Veronica’s POVI do wonder if my revenge is worth all this.Lying on the cold concrete floor, back to where I was once before, my mind couldn't help but think of everything I have been through.Maybe I really was too self-absorbed lately. I should've seen this coming. I should've predicted this to some extent. I should've known better.I swore I won't find myself in this position and yet here I am again. It took all of what little strength I have left to stop myself from crying. I have to be strong— that's how it's always been. I have been on my own for my entire life so I needed to be resilient. I never had anyone but myself.Somehow, despite doing all I can, I never succeeded in getting what I want.I don't know when it started or how my life regressed into this constant loneliness and suffering, filled with fear of abandonment and exhausting hatred… that even when I thought everything was going to my favor, it still crumbled. The ironic part is it's all I've ever known.“You have b
Warning: Graphic descriptions of violence**Veronica’s POVEverything unfolded quickly the moment Sebastian arrived.“Shit! How did they find us?!” I heard a loud voice clamoring to enter the room where they had me locked up. I think it was Gareth yelling.The door slammed open with a loud thud and I blinked my eyes hard because of the sudden harsh light from outside that hit my eye. It has been a while since I was exposed to something other than pitch black darkness. They barely open that door when they enter so my vision needed to adjust at the change.When I opened my eyes, I saw Gareth stomping his way to me angrily. His eyes were dilated in rage as he hastily yanked me from where I was crumpled on the floor. I yelped at the pain that shot through my bones because of his tight grasp on my arms and the chains that pulled against me.“Get up!” He growled at me, “What did you do?!” He shouted at my face, I flinched due to his booming voice.“Let her go!” Colton appeared and tried pu
Third Person’s POVThe moment Sebastian got her intended message, he didn't waste any time to look for Veronica.“There is only one possible altar that they would use,” Declan said, looking up from the piece of paper where the message was written and meeting his brother’s stares as he adds, “The Altar of the Crescere church.”“I think they are using her to lure you there,” he continued, “They are planning to kill you.”Sebastian didn't heed his words and marched to the doors, on his way leaving.Rowan followed right away, “Sebastian!” He calls and stands between the doors and the other alpha, “Don't be hasty! They wouldn't try out this plan if they don't think this could actually work,” he said.The latter just snapped, eyes wide in frantic dilation.“I don't fucking care!” His booming voice bounced through the walls of the chamber, “You want me to sit here and do nothing?! I know where she is now! I will get her back!”“This could be the perfect timing,” Luciana suddenly interjects a
Veronica's POV“The longer you stay, the more dangerous it can get,” Rowan emphasized his words slowly. Declan was just leaning on the nearby wall, watching us silently with arms crossed.Luciana stood in front of me, holding me by my shoulders and looking directly into my eyes, “Are you sure about this, Veronica?”I met her gaze and nodded, “I think he needs me.”The Rozeiros siblings glanced at one another. They have been acting very secretive since I woke up.My body still feels weak. I'm not in my best condition yet but I can stand and walk already so I didn't let it stop me. Besides, it's not like I'd feel any better stuck laying on a bed knowing that my husband is rotting, locked up somewhere.It's almost like we switched places. I know he didn't stay put when it happened to me so I cannot really ignore it. I also don't want to.“We can only let you talk to him for a couple of minutes, Veronica,” Luciana started explaining, “Please understand. This is important. It's taking a lo
Veronica's POV The sun hit my eye and I squinted from the harsh light. It took a second before it registered to me where I was. I couldn't feel my legs, they had become numb, feeling the heavy weight of the man still lying on my lap. We fell asleep last night. Exhaustion caught up to me because I also just recently woke up from my injuries. I still feel a bit queasy but the good thing was Sebastian fell asleep too. He's still deep in slumber right now. My fingers traced the features of his face. I assume that he was awake for days since he was locked up here based on the dark circles under his eyes. He was in solitary. If they don't really open the barriers, he probably must not have eaten too. While unconfirmed, I don't know what to feel when I imagine him suffering like that. I’m not sure how long I spent lost in my thoughts when Sebastian's eyes fluttered open. Our gazes met. “Veronica?” He asked in confusion, still out of it. He stared at me like he was still in a dream an
Veronica's POV“Can you tell me about the curse?”Sebastian flinched at the question.Then he admitted, “I don't want to.”My forehead creased and I turned to look up at him, “What do you mean you don't want to? Don't you think that after all this, I deserve to know? You're leaving me in the dark.”His deep red eyes watched me for a long time before he choked out,“You’ll leave me.”I almost didn't hear it. It almost did not sound like him.Sebastian is sure of himself. He knows that he is in his own league. He never falters. He's solid rock. He knows what he wants and takes what he wants.That is the man I knew.The man in front of me right now, though, sounded like a kid.Someone vulnerable and scared.My heart ached.“But I’m still here, aren’t I?”“For now.”I couldn't say a thing after that.Sebastian added, “You’ll never see me the same.”My chest hurts.“Don’t you think I’d learn to cherish the new side of you too?”“That’s not really a thing.”“Try me.”My words were fast and s
Warning: Graphic depictions of violence**Sebastian’s POVThe harsh winter has come and it will be taking over the entire North for a while.We are back at Main Helios. The entourage with us, however, are traveling separately so it would take a while before they arrive with the majority of the resources. It’s not like they can cross the same portal connecting the North to our extended territory that we used. Only those Rozeiros by blood can.I had to give my blood to Veronica so she could pass through. Even then, she had to cross with me in tow for it to work. We’re married but we’re not officially mated so I had to resort into another method.The reminder soured my mood as I entered her office. She has her own now. It’s been almost a week since the incident and she has been busy with the kingdom’s paperworks and queenly duties. We did have a disagreement at first. I didn’t want her to push herself as she is still recovering but Veronica insisted that if she stayed rotting in bed,
Veronica’s POV“Thank you so much, Luna,” the late middle-aged female omega smiled appreciatively and tried to reach for my hands. The guards behind me moved from my peripheral vision to stop her as it is against the code but I raised my hand to gesture for them to stop.I reached back to her hand and held it together while returning the warm smile, my heart flattered and full from her gratitude. I gently told her, “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this winter together. The palace will give you all the aid needed.”The line of pack members behind her remains quite long even as the distribution has begun for hours now. I waved at the kind lady as the line continued. The entourage arrived earlier today and we instantly began the distribution of resources soon after. It’s almost sunset now. I gave another smile to the woman who was holding a young boy, most likely her son, beside him. I grabbed their package and was handing it to her when the young pup said,“Do you really have magic, Your
Veronica’s POV“Hail, Supreme,” the entire committee of the Holy Parliament greeted in chorus, bowing to the newly arrived man.I watched how even Sebastian and Gareth followed. It took me and Colton a late second to follow.Having been from two powerful packs that always participates in the Culling Tournament and has connections throughout the upper society of the lycan continent, I assume they know the obviously high-ranking person.Sebastian wouldn't have bowed to someone lower than his status. To think that he's not almost on par with the Holy Parliament with how he interacts with them on the same footing, this means that this stranger surpasses, and probably sits on top of the chain.I tried peeking to see him as he trudged inside the courtroom, past the middle circle where Sebastian was positioned and towards the elevated platform in front, where the committee was.He walked with regality and authority. But I can't sense his second gender, which is normal sometimes especially wh
Veronica’s POVToday is the trial for the final verdict about Sebastian's murder and we have to bail time.“Luna Veronica,” the mocking voice of my boorish, brainless, ex-husband Colton disturbed the peaceful silence I have at where I was by the stands, “Majestic as ever with the way you managed to claw your way up towards another reign despite everything.”I turned to him with a cold, emotionless face.“Colton of Eviera,” I began, refusing to call him by his title as an Alpha, because I despised the time that I was beneath him when I know we're not even in the same league and he was never better than me.I looked directly into his eyes, “I see you're still the same too. Always barking up the wrong tree without a bite, thinking so full of himself but just overcompensating for the many things that you lack.”His fake politeness and confidence easily crumbled. Colton snarled at me, taking a step closer with glowing eyes in anger.“Funny you say that and look down on me. Then I guess you
Veronica’s POVWhen lycans lose their sense of self, they become feral werewolves.It happens in instances that the wolf side of a lycan fully overtakes the consciousness of the individual. If left unchecked and not cured in the right time, the werewolf will just become a mindless wolf, entirely animal; with no humanity left in them.So imagine my shock when I see Eamon in this state.“What happened to him?!” I exclaimed and stepped forward to get a closer look at where he was kneeling on the floor, canines bared, elongated and drooling.His eyes don't recognize anyone. They were wild and dilated, when I moved, he tried lunging at me with a bite and a growl but Declan held his chains, rattling as he was pulled while Sebastian was quick to grab my arm and held me back. I looked at him in panic. He had a blank stoic expression.“Don’t come near him, he’s not himself,” he warns and glances at the writhing Eamon, “It’s almost the same state whenever I lose myself to the curse.”It was har
Sebastian's POVI remember my very first kill vividly.Back then, the entire Northern continent was facing a rise of beasts and monsters.There was a breach at Helios, the entire pack was in chaos as a swarm of giant golems entered the territory.I was seven and told to stay in the palace. I haven't been into real hunts yet, especially unsupervised because they caught me back when I lied about going to a hunt to keep the rabbit I got.Then again, even as a kid, I was stubborn. I do what I like. I hated that all my siblings get to participate but me.That's how I found myself in the middle of Helios, with what seems to be the leader of the golems headed to me, pouncing.It happened way too fast.“Sebastian!” I heard Rowan yell from afar. It was loud even amongst the commotion of everyone fighting and the warriors trying to control the situation. My instincts took over. I fully shifted for the first time.I remember just dashing towards the danger of the giant golem, the feeling of ad
Veronica's POV“So Eamon is the traitor,” Nolan slumped down on the couch after he got back from the courtroom, “I don't believe it,” he mumbled to himself.“Me neither,” I uttered as I glanced at him from where I was standing in the middle of the room, “I don't know Eamon as much as you two do but I never considered him as a man who can do that.”“He seemed responsible and dutiful, a man of principles,” I said.Nolan sighed and looked at me, “It's because he is.”I have noticed that because he is Sebastian's closest aid, Eamon has a tight relationship with the Rozeiros siblings too. Being the pack Beta, this also has tremendous repercussions to the Helios hierarchy.We fell silent for a while, probably sharing the same worried thoughts. Until Sebastian spoke.“It can mean something different,” his serious voice echoed within the chambers.He had his back on us, hands clasped together behind him, standing in front of the ceiling to floor windows, staring at the dark outside.Nolan per
Veronica's POV“We all know the tales about the demon wolf. The kind of stories told to children at bedtime to warn them about the big bad wolf, a nightmare even amongst our kind.”I felt Sebastian’s hand flinch from Colton's words but he remained stoic. It's the most reaction I got from him since earlier. Nolan himself fell silent too.I glared at the bastard Colton but all three of us cannot contradict his words despite wanting to cut his tongue right then and there. It's vexing that he's aware of this fact and exploiting it to provoke us.“The brutal descriptions of the death brings the rumors to life. Always the torn limbs, the body in pieces, and the head is ripped away,” Colton’s eyes glinted with satisfaction as he looked at us, “Same pattern means same killer, yeah?”I bit the insides of my cheek.After witnessing that dark side of Sebastian, I started to see the same pattern Colton was pertaining to. Sebastian has this habit in killing, quite instinctive, that I don't think h
Veronica's POV The mystery pieces of how the murder of the Culling Tournament started coming together after seeing Colton and Gareth. They are definitely behind this. “Why are we joined with pests here tonight?” Sebastian gritted out the moment we stepped inside and saw them, “I wasn't informed that we are having bad company.” “I don't think we're the bad guys here, Sebastian,” Gareth answered with a smirk as he stared at him goadingly, “We came here to help.” “Help me and go fuck yourself then,” Sebastian took a step to lunge, almost instinctively but I pulled him to a halt. This is bad. Horrible, even. We can't have Sebastian lose his temper and trigger the curse in the middle of this trial. If that happens, we'd never recover for it. As much as Helios is powerful, the pack is still bounded by lycan oaths and principles. This could turn as an ammunition and an excuse for every enemy that the kingdom has to aid in taking down Helios. With everyone possibly working together t
Veronica's POVThere are three things we need to sort out.First, the trial for the murder of the Culling Tournament: it's impossible to disprove something Sebastian did commit. However, we cannot let this be used against Helios and let them corner us. Either we sway the direction into a more favorable judgment or manage to finalize a settlement.Second: find our Beta. Eamon is still missing out there. It could mean a lot of things but mostly two worst possibilities— a sign of betrayal or a hint of danger. Declan has set out to chase after his tracks and hopefully, come back positive results. Third: get points one and two done within a short amount of remaining time before the upcoming eclipse.Because unfortunately, this isn't the strongest storm that is about to hit us. That, I am sure of.“You know, when we talked about coming back to Metropolis, I didn't think it would be this soon,” I broke the silence in the carriage as we started to cross the familiar large arc at the end of t
Veronica's POV“I'm not dying Veronica.”I’m not sure when my anger turned from being betrayed through a broken trust into the stubborn vulnerability I want to avoid that comes with the possibility of losing him.His words echoed in my head.Sebastian was so sure that the curse will not kill him. He doesn't even seem to take it seriously. Perhaps it's only natural. He's never been weak in his entire life. Being in the brink of death is an unfamiliar territory for him.But not for me.“You don't know that,” I held his baffled gaze.I toed with near-death for a couple more times than I can count my entire life.I was never a gifted hunter by birth— it was all hardwork. The desperation to be acknowledged that fueled me to excel. I had no choice but to make myself excel, indespensible. Yet never a prodigy like him.So I have brushed with death a lot of times. Then, my life turned into worst. There was a time when it almost ended. Twice. One during my first imprisonment and second was duri