Freya I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil that brewed deep within me. But the more I tried, the more I struggled to grapple with the reality now set before me—The reality that I was stuck with Thorne and would have to see him more often. Even if I didn't, the necklace he had given to me for that absurd reason would always remind me of him and the atrocities that my father had committed against his people. I hated my life. I just hated it here. Biting my lower lip in regret, I turned, stealing a glance at Thorne who sat at a corner, flipping through the pages of an astronomy book. He seemed pretty chill and ever since he had revealed the secret opening to me, he had always frequented this library. A day hardly went by without him coming in here. So all those talks about Thorne hardly frequenting the library was nothing but bullshit. But maybe I shouldn't blame anyone since Thorne always came to the library without anyone noticing.
Celeste’s POV Something was wrong. The way she acted unsettled me. Her eyes flickered with fear and anxiety, betraying an unease she couldn’t quite hide. And then, that strange question about working for me—so improper, almost desperate. I watched the way her chest rose and fell steadily, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fisted her dress and forced out a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I craned my neck to the side, studying her face in suspicion as she scratched her head nervously. My instinct wasn’t wrong, and it has never been wrong. Firstly, she took a long time before she opened the door and all of this meant that she had lied to me when she said she wasn’t quick to open the door because she was half-asleep. She was doing something behind that door—Something that she didn’t want me to see. I raised a brow, a smile creeping through the corners of my mouth while I glanced over her shoulders. “Are you sure you are okay?” I could see that glint of anxiousness fla
Thorne’s P.O.V The door swung open as Celeste stormed inside, gripping a necklace that dangled from her hands. My gaze coasted over to her as she marched towards me with eyes blazing with fury. “What is this, Thorne?” Her chest heaved up and down. “Did you give Freya this necklace or did she steal it? What am I even saying? She stole it because you would never give her something this precious to her” “She deserves to be punished. You can't let this slide!” A smile crept at the corner of my mouth because it was just the reaction that I had expected from Celeste. The longer I stared at her, the more anger surged through me, my mind spiraling back to everything I’d uncovered about her. When she pulled up that mental issue card against Rayna in a bid to exonerate herself, I had this thought nudging at the back of my mind that something was wrong. My mind was so unsettled that I could hardly sleep until I was forced to visit the mental institute myself while giving strict
Freya’s P.O.V For days, I had still been dazed about the way Celeste had confronted me. The murderous glint in her eyes still sent shivers down my spine as her long claws pressed hard against my skin, almost digging into my neck. At that moment, I saw a scary Celeste— A terrifying image of her that I couldn't get rid of. As I wrapped my arms around myself, Astrid’s warning flashed through my mind. I had always known that there was something weird about Celeste. Her niceness when she was supposed to be angry felt just too calculated and cold for me. Since she yanked that necklace off my neck, I haven't seen her and I couldn't help but be glad for the peace I had enjoyed for the past few days. And then Thorne… I stopped in my tracks immediately, trying to push back the memories that flooded through my mind. The images of his lips crashing on mine and the way he had violated my very existence were seared into my mind. I tried so hard to get rid of it, but I couldn't.
Freya “Anika, is that you?” My heart palpitated, fear clawing at the back of my throat as her eyes locked onto mine. Thorne’s words faded into the background, replaced by a single, overwhelming thought— my life would be over if this woman kept coming toward me. Sweat trailed down my forehead and the more my heart thrummed, she walked towards me. My lungs hitched, and a distressed breath escaped my lips. I thought this was going to be the end for me until a boy who seemed like he was in his teens rushed to meet her, panting heavily. “Aunt” He gasped for breath, grabbing her gently by the wrist. “You can't go around the mall without me. What if you ran into something? Don't forget that you are blind and…” As soon as those words slipped out of his mouth, relief flooded through me and I almost collapsed to the ground but at the same time, my heart shattered into pieces. What did he mean by she was blind? She yanked her hands away from his grip, her lips wobbling. “L
Freya I stared out the window, watching as the maids trooped in and out of the castle, holding luxurious fashion bags and all of that. Celeste was preparing for her anniversary with Thorne, and she seemed invested in everything that she shared with Thorne. But, I couldn’t say the same for the other person. Thorne. With an exasperated sigh, I glanced over my shoulder, stealing a look at the man lounging on the edge of the table, casually absorbed in his book. The more I stared at him, the more my mind was swamped with confusion because wasn't it ironic that while Celeste was busy with the preparations for the anniversary party, Thorne was always here? In his free time, he would check up on me. Before he leaves the castle, he would check on me. Thorne’s recent shift in behavior wasn't only scary but suffocating at the same time. I squinted my eyes suspiciously, trying to study his face and decipher what could be going through his mind. The more I stared at him, the m
Thorne Sparks— That was the only thing I felt around Freya. Anytime she was near, my heart would race like galloping horses and the only thing I wanted was to be around her. It was weird that I always felt something lit up in my heart when she was around, or could the mate bond be the reason I wasn't thinking straight? Maybe it didn't matter, perhaps what mattered was the fact that something in me yearned for her—Her mind, body, and soul. She brought alive something that I never knew existed in my heart. Something so pure and lovely that I had never felt around Celeste. From random kisses to frequent sex—I had never been this drawn to someone all my life so much that the only thing that occupied my mind was her. And right now, she had bewitched me so badly that as I was on a business call, the only one that I could think of was her. “Don't think about her, Thorne” I muttered to myself, tightening my grip around the phone that pressed to my ear as my eyes squeezed
Celeste’s P.O.V A wave of anger coursed through me as I watched the delicate white flakes swirling in the wind. The more I watched the snow, the more my pulse quickened. Why now? Why would it freaking snow when it was two days to my anniversary? I rolled my eyes, closing the drapes while running my hands through my hair. “Why couldn't it have snowed after Thorne’s and my anniversary?” “Now I have to watch the snow with him when I have no plans of stepping out of my room today” A painful groan rumbled from my throat as I made way for the walk-in closet. I rummaged through my wardrobe, pushing a pile of clothes aside while reaching for the long faux fur coat that Thorne had given me as a gift last winter. Thorne and I had this tradition of watching the first snow of the year together. It was a tradition that we have upheld for years and right now, the whole snow-watching thing was starting to get boring and frustrating for me. If it weren't for the fact that he
Freya’s P.O.V **After Five Years** The scent of warm bread and sweet pastries filled the entire bakery as I slid a tray of freshly baked Cinnamon rolls into the cooling rack and at that moment, a smile spread across my face as I removed the apron and heaved an exasperated sigh. I had received countless orders today and if it weren’t for my assistant, Hannah, I don't know what I would have done without her. “Hannah, I need to leave right now. I will be back in the next hour, can you handle all the work until I get back” I said, ticking the boxes in the notepad while pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. Hannah peeked from the backroom. “I doubt that I would be able to handle all the work with you gone. Everyone in the countryside comes to this bakery all the time…” Her cheeks heated up as she pouted while a light chuckle left my mouth. “I wouldn’t take too long and…” The bell above the door jingled, cutting through my words, and on thinking that it was another custome
Thorne Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe all of this was a nightmare because Freya wouldn’t lie to me. There is no way that she would turn out to be the Lycan Princess. Mixed emotions crashed over me—Anger, disbelief, confusion, and most importantly, fear—it lurked at the back of my mind for a reason that I couldn’t place. I tried so hard to process everything that Celeste had said. How she was the Lycan Princess, how she was sold by her ex-husband, and how she was rejected by her family. How she ended up being the daughter of the murderer whose family I wanted to wipe out. I wanted Celeste to tell me that none of this was real. I wanted to scream and yell at Celeste that all of this was a fucking lie, but the pictures said otherwise. The pictures of Freya and her family that scattered across the ground. There wasn’t a single smile on her face in those pictures. No warmth, no comfort, or a sign of a bond between them. It seemed more like she was the outcast as she had men
Thorne Anger seeped through my veins, my gaze fixed on Alexandro who was talking to Freya. At that moment, one thing I knew was that I couldn't stand the way he looked at her, the way he stared at her, and the way he laughed. Every bit of it grated my nerves as my fingers squeezed into fists, my nails digging into my palm. However, at that moment, my eyes darted over to Freya and something about her struck me. With the way her body tensed, she didn't seem involved with what Alexandro was saying instead she had her gaze fixed somewhere else, her expression distant and unreadable. I followed the direction of her eyes and at that moment, my blood turned cold, and for a second, I wanted to think that I was having a problem with my eyesight because what was she doing here? What in the world was Celeste doing here? Who invited her? Slowly she turned her gaze toward me and a wicked smile crept at the corner of her mouth as she waved at me. “Hello, Thorne,” She mouthed. I t
Freya’s P.O.V Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, a shiver racing down my spine as goosebumps littered over my body. My eyes closed as Thorne pulled my hair to the side, delicately, and every feeling of his fingers brushing through my skin set my whole body on fire. This man had no idea about what he always did to me all the time. He had no idea how every touch of his spoke to my soul. I could feel the necklace around my neck as he leaned forward, his breath fanning my ears, causing heat to drift between my thighs as he drawled. “You can open your eyes” My eyes fluttered open immediately, my cheeks heating up as my fingers trailed the beautiful necklace. He stared at me with this sense of pride in his eyes, and his voice was low as he spoke. “Do you like them?” I turned, my fingers lingering on the necklace as I bobbed my head excitedly. “This is so beautiful. It is probably the most beautiful necklace that I have ever set eyes on” I glanced back at the mirror, still
Thorne I hated that I was doing this but I had to. As long as it meant tormenting the Lycan King and capturing his daughter— I would join hands with my enemies. Alpha Alexandro, my childhood enemy and the biggest ally to the Lycan King. The expression on my face darkened as my jaw clenched and the gigantic oak doors that led to the dining hall opened. Alexandro stood at the far end of the table and slowly, his eyes locked onto mine and the smile on his face died. His jaw clenched and a smug smile crept through the corners of his mouth. “We meet again. The reason you called me here better be worth it because you have wasted my time already” I smirked as I walked toward the far end of the table, watching him step back to take his seat. “This is my castle,” I said, my voice low and assured. “I rule everything here—time included.” Alexandro rolled his eyes as I settled in my seat while he sat across from me, shooting lasers into my face as he twirled the table’s knife bet
Celeste It has been months since I gave Thorne space and the craziest stuff about all of this was that he had never called me since then. Only if Freya had died then, he would have missed me, called me back, and it wouldn't have been too long before I was back into his arms. However, with the way things were going, why did it seem like he would never reach out to me until I took a drastic step? I ran my hands through my hair frustratedly, shooting a glare at Sadie who drummed her fingers on her laptop. Since she was chasing a doctorate, she has been busy with this dumbass project she kept talking about instead of helping me with important issues—Like getting back the man who is mine. I rolled my eyes to the back, taking a sip of my coffee before clearing my throat. She adjusted her glasses, glancing up at me while returning my smile and I couldn't help but be glad that I had her attention as she shut the laptop. “What is it, Celeste? Do you need help with anything? Are
Freya’s P.O.V My heart dropped to my toes, struggling to free my wrist from Thorne’s grip and at that moment, the only words that kept resounding in my head were “I was done for. How long has Enzo known? How long has he known that I was the Lycan King’s daughter, and I was the princess of the man whom he and Thorne hated? I didn’t dare glance at Thorne to see the reaction on his face nor did I stare at Enzo because no matter how Thorne might have professed his love for me, this was my end. I swallowed hard, my knees wobbled, threatening to give way beneath me, and for a split second, I wished that the ground could open up and take me instead. Anything to just save me from the misery that I found myself in. My heart almost leaped into my throat when Enzo snapped his fingers before me. “Why are you not speaking?” I fisted my dress, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to rush into my eyes. “I… I…had no idea that you knew all along…” My words came out as
Freya’s P.O.V It has been three months since that horrible event occurred in my life, and it was safe to say that things have changed a lot. Aside from my protruding stomach that kept increasing in size, the relationship between Thorne and I had gotten better—Although, it wasn't the way he wanted since I still walked on eggshells around him. Even though he made me see Celeste’s true colors, I couldn't get rid of those words—her words that kept lingering in my mind— about how Thorne might turn his back on me and get rid of me. I wanted to be comfortable around him, but I couldn't. I wanted to see me the same way he did. But that fear… No. I needed to be strong and wouldn't be caught off guard. Thorne had told me to forget about Celeste because she wouldn't be coming back into our lives to wreak more havoc but even though he knew her capabilities, I couldn't wrap my head around why he didn't believe that she started the fire. According to him, he had claimed that
Thorne I got out of the car, heaving an exasperated sigh while adjusting the black coat draped over my shoulder. As soon as the door slammed shut, a maid rushed towards me, lowering her head in reverence for me while trying to collect the bag containing the potted plant that I had gotten for Freya pending the time that she would regain consciousness. Anxiety crept at the back of my neck and despite the new doctor telling me that she would regain consciousness, I couldn’t get rid of the fear that lingered in my mind. The what ifs. Ever since I saved her from the fire, I had stayed by her side, tendering to her. My fear heightened when her fever burned high, and I had to place damp clothing on her head to cool her down. Astrid had wanted to help but since I was the reason she was in that situation, I decided to take the responsibility. Plus it was my responsibility to stick by her side and take care of her irrespective of the situation. At that moment, my mind drifted ba