JASMINEMy head began to ache from all of the information I was being given. Sylvia was a wizard, a runaway princess from a country whose ruler faked her death after killing her father? She had managed to get away from King Theodore but had managed to hide away in Hescor, where she’d been residing the entire time.I wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingertips. This was all too much, but I needed to stay strong and composed so we could move forward and figure out how to save Cole.“Why would your uncle align with Jack Elrod of all people?” I asked again with a small frown. “What’s the appeal for a foreign magic user to work with a werewolf prince?”“If I were to guess, I would say that my uncle seeks the rich sapphire source of Ozora,” Sylvia mused. “Which would surely enhance a wizard’s capabilities, so I doubt there would be more options than that. Augus Clarkin is an insane, greedy man. All he seeks is power. During the years that I was in the royal palace, Seb had g
JASMINEFor a moment, I thought I had heard the man incorrectly.There were so many variables that made no sense and many others that did.I wanted to scoff at the mere notion that Skyla Fox was kind, given all that I knew about her, and scoff even further at the idea of the King wanting anything to do with her. She was beautiful but she was hardly a prize and I’d been deducting during the Luna Selection that he wanted nothing to do with her.These were the orchestrations of Marcel and the rest of House Fox.I narrowed my eyes and shook my head in confusion.“The King is awake?” I questioned. “That’s impossible. Did you see him walking among them?”“I can’t confirm because the ones I had spoken with had never seen the King in person,” Seb explained. “All know that he is there but none have seen his face since he arrived at the House of Fox.”“And when will this engagement party happen?” Sylvia spoke up in a serious, composed voice. Her eyes held a spark that I couldn’t quite identify,
FLYNNJasmine had only been gone less than a day and I already missed her greatly. Her scent was still lingering on my coat, and it was almost as if I could physically sense her gentle touch when I recalled the moment we’d hugged and kissed. A shiver ran through me as I remembered the sweet taste of her lips against mine.I wished to kiss her now, wished to kiss her shamelessly and tell her how much I loved her, every inch of her… her ashen-blonde hair, her big sterling eyes… the gorgeous, lightly muscled figure that couldn’t leave my mind… she had me under her spell through and through.I had never expected to find a mate anytime soon. I had always thought I didn’tdeserve to be happy after the moment I ended my friend’s life.But Jasmine… sweet, beautiful Jasmine Madden, reassured me that Conner Caddel’s death wasn’t my fault, like everyone else had attempted but failed at. Miraculously, her words worked more than anyone else’s ever had. Perhaps it was her tone when she boldly ment
EVELYNOakley studied me with caution, the expression on his scarred face betraying a mix of emotions. It was rare, I was certain, to see him in such a state, and it was relieving to know I could have the upper hand for once“What are your conditions?” he asked me, his eyes holding mine for once instead of trailing over me lewdly. For a moment, he seemed almost innocent, normal, not the cruel warrior wolf I knew he was at his core.“I need to know what happened to Aiden first,” I said, chin held high. “As for the rest, I’ll keep them tucked away for later. I’ll need you to cooperate when I need it. Got that?”Oakley snorted and rolled his eyes “Quite a lofty statement, angel. How can I trust you? Besides, if Maria is really alive, I can find her on my own. Why would I need your help?”He rose from his seat and leaned over as his sharp eyes stared at me. I knew that it was just an intimidation tactic but I wasn’t about to falter, not when circumstances were so dire. No, I wouldn’t yiel
EVELYNOakley remained silent while he walked me back. He had changed his playful attitude and maintained a solemn face as if he had been deeply in his own thoughts.“What happened to Elsa?” I asked him quietly, unsure of how to speak of the ordeal. I was certain that if anyone knew what had happened in that room, it was the scarred man.Oakley hesitated and then spoke. “Elsa made the wrong decision and now… she’s approaching her doom.”I stopped dead in my tracks and studied him with a look of utter confusion. “Her doom? What does that mean?”He scoffed and came to a halt. “I can’t tell you unless you want to become the same as she is.”I blinked in surprise.He glanced behind his shoulder. “I’m sure Elsa expected it. The moment we vow our loyalty to Master, we know what will be our undoing. Our doom.”“Do you… do you mean that Elsa will die soon?” I asked, my voice breaking at the very thought.Oakley didn’t speak but his somber expression told me everything. The world felt as if it
EVELYNAfter being dropped off by Oakley, I spent the otherwise quiet morning with my parents and as the sun rose high in the sky, we had lunch together. Staying with my family always soothed me, but the happier I felt when I was spending time with my family, the more uneasy I felt deep down. How could I relax knowing that my friend was preparing to meet an alleged doom for betraying Jack Elrod?How could I be at ease when her fate was practically condemned?It was impossible to go about my day pretending that I hadn’t seen what I’d seen.So, after we ate, I went to see Elsa.Jack had told me that I could see her “later”, so I saw no harm in visiting her now that the ordeal was technically over. Oakley had taken me away as instructed and enough time had passed that it felt less dangerous to get involved again.When I reached Elsa’s chamber, I knocked gently on the door, and when I heard no reply, my heart raced in my chest. I knew it wasn’t my best idea, but I couldn’t just turn back
EVELYNI couldn’t shake the feeling that his words seemed like a threat, and despite the panic that swelled within my belly, I managed to remain calm as I awaited his response.“Well, I can’t exactly babysit my little brother,” Jack remarked with a small, near smirk. “And I have nothing to do with how his condition progresses. It seems as if it’s deteriorated quickly. Maybe he’s just too weak to hold on-”“He’s not weak,” I cut him off sharply. “You must have done something to him to keep him from healing.”Enragingly composed as ever, Jack shrugged. “Regardless, you’d better decide quickly if you still want to save that pathetic boy. Time is of the essence, it seems.”As my temper flared, I clenched my fists. “How do I know he can be saved since his condition has deteriorated so quickly? How do I know that you wouldn’t just kill him the moment I agreed to marry you?”“I never made a promise that I would save Cole,” Jack corrected me with a chuckle, crossing his arms against his chest
Addison laughed as Lord Hart finished his utterance. Her mocking laughter was harsh. It was he only sound in the room.Flynn stared at his father. Words escaped him as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his father had held onto such an immense, intense secret.Similarly, Leila seemed confounded. She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what their father had just revealed.“Why did you keep this from us?” the young lady asked in a small voice. The charms decorating her dark braids shimmered with sound as she leaned forward.Lord Hart sighed. He looked at his daughter but didn’t speak a word.Addison laughed again, her big gray eyes narrowing and then rolling. “Because your father is a coward.”She tilted her head, her long ash-blonde hair spilling over her shoulder. “It seems the Hart family is in no position to look down on the Maddens, since they now appear to be the most dishonest and treacherous family in Hescor.”Leila’s full dark lips curled into a snarl, and a l
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