ANMELDENThen I whispered, “She woke because of truth.”Nicholas’s POVTruth.The word cut deeper than any blade.Watching Esther’s wolf awaken, seeing that glow ripple through her, was like watching dawn break inside my own ribs. Norman howled in joy, circling like a storm.Mate. Whole again.I wanted to re
Esther’s POVThe moon hung low over the palace courtyard, pale and thin as if it too had been hollowed out by truth.I hadn’t slept in days. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Carl’s face in that hospital bed, the IV line glowing red with Nicholas’s blood, a thread connecting them that could never b
I couldn’t stay. Not then. Not with the room spinning around the truth.I turned on my heel and left.Outside, the evening had turned cold. The palace gardens stretched wide and silent, shadows long across the stone. I made it halfway to the fountain before the first surge of fury hit, hot and wild
Nicholas’s POVIt was supposed to be an ordinary morning.A quiet one, even the kind where the palace felt less like a fortress and more like a home. The smell of breakfast bread drifting through the halls, the faint laughter of children somewhere near the east courtyard.Then came the scream.High.
I turned the page without a word.Inside, the fragile hope I’d been nurturing began to splinter.Nicholas found me near noon.He stormed in, half out of his formal jacket, eyes dark and wild. “Who leaked this?”“You’re asking me?” I said.“I’m asking everyone.” His voice was a snarl. “They’re saying
Esther’s POVThe palace had never been this bright.Golden banners fluttered across the courtyard, musicians tuned lutes and violins, and trays of sugared fruit glimmered beneath the sunlight. All of it, the music, the laughter, the illusion, was for Sofia.My daughter. My little girl who had someho
When the doctor finally emerged, weary and pale, I pounced. “She’s—?”“She’s stable,” he said, voice cautious, surprised at my intensity. “She’ll wake soon. Rest would help most now.”Relief slammed into me so hard my knees nearly buckled. I forced myself inside, ignoring his protests.She lay there
“No! Hold on, Carl! Mama’s coming!”Rain slicked the pavement, turning the world into a sheen of silver and black. My windshield wipers struggled against the downpour, squealing in protest, unable to keep up with the deluge. Every puddle threatened to throw me off course, every wet curve a potential
Esther’s POVThe night air was heavy, thick with the lingering stench of rain-soaked streets and the oily remnants of the tavern I had left behind. My hands still smelled faintly of alcohol and sweat, despite the way I had scrubbed them raw at the sink. I had quit—I had finally quit—but relief did n
Esther’s POVI had once believed the hardest part of leaving Nicholas behind was the first time, fleeing with nothing but my unborn children.My legs had carried me through the woods, the city streets, and the cold nights, dragging me forward with hope tethered to sheer survival. I had thought I cou







