LOGINElara POVHis hands tighten on my thighs, his eyes flashing fiercely.“You’re everything.”The simple statement takes me aback. There’s no hesitation in his voice, no doubt. He says it like it’s the most fundamental truth in the universe.“Kael—”“You’re my fated mate.” His hands slide up to frame my face, thumbs brushing over my cheekbones. “You were created for me, and I was created for you. You’re everything to me, crown prince or not. You’re the other half of my soul.”“I can’t even shift.” The words come out broken, all my insecurities laid bare.“I don’t care.” He pulls me down until our foreheads are touching. “I would choose you over anyone, over everyone. Prince or pauper, it doesn’t matter.”“Your father—”“Can go to hell if he thinks he can take you from me.”The vehemence in his voice makes my breath catch. This isn’t some careful, controlled prince sitting on a throne. This is my Kael: fierce and protective and utterly ruthless when it comes to things he considers his.“Y
Elara POVThe darkness lifts slowly, like fog dissipating at dawn. I surface from sleep with the strange, disorienting sensation of being somewhere between dreaming and waking—caught in that liminal space where reality feels fragile and breakable.My body feels foreign. Heavy. Like I’ve been sleeping for days, or maybe weeks. The bed beneath me is soft, real, nothing like the cold marble of that throne room where—The memories crash over me all at once.The whip. The pain tearing across my back. Lady Zari’s cold smile as she watched me bleed. The King’s voice echoed through that vast chamber, calling Kael “son.”My eyes snap open.I’m staring at an ornate ceiling painted with golden stars against midnight blue. Silk curtains hang around the bed, and everything smells like sandalwood and something distinctly masculine. This isn’t the inn. This isn’t anywhere I recognize.I turn my head, and there he is. Kael.He’s lying beside me, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from
Kael's POV A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.Seth enters, his expression grim.“Your father wants to see you. Now.”I look down at Elara one more time, then stand.“Guard this room. No one gets in except the healer.”Seth nods.“Of course.”As I head out the door, I catch sight of Leon in the hallway and flag him down.“I need you to do something for me,” I tell him quietly. “Dig into Elara’s past. Her family, her childhood, anything you can find. There’s more to her story than we know.”Leon’s eyes sharpen with interest.“I’ll start immediately, Your Highness.”I stride toward my father’s private study, my mind racing. Whatever he wants to discuss, I doubt it’s going to be pleasant. But Elara is safe now, healing in my chambers, and that’s all that matters.The King is waiting for me, standing by the tall windows that overlook the palace grounds. He doesn’t turn when I enter, but he does speak.“The Umbra Council is insisting on investigating the matter of your mate breaki
Kael’s POVLord Vance seizes the opening.“My daughter is far better suited for the role. She has breeding, class, and political connections. If the Prince is determined to keep this woman,” Vance says disdainfully, gesturing toward Elara, “perhaps she could serve as a concubine. Someone he can… visit when the mood strikes him. My daughter would be understanding of such arrangements.”Elara flinches beside me, and something inside me snaps.“A concubine?!”The throne room falls silent at my tone.“You want to know what this woman has accomplished?” I step forward, my voice echoing throughout the vast space. “Elara is a genius herbalist. She has developed a way to neutralize wolfsbane poisoning—something no healer in this kingdom has ever managed.”Lord Vance scoffs.“The Prince is clearly—”I cut him off sharply.“She saved my life. This woman healed me when I was dying. She has also discovered a cure for nightshade poisoning. Tell me, Lord Vance, what has your daughter accomplished b
Kael’s POV Behind me, Zari lets out a choked sob.“She is destroying everything, Kael. Our engagement, your honor, the alliance between our families—”“The only thing being destroyed here,” I say without looking at her, “is your pathetic scheme.”I step toward my father’s throne, boots squelching in the blood pooled on the marble floor. Elara huddles at my side, trembling but steady.“You want to know the truth?” I say. “Elara’s wolf is latent. She can’t shift. Magnus Blackwood chose her precisely because she was expendable, not because she was the strongest.”I look directly at Magnus Blackwood, whose face has drained of color. “The most powerful female in his pack is Harper, his own daughter. But he couldn’t bear to sacrifice her, so he lied to the crown and tried to send Elara instead.”“That’s not—” Magnus Blackwood begins to protest, but I cut him off.“When I began my investigation, you sent warriors after Elara. To find her. To kill her. Those warriors had wolfsbane on their c
Kael’s POVThey hurt her.They whipped her.They made her bleed.And I wasn’t here to protect her.I step forward, and the world narrows to this single moment of retribution. My wolf is howling for blood, demanding justice for our mate, and I don’t fight it.Before anyone can react, I thrust my hands into the chests of the two guards holding the whips and rip out their still-beating hearts.The satisfaction that floods through me is dark and primal.These men hurt what’s mine.They deserve this. They deserve worse.Their bodies slump to the ground with wet thuds. Blood pools on the pristine marble floor, spreading outward in thick crimson rivers.A collective gasp echoes through the throne room. Someone screams. Several nobles press themselves against the walls, looking frantically for the fastest escape route.I let the hearts drop from my hands. The soggy splats echo in the sudden silence.Blood drips from my fingers as I look around the room, deciding who should be next.Let them a
Kael’s POVI stride through the palace hallway, my boots hitting the marble with more force than necessary. This whole cross-mating decree was a waste of time. My father should have just sent me to deal with the packs that have been siding with Draven.It would have been wiser to make an example of
Elara's POV And beside her, pale and sick-looking, stands Daciana. Her dark eyes meet mine for just a second before she looks away, guilt written across her face.“Sit,” Blackwood commands, gesturing to the empty chair beside Harper.I move toward his desk but remain standing. “What’s going on?”
Kael’s POVI’m silent, bored out of my mind. If it weren’t for the mystery surrounding the missing female shifter, I wouldn’t tolerate this gathering. But somebody here knows something. I’m certain of it.“And your tracking abilities! Papa says you’re legendary. I bet you could find anyone, anywher
Kael'S POVThe fire glows faintly in the darkness, softly illuminating Elara’s sleeping form. She is curled on her side with Luna pressed against her chest, her expression defenseless. She’s not at all worried about being around me, the most dangerous of predators. I don’t know whether to call that







