The Great Ceremonial Hall of the Diamond Palace breathes with magic older than memory.Moonlight filters through the crystal dome overhead, the silver glow splitting into shimmering rainbows that glide across the polished white marble floor. Tonight, the palace doesn’t just stand as the heart of the realm—it holds its breath with the rest of us. The air hums. Every noble, every servant, every citizen of the Realm is gathered inside or watching through the floating screens, broadcasting the ceremony across the entire Diamond Realm. No one sleeps tonight. Tonight, they celebrate the return of the long-awaited heir.Rain stands beside me, her hand in mine. Cold fingers, steady grip. She’s calm on the outside, but I can feel Safia anchoring her. Her gown is a soft lavender, flowing like mist, a tribute to Queen Sera—and to the moon itself. Her curls are pinned back just enough to reveal her slender neck, but a few strands escape, catching the light. My beautiful, gentle Red.Sky stands in
Ever since the feral rogues tricked us into believing Caleb was dead, grief like I’ve never felt before threatened to overpower me. Katherine is the only thing that kept me sane. Along with helping Conrad take care of the pack and keeping an eye on Rain and Sky, I was exhausted at the end of the day, and by the time my head hit the pillow, I would fall into a deep sleep, only to start again the next day.Being apart from Katherine added another level of pain to my grief, but her returning the same day Tatiana let everyone know Caleb was alive still has my heart dancing with joy inside my chest. Tatiana visited the pack while Katherine and I were preparing for our date and let everyone know what had happened to Caleb. Everyone wanted to come and see with their own eyes that Caleb was alive and well, but it wasn’t possible. My arm snakes around Katherine’s waist, her slender body molding after mine. Caleb’s joke didn’t sit well with her. It doesn’t really bother me since Caleb and I a
I chuckle. “She did. I would be dead if not for my amazing soulmate.” I look around for Red. She is behind me. It’s wrong. She should be by my side, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart, soul to soul, as my soulmate, as my Queen, as my everything. I take her hand into mine and guide her in front of me so that everyone will know that she is the most important person present. “Tristan, this is my soulmate, Rain. And the one clinging to you is my daughter, Sky, but I have a feeling you already know this.”Tristan looks at Sky, who glances up at him with silver eyes, similar to mine. “How could I not know when she carries part of your scent? Daphne told me everything. I see Sky as my flesh and blood, but I made sure she knew who her real parents were.” This is why Sky said she wanted me as her dad the moment we met because she suspected who I was to her? ‘How could she not know when she looks like you? Except for the hair color. That one she got from Daphne.’ Now, that Raven mentioned
Being a slave for the Cosaci Vampires reduced me to a shell of my former self. I lost count of how many times I begged all the gods and goddesses out there to let me die. The only reply I’ve ever received is silence. Even the Moon Goddess deserted me as if I wasn’t worthy of her help. In the vampire castle, I was alone in my suffering. Most of the other slaves loved to taunt me, especially the Omegas, because it granted them favors with Sinn or his monster of a mother, Queen Lamia. Not all slaves wanted to be in Sinn’s good grace. Katherine was the only one who risked her life to take mine and set me free. Not all vampires took great pleasure in tormenting me. Daphne, despite being Sinn’s sister, was nothing like her brother or mother. She was more like her brother. Like Tristan. He has been my light in my darkest moments, my friend when I needed one, the brother I always wanted. When my adoptive father sold me to the vampires, Tristan was the only one who never tried to drink m
I follow Esyn as I try to memorize the scents of those working here. It would be so much easier if I could see their faces, but there’s no cure for face blindness. The palace is so big it feels like a maze. The entire pack could live here, and there would still be empty rooms. Caleb and Conrad should consider it. The pack would follow Caleb anywhere. It takes us several minutes to get to the Royal Wardrobe. “This is…huge,” I say as I stand in the doorframe and look at clothes displayed on mannequins. “Queen Sera loved clothes. When the place was built, King Aris requested that an entire floor be turned into a wardrobe. He wanted to fill it with all sorts of gowns he designed especially for Queen Sera,” Esyn explains. “Their love must have been something special,” I say. “It was,” Esyn agrees. A long one-shoulder lavender tulle dress catches my eye. The soft tone should look good on me. Noticing the dress I’m looking at, Esyn says, “You will look very lovely dressed in it.” I
I let out a sigh of relief. “That room just saved my life,” I say, making Caleb laugh softly. “There’s something I wanted to ask you. You mentioned a vampire, K. Do you think he is Kain?” Caleb falls silent while he thinks. “I think he is,” he finally replies. How could Kain have ended up as a slave in another realm? Wasn’t he going to find his mate, Elly? “Your friend, Voros, got Kain out, right?” I ask, concerned about Kain.Caleb’s scent changes again, this time to shock. “Voros. How could I have forgotten about him?” he wonders. “Yes. By now, Voros and Kain should be far from the Nether Realm.” “Good. Good,” murmurs slip past my lips. “We should find out what happened to them.” “If everything went according to plan, Voros and Kain are in the Ruby Realm, home to the Dacian Vampires.” My hands slide to Caleb’s chest, and I tap it with my right forefinger. “Unknowingly, you might have secured your friendship with the Dacian Vampires. You also count on the help of the Druid Witch