*~Young Lilith's POV~*Marcus was there….Right there.Standing before the altar, his broad shoulders proud, his face steady, his hands clasped with—Selene.Selene. The same girl he once laughed about, brushed aside, told me never to worry over.And now she stood where I should have been, her gown shimmering under the glow of the candles, her lips curved in the soft smile of a bride.My stomach lurched. My chest burned. I didn't know if it was my baby drowning inside me or if it was just my heart shattering into a thousand bloody shards.I tore myself from Alice's embrace, stumbling forward. My lips trembled as I whispered, "No… no, it can't be. That's not my Marcus. My Marcus would never… never marry her. He loves me. He promised me. He—"The words strangled in my throat. Rage burned with the grief, rising hot, rising wild. My fingers clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms."I have to stop him," I gasped, taking a step forward.Alice's hand snapped around my arm, yanking me back
*~Caspian's POV~*My heart froze the moment I saw the ring in her hand.Without thinking, I snatched it from her fingers and pulled her into a soft, grounding embrace. The metal felt heavier than it should, the weight of too many questions pressing against my palm."Where did she get that from?" My eyes darted to Aurora, silently demanding answers. She only gave me the same confused stare, her brows furrowed in genuine bewilderment."Where did you get this?" My voice came out tighter than intended.Hazel's gaze was far away, almost glassy. "I… saw it inside of me," she murmured, as though even she wasn't sure what she meant.Aurora had mentioned earlier that Hazel's wolf might have awakened, but hearing it from her was different. "Aurora told me you've activated your wolf. Is it true?"She nodded once, a hesitant motion. Relief should have followed, but instead, my instincts sharpened."Then… congratulations." I forced warmth into my voice, pulling her into another embrace. But I coul
*~Caspian POV~*Standing in front of Cyrius with Hazel unconscious beside me.. My heart thudded hard in my chest, my eyes darting around in a frantic search for her babies—but they were nowhere in sight."Hello, brother," I said, my voice calm but edged with steel.His eyes..dark, almost void-like..were locked entirely on Hazel. The wolfsbane-coated arrows in his hands glinted faintly under the dim light."Shift," he ordered, his tone dripping with venom.I raised my hand before he could come closer, the air between us thick with tension. "Stay away from her. Where are the babies?"He didn't answer. His grip tightened on the arrows, his knuckles whitening.Before he could lunge, Aurora's voice rang out like a whip. "Versa!" In a flash, she pounced, knocking him back. Wolves erupted around us, snarls filling the night air."Go find the babies. I'll handle these," Aurora barked, cracking her knuckles with a dark grin.The moment she mentioned the babies, Cyrius's eyes widened. He bolted
*~Caspian POV~*Standing in front of Cyrius with Hazel unconscious beside me.. My heart thudded hard in my chest, my eyes darting around in a frantic search for her babies—but they were nowhere in sight."Hello, brother," I said, my voice calm but edged with steel.His eyes..dark, almost void-like..were locked entirely on Hazel. The wolfsbane-coated arrows in his hands glinted faintly under the dim light."Shift," he ordered, his tone dripping with venom.I raised my hand before he could come closer, the air between us thick with tension. "Stay away from her. Where are the babies?"He didn't answer. His grip tightened on the arrows, his knuckles whitening.Before he could lunge, Aurora's voice rang out like a whip. "Versa!" In a flash, she pounced, knocking him back. Wolves erupted around us, snarls filling the night air."Go find the babies. I'll handle these," Aurora barked, cracking her knuckles with a dark grin.The moment she mentioned the babies, Cyrius's eyes widened. He bolted
*~Hazel's POV~* Before I could even process these strange emotions..or decide what I should do next—the sound of wheels crunching on sand pulled me from my thoughts. Cyrius' carriage was coming down the path toward us. He hopped down, eyes alight. "I managed to get a priest… but he's not coming today. Don't worry…tomorrow, right here, we'll come back and get married. And then we live…" He leaned closer, voice dropping into a promise that made my stomach twist. "…we live happily ever after." My stomach growled, but it wasn't hunger—it was guilt. The image of Caspian flashed in my mind. I had promised him forever too. The weight of it sat heavy on my chest. I could only nod. Cyrius didn't notice—or pretended not to. He sat me down and began feeding me pieces of fruit from the basket he'd packed, one by one, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Hazel, what's wrong? Did anything happen while I was gone?" His eyes scanned the shoreline sharply, the way they always did w
*~Hazel's POV~*Before I could even process these strange emotions..or decide what I should do next—the sound of wheels crunching on sand pulled me from my thoughts. Cyrius' carriage was coming down the path toward us.He hopped down, eyes alight. "I managed to get a priest… but he's not coming today. Don't worry…tomorrow, right here, we'll come back and get married. And then we live…"He leaned closer, voice dropping into a promise that made my stomach twist. "…we live happily ever after."My stomach growled, but it wasn't hunger—it was guilt. The image of Caspian flashed in my mind. I had promised him forever too. The weight of it sat heavy on my chest. I could only nod. Cyrius didn't notice—or pretended not to. He sat me down and began feeding me pieces of fruit from the basket he'd packed, one by one, like it was the most natural thing in the world."Hazel, what's wrong? Did anything happen while I was gone?" His eyes scanned the shoreline sharply, the way they always did when he