LOGINKaelI was standing outside my mother’s chamber with my brothers, my hands clenched at my sides. The corridor that led to her chamber felt colder than usual, or maybe that was just me. I could hear my own heartbeat, beating slowly and heavily, like it knew something I did not want to face. Cassidan stood to my right, his jaw was tight, preventing him from uttering a word. Damon leaned slightly on the wall, his shoulders were slumped and his breathing was uneven, he looked pale as ever. I wished he would recover quickly. I raised my hand and knocked thrice on the door. The door opened almost at once.A maid stood there, she bowed her head when she saw us and lowered her eyes. “The queen has been expecting you,” she said softly, then stepped aside for us to enter. That alone made my stomach twist.We all walked in at the same time. The room was warm and filled with soft light The curtains were drawn just enough to let the sun in. We found mother sitting just near the window, look
DamonWhen my brothers came into my room, I made sure I was already lying back against the pillows, I made my breathing shallow. I even let my hands tremble a little. It took effort. More effort than fighting through the pain I had earlier. I never thought that pretending to be weak was harder than actually being weak.I had to pretend to be sick so my brothers wouldn't get suspicious of anything.Kael entered first with his shoulders tensed and a tight jaw. Cassidan followed quietly with his eyes sharp and searching, the way they always were when something did not sit right with him.“How are you feeling?” Kael asked me, moving closer to the bed.I forced a cough and turned my face slightly away. “I still feel very dizzy,” I said. “My chest burns.” I lied even when I felt perfectly fine. Cassidan did not speak. He stood at the foot of the bed, studing me with his sharp eyes. I could feel his gaze on my face, weighing every breath I took and every blink.“You don’t look worse,” he s
The Luna. I did not go to my husband right away.Rushing him would have failed, because the Alpha does not respond to pressure, not when it comes from me. He responds to reason, to fear carefully dressed as care and to familiarity. So I waited....I had to. I washed the blood from my hands and changed out of my clothes. I chose a gown that was the color of calm skies, the one he had once told me made me look gentle.By the time I walked toward the council wing, I steadied my breathing. I didn't want him to be able to guess my intentions. I found him standing over the map table when I entered, his back was turned to me, his shoulders looked tense. I could tell from the way he held himself that he was deliberating on something—something that seemed very important. He sensed my presence even without turning around. "You're not resting yet." I said softly to him. "How can I rest, my dear wife? With everything going on in my kingdom, how can I rest?" With the way he spoke, i could te
Damon I steadied my trembling hand before turning the door knob. Opening the door to see Elara standing by the door, I froze again. She didn't look terrified, or angry, instead it was her calm demeanor that held something terrifying. "Ela... Elara..." I forced myself to say. A calm smile spread across her face, "let me come in." She said, stepping closer to me. "Of course." All of my senses immediately lost their function. The sight of Elara at my door threw me into a whirlpool of confusion. What was she doing here? Wasn't she aware that she wasn't supposed to be walking around so freely?! "Come on in." I stepped aside for her to pass. I waited until she was inside before I blurted the words: "You shouldn't be here—"Damn it! That wasn't how the words had sounded like in my head. "I know I shouldn't be." She said in a low tone that scratched something inside my chest. "You—you know?" "Yes, aren't you wondering how I was able to find your chamber?" She asked, arching a bro
DamonWe waited a few more minutes in silence after mother had left. The silence was so deafening, that it drowned out the throbbing in my chest. I held a wall nearby for support so I wouldn't collapse to the ground. My knees grew wobbly as time inched by. From the look on Kael's face, it looked like he already had his mind made up. He still looked as adamant. I couldn't say same for I and Cassidan. I had a valid excuse to cower before mother's request. I was in no sound health to fight for Elara's freedom even though I desperately wanted to. I felt a jab of pain cut through my chest like lightning. I clutched hard as I squinted, as though that would subdue the pain—it didn't. Instead, the pain intensified. "Can...can we go back to my chamber now?!" I forced myself to say, though my voice broke out in a whisper. "Good gods. Damon. We're so sorry, let's get you back to your chamber quickly." Cassidan said and rushed to my side. He held me and peeled my hand off the wall. He thr
CassidanThis woman standing in front of us with her hands folded and cackling with no care in the world didn't look one bit like our mother. This was the woman who we had grown up to know, when and how did she become this hideous, this vile and so unapologetically ruthless? Had Father's evil finally corrupted her? I saw this day coming. A day when we would have to plead to the one person who showed mercy so effortlessly for that same mercy. It was so terrifying to see her this way. "Mother, forget about some...stupid tea and just tell us why you have called us down here." I let out, trying to keep my tone from rising. But it seemed the longer we remained here without telling us what she had called us in here for, then my anger could actually escalate. "Of course, why I had called you in here..." She started, but then stopped speaking abruptly. I noticed that she was looking ahead of us. I turned around subtly to see that it was tbe guards she was looking at. "You all can take y







