Susana’s pov I paused at the doorway, my fingers still brushing the cool, ornate frame. My back was to him, but I could feel his gaze, a phantom touch dragging across my spine. It felt heavy, aching, thick with a thousand things left unspoken. Guilt, perhaps?I closed my eyes, letting the silence expand, filling the room until it pressed against my eardrums. It spoke louder than any accusation, any confession, either of us could have uttered.He’d made a mistake. One that had sliced a jagged wound deep within me. But then again, hadn’t we all, in our own twisted ways, bled each other dry? The truth was, I was tired of bleeding. Tired of the constant ache, the phantom pains of betrayal.Slowly, almost reluctantly, I turned. Just enough to glance over my shoulder. He hadn’t moved. Still slumped in that chair, the half empty glass glinting beside him, a silent testament to his solace.His eyes, though, were fixed on me, a desperate plea swimming in their depths.Yes, I was angry. Hu
Sebastian’s POVI watched her walk away from me rigid, silent, the morning sun weaving fire through her hair. And with each step she took, it felt like she was walking further out of my reach.I’d faced wars.But nothing… nothing had ever made me feel as small, as gutted, as watching Susanna walk away from me without looking back.For the first time in a very long time, I felt powerless.Not as a warrior.Not as an Alpha.Not even as a King.But as a man who had just hurt the one woman he swore to protect. The woman who was slowly stitching herself back together. The forest was quiet around me, but the silence wasn’t peaceful. It pressed in around me like a cage. Every gust of wind, every rustle of leaves, seemed to whisper the same thing over and over again.You failed her.I ran a hand over my face, dragging in a breath that didn’t quite make it to my lungs.You should’ve told her.You should’ve held her hand. Explained.But instead, I’d stood in front of the Elders and declared ou
I woke before the sun touched the horizon, a soft glow beginning to spill across the walls of the room. The world outside was still and hushed, the only sound in the room the steady rhythm of Sebastian’s breathing beside me.For a moment, I just lay there, watching him.His face was softer in sleep. The harsh lines carved by duty and decisions were gone, replaced by something almost… boyish. Peaceful.My heart squeezed, just a little.But I couldn’t stay in bed.I needed to head down to the forest and start some basic work out before Sebastian woke up to join me.Careful not to wake Sebastian, I slipped out of bed and padded across the cold floor. I pulled on a fitted black training suit from the wardrobe and tied my hair into a messy bun. My movements were quiet, but purposeful. Focused.I stepped out into the crisp morning air. The forest was practically empty except for the sound of birds. I rolle
Sebastian’s POVThe knock on the door came like a slap to reality.I rose and opened it, already irritated. Thorne stood at attention, his usual calm tinged with urgency.“Sir,” he said, bowing slightly, “the Elders are here. They’re waiting for you in the meeting chamber.”I stared at him, my jaw tightening. “At this time of night?” I scoffed. “What could possibly be so important? Do these old men think being retired gives them the right to micromanage my life like bored grandparents?”Thorne wisely said nothing.I glanced back into the room. Susanna was watching me, a faint crease between her brows. Her expression held quiet curiosity, maybe even concern. We’d just been laughing not five minutes ago. That rare moment of peace with her was something I didn’t want to let go of.“Excuse me, Anna,” I said, sighing as I turned to leave. “Apparently the kingdom might crumble without me tonight.”She grinned lazily. “You are excused by order of the Lachan King,” she teased, eyes twinklin
Fiona’s POVIt was supposed to be a normal afternoon. A desperate escape, really. I needed a break from the suffocating grandeur of the palace, from Derek’s thunderous silences that echoed louder than any shout, from the insidious whispers behind closed doors that picked at my sanity like vultures. So, I came to the mall, cloaked in a designer disguise, just to clear my head. And maybe, just maybe, to remind myself that I was still Luna. Still envied. Still in control.I drifted through the women’s section, my fingers trailing over racks of pristine white gowns, silk, lace, satin each one a perfect, untouched dream. Distraction. That’s all I craved a momentary reprieve from the unease that had become my constant companion. But then… I felt it. The shift. A sudden, unnatural drop in temperature, as if a freezer door had swung open in the middle of a warm room. A stillness in the air, so profound it felt like the world had simply stopped br
Susanna’s povI peeked around the corner like a thief, holding my breath. Fiona hadn’t seen me yet. But Ivanka had already noticed the way my body went still, my fingers clutching the fabric rack like it was a shield.She leaned in and whispered, “Anna… what’s wrong?”“I’m fine,” I muttered too quickly, eyes still locked on Fiona across the store. “Nothing.”Ivanka didn’t buy it for a second. Her gaze sharpened.“Is it the woman who just walked in?” she asked.I hesitated, then sighed. “I… I just don’t want her to see me.”Ivanka raised a brow and crossed her arms with a smirk. “Well, then let’s make sure she doesn’t.”But even as she said it, something darkly delicious bloomed in my chest. I suddenly didn’t want to run or hide anymore. A twisted idea curled at the edges of my thoughts like