By the time we returned from Kaiden's place, all I wanted was to collapse and sleep.Kaiden had been kind, almost grandfatherly, and our lunch together had been filled with warmth and long, thoughtful conversation. But spirits above, the man could talk. His stories, his wisdom, his laughter, they clung to me like the lingering scent of smoke after a fire. Comforting, yes. Exhausting, even more so.When we finally pulled up to the cabin, I turned to Remi. "Go home. Rest. I'll be fine."She hesitated, as always, but obeyed....The moment my body hit the soft bed, the exhaustion I thought I'd left behind came crashing over me again. The tonic's fire had faded, leaving nothing but the ache of strained muscles and the heavy pull of weariness in my bones.Within moments, sleep pulled me under, deep, dark, and relentless.However, Sleep did not come gently.It dragged me into a strange, shadowed place, thick with fog that clung to my skin like cold breath. The air trembled with a low
After sending Larissa and Remi to their car, I headed back to my unit. I barely stepped through the doorway before everyone decided to swarm me, firing questions about Larissa like they were in some speed-interview contest.Naturally, I ignored them. I wasn't really in the mood to play with their questions, especially when the prize was my patience. Instead, I made my way into the indoor training ground in the back wing of the castle and headed straight for the room in the corner.But, I didn't even make it to the door before Conor Walter, one of the captains in my team, decided to block my path with his curious voice."Eli, why did you bring an outsider into our training ground?"I looked at him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and offered my most confident don't push it kind of smile."Listen to me very carefully, Conor. She's someone you don't get to question. Not now, not later."He arched an eyebrow at me like I'd just spoken in ancient wolf tongue. "What do you mean?"I sighe
The weight in my body pulled me downward, my knees buckling until the ground seemed to rise up to meet me.Remi was at my side in an instant, her hand closing firmly around my arm as she guided me toward a bench beneath the pine trees."My lady… are you alright?" she asked, her voice tight with panic, her eyes searching mine."I feel like my muscles are betraying me, Remi," I murmured, my breath shallow. I drew in another deep inhale, trying to force more air into my lungs.Without hesitation, she pressed a small glass bottle into my hand. "Drink this, my lady... This tonic will help you feel better."I didn't question her. The second the tonic went down, I started feeling warm, like fire melting away the cold. My tiredness faded, and all the muscle aches just disappeared as if they were never there."My lady, how are you feeling now? Is it better?""Yes. Much better." I gave her a faint smile, hoping to ease the worry in her eyes. "Thanks to you, Remi."I saw that Remi's tension eas
Elijah led me onto a patch of hard-packed dirt, where two scarred wooden dummies stood like silent sentinels.I positioned myself, ready to focus—until a whisper of sound brushed against my ears.It wasn't just noise. It was a voice. Distant… but clear enough to make the fine hairs on my neck rise.At first, I forced myself to ignore it. But then, the words shifted, grazing against me like nails. They were talking about us. About me.I tilted my head ever so slightly, my ears sharpening to the thread of conversation. My heart tightened."Who is she again? Lady Larissa?""Yes. You're right… I heard Elijah call her that.""I've never seen her before. She's surely new around here, isn't she?""Yeah, I've never seen her either. This is the first time I've laid eyes on her. But… Why does Elijah seem so gentle and highly respectful with her?" a woman's voice murmured, almost suspicious."Maybe she's the new warrior?"A man's chuckle followed, and my pulse rushed, the scent of my own unease
Several days had passed.As usual, after Veldrin left, I was alone again in the cabin with only Ara and Suzan nearby. However, they were both tucked away in the back, absorbed in their work.The morning drifted by in silence. I sat in the living room, curled up with a history book, its ink-stained pages pulling me deep into another time. The world outside faded; there was only the story, the weight of the words, and the stillness of the air.Then, soft footsteps. Remi's voice broke the silence."My lady, good morning…"I looked up. She was smiling, but there was a certain edge in her eyes, politeness mixed with something else."Hi, morning, Remi…" I returned her smile, though I studied her a moment longer before gently closing the book resting on my lap. "I was expecting you at lunch. Why are you here early?""His Highness asked me to," she replied with her calm tone. She paused before continuing. "My lady… a visitor is asking to see you."My brow arched. Veldrin hadn't said a word
Arriving at the cabin, I frowned. Kyrex was sprawled out on the deck like he had no worries, instead of guarding my mate inside."Why are you out here? Where is she?" I asked, panic already creeping into my voice. "I'm just chilling here. I gave up trying to stop her from killing herself.""What the hell, Ky? Why would she want to kill herself?"Kyrex let out a low growl through his nose, his lips twitching into the faintest smirk as he closed his eyes like I was a nuisance. "She's hungry… and probably trying to see how many fingers she can lose in the kitchen," he replied, his tone dripping with infuriating sarcasm. "She tried to kill herself!"Usually, I'd have shot something back, but I didn't have time to appreciate his wit.I caught her scent from the kitchen and teleported straight to the doorway.There she was—behind the kitchen's island—hacking away at something with a very sharp knife, as if it were her mortal enemy. Her grip looked stiff and clumsy, her movements awkward,