I cried until the raw helplessness filled the whole of me, consumed me, and then left me empty. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I ran out of tears. My throat was hoarse from sobbing. My face was swollen from scorching streams that had now dried, itching my skin.I stared blankly at the rising sun, and for the first time, I felt completely lost. I needed to talk to someone. Certainly, I needed to talk to Kaan, but I was also desperate to talk to anyone who didn't side with him. And no, talking to Nathair again certainly wasn't an option.A knock on my door forced me to drag myself out of numbness. I rose to my feet and let Delmira in. “I brought you breakfast,” she said, eyeing my face, which was likely to be covered with dark streaks of smudged kohl. Surprisingly, she didn't comment on my less-than-fresh look. She placed the plate on the table and walked back to the door. Then she stopped at the threshold and glanced over her shoulder. “Is there anything you need? Anythi
I wasn't sure I was breathing as I stared at Dritan wide-eyed. My heart hammered against my chest as my instincts began to whisper. “No,” I breathed out.His brows rose. “No… what?”I shook my head. “No, I'm not leaving Collisville.”“Are you fucking insane?!” he snarled. “You're not dumb, Asena. You have to realize that no matter if you turn out to be Kaan's mate or not, you are going to die!”His words were like another punch in the gut. I knew that there was a huge chance he was right, but I still had those last shreds of hope, and I was going to hold on to them no matter what. “I will not leave Collisville,” I repeated before sucking a sharp breath. “Not until I talk to Kaan.”“Talk to—” He cut himself off and dragged his fingers through his hair, muttering a few curses. “And just what do you expect to hear from him? He will feed you with lies, Asena. He's going to tell you whatever is necessary to make you stay.”My hands fisted, and I lowered my head. “I know that he might lie t
A knot rose in my throat as I studied Nathair. I glanced around us and saw two guards standing by the castle's main entrance. They couldn't have seen us, especially since we were both wearing black, but undoubtedly, Nathair's call would have drawn them here in a few heartbeats.“Help me,” I strained through my teeth.He cocked his head to the side. “How about ‘please’?”I sucked in a sharp breath. “Please, help me.”A wide grin parted his lips. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me behind the stables. “Follow me,” he said, all but dragging me behind him.“Where are you taking me?” I whisper-hissed.“If you're stealing a horse, make sure it's the fastest one you can get,” he muttered, pulling me to a separate building where Kaan's and Caspian's horses were kept.I frowned. “I know what you're thinking, but I'm not taking Than.”He stopped, causing me to bump into him. Then he turned around, one brow raised. “What?”I drew a deep breath. “I'm not taking Kaan's horse.”He shrugged. “Then
KAANI stood in Asena's chamber, staring at her empty bed. Fury crept into my veins, satiating me whole, mixing with the searing taste of guilt. How the fuck had I let this happen? I came so close to achieving the goal that it blinded me, and I failed to protect what I'd already had in my grasp.“You should have locked her sooner.” Jalissa huffed as she sauntered into the room, slowly stepping toward me. “You should have had her cuffed and chained in the dungeon somewhere. If I were you, I would—”My hand was around her neck before her venomous lips could choke out another word. “I don't believe I asked you for advice,” I hissed, putting more pressure on her windpipe. Her eyes widened as she fought for breath. “Just like I didn't ask your men to guard her chamber. Marvelously done, by the way.” My claws went out, sinking into the skin of her neck. “It is your fucking fault Asena is gone, so if you even mention her name again, you'll be the one chained and cuffed.”Her mouth opened as
ASENAAeron hadn't taken his eyes off me since we left the cave. At first, I thought it was because he missed me, and my sudden showing up in those woods was greatly unexpected. It became disturbing when I found him still staring at me after we'd walked to where I left Atius. But I ran out of patience when we were both on our horses on the way to Lua Mountain, and I still felt his gaze burning one side of my face.“What?” I finally snapped at him.He stepped back and gave me a sheepish smile. “You seem... different.”I glanced at my torn cloak, my soaked-in-blood clothes, and my wounded shoulder. Then I shifted my gaze to him, my brows rising. “Different how?”He cleared his throat and pointed at my shoulder. “You're healing pretty damn fast, and your wolf...” He trailed off, inhaling sharply.I frowned. “What about my wolf?”“Your spirit has awakened… right?” His eyes returned to me, cautiously studying every inch of my face.I snorted. “No, of course not. Don't you think I would hav
That evening, I had planned to visit Vidarr, other warriors, and Riona, but my exhaustion decided otherwise. Fortunately, it turned out that my old rooms were still awaiting me, and Ellaria merely needed to send someone to bring me fresh sheets and towels. There was something amazingly soothing about lying my head on a familiar pillow. Sleep had come almost immediately.In the morning, it was the commotion outside my door that pulled me out of my dreamless sleep. It took me three seconds to realize that Garren had returned. I heard Zeno's slightly grumpy voice and felt a strange tug in my heart, as if I actually missed that annoying prick. A grin cracked my lips, and I rushed out of bed to wash myself and put on some decent clothes. Thankfully, my sister filled my wardrobe with more than a few tunics, leggings, leather jackets, and comfortable boots. I picked my usual dark colors and rushed outside.At first, I was convinced I would have to run to Garren's mansion to meet him and Zeno
I blinked, struggling to comprehend Riona's words, or rather, refusing to acknowledge their meaning. A few hectic heartbeats passed before a peal of humorless laughter tore through my throat. “That's absurd!” I shook my head.She wasn't laughing. “I only tell you what I see and feel, and I take my magic seriously.”I leaped to my feet and dragged my trembling hand through my hair. “You know who my father is. You know him. He might be strong, but Erebus Jordart is not an Alpha.”Her eyes locked on mine. “There were secrets in your family, things you know he kept from you.”“I know!” I threw my hands up as frustration hit me. “But they were all about my mother! He didn't want to talk about my mother! Never even once have I wondered that might not be—”“Have you truly?” Riona's brows rose. “Both, Ellaria and your father have green eyes and auburn hair, and yet somehow, your eyes are striking blue and your hair is nearly white.”“It happens in families,” I reasoned. “Besides, I've always
I wasn't sure how I found myself back in my room, but I was now sitting, curled up on the bed with my back against the wall and my hands tightly hugging my knees, pressing them against my chest. The scorching trails of salt on my cheeks were all that was left of the tears I had shed.I had long to stop treating Erebus Jordart as my father. Throughout my childhood, he had been merely the man who graciously allowed me to stay in his house in exchange for becoming his servant. He had left me with various women at first. Those had taught me house chores before I could properly talk. It was Ellaria who had taught me how to read and write, and I had learned everything else from the books she had often brought for me.I had been treated as a slave in the house I'd lived in, and I had never known why until now. The lost pieces completed the picture I had failed to see before. The realization triggered a bubble of bitter laughter. How many times had I tried to please the man I called my father