JASMINEIt turned out that I shouldn’t have tried to prove I was alright.During the conflict, the man had literally created a hole in my belly, and I quickly began to feel feverish after talking with the Hart siblings. I tried my best to maintain a calm disposition, but a headache started to flare along with some severe aches and chills.I knew I was hurt but I didn’t know the extent of it.Our discussion didn’t uncover any useful information, except for the name of the mysterious kingdom that Leila claimed to be the origin of magic.Tiryn.Flynn was the first to notice my discomfort,.“It’s time to leave,” he said to Leila curtly. “ Lady Jasmine needs rest.”Leila’s golden brown eyes flashed over to me and she scanned me for a moment, like she wanted to counter the idea so we could talk more about the subject, but finally, when I sat down, she seemed to understand the gravity of my situation.Politely, she said goodbye, and then Flynn escorted her out.Outside the door, I heard a sm
JASMINEAs his dark eyes met mine, I felt a small spark and it became a struggle to maintain his gaze.It would be a lie to say that I didn’t find Flynn very attractive, though I knew it was improper to think that way in a situation like this.Still, his strong jaw, full lips, and rich black braided hair were undeniably handsome. He was the perfect combination of softness and sharpness. TAs his mouth turned into a soft smile, I forced myself to look away. Those lips of his, that small but genuine smile…If Addison had known what I was thinking, she would surely have laughed at me. My twin had always said that I tended to pick the most boringly upright men in the world, that they were the only ones that I preferred. She often inferred that I was incapable of choosing a great man.I had never agreed with her. Though we looked identical in every way, we had different tastes in men. We couldn’t have been more different in that regard.I had never thought Addison had ever been truly attra
EVELYN“Leave with me, Eva,” Cole said, his voice a low, contented whisper. His hand reached out toward me as I lifted my gaze.Cole was a blessing. My deepest love.The wound on the right side of his chest was near the spot where his heart was pounding.Confused, I stepped forward. All I needed to do was hold Cole’s hand, and I could leave everything else behind.All I needed was him and the smile that soothed me more than anything on Earth. He was my anchor… my lifeline.“Evelyn...”Suddenly, I heard a voice from below and I stiffened in surprise.It was Conner’s voice.I looked down in horror to find my beloved older brother’s body lying near my feet. His neck was ripped apart, the gore and viscera sending a wave of nausea. My stomach seized and for a moment, I swore I would throw up. It was a graphic sight, one I wasn’t prepared for.“Eva!” Cole demanded again. There was only an arm's length between us.As long as I lifted my hand, Cole would be able to catch it and pull me over.
EVELYN“Why would I believe you?” I hissed, a low snarl rumbling within my chest as I studied her angrily. “I want nothing more than to kill you.”Elsa watched me for a moment. “You can’t if you don’t have the energy, “ she pointed out. “It would be foolish to starve to death before seeking your revenge. And there’s no point in resisting. I can have a few servants force you to eat, even if you disobey. So you can make it easy on yourself or you can be forced. The choice is yours.”I glared at Elsa, jaw clenching as I remembered the girl I thought she was before this fell apart. The sweet, doe-eyed young girl who was so kind to me when she arrived at the palace. The girl who gave me a nickname, spoke with me and made our mundane daily chores tolerable.How many times had we laughed together? How many times had we complained and sought comfort in one another?The amount of trust I had once placed in her was now matched only by my hatred.But what Elsa said was correct.I needed energy
EVELYNMuch to my dismay and agitation, Elsa didn’t come to see me the next day, or the day after that.The only person I encountered in this strange place was Crystal, the veiled girl who brought me food for every meal. She was quiet but attentive, insisting that I needed sustenance while I was chained to the bed. I supposed it was sort of kind, but my wild temper made it hard for me to appreciate kindness while being held hostage here against my will.Each time she arrived in the room, I used different approaches of wit to try and convince Crystal to uncuff my other hand so she could walk around, promising that I wouldn’t escape, but it was of no use. She was unwilling to budge, offering only to feed me and make sure I was drinking water.Crystal didn’t seem vexed by my flaring ill temper at all. She simply accepted it, unflinching. I was a bit like a feral animal, a trapped one.Eventually, I felt guilty when I spilled soup or porridge on Crystal’s clothes, forcing her to repeat he
EVELYNA price. Was that what Cole meant when he said Jack had sold himself? Priced himself?My mind fell to him at once, his dark eyes and contrasting golden hair haunting me with every passing second. As I thought of Cole so endearingly, I couldn’t help but feel the pain.We had been separated and the idea of him being hurt by Jack and hidden away in some capacity by House Fox filled me with an almost insurmountable grief. Not knowing where he was, and what state he was presently in… it made my heart feel as if it was shattering into a million pieces at once. It was hard to know that he was alone and incapacitated.Still, I recentered with deep, disciplined breaths, my shoulders rolling back and releasing. Despite the amount of control it required, I managed not to dwell on sorrow and fear.Cole was still alive, and all I needed to do was find out Jack’s plot and get out of here.I was determined to fight back.Determined to return to Cole.In my current state, I didn’t want to thi
EVELYNCrystal sputtered at the sudden action, her breathing growing sparse while her chest heaved. I applied enough pressure to be uncomfortable but not enough to truly injure her. At most, my hold would enact some bruising or otherwise.“I don’t know what to do,” the young girl whispered, and she avoided making contact with my eyes.“You know what to do,” I countered calmly, hand applying a bit more pressure as I stared past the veil into her terrified eyes. “Or at least you better. If not, you’re going to die. I promise it.”I wasn’t the kind of person to make such demands and inflict pain. For the past year, I’d lived as meek Evelyn Caddel, a maid in the royal palace known for sharing the same bed as the Alpha King.But as I gazed at Crystal, my hand wrapped around her throat, my eyes narrowed and focused, I realized I wasn’t Evelyn. I was Eva. I was ruthless, brave, and powerful, and I wouldn’t accept any of Crystal’s vague statements.Just as I pondered my next move and the next
EVELYNPanic flooded through me and I wanted to run away but I found my body unable to move. My head swam with dizziness as my heart pounded in my chest.I wondered if I was on the verge of passing out. I tried to concentrate on staying awake, my claws sinking further into my thigh. The effort was painful, but I needed to be coherent enough to understand what was going on.The strange man’s thumb pressed against my lower lip, prying my mouth open. I felt the edge of a bowl against my lip. Before I could think straight, cold liquid poured into my mouth. I felt horror, but I was unable to make a sound or movement.What was he giving me? Was I being drugged yet again?Or worse…My stomach revolted at once and I was on the verge of throwing up when I tasted the bitterness of the potion. It twisted into knots and my mouth flooded with saliva. I nearly retched all over myself from sheer disgust, but I managed to hold it in, knowing that it would only make this terrible and dangerous situati
EVELYNThe next page contained two detailed sketches. The first depicted a monstrous figure labeled The First Alpha of the Werewolves, Alpha Elrod—a nightmarish fusion of man and wolf. His expression twisted in eternal agony, his heart pierced by a silver dagger.The second sketch, in stark contrast, portrayed his daughter, Moon. The artist had been far more merciful in painting her. Unlike her father, she was drawn with an ethereal beauty—her features fierce yet strangely soft. Cascading hair framed her delicate face, resting elegantly on her shoulder, and she wore a dress woven of moonflowers. Though faded with time, her features carried an eerie familiarity, strikingly similar to the woman in my dream.My fingers traced the contours of her face, almost as if moving of their own will. For a moment, it felt as though she were gazing back at me, whispering something just beyond my grasp.But truth isn’t always comforting. Sometimes, it is agonizing. Horrible. Sometimes, you wish you h
EVELYNIt was well past noon when I finally had a moment to stretch my overworked body. I devoured a sandwich and drained a full cup of strong tea that the servant had brought me before I finished reading the last three petitioning papers on my desk.One might assume that being a queen promised endless luxury, unchallenged authority, and an insouciant existence. But in reality, this had been my daily routine ever since I was crowned the Queen of Hescor three months ago—gorging down cold sandwiches and fueling myself with cups of strong tea between work breaks. Still, even that was preferable to enduring extravagant banquets filled with pompous lords and prying officials.I pushed the tray aside and reached for the two letters on the cabinet. Both bore an indication of the sender—a seal at the corner of the envelopes—marking them as messages from Tiryn. I pried the first one open and pulled out the folded parchment—it was from Leila.Over the past months, Leila had sent me five letters
EVELYNIf storms were made of reporting sheets, endless queues of petitioners, and nagging lords filled with complaints and unrealistic pleas, then my life after the coronation could only be described as stormy.I rubbed my temples as I put down yet another ridiculous petition—this one requesting justice for a missing kitten. According to the petitioner, the kitten had disappeared while he was visiting the main market of Halian, and he suspected that a human foreigner had used some “nasty” trick to steal it away.Thanks to the Ozora-Eanica Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation—signed by Hescor, Tiryn, and the two other werewolf nations of Eanica half a month ago—the number of foreigners traveling from Eanica to Ozora had been steadily rising. Though other nations remained cautious, Cole and I were expecting to receive their diplomats in the coming weeks. Tiryn’s example had piqued their interest, and they were beginning to see the great potential in establishing trade and dip
EVELYN“You don’t believe us, do you?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, sharper than I had intended. “You don’t believe in our determination.”Oakley studied me for a long moment before a grin flickered across his face, his usual cavalier attitude returning. “Let’s just say I’m afraid. Or maybe I’m tired of fighting for myself. Time to seek something else in life, isn’t it? Perhaps an exotic beauty in a foreign land. I hear some human girls have a particular taste for fluffy animals—”“Don’t change the subject,” I cut him off, glowering. “You’re not someone who scares easily.”“I wasn’t,” he admitted, inhaling deeply. “But I am now.” His smirk faded, replaced by a hardened expression. “Her husband has erased her past to give her a new life, a paradise of his own making. And I won’t be the one to destroy it.”It took me a moment to understand who he meant. Maria.“I saw her three days ago,” Oakley continued. “I imagined she’d be suffering under the hand of some lord, a
EVELYNI had never known there was a secret room attached to the Alpha’s Study, hidden behind the towering bookshelves that lined the wall opposite the long marble desk. A concealed passageway linked the two, its entrance masked by books that Cole now pushed aside. He twisted a small, inconspicuous knob, and the hidden door clicked open.I followed him inside, ducking low as we maneuvered through the narrow, dark passage. When he opened another door at the end, we stepped into a small chamber. It was even tinier than the room I had once lived in as a maid, furnished only with a round desk, a few chairs, and a cabinet against the wall.Despite its minimalism, the chamber exuded opulence. The desk was inlaid with jade, and each chair gleamed with embedded gemstones that caught even the faintest light.Clearly, this space had been intended for secret meetings—perhaps even assignations. Against one wall sat a low love seat, large enough for one person to rest comfortably. Or two, if they
EVELYNSkyla blinked.For the first time since I had stepped into her cell, she looked truly caught off guard. Her lips parted slightly as if to form words, but no sound came out.I could understand why she was so shocked. According to the traditional Hescorian law of crime and punishment, as the heir of a rebellious Great Lord, she would be sentenced to death. If not death, it would be a life-long sentence of heavy labor and exile – just like the punishment my family had received.Personally, I wanted her to suffer that fate. I had no intention of showing her mercy – mercy she neither deserved nor ever would. But as the future queen of Hescor, I couldn’t. I couldn’t let my personal hatred dictate justice. I was determined to change Hescor’s wretched, severe penal system, and I wouldn’t allow myself to become a hypocrite in the process.Collective punishment had a long history in Hescor. It’d be difficult to abolish, as many lords firmly supported it, or so I had been told.I recalled
EVELYN“So he punished him—made him kneel on the cold stone floor of the Great Hall, day and night, with the servants as witnesses. He kept him there until he was exhausted, starving, and on the verge of collapse,” Stephanie said. “And still, Jack never gave him an answer. He only said it was a girl from a dream. That was all. In the end, Father had no choice but to give up. But before he did, he tore the painting to shreds and warned Jack—if he ever dreamed of that girl again… he would find her, dig her out, and destroy her.”A shiver ran down my spine.I could almost see King Theodore’s looming figure, feel his hands closing around me, tearing me apart as he had done to that painting.I felt paralyzed by Stephanie’s words. And angry. Why was she telling me this? What did she expect from me? This had nothing to do with me, did it? It wasn’t my fault Jack had drawn a picture of me.And yet, beyond the anger, there was something else. A deep, inevitable sorrow.I didn’t know why.I tri
EVELYNI searched Stephanie’s chestnut-brown eyes with scrutiny, trying to make sense of her words. I was relieved she wasn’t lying, but I couldn’t understand why she had bothered making such a request after everything that had happened.Her expression remained composed, as if she saw no issue with her decision. But even at my most optimistic—even if Cole ever found an excuse to forgive his brother—Stephanie’s request to move Jack’s body to the Royal Crypt was absurd.Crypts held deep significance for every noble family in Hescor, and the Royal Crypt was the most sacred of them all, reserved for the royal bloodline. The people of Hescor believed it was a resting place only for revered monarchs who had contributed to the kingdom, rulers whose legacies were honored by both history and the people. Only the purest souls were meant to be laid to rest there. Of course, that was an exaggeration—one could hardly call King Theodore a saint, considering his debauched ways in his later years.As
EVELYN“Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re supporting me or siding with those who oppose my ascension,” I muttered, lifting my head from the stack of documents to glower at Flynn. Across the room, he met my gaze steadily, unfazed.“Why don’t you go bother your King instead?” I snapped. “If anyone’s to blame for my ignorance of these documents, it’s him! If he hadn’t—” I bit off the words, heat crawling up my face as memory surged forward, unbidden and all too vivid.Cole had been unbearably possessive last night after I returned from my conversation with Aiden by the river. He had exhausted me until dawn – until the first golden rays of sunlight spilled over the horizon, peering into the room to find our bodies tangled in the damp sheets.Flynn arched a brow but returned his attention to the report in his hands. “I’ll remind him to exercise restraint,” he said coolly. “He shouldn’t wear you out when your schedule is this full.” Then, without a hint of emotion, he added, “Tell your maid