Outside the packhouse, more chaos reigned.Kaiden’s beast was restless. He roared, ruined most of the exteriors of the packhouse. It was obvious he wanted to be let out. But that would only result in deaths, and if that happened, that would be the last straw to break the camel’s back.Soldiers moved in tight formations, struggling to keep the massive Lycan within the walls. He lunged and swiped at anyone who got too close, his claws leaving deep marks in the stone floor.“Hold the line!” one of the soldiers shouted to the others. “Don’t let him through!”Hana barked orders while deflecting a sudden charge from the beast. Her chest heaved with effort, sweat streaking her face. Despite her own fear, she refused to back down.“Are you fools blind?” Slade suddenly stepped forward from the shadows, his dark coat billowing slightly with his confident stride. It was time for him to play his manipulation cards and put an end to all these. To him, the throne was already his Ryker’s for the tak
ARIAOne thing about mortals that never ceased to amaze me was their weakness when it came to making choices. Their hearts clung so tightly to their attachments that it clouded their reason. As a goddess, I had emotions too. Yes. But I was never bound by them. I did not obsess. Not even over the daughters I once bore into this world. That was simply how I was created. Nothing personal.So watching Gothel twist her words like a dagger into Queen Adeline’s heart, playing with her mind, made my blood simmer. Yet, I knew mortals—I had learned to let their fragile hearts stumble before they learned. I had learned patience, even when it burned.“Please… save me, Mother. Don’t let them kill me,” Raya’s trembling voice whispered into Queen Adeline’s ear, soft and pitiful.I had to hand it to Gothel—her manipulation was art. She knew exactly which strings to pull. That voice might have sounded like Raya’s, but it was nothing more than a sliver of her true self. A fading echo buried under l
ARIAOne thing about mortals that never ceased to amaze me was their weakness when it came to making choices. Their hearts clung so tightly to their attachments that it clouded their reason. As a goddess, I had emotions too. Yes. But I was never bound by them. I did not obsess. Not even over the daughters I once bore into this world. That was simply how I was created. Nothing personal.So watching Gothel twist her words like a dagger into Queen Adeline’s heart, playing with her mind, made my blood simmer. Yet, I knew mortals—I had learned to let their fragile hearts stumble before they learned. I had learned patience, even when it burned.“Please… save me, Mother. Don’t let them kill me,” Raya’s trembling voice whispered into Queen Adeline’s ear, soft and pitiful.I had to hand it to Gothel—her manipulation was art. She knew exactly which strings to pull. That voice might have sounded like Raya’s, but it was nothing more than a sliver of her true self. A fading echo buried under l
CALANTHAThe tension in the room was so thick it felt like the air itself could shatter. My heart pounded in my ears as Lysandra instinctively took a careful step back, tugging on my hand to pull me with her. I followed her, my feet heavy with dread, until we were partially shielded behind Aria.Queen Adeline trembled in Raya’s or rather, Gothel’s grip. Tears streaked her face as the cold blade pressed to her neck, a bead of blood already forming where the edge bit into her skin.“Please… please, don’t harm her,” she begged, her voice breaking with fear. “My daughter… she’s still in there. Please.”Aria didn’t answer right away. She simply stared into Gothel’s swirling, smoke-darkened eyes, her own gaze sharp as steel. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm but cold, echoing with divine authority.“You know the kind of people I despise the most?” she said, every word measured and sharp. “Cowards. Parasites. Those who prey on the weak to feed their pathetic hunger for power. And yo
CALANTHAWithin minutes, the packhouse had turned into chaos. Everyone ran in every direction, their screams echoing off the walls as Kaiden’s beast tore through the halls in a violent rampage. Shattered glass, splintered wood, and overturned furniture littered the floors as the ground trembled beneath his roars.Guards scrambled to usher everyone out, barking orders as they tried to keep the evacuation under control.“My Luna! We must leave!” my handmaiden cried, reaching for my arm with trembling hands. “The beast is destroying everything in sight!”I yanked my hand from her grip, my chest heaving with rage and despair, tears burning my eyes.“Let go of me!” I snapped, my voice breaking. “And correction—that is not just a beast. That is the Lycan King!”The pity in her eyes stung. She didn’t understand. None of them did.Ignoring her, I ran down the staircase, my bare feet pounding against the cold floor, my ears filled with the shouts and growls that shook the packhouse.“The king
If there was one thing Slade hated more than anything, it was being pushed around. So, having his hands bound tightly behind his back while the guards shoved him down the dim stone corridor toward the prison wings felt like the ultimate insult. Every rough step made his jaw tighten. His pride was in shreds, and humiliation burned in his chest.But Slade wasn’t a fool. He had no choice but to obey for now. Survival came first. Revenge could wait.As he walked, his thoughts boiled with venom. Cross. That bastard son of his. This was all his doing. The entire downfall, every bit of this mess, had Cross’ filthy fingerprints on it. If not for him, everything would have gone smoothly. No one would have discovered anything. But Cross and that little snake of a girl—Freya—had allied with Kaiden and ruined everything.Slade’s lips curled in a dark smile. He would find a way out. He always did. And when he did, before he even laid a finger on Kaiden, he would deal with Cross, Freya, and that