Serene’s POVMy legs moved on their own. I didn’t remember starting the walk, but there I was—heading home.Thoughts crashed in my mind like thunder, loud and relentless. Everything felt tight in my chest as I recalled what I’d seen: the marching, the glowing eyes, the unnatural stillness.I tried to shake the image away, but it clung to me like glue.What were they? Why did one of them look at me like that? And who was the man that saved me? Where had he come from? How did he know I was Agnar's mate?My breathing turned uneven. My chest rose and fell too quickly, as though I couldn’t get enough air. The night was cool, but my skin burned like I had a fever.I tried to quiet the noise in my mind, but the memories clawed their way back, sharper than ever.“You’re fine,” I whispered to myself.But I wasn’t.Every tree I passed, every flickering shadow, made me flinch. It felt like the night had grown teeth—watching me, waiting.I shivered and pulled my shawl tighter. The path home stret
Serene's Pov I couldn't stay still that evening, and while the others laughed and joked around, I decided to go for a walk around the fields near the mansion.I grabbed a shawl, wrapped it around my neck, and slipped out of the house without anyone noticing.I walked without paying attention to where I was headed. I wasn't scared. This was Agnar's land, and there was nothing to fear.What I wanted to know was how to get at Ianthe.Her face kept flashing in my mind — smug, untouchable. Pregnant and protected. How do you destroy someone who was poison herself? How do you make someone like that bleed?There had to be a way. There was something that could be done. I just needed to know what it was.Then something struck me: my conversation with Ivar earlier at dinner. As I thought more about it, I got more excited. It could work. It had to work.Oh, I would make it work if it was the last thing I did.I turned to go, but I suddenly tripped over a stone and fell. As I pushed myself up, b
Serene's PovI was quiet the entire ride home, and when I got home, I went straight to my room.Ianthe was pregnant — I hadn't been expecting that. Never even thought she could get pregnant, but here we were, facing a new nightmare growing in her womb.My chest tightened as my thoughts drifted to Daphne. Sweet, innocent Daphne, who had suffered so much in silence. The horrors she had endured in Ianthe’s hands were almost too monstrous to think of. I remembered the brokenness in her eyes, the way her body trembled.Her sister had been crippled and she herself had been broken emotionally and mentally. Ianthe had torn her apart, piece by piece. She’d been violated, her innocence stolen in the most brutal way imaginable. And now the woman responsible for it all was carrying a child, a new horror to birth into this world.Anger boiled in my blood, mixing with helplessness and sorrow until it all became a sickening numbness.Something had to be done. Daphne needed my help, but how?Mind s
Serene's Pov. The glass hit her with a sickening sound on the head.Horror, disgust, and anger all fought for a place on her face. When she moved, I followed suit — but faster. This time, I reached for the entirety of the wine bottle and sent it hurling towards her, but before it could make contact, the Alpha King pulled it towards him and onto his palm.With a sigh, he plopped the wine down on the table.“Are you not going to say anything about this, your highness?” Roman asked, voice shaking in anger.The King turned to me. “Fighting at the dining is a prohibited thing. Do not do that again.”Mad beyond words, Ianthe stood up, but before she could make any other move, she froze in place. And began to choke.Everyone at the table watched, stunned. It wasn't the Alpha King. Then....It was the man by my left. Agnar He wasn't doing anything — just kept staring at her, but she kept on choking, blood leaving her face.How was he doing that? I wondered, stunned. Only the Alpha King pos
SERENE'S POV “You okay?” Agnar asked as we stood in front of the Alpha King's mansion, staring.I nodded. “Yes.”There must have been something in my face because he said, “You sure? You can stay with the guys in one of the cars.”I shook my head negatively even though my stomach was tied together in a tight knot. “I'm fine. I would like to come with you.”I wouldn't hide. I wanted to see Roman, wanted him to see me — to see that I was fine and thriving.Agnar smiled and clasped my hand in his without warning. “Come on then.”“This way, please,” motioned one of the maids ushering the guests in by the gate.As we followed her, I was taken aback by the grandness of the entire house. I had heard of it's splendour and beauty from people, but I had thought they had been exaggerating.They had been right.And it wasn't just the splendour that caught my eye. It was the fact that it looked like something caught between day and night.“Strange, isn't it?” Agnar murmured beside me. “Yes. Yes,
Serene's Pov I watched eagerly as Erik entered the room fully, his large frame casting a shadow across the doorway before he took a seat at the table .“Welcome, Erik,” said Agnar. “Lunch?”“Please,” grunted the huge man. “It's been a brutal afternoon.”“Anything you'd like to share with us?” Etienne asked as Ollie served a plate of food for Erik.“Yes,” Erik replied Etienne's question, and I held my breath, my body going rigid, my fingers curling around the edge of the table.What news had he brought? What did he want to share?Silently, Erik brought out what looked like an invitation card and slid it forward. The men passed it down, hand to hand, until it got to Agnar at the end of the table. “We got this at the gates,” Erik said. “A messenger delivered it. From the Alpha King, he said.”All conversations stopped, and all eyes fell on Agnar and the card he held.Silently, he flipped the card open and read. Whatever it said, he gave no hint. His face remained unreadable — as always