SERAFINA As we made our way back to the hut, I couldn't stop looking at the vial of the cure. It was a small bottle and the particles within shimmered underneath the moonlit sky. I hoped it would be enough to go round for all the sick slaves – they were a lot, and the vial was really small. However, the witch had instructed that I only put one drop in a cup of water for each person and the plague would be cured. It should be able to round. Anyways, I was happy, delighted and elated about the cure. I was practically skipping in happiness as I walked, my heart overwhelmed in joy that I had finally been able to find a cure to save my people. Off course, I owed it all to the paranoid Cloaked Lycan. "Thank you so much for helping me get the cure," I bubbled, turning to him with a wide grin. "You have no idea how much this means to me and my people."He walked silently behind me, and for a moment, I wondered if he was even listening. But I was too elated to let his stoic demeanor damp
ZAHIRI shifted slightly to look over my shoulder, and there she was, lying peacefully against me, her features serene and delicate. Her chestnut hair cascaded in gentle waves, partially obscuring her face, while her lips wore a soft hint of a smile. The glow from the moonlight highlighted the warmth of her skin, which contrasted with the coldness I felt within.I noted the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in her slumber. It was a sight that captured me, something I never thought I would find myself mesmerized by. Her vulnerability softened my hardened heart, and for a moment, my anger and impatience seemed distant and irrelevant.The thought of her falling asleep on my shoulder took me aback, questioning if she truly trusted me that much. Trust was a rare commodity in my world, and I had learned not to care about anyone or anything. Yet, here I was, letting her sleep on my lap. A part of me wanted to pull away, to regain my sense of control, but I couldn't find the
SERAFINA. I sat there, numb and exhausted, my eyes fixed on Vallie's lifeless body. I had cried for so long that tears no longer came, leaving me with a hollow ache in my chest. I couldn't believe she was gone, and I couldn't shake off the guilt that gnawed at me. If only I had acted faster, if only I had found the cure sooner, maybe she would still be breathing, maybe she would still be alive. The weight of my own failure crushed me, and I couldn't bear to look at her peaceful face, knowing I had failed her. I blamed myself for not being strong enough, not being quick enough. I blamed myself for not saving her, for not saving all of them. They trusted me, they believed in me, and I let them down. My mind was a whirlwind of regrets and what-ifs. I replayed every moment in my head, searching for any sign that I could have done somethibg differently. But it was all in vain, and I was left with the bitter truth that I couldn't change what had happened. I wished I could turn back time
ZAHIRTwo weeks. Its been two weeks since i last saw Serafina - and as much as i'd hate to admit it, it was driving me fucking crazy. She had said she was going to be back to challenge Hera, which i felt was a reckless move considering the type of person Hera was. She would easily invade all accusations without concrete evidence, and I haven't been able to gather any over the last fourteen days. In fact, I haven't been able to properly function or do anything knowing that Serafina wasn't in this palace. It annoyed me deeply that i no longer had my grip and possession over her. And for all I knew, she might've decided to not bother herself with Hera anymore and just return back to her kingdom. I clenched my fists at my sides as the thought completely infuriated me—what the hell was I thinking letting her go scot free? I mean, the whole aim of going after her was to get her to return to the palace, why was I foolish enough to let her go?No, she has to come back here. By all means, I
ZAHIR I analyzed all of Serafina's words carefully. Definitely, Hera wouldn't be able to execute anything without the help of at least someone in the palace. So I would not oppose the fact that she must've gotten help from one of the slaves, as those are most likely the only people in the palace who would succumb to whatever she had used to cajole them. So I was not surprised to hear that from Serafina. However, whoever this Pam girl was, she wouldn't go unpunished. I would do my investigations and make sure I had solid proof before going on to accuse Hera. And my first step to doing that was locating this Pam girl. "Are you sure about what you're saying? This is a large accusation you're making here." I said and she nodded in affirmation. "I am very sure." She replied. "I have been critically thinking about it." "Alright then." I heaved a sigh. "I still feel you shouldn't go to the palace to question Hera or this Pam girl. I believe you should still exercise a bit of patience.
HERAI was already asleep, but then I heard the loud pattering of rain hitting the window frame and I instantly jolted up.Now that Serafina wasn't around, It was time for me to try my luck again—maybe this time, he would be interested in me. Of course, he will. He definitely will be interested in me. It's been ages since his last good fuck, and I knew he was going to need an outlet to release all of his pent up stress and desires. And I was more than ready to be that outlet. I immediately got up on my feet and went straight to my clothes, searching through the pile as I looked for something sexy and endearing to put on. I had to make sure I looked enticing enough, or else I might not be able to win his attention. However, as I looked for the dress, I couldn't help but entertain thoughts about King Zahir disguising himself just so he could save Serafina. Not only once, but twice. And according to Lord Timothee, he had saved her again from the execution ground. But where was she?
ZAHIR Lord Timothee. Hmm. What did Hera and this man have to do with each other? Just to be sure, I scanned through the rest of the letters and saw that they were all addressed from Lord Timothee. Meaning, the two have been in constant communication for a long time.I was about to open the letter to read when I heard the rustling of the sheets and I turned back to see that Hera had rolled over on the bed. I dropped the letters quickly, just as I had found them so she wouldn't suspect, and then I left her quarters and went back to mine. Immediately I entered into my quarters, I shut the door behind me and sat down at the edge of my bed. I couldn't believe that Hera was working with Lord Timothee. I had still not been able to digest the fact that she had brought the plague into the palace, but not only that, she had also been working with Lord Timottee all these while?The extent of the betrayal was grievous. Way too grievous. And I could not overlook it, not at all. Hera had to b
ZAHIRI had suspected this on multiple occasions, but I chose not to believe it. There were some words Lord Timothee had said, some actions that he had taken as well, that made me suspect he had an inner eye in the palace. What I had not envisioned in my wildest dreams was that it would be Hera. The person who could be said I was the most free with in this palace. She was actively working with Lord Timottee to betray me? Just because she let stupid jealousy get into her head and mess it up.And I had suspected Hera herself of being involved in something sketchy, since the day I had seen her leave the palace in a cloak. I knew she was up to something, what I didn't know was that she was conniving with Timothee. To the extent that the two of them had been selfish enough to risk both their lives to bring the plague into the palace. My fists clenched at my sides at the thought—Hera's actions were unforgivable. She would be punished accordingly, as well as Lord Timothee. My attention
Yes, the book has come to and end! God, it fills me with so much joy to have finally give. This book a befitting ending☺️ I would like to say a big thank you to my readers for putting up with me and still sticking around to read my book. Special shout outs readers with the names Pab, Debra LeBaron Mixer and Chanlin Davies! Y’all are the real MVPs who also almost made me cry whenever I didn’t update and I read your comments, lol. Although I understand that it all came from a place of love for my book and I am so grateful! Thank you so much for coming on this journey with Zahir and Serafina! Now, I know some commonly asked questions. Will there be bonus chapters? Well, I’m thinking about but chances are…I won’t, lol because it will be a huge spoiler for the next book. Yes, the heard right, the next book!☺️In case you haven’t noticed, our dearest human and Lycan couple are having the first hybrid! You did not also forget the prophecy too, did you? Haha😅Well, writing the next book s
ZAHIR It was still dusk and the first morning light was yet to appear. The silence was deafening and I was sure that if I screamed, my voice was going to ring around the whole of Lycaronia. I was relieved. So relieved that everyone was able to escape. I had watched Serafina leave with King Zach and Dahlia in the carriage, not calming down until I got information that they were out of the boundaries. It was just me. Even Steven had left with the others. I had ridden him with the duty of taking care of everything until my return, if it ever happened. But I knew I had to end this once and for all so I stayed back and waited for the Prince to arrive. He was going to meet the shock of his life. I mounted my horse and rode to the eastern part of the boundary as King Zach instructed. According to him, he was going to be coming in through that direction. So I waited on my horse, rage boiling through me when I heard the sound of heavy hooves beating and drawing close to the b
ZAHIR. Several men were stationed in different parts of the border. In less than an hour, the human army had filled the whole place, coming with horses, chariots and carriages. They all helped in informing people. They went from house to house, warning the people about an impending attack while the others helped in the evacuation. Some families left with their vehicles while some were helped into carriages and transported to different Kingdoms. It was safer that way. This went on for several hours nonstop but this didn't eradicate the panic that filled my soul. I remained restless, making enquiries on how things were going on functional posts. I was assured not to worry by Steven. "Where are they being evacuated to though?" Steven asked when he returned from his inspector to give me details of what was happening. "They would have to stay in the Kingdoms for the main time. It's the only option we have because Aries is probably on his way here. We can't risk him finding
ZAHIR. It had to be a dream of some sorts because I didn't believe it was King Zach standing before us. A bigger dream that Serafina was carrying my child. If anyone told me two surprises couldn't coexist, I could easily debunk their statement with these scenarios happening before me. As soon as he set eyes on Serafina, his lips trembled as tears filled his eyes. He moved towards her, his arms spread out to wrap her in a hug but I stretched out my hand, stopping him as he made a move. "How dare you?" I asked, my voice in a low rumble. "What are you doing here? How did you get into my Kingdom?" My eyes narrowed on him. He raised both of his hands in surrender, his expression giving nothing away. "I mean no harm. I am here with good intentions." "Then state it." I gritted out, ignoring Serafina who stood beside me, moving from one side to the other. "I am here to warn you about something," He continued, then his eyes darted towards Serafina. "I am sure she know
SERAFINA. A gust of wind blew my hair forwards and I forced it back behind my ear before taking in my environment. I was standing on a pier. I recognised this immediately. Turning, I began to walk out of the pier towards the sandy beaches. I was finally back to my mother and this time, I wanted to remain here for good. I wanted to be with my mother. I was done going through all the pain and suffering and didn't want to go back anymore. Being here, right where my mother was, mattered the most to me and I was glad to finally make my way back here. I caught sight of her. She was still dressed in the same clothing. She was gathering sticks to make a fire and when she caught sight of me coming towards her, they dropped to the ground and she straightened. I stopped before her with a teary smile on my face and she pulled me into a hug. We remained in silence until she pulled away and wiped the tears off my cheek. "I want to remain here with you, mother. I don't want to go bac
ZAHIR. For days, I stayed locked up in my room, drinking my life away and inflicting pain on her when I had the chance to. It was equivalent to inflicting pain on myself but I was unable to stop myself, unable to stop this pain in my chest. Hell, I was far more miserable than she was, beating myself up each time I inflicted pain on her. But there was nothing I could do about it. I was long gone. Things had gone awry in a space of a few days since finding her rummaging my things. I had sent her out in anger and so much hurt. Hell, I had expected her to say something to pacify me at least. Something she really meant and not some stupid fucking apology. Then I thought she had escaped from the palace, unable to take more from me. It had put me through so much panic. I knew how I had searched for her while beating myself up for putting her through a lot only for her to coke running back to me herself. My anger had returned, only intensifying when I caught a whiff of an all too famili
HERA. Thunk! Sweat dropped from my brows as I kept cutting wood with a heavy ax. Well, it wasn't so heavy but with how I had moved from a position where maids were at my beck and call, this was a fucking downgrade. But that didn't really matter right now. Not even the splinter that pierced through the other surface of my skin. I pulled it out and continued to split wood, sweat pouring down my back. Once I was done, I gathered the wood in my arm and took it to the furnace where I usually cooked, dropping them all to the floor and looking down at my palm. With every passing day, it was a countdown to the tone Zahir would tire of Serafina and come back to me. Very soon, I was going to be out of this terrible place and in his arms once again. Hours ago, I'd been returning from the river after going to fetch water for my hut. It was really far away and I was so exhausted and had been on the verge of breaking down and bursting into tears. I had cursed Serafina in my mind, wish
SERAFINA. "Remain still and I'll let you go. I mean no harm." A distinct familiar voice said from behind me. I nodded and the hold was released. Turning, it was Prince Aries standing before me. My eyes widened in surprise and I blinked to be sure I wasn't seeing an apparition. I had seen a lot of that recently and I wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He smiled. "Yes, it's me. I know you don't believe but it's me, Sera, it’s Aries." "I know who you are," I blinked, taking a few steps back and wondering if I should be happy about this development or if I should feel uncomfortable. However, I couldn’t hide my shock. It’s the second time Aries has found his way into Lycaronia somehow. “How are you here?” In one move, he was standing before me, his eyes light with cheer. Then he pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around me and filling me with his warmth. I was just taking all of this in when he pulled slightly away and cupped my cheeks. His lips brushed mine in a so
SERAFINA. In a space of one day, things had fallen apart. So bad that I couldn't even pick up the pieces. I'd be thrown out of his chambers thereby, reducing me from the post of his mistress to a mere slave once again. I had returned to my room in a teary mess, trying not to think of how he had looked at me with utter disdain, like he couldn't stand me. How had he gone from being all over me to barely wanting me to be in his presence? As much as I tried not to think too much about it, I was greatly hurt by it. I couldn't stand the gossip from the maids either. Whenever I passed by a group, all they did was glance at each other, their gazes telling tales I didn't need to hear verbally. A few of them were bold enough to whisper when I passed by. I couldn't even snap at them to stop. That respect had been stripped off like it was never even there. I had lost favor in the sight of the king, they said. He must have gotten tired of me because I couldn't satisfy his needs, all