Freya had never known a silence as loud as the one that filled the council chamber now.It pressed into her chest like an invisible weight, heavier than any heartbreak she had endured. Her heart thudded as the elder placed the sealed envelope on the stone table between them all. Time seemed to freeze, the low hum of fire crackling in the hearth, the slow drip of wax from the ceremonial candles, and the thunderous silence of twelve powerful councilmen holding their breath.This was the moment. “Breath, Darling. It will be alright. We are with you in everything. We will not let them snatch our babies from us.” Kandrix and Jasper held my hand while Louis stood with Emerald near the door, holding our babies, as the crowd was freaking them out. They had demanded blood tests after Melinda’s accusation. Demanded proof that Freya’s children were not heirs of the Lycan kings. That they were born of a hybrid and held no true place in the future throne.And now, this envelope.Freya swallowed
“Just you wait, Freya. I will hit you so hard this time that you will never be able to stand tall in front of me like before,” She said in her mind before dialling the number of Xayden Marcello. “I want you here today because today’s drama is all about you and your brother,” She said, and he answered. “Nah! I won't share my plan with you beforehand, but once I explain everything to the council, you'll understand. So, don’t worry too much and arrive here on time. This show is about to begin,” She said and ended her call with this. A knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. “Melinda! I want to talk to you,” Mark entered her room. She put her phone aside and looked towards him. “Okay,” She said and took a seat on the chair, gesturing for him to take a seat in front of her. “I want to talk about us,” She pressed her lips in a thin line and looked at the porcelain tea set in front of her. “I think you are becoming selfish with each passing day. I promise you that I will pro
The air was thick with tension.Melinda paced the dark room, her eyes flicking to the shadows where Freya’s ex-mates stood. Their faces were hard, unreadable, but they were nothing compared to the storm raging in her chest. She felt it again, the envy clawing at her insides. She had always been ambitious, always wanted more, but now, watching Freya’s life unfold, it was different. Freya had everything. The love of three Lycan kings. Respect. Strength. A future.And Melinda had... nothing.She had been given the role of Luna only by Luna Laura’s choice. But deep down, she knew she was nothing more than a placeholder, a backup. She wanted more. She wanted to be more.And she would do whatever it took to get it.The door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside, casting a long shadow on the floor. Her brother was dragged into the room by the rogue king’s guards. He was beaten, bruised, and shackled, his body barely holding together.Melinda froze.“Let him go!” she snapped, rushing towa
The arena loomed like a beast of stone.Cold. Ancient. Built into the cliffs behind the palace, it had once been the site of war games and executions… Now, it would become the stage for Freya’s survival.The Trial of Blood hadn’t been performed in nearly a century.Few passed it, but couldn’t survive its severity and lost their lives after coming back to their mates. And none had ever done so while carrying the blood of two species.Freya stood at the center of the ring, her children watching from the royal box above, their small faces pale. Brenda stood with them, hands gripping their shoulders. The Lycan princes were absent from the stands, forced to remain neutral during the trial. A rule set by the Council to prevent “influence.”But Freya didn’t need them beside her.Not today.She had a blade in her hand.And every scar she’d earned.The crowd roared as the High Elder stood and lifted his cane.“Freya Simon, hybrid of wolf and vampire, fated mate of the Lycan princes… You are h
The journey back to the Royal Redclaw Pack should have been a celebration.Instead, it was quiet.Freya sat between Kandrix and Jasper in the backseat, her children safe in their father’s embrace, pressed close to their bodies. Louis was behind the wheel while Brenda was present in the passenger seat, eyes scanning the horizon as if expecting another ambush.They arrived at dusk.The guards opened the gates without question until their gazes landed on her… Their Luna. And lingered too long.Melinda stood on the palace steps, draped in silver and white, the Luna crown gleaming atop her head like a mockery. Her smile was all sugar and venom.Behind her, Luna Laura stood tall, regal and cold. King Edward remained silent, his gaze flickering only once to Freya, then away, as if she were nothing more than dust on his robes.Freya didn’t flinch.Not when the whispers began.Not when the pack wolves gathered around, their stares heavy with judgment. She could smell it on them—disdain. Suspi
Freya had always thought her strength came from her wolf.The snarl that rose in her throat during a fight. The loyalty, the instinct. The pack.But now, with silver shackles burning into her skin and her children crying in the next room, it wasn’t the wolf that stirred.It was something else.Older. Colder. More powerful.Her vampire blood had always been a whisper in her veins. Quiet. Dormant. Until now.Now, it screamed.She didn’t know what triggered it, maybe the vision of her mates in the bowl, maybe the ever-tightening fear for her children, but she felt the shift.The shadows no longer curled away from her.They moved with her.Morwenna had left the cell minutes ago, convinced her spell still held. But Freya’s fingertips crackled with black mist as she slowly pulled against the chains again. A groan left her lips when she tried to move her bruised and sore body. A metallic snap echoed through the stone.The cuff broke.She gasped, staring at her wrist, raw, bleeding, but fre