Just ahead, a severed hand lay on the ground, twitching slightly, as if in denial of its fate. A jagged branch jutted from the earth nearby, its tip stained red—proof of the brutal force that had severed Celeste’s hand clean off. She hadn’t even realized what happened until the agony struck, slicing through her nerves like fire.“W-Who?!” Celeste screamed, her voice raw with pain and fury.Carlo rushed to her, pressing the wound, trying to stop the bleeding as he supported her weight.“Show yourself!” he roared. “How dare you harm the future queen!”From the shadows, Cassandra stepped into view. Her movements were deliberate—slow, calm, calculated—like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.The guards gasped in unison.“It’s the Prince’s fated mate,” one whispered, horror flooding his expression. “We’re done for…”Celeste and Carlo froze, disbelief tightening their throats.“You… You disappeared!” Celeste hissed, her face pale, contorted with pain. “Why are you here?!”Cassan
“Today, we are gathered to witness the engagement of our one and only Prince of the Empire, Lenox Blade, to his beautiful and gracious chosen mate, Celeste Jacobsen. Let’s give them a round of applause.”The room erupted in cheers and applause. Smiles, laughter, and celebration filled the grand ballroom—until a few careless words sliced through the festive air and landed like poison in Lenox’s ears.“Thank goodness his Highness’s fated mate disappeared. If not, we’d be stuck with a werewolf queen instead of a Lycan.”A group of women nearby gossiped in hushed but audible tones, their disdainful sneers betraying their elitism.“You’re right. Serves her right. Let’s hope she never comes back to taint the royal bloodline with her low-class mongrel blood.”The words pierced Lenox’s heart like a thousand blades. In one swift movement, he crossed the room, seized one of the women by the neck, and lifted her off the ground. His pupils constricted with rage, and the room fell into stunned sil
Cassandra walked slowly toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze drawn to the stars scattered across the night sky. Three months had passed since she began hiding in Leo and Amelia's secluded safehouse. Three long months... and she hadn't lifted a finger.The fire that once burned in Amelia’s and Leo’s eyes had started to flicker. Cassandra hadn’t uttered a single word about revenge, especially not against Lenox.Not that revenge mattered more to Leo than the bond he felt with her. That bond—ancient, fated, undeniable-was—was the only thing that had made him feel truly alive in years. Ever since he discovered Cassandra was his destined mate, something inside him had shifted. The shadows that had always surrounded his world were now pierced with light, with hope. With love.He couldn't hold her hand. She hadn’t accepted the mate bond. But as long as he could glimpse her—even from a distance—and know she was near, that was enough.Once, he'd dared to ask her if she still fel
LEO’S POVThe moment I shattered the tank to get to her, I knew something was wrong. Cassandra’s body in my arms—it was getting colder by the second. Her skin lost its warmth, her breath gone. And when her limbs finally went stiff against me, something inside me snapped.For years, I had mastered my emotions, worn a mask of calm and control to convince everyone I was just another well-adjusted Lycan royal. But that moment—holding her lifeless body—I lost everything I had built. And the worst part? I couldn’t even explain why.I knew next to nothing about Cassandra. Only that she was Lenox’s mate. From the very start, when I first devised the plan to take her, her fate was already written—she was supposed to die by my hands. That was the whole point. She was meant to be a tool, a weapon to strike back at them.But when her life truly slipped away... it wasn’t relief I felt. It was agony. Raw, maddening agony that hollowed me out and filled me with rage.I shifted. For the first time in
Amelia’s eyes fluttered open, blinking against the morning light. Her heart raced in confusion until her surroundings registered—silken curtains, the scent of lavender, familiar furniture.Her room.With a sharp gasp, she bolted upright in bed, her chest heaving. Just a dream, she told herself, pressing a hand to her racing heart. But the unease lingered like smoke after fire.Until the door slammed open with a force that made the walls tremble.“Don’t think we’re done,” came a voice like velvet over steel. “Now that you’re awake, let’s continue where we left off.”Cassandra stepped into the room, arms crossed over her chest, her gaze cutting straight through Amelia like a blade.Amelia screamed, the sound shrill and involuntary as she scrambled back against the headboard.“Mom! Snap out of it,” Leo rushed to her side, gripping her shoulders in a calming gesture. “It’s alright. Breathe.”Amelia turned to him, trembling. “Leo, why is she still here? Why hasn’t she left?”Leo didn’t ans
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