EVELYNMy coronation was set for a week after Cole officially announced that he had marked me, and that I had marked him in return. At least, that was the version he presented to the Lords and officials. If he had told them the truth—that I had marked him first—he might have sent half the council into cardiac arrest. They would have called it a disgrace to the monarchy, or worse.Naturally, many were displeased with my ascension. They resented the fact that I would wield actual power, something few queens in Hescor’s history had ever done—especially after my supposed punishment as a traitor. They also despised that my family’s name had been cleared and that my father had been reinstated to his former status.But all those objections amounted to nothing more than a few grumbles. The main attention remained fixed on the shocking revelation of Marcel Fox’s treason and rebellion. Solid evidence proved that he had been smuggling precious stones and stealing minerals from Windsburn—not to m
EVELYNThe royal garden was bathed in the golden hues of the afternoon sun, the crisp air carrying the mingling scents of blooming roses and freshly turned earth. I found Aiden standing near the river, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He wasn’t alone.Leila was beside him, waving her hands animatedly as she spoke, her excitement evident. It seemed she was sharing something with him, and though Aiden nodded in response with a faint smile, his attention was clearly elsewhere. He looked distracted.Sensing my approach, Leila turned, her face lighting up. “Evelyn!” she called cheerfully. I returned her smile and quickened my steps toward them.Oh, I nearly forgot to mention—Leila was alive. Or, more accurately, she had been resurrected, along with Addison Madden and Skyla Fox.After Augus’s death, Sylvia had used the shattered sapphire, which contained the heart blood of all three, to perform a resurrection spell. And it had worked. But of course, it wasn’t as simple as it sounde
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
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
EVELYNNo one in the entire courtyard dared speak on the subject, but no one could ever forget Jack or the fierce, brutal struggle between the two princes.The violence, heartbreak, and bloodshed.No one wanted to relive it.After a long, tense silence, Anastasia finally spoke.“You must be exhausted. I’ve prepared a welcoming banquet for you this evening. Perhaps you should get some rest after your long journey.”The Alpha King did not respond, but I saw his boots move forward as he presumably walked toward the palace.As his footsteps grew distant, I raised my eyes.He continued up the steps of the marble staircase leading to the palace. As he ascended, he waved a hand and called Mr. Barrett over. The head servant moved swiftly, and after a quiet exchange, Cole turned toward us, his gaze meeting mine.My heart raced.Mr. Barrett glanced at me as well and then nodded.Cole tensed his jaw, then walked into the palace, followed by the Beta and the King’s Guard. After they disappeared th
EVELYNI stopped. I knew I should have simply walked out the room. Normally, I tolerated remarks like that without pause, but today… I just couldn’t accept it. Agitation flooded through me.I walked straight toward Melanie, and her rosy cheeks went pale as she gulped in surprise. Panic painted her expression as I stopped in front of her and stared into her eyes coldly.“What—what are you—” she began to say, but I cut her off before she could finish her statement.“Mr. Barrett is outside of this room,” I said harshly. “What do you think he would do if he heard you all gossiping about the King and his private affairs? Do you think he would be pleased to hear your insults?”All around me, the others stiffened at once.As Melanie’s lower lip quivered, I leaned in closer and spoke just low enough for her to hear.“You should mind your tongue if you don’t want to lose it,” I threatened.The maid grew even paler, surprised by my growl. Her eyes glanced at the door, as if checking to see if Mr
EVELYNMy heart flinched when Aiden called me “Eve”, my old nickname. My expression softened for a brief second and I nearly gave in to a smile.But I couldn’t allow him to speak to me like that, especially not here in the Alpha King’s domain. It was too risky, too familiar.Even if I wanted to be, I wasn’t that girl anymore.“I’m a maid of the royal palace,” I reminded him, carefully slipping from his gaze as I spoke. “And it’s only proper for a maid to greet the King’s Guard with respect.”Aiden’s brow furrowed.“You shouldn’t call me by a nickname.” I glanced around. “Especially not here. Speaking to a lowly maid like that would threaten and demean your reputation, Sir.”He ran a hand through his thick copper hair and then uttered a small sigh. “I don’t care about my reputation.”I wasn’t sure if his words were true. I straightened my posture and made my expression as neutral as possible.“I must leave,” I managed. “The King isn’t fond of waiting in his chamber alone. It was a pleas
I have no idea how long he had been here. I quickly pulled away from Aiden and bowed to the Alpha King. “Your Majesty.”Beside me, Aiden straightened, stamped his chest, and bowed his head as well.Cole’s dark eyes flickered between us before he stepped closer. A shiver ran through me, and for a moment, I felt like prey cornered by a dangerous predator.“Did you not hear my question?” he asked, his deep voice colder than before.I kept my head lowered and conjured an answer. “I accidentally tripped and nearly fell over. Sir Moran helped steady me before I could collapse.”He studied me before he spoke. “Where is Mr. Barrett? Didn’t I instruct him to escort you to my chamber?”“Mr. Barrett had an emergency to handle, Your Majesty. I told him I could manage on my own. It isn’t his fault.”Cole snorted and rolled his eyes. “It seems you weren’t, in fact, able to manage yourself.”Without another word, he took my arm and pulled me toward him, then led me toward his chamber.I struggled to
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
EVELYNThe royal garden was bathed in the golden hues of the afternoon sun, the crisp air carrying the mingling scents of blooming roses and freshly turned earth. I found Aiden standing near the river, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He wasn’t alone.Leila was beside him, waving her hands animatedly as she spoke, her excitement evident. It seemed she was sharing something with him, and though Aiden nodded in response with a faint smile, his attention was clearly elsewhere. He looked distracted.Sensing my approach, Leila turned, her face lighting up. “Evelyn!” she called cheerfully. I returned her smile and quickened my steps toward them.Oh, I nearly forgot to mention—Leila was alive. Or, more accurately, she had been resurrected, along with Addison Madden and Skyla Fox.After Augus’s death, Sylvia had used the shattered sapphire, which contained the heart blood of all three, to perform a resurrection spell. And it had worked. But of course, it wasn’t as simple as it sounde
EVELYNMy coronation was set for a week after Cole officially announced that he had marked me, and that I had marked him in return. At least, that was the version he presented to the Lords and officials. If he had told them the truth—that I had marked him first—he might have sent half the council into cardiac arrest. They would have called it a disgrace to the monarchy, or worse.Naturally, many were displeased with my ascension. They resented the fact that I would wield actual power, something few queens in Hescor’s history had ever done—especially after my supposed punishment as a traitor. They also despised that my family’s name had been cleared and that my father had been reinstated to his former status.But all those objections amounted to nothing more than a few grumbles. The main attention remained fixed on the shocking revelation of Marcel Fox’s treason and rebellion. Solid evidence proved that he had been smuggling precious stones and stealing minerals from Windsburn—not to m
EVELYNWe shared kisses in the darkness. My mind was blurred by the lingering dizziness of my long unconsciousness and the feverish heat of my body.I felt overheated and out of control. I felt as though I was going to evaporate into the air, like morning dew dissolving beneath the warmth of the rising sun.“Evelyn…” Cole mumbled when my hand moved down his abs, toward the hardened part of him. He caught my fingers, lacing them with his own, stopping me. Then he pulled away slightly.I stared at him, still dazed, subconsciously yearning to close the distance again. He looked mortified, and I could see the flush on his face, but his eyes shone with a sharp spike of desire.“I should call a healer to check on you,” he said.“Why?” I murmured, titling my head almost mischievously. “Can’t you check for yourself?”I guided his hand beneath the thin fabric of my night garment, gliding his touch along the curves of my breasts. His gaze darkened, the fire within it flaring.His breath hitched
EVELYNMaybe I should have told you more about how everything ended—how Augus’s corpse dissipated on the wind, how the puppets regained their sanity, horrified to found themselves scattered in the dark forest with no memory of how they’d gotten there, and how we left that place and returned to Halian.I wish I could tell you everything, but I couldn’t. After killing Augus and breaking his spell, I fell into a deep coma for three days. All I can share are the fragments of what I experienced in my unconscious state.Three days of floating in a beautiful paradise beneath a perfect, round full moon. T hree days surrounded by flowers in full bloom and bathed in warm sunlight. Pups frolicked around me, laughing and playing with mischievous grins, their faces full of innocent joy. Though they didn’t seem to notice me—as if I were invisible—I shared in their carefree happiness.For a time, I almost forgot where I came from, and I wished I could stay there forever.But on the last day, I met h
EVELYN“You won’t,” Augus said with smug confidence. “Unless you want to see your lover buried in blood.” His thumb pressed against my artery in a way that made my skin crawl, and he demanded, “Return the dagger.”Cole’s stare darkened. The dagger gleamed in his hand, its blue aura enveloping him like a divine fragrance. It was at that moment that I truly felt the full force of his wizard’s blood. With Augus’s dagger in his hand, it was the perfect opportunity to destroy this vile wizard.But Cole hesitated. His gaze flickered toward me, and his jaw tightened. “You’re nothing without the dagger,” he replied sharply.Augus laughed. “Try me,” he sneered, and I felt his nail dig into my skin. “Such a beautiful neck. What a pity to lose such a lovely prize.”My heart lurched. I didn’t believe Augus had the strength to kill me—my neck was tough, and my teeth sharp—but the feeling of being gripped there, of being so utterly vulnerable, was terrifying.“And even though you have it now, you c
EVELYNEven the weakest creatures can be lethal when they strike together.Show me what you can do to the rebels of your people.Augus’s words echoed in my mind.He was driving us into a corner.The longer we were bogged down by the civilian puppets, the less chance we had to turn the tide. Exhaustion would soon cripple us, and once we could no longer land a significant blow, Augus would appear, reaping the fruit of his successful scheme. Or the exhaustion might push us to the edge of our nerves, to break through, to slaughter.I stared at the puppets swarming toward me like bloodlusters catching the scent of flesh, and my temple throbbed with the weight of my assumption.Not only did I know we would never be ready to take innocent lives to secure victory, but even if we did, Cole’s reign would buckle under the weight of the people’s fury. The low-borns already loathed the high-borns. What would they do if they learned that the King had slain his own people – those who couldn’t even h
EVELYNI scanned the crowd, trying to pinpoint the King of Tiryn or his sapphire weapon, but I couldn’t. It was hard to discern anything amidst the mass of bodies. Augus’s voice echoed hollowly through the sky, making it nearly impossible to identify its direction.“I don’t see the need for an army to kill you,” Cole replied sharply, his tone carrying the authority that only royalty could command. “Yours isn’t even a real one, is it?”“Oh, you think so?” Augus’s voice dripped with lazy amusement. “Maybe you’re right. Those haggard, bony creatures couldn’t even hold a proper fight, could they? But you don’t see their true advantage, young King. We both snatched the throne from our brothers, but you’re too inexperienced, too spoiled, to understand the power of unity. Your country is nothing more than a fractured collection of High Lords, all pretending loyalty while they bide their time, ready to betray you for a taste of great power.“Even the weakest creatures can be lethal if they st
EVELYNMrs. Lance had been lying. I didn’t know why. But there were only two reasons people lied—out of fear or as part of a calculated scheme. And I didn’t think Mrs. Lance feared us.I charged up the stairs, two steps at a time. then sprinted down the corridor. Kicking open Emma’s door, I was thankful that my instincts had pushed me to act.A tall, muscular figure, draped in a black cape stood at Emma’s bedside, his hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her cries into low whimpers.Rage ignited in my chest.“Get away from her!” I snarled, extending my claws and lashing out at the figure without hesitation.The man staggered back, startled by my sudden movement. His motion was slow, clumsy, and clearly not skilled in combat. He barely managed to dodge my first strike, and as I slashed again, he toppled to the floor, struggling to rise.“Evelyn!” Emma cried, and I rushed to scoop her into my arms. At that moment, Oakley burst through the doorway, breathless. His confused expression qu