Callum’s face is pale, drained of all color. He wets his cracked lips and utters, "My king," His voice hoarse. Attempting to sit up as I approach, he fails, thumping back into the bed. I notice the wet towel on his forehead, and a water witch by his left seems to be treating him. She bows in respect, and I wave her off.“How?” I ask, standing by the foot of his bed, finger on my nose to block the pungent smell of the healing herbs. "I pissed off a witch.""And she made you sick?" I question, raising an eyebrow."Yes.""Hmm, I didn’t know they could do that.""Me neither. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, for missing court these past two days, but as you can see, I'm actually sick.""Yes, I can see that, Lord Easterlin. I wish you a quick recovery.""Thank you, Your Majesty. Don’t worry; I'll be fine before The Bloodmoon Gala. It’s an important day for my daughter, and no witch sickness will stop me from attending."I nod, not expecting such confidence. He doesn't seem concerned, even though r

We arrive when the sun has fully set, and the stars begin to emerge, decorating the night sky. I walk straight to the maid’s quarters to change my clothes. Stepping out of my room once I'm done, I head to the kitchen in search of something to eat. I haven’t eaten all day, so I'm starving. “Hello,” I greet the head chef. With Beatrice still at Lord Easterlin’s estate, I wonder if I would be given any food tonight. “Your dinner is with the king,” he responds stoically. “What?” I say, shocked, wondering if I heard correctly. “Your food is…” “I heard you the first time,” I cut

I wake up in the middle of the night to someone moaning in pain. Pulling away from Nickolas and turning, I find him dripping with sweat, a deep frown etched on his face. His fists are clenched, and he continues to groan as if in agonizing pain. Could it be a nightmare?"I will kill you. I will fucking kill you," Nickolas shouts in his sleep, his voice laced with anger and desperation. Startled by the sudden outburst, I jump, my heart pounding in my chest. But as he continues to thrash and yell, a wave of concern washes over me, overpowering any fear I may feel.Feeling the urgent need to do something, I hesitate for only a moment before gently moving closer to him. Ignoring his request to only call him by his title, I reach out and tap his shoulder, calling his name softly. In this moment of distress, I believe it's necessity and it might help bring him back fr

My eyes flutter open, and I find myself in an unfamiliar place. Terror courses through me as I take in my surroundings — cages lining the walls, each holding a variety of creatures: humans, werewolves, lycans, mermaids, and more. The air is heavy with fear and desperation, and I can feel the palpable sense of despair emanating from my fellow captives.An ache in my arm draws my attention, and I discover my wrists bound tightly to the ceiling. Panic surges through me as I try to piece together how I ended up in this nightmarish predicament. Memories flood back—the encounter with the strange man, the drugged haze that clouded my senses, and then nothingness. He must have brought me here, but for what purpose? The question gnaws at my mind, but in this moment, I can only focus on finding a way to escape. I consider reaching out to Marie f

Amelia’s chest rises and falls slowly as she lays on my bed, her breathing shallow and fragile. I sit perched in an armchair nearby, a glass of whiskey in my hand. My heart clenches, recalling Beatrice's words earlier tonight."I don’t need to tell you. You already know she was tortured, and in order for Amelia to survive, her wolf healed them, but that has also put their lives in danger.""What do you mean?""While undergoing her abuse, Amelia’s wolf, drugged with silver, struggled to heal her as much as it could to keep her alive. That has caused her wolf to go into a coma, and she is now unable to heal her even with treatment administered. Amelia is practically human now, fighting for her life like a human would. This makes things complicated because a human only has a 10% chance of surviving wh