LOGINAurelia’s POVI heard about the execution before the sun rose.Whispers travel faster than orders in this palace. They slip under doors, curl around corners, settle in your chest before you even understand what you’re hearing.“They’re executing someone at dawn.”“For treason.”“For sabotaging the ritual.”I froze mid-step in the corridor, a bucket of water sloshing against my leg.I knew all of this was just connected to Selena, because ever since Liam took over Selena has been the one calling the shots! Sometimes I wonder why Liam did all of that to get back a throne he wasn't that interested in.Before I could ask more, the head maid’s voice sliced through the hallway. “Aurelia.”I turned s
Aurelia’s POVI thought things would get better after Selena was thrown into the dungeon.I was wrong. If anything, my life became worse.The moment she was locked away, the servants turned vicious. The guards stopped pretending to be neutral. Even the head maid, who once barely acknowledged my existence, suddenly remembered I was beneath her.“Aurelia, scrub the west wing floors.”“Aurelia, the laundry isn’t folded properly.”“Aurelia, why are you standing? Move!”It didn’t matter that I had already been working since dawn. It didn’t matter that my hands were cracked and bleeding from harsh soap and cold water. They piled work on me as if I had personally offended them.Maybe I had. Maybe my existence was offensive.
Selena’s POVThe room felt like it had turned to ice the moment Shannon stepped forward. Every eye in the council hall fixed on her, but it wasn’t just the council members, it was Liam. His gaze was filled with hatred and I felt myself shrinking under it.Shannon’s voice rang out, clear, cold, and venomous. “The child in Selena’s womb,” she said, turning her attention to everyone in the room, “belongs not to Alpha Liam, but to the kitchen assistant.”My stomach dropped like a stone. I froze, unsure whether to breathe or scream. My heart pounded against my ribs, a deafening drum, and my throat went dry.“No!” I shouted, my hands clenching at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. “That’s a lie! That’s not me! Liam, listen to me, please, you have to listen!”But it was
Shannon’s POVThe next week was hell. Absolute, relentless hell. Every morning I woke to whispers and stares, even from those who had no right to judge me. By midday, the palace halls buzzed with news of me. Shannon the murderer. Shannon, the hybrid without a wolf. Shannon, the one who orchestrated the death of the late king.I tried to ignore it. The ministers called for me repeatedly, each summons more insistent than the last. By the fourth day, I knew this would not blow over.“Luna Shannon,” one minister said during a heated conference, “the people are asking questions. We are asking questions. Did you murder the late king?”I exhaled slowly, letting my rage simmer beneath the surface. Calm, composed, I looked at them, meeting every gaze evenly. “No,” I said flatly. “I did not. These are baseless rumors spread by someone
Shannon’s POVI closed the drawer slowly and lifted my head.“Selena.” My voice was calm.She was still standing near my dressing table, pretending to adjust a bracelet as if I was the one in the wrong room. This little brat thinks I can't smell her mischief from afar.“What are you doing in my chambers?” I asked.She didn’t turn immediately. “I told you. I was looking for my scarf.”I let out a quiet laugh.“A scarf.”“Yes.”“You expect me to believe you misplaced your scarf in my private quarters?”She finally faced me, crossing her arms. “I’ve been here before.”“That does not give you permission to go through my things.”Her eyes flickered briefly.“I wasn’t going through anything.”
Shannon’s POVI woke up with a violent jolt.The room was dark, but my heart was already racing. My wolf was restless beneath my skin, pacing, clawing, growling low in warning.Liam.The thought hit me so hard I sat up immediately.The bond felt… distorted.I threw the covers aside and stood, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor. The palace was unusually quiet for this hour. Too quiet.I didn’t bother changing properly. I grabbed the first robe within reach and stormed out of my chambers.“Son?” I called sharply as I reached his corridor.No answer. His guards were not stationed outside his door.That alone made my jaw tighten. I pushed the door open without knocking. It was empty. The bed untouched. The windows closed. No scent of him lingeri
Aurelia’s POVThe moment I heard the harsh, rasping cough, my chest froze. I had been standing beside Dominic during the council meeting, trying to keep my composure as the room swirled with whispers and hushed panic. But when crimson streaks appeared on his lips, I gasped, my hands flying to his c
Dominic’s POVThe moment the doctors cleared me to leave, I didn’t wait for an escort or a wheelchair. I walked out of that hospital determined to get home before Aurelia, just to see the look on her face when she found me standing in the palace again. I wanted to surprise her—make her smile again.
Selena’s POVThe first thing I felt was pain, sharp, burning pain at the back of my head. Then the pressure around my wrists. My arms were pulled behind me, too tight, cutting into my skin. I jerked instantly, trying to move, but a rough rope dug deeper into my flesh.My eyes snapped open.The enti
Selena’s POVI swear my neck was still sore from the way Aurelia strangled me with that stupid invisible power of hers. Every breath I took reminded me of the humiliation, gasping on the palace floor like some helpless rodent while everyone watched.And yet…Yet the moment I got that call, that bea







