Rae “You look distracted.” Anna’s voice tore through my thoughts and peered at her. I was in her room, as usual, hiding myself from Von and Normani. “I’m not!” I finally said. “I have been speaking to you for the past ten minutes and you didn’t even blink or move it’s like your mind is elsewhere.” She was right. My mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about Jace’s words. It kept ringing in my head and I could feel myself caving in. I didn’t know what to do. I have thought of a way to handle this situation without having to be involved but there was no way out. “See?” I heard Anna say, and I pulled myself out of my thoughts. “You’re doing it again.” “No, I’m not.” “You didn’t blink for two seconds.” “I think it’s normal not to blink all the time.” I pointed out. Anna sighed. “Just tell me what’s going on. I want to know what’s up with you.” I was about to speak but I stopped myself. Did I really want to tell Anna that I had an encounter with Jace? I didn’t know how she woul
Rae“This is it!” I said to myself as I made my way down the palace entrance. The cloak I wore covered my head, shielding me from any preying eyes.I turned back staring at the palace building which stood tall behind me. I didn’t feel like leaving but I knew I had no choice.“Miss!” A voice called my attention, and I raised my head to see one of the guards.“This way!” He instructed, pointing to the gates and I followed him closely behind. I was hoping I didn’t get spotted but after the incident that happened, I doubted that even if I did Von would care.He might even tell the guard to set me free and let me do whatever I wanted.I stopped my thoughts immediately after we arrived outside, turning to look at the guard who was helping Jace.“Follow the path that leads to town!” The guard instructed. “Jace would meet you halfway.”I nodded and then I picked up my step. The moonlight was my only guide, through the darkened path. However, the minute I got into town the streetlight light
Von “Are you sure you can stay alone?” I asked Normani as I walked her to her room. The sky had darkened and we spent the entire day touring around the pack. It was more of Normani’s idea. She wanted to see places she visited while growing up. “Don’t start teasing me!” She cooed. “I’m just stating facts.” As I said those words Normani rolled her eyes. “Good night von Dax!” She stepped into her room and I furrowed my eyebrows. “Don’t forget to lock your door! The boggy man might pay you a visit.” I joked, and she stuck out her tongue before locking the door. I headed down the hallway, and the second I crossed Rae’s room. My heart did a 360. I hated the fact that she still had power over me. I turned my face away, heading to the room. My sleep wasn’t peaceful, and a loud banging on my door jolted me awake. For a brief moment, I thought it was Normani, but when I swung the door open, I was met with Anna’s worried face. I frowned. “What do you want?” She looked slightly
Rae I let out a slow breath as I watched the morning sky take over. It had been three days since my escape—three days of living with Jace on the outskirts of the pack, hidden in the forest where few dared to venture. The air around me was chilly, carrying the scent of damp earth and morning dew. I stood outside our small shelter, letting the sunlight warm my skin.“You’re up,” Jace’s voice startled me. I turned to see him stepping out from the trees, his dark hair tousled by the wind. “Yeah,” I responded, watching as he stretched his arms. “I’m heading out,” he said. My brows furrowed. “Where to?” “I’m sneaking into the pack.” At that, my entire body stiffened. “Why?” “To see if I can get any information about Von,” he said casually as if he wasn’t about to put himself in danger. I frowned. “Why can’t you go at night? That way you wouldn’t get sighted.” Jace shook his head. “I can’t. I have other plans.”“Like what?” I asked in a curious tone.Some men are headin
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
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
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. “
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
Rae I stared at Anna in disbelief, my lips parted but no words coming out. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I managed to pull myself out of the haze staring back at Anna. “You’re saying… I have to die to save the kingdom?” My voice cracked as I spoke, and my legs felt unsteady beneath me.Anna gave a slow nod, her eyes filled with sadness.“I don’t understand,” I said, forcing myself to stand. “Why me? How am I the reason for the curse?”“I don’t know, Rae,” she replied gently. “But Von might. He’s been keeping everything to himself. I think he knows more than he’s saying.”I shook my head. “This can’t be real. I refuse to believe it.”My heart pounded in my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The walls were closing in. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, crashing into each other. I didn’t want to cry, but tears burned behind my eyes anyway.Anna stepped closer. “Please calm down. Landon’s looking for a witch. He believes there might b
RaeThe dim light crept into view, it was blurry and soft at first, like a distant memory trying to settle into focus. My head felt heavy, and my body… foreign. I blinked a few times, trying to ground myself in the space around me. Everything was unfamiliar. I was disoriented. My arms ached, and when I looked down, I noticed wires—tubes—stripped across my body. I couldn’t tell if they were for healing or restraint.Then suddenly I heard soft sobs which broke through my haze.I turned my head, and my eyes landed on Anna. She was hunched over in a chair across the room, her shoulders trembling. Her voice cracked as she muttered to herself, “I think I’ve made a mistake… I shouldn’t have let him go…”What was she talking about? And why was she crying?“Anna…” My voice came out hoarse, it was low and if she wasn’t sitting close by. I was sure she wouldn’t have heard it.Anna’s head jerked up after those words left my lips. Her eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost. “Rae?” she gasped. T
VonThe moment, I saw Landon move I halted my steps, trying to figure out where he was heading. He directed his horse towards the side of the river while he rested on one of the stones. He was facing me now, but because of the trees I was well hidden and I couldn’t be easily detected. I kept watching, waiting for the opportunity when he would finally turn his back. Eventually, he did, and just as I was about to launch myself at him, my horse let out a sharp, loud snort.Landon jerked his head up and during that moment his eyes found mine. I wondered if he had seen me, but the moment I saw him reach for his horse I got the answer to my question.Landon pulled his horse out of the river in one fast move, climbed onto the saddle, and kicked hard. The animal responded instantly, racing through the shallow water, splashing and tearing through the trees.“Landon!” I growled, then yanked my reins.I mounted quickly and dug my heels in. My horse moved forward, its hooves digging into the t
VonI stared at Anna with a coldness that could freeze fire. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers, for some kind of remorse, but all I saw was silence. Her lips stayed pressed together, and it was clear she wasn’t planning on explaining anything anytime soon.My anger ignited. It roared up from my chest like a beast unchained. I hit her against the cage once again.“You dare remain silent?” I growled through clenched teeth. “You set him free and you stand here with your mouth shut like it means nothing?”Her gaze flicked to mine, and finally, she spoke in a soft tone. “Even if I explain things to you… you’ll never understand.”I scoffed, tightening my grip. “Did he promise you something? Huh? Is that it? Did Landon feed you some sweet little story?”“No,” she snapped back. “He didn’t promise me anything.”I let out a humorless laugh. “Then why? What in the hell made you think this was a good idea?”She yanked her arm out of my grasp. “Because he said he wants to help this c
Von The night had arrived.I sat in my chambers, wide awake. My sword rested beside me on the table, a sharp glint catching the flicker of torchlight from the wall. I hadn't slept, not even for a second. My instincts told me tonight would be the night they'd try it—the traitors among my guards. Anna’s warning had been clear, and my men were ready. My loyal guards were stationed throughout the palace, hiding in shadows, crouched in corners, armed to the teeth.I paced slowly across the room, boots echoing faintly against the stone floor. Then—just as I paused—came the sound. A low grunt. Then another. It started outside my door. The fight had begun.I moved quickly into the shadows, pressing my back against the cold wall. I could hear the scuffle grow louder. Then came footsteps rushing toward my chamber. Someone was coming for me.I didn’t move.I waited.The door creaked open. I saw the silhouette step in, sword drawn. He didn’t see me. He thought I’d be asleep.He took three step
Von The room was quiet except for the steady ticking of the clock on the wall. I had taken my position at the edge of the bed, my hands resting on my knees, the weight of everything pulling at my chest. Anna stood by the door, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed in a tight line. “Are you going to speak or not ?” I asked, my voice hoarse from lack of rest.She stepped closer, looking over her shoulder like she was afraid someone might be listening. “I don’t know if you are ready to hear this.”I sighed. Nothing else would surprise me, for the past few weeks I had watched my life go for bad to worse to wise. I knew nothing she would say would make a difference in my life.“Just say it, Anna!” I tried to keep my voice neutral trying not to lose my cool.“They’re plotting to kill you, Your Majesty.” Anna finally said.My eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”“I overheard the guards talking with a few locals,” she said, her voice low. “They’re working together. They want to overt
Von The deaths in the kingdom had not stopped. Every day brought another body, another cry for help. And in the middle of all that, the truth I had learned clung to me like a second skin. Rae—no, Rose—was my sister. That revelation shattered something in me. It was like a rope had snapped. The very bond that once tethered me to her had been sliced clean through.I no longer looked at Rae the same. Her smile, her voice, the warmth in her eyes—it all haunted me now. I dared not to think of our memories, the feeling of me thrusting into her, the sound of her calling out my name. It felt like a nightmare. I forced myself to think of something. It wasn’t easy and to make things worse I started having dreams. Horrible, violent dreams. In them, I killed her over and over. Sometimes with my hands. Sometimes with a blade. Sometimes I just watched her die, unable to stop it. Every time I closed my eyes, those dreams returned, more vivid and terrifying than the last. Sleep no longer gave m
Von “Shall we leave now, Your Majesty?” one of the guards asked. His words felt distance it was like I was in another world and I was disconnected from my body. I couldn’t bring myself to reply I just stood staring at world around which had suddenly lost its light.“Your majesty!” A voice called out and this time I realized that the voice belonged to Roy. He was moving closer to me. I could hear his steps but I couldn’t see him. I was lost in my mind.“Are you fine your majesty?” He asked. “Do you want us to attack?”I was sure he must have thought the seer did something horrible to me, little did he know that she had no hand to place in this. I was just shocked by the truth.“Your majesty!” His voice returned and I knew it I didn’t reply they are going to be hovering around her and they might end up going in to attack the seer.“I’m fine Roy!” I finally said. “Don’t attack.”He didn’t look fully convinced but he nodded.“Shall we leave?” He repeated and I nodded. We got into the
Von The night air was cool and still, as we set out on our journey to see the seer. The drive through the forest was smooth, quiet, almost too quiet. Trees blurred past us like silent watchers, and inside the car, my thoughts raced. I kept staring out the window, pretending to be calm, but my mind was anything but that. My stomach churned as I thought about the fact that I was closer to the truth.What if the seer tells me something I can’t handle? What if there’s no going back after tonight?For a second, I considered turning back. Doubt crept in, whispering its poison. But I clenched my fists and shook the thoughts away. This wasn’t the time for fear. I had made it this far. Rae—no, everything—depended on this.When we arrived at the seer’s place, the guards approached first. The hut was small, isolated deep within the woods, lit only by the dull glow of moonlight and a single flickering lantern hanging from a crooked pole.The lead guard stepped up and knocked twice on the wood