LOGINCael’s POVThe meeting finally came to an end.I pushed my chair back and stood before any of the elders could bring up another topic. We had spent hours discussing the coming Sacred Bonding Festival, border patrols, and the recent attacks inside the palace. Every answer only seemed to lead to another question."I believe that's enough for today," I said.The elders stood and bowed."My Alpha."I nodded once before leaving the meeting hall.The heavy doors closed behind me, and I let out a quiet breath. Logan followed a few steps behind me as always. Neither of us spoke because of how tired I was. My mind hadn't rested in days. And that was due to the investigation of Sera's attack which had reached another dead end. The servant who had admitted to carrying her into the burning storage room was dead before he could tell us anything useful.Someone had silenced him.. Which meant someone inside the palace was still moving freely. That thought alone was enough to keep me awake at night.
Lira’s POVI slammed the glass cup against the wall and watched it shatter into dozens of tiny pieces. The servants standing near the door flinched but didn't dare move. They kept their heads lowered, waiting for my anger to pass. But didn't.I turned away from them and walked toward the window."So this is what I've become to him."No one answered. Not that I expected anyone to. Cael had looked me straight in the eyes yesterday and defended her.Her.That freaking human.Talmbout.. His wife.I closed my eyes for a second. I could still hear his voice."You'll answer to me."Never. Not once. Not in all the years I had known him. Not even when we were children had he ever spoken to me that way. Now he had. Because of Sera.I let out a bitter laugh. "So this is what love does."It made strong men blind. It made wise men foolish. It made kings forget the people who had stood beside them for years.I had given almost my entire life to this kingdom. I had fucking kept myself for him all my
Sera’s POV "You're trying to leave." I froze halfway through slipping out of the bed. A smile slowly spread across my face. "I wasn't." "Oh?" "No." A warm hand wrapped around mine before I could take another step. The next thing I knew, I was gently pulled backward until my back rested against Cael's chest again. I laughed quietly. "You caught me." "I always will." His voice was still heavy with sleep, making me smile even more. "You weren't even awake." "I am now." I turned carefully to face him. His hair was slightly messy, and his eyes were only half open, yet he was looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered. "You were pretending." "A little." I shook my head. "That's unfair." He chuckled. "It worked." "It sure did." I couldn't stop smiling. Everything felt different this morning because somehow something inside me had changed. For the first time in a very long time, I woke up feeling... happy. Really happy because I feel like a real woman now. T
Cael’s POVThe kiss deepened before I knew what was happening. Even the Moon Goddess knew I wouldn’t want to move forward with this, but somehow Sera’s slow moans and whimpers inside my mouth kept tempting me, and soon her desire to be mated with overthrew my need to control my hormonesI wasn’t avoiding her. Hell, no... I wasn’t. I mean, who would? She was far beyond pretty, in fact. So angelic and feminine in a way that always gave me a long-hour boner every time I woke up next to her. From the very moment she moved in with me, I had always wondered, and even been tempted to know what it felt like to be inside her. But just because I loved her, I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her in such a way. Whatever plans I had made... whatever motive I had for proposing marriage to her was bound to happen. It was necessary. I doubt she would hate me too much if she ever found out. But mating with her, even with such a motive in the process of execution? Sera would hate me for life, and that wa
Sera’s POV "Sit down." Cael's voice was gentle as he guided me toward the bed. I hadn't realized how tired I was until my legs gave in the moment I sat. The room was quiet. The doors had been shut behind us the moment we returned from the courtyard, leaving the rest of the palace outside. Neither of us spoke. I stared at my hands resting in my lap while everything that had happened replayed inside my head. The servant. The fire. The fear. Lira. Then... Her words. My chest tightened all over again. I lowered my head, trying to push the memory away, but it only became louder. My eyes began to sting. I blinked quickly, hoping the tears would disappear before Cael noticed. They didn't. A tear rolled down my cheek. Then another. Before I knew it, I couldn't stop them anymore. I covered my face with both hands as a quiet sob escaped my lips. I hated crying. I had always hated it. Growing up, I had learned that tears solved nothing. They couldn't bring anyone back. They co
Sera’s POVThe eastern courtyard had never been this quiet before.Hundreds of servants stood in long lines stretching across the open space. Maids, cooks, cleaners, stable hands, gardeners, guards, and attendants all waited with nervous faces. No one spoke above a whisper.Every pair of eyes kept moving between Cael and me.I stood beside him, trying to keep my breathing steady.He had insisted I shouldn't go through this alone. When I suggested sitting while everyone walked past, he refused. Instead, he remained beside me from the moment we arrived, his hand resting lightly against the small of my back."I'm right here," he said quietly.I looked up at him and nodded."I know."His hand gave my back a gentle pat before he faced the captain of the guards."Begin."The captain bowed."First row."The servants started walking past us one after another.I looked carefully at every face.Some looked frightened.Some looked confused.Others looked as though they wished they were anywhere
Sera’s POV ; I did not breathe properly, this wasn't because I could not breathe, it was because for the fact that breathing right now simply felt like a permission that would allow something outside of me to notice me. The window was slightly covered by thick black curtains, it was night time an
Sera's POVI stared at him and didn't move.He stood one step inside the room, relaxed as always, watching me with those amber eyes that gave away exactly nothing. The firelight caught the angles of his face and made him look like something carved rather than born.I hated that he was attractive. I
Sera's POVWe arrived at Dusk borne Palace by nightfall, which I suspected was deliberate. The palace looked almost impossible at night, lit from within by thousands of lights that turned every window gold, the dark stone towers rising against the sky like something that had grown there rather than
Sera’s POVMorning came grey and cold.I hadn’t slept all through the night. I’d sat at my window and watched the cooking fires light up one by one in the settlement below as people rose before dawn the way hungry people always do… because empty stomachs don’t let you sleep past first light.I wash







