Ronan's POVMy heart was racing. The sacred moment was close, closer than I was ready for, and it was my duty to make sure the guard was ready. No slip-ups. My Alpha and Luna had to push through this whole situation, and it was on me to see that nothing got in their way.“You, right wing. You, left wing. You, back. You, front,” I barked, my voice carrying across the courtyard as I gave orders, pointing to each group of guards. They snapped into place immediately, the sound of boots striking ground in unison.I paced before them, my hands behind my back. “When the time comes, the energy of the ceremony will teleport us straight to the sacred mountains. The moment we land, you do not wait for instructions. You take your position exactly as I’ve drilled it into you. Understood?”“Yes, Beta Ronan!” they thundered back.I nodded once, then lifted a hand. “You two, step forward.” My finger pointed on the pair nearest the front line. They moved quickly, and stood before me. “You are the fro
Killian's POV.The ride from Lucas Chambers felt like forever, even though I knew the Sacred Mountains were quite far. Selene sat close to me, her hand loosely holding mine. I couldn’t stop my arm from wrapping around her and pulling her closer, until I pressed my lips against her hair. The sweet scent of her made the tension ease from me.But every time I kissed her, every time I held her, it was me trying to shake the fear off of me. Fear of the revelation that would come when she was finally revealed as the child of prophecy. Fear of the ritual I would have to perform and fear of what it might take from me.I was supposed to be the cruel, cold-hearted Alpha. But in this moment, my hands trembled, my chest felt too tight, and all I could do was try to be strong for my mate.The wheels of the carriage groaned before coming to a halt. My head lifted, and I peered through the window. The mountain stood before us, cloaked in fog, its peaks were lost in the clouds. The wind howled down
Selene's POV.My cheeks were burning. I couldn’t believe I was actually sitting on Killian’s lap in front of everyone. His arm was around my waist and I could feel the eyes of the maids and servants drifting toward us now and then.Killian looked utterly unbothered. A small smile tugged at his lips, clearly enjoying every bit of this. I wanted to wriggle away, but instead, I found my body heating up because of the closeness.We ended up eating like that—me perched on his lap, his heat seeping into my body. Each time his fingers brushed against me, it was like my mind blanked out My thoughts wandered and I suddenly pictured us alone in his chambers. His body pressed to mine, his hands wrapped around my waist while he thrusts deep inside of me.My breath hitched, and before I could stop myself, my gaze travelled to him.“You’re thinking naughty things, aren’t you?” Killian’s low voice pulled me from the thoughts. His voice sounded teasingly.My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Killian
Killian's POVHonestly, the whole ritual still bothered me. The thought of losing her, of losing control and draining her dry terrified me more than anything else I’d ever faced. I wasn’t afraid of wars, of enemies, or even of death. But the possibility of harming Selene? That was unbearable.Yet when I looked at her, she seemed so sure of me. She said she trusted me, and she wanted me to trust myself too. And damn it, I wanted to.I lowered my head and pressed a kiss to her hair. “You won’t die,” I whispered, my hand stroking through her hair. The words were more for me than for her.The bond between us had grown stronger over these last few weeks. I had marked her and the connection that tied us together was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. We spent a little more time with Selene’s mother, and eventually, we decided to go to Dr. Javier's office to speak with him about her condition, and ask if she could be discharged.I walked into Dr.Javier's office with Selene's hand in min
Selene's POV.I woke up to something soft tapping at my arm, pulling me gently out of the warmth of sleep.“Wake up, Selene… baby, wake up.”I couldn’t hear his voice clearly, right away, like I was still lost in the haze of dreaming. But when my eyes blinked open, Killian’s face hovering over mine, his gaze fixed on me with that softness only he could have.The brightness of the room hit me then. Sunlight poured through the window, filling every corner, and I instantly knew it wasn’t early morning anymore. My eyes widened. How late had I slept?I let out a small yawn, stretching slightly, before Killian spoke again.“You slept in so late already. I wouldn’t have woken you, but…” he smiled faintly, “I thought you’d want to go see your mom.”I threw back the covers, swinging out of bed. “Of course! Is she awake now?”Killian chuckled at my reaction, and I could feel his eyes following me. “Yes, she’s awake. Let’s go see her.”Without wasting another second, I dashed into the bathroom.
Lucian's POV.“What?” I growled.I grabbed a wine glass on the table and hurled it across the room. It struck the maid squarely before clattering to the ground, but I didn’t care. My blood was boiling too hot to care.“What do you mean she’s gone?” I roared.The maid trembled, her hands pressed against her bleeding arm where the glass had cut her. “Sh-she’s nowhere to be seen, my lord. She wasn’t in her room… she’s nowhere in the house.”“Nowhere to be seen?” My voice cracked with fury. “She was in her room! I left for a few hours, just a few hours! And I return to hear this?” My chest heaved, my vision narrowing as rage swallowed me whole.Behind me, Jeremy’s voice came cautiously. “My lord, I think you should calm down. Maybe she went out for a bit—”“Calm down?” I snapped. “It’s the next day, Jeremy. The next damn day! She never leaves without telling me. She isn’t even allowed outside these walls.”Jeremy swallowed, his face paling. “Then… somebody took her.” My hands curled int