Dolton POVWhen Sebastian and Celine return from their outing, I take her hand and guide her away. Sebastian is occupied with the investigation into the dragons, and his decision to involve Jonathan makes sense. Fae are naturally adept at sensing dishonesty, making Jonathan an invaluable tool in uncovering truths. That leaves me and Celine with a rare opportunity—time alone, uninterrupted for at least a day or two.As I lead her through the corridors, I catch her puzzled expression. It’s not surprising. Earlier this morning, before she joined us, we discussed sleeping arrangements. Two of us sharing a bed with her? Manageable. Three of us crowded together every night? That’s where the line is drawn. None of us, myself included, are entirely comfortable with the idea of lying shoulder to shoulder in one bed.“Why are we going to the bedroom?” she teases, her tone playful as a mischievous glint lights her eyes.“Not for what you’re thinking.” I chuckle, shaking my head as I open the doo
Dolton POV“So I’m right,” she says, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.I groan, leaning back in my chair. “Fine. You have a point. But Jonathan doesn’t need a dragon form, Celine. He already has two forms—Fae and Merfolk. You can’t give him another.”She chews her bottom lip, clearly already contemplating it. “But he should fit in too,” she murmurs, more to herself than to me.“Do you think he cares about fitting in?” I counter, my tone firm. “Jonathan is comfortable in his Fae form. That’s the side of him that’s most natural, most prominent. Just like for me—it doesn’t matter that I now have a dragon form. I will always feel more like myself as a Lycan. I didn’t feel out of place at that party, and neither did Jonathan.”She sighs heavily, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the table. “Going forward, Celine, you need to talk to us before making these decisions. I understand you were scared after the vision, but you can’t change who we are without consulting us first
Jonathan POVAs a Fae, detecting deception is second nature. Sometimes it’s an overwhelming surge of certainty; other times, it’s a subtle, lingering unease that gnaws at the edges of perception. That’s why I volunteered to help Sebastian. In matters as grave as this, the ability to sense dishonesty is invaluable.Celine needs rest. She and Dolton have a lot to prepare for with the flight training looming. Meanwhile, I find myself standing in the shadows of Sebastian’s command center, watching him prepare to address the kingdom. Even through a television screen, his presence is formidable—commanding and unyielding. He embodies the weight of leadership, his mere posture enough to silence doubt.I understand why many in the kingdom are uneasy about Joseph taking over the throne. They’ve grown accustomed to Sebastian’s strength, his unwavering determination. Yet expecting him to rule until his body gives out is cruel. Even a king deserves a life beyond the crown.The crew signals their r
Jonathan POVAs I turn to leave, Dolton appears at the door. “Jonathan, can I have a word?” he asks, his tone serious.I nod, addressing the servants one last time. “Follow the updates. You’ve got this.” With that, I step out and join Dolton in the corridor.As we walk, his expression remains tense, his usual calm demeanor clouded by something weighing heavily on his mind. “Do you think you could find something in the journals—or anywhere—about Celine?” he asks.“Something about Celine directly?” I ask, puzzled by his vagueness.He sighs, clearly wrestling with how to articulate his thoughts. “Not just about her. Specifically about the Queen Goddess—how things are supposed to go when she comes back.”I stop in my tracks, turning to face him fully. “You’re not making sense, Dolton. What exactly are you looking for?”His eyes dart away briefly before he finally mutters, “Celine isn’t pregnant.”The weight of his words hits me like a blow, and I stare at him, processing the implication.
Celine POVI jolt awake, my body already mid-shift, scales rippling over my skin, wings unfurling, and claws extending before I can even process what’s happening. Panic claws at my chest, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear.I’m fully in my dragon form, the foreign weight of it pressing down on me. Nothing feels right. The room feels constricting, too small to contain this body. My mind races, trying to understand what’s going on. This wasn’t a voluntary shift. It couldn’t be. Someone must have used magic to force this. But who? Why?I stumble toward the door, instinct driving me to escape, but something makes me stop short. My claws dig into the floor as I hesitate, my chest heaving with shallow breaths. No. If someone is outside, using magic to force this shift, I could be walking into a trap. I shake my head, stepping back, my tail knocking into a chair and sending it clattering to the floor.Calm down, Luperca’s voice cuts through my rising panic, her tone soothing but firm.
Celine POV“Helios,” I murmur, meeting his fiery gaze. “I’m sorry for shouting and demanding Sebastian, but you brought me to a cave.” I gesture at the dark, confined space around us. “We were right outside the castle, and you brought me here. Why?”“Mine,” he growls, his deep voice shaking the walls.I roll my eyes, a laugh escaping despite the absurdity of the situation. “Yes, I get it. I’m yours. But why the cave?”Instead of answering, Helios tightens his hold on me, his possessive nature glaringly obvious. I attempt to wiggle free, but his grip only grows firmer. “Helios, seriously, talk to me!” My body trembles, an odd pressure building inside me again as the distance between us momentarily increases.“Mine,” he growls again, dragging me back to him with a low snarl. His eyes burn with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.“Fine, yours,” I mutter, throwing my hands up in mock defeat. “But that doesn’t explain why you dragged me out here to live in a dragon bachelor pad
Celine POVHis tongues descend once more, relentless and ravenous, claiming me with each calculated stroke. Ecstasy surges through me like a storm, each orgasm more consuming than the last. Yet he doesn’t stop. He won’t stop. His relentless devotion to my pleasure is both intoxicating and maddening, a torment I can’t resist.My body trembles uncontrollably, a live wire overloaded with sensation. Every lick ignites my overstimulated nerves, sending shivers cascading through me. I should push him away, plead for reprieve, but the primal hunger he stirs won’t allow it. Instead, I claw at him, dragging him closer, craving the agonizing pleasure only he can provide.His claws dig into my hips, their sharpness a counterpoint to the slick heat of his tongues. Pain and pleasure meld, an alchemical fusion that makes me lightheaded with need. I feel the abrasive texture of his scales against my thighs, each graze sparking my heightened senses further.“Please,” I rasp, my voice shredded by the
Celine POV“Good,” he rumbles, his lips curving into a triumphant smile. He rocks his hips, drawing a cry from me before launching us skyward once more.The air is sharp and cool against my scales, a stark contrast to the fiery heat radiating from him. My arms cling to his neck, my eyes squeezed shut as fear battles with exhilaration. The sensation of him moving inside me as we ascend is unlike anything I’ve ever known—a mingling of terror and unrelenting pleasure.“Open your eyes,” he murmurs, his voice low and commanding. “Trust me.”Every instinct screams to keep them closed, but the assurance in his tone compels me. Slowly, I obey, and the breath catches in my throat. The world sprawls below us, a shimmering tapestry of moonlit forests and silver streams. Above, the stars gleam like scattered diamonds, close enough to touch. It’s otherworldly, a beauty so profound it’s almost painful.“See?” Helios whispers, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”The fear melts awa
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