FAZER LOGINBeatrice’s PovEverything had been timed down to the minute.I stood near the shelves in the records room, pretending to reorganize scrolls while my mind counted the seconds in the background. My heart beat steadily, not fast, not slow, the way it always did when I was on the edge of something dangerous. I had learned that panic wasted time, and time was the only thing I could not afford to lose today.By four o’clock, the guard rotation would begin.I knew the pattern by heart. Two guards would leave their posts near the service corridor to eat, and their replacements would arrive late, as they always did. That delay created a window. Five minutes, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. Five minutes where no one paid close attention to the back pantry doors that led into the East wing.That was all I needed.Once I opened those doors with the key I had altered, I would slip into the East wing and follow the servants’ passageways I had memorized over the past week. From the
Beatrice’s PovThe next day dragged on far longer than it should have.I moved across the castle grounds with a tightness in my chest that refused to ease, no matter how many times I told myself to breathe. My hands went through the motions of my assigned tasks automatically, carrying baskets, delivering messages, cleaning tools that barely needed cleaning. My body worked, but my mind was elsewhere, stretched thin and frantic.I couldn’t reach my brother.Every chance I got, I tried to move closer to the holding wing, even if it meant taking a longer route or inventing an errand that didn’t exist. Each time, a guard stopped me before I got anywhere near the corridor that led to the cells.“That area’s restricted,” one of them said flatly, blocking my path with his spear.“I just need a moment,” I replied, forcing calm into my voice. “I have a message.”“From who?”I hesitated for half a second too long.“Move along,” he said, already turning away.I tried again later with a different
Beatrice’s PovI couldn’t understand why he kissed me the way he did.It wasn’t like before, not like the cold, humiliating kiss he had forced on me in front of the other kings. This kiss was rough and impatient, filled with something sharp and urgent that made my heart race in fear. His mouth crushed against mine, and when his teeth bit down on my lower lip, I gasped despite myself.Pain flared, brief but startling, and I froze.Something was different.My thoughts scattered as he pushed me backward. The edge of the bed hit the backs of my knees, and before I could react, I fell onto the mattress. The sheets were cool beneath my palms as he followed, his weight pressing down just enough to trap me without fully pinning me.My pulse thundered in my ears.He forced my legs apart with his knee, his movements impatient and possessive. His lips returned to mine, then dragged down along my jaw and throat, leaving heat and fear in their wake. His hand slid beneath my shirt, fingers spre
Beatrice’s PovThe doors opened, and the noise hit me first.Music rolled through the hall in heavy waves, low drums and sharp strings blending with laughter and voices speaking in different accents. The sound wrapped around me, loud and suffocating, making it hard to think clearly. I hesitated at the threshold, my fingers curling into my palms as I took in the scene before me.The hall was vast and dripping with gold, from the gilded columns to the jeweled goblets lining tables that groaned under the weight of food and wine. Floating lights cast everything in a warm glow that made the whole room feel like it had been built to remind you how small you were.Scantily clad slaves moved through the crowd like living ornaments.Some poured wine, others knelt beside kings and nobles, their hands quick and practiced. A few sat on laps, laughing softly, feeding their masters fruit or whispering things meant only for private ears. Their clothing was designed to reveal far more than it conc
Beatrice’s PovThe fields were loud that afternoon, but not in the usual way.There was the normal rhythm of labor, the scrape of tools against soil, the low murmur of tired voices, yet something else threaded through it all. It was sharp and restless, like a stone dropped into still water. I felt it before I understood it.When I straightened to stretch my aching back, I noticed Hilda and several other slaves gathered a short distance away. They weren’t working. They were standing close together, heads bent, fingers pointing in my direction. Their eyes flicked toward me and away again, bright with interest.I knew that look.Ever since I had been brought to the castle, Hilda and her little group had made me their favorite topic. Whispering when I passed. Laughing just a bit too loudly. Watching me as if they were waiting for something terrible to happen. They hated me, and I hated them right back, though I had learned not to show it.I turned back to my task and forced myself to focu
Beatrice’s PovCedrick crossed the room slowly and stopped in front of me. I had to tilt my head back to look up at him."To think," he said quietly, "that someone so fragile could be related to someone so vile."Before I could respond, his hand was in my hair. He tilted my head back further and kissed me, hard and deliberate, his mouth pressing mine open before I could decide whether to fight it. His other hand found my waist, pulling me up from the carpet and against his chest.I told myself not to respond. My body didn't listen.His lips moved to my jaw, then my neck. His teeth grazed my collarbone, and a sound escaped me that I hated myself for. His hands were everywhere, pulling fabric aside, finding skin, and each touch sent heat through me that had nothing to do with willingness and everything to do with something older and deeper that my wolf recognized even when my mind refused to.I didn't kiss him back. But I stopped fighting. And he took that silence the way he took everyt
Elena’s povLydia didn't wait to be invited in.She stepped past Blake like he wasn't even there, her heels clicking against our hardwood floors. "I'm here in my capacity as Chief Warrior," she announced, smoothing her dress as she surveyed our living room. "A formal visit."Blake moved to block h







