LOGINSERAPHINA'S POVIt all felt like déjà vu as the maids bathed and dressed me up.But this time, this wasn't normal. This wasn't something I understood. This wasn't an alliance or an act of resentment. It was something I just didn't understand.And then, the way I spoke boldly to the Queen Mother... was that really me?Why did I get so tensed up when she belittled my mother, even though I've had no real interaction with her?Vesper?A faint whisper. Princess... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you. I couldn't stop him from hearing us.No, Vesper. It's okay.It's not okay. He knew everything. Our plan. All of it, because of me.He heard us because he has power we didn't know about. Not because of anything you did wrong. We're in this together. Remember?She was quiet for a moment. Then, softer: Together.Together.The warmth in my chest flickered. Faint. But there."All done."I looked up at myself in the reflection. My silver hair glistened. The wedding dress fitted perfectly on my curves.
However, immediately I got in, the sight I met took me completely off guard.The room wasn't a hall. It was a chamber. A massive one, decorated in deep blacks and dark silvers. Tapestries hung on the walls, depicting battles and wolves and things I didn't recognize. Candles flickered everywhere, casting long shadows that danced like living things.And seated before me, on a throne, was Soren.But he wasn't alone.Beside him, draped across an ornate chair with the kind of posture that screamed I own everything I see, sat a woman. Older than Soren, but with the same sharp features, the same cold eyes. Her silver-streaked black hair was piled high on her head, and she wore a gown so dark it seemed to drink the light around her.She was looking at me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe."So," she said slowly, her voice dripping with disdain. "This is the famous Silver Princess."I didn't answer. My eyes were too busy taking in the rest of the room.Guards lined the walls.
SERAPHINA'S POVI was stunned. Trapped. Caught.How do I escape from someone who can hear my thoughts? What even is this?Is he hearing me right now?I groaned, rubbing my palm over my face. So this is how I'm going to get married to an unknown man, with my ex-mate's face, in an entire world I know nothing about?What happens after then?When do I come out of this whole bubble?I looked down at the red blood-stained marks on my wrists. The blood had dried up, and the wounds had healed—wolf healing, I guessed. But the marks were still there, angry red lines circling my skin, as if to remind me not to do anything foolish.A clank at the door disrupted my thoughts.Is he here again?My hair stood on end just at the thought. I really didn't want him in here right now. His words and face were traumatizing enough.Two guards entered, and I raised my brows. They said they only served meals once, so what were these guards doing here with a tray—no, trays of food in their hands?"Good day, Pri
SERAPHINA'S POV"Don't thank me yet." A strange note entered her voice. "There's something else. Something I haven't told you."My hand froze halfway to the bread. "What?""I've been watching. Listening. Every time a guard comes near this door, I pay attention." Vesper's voice was low, focused. "They're not as careful as they think they are."I leaned closer, as if that would help me hear her better. "What did you learn?""Two things. First, the guard rotations shift every four hours. There's a window just a few minutes away from here where the corridor outside is completely empty.""And I can't sniff any of them around that area," Vesper added.I nodded, more layers of hope arising even further."Second thing. The lock on this door is old. Very old. I've been studying it through your eyes whenever you look at it. The mechanism is worn. A strong enough force could break it."I looked down at my chained wrists, then at the door. "I don't have strong enough force. I have chains. I have
SERAPHINA'S POVI sat on my knees, staring at the bare floor for minutes, if not hours. My eyes were barely moving, but my brain... my brain was tired.So tired.I couldn't even answer the major, most important question: How did I get here?How do I plan on escaping when I don't even know how I ended up here in the first place? Every time I tried to trace my steps backward, I hit a wall. A blank space. A void where memories should be.I just want to go back home.I shifted, finally sliding off my knees and onto the cold floor. The chains clinked as I stretched my legs out in front of me. My wrists were raw, the skin around the metal cuffs red and angry. I didn't care.Is there something wrong with me?No. That wasn't the right question.What exactly is wrong with me?Why can't I just be normal? Why does my life have to be a maze of forgotten memories, stolen identities, and men who look the same but feel completely different?Am I the first person to reject a mate? Is this my punishme
SERAPHINA'S POV"Tie her up," he commanded.Two guards emerged from the shadows on either side of me, holding chains and locks that clinked with every step. Heavy. Iron. Made for someone they didn't want escaping."Why are you tying me up? What have I done?!" My voice rang out, high and desperate."How dare you question the Grand Prince!" the scarred man barked.The guards grabbed my arms. I thrashed, twisted, tried to pull free; but their grip was iron, their strength inhuman. One forced my wrists together behind my back. The other wrapped cold metal around them, tighter and tighter until the locks clicked shut.I was chained. Helpless on my knees before a room full of enemies.The cold seeped from the stone floor into my bones. My arms ached from the angle they were forced into. I could feel every pair of eyes in that room burning into me—some curious, some hateful, all waiting to see what would happen next.More chains clanked behind me.I turned my head and my heart stopped.A man
SERAPHINA'S POV Did I really rile Kaelan up so much that he hadn’t come home for more than a day? I hadn’t heard from him since our last outburst, and Ivanna confirmed he wasn’t in the castle. Maybe I’d said too much. Had I? But then… had his family really banished him? Just because of my reje
"Prodigal Luna? Excuse me?" I asked, unable to stop myself. I could feel Kaelan's eyes boring into my skin, a silent warning, but the insult had already lit a short fuse in my chest.She cleared her throat, before plastering on a smile so false it was almost insulting. "Pardon my manners, Your Maje
SERAPHINA'S POVI watched as my father walked through the tall gates of the castle, and I clenched my fists till my knuckles turned white, a bitter taste filling my mouth.He had arranged a contract marriage without my consent—not that I’d really revolted against it.He knew I was getting married t
Isolde gulped, her face contorting with shame, and slowly sank to her knees. She met my eyes, and I felt the heat of her hatred radiating toward me.She looked once more at Kaelan, whose gaze dared her to challenge him.As she crouched and brought her mouth closer to the floor, the Empress sprang u







