LOGINMy dislocated shoulder throbbed with a blinding pain that radiated all the way down my spine and made my vision blur at the edges."Callista, look at me," Ajax commanded, stopping his advance just ten feet away from the altar steps.I tore my gaze away from the treacherous priest and looked at the tall man standing in the center aisle.The freezing rain continued to pour through the broken doors behind him and soaked the floorboards beneath his heavy boots."Put the silver down so we can figure this out like rational people," he coaxed in a much softer voice."There is nothing to figure out because he is guilty of treason," I sobbed and refused to let the priest go."He is going to smile in your face while he burns your kingdom down around you."Ajax let out a heavy breath and rubbed the back of his neck with his bandaged hand."You cannot accuse the highest spiritual leader in the kingdom of treason and murder without providing proof, Callista."The word proof echoed across the empty
The sudden gust of the violent storm instantly extinguished the single devotion candle burning on the silver altar and plunged the room into heavy shadows.Ajax stood in the ruined entryway with his dark armor dripping wet and his broad chest heaving from the desperate sprint across the courtyard.He had his sharp claws extended through the shredded remains of his white bandages, and his golden eyes burned through the darkness as he scanned the room.He expected to find a masked killer cornering me in the shadows, but he found me playing the role of the monster instead.I gripped the carved hilt of the sacred silver offering dagger and pressed the sharp edge flush against High Priest Kaspar's wrinkled throat.My bare feet slipped slightly in the puddle of rainwater and dark mud pooling on the polished marble floor."Drop the weapon right now, Callista!" Ajax roared over the howling thunderstorm raging outside.His deep voice shook the ancient stone pillars and commanded absolute obedi
"Get your hands off me," I snarled and shoved the royal medic away from my bandaged wrists.The young boy stumbled backward into the slippery mud and clutched his leather satchel tightly against his chest."But Your Majesty, the burns will fester if we do not apply the second layer of salve," he pleaded while the freezing rain plastered his hair to his forehead.I ignored his warning and pushed past a group of crying nobles huddled near the collapsing guest wing.My inner wolf was clawing violently at the walls of my mind and howling for the mate who just fled into the storm.Callista looked at me like I was the devil himself before she scrambled away on her bleeding feet.I needed to find her before the Crimson Eclipse assassins realized she survived the green fire and finished their dark job."Secure the northern gates and lock down the lower courtyards!" I roared over the deafening sound of the thunderstorm.The royal guards scrambled to obey my orders but the sheer chaos of the bu
I pressed my bare shoulder against the cold marble pillar and prayed the thick shadows would hide the ruined state of my red dress.The heavy scent of melted beeswax and dark lavender incense usually brought peace to the royal court but tonight it just made me sick to my stomach.I held my breath while the muffled roar of the freezing rain battered the high stained glass windows above us and masked the sound of my ragged breathing.High Priest Kaspar paced back and forth in front of the sacred silver altar with his pristine white robes sweeping across the polished floorboards.He did not look like the holy man who smiled at the children during the harvest festival because his wrinkled face was pale and slick with panicked sweat.The very same man who blessed my execution in my past life was currently losing his mind in the middle of an empty sanctuary."You promised me the fire would be contained to the lower levels," Kaspar hissed in a frantic whisper and gripped the edge of the ston
Those were the exact same words he spoke to me in the dark quiet of our royal bedchamber on our wedding night five years ago.I remembered how the soft moonlight filtered through the heavy velvet curtains and illuminated his handsome face.We were tangled in the expensive silk sheets and he wiped a stray tear from my cheek with that same gentle touch.I was so incredibly naive back then and I gave him my whole heart because I thought he would always protect me.He swore to the Goddess that he would keep me safe from the vicious politics of the royal court.He broke every single vow the moment the treacherous nobles whispered their poison in his ear and turned him against me.He let the royal guards drag me from our bed and throw me into a damp dungeon cell while he ignored my desperate pleas.I remembered the heavy weight of the iron chains digging into my wrists as I walked up the wooden steps to the executioner's block.Ajax stood on his high balcony and watched the headsman lift th
A young palace healer rushed over to us with a leather medical bag clutched against his chest.The boy skidded to a halt in the mud about five feet away and his eyes widened in absolute terror.He stared at the King and refused to take another step forward.Ajax was projecting a thick and suffocating aura of dominance into the air around us.His inner wolf was flaring wild to keep strangers away from his mate after such a violent attack.The poor medic trembled and looked down at the wet grass in a display of total submission."Your Majesty, I brought the burn salve," the young man stuttered and held the bag out with shaking arms.Ajax did not acknowledge him or tell him to approach.I pushed myself up onto my knees and ignored the sharp pain shooting up my spine."Give it to me," I ordered the boy and held my hand out.The healer scrambled forward, pressed the heavy bag into my palm, and ran back toward the other patients immediately.I pulled the leather straps open and dug through







