INICIAR SESIÓNMona’s POV: I froze. The moment the words landed, it felt like I was suffocating. Like I could hardly breathe. Because this was it. This was the moment. The doctor was going to tell Sebastian what he'd seen—that I had magic. And only the Goddess knew what my fate would be after he did. Rejection? Execution? Hate? "What do you mean, it wasn't you?" A weak, confused smile flickered on and off Sebastian's face—unstable—like he couldn't quite hold it. My heart was pounding. My hands already sweating. I rubbed them dry on my cloak—again and again—my gaze fixed on the doctor's mouth. Waiting. Watching. For the next thing he was going to say. It felt like the world was closing in on me. Goddess, have mercy. I didn't even realize I'd held my breath, waiting anxiously for him to say it. To say I healed him. And not the routine way. But with something damning. Something gravely unacceptable in Nightfang. Magic. I could feel Kiara snarling within me, bracing her
Mona’s POV: "So it's you?" Doctor Ridge's jaw was dropped. His eyes—wide, unblinking—fixed on me like I was something he'd never seen before. "You're the sorceress?" He'd seen me. He'd caught me. Fuck. I tried to speak—to find the words to explain that it wasn't what it looked like, that I was no sorceress, that I didn't even know I'd had these powers until— "What did you do to him?” He went on—his eyes narrowing with curiosity as he slowly approached me. "I—" My voice came out scraped. Raw. "I don't…" I shook my head, feigning innocence as hard as I could. "…I don't understand what you're talking about, Doctor." "I saw the light." He kept stepping forward—slow, careful, like he was approaching something dangerous. His fingers darted from my hands to Sebastian's and back. "It came from your hands. It engulfed him whole." I swallowed. Hard. "I didn't… it wasn't…" I was rambling now—searching for words that would make what had just happened seem less intense. Bu
Kade’s POV: I didn't move. I couldn't. Because if I made one more noise, I was definitely going to get caught. That's if I wasn't already caught. Goddess, please. I stayed still, holding my breath as I pressed myself hard against the wall. Praying. Begging the goddess to let me live this one time. The only sound was my own heartbeat, slamming against my ribs like it was trying to escape. "Damian." The witchunter's voice was barely above a whisper, but it echoed in the silent tunnel. "Did you hear that?" "Y-yes, Uncle." I heard him turn on the gravel. "I think it came from over there." "You're sure no one followed you?" There was uncertainty in the witchunter's voice now. Doubt. Suspicion. "Not that I know of, Uncle." And then— Footsteps. Coming toward me. I could hear them crunching against the gravel, each step closer than the last. Fuck. I could feel my pulse in my throat. In my temples. In my fingertips. Every instinct screaming at me to r
Kade’s POV: I waited until Damian was far enough ahead before slipping into the shadows behind him. He moved very quick—very careful—like a man who'd done this a hundred times before. What the hell was going on? I followed him into the hallway that led to the guest wing. He was definitely meeting up with someone there. A woman perhaps? But who? Keisha's bridesmaids were the only people staying in the guest wing. So why would he- Goddess, no. What if he was cheating on Keisha with one of them? Oh, shit. This couldn't be good. I watched from a corner, waiting for him to stop at one of the chambers in the guest wing and knock. Waiting to see who the woman was, to see which of Keisha's bridesmaids would be cruel enough to have an affair with her fiancé days before the wedding. But he kept moving, passing every room I knew they were occupying. And when he reached the end of the hallway—when he lit a torch from the bracket on the wall—he glanced around. I
Kade’s POV: "Save it, Kade." Those were the exact words that came out of Mona's mouth the moment I tried to apologize. She didn't even give me a second to explain before she shut me off and walked out. Damn. I couldn't wrap my head around it—how a woman who'd seemed to be falling for me just a week ago was now acting like my very existence repulsed her. Okay fine, I fucked up. I shouldn't have tried to stab my father. But I didn’t just do it impulsively. I did it because I cared for her, because I couldn’t stand anyone trying to take advantage of her. Couldn’t she see that? If I knew..if I truly knew that they’d been intimate before we met, then maybe..maybe I wouldn’t have done it. Maybe I wouldn’t have stabbed— Oh fuck me, I knew deep down that was clearly a lie I was trying to make myself believe. I knew I’d have done it anyway. I just..I just couldn't stand it. It wasn’t my intention to kill him, of course not. I was only trying to teach him a le
Mona’s POV: Fuck. Ulric's question completely threw me off balance. Of all the things I'd expected him to do when he found out about Sebastian's condition, putting me on the spot—forcing me to narrate what happened—was the last thing on the list. What was I supposed to say? That Kade hurled insults at Sebastian because of me? That he stabbed his own father because he'd convinced himself Sebastian forced himself on me? That Kade claimed to have done it to prove his love and concern for me? There was no version of the truth that didn't make me the villain. No version that didn't make me the reason. And that was the worst part. If l'd known Kade would actually try to kill his own father because of me, I would have never— "Mona?" Ulric's voice cut through. Pulling me back. "Y-yeah?" "Go on." He pointed his walking stick at me—a signal. "What actually happened in there?" "Well.." My gaze darted to Keisha. She was already giving me signals—nonverbal, de







