Thalia's POVI seemed to have lost the ability to breathe when I heard that statement.Ronan had… returned?My mind struggled to grasp the words, to piece them together into something that made sense.I wasn't ready yet… No, I wasn't ready to face him. Not like this.Everything inside me twisted into a tangled knot of longing and fear.For the past week that I had been here, I had wrestled with the ache of missing him, the guilt of what I had done, and the desperate yearning to see him just one more time. And yet, buried beneath all of that, I knew the truth.I was terrified to face him.I remembered clearly the reception I received when I arrived here. The look of pure hatred in his cold red eyes, the way he screamed, threatening me with all the malice he could muster.As much as this was my fault, it still stung like a knife piercing my heart.However, the order he gave to get me out of the dungeon rang through my mind, and doubt crept in.Would he look at me with the same warmth as
Thalia's POVWe barged into the throne room, and almost instantly, the memory of that day hit me like a wave.The cold, unforgiving floor beneath my feet, the weight of silver shackles biting into my wrists. The burning hatred in his voice – Get her out of my sight.I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as my gaze drifted toward the throne.And there he was.Ronan stood tall, his presence commanding even in stillness. He was speaking to Aedric, his expression unreadable, his focus entirely elsewhere. Yet my eyes couldn’t leave him.His long black hair was messier than usual, wild strands falling over his forehead. Blood marred his armor, streaks of crimson standing stark against the dark metal.His red eyes, the ones I used to get lost in, were cold. Empty.I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as a sudden, crushing wave of emotions threatened to consume me.My hand clamped around my mouth, my teeth biting on the flesh in a bid to force myself not to break down right t
Thalia's POVI swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. My hands trembled at my sides, nails digging into my palms, but I couldn't feel anything beyond the suffocating weight of his stare.I felt like cornered prey, quaking in fear as the predator prowled around me, playing with its meal before finally pouncing.It was a horrible feeling."That you were a maid, huh?" Ronan’s voice dripped with mockery and hurt."Damn." I clenched my eyes shut in fear, my heart stinging at the pain in his voice.I had hoped—prayed—that he wouldn't bring this up, but it seemed my luck had already run out. It wasn’t like I wanted to lie to Hebathi. I just… I did what I had to do to survive.Now, standing under his cold, piercing gaze, I realized how flimsy that lie truly was.It was bad enough that I had been the catalyst that shattered his life. But now, he knew I had also lied about our past relationship. My odds of survival weren’t looking too good at the moment.I sighed, forcing myself to look
Ronan's POVI clenched my jaw, forcing my expression to remain impassive as I watched Thalia crumble before me. Every tear that rolled down her cheek, every tremor that wracked her body, should have satisfied me. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To see her broken? To see her suffer the way I had suffered?Then why did my heart ache?I shoved the feeling away, burying it beneath years of rage and betrayal. Thalia had chosen this path. She had left me for Caden. She had destroyed everything we could have been. She deserved this. She deserved every bit of disgrace and punishment I was about to mete out on her. The Moon Goddess thought she could play games with me?That she could string me along like some pathetic puppet?That reviving my wolf depended on me forgiving Thalia? That I had to fall in love with her again to restore Fenris?Fuck that.I would defy her. I would defy fate itself. Fenris was gone. I had accepted that. My bond with my wolf had withered away the moment
Chapter 1 Thalia’s POVThe crystal chandelier up above illuminated the ballroom, which held one of the grandest events of the year: my 4th-year marriage anniversary ceremony to Alpha Caden. I was supposed to be happy, to feel great knowing that I'd reached this milestone, but sadly, as I accepted congratulatory messages, raised wine glasses, and murmured well wishes, I felt empty. It's been a whole 2 hours into the ceremony, yet Caden wasn't here.Where was he?My husband, my Alpha, Caden Sinclair of the Bloodstone Pack, was supposed to have been here ages ago with me to entertain the guests. I mean, this was ‘our’ anniversary, and I had taken great lengths to ensure that it was a success. Yet, he disappeared this morning, leaving me alone in this embarrassing situation. How could I explain that I didn't know why the Alpha was missing from his own anniversary?“Long live Luna Thalia.” A guest hailed, and I turned, my lips stretching into that fake smile I was constantly dishing out t
Chapter 2Thalia's POV “What are you doing Caden?” I took a step back in fear. Caden took a step forward, glaring at me like he was a predator and I was prey.“In case you've forgotten, I am the Alpha of bloodstone pack.” He growled, his amber eyes flickering with red which means…his wolf was on the surface. “No one leaves my back unless I allow it.”I swallowed hard, summoning what little courage I had left. “You can’t keep me here against my will. You’ve already taken everything from me—”But then, I noticed his gaze flick past me, a silent signal I almost missed. Panic surged through me, and I tried to turn around, but before I could react—CrackA sudden searing pain exploded at the back of my head, and the world began to spin. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, vision blurring as I struggled to stay conscious.“Well, that was easier than I thought.” I heard Astrid sneer at me.“Poor, pathetic Thalia,” she cooed mockingly. “The Rogue Sovereign will be pleased to hav
Ronan's POV “Thalia.”The name slipped past my lips before I could stop it, and in that moment, my entire world cracked open. I thought I had buried her—locked away every shred of who I was before becoming the Rogue Sovereign, buried him so deep that nothing could ever pull him back. But her eyes, that deep forest green, looked up at me like the ghost of a life I’d lost, and my heart didn’t just stutter; it almost broke.Then, I felt it. Something I hadn't felt in four long years. My wolf stirred for the first time in four years, just because of her.I couldn't move or breathe, struggling to understand and contain the chaos that rippled through me.She looked different. Emaciated, sad, and her eyes that were once full of life were now empty, but despite all this, she still looked beautiful; she was still the woman I loved without reason.Memories crashed over me, and I was back in that golden time when her laughter was my only sun, her presence my only peace.I’d thought she loved me
Ronan's POV“Fenris.”The name of my wolf burned in my mind as I desperately called out to him in my subconscious.“Wake up.”No answer.“Fenris, answer me! Wake up!”Silence.The void within me yawned wider, a suffocating emptiness I’d grown used to over the years. I missed my wolf—his howls, our conversations, the sense of wholeness he brought. Shifting, running, and fully connecting with him felt like a distant dream.For werewolves, the bond between human and wolf is sacred, two halves of a whole. The wolf fuels instincts and strength, while the human provides reason and control.Losing a wolf is like losing a piece of your soul, leaving you hollow and on the brink of madness. Most who lose their wolves succumb to feral rage, despair or death. their lives shattered.By all rights, I should have fallen long ago. Yet here I was, surviving as a shadow of myself.I had all but given up on ever feeling Fenris’s presence again. But then, he emerged when I saw her. After that brief flick
Ronan's POVI clenched my jaw, forcing my expression to remain impassive as I watched Thalia crumble before me. Every tear that rolled down her cheek, every tremor that wracked her body, should have satisfied me. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To see her broken? To see her suffer the way I had suffered?Then why did my heart ache?I shoved the feeling away, burying it beneath years of rage and betrayal. Thalia had chosen this path. She had left me for Caden. She had destroyed everything we could have been. She deserved this. She deserved every bit of disgrace and punishment I was about to mete out on her. The Moon Goddess thought she could play games with me?That she could string me along like some pathetic puppet?That reviving my wolf depended on me forgiving Thalia? That I had to fall in love with her again to restore Fenris?Fuck that.I would defy her. I would defy fate itself. Fenris was gone. I had accepted that. My bond with my wolf had withered away the moment
Thalia's POVI swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. My hands trembled at my sides, nails digging into my palms, but I couldn't feel anything beyond the suffocating weight of his stare.I felt like cornered prey, quaking in fear as the predator prowled around me, playing with its meal before finally pouncing.It was a horrible feeling."That you were a maid, huh?" Ronan’s voice dripped with mockery and hurt."Damn." I clenched my eyes shut in fear, my heart stinging at the pain in his voice.I had hoped—prayed—that he wouldn't bring this up, but it seemed my luck had already run out. It wasn’t like I wanted to lie to Hebathi. I just… I did what I had to do to survive.Now, standing under his cold, piercing gaze, I realized how flimsy that lie truly was.It was bad enough that I had been the catalyst that shattered his life. But now, he knew I had also lied about our past relationship. My odds of survival weren’t looking too good at the moment.I sighed, forcing myself to look
Thalia's POVWe barged into the throne room, and almost instantly, the memory of that day hit me like a wave.The cold, unforgiving floor beneath my feet, the weight of silver shackles biting into my wrists. The burning hatred in his voice – Get her out of my sight.I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as my gaze drifted toward the throne.And there he was.Ronan stood tall, his presence commanding even in stillness. He was speaking to Aedric, his expression unreadable, his focus entirely elsewhere. Yet my eyes couldn’t leave him.His long black hair was messier than usual, wild strands falling over his forehead. Blood marred his armor, streaks of crimson standing stark against the dark metal.His red eyes, the ones I used to get lost in, were cold. Empty.I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as a sudden, crushing wave of emotions threatened to consume me.My hand clamped around my mouth, my teeth biting on the flesh in a bid to force myself not to break down right t
Thalia's POVI seemed to have lost the ability to breathe when I heard that statement.Ronan had… returned?My mind struggled to grasp the words, to piece them together into something that made sense.I wasn't ready yet… No, I wasn't ready to face him. Not like this.Everything inside me twisted into a tangled knot of longing and fear.For the past week that I had been here, I had wrestled with the ache of missing him, the guilt of what I had done, and the desperate yearning to see him just one more time. And yet, buried beneath all of that, I knew the truth.I was terrified to face him.I remembered clearly the reception I received when I arrived here. The look of pure hatred in his cold red eyes, the way he screamed, threatening me with all the malice he could muster.As much as this was my fault, it still stung like a knife piercing my heart.However, the order he gave to get me out of the dungeon rang through my mind, and doubt crept in.Would he look at me with the same warmth as
Thalia's POV"He wasn’t like the higher-ranked wolves who barely acknowledged us. Most warriors carried themselves with an air of entitlement, like we were nothing more than background noise, but Ronan..." I smiled faintly, letting the words flow. "He noticed people. Even the ones like me—just a maid, cleaning the halls, setting the tables. He always paid attention."I could still remember the way he used to look at me, the warmth in his eyes. The way the bond between us had filled me with such joy and satisfaction.It was… everything.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay on track."He was thoughtful in a quiet way. If someone was limping from an injury, he’d be the first to notice and make sure they got treated. If someone was struggling with extra chores, he’d find a way to ease their workload without making a show of it."The memories blurred in my mind, mixing the truth with my fabricated narrative. The way he had once wrapped his cloak around me when I shivered from the col
Thalia's POV I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around the fork as Hebathi’s question hung in the air. What was Ronan like? The memories swirled inside me, some vivid, others hazy, but before I could grasp onto any of them, Hebathi’s voice dragged me from the haze. “Well?” she prompted. I blinked, realizing I had been silent for too long. Heat rushed to my cheeks. “S-Sorry,” I murmured, lowering my gaze. “I… I got lost in memory lane.” A smirk tugged at the corner of Hebathi’s lips. “It happens.” She leaned back slightly, her fingers tapping idly against the table. “But I’d still like to know,” she continued, her voice softer this time. “What was he like before all of this?” Her gaze drifted toward the window, her expression unreadable. But there was something… distant in her eyes. Lonely, almost. I hesitated. Did she really want to know? Or was she just looking for something—anything—that might explain the man Ronan had become? I inhaled deeply, gathering my though
Thalia's POVI remained still on the bed as the knocking grew louder. My fingers curled into the sheets, my heart pounding a little harder with each sharp rap against the door.Whoever it was, they weren’t leaving.What did they want with me?I sighed, suddenly wishing—maybe for the hundredth time—that I had a wolf. If I did, I wouldn’t have to sit here, paralyzed with uncertainty. I could use my senses, pick up a scent, determine who stood on the other side before I even opened the door.But of course, I wasn’t fortunate enough to be blessed with one.So, I had no choice but to face the unknown with nothing but a whispered prayer to the Moon Goddess.Taking a deep breath, I forced my legs to move, stepping off the bed. The cold floor stung against my bare feet, grounding me as I hesitantly approached the door.I swallowed hard. Please don’t let this be trouble.My fingers trembled slightly as I gripped the handle and pulled the door open.My breath caught in my throat.Hebathi stood
Thalia's POVThe sky burned with shades of gold and crimson, streaks of violet stretching across the horizon as the sun dipped lower. I rested my head on the pillow on the plush bed, watching as the last traces of daylight melted away.A week.It had been a week since I had been given this room, since I had last seen Hebathi.I hadn’t left the room once throughout the week, and why would I?Not only was this unfamiliar territory, but there was no reason to leave. No one summoned me, no one came to question me, and no one forced me to do anything.It was as if my existence had been forgotten, which made me extremely grateful for the moment of peace and solitude I had become accustomed to. This room, grand as it was, had become my sanctuary. My cage too, in a way—but at least it was a comfortable one.The only real interaction I had was with the small maid who always brought my meals.I didn’t even know her name.Every day, she would knock timidly, push the trolley inside without a word
Ronan's POVFenris was sacrificed to bring me back? No. No. No. No.I could not accept this.I refused to accept this!I would have chosen death over allowing my wolf to sacrifice himself. I wanted to live… but not like this.“I thought,” Selene murmured, “that Hebathi’s presence would ease the burden. That her companionship would mend the fractures I carved into your soul.”“But even with her, you remained broken.”No. Not broken.Broken was too soft a word to describe my situation.I was cursed to ruin and damnation.“You shattered me,” I rasped, my voice jagged, rough-edged. “And now you speak of remorse?” “I am not beyond regret, Ronan. Divinity does not strip one of guilt. I intervened when I should not have. I unraveled threads that were never mine to touch, all to craft a vessel for my purpose. I stole your happiness, your life as you knew it.”Her words hung in the air, heavy with truths that didn’t matter anymore.What did remorse mean from lips that never bled?“I don’t ca