Raven POV As the priestess turned, her silver hair shimmering like the moonlight, she faded into the distance, leaving me standing in the garden, swallowed by the weight of her words. She had given me answers, but they were like keys to a door I wasn’t sure I was ready to open.“I must go now, Raven,” she had said, her voice as soft as the wind, yet carrying the power of an entire destiny. “But I assure you, we will meet again.”Her words echoed in my ears as I watched her walk away, her figure dissolving into the shadows.With each step she took, I felt the distance grow between us, but something within me burned—a fire that wasn’t there before. I had a purpose now. And with that purpose came the terrifying realization that there was no turning back.I took a deep breath, gathering my strength. The air around me felt heavier, thicker with the weight of what lay ahead.As I made my way back to my room, the palace, once a place of cold stone and empty promises, now seemed like a pris
Rowan’s POVI watched in stunned silence as Raven entered my room, her presence overwhelming. She didn’t even knock. The way she moved, so sure of herself, so full of conviction—she was beautiful, powerful, and yet… there she was, asking me to mark her. “Mark me.” The words echoed in my mind like a thunderclap, but I couldn’t process them, couldn’t wrap my head around what she was asking.“Mark me.”It was all she said, and the weight of it almost brought me to my knees.How could she? How could she ask that of me? I couldn’t even begin to understand what this meant for her—what it meant for us.But then she said it.“I love you.”And in that moment, my world shifted. Her words were a gift, pure and honest, offered so freely, so unguarded. I was speechless.Did she understand? Did she know what she was giving me? A nobody like me, a man cursed to walk this earth without a true future—she was offering me her love, her trust, her heart. It was more than I deserved. It was more than I
Rowan POV I felt bad lying to Raven, but this was something I had to do on my own.This mission wasn’t normal—the chances of survival were nearly zero. Dragging my mate into this wasn’t an option. No matter how much I wanted her beside me, I refused to let her share this burden.Taking a deep breath, I grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen, my hands steady as I scrawled a short letter to my brothers.By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. Don’t come after me. This is something I have to do.I folded the letter neatly and placed it on my bed, knowing someone would find it and deliver it. There was no point in meeting them face-to-face—if I did, they’d try to stop me, and I couldn’t afford any distractions.Moving quickly, I gathered a change of clothes, filled a satchel with water, and grabbed a few pieces of dry bread from the kitchen. No one questioned me as I moved through the palace halls, my steps quiet and purposeful.Finally, I reached the doors leading outside. The early mo
Rowan POV “Raven, this is dangerous! Don’t you understand? I did this for you,” I snapped, my head pulsing with a headache. “You could die!”“Well, I don’t care,” she shot back, crossing her arms.Frustration clawed at my chest. “How did you escape Ansel? How did you even follow me?”She bit her lip, looking the slightest bit guilty. “It’s a very long story,” she admitted. “But I waited outside all day for you. I knew you were lying—I saw it in your eyes.”Damn it.“Rowan, we’ll be fine,” she continued firmly. “This journey is something we’re going to make together. You better get used to it.”With that, she spun around, but—“Ouch!”I barely had time to react before she lost her footing, slipping back into the water with a loud splash.I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling sharply before shaking my head.How in the world was I going to take care of her?A small laugh escaped me.“Okay, fine,” I relented, stepping forward and offering her my hand. “But listen up. You don’t talk t
Raven POV When I woke up the next morning, Rowan wasn’t by my side.I turned left, then right, my heart picking up speed when I didn’t see him. Sitting up quickly, I scanned the campsite, my pulse hammering in my ears.No. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t just leave me—would he?Panic started to creep in, my wolf stirring restlessly in the back of my mind. I was about to storm off and track him down when I saw a figure approaching from the trees.Rowan.My breath caught as relief washed over me. His curly hair was damp, falling over his face, drops of water trailing down his sharp jawline.He looked fresh like he had just taken a bath, the early morning sun casting a glow over his bare skin.I swallowed hard and walked toward him. “I thought you left.”He arched a brow, amused. “No, I just went to bathe.” He slung his damp shirt over his shoulder, glancing at me. “Hurry up and bathe as well. We have a long way to go today.”I hesitated for a second before nodding, brushing some of my tangled
Raven POV We fell into complete silence after that, until we came across a vast wasteland, making my mouth fall open.“Goddess help us…” I whispered, staring in shock. “What is this?”Rowan’s hand landed gently on my back. “It’s been spreading throughout the kingdom. I didn’t realize it had come this far.”I turned in a slow circle, taking in the cracked, lifeless earth stretching endlessly before us. The trees were nothing more than twisted husks, their branches brittle and grey. The air smelled stale, void of the usual scents of nature.“What could be causing this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. A strange sadness settled deep in my chest, an ache that wasn’t entirely my own. It almost felt like the land itself was crying.I forced myself to look away, but the feeling lingered.Rowan’s voice was quiet but firm. “I took this journey to find what’s needed to break the curse… and to figure out the reason for this.”He exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the barren land. “The
Raven POV It lunged at me.Fear locked my body in place, my limbs frozen as if the very air around me had turned to stone. My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, my heart hammering so violently I thought it might burst from my chest. Sweat drenched my clothes, cold against my skin, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think.This was it. I am going to die here.I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the inevitable—the tearing of flesh, the sharp bite of pain. There was no way I could survive an attack from a creature like that.But the attack never came.Instead, a deep, guttural snarl ripped through the air, followed by the sound of claws tearing through something unnatural.My eyes flew open just in time to see a massive, breathtakingly beautiful wolf launching at the shadowy beast. Rowan.His silver fur gleamed under the moonlight, his muscles flexing as he drove his claws into the creature. But the moment he struck, it disintegrated—vanishing into a swirling mass of smoke
Ansel POV The throne room was eerily quiet, except for the faint crackling of torches lining the stone walls. The air was thick with tension, and the guards kneeling before me could feel it. My patience was razor-thin, and they all knew it.Raven was gone.Not locked away. Not under watch. Not dragged from her room kicking and screaming.She had simply vanished.I sat on the throne, hands clasped in front of me, gaze heavy on the men before me. My voice was calm when I spoke.“Tell me again,” I said, “how an unmarked she-wolf walked out of my palace without a single one of you noticing?”The men stiffened, none daring to meet my eyes.“She was seen walking the halls last night,” one of them answered, voice strained. “She always wandered before bed—no one thought anything of it.”“Then when did she leave?” I asked.A pause.“By morning, she was gone.”A slow exhale left me as I leaned back in my seat. My fingers drummed against the armrest, a measured rhythm that only I understood.Th
Raven POV I’d never seen flowers like these before.They looked like they belonged in dreams or in the pages of one of Gwen’s old fae stories—petals like spilled wine, silver-dusted edges, some glowing faintly in the shadows as if they held moonlight in their veins. If I weren’t walking beside a monster, I might’ve stopped to run my fingers over the soft blooms, to let my boots slip off and sink into the moss, to believe for one wild moment that the world hadn’t gone entirely to ruin.Maybe, if this place survives Morgan’s wrath, I’ll come back one day—with Rowan, with my mates—and I’ll pick every flower that dares to bloom here.But not now.I shook the thought from my head and kept walking, the cave yawning before us like a mouth that hadn’t decided if it wanted to swallow or speak.We hadn’t gone far before I heard a voice, not spoken with words but slipped like smoke into my thoughts.The Walking Dead Queen.It echoed, reverent and amused all at once. I froze.The goddess in fl
Ansel POV I still can’t believe Raven—the future mother of my child—is the damn child of prophecy.The father hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it has to be me.I haven’t been able to scrape that thought from my mind. It makes her more valuable to me, to the kingdom. As the future king, it gives me more leverage than both of my brothers combined.Which is why we’re going to get her back.And kill Morgan.Because if we don’t, there won’t be anything left to rule. No wolves. No land. No bloodlines to carry forward.My wolf, Karl, paced just beneath my skin; he was as restless as I was. The bond pulls at us in ways I still don’t understand even after mating. The instinct to keep her close feels like a leash tightening around my throat.I rubbed my head and stepped onto the balcony.Below, the guards moved in formation around three figures. The surviving alphas had arrived. Finally,I didn’t wait to be summoned. I turned from the window and made my way to the war room, checking my appea
Raven POV How could life still exist here, so untouched, so vibrant, under the looming shadow of a queen like Morgan?My legs trembled as I dismounted, the village air started to get thick with tension and heat. People began to notice our presence, guards in dark armor, a queen in blood-hued leathers, and me, silent and unfamiliar. The streets quieted and then cleared as if the air itself warned them to run.A man stepped forward from the gathering crowd, his steps looked hesitant. He looked like he might be the village leader, so much older, sun-weathered, and proud despite the fear he couldn’t mask. He bowed low before Morgan, his voice shaking.“Your Highness,” he said. “We didn’t expect… We weren’t prepared for—”She raised a hand. “I didn’t come for your hospitality.”His lips parted, but nothing came out.“I came for the last Black Wolf,” she said.A hush fell so heavy it could have crushed bone.The man stiffened, his face blanching. “I… I don’t know what you mean…”Morga
Raven POV I don’t know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes, my body felt lighter than it had the day before. I felt less like I was dragging the weight of the world behind me.I stretched slowly, taking a moment to adjust to the new room. This wasn’t home, it was a war zone. But hopefully, if I played this right, I could do what I needed to do and get out of there alive.Walking barefoot to the window, I pulled the curtains aside.This place was as gloomy as ever.From where I stood, all I could see was a thick fog rolling over blackened trees, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching for something unseen. The sky was a dull gray even though the sun was up and scorching.There was no birdsong, no life and absolutely nothing.I let out a slow breath and drew the curtain shut. This place —it was spoiling my mood. The air, the silence, the weight of it all. It was like even the ground outside was mourning. I can't wait to get what I need and burn it to the ground.Sha
Ansel’s POVI stood on the balcony outside my room, the cold wind brushing against my face like a reminder that everything was changing. Too fast. Too much.“What are you thinking about, little brother?” Rowan’s voice broke through the quiet as he stepped beside me.“The long journey to the Hollow Valley?” he added.I hesitated, biting my lip. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to say it out loud… but I needed to. If anyone could understand, it was him.“Rowan, can I ask you something? Honestly?”He nodded. “Yeah.”I exhaled slowly. “Do you think we’ll make it out of this alive? All of us?”His silence gave me space, so I kept going.“What happens now that Raven is the child of prophecy? She’s…the goddess Selene reborn. If people find out, it could change everything—start things we’re not ready for.”I paused. “And… what does that mean for our son?”Rowan turned to me, eyes thoughtful. “Whoa. That’s a lot of questions.”I gave a half-hearted laugh. “Sorry.”He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “D
Raven POV My other self turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tears. I never let fall that day.“Do you understand now?” she asked quietly.I nodded, breath shaky. “That was the day I gave up.”“You didn’t just give up on him,” she said. “You gave up on you.” "You buried yourself beneath anger and pain. You stopped believing you were meant for more.”Tears slid down my cheeks before I could stop them.I hated how much it hurt.“I was broken,” I whispered.“You still are,” she said gently. "But broken things can be rebuilt. She stepped forward, walking into me.And I felt it.That pain. That grief. That rage.But also… I felt light.Soon, the memory shifted, and it was me when I was much younger, the children at the park stoning me and laughing out loud in amusement.I bit my lips until I felt blood roll down my lips, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Because the pain in my mouth was nothing compared to the pain in my chest.There I was, no older than six years old, curled into m
Raven's POV I was still in a state of shock when Kelvin strolled into the room, completely unfazed by the bodies at his feet. He walked over them like they were nothing like he’d seen this kind of carnage a thousand times before, and he probably had.He wore that infuriating smirk again, the one I was beginning to realize was just part of his face. Part of his behavior.“Your Highness,” he greeted Morgan with a bow. Then his gaze slid towards me. “Oh, the little queen is here. Lovely to see you, Raven.”I rolled my eyes, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted. The urge to punch that smug face of his clawed at me, but I held it down. Barely.God, if I ever got the chance, I’d kill them both. Rip them apart and bathe in their blood if that’s what it took.I felt my wolf stir inside me, a low growl vibrating through my chest.She didn’t like being separated from our mates, caged like that. And these two were responsible. Again.Twice now, they’d taken me from the ones I belonged t
Queen Gwen POVIt’s been three days since the battle.Three days since blood painted the earth and death hung heavy in the air—on both sides.It hurt to kill them. Those creatures… they were mindless, controlled by Kelvin and that cursed Queen. They were puppets, not monsters. But it was either them or us.And still… we lost.We fell for their diversion. We lost Raven.I’ve been trying—truly trying—to stay strong. I’m a queen. I’m supposed to be composed, logical, unshaken.But the thought of something happening to her…It chills me in a way I can’t explain.From the moment I first laid eyes on Raven, I knew.I don’t understand the feeling, not fully but I knew. I was meant to be near her. To protect her. To fight for her.I was meant to be her sword.And I let her down.“Hey… are you okay?” Loira asked gently, walking up beside me.I tried to force a smile. “Yeah. I’m just… sad, you know?” My voice cracked. “It feels like we were so stupid.”She said nothing, just listened.“She shou
Raven POV “What did you say, Raven?” she asked again, her voice low and skeptical.“I said I’ll join you, Morgan,” I repeated, steadying my voice. “But only on one condition.”She sighed as though she was enduring a headache. “And what is it now?”“You’ll release Mathias.”Her brows lifted. “Who?”Of course, she doesn’t even remember. The disgust rose sharp and hot in my chest, but I swallowed it. I was in enemy territory now. I had to play this smart.“Mathias is one of the prisoners. He was in the same cell I was thrown into.”“Oh,” she said with a chuckle. “That’s all?” Fine. I’ll have him released today.”“And—”She cut me a glare, her patience thinning. “And what?”“You’ll give me the dagger. I need it.”Morgan narrowed her eyes. “I’ll think about it. "Don’t push your luck, little bird.”She turned away, already done with the conversation. “When Kelvin returns, your real training begins. I’ll need you ready.”"But aren’t you scared, Morgan?” I asked, my gaze steady.“What?” she