Kael's POVThe battlefield stretched before me like a living, breathing beast—howling, snarling, ripping itself apart with every passing second. Smoke coiled through the air, thick and choking, mixing with the iron-scented blood and the stench of death.I looked beyond Soren’s approaching figure, past the arrogant gleam in his silver eyes and the malice etched into every step he took, to where the real battle was being fought.And damn!… I was proud.Garrick moved like a tempest, his axe swinging wide, cleaving through enemies with brutal efficiency. Beside him, Hood’s form danced like shadow and flame, fast, fluid, a blur of rage and precision. The two of them, back-to-back, fought like they’d been born for war. They didn’t wait to be struck. They charged, met every threat head-on. Just like I’d trained them.My warriors—every last one of them—were outnumbered, but none backed down. Blood stained their armor, cuts and bruises lined their skin, but they fought on. For honor. For thei
Kael's POV I noticed I almost felt like retching and at first, I wondered why.My stomach churned with a sickness so vile it nearly took me to my knees—and it wasn’t from battle fatigue or the blood-soaked field behind us. No. This was something else.But It didn't take me too long to realize it was from the minutes I had spent seeing and having to even converse with the loathsome presence that stood just ahead of me.Soren.The very name soured my tongue and I wonder why in this goddamn world, the Moon goddess allowed him to be my father. He was just the exact opposite of me in shades. The only thing we shared in semblance was the same type of eyes. Nothing more. "You mistake of a father," I spat, barely able to hold back the bile of hatred boiling inside me. My eyes bore into his—cold, dead, shameless. "You didn’t just kill your brother to take his throne, you tried to kill me. Your own blood!"His laugh was guttural and slow, dragged from his chest like something ancient and rott
Kael's POVI didn't even get the chance to admire how beautiful Lyria's wolf form turned out—sleek silver fur rippling like moonlight on water, eyes burning like wildfire, fangs bared in raw fury. It was the first time I'd seen her shift, and if we weren't neck-deep in chaos, I might have been awestruck. But the weight of Soren's revelation still rang like iron in my head: he was the one who framed Lyria's parents, causing their death indirectly. And now, with a smirk like death itself, he stood there as though he hadn't just shattered a life.While it took me precious seconds to snap out of my shock, Lyria had already reacted. She shot forward with a furious growl, her claws tearing into the ground as she launched herself at Soren like a comet. Her momentum slammed into him with brutal precision, her claws ripping across his face, drawing blood.Soren staggered backward, and for a breath, I thought she'd managed to shake him. But his snarl twisted into a grin, dark magic sparking a
Lyria's POVThe sharp, burning sting of silver against my throat pulled a small whimper from my lips, though I bit down the sound with all the strength I could muster. My body trembled beneath Soren’s weight, his frame towering over me like a demon risen straight from hell. The blade glinted in the moonlight, cruel and cold, promising death with the slightest push.I heard Kael’s voice, raw and desperate, slicing through the noise of battle. He was calling my name. Roaring it, as if the force of it could carry him to me. My eyes scanned the battlefield wildly from my prone position. I saw him, far off, his dark form surrounded by a horde of enemy wolves. They clashed against him like a tide crashing over a cliff, but he tore through them with a monstrous rage. His claws, drenched in blood, his fangs bared, his eyes glowing with a fury that terrified and thrilled me. Yet for all his power, he was too far.I shifted my gaze, hoping for another miracle. Garrick. He was closer. My hear
Kael's POVI barely noticed the chaos around me anymore. Despite how I suffered bites and cuts from the enemy wolves who did not fail to leverage my distraction as I tried to fight my way out, my gaze remained fixed on Lyria and my concern for her burgeoned with every passing moment. I had noticed how she had changed earlier and she gained the upper hand in the battle with Soren. But her moment of winning was only short lived. And each of the time I watched Soren cut her, bite her and even hurl her, my heart clenched so tight. Now, every movement she made was full of fire and desperation, but she was holding her own. Against all odds, she was still standing.But for how long?I saw Soren moving toward her, his grin wide, wicked. That bastard had almost knocked her out tonight, and I could feel my rage spike just thinking about it. I needed to get to her now.Nothing else mattered, other than getting to her.I didn’t feel the pain from the wound on my arm. Didn’t care that I was limp
Kael's POV My breath caught in my throat as I stared down the tip of Garrick’s arrow. The tension in his bowstring mirrored the taut pull of betrayal in my chest. This wasn’t just war anymore—this was personal. This was Garrick who I had known for years and I had taken as a brother alongside Hood. And he was about to kill me.For a moment, I wondered if he could do it, but then I slapped myself mentally for my scepticism. Garrick was the man who just stabbed me now and the resolve in his eyes didn't show that he was going to back down.The cold bite of the arrowhead aimed directly at my heart was nothing compared to the ice crawling through my veins. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. My limbs refused to obey me. The moment suspended itself in time, reality slowing to a crawl as the horrifying truth struck me harder than any weapon ever could.Garrick had chosen this path and he was intentional about it.Lyria’s voice cracked through the thick silence beside me, trembling with disb
Lyria's POV I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The moment Garrick pressed his claws harder against Ivy’s throat, a low, guttural cry tore through her lips. My heart felt like it cracked, splitting in two as her voice echoed in the bloodstained field. Her eyes—wide and glistening with panic—locked onto Hood, pleading. Not just for her life, but for their unborn child.I would have blamed Ivy for not staying indoors with Mira. For coming out to endanger her life and the one growing inside her. But then, I know what a mate bond is capable of. I know just how much one won't be at peace until you are with your mate and you're sure your mate is okay."Finish what I started, Hood!" Garrick shouted, his voice soaked in venom. "Kill the king. Kill his mate. Or I’ll slice her throat right now."My fingers curled into fists at my sides, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Kael was still bleeding, resting against the rubble behind me, his breaths shallow, but his eyes burning with fury. Garr
Lyria's POV Ivy lay on the ground, writhing in pain as blood pooled beneath her. Her face was pale, and her breaths came in shallow rasps. My hand shot to my mouth as the horror of what had just happened weighed down on me like stone. Hood's roar of anguish cracked through the air as he charged at Garrick like a storm, but before he could reach him, Soren stepped forward with startling speed and strength."No!" I gasped.Soren’s arm lashed out, catching Hood by the shoulder and spinning him around before slamming him to the ground with terrifying force. He pinned him there with one knee against his spine, his fingers curled tight around Hood’s arm. His grip was like a vice."See where your loyalty to the wrong person has ended you," Soren told him with a devilish smirk, his voice slow and mocking.Hood growled beneath him, his body straining against the hold, his eyes still burning with the fire of vengeance. But Soren was stronger—a brutal kind of strong that didn't just crush bone
Lyria's POVIt was well into the night by the time Kael returned, but everyone had stayed awake all along. Even before his return, right from the time Magnus was killed and defeated, and everyone got to know, the whole palace had become a beehive of activity. While some got busy taking away Ivy's body which Magnus used, some took care of the mess that had been created in my room, while the rest even came up with a little plan, deciding that if the king did not return soon, they would go all out into the night to look for their king. Thank goddess Kael came back just when they were planning it. Now, Kael stood before a crowded hall, his hands intertwined in mine while we had Mira and Hood flanking us as Kael prepared to address everyone who had been jubilating for the final victory that came from Kael and I. Soon, one of them shouted, Long live the King! Long live the Queen! Another followed, and another, till I lost count, till everyone of them started chanting it. I couldn't he
Lyria's POVThe metallic tang of blood still hung in the air, staining the wooden floor and seeping into my senses even though I had already left the room. I stood just outside the threshold, trembling slightly, not from fear, but from the aftermath of what had just unfolded.Hood stood by me, his broad frame solid and unmoving, acting as a silent shield. Mira soon joined us, her face pale and her eyes reflecting the swirl of shock still settling inside her. Behind us, the hallway was chaotic. Warriors murmured to one another, confused but ready for action, and palace workers stood stiffly, waiting for instruction. The eerie silence that followed the confrontation had now morphed into hushed chaos.Hood finally raised his voice, commanding with the same strength he had used when leading warriors in battle. “Drag her out,” he said flatly, motioning to the twisted, bloodied body that had once resembled Ivy. “That’s not her anymore. That was Magnus.”The warriors hesitated for a beat, a
Lyria's POVThe letter shook in my trembling hands, its corners crumpled from how tightly I gripped it. I had found it under the pillow, as though Kael couldn’t bear to place it anywhere else, as though hiding it there would soften the blow. But it didn’t. It shattered something deep inside me.He was gone.He left without taking a single warrior, without so much as a whisper in my direction—no warning, no goodbye. Only a letter. One that didn’t even say where he was going. It only spoke about how he didn’t want me to get hurt. As though I would be fine watching him walk straight into danger alone. As though my heart wouldn't tear apart with worry.He must be far away now. Far enough that the bond between us had dulled to a fragile echo, a dim hum instead of the steady, grounding presence I was used to. That bond was my compass, my anchor—and now, with it so faint, I felt like I was drifting.And how do I tell him?How do I tell him that I’m pregnant? That there’s a tiny, flickering l
Kael's POV The journey to the seer felt like walking through a tunnel with no end, the terrain familiar and yet stretched endlessly under the weight of my thoughts. I knew I didn’t have the luxury of time, but each step closer to the seer’s dwelling made me feel heavier. Like the very act of seeking answers was slowly anchoring me in a truth I might not be ready to face.When I finally reached the seer’s small hut nestled between withered oaks and whispering moss, I didn’t bother knocking. She was already outside, sitting cross-legged before her fire, her eyes half-lidded as if she'd been waiting for me since the beginning of time."You wish to chase a shadow that refuses to die," she said, before I could utter a word. Her voice was raspy, like dry leaves dragged across stone.I froze. I shouldn't have been surprised. She always knew. "Then you already know why I’m here."She nodded once, the motion slow and eerie. "The man you seek now wears two skins."My brows creased. "What does
Kael's POVThe dull light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. But I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I lay there, glued to the edge of the bed, my back turned to Lyria. My body still ached, not just from the war, not just from the fight, but from something heavier. It was fear. The fear of uncertainties. Fear that the danger that still lingered out there, if left uncurbed, will come back in a more deadly wave The sex Lyria and I had last night felt great—intense and raw, and for a moment, it had numbed everything. Her touch had silenced the voices. Her breath on my skin had reminded me I was still hunan—still hers. But come morning, the weight returned with cruel clarity.Magnus wasn’t dead.He’d vanished. Again. Like a cursed shadow slithering into the cracks of the world, waiting to reform. I could feel it in my bones, in the dread pooling in my chest. This wasn’t over. It was just delayed. And I couldn’t stomach the thought of him coming back—to hu
Lyria's POV I woke up the next morning wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and soft sheets, Kael’s arm draped protectively around my waist, his breathing steady behind me. The first rays of sunlight streamed through the slightly drawn curtains, casting golden streaks across the room, bathing everything in a tender glow.For a fleeting moment, the chaos of the war, the bloodshed, and the pain from the night before slipped from my mind. All I could think of—feel, even—was the raw intensity and depth of what had transpired between Kael and me last night.My body still tingled with the memory of his hands on my skin, the hunger in his kiss, the fire in his eyes. The way we came together like two halves of the same soul desperately finding home in one another after being torn apart.I smiled to myself, a slow, dreamy kind of smile. My fingers traced over the crook of my neck where Kael had marked me—his mark. It pulsed faintly now with a warmth I couldn’t explain, like a star lodged under my sk
Kael's POV The moment we got into the room now after leaving the palace, Lyria slumped unto the bed tiredly and I sat next to her. “You were incredible back there,” I murmured, still trying to believe everything I’d seen with my own eyes. “They were dead, Lyria. Some of them were gone. But you brought them back.”She gave me a small, humble smile. “I didn’t bring them back, Kael. The moon goddess did. I was just a vessel.”“But without you, they would have stayed gone,” I insisted.Lyria didn’t argue—she never took credit—but she also didn’t deny the truth. Instead, she stared at the floor for a moment, her fingers tightening around mine.Then, after a few paces of silence, she spoke. “I’ve been thinking about Hood…” her voice was low, laced with sorrow. “If he had known that Ivy would still come back to life—even if just unconscious—I think he might have held on. Might not have run into the remnants of Magnus’ magic.”I looked at her. Her expression was steady, but grief shimmered j
Kael's POV I watched with swelling pride as the warriors—those who had once laid still in pain or death—staggered forward, their expressions a mix of awe, gratitude, and disbelief. Some had risen from death itself, their eyes wide and trembling with the weight of life returning to their bodies. Others who had been too injured to move now stood tall and whole, like they'd never tasted the edge of death.And they all came to Lyria.One by one, they approached her—some kneeling, others bowing their heads, a few clutching their chests in reverence—as they thanked her over and over. Their words were thick with emotion. But Lyria only offered them a warm, gentle smile and said, “Thank the Moon Goddess. She chose you to stay.”The humility in her voice stunned me. Power like that could easily corrupt someone, yet she wore it like a gentle blessing. Not a crown.Lyria and I continued walking together, hand in hand. Mira had summoned a few of her assistants, and I glanced back to see them ge
Lyria's POVThe moment Kael’s eyes fluttered open, I forgot how to breathe.For a second, I thought I had imagined it. But then his lashes trembled again, slow and uncertain like a dream rousing itself to life. I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth as his chest rose with a deep inhale, and color returned to his face like dawn breaking through a long night. The gaping wound that had spilled his life onto the earth was gone. Not a trace left. Not even a scar. The ground where he lay was wet with blood, but his skin now bore no sign that he had ever been touched by death.My heart exploded.“Kael,” I whispered, the name catching in my throat like a prayer half-formed.His eyes opened. Fully this time. Slowly. Those familiar, warm eyes that I thought I’d never see again blinked up at the sky before they turned toward me. For a beat, he just stared—confused, dazed, like someone waking from a deep slumber. Then his brows furrowed and his lips parted slightly.“Lyria?”A sob tore out of me