Sebastian POVCeline stirs beside me, her body shifting as she wakes. I turn to her and offer a soft smile, though my worry is difficult to hide. She sits up slowly, her movements heavy with fatigue, and looks between us. Her face is pale—too pale. Her energy is fading faster than I expected, and it’s clear she’s running on fumes.“How are you feeling?” I ask, keeping my voice gentle.She forces a smile, but it’s weak. “Perfectly fine. I just needed a nap,” she says, her voice thin with exhaustion.I don’t press her, but it’s obvious she’s lying. Her weariness is written in every line of her face, and I’m silently thankful that we’ve decided to prioritize the Vampire Kingdom. She won’t last long without the blood she needs.The cars grind to a halt, and I glance out the window. We’ve arrived? I told them to rush, but I didn’t expect them to cover the distance this quickly.“I’m going to discuss the plan with the guards. Stay in the car—it may not be safe,” I tell her firmly. Leaning o
Celine POVI watch as Sebastian steps out of the car, his broad shoulders tense with the weight of his responsibilities. Dolton follows close behind, his head slightly bowed as though burdened by his own doubts. Inside, the tension lingers, suffocating and thick. Jonathan sits quietly across from me, his nose buried in one of the journals, his focus unbroken.Shifting, I move to sit beside him, leaning slightly into his space. “What are you looking for?” I ask softly, my voice breaking the silence.“I’m just making sure we have everything we need for this meeting with the elders,” he replies, lifting his gaze to me. A faint smile crosses his lips before he leans forward, pressing a kiss to my lips.For a moment, the world fades away—the chaos, the fear, everything. I lose myself in the warmth of his touch, kissing him back as I press closer to him, seeking comfort in his presence.But his hand gently stops me, resting against my shoulder. He shakes his head, his smile soft and underst
Celine POV“What did you see?” he asks, leaning closer, his eyes scanning mine for answers.“Nothing,” I whisper again, the confusion in my voice matching the turmoil in my mind.“You saw something, Celine,” he presses gently.I nod slowly, struggling to put it into words. “I… I saw nothing. It was just darkness. A really cold feeling, panic, and all these screams and shouts… but there was nothing to see. It was completely dark.”His head tilts slightly as he processes my words, then he nods. “Maybe you’re too weak to see the full vision,” he says thoughtfully. “Forget about it for now. Don’t try to trigger any more visions. I was only asking—I didn’t want you to actually try.”“Sorry,” I mumble, feeling small and uncertain. “I don’t know what happened.”Jonathan sighs, pulling me into his arms. I let myself melt into his embrace, finding a small comfort in the way his hand strokes along my back.The moment is short-lived, though, as the car door opens and Sebastian motions for me to
Sebastian POVEvery instinct in me screams to stop her, to call her back and tell her to save her energy. But I can’t. Not when she looks like this.She looks free.It’s a look I’ve never seen on her before, and it warms my heart in ways I didn’t think possible. The smile on her face is radiant, a stark contrast to the weight she’s carried for so long. As she turns and dives, laughter spilling from her lips, it’s like she’s shed every burden she’s ever known.I let her have this moment because… when does she ever get to have fun? When does she ever get to live?She’s ahead of me now, her movements light and carefree, but I stay close. Close enough that I can reach her if something goes wrong. There are still dragons out there—rogues and exiles—who might see her as a target, but I pray none are near.Her laughter rings out again, filling the air like a melody, and my chest tightens at the sound. She spins an
Sebastian POVAs we descend, I see him—Aarmon, the head vampire. He stands outside the castle gates, his tall, imposing figure wrapped in a dark cloak. His sharp features are illuminated by the faint torchlight, his crimson eyes narrowing as he watches us approach. His confusion is evident, his brow furrowing as he steps forward, scanning the scene with interest.Helios lands hard, his claws digging into the earth as we touch down just outside the castle. The ground trembles beneath the force, and a cloud of dust rises around us. I force him back, reclaiming control as my feet hit the ground.Aarmon tilts his head, his expression unreadable as his piercing gaze locks onto me. “Sebastian,” he greets, his tone smooth but tinged with curiosity. “What brings you here so suddenly? And in such a state?” His eyes flick to the figure in my arms, hidden beneath the throw.“Where’s your mage?” I bark, my voice sharp and commanding.Aarmon’s brow arches sligh
Sebastian POVI don’t like this. It’s taking too long, and now we’re going to be late to meet the elders, which isn’t acceptable. Every moment we waste here is a risk, yet I can’t bring myself to focus on anything except the unmoving form of Celine lying before me. The air in the room feels heavy, thick with uncertainty, and the longer this drags on, the more my patience frays at the edges.Elira finally steps back, her expression unreadable, but there’s something in the way she exhales that unsettles me. “From what I can tell, she’s under a spell,” she begins, her voice slow and measured. “She’s linked to someone else’s mind, which forces her to see what they see. There’s a chance she can hear us, but she’s locked inside another’s consciousness, experiencing their reality instead of her own.”Her words settle like a weight on my chest, dragging my thoughts to the worst possibilities. I hadn’t considered this before—hadn’t thought about the risks of what she might be seeing, of who sh
Sebastian POVThen I close my eyes and reach out—toward her, toward her shifter—hoping that I can find her before she slips away completely. Hoping that I don’t just sink into the darkness like before, hoping that this time I can actually reach her, I take a deep breath and press my hand over hers.The moment I push out to her mind, I’m dragged under.The shift is violent—like something has grabbed me by the throat and yanked me into a space where light doesn’t exist. A suffocating weight presses in from all sides, thick and heavy, swallowing every sense I have. There’s no sound, no vision, no ground beneath me, just a vast nothingness that coils around me like a predator waiting to strike.Helios roars, the sound vibrating through my very bones, a deep, primal response to the unnatural force pulling at us. His instinct is to break free, to tear through this space with brute force and demand control, but I grit my teeth and restrain him.Not yet.I need him, but not to fight. He can c
Celine POVI don’t know what happened. One moment, I was soaring through the skies, the wind rushing against my scales, the freedom of the moment consuming me entirely. Then, in an instant, everything shifted. The air disappeared, the sky vanished, and suddenly, I was standing—not flying, not falling—just there, locked in place in front of him.The Werewolf King.His presence was suffocating, thick like smoke curling around me, twisting into my skin, into my mind, making everything feel wrong. The weight of it pressed down on me, coiling around my ribs, making each breath shallower than the last. It wasn’t real—it couldn’t be real—but the longer I stood there, the more that certainty slipped away. My thoughts grew hazy, my senses dulled, and I could no longer tell if this was a vision or my new reality.The world around me didn’t shift or waver like my past visions did. There was no flickering, no moments where I could see that it wasn’t real. This was different. This felt permanent.
Sebastian’s POVThree months laterI’m flying as fast as I can, the wind cutting sharp against my scales.I left the kingdom earlier to meet Aarmon and collect two feeders for Celine. Her pregnancy has made her need blood more frequently, and I have no idea how she will be after the baby is born. I planned to return days ago, but Aarmon ran into issues with the vampires, delaying everything. Now I’m rushing back, and the only thing I know is that Celine has gone into labor.I abandoned the cars hours ago, there wasn’t time to waste. The soldiers will ensure the feeders arrive safely. Right now, the only thing that matters is getting to her.Helios pushes forward, impatient, and I don’t stop him. He’s always faster than me in the air, and this time, I need that speed. He focuses, his instincts sharper, his wings slicing through the sky with powerful strokes. At least this way, if we’re late,
Celine’s POVThe grand hall of the Dragon Kingdom is alive with celebration, the golden glow of torches casting flickering light over the towering stone walls. It’s strange how quickly everything has settled, how the chaos of battle has faded into something almost distant, like a dream that we all woke up from. The weight of it still lingers, of course, but tonight is not about that. Tonight is about the fact that we are here. Alive. Stronger than before.The past week has been a blur, filled with moments of reflection and change. Somehow when Helios takes control, I can hear Sebastian in my mind. It's strange but nice. Jonathan has embraced both sides of himself more than ever, his fae and merfolk magic flowing together like they were always meant to be one. Dolton has grown quieter, more thoughtful, as if the shadows that once burst from him still whisper at the edge of his mind, not in a bad way though. Leif is adjusting, still finding his place among us
Sebastian POVThe cars come to a stop, and I glance out the window, relief flooding through me at the sight of home.Dolton nudges my arm with a playful grin. “You should fly up with Celine. It’ll be quicker than waiting in the cars.”I shake my head firmly. “No, we should all arrive together.”Dolton’s smirk widens, mischief clear in his eyes. “Alright, then how about Helios takes her up instead? I’m sure he’d love to stretch his wings.”I roll my eyes. “How is that any different?”Dolton shrugs, chuckling softly. “You said you missed home. I’d bet Helios does too—this is his kingdom after all. Maybe he deserves to arrive first.”Before I can respond, Helios takes Dolton’s suggestion as permission, surging forward eagerly and pushing my consciousness to the back. My body shifts abruptly in the car, a wave of laughter erupting from bo
Dolton POVWe’re sitting in a clearing, resting before continuing our journey back to the Dragon Kingdom. The weight I’ve carried since the battle finally feels lighter as laughter fills the air. Around me, faces are relaxed for the first time in what feels like forever. Sebastian sits close to Celine, his arm protectively around her as people continue to celebrate her pregnancy, teasing him about becoming a father. Their smiles are contagious, and I find myself genuinely laughing alongside them.Yet even as I laugh, Julius remains uneasy, pacing restlessly inside my mind. I try to push the unease away, but it’s difficult when Julius is this restless. I glance over to Leif, sitting quietly, staring off into the trees. There’s still so much I don’t know about him, so much he probably doesn’t even know about himself.Leaning closer, I nudge his shoulder gently. “You okay?”Leif blinks, pulled from his thoughts
Jonathan POVI sit alone in the quiet car, the journals spread across my lap. My fingers flip through the pages slowly, frustration building with every page turn. I’d told the others I needed silence to focus, but the truth is, I just didn’t want them to see how much this is getting to me.I’m trying to find answers for Dolton, something that can explain what’s happening to him, but each page I read feels emptier than the last. My heart thuds with a heavy anxiety as I rub my temples.There’s almost nothing here about Lycans. The few mentions I’ve found are vague or useless, and there’s not a single line about the Shadow of the Moon or why there can suddenly be two Lycans. It’s as if the writers deliberately avoided the topic, which only makes me feel more unsettled.I lean my head back against the seat, taking a slow breath, and close my eyes. Dolton deserves answers, he’s struggling with something non
Sebastian POVWe left the Werewolf Kingdom first thing in the morning. I want to get home. I’ve spent far too long away from my kingdom; Helios is restless, and so am I.It’ll take about three days to get back, but since it’s only our group traveling, all my men can drive, which means we won’t be slowed down by walking. Dolton chose to ride in another car with Leif, wanting to spend some time speaking with him alone. Jonathan opted to ride separately, claiming he needed quiet to focus on reading through the journals.I understand why Jonathan turns to the journals for answers, but even I doubt they can solve everything. I know he’s hoping to find something—anything—to help Dolton. Finding out Leif is directly connected to him, even in death, must be overwhelming, especially when severing their bond might risk both their lives.Still, despite the circumstances, I welcome the chance to spend time alone with Celine.
Celine POVI watch Dolton carefully. He wouldn’t have turned bad, I know it. He wasn’t alone, he had me, Sebastian, and Jonathan. We wouldn’t have let him become something evil.Stepping closer, I gently slip my hand into Dolton’s, trying to calm him. He turns slightly, offering me a faint smile, but the worry in his eyes is unmistakable. He shouldn’t be worried; he has us.“You once mentioned feeling like part of you was missing, like something wasn’t fully there,” his father says from behind the bars, his gaze unwavering. “Do you remember when that began, Dolton?”“No, I don’t,” Dolton snaps sharply.From the other cell, Wes chuckles darkly. “It started when Leif was born. Come on, Dolton, catch up.”Turning sharply, I glare at Wes, and the twisted, evil man mockingly blows me a kiss. My stomach churns with disgust.“Leif is part of you,&
Dolton POVAs I go to leave the cells, Celine walks in. It's pointless, I know she wants to know how things are happening but my father isn't about to speak.“He won’t speak,” I mutter before glancing back to my father. “At least not truthfully.”Celine smiles softly at me and nods. She looks back to my father and steps around me going toward the cells. “Then let’s make sure he can’t lie.”What? I stare at her and realise what she means. She reaches my father and his gaze turns cold. She doesn't hesitate she reaches through the bars and grips his hand, her grip tightens even more. I watch as his eyes widen, and a sharp breath escapes him as her magic pulses through him, I know what she's doing. She's going a truth spell and ensuring it's weaving into his mind, binding him to honesty. The moment the spell settles, I watch as she releases him and steps back, nodding toward me.“He can’
Dolton POVI stare at the moon, trying to understand what Leif is talking about. To me, it’s always been just a moon, something distant, powerful in its way, but never something I thought would speak to me. Yet Leif’s words linger in my mind, urging me to look deeper, to truly see.At first, I don’t notice anything unusual, just the pale glow of the moon standing oddly bright against the daytime sky. But the longer I stare, the more the edges of my vision blur, pulling my focus sharply toward the moon’s surface. Something shifts there, a subtle movement, a ripple of darkness.I blink, thinking it’s my imagination or fatigue from the battle. Yet the shadows don’t vanish; instead, they sharpen, becoming clearer, more defined. My breathing slows, and my heart quickens as I focus, straining to understand exactly what I’m witnessing.Then I see it, the shadows aren’t just vague, dark shapes. They’re detaile