Chapter: CHAPTER FIFTY~ DAMON’S POV ~The hall was quiet again.Too quiet.Everyone had left except for me and the faint scent of smoke still clinging to the air. The fire pit burned low, the brand still glowing faintly red beside it. Her scream still echoed in my head sharp, broken, full of pain that tore right through me.I sat there, motionless, staring at the empty space where she had been moments ago. My hands were still clenched on my knees, my nails digging into my palms so hard that blood had started to form under my skin. I didn’t even feel it.All I could feel was the sound of her voice.The way she called my name.The way she looked at me when they dragged her out.“I trusted you…”Those words burned more than any mark could.I wanted to move. To get up. To call the guards back and tell them to stop, that they’d made a mistake. But I didn’t. I sat there frozen like a coward.The council had already made their decision. The elders said the evidence was clear. They said her blade was found with th
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-NINE~ RAE’S POV ~The night was cruel.Cold wind slapped against my skin as the guards shoved me through the border, the silver cuffs biting deeper with every step. I stumbled, my knees hitting the ground, the dirt grinding against my skin. The mark on my arm still burned like fire, the veins pulsing with heat that refused to fade.“Run if you want,” one of them sneered. “The rogues will catch you soon enough.”Their laughter cut through the silence. Then the sound of footsteps faded. The gates slammed shut behind me.And just like that… I was alone.Banished and Branded.I pressed my forehead into the cold dirt, my chest heaving. My body shook violently, my breath shallow and sharp. The world spinning. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. My throat was raw, torn apart from earlier cries.I stayed there for a long time, on my knees. On the ground, until the howls started.It was low and distant at first. Then it got louder, and closer.The rogues had caught my scent.Panic slammed i
Last Updated: 2025-12-10
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT~ RAE’S POV ~The iron cuffs burned against my skin, digging deeper the more I struggled. Each step dragged me through the dirt, the guards gripping me like I was some animal they were proud of catching. My body shook with rage, but everything just pressed down on me.I kept saying the same words, my voice hoarse, my throat raw.“I didn’t do this. I swear it wasn’t me.”None of them listened.The woods blurred past us, the moonlight bleeding through the trees. My chest hurt, every breath sharp. The image of Damon’s Beta lying lifeless with his throat slit burned into my head. His eyes were open, staring at nothing. I could still feel the warmth of his blood on my hands. My knife. My blade.They made sure it was mine.My body trembled as they shoved me into another black SUV. The cuffs burned hotter the longer I wore them, the silver crawling through my veins, slowing me down. I winced and folded my wrists, but the guards just smirked like they enjoyed the pain I was in.“Monster,” one
Last Updated: 2025-12-09
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN ~ RAE'S POV ~“Don't tell them, Lillian. Please. Just not yet”, I whispered, clutching the phone tighter. Lillian's voice goes off for a moment before I heard a heavy sigh from the other end. “The academy is in pandemonium, the board are demanding why your father had let you go without fighting off Alpha Damon… And your Mom has been crying non-stop that the Alpha had casted a spell on you”, She lets out in a whisper, her voice barely audible and I knew they would have asked her if she keeps in touch with me after I threw my phone away and I had to borrow this from Damon's Beta.“RAE!!”, I snapped out from my thought.“Yes, I asked if you are okay. Are you sure about this decision?”, Lillian questioned for the uptenth time.“I would be fine, I have to protect what's mine…”“You could have just… you know. The other options”, Lillian's voice trailed off and a heavy sigh escaped my lips.“I told you I would never do that, you know the struggles my parents went through before they had
Last Updated: 2025-12-08
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-SIX~ DAMON’S POV ~"Yes, I will marry him," Rae announced in a shrill voice, her eyes shut tightly.Her parents dashed to her side, wide-eyed. A smile crept onto my lips, and I still found it hard to believe she would choose me. The bounty hunters didn't hate us, but they weren't fond of us either.They kept bombarding her with questions, her father firing up at her. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, I saw her eyelashes flutter shut.Why did she choose me?"Can I pick you up tomorrow to validate the marriage in court? Your parents can come too," I stated, breaking the chaos that had erupted."I would never go with that unfilial daughter anywhere. I disown you henceforth. I don't want to ever set my eyes on you," Blackthorne declared, raising his hand at her, which I caught mid-air. He cast a long glance at Rae and dragged her mother along, who was wiping tears from her face.I didn't know why they were so skeptical that I would hurt her. I would never hurt my mate. Hushed voices reached
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE ~ RAE’S POV ~The morning felt softer than usual. The frost that usually clung to the rooftops had melted into thin drops of water that caught the light like silver beads. Smoke rose lazily from the chimneys, twisting through the air in calm spirals. It was quiet in a way I had started to love, peaceful, almost fragile.I stepped outside, tugging my cloak tighter. The ground crunched beneath my boots. Across the square, Mara was already arguing with one of the younger men about the firewood pile.“You stacked them wrong again!” she yelled.He groaned. “They’re just logs, Mara.”“Logs that’ll fall and crush your toes,” she snapped. “Do it properly.”I smiled to myself and crossed the square. “Let him be,” I said, walking up beside her. “He’s trying.”She crossed her arms. “Trying doesn’t build houses. Doing does.”The young man snorted and hurried off before Mara could start another lecture. She watched him go, shaking her head, then looked at me.“You spoil them,” she said.“They’re l
Last Updated: 2025-12-06