Nyx's Pov That was Zade’s voice. We both froze. He stood in the doorway, his presence heavy and sharp. His eyes burned with warning as he looked at Kiera. “Don’t you dare hurt Liam. No matter what she says to you, you don’t touch him.” Kiera stumbled back, her face pale at his tone. For the first time, I saw her caught off guard, stunned. Her eyes flicked between me and Zade. Anger burned through her, but she swallowed it down. She pointed a sharp finger at me, her voice trembling with rage. “This isn’t over. You humiliated me, Nyx. I’ll get you back for it.” She shoved past Zade, her shoulder brushing his arm as she stormed out. The air was thick with her anger long after she left. The door slammed shut. Now it was just me, Zade, and Liam. His gaze shifted back to me, and I hated the look in his eyes. Desire. Hunger. Possession. He looked at me like I was still his, like I had no say in it. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t drop my gaze. I only held Liam tighter. “How does it fee
Nyx's Pov I held Liam against my chest, rocking him gently. My arms shook from the weight of my emotions, not from his tiny body. He was warm, soft, smelling faintly of milk and powder. My heart ached with so much love that I thought it might burst. Nora sniffled quietly beside me, her eyes shining with tears. Amara, the other maid, wiped her cheeks with her sleeve, her lips trembling as she watched. For a moment, it was only the sound of my baby’s soft breaths against my skin. I kissed the top of his head, my tears wetting his fine hair. “My baby,” I whispered. “My Liam. Mama’s here now. I’m here.” When I pulled back, I looked into his wide eyes. Big, curious, brown eyes. They locked on me, and for a second, it felt like he really knew me. Like he remembered me. And then, he smiled. A small, beautiful, innocent smile. My chest cracked open with relief, and a shaky laugh escaped me. “He knows me,” I whispered. “He remembers.” Nora covered her mouth, tears spilling down her ch
Nyx's Pov I sat on the floor for a long time after they left, my body trembling. My cheek still burned where Zade had struck me, my throat ached where his hand had pressed too hard. But I forced myself to breathe. Forced myself to move. He wanted to rape me. He wanted to take me. I couldn’t let him break me. Not again. Not when I knew what it felt like to have Caspian's arms around mine, his lips on mine too. Not when I knew that Caspian cared for me. That he loved me. I had to live. I had to survive for Caspian. For my son, Liam. Slowly, I pushed myself up from the ground. My legs shook, but I steadied them. I looked toward the bathroom door. My reflection in the mirror would be terrible, I knew it. But I needed to clean myself up. I couldn’t let Caspian or Liam see me like this. I walked into the bathroom, my steps heavy, and flicked on the light. The brightness stabbed my eyes, but I didn’t flinch. I stared into the mirror. Red cheeks. Blood at the corner of my lip. Clothes
Nyx's Pov The journey back to Zade’s territory was a blur of pain. I barely noticed when we left Caspian’s mansion, when they dragged him out in his comatose state, when they forced me into one of their cars. My heart was too heavy, my body too weak. I couldn't breathe. All I could see was Caspian’s pale face. His chest rising and falling faintly. His hand felt limp and cold in mine when I had tried to hold it before they pulled me away. I wanted to fight. Goddess, I wanted to. But there were too many of them. Zade’s men surrounded us. My pack, Caspian’s warriors, had all been defeated and chained. And I was powerless. When the cars finally stopped, I realized where we were. Zade’s territory. His pack house. The place I once called home. The moment my feet touched the ground, memories rushed at me. The nights I cried in this place. The way he locked me up. The way I thought I would never escape. And now… here I was again. I felt bile rise in my throat at the sight of the place
Nyx's Pov On my way back to Caspian's house, I prayed to the Moon Goddess. I prayed that whatever was happening was just me overthinking it. I prayed that he was safe. On the bus, I dialed Caspian's number again and it went straight to voicemail.My heart felt heavy. I was filled with worry because I didn't know what was happening. I had tried calling Kyle but it was the same thing. What had happened to them. When I got off at the last bus stop, I immediately hailed a cab and gave him Caspian's address. The mansion felt cold when I arrived. The first thing I noticed was that there were different guards standing at the entrance. But, they didn't stop me. They opened the gates and let me in. I didn't recognize them but I recognized their colors.Zade. He was here. But if he was here, then where was Caspian? My mind raced with the thought that Zade had killed Caspian but I knew it wasn't possible. Zade wouldn't have been able to because Caspian was stronger. When I got to the front doo
Zade's Pov The hall was practically filled with silence when I stepped out of Alice’s room. My blood was steady now, calm on the surface but boiling underneath. I was about to head downstairs when the sound of heels clicked against the marble floor.Kiera appeared at the far end of the corridor, her body moving like smoke, her eyes sharp as blades. She looked at me once, then again, her gaze narrowing when she realized exactly where I was coming from.Her lips curled slightly. Not a smile. Not suspicion alone. Something more dangerous.“What were you doing near Alice’s room?” she asked, her voice smooth, but edged.I stopped where I was, tilting my head, letting my expression stay unreadable. “I was just touring the house,” I said simply.Kiera arched one brow, stepping closer, her perfume drifting between us. “Touring?” she echoed, her tone flat.“Yes,” I replied, my voice calm. “I wanted to see what Caspian held dear. His little treasures. His little world. I walked through all of