211: Read Me

Althea felt it then. The loud, relentless thumping of her heart echoed in her ears, heavy and suffocating. She knew. Deep inside, she had always known how this would end.The man who raised her. The father she grew up calling her own. He would die.“I need to go,” she said suddenly, pushing herself up from the bed.Candice reacted instantly, rushing to her side before she could even steady herself. “Althea, stop. Where are you going?” she demanded, gripping her arm. “You’re still weak. You nearly drained yourself healing Princess Riela. You need to rest.”But Althea shook her head, panic flashing across her face. “Gavriel already left. He’s going to kill my father,” she gasped, her steps unsteady as she headed for the door. “I… I need to see him. I need to see my father, Cain.”Candice froze. Her grip loosened slightly as realization struck her. “Wait,” she said slowly. “How did you even know about Cain being captured—”She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening.“…You,” Candice whis

Last Updated : 2025-12-19

212: Not Possible

Candice stepped away calmly, smoothing her clothes as if she hadn’t just kissed him senseless. “Relax,” she said coolly. “You’ll live.” Osman spun toward where the portal had been, his eyes widening when he realized it was gone. “They left.” “Yes,” Candice replied simply. Then, as embarrassment crept up her spine, she added quickly, “And I honestly thought I’d be able to come with them and witness how the Alpha King’s wrath will pour down on Cain.” She cleared her throat, forcing herself to stay composed despite what she had just done. Osman’s fists clenched at his sides. “You tricked me.”

Last Updated : 2025-12-20

213: A Plaque

The portal shimmered once, then sealed behind them with a low hum that echoed through the palace corridor. Althea staggered the moment her feet touched solid ground. Zander was quick to steady her, his hand closing around her arm as a faint glow passed between them. She felt it instantly. A warm current threading through her veins, steadying her breathing, easing the ache that still clung to her bones after healing Riela. “I’m transferring just enough energy,” Zander murmured quietly. “Not more than you can handle.” She nodded, grateful but too focused to speak. Her heart was pounding far louder than her footsteps as she straightened and lifted her gaze.

Last Updated : 2025-12-21

Father

Cain strained against his chains. “Rett, stop!” But Rett only laughed, the sound broken and unhinged, echoing harshly against the stone walls of the dungeon. “If you had just listened and used her when you had the chance,” Rett barked, his voice rising with every word, “none of this would be happening! We would have power. We would have ruled!” His eyes burned as he glared at Althea. “The plan was simple,” Rett continued. “She was meant to be used. Toyed with. You knew the Alpha King was already smitten with her. We could have controlled him through her, but you kept delaying! You kept protecting her instead of giving her the damn instructions!”

Last Updated : 2025-12-22

215: Not Good

The moment Rett released the attack, Cain moved without hesitation. With a guttural roar that shook the dungeon walls, his body shifted violently. Bones cracked and reshaped, muscles expanding as fur burst through his skin. In a blink, Cain stood between Althea and the incoming darkness, fully transformed into his Lycan form. “NO!” Althea screamed. The shadowed blade slammed into Cain’s chest instead. The impact was devastating. Dark magic exploded on contact, tearing through fur and flesh as Cain was thrown backward, crashing into the stone wall with enough force to fracture it. The dungeon trembled violently, dust raining from the ceiling.

Last Updated : 2025-12-23

216: Choose Carefully

The moment they stepped out of the dungeon, the air changed. It was subtle at first. A pressure that pressed against the skin as though the palace itself had drawn a slow, uneasy breath. The torches lining the stone corridor flickered violently, their flames bending inward instead of dancing upward. Shadows stretched too long, clinging to the walls like living things.Althea stumbled, her knees nearly giving out. Gavriel was instantly at her side, steadying her with a firm hand. Zander moved just as quickly, his eyes scanned the corridor as if he sensed what was coming before it fully revealed itself.Then hurried footsteps echoed through the hall.“Your Majesty!”Simon came running toward them, his armor smeared with ash and dark stains that did not look like blood. His expression was strained, his breathing uneven, panic was barely contained in his expression.“What happened?” Gavriel demanded.“The captives. All of them. Something is wrong.”Zander’s brows knitted. “Wrong how?”“T

Last Updated : 2025-12-24