the bed and kissed her again. He peppered her with kisses from her cheeks, to her lips, then he moved to her collarbone.

Soon, she was moaning softly because of the stimulation. The sounds that escape her lips sounded so sexy in his ears and turned him on so badly.

If he didn't have better self-control, Leland would have already ripped their clothes apart and immediately enter her. However, he held back and tried to stay gentle.

This was only their first night together as real husband and wife. Tonight, he would finally be able to give her so much pleasure that she would want him in her bed every night.

The sex they had the last time was an obligation. It was dry and he only did the bare minimum.

This time though… he would ravage her body and make love to her in ways that only his luna deserved. His stamina was top notch and he could satisfy her all night long.

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BLURB:

The King, or the Alpha?

When she jumps over the academy walls to escape from her bullies, Sophie falls straight into the arms of Nicholas, the kingdom's crown prince with a sweet and sunny disposition. Sparks fly and love blossoms between the poor orphan and the prince.

But... suddenly, Leland, the dangerous new alpha of the most powerful werewolf pack in the kingdom claimed her to be his mate?! Sophie is torn between two men. One calls her his wife, the other claims her as his mate.

The prince is warm and sweet, his love is burning like the sun. The alpha is cold and overbearing, his love is as heavy as the mountain and as cold as the winter.

Which one will Sophie end up with when both sides wage war over blood, hatred, and revenge?

Leland will burn the entire kingdom just to get Sophie and avenge his race. On the other hand, the newly crowned king, Nicholas, strives to drive out the werewolves that the kingdom deemed as monsters... while keeping a dark secret within himself —

He is also a werewolf.

The world’s worst offense, is called Love.