EVELYNLeila remained silent but her expression was even more amazed, sad even. I took a breath and then continued, a strange sadness appearing in me too.“I thought he was joking,” I admitted. “My father tended to joke about me and the princes but this time… it was real. He had engaged me to Jack behind my back and then confined me to our home. He made sure I couldn’t escape the house until the engagement party. I was desperate to get away and couldn’t believe what was happening to me. Father had never been like this before. He had always spoiled me and fulfilled my wishes, but this time, he became unyielding. Not even her mother could persuade him. He insisted that this was for the House of Caddel and for the royal family. Even the fact that we were fated mates didn’t change his mind.”My lower lip trembled, and I glanced down at the comforter. “I had no choice. I had to give up my affection for Cole, even though I didn’t want to. It was agony but I had no choice but to do what my f
COLE“You’ve been interfering too much with matters concerning Evelyn lately,” I growled at Flynn once we were alone. He’d returned from escorting her to her room and now that it was just my Beta and I, I had some choice words for him.“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty,” he replied without missing a beat, his face utterly unreadable. “I did not mean to interfere-”“It seems like you care for her very much,” I interrupted him before he could finish. My temper rose with every second of his presence and soon, I began to feel out of control. “Is it out of guilt for having killed her brother?”I watched Flynn’s face twitch slightly in misery, but it was only a fleeting expression. He rarely allowed his face to betray his inner thoughts but it was clear that I’d struck a nerve. Part of me wanted to take the words back but I couldn’t stop myself, not when he’d interrupted my confrontation with Evelyn.Still, mentioning Conner was a low blow. The pair had been friends… we all had been friend
COLEThirty minutes after the maid relayed my stepmother’s message, I strode into the room, dressed fashionably in dinner attire, and was greeted with laughter.Anastasia and Skyla were seated closely at the table, giggling about something among themselves. It annoyed me to see them so cheerful on such a horrid day but I chose not to reprimand them for their inappropriate laughter.I had to play along.“What’s so funny?” I asked casually as I walked to the empty seat at the head of the table and sat down.We were in a small dining room not far from Anastasia’s chamber. On days when there was no banquet or dinner party, my stepmother preferred dining here.It wasn’t that she disliked the grand dining room, which was more befitting of her status… but rather, that she detested it completely.There were rumors spreading around the palace. King Theodore, my father, had flirted with Anastasia’s maid during their meals and summoned a few maids to the dining room for his amusement after drink
AIDENThe weather in Windsburn was notoriously unpredictable. A week had passed since I arrived on the desolate prisoner’s island, and even after seven long days, I still couldn’t discern any pattern in its ever-changing climate.As I made my way to the mine pits, I paused and looked up at the sky. Just an hour ago, it had been pouring rain, but now the sun blazed fiercely.The sudden heat against my skin made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open; it was scorching. While my long-sleeved shirt was a bit heavy in this weather, it kept my skin protected from the rays. The last thing I needed on this mission was a debilitating sunburn.Thus far, the investigation the King had tasked me with completing had gone nowhere. I had found no evidence of the Fox family’s crimes and with every passing day, I grew more frustrated.It seemed that the cunning family had gone to great lengths to conceal their wrongdoings, but I couldn’t yet give up.I was staying in the administrative castle, wh
AIDENI stared back at him in surprise, shocked and unsure of my next words.A death zone?I was anxious to hear his explanation and dreaded the following investigation that now certainly had to happen.Windsburn Island was mainly for condemned prisoners, but it was not meant to be as bad as he implied. His grave expression told me that there was truth in his warnings, but I had to find out what was happening here, personal safety or not. I was the King’s Guard.My mission was to keep the Alpha King safe from potential enemies, and if the old man’s words were true…The Foxes themselves could be enemies.“My name is Aiden,” I introduced myself, wishing at once I had provided a different name to further my disguise.Thankfully, my given name was fairly common, so I knew it wouldn’t amass any suspicion, and since most knew me as Sir Moran, it seemed like my choice would be just fine.The old man studied me for a moment, surprised at my response, and his thick eyebrows creased for a momen
AIDENI trembled slightly as I stared at Evelyn’s father. A shiver passed through me as if I stood before a ghost.Steven Caddel’s appearance had changed a lot since I’d last seen him. His tall frame, which had always been impressive, was almost skeletal beneath his clothes. His complexion was ghostly, and though his dark hair was still thick, it was long and tangled.He sported a thick dark beard and I noticed that it was wrought with streaks of gray.His eyes, however, were still stern and resolute.I opened my mouth to speak, wishing to say something, but Steven stopped me before I even had a chance.“There’s no time,” he said firmly. “I don’t know why you’re here, Aiden, but you shouldn’t be. You need to get out of this place before it’s too late.”“I can’t, sir,” I replied with a small shake of my head. “I’m here on-”The crack of a whip cut through the air and Steven winced. He glanced behind him and then replaced the hood on his head in one swift motion.“I can’t say much now,
AIDENI couldn’t find the right answer for the little girl, no matter how much she wanted it. How could I bear the tell Emma the truth? She was just a child.Thankfully, before I could muster up a reply, Charlotte returned and immediately asked her youngest child to help her make lunch.Emma protested a little but ultimately did as she was told.Little was said after that, and when Steven finally returned, the meal was ready. Or at least what constituted a meal around here.Charlotte placed a few pieces of stale bread and a bowl of soup in front of me and then took a seat on one of the armless chairs. The food didn’t smell too appetizing, but Charlotte had worked hard with what resources she had, so I accepted my portion gratefully.“Thank you,” I said, and then I caught Steven smiling at me. I rose at once, and as I did, Evelyn’s father drew me into a tight hug and patted me on the shoulder.“You look great, Aiden,” he said and my eyes started to burn at once.Years ago, before I wen
EVELYNThere was one good thing about being a lowly maid in the palace: the days were filled with a million duties, leaving no time for self-pity or idle thoughts.This had been a blessing before, especially when things between Cole and I were awful.But now that I had become Leila’s personal maid, I was free from heavy labor and had too much time to dwell on my own worries.No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about what the Beta’s younger sister had said yesterday regarding an escape plan.What if consuming these certain herbs actually worked as Leila claimed they did in stories?No heartbeat. No breathing. What if Cole really believed I was dead and stopped searching for me? Would I be able to reunite with my family?I had remembered Aiden had promised to help me leave this place, but as the King’s Guard, he might inadvertently expose me if I sought his assistance, so perhaps Leila’s plan was my only true option.If her stories could be believed.I grew so lost in
EVELYNThe air in the room thickened, pressing down on us as the weight of the revelation sank in. Leila blinked rapidly, her gaze darting between the runes and the others, struggling to process the enormity of what we were seeing. Even though she had been the first to suggest that Hescor might be connected to magic, the discovery that the ancient runes of Tiryn—the Kingdom of Wizardry—had ties to werewolves left her just as stunned as the rest of us.“Why would the pattern symbolize a werewolf?" Leila demanded before anyone else could speak. Her face was tight with alarm, her unease palpable. "Explain it to me!”Seb’s face remained unreadable, his features etched with a mix of exhaustion and resignation. He shook his head slowly, his voice flat. “I don't know,” he muttered, a bitter edge creeping into his tone. “The runes are an ancient language created by the first King of Tiryn. Only the kings can understand them. The wizards of Tiryn believed they held the deepest, most dangerous
EVELYN“What… what is this?” I asked Leila, my brow furrowing as I pointed to the symbol on the page. I strained to pull it out from my memories, but my mind felt clouded – overwhelmed by too many events, too many raw emotions. The sleepless nights had left me dizzy, my thoughts fragmented. It was as if I were reaching for something just beyond my grasp, a fleeting thread of clarity that refused to materialize.Leila studied the symbol for a moment before shaking her head. “I’ve seen the same pattern in other parts of the book, but I’m not sure what it means.” She flipped through the pages, showing me the other instances of the same design. “It could just be a random mark left by the book’s owner, something to remind themselves of something important.”“I don’t think it’s random,” Stephanie interjected. She moved closer to the book, her finger tracing the intricate pattern. “It’s far too detailed to be just a meaningless doodle. Do the pages with this symbol have anything in common?”
EVELYNI placed the kettle on the stove and began rummaging through the kitchen cabinets until I finally found some tea. After grabbing a couple of mugs, I dropped the fragrant tea bags into them, then waited for the water to heat.The kitchen remained quiet, with only the gentle hiss of the boiling kettle breaking the stillness. I was relieved that Stephanie hadn’t followed me. It gave me a rare moment to think.I glanced over at her – sitting absentmindedly by the table, her gaze lost somewhere outside the window. Stephanie’s appearance hadn’t changed much, but the weight of her experiences and suffering was etched in her eyes. Those once bright and confident eyes now looked evasive, as though hiding something deeper.Leila’s words echoed in my mind:She believes her brother was deceived by the wizards and wants to convince him to stop the bloodshed.It wasn’t that I disbelieved Stephanie, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were not so simple. She was intelligent, and by n
EVELYNThe night seemed to slip away unnoticed.When I glanced out the window, the first pale light of dawn crept over the horizon, the sun rising slowly in the east.The house was quiet once again. Leila, Jasmine, and Stephanie had retired to their rooms, while Seb—still unconscious from the overdose of medicine Leila had given him to ensure he wouldn’t cause trouble before sunrise—lay motionless.As the others slept, I sat at the edge of Cole’s bed, absently running my fingers through his thick, golden hair. Sleep eluded me after the conversation with Leila and Jasmine. Though their arrival should have brought me some sense of relief, the burden in my heart only grew heavier as I processed everything they’d shared.I had thought that if I could just find a way to bring Cole back to Halian, things might start to improve. But Leila had warned that Halian was no longer safe. Attacks were imminent, and Jack Elrod’s plan had already begun to unfold.As Leila and Jasmine explained, war se
EVELYN“Think about Sylvia! She wouldn’t want you to do this!” I struggled against the rope binding my wrist, trying to convince him to abandon his plan. But the man paid no heed. He walked toward Cole and stopped by the bed.He reached for something, but his hand froze midair as a rap echoed from the door.Both of us went still.There was a single, sharp sound, and then silence, as though it were nothing more than a shared figment of our overstrained nerves.The man shot me a glance before cautiously stepping toward the door. His movements were slow and deliberate, meant to make no sound. He gripped the handle, cracked the door open just a sliver, and peered outside.From where I was bound, I couldn’t see anything beyond the door, but something must have caught his eye. He opened it further and stepped outside.It was then that a shadow swooped in, knocking him to the ground.The poor night vision of humans gave him a disadvantage. The man scrambled to his feet, only to be grabbed by
EVELYNI looked up.Through the mist swirling around me, I saw Cole. His hand was outstretched, his eager gaze fixed on me. His chest was broken and bleeding, and he looked lonely and desperate, his dark eyes vast and pleading as they met mine.“Eva...”His voice reached me, pulling me back to the memory of two years ago. The day he’d pleaded, and I had retreated, shaking my head.I’d looked at him with fear and hatred.I’d said no.Every time I thought back to that moment, I believed I would handle it better if it happened again—that I’d calmly fix the confusion and the misunderstandings between my family and Cole.But I had been wrong.I felt glued to the ground, paralyzed. I opened my mouth, but only a harsh cry came out. Sadness and despair gripped me as guilt weighed on my heart like iron.“I… I can’t...” I whispered as I stared down at Conner’s lifeless body, the blood on my hands. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, nothing was fixable. My family, my mate—none of
EVELYNI narrowed my eyes and focus on the paragraph. It was written in a completely different style from the rest of the announcement, looking more like a hasty draft—almost as if a careless scribe had used scrap paper to jot it down.And the paragraph, baffling in its oddness, turned out to be a poem, which the girl read aloud.The once pretty orange has begun its decay, yet the sapphire still gleams. The rotting orange could be saved for a worthy trade: The stone with the deep blue beam. If you still hold the fruit you cherish so dearlyCome and make the trade: Choose not to accept what’s written so clearly -The sapphire with shatter, and the fruit will fade.As the girl finished reading, the people around her erupted in laughter. The sound of their mirth filled the air, an overwhelming chorus that tightened my throat.A man jeered. “Even my teenage son could write a better poem than this. What a laughable mess.”A woman beside him giggled. “The scribe should be fired for sur
EVELYNWhen I woke, it was already morning. The sky outside the window was overcast, but its dull brightness made it clear that it was well past sunrise. I sprang to my feet and placed my hand on Cole’s forehead, checking his temperature. His skin was no longer feverish.I inspected his wound and replaced the damp towel. The bleeding had stopped, and though the swollen flesh was healing, it was slow progress.But that barely gave me any relief.I brushed away the damp strands of hair from his forehead, wiped his face with clean towels, then placed my palm against his cheek, whispering his name. But he didn’t answer. His eyes remained closed, unmoving. He was still unconscious.The wildness had faded from him, but his sanity had yet to return. I didn’t know if it was the lingering effect of the aphrodisiac or if it’s because his mind was being controlled, suppressed.If nothing changed, he would eventually become nothing more than a walking corpse.I shook my head, pushing back the t
EVELYNThe man’s face darkened as I explained what had happened. I told him how Sylvia had pushed me away in the gardens and confronted the guards alone. His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed in frustration.“She’s insane,” he muttered, retrieving the piece of sapphire he had used in the crypt. Turning to me, his expression grew sharp.“Where’s the other half?” he asked.I blinked in confusion.What the other piece…As I was about to ask, a sudden heat flared against my abdomen. I reached into my pocket and froze as my fingers brushed against something warm and solid. When I pulled it out, I nearly dropped it – a chunk of sapphire. The stone cooled the moment my fingers wrapped around it. its smooth surface delivering a strange sense of calm and tranquility.I had no idea how it had gotten there.The man’s lips pressed into a grim line as he took the sapphire from me and pressed it together against the piece in his hand. My eyes widened with the two halves fusing seamlessly into a