LOGINSo Stella is having a hard time that she left her family. And she trusts Orion for now, but still doubts him. What will happen next?! Keep reading to find out. Keep commenting. Updates will be regular for this book hereafter.
Orion's POV: It hurt me to see her like that.Stella sat by the stream with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as if she were trying to hold herself together. The moonlight caught the tear tracks on her cheeks, making them gleam like silver in the darkness. She looked so small, so fragile, so utterly broken by the choice she had made for us.My wolf whined inside my chest, distressed by our mate's pain. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to fix this, to make her feel better, to take away the hurt that was radiating from her in waves.But how? I was a conqueror, a warrior, a man who solved problems with strength and violence. I knew nothing about comforting a woman who was mourning the loss of her home and family. I had never needed to learn such skills before.I know that I should do something to make my mate feel safe. After all, she was my mate, my responsibility, my entire world. But what could I possibly do or say that would ease the homesickn
Stella's POV:I know that I have taken a very bold decision by leaving my family for Orion.The weight of that choice pressed down on my chest with every beat of the horse's hooves against the ground, with every mile that stretched between me and the only home I had ever known.But I know that it had to be done, for the sake of keeping everyone alive.That was the truth I kept repeating to myself as we rode through the darkness, as the familiar landscape of Sarmentia slowly gave way to unknown territory.If I had stayed, if I had refused to go with Orion, the conflict would have only escalated.My father would have sent armies. Marcus would have gathered his forces.And Orion, my mate, would have fought back with everything he had.Blood would have been spilled. Lives would have been lost. My kingdom would have been torn apart by a war that no one could truly win.So yes, I made this choice. But that didn't make it hurt any less.Orion did tell me that he had changed for me, that he wo
The heavy wooden door of the cottage creaked open, and Prince Marcus stepped inside like he owned the place. Which, I suppose, in a way he did. This was his sister's retreat, his family's kingdom, and I was nothing more than an unwelcome intruder in his eyes.But God's bones, he was handsome - like the female version of my beautiful mate Stella. Marcus had the same golden hair that caught the light, the same sharp cheekbones, the same green eyes that seemed to see straight through to your soul. He was taller than his sister, broader in the shoulders, with the kind of presence that commanded attention without trying. I guessed he was about five years older than Stella, maybe twenty-five to her twenty, and those extra years had given him a confidence that radiated from every movement.He had all opposite qualities of mine - noble, rule following, while I was a rule breaker, conquer. Ricky and Shawn scrambled to their feet as he entered, their hands moving instinctively toward their we
Orion's Pov:The cottage that Stella led us to was nothing like the rough camps and cold caves I had grown used to over the past weeks. It sat nestled among ancient oak trees, just close enough to the holy river that I could hear the gentle sound of water flowing over stones. The building itself was modest but well-built, with thick stone walls and a thatched roof that looked like it could weather any storm."This is my private retreat," Stella had explained as she showed us inside. "I come here when I need to think, when the palace becomes too much. No one knows about this place except my most trusted servants."The relief that washed over me was overwhelming. After so many nights sleeping on hard ground with nothing but my cloak for warmth, after so many days of cold rations and constant hustling about being discovered, this felt like stepping into paradise itself.Three servants had already arrived before us, and they moved about the cottage with quiet efficiency. One was prepa
Orion's Pov:The maids giggled softly to themselves as Ricky, Shawn, and I emerged from our hiding place among the trees. Their knowing smiles and amused whispers made it clear that they had been expecting this moment, that they had known all along we were watching from the shadows.But it was Stella who held my complete attention. She stood at the river's edge like a vision from a dream, her wet hair gleaming in the morning sunlight, the fresh white dress clinging to her form in ways that made my heart race. Water still dripped from her skin, and she looked every bit the goddess I had thought her to be moments before.As we approached the riverbank, I saw her take a deep breath, her chest rising and falling in a way that seemed almost... relieved? As if she had been holding her breath until this moment.It was our mating bond. She had felt my presence, sensed my scent even from across the distance where we had been hiding. The connection between us was stronger than I had dared t
The next few days were the most difficult of my life.Gone were the disguise of rich merchants as there was no point in going back to that disguise - the one where we had been exposed. I was obliged to restrict myself and my brothers Ricky and Shawn to not spend too much gold at a time - or else we would be exposed. Now living in a simpler disguise, constantly looking over my shoulder, never knowing if the next person I passed might recognize my face—it was exhausting in ways that conquering entire kingdoms had never been. Every morning I woke up in whatever abandoned barn or forest clearing we had found for shelter, my body aching from sleeping on hard ground, my clothes dirty and torn from days of hiding.But every time I felt the urge to give up, to ride back to Valdris and forget about the stubborn princess who had captured my heart, I remembered the look in Stella's green eyes when I had stood in her bedroom. The conflict I had seen there. The way her voice had trembled when







