ANMELDENDemon pretends he doesn’t notice the moment shift. This is a lie. He notices everything. He just chooses when to acknowledge it based on how entertaining the fallout might be. Right now, he’s leaning against a tree like a decorative menace, arms crossed, expression bored in the theatrical way that
The mate bond hits like a migraine wrapped in arrogance. I’m halfway through chewing a piece of dried fruit, of questionable origin, courtesy of Demon, when the pressure blooms behind my eyes, sharp and familiar and utterly unwelcome. You will listen to me. I choke, coughing as Raph immediately s
The forest goes quiet in a way that has nothing to do with peace. It’s the kind of quiet that presses against your ears, that makes even breathing feel loud. The birds don’t scatter, they vanish. The wind doesn’t stop; it waits. The land itself draws a line and holds it. That’s when I know he’s he
My fingers curl at my sides. “Who told you?” “No one,” he replies. “I followed the noise.” Nathan blinks. “The noise.” “Yes. Relics don’t like being bored. Especially not ones with opinions.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “That bident is not meant to be used. Especially by the one seeking it no
Nathan argues like a man who believes logic is a shield. I love him for it. I also know better. We’re halfway down the hall when he finally stops pretending this conversation is casual and turns fully toward me, boots planting with that familiar Alpha finality, like the ground itself has agreed to
Not just because she lacks patience but because waiting implies restraint. And restraint, when you already know the truth, feels suspiciously like lying. She stands at the edge of the terrace, moonlight pooling at her feet, hands clasped behind her back like she’s holding herself still by force. Th
“No,” Raph corrects, voice dark and edged. “This is who grief has made him. Not who he truly is.” I want to believe him. I want to cling to that truth. But the memory of Tristan’s voice, cold, distant, dangerous, paints itself over everything. I wipe my face with the back of my hand. “He thinks I
The moment Selene’s magic releases me and my body regains its rightful shape, I feel the shift through every muscle, every tendon, every buried instinct that has been screaming for freedom and two weeks trapped in feathers and humiliation. Two weeks of being dismissed, mocked, and controlled. A king
Raph and I don’t speak when the forest starts to lean. We don’t need to. Travelling together teaches you the difference between being quiet and listening. This isn’t the calm kind where the world breathes evenly, and you let yourself believe you’re safe for another mile or two. This is the kind wh
“You dare—” I dare when you’re destroying everything, he cuts in, including her. Good. Let him snarl, let him rage. It doesn’t change anything. Pearl ran. Pearl lied. Pearl shattered the image of the queen I had crafted so carefully in my mind. She left me drowning in unanswered questions and rumo







