Hey readers! We’ve made it to Chapter 5 — thank you so much for sticking with the story so far! Writing this werewolf romance has been a new and exciting journey for me, and I’m really glad you’re here for it. Your comments, likes, reviews, and gems mean the world. They help me know what you’re enjoying and keep me motivated to write more. So don’t hold back — I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let’s keep going , the story is just getting started!
Her chest tightened at the image of the girl gasping, her sweat-soaked curls sticking to her face.She had not asked for this stop. She wanted to ride until her body broke, but her horse was tired, and so was she. Still, she would not show it.Narkhul crouched over the fire, his hands moved quickly, breaking twigs, adding them one by one. The scar across his jaw caught the light, making him look harder and fiercer.Narkhul noticed her silence. “You sit as if the fire burns you.”Her eyes cut back to him. “The fire is wasted. We should be riding.”He stirred the flames with a stick, the sparks floating up. “Even wolves rest. And you are no wolf.”She flinched, but covered it by pulling her cloak tighter around her.He noticed. His eyes lingered on her, softer now, though his tone remained flat. “You fight yourself harder than you fight me. That will break you before we get to the witches.”He set a pot above the fire, poured in water from his flask, and glanced her way. “You care for h
Velcira lifted her chin. “I would risk myself because there is still life clinging to her, and I will not waste it.”She was fully aware that it was the least she could do to help.Narkhul turned fully to face her. His dark eyes studied her face. Then he spoke. “You will not survive their kingdom alone. I will go with you.”Velcira blinked, caught off guard. “No. I will not drag you into this. I will go on the journey, all by myself.”“You cannot,” Narkhul said flatly. “Their lands swallow travelers whole. You will not return if you go alone. If this antidote is the only way, then I go…with you. There is no debate.”Velcira’s lips pressed thin, as if she wanted to argue again, but the certainty in his eyes made her keep quiet.Velcira’s mouth tightened. “If we both go, who will hold the kingdom steady? Who will command in your absence?”“I will,” Thornek answered. “I will see the borders are kept, and the halls are in order, until you return.”Rhazien spat. “Return? You speak as though
The brazier had burned low, its orange glow crawling faintly across Velcira’s chamber.Kaerith still lay on the bed, her skin pale against the dark sheets, her body trembling, her soul fighting chains no one else could see.Velcira’s hair hung in loose strands around her face, her hands blackened with ash and dust from herbs she had been mashing.She hunched over the table, quill scratching against the parchment, jars and bowls scattered at every corner.Every so often her gaze darted to the goblet, before she bent her head again and drew another line, another note, another measure to test.Mia had not left Kaerith’s side. She sat with her knees pulled close, one hand wrapped around Kaerith’s limp fingers.Her other hand moved restlessly, brushing Kaerith’s damp hair back, pressing the cloth to her forehead.Soon, the sun began to rise from the north. Velcira’s shoulders tensed as her eyes were fixed on the goblet resting a few steps away, its rim darkened with stains.Her breath hitc
The generals sat frozen in their seats. For a long moment, no one spoke.Thornek’s jaw worked. His knuckles whitened where his hand rested on the table, and then he exhaled hard, dragging a hand across his face.“Never have I seen him like this,” he muttered. “Never. Never has he locked Vythea away. Not in war. Not in famine. Not when she opposed him. He has always spared her that cage. Something is breaking him.”Thornek leaned back, the wooden chair creaking under his weight. “She has been queen longer than we have been his generals. Now she sits behind stone, shackled beside the seer. If he can send her to the flayers vault, then there is no line he will not cross.”Rhazien sneered, the scar on his cheek catching the flame. “Do not speak of lines when you know nothing of his burdens. Malakh touched what was not his to touch. He dared to take pleasure without the king’s leave. For that, he deserves worse than the Vault.”Thornek’s teeth ground audibly. He leaned forward, stabbing a
Velcira barked over her. “Hold her down! Don’t let her thrash.”Marita rushed forward, steadying Kaerith’s head with both hands. “I’ve got her.”Mia leaned her weight against Kaerith’s arms, gripping her wrists tightly even as the girl’s body jerked under her. “Kaerith, please, stop fighting, please.”Velcira dipped her fingers into the steaming draught. The liquid clung to her skin, as she leaned over Kaerith, tracing a trembling line across her forehead.Her lips moved. “Zhar’kun vel morrak… thren kai’sol, na’drel ven.”The words rolled heavily to belong to the language Mia knew.Velcira’s hand pressed harder against Kaerith’s skin, and she whispered again, lower, as if forcing the words into Kaerith’s blood.“Ar’vola sekthar… drom ven’kai, sul’ven drekh.”“If she survives tonight,” Velcira whispered at last, “then perhaps she was never meant to die at his hand.”~Kaerith’s breath rattled in her chest as Velcira’s voice pressed close to her ear, sharp and commanding, but the words
“...it was the first time anyone gave me anything just because.”Kaerith’s chest ached, from the weight of the memory.“You mattered to me then,” Mia continued, “and you matter now. Don’t let him take that from me. Don’t let him take you.”Kaerith swallowed against the pain in her throat. “You’ll regret this, Mia. He’ll punish you.”“Then let him,” Mia spat, her voice hot with defiance. “He’s already punished us all. But he won’t take you from me.”The corridor wound downward, the air thickening with the scent of herbs. Velcira’s chamber was near.Kaerith’s voice was weak, trembling. “What if… what if I don’t make it?”“You will,” Mia said firmly. “You have to. Because I’m not strong enough to carry the memory of losing you, you're all I have here.”Kaerith’s breath hitched. She pressed her face into Mia’s shoulder, tears wetting the fabric. For the first time in too long, she felt the weight of someone else’s care.The chamber door came into view, light spilling beneath it. Mia kicke