MasukCalistas povMagnus closed the remaining distance between us until my back brushed against the edge of a large oak desk.The sudden closeness stole my breath. Heat radiated from his body.His scent wrapped around me, making it impossible to think clearly.“You have to stop,” he said through gritted teeth like he was holding back the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’m trying here.”“What am I to you?” The question left my lips in a whisper. I forced myself to hold his gaze. “Am I your secret? Your hobby? A distraction?”I gulped hard and swallowed the tears that threatened to show up.“Calista…”“Am I just the shiftless girl you enjoy spending time with until duty forces you to marry the woman everyone expects? I deserve the truth. I need to know exactly what you want from me. Because I refuse to stay in this palace as someone’s second choice.”For one second Magnus simply stared at me. Then something inside him broke.I scoffed. “I came here for research. Possibly to serve my t
Calista’s povI stood rooted to the spot, my eyes fixed on Magnus.His broad shoulders rose and fell with every ragged breath, the muscles in his chest still heavy with fury. Even from where I stood, I could hear the uneven rhythm of his breathing. My own heartbeat answered it, pounding violently against my ribs that I was certain he could hear it.Only moments ago, he had crossed the garden like a force of nature.He hadn’t hesitated. He hadn’t even stopped to think.The instant Jake reached for me, Magnus had become something terrifying, driven by an instinct so fierce it had shaken the entire royal court.Watching him throw himself between us had shattered something inside me.Until now, I had convinced myself that Magnus had brought me to the palace out of kindness. Perhaps he pitied the shiftless girl everyone had abandoned. Perhaps he simply respected my work enough to give me a place where I could continue my research.That explanation had always felt safer and easier to digest
Magnus’s pov“Say that again.”My voice came out as little more than a whisper, but it carried enough menace to silence even the wind moving through the royal gardens.My fingers tightened around the front of Jake’s uniform, digging so deeply into the thick fabric that I heard the first sharp rip of stitching give way beneath my grip. I lifted him higher against the cold stone of the fountain until his boots barely brushed the ground.“Go on,” I said, my eyes never leaving his. “Say it one more time, and I will make sure you never speak another word in this life.”Jake struggled to breathe. His face darkened to an ugly shade of purple as he clawed desperately at my wrist, trying to pry my hand away from his throat. Every gasp sounded more strained than the last.“Alpha!” Calista yelled out. “Stop!”I held onto Jake as he was slowly losing his breath before Calista came to me and touched my arm.“Please,” she pleaded in a softer tone. “Don’t do this. You could kill him.”I felt a monst
Magnus’s POVThe balcony exploded into chaos.The instant Stella’s declaration echoed across the ballroom, every trace of order vanished. The elderly lords began shouting over one another, voices rising in outrage and excitement as centuries-old traditions suddenly became the center of the evening. Nobles crowded against the tall glass doors leading to the balcony, craning their necks for a better view, eager to witness the royal scandal unfolding before their eyes.“An official promise!” Elder Garrow declared, his old face flushed with triumph. “The ancient pact still stands! Lady Stella is the rightful choice for our King!”“She’s powerful!” another lord shouted before anyone else could answer. “She has the respect of every noble house in this kingdom. She has stood beside His Majesty for years. We cannot allow a shiftless outsider to replace her!”The voices multiplied until they blended into one deafening roar.“She’s the obvious Queen.”“The bloodline must remain pure.”“The elde
Calista’s povWas it when he had said the word ‘mate’ at the dungeon? Or was it when his hand brushed mine back at my pack home? Was it when he had defended me in front of my people? Or was it when he had almost kissed me a few days ago?I couldn’t tell. But whatever bond that we shared was hurting seeing him with someone else.My fingers tightened painfully around the stem of my wine glass.Why does this hurt so much?The question filled me with equal parts frustration and shame.Magnus and I had never spoken about what existed between us.We had spent long nights surrounded by dusty books in the laboratory.We had laughed together over strange discoveries buried inside forgotten manuscripts.We had shared quiet conversations beneath the steam of a hidden hot spring.That was all.He was the King and I was only a researcher.So why did it feel as though every graceful step he shared with Stella was pulling my heart apart?I lowered my eyes before anyone could see the tears threatenin
Calista’s POV The words Stella had whispered in the throne room refused to leave me.‘You loved me before you even knew her name.’No matter how hard I tried to bury myself in my research, they lingered like a shadow clinging to every corner of my mind. They followed me through the marble corridors of the palace, echoed in the silence of the library, and lingered in the laboratory where I had once found so much peace. Every time Magnus smiled at me, every time he paused beside my desk or asked for my opinion on another ancient text, Stella’s voice returned, stealing away the quiet happiness I had begun to believe I deserved.She never declared war. She didn’t need to.Over the next several days, Stella fought with smiles instead of swords, and somehow those wounds cut deeper.She never raised her voice. She never insulted me openly. In front of the servants and nobles, she remained every inch the graceful future queen everyone expected her to become. Yet every polite word she spoke c







