Alec never leaves my mind. His words keep coming back, his horrified face haunting me. While Beatrice helps me get into my mourning clothes, I don’t stop crying. Tears fall silently from my eyes until they're half shut from the swelling. I don’t hold them back, fearing the pain will suffocate me. This is the worst day of my life. I thought nothing would hurt more than losing my mother. But back then, I still had my father with me, friends in my pack. Now, I don’t have anyone. Even Lila has gone silent. She has lost her hope too. Beatrice doesn’t ask me anything. I wonder if she took care of me during the time I was unconscious. I doubt Magnus would've let her in. But then I found Alec in the same room as me. Beatrice trusted me with her tears, so I trust her with mine. She continues to rub my back in a soothing way occasionally. She's young but mature for her age. When I see myself in the mirror, I realize I’m wearing a gown with a pattern similar to the tunic Magnus wore. The g
[ELARA] Contrary to my assumption, Alec is not imprisoned in the dungeons. Neither is he in Morgana’s lair. He’s in a chamber on the highest floor of the palace. A room really, with a proper bed, a wide window, and wardrobes. When Magnus and I get there, he’s standing by the open window with his back to us. His hands are clasped together and he seems to be looking over at the Cursed Gulf. Seeing Alec with nothing holding him tied—seeing him free, sends a strange shiver down my spine. I feel an entirely different kind of fear at this moment. The fear of everything coming to an end. Lila’s tensed voice resonates within me, ‘My mate is lost. I don’t sense him. He’s a stranger.’ Wolfless and with a forgotten memory. That’s the fate written by the Moon Goddess for Alec Tawr of the Lunar Crest pack. Everything he was, everything he had made himself is gone. Just like that. Losing a person in this way—where you can see them, but know that they don't recognise you—is a pain I pr
[MAGNUS]The eerie silence of the Cursed Gulf hangs heavy today, just like it has been for a while now. The storms that once roared through these waters, swallowing ships whole, seem to have taken a hiatus. But it's the calm before the storm, I believe, the kind of chaos that'll break loose once my uncle Eldric sails back into Caelondor.I can't shake the thought that maybe one of those storms will take him down, sparing me the trouble of facing him, blood against blood. It hasn’t even been a full day since we got word of Kian's death, yet I can feel the shift in the air, like everyone's holding their breath, waiting for the dust to settle.They're all eyeing me up, sizing me for the crown they think is mine now that Kian's gone. But I can't bring myself to accept it, not yet at least. My mind keeps drifting to that chamber where Elara's talking with Alec. I want to know what's going on in there, but eavesdropping isn’t right, even if the temptation's there.Still, I'm keeping a close
[ELARA] Even though her face is shrouded with a gray veil, I can still feel her watching me with scrutiny. I know she’s weighing my decision on her scales—because it was certainly not guided by her. I don’t know how I got here. After telling the prince to send Alec away, I kept walking with no destination in mind. Merely straying from one floor to the one beneath, until I found myself here. Face to face with Goddess Luna’s idol. I can’t help but notice that it is oddly placed—not centered, not in a sophisticated corner, just planted along a side like some obstruction just after a turn. Anyone would be startled to come across it. I believe the placement has a good reason behind it—it is easier to not ignore her this way. Knowing she’s always there, keeping a close account of your decisions. It’s scary in a way. I’m certain it’s scarier when you can actually see her eyes, usually sapphire-eyed, staring right into the depth of your soul. I assume that this is not how they usual
[ELARA] “It’ll never stop bleeding,” Morgana repeats slowly, enunciating every word with a movement of her lips that seems to be casting a charm in itself. She gets to her feet and walks to me, swaying her hips as she tucks her black hair behind her ear. She appears cunningly beautiful for the first time. All this time I believed her to be mature—a woman who knew how to hide her intelligence. But now, in this moment, she shows a side of her that’s terrifyingly mesmerizing. When she stops, she’s just a few inches away, towering over me. I sense the unspoken challenge she presents. ‘How dare you try to stop me?’ she seems to scream silently at me. ‘How dare you keep me from getting what I want?’ “You feel powerful only because Magnus lets you use your power,” I tell her, holding my chin high and refusing to cower. “Soon he will realize he doesn’t need you. That you’re just a servant.”Her eyes narrow at my words and the corner of her lip twitches, but she shakes her head. “I don’t
[MAGNUS] This day has dragged on for too long. The thought weighs down on me as I walk behind Cedric to the council chamber. Occasionally, he turns behind to glance at me, and I can’t help but notice the flicker of unease in his eyes. What was he telling Elara? And why does he seem so unsettled? It was just last night that news of Kian’s death and Eldric’s sudden arrival reached me. Yet, in reality, Caelondor has been engulfed in mourning for merely a day. Time feels warped, as I've been thrust into a whirlwind of events. My mind is a tangled web of unanswered questions, each demanding attention. Has Alistair already initiated preparations for Alec’s departure? Why does Elara insist on sending him away? How did Alec lose his memories? Can I truly trust Morgana? What schemes does King Eldric, my uncle, have in motion? And what has triggered Elara’s abrupt change in demeanor? She didn’t need to kiss my cheek. I reach up instinctively to touch my face, momentarily lost in the memory.
[ELARA] "Mother, people are getting suspicious. I overheard a guard tell another that he thinks Magnus is dead," Ruelle voices out meekly to Lady Celia, who’s standing beside her with her hands clasped together. "It’s been three days, and no one has seen him." They’re both dressed in pale gray gowns held together by metallic wolf heads at the shoulders. Ruelle resembles her mother, albeit younger and, if I dare say, more beautiful. Beatrice told me that Celia was stripped of her title as ‘Princess’ when it was found that her husband, Magnus’ father, was guilty of treason against the kingdom of Caelondor. While her husband was sent to the guillotine, Celia was shamed for not stopping him from committing the crimes. Magnus was spared because he was only ten at the time, seemingly innocent and unaware of the scheme. I felt bad when I learned of it, as anyone else would. The horror of Magnus’ past hasn’t left my mind since. The image of him being a young boy and witnessing his father's
[ELARA] Minutes pass but I don’t move from Magnus’ side. I know I’m no help to him here, but I can’t bring myself to leave. He stayed by my side when I suffered for days. Even the thought of leaving him feels like betrayal. Magnus is quiet. Too quiet—as if he’s already dead. According to the royal physician who is sworn to secrecy, all we can do is pray and wait for him to recover. These were his words two days ago. Since then the only thing I’ve noticed is the life draining out of him. There’s no improvement. I note Alistair’s tensed face from a distance. He looks like he’s about to cry but somehow he’s holding back, his jaw clenched hard. I wonder what he’s thinking. I wonder if he wishes to talk. “Alistair,” I begin, but my voice comes out unsure. Regardless, he steps forward at once. “Are you alright?” I question him For a moment, I’m convinced he’s not going to answer me. Even if he does it’ll be something short and submissive, letting me know that he doesn’t want to open
[ELARA]The bard is not the same man today.Had no one told me it was him—and had I not watched him so closely the night before—I might’ve sworn it was someone else entirely.I suppose madness does that. Warps a person from the inside out. Just last night, he was dressed in fine silks, the very picture of elegance and confidence—charming enough to rival Magnus at his most dazzling. Now? He’s tied to a pillar in Thornhall’s courtyard like a spectacle.He thrashes wildly, laughter cracking through the air in bursts, each followed by guttural cries that scrape the throat raw. But it’s not the noise that sends a chill down my spine.It’s the pearls.A strand of them, strung neatly around his neck—eerily similar to the one I shattered. The one Valen claimed belonged to Raelynn.I take an instinctive step back.“Who painted his lips?” Lady Brook’s voice comes from beside me, thin and sharp. Her hand clutches her throat as if she’s afraid the color might stain her own skin. Her hair, usually
[ELARA]“Magnus,” I call out. He doesn’t stop. Doesn’t turn. Doesn’t even pause. The door slams shut behind him, and something inside me breaks. My knees buckle, and I collapse onto the edge of the bed, fingers twisting into the fabric of my robe like it can change reality. My lungs can’t find air. It’s like they’re stitched shut.‘You’re panicking,’ Lila says. ‘You must breathe.’But I can’t. I can’t.My hands fly to my throat, clawing at the skin like I can scrub the shame away. My nails scrape across Valen’s bite marks, and the moment my fingers graze them, guilt sinks in like a slow-moving poison.What have I done?He wasn’t lying.I saw it in his golden eyes—saw it when the shield fell between us, when truth flooded that brief second of silence. Magnus hadn’t been with anyone. Not in these long, aching months.Not once.But I had believed wrongly.And it led me to—Lila speaks again, ‘It wasn’t just that. You know it wasn’t.’I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking my head, biting down
[MAGNUS]Setting her free—as she says it—is not going to end my misery. If anything, it’ll make me even more miserable. I don’t hate Elara. I could never hate her. The day I start hating her is the day I lose all control over myself. And the day I lose all control of myself is the day I lose her. So I can’t accept her as my mate. I can't get through the ritual and let the bond strengthen. I can’t mark her, can’t make her mine, not until I have eradicated all of my enemies. Until Eldric lies cold in his grave. One more loss… and there will be no going back. Creed’s agony will consume me, break my mind until I’m left as nothing but a hollow shell. Elara stands there looking utterly broken, crying as if there’s no strength left in her. And it is all my fault. Whatever anger I feel, the urge to burn the world to the ground, the desire to see Valen crushed to a pulp—I push it all aside. Lock it inside a part of my mind where I stash all of my irrational thoughts. Valen fed on her, I
[ELARA]Magnus barges in, cutting through the space with quick strides and startling Edith. “Leave,” he tells Edith, not even sparing her a glance. That single word is enough to tell me that he has come here with boiling blood. I don’t even need to consider the fury in his golden eyes. Edith swallows hard, and scurries off but not before tossing me a fleeting look. There’s prayer in her eyes. She is unaware that nothing can save me from Magnus’ wrath. For a moment, silence lingers—a kind where you can hear the sounds of our hearts racing. Stupidly, I stare at Magnus’ face too long, and my chest tightens with an odd feeling. Something that feels a lot like longing. ‘Tread carefully,’ Lila warns. “So you’ve finally come,” I say, nonchalantly running my fingers through my hair as I turn my back on him and walk to the mirror. “You deceived me into thinking you had no idea where my chamber was.”How much does he know? I wonder as I sit down on the bench, staring at my reflection. He’s
[ELARA]I stare at the ceiling, breathing a little too loud. I’m aware of the sweat covering my naked body, of the puncture wounds on my neck that are still blazing, eliciting waves of pleasure although Valen is no longer feeding on me. The desire to curl up and close my eyes and shut myself from the world feels too overwhelming. What have I done?A slow breath drifts against my shoulder.I go still.He’s awake.Heat creeps up my neck, shame curling in my stomach. I don’t dare look at him. If I do, I’ll see it—the smug amusement in his expression, the satisfaction, the knowing.I close my eyes, as if I can will myself back into ignorance. As if I can pretend I didn’t just let Valen—the last person I should have touched—consume me whole.“You're thinking too much,” his voice breaks the silence. It’s unbothered. I flinch.He chuckles. “I can hear it, you know. That frantic little heartbeat of yours.”My fingers curl into the sheets, my breath catching. “Go away,” I murmur.Valen shif
[ELARA]Something tells me Valen knows I’m here, and that I’m watching him, but doesn’t stop. “What do you think you are doing?” I hiss at him when I finally find my voice again, daring myself to walk closer. He glances at me leisurely, licking his bloodied lips as he lifts his head from her neck. “I was hungry,” he says with a shrug, and casts Tara aside like a doll. She leans against the wall, the euphoric smile on her face still lingering. “You look… displeased.”I hesitate. I did not think I would Tara here. I really believed she was with Magnus. “She’s our guest,” I whisper, my fingers twitching to reach her, to check if she’s okay—but I don’t. Somehow, I can’t bring myself to touch her. Not when she looks like she’s floating in some distant bliss. “You can’t harm her.”Valen cocks his head slightly, amused. “Harm?” He gestures lazily at Tara’s boneless form. “Does she look harmed to you?”I scoff. “You—” I swallow, forcing air into my lungs. “You drank her blood.”He smirks,
[ELARA]I notice, somewhere between the refilled goblets and the swelling melody of the Bard’s latest song, that Magnus is gone. And Alistair with him. Not that I was informed about it. The feast carries on without them. The Bard, ever the showman, soaks in the attention, strumming his lute with a smirk that suggests he’s well aware of the effect he has on the court. Thornhall has something new to play with tonight. The dancers sit sulking in a corner, forgotten. The musicians find themselves disagreeing with the songs. “I will bed this man tonight,” Lady Brook announces, her words thick with drink as she leans forward, nearly spilling from her seat.I arch a brow. “The Bard?”“Who else?” she breathes, eyes heavy-lidded. “Look at him. That mouth was made for more than singing.”“That’s ambitious.” I huff a quiet laugh, lifting my goblet to my lips. “Don’t let Edith know.”“If I had a mother like that—” she begins with a lazy grin, then downs the rest of her wine. “What do you think
[ELARA]“Did you enjoy the ballad, Your Highness?” Valen’s teasing voice curls around me, his amusement barely concealed. He rises from his seat with effortless grace, extending his hand as if he knew—knew—I would come to him. “I worked with the man himself to craft it.”Every movement in the hall slows. A royal woman should not do this. A wife should not do this. The weight of a hundred eyes presses upon me, mouths whispering, hands tightening around goblets—a scandal. But let them watch. Let them see what their beloved prince has wrought. Let them murmur about the disgrace of Magnus’ mate, the woman who was meant to stand at his side.I take Valen’s hand. His skin is cooler than Magnus’, his grip lighter, but no less commanding.“Do not speak,” I say, my voice a blade, and he only grins.“Remember when I told you last night that when you command me, you’re even—”I cut him off. “Will you dance with me or not?” My words are steel-wrapped velvet, laced with something desperate and rec
[ELARA]I want to leave. No—storm off. Let every guest see, let them know I do not stand by their beloved Prince, their cold and callous Magnus. Let them whisper about the insult, the blatant disrespect. I would not care. I want them to see. I want him to see.How dare he? How dare he shatter my heart so effortlessly, as if it were made of glass? If this is his response—if this is how he welcomes another into his arms so easily, so publicly—then what has he done in the quiet of the past five months? How many nights has he spent like this, without hesitation, without guilt?I knew Talisa—Morgana… kept him company, but I thought… no more. Not since he learned what we are to each other. Not since he learned I am his mate. But now my heart burns, set upon a spit, roasting in the heat of my own foolishness.I told myself he wouldn’t. That he couldn’t. But I see now—I was wrong. I was so wrong.And I kept Valen away because it was him I thought of. Even when Valen’s hands traced my skin, I