Evelyn’s POVThe second I saw his face, my legs moved on their own.“Christian!” I cried out, my voice shaky, uncertain if I was dreaming.He barely had time to react before I launched myself into his arms. The moment I collided with his chest, a tight breath left his lungs, and his arms instinctively wrapped around me. I buried my face in his shoulder, gripping the fabric of his shirt like it could somehow anchor me.“You’re alive,” I whispered, over and over, just to hear the words aloud. “You’re alive…”His arms tightened slightly, and I felt the slow rise and fall of his chest.It was only after what felt like forever that I pulled back, my eyes locking onto his face. His jaw was as sharp and set as ever, and his eyes still held that same glint of intensity, only now, they looked... worn. Like he'd seen something he wouldn't talk about.I didn’t realize tears had gathered until one slid down my cheek.“I thought you were dead,” I said softly, my voice cracking. “I thought they kil
Evelyn’s POVI stepped closer to her. This woman, this Flare, looked like she could fall apart at any second, but somehow, when she lifted her head and looked at me, it was like she saw everything. Like she already knew the moment I would stand in front of her, that I’d ask questions, that I’d demand answers she barely had the strength to give.“You’ll be fine,” she whispered, her voice soft but certain. “But you need to go. The guards will be here any minute.”“No,” I said quickly, almost too quickly. “No, I’m not leaving. Not yet.”Her eyes, dim but still holding some flicker of life, searched mine. “Evelyn—”“I need to know,” I cut in. “How long have you been down here? Why are you down here? What happened to you?”She leaned her head against the stone wall behind her, a bitter smile curling at her dry lips. “I have the ability to see events before they happen… and sometimes, if the path is not yet fixed, I can change them.”She looked at me again, slower this time, like every wor
Evelyn"Eve. I've been expecting you."Those five words echoed in my head like the toll of a bell.I stood there, frozen. My hand still on the edge of the red door, my breath shallow in my chest. My mind raced as my eyes studied the girl in front of me. Red hair, skin like porcelain, lips the soft shade of cherry blossoms. Chained. Tired. But her eyes, her eyes burned with recognition.I had never seen her before in my life.My knees wobbled slightly as I took a cautious step back, gripping the edge of the doorframe with clammy fingers. "What... what did you just say?" My voice cracked, low and uncertain.She blinked slowly. Her eyes were unnaturally bright. Not in a magical, sparkling way, but in a way that made your stomach twist—like she knew something terrible, and it lived behind her gaze."You heard me. Evelyn."I stared at her, the weight of her words dragging the breath from my chest. "How do you know my name? Who are you?" My voice cracked as I finally found the courage to
Evelyn’s POV~Sixteen Years Ago~I was bored. Sooo bored.Mama said not to run around the house, but she wasn’t home. And Daddy was working again in his study with the big door that always stayed shut. Grown-ups always locked the fun stuff away, like they didn’t want little wolves like me to have any adventures.I tiptoed down the hallway in my fluffy socks. The wooden floor creaked a little and I giggled, covering my mouth like I was doing something super naughty, which I guess I was. I stopped in front of the big brown door with the shiny golden handle. Daddy’s study.“Locked,” I whispered to myself, trying to turn the knob.Of course it was locked. It always was. But that never stopped me before.I pulled out the little hairpin I always kept tucked behind my ear. Daddy once told me I was clever like Mama, and I think that’s why I liked sneaking around and opening stuff I wasn’t supposed to. It made me feel smart. Brave.I bent down, stuck the pin in the keyhole like I saw in one of
Evelyn’s POVThe door creaked open under my hand.I stepped inside slowly, letting it close behind me with a dull, final thud that echoed like the shutting of a cage. The room was dim, the walls painted in deep shades of black and ash gray, almost like it was built to suffocate light. There was a fire burning low in the hearth, but it gave off little warmth—more shadows than flames.I stood there for a second, blinking as my eyes adjusted. The furniture was dark wood. The bed had a thick, carved frame, draped with heavy velvet sheets that looked far too luxurious to feel comforting. Everything in here screamed control, power, and cold elegance. But not safety. No. This place was far from safe.I wrapped my arms around myself as I moved further in, my footsteps nearly silent against the rug. The room felt hollow. Not physically—no, it was furnished well—but hollow in the way a soul-deep emptiness is. Like no matter how much beauty you layered on, the darkness always won."Tyler..." I
EvelynThe cold stone walls seemed to stretch forever as we walked. The sounds of boots echoing behind us had faded the moment Aurora took a sharp turn and separated me from the others.I looked over my shoulder once, catching a glimpse of Alicia being pulled down another hallway, Raya close behind, her face pale with fear. Then the heavy wooden door slammed shut, and it was just me and her—Aurora.Her steps were firm, fast, like she was annoyed just having to walk beside me. She didn’t say a word. Not even a glance in my direction. Her black braid swung with every step, tight and precise like everything else about her.I had to speak.“So… where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.No answer.I stared at the side of her face. Nothing. Not even a blink.“Hey,” I tried again. “I asked a question.”Still, silence.My boots scuffed against the stone floor. “Seriously? You’re just going to ignore me?”Aurora kept walking, straight-backed, calm, like I wasn’t even there.I
EvelynThe air was cold, too cold for spring. It didn’t touch my skin so much as it sank into my bones, a chill born not from the wind, but from the silence that followed the storm. My boots thudded softly against the stone floor as Lucien’s betas led us out, their movements as mechanical as the breath I forced into my lungs.Lucien didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. His presence alone was command enough, tall, dark, and terrifying, leading us through the corridors like a shadow that couldn’t be outrun. His long coat rippled with every step, and the blood still splattered along its hem glistened under the torchlight.I walked in the middle, head down, but not out of submission. No, it was the weight of everything pressing on me like a mountain collapsing in slow motion. Every breath I took felt stolen.And then... I turned my head.Behind me, Tyler’s body lay crumpled on the marble tiles like a discarded memory. His once-raging presence was now reduced to stillness, no heaving chest, no
Evelyn’s POVLucien Darkhen stood in the courtyard like a shadow come to life, tall, sharp-edged, and cloaked in the eerie calm of a man who knew the power he wielded. His presence made the night feel colder, heavier. Around him, Tyler’s men lay still, mangled bodies, broken armor, lifeless eyes staring at the stars. It was a massacre… and he had barely lifted a hand.The courtyard felt impossibly large under the blood-red dusk, but I stood frozen by the fountain, heart hammering against my ribs. Lucien Darkhen’s tall, pale form dominated the space, nine wolves flanking him like living shadows. My eyes darted to the gate, still no sign of Christian.But none of that pierced me as deeply as the one fact I couldn’t bring myself to say aloud.Lucien was here.Christian wasn’t.My breath trembled as I looked past the blood and silence, scanning the darkness as if Christian might step out from it any second now, smirking like he always did, like he had a plan. But the seconds ticked by. An
Evelyn’s POV Leo was... Leo.Steady, calm, like the eye of the storm in this chaotic mansion where tension crackled in the air like lightning waiting to strike. While Tyler raged and Alicia seethed, and Raya slithered in silence, Leo remained constant—an unshakable presence.I found him one evening in the garden behind the mansion, the moonlight casting silver threads over his chestnut hair as he tended to a cluster of night-blooming roses. His movements were slow, precise. Peaceful.“Hey,” I said softly, arms crossed under my belly as I leaned against the doorway.Leo looked up and smiled, the kind of smile that didn’t ask anything from me. “There you are. Was starting to think you'd forgotten how to walk.”I scoffed playfully. “Hard to walk when you're carrying twins and stress the size of a mountain.”He straightened and came over, brushing the dirt off his hands. “Come sit. You shouldn’t be standing too long.”I let him lead me to the garden bench. It was quiet, save for the rust