CIARA’S POVThe moment Darragh's hand closed around mine, pulling me away from the cemetery and from Ronan's piercing stare, I felt like I could breathe again. My legs moved without me telling them to, following his lead as we walked toward the Moonveil estate. The weight of everyone's eyes followed us, but he didn't seem to care. He understood that I just needed to get away from there. Away from him.Away from the memories that crashed over me the second I saw Ronan's face.Darragh led me through the back entrance of the estate, down a hallway lined with family portraits, and into a spacious kitchen. The walls were painted a warm cream color, and copper pots hung from hooks above a large island. It felt safe here. Quiet. The sounds of the funeral gathering were muffled by the thick walls."Sit," Darragh said gently, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table.I sank into it, my hands trembling in my lap. Everything felt too loud inside my head. Too bright. Too much.Darragh moved aroun
RONAN’S POVThe car purred beneath us, all polished black and expensive leather. I watched the cemetery come into view through the tinted windows, headstones scattered across rolling green like broken teeth. My fingers closed around the small pouch in my palm. The charm inside felt warm against my skin."Why are we doing this?" Ewan's voice cut through the silence. He sat across from me, shoulders hunched, staring out his window. "And why aren't you wearing black, Mother?"Mother adjusted her violet gown with practiced grace. "Because black washes me out, darling." She smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her gloves. "Though I do have this lovely black coat if appearances matter so much to you.""It's a funeral," Ewan said flatly."Yes. For Sara's grandfather." Mother's smile was all teeth and calculation. "And Ronan and Sara are mates, or at least that's what everyone believes. We must keep up appearances."My stomach twisted. The lie sat heavy between us, but it was necessary. Everyth
DARRAGH’S POVThe church felt smaller with everyone packed inside. Werewolves from across the territory had come to pay their respects to Gamma Killian. The old stone walls echoed with quiet conversations and the rustle of formal clothes. I sat in the front row with my family, staring at the polished wooden casket surrounded by white lilies.He would have hated the flowers. Killian Bryne always said white lilies were for people who lived boring lives. And whatever else he was, boring wasn’t it. He’d been Sara’s grandfather—mine only in the most distant, political sense. She sat three rows behind us now. I could feel her presence like a weight on my shoulders, but I refused to turn around.Father shifted beside me, adjusting his tie for the third time. The bandage was gone from his head now, leaving only a small scar above his left temple. He looked healthier than he had in weeks, which bothered me more than it should have. Part of me had hoped the aneurysm would slow him down permanen
SARA’S POVI found myself behind the stables, pressed against the weathered wood where no one could see me fall apart. The tears wouldn't stop coming. They poured out of me like I was hemorrhaging, hot and endless and stupid. I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to stem the flow, but it was useless.From henceforth, you're dead to me, Saraphina Maychild.His words echoed in my head, each repetition like a fresh knife wound. The way he'd said my full name—cold, formal, like I was a stranger he was dismissing from court. Like twenty years of friendship meant nothing. Like I meant nothing.Maybe I didn't. Maybe I never had."Sara?"I looked up to find Eamon standing at the corner of the stable, his face creased with concern. He approached slowly, like I was a wounded animal that might bolt."Are you here to make fun of me too?" The words came out bitter and raw. "You probably think I rejected all of your advances because I was fucking around with the Alpha."Eamon stopped walking.
CIARA’S POVThe healer's chambers smelled like dried herbs and something else I couldn't place. Something old and earthy. She sat across from me at a wooden table worn smooth by countless hands. My own hands trembled in my lap."What I did back there," I started, then stopped. The words felt thick in my throat. "That wasn't healing."She nodded slowly. "No. It wasn't.""Then what was it?"The healer was quiet for a long moment. She stared at her hands, turning them over like she was seeing them for the first time. When she finally looked up, her eyes held a weight I'd never noticed before."The rot," she said simply."The rot?""There is a time to heal and a time to destroy." Her voice carried the cadence of old wisdom, like she was reciting something passed down through generations. "Once upon a time, healers were just as sought after as any other gifted ones. The witch hunts of ages old did not only affect witches. They affected the delicate ones and us as well."I frowned. "But wit
CIARA’S POVThe sparring ring felt smaller today. Every time I threw a punch or dodged Noah's strikes, Darragh's words echoed in my head: I think my father is the one who kills her.His voice had cracked when he said it. The pain in it made my chest tight. How do you live with suspecting your own father of murder? How do you function when the person who raised you might be a killer? And I thought I had it bad.I stumbled backward, Noah's fist barely missing my jaw. My feet tangled, and I hit the ground hard. The impact jarred my teeth."Again," Noah said, extending his hand to help me up.I took it, brushing dirt from my training clothes. "Sorry. My head's not clear today.""My head's not clear either," he said, stepping back into position. "It never is. But no one gives a damn about your state of mind on a battlefield." His eyes hardened. "You either win or you die."I nodded, trying to shake off the fog in my brain. We'd been at this for an hour, and I'd barely landed a decent hit.