It's been a month since my wedding. Rune didn't show up, and the treaty between our races is broken.In the early days, I would often find myself gazing out the window, subjecting myself to the torture of waiting and hoping to catch a glimpse of him. I would imagine him galloping across my father's lawn, his pale hair dancing around his exquisite face. Sometimes, I pictured him bursting through my bedroom door, whisking me away like a thief in the night.But the pain became unbearable, and I had to stop.Now, I spend my days holed up in my father's vast libraries, devouring books of any kind, since I can no longer go to school. At night, I scrub my body raw, tearing at my skin to inflict wounds on Rune's mark that can keep it hidden.Nothing works. It stands out so starkly, I can no longer wear revealing clothings. I walk around my castle in coats and cloaks, and they watch me with pity. They look at me like I am helpless, like I have been violated and I have lost my mind due to it.P

I wrench my hand away from Rune's touch, my voice laced with venom as I address him. "Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't fucking look at me. You are their guest, not mine." Turning my fury towards my parents, I continue, "I can't believe you. The both of you."“Boris!” I yell at my guard who my guard who seems oddly content in conversation with two lycan males by the door, dressed as regally as Rune. . .Is that Cass?The idiot winks at me and his companion waves, snickering. What the hell is happening? Did everyone suddenly forget what happened at Lycanthia? Why does it seem like they are all in bed with him? I spend the next few hours growling and pacing restlessly in my room, my frustration growing. I bite my fingers in my agitation, unable to contain my outrage. "He literally kidnapped me. I—I fainted, woke up in a room—I mean, he could've at least taken the ropes off... and the blindfolds too, though they were kinda nice and..." I shake my head, trying to dismiss the conflic

I shouldn't have said that, but in my defense, I didn't think he would care enough to steal a horse from my father's stable and storm to Gamma Frostclaw's home.Now, I look so stupid trying to explain why there was an angry ass ten feet tall fully turned Lycan trashing their home, bellowing Theron's name with fury."Have you any idea how many men it took to put him down? He almost killed my son. Surely, this is not a funny matter, princess," Gamma Frostclaw growls when my lips keep twitching. It is not his words that I find hilarious. It is the sight of Rune baring his teeth at the guards escorting him back, in a pair of trousers that are four times his size. The shift must have ripped his clothes. The lot of them look like they prefer to be anywhere else but beside him. They keep a safe distance from him, walking several feet behind him. If he so much as stops moving, they take more steps backward. Their eyes are filled with horror and a few of them have torn armor. Ju

I have been thinking. A lot.I had thought that the ache in my chest was as a result of Rune's...escapades. But last night has brought in a new narrative, and I don't know what to think anymore. He's never cleared the air every time I accused him, so I had always assumed the worst.What if I had been wrong all along? His room didn't even have a whiff of Ginevra's strawberry scent in it. It doesn't make sense. I should have been able to pick up a scent, even if it's a month old. But there was nothing. Unless he went to her at night.I I groan, burying myself under the duvet. Nothing adds up. Why won't he just tell me the truth? Trying to understand him gives me a headache.I've been trying to ignore the fact that my name had been what brought him back to his senses. My name. Not Gin's. Not Lorna's. Mine.He had asked me to stay. Fucking hell. What do I do with myself?!I slam my fists into the mattress, frustration getting the better of me, and Boris knocks, asking if I'm alright.I'

I run into Gin at the terrace.She is wrapped in a cloak, peering out into the space at nothing in particular. A bottle and a glass sit nearby. As I pass by, lifting my skirts, I hear her say, "You don't deserve him."Frowning, I turn slightly. Her eyes are red rimmed and swollen. She's been crying.My frown eases out a little. "You keep your opinion to yourself. I don't give a shit," I tell her, but my words are soft. Why is she crying out here, in the cold? Because of me? Or Rune?Gin chuckles, bringing the bottle to her lips. "Countless times, I've wondered why. Why it had to be you. What I lack that he found in you. Perhaps it's your fire. You're fearless, pup. I'll give you that."Shaking my head, I continue walking away. She's drunk, and talking nonsense. But she continues, "Many would have faced the Void and run from it. Many would have faced the darkness in him and fled from it. You though," she laughs again and I turn to find her straightening. "You challenged it."Ginevra s