Von A sharp, continuous banging on my door shattered the quiet morning, dragging me out of sleep. I groaned, running a hand through my hair before pushing myself upright. I didn’t want to answer. I planned to just ignore it until it stopped. But the knocking didn’t stop. Whoever was on the other side of the door had no patience. I swung my legs off the bed and stood, grabbing a robe as I made my way to the door. I was hoping it wasn’t a maid. I might end up losing my mind if it was.When I yanked it open, one of my guards stood there, with a grim expression on his face.“How dare you know my door in that manner?” I yelled.“I’m sorry Alpha!” He said in an unapologetic tone.I kept my face stern. “What happened?”He hesitated before speaking. “something terrible has happened.”I frowned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What’s wrong?” “There’s been an attack,” the guard said, his breathing slightly ragged. “One of the border guards was badly wounded. The others… they didn’t make
Rae“Well, that was weird,” I muttered, watching as Von stormed off down the hall. Anna, standing beside me, raised an eyebrow. “Weird?” she echoed. “Didn’t you see the way he was looking at you?” I frowned, shaking my head. “No, I didn’t.” Anna let out an exaggerated sigh. “He was staring at you like a lovesick puppy.” I scoffed. “You’ve lost your mind.” “I’m being serious!” Anna insisted, placing a hand on her hip. “I know what I saw, and I saw Von looking at you like you were the only person in the room.” I rolled my eyes. “You must’ve been seeing things.” “I wasn’t,” she said smugly. “And I think he’s softening toward you. He took you to a secluded place, didn’t he? You really think that’s just some random spot?” “It wasn’t special,” I argued. “He probably just wanted to get me away from the party. That’s all.” Anna crossed her arms. “You’re really going to act like you can’t see the signs?” “There are no signs,” I shot back. “You need to stop with this nonsens
Rae “Von, wait!” I called him once again, my voice carrying down the hallway. Von didn’t reply. He acted like I was invisible like I wasn’t there. His strides were faster, and his shoulders tense with anger or frustration—I wasn’t sure which. “Von!” I called again, quickening my pace. “Leave me be,” he finally spoke up, I ignored his words and kept moving toward him. “I’m not going to leave.” He didn’t acknowledge me once again, and when he finally reached his room, he slammed the door shut behind him, shutting me out completely. I stood there, staring at the closed door, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. What had come over me? Why did I care so much? Why did I feel this strong urge to talk to him? I exhaled, shaking my head. It was pointless. If Von wanted to sulk in silence, then fine. I had done my part. Later that evening, the cool night breeze drifted through the terrace, carrying the scent of fresh pine and damp earth. I stood near the edge,
Von I stared at Rae, waiting for her to speak. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the hesitation. She was weighing her options, deciding what my offer truly meant for her. I knew asking this way was the only way I could right my wrongs. I didn’t want to force her into anything again. I wanted her to accept things willingly. "Rae," I called her name again. She inhaled as if finally ready to respond, and during that moment, the door swung open. "My king," one of my guards interrupted. "We’ve captured a man at the border." My jaw tightened. "Is he a rogue?" The guard hesitated. "No, Your Majesty. He claims to be related to you." A sharp breath left me. "Related?" My mind raced. I had no living relatives. At least, none that I knew of. I pushed my chair back and stood. "Where is he?" "In the throne room, Your Majesty." I turned to Rae. "Stay here. I’ll be back soon." She nodded in response, and I followed my guard
RaeI had made a mistake. Why did I agree to be Von’s breeder? What was I thinking? The sad part was that it was too late to back out now. Anna adjusted my dress, her fingers smoothing out the fabric as if that would somehow fix the turmoil twisting inside me. "You look amazing," she said with a proud smile. I shot her a glare, my stomach tightening with dread. "I regret this," I muttered. Anna sighed, stepping back to examine me. "Why are you speaking like this?" "Because I didn’t think things through!" I exclaimed, pacing the room. "I made a mistake, Anna. I don’t want to do this with Von. I can’t be in bed with him and not be reminded of that day." Anna’s expression softened. She knew exactly what I meant. "Then you need to talk to him," she said gently. I shook my head. "I can’t. Maybe I should just hide in my room." Anna frowned. "I don’t think that’s possible." Before I could respond, a knock sounded at the door. Anna exchanged a glance with me before calling out,
Rae"Did Von send you?" I frowned slightly, spilling out the thought in my mind.Jace shook his head. "No." My brows furrowed. "Then why are you here?" "Anna mentioned you hadn’t eaten," he said casually. "I figured I’d check on you. Bring you some food." My eyes softened slightly. Typical Anna. Always worrying about me. I exhaled, offering a small nod. "Thank you." I reached for the tray, but Jace made no move to hand it over. "Actually," he said, clearing his throat. "Is it fine if I stay for a while?" I blinked, caught off guard. "Why?" He gave a small shrug. "Anna told me to make sure you eat after I said I’d bring this to you." I found that weird. Why did Anna want him to watch over her?I wanted to ask more questions but I just decided to push it away.I stepped aside, opening the door wider. "Come in, then." Jace entered, his posture stiff as he carried the tray to the nearest table. Instead of sitting, he moved toward the corner of the room, standing with his arms cr
Rae The palace hallways stretched before me as I walked. I couldn’t wait to give Jace a piece of my mind after I found out why he lied. When I crossed the usual spot where he normally stood. I realized he wasn’t there.“Where’s Jace?” I asked one of the guards after I had walked around the palace and I still hadn’t seen him.“He’s at the training grounds, ma’am.” The guard replied and I nodded.As I made my way outside I came across a group of maids. They didn’t look pleased to see me, and I wasn’t surprised.I raised my head, as I walked acting like their stares did nothing to me, but deep down it made me feel small, and to make things worse they kept whispering loudly for me to hear.They were laying their usual accusations.“Look at her!” One of them said. “Roaming the halls like she’s the boss.”“If Queen Calister was alive…” another voice spoke up. “She wouldn’t dare do this.”“I wonder what she had done to entice the king!” I shook my head, ready to speak but I stopped myself
VonImmediately I finished my conversation with Jace, I found myself heading toward Rae’s chambers.I needed to speak to her, actually I wanted to take her out.I know I sound crazy but the only reason I wanted to do this was because I knew that if I wanted her to accept my request, I had to do things differently.I needed to make her see that I wasn’t going to hurt her.When I arrived at her door, I knocked once, but I got no reply. I tried again and it was still the same thing —silence.I frowned. Was she avoiding me? After another pause, I pushed the door open. The room was empty. I sighed, stepping inside, my gaze sweeping across the neatly arranged space. Rae was likely with Anna, which meant I had time to think about what I would say to her. I settled near the window, my fingers tapping against the wooden frame as I mulled over my words. “Hey, Rae!” I rehearsed. “Would like to go out with me?”I frowned at my words. I was sounding like a young lad. I needed to be more forma
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