All Chapters of The Heart of the Queen: Legacy of The Moonborn: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

By the time I was done talking to Ronan, the ache in my chest had dulled significantly, replaced by something warmer. He hadn’t said much after I finished telling him everything, but he didn't need to. The way he pulled me in and held me—like I wasn’t broken—was louder than any words.In the moment, I didn’t realize how long I’d clung to him until I noticed how close our faces were.His arms were still wrapped around me, one hand resting lightly against the small of my back. I could feel his hot breath fanning my skin. When I looked up, my eyes fell to his lips.They stayed there for too long.For a second, my mind flashed with something entirely inappropriate—his lips on mine, his hands tracing my skin for more than just comfort.And then my thoughts moved to Ansel. The blush that made its way to her cheeks whenever he was around and when she spoke of him.It made my stomach twist.“Umm,” I said quickly, clearing my throat and shifting away from him. “Why did you really come to see

《》Lucien's POV I don’t know why, but I felt the urge to take a walk that morning. Something I hadn’t done that in years. Maybe I was hoping the cold air would silence the noise in my head. Or maybe, deep down, I knew I needed to see it with my own eyes—the rot I’d ignored for years. The pack lands didn’t look like home anymore. I walked past the village center first. It used to be the heart of the pack, once alive with voices and giggles or little wolves. Now it was eerily silent. Shops were open, but no one lingered. The vendors looked bored, the people moved quickly like they were afraid of something. Of someone. Me. That thought stung. There had been a time when they used to bow and smile. They used to believe in me. And why wouldn’t they? I was their Alpha. I was the son of a great leader. I was supposed to make them feel safe. And I’d failed them. Aria left and I became a beast. Rogues walked through the side alleys like they belonged here. My warriors ignored them, bar

The door to the Elder Vanes room was kicked open with a loud thud, and the guards marched in ahead of Ronan and I. He was seated at his table, seemingly engulfed in reading old scrolls. Then his eye flicked towards us. Slowly. Unbothered. Then he put the scroll aside, taking off his reading spectacles. I stood at the entrance, Ronan flanking me. I met Vane’s eyes as the guards brought him forward. He didn’t even blink. His complete calmness unnerved me. I waited until the guards brought him closer, already in chains. The cuffs gleaming like silver against his skin. “You don’t look surprised,” I said, voice cool but loud enough for everyone present to hear. His lips curved—it wasn't a smile. “Should I be?” Silence hung heavy in the room after that. I myself was studying him, but I could get nothing off him. Still, I kept my gaze fixed on him. “You've been found to be disloyal. A traitor not just to your queen but to the Citadel and to all of our kind,” I said, my voice even now

My pulse pounded in my ears as I stared at Vane through the iron bars. His eyes, too calm for a man accused of treason, didn’t waver from mine.“Tonight?” I asked again. “You’re sure?”“I wouldn’t have summoned you if I wasn’t.” His tone was maddeningly even. “Someone else has been pulling the strings. I just never had the full proof—until now.”“Why not tell me sooner?” I demanded. “Why let us find the letter in your room? Why let it go this far?”Vane leaned back against the cold wall, eyes half-lidded. “Because I didn’t know what you were made of. The last Moonborn the Citadel put faith in brought ruin. I needed to see what you’d do when faced with blood on your doorstep.”“That was never your call to make.”“No,” he admitted, “but I made it anyway.”I wanted to scream at him, to accuse him again, but something in his expression stopped me. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t pride. It was a strange, solemn acceptance. Like a man who had seen too much of the world to believe in heroes anymor

I blinked hard, the blur of the forest fading like fog lifting under the sun. The scent of moss and the rush of wind vanished, replaced with stone walls and Ronan’s voice breaking through the haze."Aria!" he was gripping my arms now, his brows drawn together, his golden eyes wide with concern. "What did you see?"My throat felt like sandpaper. My lips parted, but I hesitated.How could I explain that I’d just been ripped into another world — that I saw a man cloaked in shadows speak like he knew me? That it didn’t feel like a dream but something more… tethered to fate?So I lied."Nothing," I said hoarsely, shaking my head. "It was just... a random surge. Everything went dark."Ronan’s expression didn’t shift. He didn’t call me out or push. But I could feel the weight of his gaze trying to peel back the truth I’d sealed inside."Alright," he said quietly after a beat. “Your powers are still fluctuating. Maybe it was just... overload.” His voice was careful, like he didn’t quite belie