Chapter: 49. Death is PaperworkCharliI fold my arms tight across my chest as Elijah guides me up the narrow stairs into the jet. He’s behind me, hands wrapped firmly around my waist, pushing me forward.I don’t know where he’s taking me.I just heard him over the phone, talking about finishing someone off. The trial is over, and now he’s flying me out of here. Is this to get rid of me somewhere else? Or is it safer for him to have me in another state? Maybe that’s why he gave me the phone—to let me say goodbye to my sisters.I spin in his hands, trying to push past him and back down the stairs.“Charli.”“Where are you taking me?” I ask, breathy, avoiding his eyes.“Get on the plane.”“But why? I can just stay here. If you’re going to do something to me, you can do it here. If you need to kill me, I get it. I’m not naïve, but I didn’t get to say goodbye to my sisters. I didn’t—”“Wildflower.”He stops me, cupping my jaw with one hand, forcing my eyes to his. That warmth in his gray eyes burns straight through me.
Last Updated: 2026-10-16
Chapter: 48. Stop Fighting MeCharliI fidget with the phone in my hands, tapping my fingers against the screen even though I’ve already stared at it for ten minutes.I hover over Ali’s name, then Jo’s. Then I shut off the screen and twirl it again.I spoke to them both earlier, but everything I said felt like a lie because I couldn’t answer Ali when she asked me what was the price Elijah had made me pay.I couldn’t tell them about the kiss, about how much I liked it. Hated it, loved it, whatever. I can’t even admit it to myself.The sound of the door clicking makes my chest jerk.I haven’t seen Elijah since the garden yesterday. He didn’t sleep in here last night, so just the sight of him makes my stomach flip.He’s dressed simple, a pair of dark pants, crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. He moves so slowly, controlled and my pulse spikes.His gray eyes sweep over me, as if he can see right through my baby blue dress, and then he focuses on the way I hold on to the phone. That same hunger I saw in hi
Last Updated: 2026-10-16
Chapter: 47. Fucking NeverJoI stare at him from behind the counter, my apron digging into my ribs. I catalog automatically.1.) Leather jacket, worn, but definitely expensive. 2.) black pants. 3.) Gun tucked neatly beneath his arm.His posture is loose, easy. What is he doing here?The probability that he’s just here for coffee? 7%. He’s not here for that, no matter what he says.He gives me that sweet, practiced smile. “Hi, Jo.”My stomach flips like it does when I finish coding something and it runs smoothly. I blink out of my analysis. “What are you doing here?”He shrugs, rocking back on his heels. Casual, like him being here hasn’t just blown up my entire day. “Just getting some coffee.”I frown, sharp, and turn to Emily. “Can you cover the register?”Her blue eyes dart from me to Tony, to the gun at his side and back to me. She nods quickly, cheeks flushing red.I untie my apron slowly, tilting my head just enough that Tony follows. His eyes track me, observant but amused. Like he thinks I’ve invited hi
Last Updated: 2026-10-16
Chapter: 46. Little ReaperAliI ride him hard, faster than he deserves, chasing something I know damn well isn’t going to come.He’s got a decent cock. It’s big enough, fills me the way I like, not to mention he holds onto my hips like a real man does.But it doesn’t fucking matter.I’m not going to come. I already know it.My palms press into his slick chest. I throw my hips back harder, focusing on the rhythm, the slap of skin on skin.I don’t focus on his moans. They’re coming from the wrong throat.I can’t focus on his eyes. They’re too light. Too empty. Too blue.The ones that won’t leave my head are intense, sharp, and chocolate brown. They’re burned into my memory from the second he sat across from me in that shitty café I can’t step foot in anymore.But this isn’t about the man beneath me, inches inside me. This is a body. A tool. A simple distraction.I roll my hips, fake the moan he’s been waiting for to feed his ego. My orgasm will be fake too. Just like the last one. And the one before that. Three
Last Updated: 2026-10-14
Chapter: 45. Not What I SaidCharliI stomp down the hallway toward Elijah’s bedroom, my thoughts a chaos that I can’t control.That man gives me whiplash.He’s the sexiest, most infuriatingly beautiful man I have ever seen, and yet he kills for a living, for hobby, even. He killed someone for touching me, like I was his to protect, like it angered him and yet he threatened my sister. He treated her life was nothing but leverage.To manipulate me into agreeing to that stupid, idiotic kiss.I slam the door behind me, leaning against it, hands pressed to my face.Oh, he kissed me like he knew me, like he knew exactly what to do to make me turn to jelly. He tore the ground right from under me.And then he just looked at his watch, adjusted his shirt and walked away. Like nothing had happened.I walk across the room and catch my reflection in the mirror. It makes me freeze and let out a horrified gasp. My lips are swollen, wet, bruised. My curls are a mess, tousled, and my cheeks are flushed, my eyes glossy.I look,
Last Updated: 2026-10-12
Chapter: 44. I'm TerrifiedCharliI panic.I set down the coffee cupon the table before me and stand. “I should probably go, let you get ready for court—”“Charli.”“He said that you guys had to go, right? And the trial it—”He’s up from his seat, but I can’t stop my mouth.“Um, I can just pretend I didn’t hear you practically tell a judge what to do, but I know you have to go today, and then it will be over, right? And I should let you go so you can get ready and go—”He’s in front of me, his hand around my neck. “Breathe.”I’m breathing, just too fast, too harsh. He drags his fingers down my neck, to my collarbone. I press my lips together as my body breaks into goosebumps.Despite how his closeness makes everything in me go into fight-or-flight mode, I catch my breath. The panic is slowly replaced by a hot, sticky, rising need. My mind spins out of control, and I remember how he felt. Hard and strong beneath my legs when I straddled him.“How far does that blush go?”I blink at him. “What?”His eyes crinkle
Last Updated: 2026-10-09
Chapter: 22. Because of HerIt wasn’t until the sun began to set that the twins forced themselves inside to prepare me for dinner.Neither of them spoke to me this time. Their movements were harsher than they had been the night before, their hands tugging at the fabric and pulling my hair into place without any of the gentleness they had shown me before. They worked quickly, their expressions cold whenever our eyes met in the mirror.They dressed me in a very similar way as the night before, but this time the skirt I wore was a dusty red instead of a light pink. The same symbol was repainted onto my skin, their fingers pressing harder against my arm as they traced the familiar lines.When they were finished, I looked at myself in the mirror, swallowing the lump in my throat. I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.Cerus was leaving tonight and this dinner would be the last time that I would see him. I wasn’t entirely sure if it would be because he would leave or if it would be because Kaelen would have
Last Updated: 2026-09-26
Chapter: 21. ShiftersThat night, I slept with Cerus’s knife beneath my pillow. And I guarded the door to my room with it between my hands, but no one bothered me. I was relieved and at the same time, much more nervous when Kaelen did not return.Food was delivered for breakfast and I was left to my devices.I wanted to find Cerus, I wanted to get out of here. It took me all night to resolve to telling him the truth. Even with the danger it could put us both in, he was the only one I trusted in this palace.With my palms sweaty, I twisted my fingers together as I paced the room.I had to give myself a talk, reminding myself that I could do this. I tucked the knife in my skirt and checked the door. I pressed my hand to the handle, fully expecting it to be locked. But to my surprise, it clicked open. My breath hitched as I glanced back at the bed, debating whether I should leave or not.I swallowed, my mouth dry.Gathering what courage I had left, I slipped out into the hallway. The soft echo of my footsteps
Last Updated: 2026-09-26
Chapter: 20. Mutual HealingThis was the first time I’d been by myself since Cerus and his men attacked the carriage.The first time I could fall apart without anyone knowing.Except he knows. Kaelen knows.Panic was running hot through me. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I had to cover my mouth to muffle the sound of my cry.What was I supposed to do? The truth of who I really was would mean death for me, my family, and Cerus. I felt trapped, suffocating under the weight of the lie I took for the sake of my kingdom.A soft knock at the window startled me. I froze for a moment, trying to decide if I had imagined it. Another knock. I wiped at my face and looked past the curtain.Cerus.My eyes widened and relief washed over me as I hurried to open the window. He was hanging from one of the stone ledges and he elegantly swung inside, his feet landing with a soft thud on the floor.I was speechless, watching him as he crossed the room and barricaded the door with a chair to make sure no one would come inside.He
Last Updated: 2026-09-26
Chapter: 19. What I Did To YouI took a bite of the food, but my stomach was still protesting with all the nerves that twisted it. It tasted like ash on my tongue.Cerus and Prince Kaelen managed to stay civil and talked about other things that I completely ignored for my own sanity. I was too focused on breathing to pay attention to them.My skin erupted into prickles, forcing me to hug myself in an attempt to keep warm.What was I going to do now? The question had been circling through my mind since we entered the palace, growing louder with every passing moment.I wasn’t even supposed to make it this far. I was never supposed to be around Kaelen, let alone live with him. If he truly believed that I was Elysande, then he would marry me immediately.Maybe even tonight.The thought made my stomach unsettle and I pressed a hand to my mouth.Cerus caught the movement, eyeing me silently while Prince Kaelen talked. I could feel the heat of his attention on my skin, but I refused to look at him.I was lying to him, too
Last Updated: 2026-09-26
Chapter: 18. What Payment Do You Seek?Once they were satisfied with my appearance, they escorted me to the dining room. I followed with reluctant steps, curling into myself to hide as much as my body as possible.My heart pounded into my chest with each step and I wondered if I could ever get out of here. If I did, that would only put Elysande in danger, my home in danger.We reached ornate double doors, which swung open to reveal a warm, grand space. The walls were adorned with gold and the colors of the sunset and tapestries hung off the walls, depicting large bat-like creatures flying and fighting in battle scenes.I slowed as I passed them, my eyes drawn to the creatures.They were unlike anything I had ever seen. Their wings stretched wide, their bodies covered in dark, leathery skin as they soared above armies of men. Some had their claws buried into soldiers, while others flew through the sky with their mouths open, sharp teeth bared.I should have been frightened by them. Instead, something deep inside my chest ti
Last Updated: 2026-09-16
Chapter: 17. The Prince's MarkI hissed as the guards gripped my arms tightly, their rough and calloused hands biting into my skin. I tripped over my own feet trying to keep with them, the stone floor warm and yet painful against my skin.They didn’t speak to me, their faces hard and unyielding. They scowled as they looked over at me, their eyes lingering on my breasts and the area between my legs. They finally stopped in front of a door, which they quickly opened and shoved me through without a word.The door slammed closed behind me and I flinched, wrapping my arms around myself in comfort. I turned to look through the room, gasping, when I noticed the two maids who stood waiting beside a vanity.They had warm brown hair, and it was long enough to touch their hipbones, which were visible to me because of their lack of clothes. I didn’t know if I should look away or not.Their eyes slightly widened as they took in my disheveled appearance and they moved in unison, eerie considering the fact that they were identical
Last Updated: 2026-09-16
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