[Diana’s POV] Father stood before me, looking into my eyes. His brows knit with fear and guilt. “You are my daughter, Diana. That’s all I know,” he said, caressing my cheek. “You are my daughter, and that’s the only thing that matters to me. Nothing else is even worth considering.” I stared at him blankly. I didn’t know what to feel. If numbness could be felt, I would say I was feeling it in my entirety. “The prestigious light bender who was married to alpha Urza, was it luna Willa?” I asked. Father dropped his gaze as he clenched his jaws. His adam’s apple bobbed as he gave a curt nod. I chuckled through the numbness clawing up my body. “No wonder she hates me so much,” I mumbled. “No, Diana…” father held my shoulders, but I slid his hands off me, stepping away from him. “She does… that’s why she didn’t want me to leave the pack. The Jupitus pack asked her to kill you and then me. They are willing to face the worst of the worst, but not me… isn’t it?” I held my heavy head.
[Diana’s POV] Zephyr kissed my forehead, slowly caressing my cheek. He looked at me, giving me a calm smile. I clenched my fist, feeling myself fall deeper into a kind of love I always yearned for, but never received. I hugged him, snuggling in the curve of his neck. He draped his arms around me, cradling me to his chest. My heart skipped beats at his every touch, planting his warmth on my skin. I gulped hard, thinking a thousand times before I kissed his adam’s apple. He stopped stroking my back as if he had frozen. I bit my bottom lips. Trailing down my hand from his chest to his abs, I unbuttoned his shirt. With every kiss on his body, I felt my body heat drastically. “You should rest, princess,” Zephyr said. I finally looked into his eyes and whispered, “I am resting.” I hesitantly tore off my gaze from his. “I am sorry, I… don’t know what I was thinking…” I felt the heat of his gaze burn my cheeks. “I… never mind me. I should’ve asked you before. I am sorry…” Embarr
[Zephyr’s POV] She thawed at my touch. Her gaze melted needily when she looked at me. As if I was the last drop of water, she needed to survive from dehydration. I loved the way she shuddered at my mere caress, her eyes tearing up while I devoured her. She lecherously bit her lips to lock her moans in her throat, but lost all control and restraint as soon as she orgasmed. The freedom to touch and the consent to do it as I liked. I had starved for all of them, but— ‘Your marriage is bound to break. Both of you and your futures aren’t compatible.’ ‘What if Diana demands the break-up? What if break-up is the only way to ensure your and Diana’s safety?’ Those words were engraved on my mind and no matter how much I tried to look past them, I couldn’t. Because I knew what Alpha Urza said was right. A lot of things were about to happen in my life and all of it would start during the championship like it happened in my previous life. For Diana, she is doing a new start with a boy she
[Zephyr’s POV] “Did I do something wrong? I mean… did I hurt you?” Diana asked, baffled. I put on my boxers and pants properly. My silence was making the entire room loom with awkwardness. I picked the handkerchief from the couch and walked closer to Diana. I reached out to wipe her face when she held my hand. “What happened, Zeph? Talk to me…” “I am sorry, princess. I-I can’t… I can’t go any further than this. I am so sorry.” Her tensed brows relaxed slightly. “Oh…” she said, letting out her held breath. “That’s fine,” she forced a faint smile. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But why?” I sat beside her on the bed and wiped her face. “I-I… I have been thinking about what alpha said about us and our marriage,” I paused. “And… It has been bothering me even when I believe I can make us work.” “Ok. So… Do you believe that our marriage will fall apart?” she asked. “No. It won’t. I won’t let it. I’ll do everything in my power to let nothing like that happen to us
[Diana’s POV]The ride from the palace to the academy was the most awkward ride I had ever had. Father and Reese interacted a little now and then, but that made things even more awkward. We were the typical functional family who went on picnics or road trips every weekend.Reese tried to start a conversation with me, but my silence was all he got as I ignored the internal tension in the car by peering outside the window.In the side-view mirror, I saw a glimpse of my car behind us.Zephyr!I don’t know why I felt elated and safe at the same time.Zephyr secretly following father’s car was the only enjoyable thing about that ride. Although he was trying to not be seen, if I could spot him, I bet father did too.But since father didn’t bring Zephyr up, I didn’t either.We soon reached the academy and my heart, that had been distracted by the cruel awkwardness in the car and Zephyr cutely following us, started pounding with anxiety again.I was extremely scared of my results. I had done
[Diana’s POV]We greeted the staff together as they gave us their blessings for the championship and our future. We stood outside the academy right at the spot where all the three of us began our academic journey.It literally felt like yesterday, and even though I hated the exams and studying, the thought of graduating created an unfathomable heaviness in my chest.That was probably the last day in that academy as a student.The last day I walked freely through those hallways as if I partially owned that place.The day I looked at the academy building and said — man, what a ride!I was so stupid to have backed away from such an adventure just because Reese and his friends beat me up. I could take a thousand more blows if I get to relive those three years.Nothing could ever replace the time I had in the academy. The time I spent with Archer, Janus, the haunted balustrade, the early morning classes and late night studies a day before exams.Nothing could replace the rush this academy
Zephyr’s POV]All the way to the art gallery, I kept debating myself.There was a part of me who wanted to tell her everything from the beginning to the end truthfully, and then the other part who was scared to face the consequences that truth might bring.I clenched the steering wheel.I tried mind-linking Janus, but he was busy with his father and didn’t respond. He was the only person I could talk to about this because he was the only one who knew everything about me and my past.But maybe I knew his answer already. He wanted me to tell the complete truth to Diana the moment I entered this pack. Diana’s gaze on me was making this worse because the last thing I wanted was her suspicious gaze. If I don’t clear her doubts now, she might think something strange again.Me siding with the Saint? How could she even come up with something like this?I didn’t want to lie to her. Hiding the truth was a thing, and telling a white lie was another.‘What should I do?’ I asked my wolf, Drystan.
[Diana’s POV] “I can’t believe this. My son is leaving for six months,” beta Arthur sobbed in his handkerchief. “What will I do all alone in the palace for six months?” “I am sure you can ignore the absence of your son for six months, as you ignored his presence for twenty-one years,” Janus said in an impassive voice. Beta Arthur cleared his nose into the handkerchief, crying fountains. “You never change! Now your words don’t even hurt,” beta Arthur said, choking on his gasps. “I am already so proud of you. Go make me more proud, son! If your mother was here today, she would have been so proud.” Beta Arthur looked at the sky. “Honey, look, our son has grown up so much. Please look over him from the stars and protect him. All these kids.” He looked at Zephyr, Vera, and me standing at some distance from them. Janus grunted, looking at the sky, “look over this poor old man, mother. I fear someday this Hidden Land will flood with his tears.” Beta Arthur clasped Janus in his arms. “W