LOGIN“Do you remember what he looked like?”“It’s all a blur. Sorry.”I nodded slowly, looking around again. I spotted Max on the other side of the yard, returning to his work with a group of other males.“What’s the labor for?” I asked. “Are we building something?”“We think it’s for an army. The stone
Natalia’s POVBy the end of the first hour, my shoulders were burning and my palms had gone from sore to numb. The rock I’d been assigned to break with a heavy pickaxe was dense and black, and I was expected to break it into small pieces, then place them on a large wagon. One of those awful gray thi
A pair of figures crossed our path as we walked across the roadway. We fell into step behind them naturally, matching their pace. Neither of them looked back.The water trough was near the center of the settlement. I spotted a short line of people standing in front of it. It wasn’t running water, bu
Natalia’s POVI jerked awake with a gasp.The red sky was the same as it always was. Max was curled on his side a few feet away, still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed.I pressed my hand flat against the ground and steadied my breathing.The vision
Natalia’s POVThe report came back the following morning. I’d hardly slept that night, which was strange for me; usually, sleep came quickly and efficiently, serving purely as a means to regain my energy for another day of hard work.But last night, I kept tossing and turning. That pull in my chest
“It’s no use!” I heard her voice call after me. “He’s already gone, you stupid bitch! He’s not who you think he is anymore! You’ll all die here!”Her words struck me somewhere deep and painful, but I kept running. We didn’t stop until the hovel was well out of sight. Only then, once we were certain
Natalia & AndreiNataliaI’d suspected it was coming, but hearing Lilith announce her pregnancy out loud like that was different. The words echoed across the gardens, followed by enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd, but it all sounded muffled to me—like I was underwater.My eyes immediat
Lilith & NataliaLilithThe rogues I’d paid to eliminate Natalia had failed. Again. Not only had they failed, but their leader was dead now, the rest had scattered, and Natalia was back home safe and sound.All thanks to Andrei.He had dropped everything to search for her. For three days, he had tor
NataliaThe next morning, Jane was miraculously cleared for discharge. She had no injuries, all thanks to the man who had saved her from the lake. In fact, she had even slept like a baby all night, not even waking up once with a nightmare from the trauma.All she could talk about from the moment she
“Going somewhere?” Marcus stood over me, breathing heavily. Blood was streaking down one side of his face, and his stolen suit jacket was ripped.I scrambled backward, but he was faster. His hand closed around my throat, hauling me to my feet.“Enough!” he bellowed toward the fighting. “Everyone sto







