LOGINThorne’s POV
The moment the temple came fully into view, everything slowed inside me.The sacred grounds were lit by braziers, their flames steady despite the chaos pressing in from all sides. I thought weapons were banned, but they all held their swords, spears and bow and arrows.My men.Their armor bore my mark. Their faces were tight with confusion, rage, fear. They hadn’t expected to see me riding with Killian’s banner coming to attack them.Killian’s POV“To what extent will you stretch your cruelty, Calista?” I demanded, my voice carrying across the cliffs with barely restrained fury. “How far are you willing to go before you finally admit this has nothing to do with mercy?”She did not flinch at my anger.“I am not stretching cruelty,” she replied calmly, almost wearily, as though I were the unreasonable one in this exchange. “I am offering him salvation, because his mother has been suffering for years, years beyond what any soul should endure.”The wind lifted her silver hair, framing her face like a dark halo as she continued.“She never truly died, Killian,” Calista said, her tone lowering into something disturbingly sincere. “She has been trapped in torment, waiting for the one person strong enough to free her from that prison.”I hated that a part of me felt the weight of her words. Because I remembered Liam’s mother. I remembered her kindness when we were children.I remembered how she would patch our wounds afte
Liam’s POV“And if Calista is telling the truth,” I finished quietly, my voice hollowed by conflict, “then the only way to free my mother… is through your Luna.”The wind howled violently across the cliffs, as though the sea itself rejected the bargain that had just been spoken aloud.Before either of them could respond, a slow clap echoed from somewhere behind us.“Well,” a familiar voice drawled smoothly, each syllable coated in amusement, “it is refreshing to see honesty finally take center stage.”Every muscle in my body went rigid. Killian turned first, his expression darkening instantly.From the shadows near the parked vehicle, Calista stepped forward with infuriating elegance, her dark coat flowing behind her as though the wind itself obeyed her command.Her silver hair shimmered faintly under the fading light, and her eyes glowed with quiet triumph.“I must say,” she continued casually, tilting her head slightly as she examined us like pieces on a chessboard, “family reunions
Liam’s POVI kept throwing small stones into the restless sea, watching them disappear into the dark water as if they had never existed at all.There was something strangely satisfying about the sharp cracking sound each stone made when it struck the surface before sinking into the depths below.The waves crashed violently against the cliffs beneath me, echoing the storm that refused to quiet inside my chest.I leaned forward slightly, picking up another stone and weighing it in my palm as though measuring its worth before sending it flying.For a moment, I imagined each stone was a problem I could discard that easily.One throw, one splash. Gone. But life was not that generous.I exhaled slowly and hurled the stone harder than the previous ones, watching it skip twice before surrendering to the water.Behind me, the distant growl of an engine cut through the wind. I did not turn immediately.Instead, I closed my eyes briefly, already knowing who it was before the vehicle even came to
IslaI laughed like a careless child as I tickled him mercilessly beneath the tangled bedsheets that barely covered our intertwined bodies.Killian tried to shield himself, but his deep laughter only encouraged me to continue my attack with even more determination.“You cheater,” I accused playfully as I smacked his shoulder lightly after he shamelessly used his teeth to steal the chip I had just placed into my mouth.His grin widened with unapologetic victory, crumbs still at the corner of his lips as he leaned back against the pillows.“You should have guarded it better,” he replied teasingly, his voice thick with amusement as his fingers absentmindedly brushed strands of hair away from my face.I narrowed my eyes at him dramatically before reaching for another chip from the bowl resting between us on the bed.“You are unbelievable, Killian,” I muttered, though my smile betrayed how much I adored moments like this.The warmth between us felt fragile and precious, especially after ev
Liam’s POVI sighed heavily the moment I stepped out of the hospital doors after staying there for just a few seconds.The park across the hospital was dimly lit, lamps casting long shadows over empty benches and fallen leaves. I had been sitting there for nearly twenty minutes, trying to steady my thoughts before walking back inside to see Guinevere.She’d been worried.I adjusted my jacket and exhaled slowly, I have to get it together.I stepped off the curb and froze as I saw Calista stood a few feet ahead of me.She wasn’t dressed like she had been at the wedding. She wore full black now. Her dark hair fell over one shoulder as her eyes locked onto mine with that same unreadable calm.“You’re hard to find,” she said smoothly.My jaw tightened. “Move.”She didn’t.Instead, she took a slow step closer. “You disappear on your Alpha’s wedding night… and reappear outside a hospital. That doesn’t look suspicious at all.”I clenched my fists at my sides. “I’m not in the mood, Calista.”“
Killian’s POVI stood near the window, jacket off, sleeves rolled halfway up my forearms, watching her reflection in the mirror rather than staring outright.Isla reached behind her slowly, unzipping the back of her gown. The fabric slid down her shoulders, pooling at her feet like liquid silver.“I believe Liam’s disappearance has something to do with Calista,” I said evenly. “And you’ve been unusually close to him these past few days.”She stepped out of the dress, bending to pick it up without urgency.“I know what you’re driving at,” she replied, her voice tired rather than defensive. “But it would be better to hear you say it.”There was strain in her tone. She had been stressed all day, searching, questioning guards. “You know about Liam’s disappearance,” I continued, my voice lower now. “And you surely know whatever secret he’s keeping from me.”She turned slowly. Her expression wasn’t guilty, she felt offended, “So you’re trying to say,” she began carefully, “that I know







