LOGINDARIANI carry her into my chambers, her weight light despite the bruises and dirt clinging to her skin. Every muscle in my body tenses, every thought screaming at me that she’s alive, and that’s all that matters right now. I set her gently on the bed, hands brushing over her trembling shoulders as I check for cuts, scratches, signs of the fight she endured.“You’re safe,” I murmur, voice low and raw. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”Her eyes, wide and wary, meet mine. She tries to smile, but it falters almost immediately. I want to tell her it’s over, that she doesn’t have to fight anymore, but the memory of her being dragged, the fear I felt hearing her cries, still burns in me.I reach for the ruined clothing sticking to her skin. My hands are careful, gentle, lifting the tattered fabric away without pulling at her wounds. Every scrape, every bruise, every tear in her clothes fuels the fire in me. I want to erase it all. I want to burn down the world that dared touch her.“Let me help
ADIRAI can’t breathe.The moment the Lycan King’s voice declared Iris would live, something in me snapped. It’s like the ground itself shifted beneath my feet. Every plan, every whisper, every careful move I’ve made for years, gone. Torn to shreds in a single heartbeat.I stalk down the long corridor, my heels striking the marble hard enough to echo. The guards I pass lower their gazes, stepping aside, but I can feel their judgment burning into my back. Let them look. Let them whisper. I don’t care.My hands shake as I shove open the next set of doors. The scent of cedar and steel fills my nose. Zeus’s room. I don’t even bother to knock.He’s sitting near the window, a glass of amber liquid in his hand, moonlight cutting across his sharp jawline. He looks up, startled, his golden eyes narrowing. “I’m pretty sure you were taught to have manners.” he snaps. “You don’t just barge into my private chambers!”“You promised me the crown!” I shout.The words tear out of me, raw and wild. I d
DARIANThe silence is unbearable.I can still hear my own words ringing in my head; Exile me. Strip me of my title. Just let her live.They hang in the air like smoke, thick and choking, filling every corner of the throne room.No one moves. No one breathes. The world feels frozen, caught between one heartbeat and the next.My father’s eyes are on me. Cold. Calculating. But there’s something else there too, something I’ve never seen before. Not anger. Not disdain. Something heavier.He exhales slowly, the sound loud in the stillness.Then he does the unthinkable.He pulls the sword away from Iris’s throat.The crowd gasps as he lowers it completely, the silver blade gleaming harmlessly at his side. His hand falls away from her shoulder. He steps back.For a second, I don’t believe what I’m seeing. My brain can’t process it. I stare, unmoving, waiting for the catch, for the cruelty, the trick, the punishment.But he just stands there, breathing hard, his gaze unreadable.I stumble to m
DARIANMy heart feels like it’s being ripped out of my chest.I can still hear her voice echoing in my head; “I love you.”The sound of it breaks something inside me, something I didn’t know could still break.She’s on her knees before him, the silver edge of his sword still raised, and I can’t move fast enough. The guards dig their claws into my arms, but I barely feel it. My blood roars in my ears. I can’t let this happen. I won’t.“Let her go!” I snarl, shoving one of them off. My voice comes out rough, distorted. Too close to the wolf. My pulse hammers against my skull, and I feel the burn, the shift, crawling just beneath my skin.My father doesn’t even look at me. His gaze is locked on her, his sword gleaming in the torchlight. “She is a danger to the pack,” he says, his tone like ice. “She must die, Darian.”“She’s not a danger!” I roar. The sound shakes the walls, my voice cracking with the force of it. “You’re blinded by your damn prophecies and lies! You don’t see anything e
IRISThe doors slam open, and I’m dragged inside.My knees scrape the stone as I hit the ground hard, the echo of the impact swallowed by the murmur of a crowd. My palms sting, my breath shudders. The air is thick with power, Lycan energy thrumming like a living thing. I lift my head just enough to see them. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. All watching me.The throne room stretches wide and cruel, lined with dark marble and silver banners bearing the royal crest. Every gaze cuts through me like a blade. But I only see one person.The Lycan King.He sits on his throne, still and terrible, his eyes the color of frozen iron. The crowd bows their heads as if afraid to meet his gaze. I don’t move. I can’t. His attention lands on me, and I feel it like a weight pressing against my chest.“Bring her forward,” he says.The soldier yanks my arm, forcing me onto trembling legs. My knees lock just long enough for me to stumble toward the dais. The sound of chains scraping across the floor follows me. Wh
IRIS The darkness presses in from all sides. I’m curled against the cold floor, my arms wrapped around my knees, trying to hold onto whatever strength I have left. My body aches in ways I didn’t think possible. Every breath feels heavy, every blink a small victory. I wonder if this is how it ends: alone, in a dark room, waiting for some inevitable fate that I cannot change. My mind drifts to Darian. I can almost feel his presence beside me, the way he always did when I needed reassurance. His voice, calm and steady, always knew how to anchor me. I remember the moments we’ve shared, quiet walks under the moon, the brief laughter we’ve stolen from a world that seems intent on tearing us apart. I imagine him now, and a pang of longing twists my chest. If only he knew where I was, if only he could get to me in time. A creak in the door snaps me back to reality. My pulse spikes, and I struggle to rise to my feet. I’m too weak, though, my limbs trembling beneath me. The shadows shif







