LOGIN~Zara’s POV~I learned very quickly that surviving a whipping and surviving the days afterward were two very different things. The wounds had begun to scab over, knitting together in ugly red lines. Yet every twist of my torso, every reach for a heavy load, reignited the agony like fresh embers under my flesh. The scars would remain long after the open gashes closed—permanent reminders etched into my body, mapping out my defiance for all to see. Not that anyone cared. In this land of stone and secrets, sympathy was a luxury no one could afford. The other slaves avoided me now. Their eyes slid away as if I carried a contagious curse. Some feared that mere conversation with me would summon Elara’s wrath down upon their own backs. Others simply didn’t want to be linked to the disgraced woman who had dared publicly challenge the king’s favored consort and paid for it in blood and humiliation. I didn’t blame them. In a world ruled by fear, self-preservation was the only reliable ins
I had made up my mind to find her. But three hours later, the idea of finding the old woman could wait. Right now, I felt too awful to think about mysteries, seers, or strange warnings. I sat on the edge of Elara’s couch, my hands twisting in my lap as guilt gnawed at my insides like a living thing. The weight of what I had done pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. I had accused Lucian falsely, let my fears twist everything into something ugly. How could I face him now? I couldn’t even think about going back to the fortress alone. “Can I stay here for a few days?” I asked quietly. Elara nearly choked on her drink. “A few days?” I nodded. She stared at me for several seconds.Then she laughed. When I didn’t join in, her smile faded. “Oh, you’re serious.” “Very.” “Cressida, that’s a terrible idea.” I groaned. “Why?” “Cressida, you can’t do that. The contract binds you both, and you know it. Running away won’t help. You need to make things right
“Oh no.”The words slipped out before I could stop them.Elara stared at me from the doorway, her robe hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink, though whether from embarrassment or laughter, I couldn’t tell.The huge wrestler behind her looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.I wanted the ground to swallow me too.For several seconds, nobody spoke.Then Elara burst out laughing.I groaned and covered my face.“Please stop.”“I can’t.”“Elara.”“I really can’t.”She doubled over laughing.The wrestler rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.“I am so sorry,” I blurted.His face immediately turned red. Elara laughed even harder.“This is not funny.” I had just witnessed loving or would I say fucking first hand. I was not okay. “It absolutely is.”She grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside before I could escape.The moment the door closed behind us, I buried my face in my hands.“I will never recover from this.”“You’ll survive.”“I just saw far more
Cressida POV “Did you go see another woman?” The moment I said it, I regretted how sharp it sounded. But I could not take it back. Not when it already sat between us like a blade. Lucian did not answer right away. That silence did something worse than denial. It made my thoughts fill the gap. His eyes flicked to me, then away again. Just for a second. But I saw it. That hesitation. My fingers tightened around the basket handle. “So you did ,” I said quietly. His jaw tightened. “Cressida—” “Don’t.” My voice cracked. I hated that it cracked. “Just answer me.” He finally turned fully toward me. The air in the room changed when he did, like it always did when he stopped being just a man and became something heavier. Something dangerous. But I was already too far gone to care. “Where were you?” I asked again. His gaze held mine. “That is not your concern.” The words stung more than I expected. Not your concern. Of course. Why would it be? I was just part of a contract. A t
Last night was nothing short of mind blowing just like the night before. I was getting addicted to Cressida and I needed answers. Fast. The morning air felt cold against my skin as Thorne and I left Blackstone.I was careful enough not to wake her before I left my chambers. A thin mist clung to the forest floor, curling around the horses’ legs. The carriage rolled slowly down the narrow road. Tall trees stood on either side, their branches tangled overhead like skeletal fingers. Neither of us spoke much. We both knew why we were making this journey. And neither of us liked it. Nine days. That was all I had left before the curse claimed what remained of my life. The thought sat heavy in my chest as the carriage moved deeper into the wilderness. Most people believed the seer appeared wherever she pleased. Some said she lived in the mountains. Others claimed she wandered the forests. A few insisted she wasn’t entirely human. The truth was, no one really knew. Not even m
I lay perfectly still with my eyes closed, heart hammering in my chest as Thorne’s footsteps faded down the hall. Lucian moved quietly around the room, pulling on clothes, the soft rustle of fabric the only sound. Part of me wanted to sit up and ask him about what I had overheard. The curse and the seer. The truth Thorne thought Elara should know. Questions crowded my mind, but I pushed them away. The last two nights had been wonderful and I had no intentions of spoiling it. The moment he was gone, I opened my eyes and sat up. There was something I needed to do first. I dressed quickly and pulled on a dark cloak. Then I slipped out of the chambers before anyone could stop me. The lower levels of the fortress were colder than the upper floors. The stone walls trapped the damp morning air, and the further down I went, the quieter everything became. Eventually I found a guard standing near a stairwell. I recognized him vaguely from the village. He looked surprised
I walked beside Elara down the dirt path into the village. The guards stayed a few steps behind. The air smelled of fresh bread and wood smoke. Sunlight felt good on my skin. Elara pointed ahead. “We need ribbons and herbs. Stay close.” I nodded and touched my necklace. It felt nice to have it b
Cressida’s POV I lay on my narrow bed staring at the stone ceiling. Two whole nights had passed and Lucian had not sent for me. The silence felt heavy and suffocating. My wolf paced inside my chest, restless and jealous. What was he doing? Was he with another woman? The thought made my stomach
Lucian’ POV The door slammed behind Cressida with a finality that echoed through my chambers longer than it should have. How dare she? The words still burned on my tongue. She had slept in my bed, curled against me like she belonged there, and the very next morning she asked for a favor as if
The days began to blur inside the stone fortress. After the first brutal night, the routine shifted in small, almost imperceptible ways. The guards no longer dragged me through the halls like a prisoner. Instead, they escorted me with detached politeness. My meals improved. I started eating more







