All Chapters of THE ROGUE KING UNDOING : Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

NIKOLAI The silver dagger misses my throat by a millimeter. It hums, vibrating with lethal intent, as it embeds itself deep into the ancient oak tree behind me. "Oh, come on, sweetheart," I drawl, leaning my head back against the rough bark with a lazy, blood-soaked grin. "Your brother told me you were the deadly one. I am starting to think the great Alpha Alaric just wanted me to kill you so he wouldn't have to share his inheritance." Valeria, the ruthless sister of my sworn enemy, snarls. Her golden wolf eyes glow like dying embers in the dim forest light. Blood drips from a jagged cut on her temple, but she doesn't care. She lunges again. Claws extended, she aims straight for my chest, desperate to tear out my heart. I don't even draw my blade. I sidestep with terrifying speed, letting her momentum carry her past me. I catch her slick wrist, spin her around, and pin her back against my chest. Leaning down, I let my voice drop to a dark, mocking whisper against he

NIKOLAI “She mind-linked me,” I blurt out. A heavy murmur breaks out in the meeting room. Shock plasters across my commanders' faces. “That is impossible,” Joel says, shaking his head. “Only a true Tether can do that,” Trish says. “Or it could be a trick by the Primordial King,” another commander mutters. "She could be a hidden bloodline from the primordials," another speculate. I raise my hand, and the murmuring dies down instantly. “None of us know what she is or why she is a hybrid," I say, resting my head against my hand on the armrest. "But if she can mind-link, I know she can do much more than that. We all know our mission. “She will train here. She will breathe the same air as us. She will learn our ways until we understand exactly what she is capable of. But remember, we can not afford to let her power awaken before we are ready. Get ready to kill because the Obsidian Apex pack won’t back down without a fight.” “Yes, sir,” they all bow curtly.

NIKOLAI The throne room is dead quiet, except the crackle of burning torches against the stone walls. I sit alone in the massive chair, the heavy gold crown resting on the armrest beside me. I don’t want it on my head. It feels less like a symbol of power and more like a target. I stare blankly out the high arched windows, but I am not seeing the dark, sprawling forests of the Ashen Horde territory. My mind is thousands of miles away, trapped back in that messy, shattered apartment in Atlanta. No matter how hard I try to shake it, my mind keeps replaying Corin’s voice. It loops in my head over and over, dripping with that cold, mocking venom. “Look at you, Alpha King... Too broken to mind-link your own pack. You think you’re hiding your curse, but the Primordial’s know exactly how weak you are. What would your pack do when they find out what the curse really is?” I press my hand against my chest, right over the thick bandages hidden beneath my tun

CASSIE I flip through a few of the ancient spell-books I managed to sneak into my room. From what I can gather, the real trick to casting a good spell relies entirely on confidence and learning how to properly tune into your elemental chakra. Every witch has a distinct specialty, just like werewolves do. A gentle, sudden knock on the wood startles me. I scramble, quickly hiding the heavy book underneath my bed frame before sitting up straight and smoothing out my clothes. “Come in,” I call out, trying to sound as composed as possible. Nikolai pokes his head through the opening, offering a brief wave before stepping fully into the room. He stops just at the foot of my bed, a relaxed smile on his face. “I heard today is your first proper lesson. Let us take a walk,” he suggests, gesturing out toward the hallway. “It helps clear the mind. You humans call it a stroll, right?” I tilt my head, a small smirk playing on my lips. “Oh, so you know human terminology now?” “You’d be surpris