NARRATOR'S POVLater that night, once the crowd had dispersed and everyone returned to their chambers, Lenox and Cassandra remained in the grand hall. Silence lingered between them like a storm about to break.Lenox stared at her, unreadable, for several long seconds. Then, without a word, without even a final glance, he turned and walked away.At the door, he paused.“I’ve known Celeste since she was a child,” he said, his back still to her. “So I know what she’s capable of. Don’t overthink what just happened.”And with that, he vanished down the corridor, leaving only cold silence in his wake.Cassandra blinked, stunned.A bitter scoff escaped her lips. “And here I thought he meant what he said.”She rolled her eyes, irritation bubbling in her chest.“Mate or not, I still don’t like you,” she muttered under her breath, as if speaking to him in absentia. “No matter what James did… my heart is still his to claim.”Her pride bruised, her chest tight, she decided she needed fresh air.T
The door that led to the room was unsettling—more like a vault than an entrance, cold and ominous, as if designed solely to imprison someone. And Cassandra felt it deep in her bones—that someone was her.The room itself was surprisingly spacious. It had everything one would need to survive: a bed, a small kitchen, even a closet with clean clothes. It was pristine, well-lit, and eerily sterile—clearly maintained with care, yet too well-hidden to be part of the main palace. No, this place was beneath the garden—buried like a secret.Lenox had uncovered it by lifting a section of stone flooring, revealing a narrow staircase that spiraled downward for what felt like fifty steps. At the bottom stood another heavy steel door—the true gate to the prison where Cassandra now found herself.She’d barely processed the chilling space when Lenox approached her, his towering form a shadow against the light. His claws extended slowly, gleaming like daggers under the glow. His eyes burned a deep, fur
"What's going on?"A frantic voice echoed through the vast lab, bouncing off cold, sterile walls.The Prince's eyes locked onto Cassandra’s body, floating lifelessly inside the tank. For the first time, something inside him shattered. His breath caught in his throat as he dashed toward the lower level, eyes flicking between the glass and the platform above. Her skin was pale, her face burned, her ankles grotesquely black and swollen.Unable to process the pain clawing at his chest, he stormed toward the nearest witch standing idle."I asked you—what the hell is going on? Why is her face burned? Why are her ankles swollen and blackened?" he roared, grabbing the young witch by the collar.
LENOX'S POVIt’s been two months since Cassandra vanished—without a sound, without a trace. One moment, she was being escorted to her chamber by my most trusted servants after arriving at the Palace. The next, she was gone.That night, after I finished my duties, I sent for her, eager to dine together. A small, simple moment I had long anticipated. But when my guards arrived at her room, it was empty. No scent. No struggle. Nothing.I told myself she ran because she finds me repulsive and couldn't stomach the thought of being mine.Maybe she knew. Maybe she figured out that I was the one who made James mark that counterfeit mate. I crafted that illusion to sever their bond. To divide them. To ensure she would have no one else.I’m the Prince of this realm. The strongest living shifter, second only to my father, the King. Royal blood courses through my veins, yet here I am, lowering myself to manipulation and deceit—just for a chance to keep my mate close.I had her family investigate
Cassandra felt her soul leave her body, drifting, weightless, as if pulled into the land of the dead. The silence was deafening, the air cold and still. She even saw James standing in the distance, just as she crossed the threshold. That’s when she knew: she was gone. Her life, her misery—it was all over.She hated James for betraying their love, for abandoning what they once were. But even now, she realized… she loved him more than she hated him.With trembling steps, she moved toward him, desperation and longing guiding her. But before she could reach him, a sudden, cool voice—calm yet commanding—echoed behind her.“Do you truly wish for everything to end?” the man asked.She stopped. Her heart—or whatever remained of it-stuttered in her chest. Slowly, she turned toward the source of the voice.A man stood there, clothed like those from a forgotten era. His dark hair flowed past his shoulders, and a thick beard rested on his face. His eyes glowed faintly, ageless and piercing.“Who a
A woman stood behind a slightly ajar door, watching in silence as the man caressed Cassandra’s stiff, disfigured body.“If I had known that curse would kill you,” said Leo, the second prince of the Lycan royal family, his voice soft but laced with bitterness, “I would’ve simply locked you away—where only I could see you.”Leo was the illegitimate son of Emperor Magnus, born from his fated mate, Amelia. A human woman with no knowledge of the supernatural world, Amelia had no idea of the king’s true identity or immense power. All she knew was that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the enigmatic man she had encountered at an auction thirty years ago.Magnus, mated for centuries to his chosen queen—Lenox’s mother—had never felt the pull of a true fated bond until he met Amelia. Though he tried to resist, he eventually succumbed to one night of weakness, and on that night, Amelia conceived Leo.The king, bound by duty and image, could not allow the birth of a child from a mere human. In
In the darkness where Cassandra’s body had been burned, a small speck of blue light suddenly flickered into existence. At first, it was no more than a glimmer—but in an instant, it expanded, engulfing the entire forest in a massive blaze of blue fire. The very same fire that once erupted when the first Blue Wolf emerged.Then, as if time itself had slowed, a figure emerged from the heart of the flames. She floated mid-air, eyes closed, while the fire swirled around her, not consuming, but cradling her like a lover’s embrace. She looked innocent, fragile even. But when her eyes opened, they reflected an unmistakable aura of death, haunting and absolute.She was no longer the Cassandra the world once knew. She was now the Blue Wolf—a being born to annihilate her enemies, powerful beyond comprehension yet achingly vulnerable. Few knew the truth: that the Blue Wolf, despite their terrifying strength, is a deeply fragile soul.The first Blue Wolf was believed to have risen from hatred—or s
She had burned Cassandra with her own hands. She had watched as flesh melted from bone, as the flames devoured her body and left nothing but ash scattered by the wind.And yet, here Cassandra stood—alive, unscathed, and radiating something far more terrifying than death.Amelia’s breath caught in her throat. Her face twisted in horror, eyes wide as if seeing a ghost—no, something worse.Cassandra’s gaze flicked toward her, sensing Amelia’s fear like a predator scenting blood. It stirred something within her, something raw and cruel. The desire to break her, to make her feel, pulsed like a second heartbeat.She flung Leo’s limp body to the ground. The heavy thud was followed by a low groan, but he didn’t stir.Then she turned her attention back to Amelia, stepping forward with deliberate calm. She crouched, leveling their eyes. Her irises shimmered—not just blue, but luminous, flickering like fire alive within her skull."Y-you! You!" Amelia stammered, scrambling backward on her elbows
She had burned Cassandra with her own hands. She had watched as flesh melted from bone, as the flames devoured her body and left nothing but ash scattered by the wind.And yet, here Cassandra stood—alive, unscathed, and radiating something far more terrifying than death.Amelia’s breath caught in her throat. Her face twisted in horror, eyes wide as if seeing a ghost—no, something worse.Cassandra’s gaze flicked toward her, sensing Amelia’s fear like a predator scenting blood. It stirred something within her, something raw and cruel. The desire to break her, to make her feel, pulsed like a second heartbeat.She flung Leo’s limp body to the ground. The heavy thud was followed by a low groan, but he didn’t stir.Then she turned her attention back to Amelia, stepping forward with deliberate calm. She crouched, leveling their eyes. Her irises shimmered—not just blue, but luminous, flickering like fire alive within her skull."Y-you! You!" Amelia stammered, scrambling backward on her elbows
In the darkness where Cassandra’s body had been burned, a small speck of blue light suddenly flickered into existence. At first, it was no more than a glimmer—but in an instant, it expanded, engulfing the entire forest in a massive blaze of blue fire. The very same fire that once erupted when the first Blue Wolf emerged.Then, as if time itself had slowed, a figure emerged from the heart of the flames. She floated mid-air, eyes closed, while the fire swirled around her, not consuming, but cradling her like a lover’s embrace. She looked innocent, fragile even. But when her eyes opened, they reflected an unmistakable aura of death, haunting and absolute.She was no longer the Cassandra the world once knew. She was now the Blue Wolf—a being born to annihilate her enemies, powerful beyond comprehension yet achingly vulnerable. Few knew the truth: that the Blue Wolf, despite their terrifying strength, is a deeply fragile soul.The first Blue Wolf was believed to have risen from hatred—or s
A woman stood behind a slightly ajar door, watching in silence as the man caressed Cassandra’s stiff, disfigured body.“If I had known that curse would kill you,” said Leo, the second prince of the Lycan royal family, his voice soft but laced with bitterness, “I would’ve simply locked you away—where only I could see you.”Leo was the illegitimate son of Emperor Magnus, born from his fated mate, Amelia. A human woman with no knowledge of the supernatural world, Amelia had no idea of the king’s true identity or immense power. All she knew was that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the enigmatic man she had encountered at an auction thirty years ago.Magnus, mated for centuries to his chosen queen—Lenox’s mother—had never felt the pull of a true fated bond until he met Amelia. Though he tried to resist, he eventually succumbed to one night of weakness, and on that night, Amelia conceived Leo.The king, bound by duty and image, could not allow the birth of a child from a mere human. In
Cassandra felt her soul leave her body, drifting, weightless, as if pulled into the land of the dead. The silence was deafening, the air cold and still. She even saw James standing in the distance, just as she crossed the threshold. That’s when she knew: she was gone. Her life, her misery—it was all over.She hated James for betraying their love, for abandoning what they once were. But even now, she realized… she loved him more than she hated him.With trembling steps, she moved toward him, desperation and longing guiding her. But before she could reach him, a sudden, cool voice—calm yet commanding—echoed behind her.“Do you truly wish for everything to end?” the man asked.She stopped. Her heart—or whatever remained of it-stuttered in her chest. Slowly, she turned toward the source of the voice.A man stood there, clothed like those from a forgotten era. His dark hair flowed past his shoulders, and a thick beard rested on his face. His eyes glowed faintly, ageless and piercing.“Who a
LENOX'S POVIt’s been two months since Cassandra vanished—without a sound, without a trace. One moment, she was being escorted to her chamber by my most trusted servants after arriving at the Palace. The next, she was gone.That night, after I finished my duties, I sent for her, eager to dine together. A small, simple moment I had long anticipated. But when my guards arrived at her room, it was empty. No scent. No struggle. Nothing.I told myself she ran because she finds me repulsive and couldn't stomach the thought of being mine.Maybe she knew. Maybe she figured out that I was the one who made James mark that counterfeit mate. I crafted that illusion to sever their bond. To divide them. To ensure she would have no one else.I’m the Prince of this realm. The strongest living shifter, second only to my father, the King. Royal blood courses through my veins, yet here I am, lowering myself to manipulation and deceit—just for a chance to keep my mate close.I had her family investigate
"What's going on?"A frantic voice echoed through the vast lab, bouncing off cold, sterile walls.The Prince's eyes locked onto Cassandra’s body, floating lifelessly inside the tank. For the first time, something inside him shattered. His breath caught in his throat as he dashed toward the lower level, eyes flicking between the glass and the platform above. Her skin was pale, her face burned, her ankles grotesquely black and swollen.Unable to process the pain clawing at his chest, he stormed toward the nearest witch standing idle."I asked you—what the hell is going on? Why is her face burned? Why are her ankles swollen and blackened?" he roared, grabbing the young witch by the collar.
The door that led to the room was unsettling—more like a vault than an entrance, cold and ominous, as if designed solely to imprison someone. And Cassandra felt it deep in her bones—that someone was her.The room itself was surprisingly spacious. It had everything one would need to survive: a bed, a small kitchen, even a closet with clean clothes. It was pristine, well-lit, and eerily sterile—clearly maintained with care, yet too well-hidden to be part of the main palace. No, this place was beneath the garden—buried like a secret.Lenox had uncovered it by lifting a section of stone flooring, revealing a narrow staircase that spiraled downward for what felt like fifty steps. At the bottom stood another heavy steel door—the true gate to the prison where Cassandra now found herself.She’d barely processed the chilling space when Lenox approached her, his towering form a shadow against the light. His claws extended slowly, gleaming like daggers under the glow. His eyes burned a deep, fur
NARRATOR'S POVLater that night, once the crowd had dispersed and everyone returned to their chambers, Lenox and Cassandra remained in the grand hall. Silence lingered between them like a storm about to break.Lenox stared at her, unreadable, for several long seconds. Then, without a word, without even a final glance, he turned and walked away.At the door, he paused.“I’ve known Celeste since she was a child,” he said, his back still to her. “So I know what she’s capable of. Don’t overthink what just happened.”And with that, he vanished down the corridor, leaving only cold silence in his wake.Cassandra blinked, stunned.A bitter scoff escaped her lips. “And here I thought he meant what he said.”She rolled her eyes, irritation bubbling in her chest.“Mate or not, I still don’t like you,” she muttered under her breath, as if speaking to him in absentia. “No matter what James did… my heart is still his to claim.”Her pride bruised, her chest tight, she decided she needed fresh air.T
I stood before the grand mirror in my chambers, eyes scanning my reflection, searching for something—anything—that would offer me a clue about what was happening. The stillness of the room, the haunting quiet of the Palace, all of it felt suffocating. My mind raced, but I couldn’t make sense of it. I could still hear the voice echoing in my head: “You’re not safe here...”A sudden knock broke through my thoughts, pulling me from the storm brewing inside me. The door opened, and a maid stepped inside, her face tense, and her gaze lowered.“Lady Cassandra,” she began hesitantly, “His Highness requests your presence in the Hall of Counsel.”My pulse quickened. Lenox.“Very well,” I replied, trying to keep the edge of urgency from my voice as I stepped past her.NARRATOR'S POV"How’s the progress? How much hatred have we accumulated so far?" the man asked lazily, reclining in his seat, his fingers idly tapping against the armrest."It hasn’t moved an inch yet, Your Highness," the head witc