Kael's POVGradually, my eyes fluttered open to another morning. I didn't bother to look around. There was no need. The room, the air, the emptiness—it was all the same as yesterday. And the days before that. I just stared into vacancy, my gaze locked onto nothing In particular, my mind heavier than my body.Although I felt better now, I had long lost count of how many days I had woken up to find myself still miserable and broken.But amidst all the bitterness, I couldn't deny the deep, aching gratitude I owed Mira once again. She had saved my life—again—just like she had healed my sight all those years ago, when I had given up on myself. It was this same Mira who nursed me when death loomed too close, who placed herself between me and the shadows clawing to take me. It was Mira who brewed the herbs that helped me sleep away the endless, soul-crushing hours when my body was too battered to move and my mind too fractured to hope.I didn't have to lie awake each night drowning in help
Kael's POV Apart from the nightmare which I just shared with Mira again, and the title memories she had with my mother before she died, I saw that Mira could only recall little fragments of my painful childhood memory that I had long shared with her. It had been so long… so painfully long that even she had forgotten. I could tell from the way she positioned herself, her brows furrowing, fingers tapping gently against her lap as if groping around in the dark for fragments of a memory. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I lay there, feeling the anger swell in my chest.Then I reminded her.I reminded her how a fire had broken out when I was just a boy—how I had gotten trapped inside, blinded as hot, blazing woods from the ceiling crashed down and seared my eyes. I told her how my mother, my precious mother, had found a back exit and dragged me out into the night. I was half-conscious, my small hand squeezed tightly in hers as she ran and explained in desperate, broke
Kael's POVMira folded her arms and shook her head in dismay at me, her lips pressed into a thin, silent line. She didn't say a word, but I understood that look well enough—it was a look that screamed you're foolish but I won't waste my breath.Pushing past the throbbing ache in my ribs, I scrambled up to my feet as regally as I could muster, wiping my hands against my trousers like it was all nothing but a minor stumble. I flashed Mira a crooked smile, one that barely concealed the sharp pang in my side. "I just lost my footing," I said breezily.Her frown deepened, but I didn't give her the chance to protest. In moments, I was out of that chamber again, my gait steady despite the muted fire of pain burning through my body.Far be it from me that I walked back into the palace like a weakling.The palace corridors were quiet this early at dawn, bathed in a cool, gray light that leaked in from the high windows. My eyes darted around as I walked—searching for a familiar figure. Searchin
Kael's POV I didn’t know what Ivy was up to at first.One second she was fidgeting nervously in front of me, and the next, she was fishing a small cellphone from the pocket of her pale blue dress. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unlocked it. I frowned, suspicion rising in my chest.“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice calm but wary.Instead of answering, Ivy lowered her gaze, almost looking bashful, and pressed play on something.A recording.The static crackled for a beat, and then—Lyria’s voice, soft and aching, bled into the room.I stilled.“There was an event one night... I was young—too young to even remember what the event was truly about. But I remember that the adults had all gathered in the central hall for some ceremony. Us pups… we were kept in a separate room to play.”A strange, hollow sensation began to creep down my spine. I stared at the phone as if it were something cursed.“We were playing hide and seek... we laughed anyway, squealed and ran. It was innoce
Kael’s POVThe sound of Ivy’s sobs faded into the corridor as she stumbled away from my room, her figure crumpled with shame and fear. I remained standing by the door for a long moment, my fists clenched at my sides, breathing deeply to restrain the storm rising within me.How dare she?What did she think she would gain by trying to paint Lyria—my mate—as a monster?The betrayal was bitter in my mouth, but beneath it bloomed something so fierce and powerful it nearly stole my breath: relief.Lyria was the same girl.The same girl whose face, though blurred by the smoke and fear of that night, had haunted my dreams ever since.I could still remember the weight of her tiny body in my arms, the way she clung to me as if I were her last hope, and the devastating guilt that gnawed at my bones when I went back for the others but didn’t make it back the same. I had lost my sight for weeks, barely surviving.And now, fate had wound its thread once again, tying us back together.A stunned, alm
Kael's POV As I left Mira’s quarters, my thoughts circled around Ivy. Mira’s plea had somehow cracked a part of my resolve. I decided I'd call Ivy in once I got back to my room and grant her a second chance—just one. If she messed up again, there would be no more mercy.But fate had other plans for me.I was barely a few strides from the palace steps when I stumbled into Lyria. My beautiful Lyria.She stopped too, her chestnut hair catching a stray ray of sunlight and turning it almost golden. For a heartbeat, I was elated, but the scowl she shot me snapped me right back to reality. The words I had prepared to say got tangled somewhere between my chest and throat. I stood there, frozen, grappling for anything—anything at all—to say.Maybe it was because of the way she looked at me, as though the mere sight of me poisoned the air she breathed.I knew the other night—the wild, uncontrollable passion between us—had been fueled by the heat. A primal force we both couldn't resist. But for
Lyria's POVI paced furiously along the cobblestone pathway, my boots making soft thuds against the damp stones. The palace grounds were eerily quiet, the sun sinking into the horizon, casting everything in an orange gloom. My heart raged just as fiercely as the storm brewing inside the clouds above.Days had passed since the cruel revelation I found in that history book had sliced through me, days since I swore I would have my vengeance. Yet here I was, still stewing, still simmering, still plotting my first act of rebellion and pain against him—the King who had ruined my life... the bloodline that had destroyed my parents.I clenched my fists so hard that my nails bit into my skin. I needed to act. I needed to strike.As I turned a sharp corner of the palace gardens, my eyes fell upon something.The Fountain.It stood proudly in the center of the courtyard, its crystalline waters cascading down intricate carvings of ancient wolves locked in an eternal dance. I stopped in my tracks,
Lyria's POVI was riveted to the spot, frozen as Mira’s words crashed over me like a ruthless tide.My mind struggled to grasp it—every single thing she had just poured out, every truth she had peeled back with trembling hands and a heavy voice.Kael... the boy from the fire.The boy who had saved me.The boy who had paid the price for my survival with his own sight, who had lost his mother afterwards, all before he could even step into the heavy shoes of a king.My legs trembled under me. I reached out blindly for the nearest wall to steady myself, feeling the rough, cool texture of stone bite into my palm. My face was hot, swollen with tears I hadn’t even realized were still falling. They streamed freely, helplessly, as Mira continued her quiet, unrelenting narration.How he had taken not one, not two, but four wolfsbane-laced bullets trying to protect me during the last rogue attack.How he had tread barefoot across a hidden bed of thorns—because it was the only path that would le
Kael's POV The clash of claws between Hood and Garrick echoed through the darkened field like the clash of thunder against the sky. The fury between them was relentless, but Hood—despite his fury—was beginning to falter now. Garrick landed blow after blow, each strike more savage than the last. Blood matted their fur, and yet they didn't stop. Hood's cries were pained, but his determination burned on like a fire refusing to be extinguished.But while their battle raged on in a brutal dance of fury and blood, my attention—like the earth itself—gravitated toward Lyria and Soren.Lyria’s voice cut through the air like a sword drawn from its sheath. "You lie, Soren!” she snapped at him, her voice layered with a power older than time. “I am the rightful Queen to that throne!" And I will never let you have it!"The air seemed to shiver in response.Soren’s expression twisted into something demonic, as though her words clawed into the very rot at his core. His eyes darkened with rage, and
Kael's POVThe moment Lyria spoke, her voice was not the same gentle one I had grown accustomed to. It wasn’t even hers anymore—not entirely. It thundered, laced with something ancient and commanding, something that sent tremors into the marrow of my bones."I am Lyria Voss, daughter of the lost bloodline, heir to the throne of the Nightborne Clan. And today—I reclaim what was stolen."The ground itself pulsed beneath us, as though the earth recognized the name and the bloodline that had spoken it. The air thickened, and every heartbeat felt like a drum pounding in my ears. I felt the world shift, not in metaphor, but in truth.Above us, the sky darkened into a heavy twilight. The moon, once silver and soft, flared crimson. Blood-red—something that had never happened before. And everything stilled.My breath caught. It wasn’t fear that clenched my heart—no, it was something deeper, older. It was recognition.Lyria wasn't just my mate.She wasn't just the omega I once believed I had t
Lyria's POV Ivy lay on the ground, writhing in pain as blood pooled beneath her. Her face was pale, and her breaths came in shallow rasps. My hand shot to my mouth as the horror of what had just happened weighed down on me like stone. Hood's roar of anguish cracked through the air as he charged at Garrick like a storm, but before he could reach him, Soren stepped forward with startling speed and strength."No!" I gasped.Soren’s arm lashed out, catching Hood by the shoulder and spinning him around before slamming him to the ground with terrifying force. He pinned him there with one knee against his spine, his fingers curled tight around Hood’s arm. His grip was like a vice."See where your loyalty to the wrong person has ended you," Soren told him with a devilish smirk, his voice slow and mocking.Hood growled beneath him, his body straining against the hold, his eyes still burning with the fire of vengeance. But Soren was stronger—a brutal kind of strong that didn't just crush bone
Lyria's POV Ivy lay on the ground, writhing in pain as blood pooled beneath her. Her face was pale, and her breaths came in shallow rasps. My hand shot to my mouth as the horror of what had just happened weighed down on me like stone. Hood's roar of anguish cracked through the air as he charged at Garrick like a storm, but before he could reach him, Soren stepped forward with startling speed and strength."No!" I gasped.Soren’s arm lashed out, catching Hood by the shoulder and spinning him around before slamming him to the ground with terrifying force. He pinned him there with one knee against his spine, his fingers curled tight around Hood’s arm. His grip was like a vice."See where your loyalty to the wrong person has ended you," Soren told him with a devilish smirk, his voice slow and mocking.Hood growled beneath him, his body straining against the hold, his eyes still burning with the fire of vengeance. But Soren was stronger—a brutal kind of strong that didn't just crush bone
Lyria's POV I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The moment Garrick pressed his claws harder against Ivy’s throat, a low, guttural cry tore through her lips. My heart felt like it cracked, splitting in two as her voice echoed in the bloodstained field. Her eyes—wide and glistening with panic—locked onto Hood, pleading. Not just for her life, but for their unborn child.I would have blamed Ivy for not staying indoors with Mira. For coming out to endanger her life and the one growing inside her. But then, I know what a mate bond is capable of. I know just how much one won't be at peace until you are with your mate and you're sure your mate is okay."Finish what I started, Hood!" Garrick shouted, his voice soaked in venom. "Kill the king. Kill his mate. Or I’ll slice her throat right now."My fingers curled into fists at my sides, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Kael was still bleeding, resting against the rubble behind me, his breaths shallow, but his eyes burning with fury. Garr
Kael's POV My breath caught in my throat as I stared down the tip of Garrick’s arrow. The tension in his bowstring mirrored the taut pull of betrayal in my chest. This wasn’t just war anymore—this was personal. This was Garrick who I had known for years and I had taken as a brother alongside Hood. And he was about to kill me.For a moment, I wondered if he could do it, but then I slapped myself mentally for my scepticism. Garrick was the man who just stabbed me now and the resolve in his eyes didn't show that he was going to back down.The cold bite of the arrowhead aimed directly at my heart was nothing compared to the ice crawling through my veins. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. My limbs refused to obey me. The moment suspended itself in time, reality slowing to a crawl as the horrifying truth struck me harder than any weapon ever could.Garrick had chosen this path and he was intentional about it.Lyria’s voice cracked through the thick silence beside me, trembling with disb
Kael's POVI barely noticed the chaos around me anymore. Despite how I suffered bites and cuts from the enemy wolves who did not fail to leverage my distraction as I tried to fight my way out, my gaze remained fixed on Lyria and my concern for her burgeoned with every passing moment. I had noticed how she had changed earlier and she gained the upper hand in the battle with Soren. But her moment of winning was only short lived. And each of the time I watched Soren cut her, bite her and even hurl her, my heart clenched so tight. Now, every movement she made was full of fire and desperation, but she was holding her own. Against all odds, she was still standing.But for how long?I saw Soren moving toward her, his grin wide, wicked. That bastard had almost knocked her out tonight, and I could feel my rage spike just thinking about it. I needed to get to her now.Nothing else mattered, other than getting to her.I didn’t feel the pain from the wound on my arm. Didn’t care that I was limp
Lyria's POVThe sharp, burning sting of silver against my throat pulled a small whimper from my lips, though I bit down the sound with all the strength I could muster. My body trembled beneath Soren’s weight, his frame towering over me like a demon risen straight from hell. The blade glinted in the moonlight, cruel and cold, promising death with the slightest push.I heard Kael’s voice, raw and desperate, slicing through the noise of battle. He was calling my name. Roaring it, as if the force of it could carry him to me. My eyes scanned the battlefield wildly from my prone position. I saw him, far off, his dark form surrounded by a horde of enemy wolves. They clashed against him like a tide crashing over a cliff, but he tore through them with a monstrous rage. His claws, drenched in blood, his fangs bared, his eyes glowing with a fury that terrified and thrilled me. Yet for all his power, he was too far.I shifted my gaze, hoping for another miracle. Garrick. He was closer. My hear
Kael's POVI didn't even get the chance to admire how beautiful Lyria's wolf form turned out—sleek silver fur rippling like moonlight on water, eyes burning like wildfire, fangs bared in raw fury. It was the first time I'd seen her shift, and if we weren't neck-deep in chaos, I might have been awestruck. But the weight of Soren's revelation still rang like iron in my head: he was the one who framed Lyria's parents, causing their death indirectly. And now, with a smirk like death itself, he stood there as though he hadn't just shattered a life.While it took me precious seconds to snap out of my shock, Lyria had already reacted. She shot forward with a furious growl, her claws tearing into the ground as she launched herself at Soren like a comet. Her momentum slammed into him with brutal precision, her claws ripping across his face, drawing blood.Soren staggered backward, and for a breath, I thought she'd managed to shake him. But his snarl twisted into a grin, dark magic sparking a