Valerie:The garden was bathed in the soft morning light, casting a golden hue over the dew-kissed grass. I sat on the stone bench, my eyes fixed on Adrian as he played among the flowers. His laughter rang through the air, a melody that made the world seem a little less heavy.I smiled as I looked a
Caspian:The villa was quiet when we stepped inside, the soft hum of the garden outside filtering through the open windows. Valerie moved ahead of me, her steps light but purposeful as she led the way to the small sitting room.Neither one of us said a word for a few moments. It was as if neither on
I swallowed hard, a myriad of emotions flooding through me. “Valerie, I would never hurt him. You know that. He is my son, regardless of everything, you know that.”Her expression softened, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I know. But it’s not just about you. It’s about the world we live in, about th
Valerie:The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the villa as I closed the door behind Caspian. His words lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling. Adrian wasn’t just special, he was something far beyond what I had imagined. And while Caspian's intention had been to prepar
His silhouette filled the doorway, his presence a stark contrast to the quiet of my home. His expression was guarded, the remnants of our earlier conversation still etched in the lines of his face.“Is he asleep?” he asked, his voice low.I nodded, stepping aside to let him in. “Yes. He went down ea
Caspian:I paced around my office as I tried to think straight, reading pages of ancient lore and prophecies that made little to no sense to me.Adrian was not just special, he was something beyond our world and I needed to know what that meant. I needed to understand the danger that it could impose
Valerie:The morning air was sharp and biting as I stepped out of the villa. I needed to get some air this morning, and for the first time, I just found myself being at a complete loss of what I would be doing.It was as if the earth itself sensed the brewing storm, the quiet before chaos. My instin
She laughed, the sound brittle and sharp. “Your son? He’s nothing but a threat. An anomaly. Do you even know what he is? What he could become? He is nothing but an illegitimate child, no matter what you are going to try and do.”I stiffened, my pulse thundering in my ears. “What are you talking abou
Valerie:The wind was sharp tonight.Leaves crunched beneath my boots as I walked the length of the old northern path near the pack’s edge, where the trees had started to wither into the burnished golds and ambers of fall. There was no one else around, Caspian was still speaking with Ryan and Mateo,
Caspian:The fire crackled low in the hearth. Outside, the moon rose high above the trees, casting a pale light through the windows, but inside the room, it was only her.Valerie.The woman who, despite myself, managed to slip inside my head. The woman who managed to settle inside my heart in a way
Valerie:The wind around us started to shift. I could feel it and see it and the trees that were around us. I walked along the forest path with Adrian by my side, his little hand tucked securely in mine. I wanted him to try and explore his power. I wanted him to allow himself to give in to what it i
Caspian:The air in the pack was… different now.And though I knew that everyone wanted to deny it or ignore it, they could. Not everything was just someone's complicated.It was not tense, not completely. But not calm either. It was something in between, like the pause before a storm, or the breath
Eva:“You’ve lost control,” I snapped, pacing the edge of the study, my heels echoing with every angry step. “You said you had everything in place. You said everything would go as planned. And yet here we are, Valerie’s alive, Caspian is stronger than ever, and now Adrian sees him as a father.”Giov
Valerie:The kitchen was filled with the soft clinking of cutlery and the warm scent of cinnamon and honey. I moved slowly, careful not to burn the toast, careful not to look too long at Caspian as he stood by the counter watching me, arms folded across his chest like he was still processing everyth
Caspian:The scent of lavender and warm vanilla filled the villa, her scent, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, it wasn’t just lingering in my memory. It was alive. It was here. She was here. She was by my side and rather than this villa feeling like a place that I was living in, i
Valerie:The sunlight slipped past the sheer curtains, golden and gentle, warming my cheek before I even opened my eyes. I felt the weight of the sheets tangled around my legs, the delicious soreness in my limbs, and the steady warmth radiating from the body beside mine.Caspian.I didn’t need to lo
The kiss deepened. Her mouth parted, and I took it, claiming her like I’d never stopped wanting to. My hand slipped into her hair, and she moaned against me, arching into my touch.“Valerie…” I breathed, my lips brushing hers.Her eyes met mine, dark with heat. “Don’t ask.”I hesitated.“Are you sur