LOGINNobody’s jaw clenched against the pressure around his throat, his hands gripping the fairly large wrist of the man behind him in a desperate attempt to keep the blade from sinking any further. But his palm barely covered it. He had caught the man's movement just as Selene moved. The bastard had still been targeting her? How long had he been pretending, concealing his presence so effectively that he hadn't sensed him?Fortunately, he had reacted quickly enough to get between them, but not quickly enough to see the dagger coming.It was obvious that this man enjoyed preying on those weaker than himself, using his brute strength to overpower them before taking his time inflicting pain. And the bastard had probably expected him to be no different from the others, another victim to overpower and torment at his leisure. However, his immediate intervention had disrupted that expectation, forcing him to resort to a weapon. Now, the only thing keeping this man’s blade from sinking deeper w
Selene shot upright, only to wince sharply when the sudden movement pulled at her injured shoulder, but his hands caught her before she could topple forward.Then, he carefully guided her back against him, steadying her until she found balance. But Selene was much too preoccupied to even notice as her hands searched her body. The speed of her recovery was almost comparable to that of werewolves born into the Royal bloodline. Her eyes widened as her fingers brushed her neck, where the stinging pain left by the man’s hands had been only moments ago.“How?” The word came out before she could stop herself, but pain did not answer back. She could actually speak? Her gaze dropped to her hands again before she carefully reached towards her injured shoulder, only to wince when her fingers brushed the wound, and she quickly withdrew her hand. “So it accelerates recovery but can't heal deeper injuries?”“I didn't think you were that smart, considering how stubborn you are, even on your de
The world grew quiet around him as his eyes lingered on Selene. When he caught sight of the bright red marks circling her neck, and the quickly spreading pool of blood staining her dress from her bleeding shoulder, his eyes hardened. She’s alive… A quiet breath left him and his fingers moved unconsciously towards her face before abruptly stopping midway. For a brief moment, they remained still, suspended in the air as though he had only just realised what he was about to do. He had faced the den’s guards without hesitation, yet now, with her lying helplessly in his arms, he seemed uncertain of something as simple as touching her. Then, almost as though his own body had disobeyed him, his fingers descended, slowly brushing the strands of hair away from her face before lowering to her neck where they barely grazed the angry marks left behind by the man’s hands. And his touch was unexpectedly gentle. The oppressive coldness and hostility that had filled his gaze moments earlier
He lurched at Selene almost immediately, and Selene moved without thinking. She barely avoided his grasp, but her dress did not. His fingers caught the fabric and closed around it with brutal force, and before Selene could even turn properly, she was ripped backwards so violently that her feet left the ground. The next instant, her body was thrown across the stable. She struck the wooden wall hard enough to rattle the beams and the already healing wound on her shoulder tore open again beneath the impact, the bandage splitting as her body slid down the wall and collapsed into the hay. Pain exploded through her back as blood quickly soaked through the fabric, the bright red shade spreading across her dress. And for several seconds, Selene could do nothing but gasp, her lungs refusing to draw enough air as the world spun violently around her. Still, before she could recover, a shadow fell across her and the man’s boot came down mercilessly against her wounded shoulder, then again
Selene’s hand tightened around Maera’s. These people… Her voice faltered as the werewolf who had just killed the guard met her gaze, and for a moment, she could only stare silently at him.Without wasting any time, he headed towards their cage, and like he did to the men’s cage door, he ripped the lock clean from the metal, and the women rushed out, feral and ready to fight. His gaze lingered quietly on Maera and Selene for a moment, before he turned and bolted towards the frontlines. He left them without another word, as though implying his boss’ words they had once disregarded had been fulfilled and now, he trusted them to find their own way through the chaos.More cages were opened by the other werewolves from the men’s cage, one after the other. And while the men moved towards the forefront in a gruesome battle with the guards of the den, the women guided the captives to safety. Their precision was flawless. Maera and Selene stood frozen stiff in the women’s cage. They were t
Maera quietly observed her surroundings, her gaze fixed particularly on the area beyond the trees where faint murmurs continued to rent the air in a distant hum. What was going on? It was bad enough that she could neither see nor hear anything clearly from where she was confined. But that person had said they would transport Her Majesty by noon. And this was noon. Maera’s gaze quietly shifted towards the men’s cage, agitation surging through her chest as her fingers curled against the fabric gathered loosely over her knees. When is it starting? Cold beads of sweat gathered along her forehead as she turned her attention back towards the area beyond the trees, straining to hear something, anything that might tell her what was happening beyond their limited view. They needed to get out quickly. They needed to go after Her Majesty, but nothing was happening. Why is nothing happening yet?Maera gritted her teeth as her pulse quickened, her temperature rising alongside the hot, prick
The gala dragged on in a blur. By then, the heavy silence had lifted, replaced by lively music that soon filled the hall with laughter, and little by little, the noise grew again. However, it never changed the assessing and scrutinizing eyes fixed on Lillia. After she sat, the herald
The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving the castle bathed in the soft, amber glow of lanterns, and Lillia stood before the mirror, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, gleaming like threads of moonlight as she watched her reflection. She was no more the fragile girl who had fal
Ishtar woke with a gasp that tore violently from her chest.Her body jerked upright as though dragged from drowning, lungs burning, and heart hammering so hard, she thought it might split her ribs apart. Cold sweat slicked her skin, as her fingers clawed at silk sheets, breath coming in ragged, bro
“Run, my lady. Don’t look back. We’ll hold them back as long as our breath stays in our lungs. If one of us lives tonight, it has to be you. Please—live.”Muffled sobs bled into the darkness of Clearwater forest, as Ishtar tore through the tangled branches and choking undergrowth. Every word from







