JonathanThe tension in the war room is thick, the air heavy with unspoken concerns. Everyone is here, the remaining royals, the strongest warriors, Celine, all of us. The weight of the next decision presses down on us all.Sebastian leans forward, his eyes sharp as he speaks. “We can’t afford to walk into this blind. The Werewolf King has been preparing for this far longer than we have, and we need to be ready for anything.”Aarmon crosses his arms, his expression unreadable. “We already saw what Celine’s power can do. If it works again, there won’t need to be a fight.”Thorne exhales slowly, tapping his fingers against the edge of the stone table. “And if it doesn’t?”Silence stretches. It’s the question none of us want to ask, but we have to.Celine shifts slightly, her gaze flicking to Thorne. “I don’t know how it works yet. I don’t know if it’s something I can force or if it will work the same way it did before.”Alaric lets out a deep rumble of a sigh. “We can’t rely on just one
JonathanThe conversation shifts quickly. Now that the decision is made, we plan for it.Sebastian straightens, his eyes scanning over us. “The children staying with us can’t be left behind, but we can’t have them in the middle of this either.”Celine nods. “They’ll travel in a separate vehicle, at a distance. Close enough that we can reach them if anything happens, but far enough that they aren’t caught in the fight.”Ulrich crosses his arms. “Who will guard them?”“Some of Sebastian’s men,” I answer. “Handpicked warriors who won’t leave their side. They’ll be under strict orders, protect, don’t engage.” I don't trust others soldiers, Sebastian's men will follow him, and the other royals, they are still skeptical about the children.Dolton shifts slightly, his eyes darkening. “Leif stays with us.”Sebastian exhales, clearly expecting this. “Fine,” he says. “But he stays in the car. With the guards.”Dolton’s jaw tightens. “I should be with him.”“You will be,” Celine says before Seba
CelineThe tension in the room still lingers, heavy with the weight of everything we’ve planned. The children are leaving, the warriors are preparing, and soon, we will move to end this war.I feel him, a stronge presence behind, warm, powerful, and consuming. I feel the sharp press of teeth against my neck. A slow, deliberate bite. Not enough to hurt, but enough to claim.“Mine.” The word is a low growl, vibrating against my skin, and immediately, I know it’s not Sebastian. It’s Helios.I inhale sharply, my body tensing, but before I can speak, he moves. His arm wraps around my waist, firm. Guiding me away.The others are still deep in conversation, too focused to notice. No one stops us as he leads me out of the room, his grip steady, purposeful.I glance back at him as we move through the halls, but his golden eyes are dark, Helios is in control, and he’s not letting go. By the time we reach a quieter room, the air between us is thick, and electric.The door shuts behind us with a
Celine POVI am completely at his mercy, and the realization sends another surge of desire coursing through me. He must sense it, because his rhythm changes, becomes more urgent. The ridges along his length hit places inside me that make stars burst behind my eyelids.“Look at me,” he demands, and I force my heavy lids open to meet his gaze. The intensity I find there steals what little breath remains in my lungs. “I want to see your eyes when you shatter for me again.”His tail slides between our bodies, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves with unerring precision. The triple sensation, his cock filling me, his scales against my skin, the tip of his tail circling my clit, is overwhelming. His tail moves again and I whine“Helios,” I gasp, feeling myself climbing toward another peak. “Please—” His hand drops between us, his fingers rubbing against my clit. Before I can process much, I feel his tail snake around my leg, the tip of his tail pushes into my ass.“Yes,” he hisses, his g
SebastianI exhale sharply, forcing the tension out of my body. Now isn’t the time to dwell on this.“Shift,” I tell Celine, stepping back fully. “We need to go.”She hesitates for only a moment before nodding. Shadows ripple around her as she shifts into her Fae form, her wings unfurling with an elegant snap. Even now, after everything that just happened, she looks calm, in control.I wish I could say the same. I move toward the door, but my mind is already pulling apart the pieces of what just happened.Helios took control again, and this time, I wasn’t aware of anything. That hasn’t happened since Ember Season. I try to reach back, to remember anything from the past hours, but it’s empty. A void.It wasn’t like before, when I could fight Helios for control. When I could at least see what he was doing, even if I couldn’t stop him. This time, I was completely gone.It was just him, and I only came back when Celine said my name. The t
CelineThe morning air is crisp, the lingering darkness still heavy around us as we move forward. I walk beside Dolton at the front of the convoy, my steps steady, but my thoughts are anything but.Everything feels too still. Too quiet.The attack went as planned. We got the children. The exiled and witches were dealt with. And yet, there’s a weight in my chest that won’t leave. It's not from us getting ready to face the werewolf King either. It's more than that.Dolton glances at me as we walk, his Lycan form massive beside me. “You’re thinking too much.”I exhale slowly. “And you’re not thinking enough.”His ears twitch at that, but his voice stays even. “No point worrying about things we can’t change.”“But what if I can?” I look ahead, my gaze distant. “What if I should?”Dolton stays silent for a moment, waiting for me to continue. He knows me well enough to tell when something’s bothering me.“It’s Sebastian,” I fi
SebastianThe earth is still beneath my feet. The heat of flight, the rush of the wind, the weight of Helios pressing me down, all of it vanishes the moment I shift back.Celine stands in front of me, her expression torn between relief and concern.I remember flying. I remember seeing her, watching her chase me, trying to reach me, trying to bring me down. But Helios wouldn’t stop. Wouldn’t listen. Wouldn’t even acknowledge me screaming at him inside my own head.Now, I’m here, back on the ground, and Celine is right in front of me.I exhale sharply and pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her. Her body presses into mine, her warmth grounding me in a way I desperately need.She says nothing for a moment, just lets me hold her. My grip tightens, my heart still racing from something I don’t understand, something I can’t explain.In the distance, I hear something faint, just beyond the treeline. A shift of movement, a rustling.
SebastianQueen Nymia and Queen Sereia exchange another glance, something unspoken passing between them before Nymia speaks.“We can combine our magic to get answers,” she says, her voice even, measured.Queen Sereia nods. “But it will hurt.”I don’t hesitate. “I don’t care.”Nymia studies me, her sharp gaze unwavering. “You say that now, but this isn’t just pain, Sebastian. This magic is not meant to be used on dragons. Your kind resists outside influence, and forcing our way in will cause agony beyond what you’ve ever known.”Meeting her gaze, I don't react or flinch. “I need answers.”Sereia leans forward slightly. “We will have to silence you.”Tensing beside me, Jonathan's posture shifts.Sereia continues, her tone firm. “The pain will be enough to rip your throat raw if you try to scream. If we do this, you won&rsq
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
Celine’s POVThe moment Dolton speaks, everything inside me stills. A heartbeat?My hand instinctively moves to my stomach before I can even process the thought. I don’t know why I do it, as if touching the skin there will somehow confirm what I already feel creeping into my mind.For the past few hours, I’ve felt different, not just exhausted from the battle, but off in a way I couldn’t explain. I thought it was the weight of everything we had endured. The stress, the adrenaline, the overwhelming chaos of the fight and its aftermath. But now, as I focus, as I truly listen to my own body, I feel it.My heartbeat pounds in my ears, but beneath it, softer yet just as strong, is another. Smaller, lighter, but carrying a strength all its own. The realization hits me slowly, sinking into my bones, spreading warmth through my chest.I press my fingers to my stomach, the weight of Sebastian’s hand still cover
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