Liliana’s POVThe corridors of the palace stretch before me as I make my way towards the maids’ chambers. Unease fills my heart as I recall the librarian’s words.“The chambermaid is the painter’s daughter.”Surely this is just a coincidence? After all, a lot of people have snowy white hair and piercing blue eyes. I cannot just assume everyone who looks like that to be the Sorceress.‘That’s not what your instinct tells you,’ Cathy chimes in and I jump a little. Happy as I am to have her back, I am still unused to hearing her inside my head.I enter the maids’ quarters and finally locate the maid who tended to me before. Her eyes are wide with a mixture of curiosity and anxiousness as I approach.“Did…did I do something wrong?” she asks, one hand nervously tugging at the other. The other maids in the sleeping quarters all fall back and quickly turn away, busying themselves with their own chores.I give the main a warm smile. “Cecil right?”She nods, swallowing the lump in her throat a
Liliana’s POV“Yes, I know the painter.”I stare down at my trembling hands.“You did?” a whisper escapes my lips.Evander's gaze, momentarily drawn away from the painting, meets mine. "Yes. I met her once when I was very young," he begins, the memories echoing in his words. "She painted my portrait."My heart starts to pound in my chest as I listen, latching on to every word that spills out of Evander’s lips. "It seems she painted a lot, if not all, of the family's portraits," he continues.“How did she look like?” I stand in the hallway with my breath held.Evander’s brows furrow as they always do when he is thinking and he looks at the portrait as if trying to picture the artist’s face. "Piercing blue eyes," he finally says and I almost collapse to the floor. Goddess. Surely it cannot be the same person. Surely it –“She had flaming red hair."Wait.The contradiction catches me off guard, a subtle jolt of dissonance in the narrative. Red hair contradicts the librarian's depiction
Kaden’s POVThe bottom of the cliff stretches before us, a desolate expanse with rugged rocks and twisted roots jutting out from the damp soil. The air is damp and the surroundings are cloaked in a veil of darkness. The place is quiet too, it seems as if the creatures of the forest do not like this place.Well, neither do I.Landon and I scour the area, leaving no stones unturned and covering every inch of the uneven ground. The rocks are slick with moisture, and the gnarled branches of the surrounding trees cast long shadows that seem to dance in the fading daylight. But there is no sign of the Sorceress."No blood," Landon observes. "No tracks, nothing. It is as if she vanished into thin air."I look up towards the looming cliff above us. No one, not even a wolf could have fallen this distance and survived unscathed.“It makes no sense,” I growl, kicking away a stone. It flies from the ground and smashes into the side of the cliff’s wall. “There has to be something.”“Unless she did
Liliana’s POVFirst, there are three men in this room.Second, they are Evander, Kaden and Landon.And thirdly, the worst part. I am in heat. As are they.With all my might, and against Cathy’s will, I push Evander away. I gasp, grabbing the edge of the bed frame and try to pull myself up, my breath slicing in and out of my chest. I am going crazy, I must be.‘No, you’re not. You’re in heat,’ Cathy reminds me, ready for some action. My body rebels against me and it drives me to my knees. I fall and Evander quickly pulls me up.“Liliana…” he calls, his voice husky. Too husky.I shake my head, pulling my hand away from him. Another hand grabs my arm, pulling me up. It is Landon and his scent overwhelms me. I fight againt it, a snarl leaving my lips unti
Kaden’s POVI find myself alone in the garden, the night air hanging heavy with the scent of flowers and the pungent allure of freshly lit tobacco. I lean against the wrought iron railing, gazing up at the moon as if it holds the answer to the universe's questions. In my hand, a cigarette holds lazily between my fingers, a feeble attempt at finding solace in the swirls of smoke that fade into the night.The flicker of flames cast a glow on the foliage, creating dancing shadows that mimic the chaos inside my head. Why on earth did I run to Liliana, ready to get myself tangled in a threesome with my cousins? I ponder the absurdity of it all, as if the moon might offer some answers.‘Couldn't resist, could you?’ my wolf chimes in, his voice dripping with sarcasm.I scowl, taking a drag of my cigarette. ‘Resist what?’‘Don’t
Liliana’s POVI lay curled up in my bed, allowing the darkness of the room to calm me down as I feel the heat leaving my body. Thank the Moon Goddess I survived this, I cannot bear to think of what would happen if I had succumbed to my desires in Evander’s room.I would have regretted it.‘Would you?’ Cathy asks. She still thinks a threesome would have been great but I beg to differ. I cannot just sleep with three men without knowing who it is that my heart belongs to.‘You know what? You’re a weirdo. Here the Moon Goddess has blessed you with three mates, three fucking hot mates, and not just any mates, they are the Frost heirs, the greatest of the greats in all the lands and yet here you are, laying in bed bemoaning who you should choose,’ Cathy scowls. ‘Just take the three of them on!’I shake my head and rise from my bed, quickly slipping out of my blouse and pants before changing into s fresh new set of clothes.Suddenly, I hear a roar.My brows furrow. The voice sounds like Kade
Liliana’s POV Venice opens the door and a chill creeps into the room.“Let’s go,” she says, opening the door wider ad the hinges seem to echo with a haunting sound. My mind is playing tricks on me, I must have watched one too many horror movies.I stand at the threshold of the door, feeling strangely trapped. It strikes me odd that Venice’s confidence seems to have increased a thousand fold. The Venice that I knew before would never have talked like this or acted like this.‘Perhaps this is because she has Kaden’s backing now,’ Cathy says, though I can feel her unease as well.“You said your mother spoke of a lady…did she tell you her name?”“No, but I know she would be very happy to see you.” Venice’s answer is ridiculously vague. "Come, Liliana. Let’s not keep my mother waiting," she urges and steps through the door.There is a pause before I reluctantly follow her and step into the dimly lit hallway. The door closes behind me with a soft thud, severing the connection to the safety
Landon’s POVThe wind whispers through the towering trees as I stand at the bottom of the cliff, staring at the swaying branches of trees. Liam, my wolf asks, "Are you here because you cannot bear to be near Liliana?"I cross my arms across my chest and exhale. All my life, I have been told how responsible I am, how powerful, how diligent I am in ruling my pack. And in my immense humility—what a laugh—I had always lowered my eyes and shook my head, while at the same time thinking that I must, in fact, be quite extraordinary. I excelled in my studies. I worked hard. I helped my father expand the territory of the Southlands. I helped everyone and anyone who needed help.That is the crux of the matter right there. I performed these good works, but I did so mainly to reinforce my image. This does not mean I am completely evil—it only means that I am only a mere werewolf.My reaction in the wake of Liliana’s heat made it all to clear just how imperfect I am. Had Evander and Kaden not b