Celine POVThe covers are worn, the edges frayed, and the pages yellowed with age. These books practically hum with latent power, and I can’t help but feel a spark of hope as I reach out to touch them.“These are from our ancestors,” Queen Nymia explains, her tone solemn. “Within these pages, you may find the key to breaking the curse of the mad wolves. But I must warn you, Celine—your journey will require all your strength. You must harness your power soon, or it may be too late.”Her voice is grave, and a chill runs down my spine. “Why?” I ask, struggling to keep my voice steady. “Why do you think I’ll need to act so quickly?”Her gaze meets mine, piercing and unflinching. “Because there is a dark energy that clings to you,” she says softly, yet her words strike like a thunderclap. “They cannot see it, and they cannot feel it. But I can. And I suspect, deep down, so can you.”A shiver courses through me. Dark energy? Her words stir something deep within me, a shadow I’ve refused to
Celine POVPantheromorph. A form I’ve never encountered, never even imagined. Yet, something about it stirs a deep, unspoken curiosity within me.Queen Nymia continues, her tone tinged with warning. “The future is fluid, constantly shifting with every choice we make. What I saw in my vision is only one possibility—a potential outcome where you are the keystone of this war. The Werewolf King’s betrayal was foretold, yes, but so was your rise. You hold the power to change everything.”The enormity of her words leaves me momentarily speechless. “If you’ve seen this,” I finally manage, my voice barely above a whisper, “then you know how it ends. Do we win? Do we stop him?”Queen Nymia’s eyes grow clouded with sorrow. “The future I saw is filled with both victory and loss. The outcome depends on many factors—the alliances you forge, the choices you make, and the strength you find within yourself. What I can tell you is that the cost will be high. You must be prepared for that.”I swallow h
Celine POVHow can I have another mate?I groan inwardly, overwhelmed and annoyed. His piercing gaze locks onto mine, and I feel utterly exposed. I want to look away, to hide, but I can’t move. It’s ridiculous—he’s already seen me, yet I feel like shrinking into myself, disappearing entirely.“Jonathan,” Queen Nymia says, her voice breaking the spell. I tear my gaze away from him, forcing my eyes to the floor. She chuckles softly, as if she knows exactly what’s happening. “Oh, I see.”“I’m sorry. I need to leave. Thank you for everything,” I mumble hastily, grabbing the journals and practically bolting out of the room. I can’t be here. I need air, space—anything but this suffocating tension.The weight of the journals sits heavy in my arms, but it’s nothing compared to the storm raging inside me. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something massive, something life-altering. Queen Nymia’s words echo in my mind—about the visions, about my past, about my role in what’s to come. It’s
Jonathan’s POVI’m not sure what I expected when I finally found another mate, but it certainly wasn’t this—watching her walk away without so much as a word. No name, no smile, nothing. If anything, she seemed horrified by the fact that I was her mate.The moment I entered the room, I felt it—an unmistakable pull. But it wasn’t until our eyes met that the connection truly snapped into place. I was ready for questions, perhaps even a warm embrace, or at the very least, an introduction. Instead, she stood up and fled.The Queen was quick to sit me down and explain things.Celine is the Queen Goddess. The realisation floored me. My new mate was someone important to everyone. But before I could fully grasp the weight of it, the Queen dropped another bombshell: Celine already had two mates.I was stunned. I’d heard of people having two mates, though it was rare—three was almost unheard of. The Queen explained that Dolton, a Lycan, was one of her first mates, and then there was Sebastian, t
Celine’s POVWhen Jonathan told me about his previous mate, his words struck a chord deep within me, shaking me in ways I hadn’t expected. I never anticipated him to open up so quickly or so vulnerably, and hearing his story unraveled an overwhelming wave of guilt. Earlier today, I had walked away from him, leaving him in confusion and, likely, pain. To hear what he had endured—losing a mate, someone he loved so deeply, and then enduring the agony of rejection—made my behavior feel thoughtless and cruel.Jonathan had already faced so much, and here I was, treating him with a cold indifference that likely reopened old wounds. As his new mate, the last thing I should have done was make him feel as if he was unwanted. But it wasn’t just him I was thinking about.My greatest fear isn’t Jonathan; it’s Sebastian. When Dolton entered our lives, the shift in our relationship was subtle but undeniable. Sebastian had withdrawn in a way only I could feel. He was still there, still loving, but th
Sebastian’s POVThe air in the room feels charged, almost suffocating, as Dolton and I sit across from Jonathan. For hours, we’ve been deliberating how to integrate him into this delicate web of relationships. It’s not just about making him feel welcomed—it’s about preserving the fragile balance between all of us. Celine’s role as Queen Goddess makes her pivotal to everything, but adding another mate into the mix is a complicated, high-stakes endeavor.Jonathan sits quietly, a composed figure with a solemn air about him. His silence isn’t unfamiliar to me—it’s the same quiet that comes from loss, from a past marred by pain and rejection. I can see it in his eyes, the flickers of doubt and resignation. Celine’s initial reaction earlier today must have stung, reopening wounds he thought were long buried.“Things will need to change as we see fit,” Dolton breaks the silence, his voice steady but contemplative. He glances at me for support. “But right now, the priority is making Jonathan
Celine’s POVJonathan has retreated to the adjoining bedroom, leaving us in a charged silence. My thoughts keep circling back to Sebastian and Dolton. I can feel the heat rising within me again—an unmistakable, primal need that consumes my thoughts. The idea of being with them while they’re shifted flares in my mind, a fantasy so intense it makes my skin tingle.Sebastian keeps resisting the idea, but I want this. I need it. Maybe if Dolton shifts as well, it’ll make everything easier.I straddle Dolton’s lap, letting a playful smile dance across my lips. My hands skim his broad shoulders as I lean in, my mouth grazing the sensitive spot on his neck. Heat floods through me, and I realise my current state—my uncontrollable desire—is because I’m in heat again. It’s amplifying everything, making every touch, every breath, electric.Dolton’s smile is soft, understanding, as his hands rest on my hips. “You only need to ask,” he whispers, his voice low and inviting.“Then shift,” I say, my
Jonathan’s POVThe knock on my door comes early, shattering the silence of my restless night. When I call out to see who it is, Sebastian’s voice cuts through the heavy air. “We’re leaving soon. Time to get moving.”As if I’ve been asleep.I’ve been awake for hours, my thoughts churning endlessly. Sleep wasn’t an option, not with the events of the previous night replaying in my mind. Every sound from the next room carried through the walls—every whisper, every moan, every cry of pleasure. It wasn’t intentional on their part, I’m sure of that, but knowing what was happening on the other side of the door was a form of torture I hadn’t been prepared for.Hearing her, feeling her emotions through the mate bond—it was overwhelming. Her need, her pleasure, her bond with them—it consumed me. I was left alone, isolated in this room, unable to escape the pull of her emotions. The mate bond was supposed to be a connection, a source of comfort and belonging, but instead, it left me feeling like
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