All Chapters of The Lost Heiress of the bleeding throne : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CIARANEvery step I took was a battle against the desires of my heart.Even though I wanted more than anything to pull her into a warm embrace, mutter sweet nothing's in her ear, and shower her with kisses until the ghost of the memories conjured up by that mist completely dissipated, I stayed back.I stood at a pace behind her, watching the way her shoulders hunched and the way her small hands gripped the fabric of her damp cloak until her knuckles turned white.The scent of her fear was still sharp; I could taste it on my tongue.And the worst part? It wasn’t the mist she was afraid of anymore.It was me.Seeing her flinch when I’d been prying my fingers off that coward, Alluvia’s throat had felt like a physical blow to my ribs.I’d wanted to protect her, to tear the world apart, so nothing could ever trick her again, but all I’d done was show her I was just like the monsters she’d spent her life running from.I watched Dylan step up beside her, his voice low and comforting.Then I

ELEANORThe Siren maids were quiet, which was a relief.One of them didn't speak at all, just moved around the room silently.After dinner, they led me to a bathroom carved into the rock where a stone tub was already steaming.They poured oils into the water that smelled of crushed flowers and jasmine."This will help you rest, Lady Eleanor," the quiet one murmured.As I stepped into the water, the warmth felt good at first, soothing my aching bones, but then my head started to feel heavy.It wasn't the normal relaxation of a bath. The scent of the oils was too strong, and a strange drowsiness started to pull at my limbs.My vision blurred, the glow of the moss on the walls turning into long, green streaks.By the time the maids helped me into a thin nightgown, I was stumbling. I felt like I was floating, disconnected from my own feet.They tucked me into bed, and the world went black before I could even pull the covers up.I woke up hours later, shivering so hard my chest ached. The

CIARANI walked through the tunnels with a dark cloud hanging over my head.My wolf was pacing, snapping at the bars of my mind because I’d had to leave Eleanor while she was still soft and warm in my arms.Our lips were only inches apart!Rhidian was waiting for me in the medical wing.He looked worse than he had at dinner; his face had lost all color, and his eyes were sunken."You need to see the reality of this," he said, handing me a pair of heavy (what material are overalls typically?) overalls."We don't know how communicable it is yet. Better to be safe."I pulled the gear on, and then we moved deep into the lower caves, where the air was thick with the smell of salt water and the copper tang of blood.The tour was a nightmare. Rhidian led me past rows of stone cells where the diseased sirens were kept.These weren't the beautiful creatures I’d seen on the docks.They were held down by heavy iron chains, their bodies contorted into shapes that should have been impossible.Thei

CIARANI didn't just open the door. I broke it.The wood shattered against the stone. My lungs were on fire, my wolf screaming for blood.I saw Dylan. I saw him holding her hand in his.His lips were only inches away. My vision turned red, and all I could see was rage."DYLAN!" His name tore out of me. I was across the room in a heartbeat, a blur of teeth and rage.I was ready to tear his throat out to touch what was mine.It didn’t help that she was sparsely dressed.Her wet hair clung to her head; water trickled down her neck, soaking the neckline of her dress.It was a thin white dress that fit like a glove, showing her slender figure.Then, a touch.Eleanor stepped between us. Her hand caught my wrist.A spark of raw electricity surged through my skin, like a burst of lightning in my veins. It wasn't just the bond.It was something else—potent, alive. I felt connected to her in more ways than before.I stopped. My world narrowed down to her fingers on my skin.A touch so simple, y

CIARANI heard the door open. Dylan didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. I saw the panic in his eyes first, then I felt the fear in the mind link.My heart hit the floor. My face went white, the blood draining away as if someone had pulled a plug.“Eleanor,” I choked out.I leaped to my feet and ran, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the stone hallway.“She was okay last night. I swear she was okay. Maybe a little sad, but that was it,” Dylan rambled as we ran, a few paces behind me.“Okay, she was really sad, and she cried a lot. She was inconsolable…”Guilt washed over me. The thought of her crying all night left a pang in my chest.I did that to her. I had caused her so much pain, all because of my fear. My fear of my feelings for her.“She was okay when she fell asleep, I swear. When I left, she was okay…”We hit the threshold of her room. I stopped.The air was heavy with the smell of Dylan. He had been here all night.They had been so close, maybe they even cuddled.The thought