ANMELDEN"You knew they were planning this. That's why you wanted him to mate Lady Celeste so badly and claim the throne," I state calmly."No, I didn't know they were planning this. All I knew was that Christina wanted her son to rule. It's her revenge. If she couldn't be queen, she wants her son to take the reign.""How do you live like that?" I blurt out. I squeak out an apology right after those words came out of my mouth. I didn't mean to ask that question but it's been in my head for a while. I mean, if Caspian did that to me, I'd kill the other woman for sure...right after I kill him (maybe). Then I'd die. I internally shake my head at my morbid thoughts. Great, add "plotting my own funeral" to tonight's list of achievements.Instead of getting mad as I expected her to be, Queen Sophia waves away my apology and moves to take a seat on the chair she abandoned earlier. She signals me to sit on the chair previously occupied by King Alexandros."I have a feeling, you don't usually mince wor
"This is private. It's a family discussion," says King Alexandros while we're standing just outside the doors of his office. His golden brown eyes that, I realize now, are so similar to Damian's are trained on me.Oh great, another staring contest with royalty. My favorite pastime.I'm hanging on to Caspian's arm. I sense that he needs me as much as I need him and I'm not going anywhere unless he tells me to go. Not even a battalion of royal guards could pry me off him right now."She's his mate," says Queen Sophia haughtily before anybody could say anything. "She has the right to be where he is. She should know how twisted and depraved this family is," she continues as she walks breezily past him into the office.Well, when you put it that way, sign me up for the front row.The king clearly doesn't like her remarks or to have me as an audience to the family discussion but he swallows his argument and follows his mate into the privacy of the office without another word.The heavily or
Amid all the chaos, Damian and Christina Knechtel calmly step onto the stage, right up next to King Alexandros and Lady Celeste. Just like that, the wailing cuts off. Queen Sophia rises from her throne, eyes narrowed, spine like a steel rod."What are you doing?" the King demands. "Damian, Christina, what is the meaning of this?""I'm giving your firstborn his rightful place," Christina announces, gripping her son's arm, staring down King Alexandros like she's been waiting years to say this sentence. "My son. Our son."Firstborn. Their son. The words land, and the room goes from loud gasps to dead silence in about two seconds flat, which somehow feels louder than the screaming did. The silence stretches on forever until Caspian finally breaks it."Father. Tell me that's not true."King Alexandros doesn't say a single word. His face says plenty.I feel my mate go rigid beside me. Something twists sharp and hot in my own chest—his pain bleeding straight into mine through the bond. I wra
My make-up is subtle, just the way I like it. The diamond earrings glitter in my earlobes. The necklace and the bracelet are secured around my neck and my wrist. My hair is pulled up into a slick but elaborate bun. A simple but beautiful diamond-encrusted tiara that came in the second box from Queen Sophia looks brilliant against my black hair. Caspian's mark on my shoulder is visible for the world to see. Fine by me. Let them look.King Alexandros has conceded to have a much smaller event than originally planned by cutting the guest list by half. The ball is in full swing. It doesn't look small to me. It looks like a small country's entire GDP got poured into one room."You look breathtaking, Meine Prinzessin," Caspian whispers in my ear. He is looking stunning, standing next to me in his tuxedo, which is honestly unfair. I'm the one who's supposed to be the showstopper tonight and he's over here looking like he wandered off a magazine cover. His hand rubs my back soothingly, trying
Moving 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
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
I regretted agreeing to Aurelia’s stupid plan almost immediately. The moment she walked into my room carrying three shopping bags, makeup, and the confidence of someone about to ruin lives, I already knew peace was no longer an option for me. “You still dress like you’re preparing for emotional win
The next morning, Aurelia arrived at my house with the energy of someone preparing for war. Not emotional support. Not comfort. War. She marched into the kitchen holding two coffees and a notebook an actual notebook. I stared at her from across the table, asking if I should be scared. "Yes," she an
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,”







