ALPHA LUCIUS’S POVMy beta, Marcus, brought me another letter from Rose. I could feel the weight of it in his hand as he approached me. "Your Grace, another letter from Lady Rose," he announced.I waved a hand dismissively, irritation prickling at my senses. "Read it aloud, Marcus," I commanded, resigned to hearing her desperate pleas once more.Marcus cleared his throat before beginning, his voice steady as he recited Rose's words. "My dearest Lucius, I beg of you to reconsider. Come back to me, my love. I cannot bear to be without you," he read, his tone tinged with a mixture of sympathy and annoyance.I gritted my teeth, the familiar surge of frustration rising within me. Rose's incessant pleas grated on my nerves, a constant reminder of the mess I had made of things. "Continue," I ordered, though every fiber of my being longed to be rid of her words.Marcus obliged, reading through Rose's letter with a detached efficiency that belied the turmoil brewing within me. With each word,

ALPHA LUCIUS’S POV The absence of Vesta's presence in my mind sent shivers down my spine, a sensation I hadn't experienced before. It was as if a part of me had been ripped away, leaving behind an emptiness that I couldn't bear to acknowledge."Knight, can you feel her?" I asked, my voice laced with a hint of desperation as I turned to my loyal wolf, hoping for some semblance of reassurance."No, I can't sense her," Knight replied, his tone tinged with frustration and unease. "It's like she's vanished into thin air."I clenched my fists, the realization of Vesta's absence weighing heavily on my heart. How could she have disappeared so suddenly, leaving behind nothing but an empty void in her wake?Knight's agitation only seemed to intensify, his growls reverberating in the confines of my mind as he blamed me for our mate's disappearance. He accused me of driving her away, of pushing her to the point where she felt she had no choice but to leave."Enough, Knight!" I snapped, my voice

ALPHA LUCIUS’S POV I paced the confines of my chamber, the weight of anger heavy upon my shoulders. The relentless turmoil within me seemed to grow with each passing moment, an insatiable hunger gnawing at the depths of my soul. The training grounds offered no solace, no respite from the tempest raging within."Release the prisoners," I commanded, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Bring them to me."The guards hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes, but they obeyed nonetheless. Four men emerged from the depths of the dungeon, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and determination. They knew the stakes, knew the price they might pay with their lives.The first man stepped forward, his stance defiant despite the shackles that bound him. He was an alpha, a traitor to my kingdom, imprisoned for his crimes against the crown. His eyes burned with a fierce determination, a silent challenge echoing in the air between us."Let the duel begin," I intoned, my voice d

ALPHA LUCIUS’S POV As I sat in the grand chamber, surrounded by my newly appointed cabinet members, the topic of discussion veered towards a subject that had long been avoided—choosing a Luna. The suggestion hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the void that had lingered within me for far too long."It's time, Your Majesty," one of the cabinet members remarked, his tone laced with a sense of urgency. "The kingdom needs a Luna to stand by your side, to support and guide you."I listened in silence, masking the turmoil that churned within me. Only Alpha Callum knew the truth—that I had already found my mate, a secret I had chosen to guard fiercely, even from my closest advisors. They had no business knowing that the goddess had given me amate and i pushed her away, or that I am in fact still paying heavily for it while my mate could be anywhere right now, making sure I don’t find her. "I agree," I finally replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil that raged within. "A Luna is esse

___TIA’S POV The scent of lilies hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the earthy musk that had permeated Dad’s office for as long as I could remember. My throat tightened, the dam threatening to burst. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the tears back, but they spilled over anyway, tracing hot tracks down my cheeks.“He wouldn’t have wanted you to cry, Tia,” a gruff voice said from behind me. I didn’t turn around. I couldn't. Acknowledging anyone right now felt like an admission of defeat, a confirmation of the gaping hole his absence had ripped through my life.“He wouldn’t have wanted this either,” I choked out, my voice thick with unshed tears. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. I knew who it was – Derek, my father’s Beta, the practical rock to his impulsive storm. He probably thought I needed a voice of reason, someone to pull me out of this self-pitying spiral. But reason was the last thing I craved.“He did what he thought was best,” Derek continued, his voice s