MasukThe suffocating stillness of the cottage felt heavier with every passing second. Rosalie sat on the edge of her mattress, her cold fingers wrapped tightly around her knees as tears of guilt silently tracked down her cheeks.She couldn't stop thinking about Ezekiel, his innocent people, and the terrifying war camp Dominic had built right on the border. She had brought this chaos to their doorstep. By running away, she hadn't just risked her own survival and the tiny, hidden heartbeat inside her womb; she had put an entire kingdom in the crosshairs of a feral, unhinged beast.Suddenly, the quiet night was shattered.Outside, the faint crunch of heavy, iron-booted footsteps echoed against the gravel path. Rosalie froze, her breath hitching in her throat."Check around the sides," a low, gravelly voice rasped right outside her bedro
The mud along the borderlands was dark, thick, and stained with the sweat of hundreds of restless warhorses. A heavy, suffocating silence hung over the neutral territory, broken only by the distant snap of Northern banners whipping in the cold wind.In the center of the makeshift encampment stood Dominic.He looked like an absolute nightmare, a phantom straight out of a horror story. He wore no polished armor, no regal robes, and no crown. His dark tunic was torn, stained with dirt and dried crimson blood from his own split knuckles. His long black hair was wild, hanging in greasy strands over a face that had grown hollow, pale, and unhinged. But the most terrifying thing about the Supreme King of the North was his eyes. The warm amber was completely gone, swallowed whole by a pitch-black void of pure, psychotic obsession.He hadn't slept in days. He hadn't was
The cold light of dawn crept through the small glass window of the coastal cottage, casting pale gray shadows across the wooden floorboards.Rosalie sat up slowly in bed, her eyes swollen and stinging from a night spent weeping into her pillow. The mattress beside her was cold, empty, and silent. Her heart was a shattered mess, raw with the unbearable grief of Dominic’s betrayal, but as she looked down at her lap, her hands instinctively drifted to her flat stomach.I have to be strong, she thought, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. I am not just fighting for myself anymore.She glanced at the small wooden nightstand. Resting beside a pitcher of water was the glass vial containing Morana’s silver potion. Rosalie checked the position of the morning sun; it was time. Exactly twenty-four hours since her last dose.With trembling fingers, she uncorked the vial. The liquid swirled with that strange, icy magic, smelling sharply of crushed mint and iron. Rosalie brought the glass to her li
The small stone cottage sat nestled against the rugged coastal cliffs, its weathered walls wrapped in wild rosemary and creeping ivy. Below, the vast southern ocean stretched out toward the horizon, its deep blue waves crashing rhythmically against the shore. The air here was entirely different from the harsh, biting frost of the Amber Court; it was warm, thick with the scent of salt, blooming jasmine, and soft freedom.Inside, the cottage was small but incredibly cozy. A gentle fire crackled in the stone hearth, casting a golden, welcoming glow across the wooden floors.Josy, the mute housekeeper Ezekiel had meticulously chosen, greeted Rosalie with a deep, respectful bow and a warmth that melted the last bits of tension from her shoulders. In that moment, Josy reminded her of Martha, and sadness settled in her gaze.Without a single word, Josy moved with a qu
The silver fluid inside the glass vial swirled like a miniature, captured storm cloud. Rosalie sat on the edge of the wooden cot, her fingers trembling so violently the glass clinked against her fingernails. She looked down at the potion, then pressed her other hand flat against her stomach. The realization that a tiny, fragile heartbeat was hidden beneath her skin gave her a sudden, fierce wave of maternal bravery.With a sharp intake of breath, she uncorked the vial and brought it to her lips, swallowing the first few drops.The potion tasted of crushed mint and freezing iron, sliding down her throat like liquid ice. Instantly, a strange, numbing sensation washed over her skin, vibrating through her veins. Her inner wolf let out a quiet, confused whine before falling completely silent, tucked away beneath a heavy shroud of ancient magic.Ezekiel stepped close
The frantic howling of the winter blizzard outside rattled the thick wooden logs of the cabin. Inside, the fire threw long, dancing shadows across the low ceiling.Rosalie stirred slowly from her deep sleep, her eyelids fluttering open. For a terrifying second, she expected to see the heavy dark curtains of the royal bedchamber. But as her vision cleared, she recognized the smell of dried sage and bitter bloodroot. They were still inside the witch’s crooked cottage, trapped by the unyielding storm.She took a deep breath, expecting the usual wave of white-hot agony to shred her lungs.It didn't come. The excruciating, skin-melting burn of the mate bond had truly settled into a dull, heavy ache beneath her collarbone. The witch’s dark paste had formed a protective veil over the mark, numbing the frantic spiritual pull. The phantom chain was still wrapped tightly around her heart, but it was no longer tearing her apart piece by piece. She felt remarkably better.Ezekiel came to her side
A wave of ice-cold dread clouded her very soul, freezing the blood in her veins. No... Her mind screamed as the realization hit her like a physical blow. Why did he want her dressed in the purest of silk
Dominic dismounted the beast in one fluid, predatory movement. His massive hand wrapped around her arm, tugging her down with him. The moment her bare, bruised soles made contact with the freezing cobblestones of the courtyard, Rosalie's knees turned into compl
The thick, copper taste of Dominic Varkov’s blood coated Rosalie’s tongue, a metallic brand that felt like a permanent iron shackle around her soul. The ancient incantations chanted by the trembling High Priest still echoed in the freezing night air, vibrating
The silence of the clearing was deafening. Thousands of eyes were pinned on Rosalie Ashford, but she only had eyes for Prince Cassian. There was so much pain in her teary eyes as she pleaded with her eyes, but he didn't offer her a single glance.The silver threads of the mate bond were still puls







