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[MAGNUS]A lump forms in my throat at the thought. Why do my ears feel like they’re burning?"Why?" I make myself ask."I'm not going to try anything. I'm not that woman." She lets go of my arm and clasps her hands together as she seems to choose her next words. Then, closing her eyes, she mutters in a single breath, "Because last night I woke up from a nightmare and thought someone was here. It morphed from Eldric to Morgana to Alec’s rogue face. And I’m scared.”"Alright," I say and slip under the blanket. When she blinks at me in shock mingled with relief, I wonder if I should say something more. Deciding that I’m not sure what I could possibly say, I turn my back to her with no intention of sleeping anytime soon.A few seconds later, the sheets rustle and she shifts, likely lowering herself on the bed, closing her eyes. But even after a couple of minutes pass, Elara’s breath doesn’t get steady.I do my best to hold back, but then the urge to turn around and talk to her, to find out
[MAGNUS]It is close to midnight, and the air is thick with tension. Alistair and I navigate the labyrinthine hallways of the palace, each step measured, each breath controlled. The human soldiers, assigned to guard these very halls, lie in a careless slumber, their soft snores a dangerous symphony we dare not disturb. The dim glow of torches casts flickering shadows that dance on the cold stone walls, and Elara, her form shrouded in a dark cloak, follows silently, her footsteps almost ghostly.We reach the stables, the scent of hay and horses mingling with the cool night air. I pause, throwing a questioning glance at Elara. She has her eyes on me, her fingers pulling her cloak tighter around her slender frame. She’s not turning back. I can see it in the set of her jaw, the steel in her eyes.“Ready?” I ask, my voice a mere whisper but carrying the weight of the world.She nods firmly. “Ready,” she responds, her voice a soft murmur. Her hand lowers to her hip, where a dagger gleams in
[ELARA]Daphne Elspeth, princess of Wyvern, embodies elegance and flawless beauty. Her presence is radiant, turning heads with every step she takes. Even King Eldric seems unduly captivated by her, ostensibly for her assistance in dismantling the Elspeth dynasty.It baffles me how someone so innocent in appearance could facilitate such devastation. Since her arrival at the palace earlier today, whispers have swirled through the corridors. Some claim she poisoned her own brothers and uncles. Others suggest she slit her brother’s throat, the King of Wyvern, while he slept in his tent.Regardless of the truth, her actions have been effective. She stands as the sole survivor of the Elspeth lineage, the dynasty that ruled Wyvern for centuries. Now, she is their future. But what value does she hold for Eldric?Magnus sits sternly beside me, barely touching his food. His voice has grown hoarse again, and I can see his gaze fixed on Daphne. He is undoubtedly pondering the same questions as I,
[MAGNUS]“I have to go before she comes in,” Elara announces with urgency as she pushes herself off the bed, her eyes darting to the secret doorway. She doesn’t have to go, I think to myself. But then I recall the ruse I must play. I do not care for her—and I have to make them believe it. And yet, I reach out and catch her arm, stopping her just as she's about to leave. Her eyes find mine, and there’s something in them that makes me pause, making me forget that I have a voice, momentarily. This moment is senseless. I’m not being myself. Daphne looms outside my chamber, a danger to us if she spots us together, but here I am struggling to let go of Elara’s arm. ‘Fool,’ Creed echoes in my mind, finally sounding like himself. I tear my gaze away briefly, breaking the trance before I tell her, “I’ll call you back.”She nods, and I notice the way her expression softens. “I'll be waiting,” she replies softly, her words hanging in the air as she walks away, leaving me alone. I feel the n
[ELARA]Alina enters the palace hall, leading members of our Lunar Crest pack. Behind her is Alpha Zander, too stunned to keep up as he gazes open-mouthed at the sky-high domed ceiling. Alina’s hair frames her face in voluminous curls, her expression twisted with a scowl, seemingly wondering, ‘This is where I could’ve lived. This is what my life could’ve been.’Celeste looks devastated, which soothes my heart, knowing the sight of this grandeur is a bitter pill for her to swallow. Despite their attire, the finest garbs Mistral Hollow can offer, they look out of place. It is obvious that they are an independent pack, without the airs of royalty or high-ranked officials.Among the group are a few betas, and the Alpha’s brother, Cato, his eyes scanning the room with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. My father is the last to enter, his gaze sweeping the hall, searching for me. I can tell he’s anxious to see how our pack is perceived in this regal setting.Excusing myself from the group
[MAGNUS]Between the revelation that Morgana is likely still alive, knowing that a giant hydralith swims beneath these very floors, figuring out the many schemes of my cruel uncle—including him trying to get me married to Daphne when I’m already married, and the suspicion that Daphne knows of my involvement in her lover’s death, it is very hard to focus on Prince Rasmus.He stands a few feet apart, surrounded by officials I’ve met before at meetings of the Great Conclave. He looks wholly consumed by some interesting conversation and although I’m capable of hearing it, I can’t focus. I can’t bring my hearing power to work so I can only hear one voice among the thousand conversations going across the hall.There are a lot of people here, and there is a lot on my mind. The sheer scale of the event is staggering. Hundreds of flickering torches cast dancing shadows on the towering stone walls of this palace hall. The air thrums with a symphony of sounds – the clatter of silverware against p
[ELARA]Magnus will never let Ruelle marry Alpha Zander. He’d do anything in his power to stop it, even if the match is approved by the king. He will not let Eldric undermine him this way, not by hurting his little sister. He couldn’t.Once upon a time, I would’ve approved the match myself. I respected Zander as the alpha of my pack—not just because I had to, but because I believed he was a good man. But when I learned of his deception, all that respect turned to hatred. He knew of the connection between Alec and me and yet, he forced me to marry Magnus. He played Alina's game to fool me. And then he commanded Alec to become my personal guard, knowing it would rip his heart to shreds.And the way he held Alina’s hand and whispered in her ear, causing her to tremble, I have no doubt that Zander is merely another pawn in Eldric’s game to hurt Magnus.I know how important it is to find Magnus and tell him immediately about this, but I can neither find him amidst this crowd nor Ruelle and
[ELARA]For a long moment after Valen disappears into the crowd, I find myself wondering if he was real. Because nothing about him felt real. The way he looked at me seemed otherworldly. His very face and the grace with which he moved felt… unreal. He truly worked to distract me and unburdened me, strangely. And the fact that he knew my name, but referred to me as Lady and not Princess. I haven’t seen him here before in court. I’d remember him if I had. Having a ruby embedded in place of one of your eyes certainly makes you stand out. I’m involuntarily looking for him in the crowd—trying to find the wisp of his black robes, embroidered with gold thread—when Lord Brook approaches.“Have the next dance with me, Princess Elara,” he says, with a grin on his face that makes my skin crawl.I shake my head, forcing a polite smile. “Forgive me, Lord Brook, but I do not feel like dancing anymore,” I tell him. ‘Especially with you,’ I hold myself back from adding, though the thought lingers on m
[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