로그인OLIVIA’S POV.Sven’s story brings tears to my eyes and makes me cry miserably. I knew he has a deep-rooted hatred for my kind, but I never knew his own mother and grandfather were the architects behind it.“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice cracking. “Sven, I’m so incredibly sorry.”He doesn’t answer immediately. He stands perfectly still in the center of the room, looking at me with dark green eyes that seem to hold the weight of centuries. The fierce, terrifying king who controls entire armies suddenly looks like nothing more than a ghost of that broken, twelve years old boy who fled down to Māui. The silence between us stretches, heavy and agonizing, filled only by the sound of my ragged breaths and the quiet dripping of my tears onto the cold stone floor.“I wish there was something I can do. I know I can’t erase a childhood trauma, but- i’m so sorry-”“Please, you do not need to apologize, Olivia,” he finally speaks, his voice a low, gravelly whisper that vibrates through the quiet spa
OLIVIA’S POV.I never thought I would see King Sven cry, especially in front of me. And I do not even know how to comfort him because I am hurting too, over everything. At his admission. “How am I meant to believe that?” I ask, chest tightening because it makes no sense for this man to feel something towards me. The more I try to comprehend it, the more I feel like I am going insane. “It makes no senses for you to feel something for me. How can I even begin to comprehend it?”“You don’t need to,” he says gently, his fingers caressing my ankles. I wipe my tears with the back of my hands and sniff, eyes still set on him. “Maggi said that,” I begin with a stutter. “that our bond is useless because our feelings are not mutual. How am I supposed to know you are even telling me the truth? If truly you felt anything for me the moment I stepped foot in your Kingdom, then Carter would not have died. A bounty would never have been placed on my brother.”“Easier said than done, Olivia,” he rep
OLIVIA POV.It’s only a night before my final fight, and I can’t stop thinking of what Aunt Maggi had said about King Sven. It makes me feel confused the way she talks about him having feelings for me when the window incident had proven otherwise. “Argh! I really don’t know anymore,” I say to myself, facepalming as I fall onto my bed. I’ve just freshly showered and now I am dressed in one of the few clean gowns I own. Sleep tonight is an illusion, that much I know, especially when I would be facing the Ripper Ghost in the next few hours. A match I have no hopes of surviving, not even with my staff. I think of Kyle… and knowing he is with Katniss, I hope they are doing okay and staying safe. And it hurts that I might probably never get to see either of them ever again. Maggi’s words invade my thoughts again. And I am left thinking about King Sven, the mate bond between us that is basically useless because he has no feelings towards me, and just Maggi’s delusions of him having feel
OLIVIA’S POV.The morning arrives not with a burst of sunlight, but with a thick fog. The sharp, bitter sting of upcoming winter is fully present now, frosting the edges of the window glass.I sit at the edge of the bed with my knees pulled tightly against my chest. The chains around my ankles feel heavier today. They feel like anchors dragging me down into the earth.Tomorrow is the Dance of the Dead.Tomorrow, I must step into the arena with a monster. He has spent hundreds of years learning exactly how to kill.An unexpected, sharp click at my door makes me jump.For some reason, I expect to see King Sven or even Isadora. Instead, the door swings open and Aunt Maggi steps into the room. Her presence immediately cuts through the heavy sadness of my room. Her long silver hair is let down today, and it makes her look younger.The moment her eyes lock onto mine, a strange wave of relief washes over me. Maggi has been one of the few constants in my journey through the Dance of the Dead.
KYLE’S POV.“Yes, that’s it! Why do you ask?” Katniss looks at me, waiting.I keep my hands flat at my sides, my mind spinning out of control. Sandalwood. The exact scent from the antidote. One that was packed full of ancient, heavy Fae energy.I do not know if I should tell Katniss that King Sven might possibly be a Fae, just as Orion suspected. If the scent and the Fae energy match, then the King of Māui is an absolute fraud. He is one of us. But I’m aware he is also a hybrid, so does it mean he is half Fae and half hybrid or however that works?Is that why Olivia refused to work with Orion? Did she discover his secret during her time in his palace? Could that be why they are mates?But even as the pieces violently slam together in my head, I cannot help but think of the massive flaw in the puzzle. Why does King Sven hate Faes so fiercely despite being one of them? He literally tore down Eris wall. He watched his kind be killed and taken as slaves by other kingdoms. Why would a Fae
KYLE’S POV. The back window of the cabin opens with a muted slide. I slip out first, my boots hitting the soft dirt without making a sound. The morning air hits my face, cold and crisp, completely erasing the last lingering traces of my sickness. Katniss climbs out right behind me, carefully pulling the wooden panel of the window shut. She grips the hilt of her hidden sword through her traveling cloak, her eyes scanning the dense tree line. Out front, I can hear the distant, low murmur of Helios and Toby discussing what to have for breakfast. Orion isn’t around. Katniss mentioned he left for the palace hours ago, which makes this our only opportunity to escape. If the southern leader were here, we wouldn’t stand a chance of sneaking past his nose. Hybrids are especially sensitive to their environment. Katniss grabs my wrist, tugging me sharply toward the thickest trees. “Move,” she mouths silently. We move like ghosts, weaving through the underbrush until the cabin is completely o
Back when my brother, Kyle, and I were still pretending to be Omegas in the Shadow Moon Pack, there were only a few who showed us any kindness. Aside from the other Omegas who believed we were like them, the only person who extended even a shred of care—a hand of friendship—was Carter Katz, the you
“You’re insane,” I say, my voice trembling as I stare up at King Sven. My pulse hammers as I take a step back, trying to process his words. He wants me to bear his child? Why me? But I don’t let the thought linger. My answer is cold and final. “I’d rather be used as a sex-toy than bear your child a
How many days has it been since I arrived here?Everywhere is dark, and the floor is hard and cold against my naked skin. I can’t tell how long I’ve even been here because time feels irrelevant in the suffocating darkness that surrounds me. My ankles hurt from the silver shackles around them, and m
Nine years. That’s how long my brother and I have been hiding in the Shadow Moon Pack, keeping our heads down. My parents risked their lives to make sure we escaped the kingdom before the final blow. They even had our wings, fangs, the most obvious signs of being Fae, removed. Our ears were also cl







