Mag-log inHe took a step toward her, slow and predatory. "There will never be another. Not while I breathe. Not while I exist."His voice dropped lower. "I would burn every kingdom to ash before I let another man look at you, Sera. Do you understand me?"Sera didn’t move. Her breath quickened. Not in fear, bu
She reached for his arm—He jerked away. "I left because the rut was coming. Because I knew if I stayed, I’d mark you with another child and destroy the last pieces of you I hadn't already taken.""Rhazien—""No." His eyes burned, voice rising like a storm ready to split the world. "You think I don’
The citadel had gone quiet for the night.Lioren had taken the last shift patrolling the outer hall, his boots silent against the stone. Even the flames in the sconces burned low, as if the mountain itself held its breath.Sera had watched him earlier from the nursery doorway, the way his small fram
“Then we find another way,” she said. “Mortals have ways to—”“No.”His voice was final, sharp as a blade. “We’re not talking about root teas or salves. I know what my body is capable of. I know what I’ll take from you if I lose control.”“You didn’t lose control. Not even once.”He shook his head s
It had been weeks since the birth, yet the mountain still felt like it held its breath—like every stone and shadow remembered the moment blood painted its halls. The air remained thick, not with smoke or heat, but with silence. A silence that pressed down, weighty and expectant, as though waiting fo
"So will I."Rhazien, watching from a short distance, didn’t speak. But he inclined his head once—slight, solemn. A gesture full of unspoken meaning.It was the closest thing to a blessing he’d ever given.And this time, Lioren didn't flinch from it.He straightened his spine.Sera watched him for a
And that shattered her all over again.Because if he hadn’t felt anything, she could have hated him. She could’ve buried the betrayal under rage.But he did. And still, he was going through with it.She hated that she could feel it. She hated that it hurt more because he cared.By the time the doors
No one spoke.The healer’s lips thinned. "You would do well to hold your tongue, courtier. This is no time for prophecy, nor poison."Rhazien’s nostrils flared, and he turned on Vessara fully. “Get out,” he said, voice like a blade drawn from its sheath.She arched a brow. “Is that how you thank an
Her hand splayed protectively over her belly, trembling as if her body already knew what was at stake. She wasn’t supposed to want this. Not after everything she’d seen, everything she’d been told. But she did. With a desperation that made her ribs ache.She wanted to meet the soul growing inside he
They returned to the nest in silence.Rhazien didn’t speak, didn’t demand, didn’t even look at her the way he had before. He simply opened the door and waited for her to enter. The gold-laced chamber glowed with warm amber light, but it felt hollow now. Like something had cracked in the walls and ne







