LOGINI stood in front of the tall silver mirror in the Warlord’s bedchamber, staring quietly at my own reflection.It had been nearly 5 days since the invisible hand tried to crush my windpipe. The massive, terrifying bruises that had bloomed across my throat were finally fading. The dark, angry purple and black marks had slowly turned into a dull, sickly yellow that wrapped around my collarbones. It still hurt slightly when I swallowed heavy food, but the sharp, agonizing pain was gone.I reached up and buttoned the high collar of my thick wool tunic, hiding the fading yellow bruises from sight. I was not wearing the thin, dirty rags of a scullery slave anymore. I was dressed in heavy, warm Northern clothing. I wore a thick black sweater, sturdy trousers, and leather boots lined with soft fur. My hair was clean. My face was no longer hollow and starved. I was finally gaining my weight back.The heavy oak door creaked open behind me."I knew I would find you standing out of bed," Martha sa
I was wearing a loose piece of clean, white cotton was gently tied around my hands, so loose I could slip out of it if I really wanted to. I was sitting on deep, plush cushions. Thick, expensive animal furs were piled over my lap, trapping my body heat and keeping the bitter Northern cold completely at bay.I ran my bare hands slowly over the soft, heavy velvet of my gown, pressing my palms into the thick fabric.I leaned my head back against the carriage wall. A slow, quiet smile stretched across my face.Just a few hours ago, I was certain I was going to die. I was backed against a dirty hearth in a sweltering basement, choking on the dust of shattered stone. I had looked up into Cillian’s golden eyes and seen the promise of a brutal, violent death. He had brought down my entire stronghold. He had every intention of tearing my head from my shoulders the moment his hands wrapped around my throat.But I stopped him. I did not stop him with an army, and I did not stop him with a sword.
[Kaelen’s POV]The stairs felt longer than they actually were. I held the heavy iron chain tight in my hand. At the other end of that chain was King Garrick. He was stumbling, crying, and begging with every single step we took up the dark spiral staircase. I did not care. I pulled harder, letting the cold metal bite deep into his wrists. He deserved every bit of pain he was feeling right now.For years, I had dreamed about this exact moment. I spent my entire life as an outcast. I was the forgotten heir, the rogue Alpha thrown out into the wild because my blood was a threat to this coward. I remembered the day my family was killed, and what my mother did first thing when she knew something was wrong was to hide me. I watched my parents die; I was such a coward to fight for them. I was just a boy. I spent cold nights sleeping in the dirt. I fought for every meal I ever ate. I survived out of pure stubbornness and a burning need for revenge. I wanted to see Garrick fall. I wanted to dra
[Cillian’s POV]I stood three paces away from the roaring fireplace.My broadsword rested heavily in my right hand, the steel tip angled downward against the dusty stone floor. My chest heaved with the violent, suffocating force of my own restraint. I had already ripped my bare hand away from her throat. I had put physical distance between us the absolute second I realized what was happening, but the feral beast tearing at my ribs still screamed at me to close the gap and rip her head entirely off her shoulders. Selene leaned heavily against the stone mantle. She pulled greedy, ragged breaths into her lungs.She reached up with shaking fingers and gently probed the dark, angry bruises rapidly forming on her pale neck. She winced, massaging her throat, before looking up at me with bloodshot eyes. As she caught her breath, the terrifying desperation that had gripped her just moments ago faded completely. A sick, triumphant smirk twisted her lips."You nearly crushed my windpipe, Warlor
[Elian’s POV]I lay perfectly still on the massive feather mattress.I took a slow, deep breath. I let the cool Northern air fill my lungs completely. The agonizing, crushing weight on my chest was gone. The fatal magic that had kept me suffocating for days had finally lifted, leaving me exhausted but breathing normally. The deep, dull ache remained buried in my ribs, but the immediate threat of death had passed.For the first time in weeks, I felt a moment of true peace."You are staring a hole right through that wooden ceiling, child," a warm, familiar voice said.I turned my head against the soft pillows. Martha sat in a wooden chair pulled directly up to the edge of my bed. The old kitchen cook held a steaming clay mug of chicken broth in her wrinkled hands. She looked completely exhausted. Deep, dark circles hung under her eyes, and her gray hair was messy, but a gentle, relieved smile touched her lips.I tried to return the smile. The muscles in my face felt incredibly weak."I
[Kaelen’s POV]My broadsword hovered exactly two inches from Garrick’s chest.I kept my grip tight around the heavy iron pommel. I watched the Eastern monarch completely unravel in front of me. The polished, arrogant ruler who commanded legions had completely vanished. A sweating, terrified coward stood in his place. Garrick’s chest heaved with frantic, shallow breaths. His eyes darted wildly around the sweltering stone walls of the hidden bedchamber, desperately searching for a hole to crawl into.Garrick looked back at me. Confusion and panic completely warped his face."What are you doing?" Garrick choked out. His voice cracked, spiking into a pathetic, high-pitched whine. "I gave you a direct order. I stationed you in that exact corner. I kept you down here for one reason—to guard her! Why are you disobeying me? Get back to your post immediately and kill anyone who comes through that door!"I stared down at him. A deep, sickening wave of absolute disgust rolled through my stomach.
"Alpha."The word hung in the hot, heavy air of the room, heavy and completely damning. I couldn't believe I had said it. My brain screamed in horror, but my body didn't care. My inner Omega, starved and beaten down into the dark for nineteen years, clawed its way to the surface, demanding I give i
I didn't know if I was dying, but the world burned down around me.The castle became a dizzy, spinning blur of grey stone and flickering torchlight. I was held tight against a chest so broad and hard it felt like being pressed against a boulder. The heat coming off Cillian's body felt like pure hea
I couldn't look up, but I felt it. The whole feeling of the training yard disappeared. The air emptied out, replaced by a heavy, scary force that made every single Alpha in the yard fall to their knees without meaning to.Every Alpha except Torin. He was too busy wanting to hurt someone."Lick my b
I was not given food or water.A few hours after Cillian left me in the dark, the iron door shrieked open again. Two massive Beta guards dragged me out by the chains, my bare feet scraping against the freezing stone. The sudden influx of torchlight felt like daggers in my eyes. My head was pounding







