The Alpha King’s hand was raised, ready to give the command. “Please!” I begged. “Please don’t do this! Take me instead! Please, take me instead!” He didn’t seem to hear me. The executioner lifted his broadsword. Scarlet blood flooded the surrounding earth immediately. I roared and screamed, a horrible sound echoing through the air. Cole, with cruel indifference, stepped down from the throne and smirked. “Did you enjoy what you saw, Eva?” he asked. “Did you enjoy seeing their heads roll? Witnessing what happens to filthy traitors?” “You’re a f**king monster,” I growled, “F**k you! I hate you!!! You’d rot-” He interrupted my curses, cupping my face as he laughed maliciously. “Even though you hate me, you belong to me now,” he murmured, his voice both sensual and cruel. “You bear my Mark, Eva. There’s be no escaping. No matter how far you run, I’ll always find you. I’ll always take you.” He pressed his fingers against the side of my neck, the sensation of the bond mark strong and undeniable. Horror and disgust overwhelmed me. He was right. I was his. I was caged. _____________ As Lord Beta’s daughter, Evelyn had led a happy life—until everything fell apart two years ago. After King Theodore’s sudden death, the princes began competing for the throne, and wars erupted. Her family had backed the wrong prince. Her fiancé – the crown prince – fell and perished in the final battle. Her soon-to-be brother-in-law ascended as the Alpha King. And it turned out that the new King sought not only her repentance and redemption, but her flesh, and her soul.
View MoreEVELYNWhile Cole and I proceeded toward my family's room, Oakley and Sylvia turned right at the staircase, separating from us to check on Lord Albert and Elsa, who had been placed on the other side of the corridor. Sylvia offered to assist them with her healing abilities, and Oakley expressed a reluctance to get involved in any private conversations.I had expected Aiden to follow us, as he seemed as deeply concerned about my family as I was. But instead, he trailed behind Oakley. When our eyes met for a brief moment, he quickly looked away, lowering his head to avoid my silent question.It was clear he was trying to avoid me, even though I hadn’t directly asked anything. His behavior had been distant ever since he awoke from the enchantment. Silent for most of the time, and when he did speak, it was never to me. I had no idea what was going through his mind, but I didn’t have the strength to press him for answers—not when I was so consumed with the anxiety of seeing my family, and w
EVELYNThe air grew chilly as we ran through the forest in our wolf forms. It might have been the morning dew dampening my fur, or perhaps the panic surging through my veins. I forced myself to focus on the solid earth beneath my paws, trying to push away the creeping dread gnawing at the edges of my mind. If I didn’t, the fear that my little sister might already be in the wizard’s grasp would overwhelm me.We slowed as Aiden sniffed the path, tracking the path to the safehouse where my family was being sheltered. Oakley dipped his wolf head low, allowing Sylvia, who had been riding on his back, to dismount. She clutched her chest and leaned against a nearby trunk, taking a deep breath. Her face was pale from the speed of the ride. I wondered if she had ever ridden a werewolf before, even though she had lived in Hescor for so long. But judging by her retching and the greenish tint to her face, it was clear she wasn’t fond of the experience.Oakley joined Aiden, studying the trail as h
EVELYN“But if you’re wondering why Augus…” Sylvia spoke up again, but she quickly paused, frowning as if considering the words she was about to say. Then, with a deep sigh, she added, “I have no idea why you werewolves seem to carry magical blood or what Augus has discovered about it.”I looked at her, pursing my lips. The unease I felt when Augus called werewolves magical weapons lingered in my chest. I didn’t think he had just meant to sneer and degrade us as mere objects.“He found it behind the Chamber of Secrets,” I said.Sylvia’s frown deepened. “How do you know…”I turned my gaze toward the flickering firelight and explained what had happened earlier—how Augus had disguised himself as Seb and tricked us all, how Leila had brought a book with a ruse that only the King of Tiryn could read. My heart ached dully as I recounted the memory. “I think the ruse confirmed Augus’s theory, and that’s probably why he acted so boldly afterward, to prove his suspicions.”I fell silent for a
EVELYNI gazed beyond the campfire. The sky was still dark, as if every single star in the heavens had been wiped from existence, never to return. As if dawn would never come.“Apparently, not everyone in Tiryn supports their King’s ambitions,” Flynn said, tossing more dry twigs into the flames.After we’d escaped the alleyway, we had reunited with Flynn, who’d discovered the trick Augus had played to distract him. Now, hidden behind the thickets in the forest near the House of Fox—guarded by his troop and without any blue-eyed soldiers lurking to catch us off guard—we could finally rest and contemplate our situation. We perched on a pair of logs in a circle, the campfire lighting our faces.The flickering flames illuminated our eyes as we listened to Flynn’s revelation about what he’d learned. In the firelight, everyone’s faces seemed ghostly.I shifted on my perch, stretching my stiff legs when Cole spoke up.“Where’s the informer?” His hand tightened around mine, and a crease forme
EVELYNPerhaps we should keep an eye on Augus, wait for the right moment to strike—surprise him when he’s unprepared. But we were too stunned to act. Jack’s death seemed to stir something in the air around us. The draft that had once been light in the alleyway grew stronger, though, in that moment, I wondered if it was still just a draft.The sky suddenly shrouded in thick clouds, obscuring the moon entirely. A storm seemed imminent—a storm that could hardly be a natural occurrence. I wasn’t sure if it was relevant, but I recalled the time when King Theodore died, and a tempest raged for days, as if the world itself mourned the loss of a monarch.The stomping of footsteps broke the tension. I turned my gaze toward the soldiers. The puppets began marching toward us, their blank faces and eyes gleaming with a sinister flash.“He’s running,” Oakley shouted, pointing at a flicker of blue light moving swiftly in the opposite direction, away from the approaching swarm of soldiers. “Should w
EVELYN“I’m no gambler,” Cole said sharply.Augus snorted. “I’m afraid that’s a gamble you can never refuse, young King.” He stepped back a few paces, muttering a spell under his breath, and the sapphire dagger rose into the air.My body tensed as I grabbed Stephanie’s arm, bracing for the attack. My nerves were on high alert.But instead of the mindless onslaught I expected, the uncontrolled soldiers closed in around Augus, encircling him like a protective wall.Confusion twisted in my gut, but before I could make sense of it, I felt Stephanie’s body stiffen beside me. She pulled away, shrugging off my hand with startling coldness, and rose to her feet.“Stephanie—” I called out, but my words died in my throat when I saw her eyes. There was nothing left in them. Just emptiness. Just like the soldiers.I remembered Augus’s words.What makes you think I didn’t control one of you to lead you here?The realization hit me like a physical blow. Stephanie... she was under his control. A rus
EVELYNThe clouds shielding the moon finally drifted past, and as the silvery light bathed the alley, the blue crystal dagger lodged in Leila’s chest gleamed with a piercing brilliance. Leila’s eyes widened, shock and confusion flooding her features. She looked down at the dagger, watching it being pulling from her chest with an invisible force. Blood seeped through her dress, spreading out in a crimson circle.“Lei!!” Jasmine’s scream tore through the air as she rushed to Leila’s side, pulling her into her arms. Stephanie followed, her movements urgent.At the same time, Cole charged at Augus. Augus, however, was already retreating, vanishing swiftly among the soldiers. He mumbled an incantation, and with a flick of his wrist, more soldiers fell under his control, becoming mindless puppets. Cole struggled to get close, forced to fight his way through the soulless figures that filled the space between them.I gripped Sylvia’s arm, my breath shallow, my chest aching with every inhale.
EVELYN“For the past year, I’ve been wondering what you truly wanted,” Cole said, his gaze locking onto his brother. Their features mirrored each other’s—different yet undeniably similar. Both carried the sharpness of their father, Theodore Elrod. “I won the war too easily, didn’t I? With unwavering support from House Caddel and the other Houses maintaining an ambiguous stance, neither openly opposing me nor aiding you, you could have defeated me with a mere flick of your fingers. You could have taken everything. But you let me win. You faked your death. You remained in the shadows, pushing me onto a throne I never desired. You have always been the Crown Prince; the throne was always yours. You could have ordered my death and married Evelyn if that was your goal. So why go to such lengths?”“Is this supposed to be a riddle for me to solve?” Jack snorted. “I’m afraid I’m no bard.”Cole took a step closer. “Do you remember the time you showed me a moth you had dismembered? I asked you w
EVELYNThe weight on my chest lifted, and the bitter bile threatening to rise in my throat was replaced by a sweet, honeyed liquid. The painful symphony of sounds—the agony woven through them—faded into the background. I wanted to open my eyes, to see if they had seized the chance to take Frank down, if Augus had been stopped, if anything had been resolved. I wanted to call out to them, but I was too drained, too exhausted to move. My eyelids felt as though they were glued shut, and the weight of sleep was all-consuming, tugging me under.Soon, the sounds disappeared altogether. Their voices fell silent, as if my world had been muted, and I couldn’t sense where I was or what was happening around me. I had drifted too far.Yet, despite the disorienting haze, I wasn’t afraid. Instead, I felt light—weightless, almost as if I were floating. A warm euphoria wrapped itself around me, filling every inch of my being. The chaos, the blood, the fear... it all seemed so far away. I wanted to lea
EVELYNI would never forget that day—the day of my trial, when my life fell apart. The man I loved sat on the throne, declaring my doom. Pain shot through me like lightning as I was forced to kneel, bowing my head before him. His familiar dark eyes stared into my soul with contempt and hatred.Tears welled up in my eyes.“Evelyn Caddel, as the Alpha King of Hescor, I hereby pronounce you and your family guilty of treason. Your noble titles shall be revoked, your lands confiscated, and your honor erased. You shall endure the harshest punishments under the law of Hescor.”Then, he reached out, cupping my chin, and lowered his voice into a chilling whisper. “I told you—you’d regret choosing the wrong man, Evelyn.”***"It's a lovely day," Elsa said, spreading her arms out and facing the sun streaming in through the window. "A shame we have to spend in the palace."I laughed at that, pulling the cart down the hallway."There are worse things.""Like what?"Humiliation. Hopelessness. Tortur...
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