Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

The Morning After POV: MilaI stood on the platform with Kael, his hand holding mine tightly. The crowd stared up at us, and with their faces lit by the torches and lanterns. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. Why had he done that? Why announce to the entire pack that I had killed their former Alpha? Why say it out loud like that? I tried to pull my hand free, twisting my wrist, but his grip was firm. He did not let go. I stared at the crowd, with my legs shaking under the dress. They would hate me. They would stone me to death right here. Or drag me to the square and burn me like they burned my family. Or tie me to a post and whip me until I bled out. The thoughts came fast and terrible—guards rushing the platform, hands grabbing me, knives drawn, and fire kindled at my feet. I could feel the rocks hitting my skin, the flames licking my legs, and the screams from the crowd calling for my blood. My breathing came short and fast. I was going to di

Whispers in the HallPOV: LucienThe pack had been restless since the night Mila escaped. Whispers followed me everywhere I went. In the corridors, in the courtyard, even in my own chambers. They blamed me for letting her go. They said I had helped her, and that I had chosen a thief over the pack. The guards looked at me with doubt in their eyes when I gave orders. The servants avoided my gaze. The elders shook their heads when I passed. Even Darius, who had never liked me, blamed me openly. He called me weak in front of our father, said I had betrayed the family by letting a criminal slip away. I ignored most of it. I had to. But it wore on me. Every accusation felt like a cut, it was small but deep, adding up until I bled from a thousand places.My father’s health had gone from bad to worse since that night in the courtyard. He had fainted after our fight, having clutched his chest like something inside had broken. The seers examined him and said he had a hole in his heart—a tear

The Restless Night POV: LucienThe night after the council meeting was one of the longest I could remember. I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling, but sleep would not come as my mind kept turning over everything that had happened—the elders’ disappointment, Selene’s lies, and Darius’s smug face when they gave him permission to hunt Mila. I tossed and turned, with the sheets twisting around me. If I let Darius go after her, he would kill her. I knew it deep in my bones. He hated her for getting close to me. He hated her for surviving his first frame-job. He hated her for making me question him. He would find her, and he would make sure she never came back alive. And I could not let that happen. I had already failed her once by staying silent in the hall. I had already let them chain her. I had already watched her run away thinking I did not believe her. I could not fail her again. But convincing Darius to let me go instead felt unreasonable. He would never agree. He wanted glory.

The Hidden PoisonPOV: DariusI sat in my chambers, staring at the fire in the hearth. The flames danced low, casting shadows across the stone walls and the heavy wooden table where I kept my maps and letters. The room was quiet except for the crackle of burning wood. I had been waiting for hours, with my mind turning over plans like pieces on a board. Erwin, had escaped. I had expected it. I had planned for it. But I needed to know where he was. I needed to find him before Lucien did. As he was the key to breaking him completely.A knock came at the door. “Enter.”My trusted man stepped inside—tall, scarred, and loyal for the right price. He bowed slightly. “My lord.”“Report,” I said.He straightened. “We searched the trails. The borders and the villages nearby. There is no sign of him. He vanished. It’s like he knew how to hide.”Rage built inside me slow and hot. I stood up fast, with the chair scraping against the floor. “You lost him? You had orders to track him and you failed

The PreparationsPOV: MilaThe days after the announcement passed in a blur of activity that I watched from the edges. Women from the village came to my room every morning with bolts of fabric, measuring tapes, and excited chatter. They spread out dresses on the bed, held up veils, pinned samples of lace and embroidery against my shoulders. “This color will look beautiful on you,” one said. “The blue brings out your eyes.” Another smiled. “Kael will not be able to look away.” They laughed together while they worked, talking about flowers for the ceremony, about music, about the feast that would follow. I stood there quietly while they pinned and tucked and measured, nodding when they asked if I liked something, saying “thank you” when they complimented me. But inside my head, the thoughts never stopped.I wondered how I could escape this. Every night I laid awake staring at the ceiling, planning routes through the forest, thinking about which gate might be least guarded, and wonderi