เข้าสู่ระบบEmily’s POV We got ready for the royal hunt.I didn’t know exactly how these things were usually done, but one thing I did know?This was going to be fun.Well… aside from my actual reason for wanting to spend a night in the woods.Malric had mentioned the hunt would take place within the royal hunting grounds, so everyone was preparing accordingly. The royal doctor came along, along with a few guards, attendants, and maids.To my surprise, Malric announced we’d be travelling by horse.“Horse?” I muttered under my breath.“That’s how it’s always been.”I turned. Irene stood beside me, adjusting her gloves.“Oh… you’ve attended one before?”“Twice,” she said.Then she grimaced.“And the second one almost cost me my arm.”My brow furrowed. “What? Why?”“It’s hunting.” She shrugged as though that explained everything.Which… it absolutely did not.“A maid lost her life once. Another got badly injured.” She paused. “Unintentionally.”I stared at her.“What?”“It’s never really anyone’s f
Irene’s POV My hands tightened around the handkerchief the lycan prince had given me as I knocked on the door to his suite, waiting for him to answer.I couldn’t tell whether he was inside or not.Unlike the Lycan King, the lycan prince didn’t keep guards stationed outside his door who could tell whether he was in his chambers. Not because of anything in particular, he simply hated the idea ever since he was young.My mum raised him, so I knew most of his habits.Even as a lycan, you would rarely find scars on his body. He cherished his body more than even she-wolves did. I had seen him countless times half-naked whenever he ordered me to come bathe him in his tub. Soapy water always covered his private parts, but still… I had never seen scars on the exposed parts of him.I knocked again, waiting another thirty seconds before deciding what to do.According to his instructions, if you knocked three times and he didn’t answer, you were never to attempt a fourth."If I'm inside, I'd ope
Malric’s POV The way Emily stood up to Sarah despite knowing exactly who she was dealing with… made me a little uneasy.Reckless little thing.And sincerely… I loved that about her.I called her little fire for a reason.I stepped in before Sarah completely lost her temper.She already had, admittedly. And she hadn’t bothered holding her tongue either.Still, I granted Emily the audience.Even if I was about to bind myself to Sharina… Emily would always come first in my heart.That would never change. Not even if Sharina’s mark eventually pushed her away from me.Then Emily made a request I wasn’t expecting.“I want you to approve a royal hunt.”What?My jaw tightened as I paused and turned to her.“Why that?” I asked.She looked at me. Those innocent blue eyes silently pleading.I had to look away before I gave in too easily.“I just thought it would be nice… I feel bored here,” she said quietly.The way she said it made a pang of guilt settle in my chest.My mating ceremony with Sh
Emily’s POV After Lucien left, I walked over to Irene and we headed off together.She still looked shaken, though I kept reassuring her that everything would be fine.Lucien would look into it, just like he said he would.And… I had noticed the strange way he looked at her now.It wasn’t obvious. Just subtle enough to make me wonder.Although, I couldn’t tell what was going on inside his head… whether he actually liked Irene or not.That Lycan prince was impossible to read.Irene and I talked for a while longer since she had already finished her duties for the day.As for me… the butler still refused to let me lift a finger because of Malric’s ridiculous instructions.After talking and fooling around a little more, Irene suddenly remembered Lucien’s handkerchief.She insisted she had to return it before he got angry and lashed out at her.I laughed at the way she said it.I still didn’t completely understand why Irene feared Lucien that much.Then again…Maybe I did.When you’re secr
Emily’s POV I could visibly see the shock on Irene’s face as Lucien suddenly walked in on us.Honestly, I understood her situation more than anyone.I had been there too.Sharina had once used my mark against me, making me believe it was cursed.And now it irritated me even more knowing she carried the exact same mark herself… yet still weaponized mine against me.If anything, I felt worse for Malric.He was about to bond himself to a woman like her.Even though I had been trying to accept the circumstances forcing Malric into that bond, my chest still tightened when I heard their mating ceremony was only a few days away.I didn’t want to dwell on it too much.But if the emotional turmoil became unbearable, I would have to speak to him about letting me leave the palace.“Is it about why I saw you crying yesterday?”Lucien’s voice cut through my thoughts instantly.His gaze was fixed on Irene.“Y-yes… I… I…”Irene stuttered helplessly under the pressure, panic visibly overtaking her.
Irene’s POV My mind ran endlessly throughout the night until daybreak.And even then, I still couldn’t decide which death was easier—obeying Sharina… or telling the Lycan Prince the truth.So throughout the day, I avoided both of them.I couldn’t even tell my mother about this new complication. At this rate, I’d end up giving her high blood pressure.Somehow, I had to find a way through both disasters.As I carried on with my normal duties around the palace, whispers spread that the King and Sharina’s mating ceremony would happen in a few days.My chest tightened.That manipulator didn't deserve to be the queen. And every time I heard about it again, guilt twisted painfully inside me.I knew the truth.Yet I was still doing nothing.I was about to abandon another friend.Emily.God… I had never felt this mentally scattered and exhausted before.The dark circles under my eyes alone were enough to tell anyone I hadn’t slept all night.My mother didn’t question me much. She already ass
Emily’s POV Since Malric wouldn't allow me to do anything today again, I went to the place Lucien took me to yesterday to unwind and refresh my soul.I’d seen him and told him I would come here again. I liked the fact that there was no disturbance and I could think properly.“Emily,” I heard Piper
Anonymous POV“Damian Stone.” I laughed, letting the name roll off my tongue like a curse.It’s laughable how everyone thinks he’s invincible, that he’s some untouchable king. No. Being a lycan king doesn’t make him a god. He’s just another mortal. And soon… he’ll remember that.If I’d poisoned him
Malric’s POV I wasn’t blind to Emily’s subtle change. She didn’t make it dramatic like last time when she’d searched for flimsy excuses to escape me, but I knew something was off.I rolled out of bed, prepared for morning training, and made my way to her door.I knocked.No reply. I could feel sh
Emily's POV “I’m sorry about this, Emily,” she said, worry threading through her voice.I inhaled slowly, forcing myself to compose my expression before turning to her. “It’s not a big deal,” I said, offering a smile…if it could be called one.Of course, even someone her age knew it wasn't real. S







