LOGINRaven’s POV I slowly started to come to, but my entire body felt impossibly heavy. I couldn't move a muscle, even though I didn't think I was physically bound by ropes or chains. Whatever surface I was lying flat on felt extremely cold against my back and legs. My mind was a blur, and I had no idea what was happening.I struggled to pull my recent memories together, fighting through the foggy haze in my mind, until the chilling, timeless eyes of that high mage called Malakai flashed vividly behind my eyelids.Oh no. He had actually taken me. He had snatched me away from the safety of the mansion.My heart instantly started beating so fast and hard against my ribs that I genuinely worried I might lose consciousness all over again. I took a slow, panicked breath, forcing myself to calm down. I needed to keep my head clear and at least figure out what kind of situation I was currently in.I decided to take stock of my immediate surroundings using my hearing first.Nothing.I strained my
Valen’s POVInside my mind, my wolf, Ash, was salivating at the thought of tearing flesh from bones. Whoever had dared to kidnap Raven had better release her back to us while they still had the chance to. I wasn't even entertaining the foolish idea that her captor might be stronger simply because he was a powerful mage. No force on earth—magical or otherwise—could ever keep a determined wolf away from his mate.As we walked down the mansion corridors, my mind kept racing. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Raven at this exact moment. I really, truly hoped she wasn't being physically hurt or terrified out of her mind at being held in an unfamiliar place all alone.Elder Kaelith led Darian and me to the mansion's massive library. The moment we stepped inside, the older woman moved briskly between the tall wooden shelves. She grabbed a large number of ancient books and dumped them unceremoniously into mine and Darian's arms, filling our hands to the brim. She then went to
Darian’s POVValen and I were both laughing about something stupid in the lounge when a strange, mysterious fog suddenly rolled onto the mansion's grounds outside. I noticed the thick white mist creeping across the windowpane first, my laughter dying instantly in my throat."Valen," I called out quietly, my voice tight.Valen followed my gaze toward the glass, his mouth falling open in shock at just how unnaturally foggy it had gotten outside in a matter of seconds. You couldn't even see the front courtyard steps anymore."What the hell..." Valen muttered, stepping toward the window.Then, it hit us both at the same moment—a hard snap in the mindlink.In a fraction of a second, our bond with Raven was severed, vanishing into a hollow void. A sickening wave of coldness washed over my entire body, freezing the blood in my veins. Inside my head, Sage let out an agonizing, panicked whine. I cannot feel our mate anymore, Darian. She's gone. Where is she?Valen stood up abruptly, accidenta
Raven’s POV Honestly, those words were thoughts I expected Valen to have in his head, but for him to speak them out loud so casually? Well, he had definitely been getting ballsier and bolder by the day. Darian, on the other hand, just burst out into a loud laugh, shaking his head at him. "Is that really all you could come up with, Valen? I really thought you were going to suggest something far grander than that." Valen smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "This idea definitely is grand, Darian." Darian chuckled, turning to give me a very suggestive look. "Alright, tonight then." I opened my mouth to respond, but Darian added, "Elder Kaelith should be by any minute from now to see how you're feeling and take you down to speak with the mage from yesterday." I let out a soft sigh, the mood shifting as I remembered the woman locked in the dungeon. Despite everything, I was greatly looking forward to getting some answers out of her. Exactly like Darian said, a firm knock echoed
Valen's POV I opened the folded parchment, and my breath caught in my throat. I immediately recognized the jagged slants of my father's handwriting.Onyx didn't turn away from the window, his voice a raspy, weak whisper filled with deep anguish. "That is the original will our father left behind, Valen. I just... I honestly don't understand why he would do something like this to me." He swallowed hard, his bandaged chest heaving. "He used his dying breath to tell his personal attendant to find that paper and hold onto it at all costs. It meant that even as he was literally bleeding out from the final killing blow you gave him, he still ultimately chose you."I just remained quiet, my fingers gripping the edges of the paper tightly."Despite treating you so coldly throughout your entire childhood, as I heard he did, you were still his one and only true heir," Onyx continued, his eyes remaining fixed on the green fields outside. "I guess that is what made me so mad. That, coupled with
Valen's POV I had been staring at Raven’s peaceful face for over an hour now, my eyes tracing the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She had been sleeping for about twenty hours straight, ever since the violent explosion of magic in the courtyard yesterday. Both Darian and I were getting increasingly worried as the hours ticked by, but Elder Kaelith had assured us that Raven would be fine. She explained that Raven had simply over-exhausted herself, and her internal emotions had been unbalanced by the unchecked rage.It was now the morning of the next day. The three of us were all lying together on the large, comfortable cushions in the main living space of the lounge. I looked across Raven’s sleeping form to Darian, who was lying on her other side. He was already wide awake, his hands tucked behind his head as he stared blankly up at the high ceiling.I swallowed the lump in my throat, my voice a quiet whisper. "I'm sorry about yesterday, Darian."Darian glanced over at me for a fra
Raven's POV I was currently trimming the flowers and overgrown plants in my assigned portion of the pack’s garden, a job that felt like it would never end. I stopped for a moment, letting the heavy metal shears hang by my side. I used the back of my hand to wipe my forehead, but it didn't do much
Raven's POV It looked like we finally had a lead, though it was a grim one. As Valen sat there, drained and pale from reliving his worst nightmare, Darian surprised me. It turned out he had a secret artistic skill. Without a word, he grabbed a piece of charcoal and a clean sheet of parchment, his
Valen’s POV I didn't bother with a carriage. I shifted mid-stride, my bones snapping and reforming into the sleek, powerful frame of my wolf. I ran with a singular, burning purpose toward the Hollow Woods. My paws hit the forest floor with a determined rhythm, the cold wind whipping through my fur
Valen's POVI honestly didn’t know how to feel. Since I received Maddox’s letter about Onyx, my step-brother, I had felt a strange sense of being lost. A part of me was absolutely furious—how dare that pup crawl out of the shadows now to stake a claim? But then another part of me felt some pity tow







