Sebastian POVThen I close my eyes and reach out—toward her, toward her shifter—hoping that I can find her before she slips away completely. Hoping that I don’t just sink into the darkness like before, hoping that this time I can actually reach her, I take a deep breath and press my hand over hers.The moment I push out to her mind, I’m dragged under.The shift is violent—like something has grabbed me by the throat and yanked me into a space where light doesn’t exist. A suffocating weight presses in from all sides, thick and heavy, swallowing every sense I have. There’s no sound, no vision, no ground beneath me, just a vast nothingness that coils around me like a predator waiting to strike.Helios roars, the sound vibrating through my very bones, a deep, primal response to the unnatural force pulling at us. His instinct is to break free, to tear through this space with brute force and demand control, but I grit my teeth and restrain him.Not yet.I need him, but not to fight. He can c
Celine POVI don’t know what happened. One moment, I was soaring through the skies, the wind rushing against my scales, the freedom of the moment consuming me entirely. Then, in an instant, everything shifted. The air disappeared, the sky vanished, and suddenly, I was standing—not flying, not falling—just there, locked in place in front of him.The Werewolf King.His presence was suffocating, thick like smoke curling around me, twisting into my skin, into my mind, making everything feel wrong. The weight of it pressed down on me, coiling around my ribs, making each breath shallower than the last. It wasn’t real—it couldn’t be real—but the longer I stood there, the more that certainty slipped away. My thoughts grew hazy, my senses dulled, and I could no longer tell if this was a vision or my new reality.The world around me didn’t shift or waver like my past visions did. There was no flickering, no moments where I could see that it wasn’t real. This was different. This felt permanent.
Celine POVI swallow hard, trying to force down the unease twisting in my stomach.“She needs blood.” Sebastian’s voice is unwavering, carrying a finality that leaves no room for argument. “We’ve uncovered enough to know that she needs blood—without it, she weakens every time she uses her shifters or her magic. It’s not a choice anymore. If she keeps resisting, she’s going to collapse.”His gaze flickers from Elira to someone else, and when I follow his line of sight, my breath catches.The man standing near the doorway is unmistakable. Even without fangs bared or red eyes flashing, I know what he is. A vampire. The air around him hums with something ancient, something predatory, and my instincts scream at me to keep my distance.“I’ll bring someone for her to drink from,” he says casually, turning as if the decision has already been made, as if I have no say in this.My pulse spikes, panic seizing my chest. “No—” My head shakes, my voice cracking. “I’ll drink it, but not like that. N
Celine POVI try to look at him, try to show him that I hear him, that I understand what he’s saying, but the exhaustion pressing down on me is suffocating. My vision blurs at the edges, the room tilting slightly, and I know he’s right—I’m losing this battle. My body is screaming for something I refuse to give it, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.Sebastian swears under his breath, his grip tightening before he finally snaps his head toward Aarmon. “Do it,” he orders, his voice cold and resolute. “Now.”Aarmon’s lips quirk upward slightly, almost like he was expecting this outcome, but there’s no smugness in his expression, just a quiet understanding of inevitability. He turns toward the woman standing beside him, who doesn’t flinch or resist, merely tilts her head slightly, exposing the delicate line of her throat.I barely have time to process what’s happening before Aarmon moves.Faster than my mind can register, he closes the distance between them, his body fluid, p
Sebastian POVI don’t know why this happened. Drinking blood was supposed to help, it was supposed to restore her, yet here she is—completely unconscious again. My arms tighten around her, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest, but it does nothing to ease the frustration pressing against my ribs.I hate not knowing what’s happening. I hate not understanding how to fix this. Right now, I wish Jonathan were here. He would have the journals, the knowledge, the answers—but all I have is speculation, and that’s not enough.Aarmon watches me carefully, his gaze sharp, and assessing. “What is your plan?”I wish I had a plan.I glance down at Celine’s unmoving form, feeling her warmth against me, and shrug—a gesture so completely un-king-like it would make my father roll in his grave. But I don’t care. I don’t have the luxury of pretending to have control when I don’t even know what she’s becoming.“If I may,” Elira steps forward, waiting for my permission, and I nod sharply. Whatever
Sebastian POVElira hums thoughtfully, pacing slightly as she processes what she’s discovered. “She doesn’t just have it,” she corrects. “She was meant to have it. It’s as if her body was waiting for this moment, waiting for the blood to activate something ancient in her.”The thought sends a chill down my spine. Celine wasn’t just thrown into this life—she was made for it, built with something none of us fully understand.And if her shifters have changed, if the blood has altered more than just her vampire nature… then what will she be capable of when she wakes?I glance down at her again, brushing a strand of hair from her face, studying the way her expression remains peaceful, almost deceptively so.“She’s going to be different when she wakes up,” I murmur, more to myself than anyone else.Elira nods. “Yes. But how different… that, we will have to wait to see.”Aarmon chuckles darkly, shaking his head. “Something tells me none of us are prepared for what she’s becoming.”I don’t re
Celine POVThe first thing I feel is warmth. Strong arms wrapped around me, the steady rise and fall of a chest pressed firmly against mine, wings cutting through the air with effortless power. The wind rushes past, sharp and crisp, heightening every sense, making the world around me feel too much—too sharp, too vivid, too real.I know instantly that I’m flying.But this isn’t Sebastian.Sebastian flies with control, his movements precise, every shift of his wings deliberate. This? This is something else entirely. This is wild, reckless, instinctual in a way that feels less like calculated flight and more like a beast carrying its most treasured possession away from danger.It’s Helios.I blink against the wind, my body responding before my mind catches up, my fingers twitching against his chest. The moment I open my eyes, the world floods in with too much clarity, every detail burning itself into my vision like I’m seeing everything for the first time. The air feels heavier, the cold
Celine POVThe heat between us is unbearable, a force so thick and consuming it leaves no room for anything else. My body is on fire, and Helios is the only thing grounding me.His lips move against my throat, slow and deliberate, his teeth grazing my skin, his tongue teasing, tasting, testing my reaction. I shudder, my fingers digging into his arms, feeling the ripple of pure power beneath my touch.I tilt my head slightly, my eyes locking onto his. “Kiss me again,” I whisper.A growl rumbles from deep in his chest, and his mouth crashes back onto mine with reckless hunger, his body pressing harder against me as if the space between us is too much, as if nothing short of consuming me will satisfy him. His claws tangle into my hair, tilting my head back, deepening the kiss until there’s no part of me that isn’t claimed by him.He moves gripping my waist tighter as he lifts me effortlessly, pressing me harder against the stone wall, his wings flexing behind him, enclosing us in a cocoo
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
Celine POVJonathan’s expression darkens. “What did he say?”I hold my ground, the weight of the Werewolf King’s words pressing against my mind. He believes I am nothing more than a placeholder, a queen with no right to rule. Let him believe that. By the time this war is over, he will know just how wrong he is.Sebastian keeps a firm grip on my arms, his eyes sharp as he studies me. “What did you see?”Jonathan and Dolton move closer, their eyes dark with anticipation. Around us, the rulers of the supernatural world fall silent. Their private conversations, their skepticism, all of it fades as they wait for my answer.I lift my chin. “The Werewolf King sent me a message. He thinks this war is already won. He offered me a choice. Kneel, and he will spare the people I love.” I take a steady breath, forcing down the way the memory of the vision claws at the back of my mind. “He showed me a future where all of you were dead.”Dolton’s entire body tenses. “That bastard.”“He’s trying to sh