HarlynAfter getting to my room last night, I inspected the damage to my ankle. Princess Diandra had kicked me with her heel, and the pain is still there now. I couldn't go to the med ward and ask for help.It's another thing my father would blame me for. So instead, I've wrapped my ankle, and I'm hoping no one notices it.As I stand beside Lucy, her nerves are visible. I can’t help but try to ease her worry. My and finds hers, offering silent reassurance.“Do I look okay?” Her voice trembles with uncertainty as she steals a glance at me.“You look astounding! Truly amazing, Your Highness,” I reply, offering her a warm smile. The dress is truly breathtaking.“I’m so scared,” she confesses, and I nod. I can understand her worry. Most people are scared on the day they marry.“Don’t be. You’re marrying a man who loves you. He’s waiting for you,” I assure her.“He loves me?” Her words come out almost as a desperate plea.“Yes! I spoke to him this morning, and it was abundantly clear,” I c
HarlynThorin has gone to dance with my mother, and now Lotta is dancing with me. The atmosphere is alive with joy and celebration. I’m even more delighted because my father and Stefan are nowhere near me. They haven’t been present at any part of the wedding since after the ceremony.“Harlyn.” I turn, hearing Samuel’s voice, and my arms instinctively wrap around him in a tight embrace. I’m so glad I got to watch him marry.“I’m guessing Thorin told you about the plan?” He asks, waiting for my reply.“He did. We’re going to the palace for the night?” I ask, seeking confirmation.Samuel nods. “Yes, but not tonight. Things are still going well at the wall. The rogues aren’t getting through, so we’re not leaving until tomorrow.”I relax at his words; it gives me time to prepare for everyone’s inevitable questions when they realise the pups are mine. Right now, amidst the festivities, no one seems to suspect.“So tomorrow?” I inquire.“Yes, it just felt wrong to leave tonight, even if the
StefanI slip away through the solid oak door, which provides a welcome barrier between myself and the clamour of the wedding festivities. Despite having fulfilled my familial obligations, mingled with guests, and congratulated my sister and Samuel, I am expected to stay longer, but I mentally can’t cope with staying longer.The noise of over three hundred voices compacted in the grand halls assaults my senses. I find myself trapped by a single thought: Jacub’s intentions. What is his plan? Perhaps my Father’s idea was correct, and there was no plan, or it faltered before it could happen. The absence of repercussions in the eight years leaves me with more questions than answers.Yet, one name persists in occupying my thoughts like an uninvited guest: Harlyn. She lingers in my consciousness despite my attempts to divert my attention elsewhere.She annoyed me during the ceremony, and although she did nothing herself, I blamed her; it was entirely my fault.Asshole.Ghost is correct. I a
HarlynI don’t move. Father glares at me as if he is willing to magically set me alight.“She clearly deserved it. How many men had she propositioned for it to get to the point that one decided she deserved what she offered?” Father’s words attack me.He thinks I deserved to be raped because I propositioned myself to too many men? I want to laugh, but my mind is silent, reeling from his new attempt to destroy my very soul.Why does he hate me so much??Why does he only see the bad?Why does he always see something bad, and I’m to blame? Even this, me getting raped, is somehow my fault.He can’t just accept it as truth. No, he has to find a way to blame it.“She was a victim, Father, and it is wrong to blame her,” Samuel speaks, and I don’t see why he bothered; Father’s view of me will never change.Nothing anyone says will make him change his view on this.“She’s your daughter, our sister, and you’re calling her those vile names. Names that no woman should ever be called Father.” Samu
StefanI feel every word he uses against Harlyn in my gut, and I’m shocked and disgusted by how he could say such vile things to anyone, let alone his daughter.The words he’s using many wouldn’t dream of, yet he is, on his own daughter. I knew he hated that she didn’t have a wolf, but I never imagined his hate was this deeply embedded within him.God, how can he say such vile things to her?You should know.Ghost’s words burned through me. I was trying to save her from the pain of the king and queen telling her she wasn’t good enough.I want to interrupt, but a war between the Earl and me wouldn’t end well. What would my reason be anyway? It’s their family. It doesn’t impact me or the kingdom.He’s hurting our mate.I groan at Ghost’s words. I can’t say that to people.How is it possible that the night I spent with that woman, Harlyn, was raped?Because it was you, you fool.Ghost appears right at the moment I don’t want him. I’m not a fool; I just can’t see it being Harlyn; how coul
Stefan“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” Harlyn asked, trying to pull away from me.“I need to talk, to explain something,” I say, and before I even process what I am doing, I am walking towards the guards outside of the room I often occupy when I stay here.They step back, and Harlyn struggles in my grip more.“Why are we here?” she asks. I walk into the room and close the door, finally releasing her. Now, though, I regret this choice. I didn’t realise until now that it was the room from that night.“I need to talk to you. Did I not already say that?” I press. Glancing down, I see her trying to keep the weight off her foot.“Why this room? You could have spoken with me in the halls.” Why did I come here?“This is my room. Your ankle can heal better here.” No, it can’t. God, what lame excuse is that? She looks at me like she knows it’s a lie. “Look, it’s my room. No one will interrupt you here,” I say, leading her to the sofa.“Your Majesty, I can’t stay here, my kids...I...” She st
HarlynWaking up, I look around the room. The same room from that night.I watched as Stefan walked out of the room; he was lucky his soldier had come for her. I was about to slap him again for thinking what happened was a joke.Why in the hell would he joke about it being him? So yeah, he needs to thank that soldier, as his words just created a burning anger within me that made me want to hurt him.After he left, I tried to leave the room but was told I wasn’t allowed to. Apparently, the king had insisted I don’t leave the room until I was to be guided to the palace today.Like I was some child under house arrest, he honestly ensured his guards wouldn’t let me leave. While I want to scream and shout at him for it, I can’t.It was his order that saved me more abuse from my father last night. I was in bed when I heard him arrive at the door asking if the guards had seen me.They reassured him I was safe. He didn’t care if I was safe; he just wanted a punching bag for his voice to abuse
HarlynI turn to the guards stationed at the palace’s imposing doors, a mixture of urgency and frustration swirling within me. I want to leave. I’ve had enough, and I’m missing Wayne far too much to stay any longer. If I leave now, I avoid my father; I will regret not waiting to say goodbye to my brothers, however.“I need to return to the Manor, pack my things, and leave, please,” I explain, feeling the weight of missing Wayne heavy against me and pressing down on me like a heavy burden.“I’m sorry, Miss, but you can’t leave,” one of the guards responds. Why can I not leave? It’s not like I’m anyone important. As if sensing my confusion, he continues, “Until the men return and confirm it is safe, no one leaves, and the gates remain locked for everyone’s safety.”His words only fuel my frustration. Why am I being held captive within these walls? The desire to argue, to demand that I be let out of not just the palace but the entire kingdom, threatens to overwhelm me.He’s right; howeve
StefanI look at Samuel, and he seems cheery, so things must have gone well on his trip. I can hope, anyway.“Come on, Earl Samuel, this is taking forever,” I complain, and he laughs.“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. The people are completely cleared of magic, and his sister is none the wiser. Magic was used and she didn’t know a thing, so she isn’t a risk,” he explains.“Their father?” I ask.“His body is there, so he was certainly dead, and it was all Wayne. The pack has a new alpha, one who isn’t connected to Wayne’s family and such. So it’s sorted,” he explains, and I relax more.We had thought we had sorted everything, but only two months someone attacked, and it turned out Wayne had yet another brother we didn’t know of. So now we know everything and are sure no one else is coming for Harlyn. I can relax.“How has Lucy been?” He looks at me.“Fine, she and Harlyn have spent most of their time together. Go see her. We can get a full breakdown in a few days,” I say and watch as he nods a
HarlynStefan currently has everyone’s attention. The pups are behind me, but the place is packed. People have moved closer to him to listen to what he is saying.He’s currently thanking everyone for coming, and the speculation over what this is about surrounds me.Some men think that he’s planned a date to marry Diandra, and others think that he is stepping down as king. Some of the women are speculating as well. Their speculation is around me, because people know that Stefan left to deal with an issue about me.“Maybe he has exiled her entirely, and this is him letting us know?” I hear the woman and ignore her.“The royal family took long enough. She barely had the right to be classed as a werewolf,” another laughs. Thorin glares towards them. Kneeling down, I smile at him.“Forget their words, this is about you,” I say and kiss his cheek. I listen as Stefan announces he recently found out he was a father. I watch as he calls up the pups, Princess Lotta, Prince Thorin and Prince Isa
HarlynMy last few hours were spent with Lucy and Lotta getting ready for this ball, where Stefan will announce the pups. Lotta is in her element. She has on a dress. One that has taken hours for her pick.I blamed Lucy for that. The ideal thing to do was bring a few dresses, no more than six, for Lotta to pick from. Instead, she had almost an entire room, and that meant she wanted to wear them all.In the end, she gave up on the giant princess dresses and went for a more simple one. It didn’t have the big petticoat skirt under it, either.Lucy helped me pick a dress, and it matched Lotta’s in a way; I didn’t see why I needed a dress. As I told her, no one noticed me yesterday; they pushed in front of me to get to Stefan.Apparently, however, once it’s announced the pups are Stefan’s, people might approach them while they are with me. I still think my dress is a bit too much, but I won’t argue with Lucy.I’m glad the boys have Stefan and Samuel to help them. While Thorin would be dres
HarlynWe spoke for a while and discussed the way forward. I don’t want to wait months before we move forward. Stefan agreed. Our first task is announcing that the pups are his.No one other than those close to us knows about it, but everyone in the kingdom will be made aware of the pups and who they are. Then, we can focus on moving forward. I’ll be moving into his room, but Lotta will have a room close to us for the days Lucy stays at the manor.I don’t want her on a wing all on her own. The boys have each other, but Lotta wouldn’t have anyone once I move into Stefan’s room if Lucy isn’t there.We arrived back at the palace in time for Lunch. The pups are laughing and talking, and even Thorin is relaxed and having fun—something I rarely see. I wonder if it was the magic that suppressed everything.“Okay, pups, lets go!” Lucy skips over, and I turn, confused.“Court, and they shouldn’t be there,” Stefan explains, and I watch as they walk off with Lucy. “Are you sure you want to be th
HarlynI wake up in bed, yet I can’t remember coming to bed last night. I was with Stefan outside, and that is my last memory, so I must have fallen asleep there.I’m still fully dressed. As I get up, I get cleaned and dressed. The knock has me opening the door, and I smile, seeing Lucy.“The pups are with my mother. Stefan and Samuel are ensuring everything is safe again at the walls, so I’m spending the morning with you,” she says as she walks in with a tray and food.“Did Wayne die then?” I ask, unsure of what actually happened.“From what Samuel said, all the brothers were there and are dead. Forget about that. Tell me about you and Stefan.” She smiles at me, but I don’t know what to say.I’m not sure there is a me and Stefan. “There’s not really much that I can say,” I explain.“I know, he’s stubborn,” she says while laughing, and I look at her confused. “Sorry, he’s got his weird little plan,” she laughs more.“Weird little plan?” What the hell does that even me? She laughs more
HarlynThe celebration has gone well. I spoke to Lucy for a bit, Colton, Samuel, and the queen.Now, the pups have gone to their rooms, much to Thorin’s disappointment, who wanted to stay with me and watch over me.The queen reassured him that the guards would be with me and keep me safe, so he and Isaac were given a room within the prince’s chamber—the same place Stefan used to stay.Lotta has been given a room in the princess’ chamber, so she is sharing the entire wing with Lucy. I have a room on the same wing as Lotta.I’ve not seen Stefan for a while. Grabbing a jacket, I walk outside and spot the maids, soldiers, and guards at their usual spot. Walking past them, I find Stefan sitting in the same spot we used to.Moving, I sit beside him, and he glances at me briefly before looking back down at his hands. We don’t speak for a while and just sit in silence. He is off, and I feel like he needs a break from everything.“I’m sorry,” he whispers.“You don’t need to apologise, Stefan;
HarlynI walk into the room and sit next to Stefan. I know I panicked too much with Thorin; it’s hard to remember that he is strong and a lycan. To me, I see him as the baby from when he was born, and he’s still a child.“How are you feeling?” Stefan glances at me. He seems off—not like before, but like he’s avoiding me.“I’m fine, honestly. Shouldn’t we go out there and celebrate, Your Majesty?” I ask.“I’d rather sit here with you and the pups,” he says while smiling.I know he would rather that, but he’s the king. Him avoiding a celebration after a battle isn’t right. “We will join you,” I say.“Your father will be there, Harlyn,” his words are barely a whisper. I know I didn’t want to see or speak to him, but it’s going to be impossible. I know they would have used my father to help with the battle, and it would be wrong to remove him from the celebration.I also don’t like that me insisting I avoid him will make it harder for everyone.“I’m fine with it, Your Majesty. At some poi
StefanI’m not sure how long we have been fighting, but the longer it lasts, the more strength he gains, and I realise his wolf wasn’t fully bound.Some of his men have run off in the direction of the distraction, so I know that they will have their wolves back soon. Not that it helps me now, I don’t have the strength against Wayne and his wolf.I fall to my knees and he laughs, but right now, my body hurts.“Hold him down,” Wayne speaks and I feel my arms get gripped and them holding me down to keep me kneeling. “You see, all I wanted to do was show everyone how it felt without a wolf.” His face leans into mine.“After all, Harlyn had no wolf, and many of the people here mocked her for it. They will now realise just how she felt.” His fist swings and hits me, and I groan. “Don’t worry. I will claim her again and use magic, so she stays.” He leans into my ear. “And well, your pups, I guess they become like the Cinderellas of the fairytale, just without the happy ending.”I see the kni
StefanMy eyes open, and I see my mother peering down at me. What happened? I feel someone next to me and turn to see Harlyn lying next to me. I’m in my room.“How did I get here?” I was on the ship.“You were drugged and didn’t wake, don’t worry. Focus on regaining your energy,” my mother smiles at me.“I’m fine. Just explain what happened,” I say, still unsure of what happened.“We believe Wayne injected you with Dragufic during your altercation,” she explains, and I look at Harlyn.“He did the same to Harlyn?” Why would he do that?“No, Harlyn used her wolf and the bond to connect with you and make you realise. What was your torment?” she asks, looking at me and waiting.“Me rejecting Harlyn. Now, thinking back, I can remember it was on replay. At the time, though, it felt so real, and I couldn’t remember it happening again and again.” I doubt I would have realised if Harlyn wasn’t there; I know for sure I wouldn’t have realised.“How long has she been asleep?” I ask.“We’ve been h