MasukLillia sat on the chair in the same room she had first woken in.Her silver hair had been arranged neatly, every strand carefully packed into place without a single loose strand escaping. Her dress had also been changed, and this time, it hugged her features in all the right places.The wounds on her body had been treated again, wrapped neatly with fresh bandages, while the faint scent of perfume she had been given lingered delicately against her skin.She looked breathtakingly beautiful, enough to be mistaken for the Queen she was.Yet, she barely noticed. On that effortlessly beautiful face, sat a tight scowl.Unlike the time she had first woken, the door was now bolted shut.A moment passed quietly, and she lowered her gaze to her hands… useless. Lillia gritted her teeth. She could still remember the cries vividly, each one tightening the knot in her chest until she could barely breathe.The pain in their voices had been impossible to ignore. They had to suffer such pain because of
“I almost didn’t believe it before.” A low chuckle vibrated through his chest as he lifted his gaze towards the area beyond the trees. “The note,” he hummed. “It said the Ice Queen is here.” “The Ice Queen?” Maera met Selene’s equally confused gaze and neither woman spoke for a moment. Yet, it was clear that the same question had settled between them. Who was that?“Who is she?” Selene finally asked, her brows furrowing. Without looking at them, his gaze remained fixed beyond the trees. “She is the current Queen of Wolfsbane.” His head tilted slightly as though the answer itself had only made his thoughts more difficult to understand. “What the hell is she doing here?” He seemed to be thinking aloud. The current Queen of Wolfsbane… Lillia? Maera’s heart skipped. Her eyes widened as her gaze remained fixed on him, and it took another moment for his words to properly settle, for their minds to catch up with what he had just said.Then, almost simultaneously, the confusion cloudi
“Maera,” Selene’s voice rose softly, barely above a whisper. “Did you see that?”She raised her head, brushing her hair aside to properly look at the guard's retreating figure, his voice now nothing more than a distant memory. Maera did not answer at first, she was still busy keeping her head lowered. “Maera!” Selene called out again, her brows drawing together as urgency began to creep into her lowered voice. “What? See what—” Maera’s eyes widened. “Selene, keep your head down.” She spoke hurriedly through her teeth as she caught sight of Selene’s raised head. “What happened to not meeting eyes with the guards?”“He’s gone.”“Even though…” Maera sneaked a peek at the retreating figure, then took another quick glance around the compound before lowering herself again and looking at Selene. “That doesn’t mean you should be staring after him. What if someone sees you? What happened to not drawing attention?” Selene sighed. “I know.” Her eyes still lingered on the guard as she spoke
“If she’s not here, she’s probably dead, sold, or claimed.” Maera’s fingers tightened around Selene’s hand and something within her chest twisted painfully. She had never allowed herself to think about any of those possibilities, not once. Lillia was missing, that was all… she was missing, somewhere… but alive. She had to be. Yet, hearing the words from someone who knew this place, someone who had apparently watched countless people disappear through those doors made the possibility she had refused to acknowledge suddenly feel horribly real. Nevertheless, he continued, as though he were merely explaining something obvious. “It would be foolish to escape and then start looking for someone. The moment you compromise the plan, your chances of getting caught increases.”He paused. “It is every man for himself here. If you want to survive, you leave the baggage behind. That is what gives you the best chance of getting away.”And the silence that followed long after he had finished s
A sudden scream tore through the compound without warning, and it shook the women’s cage. The raw and agonizing wail carried through the trees and across the cages until every woman inside them froze. Maera’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes immediately lifted towards the direction of the sound, her body going rigid when another scream followed, this one even more desperate than the first. It was accompanied by frantic pleadings, words too distant to make out clearly, but the terror in the voice needed no explanation. Around her, the women had already begun to react. Some pressed themselves against the bars, their eyes wide and listless with fear, while others immediately lowered their heads, shoulders trembling as though even looking towards the source of the screams might somehow draw attention to them. A few exchanged frightened glances, their faces paling as another cry ripped through the trees. It was almost as though they knew what was happening, and not just that, th
you really mattered that much, it has been hours since you arrived, and yet, the great beast is still not here.” He laughed this time, crushing the cigar in the ashtray. “It was bad enough that you are not marked. That already says a lot. But, it is clear that you have been abandoned.” He leaned forward, the laugh vanishing to reveal a feral glare. “So, if I were you, with my life at the mercy of the current beast, I would mind my words.”Lillia gritted her teeth, her fingers tightening around her dress as she watched him, speechless. “Good girl.” He watched Lillia for a moment, taking in her reactions, and when he was satisfied, his gaze once again shifted to Zen.“What’s the update?”“Alpha Dante awaits our arrival.” Zen words were unhurried as usual.“Excellent,” his expression immediately brightened, and a satisfied smile slowly spread across his face. “We set out for the devil’s den by late noon.” His gaze shifted back to Lillia, and the initial warm smile returned as thoug
Maera froze as a sharp intake of breath from the other maidens followed. “Forgive me, my lady, but that… that won’t be possible,” She said, carefully choosing her words this time. “You cannot approach his Majesty unless summoned.” Fenris scoffed. He can’t be serious, can he… really? Only one way
Beautiful. She breathed as her face caught the silver glow. The full moon shone brightly at its peak, but like every other full moon, the ache began. It started deep within her bones; a slow, crawling soreness that spread through her body. The dull but consistent pressure in her mind un
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







