LOGINKira’s POVVictoria’s whisper hung in the air like smoke.“The king found out…”I froze, blood turning to ice in my veins. “Found out what?”She swallowed so hard I heard it. “That you asked me to take you to the Human Camp. I… I couldn’t lie to him, Your Highness. He cornered me in the corridor right after I left the boutique. Threatened to kill me if I ever harm you again, and then asked where I was going in such a rush with a big bag. I panicked. I told him you wanted to visit the Human Camp…just to see it, out of curiosity. I swear that’s all I said! I didn’t mention Dominic!”My vision actually blurred with rage. I grabbed the front of her dress and yanked her so close our noses almost touched.“Are you kidding me right now?” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Why is Adrian everywhere? Why is he always ruining everything? I can’t breathe without that man sticking his royal nose in my business!”Victoria’s eyes were huge, terrified, but she didn’t pull away. “I didn’t sell you out!
Kira’s POV“How will you reset it, Liana?” I repeated.She leaned in, voice hushed. “I need a strand of the king’s hair. For the cleansing ritual.”I blinked, totally caught off guard. “Since when do you do rituals?”She laughed awkwardly, glancing away. “It’s not me doing it. I’d take it to a sorceress in the valley.”“Oh, so there are sorceresses here too?” I said, raising an eyebrow. “What next…dragons? Fairies? Sparkly monsters?”Liana gave me a look. “This isn’t a children’s book, Princess. It’s real life. Real situations.”“Yeah right,” I muttered, “real life where people turn into wolves, vampires walk freely and people perform rituals. Totally normal, not like a blockbuster movie at all.”She ignored the sarcasm. Or maybe she didn't understand it. “So, yeah…just a strand of his hair, princess. That’s all. The sorceress can reverse the process that started with the first…tainting. But don’t let it happen again. Are you still in heat?”“You mean still horny?” I asked bluntly.Sh
Kira’s POVI stood there, staring Victoria down, my heart pounding like it was trying to break out of my chest. She was still on the floor, cradling her cheek, that mix of fear and hate in her eyes making me feel a twisted kind of satisfaction. Good. Let her squirm. After all the crap she’d pulled on the real Abby, she deserved way worse.But I couldn’t stand there gloating forever. I stank…like dirt, river water, sweat, and yeah, sex. Adrian’s scent was probably baked into my skin by now, and the thought made my stomach churn. I needed to scrub it all off before I could even think straight about escaping this frozen hellhole.“Wait here,” I snapped at Victoria, pointing a finger at her like she was a dog I expected to stay. “Don’t move a muscle until I say so.”She opened her mouth, probably to whine or snap back, but I was already turning away, heading for the bathroom attached to this ridiculously beautiful royal suite. I paused at the door and glanced back. “You better think of
Kira’s POVThe headline stared back at me like a slap in the face: "Summer's Group Mourns Tragic Loss: CEO Kira Summers Killed Dies Tragically on Her Birthday – Remains to Be Laid to Rest on July 21st."Tragically? My ass. They killed me. Straight-up murdered me and think they can just sweep it under the rug with some fake story and a pretty obituary. I could picture it…the boardroom vultures toasting with champagne, dividing up my mother’s empire like it was cake at a party. My hands shook as I scrolled down, and there it was…my picture, smiling confidently in a power suit from last year's gala, right next to the article. Tears welled up hot and fast, blurring the screen. They killed my mother years ago, made it look like an overdose or whatever bullshit they spun, and now they've done the same to me. Do they really think they can get away with it that easily? Erase us like we were nothing?I slammed my fist against my thigh, the phone nearly slipping from my grip. And it's all bec
Kira’s POVWe made it to the royal wing in record time.Adrian kicked the door open with his boot like he was storming a battlefield. Victoria trailed behind us, her footsteps hesitant and quiet, like she was trying to blend into the wallpaper. He didn't say a word the whole way despite my protests, just marched on while I dangled over his shoulder, my face hot from the blood rush and the sheer embarrassment of it all.Finally, he set me down on the plush rug in the middle of the room, gentle enough that I didn't stumble, but firm like he was planting a flag. I straightened up immediately, smoothing my dress and glaring daggers at him."What the hell was that?" I snapped, hands on my hips. "You think after one quick screw in the woods, I suddenly belong to you? Parading me around like some trophy in front of the whole town, saying all that possessive crap publicly? And don't get me started on the wrong message you're sending to your baby mama…she's the one you should be listening to,
Kira’s POV The courtyard was still buzzing like a kicked beehive, council members muttering, Caroline sniffling dramatically on the ground, Lady Margaret pretending to look concerned while mentally sharpening her knives, when my eyes locked on the one person who could make this circus even better.There she was, slinking out from the palace doors like a whipped puppy. Shoulders hunched, head down, eyes glued to the stones as if she hoped the ground would swallow her whole.My dear sweet Victoria.Oh, honey. Jackpot. If she hadn’t opened her lying mouth and sent me into that cursed Dark Zone, maybe I wouldn’t have been possessed by whatever it was back there like a feral cat, maybe I wouldn’t have climbed Adrian like a tree, and maybe…just maybe…I wouldn’t currently feel like I needed a ten-hour shower and a priest to get Adrian’s scent off me.She was going to pay. Slowly. Deliciously. With interest.I lifted one hand and crooked a finger at her, slow and lazy, like I was calling a







