Paige’s POVThe first thing I felt was pain. A deep, searing ache that seemed to burn beneath my skin, radiating from my chest and spreading to the very tips of my fingers and toes. My throat was raw, as though I had been screaming for hours, and every breath I took felt jagged, fragile, like the mere act of breathing might shatter me all over again.The world around me was blurred, shapes and shadows swirling together in a dizzy haze as I forced my eyes open. My body trembled violently, an uncontrollable shudder that rattled my bones and made my teeth chatter. I blinked, once, twice, until the darkness faded into dim candlelight and the rough texture of stone walls slowly came into focus. The scent of blood and burnt herbs clung to the air, sharp and suffocating, mixing with the faint, unmistakable tang of magic.A low, guttural sound drew my attention, and my gaze drifted upward. Raymond was there.He knelt beside me, his large frame tense, his powerful shoulders rigid as though hol
Raymond's POVThe night air was heavy, almost suffocating, as I stood at the edge of the ancient stone circle hidden deep within the heart of our territory. The moon was already beginning its slow climb into the sky, its silvery light cutting through the shadows like a blade. Tonight, it would become full and crimson, the rare blood moon that only appeared once every few decades. It was the only night powerful enough to fuel the ritual I needed to break Ethan’s hold on Paige.My hands curled into fists as I looked down at the ancient tome laid open on the weathered altar stone. The ink was faded, the symbols strange and twisted, almost alive beneath the pale light. I had spent days tracking down the book, following whispers of old magic I was never meant to touch. The moment I found it, the weight of it felt wrong in my hands, like it knew the kind of price it demanded.But none of that mattered.Paige was worth it.When she collapsed ear
Paige's POVThe night was heavy and still, the kind of quiet that seemed almost unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath. I lay on the bed, my eyes open but unfocused, staring at the intricate patterns carved into the wooden ceiling above me. Sleep had been elusive for days, every time I closed my eyes I was pulled back into the nightmare of memories I wished I could bury forever.Raymond had been different since he read my account of Ethan’s cruelty. He was quieter, more dangerous, like a storm coiling on the horizon. I could feel his rage simmering beneath the surface even when he spoke to me gently. It scared me, but what scared me more was the shadow that had begun to creep back into my mind, a shadow I had thought long gone.Tonight, it pressed closer, whispering Ethan’s name in a voice I couldn’t ignore. I wrapped my arms around myself and sat up, the silk sheets pooling around my waist. My chest ached, not just from the memories but
Raymond's POVThe room felt too small, too suffocating to contain the rage coursing through me. The last of Paige’s words still echoed in my mind, her trembling handwriting etched into my memory like scars burned into flesh. Each sentence was a blade, each memory she revealed slicing deeper into me until there was nothing left but fury.Ethan had dared to touch what was mine, dared to break her spirit, dared to spin lies so vile they had almost destroyed her completely. He had toyed with her heart, her body, and her very soul, while the rest of the world turned a blind eye.I stood in the center of my study, fists clenched so tightly my knuckles cracked, my chest heaving with every breath. The fire behind me roared, flames climbing higher as if feeding on the darkness surging through me. Paige’s tears were still fresh on my skin, the memory of her fragile body trembling in my arms a reminder of just how much I had failed to protect her before now.
Paige's POVThe firelight danced across the walls of my chambers, painting shifting patterns that refused to settle. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the flickering glow and feeling the weight of the past pressing down on me. It was strange, how memories could feel heavier than stone. For so long, Ethan’s voice had been a chain around my throat, choking me, reminding me of what he claimed I couldn’t be, couldn’t have, couldn’t become.But tonight, something in me shifted.I was tired of living as though his lies were my truth. I was tired of feeling small and powerless, tired of letting a ghost dictate the rhythm of my heartbeat. The council’s sneering faces, their talk of heirs and other women, had only sharpened the realization that I couldn’t keep living in silence. I couldn’t let Ethan’s poison keep spreading through my life.I straightened my spine, pressing a trembling hand over my stomach as if to remind myself that it wasn’t broken
Raymond's POVThe council chamber was suffocating tonight, heavy with the stench of burning torches and the simmering hostility of too many powerful men crammed into one space. The stone walls seemed to lean inward, trapping me beneath the weight of their judgment. I sat at the head of the long, dark table, my fingers curled against the carved wood, watching the elders exchange sharp glances and knowing exactly where this conversation was headed before a single word left their lips.They had been circling like vultures for weeks, waiting for a moment of weakness. Tonight, they thought they smelled blood.“We cannot continue to delay this discussion,” Elder Varric said finally, his voice smooth but edged with steel. He leaned forward, his pale eyes narrowing at me. “Our people demand stability, Raymond. The Blackwood line must not only remain unbroken but strengthened. That requires a clear heir. And yet, months have passed, and still, there is no sign of o