Liz’s POVMy head pounded. The first thing I noticed was the cold. It clung to my skin like wet fabric, sinking into my bones. My fingers twitched against what felt like stone, slick and uneven beneath me. The air smelled old, Stale, and damp, like it hadn’t moved in a long time. It filled my lungs, burning them.I blinked, or at least I thought I did, but there was nothing. Darkness just surrounded me. It clung to me.Something was wrapped around my eyes. I could feel the Thick, Rough cloth tied tightly over my face. I tried to raise my hands to pull it off, but they didn’t move. My arms strained, muscles shaking.Panic overtook me as I realised that I was chained. I tried to sit up, but my back wouldn’t leave the wall. My shoulders strained. Metal bit into my skin, and a half-scream, half-whimper came from my mouth.I was chained to a wall.The cold stone behind me dug into my spine, and the weight of the shackles pulled hard against my arms. I kicked my legs, but they were bound t
Arthur’s POVThe gates slammed shut.Guards moved fast, and the entire perimeter was sealed within minutes. No one in or out. Not without my say.My hands were clenched at my sides as I stood in the front hall, the silence pressing against my ears like it had weight. I’d sent Finn to check the guest rooms, the tunnels, the gardens—anywhere she might’ve gone. But deep down, I already knew.She didn’t leave.Not on her own.I paced the marble floor, each step echoing harder than the last. My wolf clawed at me, wild with the need to hunt, to track her scent, but there was nothing. The halls were clean. Too clean.Diana came rushing down the stairs again, still barefoot, eyes wide. “She’s not anywhere,” she said, voice tight. “We’ve checked the whole floor. There’s no trace of her.”Cecilia was behind her, pale, hugging her arms to her chest. “This doesn’t make sense,” she said. “She wouldn’t leave.”“I know.”I didn’t say anything else.Just then, the front door opened. Melissa stepped i
Arthur’s POVThe sun was barely up, but the palace was already alive with motion. Staff moved through the gardens, arranging chairs and tables, stringing lights, setting up every last detail exactly the way Liz had wanted.I stood in the middle of it all, hands folded behind my back, watching as the final pieces came together.Everything had to be perfect.Only the best for her.The flowers were already being placed, white roses with pale blue wildflowers, just like she’d told me she’d loved. The aisle was being cleared, the altar polished, the soft golden fabric she’d chosen for the table runners catching in the breeze.It was beautiful.She deserved beautiful.I was adjusting the edge of one of the tables when I heard footsteps behind me.Cecilia and Diana appeared, both dressed in soft robes, hair still half-done, eyes wide with excitement.Diana gave a low whistle, turning in a circle. “Wow. You actually pulled this off.”Cecilia nodded, her eyes bright. “It’s magic.”I smiled, bu
Liz’s POVThe dress fit perfectly.I stood in front of the mirror, my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with nerves. Diana clapped her hands behind me like she could barely contain herself, while Cecilia made some dramatic, over-the-top gasp that only made me laugh harder.Even I had to admit… I looked beautiful.The fabric was soft ivory, the kind of colour that shimmered gold when the light hit it just right. The bodice was simple, sleeveless, with delicate embroidered patterns that curled up over my collarbones and across my shoulders like vines. Tiny beads were stitched between the threads subtly, but when I moved, they caught the light like stars. The skirt flowed all the way down to the floor, pooling gently around me like water. Layers of soft tulle moved with every breath I took, light and weightless. It was perfect.I turned slowly, my bare feet brushing the rug beneath me as the skirt moved around me. I didn’t want to take it off.“Oh. My. Goddess.” Diana was
Liz’s POVI’d walked into that packhouse thinking I was just going to face my past. I didn’t expect to have it rewritten.Ruby was my mother. I still couldn’t say it out loud. The words felt foreign in my mouth.I kept going over the conversation in my head. Her voice. The way she hesitated like someone was watching her. Like, just saying his name would summon him.Even thinking it made my chest tighten, but before I could sink too deep, something changed.The trees parted.And then, the palace came into view.Every thought, every ache, every unanswered question left me all at once.Because I was home.The car rolled to a stop. I didn’t wait. I opened the door and stepped out, my heart already racing.Arthur was there.The second our eyes met, I ran. I didn’t care who saw. I didn’t care about anything except getting to him.I threw myself into his arms, and he caught me. He held me tight, one hand in my hair, the other around my waist.“You’re shaking,” he said, pulling back to look
Lumian’s POVI stood at the top of the stairs, staring through the high windows as the car rolled to a stop outside the packhouse.Then I saw her step outside. Liz. My mate. My Luna. The woman I loved more than anything in this world.And she didn’t even look back.Finn walked beside her. I watched from the shadows, frozen in place, as Liz stepped into the sunlight. Her hair caught the light like it always did, wild and soft, like it had the first time I ever saw her. My heart clenched.Then I saw it.A mark.Not faint. Not old. Not mine.I stumbled back a step, like the air had been punched out of me.It was Arthur’s.It had to be.That was why she looked different. How had I not seen it or smelled him on her? How had I become so weak and stupid not to notice that someone else had marked what belonged to me?She had let him mark her.But I wouldn't believe that she didn't still love me; she had to.I reached out for the wall, my hand gripping it as my chest heaved. My vision blurred