Masuk"I checked other locations too, but the numbers there were overwhelming, and they could easily be counted in the hundreds compared to what's here."As he spoke, Carlisle crouched down and pulled a rolled-up map from his magic bag, a rough sketch he had made after circling the barrier. He spread it open on the ground, the lines marked with his careful observations.Victoria leaned closer to the map, her eyes widening in awe at Carlisle's work. She crouched down to study it more carefully, but soon found herself in a rather… compromising situation.Since Carlisle, Maxwell, and Sylas had shifted back to human form without bothering to put on clothes, as they are ready to shift into their wolf form again at any moment, Victoria struggled to keep her focus.Jayden seemed completely unbothered by their nakedness, but Victoria wasn't nearly as composed. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the map, her peripheral vision kept betraying her, catching glimpses of the dangling "eggplan
Maxwell raised an eyebrow, giving the goods in front of him a quick glance before smirking. He could tell that while Victoria claimed they would be feeding the locust swarm, she wasn't about to waste anything valuable.Instead, she'd gathered only rotting vegetables and straw—things that can only be treated as little more than animal feed or fertilizer. He chuckled softly, then reached out to ruffle her hair."Good thinking…" he murmured.Without another word, he pulled out the magic bag strapped to his waist and began storing as much as he could inside. Once he shifted back into his wolf form, the bag would resize to fit neatly around his neck, making it easy for him to toss the contents out, or he could also let Jayden handle it. That way, he could stay focused on running while Victoria and Jayden took care of dumping the rotten vegetables and straw.After Maxwell made his move, Carlisle and Sylas followed suit, storing as much as they could in their own magic bags. Jayden, of cours
Perhaps, if Victoria hadn't been unable to outright reject him, she might have already turned her back on him during her father's birthday banquet."…Alright. I'll do it," Carlisle muttered, his voice trembling faintly as old memories and regrets pressed heavily on his mind."That's more like it." Sylas smirked broadly, then turned to Victoria. "Tori, do you want me inside with you, or should I stay with Lance and help keep the locust swarm busy on the front lines?"Victoria quickly composed herself and nodded at Sylas. "You can come with us and help carry some of the supplies inside. We'll leave the distraction to Lance and the warriors." She decided without hesitation, knowing that bringing Sylas along wouldn't make their group too large to be noticed, and his strength would be useful once they were inside.Hearing this, Sylas's lips curved into a satisfied smile before he, Carlisle, and Maxwell set off together, circling the barrier in search of a spot where the locust swarm was th
"Alright, Princess," Jayden finally said, his voice steady though his expression was grave. "I know that once you've made up your mind, nothing I say will change it. So instead of wasting time trying to stop you, I'll focus on making sure you succeed.""But hear me out, if you're going in, I'm coming with you. I need to be there to open and close the barrier at the right moment. If I stay outside, the timing won't be guaranteed… and one mistake could doom us all. It's safer if I go with you."It seemed that no matter what Victoria said, Jayden would never be convinced to stay behind. Not only was he worried for her safety, but he also believed that accompanying her would give him a clearer understanding of her current situation.By staying close, he could protect her with his barrier, boosting her defenses and survival chances inside. More than that, being with her would allow him to calculate precisely when to open and close the barrier, ensuring Victoria's safety without letting a s
Some locusts were crushed instantly, their innards smearing across the barrier, but the others were truly resilient as they twitched back to life after hitting the ground, wings shuddering before they rejoined the swarm… only to slam themselves against the barrier again and again until they finally ceased moving.As Victoria racked her brain for a solution, she glanced at Jayden, hoping he might provide some guidance, but he was far too consumed with maintaining the barrier, pouring every ounce of focus into keeping it from shattering.Lance stood on guard, muscles taut, prepared to intercept the swarm should the worst happen. Carlisle, Sylas, and Maxwell had already taken their positions at the front line, too, bracing for the moment the barrier might give way.That left Victoria at Jayden's side, forced to hold back her questions. She knew better than to distract him; he was the linchpin holding the barrier together. If his concentration slipped even for a second, everything would c
And yet, beneath the humor, warmth stirred in her chest. It was almost… cute. Endearing, even. The old Carlisle would never have allowed himself to fall so low, not even for her. But here he was, willingly setting aside his pride, letting his dignity crumble, just to coax a smile from her. That realization softened her heart. As she laughed, Carlisle only smiled helplessly back at her, his emerald eyes shimmering with quiet devotion, while his thumb kept gently brushing away her tears. "Princess! This is bad!" Lance's urgent voice echoed through the mindlink. Victoria's brows furrowed instantly, a sinking feeling stirring in her chest. Her mood shifted in a heartbeat, and she snapped her gaze toward Carlisle, Maxwell, and Sylas. Whatever warmth lingered between them had to be pushed aside. She shot to her feet. Sensing the sudden change in her aura, the three men rose with her, tense and alert. "What's wrong?" Carlisle asked, his voice low and guarded. He saw how Victoria's t
Tori’s POV The next day, the sun glaringly pierced through the curtains. I couldn't remember when I had fallen asleep the night before, but as far as I recalled, I dozed off in the woods after crying the entire night. But now... I looked around and saw that I was back in the Alpha suite. I was
Tori’s POV I immersed myself in my work, hoping it would help numb the pain slowly consuming my heart. As night descended, no one reached out to me or even sent a mindlink, leaving me feeling utterly isolated, as if I had been cut off from everyone. But I pushed those thoughts aside and focused o
Tori’s POV It was as though they were making no effort to hide their actions, openly flaunting their connection in front of everyone, intentionally deepening my hurt. The mockery in their voices was unmistakable, and it stung sharply in the silence that followed. Carlisle's subordinates seemed
Tori’s POV Hearing it straight from his mouth, I felt my world crash down, but I couldn't even let out a whimper as pain consumed my body. After being away from each other for a long time, our mate bond was weaker, but even then, I could still feel the pain in my heart as a lone tear fell from my







