# Chapter 23, Fiona's POVTears filled my eyes as he spoke each one of his words, a knife cutting into my flesh. He didn't hold back the truth, which was the one thing about him I didn't know if I liked or hated with a passion. Everything that I had tried to run away from came crashing down on me as he spoke, telling me everything factually, just the way they were.I felt like a useless person, like I had just been set aside for the casual stuff that everyone has been doing before me, and that feeling alone was suffocating. All my life, I thought that I was cut out for so much more. With his plan for me, and me basing my life on the greatness that would come with uniting the parks, I had done everything to ensure that I would be a good leader. I'd trained and worked hard, and now anything casual was below me, at least in my own eyes.Of course, it would be conventional. The people didn't expect much from me anyway, but that didn't change anything about what I expected from myself. Jas
# Chapter 24, Fiona's POV I wondered where he was going since he was usually supposed to dismiss me. After calling me instead of leaving himself, I didn't ask, however, as he left me in the drum room to my thoughts. I contemplated everything and actually started feeling a headache. There were just too many choices to make, and I was stuck. Revenge was at the top of my list, but his words zinged in my head, swimming around and stopping me from making my decision outright. "Damn it, I can't keep it in anymore," I said out loud, slamming my fist into the chair I was sitting on and actually cracking it with my energy. With my energy, I stood up. A little afraid, I wasn't one to lose my temper at all and definitely not one to vandalize parents' property. There might be consequences and there might not be, but the best solution for me was the easiest. Without another thought, I left the crime scene quickly, back to my room to find someone there arranging everything.It was without my perm
# Chapter 25 Ethan's POVShe met me in training, and her beauty was dazzling. So disorienting that I lost focus completely and started losing my fight immediately. What was I doing? I was supposed to impress her now that she was here. To entertain everybody watching the show and a reason to keep watching. But here I was, losing when she wasn't even trying to be pretty. I finished my mission with a loss and smiled a little sheepishly at her.She didn't seem impressed but neither did she seem disappointed. She'd seen me lose about 1,000 times now. Far more than the times she'd seen me win, and because of that, she was used to it.Surprisingly, when I suggested revenge, she wasn't skeptical anymore. If anything, she seemed pretty fired up about the idea of getting back at Jason. But instead of making me happy, it made me rather worried and uncertain. I'd learned about the meeting she had with Dad, especially since it took about an hour, which was more than enough time for Ward to go arou
# Chapter 26, Fiona's POVI scrolled through my phone lying on my bed lazily. It was nine o'clock in the morning, three days after my very intriguing meeting with Ethan. There was hardly anything we had to do but to send out the agents and give them their instructions. They would prepare in a day and then follow our plans to the letter with all the extensive thoughts we had put into it. It was most likely to work without incident.Then I would be taken brutally away and then brought to us. I could see it already. The foolish human girl before me, ready to die for her sins. What would be more satisfying than the best part about it was that I only had to wait here. The worst that could happen was a failure in the plan and the agents captured or killed. That didn't really matter to me. We could always send out more. There was hardly any consequence to us as we weren't going ourselves. So it was enjoyable to watch from the sidelines.I checked my messages with a smile on my face. Today wa
# Chapter 27, Ethan POVI noticed the look on her face and checked my phone eagerly. "We've won! We've won!" I cried out, almost dropping it as I stood up, bouncing with joy. I noticed her still seated on the mat, looking amused by my rejoicing."Not yet," she said, "until the escape is a full victory." I ducked, looking at her and wondering how the places had switched. She was supposed to be the one jumping while I was supposed to be the rational voice. Well, maybe it was the double win that I was so happy about. Dominating her in chess was something I couldn't get used to. It never got old, no matter how many times I beat her, especially because she was always so optimistic about winning."Right," I said, taking my seat again. She promptly fell, her king giving me the satisfaction of a resigned victory. I sighed deeply in relish. "I love chess," I told her. "Don't you?" She didn't respond to my gloating, instead looking at her phone intently. I wondered if she was just trying to get
Chapter 28, Lena's POV.My new home was grand. That was about one word I could use to describe it. It was absolutely huge and magnificent, and even after one entire week, I still hadn't gotten used to the environment. It was too fantastical to be true. I could never get used to the guards lined up almost everywhere and the servants waiting on me politely at my beck and call. I found it funny how I turned into a princess overnight when I was so used to a normal life. And for the first couple of days, I acted sparsely, feeling small in the huge world of werewolves and supernatural creatures. But Jason had encouraged me. I was still settling in, but I was much more confident than before, Olivia had told me a couple of times that I was acting much different than before She was my best friend and the person I regarded most highly here and also the only other human I had brought with me. Jason allowed me to bring a servant of my choice to be my companion so it would be easier to settle in
Chapter 29, Jason's POV.Something was wrong. I could feel it in the air. I was off on the security expedition my dad sent me on, like a lawyer. Like the loyal son that I was. He'd given me more work than usual after the wedding with Lena. Instead of the usual honeymoon period where I was to go off alone with her just a week, he didn't even want me to spend so much time with her.I saw it as his way of punishing me, so I didn't complain. Knowing that if this was the actual punishment, then it was a really small and undeserved loss. He promised me a honeymoon period, however. But it was to happen next month. There was a festival coming up in the next week, and I was needed for the preparations. Also, there was no point in cutting my honeymoon short after just one week to attend the festival, so it was just as well.I thought of her again today and couldn't help but send a message on my phone. She had completely consumed my mind ever since that first day I saw her. And even now, after a
Chapter 30: Lena's POVHmph!I wasn't sure how much time had passed. It could have been minutes, or hours, or even longer. I had lost track of time the moment the blindfold had been tied over my eyes. My mind was still trying to process everything, to make sense of the events that had transpired so quickly. One moment, I was roaming in peace, and the next, I am tied up in an unknown place.The ropes holding my wrist were really tight, piercing into my skin, but I barely felt it anymore. The stink of the gag in my mouth was twice worse. Every time I breathed, I could smell it. It made it harder to think, but I tried anyway since I don't have any option.The thought of Jason flashed through my mind like a ray of hope, thinking he would come for me. He surely had to. I wasn't sure who these people were, or what they wanted with me, but I knew one thing for certain—Jason wouldn't let me down. But a surge of sadness washed over me: What if it was too late? What if I was already too far fr
Chapter 120: Fiona's POVDespite my determination, something had been eating away at the edges of my confidence. I wasn't scared of Mara. No, I had stared down danger before, had dealt with enemies trying to destroy me and my family, my pack. And I had always won out in the end. But this time… this time was different. This woman was not only powerful — she was primeval. Her magic felt like it infiltrated the soil beneath our feet, so that everything felt heavier, more oppressive.Tightening my fists as fiery rage pulsed in my veins, begging me to do something. I had to defend everything — my house, my family, people I loved. And then, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.My father.The patriarch of our family, Lucian Ashford, entered the courtyard. When I first saw him, my breath caught in my throat. He had this calming effect on me in the chaos, his presence an anchor in the storm. He was strong, he was powerful, and yet in that instant I was suddenly inundated with vulnerabi
Chapter 119: Author's POVMara cackled, her voice ricocheting off the cold, the courtyard as Fiona tried to fight through her magic. It was almost too hilarious — the belligerent young wolf, full of fire and fury, attempting to hold her ground. Mara had seen this all before — the resistance, the defiance, the faith that sheer will could do battle against centuries of power. But it was always the same. They never learned.“This is the best you can do little wolf? There was a note of mocking amusement in Mara’s voice. She watched Fiona struggle against the magic, and her age-old eyes sparkled with triumph. “Little flames of yours aren’t going to cut it. There is no fire that can kill me now."Fiona’s hands were still up, the flickering orange of fire dancing around her fingers, but Mara could feel the energy ebbing out of her. She was old—older than most of the men who crossed her path—but not old enough to beat Mara’s decades of practice. Fiona’s flames might roar for attention, but Ma
Chapter 118: Fiona's POV“She’s older than I thought,” I said, my voice steady in spite of the fear snaking up my spine. “Maybe 400 years or more. Her power is not merely about natural talent. It’s honed. Ancient.”Ethan’s gaze flickered to mine, the intensity in his eyes matching the weight of my words. “That’s how she’s been able to manipulate so much so quickly.” She has had time to hone it.”As the crowd began to disperse, the estate buzzing with uncomfortable whispers. My parents were still shaking, their faces looking pale, their eyes flicking to my direction, as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. I wanted to comfort them, but there was no time.But before I took another step, the very atmosphere around me changed. It was subtle at first — a ripple, a hum in the air that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.And then she was back.Mara’s shape coalesced in the center of the courtyard, dark and imposing. This time, she didn’t bother with illusions. The real her wa
Chapter 117: Fiona’s POVI wasn’t surprised.As soon as I arrived at the estate I felt her—dark, intrusive energy that didn’t belong. It made me creast, and boiled my blood that Mara walked through my house pretending to be me.It didn’t surprise me that Maeve, standing next to me, noticed the obvious: “She’s going to tell Ethan she’s the real you.”I grinned grimly, clenching the enchanted stone in my fist. “Let her try. Ethan will see through it.”Maeve arched an eyebrow, her faith in Ethan not as solid as mine. “You have a remarkably steady disposition if you’re being impersonated.”“Calm?” I scoffed. “I’m furious. But this is not the moment to hit the panic button. I have to catch her something that nobody can dispute.”Maeve crossed her arms with a twinkle in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”I raised my hand, allowing a small flame to dance on my palm. Waves come in, back out, suck it all back down for another run. “I will call upon elemental fire and bring her true face to light. Ma
Chapter 116: Mara’s POVI sat in her chambers — no, my chambers now. It was strange how quickly I’d settled into this space, how easily I’d commandeered everything that once belonged to her. My fingers rapped in measured time on the armrest of her chair. Servants moved about the estate, oblivious to the storm I was about to unleash on these walls. They believed I was her. Her parents were convinced, as was she. They had all accepted me, no questions asked, no doubts raised. They didn’t know the truth, nor did they need to.But then there was Ethan.Ethan was the problem.He was in the courtyard, pacing, as I had expected. He was never gone, always looking, always hoping for a slip, for something to tell him the truth. His suspicion had been building for days, ever since I had set foot on the property, and I felt it whenever his eyes landed on me, scrutinizing me, as if I were a problem he was determined to solve. It was maddening, but exhilarating. He was a challenge. And I always lik
Chapter 115: Fiona’s POVThe call with Ethan played in a loop in my brain, like a record that had skipped and wouldn’t stop skipping. The more I thought about it, the louder every word got. Someone was out there, wandering through my life, wearing my name, my face — living as me. It was not only unsettling; it sent a chill deep, deep into my bones. That thought clung to me like a second skin, cold and suffocating.Mara. She’d gone too far this time. Way too far.I sat by the fire, gazing into the dancing flames, but the heat did not comfort me. It was a jumble of hazy thoughts and fears I was afraid to voice. Next to me, Maeve quietly packed our things with an efficiency that was almost reassuring. She always knew what to do when the rest of the world seemed to be spinning out of control. Her calm steadiness kept me grounded when I felt like I was falling apart.“Maeve,” I said suddenly, shattering the leaden silence. My voice sounded odd even to me — hoarse and choppy, like it didn’t
Chapter 114: Fiona’s POVThe wood was disconcertingly silent, the sort of quiet that rubbed my frayed nerves raw. The fire crackled low between Maeve and me, the flames’ warmth no competition for the icy dread in my gut. The stars above us twinkled weakly, shrouded in thin clouds that echoed the haze of uncertainty that clouded my mind.My fingers traced the rough edges of the enchanted stone, the cool surface anchoring me. It hummed dully with energy, a slight suggestion of the link still kept with Ethan, however far away he was from us. He hadn’t replied before, and the lack of his familiar voice had made the pit of unease inside me sink deeper.Maeve shifted, her silver hair reflecting in the firelight. She kept her watchful eyes on me. “You’re going to call him back, right?”I nodded, swallowing the doubt that was choking me. “I have to. That’s not right, Maeve. If Ethan is able to hear me, I want to know what is going on.”She didn’t argue. “Good. If anyone can sort out this tang
Chapter 113: Fiona’s POVEverything in the forest had a life of its own; the breeze rustling the leaves and probably having a conversation of its own; the crickets never stinging still to voice their presence and every other moment the long-measured howl of a wolf that shivered down my spine. It was calm, yes, but not the kind of calm that comforts you. No, this was the kind of quiet where something seemed fishy, like the forest itself was holding its breath.I waited at the edge of the rogues’ training grounds, arms folded tightly across my chest, watching Maeve spar with one of the younger recruits. She was working with the thunderstorm — graceful and deadly. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight, the bright color catching the light every time she turned or crouched, which was not unlike the poor lad she was in training with. He was dirty, struggling to breathe as her blows fell on him. But he was clearly outmatched. Maeve did not give him an inch, honestly I didn’t know if she was
Chapter 112: Mara’s POVI walked through the grand hallways of the Ashford Pack’s estate, my steps slow, deliberate. The air was dense with their trust, their respect — a trust I hadn’t earned, but had surreptitiously plundered. They all thought I was Fiona, their beloved queen, the backbone of their beloved export. How quaint to watch them smile beatifically and bow their heads correctly as I passed. If only they knew what really lay under their fragile veil of loyalty.But not everyone was blind. Ethan. His look was the one scratch on my otherwise immaculate performance. I felt his presence, his eyes piercing, like all sharp silence, wherever I went. He stared out into the hall, observing, calculating, doubting — not like the others. And even though he hadn’t formally gone against me, the energy in his presence served as a reminder that I had to watch my step.I wasn’t going to let his scrutiny rattle me. No, I was Fiona in that part; I played Fiona to a tee. I listened to scouts dr