Celine POVJonathan doesn’t move his hand. His amber eyes lock onto mine, stern yet gentle. “You don’t understand. You’re pushing yourself too far. Do you even realize how much time has passed?”A breathless laugh escapes me. “Five minutes, maybe ten,” I say dismissively. My body feels heavy, sure, but not like I’ve been working for hours. “I can handle this.”“No,” Jonathan says firmly, his tone brooking no argument. He pulls out the journal and holds it in front of me, his finger pointing to a specific passage. “Read this. It says right here—when performing magic of this magnitude, time warps. What feels like minutes to you is hours to everyone else.” He looks back at me, his brows furrowed with worry. “It’s been over three hours, Celine.”Three hours? My stomach twists. Could that be true? It didn’t feel like hours. The exhaustion I brushed off as a minor side effect suddenly feels heavier, pressing down on me like a physical weight. Jonathan continues, his voice softer now. “You n
Sebastian POVCeline spins around to face me, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Her wide, stunned eyes flicker over my towering form, and it takes everything in me not to burst into laughter at the bewildered look plastered across her face.“Sebastian?” she says, her voice laced with hesitation, and then adds more firmly, “Where’s your head?”I can’t help but chuckle, the deep rumble of it resonating through my chest. “I’m right here, Celine,” I assure her, making sure the cadence of my voice is familiar enough to cut through the surreal moment.Her gaze darts upward, to the massive, draconic head that has replaced my usual human features. “No,” she says, pointing with emphasis. “That’s not your head!”I laugh outright this time, the sound warm and amused. With a small mental shift, I revert to my hybrid form—the one I’m most
Sebastian POVTurning to address the rest of the army, I project my voice so it carries through the hall. “Tonight, you have proven why this kingdom stands as one of the strongest in the realm. Your bravery and skill on the battlefield have once again secured our borders. You have done amazing work, and I am proud of each and every one of you.”The soldiers respond with a collective roar of approval, their pride evident in the way they stand taller, their wings unfurling slightly.“However,” I continue, my tone serious, “we cannot afford to grow complacent. While the exiled have delivered their message and are unlikely to attack again immediately, we must be prepared for the possibility that they may try to break through and reach Celine. I want guards stationed at every border, patrols doubled, and reports sent to me hourly. We will not allow them to exploit any weaknesses.”There is no hesitation in their response. A
Sebastian POV“It—” Diadri stammers, her gaze darting to Zokod.“This is clearly fabricated,” Zokod says, his voice rising slightly. “Our son died, Your Majesty.”“Did he?” I counter. “Because this photograph was taken the week after your son allegedly passed away. What’s more, there’s currently an underground operation selling children and adults with special abilities into slavery. The information I’ve gathered places your son directly in the middle of this.”The murmurs around us grow into shocked gasps. Zokod shifts uncomfortably, while Diadri looks ready to collapse.“From what I’ve uncovered, your son was sold for over 500,000 crowns,” I continue. “And then, coincidentally, your family came into money—insurance, you claimed. But that’s not all, is it? Monthly payments continue to arrive from the Werewolf Kingdom.”
Celine POVThe palace halls stretch endlessly before me, their grandeur amplified by the faint flicker of torchlight casting long, shifting shadows. The guard leading me walks with purpose, his steps echoing against the polished stone floors. Despite the beauty surrounding me, the intricately carved archways, the glimmer of gold trim on every doorframe, and the soft hum of enchantments woven into the very air—I can’t focus. My body aches, and my mind feels heavy with everything that has transpired.“This way, Your Majesty,” the guard says, his voice firm but polite as he gestures toward a wide, ornate door at the end of the hall.Sebastian’s bedroom.The door looms ahead, its surface carved with intricate dragons weaving through storm clouds, their wings outstretched in eternal flight. The craftsmanship is stunning, each detail so lifelike it seems the dragons could leap from the wood at any moment.Jo
Celine POVThe logistics of it alone make my head spin, but I nod absently, trying to piece it all together. When I glance up, I notice Jonathan watching me, his expression curious.“You were talking to your wolf,” he says softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.I nod, brushing my hair back from my face. “Don’t you ever talk to your Fae?”Jonathan’s smile fades slightly, his gaze thoughtful. “Fae aren’t like wolves or dragons. Our shifts are part of us, but there’s no separate consciousness, no voice to guide us. When Sebastian shifts, Helios can take control, and he can step back. When you shift, Luperca is there for you to lean on, to speak to. For Fae… we’re always in control. There’s no separate entity to connect with.”I tilt my head, processing his words. I’ve always assumed that every shifter had a connection like mine, a voice in their head that offered
Celine POVHis head tilts in curiosity, his expression shifting to one of interest. “Can she do that while you’re in your Fae form?”“She says she’s connected to every part of me,” I explain. “Apparently, it doesn’t matter what form I’m in.”A faint smile spreads across his face. “Then I’d be happy to meet her. She’s a part of you, after all.”I nod, focusing inward again. How do I do this, Luperca?Relax and let go, she instructs. Focus on me and allow me to step forward. You’ll still be there, but as an observer.I exhale deeply, trying to relax. The sensation is strange—like being pulled backward and watching from behind a pane of glass. My body moves, but it’s not me in control anymore.“Hello, Jonathan,” Luperca says, her voice richer and more commanding than mine. Hearing her speak out loud through me is disorienting.
Celine POVI feel the connection stir, pulling me forward. I push gently, taking control back from Luperca. Jonathan immediately notices, his smile softening as his eyes meet mine.“Celine,” he says warmly.I blink at him, surprised. “How did you know?”“Your eyes,” he says simply. “They shifted slightly. And your posture—it’s different. It’s easy to tell when you and Luperca change places.”His attentiveness makes me smile. “You notice everything, don’t you?” Without waiting for an answer, I tug him toward the bed. “Let’s just watch a movie. I want to relax.”He chuckles softly and nods, settling beside me as we put something on. His arm wraps around me, pulling me closer, and the warmth of his presence lulls me into a comfortable haze. As the movie plays, I find myself drifting, the weight of exhaustion pulling me under. I don’t figh
Celine POVThe first creature turns just as I reach them, their red eyes gleaming in the moonlight, their body already beginning to grow, their limbs stretching, muscles thickening, their entire form warping into something even more monstrous.I don’t let them finish.My bear slams into them first, its massive paws crashing into their chest, sending them flying backward before they can fully shift. The moment they hit the ground, my fae magic surges, pinning them down with invisible force.The second one lunges for me, their claws elongated, too fast to stop. Sebastian intercepts, he shoves his bone dagger into their side, twisting it deep. The creature lets out a shriek, staggering back, its already growing form faltering as black ichor spills from the wound.But it isn’t dead, its body ripples, shifting more, getting bigger.“Celine!” Sebastian shouts, yanking his weapon free as he stumbles back.I don’t hesitate, my wolf form springs into action, slamming into the creature’s back,
Celine POVI push harder, ignoring the burning in my legs, just when I think I'm getting close, something shifts ahead of me.A figure steps into my path and I skid to a stop, breath catching in my throat as I take in the woman standing before me. Tall, elegant, and draped in flowing, scaled armor that shimmers like dragonhide. Golden eyes, sharp as a blade, lock onto me with cold amusement.My stomach twists. Tatsuya. The dragon who was supposed to marry Sebastian. The woman who had tried, over and over, to push me out of his life.I steel myself, straightening despite the pounding of my heart. “Move.”A smirk curves her lips. “Still so demanding.” She cocks her head, eyeing me like I’m something insignificant. “And still so out of place.”Anger coils inside me, hot and seething, but I shove it down. I don’t have time for this.Sebastian shouts again, his voice rough with strain, and I move to step around her, but she mirrors me, blocking my path effortlessly.I clench my fists. “I d
Celine POVI move through the dense forest, my steps light but quick, every sense sharpened as I search for my mates. The trees loom taller here, their thick canopies blocking out most of the moonlight, leaving only thin slivers to guide my way. I don’t stop. I can’t.Something shifts and the air thickens, pressing against my skin like unseen hands trying to hold me back. A pulse of something dark, something unnatural, ripples through the trees, making the leaves tremble though there’s no wind. I halt mid-step, my breath catching in my throat.No.I swallow hard, my pulse hammering in my ears as I stare into the unnatural blackness spreading ahead of me. It’s not just the absence of light. It’s something alive, something seething, something waiting.The darkness will consume you.The Fae Queen’s warning echoes through my mind, cold and unwavering.It’s already inside you.I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I’ve felt it before, the whisper of something foreign crawling
Celine POVNo, this isn’t real. But my body doesn’t listen. The pain in my wrists is real. The exhaustion in my limbs is real. The sinking, bone-deep dread pooling in my stomach is real.I tremble, my body reacting before my mind can stop it. Because it remembers.His grip moves from my chin to my throat.“You always did look pretty like this,” he muses, amusement lacing his tone. “Helpless.”Rage coils inside me, but it’s buried under terror. I want to move, to shift, to fight, but I can’t. The fear keeps me frozen, suffocating me, keeping me exactly where I was back then.No! I am not this girl anymore, I'm not weak. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block it out, trying to force myself out of this. My wolf howls inside me, my vampire thrashes, my fae magic writhes against my skin—but I can’t reach them.I'm trapped.His fingers tighten around my throat. “Say it,” he murmurs, his lips inches from my ear. “Say what you are.”I squeeze my eyes shut, but the words press against my lips
Celine POVI move fast, following the trail, but the forest shifts around me, warping and twisting. The trees stretch impossibly high, their shadows lengthening across the ground, closing in. The faint glow of my path flickers, then vanishes.Stopping, my chest rises and falls as my pulse thrums against my ribs. The weight in the air changes, pressing down on me, thick and cloying, like something unseen is crawling beneath my skin. A slow, familiar dread seeps in, a darkness I haven’t felt in years—one I buried, one I thought I had escaped.The air turns frigid, and a voice I hoped to never hear again slips through the silence, curling around me like a noose.“Well, well. Look at you.”The sound sends ice through my veins, rooting me in place. Footsteps echo across the forest floor, slow and deliberate, each step crunching against dead leaves. The scent of him reaches me before I even turn, cologne masking something vile, something rotting beneath the surface.Richard.He steps into v
Celine’s POVI don’t land. I appear. One moment, I am standing before the elders, drinking from that cursed cup. The next, I am somewhere else entirely. My stomach lurches as my body is thrown into existence, my knees buckling as I hit the damp ground. The sharp scent of pine and earth floods my senses, and before I can even gather myself, a low, guttural sound rumbles from the darkness.I freeze.The forest around me is thick, the trees impossibly tall, their twisted branches woven so tightly together that only slivers of moonlight cut through the canopy. The air is dense, wrong, like the energy in this place doesn’t belong to the real world. Thick vines coil around the trees, pulsing faintly, as if the forest itself is breathing. Shadows shift between the trunks, moving too quickly, too deliberately to be nothing.Then I hear them. Growls. Deep, predatory and close.I force myself to stay still, my breathing controlled, my hands curled into fists at my sides. I can feel them circlin
Jonathan POVThe moment my foot touches the ground ahead of me, the maze shifts.The walls groan, twisting violently, stone grinding against stone. The mist thickens, rising like a living thing, curling around my legs. Whispers crawl up my spine, slithering through my skull, pressing into my thoughts.“You are not enough.”“You cannot protect her.”“She is already gone.”I clench my jaw, forcing the voices out. I do not believe them. I will not believe them. I have spent my life fighting, surviving. I have bled for the people I swore to protect. I will not break here.My hands curl into fists, my breath slow, controlled.Then, ahead of me, a figure steps from the mist. I stop, my heart hammering against my ribs, it’s me, but also not.This version of me is different. His stance is casual, his expression unreadable. His golden hair is neatly in place, his clothes
Jonathan POVI wake with the taste of blood in my mouth.The air is thick, humid, pressing down on my skin like a weight I can’t shake off. My body aches, my limbs sluggish as I push myself up from the damp, uneven ground beneath me. My head throbs, and for a moment, I can’t focus, my vision swims as I try to make sense of where I am.Something is wrong.I inhale deeply, expecting the rush of awareness, the sharpness of my fae senses snapping into place, but instead—nothing. No magic. No connection to the energy that has always been a part of me. The absence of it is suffocating, a hollow space where power should be. My fingers dig into the wet soil, frustration curling in my chest. No. This isn’t right.The last thing I remember is the trial. The elders. Being separated from Celine.Celine. The thought slams into me like a blade. I reach for the bond—expecting to feel even the faintest trace of
Sebastian POVI wake to the scent of fire and blood.The air is thick with it, hot against my skin, clinging to my clothes as I push myself up from the dry, cracked earth beneath me. My head throbs, a dull, pulsing ache that makes it hard to focus. I inhale deeply, expecting to feel the fire of my dragon’s breath in my lungs, the power of my shift just beneath the surface, waiting to be called upon.But there is nothing.The absence of my dragon is instant and suffocating. A hollow space where my power should be, where my instincts should guide me. I exhale slowly, reigning in the sharp spike of irritation that threatens to rise. Panic is for those who don't know how to command themselves.I force myself to my feet, brushing dust from my clothes as I scan my surroundings. The sky above is a vast black void, no stars, no moon, just emptiness stretching endlessly. The landscape around me is barren, littered with jagged bones that rise from the