Liz’s POVWe walked in silence down the stone corridor, Arthur’s hand wrapped tightly around mine.When we reached the door, Finn opened it without a word.Melissa stepped in first. And my eyes stayed glued on her, studying her every move. The moment her eyes landed on my body, she stopped. Her expression changed. She said nothing, but I saw the flicker of something curious in her eyes.She walked slowly toward me, never breaking focus.“I want to get closer,” she said.Arthur moved instantly, stepping in front of her.“No.”“I won’t hurt her,” Melissa said calmly, taking her eyes off my body to look at Arthur.“You nearly killed her before,” he snapped, his voice tight.“I was trying to remove what I thought was dark magic,” she said, unfazed. “Now I know better. Let me do what I came here to do.”Arthur’s jaw clenched. He didn’t move.Frank stepped forward. “Arthur, let her. I brought her here because I trusted she could help.”“She almost killed her.”“And now she might be the onl
My hand brushed against the thick fur, still warm with rage, and I felt him shift. Bones snapped, fur rippled, and muscle and skin realigned beneath my touch. And then he was there.He fell into me the moment his body returned to its human form. No pause or breath between. Just raw emotion crashing into me.“I was scared I’d lose you,” he said, voice cracking as he buried his face against my shoulder. His arms were around me tightly.I held him.“What are you doing?” Arthur’s father. His voice was Angry.I looked up at him. His eyes were wild, furious, locked on his son. “We brought you here to kill it,” he snapped, turning towards Melissa. “Now finish it.”Finn walked up and handed Arthur a blanket without a word. Arthur didn’t even look at him, just took it and threw it over his shoulders and stood up, turning towards his father. “She is not evil,” Arthur said. His voice was filled with rage “She is my mate.”“No one else can see this thing you’re talking about,” Philip growled. “Y
Liz’s POVEverything hurt.But even through the searing fire tearing me apart, I felt him. Arthur.The moment his wolf rose, it wasn’t just something I saw; I felt it through the bond that still held, barely, between us. A tidal wave of rage, of pain, and of pure feral power crashed into me.I watched through the haze of flame as his body shifted. Bones cracked, skin tore, and then the Alpha King was gone.And something ancient stood in his place.His wolf was monstrous. Towering. Fangs bared, claws dug into the marble floor, red eyes locked on the witch like she was already dead. He didn’t see anyone else. Only her.And I knew if he killed her with this much rage in him, he wouldn’t come back whole.A piece of him would be gone. Forever.“Arthur!” I screamed his name, but my voice was broken. My throat is too raw to carry sound.The witch didn’t flinch.She kept chanting.And then she raised her other hand, her fingers curling, readying another blow of magic to stop the wolf chargin
Arthur’s POVScreams of pure agony tore from her mouth.And the world shattered around me.Violent flames ripped through the space where she stood. The fire had shaped her, making her visible to everyone.Her body outlined in burning light. Flames licked across her limbs, her face twisted in agony as the witch’s spell tore through her. Cecilia screamed beside me. “Stop it, you're killing her.”“She’s not real,” my father said, voice cold and unshaken. “It will all be over soon. We’re saving you.”I spun on him.My rage wasn’t hot, it was cold and deadly.“You’re killing my mate,” I growled, voice shaking.He didn’t flinch. He believed what he was doing was right. Like he was salvation.I turned back to the witch. Her eyes hadn’t moved. Her mouth still chanted that cursed spell. Flames rose higher around Liz’s screaming figure.And something in me broke.My wolf surged forward.Ready to kill.I launched myself at Melissa, ready to tear her apart piece by piece.But Liz’s scream ripp
Liz’s POVSomething was off about her.The moment her hood dropped, I felt it.There was something in the way her eyes moved, how they scanned the room like she was searching for something. She knew there was more here than met the eye.Her eyes flicked past Arthur’s shoulder, right through the space where I stood. And for a split second, her eyes narrowed barely a twitch, a flicker of suspicion most would miss.But I wasn’t most.Not anymore.When I was alive, I would’ve brushed it off or not even noticed it.But now? Now I’d learned to see what others didn’t or what they didn't want to.She was looking for something… and that something was me.Arthur was talking, but his words slipped past me as I stood there focused on her.She just flicked her wrist, and the air changed.It was subtle at first. A soft pressure building in my chest, like I’d forgotten to breathe for too long.I took a step back, something deep inside of me twisting like it wanted to escape.Melissa’s voice rose. W
Arthur’s POV“Liz, are you okay?” I asked, eyes fixed on her.Liz tilted her head, her expression unreadable, but with one hand on her chest. “I’m fine,” she said softly. “I just felt something like a tightness in my chest.”My heart skipped.It was probably nothing. I told myself. But inside, the fear and worry began to creep up stronger than ever. What if this was the first sign that we were running out of time? We had found nothing, and I read every book in the palace. Cecilia was watching me, waiting for me to tell her what had happened, but I couldn't. Liz leaned forward, placing her hand over mine, sensing my worry. “Im okay arthur, im still here.”I looked into her eyes and went to speak.But before I could, a flicker in my mind broke through.‘Arthur. Come downstairs. Bring Cecilia. Now.’ My father’s voice came cold through my mind-link.I looked down at Liz and Cecilia. “We’ve been summoned.”Cecilia raised an eyebrow. “Summoned?”“Our father,” I said. “And when he sound