Maya’s POVWhile the crowd stood frozen in disbelief, I stood quietly stunned, barely able to process the shimmering ring now encircling my finger.The ring fit perfectly and delicately around my finger.It was the stone in the middle that dazzled everyone! It was a huge diamond, fit only for royalty, so luminous it seemed to pulse with breath as though it were alive. My gaze locked onto it, on what it meant, on what it had claimed.“The size of the stone depicts the goodness of the owner’s character,” an elder whispered to another minister of the council.“Yes, and I heard that it is auspicious for the pack to get a person claimed by the crystal like that! We are lucky that she will be our Queen.”“She is truly skilled and compassionate. She proved herself during the rogue battle and Luna Trials. She has been acing all the rounds!”“We should support the King to take the doctor as our Queen. I hope he agrees.”“But she is an omega!”“Yes, but she is the chosen one by the crystal! It
Maya’s POV“Wh-what is happening?” Leo stammered.Sebastian held out his palm and a crystal orb shimmered into existence above his hand, suspended midair like a summoned moon.Shock cracked through the hall like splintering glass. Mouths parted. Spines stiffened. The air turned electric. The room reacted as one, staggered, breathless, disbelieving.“The Crystal of Truth!” Princess Hannah choked out. “That hasn’t been summoned in — … ”“Centuries,” one of the elders whispered.The orb pulsed softly, illuminating the hall with a cold, otherworldly glow. Within its core, mist swirled, slow at first, then violently, as if sensing a lie in the room.“I heard that the crystal materializes only to protect the truth!”“Even the greatest kings have tried to summon it but the Crystal of Truth has its own will and lifeforce. It is rarest to rare to witness its existence!”“The Lycan King is truly great! He managed to achieve a miracle.”“Surely, the omega is doomed now.”“Yes. The crystal appear
Maya’s POV“BUT I DEMAND A FORMAL INVESTIGATION IN THE MATTER.”My pulse roared in my ears.It was HIM!I forgot to breathe.His sharp gaze, oozing danger turned soft, almost pleading when his eyes met mine.My mind raced back to his last parting words:“If you ever find yourself in any kind of trouble, find me. Find Sebastian Longstone, Prince of the Golden Lycan Pack. See you soon, Belle. Don’t forget this beast.”Every mysterious word, every whisper, every stolen scent that haunted my dreams, it all clicked into place.I shivered.Because standing before me wasn’t just the wounded boy who had begged for help, trying to save someone he loved despite the dangerous risks he took. No. Standing in the boy’s stead was a man. A powerful man.He had transformed, nay, ascended.The mysterious figure who held me with those magnificent, tattooed arms like bands of steel in the most dire times was actually the most radiant, dangerously handsome man I had ever seen. He was drop dead gorgeous, o
Maya’s POVI overslept.I jumped out of bed, fearing the worst.I was late for the Luna Trials. I did not even know if I would make it on time for whatever was planned for today.“Look at you, lazy as always. Late for something, dear?”I crashed into the worst person possible.Leo did not change. He was as ungrateful as before. I woke up before dawn every morning just to cater to his needs so that everything was ready before he woke up and I left for the infirmary. Clearly, he had taken me for granted.His mere presence irked me. Thinking of this ungrateful murderer made my blood boil. Not wanting to get into trouble for harming an Alpha guest in the palace, I tried to sidestep him and run to the designated venue. However, he caught my wrist and forced me against a pillar.“My mate,” he rasped, catching my wrists in one hand and forcing them above my head. “I missed you,” he nosed his way into my neck, trying to scent me and find his mark.I tried to push the big and burly man away bu
Maya’s POV“How come the haughty princess is still allowed to participate in the Luna Trials?” Valerie huffed, helping me reorganize the supply cart.I shrugged. Royal privileges, I guessed.I stifled a yawn. I was dead tired.Inside the quiet medical tent, I rocked the triplets’ bassinet gently as they finally drifted into sleep. The poor babies hadn’t shut their eyes all night. Yet, despite the chaos, they hadn’t cried once, staying silently tucked together while I patched up soldier after soldier.Watching their tiny chests rise and fall so peacefully tugged at something tender in my heart. They were so little yet so understanding.I moved towards the medicine cabinet, clearing away the empty vials and syringes. I wanted to dispose the bio-waste myself before anyone got ideas about tampering. After recent events, I trusted no one with my tools and medicines.“And why is she allowed to participate in the Luna Trials in the first place?” Carl asked.“What do you mean?” Valerie asked,
Maya’s POVI worked through the night without pause, my hands steady even as exhaustion tried to crawl its way up my spine. Dawn was breaking when I finally removed my gloves, my fingers trembling from overuse. The last patient had been stabilized. My feet screamed for rest, but I remained standing.A shadow fell across the tent.“How many fatalities?” Zane’s voice rang out, his stature authoritative and voice commanding. I was witnessing him in his element for the first time.He looked every inch the warrior Beta, the playful sarcasm scrubbed clean by the battlefield. He stood tall, blood-splattered armor still on, his face grim but alert. This was the first time I had seen him like this. No jokes. No smirks. Just raw command.He had certainly earned his position as the Beta of the most powerful kingdom. He had singlehandedly led the troops to victory within a few hours despite the surprise attack.I lifted my fingers and signed quickly. Zero.He blinked, uncertain he had understood.