Caspian:I stood in the hallway, leaning against the stone arch outside the infirmary room as I watched them through the small window in the door. My chest tightened at the sight, Valerie with Adrian curled into her side, his little arms wrapped around her as though afraid she might vanish again.Ev
Valerie:I rested my hand gently on Adrian’s head, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of his breath against my side. His soft snores were a comfort, a quiet reminder that he was safe, for now. That I was safe, for now. But even as I sat there, wrapped in the thin blankets of the infirmary bed, the t
Caspian:I shut the infirmary door behind me, letting the silence of the hallway settle around me like fog. I stood there for a moment, hand still on the doorknob, staring at nothing, as my thoughts twisted into something I couldn't quite name.She was lying.She was trying to her best to hide somet
Valerie:The silence of the infirmary was suffocating.At this point, everything around me felt like I was just going to end up suffocating.Too white. Too clean. Too still.Everyone moved in monotony, everyone moved as if they were busy for a task. And yet the emptiness that I felt was one that I c
Caspian:She didn’t say a word.And still, I felt every unspoken syllable weighing down the air between us.I kept beside her, not out of pity, not even obligation, but because I couldn’t bear to let her walk alone. Not when she looked like she could barely hold herself up. Not when she was trying s
Valerie:Caspian’s mouth was on mine, fierce and unrelenting. His body pressed me down against silk sheets, his weight grounding me, possessing me.His tip brushed over my clit for a moment, his kiss more feverish. My heart raced as my body ached for his touch. His pre-cum wetting my clit with each
Eva:I was never the type to reflect on my fear. I was never the type to show anyone the effect that they were having on me.Not of Caspian’s wrath. Not of Valerie’s presence. Not even of the rejection I’d felt when everything began to slip from my fingers. I was frightened at the time, but not like
Caspian:The letter arrived in the early hours of the morning, unmarked, folded neatly, and sealed with nothing but a plain wax stamp. Mateo had intercepted it before it could be dismissed as another note from one of the nearby allied packs.He handed it to me without a word, his brow furrowed, his
Caspian:One Year LaterThe breeze was warmer today.Softer.Gentler in a way I hadn’t felt in years.More peaceful and more contenting, More calm and even happier.I stood at the edge of the gardens, the same gardens where so much had been taken from us, and so much had been given back, watching Ad
Valerie:The sun was rising over the horizon, golden streaks splitting the sky wide open, like a promise finally fulfilled.I stood at the highest point of the estate grounds, the wind tugging at my hair, the scent of fresh earth and morning dew wrapping around me like a cloak.It was over.Giovanni
“Impressive,” Giovanni called, his voice carrying easily across the clearing. His smile was cold, razor sharp. “I knew there was more to you, Valerie. I knew it from the second I laid eyes on you. I did say that I had more respect to you than I had for others, but it seems to me that I did not expec
Valerie:The boy's cries ripped through me like claws.My heart raced with each passing moment and I did my best not to harm that child. I did my best not to dirty my hands with his blood, to save him out of this, to get him out of this before the man played the game that I was not willing to handle
Caspian:The air was too still.It was the kind of stillness that came after the fight, when the blood had dried and the bodies were cleared, but before the real danger revealed itself.I didn’t like it. Not one damn bit.Because I knew that stillness was one that only told me that more danger was
Valerie:The earth still smelled of blood.I smelled of blood. People's blood the blood of our enemies the people who had dared invade our territory.The ground beneath our feet was turned upside down. We were going to need to fix that later, but I knew that the vines that worked their way from the
Caspian:The moment my boots hit the dirt at the border, I knew it was going to be a bloodbath.The trees were alive with tension, the air so thick with rage and power it was almost suffocating. All around me, my men stood ready, rows of wolves shifted into their full forms, low growls vibrating th
Valerie:The sound of war drums echoed faintly in the distance.I stood on the balcony of Caspian’s estate, the crisp night air sharp against my skin. Below, the pack was preparing, shadows moving with purpose, weapons flashing under the moonlight, wolves shifting and howling into the night. It wa
Caspian:The great hall buzzed with low conversation, tension coiling in every corner like a living thing. They were all here, my warriors, my council, the elders, even some of the civilians who had asked to stay and fight if it came to it.Ryan was right when he said that the bastard had more enem