Arden's POVAfter seeing that Serena was well, I returned to the palace. I needed to find out who that way and why they would attack me.The zone was correct when he said he couldn't distinguish the person because there were so many others coming in, but I know for a fact that as long as it was by invitation, the person who came in had an invitation.I got into the palace, and I was greeted by a guard I tasked to investigate this issue."Any update?" I asked."Yes, sir, but I'm afraid you won't be pleased about it." He said anxiously.I stared at him with annoyance and impatience. "Well, get to it.""It was probably a servant." He said."Probably? So, you're not sure?" I asked."It was a servant, sir." He quickly corrected himself."Ask her to see me in my throne room. So as Alf." I said, then went into the throne room.I sat down and remembered how she saved my life. She could have said she couldn't get to me in time and let the dagger hurt me, but she didn't. And now, I will not res
Arden's POVSylvia looked like life was drained from her. She looked pale and utterly confused. Her mind must be running a double shift trying to figure out what to say to either cover it up or lie, but she knows she can't do that with me. I knew she did it, and like a cornered cat, she had no choice but to accept her fate."Arden, listen, I didn't mean to…""The answer, Sylvia, not excuses," I said in a low growl."Yes, it was me. I did it." She admitted.I looked at her in awe but mostly in anger. How could she do such an awful thing to her? Even if I mistreated Serena, she had no right to treat her this way."Why? Did you realise if she missed, I would be the one hurt and in the hospital right now?" I growled.I was losing my temper, and I don't know how long I could keep holding my anger. I felt my heart pumping so hard, but I tried to look calm on the outside."Yes, I do, and I was banking on the fact that Serena would never let anything bad happen to you. She would protect you n
Serena's POVAfter days of being monitored in the hospital, it was time for me to be discharged, and I couldn't be happier. I was not too fond of the idea of everyone coming to see me in the hospital every single day. I am grateful for what they do, but the attention shift was massive, and I don't know what I can do to repay them.If anything was shocking, it was Arden coming to visit every day. He would stay here with me and Rachel, and at other times, he would ask her to return to the palace. Even more surprising was how he wasn't trying to be intimate with me. He was just here to look out for me.I want to feel some security, but that hasn't worked in my favor the last few times it happened. So I'll take it as a working relationship, a King worried for the safety of his guard. Nothing more nor less.Rachel came with Arden to get me, and he made sure that the doctors double-checked if I was fit to go back to the palace. I appreciate this concern, but as I said, work relationships."
Serena's POVAfter resting after returning from the hospital the previous day, I felt energized. I looked out my window, and even if it was still morning, the sun was almost entirely out. It is going to be a beautiful day today. I can sense it.I went to freshen up, and I dressed in light clothing. I had breakfast, and I went back to my room because, according to Rachel, I hadn't rested enough, and to my annoyance, Arden and Alpha Zone agreed with her.I understand their point, but I have one major issue with it. I'm bored. There's nothing to do in the palace. I can read, but there's nothing like going outdoors and taking a pleasant, relaxing stroll.That's it.I ran to Rachel's room, and she was seated on the couch with her legs folded in a yoga style. Her hair was up, and she was in light clothes. She had a book in her hand, and everyone knew better not to disturb Rachel while she read."Rachel, can I ask you something?""If it involves training or getting work done, you know my ans
Serena's POVRachel stood there completely immobile staring at her newly found mate. I sense how fast her heart was beating and how heavy her breathing was. I am not surprised she felt this way. I'm surprised that Rachel, who is rarely dumbfounded, has absolutely no reaction nor nothing to say.I looked at her mate and he looked familiar. He is the Beta King. This was absolutely perfect. Two Betas. I'm so glad Rachel won't run into the problem both Alpha Zone and I ran into.He walked up to her and he stretched out his hand. "Hello." He said softly and sweetly to her. I could literally feel how swoon Rachel was. I knew I could be swoon."Hi." She could barely say out loud.He pointed to her. "I know who you are. I heard about you when you had to complete your task before your graduation.""You did?" She squealed and she immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous." She said,"It's alright. It's an honor to finally meet you." He said."Well, thank you and likewise b
Serena's POVI was seated in my room trying to read but in all honesty, I was waiting for Rachel to come back from her date for her to give me all the details.She was so excited earlier as she got ready for it and I was excited for her too. He picked her up in his car and he looked even dashing than when he met him earlier.Ever since Rachel left I have been so restless. I wanted her to come back so she could give me every single detail because I know it won't in any way be a boring date.I heard heels on the tiled floor and I knew for a fact that it was Rachel. She opened the door and she looked like she was flooding in clouds. Her happiness was very infectious because I too was so happy for her."Looks like someone had fun tonight." I teased her."Fun does not begin to explain what I felt tonight," She sat on my bed and took off her shoes. "It was magical. He was a gentleman and he is so sweet to talk to and he listens and takes in every single detail." She said excitedly.She thre
Serena's POVI looked at Sylvia in great shock. Doesn't she realize the gravity of her words? I know I enjoyed making Sylvia miserable by not accepting her apology, but this is something else. She's offering to do anything to prove that she's sorry. But here's the problem: I don't trust that she's sad and just doing this because of Arden.I looked at Rachel, and she shook her head subtly, indicating that I shouldn't listen to anything she said, and she was right. I don't trust her, and I won't play into whatever it is that she's doing."I don't think there's anything Sylvia," I muttered, but she spoke almost immediately."Come on, Serena. I've wronged you so many times. Isn't there at least one thing that comes to your mind now that you can get back at me?" She asked."Unlike you, she isn't petty and cruel. Sylvia, haven't you done enough already? Just get out. Get out." Rachel snapped.I eyed with so much anger. She was right. She had done a lot of things to offend me. Also, Rachel i
Serena's POVI paced back and forth in anxiety. Why did I agree to that stupid suggestion? I should have just sent her away and told Arden I wouldn't accept her half-baked apology, but I didn't. I let my dark thoughts win. I shouldn't have let my revenge get to me. Why did I do this to myself?"Serena, you'll wear out the rug if you keep pacing," Rachel said.She sat on my bed with her legs crossed so beautifully. She seemed to be taking it a lot calmer than I'd expected. Because she's the one who has an eye for these things, but she's not even bothered about it."Why are you so calm?" I asked exasperatedly."Because it isn't necessarily like Sylvia to act that way." She replied."That's exactly why you shouldn't be calm, and I am losing my mind. I wonder what she's scheming." I said."I have a feeling that's not Sylvia," Rachel said, and I stopped pacing.I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean 'that's not Sylvia'? She's the same mean, vicious, cold person who has been tormentin
Sylvia found me in the dungeon with Ardan and Dominic. She lunged at me, wanting to hit me when I stepped back and she fell on her face.“Go back there, now!” She demanded but I refused to move. “Dominic, tell her to move!” Sylvia demanded but Dominic chuckled. He told Sylvia to get out.“Get out? Pardon me?” Sylvia asked confused.“Don’t make repeat myself, Sylvia.” Dominic threatened and with her head low, she walked out of the dungeon.I then stood behind Dominic, watching Ardan’s battered body writhing on the stretcher. His wounds festered with angry red streaks spreading over his skin. I heart broke by just merely staring at him.Dominic stood tall in front of me. He turned his head slightly, as he looked over Ardan with indifference. “He’ll survive—hopefully,” he muttered.I stopped myself from lashing out. Sally was furious. She hated the way I was still even in this circumstance. But I couldn’t risk it. Not yet.Ardan’s eyes landed on me. His voice was hoarse. “Serena… what ar
My wrists ached from the tightness of the chains binding me. Sylvia had dressed me up in a maids costume just so she could mock me even more.“This was exactly what Gloria talked about. Gilly, Zone. They all warned us but we were blinded by it all.” Sally snared furious at being subdued.Sylvia sat across from me, lounging on a plush chair with a cruel smirk playing at the corner of her lips.“You’ve grown weaker, Serena,” she said, tracing a finger along the armrest. “Pathetic, really. And to think this room once belonged to you.”I blinked, glancing around. This truly was once my room.Sylvia’s laughter broke the silence. “Ah, so you do remember. Don’t worry; I’ve made a few improvements since then.”“You’re delusional if you think this changes anything,” I snapped.Sylvia leaned forward with her eyes narrowing. “Why are you doing this?” I asked, keeping my tone steady.She tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Why?” she repeated. “Are you really asking me that, Serena?”“Humour me,
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