Celine POVI feel every inch of his strength, every ounce of his control fraying at the edges. His eyes flicker to mine again, his beathing heavier.“More,” I whisper, my voice softer now but still commanding, still certain.Helios’ breath hitches, his grip flexing, his entire frame going rigid for the briefest second before he obeys without question.His tail tightens further, spreading my legs around his waist, holding me completely captive. His massive form presses even closer, his scales dragging against my skin in a way that sends fire racing through me. He moves, and his claws dig into my thighs, just enough to mark, to claim, to possess, and then—A deep snarl tears from his throat as his hips press forward, fully, completely, irreversibly claiming me in a way that sends shockwaves of sensation ripping through every nerve in my body.A gasp escapes me, sharp, breathless, my body arching into him, the overwhelming heat of him, the sheer size, the pressure, the absolute force of
Sebastian POVI push forward, wrestling back control, and my hand immediately covers her eyes. My heart pounds—I felt it, I saw it—but Helios had been locked in some sort of trance, completely unaware of what had just happened.“Helios, stop,” she laughs, twisting in my grip, trying to uncover her eyes, oblivious to what she just did.“It’s me,” I whisper, and she stills.Her fingers brush against my wrist, hesitant now, but still confused. “Okay… why are you covering my eyes, Sebastian?”I exhale sharply, my grip tight but careful, my own breath still unsteady. “Because I felt it. Helios was submitting to you, Celine.”She hums lightly, as if it’s nothing, as if that word doesn’t hold a dangerous weight.I grit my teeth. “Not just submitting. He had no choice, Celine. No power but to obey you completely. Your eyes have changed. You need to focus, see if you can push that power away.”She laughs, like I’m crazy, but I know what I felt.“Celine,” I say, my voice firm, unrelenting. “I m
Dolton POVI pace through the trees, my boots pressing into the damp earth as I move back and forth beside the cars. The quiet hum of the engines is the only constant sound beyond the rustling leaves and distant calls of night creatures. The air is cool, thick with the scent of damp wood and the faint traces of the dragons that are patrolling the area.They cover the skies, circling wide, scanning for threats. Nothing. No movement beyond the natural rhythm of the land. Still, it doesn’t ease the tension coiled in my chest.Jonathan hasn’t lifted his head from the journals since Sebastian and Celine left. He sits in the back of one of the cars, papers spread across the seats, flipping through pages, his fingers tracing over the words like they hold the answer to everything. Maybe they do. Maybe he’ll find something useful, something that gives us an edge before we meet the elders.I don’t trust silence, though.It’s too still. Too controlled.I’ve shifted multiple times now, letting my
Dolton POVThey’ve been quiet for the last hour, but as soon as I step forward, all eyes shift to me.“Get the food cooking again,” I say. “I want it ready for when they return.”Rellan, one of the older guards, lifts a brow. “You think they’ll be back soon?”I rub the back of my neck, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. “I don’t know,” I admit, glancing toward the sky. “But when they do, they’ll need to eat. Make sure it’s done.”Rellan nods and signals to the others. They move without hesitation, two of them feeding the fire while another checks the meat still skewered on the spit. The scent of charred wood and roasting food fills the air again, but it does nothing to ease the tight feeling in my chest.Theron, standing just off to the side, exhales sharply. “Twelve hours is a long time,” he mutters, shifting his weight. His wings rustle against his back before folding neatly behind him. “Something doesn’t feel right.”I grunt in agreement, running a hand over my jaw. “Yo
Jonathan POVI didn’t mean what I said.The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them, but it was too late to take them back. It wasn’t about Dolton, not really. It was the mixture of everything. Celine and Sebastian being gone for too long, the silence stretching on, the journals failing to give me any answers, and my own fear twisting my thoughts into something cruel.But none of that matters now, Because I said it.He’s not willing to listen to me, and honestly, I don’t blame him. What I said wasn’t just thoughtless—it was wrong. He’s Celine’s mate, and nothing should change that. I should have never made him feel like he was at fault for accepting her. For staying by her side.I came into this after him. After Sebastian. If anything, I have the least claim to her.And yet, I was the one questioning him.Now, I watch as he holds Celine, his arms wrapped around her like he’s afraid she’ll disappear if he lets go. I see the way his body tenses and then finally relaxes, how he
Jonathan POVDolton doesn’t let go of Celine.Sebastian exhales. “She woke up. But her body was already shutting down.”Shaking his head, Dolton swears. “Because of the blood.”Sebastian nods. “She needed it. But she refused to drink.”Turning sharply to Celine, Dolton's gaze burns. “You refused?"Celine shifts slightly, but her voice is steady when she answers. “I didn’t want to do it.”Sebastian scoffs. “She fought me on it. Even though her body was failing, even though she could barely sit up. She refused.”Dolton is fuming.“Eventually, she drank. And then—she passed out,” Sebastian explains.Silence.Dolton and I both stare at him.Sebastian exhales. “Her body reacted. But instead of it strengthening her immediately, it put her into another state. Elira said the blood changed something, but even she couldn’t tell me exactly what.”Dolton exhales sharply, his muscles flexing like he’s resisting the urge to tear something apart.“This isn’t normal,” he mutters. “None of this is nor
Sebastian’s POVAfter eating, we pile into the cars and begin our journey to the elders. We’re already running late, but I can only hope they’ll understand the reason behind it.The tension in the car is suffocating. Dolton and Jonathan won’t even look at each other, and I can tell Celine senses the unease. She hasn’t said anything yet, her attention fixed on the journals, but with every passing minute, the tension inches closer to snapping.I get Dolton’s anger. I also get Jonathan’s frustration. He’s going to have questions, he’s going to analyze everything—because not considering every possibility is how you fail.I don’t like it either, but I understand Jonathan’s reasoning. He should have kept it to himself, but the truth is, there’s a chance Dolton was never meant to stay her mate. That doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t mean it should
Celine POVThe moment I step forward, their gazes lock onto me, assessing, judging. The Elders—each one the embodiment of their species’ power—stand as a testament to the supernatural world’s balance. But that balance has shifted now that I am here.I let my eyes move over them, taking in every detail, feeling the weight of their magic pressing against my skin.The Fae Elder is a woman, her presence like the whisper of wind through ancient forests, her beauty sharp enough to cut. Her long silver hair cascades over her shoulders, and her skin glows faintly under the soft light filtering through the trees. Her eyes are liquid gold, shifting with hidden knowledge. Fae are amazing manipulators, dancers in the web of fate itself. If she does not respect me, she will twist my words into a trap before I even realize I’ve stepped into it.Beside her stands the Werewolf Elder, a man built like he was carved from stone. His powerful fr
Celine POVThe scent of smoke clings to the air, thick and heavy, curling around the burning remains of the witches who once guarded the entrance. Sebastian’s fire still flickers along the stone walls, casting jagged shadows across the courtyard. The air hums with the cries of dying enemies, the clash of steel, the low snarls of shifters tearing through their targets.I stay low, my wings tucked close, my magic thrumming beneath my skin. The witches and their allies are focused on the battle outside, their attention locked on the forces tearing through their defenses. They expect more warriors, more fire, more brute force.They don’t expect me. I step forward and let the shadows take me. My body dissolves into darkness, the world s
Sebastian POVKing Thorne is the first to speak, his sharp Fae eyes flicking over each of us before settling on me. “You’re finally ready.”Celine steps forward, her voice steady. “We attack before first light.”Ulrich grunts, cracking his knuckles. “Good. We’ve been waiting.”Sereia’s silver eyes flick toward the map laid across the war table, the markers indicating the enemy stronghold, where the witches, the exiled, and the kidnapped children are being held. “Scouts have confirmed the layout. The children are in the lower chambers, heavily guarded.”Aarmon chuckles darkly. “Of course they are. They know we’re coming for them.”I step up to the table, my claws scraping lightly against the wood as I look at the map. “Then we go in fast. No drawn-out fight. We take the children first, eliminate resistance, and burn the rest to the ground.”Dolton’s growl rumbles low in his chest. “No survivors.”Celine’s golden eyes narrow. “None.”A heavy silence settles over the room, the weight of
Sebastian’s POVHelios is still in control.I can feel him, his raw need, his possessiveness, his complete refusal to loosen his grip on Celine. It isn’t just instinct driving him now. It’s something deeper, something stronger.I had let him take control. I had given him the power willingly, but something happened.Something shifted, and now I can’t take it back.My mind pushes, clawing against the barrier keeping me locked away while Helios holds her, while he moves inside her, while he claims her again and again. He is lost in her, drunk on her, and I know this isn’t just about pleasure.It’s obsession.He missed her. He has waited too long to have her, to feel her wrapped around us, and now that he has her, he doesn’t want to let go. Even now that he's finished, he's still holding her.I grit my teeth, fighting against the wall that shouldn’t be here. I should be able to take control whenever I want, should be able to force him back. But this time, something is different.This time
Celine POVSnarling, Julius' claws tightening on my hips as he begins to move, his pace deep and unrelenting, but perfectly timed with Helios. Every thrust pushes me further into the Helios grip, forcing me to feel both of them taking me together.“Fuck,” Julius growls, his voice strained as he pulls back and thrusts in again. “She’s squeezing both of us so damn tight.”Helios groans, his tail coiling tighter, his golden eyes locked onto mine. “She was made for this,” he mutters, his thrusts slow, deliberate, making sure I feel the fullness of them inside me. “Made for us.”Jonathan’s hands slide over my stomach, his breath warm against my ear. He hasn’t moved in yet, but his touch sends shivers through me, his fingers teasing, stroking, adding to the overwhelming sensation consuming me. “She’s already trembling,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my shoulder. "She can take more though."Helios growls, but it’s softer this time, less of a challenge and more of an acknowledgment. His golde
Celine POVI see it, the moment Helios snaps and can't hold backHis claws dig into my thighs as he yanks me away from Julius, dragging me into his arms, his grip unrelenting. “You belong to me first,” he snarls, pressing his mouth to mine, his tongue claiming, punishing, and devouring. His body is hot, burning against me, his scales rough where they meet my skin, but I welcome the intensity, the overwhelming force of his need.Julius snarls behind us, but Helios doesn’t care. He never does. He’s obsessed, feral, and he’ll always have me first.His tail wraps around my leg, pulling me closer, his grip tightening as he positions me exactly how he wants. “You’re mine,” he growls again, and then he thrusts into me, forcing a sharp cry from my lips as he stretches me, fills me, and claims me.Jonathan and Julius growl, their own need growing, but Helios doesn’t rush. He takes his time, dragging his tongue along my throat, his claws gripping my hips as he moves, slow at first, but quickly
Celine POVThe taste of blood still lingers on my tongue, thick and metallic, but my body feels stronger. The gnawing hunger that had dulled my senses is gone, replaced by a steady warmth spreading through my limbs. I hate needing this, but I can’t deny the difference it makes.Walking, Sebastian stays beside me as we return to the war room, his gaze flicking toward me every so often like he is assessing my strength. He doesn’t say anything, but I can feel the satisfaction rolling off him. He knows I needed that.Aarmon steps ahead, pushing open the doors. The room is quieter than before, the tension eased slightly as plates of food have been brought in. The gathered rulers and generals are eating, drinking, taking what little time they have before the mission begins.Leaning back in his chair, Jonathan smiles, a piece of bread in his hand, smirking as he sees me. “You look less like you’re about to fall over.”I sigh, sitting down beside him as Sebastian moves to his usual place. “I
Sebastian POVThe moment I step out of the room, the weight of command settles back onto my shoulders. The warmth of Celine’s body, the way she melted between us, the way she whispered my name in the dark, all of it fades into the background.Now, there is only war.I move through the halls with purpose, my mind already cataloging everything that needs to be done. The fortress is alive with movement, warriors gearing up, leaders gathering, the tension thick in the air. This is not like past battles. This is the beginning of something far greater.Jonathan and Dolton fall into step beside me, both of them shifting back into the roles they were born for. Jonathan’s sharp mind, Dolton’s brute force. We do not need to speak. We all know what needs to be done.I push open the doors to the war chamber where the supernatural rulers are already waiting. The map of the Shadowlands is spread across the table, marked with points of interest, potential enemy strongholds, and scouting routes.King
Celine POVI watch as Sebastian’s fingers tighten on my thighs as he parts them wider, his golden eyes burning with hunger. Behind me, Dolton grips my waist, his chest flush against my back, his breath hot against my ear. There’s no hesitation between them, no moment of pause. They know exactly what they want.Slowly, Jonathan strokes a hand down my stomach, his lips trailing kisses across my shoulder before he bites down just enough to make my body jolt. “We’re done teasing,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my skin.Dolton groans, his grip on my waist tightening as he presses me back against him, his body already hard, already demanding. “Then let’s take her properly.”Smirking, Sebastian's hands glide lower as he positions himself between my legs. “She’s more than ready for us.”I barely have time to catch my breath before he pushes inside, stretching me, filling me. A sharp gasp escapes me as pleasure crashes through me, my body already sensitive from their mouths, from the way
Celine POVSebastian leads me away from the war room, his hand warm against mine as we step into the quieter halls of the fortress. Jonathan and Dolton follow closely behind, their presence a steady weight against the chaos waiting for us outside these walls. For the first time since everything started, it’s just us.Sebastian doesn’t speak as he guides me deeper into the fortress. The walls shift from the grandeur of the council chambers to something older, something untouched by battle. The door he pushes open leads to a dimly lit chamber, warmed by the glow of a low fire. It’s quiet. Safe.I exhale slowly, my body finally relaxing, but my mind refuses to. The moment we step into the room, the tension shifts. The world outside is full of war, but in here, there is only heat, only them.Sebastian moves first, his hands gripping my waist as he tugs me toward him, his lips already on my throat. He knows exactly where to kiss, exactly where to press his tongue to make my breath hitch. H