Dolton’s POV
The moment I take in the scene before me, I know we can’t attack.
Not with children standing in our way, their small hands raised, their bodies trembling as they fight a battle that isn’t theirs. The fear in their eyes is real, but so is the compulsion forcing them to stand against us.
My claws flex, my muscles tightening as I step forward, pushing past the others.
There has to be another way.
I inhale deeply, focusing on the children, letting my senses expand beyond what is visible.
One by one, I track them. The boy with lightning sparking from his fingertips. The girl with shadows curling at her feet. The child whose breath fogs the air as frost coats his hands. Their powers shift and flicker like candle flames, unstable, forced into action.
My eyes snap between them, heart hammering as I reach for something deeper.
Mind’s Cage. It’s a dangerous ability. I’ve only used it a few
Jonathan’s POVI move as quickly as I can, lifting the small, limp bodies of the children and carrying them toward the waiting cars. Their weight is nothing compared to the responsibility pressing down on me.Each child is still locked in the illusion, their expressions soft, their breathing even. They don’t hear the battle, don’t feel the fear they should have, it’s all because of Dolton.He’s the only reason this is working, and it’s taking too long.Sebastian’s flames illuminate the battlefield as he sweeps low, keeping the exiled from pushing forward. The sound of metal clashing rings in my ears, but I don’t stop moving.I place another child inside the car, tucking them in beside the others. The driver looks at me with wide, concerned eyes. “They aren’t waking up,” he mutters.“They won’t,” I say, “not until Dolton lets them.”As I tur
Sebastian’s POVThe heat surges through my veins, power crackling in my chest as I take in the chaos below. The battlefield is a storm of movement, steel clashing, claws raking, magic flashing in brilliant bursts.It’s not enough. I inhale deep, feeling the fire coiling inside me, demanding release.I give in and flames explode from my jaws, a stream of fire engulfing a group of the exiled as they charge toward Celine’s warriors. The instant the flames touch them, their screams pierce the air.They burn, their bodies disintegrate before they can even collapse. It isn’t enough. I sweep through the sky, wings cutting through the air as I shift my fire, no longer aiming at them directly, but instead at the ground.The moment my flames strike the earth, they spread unnaturally fast, circling the warriors beneath me.The fire bends to my will, spiraling out in massive rings that trap the exiled and the Werewolf King’
Celine’s POVThe battlefield has shifted. The once overwhelming swarms of exiled and warriors are thinning out, the fire still burning in rings where Sebastian, no, Helios, trapped them. I can tell it's him by the way he's flying.I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I turn my gaze toward the palace. The guards we brought can finish up out here. The gates are open now, shattered from the force of the bears breaking through earlier.The path is clearer. It’s time.I take my first step toward the palace doors and Helios drops from the sky, landing right in front of me. The force of his landing sends dust and loose stone scattering, and I instinctively halt, tilting my head back to meet his glowing golden gaze.His wings stay half-unfurled, his entire posture tense, like he’s prepared to block my path if I try to move past him.“I go first.” His voice is gravel and fire, a demand that leaves no room for argumen
Jonathan’s POVI stay close to Celine, my hands clenched at my sides as I glance toward Sebastian’s unmoving form across the room. He’s still on the ground where he fell, but something inside me is shifting, pulling my attention toward him. I close my eyes and focus, letting my magic reach outward. I don’t need to touch him to feel what’s happening.Sebastian’s energy is shifting. No, Helios is waking. The air thickens, charged with something unnatural. Heat pulses from Sebastian’s body, and I can feel the exact moment Helios takes control.My pulse pounds, but I don’t move toward him. Instead, I drop my focus to the ground beneath me. My magic is already buzzing, swirling through my veins, restless and ready.I force myself to breathe, reaching deep into the earth. I need something, anything. The magic inside me responds, my fae and merfolk halves entwining, surging downward. I push it deeper, past the surf
Helios’s POVPain. Not the kind I know. Not the kind I’ve felt from wounds in battle, not the kind from injuries that heal as fast as they come. This is different. This burns. It eats through me, sinking into my scales, branding me from the inside out.Fire should never hurt me. It’s part of me, part of what I am. But this isn’t fire. It’s something worse.Arktos’s power.I lay on the ground, barely able to move, my body smoldering. I can feel the damage, the way my wings tremble uselessly at my sides, the raw agony carved through my chest. The heat lingers beneath my skin, like something trying to hollow me out from the inside. Sebastian is gone, I can't feel him, I can't sense him.I force my eyes open, trying to focus, trying to hold on to something as the pain surges again. The world around me is a blur of movement, shadows twisting, magic crackling, the scent of bl
Celine POVWarmth surrounds me, steady and strong. My body feels heavier than it should, as if the very air weighs me down. I blink slowly, my vision adjusting to the dim light around me.Stone walls, I'm in a cave with Helios.His arms are tight around me, his wings curled inward like a shield. His body radiates heat, but there’s something different. The way he holds me, it isn’t just possessive. It’s desperate.I tilt my head back to look at him.He isn’t watching me. His gaze is distant, unfocused, locked on some invisible point beyond us. His golden eyes, usually burning with intensity, look hollow.I reach up, cupping his face in my hands. “Helios?” My voice is hoarse, weaker than I want it to be. “What’s wrong?”His eyes snap to mine, but there’s no relief, no flicker of ease at seeing me awake. Only something I’ve never seen before. Fear.“Sebastian
Celine POVI barely register the movement before the world tilts. Suddenly, I’m beneath him, my back hitting the cool stone floor of the cave. His weight presses over me, his body caging me in, his lips devouring mine with an intensity that leaves no space for anything else. His fingers tangle in my hair, keeping me still as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a slow, punishing claim.I gasp against his mouth, my hands grasping his arms, but he doesn’t let up. He presses me further into the ground, his body flush against mine, his heat overwhelming. Every movement, every touch, is possessive, raw.He isn’t just kissing me. He’s reminding himself that I’m still here. I feel his cock against my sex as he deepens the kiss more.Heat pools between my thighs at his hardness pressing against me. My body responds instantly, arching into him, seeking more of that delicious friction. His scales shimmer in the dim l
Sebastian POVThe void stretches endlessly around me, thick and suffocating. No sound, no sensation, no indication of time passing. It’s as if I’ve been ripped from existence, trapped in a place that doesn’t belong to me. My body feels weightless, unanchored, yet there’s a heaviness pressing down on my mind, chaining me here.I reach out, desperate for something, anything to pull me back. But there’s nothing. No Helios. No Celine. No flicker of warmth from the bond that always ties me to her. It’s wrong. It’s all wrong.A memory flickers, Helios roaring in rage, a searing pain lancing through my chest, the weight of something crushing down on me, suffocating and unrelenting. Then darkness swallowed me whole.How long has it been? Hours? Days? I grit my teeth, fighting against the nothingness, clawing for a way back. I won’t stay here. I can’t.Something shifts. A distant warmth brushes against m
Dolton POVWe leave the palace and travel to the pack in silence, not the kind where no one is speaking, but the kind where something lingers in the air, heavy and unspoken. Conversations happen around me, but the weight of everything we’ve been through presses down on all of us.Sebastian looks lost in thought, still trying to piece together what happened with Helios. I feel the same way, my mind circling back to the shadow thing. It wasn’t something I had done before. I don’t even know how I did it.“Did you know last night was a blood moon?” Leif suddenly speaks up, breaking through the murmur of conversation.Everyone turns to him, including me. “How did you know that?” I ask, confused.“I could feel the difference,” he says with certainty. “It might have been hidden, but it was a blood moon.”I nod slowly, unsure of what to say to that. “Okay.”“Y
Jonathan POVEveryone is different now, and I know it’s because of the battle. We all tapped into something we didn’t fully understand, unlocking pieces of ourselves we hadn’t even known existed. Then there was Celine, so close to dying, and Sebastian nearly died as well. Standing on the edge of death leaves a mark, one that doesn’t fade easily.But it’s Dolton who concerns me the most. Something about him feels… off. He looks lost, distant, like he’s trying to make sense of something bigger than just the battle. I can sense his unease even from the other side of the palace, something stirring within him that he hasn’t spoken about yet.The other royals have left, tending to their own, but I decide to stay and find Dolton. I walk through the halls until I spot him sitting alone, a glass in his hand. Leif isn’t here, which is unusual. The kid has been at his side constantly since they met, bu
Sebastian POVThe air in the palace feels heavy, like the walls are pressing in, suffocating me. I shift on my feet, glancing around the grand hall that once belonged to the Werewolf King. There’s too much history here, too much bloodshed. Staying in this place doesn’t sit right with me.I turn to Dolton. “Would your pack be able to take us in?”Dolton tilts his head, studying me. “You don’t want to stay here?”“No,” I admit, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t like this place. It belonged to him. It’s… tainted.” I exhale sharply. “I need to be somewhere that feels like neutral ground.”Dolton doesn’t hesitate. “It won’t be an issue. My pack will accept us.”That’s a relief. The last thing I want is to stay in this palace any longer than necessary. I can’t explain it, but the idea of sleep
Celine POVI don’t know what I expect when we get back inside, but it certainly isn’t this.Standing in front of Sebastian, looking furious, is Alpha Ian.“You lied to me!” he shouts, his voice echoing through the palace halls. “You disappeared without a word, you didn’t update us, you didn’t tell us the plan! We still don’t have our daughter!”I step forward, but before I can speak, Dolton moves around me, standing between us.“A lot needed to be sorted to save Gregory,” Dolton says firmly. “He’s not dead, which means your daughter is safe.”“Safe?” Alpha Ian’s voice rises, his frustration boiling over. “How is she possibly safe when you no longer have him to tell you where she is?”“All the children had records,” I explain. “We can track her.”Alpha Ian’s glare snaps
Dolton POVI don't feel like me; I'm not sure if it's actually me or because one minute Celine was on the floor unmoving, and the next Helios took her, and I had no idea if she was alive.We move further into the palace and sit down. The royals talk about how they will collect their children who are still here and take them back. Then, any children found in their kingdom who were stolen will be sent to their kingdoms.The conversation is important, but right now, I can't focus. Standing, I walk to Celine and pull her out of the room. We say nothing, and I don't want to be there with her in front of everyone.As we get into a quieter room, I wrap my arms around her body. I hold onto Celine, gripping her tighter than I probably should, but I can’t seem to loosen my grip. She doesn’t pull away, though. She just stays there, warm and steady, letting me hold on.“What’s wrong?” she asks softly.I don’t know how
Jonathan POVI watch as Sebastian stands there, his wings still spread behind him, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. He looks lost. There’s something in his eyes, a flicker of confusion, of frustration, like he’s searching for answers he can’t find.He finally looks at me, his expression tight. “I don’t know,” he mutters, shaking his head. “I can’t remember anything after Arktos until waking up in the cave.”I exhale slowly, my body still humming with residual magic from the fight. “Helios killed the Werewolf King,” I tell him, keeping my voice even. “It was brutal, Sebastian. He lost it completely.”Sebastian doesn’t react, but I can see the way his jaw clenches, the way his fingers twitch slightly like he’s remembering something distant, something just out of his reach.I continue, knowing he needs to hear it. “Arkto
Sebastian POVThe void stretches endlessly around me, thick and suffocating. No sound, no sensation, no indication of time passing. It’s as if I’ve been ripped from existence, trapped in a place that doesn’t belong to me. My body feels weightless, unanchored, yet there’s a heaviness pressing down on my mind, chaining me here.I reach out, desperate for something, anything to pull me back. But there’s nothing. No Helios. No Celine. No flicker of warmth from the bond that always ties me to her. It’s wrong. It’s all wrong.A memory flickers, Helios roaring in rage, a searing pain lancing through my chest, the weight of something crushing down on me, suffocating and unrelenting. Then darkness swallowed me whole.How long has it been? Hours? Days? I grit my teeth, fighting against the nothingness, clawing for a way back. I won’t stay here. I can’t.Something shifts. A distant warmth brushes against m
Celine POVI barely register the movement before the world tilts. Suddenly, I’m beneath him, my back hitting the cool stone floor of the cave. His weight presses over me, his body caging me in, his lips devouring mine with an intensity that leaves no space for anything else. His fingers tangle in my hair, keeping me still as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a slow, punishing claim.I gasp against his mouth, my hands grasping his arms, but he doesn’t let up. He presses me further into the ground, his body flush against mine, his heat overwhelming. Every movement, every touch, is possessive, raw.He isn’t just kissing me. He’s reminding himself that I’m still here. I feel his cock against my sex as he deepens the kiss more.Heat pools between my thighs at his hardness pressing against me. My body responds instantly, arching into him, seeking more of that delicious friction. His scales shimmer in the dim l
Celine POVWarmth surrounds me, steady and strong. My body feels heavier than it should, as if the very air weighs me down. I blink slowly, my vision adjusting to the dim light around me.Stone walls, I'm in a cave with Helios.His arms are tight around me, his wings curled inward like a shield. His body radiates heat, but there’s something different. The way he holds me, it isn’t just possessive. It’s desperate.I tilt my head back to look at him.He isn’t watching me. His gaze is distant, unfocused, locked on some invisible point beyond us. His golden eyes, usually burning with intensity, look hollow.I reach up, cupping his face in my hands. “Helios?” My voice is hoarse, weaker than I want it to be. “What’s wrong?”His eyes snap to mine, but there’s no relief, no flicker of ease at seeing me awake. Only something I’ve never seen before. Fear.“Sebastian