COLEI eyed Flynn, whose dark-skinned face was contorted into a frown of embarrassment.“Bring your sister in,” I instructed him.Leila Hart rushed into the study in an instant, and Flynn could hardly stop her. “Thank goodness! Why do they keep getting in my way? I said it was urgent.”“Leila!” Flynn muttered under his breath, trying to remind his sister of her manners, but Leila didn’t seem to care. She took a step closer to me and then narrowed her light brown eyes at me.“What is the emergency?” I asked, annoyance blazing through me.“Evelyn is missing!” Leila blurted out, her expression animating. “Well, she hasn’t been herself since this morning. I was worried about her, so I went to check on her after she retired to her room—”“She’s unwell?” I raised an eyebrow, cutting her off. “Did she ask you for retirement to her room? Or did you dismiss her?”Leila rolled those pretty eyes and spoke sharply. “Yes, she asked, and I granted her permission. And I would do it over and over aga
COLEAnger flashed through me.It was a different kind of anger than I’d felt before House Caddel’s betrayal. That anger had been heated and intense, like lava flowing down a volcano, or a forest blaze. It came with reddened vision, sweat, and bared teeth.This anger was far worse. It was ice. Frozen, gripping, stiffening. It still wanted to consume me in its wake, but it came with a numbness that was different than the other kind.As I stared back at Leila Hart, I wished to freeze her out too. I wanted to be distant, detached. I needed to be. Red anger required passion, feelings.I was tired of feelings. I was tired of worrying about my emotions and allowing them to run my life. I was the King now. There was a certain level of detachment I needed to have in order to rule Hescor.In order to rule my subjects.I clenched my fist absently as the tightness in my chest grew.“Have you finished?” I asked her sharply.Despite my harsh tone, Leila didn’t falter. She held my gaze and raised h
EVELYNAfter an evening of fitful crying, locked in Cole’s chamber, I had a terrible dream about him.It was more than a dream.It was a nightmare.My parents were on an execution platform somewhere in Windsburn. The sky was dull, a strange bluish-gray, and the only sound that could be heard was the crash of the waves surrounding the island. They were dressed in the same thin, ragged clothes as the last dream, only this time, they were far more tattered and covered with bits of blood. Their faces were bruised but their expressions were blank and empty.The executioner was holding a long broadsword, ready to behead them. His face was fierce but solemn, as if he knew what had to be done but took little pleasure in it. Beside the executioner was Cole, sitting on a throne that resembled the one from the day of the trial. His night-dark eyes seemed endless, a pair of black pools staring at the executioner and those about to be executed. The Alpha King’s hand was raised, prepared to give
AIDENThe day after tomorrow should have been the day we attacked the castle, but this morning, not long after we’d risen for the day, Peter had arrived at Isaac and Ben’s hut, his face red and chest heaving. He was out of breath and after a few seconds, he met our collective gazes and then sighed.“It’s a hot one out there,” he assessed vaguely.He wasn’t wrong. The sun was brutal and even this early in the morning, the inside of the hut was quite warm. Still, there was more to it than intense sunlight.“Indeed it is,” Isaac said carefully, clearly sensing something off in Peter’s face and tone of voice.I narrowed my eyes for a moment, examining the older man’s body language. He was tense and wore his displeasure like a fur coat.“Peter, what’s wrong?” I asked, my brows crinkling together as I tried to anticipate his news. I wasn’t certain what was wrong but I had a good theory that was confirmed after the older man wiped his sweat-covered forehead.“I wish I had good news to delive
AIDENGlancing around, I quickly recognized which part of the castle I was in. I was right—this section housed offices for senior officials, which I assumed included Frederick.Thankfully for me, this wing appeared to be sparsely guarded. Frederick must have concentrated them around where Steven was imprisoned, knowing that I would likely go for that section first.It was a decent strategy, but I could twist it to my advantage.I longed to search for Steven immediately, but I knew Icouldn’t. Peter was right—the chance of success was low if he acted alone. I needed to wait and find the informant first.As I deftly moved down the corridor, I suddenly stopped in front of one door. I recognized the area and realized this was Frederick’s office.Steven’s words echoed in my mind.If you find the records, it’ll be solid evidence. I crept over and tried the doorknob. To my surprise, it was unlocked, and I paused again to ensure none were within. Any room in this place could have wolves hidde
AIDENShit.It was one thing to know I was being hunted and another to hear my name uttered from someone’s mouth.Frederick cursed under his breath and barked out an order. “Catch him as soon as possible! Find a guard whose build resembles his. We need a scapegoat to handle the Lord first.”The other voice hesitated. “But sir-”This prompted Frederick to bellow. “Have you heard me correctly?”“As you wish, Sir,” came the quick response.“Good,” Frederick replied curtly, his demeanor more serious now and less aggressive. “Keep guarding my office. I want no trouble at all, do you hear?”“Yes, sir,” the other voice agreed without any sort of hesitation, pause, or questioning.“I have very high expectations for you, Oakley.”I blinked in surprise and my heart skipped a beat.Oakley?Oakley Newman?The informant I was searching for?“Thank you, Sir,” Oakley replied, and I fought the urge to shake my head in disbelief. I was confused and taken aback by this entire situation.Was this a betr
AIDENAll of them were bound with ropes, their eyes covered with black cloth.Steven had been whipped, his tattered clothes stained with blood, and his back exposed. The welts were deep and long, and my stomach turned at the very sight.Charlotte’s face was marred with bruises and scars, surely inflicted by some sort of blade as well as physical blows.Emma—thank the goddess—looked relatively unharmed but was visibly terrified, clinging tightly to her mother and whimpering.A lump formed in my throat and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to retch or shout in anger. Evelyn’s family had already been through so much. And now this? I couldn’t get rid of my rising guilt and knew that I probably never would.”“You have five minutes,” Oakley said to me in a low voice. “Don’t remove the eye masks. Keep your voice quiet and low. Without another word, he took a chair and sat in the corner. I waited for some kind of deception and but cautious when none arrived.As I approached the Caddels, I felt a tig
EVELYNAs I had expected, Skyla was extremely unhappy the morning we were set to leave for the House of Fox.The beautiful redhead looked positively enraged when she saw me following Cole from the King’s wing.“What in the hell are you doing here?” she hissed, just low enough for me to hear. At her sides, her hands were balled into fists, and from the way she winced, I knew her claws were extended within. I wondered if she would swipe at me with them if I gave her a vague answer. And part of me questioned what I would do if she did.Even considering how little I practiced fighting these days, I knew I could handle the lovely she-wolf. Skyla had been bred to be a bride, not a soldier.Since I was behind the King, I opted not to respond and instead tilted my head slightly, egging on. It was petty, especially when it meant so little to me, but I swept my hair over my shoulder so that she could see the hickeys Cole had left on my neck.I had discovered them in the mirror this morning, and
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