And that was my fault.I reached forward and took her hand, gently, pressing my thumb over the faded marks at her wrist.She didn’t pull away. Not even a flinch.“I should’ve been here,” I said, more to myself than her. But I think she heard it because her fingers twitched against mine—small, fragil
DamonI carried Lila through the halls in silence. Servants froze when they saw me. Courtiers paled. One noble tried to speak—some hollow, startled protest.I didn’t hear it.My focus was on the woman in my arms. The way her breath caught. The way her fingers curled slightly into my shirt, even now.
DamonThe moment I stepped into the courtyard, I knew something was wrong.The palace gates groaned open ahead of us, the guards offering their bows a beat too slow. Ronan had peeled off to handle the travel reports. I stayed behind, expecting the usual—an update on the selection, Council requests,
I was still curled in the corner when I heard the footsteps.Not the guard’s heavy boots or the Council’s echoing presence. These were graceful. Sharp.My spine went rigid. I lifted my head slowly, blinking against the torchlight that had dimmed since last I looked.The cell door didn’t open. But so
LilaThe cell door slammed shut behind me with a sound that echoed into my bones.Thick stone. No windows. I could taste the iron in the air.No light except for the guttering flame of a single enchanted torch anchored high on the wall—too far to reach, even if I had the strength.The walls were dam
She took another step toward the Council table, her expression perfectly poised, a picture of calm righteousness.“I hesitated to speak,” she said, lifting her chin slightly. “Because I didn’t want to believe it myself. But I witnessed something… undeniable.”Her eyes flicked to me again—specificall
LilaAnother night, another ballroom.I lingered near the edge of the hall, just inside the arched entrance, not quite part of the celebration. My dress—a deep forest green that Emma insisted brought out my eyes—felt too tight across the chest. I kept adjusting the neckline, checking my braid, my po
LilaThe Great Hall was tense with anticipationThe banners above had been changed overnight—deep red and silver swaths, embroidered with the Lycan crest, hung like ceremonial nooses from the vaulted ceiling. Someone had gone to great lengths to make the space feel celebratory.It only made the air
LilaI slipped from my room before dawn fully broke, hoping for just a few minutes of stillness in the bathhouse before the chaos of the finalist announcement began.Steam hung in the air like a second skin, curling along the vaulted ceiling and clinging to my hair. The scent of lavender and eucalyp