Mag-log inMoving in a half-phase state gives us the perfect middle ground-heightened smell, sharper vision, and superior lycan agility without the hindrance of fully elongated claws and teeth. Basically the tactical sweet spot between "regular girl" and "furry murder machine," and honestly I'll take it.Selene and I follow the faint scent past the royal estate, cutting through the snow-covered woods and into the valley. Under the bright moonlight, the snow glows as if it were mid-day. Under any other circumstance I'd be stopping to admire it. Tonight is very much not that circumstance."Stop," Selene mutters, her voice turning guttural as her eyes darken. Knowing the terrain better than anyone, she halts and scans the trees. "We're approaching werewolf pack turf."She points toward a small structure barely visible through the tree line down in the valley, roughly 150 yards away. The wind carries unfamiliar scents toward us."Do you smell that?" I ask, testing the air."Blood," Selene snarls. Fi
My eyes rove around the table. Here we are again in the Formal Dining Room having dinner with the King and the Queen. Lady Celeste is here at the table too. She's been awfully quiet, which honestly is the most pleasant thing about this entire meal so far.I'm determined to enjoy my dinner this time. Ever since I was poisoned, I haven't been able to keep much down, and eating well feels like a rare victory. Food is definitely not something I take for granted these days. A girl almost dies twice in one week, she earns the right to enjoy her fowl in peace.Besides, I'm truly hungry. I enjoyed our run from the forest back to the Palace this evening. The group of us ran together, but I was way ahead of everybody. I was even faster than my mate, who was supposed to be the fastest in the pack. Cuddly bunny slippers, did that feel good. I'm glad that in our world, males value strong females just as much as females find powerful partners desirable. The bond created when mated to a powerful par
By the next morning, the entire situation takes a completely unexpected turn.Sitting across from me at the private breakfast table is a man who looks almost identical to Julian—same sharp facial features, same tall build, same fair hair. But his eyes are a striking golden-brown instead of sky blue, and his swagger is entirely different. Arrogant, cocky, and overly flirtatious, like Julian's personality got run through a filter labeled "insufferable."His name is Damian, and he is Julian's cousin.He smirks at me from across the table, leaning back in his chair. "You're a striking woman," he says, his tone dripping with unearned confidence.I narrow my eyes at him, completely unimpressed. "And you're a striking amount of trouble I did not order with breakfast, but here we are."Caspian, to his credit, does not even try to hide his grin at that one.Caspian shifts beside me, his thigh pressing against mine as his hand covers mine on the table, silently marking his territory. "Damian,"
I try to force the image in front of me to change, but it stays fixed in my mind. A part of me wants to march over and confront the couple wrapped up in each other. Another part just wants to bolt and pretend I never saw it. Slowly, I back away, slipping quietly into the shadows of the corridor.Selene waits near the opening of the secret panel, looking anxious enough to snap at me the moment I reach her."What happened? Did you see anyone?" she asks in an urgent whisper as we slide the heavy stone slab back into place.I figure if I don't speak it out loud, maybe it won't be real. "I didn't see anything," I lie softly."Nothing?" she mutters, eyeing me with deep skepticism. "Are we heading back already? I thought we were going to keep exploring."I don't answer. I just start walking down the dark passageway. Selene practically has to jog to keep up, holding up her phone light so I don't trip over my own feet in the pitch-black tunnel.My chest feels like it's on fire, and a stinging
True to his nature, Prince Caspian does exactly what Prince Caspian wants. He never lets go of my hand. Ignoring Queen Sophia's attempt to exile me to the far end of the table and place Lady Celeste beside him, he pulls me straight into Lady Celeste's reserved seat right to his right. He then claims the seat next to me where the royal cousin was supposed to sit. The unnamed royal cousin shuffles on his feet, looking frantically around the table for another available chair before hesitantly slumping down near the King. Poor guy hunkers down like he's trying to merge with the wallpaper, looking so green I half-expect him to lose his dinner right into his lap. Honestly, I'm just glad he's not sitting next to me. Caspian gives my hand a firm squeeze, and I sit up straight, tipping my chin high. Queen Sophia is clearly trying to put me in my place, but I won't bend for anybody. My mother didn't raise a coward. I look everyone at the table dead in the eye; proud, defiant, and unbothered.
The poison running through my veins took a brutal, unforgiving toll on me. The second the adrenaline burned off from the fighting, so did every last drop of my strength. My body just... shut down completely. I crashed into a dead, dreamless sleep in the back of the car, forehead firmly tucked under Caspian's chin, his arms locked around me like he was afraid I'd float away into thin air. I was vaguely, hazily aware when we finally reached wherever we were going in the pre-dawn dark. But no matter how hard my brain screamed at my eyelids to cooperate, they refused to budge. I vaguely remember being carried. I remember being tenderly undressed, washed clean in warm water, and tucked into soft sheets. Everything else was a total blur. When I finally crack my eyes open, I feel like a brand-new person, no more dried blood, no more gross sticky grime, no more toxic heat simmering under my skin. My mate cleaned me up himself. Of course he did. My personal, gorgeous alpha butler. Flying cow
I was trying. That was the embarrassing part. I was actually trying to feel normal again. The movie playing in the background wasn’t even interesting anymore, but Aurelia kept reacting dramatically to every scene like she deserved an award for emotional support. “That man is definitely the killer,”
The days following the rejection passed in a blur of silence. It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak; it was simply that nothing felt worth the effort of moving my lips. Home had become quiet in a way that didn’t feel peaceful, just heavy and still. I stayed in my room most of the time, staring at walls t
I didn’t know why I felt lighter that morning. Maybe it was because I was almost eighteen, or maybe it was because school would finally end soon. Or, more likely, I was just tired of feeling uncertain all the time. Aurelia was already waiting near the lockers when I got to school, though Vesper an
Morning came slowly. I was still drifting somewhere between sleep and being awake when my mother’s voice cut through the room. “Livana. Wake up.” I pulled the blanket higher over my face, prompting her to snap, “Livana. Don’t start today.” A second later, the blanket disappeared completely, and col







