SebastianIt has taken us a few days to travel to the other pack. It's along the way, so I'm more than happy to call in and find out where their daughter has gone. It seems strange that Alpha Dale was allowed to stay here. That is one question I have. It's not often that packs allow other alpha's to remain without a reason."Alpha Dale was here, correct?" I look at Alpha Ian, and he nods. His Luna sits by his side, clearly distressed by their daughter's disappearance."Yes, he said his Luna was wounded and asked to stay here. He offered money for accommodation."That explains why he let him in then. The pack is clearly small and doesn't have enough money for basic things. How long has this pack been living with so little?"You needed money?" Celine asks, and Alpha Ian nods."We're not a big pack; we grow most of our own food, but there's not much close by that can help us earn money," Alpha Ian says. These words have me wondering now why he isn't getting help."I thought the king was
SebastianIt took hours for Alpha Ian to give us all the information he has that isn't on paper. Alpha Dale stayed here for two nights—well, one, as he disappeared before sunrise on the second night.Celine has listened and seems to be taking everything in right now. I doubt she will be able to unearth any proof that the king is linked, especially if the pack here has been trying for years.I watch as everyone begins to walk out, and I raise my hand. "Max, I need you to stay here, please." He spoke to Alpha Dale more, so I need answers from him right now, as he likely knows something.He sits back down, and I watch the others leave. Joseph seems on edge, maybe because he's been away from Nischola for so long."Did Alpha Dale mention Daisy to you?" Celine asks, and I look at her. She's taking over, which makes me want to smile."Nothing, not once did he mention her," Beta Max sighs. "I swear, I didn't know he never told me his plan. I know people think I knew because I spent a lot of t
CelineAfter hearing everything, I felt the urge to help. To seek out the truth and punish those who have wronged me and every other child that was taken.What sort of monster happily takes and sells children? They treated us like objects, things that had no freedom or rights. It makes me angry, and that makes me want to seek out who it is even more and get revenge.The donations date back thirty years, and I wonder how true the accusations that the King is involved are. Kings should protect their kingdoms and people, not do this. Placing down the paper, I feel the rest disappear from my hands."It's late; you've been reading for hours," Sebastian says as he lifts my body from the chair."They could know the truth about me; if she wasn't my mum, then maybe they know who she is?" I need to know. My mind replays that auction again, the one where I was sold. She wasn't. How didn't I remember the words? "Back on the market," I whisper."What?" His fingers grasp my jaw, tilting my head up
SebastianWe arrived at Eloune City and didn't leave the cars. We need to ensure that everyone is safe. There's a chance people may attack, as these types of cities don't do well with having royalty and guards around."We've got a few locations to check," Celine smiles at me, and I know she found some places that might have answers."It's not about knowing where to go; it's more about ensuring you're safe. We've no idea how people will react. There are rogues, then there is Eloune City and ones like it. Eloune City is more dangerous, especially for us," I explain, knowing she won't understand the risk."So what do we do?" She looks at me and waits."We play their game," Joseph smiles, and my head shakes."What?" Celine looks between us."He has an idea, a foolish idea," I mutter, unwilling to agree."It's the best way. We're here because my mate is cursed, and I need a healer. We heard there was one for sale," Joseph says, and I sigh. I get it. If word gets around that we're here tryi
CelineWe stopped at a private hotel, which apparently didn't ask questions or mention that we were staying there. After eating and then getting ready, we left.Everything Sebastian tried to conceal who I was failed. We need to hope there are enough people there to prevent them from pinpointing me."Stay close," Sebastian looks at me."I know. Stay close. Don't leave, and don't ask anything too obvious," I reply, and he nods while smiling."I'm just worried, that's all," he smiles and guides me into the building. There's already a crowd walking through. I watch as they swipe the card and go through a door. It takes nearly ten minutes to get through the door.As we step into the room, a familiar scent instantly hits me. The whole atmosphere of this place is a haunting echo of where I was once sold. My body tenses and Sebastian gently nudges me forward towards the bar.I ignore his words as he orders drinks and hands me one."If this is too much, we can leave," Sebastian says, his eyes
Dolton POVThe knock on the door jolts me out of my sleep; my heart races as I drag myself out of bed. The pain floods through me. I thought not rejecting her was a good thing, but the pain I feel constantly is taking its toll. I now wonder how she is; how is she coping with the pain of our separation?"What?" I shout and watch the door open."Alpha Dolton," she bows her head slightly. "We've had no confirmation of if she is going to be sold tonight or not."Sighing, I nod. "Then I go anyway. Remember to speak to people, ask around and find out who bought her."She looks at me like I'm crazy, I'm not. I will find her."Have you considered that whoever bought her may not resell her?"I have. "Then I will find out who bought her," I explain, and she sighs."The pack needs their alpha," she argues, and I admire her strength."And I need my Luna." I stare at her, and she nods."Maybe you could try again?"I laugh at her. "No, they will not speak. They are lucky to be alive, and if I find
Celine POVI'm inside for one minute, then outside again. Dolton pulls me out of the door into the back alley."We need to leave now before they know and lock you up again," he goes to pull me away, and I hear a roar. My body is knocked back, and I see Sebastian shift.Dolton shifts and faces him while growling. They glare towards each other, ready to attack. Of course, Sebastian thinks someone is going to try and run off with me.Moving quickly, I step between them. "Stop!" I glance at them both."Move Celine," Sebastian roars.My head shakes, and I place my palm on his chest. "It's Dolton. He wasn't kidnapping me; he thought he was saving me," I plead with my eyes and turn to face Dolton. I had forgotten he was a Lycan. He's standing on two feet and inches closer. "Dolton, this is King Sebastian of the Dragons. He helped me escape those who had bought me, he saved me, and he is my mate."I wait, expecting him to calm down, only he growls louder and lurches towards Sebastian. My body
SebastianWe return to the hotel, and Dolton follows us into our room. I want to slam the door in his face but fight the urge. Instead, I stand by the door and glare towards him. He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be back, and he certainly shouldn't expect anything from her.I don't care if he's been searching for her. He left her to get hurt. He went along with his family and watched them abuse her and use her."Where were you?" Dolton looks at her."With someone called Dale, he bought me to use my magic to help him win wars," Celine answers."Which pack, Celine? I've gone through most, and none have traces of you," he sits confused. Likely because no one knew that the place she was in had been taken over."She was in a rogue pack, the man who bought her took over it and became alpha. Those who fought against him died, so they agreed to let the rogue pack have an alpha."I answer for her as I know she won't know the answer, not enough to answer his questions. The quicker he gets answ
Celine POVI’m still pressed against Sebastian when the door creaks open, and Dolton steps in quietly.“The Fae's Royal Guard is here,” he whispers, his eyes darting to the door he’s just closed. The carefree Sebastian vanishes in an instant, replaced by the commanding presence of the King. Without hesitation, we moved to get dressed.“Did they say why?” Sebastian asks, his voice low and controlled.“For Celine,” Dolton replies, his voice barely above a whisper. “Queen Nymia has requested that she join her for supper and a discussion.” He glances at me with concern. Once we’re dressed, Sebastian opens the door, and the guards step inside, their expressions unreadable.“Queen Nymia has requested that Celine join her for supper,” one of the guards repeats, his tone formal.Sebastian forces a smile, though I can feel the tension radiating from him. “That’s fine. We’ll prepare and join you shortly.”“Alone,” the guard clarifies, his gaze steady.Sebastian’s expression hardens, and his hea
Sebastian's POVWe arrive back at the hotel, and I immediately notice that Dolton isn’t here. The guards at the door mentioned he went out for a walk, giving us some time alone. My eyes drift towards the stack of files on the desk, and the King in me feels the urge to dive back into work. But I resist. Not today, and not so soon. Today and tonight, I need to focus on something more important than the werewolf issue—I need to focus on Celine.I walk into the living area, where Celine is already curled up on the sofa, picking out a movie to watch. As I sit down beside her, she looks at me with a mix of surprise and curiosity. I can tell she’s not used to seeing me like this—choosing to relax instead of burying myself in work. I’ve spent so long building walls between us, prioritising my duties over her, and it’s time to change that. She should come first, always.Without a word, I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer, feeling her warmth against me. My fingers trace gentle pattern
Sebastian’s POVThere’s been a shift, and it worries me that Celine is drifting further from me and closer to Dolton. It feels like there shouldn’t be a reason for it, but deep down, I know there is.Lately, I’ve been completely consumed by the evidence we’ve gathered on the werewolf king, leaving Celine and Dolton to spend time together. Part of me knew she missed him—she’d spoken about him often before he arrived, and I could sense that longing in her. So, I stepped back, giving them space to reconnect. But now, I fear I’ve made myself an outsider. Sure, we’re together at night, but it’s not the same.We need to find the right balance, and right now, there isn’t any. Dolton is with her full-time, while I only get to be with her at night—when he’s there too. I wonder if the age difference is part of the problem. When she’s with Dolton, they laugh and enjoy themselves, but with me, everything feels so serious.I need to figure out how to step out of 'King mode.' I make everything so i
Celine POVThe room was thick with tension, the air heavy with the unspoken fears of everyone present. Queen Nymia’s gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before she leaned back in her chair, her expression contemplative. King Thorne, too, seemed lost in thought, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications of our request.“There is no doubt that the situation is dire,” Queen Nymia began, her voice measured. “But we cannot ignore the potential consequences of granting you the flower. The curse that plagues the family of this werewolf princess is one that carries the seeds of madness. Should you cure her and allow the bloodline to continue, what assurance do we have that this madness will not spread? What if the wolves, in their madness, turn on the innocent and slaughter them?”Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and a murmur of agreement rippled through the council. The fae were cautious by nature, their long lives making them wary of any action that could upset th
Celine POVAfter I finished practising my magic and shifting, we climbed back into the cars and continued our journey toward the Fae Kingdom. My muscles ached from the exertion, and the magical energy within me still buzzed, a reminder of the power I was only beginning to tap into. Yet, despite the fatigue settling into my bones, Sebastian insisted we press on. He explained that we couldn’t afford to stop, not even for a short break. There was a chance that Alpha Ian was following us, likely to demand our assistance. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I wasn’t ready to face the werewolf king for Ian, not if he was the one who had me taken and sold.Sebastian reassured me that Ian didn’t have the same resources we did. He would be forced to stop each night to rest, something we had the luxury of avoiding. This gave us a crucial advantage, though it was little comfort considering the weight of our mission. The tension in the car was palpable; everyone was lost in their thoughts as
Celine’s POVWe’ve been on the road for two days straight, covering miles of terrain without a single stop longer than a bathroom break. Normally, this kind of travel would wear anyone out, but Sebastian’s cars are far from ordinary. They’re designed to transform, and with the press of a button, the backseat turns into a bed. This setup has allowed me to rest during our journey, nestled between Dolton and Sebastian. It’s a strange comfort, though—Dolton, who used to be so hesitant to touch me, now seems to have overcome his fears. Sebastian either joins us or watches from a distance, which only adds to the complexity of our situation. The car’s confined space doesn’t exactly help either, making things even more intense.Every night, I make a point of doing something to ease Dolton’s anxiety. His nerves have been on edge ever since this journey began, and I’ve learned that quick, spontaneous moments help calm him. As soon as we’re done, we clear away the bedding, restoring the car to it
Celine POVI’m not sure what time it is when I wake up, but something must have stirred me. The room is dim, bathed in the soft shadows of early morning. I blink a few times and realise I’m sandwiched between Sebastian and Dolton. Sebastian is sleeping soundly beside me, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, while I can feel Dolton’s warm presence behind me, his arm draped protectively over my waist.I don’t know when Sebastian came to bed, but I have a feeling his excuse to check on Joseph was more about giving Dolton and me some space. The thought is comforting, but there’s an undercurrent of restlessness in my body that I can’t shake. I feel too warm, almost feverish, and the heat is building in my stomach, spreading through me until it pools between my legs. I try to shrug off the blankets, but it’s difficult when they’re tucked around me, held down by the weight of the two men on either side of me.The heat is becoming unbearable, and a growing sense of discomfort urge
CelineI remain silent, letting the weight of the conversation settle on Dolton. I haven’t really thought about how our relationship would evolve, but I know it’s possible. My past before Sebastian, before he saved me, was filled with complexities—relationships with multiple men, sometimes all at once. It was a life I knew, a part of me that I had accepted long ago.Even before I was sold, Dolton and his brothers had shared me, often at the same time. So, the idea of being with them together wasn’t new or unsettling for me. But I can sense this will be different, especially for Sebastian and Dolton.Sebastian, though, seems almost eager or at least open to the idea. He speaks up first, his voice steady and confident.“You wanted to discuss how this would work, and here we are,” Sebastian says, then pauses, giving Dolton the space to respond.Dolton hesitates, rubbing his face as if trying to clear his thoughts. “I apologise, I... I’m just in shock. I never thought you would agree to s
Sebastian POVI take a deep breath and sit down, facing Dolton with a resolute expression. “We need to leave early, long before anyone has the chance to notice,” I begin, my voice low and firm. There’s no way I can trust that Alpha Ian won’t follow us or create some kind of disruption to force me to stay here and solve his problems.Dolton meets my gaze. Concern etched on his face. “How early are we talking?” he asks, his tone mirroring my seriousness.“Before sunrise,” I reply without hesitation. “We have to be gone before Alpha Ian or his men realise what’s happening. He’s growing increasingly desperate, and if he catches wind of our departure, I have no doubt he’ll do whatever it takes to stop us.” The unease within me is palpable, a knot tightening in my stomach at the thought of what might come if we’re not careful.Dolton considers my words. “And how long will it take to present the evidence to the King in exchange for his daughter? Could we do it early morning, and then Alpha I