Damian's POV. I hate mornings now, and this is because the sun shines too brightly, the birds sing too loudly and the world feels too calm for the chaos gnawing inside my chest. I step onto the balcony, hoping the fresh air might clear my head, but what I see makes it worse. Julian and Kiara, seated at a small round table in the garden, kissing each for the second time in my presence like they fated to each other. The unclaimed bond inside me snaps again, like a fraying wire finally giving way. My wolf claws at me from within, howling in agony. I grip the railing until I flatten it. Why does everything seem to be falling apart in my life? I storm back into my room, slamming the balcony doors behind me. The air feels too thick, my chest too tight. I pace, trying to control the storm building inside. Maybe I should have rejected Kira the first time I found out we were mates in that forest because now I don’t know what’s worse—the fact that I warned her to stay away from
Kira’s POV Damian almost said the words I’ve been dying to hear, but then Luna Cassandra swooped in like the devil wrapped in designer silk, grabbing him before he could finish reciting his rejection vows. Just like always—rescuing her precious boy from anything that doesn’t fit her perfect little plan. Including me. My fists are still clenched. That’s how close I was. One more minute and maybe… I’d finally be free from this useless bond…But no. She showed up. Saved him. And ruined everything. Now I’m still here pretend girlfriend to Julian. And honestly? It’s getting complicated fast. I shove my hair away from my face, not bothering to hide my frustration as Julian sits across from me in another part of the garden where we just had breakfast—calm as ever, sipping his tea like he didn't just kiss me or like Damian didn't almost reject me. “You saw it, right?” I ask, breaking the silence before it settles in too deep. He nods, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Yea
Julian's POV I can still feel the warmth of Kira’s lips on mine, even though I know I shouldn’t be thinking about her right now—not while I’m doing this. But the way she stood up to Damian today, full of confidence and fire, made me feel something I wasn’t prepared for—proud. Like a real boyfriend would. Because somewhere along the line last night after she kissed me, I started forgetting this was supposed to be temporary… My car slows to a stop near the border of Crimson Crown, the tires crunching over gravel outside a shady, rundown motel with flickering neon and zero charm. My wolf growls low in the back of my head, uneasy. Honestly, I don’t blame him. “This is the place?” I ask the guard beside me. “Yes, Alpha. She said room six upstairs.” Stairs. Of course. I glance out the window, at the rusted metal staircase clinging to the side of the building like it could give out at any second. Just my luck. I sigh and pop the door open before my guard helps me on my chair. The
Kira's POV. I don't know how long I've been down here. Hours? Days? Time doesn't move in the dark. It just... hangs. Stagnant. Like the stale air pressing down on me. The cell is cold. Not just the kind of cold that makes you shiver—but the kind that seeps into your bones, making you feel like you're disappearing from the inside out and convinces you the sun never existed. I curl tighter in the corner, my knees hugged to my chest, the silver collar around my neck burning like a brand. It cuts off my strength, and my wolf, me. Without her, I feel half-dead or less than that. Clink! The slot in the door scrapes open again, just enough to shove in a bowl of gray slop. No words. Not even a glance from whoever's out there. I don’t even bother moving right away because I remember not so long ago when I heard Luna Cassandra on the other side of the room giving orders that no one is to talk to me. I close my eyes and whisper into the dark, “Is she really doing all this becaus
Kira’s POV ‘Kira, now is your chance to scream for help,’ my wolf urges, her voice trembling with fear. But I can’t because my throat feels locked by something deeper than fear. Luna Cassandra notices the panic rising in my eyes. Without missing a beat, she lifts her hand in a subtle gesture toward the guard. ‘Don’t let him in.’ And the guard nods, holding the door in place. Then she turns back, mouthing to the rest of the room, ‘No one makes a sound.’ The servants also nod silently and then she stands abruptly, her silk dress swaying as she glides to the door where her guard immediately opens it and closes. “Darling,” she calls into the hallway, her voice as sweet as honey. “Let’s talk outside. I need some fresh air—being cooped up all day planning Damian's mating ceremony is absolutely draining.” “That sounds like a good idea,” Alpha Magnus replies, his voice drawing nearer. “Though I could’ve sworn I heard you speaking with someone just now.” “Oh, honey,” she says lightly, a
Kira’s POV Inside are the box are clothes—but not just any clothes. Soft pink silk. Lace. Barely-there lingerie. The kind I wore that night I crept into Julian’s lap, heart fluttering, cheeks flushed, and kissed him to make Damian jealous and angry. I stagger back from the box, breath caught in my throat. Who the hell wants me to wear this? And just on cue, the door creaks open and I spin, still clutching the towel around me. Damian walks in like he owns the air in the room, casual and unhurried, his black shirt rolled at the sleeves, jaw sharp enough to cut glass, and a smirk that makes my skin crawl. “Good morning, beautiful mate,” he says with a cruel tilt of his head, eyes flicking to the box. “You like pink lingerie, don't you? Go ahead. Put it on.” My blood turns to ice. “What…?” I whisper. He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he walks to the corner of the room, pulls out a sleek black tripod, and mounts a camera on it facing the bed. No. No no no. “Wh
Julian's POV Blinding, throat-tightening, soul-rattling pain is the first thing I register when I come to. My head feels like it’s been split open, and for a moment, I think maybe I’m dying because Miranda didn’t know what she was doing after all. My fingers twitch uselessly against the cold, slippery floor with my blood. I blink, vision blurry. Everything around me swims in crimson light and shadows. There is a scent of smoke, and… something ancient…. Foreign words laced with power, echo through the room in a language I can’t place.'Is this hell?' my wolf asks weakly.'I don't think so buddy,' I respond while turning my head—slowly, gritting through the pain—and see Miranda standing at the center of the blood-soaked runes she carved around me. Her eyes are glowing a sharp, unnatural blue, mouth moving rapidly as the incantations flow from her like a chant of the gods. “Vel’thora iminai, kel’mara thunee, Ash’var elenai, dus’temi lunee. Kora’vel in’shara, vel moran da’shee,
Julian's POV When I reach the motel, I shift back behind the building, skin prickling as the magic releases me. Clothes—ripped and gone—but I find the emergency bag the guards always have in the car and pull on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I walk into the motel room like it’s the most natural thing in the world. My guards, Theo and Corwin are inside, talking low and tense. They look up—And freeze. Theo’s eyes widen like he’s seeing a ghost. Corwin drops the apple he’s holding. It rolls across the floor. “Holy shit…” Theo whispers. “He’s standing.” “No. He’s walking,” Corwin says, stepping forward like I might vanish if he blinks. “I am doing more than standing and walking thanks,” I say with a grin. Then I turn to Miranda, who’s seated cross-legged in the corner, sipping tea like she didn’t just bend the laws of nature for me. “I owe you more than I can put into words,” I say. “What’s your price?” Miranda doesn’t answer immediately. She stares into her cup as if she’
Julian's POV. (Meanwhile in Crimson crown) “It's been two and a half hours, and we’re still circling the same point!” Elder Rolf slams his palm on the table, making the ink pot jump. “The boy can walk again and is mated…What more do you need?” “Walking is not everything,” snaps Elder Marren, her sharp eyes flicking to me. “Let us not forget Julian spent some years as a cripple. His wolf didn’t even surface until Eighteen?”“Yet here he sits,” Elder Garron says, leaning forward, his voice edged with steel. “He’s survived assassination attempts, wars, rogue attacks. His wolf? One of the strongest I’ve seen in decades. And Damian? He’s spent his days smiling for portraits and chasing noble daughters, until he went gallivanting across the packs for a mate who, it turns out, was here all along.”Beside me, Damian shifts in his chair, but his face remains composed, calm and unreadable, just as it has been since I turned down the throne for Kira’s safety. He’s letting the Elders speak
Kira's POV Noah moves to a chest and pulls out a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. “Because you remind me of my sister,” he murmurs. “She was... helpless and these were hers. They should fit. Bathroom’s through there.” He doesn't say what happened to her and I don't ask. I take the clothes gently, offering a quiet, “Thanks.” If Noah doesn’t want to talk about his sister, I won’t push. It’s not my place, especially not when I’m just an outsider in his pack. I walk to the bathroom and behind the safety of the closed door, I glance in the mirror and flinch. My reflection stares back: dirty, battered, lips split, red hair clinging in wet clumps to my face. But it’s the mark burned into the slope of my shoulder that steals my breath. Why can't I remember anything? I run my fingers over it. My wolf perks up instantly, the faintest whimper in her chest. 'Who did this to us?' she asks, but I don’t have an answer to her question because I don't remember my mate? A beat of silence.
Kira's POV Cold is the first thing I feel. Not the soft kind that bites gently but the cruel, bone-deep chill that scrapes along every inch of my skin. “Ah, my head,” I groan while my eyes flutter open. The first thing I see are blurry shapes, a grey sky and rustling trees… I’m lying on something hard. Pebbles dig into my back as water laps at my legs… Maybe this is death again. ‘No,’ a whisper stirs deep inside me. ‘You’re not dead.’ My wolf sounds weak, like even speaking drains her. ‘How do you know?’ I ask her. ‘Because if we were dead, we wouldn’t feel this pain.’ And she’s right. Pain pulses through me, sharp and raw, crawling over every inch of my body. I groan softly again and try to sit up, but everything aches. My muscles protest, my skin screams. I feel like I’ve been chewed up and spit out by the earth itself. ‘What happened to us?’ I ask clueless. ‘I think we were running from something and then… I can't remember.’ she replies blankly and a shiver r
Julian's POV. My stomach turns because in as much as I want to tell my father that I want the throne, he can’t know I just watched the girl I love vanish off a cliff and that all I want is to fall apart and scream until the world bleeds with me because of the title. “I stand by my decision I made last evening,” I say. “I don’t want the crown.” The words cut deeper than I expect especially while Damian is still watching… and smiling. Father stiffens. Just for a moment. A flicker of disappointment flashes in his eyes. Then… it’s gone. He nods once. Sharp. Dismissive. Very well,” he says. And just like that, it’s done. Years of training, expectation, legacy— Dropped with a shrug and a lie. Damian’s grin grows, but I don’t look at him again because I might act on instinct and do something stupid for everything he has done to Kira. “If that's all, I’m heading up,” I mutter. “Yeah, clean yourself up before the court sees you,” my father says coolly as I pass already clim
Julian's POV. ‘Kira!’ Her name tears from my throat as I watch her slip— One second she’s there and the next she is gone. The image burns itself into my skull: her wide eyes, her howl, and the blur of her falling body vanishing into the mist below. My heart stops. The rogue wags his tail before turning half human to torment me. "You lose, prince," he sneers, spitting blood. "I have killed her like we were told—" But before he finishes the sentence, I see red, and lunge at him with a roar that splits the sky. Our bodies crash together with a thud that echoes through the trees. I dig in first—claws sinking into his side, as my weight knocks him off balance. He growls, and tries to twist away, but I’m already tearing into him. Fur rips. Blood hits my tongue. He snaps at me but he catches air. I go lower, clamp down on his leg, and shake until I hear the crack. He stumbles, tries to drag himself back—but I don’t give him the chance. I lunge again. He rolls, despera
Kira's POV. Julian actually came back for me and as his warm hands glide over my skin, helping me into the hoodie and jeans he brought, I can’t tear my eyes away from him—especially now, after he’s told me to shift and run the moment he gives the word. It’s a reckless plan… for a man so dangerously outnumbered. My heart’s a war drum in my chest. And like on cue, he squeezes my hand once more. 'Run!' he tells me and then all hell breaks loose. I rip out of the clothes he gave me, bones snapping, fur breaking through skin in a flash. My paws hit the stone floor and I’m gone, bolting through the corridor like my life depends on it. Because it does. Voices scream behind me. One howls louder than the rest: “Don’t let her escape! This time, kill her!” It’s him. The rogue leader. But I don’t stop. I push harder even though my lungs sear in pain and my legs burn. Trees blur around me as I break out of the cavern and into the open forest. I leap over fallen logs, skid down muddy ba
Julian's POV. There’s a long pause before I can hear the faint murmur of the other voice through Luna Cassandra's phone, but not the words. Her heels click against the marble floor in agitation. "Yes, Sophia was taken care of," she snaps, spitting the name like venom. "I saw to it myself." My blood runs cold. Could Sophia be Kira’s mother’s name? Another pause and then Cassandra’s breath hitches sharply. "What do you mean... she left behind a daughter? This changes everything." Her voice rises an octave, panic leaking through the polished facade she always wore so well. A beat of silence. Then, a dangerous calm settles into her voice. "I see. Thank you for telling me." Her steps slow, and I swear I can hear the smile in her voice when she speaks again. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the daughter... just like I took care of the mother before any secrets come to light." What secrets is she so afraid of revealing? I grip the doorknob so tightly that it creaks under m
Julian's POV. "Damian, excuse us. I need to speak with your brother alone," my father says after a long pause, voice leaving no room for argument. Damian’s smile tightens at the edges, but he nods politely. I can see the twitch in his jaw, though, and when he brushes past me toward the door, his voice slithers into my mind. ‘Remember, choose wisely, brother... you know what's at stake.’ My hands clench at my sides, blood roaring in my ears. I don’t react. Not yet. But now I know without a doubt — it is him. He set the trap so that I can give up the Alpha king title. And if Kira dies because of him... no title in this world will save him from me. The door shuts softly, and the tension in the room sharpens like a knife. My father's sharp gaze pins me. "Now, tell me, Julian," he says, walking back to his chair and sits, fingers steepled. "Why the sudden change of heart? Hours ago, you publicly announced you would reclaim what was rightfully yours in front of the high ra
Julian’s POV."Enough," I breathe, my whole body trembling. "I’ll do it."The words taste like ash on my tongue, but I force them out.If Damian wants the throne so badly he’s willing to kill for it, then he can have it. For now."I’ll go back — but on one condition," I say louder, lifting my head to glare at them."I’ll stand before my father and the council and refuse the title. In return, you don’t lay a single hand on Kira again."The leader’s smile stretches wider, smug and cruel. "So long as you keep your word, I will keep mine," he replies smoothly."Then it’s a deal," I grit out, clenching my jaw so hard it aches.The leader signals for my release.One of the same bastard who had been stabbing Kira — unchains me roughly, the silver cuffs burning deep into my flesh as they are yanked away.My knees hit the cold stone floor beside her."Red," I whisper, brushing the blood-matted hair from her forehead with trembling fingers.Her eyelids flutter weakly at my touch, and a soft gas