RaeThe next morning, I escorted Malcolm to his car. “So this is goodbye?” Malcom said with a dramatic tone."Do you really have to go?" I asked, glancing up at him. Malcolm smirked, tilting his head slightly. "I could stay... if you need me to keep you company." I shook my head, forcing a small smile. "No, you should go. You have your own life to live, Malcolm, and also I was just trying to sound dramatic.”He studied me for a long moment as if trying to decipher whether I really meant it. Then, with a sigh, he pulled me into a hug. "You know where to find me if you ever need me, right?" I nodded against his shoulder. "I don’t even know my way around this pack." He chuckled. “How could I forget, that Von has kept you locked up in his castle like a lone wolf.”“I would come visiting.” He responded. “Just to make sure you’re doing well.”“You don’t need to do that.”He shook his head. “I will and I must.”With one last squeeze, he let go, stepping back. "Take care of yours
RaeJace led me through the forest as we walked the trees arched above us, their branches whispering in the gentle night breeze. I had no idea where we were going, but the way he moved, made me follow without question. When we finally stopped walking. I noticed we were standing close to a lake. He sly look took over my face and I turned to look at Jace."This is your idea of fun?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Jace grinned. "Yeah. What’s wrong with that?" "I don’t know… this just doesn’t seem like your style," I teased. "I expected something more extreme. Like climbing mountains or wrestling wild animals." He laughed, shaking his head. "I don’t have a wild bone in my body, and you know that." “I thought everyone changes when they become king.”He smirked. "Wow, that hurts." “I’m just trying to be realistic,” I responded.“Or… you are just trying to find a way to criticize me as much as can.”“No, I’m not.”He let out a smile, raising his hand in defense. "Come here," h
RaeThe minute I pulled a cloak over my shoulders, I paced the room, thinking of ways to convince Jace that going into town was a terrible idea. My mind ran through excuses. Maybe I should tell Jace that I had suddenly fallen ill, or I was tired.I thought of more excuses, anything that might make him drop the idea. But deep down, I knew Jace was stubborn.A knock sounded on the door, and Anna slipped inside. She took one look at me, my restless movements, the way I gnawed at my bottom lip, and sighed. "Why do you look like you're about to go into battle?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Because I am," I muttered. Her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" I huffed. "Jace wants me to go into town with him." Anna's lips twitched. "And that’s a bad thing because…?" "Because I don’t want to go!" I flopped onto the bed, groaning. "I just want to stay inside, but he won’t listen. I told him no, but it’s like talking to a wall." Anna chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like J
Rae “What was I thinking?” Anna voiced out and I felt like the gravity of the situation was just hitting her. Anna’s shoulders trembled as sobs wracked her body. She covered her face with her hands, her breathing uneven, and my heart clenched at the sight of her breaking down. "I don’t know why I decided to bake him a cake. Now I have ruined things between us," she whispered through her tears. "I’m such a fool, a big fool.” I moved closer to her, wrapping my arms around her tightly. "Anna, don’t say that ably yourself," I murmured, stroking her back gently. She sniffled, pulling back slightly to look at me, her eyes red and filled with doubt. "It’s the truth, Rae. I should’ve just kept the fact that I knew it was his birthday discreet, shouldn’t I?" I sighed, shaking my head. "No, don’t do that to yourself. You were just trying to do something nice for him." "I feel like an idiot Rae and while I sit here I can’t stop replaying this situation over and over in my head," she
Alison“I’m really sorry you had to go through that,” I murmured after what felt like an eternity of silence. I had been thinking of what to say to make him feel better.“You don’t need to act like that,” he said with a small, bitter laugh. “I have made peace with the situation.” I studied him for a moment, the way his jaw tightened, the way his hands curled into fists at his sides as if he were trying to contain something too painful to let out. “Have you?” I arched my brow.“I don’t mean peace like I have let it go. I just have accepted the fact I am always going to be unwanted, like some fucking weed.”“Don’t speak like that. You are very well wanted, look at how the people of this pack adore you.” I pointed out.“That’s because Neither of them knows who I am.” He said. “If they did they would never let me rule.”“From one unwanted soul.” I teased. “You are more acceptable than you think.”“You sound like mom. She always tries to make me feel special.”“That’s because you’re!
RaeAs soon as the doctor left, I let out a heavy breath, sinking into the chair. My fingers curled around the fabric of my sleeves as I tried to process what had just happened. “I thought I was fine,” I muttered. “Or at least… getting better.” Jace leaned against the nearby table, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied me. He had this look on his face which I tried to read when he noticed I was staring at him closely he managed to mask it. I turned to look at Anna and I noticed her expression was similar to Jace’s.“I hate the way you both are looking at me.” I voiced out.Anna furrowed her brows. “We are just concerned.”“This isn’t about you being concerned. That look…it’s the same look you gave me the day you found me close to the lake.”“I promise you, we are not looking at you that way.”“Your eyes tell a different story.” I pointed out.“Look Rae, we are just concerned about you.” Jace voiced out. “It’s nothing more.”I rolled my eyes. “I hate feeling this way, no
RaeThe moment we took a turning that led to the bridge. I was faced with an empty road.We were the only ones walking down that path and I was glad. Heavy winds began to blow and I barely had time to adjust my cloak before I noticed Luigi walking towards us, his eyes were locked on Jace before flickering to me.His expression darkened, and I could already sense his displeasure. “What is she doing here?” Luigi asked sharply, his gaze narrowing. “I told you she’s only allowed to stay hidden if she wants to remain in the pack.” His tone grew louder not giving Jace a chance to speak “What if the people see her and they-““There’s no need to worry.” Jace cut him off. “That’s why I made her wear a cloak so she would stay hidden.”“You should have saved yourself the stress and kept her in the palace,” Luigi said taking a step forward. “You just had to go against my demands.”“I apologize for going against your demands but I only did it for the right reasons.”Jace turned to look at
Rae Jace leaned back against a rock after those words left his lips. He had his eyes focused on the sky and I could see a familiar gleam of mischief in them.I turned away from him, focusing on my surroundings. It was peaceful—until Jace decided to ruin it. “Have you ever gone swimming in the morning? You know… butt naked?” he asked suddenly, tilting his head at me. “Swimming yes, naked in a lake when the sun is up that is a no!” I pointed out and Jace shook his head.“You’re about to find out how fun that is!” Jace stood heading in the direction of the lake.I shot him a look. “A king isn’t supposed to do that.” He let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. “You’ve got it all wrong. A king is meant to do whatever he wants.” And with that, he pulled his shirt over his head, dropped his pants, and, without a second thought, dove into the water. The splash sent ripples across the lake, droplets of water catching the sunlight like diamonds. “Jace!” I yelped, taking a step back.
RaeI followed Anna to the pack graveyard, the sound of the car engine was the only sound between us. She sat beside me, clutching a small bouquet of hibiscus flowers in her lap. It had become a ritual for her—visiting Jace’s grave every morning since the burial. At first, I thought it would help her heal. But as the days passed, I started to worry. Her eyes had grown hollow, her movements slower, her voice softer—like a ghost trying to find its place among the living.“Are you okay?” I asked gently, not wanting to startle her.She didn’t look at me. “Yes. Why are you asking?”“I just want to be sure you are… really okay.”“I am,” she replied too quickly, then looked down at the flowers in her hands. “Do you think hibiscus is too strange for a grave?”I tilted my head. “I don’t think the type of flower matters, Anna.”“Maybe I should’ve brought a white rose. It signifies peace. Or a red one—love.” Her fingers trembled as she rearranged the bouquet on her lap. “I don’t know.”“Anna…”
Von A soft knock stirred the silence of the study. I didn’t lift my head from the papers scattered across the desk as I spoke. “Come in,” I said slowly. The door creaked open gently, and then my eyes landed on Rae. She stepped inside, barefoot, dressed in a pale silk robe that clung to her figure. Her hair was still damp, a few strands sticking to her neck. She looked like she’d stepped out of a dream and into my reality. “Is this where you plan to spend your morning?” she asked. I set my pen down and leaned back in my chair. “What’s wrong with that?” She tilted her head. “Everything. Your wife is missing you.” I raised a brow. “I was with her last night.” “That isn’t enough,” she said, walking toward me. “She needs you now.” She reached my side, and I looked up at her, letting the silence stretch between us. “Do you want me to take you here?” I asked, in a firm tone. She didn’t speak at first. She only leaned down, her lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Yeah,” she whisp
VonWe returned to the palace after Jace’s burial, the afternoon sun was already taking its place in the sky. Rae moved slowly, her arm wrapped gently around Anna’s trembling shoulders. I watched them disappear down the corridor, Rae murmuring soft words I couldn’t hear.I turned, and Normani was suddenly there, and the look in her eyes made me realize that she was about to lecture me.“I don’t want to hear it,” I muttered before she could open her mouth. “No lectures tonight.”She shook her head. “I wasn’t going to. I promise.” Her voice was softer than usual, and it sounded a bit weird. “I just… I wanted to ask how it happened.”I didn’t answer right away. I walked toward the wine shelf in the corner of the grand hallway, pulled out a bottle of wine, and poured a generous amount into the glass. The crimson liquid rippled as I set the bottle back.“He saved me,” I finally said. “Twice. Once from Khan. And again when that bastard rogue came at me from behind.”She was quiet for a sec
Rae Von stood tall atop the heap of fallen rogues, blood still wet on his armor. In his right hand, he held Khan’s severed head. “We have conquered our enemies!” Von’s voice rang out across the smoldering battlefield. It was deep and thunderous. “We have stopped the rogues from terrorizing us, bringing them all to their end !” A wave of cheers erupted from the guards, their cries echoing over the now-silent rogue territory. Von’s eyes, however, remained hollow for a moment, and when I stared at him, I saw how deeply he was affected by Jace’s death. “Though we have won this war,” he continued, raising Khan’s head high for all to see, “we have lost a brother. Jace… will never be forgotten. His courage lit the path to our victory. Let this day be marked with both glory and mourning.” The cheers quieted to solemn nods. Von slowly stepped down from the mound of corpses, Khan’s head still gripped in his hand like a grand trophy. He turned to his men. “Carry Jace’s body. With honor.”
RaeBlood pounded in my ears as I watched Khan raise the blade above Von’s head. My breath caught in my throat. Everything inside me screamed to move, to scream, to do something—anything. But I couldn’t. I was trapped. The rogue's blade was still grazing my neck. I felt the sharp sting as it nicked my skin, but I didn’t care. My eyes were fixed on Von. “No—Von, please,” I sobbed, struggling against the grip that held me. “Don’t do this! I’m not worth it!” Von’s gaze shifted to me, and he looked so calm despite the blade hovering over him. “You’re worth everything,” he said, in a soft voice, and with a warm look in his eyes.The tears streamed down my face like rivers. My chest heaved with the weight of emotions running through it. “I’m sorry,” I choked. “I’m sorry that all I did was hurt you. I should have stopped Jace. I should’ve never—” He chuckled, a very low bitter sound that seemed to echo around the throne room. I wondered what he found funny and I guessed Khan wond
Von We strode into the rogue territory, surprised by the quietness that greeted us.“It’s too quiet.” One of the men said, stating the obvious.“They are expecting us,” I responded. “This is all just a decoy.”The minute we crossed the gates, the wind shifted, and before we could take another step, the sound of arrows flying in our direction collided with our ears. "Shields!" I barked, my voice thundering. My men raised their shields in unison, a trained wall of defense snapping into place just as the arrows rained down.The rogues didn’t relent, they kept the arrows coming and we didn’t back down, we shoved our armor in front of us as we kept moving forward.The minute the rogues were all out of arrows, they moved in our direction.Their guttural roar rose as they charged with their blades in their hands. My men placed their shields aside and just like that, the fight began. My men responded with coordinated blows, slashing through enemy lines with so much force.I turned sha
VonI stared at Jace, my fists clenching at my sides as rage boiled inside me. “What the hell are you doing here?” I growled, my voice loud enough to make the ground shake Jace met my glare with an unwavering gaze. “I’m not here to cause trouble,” he said, in a voice that sounded like he was trying to tame a wild animal. “I need your help.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Help?” I repeated, shaking my head in disbelief. “You mean like how you helped yourself to the woman I love?” Jace exhaled, his jaw tightening. “Von, you need to put that aside—” “Put it aside?” I stepped closer, my eyes burning with fury. “You took had your way with the woman I loved without evening considering me, and you want me to put that aside.”I groaned. “Which man would do that?”“I’m sorry, and there’s no use in apologizing because no matter how much I say it you’re never going to forgive me.” I rolled my eyes at the sound of his words.“I want you out of my palace,” I grunted.Jace didn’t back down. “
Rae I opened my eyes, my head throbbing with a dull, aching pain. The first thing I felt was the rough vibrations beneath me. At that moment, I realized that I was in a vehicle. It was moving fast, the uneven terrain causing me to jolt slightly with every bump. ‘How did I get here?’ I wondered, and Then it hit me. I suddenly remembered all that had happened before I lost consciousness. I gasped, as the memories repeatedly flooded back— my encounter with the rogue, my little act of struggling, and the sharp pain I felt as my head collided with the rock. My little trip back to memory lane ended, and my breath quickened. I tried to move, only to realize my hands were bound in front of me. I grunted. I was tired of getting kidnapped by those stupid rogues. I wondered how they found me and what they wanted from me. During that moment, I heard voices. I tried to hear what they were saying. So, I shifted, trying to get a better view, but it was useless in the darkness. The ve
Von The sound of the door opening, caused me to look up from the files on the desk. My eyes landed on Normani who had a worried look on her face.“They told me I would find you here.” She pointed out.“The guards?” I asked and she nodded.“Is something going on Von?” Her voice rose seconds later, I pulled my eyes from the desk and placed it on her.“Why do you ask?”“Just look at you. You spent the entire day locked up in the study and from the look on your face, it seems you haven’t slept.”“I’m just attending to some really important stuff.” I lied and I hoped she wouldn’t sense it but the way she was staring at me made me realize that maybe she could actually see through my lies.“Is she the reason why you have locked yourself here?” Normani asked and I furrowed my brows.“I’m not bothered about Rae.” I spilled out more lies. “She’s the last thing on my mind.”She didn’t look convinced and I didn’t know what to say to make her believe my lies.Normani didn’t say anything for a whi