EVELYN“This is horrific,” Leila whispered to me as the portrait painter bent to wash his brush. Her long-lashed golden-brown eyes rolled dramatically as she rubbed her shoulders and stretched her legs.I wanted to reassure her or at the very least reply, but before I had the chance, the painter quickly straightened his back and scowled at Leila.“Lady Leila, please hold your position and don't move,” he said firmly, annoyance in his tone as he returned to his canvas.Leila grimaced and then resumed her posture, a forced smile on her full lips.“Sorry,” she muttered.It had been two days since Georgina Madden’s death, and Anastasia Elrod decided the best way to cheer the ladies up and bring to an end the gloomy feeling in the palace was to invite an esteemed painter to do portraits of the ladies.The stout middle-aged painter was a man named Pierre, and though he didn’t look like much, he was the most popular and well-known portrait painter in Hescor.Apart from serving the royal fami
EVELYNMy stomach twisted into knots as I followed Addison into one of the meeting rooms. I hadn’t expected Leila to turn down the head of the Madden family’s request but I didn’t know what Addison wanted to talk about. Behind my back, I felt my hands start to sweatI hadn’t heard much about Addison before, even back when I was considered highborn. She was only five years older than me, but there was an aura about her that made her seem even more mature, older even. There was a sharpness in her eyes, a stillness in her posture.It made sense.Ruling over the entire Madden family at such a young age was quite an undertaking, and since they were in charge of the law and punishment in Hescor, it likely wasn’t an easy job. Anyone would seem cold if they were under as much pressure as she was.When we entered the room, Addison gestured forward.“Take a seat,” she instructed, and after I sat without question in the nearest chair, she elegantly lowered into the one opposite me. She didn’t sp
EVELYNI left my talk with Addison feeling strange in a way I couldn’t place. Why hadn’t the attacker killed me? And what had she been doing there in the first place?I had the sneaking suspicion that the head of the Madden family might have found something in this investigation but if she did, she didn’t let me know.“I would prefer if this conversation remained private between us,” she said before I left. “But if you want to tell the Alpha King, I won’t stop you.”I assured her upon my parting that I wouldn’t tell the King, and I was being truthful. I had no intention of relaying any of this information to Cole. In fact, I didn’t want to see him at all, not after what happened yesterday in his study.Every time I thought of him, I felt disoriented, like my mind and body competed with each other. There were too many opposing feelings and thoughts that I felt entirely on edge, giving me fewer and fewer reasons to want to be in his company.I wonder if he feels the same, I thought to m
COLEThough being the Alpha King of Hescor wasn’t always easy, there was something about this day in particular that made the position feel intolerable. I had never been so annoyed before and could hardly contain my irritation as I exploded at the guard standing before me in my private study.“What do you mean by you found nothing?” I shot a glare at him. “You found absolutely nothing on the grounds, no sign of the attacker among the staff? The attacker just disappeared into thin air?”I scoffed at the mere thought of such a thing. This was ridiculous beyond comprehension and my temper was rising with every passing second.The guard looked a bit terrified by my questioning. He lowered his head at once and hunched his back. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty-”“Are you sure you checked all the staff?” Flynn interrupted his groveling. “Was the investigation conducted to the best of your abilities?”“Yes, Beta Flynn,” the guard replied obediently, raising his eyes to meet his. “All the palace staf
COLEAs a heavy silence hung in the room, I studied the guard carefully. I couldn’t yet tell if he was telling a lie or not. His tone said one thing but his words told another. I had little reason to believe that something like this had happened to my King’s Guard, and the fact that Lord Marcel was the one delivering this news to me was highly suspect.My temper swelled at the idea of being conned, but I breathed deeply and slowly, gradually calming down with every inhale and exhale. It would be useless to get riled up under circumstances like this, even though I wanted to rip the throats of the guard and Marcel. I had to stay level-headed so I could get to the bottom of this strange claim.Beside me, I noticed that Flynn’s posture had slumped slightly and that his lips were parted in disbelief. Shock was all over his face, and I was surprised by the display but unsurprised at the same time. Aiden, Flynn, and I were all quite close with one another, but my Guard and my Beta were espec
AIDENI awoke to the feeling of something cool against my lips.“He’s waking up!” someone yelled next to me.The effort was difficult, but I managed to open my eyes, and when I did, I took in the blurred sight of a ceiling made of dirty straws and grass. Water was dropping down on my face through a leak and I wanted to get up to get away from it, but I could only manage to roll over.“It’s better not to move,” the voice I’d heard a moment ago urged me, and then suddenly, a young man appeared before me, crouched down. His eyes were wide with surprise as they trailed over me. “Do you want some water?”I shook my head in confusion. Who was this person and where was I?I ignored his words and my entire body felt as if it were burning as I struggled to get up. The pain was immense and I winced as I tried to move.Suddenly, a familiar figure came in through the door.“Don’t move,” Isaac instructed me firmly, his storm-colored eyes giving me a look of warning. “You haven’t recovered yet and
AIDEN“What?” I demanded in shock as I stared at Peter and Isaac.Panic shuddered through me and my stomach twisted into knots so tight that for a moment, I was convinced I might vomit. Dizziness coursed through me as I tried to get up and I nearly fell from the bed. “How could they be rebels? They did nothing wrong!”“Calm down, young man,” Isaac urged as Ben rushed to my side and helped me back into bed. “You need to breathe before you hurt yourself.”“How can I breathe?” I demanded as Ben placed a cool, damp rag against my forehead. I wanted to fight the young man off but the feeling of the cold cloth on my skin was helping to curb the dizziness. “How am I supposed to react to hearing that their entire family is going to be executed?”“He’s right,” Peter spoke. “You need to calm down and not get worked up. The execution date hadn’t been announced-.”“Then I need to get to the castle right away,” I insisted, attempting again to move despite the pain coursing from my injured shoulde
AIDEN“The King wants to discipline House Fox? That’s hilarious.” Isaac scoffed. “How could you be sure that the King wants the miners to fight the Lords? He may dislike Housr Fox, but would he really want us miners to go against the authority? I bet not.”“You’re always so pessimistic, Isaac,” Peter said with a small sigh. “We’ll never get anywhere if we’re always timid and hesitant.”Isaac’s mouth drew into a thin line of annoyance .“I’m just a realist! Don’t you understand we’re prisoners? This is rebellion! If you fail, you die. If you win, you die too.”“But if we do nothing, we still die. At least there’s a chance if we fight.” Peter argued.Isaac shook his head and sighed deeply.We had been in this conversation for quite some time, and Peter and Isaac had completely different stances on our next move. As a bystander, I was seated on one of the chairs in Isaac’s hut, arms crossed as the old men deliberated.Ben was beside me, his expression weary as he witnessed this heated deb
Marcel nodded dutifully, though part of him wanted to widen his eyes and shake his head.Two days. Two days until the King of Tiryn arrived. Everything was progressing so quickly, and it seemed that he was struggling to keep up. Between managing his household, his men, and his troublesome daughter… he was overwhelmed. His mind was on the verge of breaking, but he dared not to show it, not to Jack Elrod. No, he had to keep a level head if he was to succeed.“I’ll do my best,” he promised. “I’ve ordered the guards to search the entire city. I believe the girl won’t have anywhere to hide. They’ll surely catch her before dawn. Beside…” Marcel lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. “The troops are all ready, Your Highness.”Jack nodded, his dark eyes studying Marcel with an intensity that made him uneasy. After a long pause, Jack tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. “You’re holding something back, Lord Fox. What is it?”Marcel hesitated, but only for a moment. There
SKYLA“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” Marcel Fox growled at his daughter, his eyes flashing with anger as he slammed a cup against the wall. The fine porcelain shattered into pieces, and the sound filled the room.Skyla lowered her head and pouted. She didn’t understand why her father was so angry, but she chose not to argue. Nothing good would come of retort to her father’s scolding. Historically, when this had happened in the past, Skyla always emerged from the situation without her dignity intact.“Look at yourself, Skyla,” he snarled, his hands gesturing at her as his lip curled back in disgust. “You’re dressed like a whore. What kind of King would like a whore?”Skyla winced at the comment, her cheeks heating in embarrassment at the insult. Still, she remained silent.“How many times have I told you to behave properly?” Marcel continued, his nostrils flaring. “Have you ever given a fuck about what I’ve said at all? I told you not to act on your own. Not only is it dangerous,
SKYLACole frowned, a crease forming between his lips as he stared at Skyla in confusion.“Evelyn?” he repeated, his dark gold brows furrowing further. “What does this have to do with her? She… she was sent to Windsburn Island long ago. Why bring her up now?”Skyla’s eyes widened.What was Cole talking about? Evelyn being sent to Windsburn?She was confused because Cole didn’t seem to be joking or trying to change the subject. It seemed as if his memory had been fragmented -just like when Cole woke up and believed she had been diligently taking care of him during his illness, while she had done nothing of the sort.Was that why her father had warned her never to bring up the past in front of Cole?Panic flooded Skyla. She realized she had just made a critical mistake. She wished she could take back the words she’d let slip.Skyla pressed her lips tightly together as she watched Cole’s reaction.Cole brought his hand up, rubbing at his temples as if trying to ward off an oncoming heada
SKYLASkyla Fox and Melanie quietly walked through the corridors before they arrived at the King’s room.Stationed outside of the room was Max, the diligent guard, standing proudly in his post, ready to prevent any unauthorized entry. None had bothered yet this evening, so when he noticed Skyla and her maid, he frowned. A strong instinct in his gut urged him to keep them away – he was certain they were up to no good.As they approached, he raised a hand and stopped them. The ladies appeared irritated by the interruption.“The King is very tired,” Max said firmly, his tone carrying an authoritative edge. “What are you here for, Lady Skyla?”Melanie spoke up, shooting him an annoyed expression. Her blue eyes flashed as she scolded him, her jaw clenched. “What an idiot you are! It’s their engagement night! What could the lady possibly want? Don’t be a fool. Just open the door and let her in!”Max’s cheeks flushed as he realized the meaning behind her words. He glanced at Skyla, who wore
MELANIEThe House of Fox had never been as glamorous and cheerful as it had been tonight.The party celebrating the engagement between the Alpha King and Lady Skyla lasted late into the night, and as the moon rose high in the sky, the guests reluctantly began to leave, satisfied with the countless glasses they had drunk and the many dances they had shared.In the privacy of her bedchamber, Skyla rubbed fragrant lotion into her shin, massaging the sore muscle while her maid Melanie removed her corset.“It was so tiring to dance with so many gentlemen tonight,” she complained with a small sigh. “It felt as though the line of them would never end.”Melanie, ever the dutiful maid, fawned over her as always.“You were stunning this evening, Lady Skyla,” she complimented. “All the men were so captivated by your beauty and grace.”Skyla raised her chin, a chuckled escaping her lips. “They were, weren’t they? Not that it matters, of course. It’s a pity I didn’t get to dance more with Cole. I
OAKLEYSilence hung in the air as Oakley and Elsa stared back at Frank Crawford.Kill them both. Had they heard him correctly? He’d been so casual, so unbothered when he’d uttered the sentence that it was almost laughable.Oakley spoke first, his eyes regarding the older man with caution. “What?”Frank glared at Oakley. “You heard me. Kill them both. It seems you need to work on your hearing, lad, and your composure. I can see that look on your face, and I’m not too pleased by it.”“Do we need to consult with Master before we execute the prisoners?” Oakley asked.Frank lifted a brow. The older man found it downright unpleasant that Oakley, of all people, seemed to object to his decision. Normally, this young man was more than obedient – sometimes even easier to manipulate than Elsa. Yet today, he dared to question him. Frank found this defiance deeply irksome. He fought the urge to grimace; he refused to give Oakley the satisfaction. To Frank, this low-born man was far too insignific
ADDISONOakley walked over, an eyebrow raised as he squatted down to examine Addison. His eyes trailed over her with an air of detached assessment before his lips curled into an amused smirk.“This poor lady is going to die if you don’t remove your claws,” he remarked, glancing at Elsa.Elsa shot him a glare. “This isn’t any of your business, Oakley. Back up and stay the fuck away.”“I can’t,” Oakley said with mock regret. “The lady’s an important hostage to Mr. Crawford. If she dies, we’d both be in trouble.”Elsa rolled her eyes and scoffed. “She’s not important at all. Frank just keeps her for fun. You know it better than I do.”She turned back to Addison, but before she could make another move, Oakley grabbed her wrist. His grip was iron-strong, startlingly so for someone with a limping gait and a body marred by scars.Addison’s eyes widened as she felt the power in his hand—a strength that seemed unnatural for a man with his appearance.Elsa, too, was acutely aware of his hold. S
ADDISONThe blade of the sharp dagger gleamed under the moonlight streaming through the half window above Addison. Elsa’s teeth were gritted, and gone was the doe-eyed, innocent-looking girl who had once worked as a maid in the palace.In her place stood the face of a fierce fighter and killer.“You should die,” Elsa spat out with hatred, her brown eyes flashing with the utterance. “Every Madden deserves to die for what they’ve done.”Addison didn’t move – not out of fear but out of survival. She looked at Elsa while her hand cautiously searched behind her, trying to find anything that might be useful.Unfortunately, there was nothing to be found. The silver-lined cell was bare. All that lay behind her was sand.There was nothing in the silver-lined cell that would help her escape, not a single little thing. All that was behind her was sand. She supposed she could use her claws, but she needed to bide her time—any wrong move, and Elsa could slit her throat in an instant.It could all
EVELYNGetting in the way? What way?I felt confused. But the woman didn’t give me time to protest or ask any further questions. She immediately turned to the man in the room and gave him an order.“Keep an eye on her,” she instructed, her voice firm, almost as if it were a command.Out in the street, I’d assumed they were together. They appeared to be around the same age and had spoken about their son. But the way she spoke to him, the way she issued her orders, made me wonder if there was more to their relationship than I had first thought.Of course, I didn’t care too deeply about the dynamics between them.What mattered was that I had been tied to a bed by a pair of strangers, and it seemed they had no intention of letting me go anytime soon.I hadn’t expected the woman to call my bluff and refuse to elaborate, but I couldn’t be trapped in yet another situation.Cole… Jack… and now this?I was tired of being caged.As I covertly struggled against my restraint, I noticed the man gl