LOGINSapphire’s PovThe four walls of the room were cold, but not as cold as the memory of Vane's fingers bruising my wrist. Yes, he had to use a bit of force to take the signet ring from me because I wasn't just going to hand it over to him. All the assurances I was given by Alberto fell on deaf ears. I wondered why he was so convinced that I would steal something so precious, so priceless, knowing the consequences of such an act.My eyes hurt from crying too long, and I was already starting to have a slight headache. Not so much from the incident, but more from the flashes of images across my eyes whenever I closed them. Repeatedly, I kept seeing myself in the library or in the pits, but the environment was different from how I remembered. They were both plunged in darkness, and there was a shadow looming over me. What did the shadow mean? And why those two locations? I had never felt more alone and unwanted than now. Alberto should have listened to me and not brought me back here to
Alberto’s Pov"The lady has been placed under quarantine..." The word kept echoing in my ears. "What did you say?" I asked again. The exhaustion that had been dragging at my heels had long evaporated, replaced by white-hot rage. The only thing sparing these men from my wrath was that I had learned to control my anger over the years. I could already feel my wolf scratching at the surface, struggling to be released and rain fire on the ones who dared touch its mate."We follow the orders of the one with the signet ring," the guard who had spoken earlier replied. "And he demands that she be placed under quarantine until her condition has improved." I straightened, managing to mask the shock on my face. Last I checked, I had given the ring to Sapphire. So what was this about? And there was no way she would place herself on quarantine."It seems you have forgotten that I am the owner of the signet ring, the Alpha himself." He looked pointedly at my left hand, which of course was missing
Alberto’s PovThe wind at the High Ridge hissed like the sound of skin peeling off bones. I had pushed my horse till its lungs were ready to burst, my own body growing more and more exhausted with every mile we rode since we left the palace. From the faces of the men who had accompanied me, I could see that the exhaustion was not restricted to only me. I was ready to take up Sapphire's offer to stay; after all, I yearned to hear her say words like that to me. But the report of the breach wouldn't let me rest. Another territory had been erased, and I feared that more would follow if I did not take action. But what action would I take against an evasive demon? Or worse still, against my own brother?Now here I was, walking along the perimeter of the High Ridge, an expanse of land inhabited by the middle-class members of the Moonfall pack. "I can't believe this," I muttered under my breath, staring at the grey void stretching forth. I expected to see smoke, or the charred remains of
Sapphire’s PovAn hour later, I stood at the top of the dungeon stairs, well aware that Alberto was no longer within the palace walls. He had left with a few men, not explaining what exactly he was off to do, leaving me worried. The way he had handed me his signet ring, like he expected to die on this mission of his—I did not like that.I shook my head. Why did I even care? I should want him dead so that I could finally be free, right? I sighed against the silence, wishing my thoughts would be as still as the air. I glanced around again, half-expecting someone to materialize behind me—by "someone," I meant this "Vane" that Alberto had spoken of. What did he look like? Why was he a threat to me?"You cannot pass, my lady," the guard at the dungeon entrance said as I approached. His voice was firm, and he gazed right into my eyes. I looked down at the signet ring. It was too big for my fingers, so I had threaded it onto a silver chain around my neck, feeling the full weight of its resp
Alberto’s PovI blinked against the bright light streaking in through the curtains disoriented for a moment. From what I could recall, I was not supposed to be in my room yet. I was sparring with Alberto, then scared stiff by the cold feeling in me before I passed out. How did I get here? And most importantly, what...I glanced at my side in shock, feeling the pads of fingers pressing into my palm. The sight of the owner jolted me into full consciousness. Alberto He was slumped in the armchair beside the bed, still in his tunic from yesterday. Was it just me, or was his sun-warmed skin unusually pale now? His head was tipped back, dark curls clinging to his forehead, slick with sweat.Unlike the last time I saw him resting, he looked absolutely exhausted. "Alberto," I whispered, sitting up, not taking my eyes off him.What happened to him? Just as the question flashed through my mind, I chided myself. He was the Alpha of the entire pack. Of course he was exhausted.Every decision la
Alberto’s PovI watched her lunge at me, her movements a blur—smooth and determined. Honestly, I was a bit impressed; I hadn’t expected her to actually take up the challenge to fight me. More than half of my men were scared to do so, and yet here she was, making the bold move.I didn’t move until the last possible second. I sidestepped with an ease that I hoped looked more effortless than it felt. Don’t get me wrong, normally Sapphire was no match for me, but my mind was a jagged landscape of thoughts: council threats, border reports, predictions of my brother’s next moves, even fatherhood responsibilities.She attacked again, and all the noise seemed to move to the background, my gaze sharpening on my opponent. If she could keep me grounded, then I would stay with her. I had to give it to her—she was fast, faster than plenty of female wolves I had ever sparred with, and perhaps even a few of the guys. I wonder if that has something to do with the Moon Goddess.She let out a frustra
Sapphire’s POV Kael sighed and sat beside me. "A long time ago, when I served under Alberto, I wasn’t just a guard. I was trained for something else, something darker. The High Council used me to find and silence threats. I was an enforcer, Sapphire. I did things I’m not proud of. I followed order
Sapphire's POVThe moment I jolted awake, I knew something was wrong.The pain wasn’t sharp like a wound or sudden like a cramp. It was a deep, rolling nausea that started in my spine and crept through my entire body like crawling fire. My bones ached and my skin burned. And my heart, gods, my hea
Alberto’s POVThe moon was high and it casted an eerie glow on the road as I rode through the marshes alone. I had lied to everyone to leave the pack house. I needed to see a witch who would help me find Sapphire. The guards believed I was heading to the northern borders for council. Fools. I had
Sapphire's POVPain shot through my head like a dagger. My body seized. My throat burned as a scream tore out of me. I wasn’t awake. I wasn’t asleep. I was stuck.Flashes of the colour red clouded my eyes. After so much struggling, I could tell it was blood. It soaked the ground. Wolves howled in a







