Serena.I step into Luther’s quarters to find him sitting at a rough wooden table, his hands clasped together, deep in thought. He looks up as I enter, his expression suspicious. “Well?” he asks. I hesitate for only a moment before stepping forward. “Sylvaine knows nothing about the war,” I say firmly. “She was just as surprised as I was when I mentioned it. She's innocent in all of this.” Luther’s jaw tightens. “You really believe that?” “Yes,” I insist. “You have to let her go, Luther. She doesn’t deserve to be here.” A muscle in his jaw twitches. “And what if she’s lying? What if she’s just pretending not to know anything?” “She’s not,” I say, shaking my head. “I saw the look in her eyes. She’s been sheltered her whole life, protected from the truth. She doesn’t even know what her family has done.” Luther pulls back his chair and stands, his expression darkening. “You’re defending her,” he says, his voice dangerously quiet. I exhale sharply. “I’m not defending the N
Serena. The sun dips low, casting a golden hue over the camp, but my world feels anything but warm. I stand in the training ring, a wooden sword clutched in my grip, facing Luther. The ground beneath me is firm, yet I feel like I’m standing on jelly. “Focus,” Luther commands. “You’re slower than I remember, you good?.” I scowl. “I’m fine.” He lunges. I dodge, barely, my counterstrike lacks force. He sidesteps, easily knocking my sword aside, then grabs my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back in a move too quick to counter. He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “If I was the enemy, you’d be dead.” I wrench free, glaring at him. “You’re distracted,” he says, eyes narrowing. “Should I know why?.” My heart pounds. Does he know? I keep my expression nonchalant. “I told you, I’m fine.” Luther studies me for a long moment, then sighs and steps back. “You don’t have to tell me. But if you’re not at your best when the real fight comes, it won’t just be you who suff
Serena.I find him near the supply tent, his arms crossed, and his face as if it is carved from stone. I open my mouth, carefully.“Luther.”His gaze slices through me, emotionless. Then he turns his back.That’s it.My fingers curl into fists. That’s all the answer I need.I feel the sting behind my eyes, but I say nothing. I turn away and walk back to the small storage tent where Sylvaine waits, twiddling with a piece of bread she has no intention of eating.“We leave tonight,” I whisper.She arches her brow. “About time.”That night, I decide to announce our leave, so I head to the war tent. The tent is crowded when I enter with commanders, scouts, Gareth... and Luther, standing in the center like a storm waiting to break. I brace myself for a cold goodbye.But I never get the chance.“Seize her,” he commands.Hands grab me from behind before I can move. Ropes bind my wrists. I don’t fight. I’m too stunned.“What the hell Luther”, I yell, yanking against the men holding me tightly
Tristan. I felt it before I could name it. A low, coiling growl stirred in my chest, and my wolf jerked awake, wild, feral, and furious. Someone is touching her. The images weren’t clear, but the bond twisted sharply inside me, a painful, suffocating tug in my chest. I stumbled back, clutching the edge of the table in my room as the world spun. My wolf howled in rage, clawing to the surface. “Ours. Mate. She’s ours!” The first time he’d said it, I hadn’t believed him. Not when she looked so broken, so enslaved. Not when she had knelt in the mud like a thing without a soul. And certainly not when she flinched from my touch. But the first time she looked at me. I knew and my wolf never stopped calling her mate after that. And now... now she was with him. I didn’t remember bursting into the house. Didn’t remember the splintered door or the way Thorne was on top her, his scent all over her. Didn’t remember the way she looked at me, startled, ashamed, like I’d caught her d
As soon as I sighted the army behind them, I let out a loud growl and shifted immediately. My wolf charged at them, swiftly dodging Serena and Sylvaine and pouncing on one of the soldiers. The air burned. It was the kind of heat that crawled under your skin and seared you from the inside out. My wolf was snarling, itching for blood. Steel rang out behind me as Nytheran warriors surged forward, answering my silent command. But I didn’t care. I only saw him.My target is the bastard who is standing in the middle of his army with a stupid smirk on his face.As soon as I get to him, he shifts into his wolf, turning around and blending in with his army. “If it isn't the all powerful Tristan Sinclair, Alpha Heir to the Nythera Pack”, he says in a mocking sing-song voice.It just made me want to rip out his throat, but as I got closer, he moved faster than I could have predicted and grabbed Serena who stood just ahead, dirt-smudged, bruised, but alive. Her eyes widened when she saw me.
Serena.“Head Back”, Tristan commands and his army turn around immediately as if controlled by an unseen force.We walk in silence, anticipating the worst as we head back to the manor. Surprisingly, the Nytheran manor stands quiet. Too quiet.No smoke. No fire. No signs of an attack. Just an unsettling calm that settles over the grounds like fog. My heart drops as we rush in, Tristan at my side, the warriors fanning out with blades drawnready for a war that doesn’t exist.Luther escaped, and now I'm sure sending the scout And the scout? No trace of him. He lied.This whole thing was a ploy. A distraction. And we fell for it.Queen Aliyah summons me not long after. The guards escort me through marble corridors that echo with each of my footsteps. When I enter the royal chamber, Sylvaine is already there, arm bandaged, pale but alive.Queen Aliyah descends from her throne slowly, her expression stoic and composed.“You showed courage,” she says. “Protecting Sylvaine. Facing the enemy h
Serena.It’s been days since I saw them, Isabel and Luther. Days since I stood outside her door with the image of them making love burning into my mind.I haven’t told anyone. Not about what I saw. Not about what I felt. Not even about the kiss that still lingers like a curse on my lips.I bury myself in my secret training, errands, anything that will keep my mind from spiraling. I feel empty inside, I know it might be because of Tristan's continuous cold attitude towards me, despite being mates, or it may be because Thorne no longer looks at me or acknowledges me. It may also be due to the fact that my childhood love, Luther didn't work out and now he is also not in good terms with me. Either way, the emptiness keeps on eating me from inside out, and although I should be worried, it is better to feel numb than to bear the pain in my heart.One afternoon, I run into Isabel behind the manor. She’s tending the moonflowers that only bloom when the night air is still. She straightens w
Serena.“We need to talk Serena”, Thorne says as he barges into the quarters. I hold my breath expecting the worse and formulating lies in my head as to why Luther is with me.However, he’s gone. One second Luther is standing right next to me in the quarters. The next… the space is empty. “It's about what we said earlier”. Thorne murmurs scratching behind his ears, totally oblivious to what just happened.I barely have time to respond when another voice interrupts. “Serena.”It's Tristan. Of course.He storms in behind Thorne like he owns the damn room. His eyes flick to Thorne, and then back to me with that same old disgust curling on his lips.“You were supposed to clean the eastern baths this evening. They reek of wolf sweat,” he says coldly, his arms folding.I stammer, “I—I forgot. I’m sorry, I’ll get to it now—”Thorne’s jaw ticks, but he says nothing. He turns his back and walks out.I cannot just watch him go again, so I run to him this time, my heart beating too fast for
Serena.Darkness. But not the kind that scares children. This was weightless, endless silence. A void where even pain didn’t reach.Until it did. My ribs ache first, then my temples. Then a thousand invisible strings tug at the corners of my soul, like they are trying to sew me back together after something had torn me in half.My eyes blink open to soft, flickering candlelight and a face I don’t expect.Alessia.She’s sitting near the edge of the room, her hands folded in her lap. She doesn't speak. Neither do I.Because the question hanging in the air is louder than anything she could say: Who did you choose?I wish I knew.I sit up slowly, realising I'm now alone and seeing Alessia was a figment of my imagination, no Priestess, no Tristan and no Thorne. I touch my chest, but I don't feel any threads, there's no warmth. Just my skin and heartbeat. Was the bond broken completely? Did I choose no one?Or worse… was I never truly meant for either of them?I hear footsteps. “Serena?
Thorne.The thread split. I saw it happen, not imagined, not some fever-dream hope, like the one I've been holding onto too tightly lately. It stretched from Serena’s chest, flickering like a frightened star. One line pulled toward Tristan, desperate, familiar. The other... faltered, wavered, and then turned, toward me.It hit me like a punch to the ribs. I felt it. The bond. Not theory. Not fantasy. A real bond, and mine. But not only mine.Because fate, it seems, is a cruel thing, and Serena Nikolai and I are its favorite fates to ruin.She didn’t look at me right away. Her gaze was fixed on the flickering strands, on the confusion. On him. Always him.Across the circle, Tristan looked like a man standing in the wreckage of his own lies, he still had his stupid confident facade, yes, but cracking. His shoulders tight. His mouth a grim line. The medallion at his feet like a dropped crown, proof of betrayal no one could ignore anymore.But still, even in this chaos, the gods saw fit
Serena.For one perfect, trembling second, the world holds its breath. Gasps, whispers and cries of disbelief rise from every corner as the circle shatters into noise.My breath stops. My chest tightens. I don’t know if it’s fear or fury clawing up my throat.“I carry the Alpha Prince’s heir,” the girl says again, bolder now, chin lifted like a dagger. Her voice rings out, steady, so confident that it is hard not to focus on her .I don’t recognize her, but she’s as young as I am, perhaps the same age, maybe even younger as moonlight catching the defiance in her eyes.As she repeats this, every eye turns to him. Tristan.He doesn’t move or even blink. He just stands there, shrouded in ceremonial black, silver trim glinting like a crown of thorns. His jaw ticks once. That’s it. No outburst. No denial.Nothing.The silence is worse than a yes.“Is this true?” the High Priestess finally asks, her voice heavy with ancient authority.Still, he says nothing. Just a slow exhale through his
Serena.His mouth is hot against mine, demanding and unapologetic. There’s no hesitation in Tristan, no gentle testing like Thorne. This is wild, possessive hunger.My back hits the mattress and he’s there, his weight, his heat, the unmistakable presence of the mate bond flaring so bright I feel scorched.His hands slide under my shirt, callused fingertips ghosting over my skin. I arch into the touch, my breath seizing, my thoughts scattering. With Thorne, it was soft and sweet and patient. This is something else entirely.My shirt is gone before I realize it, his mouth trailing heat down my collarbone, nipping, tasting, branding. I gasp his name.“Say it again,” he growls, voice rough against my skin.“Tristan…”He shudders. “You have no idea what you do to me.”And I want to say I think I do, but his hands are everywhere and my body is moving before my mind can keep up. His kisses leave trails of fire, and when our hips meet, clothes forgotten somewhere on the floor, I swear I see
Serena.I ignore Tristan’s childish wave and move closer to Thorne, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Thorne's hand settles lightly on the small of my back, steadying me. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Tristan’s jaw ticks. So quick did it disappear that I doubt if it truly happened.Athea bows slightly. “My Lords,” she says smoothly to Thorne and Vasquez, then spares me a smirk before turning on her heel.I offer a polite nod to the men, then quickly follow after her. My boots echo in the corridor as I catch up.“What the hell was that?” I hiss, grabbing her arm.She turns, lips still curved. “What?”“You kissed Tristan again? Seriously?”She rolls her eyes. “Relax. I’m just having fun. Besides he isn't complaining is he?”I freeze. “Excuse me?”She leans in, her voice low and irritatingly playful. “Come on, Serena. You and Thorne, me and Tristan? I want to smack her. My hand itches to. But I breathe instead. “You’re wrong.”She laughs, “Sure, if that helps
Serena.The torchlight flickers against the stone as I slowly step out from behind the shelf, my heart pounding in my throat. The scroll in my hand feels like it’s burning me. Thorne and Vasquez turn to me, shock carved into their faces.I walk up to them with steady steps, holding out the letter like it’s a weapon. “What’s the meaning of this?”Thorne’s eyes drop to the parchment, and his jaw tightens. He takes it carefully, almost reverently, as if touching it is like waking old ghosts. His silence is long enough to make me want to scream, until finally,“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “You weren’t supposed to find out like this.”“Find out what exactly?” My voice comes out a little too loudly.Thorne looks at Vasquez, who crosses his arms, but stays quiet.“Our fathers,” Thorne begins, his voice distant now, haunted, “they were friends. Blood brothers in all but name. Before you were born, they fought side by side in the Great Siege against a rogue Alpha from across the seas, a wolf
Serena.I don’t, can't sleep. Not even a little. Midnight feels like a lifetime away, but still not enough time to process what just happened.Lyra. Could she be related to me? No, there has to be some mistake. A spy, a resistance agent, sure. But my blood?I pace the room in restless circles, clutching the pendant that’s been with me since childhood like it might bite back. I’d always thought it was a relic, a trinket my mother left behind. Something precious, yes, but meaningless.Now? It means everything.The moon climbs higher, fat and full, casting a cold glow through my window like it’s watching me, judging me.By the time I slip out of the manor, I’m a storm waiting for the right time to wreak havoc.The chapel is silent and in ruins. Its stained-glass windows shattered, pews half-buried in dust. Moonlight filters through the broken roof, lighting the altar like something sacred still lingers here.Lyra is already waiting by the time I get there. Her cloak is pulled low and she
Serena.I don’t remember backing away from the door. I don’t remember the stone walls pressing cold against my spine, or the way my knees buckled slightly. I only remember the sound of his laugh.Tristan’s laugh. A soft, real belly laugh. He is actually laughing. Not the sharp, hollow thing I’d grown used to. Not the version of him the world sees, untouchable, distant. This laugh had warmth. And it wasn’t meant for me.I shouldn’t care. But gods, I do.And her, Athea. The girl who is justa slave like me. The one who talked my ear off as we trudged along to the stronghold, who disappeared without a trace.What is she doing here? And why is Tristan touching her like she belongs to him?I don’t confront them. I can’t. Not yet. I slip away like a shadow in the hallway, my chest burning with more than just confusion.By morning, my headache feels like it’s carved itself into my skull. I shove my emotions down as best I can and move through my duties like a ghost, but I can feel Sylvaine
Serena.The whole meeting hall is as silent as a graveyard. Everyone is holding their breath as if a single exhale would cause the beast that is Thorne to tear them apart.His wolf is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, twice the size it should be, fur the color of the darkest night, eyes burning like lightning. This isn't just a shift, is this his power? growing to an unimaginable size? I don't know what terrifies me more: that no one dares to move, or that deep in my bones, I can feel that something is wrong.Suddenly, Tristan moves. He steps in front of me and shifts. It happens in a blink. His wolf is sleek, silver with streaks of black, not as large as Thorne’s, but pulsing with a power that makes the walls vibrate.And he stands in front of me. Protects me. Tristan has never protected me. He barely tolerates me. But now, his body is a shield between mine and his brother’s fury.Something has changed. Thorne’s growl vibrates through the chamber like an earthquake. He doesn't lunge,