LOGINAella POVThe connection vanished suddenly.One moment I could see through the glittering darkness attached to Hunter, could feel the cold air of the forest and hear Marcus breathing beside him—And the next—Nothing.The link snapped so violently it felt like losing signal in the middle of a storm.Darkness swallowed everything.The force of it made my head spin instantly.I gasped sharply as dizziness crashed into me, my body swaying hard enough that someone caught me before I could fall completely.“Aella!”Pamela.Her voice sounded distant at first.Too far away.The sanctuary slowly came back into focus around me in fragments.The hospital wing.The glowing lights.The scent of herbs and antiseptic.My body felt heavy.Exhausted.Like I had run for days without stopping.Pamela knelt beside me, visibly panicked while Beatriz rushed toward us from across the room.“What happened?” Marcus’ voice echoed faintly through one of the communication mirrors nearby.I blinked slowly, strug
Aella POVI returned to the sanctuary.Physically.But not completely.Because the glittering darkness remained behind.At first, I did not understand what was happening. I stood inside the castle halls, one hand resting against my stomach while the sanctuary wrapped around me protectively, yet at the same time—I could still see the forest.Still hear Hunter’s footsteps.Still feel the cold wind moving through the trees.The realization came slowly.The iridescent darkness obeyed me the same way Hunter commanded his shadows.No—More intimately than that.It was not simply following orders.It was connected to me.Part of me.The darkness fed me information constantly, emotions and images flowing directly into my mind as though I were physically there beside them.As though I was experiencing everything myself.I inhaled shakily.The power flowing through my heart pulsed softly in response.Dangerous for the world.Safe for me.My essence had been right.Slowly, I attached the glitte
Aella POVThe world around me disappeared after the teenager’s words.The King hit Sol.He took him away.The bond inside my chest pulsed violently, sharp enough to make me stagger slightly as panic clawed through every instinct I had.No.No.Sol was alive.I could still feel him.Faint.Distant.But alive.Which meant there was still time.I turned immediately toward the forest beyond the hospital.Toward the direction the teenager pointed.Toward Sol.And I ran.Or at least—I tried to.Hunter grabbed my arm hard enough to stop me before I took more than two steps.“Aella.”“Let go.”The words left me colder than intended.Hunter didn’t move.“You are not thinking clearly.”“My mate is missing.”“My Alpha is missing,” Hunter snapped back immediately. “And you are pregnant with three children.”The babies shifted violently inside me again, reacting to my emotions, my fear, the growing instability of my power.I tried pulling free.Hunter tightened his grip.Then suddenly—The shadow
Aella POVSol had not returned.At first, I told myself there were reasons.The attack.The chaos outside the sanctuary.The wounded.The children.The pack.Then one day passed.Then two.Then four.Four days inside the sanctuary.Four hours outside.And with every passing moment, the bond between us grew stranger.Not broken.Never broken.But distant.Muted.Like something heavy stood between us.I sat in the nursery when Marcus arrived.Or rather—When he stormed into the sanctuary looking half feral.The castle barely had time to announce his arrival before he burst through the doors covered in dirt, blood, and panic.My entire body tensed instantly.Marcus looked terrified.Not worried.Terrified.My stomach dropped violently.“Where is Sol?”Marcus stopped abruptly in front of me, breathing hard.“We can’t find him.”The room went silent.Queen Alors immediately straightened beside the window while Beatriz froze halfway through organizing medical supplies.“What?” I whispered.
Sol POVThe silence after my words stretched unnaturally.Elias stood motionless outside the cell, shadows writhing slowly around his feet while the iridescent darkness pulsed beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.Then slowly—He smiled.Not with amusement.With pity.“You still believe you have a choice.”Something about the way he spoke made my instincts sharpen immediately.His voice felt wrong.Too soft.Too deep.Too close.“The only way you survive this,” Elias continued calmly, “the only way you see your mate again…”His gaze locked onto mine.“…is if you give me your child.”Rage exploded through me instantly.The frozen flame surged violently beneath my skin, blue and silver energy flashing faintly through my veins while the loosened chains rattled softly around my wrists.But before I could answer—Pain struck my mind.Sharp.Violent.I froze.Not physically.Internally.Something cold forced itself into my thoughts like claws digging beneath skin.Elias’ eyes darkened i
Sol POVThe shadows exploded across the floor violently at my words.The entire prison trembled.Black vines lashed against the stone walls while the iridescent darkness surrounding Elias twisted like something alive, reacting directly to his emotions.Good.That meant he still felt.Still bled.Still carried wounds deep enough to hurt.Elias stepped closer to the bars slowly.Not calm anymore.Not distant.For the first time since entering the cell—He looked furious.“You think you understand me?” he hissed.The sound barely resembled a human voice anymore.The shadows thickened around him instantly, curling up the walls like smoke mixed with living darkness.“You think this is a joke?”I remained slumped against the wall, chains hanging loosely around my wrists while I forced myself to appear weak.Vulnerable.Helpless.Elias moved closer still until his face was partially illuminated by the flickering prison lights.“You know nothing.”The hatred in his voice felt ancient.Raw.Un
-------SOL ---------------- She was gone. Just like that. Gone. No scream. No body. No blood. Just empty stone where she had been standing seconds before. My knees buckled before I realized I was falling. Linus caught me under the arm, steadying my weight like I weighed nothing. “Sol?” Hi
We walked quickly toward the access doors of the Silver Tower. Bruno—the Tiger Alpha—was already speaking into his comms, his voice clipped and controlled. “Monarchs have arrived. Repeat—Monarchs have arrived. Maintain barricade positions. No one breaks formation without direct authorization.”
The transition from "Ascended Monarchs" to "starving shifters" happened remarkably fast. For hours, we were buried in vellum and leather. We moved through stacks of ancient scrolls, but it seemed the Great Library of the Queens had a sense of humor—or a very mundane side. We found "The Little Drag
Samantha’s voice, though raspy, carried an ancient authority that made the room go still. She leaned forward, her violet eyes burning with a desperate warning. "The Altar of the First Flame is not just a pile of ruins," she whispered, her gaze darting between Sol and me. "It is an ancient legend,







