LOGINElsie's POV "Like my insides are corroding," Quinn confessed, a grimace crossing his pale face. "But listen to me, Elsie. Whatever happens, I know that you will be fine. I already wrote an official decree. You will be Queen, and you can take a mate to continue the royal line. There is just me anyway, so no one will compete with you on that."Tears spilled freely down my cheeks. "Stop this, Quinn! Stop talking like that! Just rest and let me think of something!"Quinn shook me feebly, his lips slowly turning a terrifying shade of blue. "If... if I die, the first thing you must do is kill Ezra.""No!" I cried, rubbing my eyes desperately, trying not to flail my arms in sheer hopelessness. "I will make him give up the antidote! Don't worry about that, just focus on staying alive!"Quinn just kept talking as if he hadn't heard a single word I said. "You can travel and go wherever you want, Elsie. Being Queen will not tie you down, so fear not."He began shivering badly, his body tremblin
Elsie’s POV Quinn's voice came back, tight and full of regret. ‘I didn't want you to worry, Elsie. Don't be bothered by his words.’‘Too fucking late!’ I snapped back.I took a step toward Ezra, my hands twitching. "You poisoned Quinn?! Where is the antidote?"Ezra chuckled softly, enjoying every second of my panic. "Why would I so easily tell you that, little warrior? It's my only ticket to staying alive."Quinn stepped forward, his gaze ice-cold. "Dream on, Ezra.""But I think it is the case," Ezra insisted, leaning against his chains to grin at me. "What do you say, Elsie?""How?" I demanded, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts. "How did you poison him?"Ezra's grin widened. "Well, it was an insanely brilliant plan of mine. I noticed that he was always so slippery, getting out of damning situations as if the Goddess herself was only on his side. I needed a backup plan, and I was right!"He burst into a wild, maniacal laugh.I just waited patiently, clenching my fis
Elsie's POV The celebration was in full swing, the open field humming with warmth and loud laughter. I sat in my designated seat right beside Quinn, who was watching the festivities with a calm, pleased expression.The feast was massive. Long wooden tables groaned under the weight of roasted boar, spiced venison, and platters of warm root vegetables. Fires roared in the center of the camp, casting long shadows across the snow. Warriors laughed loudly, clinking mugs together and swapping stories from the front lines.I ate to my heart's satisfaction, filling my plate twice.Near the middle of the meal, Commander Jasper stood up, raising his tankard high into the air. The crowd gradually quieted down to listen. He gave a rousing speech, honoring the fallen and praising our strength, before raising his cup higher. "To the King and the Queen!"I looked at him, pleasantly surprised. I hadn't expected him to address me like that in front of the entire army, but I couldn't help basking in t
Elsie's POV I was shaken awake so rudely that my instinct took over at once. I twisted out of my assailant's grip, rolling across the cot and lunging forward to clamp my fingers around his throat—only to freeze the second the familiar berries scent of my mate hit my nose.I let out a harsh breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. "For Goddess's sake, why?!"He held out his hands placatingly, stepping back half a pace. "It was not my intention to scare you. I just had a terrible thought and acted before I thought it through."I collapsed heavily back onto the cot, rubbing my tired eyes. "What scary thought could possibly make you wake me up like that?""Do you still feel stressed?" Quinn asked, his eyes searching my face in the dim light of the tent. "Your scent hasn't returned to normal."I blinked, sniffing the air around my collar. "Really? I don't notice any change in my scent.""It's very subtle, but it's there," Quinn insisted, his voice tight. "If even your friend who cannot
Quinn's POV The moment I stepped inside my tent and dropped the canvas flap behind me, my legs gave out. I collapsed into my chair, my hand shooting to my chest to clutch the center of my ribs.A strange ache was throbbing deep within my chest—a suffocating pain that I couldn't quite explain. It had started right as I was standing outside Elsie's tent, but I had forced my face to stay flat so she wouldn't notice. It could easily be nothing, just the physical toll of shifting back and forth to fight Ezra's monstrous form. I didn't plan to mention a word of it to Elsie. She had already suffered enough today, and I didn't want her worrying unnecessarily.Sitting there in the quiet tent, I could still smell her sweet scent wafting over from her tent a short distance away. It had changed a little bit earlier but I figured it was nothing a little rest couldn't fix once the stress of the battle wore off."Your Majesty," Hunter's voice called out as he pushed the tent flap aside and stepped
Elsie's POV The very first thing I encountered upon returning to the camp was the head healer bustling up to me, handing me a small wooden cup. It turned out to be the usual weird-tasting herbal drink she always forced on me these days. I narrowed my eyes at the woman's pleased, expectant face as I downed the liquid, but I really wasn't in the mood to argue with her today. Handing the empty cup back, I immediately asked about Tate, and the healer pointed me toward the rear section of the large medical tent. I had been told that Tate was in the healer's tent, and I had rushed here the second I arrived back at camp. I was already expecting the worst, but when I pulled back the inner divider, he looked whole. He was fast asleep on a low cot, wrapped in a wool blanket. I let out a quiet breath of relief and sat down on the stool beside his bed. The moment my fingers lightly touched his shoulder, he jerked awake, his body tensing in defense. I smiled softly at him, but my expression f
Quinn's POVI asked for strong, hardened warriors. So why did I find myself staring down at a runt who looked like he had barely seen eighteen winters?I sat perfectly still on a thick branch of the ancient oak tree, my presence masked by the shadows and the rustle of leaves. Below me, the pup had
Elsie’s POV"She has humongous tits," a hairy, buff man shouted, his voice echoing off the canvas walls of Tent 42. He was leaning back on his bedroll, a crude grin plastered on his face. "As she rode me, they were flapping in my face like great balloons!"He finished his sentence with a roar of la
Elsie’s POV I froze in my tracks. I had always been daring, stubborn, reckless even—but this? This was beyond rebellion. If I was caught, the shame would destroy my father. But if I stayed, the mating would destroy me. Nearby, an older woman pounded grain into a mortar with exhausted arms. A cry
Elsie's POVA hand with wicked-looking claws sliced through the air toward me. I felt the rush of wind against my skin and only ducked at the last second. I could have moved sooner, but I loved the thrill of the danger. It made my blood hum.Staying low, I swiped my short wooden sticks, the ones I







