Serena’s POV“What? What is he talking about Rowan?” I take steps backward, I am not ready to be there. “He is talking about the current things, Serena. And stop moving.” He stops me from moving backward with his fingers. “What do you mean the current things? You dethrone another person and immediately you crown another woman as your queen?” I am trying to hard not to let tears flow from my eyes. “Your mind runs far wider than your legs Mira. How on the Blackwood clan did your mind rush to that bizarre thought?” Lucian asks me with a smile. Do they not understand the implications of their action?“One of those scary men in your council is about to crown another queen!” Just hearing myself saying that sentence kills me. I know fully well that I had promised myself not to love the brothers but having them do this is just out of line. “Before you jump to conclusions madame, make sure you ask questions. It’s not going to kill you, you know?” Kai says. He has a stupid smirk hanging o
Serena’s POVI clench my fists in annoyance. After all of the warnings I passed to this stupid boys, they still went ahead with their dubious plan. They went ahead to make this half breed thatvhas no idea about leadership. I sneer as I stare at them. I sincerely wonder how they intend to continue with the clan that has a wolfless wolf as it’s queen. “Do not forget the deal. You are to kill her today Serena. Else whatever circumstances you face, you have only yourself to blame.” The voice whispers to me. “You never make mistakes in sentences. You’re going to prolong my life? Or you will prevent them from killing me today?”“Yes, I have decided to give you extra time to rising her off for me. Her mother was just as difficult. Hence the pardon.”“But if you fail, Serena, you will be sent back to your father’s clan, an object of ridicule. I hope I have made myself clear?” “Yes, thank you for the extra grace. I will make sure to finish her off this time around. I still have plans to f
Mira’s POV“She, she does not look like she is okay.” I am trying so hard to control myself, to not react, I know I should not be reacting. She has tried to murder me twice and I still have an atom of sympathy for her. Rowan, Lucian,Damien and Kai, I can feel their eyes on me. I know why they are staring at me so intently. They are afraid that I will give in again. I am determined to make them know that I can be that Queen. For some reason, I see Serena talking. I sweep my eyes across the crowd trying to pinpoint the exact person she is speaking with. I see nobody. “Who is she talking to?” I throw my questions to Rowan, Lucian, Kai and Damien. “It could be a fake stage play. She is dramatic as hell.” Kai answers me with a shrug of his shoulders. “I do not think she is just being dramatic. There is more to her actions than just drama. Should we ask him to stop?”“She might just be asking for that.” Damien says. “Truly, that could be the purpose of this her unnecessary drama. Ser
Mira’s POVI rolled my eyes at them, shaking my head in disbelief. “It still doesn’t explain how you all read my thoughts.”Rowan smirked. “We already told you, Mira. You’re an open book.”Lucian chuckled. “You might as well just say your thoughts out loud. It would save us all the trouble.”I huffed, crossing my arms as we walked toward my chambers. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to learn to hide my emotions better.”Kai raised an eyebrow. “Good luck with that.”Ignoring them, I stepped into my chambers and sighed, relieved to finally sit down. My feet ached from the long day, and my sandals felt unbearably tight. I reached down to pull them off, but then I stopped.No. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of thinking I needed help.“You’re really going to sleep with those on?” Lucian teased, leaning against the wall.I glared at him. “Yes.”“Stubborn little mate.” He knelt before me without another word, his hands gently sliding over my ankles. “Then I guess I’ll have to do
Mira’s POV Rowan leaned against the carriage door, his golden eyes fixed on the procession ahead. “We’ll order the walk to begin, then ride in the carriages to the clan shrine to wait for Serene.” I frowned. “Why do we have to wait? Why not just follow them?” Rowan shot me a look of irritation. “Because we are royalty. We don’t walk with criminals.” Lucian’s voice was gentler. “It’s just how things are done, Mira. The walk is meant to be a public display of her shame. The people need to see her parade without us overshadowing the punishment.” Kai, clearly impatient, let out a frustrated sigh. “Can we stop explaining? Let’s just start the damn thing already.” Before I could argue further, the captain of the guards approached and bowed slightly. “My Lords, Luna, everything is set. Serene is ready to move, and the people are waiting.” My stomach twisted with unease. A strange feeling, like a warning, crept through me. “I want to walk with them,” I said. Rowan’s head s
Mira’s POVEverywhere was a haze. Thick smoke curled through the air, blinding me, suffocating me. People were screaming, running in every direction. Some tripped over debris, others trampled the fallen in their desperation to escape. The acrid stench of burning wood and flesh filled my nostrils, making my stomach churn.I could still hear the explosion ringing in my ears, the deafening blast that had torn through the streets like a violent storm. But nothing compared to the sight that made my heart drop.The captain’s body lay sprawled across the ground, twisted unnaturally. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the dirt road, his once-proud armor blackened by the flames. His eyes, once sharp and alert, were dull now—lifeless.I slapped a hand over my mouth, swallowing the sob that threatened to escape.Lucian’s grip on my arm tightened as he pulled me forward. “We have to move, Mira. Now.”I shook my head frantically, my vision blurring. “Where are they?” My voice was hoarse, desp
Lucian’s POVThe air was thick with smoke and the scent of burning flesh. The city that had once been filled with life was now a battlefield of destruction. Screams echoed in the distance, blending with the crackling of flames. My boots crunched over shattered debris as I pushed forward, my body screaming in protest.I made my way to the wreckage of my brothers’ carriage. The remains were barely recognizable, reduced to splinters and ash. My heart pounded violently in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.They had to be alive.A simple explosion couldn’t kill them.I searched desperately, shoving aside broken wood and burnt fabric, hoping—praying—that I’d find something. But there was nothing. No bodies. No sign of them.The longer I searched, the worse the pain in my chest grew. But it wasn’t from fear.It was from the curse.The damn curse was taking its toll again, weakening me second by second. I gritted my teeth, determined to fight it off. I had no time for this. My broth
Mira povThe warm water surrounded me as I leaned back in the bathtub, letting my body sink into the soothing heat. The steam curled around me, softening the air, but no matter how comforting it was, my mind refused to relax.I closed my eyes, but the images came flooding back. The crowd was screaming at me. The protesters—Serena’s supporters—called me a thief, an outsider. The way their hatred burned in their eyes as they threw dirt at me.Then there were the lycans. The ones who wanted me dead.My fingers tightened against the smooth edge of the tub. If the guards hadn’t stepped in… what would have happened? Would I have been ripped apart in the middle of the streets?I shuddered, pushing the thought away.Even now, as I sat in the safety of the castle, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Serena wasn’t done. Her influence ran deeper than I had realized. Even after everything, people were still loyal to her—loyal enough to fight for her. To kill for her.And that terrified me
Mira’s POVI couldn’t believe what I’d just seen.Lucian. My mate. Lying unconscious on a bed hidden in the shrine. All this time, they’d kept it from me—every single one of them. Even Damien, who I’d come to trust more than I thought I would. The sight of Lucian’s motionless body sent something cold and aching straight through my chest. And then to hear them… Damien and the disciple, talking like I was never supposed to know. Like I wasn’t even part of this.The betrayal tasted like ash in my mouth.I stormed out of the room, my vision blurring with tears. I could hear Damien calling after me, his boots slapping the stone floors of the shrine, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. If I turned back, if I let him catch up to me, I might break completely.“Mira! Please, just listen!”“Don’t!” I snapped, spinning on my heel just as I reached the carriage. “Don’t you dare speak to me!”He stopped short, his chest rising and falling with effort. The look in his eyes was soft—regretful. But
Mira POV I stood in the courtyard, surrounded by the soft murmurs of the guards and the quiet tension that buzzed in the air like a taut string waiting to snap. Everyone was waiting for Adela to return. The amulet swap needed to happen perfectly, silently. One wrong move and Councilman Baylor would vanish into the shadows like smoke. We had one chance to use his connection to the witches to find them, and I couldn’t shake the anxiety tightening around my chest.Adela was brave, no doubt, but this was different. Dangerous. I tried to keep a calm expression as I stood beside Kai, Damien, and Rowan, but my thoughts were far from steady. My mind kept drifting back to the voice I heard last night. The moon goddess. Her words still echoed in my head like a steady drumbeat.You were born for this.The weight of her voice still lingered in my chest. Heavier than armor. More binding than any promise.If I was truly the bridge between the three factions, then I had to start walking that
Mira POV I couldn’t sleep.No matter how much I tossed and turned, the thoughts refused to leave me alone. They kept coming in waves, pressing down on me harder with each passing minute. I had come to Blackwood Castle to destroy the lycan kings. That had been my mission. I was supposed to tear them apart from within, make them hate each other, make them weak—and when the time came, avenge my mother’s death.But now… I was helping them.How had it come to this?I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees as the memories of my childhood came flooding back. My father’s cold eyes. His harsh words. The way the villagers looked at me like I was a mistake. Even as Chief, he had never acknowledged me as his daughter the way he did with the other children in the village. I had always been treated like an outsider because I was human. Because my mother… was a human and not werewolf.He used to say she tricked him into marriage. Claimed she never told him what she was. That she cursed
Damien POV I returned to my chambers with heavy steps, my mind still clouded with irritation. I hated the way Kai thought about our mother. It gnawed at my insides like a slow poison. He always kept himself distant from her, treating her like she was some stranger who had dared to give birth to him. Even as children, while Rowan, Lucian and I clung to her skirts, Kai stood apart, his arms folded, his face emotionless. Like he had already decided he didn’t need her.I clenched my fists as I entered the secret passage that led to my private archives. Only I knew about it, and I intended to keep it that way. It was the place where I had gathered every piece of classified parchment, scrolls, and forbidden books over the years. A treasury of knowledge that even the regular castle archives couldn’t boast of.I needed answers. I needed to know why Councilman Benard Sawyer had once been part of Blackwood clan and now existed in Darkfire clan like he belonged there. If there was any c
Kai POV (Flash back)It was dark and quiet. The torches along the courtyard walls barely lit the stones beneath my small feet. I remembered standing there years ago, my young hands gripping the folds of my tunic as I watched my father speaking with important visitors. I didn’t know it then, but those moments would be some of the last happy memories I would ever have of our family together.I stood beside him proudly, listening as he discussed matters of the clan’s future. The way the visitors nodded at his words, the admiration in their eyes, I wanted that too. I wanted to rule Blackwood one day and have everyone look at me with the same respect they gave my father.I remembered how the captain of the guards had arrived mid-meeting, dragging along a younger Rowan by the shoulder. He announced Rowan’s latest victory in sword combat, boasting about how quickly he was mastering the art. My father and his guests praised him openly, offering him kind words and applause. Rowan had g
Kai POVI stood with my arms crossed as Adela fidgeted under the scrutiny of my gaze. We were gathered in the courtyard now, everyone waiting as she prepared to spill every detail she had about Councilman Baylor.“Start from the beginning,” I ordered her, my voice sharp.Adela swallowed hard. “On the first day I approached him, I was carrying a tray of tea. I pretended to stumble and spilled it all over him. He got angry at first, but I insisted I could help him clean it up. He tried to dismiss me, said he had his maid to attend to him, but I… I pushed.”Rowan scoffed from beside me, but I raised a hand to silence him.Adela continued, wringing her fingers nervously. “He eventually agreed. I followed him to his chambers and while we were there, I, as Lady Mira instructed, tried to… seduce him.”Mira stood to the side, her face stoic, giving no indication of any guilt. I admired that about her.Adela’s cheeks flushed. “He grabbed me almost immediately, but I scolded him, made a sce
Damien PovI stood between my brothers, facing the large oak door that led into my private archive room. They didn’t know about this place — no one did.I pulled open the heavy door and led them inside. The scent of old parchment and ink filled the air immediately, a smell I had grown fond of over the years. The room was dimly lit by lanterns placed carefully around the walls. Scrolls, books, and ancient parchments were stacked neatly on countless shelves, towering all the way up to the ceiling.Both Rowan and Kai froze just inside the doorway, their mouths slightly agape.“You had this all along?” Kai asked, his voice a mix of amazement and suspicion.I shrugged as I moved further inside. “Every leader needs his secrets. This is mine.”Rowan grunted, clearly unimpressed. “Looks boring.”I rolled my eyes. “This is where knowledge lives. Copies of every important document from the main archives, along with other scrolls the public isn’t even aware exist. I’ve been building it for
Mira POVI sat curled up by the window of my chamber, my mind spinning with the weight of what I had just heard. The evening sun poured into the room, casting long shadows across the floor, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were far away.The Blackwood lycans’ mother.The witches.The strange connection between them.I hugged my knees to my chest and stared blankly at the sky. What could it possibly mean? Why would their mother, a royal lycan Queen, have anything to do with the last witches that once terrorized the world? What reason could she have to risk everything by going to the place where the witches were executed?I tried to build a scenario in my mind, tried to make sense of something that felt so impossible. Maybe… just maybe… the high priestess’ words had some truth to them.She had told me that I was destined to be the bridge between the three factions—humans, witches, and werewolves.What if… the Blackwood lycans’ mother had the same destiny before me?It was the only
Kai POV I stood with my brothers under the shade of the large oak tree at the corner of the courtyard, my arms folded tightly across my chest as my mind ran in a thousand directions at once. Rowan paced back and forth like a caged animal, growling low under his breath while Damien leaned casually against the stone wall, deep in thought. The information from Ryker was still heavy on all our minds. I could feel it pressing on me like a mountain. Rowan finally broke the silence. “How is any of this even possible?” he snapped, stopping mid-pace to face us. “Mother and witches? That makes no sense.” Damien pushed off the wall, folding his arms too. “We don’t know the full story yet. For all we know, she could have been trying to destroy them, not help them.” His tone was calm but laced with frustration. I shook my head. “If she was trying to destroy them, why would she be sneaking off at night, leading someone to the witches’ graves?” “Maybe she was investigating?” D