LOGINMalric’s POV I led Emily away from that tent to stop her from seeing the maid's dead body like that.She was already shivering.I took her to my tent and comforted her until she felt better. We would talk about our child later, but right now, I needed to deal with Sharina first.“We'll be leaving for the palace soon,” I said, standing up. “So get ready. I need to attend to something.”I pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped out.The moment the tent flap fell behind me, whatever softness Emily brought out of me disappeared.Rage returned. The kind that demanded answers.Sharina’s tent was the first place I stopped.The guards Lucien had placed outside straightened immediately when they saw me approaching.I didn’t remember to ask if she was decent before barging in. She wasn't, but I didn’t care. She seemed not to care either, apparently hoping her half-nakedness would be enough to stop my wrath.I yanked the sheet from the bed and threw it over her, my body looming over hers as
Emily’s POV The room seemed to tilt slightly around me.Only hours ago Scarlett had been talking endlessly beside me during the hunt. Asking questions I didn't want to answer.Now she was lying here like nothing remained of her but an empty shell.My throat tightened painfully."Is she the maid you mentioned?" Malric asked. His voice sounded distant.I found it difficult to answer.Tears blurred my vision.Eventually, I managed a small nod."Yes. Scarlett."The word barely came out.A muscle ticked in Malric's jaw. Then immediately, he crossed the distance between us."No," he said quietly. His hand settled against my shoulder. "She's not worth your tears."The firmness in his voice grounded me a bit.I nodded, as I buried my face in his chest.“You’re leaving here.” he said, already guiding me away from the bed.I let him.Because if I stayed any longer, I wouldn’t be able to breathe properly looking at Scarlett’s lifeless body.Just before we reached the entrance, he stopped abrupt
Emily’s POV. Irene stood there. Her big round eyes were locked on me, glistening like she had been holding something back for too long and it finally cracked the moment she saw me. For a second she didn’t speak. She just stared at me like she was trying to convince herself I was actually real and not something her mind had made up out of fear. “What?” I asked, sitting up slowly, confused more than anything. I didn’t get a chance to adjust properly. A sharp sting hit my shoulder. I frowned reflexively. Then I realised she had slapped me there. Before I could even process why, she crashed into me, wrapping her arms around me like she was afraid I would disappear again if she let go. And just like that, she started crying. Not quiet crying either. The kind that came out uneven, messy, like she had been holding it in for hours and it finally broke. “How dare you think of leaving me alone?” she said, voice shaking as she clung tighter. “I was scared… I heard the rumours you were d
Emily’s POV I knew the priestess disliked me. That much had never been hidden. But hearing her call my innocent child a bastard? That was the height of it. My hand moved instinctively toward my stomach. Oddly… anger wasn’t what settled inside me. Resolve did. Long lasting resolve. I made up my mind silently. I was leaving the castle for good. And this time around, I meant it. My child would not grow up inside an environment where his existence would be debated, resented or treated like a mistake waiting to be corrected. Once we returned back to the palace, I would start planning how to leave. Not even Malric would know. And the thought hurt more than I wanted to admit. Because he had defended me, he defended our child. Fiercely and without hesitation. But how long would this continue? How long would I remain the center of conflict between him and the priestess? This wasn't just personal anymore. This was the kingdom. Duty. Politics. Power. And now… a child. I refu
Malric’s POV “I found out not long ago,” Sarah replied stiffly. “Just a few days ago.” Just a few days? My jaw locked. “Sarah,” I said quietly, my teeth clenched hard enough to ache. “You knew she was carrying my child… and somehow decided I didn’t deserve to know?” Her expression hardened immediately. “Why are you making this sound bigger than it is?” For a moment, I simply stared at her. Bigger than it is? “Let me remind you,” I said slowly, my voice dropping lower instead of louder, “One of your sacred duties as priestess is ensuring the safety of royal blood.” I took a step toward her. “Emily is carrying my child. A royal blood.” Another step. “You said nothing and you're telling me I'm making this bigger than it is?” “I already told you,” she shot back. “I only found out a few days ago.” My control strained. “A few days?” I repeated. “Those few days, anything could have happened to her.” My gaze sharpened. “She had a duel with an Alpha heir, someone stronger tha
Malric’s POV“There is also a bad one too which I think I should tell you first, my king.”Robert said it like he was carefully choosing which blade to stab me with first.My eyes narrowed on him immediately.He knew exactly what he was doing. The man had served me long enough to recognize when my patience was already hanging by a thin thread, yet he still chose to start like that.I exhaled through my nose, slow, controlled, the kind of breath I had learned to use when I wanted to avoid turning a conversation into something bloody.“Say it,” I muttered.Robert didn’t flinch, but I could tell he was bracing himself anyway.“I found a trace of the same poison in her bloodstream,” he said. “That’s the bad news.”For a second, nothing moved in me.Even the sound around the tent felt like it dimmed. My mind caught on the word before it fully settled. Poison. The same one from the royal wolf.My body went still in a way that had nothing to do with control and everything to do with instinct
Emily’s POV “I… I don’t have any…mark.”Even as the words left my mouth, I knew how stupid they sounded. My heart was pounding too hard to think or lie properly.He frowned.“I saw the crescent mark on your back, Emily. I remember asking you about it once.” His eyes searched mine. “Why did you lie
Malric’s POV I’d gone the wrong way.The river stretched before me, wide, restless, its current raging under the night sky.A rough breath left my chest.I turned to find another path…then stopped.I felt the dark energy coming again.Closer and faster.Damn it!I tightened my hold on Emily, pulli
Malric’s POV This was one creature I'd feared, and now I stood face to face with it.A nightwalker.It loomed before me, radiating victory.I'd read about its insane speed, so I knew exactly what was at stake.I sharpened my sight, straining to see in the total darkness.The beast slid its long bl
Emily’s POV The event was held in the palace’s grand pavilion, beneath the open evening sky. Golden columns and flowing drapes stretched over the sprawling lawns, accommodating the hundreds of elite wolves gathered for the exclusive after-celebration of the Moon Ascendance.Lucien’s hand rested li







