Raven POV By the time I woke up, Rowan was already gone. I don’t know why that hurt me so much—maybe because I wasn’t ready to let go, even for a moment. The daylight spilling through the window told me the morning was well underway, so I forced myself out of bed.I slipped quietly down the hall to my room and drew a long, hot bath, hoping the water would soothe my restless thoughts. Today, I planned to go into town to see the people, to stand before them, and to be their symbol of hope. I wasn’t sure what words to say, or how to lift their spirits, but if just my presence could help, then I was more than willing to show up.After a short while, Maria, my maid, came in to help me get ready. I was grateful—her gentle hands and calming presence were exactly what I needed. She styled my hair beautifully, weaving delicate braids and soft curls that framed my face perfectly. Paired with the flowing dress, she helped me into, I looked almost ethereal, as if I belonged to another worl
Kael POVI didn’t expect her to accept me. Not tonight and definitely not so easily. But whatever lucky star is shining on me, I’ll worship it for the rest of my life…because Loira, this beautiful, wild, powerful woman, has finally said yes.She’s finally mine.I know I should mark her now and claim her before the moment slips away before she changes her mind—but I can’t. Not like that. Not here, with the scent of war and fear still clinging to our skin.She deserves more than that.Her neck was tilted ever so slightly, that soft, vulnerable spot exposed to me looking so inviting. Tempting. The place where I could bind her to me forever. My wolf howled in my chest, desperate, restless to mark my mate.“Thank you,” I said, my voice trembling despite myself. “Thank you for accepting me… but I can’t mark you here.”“Why not?” she asked, eyes wide with confusion, her voice barely a whisper.Her tongue darted out to wet her lips—a small, nervous gesture I’ve seen from her a hundred time
Loira POVI released a breath I didn’t know I was holding when I saw Raven today.Guilt clung to me like a second skin, heavy and cold. I couldn’t help but feel like it was my fault. We almost lost her. I should have seen it coming, should have done more, been more careful.Still… the way she returned, still fierce, standing tall even after everything…reminded me just how strong she truly is. Though I don’t know if I can say the same for her heart or her mind.She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. And I wonder what kind of scars lie beneath that calm.I stood outside, leaning on the old stone railing, watching the stars blink slowly into the night sky when a voice broke my thoughts.“What are you doing on your own out here?”I turned.I turned and saw Kael standing just a few steps away, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, eyes flickering with concern beneath the fading twilight.“Kael?” I said, a little surprised. “What are you doing out here?”He gave a small shru
Raven POV “Rowan, I want to talk to you.”He turned toward me, his eyes soft despite the surrounding chaos. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, I just need to talk.”He took my hand and led me away from the others, down the dim corridor to the balcony overlooking the forest. The cool breeze brushed against my skin as if trying to soothe the storm of emotions inside me.Leaning on the railing, he kept his gaze fixed on me. “You said you needed to talk. So talk to me, Raven.”Before he could speak, I closed the distance and kissed him. His hands moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer until I was completely enveloped by his warmth. His mouth claimed mine with a fierce tenderness, and I lost myself in him.Tears began to fall before I even realized it.“Raven, what’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked, concern threading his voice.Rowan’s arms tightened around me, and I clung to him like he was the last solid thing in a world that kept trying to pull me apart.He whispered in my ear,
Raven POV I was overwhelmed.The room blurred around me, voices fading into static as I closed my eyes and tried to understand it all. Selene. Morgan. The dark thing beneath the Veil. Me—a key to something I never asked to open.I took a deep breath, grounding myself in the memory of Rowan’s voice, Gwen’s touch on my arm, and the flicker of firelight on the walls.“When Kelvin helped us escape,” I said quietly, opening my eyes, “I ripped her heart out. I saw it turn to ash in my hand. But…”Everyone turned to me.“I have a feeling she’s still alive.”No one spoke for a beat. Then the Priestess nodded slowly, her face grim. “Yes. That won’t be enough to kill her. Not completely. Not with the part of protecting her soul.”“So what did we do?” Ansel asked. “We just bought ourselves time?”“Exactly,” I said. “That’s all it was. A pause in the storm. And now we need to use it—plan, prepare.”“There’s something else you should know,” I said, drawing their attention once again. My voice w
Rowan’s POVThe room had quieted, but my mind hadn’t.“So… what about Kelvin?” I asked, breaking the silence smoke. “What was that? Why did he help us?”Raven looked up from where she sat, wrapped in a blanket that seemed far too thin for the weight on her shoulders.“Honestly… I don’t know,” she said quietly. “He is now… different. Not like before.”I frowned. “Not cruel?”She shook her head. “Not as cruel. He wasn’t the same man who locked me in chains, who stood there while I screamed. I’ll never forgive him for what he did, but this time—he helped. And I don’t know why.”That unsettled me.Kelvin was never the type to act without motive. Whatever his reason was, it couldn’t be simple mercy.Ansel leaned forward, eyes on me now. “Then what do we do about the Priestess, Rowan?”I didn’t answer right away. I looked toward the dagger on the table. The ashes still faintly marked the wood beneath it. The Queen may be gone—or worse, not gone—but the Priestess deceived us.“She fooled
Raven POV “What the f**k just happened?” I asked, finally breaking the silence, my voice sharp and trembling. “Did we just…?”The words died before they could form. Nothing I could say would fit what we’d just been through.I looked around at all of them—alive, bloodied, shaken. “How did you guys even find me?”“It’s a long story,” Gwen muttered, still catching her breath.“But that bitch betrayed us again,” Ansel added, venom in his voice. “And like a fool, I followed her.”“It’s not your fault,” Rowan said, placing a hand on Ansel’s shoulder. “We all fell for her tricks. But next time I see her…” His voice dropped into something colder. “Her head would roll. I promise.”Gwen shivered. “Was that… enough to kill her?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.“I don’t know,” I said slowly.Then I looked down at my hand.I hadn’t even noticed it until now.But I was still holding something.Her heart.Still slick with blood.Still warm.Still… beating.My own breath caught.Everyo
Raven POV “Let them go,” I said—only, it didn’t sound like me. My voice was deeper, layered with something primal and ancient. My wolf had risen, and she was speaking through me now.“Let my mates and friends go!” I screamed, lunging at Morgan, no longer willing to play along with her twisted mind games.My claws burst from my fingertips, sharp and gleaming, just the way Rowan had taught me. The memory of his firm grip on my hands, his calm voice guiding me through every strike and stance, it all surged forward now, weaponized by rage.Morgan laughed again, but this time it was tighter, less amused.She moved with the elegance of someone who had lived for centuries. Graceful, swift, infuriatingly calm. She leaped back, avoiding my strike with ease, her cloak swirling like smoke around her. But I didn’t stop. I refused to stop.I slashed again. Missed. Again. Came closer.“You think you’re ready for this?” she sneered, her voice like velvet laced with venom. “You think you’re stro
Raven POV Something told me that getting those ashes would be the end of the road for us all.Queen Morgan was already far too powerful, and I had learned that what we had seen so far was just a fraction of her strength. She had been using the earth, manipulating others, draining what she needed to stay alive through the centuries.Breathing hard, I tried to steady myself. She didn’t have the Moon Stone yet. That was our only sliver of hope—that if she didn’t possess it, we still had time to prepare.Loira had hidden it well.I forced myself to focus.“How do I get the ashes?” I asked, my voice betraying me with a slight tremor I couldn’t hide.“We have to go to the exact place where the Pact was made,” Morgan said. “And I’ll remake it—with you.”“You carry the blood of the goddess. That alone will be enough. Once the bond is reforged, I’ll be able to claim and wield the ashes.”“And if I say no?” I asked before I could stop myself.It seemed I’d developed a reckless habit of flirt