LOGINAria’s POVThe morning Ronan was supposed to be executed, something went wrong.He was gone.The guards searched his cell twice before coming to Eros.I was standing beside him when the guard delivered the news.“My king, Ronan isn't there.”Eros's face immediately hardened.“What do you mean he isn't there?”“We don't know how he escaped.”“Search the fortress.”“We already have.”“Then search again.”The guards hurried away.Eros turned toward the elders.“We need a search party.”“No,” Eros said.I stared at him.“What?”He looked at me.“Ronan wants me.”“Then we send people with you.”“No.”“Eros.”“I'll go alone.”I stepped in front of him.“You're not seriously asking me to stand here while you walk into the forest after a man who has spent weeks trying to kill you.”“I know what I'm doing.”“That isn't the point.”“Aria—”“No.”He sighed.I folded my arms.“You are not going anywhere alone.”His eyes softened.“I don't want you involved in this.”“You don't get to decide that
Aria’s POVFor the first time since everything had fallen apart around us, Eros and I finally had a chance to breathe.Ronan was locked away.Darren and Elara were imprisoned.My father was safe.And Eros was beside me.After everything we had survived together, something between us had changed. There was no longer the same hesitation that had once stood between us, no matter how strong the attraction had been from the beginning. We had fought, argued, doubted each other, and carried wounds neither of us had known how to explain, but somewhere along the way, we had chosen each other completely.One evening, Eros found me standing on the balcony outside our room, watching the moonlight spill across the grounds.He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.I smiled before turning in his arms.“You're getting predictable,” I teased.He raised an eyebrow.“Predictable?”“You always find me when I want to be alone.”“That is because you never really want to be alone.”I laugh
Darren’s POVThe news reached me before the sun went down.Ronan had been exposed, captured and locked away.I stood completely still as the information settled in my mind.For weeks, I had believed Ronan was the one person who could change everything.Now he was sitting in a cell.And if Ronan had fallen, I knew exactly what that meant.There was fire on the mountain, and sooner or later, it was going to reach us.I immediately went to Elara.She was sitting near the window when I entered, and one look at my face was enough to make her sit upright.“What happened?”“Ronan was caught.”Her expression changed.“What?”“They found him. Eros is alive, and Ronan has been locked away.”Elara stared at me.For once, she didn't have an answer.I walked toward the window and looked outside.“We have to leave.”“Tonight?”“Yes.”She stood.“Where would we go?”“Anywhere outside this city.”She hesitated.“Darren, if we run now, they will know.”“They already know enough.”I turned toward her.
Ronan’s POVEros continued as though I had said nothing.“He also intended to eliminate Darren and Elara and make their deaths appear to be an act of self-defense so that he could use the chaos to take control of the pack.”“That isn't true!”I looked toward the elders.“You know me! You have known me my entire life!”One of the elders stared at me with an expression that held no sympathy.“We suspected you.”My heart dropped, “What?”Another elder stepped forward.“There have been too many inconsistencies, Ronan. Too many things that did not make sense. We simply lacked the evidence to confront you.”I laughed, but there was nothing amused about the sound.“So you believed him?”I pointed toward Eros. “You would rather follow him than me?”Eros's expression remained unreadable.I could feel the eyes of the entire pack on me, and suddenly I didn't care about pretending anymore.“You want the truth?”I struggled against the men holding me.“I am the true firstborn!”The square fell sil
Ronan’s POVBy the time we returned to the fortress, the anger burning inside me had become almost impossible to contain.We had spent hours searching the woods because someone had deliberately sent us in the wrong direction. I had watched the elders crawl through the trees, checking every path and clearing while I searched for signs of Darren and Elara, only to come back with nothing.The thought made my jaw tighten as I walked through the fortress doors with my men behind me.One of them shut the door and looked at me carefully.“Ronan, perhaps we should—”“Don’t.”My voice stopped him immediately.I turned toward him, my eyes narrowing.“I don't want to hear another explanation. We searched half the forest because someone decided to waste our time, and I am done listening to excuses.”He lowered his head as I continued down the corridor, my footsteps growing heavier with every step.There was only one person I wanted to see.Eros.The thought of him lying helpless in that chamber s
Aria’s POVVoices drifted toward us, then two guards were walking down the corridor.We pressed ourselves against the wall and waited.“Did they search the lower chambers again?” one of them asked.“There's no point,” the other replied. “Ronan said the king isn't there.”My stomach tightened as the first guard lowered his voice.“Then where is he?”The second guard glanced around before answering.“I heard he's somewhere beneath the fortress. One of the restricted chambers.”I looked at Derek.He was already looking at me.The guards continued walking, their voices fading into the distance.“Lower chambers,” I whispered.Derek nodded.“We finally know where to look.”Getting there wasn't easy.We had to hide twice when guards passed through the corridors, and at one point Derek pulled me behind a stone pillar just seconds before someone turned the corner.When we finally reached the restricted wing, I could hear my own heartbeat.There were guards stationed nearby, then Derek leaned t
Aria’s POV Eros’s face was unreadable, his aura so heavy it was suffocating. He lowered the note slowly, the weight of betrayal settling like ash across his shoulders.But me, I couldn’t move.It didn’t add up.Cassia’s trembling hands. Her wide, scared eyes. That perfect camera angle. How she was
Aria’s POV The unease sharpened. I tried the handle and it gave in easily. The room was dark, empty, the bed untouched.I stepped inside, scanning the space. No fresh clothes were missing, no sign of her apron. The lamp was still cold.“Where are you?” I muttered under my breath. “Where is cassia?
Aria’s POV Lowell entered, bowing his head respectfully. “My King, my Luna.” His tone carried weight, urgency. “I have news for you, king Eros.”Eros’s jaw tightened and his eyes flickered toward me, then back to Lowell. “Later.” He said hastily. “We’ll talk about it later.”Lowell hesitated, cl
Aria’s POV I shook the thought away and scrambled to my feet. My hands patted frantically at my dress, my hair, my skin. My clothes were still intact. No strange sensations. Nothing happened. Relief coursed through me, followed quickly by a wave of embarrassment.I slipped out of the room as quiet







