LOGINMadeline’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
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.”
Selena’s POVThe altar screamed.Not aloud but through me, straight down my spine, sharp and sudden, like a blade dragged between my bones. I gasped and staggered back as the runes carved into the stone flared bloof, pulsing once… twice… before collapsing into darkness.My hands trembled as I press
Madeline’s POVThe whispers started before I learned how to count properly.Before I learned which forks were for which meals. Before I learned that crying too loudly made the maids angry. I was seven, but then it felt like I had lived in this world for a long time.They came from everywhere and no
Aurelia’s POVThe message came at dusk.Not through the usual channels, it was not barked by a cruel steward or tossed at me like an afterthought by a guard who barely remembered my name. This one was deliberate. Formal. Carried by a palace runner who wouldn’t meet my eyes when he spoke.“You are r
Aurelia’s POVSelena didn’t raise her voice when she gave the order.She never did when she wanted to hurt me the most.“Take her to the ritual chambers,” she said calmly, sipping her wine as if she were discussing the weather. “They need to be cleaned. Thoroughly.”The guards stiffened. Even they







