LOGIN– Adriah’s POV –“Adriah, wake up! Adriah!”A voice echoed somewhere around me, distant yet urgent. I didn’t know where it came from or who it belonged to.A small part of me wanted to answer, wanted to know who was calling me… but my whole body felt extremely tired. My eyelids were heavy, my bones felt weak, and all I wanted was to fall back into sleep.What… what happened to me?Slowly, I forced my eyes open. My vision was blurry at first, but when it cleared, my heart almost dropped. I was inside a small cell, cold and dim, with both of my hands chained above me.Oh no…I let my guard down. The Werebears must have dragged me here.A sacrifice. Their sacrifice.Just the thought made me bite my lip in terror.Being offered to Werebears is worse than death.I was lying on the cold ground, so I pushed myself up to sit. The cell was closed on all four sides, the iron bars were thick, the door was locked, and the chains were tight on my wrists. Again—again—I was thrown into prison. This
– Adriah’s POV –When I realized I could no longer escape them, something inside me snapped.If I was going to die here, then I would at least die fighting. I refused to let them take me like some helpless prey.Just as Loy reached out to grab my arm, I quickly dodged. Because they were huge like mountains and I was small compared to them, it was easy for me to slip between the Leader and Loy before they could react. I squeezed myself through the small gap and ran as fast as I could.‘Get her!’The Leader roared, his voice shaking the ground.I ran blindly, not even knowing where my feet were taking me. The darkness around me slowly became clear, almost bright. I could see everything—the trees, the rocks, the path in front of me. It was like my eyes suddenly gained some kind of night vision.What… what was this?A few minutes ago, I could barely see anything except for moonlight. Now everything felt sharp. Too sharp.But I didn’t have time to think. I just had to get away.Their heavy
– Adriah’s POV –I froze—not because of awe, but because of pure fear.It was the middle of the night, yet even in the darkness I could clearly see the huge shapes blocking my path. A group of Werebears stood there, forming a wall of muscle and fur. Their eyes glowed red, and they wore creepy smiles… the kind of smiles you give when you finally find food.One… two… three… four… five.Five Werebears. All in their bear forms.Damn it. I didn’t like the way they were staring at me. They looked hungry. Hungry and eager. Like monsters ready to tear me apart. Werebears were half–bear, half–human shapeshifters. And unlike werewolves, they ate flesh to satisfy their hunger.Why did I have to meet them at a time like this? Why now, when all I wanted was freedom?Werewolves are faster than Werebears—but Werebears are so much stronger. They have massive arms, claws sharp enough to slice stone, and huge bodies that make my weak state feel even worse.Right now, I was facing five of them, and ever
– King Jester’s POV –Shit. I ran faster than the speed I used earlier. How long has she been gone? Damn it, it’s already dark, and I have no idea where she went.Did she really escape on her own? Did she actually knock down my men? But how? I never imagined she could be that strong. She’s stronger than I expected… or someone helped her escape.Oh, damn it. I don’t know. But all I know right now is that I need to get her back.But why? Why the hell do I need to get her back?She killed my mate. She deserves to suffer. If she’s out here in the wild, she will suffer anyway. She’ll starve, get attacked, or die alone.But no. She has to suffer because of me, not because of someone else or something else. She owes me a debt, and she has to pay it for the rest of her life. If someone killed the person I love… if someone dared to kill my Adriah, I’d destroy them without hesitation.As I ran, I suddenly stopped when a sharp pain struck my chest. The hell? I groaned and dropped to one knee as
– King Jester’s POV –I was so confused. I didn’t understand why I felt so strange inside, like something heavy was pressing down on me.The anger I felt toward Adriah made me even angrier at myself. Damn it! What was I doing?“You’re the most annoying man I’ve ever known, Jester! I don’t even understand you anymore!” Shawn yelled furiously inside my head.“You will never understand me, Shawn! All you care about is that Stealer! You never cared about our dead mate, not even for a moment! You never mourned for her,” I snapped back, my voice shaking with frustration.The rage inside me was growing stronger, burning like fire in my chest.“I didn’t feel the same bond with her wolf, Jester,” Shawn said, his tone breaking. “Jairah’s wolf didn’t feel like… our true mate. You never gave Adriah a chance to prove that she’s the one. You always jump to conclusions and think one-sided! You won’t even listen to me!”“It’s because Adriah is just a con artist!” I shouted in return. “She’s a Stealer
- Adriah’s POV -I keep on running. I don’t know where I’m going, but I just keep moving forward. I have to get away—from that place, from him. I have to escape that living hell.My mate… my supposed mate, King Jester, has turned out to be my worst nightmare. And the painful part is—it’s not a nightmare at all. It’s real.I didn’t realize how far I’ve gone until I noticed that the sun was already setting, slowly giving way to the coming night. The air was growing colder, and I knew very well that the night was dangerous. Creatures—wild, cruel, and lost—roam the darkness. But no matter how dangerous the night could be, the castle was far worse. I would rather die out here than keep suffering inside those walls, facing death and cruelty every single day… especially from the hands of my own mate.The path ahead is still bright since the moon hasn’t completely taken over the sky. The soft light allows me to see the forest clearly as I continue running. I know I’ve already gone far from th







