The car came to a halt near one of the side entrances, a door reserved for personal arrivals rather than grand processions. Still, there was no avoiding the line of staff already waiting for me; maids, stewards, and guards, all standing with their heads bowed low.Remi stepped down first, smoothing her dress before offering me her hand. I took it, grateful for the small comfort of her touch, and stepped onto the cold stone path.The air here felt heavier somehow, thick with the weight of history and expectation."Her Majesty, the Queen," one of the stewards announced in a clear, ringing voice. His words carried across the courtyard, and all eyes immediately fell on me.Their gazes were respectful, but it still sent a shiver down my spine. I forced a calm expression, lifting my chin just slightly. I had to be strong. This is amusing because I visit here several times, but I never actually enter through this door. I usually use the back door or teleport with Veldrin. Remi walked a st
A few days had passed since the mate bond ceremony.Everything in my life feels different now. People no longer called me Lady Rissa, the name I had grown so used to hearing. Instead, they bowed and addressed me as Luna… or Queen. Their every word, every gesture, was laced with utmost respect and royal formality.And to be honest, it made me uncomfortable, and the thought of getting used to it really made me nauseated.I don’t want to get used to it—not after spending weeks in the cabin, surrounded by people who treated me like a friend rather than a title. But the moment I became Veldrin’s Queen, I could see everything had changed. The laughter, the casual teasing, even the way they looked at me, gone. Now they acted as though I were something fragile, untouchable.I had tried, countless times, to tell them to relax around me. I wanted things to be the way they had been before. But no matter how many times I insisted, they couldn’t bring themselves to stop treating me like roya
"You think you can protect him by silencing me? You think pretending will change the truth?" She hissed. "Veldrin is reckless. And now, with her at his side, he's reckless and blinded. That's a disaster waiting to happen."My chest rose with controlled rage, instincts urging me to silence her before she doomed herself. I leaned closer, my voice a deadly whisper."You don't get it, do you? Saying his name with that venom... You might as well dig your own grave. I warned you this once. Say it once more, and I'll be the one to drag you before him myself. And trust me, Keala, his punishment will make you beg for death."Her lips trembled, but the fire in her eyes didn't die. She looked away, jaw tight, and for a moment, silence settled between us again.I sat back, slamming the gear shift back into drive, the car lurching forward. My hands were tight on the wheel, knuckles pale from the pressure. My wolf is screaming in my head, pacing, restless from the confrontation.I glanced at her
After the Mate Bond ceremony, I didn't stick around to celebrate with the others in the castle. The hall was buzzing with laughter, wine, and the kind of joy that only came with bondings, but none of it mattered to me. I had more pressing things to deal with, and I couldn't delay any further.So, I slipped out before anyone noticed, got into my car, and hit the road toward the human town. My mind was already running ahead of me, focused on the task at hand.But I hadn't even gotten far when the night decided to test my patience.I slammed the brakes hard, tires screeching against the asphalt. Standing in the middle of the road was a woman, arms stiff at her sides, her glare locked straight on me.Keala.The sight of her made my stomach sink, not because I was afraid. But because her presence meant trouble. Judging by the fire in her eyes, this wasn't a friendly look. Her gaze was sharp enough to cut through a hard boulder, filled with the kind of anger that seemed personal.'Gre
Around us, the gathered wolves—both in their human and beast form—bowed their heads together before raising them in a chorus of howls so fierce it shook my bones. The sound wasn't frightening; it was exalting, a living, breathing force that wrapped around me like fire and ice."Long live the Queen!" a voice rang from the front of the crowd. Others joined, their shouts swelling until the night was filled with cheers and laughter. Some beat their fists against their chests in salute, others threw back their heads and let their wolves sing to the moon.And there I stood, feeling the energy of their joy, the weight of their acceptance sinking deep into me. They weren't only cheering for their King, but they were claiming me as theirs, a stranger only days ago, now their Queen.Veldrin's gaze never left mine. His hands still cradled my face as though nothing beyond us mattered. The dangerous fire in his golden eyes softened, banked to a slow burn that belonged only to me. "Let them c
The day I had been eagerly awaiting finally arrived: the mate bond ceremony, or what humans refer to as a wedding day. The full moon shone brightly over Shadowhaven, casting a gentle silver glow through the tall pines. The forest seemed to breathe with excitement, filled with the cool breeze, mingling with the scents of pine and earth.The distant howl of wolves echoed softly through the clearing, a primal chorus that reminded me exactly where I was—at the heart of Veldrin's world, about to become part of it forever.And the clearing was surrounded by burning torches, their flames dancing and flickering like eager witnesses to what would happen.At the center of the massive, flat boulder, under the glow of the full moon, I stood facing him; Veldrin Shadowfire, my Lycan King. He looked incredibly handsome in the silver glow, his dark hair catching the torchlight, his golden eyes fixed entirely on me. Even now, surrounded by our pack and the most powerful Elders in Shadowhaven, I fel