LOGINSAPPHIRE’S POVFor the past few days I’ve had to watch Alberto and Gonzalo struggle with issues I couldn’t even help with, at this point, all I could offer were pieces of advice, a listening ear and my body to calm my beloved.Tonight, I wouldn’t let him go to bed without easing his stress, he deserved that and so when I numbed on the flesh of his forearm, I knew what I had been inviting. “You seduce me wife?” He asked, towering over me as he placed his arms at both sides blocking an escape I didn’t even think of. Just as he leaned down to kiss my neck, I remembered something Kaiser had taught me, or at least one of the numerous lessons she had given me. I had always wondered how she knew so much about intimacy but I didn’t dare to ask for fear of the truth because when I did discover what she had gone through, I only felt more attached to her, as a sister would to her sister.“My love..I have something for you” I said and he paused, I slipped out of his arm cage and settled onto t
ALBERTO’S POVThe sunrise on the second day brought a shift in the atmosphere that even the wind seemed to notice. The tension in the courtyard wasn't gone, but it had morphed from the predatory itch of a hunt into something colder, more focused: the grim solidarity of men preparing for a war they weren't sure they could win.I stood on the battlements with Kaelen. The General Alpha of the Silverline pack looked like he hadn't slept, his eyes were rimmed with red, likely seeing the melting corpse of that shifter every time he closed his lids.“I’ve sent word to my commanders,” Kaelen said, his voice stripped of its usual bravado. He looked out over the horizon, toward the dark, jagged line of the forest where Enzo was rumored to be consolidating his power. “We will mobilize the Silverline forces along the northern corridor. If those… things… are moving through the shadow, we’ll turn the border into a furnace.”“A wise move,” I replied, keeping my tone clipped and professional. “We wi
GONZALO'S POV "Enzo. You know the name, and you know the kind of chaos he thrives on. He isn’t just leading a rogue faction of wolves anymore. He has found something, General. Something that was supposed to be a myth, a legion of shifters, creatures that are not bound by the rules of the pack or the laws of the moon."Kaelen laughed. "Shifters? Those are campfire stories meant to frighten children, Alpha. You expect me to believe your palace is under threat by ghosts?"I saw my chance. I signaled to one of my most trusted guards, a man who had stood with me in the dungeon hours before. He stepped forward, carrying a heavy, linen-wrapped bundle."I don't expect you to believe in ghosts," I said, my voice cold. "I expect you to believe in the reality of what is currently stalking our borders."“Neither do I” I answeredI walked to the center of the room and threw the linen back. The body of the creature lay there, withered, partially melted, its unnatural, distorted features frozen in
GONZALO’S POV It was of no surprise to me that my brother would plan out a full lecture for me, that wasn’t his fault, I’m the one in love and I was sure this was the first time he’d seen me act this way towards a woman. “Is everything alright?” Kaiser asked when I walked back into her room the next day, slamming the door shut. “Well, brother and I are handling it. The general Alpha graces the palace with his presence today” my tone reflecting the amount of sarcasm I could muster in a sentence. “This is all my fault. Maybe if I had said no to Sapphire..” “It wouldn’t have changed a thing” I cut her short, cupping her face into my hands “It’s never your fault and we’ve found a solution so you don’t need to fret, okay” she nodded softly “Just stay with Sapphire after the welcome ceremony and..uh, keep away from the main hall” she nodded calmly. When I walked away from her with only a forehead kiss to mark our goodbye, I noticed that the sun rose over the palace walls with a mocking
ALBERTO’S POVThe last thing I would do is stand here and pretend that the air in this room hasn’t changed. It was thick, heavy with the scent of two people who were drowning in each other, and frankly, it was a scent I recognized all too well.I watched Gonzalo’s jaw tighten. He looked ready to draw his blade, his hand hovering near his waist, his body shifted into a defensive crouch that screamed protection. He was trying to shield her, to keep her in the shadows, but he was a fool if he thought he could hide a soul speaker from someone who was looking for the truth.“Drop the act, brother,” I repeated, my voice steady, though it felt like iron in my throat. “I know who that woman is. You’re hiding Kaiser, and you’re doing it because you know exactly what she is, a soul speaker.” I said calmly, trying not to come off as angry or disappointed.Gonzalo didn’t move. His eyes were wide, flashing with a mix of fury and desperation. He looked back at the alcove, then back at me, his chest
GONZALO’S POVI didn’t want to wait any longer, I had noticed since the second time we met and she was in danger. Fine some reason I always knew where to find her and I could hear her even when we were miles apart.“You’re a soul speaker, aren’t you?” I repeated. Almost immediately she tried to scramble to her feet, to leave. I halted her, pinning her to the bed and towering over her body.“I’m not judging you” I searched her eyes, she was meant to have a bit of trust in me by now, that I’d never hurt her and that I would be willing to love her above it all.“Yes, yes I am” she responded, I moved to the side “I just thought that since we’re too different..”“How are we different? If you’re a soul speaker, doesn’t that mean you get to call for help whenever you can? You can communicate with a lot of people with your mind, I think it’s more of a gift than it is a curse” I explained. Her face which was bright with excitement had gone somewhat pale, I used my knuckles to trace her skin s
Sapphire’s PovI groaned, turning over the page of the book I was reading. I wasn't much of a reader; I’d never brought myself to like art when I was young. So, me reading was a clear sign that something was wrong—and "wrong" being that I was bored out of my skin.I hadn’t seen Alberto in days, and
Kael's POVIt tunnel felt different than it did when we first came through it. Now, there was no sound of liveliness in our footsteps, no conversation, nothing but deflated spirits and the suffocating absolute atmosphere.The silence of the Dead Zone seemed to amplify the sound of o
Sapphire’s POVWhoever designed the Dead Zone had gone overkill with it. The air didn’t just lack magic; it lacked life. Every breath I drew felt like swallowing dry wool, and the silence that hung in the air was so heavy it made my ears ache for the sound of any living thing.
Alberto’s POVMy men and I had set up camp on the outskirts of the village, where I did not have to listen to the sound of activity going on.The wind howled outside, but the air within was unnervingly stiff. The only voice I heard was that of my thoughts, and they were saying n







