Emily’s POV. My heart ached as though he took a part of me with him, the thought of never seeing him again rippled me into unequal halves. His scent still hung in the air; that intoxicating smell of musk and honey. His face was engraved in my heart; his beautiful brown eyes and how they looked at me with zest and something primal. His wet hair and how they clung to his face. There was no denying the desires I felt for him, no denying the fact that he felt them too– everything that coursed between us, unspoken but palpable How his hands moved so delicately but with ferocity on my skin, setting wildfires I never knew existed. The heat between us had been undeniable, a magnetic pull that neither of us could resist yet he’d left without a goodbye, just like my father. A cold reminder that I was utterly alone on this settlement. Slowly, I gathered myself off the floor and staggered, my gaze fixated on the trail of his footprints on the sand. The wind whipped m
Calix’s POV. Mate! The world around me stood at a standstill as I watched her from atop the cliff, under the blazing afternoon sun. A butterfly fluttered in her face and she brought forward her hand and it perched on her. The innocence when she smiled and talked to the little creature tugged my heart with warmth. She is kind and beautiful. More than anything, I wanted to stay back and watch her. I could watch her all day and not get tired, but not today. I am on a mission. I am out for the head of my enemy and nothing is going to hold me back. So with one last glance at my mate, I reined my horse in the other direction as I prepared for the descent down the cliff, only to hear my mate scream. It is with shock that I flung around and searched for her and she was no more on the bridge. Where did she go? Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I scanned the perimeter for her and I noticed a grapple in the rive
Calix’s POV. Just like last night, they climbed down from the bed and seductively walked to me. I’d forgotten they were here– perhaps, didn't expect them to still be here after last night’s escapade. This morning after Mr. Westley relayed to me the news of Alpha Thane’s voyage to Cathena, I’d ordered for my horse and cloak right there in the courtyard and hadn't bothered re-entering the castle. Amidst the protests of my cousin and beta, had mounted my horse and set for Cathena. According to Leia, going after Alpha Thane is a bad idea while Han on the other hand, wanted to come with me. In all, my mind was made up. I was going after Alpha Thane and I was going alone. I was already looking forward to his head in my hands, not knowing of the perfect distraction the moon goddess’d planted for me out there on the cliff– the sight of my mate. Was it fate that she’d suddenly fallen into water? I could still see those blue eyes and how they stared into my soul,
Emily’s POV. Something cold and wet landed all over my body. “Wake up!! Who said you can oversleep here?!” the clatter of two metals that followed keyed me into further panic. I jolted awake, rolled on the small bed and fell with a thud on the floor. A small cry left my lips, but I quickly recollected myself off the floor and staggered. My gaze settled on the scowling face of my host as she continued to clatter the metals to my face and then stopped. “That will be the last time I wake you up, Emily Blakesley. Here, we rise before the sun even hints at the horizon. Am I clear? Have I made myself clear?!” she barked. “Y-yes, ma’am,” I stammered. “Good.” She turned and gave the metals to someone else in the room. For the first time, I noticed two women with us in the room, one was holding a bucket which dangled in her hand perhaps to emphasize on what she’d just done. “Strip.” My host ordered. Without even blinking, I peeled the wet dress off my body and stood, naked,
Emily’s POV. My eyes fluttered open. I jerked to a sitting as my gaze settled on the chubby figure of Madame Severine. “How are you feeling?” she asked, shuffling further into the room. “I am feeling better,” I lied. With those hawkish eyes, she scrutinized me. A smile touched her lips but it quickly morphed into a frown. “Is it true, that you refused to eat?” she questioned, her voice dripped with derision. “I-I’m not hungry,” I stuttered and avoided her gaze. She scoffed and stepped away. “Suit yourself. Remember to wake up early tomorrow, early to bed early to rise.” She stopped and glanced at me, and then climbed into her bed. It was a matter of time and her snores filled the room. Gently, I laid down on my bed and dragged my gaze across the open window, as the sky darkened into full-blown nighttime. A howl broke out in the air– Randolph and the men patroll
Emily’s POV. The world around me twirled to a stop as I stared into those pools of brown eyes. My heart began to thump so hard I was sure it might just explode from the frenzy. He was here! He was wearing a dark-blue tunic underneath a black cloak and his hair tousled in the breeze. Slowly, he stepped away from the trees and walked past me. I flung around and watched him strode toward the river. He stopped, and clasped his hands behind his back. Grabbing my dress, I joined him and together we stared at the river– at the waves as they rolled on. That undeniable pull was there again, the desire to throw myself into his arms. I tilted my head to steal a look at his face and he tilted his head and caught me. I blushed terribly and brought back my gaze to the water before me. “It was you, right? The stranger who saved me from drowning the other day?” I spoke to him for the first time, and glanced at him. He wouldn’t spare me another glance bu
Calix’s POV. The plan was simple— to invade the hamlet, eliminate as many of Alpha Thane’s men as possible, kidnap the princess, and be gone within the blink of eye. It was that simple but as I emerged from the forest and stared into her beautiful blue eyes, I almost canceled that plan. That brings me back to yesterday evening. I watched as my beta and the men trained in the tiltyard from the rooftop. Footsteps echoed behind me and it was Leia. “Hey.” She smiled as strolled to meet me behind the parapet. “Hello.” I replied and glanced at her, she was wearing a purple satin dress and a white muffler. Exhaling, I brought back my gaze to the men below. “So, you’re still going on with the invasion plan?” “Look, Leia!” I cut her off. “I do not want to listen to any of your pity stories or anything about forgiveness.” I growled, glaring at her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “So what are you going to do
Calix’s POV. I plummeted into the water and missed a large rock by an inch. Expelling rings of bubbles, I searched the deep and saw her drifting away unconsciously toward the bottom. A few anxious strokes, I got to her, and realized she was bleeding from her head. Cursing under my breath, I propelled us to the top and broke out from the water. Taking a deep breath, I saw my men running down the cliff all shifted into their lycan forms and I glanced at the woman in my arms; I lifted her from the water and howled. I swam to the shore and tried to perform some resuscitation on her like I did the last time under the probing gaze of my men, but none of that seemed to work. My thoughts were all jumbled up even as I collected my cloak from Han, shredded out a part and used it as a bandage around her head. “My lord?.. My lord?” Han interrupted via the mind-link. “We need to get her to a physician in Tyr before it's too late.” He was right. I guess he figured out how much I wasn't
Calix’s POV. After letting go of Thane, we released the Azaleans we held prisoners, and then retreated to our vessels. “Weigh anchors!” Han’s voice clamored, resounding in the night breeze. The lead vessel lurched forward as we set out for Tyr. Inside the Great Cabin, I carefully cleaned my mate with warm water. She whimpered and flinched at my touch, shrinking away as if expecting pain. My jaw clenched. Weeks of torture had made her fear even the gentlest of hands. She believed everyone who came near only meant to hurt her. Sighing, I reached for the bowl of soup on the table, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to her lips. “Here, have something to eat.” She hesitated, and then finally parting her lips, she took a sip and chewed slowly. “The stars.” She giggled. “There are stars in the soup.” “What?” She pointed at the vegetables in the soup. “I like the stars. Do you like them too?” I wavered for a second. “Y-yes. I like them too.” To prove it, I took a scoop of the
Calix’s POV. “Land Ho!” the lookout man hollered. I was in the Great Cabin with my officers, finalizing battle strategies should Alpha Thane try to prove stubborn, when suddenly the cry echoed through the ship. We finished and I pushed back my chair. I strode to the deck of the ship, my officers falling into steps behind me. Behind the wheel of the lead vessel, stood Han, steering the ship and dishing out instructions. “Prepare for docking. We make landfall, and we move in formation!” he bellowed. A radioman passed the information to the captains of the other ships. I stretched forth my hand and an officer handed me a spyglass. Stepping toward the bow of the ship, I glimpsed the island called Azalea. Azaleans were already running helter-skelter towards their city gates, mothers clutching their children, merchants abandoning their stalls. Guards rushed out to man the fortress walls. The city bell tolled in frantic warning in a distance as soldiers poured onto the ramp
Calix’s POV. I hated the slight tremor in my hands as I stepped away and read the letter. The first paragraph spoke of how he missed her. The next confirmed they had arrived safely in Azalea—and that my mate was truly sick. A growl rumbled in my chest as I read about my mate’s suffering at the hands of the same people who were supposed to protect her. Unbridled fury crashed through me and I closed the letter. “No! That's not possible!” I raked my fingers through my hair and paced the room. “If she’s really going through this suffering, how come I am not feeling it too through our mate bond? At least, we’ve marked and still remain fully mated to each other.” “Randolph cannot lie to me,” Leia defended, cradling her stomach. “He might have kept a truth from me, once, the letter Princess Emily wrote to him while they were still here. But he would never lie to me!” she stressed. “I never said he was lying.” “Then what are you trying to say?” she asked. Sighing, I stoppe
Randolph’s POV.“Land Ho!” the lookout man hollered.I took out my spyglass and glimpsed at the island ahead.It's been hours since we left the shores of Tyr, hours since I left Princess Emily in the Great Cabin, having watched over her until she slept off, and joined the crew on the main deck.The captain had inquired about our my destination, and I told him Azalea. Now, at last, there she stood. Above us, silhouettes of birds flitted across the sky as first stars twinkled into existence. “Prepare the lines!” the captain’s voice rang out. “Ease the sails and slow her down!” The crew sprang into action, uncoiling the thick ropes and securing the sails. Soon, the ship glided forward, hauled by the gentle current.The salty breeze thickened with the scent of damp wood and seaweed as we neared Azalea’s harbor.“Drop anchor!” the captain called.A heavy splash followed as the heavy metal plunged into the depths of the sea, sending ripples across the water’s surface. The ship ro
Calix’s POV. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the half-empty bottle in my hand. I had been drinking for hours, pouring glass after glass, hoping the burn of the wine would drown out the ache in my chest. But it only dulled it—never erased it. The sun had long since set, replaced by a moon that peeked through the narrow window, casting a pale glow over the room. The bottle tilted as I brought it to my lips again, the last remnants of wine sliding down my throat. “I love you.” Her words echoed in my head. A bitter laugh rumbled in my chest. Love? Was this what love felt like? A twisting knife in the gut? A slow, suffocating betrayal? I had spent nights blaming myself, thinking I had failed her as a mate, as her alpha. I had torn myself apart searching for answers, wondering what went wrong. And all this time… she had been lying. Pretending. Manipulating me into letting her go. Snarling, I rose to my feet and hurled the bottle against the wall. The impact echoed th
Emily’s POV. “Princess Emily!” “Princess Emily, where are you?” Leia’s voice echoed in the distance. A raspy groan escaped my lips as I rolled on my back. My eyes fluttered open, and I welcomed nothing but the blurry scenery of the forest. It slowly blurred to focus and a sharp pain, seared through my chest, settling triumphantly in my head. I whimpered from the pain. “Leia?” My voice was so tiny I could barely hear myself. “Leia?” Footsteps rushed toward me, and suddenly, Leia emerged from the trees, a handful of warriors behind her. A gasp slipped from her lips and her eyes widened with shock. “Your Highness?” Leia darted to my side and plummeted to the floor. “Your Highness, what happened to you?” “Thank goodness you’re here,” I panted, struggling to push myself up. “She took a strand of my hair.” “Who?” Leia grasped my arm and helped me to my feet. “A witch. She had a dagger—she tried to hurt me. When I overpowered her, she turned to dark magic instead.” Lei
Emily’s POV. The forest quickly enveloped me as I followed the narrow path, forging towards the unknown. The whisperings continued, growing louder with each step that I took. And there was a distant laughter growing closer with every passing second. An eerie feeling washed over me and my heart began to thump in my ears. Wait. What am I doing here? I shouldn't be this far away from the training grounds. I turned to leave, when suddenly, the whisperings and laughter stopped, and another sound reached my ears. Footsteps within the trees. “Who’s there?” I asked. A sudden breeze rustled the branches and leaves of the trees, and suddenly, a shadow flickered past. “Show yourself!” I commanded. “Hello, Emily Blakesley.” A feminine voice said within the trees. “I said, show yourself!” I repeated. “Then you’ll be afraid,” the voice said. Suddenly, a woman emerged from the trees, not so old, not young either. She was draped in a black dress and cloak, the tattered hem of her r
Emily’s POV. The room fell into utter silence at the question. My heart pounded against my ribs as all eyes turned to me. I glanced at Calix from the corner of my eye. He was perfectly still, his gaze locked on me. I could feel the tension in the way his fingers brushed mine. Taking another deep breath, I nodded. “Yes, I love him,” I answered with all sincerity. A few chuckles echoed around the room and Calix exhaled slowly, lifting my hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss against my knuckles. “I love you too, my Luna,” he whispered. The others purred, Leia leaning into Randolph for a kiss, while Han rolled his eyes. As for me, guilt gnawed at my chest. I had hurt him in a way no lover should. Randolph and I exchanged knowing glances and a thought occurred in my head. “What about you, Han? What about your mate?” I suddenly asked. “Yes, that’s true,” Calix chipped in. “What happened to the red-haired you danced with the first night we arrived here? For a moment, I w
Emily’s POV. It was supposed to be simple. I was supposed to pretend to be sick until he got irritated and sent me away. It was supposed to be that simple. But instead of loathing me, the mate the Moon Goddess gave me cared for me. He stayed with me. He made sure I lacked nothing while I unraveled in the false world of madness I had created. The harder I tried, the more determined he became—his care unwavering, his protectiveness suffocating me in its sincerity. Even to the point of losing himself. This morning, watching him reveal his deepest family secret, and his declarations to our bond crumbled the walls of my defense. Guilt clawed at my chest, squeezing so tightly at my lungs that I could barely breathe. But why? Why did he hide the truth about Randolph from me? Why did he make me feel like a pawn in his game? Made me feel like whatever that we had was a lie? Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. One slipped away anyway, and he wiped it with his t