The humiliation clung to my skin like a stain I couldn’t wash away. With trembling hands, I pulled my clothes back on, desperate to leave the room, to put as much distance as I could between me and this hell. But as I reached for the door, Chris’s voice called after me, smug satisfaction lacing his words. “You’re not so bad, Camilla,” he taunted, turning to Tyson. “What do you think, future Alpha? Do you mind if I visit a little more often?” Tyson’s face was a mask of cold fury as he looked at me, his pride and ego burning from the knowledge that his mate was a lowly omega. He stared me down, a sneer twisting his lips as he spoke. “I, Tyson Woods of the Two Moons pack, reject you, Camilla, as my mate.” His words struck me like a blade. “Accept it or don’t. I don’t care.” **** Turning eighteen was supposed to change everything. I should have felt my wolf awaken, should have finally belonged to my pack. Instead, all I got was silence—the same empty, gnawing silence that’s haunted me since the day I realized I’d always be the runt, the omega no one cares about. When I met my mate, I thought it might finally be different. But Tyson Woods, my so-called fated mate, didn’t just reject me—he destroyed me, making it clear I was nothing but a stain on his pride. Running away was my only choice, even if it meant crossing into enemy territory. Now I’m trapped, claimed by Alpha Ryker—a man as cold and unyielding as the forest that swallowed me up. He’s dangerous, feared by every wolf on this side of the border,
View More**RYKER’S P.O.V**It was the quiet that got to me. The kind of quiet that settled deep inside, slowly suffocating me, filling the space with a growing sense of dread. Camilla was lying in that bed—our bed, no less—motionless, and it tore at me, piece by piece. It wasn’t just the endless days of waiting or the overwhelming tasks that I was shouldering alone; it wasn’t even the constant worry that she might never wake up. It was the children.Audrey didn’t understand. She was too young to grasp why her mother wasn’t moving, why her usual questions were left unanswered, or why her playful days with Camilla had come to an abrupt halt. She had asked, with that innocent curiosity that tore me apart, if Camilla was going to be like Leanor. She didn’t understand death yet—she only knew that when people left, they never came back.Aurora was even harder to bear. A child who used to cling to me every waking moment, she now pushed me away, her tiny body rejecting my embrace. She screamed endless
**RYKER'S POV**Everything happened too quickly. One moment, Camilla was speaking with a man in the crowd, and the next, an arrow pierced her side. My heart stopped as she crumpled, and I rushed to catch her, the chaos around us rising to a fever pitch. Doctors hurried toward her, but my eyes were fixed on the source of the attack. My gaze locked with Frederick's atop a distant building, a cruel smirk curling his lips.A wave of rage consumed me, hot and relentless, threatening to swallow everything in its path. I glanced at Camilla in my arms, her blood staining my hands, but I knew I couldn’t let this go. I couldn’t let him escape. I placed her gently in the care of the doctors, whispering promises to her, before turning away with a single-minded focus: Frederick.The square seemed to melt away as I bolted toward him. A few guards followed, but they were secondary. I had one goal, and I wouldn’t rest until it was achieved. Frederick’s feet were swift, carrying him into the thick for
**CAMILLA’S POV**Two days had passed, and the weight of the situation hadn't lifted. Every hour seemed to drag on with dread, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was unraveling around me. I kept trying to find another way out, another solution, but none presented themselves. The people were restless. Rumors were spreading like wildfire, fueling anger and confusion. The tension in the air was palpable, and everywhere I turned, there was chaos. The fighting had escalated—more brawls in the past two days than the entire month before. It was as though the kingdom was slowly fracturing.A soft gurgle from the bassinet broke through my thoughts. Aurora was peacefully sleeping, her tiny form still and serene. I glanced at her, feeling a tightness in my chest. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her, but I had no choice. She would be safe with Christine, and Audrey was already with her, but still, the anxiety gnawed at me. It wasn’t just the meetings I feared—it was the unkno
RYKER'S P.O.V.Every moment, I could feel the weight of Camilla’s anger pressing down on me. She hated being locked away in the palace, and I hated that I had to make that choice. But in my heart, I knew it was the only one that mattered. I would choose her safety over her happiness, every single time. I couldn’t allow her to be out there, exposed, while Frederick was still a shadow in the kingdom—his presence like a dark cloud hanging over us. If he had the power to disappear so completely, then it was all the more reason I needed to keep her protected. Her happiness could wait. Her life couldn’t.The doctors had worked tirelessly, and I was grateful they’d managed to create a cure. But the death of a single person, one who had fallen victim to the attack near the stream, was enough to send ripples of fear through the people. They didn’t know the truth, not fully. But rumors spread like wildfire, and it wasn’t long before the unease grew into a tremor of panic. I could see it in thei
CAMILLA’S P.O.V.The palace felt suffocating that morning—an air of tension so thick, it clung to everything. Guards rushed through the halls, their steps echoing with urgency, as they tried, in vain, to track Frederick's movements. They combed the towns, questioned villagers, and searched every nook and cranny for any sign of him. But no matter where they looked, every description of Frederick was different, no two eyewitness accounts matching. It was maddening, but I couldn’t help but feel a reluctant admiration for his skill. He had vanished, leaving no trace, no clues to his next move.I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he had left something behind—a message, a hint, anything. The thought gnawed at me. I had grown so accustomed to the pages from my father’s journal being scattered, a cryptic reminder that Frederick was always close, always watching. He wouldn’t just vanish without a word.“Didn’t he leave a message?” I asked again, my voice strained with frustration. “I can
RYKER’S P.O.V.The days that followed Frederick’s ultimatum felt like the quiet before a storm—a silence so thick, it suffocated. The guards were fortified, border patrol doubled, and every inch of the palace buzzed with preparation. Yet, amidst the chaos, my thoughts were singular: Camilla.Her faith in Frederick was unwavering, and while I admired her empathy, it frightened me. She was tethering herself to the notion that he could change, that he wasn’t the monster I knew him to be. But I had seen the hunger for power strip men of their humanity, seen it poison families and burn down empires. Frederick wasn’t an exception; he was the rule.That morning, as we left a briefing with the generals, she broke the silence. "What if he doesn’t attack?" she asked, her voice a mix of hope and desperation. "What if he’s bluffing?"I wanted to comfort her, to shield her from the inevitable truth, but I couldn’t afford to lie. "It’s a tactic," I replied, my voice firm. "He’s keeping us on edge,
CAMILLA'S P.O.V.As the last piece of Eva’s story came to light, a heavy ache settled deep in my chest. The more I learned about Frederick’s past, the more I felt the weight of his pain. A boy raised in isolation, with no family to guide him, no friends to lift his spirits—only the ghost of a mother clinging to a love that could never truly be hers. How could anyone grow into anything but a storm after that?“Camilla,” Ryker’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as he joined me by the window. The moonlight painted his features with a quiet tenderness. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”I didn’t answer right away, afraid my words might betray the turmoil swirling inside. Instead, I focused on the stars, letting their cold, distant beauty steady me.“You’re thinking about him again,” he guessed, his voice tinged with concern. “Frederick.”“I can’t help it,” I admitted softly. “He’s not just some villain in a story, Ryker. He’s a person—a hurt, desperate person. Maybe... maybe this is
CAMILLA’S P.O.V.The walls pressed in around me as I walked through the narrow tunnels, the air thick with the scent of mold and stale earth. My hands brushed against the damp stone, steadying myself as cobwebs clung to my hair and face. Every step echoed faintly, a haunting reminder that I was utterly alone in this labyrinth. I tried not to let fear take root, but my heart raced as the oppressive darkness swallowed me whole.I pressed on, forcing myself to breathe evenly. As I ventured deeper, the filth began to fade, replaced by cleaner walls and subtle signs of life. A discarded wrapper here, a scrap of clothing there—this was no mere forgotten passageway. This was Frederick's haven, his hideaway within the heart of the palace.The narrow corridor opened into a small clearing. A sleeping bag lay unrolled on the floor, a journal resting beside it. My fingers trembled as I picked up the book, its worn cover cold against my skin. This was it—the answers I had been chasing. I was about
Camilla's P.O.V.Christine’s words hung heavy in the air as we stood in Ryker’s office. My mind struggled to process what she had just revealed. She spread the old, crinkled papers across the desk with a mix of pride and urgency, but I couldn’t shake my disbelief.“Tunnels?” I repeated, the word foreign and almost absurd. “He’s using tunnels to move in and out of the palace?” I looked at her, searching for some mistake, some flaw in the theory. “How didn’t we know about them? How didn’t you know about them? Surely my mother—she would’ve told you, wouldn’t she?”Christine’s face was shadowed with regret. “I don’t think she knew,” she admitted softly, her voice tinged with both frustration and apology. “The tunnels aren’t on any of the official blueprints. The only reason I found them was because of these old architectural notes. They’re not even complete—most of the original plans are lost. These were just notes from after your parents married. They mention the tunnels, but the newer r
Turning eighteen was supposed to be the beginning of something powerful, the day my wolf would rise within me and transform my life. All my years as a runt—a frail, insignificant member of the pack—would end, and I’d finally find my place among them. But the only thing that changed this morning was that I woke up to the same empty silence inside, no wolf stirring, no strength or instincts awakening within me. Instead, I forced myself out of bed, threw on my usual worn-out leather jacket, and headed across town to the Sapphire Lounge, the exclusive club where I worked. It wasn’t excitingly attractive, but it paid what it could. I sat discreetly between two sleek buildings, the club was a dark, atmospheric den quiet mostly for the higher-ranking wolves who wanted a place to relax. When humans stumbled upon it by accident, they rarely stayed long, sensing something… predatory. Rick, the owner—a tough wolf with a bald head and a constant scowl—was waiting for me as I came through the ...
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