Luna's POV The glass vial slipped from my hand, shattering against the counter. A sharp hiss followed, and the mixture inside bubbled over, smoke curling into the air. I coughed, waving it away with my hand, but Maisy was already yelling.“Luna! Focus! What’s wrong with you today?”I pressed my lips together, staring at the mess I’d made. “I…I’m sorry.”Maisy groaned, snatching the ruined notes from the table. “That’s the third one this morning. You’re going to burn the lab down if you keep spacing out.”She was right. My head wasn’t here. My hands were here, but my mind was miles away, trapped in the words that wouldn’t stop repeating themselves, You have a twin. Elena is your sister.I muttered another apology, pulled off my gloves, and stepped away from the table. Maisy watched me with narrowed eyes, but didn’t stop me. She knew better than to push when I was in this state.I had barely made it out into the hallway when Damien appeared, leaning against the wa
Elena's POV The path to Mom’s old mansion was rough, but I didn’t care. I needed answers. My head was full of questions that refused to go away, and the only place that felt like it might hold the truth was that house. I had only been there once when I was a little girl, clinging to my mother’s hand as the tall gates creaked open. I remembered the smell of roses and dust.Now, years later, the place still stood like a memory. When I reached the front door, I hesitated. I could hear voices inside, footsteps moving about. Someone was living here. I straightened my shoulders, pushed down my nerves, and knocked.A woman opened the door. She was middle-aged, with tired eyes but a polite smile. “Yes? Can I help you?”“Yes,” I said quickly, my voice firm. “I’m here on inspection. I need to make sure the house is fit for living.”The woman blinked, surprised. “An inspector?”I nodded, forcing confidence into my tone. “It won’t take long. Just a walk-through.”She did
Luna's POV The burn started in my chest.At first, it was only a sting, like a needle piercing my skin. But then it spread, wrapping around my veins like fire, crawling into every corner of my body. I gasped, clutching my throat, as if that could stop the poison from moving deeper. My vision blurred, voices becoming nothing more than echoes.“Luna!” Elena’s voice broke through the haze. She stumbled into the room, dragging my heavy bag of potions with her. Her hands shook as she dropped it on the table, glass bottles clinking together. “Tell me what you need, which one!”I tried to answer, but my tongue felt heavy. My breath came short, ragged, like I was drowning in air.“Damn it, we’re losing her,” Elena muttered, fumbling with vials.“We need to stop and calm down.”Damien’s voice cut through the panic like a blade. He stepped closer, calm and collected now, even as his eyes locked onto me with something sharp. “She’s stronger than this. Luna doesn’t break tha
Damien’s POV The footsteps came fast, echoing across the mansion’s floor. One of my men burst into the study, breathless, eyes wide with something close to fear.“Sir, she’s back. The queen. Your… your mother.”For a moment, the world froze. My hand stilled on the desk, the papers I’d been reading forgotten. My heart slammed against my ribs. She was here? After all this time, after all the questions, the nightmares, the silence, she just walked back into my life? After abandoning my father?I stood, grabbed the pistol from the table, and stalked toward the door. My men parted for me. And then I saw her.She was standing at the gates, cloaked in velvet, her face calm. My grip on the gun tightened as I leveled it at her.“Is this any way to welcome your mother?” she asked, a smile curling on her lips.“You’re going to give me answers,” I said, my voice hard. My finger brushed the trigger.She didn’t flinch. She tilted her head and let out a soft laugh. “And answ
Elena's POV The moonlight cut across the sheets like silver threads, guiding my hand as I set a folded note on the bed. My heart hammered as I pressed the paper flat.‘I’ve gone back to the kingdom. Don’t follow me. I’ll return soon.’I paused, staring at the words. They looked too small, too thin to carry the weight of what I was about to do. But there was no time to rewrite. If anyone found out, they would try to stop me. I couldn’t allow that, not when my mother was rotting in the hands of Malachi.I stepped outside, inhaled the night air, and shifted. Bones cracked, skin burned, and in seconds, my wolf form stood on the gravel path. My paws dug into the ground as I sprinted toward the kingdom. The wind tore at my fur, carrying scents of pine. Hours later, when the towering walls of the palace loomed ahead, I shifted back. I pulled the rough disguise from my pack, a maid’s dress, a scarf to cover my hair. The fabric scratched against my skin, but it was perfect. N
Damien’s POV My father lay on the bed, still as stone, his chest rising and falling just enough to remind me he was still alive. His face was pale, eyes closed as though he had simply gone to sleep and refused to wake up.I sat in the chair beside him, elbows on my knees, staring at him like the answers might suddenly spill out of his unconscious body.The door creaked open, and the family doctor stepped inside, carrying his bag. He gave me a slight nod. “What happened, Damien?”“I don’t know,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. The words felt like ash in my mouth. “One minute he was fine, the next…” I gestured at the bed. “This.”I couldn't tell him the truth.The doctor frowned, moved to the bedside, and began checking the patient's vitals, pulse, breathing, and reflexes. His expression softened a little. “He’s stable. It seems like some kind of coma, but his body is strong. He’ll wake up. And when he does, please let me know immediately.”I nodded. “Tha