Ember’s POV:Damon turned on his heels to face me and leaned his back against the pole. He heaved a heavy breath, “It wasn’t always like this. There was a time, long ago when we used to be close.” His lips pressed in a thin line as he shared what seemed to be a valuable memory, “My brother used to be my best friend.”I gave him the time he needed to process his feelings and waited patiently even though I was curious to know what could possibly go wrong for them to become bloodsworn enemies.Damon tilted his face to the other side and stared at the distance. I could see that recalling the past events was kind of hurtful to him.Swallowing the lump in his throat, he revealed another secret to me reluctantly, “Nicholus and I…we are half brothers.” Turning his head back to me, he sucked in a sharp breath, “We share the same father, the late King of the North, Arnold Dicaprio. But our mothers are different.”He took a small pause before continuing, “Nicholus is the child of King Arnold Dica
Ember’s POV:The air was thick with heavy silence. As Damon relived the pain of his past, I thought about how tormenting it must have been for him to lose his mate right in front of his eyes.I swallowed the growing lump in my throat and inhaled sharply, “I’m so sorry, you didn’t deserve any of that.”The corner of his lips stretched into a sad smile, “It’s okay. I’ve learned to live with it.”No wonder he always seemed lonely. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, I looked at him with evaluating eyes and a frown appeared between my eyebrows, “But all this rage and hatred…it’s consuming you, Damon.”I understood that the revenge he wanted was valid in his eyes, but he was giving himself away to evil. As he stayed quiet, I got curious about how exactly he was planning to go against the most ruthless alpha alive.Tilting my head to the side, I inquired, “By the way, how exactly are you planning to take him down?”Lifting his head, Damon met my eyes and thought about it
Ember’s POV:Standing on my wobbly legs, I composed myself and sauntered toward my bedroom door. I was expecting Ms. Tacy or some other maid, so I stretched a huge smile on my face and flung the door open.But the smile quickly vanished as I took in Damon standing on the other side. His hair was ruffled and his eyes were dimmed, it was apparent he was barely holding himself together.My eyes traveled to his slouched shoulders and I spotted the strap of a backpack there. I frowned at that, “Where are you going?”His voice was blank and tired as he stated, “I’m leaving.”My frown deepened as I blurted out, “Leaving? Where? And why?”Pressing his lips in a thin line, he said tightly curtly, “You don’t expect me to stand by and witness you being someone else’s bride, do you?”I raised my hand and pointed at his bag, “So, this is what you want to do?”His eyes steeled as he hissed at me, “No, what I actually want is to take you with me, either by force or by kidnapping you.” His gaze darke
Ember’s POV:“Oh, my goodness, what a heavenly beauty I’m witnessing right now,” exclaimed Sophie while stepping into my room.I glared at her through the vanity mirror I was glued in front of with a bunch of beauticians hovering over me, “What took you so long?”Her eyebrows met her hairline as she raised them dramatically to make a point, “I am the only bridesmaid, duh. Of course, I’m busy as hell to make sure everything is going smoothly.”I rolled my eyes, “Stop stressing yourself and take a little rest now.”She stopped over my head and smiled down at me, “I can take all the rest starting tomorrow. But today, I will enjoy your big day to the fullest.”I wished I could feel the tiniest bit of excitement she had been feeling for my wedding but I wasn’t. My thoughts were all over the place. I was worried about Damon and dreaded what was cooking in Nicholus’s mind.Of course, we’ve tightened the security but when it came to the ruthless alpha of the North, nothing had seemed to stop
Ember’s POV: My insides were burning with turmoil as I made my way downstairs. My thoughts were a jumbled mess and I couldn’t stop thinking whether my decision was right or wrong. Once the mating ceremony was over, there would be no way to go back. I wondered how all of it would affect my wolf. I was hoping with everything in me that mating with another wolf would cause my fated mate to finally reject me and free me from this mate bond. That way, I’d also get Aria back and right now, that was the only thought that made me keep going. With Sophie right beside me, we halted outside the closed doors when she turned her attention toward me, “Are you ready?”At that moment, I just wished I had injected drugs into my system to numb my mind until the end of the day. I took in a shivering breath and closed my eyes for a moment. My fingers grazed over the necklace resting over my neck and I stole a bit of warmth from it, imagining my mother right by my side. Taking a deep breath, I snapped
Ember’s POV: I saw my whole world collapsing right in front of my eyes. Dread consumed me as I realized how easily it all crashed down. I was just a few minutes away from getting married, to fulfill the last requirement to become the Queen of the South. The only thing I had looked forward to my whole life, the only purpose of my life…gone, all gone. A shiver ran down my spine as I saw my mate, the most ruthless and cold-hearted alpha of all times, keep his scalding gaze on me. Pure and utter rage shone brightly in his eyes as they traveled down my bridal dress. His lips curled into a dangerous snarl as he glared at my groom viciously. I saw his hand balling up into a tight fist as he started taking quick and steady steps to where we were standing. Taking a shivering breath, I jerked toward Arnold, and pushed him away, “Go,” I uttered in urgency. His eyes were frantic with fear but he frowned at me, “I can’t leave you here alone.” I shook my head firmly and nudged him, “Just go.
Ember’s POV:Sophie stopped breathing as Nicholas pressed his sharp claw against her neck. Her eyes widened with fear whereas her body went rigid.Without paying any heed to the whimpering girl in his clutches, the cold-blooded alpha flickered his attention to me and bared his teeth, “Tell me, Little Princess, should I go for her jugular or her erratically beating heart?” His smirk turned demonic as he croaked, "It's fun both ways."Fear gripped me and panic swelled inside me because I had now witnessed how far this monster could go. My mind was numb with shock but my body moved on its own accord. My hands flew in front of me and I shook my head violently.My voice came out rough and parched as I whined, “No, not her.”Something deep inside me cracked at the thought of losing Sophie. She was practically my sole family, my anchor that kept me going through all the darkness. I couldn’t fathom to bear her loss. My heart constricted painfully just at the mere thought of it.That explained
Ember's POV:I let out an ugly sob as Sophie fell on the floor. She was out of her wits as she gawked at me with frantic eyes. Breathing heavily, she started crawling toward me.I opened my arms to hug her, to console her that she was okay now but just as she was about to reach me, a steely hand gripped my upper arm, making me wince.I gasped as Nicholus jerked me to stand up and face him. I tried to wriggle my arm out of his hold but my whole body went rigid as soon as he slipped his hand around my waist.Reluctantly, I lifted my gaze and looked at him in confusion. His eyes turned a shade darker and I saw crazy rage lingering there.The muscle in his jaw twitched. Curling his lips in a frightening snarl, he hissed at my face, “Let me show you what happens when someone betrays me.”My frown deepened as he tightened his hold around my waist. And then, all of a sudden, a shocking gasp escaped my lips as he twirled me around and placed his palm on my belly.The first thing I saw was Fat
Ember's POV: With a tiny body clad in my arms, I turned around to head back into the castle. The wheels in my mind were already churning as I made a list concerning the kitten. We needed to bathe him, feed him, get him vaccinated, build him a home, keep him warm, and... My footsteps came to a sudden halt as soon as I lifted my gaze and spotted Nicholus. He wasn't coming from the woods actually. Instead, he was standing in the window of his office. Discovering the kitten in the backyard must have made me miss his arrival. With a hand tucked in his pocket, he was standing upright and rigid. My heartbeat turned erratic as I realized his gaze, hard and intense, was fixated on me. I wondered for how long he had been staring down at me. At us, actually. Damon came up behind me and started ruffling the fur of the kitten, "I'll help you build him a home." Nicholus's eyes narrowed into thin slits. My sharp gaze was enough to see the clenching and unclenching of his jaw as his glare shift
Ember's POV: To be honest, I really wanted to shift and go into the woods to find Nicholus. I needed to talk to him and apologize for my words. But, at the same time, I also knew it wasn't a good idea to go into the woods at night because danger or no danger, it'd infuriate him to no extent. So, I decided to wait for him but I didn't want to go back into the castle as I knew I'd only be mopping around like a ball of anxious energy. Having nothing else to do, I agreed to Damon's suggestion. Turning around, he waved his hand forward, "After you, princess." Forming a small smile that surely didn't reach my eyes, I complied. Damon fell into steps beside me as we made our way to the gazebo. Climbing up, he offered me his palm, "Allow me." Rolling my eyes, I chuckled slightly, "There are stairs and a railing. I think I can do it on my own." Retreating his hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry...it's just an instinct to help a woman." Planting my hand on the railing,
Ember's POV:After Nicholus left so abruptly, I didn't have any appetite left to indulge in breakfast so after only a few bites, I grabbed my cup of coffee, stood up, and excused myself."You didn't each much today," Luna noticed.I scrunched up my nose, "I feel full. But don't worry, I'll have a snack later," I added before she got worried.With my fingers around the cup handle, I strode out of the castle and made my way into the lush green lawn to soak up a bit of the sun.Tilting my head toward the sky, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I relished the feel of fresh air rushing into my lungs but it did nothing to ease up the restlessness that was zinging inside me.Ever since yesterday, I have been feeling so restless. There was one thing, one particular moment during the attack yesterday, that was still stuck in my mind. No matter how hard I tried to nudge it to the back it was still there, replaying again and again."You felt it too, right?" even Aria couldn't ignore it any
Ember's POV: When my mind processed everything and I came back to my senses, the first instinct was to comfort him but I resisted the urge to go after him. He was very angry and I didn't want to add fuel to his rage. Deciding to give him some time to cool off, I took off the bathrobe and changed into PJs. With slouched shoulders and a foul mood, I walked into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed. After such a hectic day, sleep kicked in the moment my body touched the mattress. The spot beside me was cold and empty. I missed his presence. I missed how he'd either spoon me or hug me. I missed sleeping to the sound of his heartbeat beside me. I forced my eyes open and decided to wait for him. I kept glancing at the clock. It struck 12, then 1, and then 2 before my already tired body couldn't take it anymore. With the thought of waking up in his arms, I finally drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. As soon as my eyes open
Ember's POV: After showering, I tied the bathrobe around myself and tiptoed toward the closet room. I was going through my PJs when the hair on the back of my neck stood taller. That always happened when he was nearby. Would my body ever get used to his proximity? He was lingering at the doorway, waiting for me to acknowledge his presence and when I didn't, he let out a deep sigh, "For how long are you going to keep ignoring me?" Not making any attempt to answer him, I kept sifting through the clothes in the almirah, pretending to be busy deciding what to wear. All of a sudden, a chill ran down my spine as he came up beside me, too near that I could feel his hot breath on my cold skin as he said tightly, "I am talking to you, Ember." Yanking the random PJ set out, I snapped sharply, "And can't you see I'm not interested in talking to you?" Slamming the almirah door shut, I jerked around. Without bothering to cast him a glance, I just walked around him. But I had just taken
Ember's POV: During the entire ride, I kept my face toward the window, staring at the night lights as the car sped on the road. I could feel his unwavering stare boring holes in my back but I did nothing to acknowledge his presence. Apparently, the silent treatment was just not sitting right with him because he finally ended up opening our mindlink, "Are you okay?" I kept my face fixated on the window, too angry to answer him. How dare he behave like that? Carrying me over his shoulder as if I was some stubborn kid? And that too in front of everyone? Ridiculous! He waited for a few minutes and when I still didn't answer, he tried again, this some more gently, "Will you let me see your wounds? I need to make sure they're healing properly. I don't want them to catch any infection." Again, he was met with only silence. Was he not going to talk about how inappropriately he behaved or how rudely he talked to me? Maybe I was exaggerating but considering I'd never imagined him talking t
Ember's POV: The world seemed to slow down around me but at the same time, everything felt to be happening in the fast motion, way too quick to process properly. In my peripheral vision, I saw a guard lunging forward but before he could even reach us, another rebel gripped him by the throat and yanked him away. I choked as the blood gushed out of my throat. With trembling hands, I managed to grip his wrist and tried to wriggle myself out of his death-like grip. But all my efforts were in vain. He was strong. Way too strong for me to take down. I tried to use my hypnotizing power on him but because of my weakening strength and loss of consciousness, I was unable to muster up the magic. Blood rushed to my ears and soon, all I could hear was a loud ringing and nothing else. Tears welled up in my eyes and my vision blurred. My eyes were fixated on the demonic, creepy smile stretched over his face as he relished in my misery. But the very next moment, I frowned slightly as I saw his
Ember's POV:My mind was too shocked to register the sudden turn of events. I and Darius jerked our heads toward each other at the same moment and the next thing I heard was his ear-piercing scream, "Protect the Queen!"All of a sudden, someone gripped my wrist in a death-like grip. My gaze shot down to see fingers clasping around my wrist. I was just about to lift my gaze when my head whirled toward the door as the loud banging erupted in the air before someone yelled from the other side, "Open the damn door, Samuel." Someone else screamed, "How dare you invite the daughter of the enemy into your pack house? Are you declaring a war against us?"Samuel turned to his wife. He was no longer looking like a sweet old man I had a great time chatting with earlier. Instead, he looked every bit of a deadly warrior as he commanded Luna, "Take Queen and the girls to the safety bunkers. You must protect her at every cost, Carolina."The hold around my wrist instantly tightened before suddenly ya
Ember's POV:Darius stayed by my side as we took a quick tour of the packhouse before settling in the living room. After a few minutes of talking about random things, a maid strolled inside with a rolling tray laden with a kettle, cups, and all sorts of desserts.“Aw, Carolina, you didn’t have to do so much. Only tea would have been enough,” I said with awe.She shook her head, “You requested us not to arrange for the lunch. Even though we wanted to but we decided to respect your request. So, please enjoy the tea.”Pouring the tea in the cup, the maid placed it on the table in front of me before picking a plate, “What desserts you want me to serve you, Your Highness?”Sliding forward, I grabbed the plate from her hand and smiled up at her, “It’s okay, dear. I’ll serve myself.”She went still for a moment before finally straightening up, “Sure, Your Highness.”My mouth watered as I greedily eyed all the pastries, donuts, custard pies, and fruit tarts. I was about to pick the chocolate