LOGINThe hallway outside Becca’s chamber felt colder than the room she had just left.Ariel stood there for a moment, unmoving. Her hand still lingered on the handle she had just released, her fingers trembling slightly as if they refused to let go of the door.Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she tried to steady her breathing.Desmond’s voice echoed in her mind again, sharp and unforgiving.“I can’t fail,” she whispered under her breath.Her hands clenched into fists.“I won’t let that happen,” she said quietly and with that she turned back.Ariel knocked again.Inside the room, Becca looked up, slightly surprised.“She’s back?” Mira muttered.Becca frowned slightly.“Come in,” she called.The door opened slowly.Ariel stepped in again, her posture more hesitant now, her eyes lowered in what looked like humility but beneath it, something else lingered.“I’m sorry to bother you again, Luna,” she said softly.Ariel took a step forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.“I… I wan
The garden was too beautiful for the thoughts running through Seraphina’s mind.The scent of roses lingered in the air, calm and serene, completely at odds with the storm raging inside her.She stood at the center of it all, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, nails digging into her skin as her jaw remained locked in silent fury.Two days was all that stood between her and everything being taken away.Her chest rose sharply as the thought settled again, heavier this time.She was at risk because of a duel and Eugene.“This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.Her grip tightened further.“We’re not losing.”The words weren’t just a statement, they were a refusal, a rejection of the possibility itself.“I didn’t fight my way to the top just to lose everything now,” she said quietly, pacing slightly along the stone path.Desmond had to win. There was no other option.“He will win, he has to” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.Her thoughts shifted again to S
Soft light filtered through the tall windows, stretching across the bed in pale gold streaks, warming the room but doing little to ease the tension that lingered within it.Becca stirred slowly beneath the covers. Her brows furrowed slightly as she shifted, her hand instinctively reaching out across the bed but it was empty.Her eyes snapped open instantly.“Eugene?”The name slipped from her lips before she could stop it but there was no answer.Her heart began to pound amd the air suddenly felt thinner.“No… no…”Her breath hitched.She sat up quickly, her eyes scanning the room as if he might appear out of nowhere but he didn’t.The emptiness of the bed beside her felt louder now and her chest tightened painfully.He’s gone.The thought hit her before she could stop it.What if something happened?Her mind spiraled instantly, images flashing too quickly, too vividly.“Stop thinking like that…” she whispered, pressing a hand to her chest but fear didn’t listen.Just as her breathing
The silence between Max and Skye stretched and he could still feel the temptation to forget everything and just go with her.His chest rose sharply as the thought hit him fully, his mind painting the image too clearly.“No.”The word came out firm.Skye’s breath caught slightly.“Max—”“No,” he repeated, louder this time.He stepped back, putting distance between them, as if being too close to her was dangerous.“You don’t get to do this,” he said.Skye frowned, confusion and hurt flashing across her face.“Do what?”“Show up here, after everything, and expect me to just walk away with you like nothing happened” Max said, his voice rising slightly.“That’s not what I’m asking—”“That’s exactly what you’re asking,” he cut in.The tension surged between them again.Skye took a step toward him, her voice softening.“I’m asking you to choose yourself,” she said.Max laughed bitterly.“No, you’re asking me to choose you” he said.Skye hesitated because she knew he wasn’t wrong.“I’m asking
The snapping of branches echoed faintly through the forest now, followed by low murmurs of voices, barely audible but unmistakably present.Mira’s grip on Jack tightened.“We need to hide,” she whispered.Ava didn’t argue this time.Without another word, the three of them moved quickly but carefully, slipping behind a cluster of thick trees and low-hanging branches. Jack pulled Mira down slightly, guiding her into a crouch as he positioned himself just in front of her.Ava moved to the side, pressing her back against the trunk of another tree, her cloak blending almost seamlessly into the darkness.“Stay low,” Jack murmured.Mira nodded, her breath shallow as she tried to steady herself.The footsteps grew louder until Mira could see them emerging from the shadows, their imposing figures moving through the forest with purpose. Her eyes widened slightly.“Soldiers…” she whispered.Jack leaned slightly, just enough to confirm.His jaw tightened.“Skye’s father’s men,” he said quietly.
Ariel's heartbeat pounded violently against her ribs, each thud loud enough that she was certain Alpha king Desmond could hear it. Her hands trembled at her sides, and no matter how much she tried to steady them, they refused to obey.Desmond didn’t move. He stood there, watching her approach, his expression unreadable but his eyes were sharp, cold, and filled with something that made her stomach twist violently.Ariel swallowed hard as she closed the distance between them, her steps slowing despite herself.“I—”She didn’t even get the chance to finish.Desmond moved fast.His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a force that made her gasp, and before she could react, he dragged her down the hallway.“A-Alpha—!” she stammered.“Quiet,” he snapped.His voice was low but it cut through her like a blade.Ariel’s breath hitched as she stumbled after him, her feet barely keeping up with his pace as he pulled her along. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, the dim lights blurring a
Each breath Becca took came out in shallow bursts. Mira ran slightly ahead, her boots crunching over dead leaves and branches, while behind her Eugene and Max struggled to carry the bleeding man between them.“Keep moving,” Becca hissed, glancing behind them for the hundredth time. Her heart pounde
At the far end of the hall, seated upon his stolen throne, was Desmond and he was furious.The sound of his voice rolled through the chamber like thunder.“FOOLS! INCOMPETENT DOGS!”The line of guards before him flinched as they knelt. Their faces were pale, their eyes fixed on the polished floor.
The night was supposed to be still, yet the sound of the alarm horn tore through the Blackwood estate.Desmond stood on the high balcony overlooking the chaos, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning red beneath the pale glow of the moonlight.His breath was sharp and furious, his hand gripped the raili
The Weight of the Crown The mansion had never been so quiet.Jack moved through its halls like a ghost. Every sound, the scrape of his boots, the faint echo of a distant voice, seemed to mock the silence that had replaced life inside the mansion. stale.Jack’s thoughts were dark he walked through







