Kailey’s POV “Rise and shine, my love,” Ezekiel’s warm voice broke through the remnants of my dreams. He tapped me gently on the shoulder, his touch as soft as the morning light streaming through the windows.I groaned and turned slightly, my eyes still heavy with sleep. “Just five more minutes,” I murmured.“No way,” he said, his tone playful. “You’ll sleep the whole day away. Besides, you’ll miss this.”Curiosity got the better of me, and I forced my eyes open. Ezekiel was sitting on the edge of the bed, a tray balanced on his lap. I blinked a few times to clear my vision and saw the spread he’d prepared—eggs, toast, bacon, fresh fruit, and a steaming cup of tea.“Breakfast in bed?” I said, a lazy smile spreading across my face. “You’re spoiling me.”“You deserve it,” he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead. “After last night, I thought you could use some extra TLC.”I laughed softly, memories of the night before flooding back. “Last night was… intense.”He grinned, his golden eyes spar
Kailey’s POVAs we got back from the woods, Ezekiel held my hand firmly, his warmth seeping into me. His grip was strong but comforting, like he never wanted to let go.“Where are we going?” I asked, giving him a curious side glance.“You’ll see,” he replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. We walked through the pack’s main path until we reached the dining area. As soon as I stepped in, my breath hitched. The room was stunningly arranged with flowers of every color, their sweet aroma filling the air. Candlelight flickered softly, casting a romantic glow over the space.“Ezekiel,” I whispered, unable to keep the awe out of my voice. “What is all this?”He turned to me, his golden eyes shimmering with pride. “This is for you, my love. Just a little something to show how much you mean to me.”My cheeks heated up, and I couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across my face. “You really outdid yourself,” I said, biting m
Kailey’s POV"I really had a good time with Ezekiel... I feel it was basically the best ever," I murmured to myself as I stepped into my room. A contented sigh escaped me. The entire day had been a whirlwind of emotions, from our romantic dinner to the way he held me like I was his whole world.But now, all I wanted was a warm bath. My body felt drained, like I had been running on pure adrenaline since last night. From the moment Ezekiel whisked me away to the woods for our evening together, it had been an emotional rollercoaster filled with love and affection.And Cecilia—oh, how it had peppered her to see me with Ezekiel. I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled in my mind as I thought about the stunned look on her face. “Finally, I have my man to myself,” I said aloud, a small smile tugging at my lips.I stretched my arms over my head and stood up from the edge of the bed. My muscles ached slightly, a dull reminder of the tension and release of the day.“Time for a bath,” I said to mys
Kailey’s POV"Aurnen has been kidnapped."I stared at the guard who had just uttered those words, my mind spinning. For a moment, I thought I had misheard him."Are you trying to tell me that my son has been taken?" My voice trembled with disbelief. "How? When? Where?!"Everything around me blurred, and Ezekiel’s voice, sharp and commanding, faded in and out of my consciousness. It was as if the world had tilted, and I was struggling to stay upright. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest."Where is my son?!" I suddenly shouted, my voice rising in panic. Before I realized it, I had grabbed the guard by the collar. My vision blurred with tears of anger and fear, and my hands shook as I tightened my grip."How could you let this happen?" I yelled, raising my hand, ready to slap him.Ezekiel’s strong hand caught mine midair. "Kailey, stop!" His voice was firm but not unkind. "Let me handle this."I looked at him, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. His golden eyes b
Kailey’s POVI was pacing in the room, left, right, and center. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, spiraling out of control as my emotions battled for dominance. Restless, angry, and scared—I was a whirlwind of all three, with no outlet for relief. My hands balled into fists as my chest heaved with each labored breath. At that moment, I even started wishing I had remained in the woods with Elyra.“Shut up,” I muttered to myself, disgusted by the thought. “How could you even think that? How could you wish something like that?”My voice cracked as tears spilled over. Punching the wall beside me, I ignored the sharp jolt of pain that shot up my arm. It was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. My son was missing. My precious Aurnen was gone, and I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again.The door burst open, and Elyra rushed in, her face etched with worry. “Kailey! I came as fast as I could when I heard the news. What happened?”I collapsed into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Someone t
Kailey’s POV“Stop,” Elyra said firmly. “We can’t think like that. Aurnen needs you to be strong. Ezekiel needs you to be strong.”“Ezekiel?” I scoffed. “Do you think he’s ever truly cared about me? About Aurnen?”Elyra’s eyes softened. “I know you’ve had your doubts about him, but he’s doing everything he can to bring Aurnen back. You have to trust him.”Before I could respond, another guard entered the room, his face pale. “Luna Kailey, we’ve found something.”“What is it?” I demanded, my heart pounding.He held out a small, silver bracelet. “This was found in the woods near the border. It belongs to the prince.”I snatched the bracelet from his hand, my fingers trembling. “Where exactly did you find it?”“Near the riverbank,” he replied. “But there’s something else. We found tracks leading deeper into the forest. They were faint, but they’re fresh.”“Then what are we waiting for?” I said, already moving toward the door. “We need to follow them!”“Kailey,” Elyra called, stopping me in my tra
Ezekiel’s POV“Keep an eye on Kailey and my son,” I ordered the guards stationed outside her room. My voice was like steel, cutting through the air with authority. My glare bore into each of them, leaving no room for error. They immediately straightened, gripping their swords tightly.“Yes, Your Highness,” they replied in unison.Without another word, I turned on my heel and strode down the corridor. My blood was boiling, anger pumping through my veins like fire. Someone had dared to kidnap my son. My son! The audacity was maddening.As I entered the garden, the crisp night air failed to cool my fury. My fists were clenched at my sides, my jaw tight as I replayed the events in my head. Who would dare challenge me like this? And why?Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the maid rounding the corner until she bumped into me. The collision jolted me from my thoughts, and I snapped.“Watch where you’re going!” My voice was sharp, louder than I intended.The maid’s face turned pale, and she stumbl
Kailey’s POV"Pass me the bowl of warm water," I said quietly to the maid beside me. Though I spoke calmly, inside I felt a storm of fear and anger. The maid handed over the bowl, her hands trembling. I dipped a soft towel into the water, gently dabbing it on Aurnen's arm. His deep cut looked angry and red, but the bleeding had stopped."Poor boy," I murmured, brushing his dark hair away from his forehead. Aurnen finally seemed at peace, his breathing steady. Earlier, his fever had been dangerously high, but now it was subsiding. "Thank the goddess," I whispered, checking his temperature again.The maid fidgeted nervously. "I'm sorry, Your Highness," she began, her voice shaky. "I should have been more alert. I—"I raised my hand to silence her, focusing on Aurnen with a commanding presence. "Enough. What's done is done. Apologies won't change anything now." My tone was firm but not harsh, my attention solely on my son.Aurnen stirred slightly, whimpering softly. My heart ached, and I whi
Lydia's pov. I opened my eyes slowly and for a moment I didn't move, I just laid on the ground, I didn't move, my eyes and ears open as I listened to my environment The cave was quiet except for the soft dripping of water deep inside. I felt the cool earth beneath me, it was rough but better than the night before, it was better than how cold it had been the night before.The smell of damp stone and leaves filled the air.I raised my head and could see how vines covered the entrance of the cave. I watched as they moved slowly with the morning breeze. We made it here last night. I was grateful to the moon goddess for providing a shelter for Auren and I. I wonder where we would have slept if we hadn't come across the cave. We were already tired at the tone, exhausted and I knew just as I couldn't move further, Auren also couldn't. This little cave had been like a gift from the Moon Goddess. It wasn’t much, but it kept us safe.I turned my head and looked at him. Auren was still asl
Kailey’s POV. My eyelids slid open and I blinked, confused. I frowned deeply as I looked around me. Just a moment ago, I had been in the forest with the red flowers around me, then suddenly l, I found myself at the edge of the cliff with Auren and Ezekiel falling from the edges. And now, I was standing in front of the pack house. It was hard for me to believe anything happening at this point l, how could I?I have been deceived multiple times by the forest which created multiple surreal illusions. Right now, I don't know what to believe. My breath caught in my throat, The tall building rose in front of me, silent and still. Its windows gleamed in the soft afternoon light. I looked around, my heart thudding, something wasn't right, I knew this. However, what if I had already found the relic without knowing and the forest had already sent me back to the pack house, together with the others, Ezekiel and the rest of the warriors. I frowned as I slowly took in my environment, I not
James pov Jon frowned. “James…”“We can’t leave her out there. Not with Cecilia. You know what that woman is capable of!” I muttered. “I know. But rushing out there in the middle of the night isn’t smart.” Jon muttered, his voice laced with concern. “I don’t care if it’s smart,” I snapped. “Lydia’s out there and she’s not a fighter, you know this”Jon raised his voice. “And we’re not in good shape either, James! You’re bleeding. I can see the cut on your side, though we are healing fast, it's still not enough.”I looked down, my shirt was soaked in blood. I hadn’t even noticed the pain until he pointed it out. But it didn’t matter.“She could be hurt,” I said quietly. “She could be dying out there and we’re just standing here.”Jon ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m worried about her too. I know you care about her, James. But going out there like this could get us killed. And if we die, who’s going to save her? We can’t help her if we’re dead.”I didn’t answer. I just stared a
James pov. Despite the coolness in the air, beads of sweat hung on my forehead, my eyes were filled with worry and my eyes were fixed on Jon. Jon remained on the ground, his chest rising and falling, however, his eyes were closed. His wounds were healing, I could see this, however, they were healing at a very slow pace. “Stay with me, brother” I muttered, grabbing Jon by the collar. I placed the back of my palm on his head. We remained like that for a while until his eyes suddenly shut open. A wide smile appeared on my face that minute as I saw this, he was wide awake now. How et l, he still remained on the ground, I could tell he was trying to gather some energy. “You are awake,” I muttered with a smile.Jon coughed gently as he tilted his head slightly to meet my gaze. “I'm a tough man you know” I smiled widely, “Yes you are” With that We remained like that for a little while until all of his wounds were totally healed. After that Jon was able to sit back up and after a li
Lydia's pov. Cecilia stood by a small lake, her back to me. Auren was on the ground, tied up. He looked scared, his little eyes were wide, and he was crying.Seeing this, I didn’t waste a second. I ran forward and screamed, “Let him go!”Cecilia turned around fast, her face twisted with anger. “You again? Don’t you ever give up?”I frowned immediately, though my heart pounded in my chest. “Not until I take him back!”She laughed. “You? You can’t stop me.”I raised my knife, hiding my fear. “Watch me.”Cecilia dropped into a fighting stance. “I guess what I didn't to you the first time isn't enough for you, you seem to have learnt nothing from that encounter. Do you really think you can beat me?”Hearing this, I didn't answer, I summoned all the courage I could get and with that, I charged at her” As I got closer, my eyes widened, Cecilia was fast m, much faster than I expected. She kicked the knife out of my hand before I even got close. It flew into the grass, I gasped and backed
LYDIA'S POV.I didn't know if it was due to the determination and zeal to bring back Auren or if it was something else, but my broken ankle was fully healed nowI could fully flex it the way I was supposed to. Right now, the only sound coming from the Forrest was that of my boots crushing the dried leaves on the forest floor.I ran as fast as I could, this part of the forest was thick and dark with trees which had gigantic leaves, wide enough to wrap around a person. Which was why it was a little difficult to navigate through this part of the forest, as one would need to dodge these wide leaves which were alps blocking the moonlight from entering the forest. As I ran, my hands were tight around my knife,my heart pounded on my chest like a drum.Right now, I could barely see Cecilia ahead, I could make out the shape of her, however, it was more like a shadowy figure. The only thing I noticed very clearly was her long hair which swung from side to side behind her as she ran, pulling
James pov My mind was still occupied with the thought of Lydia running of into the night all by herself. We have all seen how dangerous Cecilia can be, we have seen what she was capable of, which was why right now, it was hard to take my mind of it. What if Lydia was hurt already? What if Cecilia had some rogues waiting and then they Ambushed Lydia, how would she come out of that? However, even with all of this thoughts, I knew I needed to be positive, Lydia has a strong will and I'm sure her string will would save her. All of this still narrowed down to the man in front of me, Damon, I needed to take him out as fast as possible so I could go help Lydia, but that didn't seem like an easy task. The night air was cold, but I barely felt it. Right now, my muscles burned, my chest rose and fell with each heavy breath I took. I could see blood dropping from the cut above my eye, although it was already healing, it was healing at a slow pace. Probably because my body have been stres
Lydia's pov. I could hear the sound of my heart beating wildly on my chest. I wasn't sure if chasing after Cecilia was a good idea, but I just knew I was doing the right thing.I didn't really give it a thought before dashing after her.What were you thinking Lydia?. A voice rang in my head, I shook off the feeling and quickened my pace. I had no idea what was happening behind, James and Jon taking on the leader of the rogues. I sighed as I darted passed a tree, Damon was strong, so strong that he would even be able to go tie to tie with Ezekiel, which was why right now I could hope James and Jon were alright. The night was cold, and the forest felt like it was closing in around me. Shadows moved with every step I took, but I didn’t care. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I ran, I could hear it, my own heartbeat, like a drum following me as I ran.I gripped the small knife with my right hand, however, I could feel it shaking in my hand, I just knew I was scared, so scared an
James pov. As we ran through the forest, fast but quietly, I knew Cecilia was nearby, there was no way she could have gone that far.As we moved together, I noticed anything and I was certain Jon and Lydia must have noticed it too. The forest was quiet, a little too quiet than usual, which was odd. Jon tilted his head to look at me “you noticed that too don't you?” I nodded in affirmation, glancing at Lydia, “Stay close” I gripped my sword tighter as we moved deeper into the trees. The air was cold and damp, and the only sounds were the soft crunch of leaves under our boots and the occasional snap of a branch coupled with the sound from the battle back at the pack house which slowly faded behind us. My eyes kept darting around, watching the shadows, I knew Cecilia was not far from here l, however, the least I wanted was an ambush. There was nothing she couldn't do, she was that bad. “With how quiet the forest is, I am beginning to think we might get Ambushed” Jon muttered wh