Dorian's point of view Just as I pushed the door open, I slipped inside, closing it back with a swift kick from my leg before laying Raina gently on the bed.I climbed onto the mattress, my lips hovering close to hers, eager to resume the kiss but she pressed a hand to my chest and stopped me.“A moment, please,” she whispered before sliding off the bed.Disappointment crashed through me.Doesn’t she want me?Doesn’t she love me enough to stay?Still reeling, I heard the bathroom door slam shut with a sharp bang.“Fuck!” I hissed, raking my fingers through my hair.I asked for her permission. She gave it. So why now?Why the sudden change of heart?I sat at the edge of the bed, still pondering over what she meant by “a moment,” when suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open.Raina stepped out—completely naked.For a heartbeat, I froze.Was this really her? The Raina I thought I knew? Or was this some ghost sent to torment me?But no, it was her. And God, she looked breathtaking. Her s
Author's point of view After the damning footage surfaced, proving Luke’s involvement in dark magic, Raina revealed everything. The revelation turned the tide, backfiring on both Luke and Jane.Jane’s blood boiled with rage. Luke had ruined everything, their carefully woven plan shattered in an instant. She tried calling him, her fingers trembling with fury as she dialed again and again, but he never picked up.Then, two hours ago, his message arrived: I’m on my way back. That was all. No explanation, no apology. Just words that left her pacing restlessly, her chest tightening with every second of his absence.When the knock finally came, Jane’s heart thudded in her chest. She peeped through the crack, Luke. Without hesitation, she yanked the door open. And before a word could leave his mouth, her palm connected with his cheek in a sharp, resounding slap.“How could you do this to us, Luke!?” Jane’s voice thundered, shaking with fury.“Do what to us?” he shot back defensively, his ha
Raina's point of view Immediately I stepped out of the Seer’s lair, I disguised myself and made my way straight to the palace.The moment I entered my chamber, I froze.Dorian was already there.“Dorian?” I breathed, my voice betraying my surprise.“Raina, where did you go?” he asked, his gaze sharp with curiosity, though weariness lingered beneath his eyes.“I’ve been trying to reach you, but every attempt failed. That’s why I went to meet the Seer,” I confessed.He let out a weak sigh, shoulders dropping. “You didn’t have to put yourself through that trouble.”“But Dorian, I was worried about you,” I pressed, stepping closer. “Don’t tell me otherwise. I know you’ve been carrying all this weight… all this stress… because of me.”He moved closer, his presence overwhelming, his eyes softening as if he wanted to say something more. “Raina—”I silenced him gently, pressing a finger against his lips. “No. Don’t. I know what you’re trying to say. But listen to me instead. Let me fix this.
mRaina's point of view I slipped into the seer's lair and peeled the cloak from my shoulders.He froze, then hissed, "Why are you here?""I need your help," I whispered.He shrugged. "I can't help you. In fact, you've only made things worse.""I didn't, I didn't make anything worse."He smiled, a thin, cruel thing. "No, I meant Dorian. Dorian made things worse for both of you.""Leave Dorian out of this. I'm innocent. That whole dark-magic story was just an accusation, stop blaming me or trying to strong-arm Alpha Dorian into protecting me," I said, every word steady."Well," the seer sneered, "so far, so good. I’ve never seen anyone openly admit to such filth, so I’m not surprised you’re still denying it. But hear me now, soon, your title will be stripped away. A woman tainted by dark magic can never be a Luna." His voice burned with hatred.I straightened my back, forcing myself not to crumble.His words cut deep, but I refused to give him that power. The real blame lay with Luke
Raina's point of view “Please, don’t let him in. He’s not coming for anything reasonable.” Luiz’s voice broke on the last word; his hands trembled as if trying to hold himself together.I stared at him, incredulous. “But you already said you did all of that to save your brother. He’s standing at the door now, so why are you afraid of letting him in?” The question ripped out of me, sharper than I intended.A hot, hollow truth settled in my chest. I’d been right all along. Luiz had been lying from the moment he stepped over that threshold to plead for mercy. The way he clutched himself, the way his gaze skittered away, every small betrayal stitched together into a hard, cold pattern. If he didn’t want his brother here, it meant something worse: there were things he was still burying, secrets he hadn’t dared tell.Dorian stood like a statue, arms folded tight across his ribcage as if protecting something more than his heart. His eyes never left the hallway; they were tired and dangerous
Raina's point of view "I shouldn't have done that," Luiz’s voice cracked, his eyes wide, pleading like a man standing on the edge of a cliff. "But I had, because I had no choice."My chest tightened. I looked at Dorian. His gaze was steady, carved from stone, yet it burned straight into me. Why me? Why would he want me to be the one to decide his beta’s fate?"Dorian…" My voice wavered."Decide his fate." He repeated, unflinching, like it cost him nothing to sentence a man to death.I forced my eyes back to Luiz. He looked smaller now, desperate, clinging to his excuse like it could save him."You had no choice?" I asked, my words cutting through the silence. "Like how?""Barclay; he threatened me!" Luiz’s words tumbled out in a rush, his breath ragged. "He said he’d kill my brother, and that was why, I swear, that was why I did it. I had no other choice!"But I knew. I knew.Luiz was a liar.I hadn’t been there that night when the deal was struck, but I could still see his face in m