MalachiThe tension in the air is palpable the moment Cassian and I step inside the War Room, fresh from the jarring revelations offered by Boreas. I try to reach out to Reyna and Rune through the mind link again, meeting nothing but static.“Anything?” Cassian asks for the tenth fucking time, his eyes narrowed.“Nothing. Silence still,” I say, trying to keep my temper down, because right now I’m not sure what the hell I’m angry about. It’s not his fault … it’s none of our fault.Cassian’s brow furrows. “We need to find them, Kai. Something’s wrong, I can feel it and I’m pissed off that we didn’t look into Leana more.”“You and me both,” I say, then I sigh. “Let’s go outside, the trackers have arrived and we need to give them instructions.”Cassian nods and we leave the War Room, slipping into our roles as Alphas is as easy as putting on a glove. They cannot see how this absence has affected both of us; Alphas aren’t supposed to have weaknesses.And yet, as my hand goes to the marks o

Reyna I am having a hard time believing that my Alphas would do something like this to me. We bonded, we claimed each other, and I know their hearts by now. It may be a short time, but I know them… I feel them. “Think about it, Reyna,” Shae urges, her voice trembling with a strange mixture of desperation and triumph. “Haven’t you wondered why you’ve felt so... calm, so placid since you met them? They’ve been dimming your fire, quenching your spirit. I’ve come to free you from that.” I step back, suddenly wary. Her words, laden with urgency and supposed concern, make me pause. Could it be? Could the very sources of my love and comfort be the architects of my suppression? But then, another thought enters my mind: If my Alphas have been tasked to poison my mind, what is Shae’s role in this? Is she truly here to liberate me, or is she another layer in this intricate web of manipulation? My eyes narrow as I scrutinise her. “How convenient that you show up now, revealing all these supp

ReynaEvery nerve ending feels like it’s on fire. My vision is blurred, and it’s almost as if I’m looking through red cellophane– everything is crimson. Why does it taste like I’ve swallowed ash? “...na, listen to me, please! You don’t want to do this!”Hmm? That voice… I know that voice. Frowning, I turn my head from side to side to see where that voice is coming from and, as I take a step forward, I see him.On his knees, with his hands behind his back, is Rune. He’s peering up at me with wide, desperate eyes and as he moves to get on his feet, the sound of a whip snaps through the air and he grunts as he falls forward.I try to cry out and run toward him, but my body doesn’t seem to obey; instead I am rooted on the spot and watching as five more slashes come down on his back.“Enough! You’ve betrayed her, you know you have! Nothing you say will make her change her mind, not after catching you with him!” A voice filled with malice echoes to my left, and my body feels so heavy that

ReynaWe’ve been travelling for a full day and half a night; the warmth of the previous land giving way to something far colder. While we make our way to the Frozen Throne, I am mesmerised by the scenery that surrounds us, a unique combination of icy coldness and vibrant life that seems impossible.The land here is like nothing I have ever seen before; trees growing right out of frozen ground and sleek ice, their trunks and branches intricately wrapped in layers of ice and snow. Yet, surprisingly, they don’t seem lifeless or dormant.Then there are the flowers—blooms in shades of icy blue, blood crimson, and lavender, shimmering in the sunlight as if kissed by frost. It defies logic, the notion that such delicate beauty could thrive in this arctic realm. Yet here they are, like tiny miracles scattered across the snow, as if sewn by the hand of some God or Goddess.My eyes widen as I notice movement in the distance. White, fluffy creatures, almost ethereal in appearance, dart between

RuneThe air around Embereign is thick with the smell of charred wood, molten rock, and despair. The once-glorious Kingdom of Fire had been gutted, like a hunter’s prey. It isn’t the fire of home and hearth, of passion and warmth, but the fire of destruction, of a kingdom on the brink of collapse. It clawed at my senses, but I pushed through as I walked with the men who have become closer to me than any brother. Nothing matters more than Reyna right now, and by the looks of things, Shae has already begun her manipulation.When we landed in Frozen Throne two days ago, I caught a whiff of what I thought was Reyna’s scent. But neither Cassian nor Malachi caught it. I was certain it was her, but why would she be in Frozen Throne of all places?I sigh as we walk ahead, trying to pinpoint where Reyna’s scent could be coming from, but nothing seems to be a clear lead. Fuck, I would do anything to hold her in my arms again, to tell her how much she means to me; to all three of us.But then