Hi, again. Words can’t describe how sorry I am and how sorry I’ll be at the end of this short note. I’m afraid double updates or daily updates won’t follow this book as I promised anymore but I will try my best to keep a steady update of at least 3-4 times in a week. Please bear with me and do not give up on my book. If you feel waiting for updates is disappointing, you can wait till the chapters have accumulated enough for you to sit binge read them without feeling like you have missed anything. I’m sorry once again. Thank you!
HERA My eyes widened in horror as I couldn't believe what—or rather, who I was looking at right now. I watched as Serafina sauntered before me with haughty steps. How dare she? How dare she waltz into my territory, my kitchen, and disrupt everything I've worked so hard to control?Well, apart from the newfound audacity she now had to tear off my rooster and walk up to me and tell me to my face, another shocker was the fact that she was dressed in fancy, regal clothes. Like the ones I wore. Her hair, usually a tangled mess, now cascaded in glossy waves down her back. It just seemed so…perfect—just enough perfection for me to hate how annoying it was that each strand was seemingly in perfect place.Her gown…that was simply the most infuriating in all of this. , It was a gown that clung to her every curve, her shoulders adorned with an elegant shawl that practically screamed 'I'm in charge.' She looked like she belonged on a throne. And oh how much it pained me to admit that. I gr
SERAFINAI had to see it for myself and I couldn't turn down the offer of a good gossip. So, I followed Hera to the king's throne room, keeping to the shadows, making sure I was unseen as I eavesdropped.I listened as their voices floated through the slightly ajar door. Hera's attempts to gain the king's attention, his indifference, and their heated exchange. And then, the question that caught my attention: "Did you sleep with Serafina?"A shiver of satisfaction ran down my spine as I heard Zahir's silence, the unspoken confirmation. It was a small victory, but one that meant the world to me.Well, before Hera could leave the throne room, I had to go back to my room so she wouldn't see me. I couldn't even contain the laughter that to up within me as I walked down the hallway. I felt fulfilled and more determined than ever.Hera's vulnerability when it came to matters concerning the king was crystal clear. It was her weakness, her Achilles' heel, and I was ready to exploit it to the fu
ZAHIR I sat in my study, the dim candlelight flickering across the maps and parchments scattered across my desk. It had been days, and still, I couldn't decipher the true intentions of the human. The humans were mobilizing, gathering resources, and fortifying their positions. But for what purpose? That was the question that haunted my every waking hour.I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples in frustration. My mind was a whirlwind of strategies—but none seemed to fit if I didn't exactly know what they were up to. The safety of my kingdom and its inhabitants was my utmost priority. If the humans were planning an attack, I needed to know, and I needed to be prepared. I had known now that the human Serafina had gone to see was Serafina. And to be honest, the knowledge of it gnawed at me with every passing day. And I knew they had talked about something, could it be about whatever the humans where planning or a rendezvous for their love? I don't know. However, I couldn't conf
SERAFINA The day of the festival had arrived, and to be honest, I was a very bad mix of excitement and anxiety. Two parallel feelings, I know, but I tried my best to suppress the anxiety and focus on the excitement. Doing so, I decided to do some last minute check-ins just so that everything was in place and simply….well, perfect. I was dishing out orders to the maids and workers scurrying about as they decorated the grand courtyard of the palace. "Make sure those banners are hung straight," I instructed one of the workers, "And please, be careful with those delicate vases." I said and he nodded in affirm, moving on to do what I had told him. Everything had to be perfect. I had poured my heart and soul into planning this festival, wanting it to be a memorable and joyous occasion for everyone. Yet, despite my confidence on the surface, a nagging doubt lingered in the back of my mind.What if I ruined it? What if my efforts weren't enough to make up for the years of neglect this fes
SERAFINA About two hours later, the maids and I arrived at the venue of the festival. They were fully clothes in their specially tailored apparel and I absolutely enjoyed the way my blue dress shimmered underneath the moonlight. However, as we drew closer we started to notice that the feel in the air wasn't particularly that of when a festival was being held. They were no noise, the smell of food was void and no music.Anyways, the girls were to carried away in their discussion to notice so I decided to keep my observation to myself for the mean time and see exactly for myself what was happening. Well, much to my surprise and the maids' surprise, there was no festival in sight. Their conversations trailed off as we all came to a static halt, gazing at the deserted festival ground in a collective moment of shock."Something's not right," one of the girls murmured, her brow furrowing.Another chimed in, "Where is everyone? This doesn't look like the grand festival we imagined."The
ZAHIRHer hands wrapped around me tightly, much to my surprise. It was Serafina. The suddenness of her body against mine made me flinch for a moment as I had not expected that it was her. Looking down, I saw the familiar ebony haired woman clinging tight unto me.Well, I was here because of her anyways. I wanted to see what she had planned out, what she had in store to show case. I was honestly so curious about what she was so keen about making sure it happened. However, Steven had told me that he had heard that majority of the humans weren't bothering themselves to attend. He had said that they were reluctant to come because it was organized by the human princess. And I perfectly understand the perspective they were coming from. This was the human princess, as in the princess from the race that enslaved them, of course they wouldn't attend. And I knew this was exactly how everything was going to play out, but I didn't want to crush her spirits—she would take my advice as insult, so
SERAFINA Zahir and I walked side by side while I now carried the little girl in my arm. He has been quiet since I declared that I wanted her to stay in the palace. I was sure that he has already realized that once I set up my mind to do something, I'm going to do it.Speaking of which, how did king Zahir wind up here anyway? Didn't he have work and other things to do than attending a festival he had previously refused to go to? Or did he just come here to mock me. Well, I had to know the reason why King Zahir decided to abandon his work and come to a festival that he had sworn he wouldn't attend. "So, how did you end up here?" I asked. He shot me a sidelong glance, "I rode here on my horse," he replied. I felt a pang of embarrassment. Of course, he had a horse—he was the King. It seemed like such a simple solution, yet my mind had been too preoccupied to even consider it. And coincidentally, we were right in front where he had stalled it. Well, realization washed over me that I
SERAFINA. As I walked down the hall, towards my room, all I could think of was how I'd mistaken Zahir for the cloaked Lycan. The similarities had been so uncanny. Height, demeanor, everything. It had to be some sort of illusion. I laughed to myself and waved it off. I was definitely overthinking things as usual. My fingers wrapped around the brass knob attached to my door. I twisted it open, reveling in the lavender scent that wafted into my nose. It was one thing I loved about my room. Its coziness and warmth. Just as I shut my door and padded my foot over the carpet, Dahlia stepped out of the small room adjoining the larger one where I usually slept. She had the little girl in her arms and I broke into a smile, crossing over to her. "Hello there," I cooed, brushing her dark lock of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for helping me, Dahlia." But Dahlia looked disturbed and her expression conveyed the emotion. She finally sighed and leaned against the arched w
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