LOGINNatalia’s POVHe didn’t hesitate.The moment I swung the rod toward him, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist like a vise. My arm wrenched sideways, and I felt the bones grind together under his grip, and the rod fell. It clattered somewhere on the stone floor, rolling away into the darkness
Andrei’s POVThe room was warm. The bed was soft and plush, the pillows made of feathers and velvet. Everything smelled familiar, the kind of scent that you recognize from a past life but can never put a finger on its source.Home.The woman was laying next to me, just as she always did. Amber hair
But I would do it, because the alternative was my children going through whatever came next, and that was not something I was willing to consider.I wasn’t certain yet. That was the only reason I was still trying so hard now. Because there was still a small part of me that thought that there must be
Natalia’s POVThey came for me after what felt like a full day. I say felt like because it really could have been any amount of time, or none at all. But someone did bring me some slop to eat at some point, so that had to have meant that at least a full cycle had passed.I was on my feet before the
Natalia’s POVWaking up the second time was so much worse than the first time.The first time I’d woken in this cell, at least I had had the brief mercy of not knowing where I was, even if it was over quickly.That feeling was gone now.I opened my eyes to the same black ceiling and knew exactly whe
Andrei’s POVThe interrogation chamber was in the lowest level of the castle, two floors below the cells.It was a practical room that I’d designed myself. It had a stone floor, stone walls, and a single drain in the center of the floor that served an obvious purpose. Just above the drain, a chair w
The medic looked uncertain, as did Andrei, but he relented when I touched his arm and gave him a reassuring nod.We made our way toward the infirmary, which was bustling when we entered. Multiple cots contained wounded warriors, some nursing minor injuries while others were completely unconscious an
Natalia’s POV When we finally made it back inside, Grace’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the ring gleaming on my finger. She shot to her feet from where she was perched on Damon’s lap and pointed at my hand. “Natalia! He finally asked!” Everyone turned to look at me in shock. “Yes. We’re engage
Andrei’s POVBy the time the skirmish ended, I was dead on my feet—which was a far cry from the three warriors who had actually died during the battle, fighting bravely against vicious rogues whose bloodthirst seemed to outweigh their own desire for survival—but there was still far too much work to
Natalia’s POVThe smoke parted, and the moment I locked eyes with Andrei, my body crumpled. He had hardly made it over to me before I pitched forward, tears streaming down my cheeks.“Natalia!”Andrei caught me just in time, warm arms wrapping protectively around me and the twins. I couldn’t speak,







