Novels by Hatzia Apoty

Mia’s POV I was deep asleep when the knock came.At first, I ignored it, pulling the covers closer and turning my face into the pillow. The bed was too comfortable, and for once my mind had gone quiet.The knock came again, louder this time.I groaned and pushed myself up on my elbows. “I’m coming,” I muttered, my voice rough with sleep.Before I could even stand, Reinhardt’s voice came through the door.“Princess Mia,” he said calmly. “You need to get dressed.”I frowned, rubbing my eyes. “It’s the middle of the night.”“It is morning,” he corrected. “And you are required outside.”That got my attention.I swung my legs over the bed and stood. “Required for what exactly?”There was a brief pause on the other side of the door.“The mating ritual,” Reinhardt said. “Between Princess Lyre and the Alpha.”My chest tightened.“…Orion?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.“Yes,” he replied.I stood there for a moment, staring at the door like it might disappear if I ignored it

Roger’s POV Lucien wouldn’t shut up.He paced the room like something had crawled under his skin, muttering about Thornveil and politics as if either mattered to me. I leaned against the pillar, arms crossed, waiting for him to get to the point.“You summoned me for this?” I asked. “Because you’re angry?”Lucien stopped and shot me a look. “I summoned you because something has gone wrong.”That got my attention.“What?” I asked.“Mia Esbond,” he said. “She was in Thornveil.”My posture straightened immediately.“Explain,” I said.“She was masked,” Lucien continued. “But I know it was her. She tried to assassinate me during the trials.”I laughed under my breath. “She wouldn’t miss.”Lucien frowned. “She didn’t get the chance.”“Then she’s learning,” I replied calmly.Lucien studied me, clearly irritated by how little this shocked me.“There’s more,” he said. “The Alpha who won the trials.”I shrugged. “What about him?”Lucien narrowed his eyes. “He fought like someone who’s done this

Lucien’s POV They really thought they fooled me.Everyone in Thornveil cheering like idiots, and Lyre smiling like she’d won the world. The whole arena was loud, chaotic, overflowing with pride and excitement… but I couldn’t enjoy any of it. Not after what happened.I clenched my jaw, sitting alone in the balcony chamber the Thornveil council had given me. My eyes remained fixed on the arena floor, even though the fights had ended hours ago.That masked Alpha.The one who mocked Lyre, dodged her attacks like he was bored, and moved with that annoyingly familiar rhythm.There was no mistaking it.It was Orion.His taunting style, that sarcastic attitude, the way he analyzed his opponent before striking… I’d seen that before, back when we trained under the previous Alpha-King.And they thought a cloth mask was enough to hide that from me?Pathetic.I leaned back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. They almost made me laugh today. Not in a good way—more like in a frustrated, “I wan

Dexter’s POVI stood there long after they left.The hall was too quiet… almost mocking me.I felt Reinhardt’s presence before he even spoke.“You alright?” he asked casually.“No,” I muttered.He nodded. “Figured.”We stood shoulder to shoulder, staring at the floor like two idiots who lost a bet.“She didn’t have to do that,” I muttered under my breath.“She did,” Reinhardt replied, no hesitation. “You crossed a line.”I glared at him.He didn’t flinch.“Dexter,” he continued, voice steady. “You’re a Lance. And whether you like it or not, Lyre is our Princess — not someone we get to… pursue.”I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.“You’re not some rookie soldier. You’re a Lance.”He tapped my chest. “Start acting like one. War could break out any minute. Silverfang, Ashmore, the Veyr Kingdom, maybe all three of them… we have no idea what’s coming.”He stepped back, facial expression softening slightly.“And when that happens, the Lances need you. Not some lovesick idiot.”Hi

Lyres POV I watched Reinhardt step into the hall.“You’re done with them?” I asked.He nodded and sat beside Dexter. It immediately caught my attention. Reinhardt never looked uncomfortable, but something about his expression wasn’t normal. He looked tense, almost like he was hiding something.I wanted to ask, but Mirabel cleared her throat loudly. That snapped me back. Right. Focus. I needed to keep myself together. Orion would be my Alpha soon and the last thing I wanted was for him to see me acting scattered.I straightened a little. “Alright. What’s the update?”Reinhardt and Dexter exchanged a quick glance before Reinhardt spoke.“The council has decided to move the Alpha-Crowning forward. They want it today.”I blinked. “Today? Why?”Dexter folded his arms. “They said it’s to stabilize Thornveil after the commotion caused by the Alpha King.”Of course they would hide behind that excuse.“When exactly?” I asked.“Two hours,” Reinhardt replied.I almost choked. “Two hours? I’m st

Orion’s POV “Jason Henry…” Ramiris drawled like the syllables tasted sweet on his ancient tongue. “I’m surprised you’ve made it this far in a world that wasn’t originally yours.”I scoffed and nearly dismissed him on the spot, sending him back into whatever abyssal corner he crawled out from.But unfortunately… I needed information.“Cut the theatrics, Ramiris,” I said, stepping forward into the endless black. My boots echoed on nothing. “You know why I’m here.”A low hum rippled through the void“Oh, I know,” he replied. His shape coalesced, bright golden eyes forming first, like twin suns judging me from the dark. “You always come crawling back when something slips out of your control.”“That’s rich coming from the thing responsible for dragging me here in the first place.”My fists tightened. “Nine lifetimes, Ramiris. Nine. And every time, Mia dies. Every single time.”A breath — if a god could sigh.“Mortals are… fragile. Even chosen ones.”“Don’t,” I snapped. My voice cracked th

Aria’s POV Kael had gone ahead to scout with Darius, leaving me and Mirabel to tend to the small campfire we’d managed to build. The flames were weak, fighting the damp air.For a while, neither of us spoke. The sound of burning wood filled the silence until Mirabel finally turned to me.“I never got to thank you properly,” she said, her voice low but steady. “For that day in the garden. When you stood up for me.”I glanced at her, surprised. “That? It was nothing.”“It wasn’t nothing,” she said quickly. “Everyone else just stood there. Even Kael didn’t do anything.”That last part earned a faint smile from me. “Yeah, that sounds like him.”She smiled back but it faded quickly. Her gaze dropped to the fire. “You didn’t have to step in. You could’ve ignored it.”“Maybe,” I said, poking the fire with a stick. “But I couldn’t. You didn’t deserve that.”For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, softly, “You’re different, Aiden. Not like the others.”I froze, unsure what to say to that. She

Luca’s POV The scout hit the ground hard, wheezing. I didn’t even need to ask; the blood on his sleeve said enough.“They’re gone,” he stammered. “Kael… he—he wiped them out.”I stared down at him, the firelight from our camp flickering against his face. His fear was almost pathetic.“Which ones?” I asked quietly.“Roth, Jalen, and Venn.”Three of my best.I crouched, resting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched like I’d struck him. “And who was with him?”“The Ironclaw heir… and the Alpha-King’s son.”So. He had allies now.I smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “Kael finally found friends. How sweet.”The scout swallowed hard, unsure whether to stay silent or run. I spared him the choice — one clean twist, and his neck snapped. He dropped to the dirt, motionless.“Bury him,” I told the others. “He talked too much anyway.”As they dragged the body away, I turned toward the fire. The forest around us was dark, the air heavy with smoke and the stench of blood. A few of the

Aria’s POVIt must’ve been close to midnight when I woke up. The fire had burned down to faint orange embers, and the forest was quiet.I stretched a little, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. That’s when I heard voices. Low, close by.Kael and Darius.I stayed still, pretending to be asleep.“…you’ve been acting strange lately,” Darius said quietly. “Especially around him.”Kael gave a small, tired laugh. “You’re imagining things.”“I don’t think I am,” Darius replied. “You’re on edge. You watch him constantly. You think no one notices?”He paused. “Are you gay?”There was a short pause, the sound of Kael shifting against the tree trunk.“You’re overthinking things,” Kael said finally. “Ironclaw’s just… unpredictable. Someone has to keep an eye on him.”Darius hummed softly, clearly unconvinced. “If you say so.”The silence that followed made my chest tighten. I almost sat up just to stop it, but then Darius spoke again, this time, his voice had changed, it became low and serious.“Have

Aria’s POVThe forest had gone quiet again. Too quiet.Kael and I slowed to a stop near a cluster of mossy rocks. The air was thick with damp and the faint metallic scent of blood. We’d been walking for hours, following no clear path, and I was starting to think the forest itself was watching us.Kael’s shoulders were stiff. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered.I was about to ask what he meant when a growl cut through the silence.Another followed, then another.The first rogue burst from the shadows, slamming into the ground between us. Kael didn’t hesitate… his Core flared red as he met the beast head-on. The air cracked with energy as he landed a heavy strike to its neck.Two more came next. I jumped back, forcing my Core to flicker just enough to knock one off balance without revealing its true color. My pulse hammered as Kael tore through the second rogue, gritting his teeth.“What the hell?” he yelled over the noise. “These things shouldn’t even be here!”I didn’t answerThen, out

Seraphina’s POVI watched as Aiden and Kael made their way through the forest. They were definitely a fascinating pair.The kiss I had given the Draven Heir was just to fluster him a bit… I didn’t think he was that capable. There was potential there, more than I expected.One of the council members walked in, slightly trembling. How ironic — the council for a male heir academy, afraid of a single woman.Not that I was complaining. I absolutely loved it.“Lady Seraphina,” the man stammered, bowing low. “The first phase has begun. The rogues have been released into the southern and eastern regions. But…” he hesitated, “we’ve already lost two heirs.”I turned my gaze toward the large crystal that projected the image of the forest. My lips curved faintly as I saw the chaos beginning to unfold, heirs scattering, wolves fighting for dominance, fear filling the air.“Good,” I said simply.The man swallowed. “Good? With all due respect, Lady Seraphina, the Cull Trials were forbidden for a reas

Aria’s POVThe morning was quiet. Too quiet.No birds, no wind, not even the sound of insects. Just the faint crackle of what was left of last night’s fire.Kael was already awake. He sat a few feet away, sharpening his blade. His expression was serious, focused, nothing like the usual smugness I was used to.I got up, stretching a little. The air was colder than before, and when I looked up, the sky was pale orange instead of blue. Something felt different.I pulled my blanket tighter and turned in a slow circle. That’s when I noticed the claw marks on a nearby tree. They were deep, too deep for any normal wolf. The grooves looked like something had tried to tear the bark off completely.Kael followed my gaze. He didn’t say anything, but the way his jaw tightened said he noticed too.We packed up and started moving. The deeper we went into the forest, the stranger things looked. One area looked like autumn, with orange leaves and dry grass. Then, a few steps later, everything turne