ASENABreathe in. Breathe out. I straightened my back and forced myself to keep my eyes forward, even though I knew that his—General Nathair's—eyes remained on me. We were walking in silence from the moment we left the dining hall, heading to the gardens. With him being so close to me, I figured I should choose the place where his presence would be the least suffocating, and the gardens were the best idea I could come up with.“You're quiet, Asena.” Nathair chuckled as we exited through the castle's main entrance. “Aren't we here to talk?”I stopped, making him all but stumble as he tried to line up with me. Drawing a deep breath, I covered my irritation with a mask of nonchalance. “You said you wanted to talk in private. I figured that we should begin our conversation with no guards around.”That wasn't entirely a lie. If I were to play my role, I would want no additional audience. Furthermore, I hadn't recognized at least a few of the men we passed by on the corridors, and I could o

Nathair approached me, his steps slow, cautious. He hadn't changed his clothes since dinner and our previous walk, but now his jacket was gone and his shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing a part of his muscled chest.Dragging my eyes away from him, I drew an uneven breath. “I'd rather be alone. Thank you,” I muttered.A soft chuckle came in response. “What if I said that I'm in need of a company?”I felt a prickle of annoyance. “Company for what? Do you want to interrogate me once more?”He stepped closer and raised his hands in surrender. “I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable in my presence. What if I promise not to ask you more questions and tell you a story instead?”My brows inched up. “What kind of a story?”A half-smile appeared. “A story about a stupid boy who made a few pretty fucked-up life choices.”I held his stare for a moment, trying to see through the harmless façade he presented in front of me. Perhaps Kaan was right, and I was too naïve to notice the true e

Even with my wolf deep asleep, I was ready to roar in fury. The acidic taste filled my mouth again, but this was more than jealousy. I was on the verge of striding through that corridor and then banging on Kaan's door until he opened it. I could see myself barging inside, grabbing Jalissa's hair, and dragging that bitch out of there. Certainly, once I was done with Ms. Escuro, I would return to deal with Kaan. Goddess, I was so ready to kick his balls… repeatedly.A low growl rumbled in my chest as I stared at Kaan's door. He had told me I should trust him, but right now, he was seriously testing my limits. I forced more air into my lungs, trying to slow down my pounding heart. Rage had never been a good adviser, and despite the wicked fire burning inside me, my rationality still functioned enough to tell me to wait.A minute passed, perhaps two, but I didn't see Jalissa walk out of Kaan's room. My patience left me, and I was running out of reasonable arguments that could stop me from

I wasn't sure I was breathing as I stared at Dritan wide-eyed. My heart hammered against my chest as my instincts began to whisper. “No,” I breathed out.His brows rose. “No… what?”I shook my head. “No, I'm not leaving Collisville.”“Are you fucking insane?!” he snarled. “You're not dumb, Asena. You have to realize that no matter if you turn out to be Kaan's mate or not, you are going to die!”His words were like another punch in the gut. I knew that there was a huge chance he was right, but I still had those last shreds of hope, and I was going to hold on to them no matter what. “I will not leave Collisville,” I repeated before sucking a sharp breath. “Not until I talk to Kaan.”“Talk to—” He cut himself off and dragged his fingers through his hair, muttering a few curses. “And just what do you expect to hear from him? He will feed you with lies, Asena. He's going to tell you whatever is necessary to make you stay.”My hands fisted, and I lowered my head. “I know that he might lie t

KAANI stood in Asena's chamber, staring at her empty bed. Fury crept into my veins, satiating me whole, mixing with the searing taste of guilt. How the fuck had I let this happen? I came so close to achieving the goal that it blinded me, and I failed to protect what I'd already had in my grasp.“You should have locked her sooner.” Jalissa huffed as she sauntered into the room, slowly stepping toward me. “You should have had her cuffed and chained in the dungeon somewhere. If I were you, I would—”My hand was around her neck before her venomous lips could choke out another word. “I don't believe I asked you for advice,” I hissed, putting more pressure on her windpipe. Her eyes widened as she fought for breath. “Just like I didn't ask your men to guard her chamber. Marvelously done, by the way.” My claws went out, sinking into the skin of her neck. “It is your fucking fault Asena is gone, so if you even mention her name again, you'll be the one chained and cuffed.”Her mouth opened as