LOGINIt might have been laughable, had circumstances not been so… sad.“So your parents took it badly, I imagine,” I pointed out.Callum huffed and looked into his bottle. “My dad beat the shit out of me.”I pulled my head back. “He what?”Wordlessly, Callum turned, pulling his shirt up to reveal his bac
Liora’s POVI just barely made it into the parking space before the car let out one final groan, then sputtered to a stop, rocking back and forth on the wheels.“Sorry about that, girl,” I said, patting the steering wheel. “That was a lot more driving in one day than I anticipated.”Shirley almost s
“Twenty lashes,” he said. “We’ll see if you change your mind then.”I grit my teeth. “I don’t have to put up with this anymore.”“Would you rather take it, or would you prefer if that little wolfless whore of yours took it instead?”The moment he said those words, I felt all the blood drain from my
Callum’s POVMy father’s shadow darkened the room.There was a time in my life when my father’s presence seemed enormous and all-consuming, like a black hole filling any space he entered. When I was a child, I remembered thinking that he was big enough to reach the moon, or to blot out the sun.I’d
“The ones at the top of the list are our recommended ones,” my father added before I could say anything. “But ultimately, dear, it’s up to you.”I quirked a brow and opened the folder. There were over a dozen names on the list, along with small black-and-white headshots of each bachelor and which pa
Liora’s POVWhen I returned to the palace, I honestly expected to find that half of it had burned down in some freak fire, or that someone was dead.I didn’t find any of that.The palace was as peaceful as ever, quiet and cheerfully lit, the yellow porch lights illuminating the melting snow. The but
The silence that followed was thick with calculation.Zane glanced at me, amused. “Remind me not to play chess with you.”The principal coughed and sat down again, slower this time. “We may be able to find a compromise.”I waited.“You will be allowed to stay—if you pass… an exam. It’s scheduled jus
LioraThe hallway to our dorm was quiet, too quiet. Late afternoon sunlight had dipped into a rainy night, the once long, golden streaks, replaced by suspended memories in the air.I tossed my braid over to my other shoulder, my clothes suddenly feeling too tight. I hadn’t expected to see him, not r
The hallway was dead silent for a beat.Then—“CALLUM.”My father’s voice made the air snap.He yanked me by the elbow and marched me outside the faculty wing before I could process what was happening. His grip was bruising, his eyes sharp.“What the hell was that?” he hissed.“I’m... still trying t
From here on, I would choose myself. And Bianca? She could keep pretending the crown fit. Eventually, I’d be the one to knock it off her head.Bianca Lately, life had been nothing short of radiant, the kind of golden streak where the world seems to finally catch up with what you’ve always known dee







