Novel-novel oleh Liliana Pen

Kael’s POVThe chandeliers shimmered above us like a thousand quiet stars, their light spilling over the marble hall in molten gold and silver. Music drifted through the air, slow, romantic, laced with that aching sweetness that tugs at forgotten memories and makes even the fiercest warriors feel young again.My estate had never looked so alive. Every corridor, every balcony, every garden overflowed with laughter and the heady scent of blooming roses.Diana said I’d gone overboard.She wasn’t wrong.But when she’d looked at me this morning, eyes bright with disbelief as she stepped into her gown, her veil catching the morning sunlight like threads of molten glass, I would have burned the world itself just to see her smile like that again.Now, as I led her through the dance floor, her hand resting in mine, the other brushing over her growing belly, I couldn’t stop laughing at myself.If anyone had told me years ago that Kael Draven—the half-breed Alpha, grandson of the most feared bein

Diana’s POVThe scent of fried chicken and buttery spaghetti filled the air, warm, sweet, comforting when I came down the stairs. Veronica was already setting the table, humming off-key. Before I reached the last step, she dropped the napkin she was folding and rushed toward me, her apron fluttering like a white flag behind her.“Careful, ma’am!” she gasped, steadying my arm as if I might collapse. “You shouldn’t be walking down the stairs alone!”I sighed, a small laugh escaping me. “Veronica, I’m pregnant, not dying. I don’t even feel heavy yet. You’ve got to stop treating me like porcelain.”Her eyes widened in mock offense. “Ah, but you are porcelain! Sir Kael’s porcelain doll! If anything happens to you, that man will skin me alive and roast me over the fire!”I chuckled. “You’re too dramatic.”“Dramatic? You think this is a drama?” she teased. “I’ve never seen Sir Kael act like this before. The way he watches you… it’s like a mother guarding her child.”I rolled my eyes, though

Kael’s POVMorning sunlight bled through the curtains, slow and searing, like light leaking from an open wound.I stood before the mirror, staring at the stranger in my reflection: red-rimmed eyes, a clenched jaw, my usual black shirt hanging off me like armor that no longer fit. The color felt foreign today, almost mocking; a funeral shroud for something still breathing.I told myself today would be different.Today, I would take Diana to the airport.Even if she wouldn’t meet my eyes, even if her words came sharp with hate, I would still drive her there. I would still watch her walk away, because loving her meant accepting the ache that came with it.I slipped on my watch. My phone buzzed: three new messages.All from her mother. None from her.SHE’S LEAVING TODAY.HER FLIGHT’S AT NOON.KAEL, PLEASE… TAKE CARE OF HER, EVEN IF SHE WON’T LET YOU.She didn’t have to ask. I already had.For weeks, I’d slipped money through her mother’s hands, making sure Diana and our unborn child had e

Sovereign’s POVThe ache in my bladder was relentless, a petty humiliation when death itself was stalking me.By the goddess, what a ridiculous thing to worry about when one’s life hangs by a thread.I’d already relieved myself six times this morning, each time praying it would wash away the dread coiled in my gut.Thirty minutes before the flight, I couldn’t hold it any longer. I slipped into one of the airport restrooms, my face hidden beneath a dark cap, shoulders hunched like a beggar’s. No one could recognize me, not when my name still burned on the new Justice’s wanted list.Humans. Always too curious. Too self-righteous.They poke their noses into everything they don’t understand. That’s why I wanted supernaturals in power, to keep order where chaos breeds. But Kael ruined it all. He handed the reins back to the humans, and now the country rots under their trembling hands.The tiled air reeked faintly of detergent and jet fuel. Somewhere beyond the door, a child laughed; high,

Diana’s POVThe morning light filtered through my window, trembling like a breath held too long. It painted the letter in my hands; SAMUEL MERRITT UNIVERSITY, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, in quiet gold.I’d read the words so many times they’d lost meaning, yet seeing my name beneath “WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU…” still sent a shiver through me.A month ago, I wouldn’t have believed in joy again. Fire was all I remembered; Eva’s soft smile swallowed by collapsing walls of Ashmoor, Kael’s blood hot against my palms, and the air thick with smoke and endings.But now there was this letter.A letter I had chosen for myself.Sovereign had wanted Harvard for me. He’d arranged everything, of course, but I had torn that letter in half. I didn’t want a future written by his manipulative hands. I wanted a success I could claim as mine.So when Samuel Merritt’s envelope came, I told myself it was a sign — a fragile promise that maybe the goddess hadn’t turned her face from me completely.“Have you told

Diana’s POVGeorge voice when I and Eva was coming in replayed in my head amid the Chaos and fire:“Diana, stop!” George’s arm had barred my way, his face streaked with ash. “Kael’s saving lives, you can't go to him.”But my Wolf kept whimpering in my head; Kael would not die alone. If the Sovereign wanted his life, he’d have to carve mine out beside it.I shoved past George and ran inside. And immediately I came inside and saw Lucien standing over Kael, gun gleaming in his hand.Something inside me broke. And I had only one question in my mind; is this trap the life George claimed Kael was saving?Even now that I and Kael layed here weakly not offering any help to Eva who was fighting Lucien on behalf of us, I felt like I'm the cause of all this. Eva and Kael are Suffering because of my wicked father, If I hadn't been in their lives maybe they wouldn't have to face this fate.Lucien spun Eva pushing her through the door, “Run you moron!” Lucien screamed at her.Eva ran back hitting L

ADRIAN’S POVThe first punch should have dropped me—but it didn’t. I tightened my stamina and let it land.Pain cracked across my jaw, sharp enough to split thought from instinct. My head snapped sideways, and for a second everything blurred—light, sound, control. Blood pooled under my tongue, thick and bitter.And through it, I heard her.“Stop! Please—stop!”Ariel.Another hit slammed into my ribs. Air tore out of my lungs, my body folding before I forced it upright again. My body begged for release—for violence, to fight back, to remind them exactly who they were dealing with.But I didn’t. Not yet.Because if I did—if I let her see that side of me—she would look at me the way she looked at him.And that would break me faster than any punch.A boot drove into my side, dropping me to one knee. My fingers scraped against the polished floor as the room tilted, spinning just enough to make breathing harder.Stay down, a voice whispered. Stay human. Stay weak.“Ariel…” My voice came out

ARIEL’S POV“Hide.”Evana’s voice cut through the room—sharp, urgent, impossible to ignore.My body reacted instantly. I turned and rushed toward the closet, fingers already reaching for the handle—And stopped.My hand hovered midair. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might crack my ribs. Every instinct screamed at me: hide, run, disappear. That’s what I always did. That’s how I survived.But something inside me—something worn down, raw, and burning—refused.My hand slowly dropped to my side. “No,” I said.Evana froze. “What?”I turned to face her, my chest rising too fast. “I’m done hiding.”“Ariel—”I walked past her. Each step toward the door felt like stepping off a cliff—wrong, dangerous, final.Lucian stood outside. He didn’t need to force control—he already had it.My hand lifted and hovered over the doorknob, trembling.You can still hide.You should.I swallowed hard, then tightened my grip. “I’m done being hunted.”The lock clicked. The door swung open—And before fe

ARIEL’S POVThe air felt wrong—too thick, too aware. My room didn’t feel like mine anymore. Like they’d watched everything I’d done and were now closing in…slowly, patiently…waiting for me to crack.Three days since… them.I dragged my fingers through my hair and paced between the bed and window like something being hunted.“I’m leaving,” I muttered, the words sharp and controlled. “I’m quitting the club. I’m leaving Crimson Moon. I’m done.”That felt safer.No more Lucian. No more Adrian.No more unbearable awareness when either got too close.No more confusion. No more shame.I stopped pacing.A human city far away. A clean start. A quiet life. No one watching, no one claiming—just peace.For the first time in three days, something inside me began to settle—then didn’t.Then my gaze dropped.The paper was still there, exactly where I’d left it, waiting.I walked toward it slowly, reluctant to touch it. My fingers tightened around the edges as I lifted it, already knowing what I’d se

ADRIAN’S POVI didn’t realize I had stopped running until the ground rushed up to meet me.The forest spun, trunks blurring as shadows stretched and closed in like they wanted to swallow me whole. My breath came out wrong—too sharp. Every inhale felt like dragging broken glass through my ribs.The wound was still bleeding, slowly killing me. My hand pressed harder against my side. Too warm.My fingers slipped—Blood.I forced myself up again.“Move…” I rasped, dragging my legs forward. “Move, damn it.”Behind me, there was nothing. No footsteps. No snapping branches. No growl. Just silence.He had stopped chasing.That didn’t mean I was safe.My vision flickered, black creeping in at the edges, the world tilting unsteadily.“No… I can’t collapse here.”I stumbled out onto an empty road—narrow, silent. A horn cut through the distance. A car.Relief came too fast—sharp, almost painful.I staggered forward, raising both hands, uncaring how desperate I looked.“Stop!” My voice cracked. “St

LUCIAN’S POVThe blade sank in.I didn’t just feel it break skin—I felt something wrong.Adrian’s body—or whatever Ariel called him—jerked as my dagger drove into his side just beneath the ribs.His breath hitched, sharp and ragged, but his eyes… those eyes locked onto mine like I was the one who had just lost.“Not deep enough,” he murmured.My grip tightened instantly. “I’ll fix that.”I twisted the blade—but he moved. Too fast. No one that injured should move like that.His palm slammed into my chest, knocking me off balance. The dagger tore free from his body with a sickening sound, and before I could strike again, he was gone—running like he knew exactly where to go.Into my forest.A dark, dangerous mistake.“Run,” I muttered, already moving, my voice low and lethal. “This is my pack. Let’s see how far you make it.”The forest swallowed him whole—dense, silent, alive. Mine.Every path here carried my scent. Every shadow bent to my will. I have hunted here, ruled here. No one esc

ARIEL’S POV“Go inside, Ariel. You don’t want to see what happens next.”“No.”The word tore out of me before I could soften it. Before I could think.My body moved anyway—straight into Lucian’s path, like I had any real power to stop him. Like I could hold back whatever storm was building behind his eyes.My pulse thudded hard enough to make my vision flicker.“What is going on?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “Was this planned? Is this some kind of sick joke to you both?”Lucian’s jaw tightened.For a fraction of a second—barely there—A flash of hurt. Restrained anger slipping through.“Ariel,” he said, quieter now, like he was forcing control back into himself, “move.”“No.” I dug my heels in harder. “Not until someone explains why there are two of you standing in front of me.”His hand closed around my wrist firm—possessive, too familiar.Heat shot up my arm, confusing and dangerous.“Inside,” he repeated, tugging me gently but insistently.Before I

MERRIN’S POV“Move back!”Violet’s scream ripped through the room just as the scissors flashed toward her throat.Everything inside me stopped. Then my body moved before my mind could.I caught her wrist hard enough to force the blades away from her skin while my other arm locked around her waist. The scissors slipped from her hand and shattered against the marble floor with a metallic crack that echoed through the chamber.Violet fought me instantly—wild, terrified, broken.“Let me go!” she screamed, thrashing against my chest. “Let me GO!”Her nails tore across my skin. My neck burned. My jaw stung where she hit me, but I barely felt any of it because all I could think about was how close she had come to dying. If I had been even a second slower, there would have been blood everywhere by now.My wolf slammed against my ribs so violently I almost lost control.“Alpha!” Sophie cried.“Get back,” I snarled.The room froze. Even the guards stepped backward.Violet kept struggling in my

MERRIN’S POV“You killed him!”The scream stopped me cold. For one brutal second, I forgot how to breathe.Marrek’s tiny body shook violently in Violet’s arms, his fists twisted into the fabric of her dress as though he feared I would tear her away from him too.Tears soaked his face.“I hate you!” he sobbed. “You’re the one-eyed Alpha! You’re not my hero anymore!”His voice cracked.“You’re a monster!”Monster.I’d survived blades, wars, and executions. None of them cut this deep.The floor felt unsteady beneath me. For a heartbeat, all I could see was blood—fire crawling up palace walls, Silvan lying dead, Violet screaming while soldiers dragged her away.And Marrek…Looking at me with terror instead of admiration.I staggered back a step.No one moved. Not Violet. Not Sophie. Not even the servants trembling near the doorway.Because what defense could I possibly give?Marrek was right.Every ruined thing in this palace led back to me.My throat tightened until it burned, but I stil

VIOLET’S POVThe moment I spoke, someone in the courtroom laughed loudly. I turned immediately, only to realize everyone was laughing now, not just one person.Even now, the sound wouldn’t stop echoing inside my skull.Hours after the trial ended.Hours after nobles bent their knees before me.After servants started whispering Your Majesty with trembling voices and fearful smiles.After the crown was placed at my feet like an offering dipped in blood.Still—I heard the laughter.Sharp.Cruel.Patient.Waiting.I stood motionless in the center of my chambers while maids hurried around me like frightened birds, replacing curtains, lighting candles, and changing sheets no one had slept in. The scent of jasmine and smoke thickened the air until it became suffocating.“They were laughing…” I whispered again.Because Helena had been right.The moment Merrin revealed me… the moment he named Marrek Crown Prince… he didn’t protect us. He exposed us. Painted targets directly onto our backs.A

MERRIN’S POV“Enough.”The word cuts through the hall as my hands slam against the armrest.Sharp. Final.Everything stops.The elders fall silent mid-breath. Robes still. Voices dead.Good.Because if one more word is spoken, I might lose what little control I have left.Pain claws through my ribs as I rise, slow but unyielding. My body protests. I ignore it.“Stop talking,” I say, quieter now.No one moves.No one dares.The air thickens, suffocating. Every breath heavy, every heartbeat loud.And still…I feel him.Marrek.I don’t need to look to know where he is. Behind Violet. Hidden. Safe. Away from me.Something twists in my chest, sharp enough to blur my vision.What is the point of a throne if my own son won’t even look at me?A laugh escapes me.Low. Broken. Wrong.“What use is being Alpha,” I murmur, dragging my gaze across the room, “when my own pack turned me against my family?”No one answers.They can’t.Because they know.“What use is this title,” I continue, louder now

MERRIN’S POV I don’t hear the scream—I feel it.“Marrek—!”I’m already moving before I can think.The needles rip free from my arm with a wet, sickening pull. Blood follows instantly, hot and slick, sliding down my skin, but I barely feel it. Not when that voice sounded like my son.My feet hit the ground—and the world tilts.“Alpha—wait!” Nolan shouts behind me. “An alpha can’t run like this.”I stagger, but I keep going like I didn’t hear him. To hell with the rules.Pain detonates through my ribs. My side burns like it’s being carved open again. Something warm trails down my back—blood, I know—but it doesn’t slow me. Nothing can.“Merrin!” Nolan calls again. “Stop—you’re not healed!”“Where is he?” My voice scrapes raw against my throat.Nolan grabs my arm, and I rip free like he’s nothing.“Elder Ellis,” he says quickly. “Violet took him there. She didn’t trust the doctors.”Of course she didn’t trust anything tied to me.I run faster. Branches whip across my face, sting against

VIOLET’S POV“MARREK!”My voice tears out of me, raw and jagged as I lunge forward—but it’s too late.The blade is already at his throat, and something inside me breaks.My hand finds a jagged stone—heavy, slick with dust and blood—and I throw it hard. It cuts through the air and cracks against Helena’s temple with a sickening sound.She stumbles. Just one step—but it’s enough.Zoey lunges forward, ripping Nolan’s sword from his grip without hesitation and drives it down with a scream that sounds like it has been trapped in her chest for years.“YOU DON’T TOUCH HIM!”The blade cuts deep across Helena’s leg.Blood spills fast—dark and real. Helena drops, and for the first time, she looks human. Shock flashes across her face.Then chaos explodes.Guards surge forward. Chains snap tight around her, dragging her down and forcing her to the ground like she is nothing more than flesh and bone. Celine screams. Mirella sobs. Emily begs.But I hear none of it.I only see Marrek.“Take them!” N