NADIA“Don't push her. She's tired,” Miralyn’s voice echoed in my head. “I'm not doing anything,” I responded. My heart raced for no reason at all. “Indeed.” Miralyn's sassy tone ticked me off. She had gotten a large mouth since she returned. Lyra looked at me with worried eyes and I returned my gaze to my mom. Maybe, my tone was a bit off. I calmed my voice and before I could catch them, the first words had escaped my mouth. “You left the meeting. Why?”Her smile wavered slightly. “I got bored with politics,” she smoothly replied, though her manner seemed prepared. “And, I was dying to see my daughter. We haven’t talked in a long time without…an argument between us.”An argument? She went silent on me when she found out I was mated to my stepbrothers. I nodded slowly, but an unmistakable sense of confidence replaced my unease. She sat svelte on the bed, close enough for me to feel her forcefield beside me. I swallowed and got the question out. “That prince from Astorian…”Her ey
NADIACornelius was sitting across from me, arms folded and leaning back in his chair, looking at me as if I were a puzzle he wanted to figure out. Lyra was perched on the edge of the bed next to me, swinging her legs back and forth, glancing from her brother to me.“So, Nadia,” Cornelius finally addressed her in a calm but firm voice, “how the hell do you manage with twins?”I couldn't respond before Lyra popped in with a chuckle. “She doesn’t handle them. She just… goes with it.”Cornelius' glance was indeed significant enough to impose silence on her. “Lyra, be quiet. You’re still my younger sister.”Lyra made a face at him but only groaned and didn't say anything else.Cornelius turned back to me with a slightly less harsh expression. “For real though, they even fight each other to be near you. You must know that, right?”I sighed and reclined on the headboard. “It’s not because of anything as sweet as that. It’s because they each want to be the one who pisses me off first.”Corne
ARESThe car rolled to a smooth stop before the castle gates, the heavy iron doors already open, guards lined up on both sides with their heads bowed. I pushed the door open and stepped out first. Their voices rose together, a respectful greeting, but I didn’t spare them a look. My eyes drifted to the car door on the other side, waiting.The door clicked, and Nadia stepped out slowly. I held my arm out to her the way a gentleman was expected to. She glanced at me once, her eyes calm but sharp, and ignored it. She walked ahead without touching me.My jaw tightened. Luca came out from the other side and his smirk was the first thing I saw. “You need to get your head out of the clouds, brother,” he teased, adjusting his coat like he was walking a runway.I scoffed, meeting his eyes with my own sharpness. “Mind your business.”He chuckled low and followed after Nadia while I kept close. We entered through the grand archway, the chandeliers still swaying slightly after the chaos of the rog
LUCA“Uhm, you two are kinda intense…” Lyra started talking but when we looked at her she stopped and swallowed.Lyra laughed awkwardly and went over to Nadia. Cornelius stepped forward. “We have to leave. Can everyone get in the car, please?”Ares and I didn't move. Our eyes were fixed on Nadia. He wasn't getting her to his side. The driver stepped out of the driver's seat and bowed slightly, gesturing to Nadia. “Yes, my lady. Please.”I shook my head. “You guys go ahead. I want to talk with Nadia.”Ares stepped up beside me. “So do I.”That brought a quick silence. What in the world was his problem? Cornelius looked shocked. Lyra’s mouth dropped open and Nadia's eyes darted between us. She didn't look too happy about it. Nadia’s eyes hardened. “Whatever it is, you two can tell me at the castle. I’m not waiting here.” She turned to Cornelius and Lyra. “I’m coming with you.”“No, you're not,” Ares’s low voice spoke. Her head snapped toward him. “Why not?” She was angry now. Her ey
LUCACyrus stood there, his hand dripping with blood. One of the Astorian members stepped forward and offered him a napkin. Cyrus took it, pressed it against his hand, and said, “Thank you,” in a calm voice.I kept my eyes on him, but I noticed everything around me. Evelyn tried to keep her face still, but her eyes betrayed her. She looked shaken, almost broken from the inside. And when I compared Cyrus’s face with hers, I saw it—the sharp jawline, the eyes, the small tilt of his nose. The resemblance was clear.I had been digging into Cyrus’s family ties for a while, but I couldn't access some of it. His mother had died after giving birth or so the media said. They look like mother and son. My wolf announced. We can't say anything yet. I replied. You have been thinking about it for some time. Queen Evelyn sure knows him. She's been looking at him for a while. She may be in shock. I responded and my wolf laughed. It was a mockery and I endured it. You're not a dumb wolf. Unlike y
Nadia's POVWe turned towards when the sound came and saw guards falling to the floorunconscious, one after the other. The guest shrieked and I smelt somethingdifferent. The scent has strong dirt, pine wood, and water on it.Among the crowd, a unified roar grew and I quivered. Half the men andwomen pulled out their wigs and their skin turned pale. Their mouths openedwide and bared their fangs.“What are…they?” Lyra asked.“Rogues,’’ I breathed.~“Aaah!&