Mag-log inLiam's POV
“Stop!”
The word tore out of me before I could temper it.
My mother’s hand was raised midair, fingers rigid, her palm poised inches from Aurelia’s cheek. For a split second the entire room froze, the heavy drapes, the trembling air, Aurelia’s sharp intake of breath.
I stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind me with delibera
Liam's POV“Stop!”The word tore out of me before I could temper it.My mother’s hand was raised midair, fingers rigid, her palm poised inches from Aurelia’s cheek. For a split second the entire room froze, the heavy drapes, the trembling air, Aurelia’s sharp intake of breath.I stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind me with deliberate calm. The knife I had drawn on instinct slid back into the sheath strapped to my ankle. My pulse, however, did not settle.“What’s going on?” My voice was lower now, controlled but only just.My mother turned to me slowly, her expression thunderous. “If you had listened to me from the beginning, none of this would be happening.”There it was. That tone. The one she used in council meetings when elders
Liam's POV“Damn it!”The word tore out of me before I could contain it.I moved across my chamber like a caged animal, boots striking against polished stone as I paced from the tall French doors to the massive bed draped in dark velvet. Beyond the balcony, the night hung heavy over the kingdom, silent and watchful. Inside, my temper burned hot enough to scorch the walls.The report was still crushed in my fist.I couldn’t remember the last time fury had sat this deep in my bones. Everything was slipping sideways. Plans I had spent months building were unraveling thread by thread, and if the council thought for one second they could interfere in my private affairs, they had gravely miscalculated.They were testing me.Because I wore the crown.Because they believed t
Madeline’s POVI knew ma'am wanted more that anything to stop me from saving the guard so I won't get punished, but then she just didn't want to interfere because that will land me in even bigger problems.They seized me before the thunder finished echoing.One moment I was standing in the execution square, my hands still trembling from the surge of power I had released, and the next, iron fingers clamped around my arms.“Take her!”“No, wait!”“She disrupted the ritual!”“Don’t damage her!”The witches were shouting over each other, their voices colliding in panic. Some sounded furious. Others sounded afraid.The guards did not hesitate.They dragged me across the cracked wooden platform,
Aurelia’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
Alpha Dominic’s POVThe moment I walked out of the dungeon that night, my chest felt heavier than it had in years. Aurelia’s tear-streaked face haunted me, the way her eyes begged me to believe her. And damn it, I did believe her. Something about the whole situation reeked of a setup.But as Alpha,
Dominic’s POVWhat I saw made my wolf snarl so loudly I thought the windows would shatter.Aurelia was on the ground, her hands raised to shield herself. While Shannon stood over her hand drawn back again, fury twisting her face.“Enough!” I thundered, my voice echoing through the room. “That’s eno
Aurelia’s POVThe walls felt as though they were closing in on me.Everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours kept replaying in my mind like a cruel nightmare I couldn’t wake from. I had thought foolishly, that once Selena was gone, peace would finally find me, and maybe I wouldn'
Aurelia’s POVA curse?If I was truly cursed, then I had to know. I needed to see the priestess myself. Things had spiral out of control and my life was falling apart right before me.The moon was half-hidden by the clouds as I slipped through the servants’ gate behind the palace. I kept my hood lo







