Serena's POVThe way fate plays games with everyone is unpredictable. What you thought would be might even be far from reality. And the one you least expected might be what the universe has in store for you. The sad thing is that you keep feeling like a curse. Just like I felt every time something negative happened around me. Even though I had given up mentally on the hope that Arden would see me for who I was and learn to appreciate my being somewhere in my heart, I still wished it was not valid. I thought he was punishing me, and he didn't want Sylvia or any other she-wolfs but me.But looking, he already announced publicly that Sylvia would be his queen. There was nothing to hope for anymore. My faith died instantly.Arden had told Alpha Zone's parents he wouldn't let me leave the palace. That means there would be no way out for me again. I gave up dignity and accepted defeat. “I am sorry, Alphas. I apologize for my behavior; I do not mean to cause disruption intentionally,” I plea
Serena's POVThe way fate plays games with everyone is unpredictable.What you thought would be might even be far from reality.And the one you least expected might be what the universe has in store for you.The sad thing is that you keep feeling like a curse. Just like I felt every time something negative happened around me.Even though I had given up mentally on the hope that Arden would see me for who I was and learn to appreciate my being, somewhere in my heart I still wished it was not true.I thought he was just punishing me and he didn't want Sylvia or any other she-wolfs but me.But looking he already announced publicly that Sylvia would be his queen. There was nothing to hope for anymore. My faith died instantly.Arden had told Alpha Zone's parents that he wouldn't allow me to leave the palace. That means there would be no way out for me again.I gave up dignity and accepted defeat. “I am sorry, Alphas. I apologize for my behavior, I do not mean to cause disruption intentiona
Arden's POVAlthough something doesn't feel right about my decision to punish Serena, I still proceeded to inform Emma about it.Somehow, I felt Sylvia had lied against her, but I had to do what I thought was the right thing to do. It was just to save face before Sylvia.However, instead of putting Serena in the general prison, I ordered them to put her in a private room.If she was gone for a while, by the time she returns everything would have calm down. And I had intended to keep her of everyone's focus for the time being.The prison seemed like the only safe place for her to be. That way, she doesn't get bullied by anyone, and she would not provoke me, and I could keep her off Zone's sight.I had specifically asked that they treat her well and must not join other prisoners to do any hard labor.The whole family was already waiting for me at the dinning room. The aroma of whatever the chef had prepared was splashed in the atmosphere.I could not wait to see what it was. Just when I
Serena's POVEveryone is a saint until their secret is exposed to the world. Just because we haven't seen a flaw with someone does not mean they are with no blame.I have faced continuous humiliation both in Derek's pack and here in the place all because of the false image Derek and Cora painted about me.I have been asking myself that would things be different between Arden and If he had not walked in on me in that state? Would he treat me with respect?It is not so regular for a King to pay attention to a mere maid. So I understood why everyone would think that I seduced Arden. But he brought me here, not just as a maid, but I was his mate.I did not understand why he refused to take responsibility for his actions. If he did the right things, other werewolves in the palace would not misunderstand me, and I won't be falsely accused.It was not a game of blame, I just thought as a responsible adult, one needs to be accountable for certain things.“Here is your room for the time being.
WILL SHE MAKE IT?Arden's POVI have never experienced such panic before. Alf keeps trying to calm me down. Soon Beta came over to the hospital too.I stood aside in shock as I watched everyone rushing into the ICU. I was becoming restless. I rushed towards the door, trying to get in too.“I'm sorry Your Majesty, but you can't go in. A family shouldn't do that” The security guards restricted me.I was aware of that principle. I would be disrespecting myself if I had argued with them. So I composed myself and left the door area.Although the ICU was built with glass, it was impossible to see through it or know what was going on inside. I was restless. It felt as though my world had crumbled.“Your Majesty, you have to calm down. She will be alright” Beta comforted.“I believe you. But what I don't understand is why anyone would want to poison Serena. I specifically asked them to look after her in the prison. How can they be so careless?”“I passed the order for everyone related to the
Arden's POV “Where are you headed to, your Highness?” Beta asked with curiosity splashed all over his face. I was getting tired of all his questions. There was just no time to answer irrelevant questions. “You already know where I am going. Why are you delaying me with questions? Do you have any motives I should be worried about?” Everyone was now a suspect to me, I felt whatever happened was a result of a collaborative effort. It was not only was person that carried out the evil act. I pushed him aside and walked towards the disciplinary centre. I knew it was already late, the time was 11 pm. They would probably be asleep. It was fine by me, I would get to find out how seriously they took their job or they just do whatever they wanted. The driver drove the car after me and I hopped in. Soon, we arrived there and it was quiet like a deadly zone. “Where is the investigation room?” I asked with a cold voice.“On the last floor, Your Majesty!” The chief guard replied quickly. “Goo
Arden's POV“Your Majesty, we have searched everywhere, we are unable to locate the maid” the chief guard shamelessly reported to me, an hour later.“Hahaha! Are you telling me now that a suspect successfully escaped from the palace under your watch? Does that mean your position is just for ceremony and our lives are under threat?”“I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I will do better…from..” Before he could finish his words, I had landed a hard slap on his face.If Serena's case did not happen, we wouldn't have known the danger we lived in. This was the royal palace, even close relatives were actively after the throne and would go to any length, not to of an enemy that was not willing to hide away.This single incident had shown the level of his incompetence, and how porous the security system of the royal palace was.It means that anyone can go in and out of the palace without fear of security restrictions, because no one would check them in. It doesn't even matter if they had good intentions
Arden's POVI left the control room, tired, defeated and exhausted. There was no right word to describe how I was feeling.I head back to the Manor, it was quite like no one has ever stepped foot into it. I went in quietly and had a warm shower and then I laid down on my bed.My mind was blank. So much has happened in one day. I was torn between mixed feelings, and the series of discoveries concerning the faulty security operation in the palace.If my family finds out, they would be thrown into panic and the issue would even become more ambiguous. What was bothering more than anything was the fact that if our enemies found out about the porousness of the palace security system, they would want to take advantage of that.How can I be so sure that they were not even aware? At least a lot of things that had happened during the day had shown me that something was not right somewhere. How do I protect my family?As the Lycan King, it was my responsibility to protect the affairs of the wolf
The camp had been unusually quiet that morning, but my thoughts were anything but still. Gilly was stronger now—more alert, more alive than she’d been since her rescue—but I couldn’t help noticing how Dominic avoided looking at her. His usual smirk was absent, and he kept his eyes away from from hers.Gilly seemed to notice, too. She stood a little apart from us, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed and her eyes fixed on Dominic as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.“Gilly,” I said softly, walking over to her. “How are you feeling?”“Better,” she said. “A lot better, actually.” She hesitated as her gaze flickered toward Dominic. “But something’s off with him. He keeps avoiding me.”I followed her eyes, watching Dominic as he checked his weapons with meticulous precision. “That’s just how he is,” I said, though I couldn’t deny the unease creeping into my chest.“Serena,” Gilly said quietly with her voice almost a whisper. “He feels… familiar. I don’t know how to explain it,
The next morning, Zone and Dominic’s bickering had started again before we even broke camp.“You’re leading us into another trap, aren’t you?” Zone growled with his arms crossed as he faced Dominic, who leaned lazily against a tree.Dominic smirked, completely unbothered. “You’ve got trust issues, big guy. Relax. If I wanted to betray you, I’d have done it already.”“You’d say that whether you planned to or not,” Zone shot back with a sharp tone.“Enough,” I snapped, stepping between them. My patience was wearing thin, and I couldn’t afford to let their constant tension derail us. “This isn’t helping. We’re all here for the same reason—to find Ardan. Keep that in mind, or we’re not going to make it.”“No, you, are here to find Ardan. I’m done. I am telling you, Dominic is leading us into some trap I cant trust him.” Zone cried.“I saved you, I saved Gilly and I saved Rachel. I didn’t ask you to come with me. This is my fight and my fight alone. Do you think I trust Dominic?” I asked s
The sun was up as we made our way to the canyon. Dominic led the way. Zone followed close behind with his hand resting on his sword. Rachel and Gilly were at my side. Gilly was leaning on Rachel for support as she regained her strength.The air felt heavier here, every sound was amplified and echoing off the rock.“Something’s not right,” Sally murmured in my mind.“I feel it too,” I replied with my senses sharpening as I scanned the cliffs above. The silence was unnerving.“We should move faster,” Zone said in a low but urgent tone.“Relax,” Dominic called over his shoulder, his tone infuriatingly casual. “This path is clear. I’ve used it dozens of times.”Zone’s growl was barely audible. “And how do we know you’re not leading us into a trap?”Dominic turned, walking backward with a grin. “Like I said, If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead. Trust me, big guy.”I clenched my fists. “Keep moving. We’re too exposed here.”Dominic smirked but complied, turning forward again.Then a
The walk back to camp was filled with tension. Dominic’s easy smirk didn’t help; if anything, it made Zone’s temper simmer hotter. I could feel the heat of Zone’s eyes boring into Dominic’s back, but I kept my focus on the path ahead. We didn’t have time for petty arguments—not when Ardan was still out there.When we arrived, Rachel was sitting beside Gilly with her hands glowing faintly as she worked to stabilise our friend’s breathing. Gilly lay on a makeshift bed of leaves. Her face was pale but peaceful. Rachel glanced up as we approached. Her brows furrowed when she spotted Dominic.“Who’s this?” Rachel asked in a wary tone.Dominic gave her a lazy wave. “Dominic. Smuggler, information broker, occasional charmer. At your service.”Zone growled. “We don’t need your act. Just tell them why you’re here.”I stepped forward, cutting through the tension. “This is Dominic. He knows the rogue king’s network and might have information about Ardan’s whereabouts.”“Might,” Dominic echoed, l
Dominic’s smirk widened as he crossed his arms, leaning casually against one of the tent poles. He was tall, lean, and radiated this air of arrogance that set my teeth on edge. His sharp green eyes darted between Zone and me, sizing us up like the way predators size their prey.“Ardan,” I said firmly, cutting straight to the point. “You know where he is.”Dominic raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Oh, do I now? And what makes you think I’d share that information with you?”Zone stiffened beside me with his hand twitching toward his blade, but I placed a calming hand on his arm. This was my fight.“Because we both know you don’t work for free,” I replied. “You don’t owe the rogue king loyalty, and I can pay you better than he ever could.”Dominic chuckled, pushing off the post and circling me slowly. “Interesting theory. But what makes you think your cause is worth my time? I mean, look at you—tired, desperate, and woefully out of your depth. You’re chasing a ghost, sweetheart.”I
The forest had become our home and our prison. Days turned into nights without relief. The rogue king’s forces were everywhere, and we were forced to move like ghosts, never lingering in one place for long.Gilly’s condition had improved, but she still wasn’t strong enough to travel far, and Rachel rarely left her side. That left Zone and me to scout ahead, searching for any sign of Ardan or the rogue king’s plans.The frustration was beginning to pile up, and my wolf, Sally, understood my restlessness. “We’re wasting time,” she growled in my mind as we crept through an underbrush. “He’s out there, and we’re stuck chasing the wrong thing.”“You think I don’t know that?” I shot back. “I just don’t know how to prove it.” I continued. He was alive—I was sure of it—but every moment we spent running felt like another moment he slipped further from my reach.Zone crouched beside me with his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead. “Trail’s fresh,” he murmured, pointing to a set of boot prints in
We had finally gotten out of the dungeon and I helped Zone and Gilly to the hidden passage I’d used to enter. Every sound echoed in my ears—the clink of Zone’s chains that we had now gotten rid of, Gilly’s shallow, pained breaths, and my dragged footsteps against the stone floor. I was angry and confused. What I’d seen… it wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be.“That wasn’t Ardan,” I reminded myself, swallowing down the lump in my throat. My wolf, Sally, had already made it clear: this Ardan was an imposter, the rogue king in disguise. But knowing didn’t lessen the pain of seeing my mate’s face twisted into something cruel and unrecognisable.“Serena,” Zone growled behind me in a low tone but he was very much angry. “Are you going to explain now, or do I have to figure this out on my own?”I paused, staring back at him. He was cradling Gilly in his arms. She looked so small and so broken. The sight of her nearly brought me to my knees.“That wasn’t Ardan like I said,” I said softly and with
The night was cold as we quietly and carefully passed through the palace corridors. Gilly, though still unconscious, rested securely in Zone’s arms. Rachel and I moved ahead, scanning for threats while Zone followed close behind.The memory of what I had seen in the dungeon was burned into my mind. I couldn’t shake the image of the imposter Ardan. Yes, my mind has been on it and will continue to be on it until I am able to find my mate. The rogue king had not only stolen my mate’s appearance but had turned the palace—our home—into a place of fear and lies.Meanwhile, the silence between I and Zone was heavy and it was broken only by the faint sound of our footsteps. I knew how Zone felt about his unanswered questions and his simmering anger he was trying to keep at bay. I understood his rage; I felt it too. But now wasn’t the time to lose control.We reached the palace’s outer gardens without any incident. The moon shone bright, making it harder to stay hidden. I motioned for the othe
If the guards’ rumours were true, Zone was in chains for “colliding with a witch,” and I could only imagine what they’d done to Gilly, who was already vulnerable. If there was even a chance they were in the dungeons, I had to find them.“We’ll get them out, Serena,” my wolf promised. Her confidence became mine.Soon, I sighted the thick door to the dungeon, guarded by a lone guard. I timed my movement. I waited for him to shift his attention momentarily and then I moved past him swiftly. His flickering torchlight casted only a slight glimpse of me.I hadn’t been in these dungeons in ages. I remembered how prisoners were brought here under Ardan’s orders, criminals as well who had chosen the wrong side. But this was different. Ardan had always been just. To think of Zone and Gilly down here, locked in these cells, made my blood boil.As I went down the stairs, a tortured howl echoed off the stone walls. The sound was unmistakable. It was Zone. I picked up my pace, sprinting down the na