"Lucien, look at this." I held up the scroll, the seal broken and the message inside unclear to me, though I had a sinking feeling in my chest.He crossed the room swiftly, his large frame filling the space between us in seconds. His hand grazed mine, the touch lingering as though it held more weight than the parchment itself. Lucien had changed since the night we tore down the heart of our kingdom, and with it, he had become less of a tyrant and more of an equal."You look troubled," he murmured, his voice low and filled with a new, gentle strength.I swallowed hard, unfurling the scroll. "It's from the capital. They want an audience—"Before I could finish, he took the scroll from my hands, his eyes scanning it. His face hardened as he read, his jaw tightening."Lucien?" I stepped closer, my heart racing. The shift in his demeanor was enough to stir the unease in me."Look at this," he said, handing it back to me with a look that mirrored my own uncertainty.My eyes scanned the word
"You should rest," Lucien’s voice was low, carrying a soft edge I hadn’t heard in years. It was both familiar and strange, like the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, soothing but filled with tension. His large hand rested on my stomach, a constant reminder of the life growing within me.I glanced up at him, eyes flicking over his broad frame and the way his expression softened when he looked at me. It was a stark contrast to the man I had once known. He was no longer the distant, cruel Alpha I had married, nor the tyrant he had once been. He had become something different—a man I was still learning to trust, but who had, against all odds, become my partner."Lucien," I murmured, turning slightly on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. "I’m fine. I’ve been resting all day.""You’re carrying our child," he said with a slight smile, leaning over to kiss my forehead, lingering there for a moment longer than usual. "That’s no small thing."I smiled back at him, my hand restin
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warm glow casting dancing shadows across the stone walls of the old hall. The room was filled with the scent of roasting meat and the sweet, earthy aroma of herbs hanging from the rafters. A group of children sat in a half-circle, their eager eyes fixed on the elderly storyteller who sat at the center, leaning forward with a smile.“And now,” the storyteller said, his voice low and filled with weight, “you have heard the beginning of the tale. But as with all stories, it must be passed down, for there are lessons to be learned, even in the hardest of truths.”The children’s faces were wide with wonder. They knew of the Wolf Bride—Cassia, the strong, beautiful woman who had once been the captive bride of Alpha Lucien. She was a legend, her name whispered in awe and respect throughout the kingdom. Her strength, her defiance, her love for her family—it had all made her a symbol of something greater than any one person. And Lucien, the god-king
“You’re mine now, Cassia.” His voice is like ice sliding across bare skin, cold and unforgiving.I’m standing there, my hands trembling, my heart hammering in my chest. The weight of the wedding gown feels like a thousand stones pressing against me, every part of me begging for escape. But there is no way out.I turn to face him, and my stomach churns. Lucien. Alpha Lucien. The man I’m supposed to call my husband. But there’s nothing in his eyes that says husband—only conqueror. He’s tall and imposing, and his eyes? Black as midnight, with a glint of something I can't place. Power? Cruelty? Something darker than that, maybe. His hand reaches out, a long finger tracing the curve of my jaw, and my skin burns at his touch.“You look so beautiful,” he says, his voice a mockery of kindness. But there’s no warmth in it. Only cold amusement.I swallow hard, biting my lip to stop the tremor in my voice. “I didn’t choose this.”He smiles that predatory smile that makes my breath catch. “It doe
I stumbled through the forest, my breath ragged as I tried to push back the tears burning in my eyes. The weight of the last few days, the suffocating pressure of Lucien’s hold, was too much. I needed space, even if just for a moment. Every step I took felt like I was wading through mud, but at least in the woods, I could pretend to be free. The trees whispered as the wind rustled through their branches, and I walked deeper, farther away from the mansion. “Cassia, wait.”I froze. The voice was soft but urgent, and it came from the shadows. My body tensed. Was it him? Lucien? “Who’s there?” I demanded, trying to sound more confident than I felt. A figure stepped out from behind a tree. Tall, cloaked, with his face shadowed by the hood, his presence felt different from Lucien’s. There was no dominance, no crushing weight of power. Just a quiet, watchful aura. My pulse quickened.“I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice was rough, but there was something comforting about it. “I’ve b
“Focus,” the rogue’s voice was calm but firm, cutting through the storm of thoughts in my mind. "You have to learn to control it."Control. Control over the power that surged through me like fire in my veins. Every breath felt like an inferno, and every thought was consumed by the overwhelming force that was awakening. My mother’s power—no, my power—was too much for me to grasp, too much for my fragile mind to handle. I closed my eyes and concentrated. The rogue’s instructions echoed in my ears: channel your anger, but don’t let it control you.But it was impossible. The anger, the grief, the fear—it all came crashing down on me. The images of my mother, murdered in cold blood by my stepmother, the countless nights spent in silence, the hours of punishment from Lucien—they were all part of the storm inside me.A crackling sound filled the air. My hands began to tremble as dark tendrils of magic spiraled from my fingertips, swirling around my body in a chaotic dance."Focus, Cassia!"
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I demanded, my voice shaky but firm. Lucien stood in the doorway, his figure a shadow against the fading light. I could feel the tension in the room—the air thick with something I couldn’t name, but it wasn’t hatred. It was something else, something raw and unexpected.“I’m waiting,” I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “You always keep me in the dark. Well, no more. I want to know why.”He didn’t answer right away. His eyes, cold and calculating, scanned me as if measuring whether or not I could handle the truth. I barely noticed the sweat trickling down my temples from the backlash of magic I’d just unleashed. My head throbbed, my energy drained, but I wasn’t backing down. “I want to know why you’re so cruel.” The words spilled out before I could stop them, rough and desperate. “Why do you hurt me? Why do you enjoy it?”Lucien’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. But then, something flickered in his gaze. A flicker of something human. Reg
“What do you mean, you’re working with the enemy?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief. The rogue didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, his dark eyes heavy with something I couldn’t quite place. Guilt? Regret? Or was it something far more sinister?“I didn’t want it to come to this,” he said, his voice soft, almost apologetic. “But I don’t have a choice. No one does.”I took a step back, a cold shiver running through me. The air felt thick, the tension unbearable. My stomach twisted, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to hear this, needed to understand.“Tell me what you’re talking about.” My voice came out sharp, demanding. “And don’t lie to me. I’m not some helpless pawn anymore.”He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling like he was preparing for something painful. “Cassia... what you don’t understand is that your family has been cursed. A curse that ties your life to your father’s. Your mother knew this—she tried to protect you from it. But she coul
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warm glow casting dancing shadows across the stone walls of the old hall. The room was filled with the scent of roasting meat and the sweet, earthy aroma of herbs hanging from the rafters. A group of children sat in a half-circle, their eager eyes fixed on the elderly storyteller who sat at the center, leaning forward with a smile.“And now,” the storyteller said, his voice low and filled with weight, “you have heard the beginning of the tale. But as with all stories, it must be passed down, for there are lessons to be learned, even in the hardest of truths.”The children’s faces were wide with wonder. They knew of the Wolf Bride—Cassia, the strong, beautiful woman who had once been the captive bride of Alpha Lucien. She was a legend, her name whispered in awe and respect throughout the kingdom. Her strength, her defiance, her love for her family—it had all made her a symbol of something greater than any one person. And Lucien, the god-king
"You should rest," Lucien’s voice was low, carrying a soft edge I hadn’t heard in years. It was both familiar and strange, like the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, soothing but filled with tension. His large hand rested on my stomach, a constant reminder of the life growing within me.I glanced up at him, eyes flicking over his broad frame and the way his expression softened when he looked at me. It was a stark contrast to the man I had once known. He was no longer the distant, cruel Alpha I had married, nor the tyrant he had once been. He had become something different—a man I was still learning to trust, but who had, against all odds, become my partner."Lucien," I murmured, turning slightly on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. "I’m fine. I’ve been resting all day.""You’re carrying our child," he said with a slight smile, leaning over to kiss my forehead, lingering there for a moment longer than usual. "That’s no small thing."I smiled back at him, my hand restin
"Lucien, look at this." I held up the scroll, the seal broken and the message inside unclear to me, though I had a sinking feeling in my chest.He crossed the room swiftly, his large frame filling the space between us in seconds. His hand grazed mine, the touch lingering as though it held more weight than the parchment itself. Lucien had changed since the night we tore down the heart of our kingdom, and with it, he had become less of a tyrant and more of an equal."You look troubled," he murmured, his voice low and filled with a new, gentle strength.I swallowed hard, unfurling the scroll. "It's from the capital. They want an audience—"Before I could finish, he took the scroll from my hands, his eyes scanning it. His face hardened as he read, his jaw tightening."Lucien?" I stepped closer, my heart racing. The shift in his demeanor was enough to stir the unease in me."Look at this," he said, handing it back to me with a look that mirrored my own uncertainty.My eyes scanned the word
The echoes of destruction reverberated through the hollow chambers, but Lucien remained still, his hand trembling as it hovered above the blackened heart. The ancient pulsating darkness that had plagued our world, binding the lands in fear and suffering, awaited its end. The air was thick with tension, like a rope pulled taut between two worlds—the one we had known, and the one we would build."You know what this means, don't you?" Cassia’s voice cut through the chaos, steady and unwavering, despite the raw power that clung to the atmosphere. She stepped beside me, her fingers brushing against mine as if offering me the strength I needed to do what I had always feared."I do." My voice was barely a whisper, the weight of the moment heavy in my chest.We stood together before the heart—once a symbol of my cursed bloodline, a force that had shaped me, controlled me, and threatened everything I held dear. Now, in this final moment, I had the power to destroy it. To break the chains, to s
Lucien's grip tightened on the jagged stone as he stood before the ruins, his chest heaving with the weight of what lay ahead. The last remnants of Varyn's influence clung to the very earth beneath his feet, an ancient power that had corrupted everything it touched, including him. He knew what he had to do. Destroy the heart, and free both himself and Cassia from the curse that had haunted them for so long. But the cost was unimaginable.I turned to him, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, the torment in his eyes. "Lucien," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Are you sure about this? Once it's done, you might never be able to use magic again."He turned to me, the haunted look in his eyes softening ever so slightly. "I’ve already lost so much, Cassia. But if it means setting you free, if it means ending this nightmare once and for all... I’ll do it. Even if it costs me everything."I shook my head, my chest tight with a mixture of f
"Lucien, stop!" I grabbed his arm, tugging him back as he advanced into the ruins. The walls around us seemed to pulse, a faint shimmer of energy thrumming beneath our feet. The air felt thick, almost alive with a tension I could barely comprehend.He turned, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with an emotion I couldn’t place. "You want to stop? You want to run now, Cassia?""No." I shook my head, trying to steady my voice. "I don’t want to run, but I can’t let this illusion consume you. You’ve fought too long to let the past drag you back into the darkness. We have to trust each other, now more than ever."His eyes softened for a brief moment before they narrowed again, filled with uncertainty. "I thought I could control it. The void, the power, everything. But now... I don’t know what’s real anymore."I stepped closer, taking his hand in mine. His warmth was a comfort I didn’t want to lose. "This is real," I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. "Our bond is real. We’ve survived the
I stood at the edge of the desolate ruins, the wind biting at my skin, carrying with it the whispers of forgotten souls. Lucien, at my side, seemed like a shadow, his presence always just a breath behind mine. His eyes were colder than the night air, but I could feel the tension in him—a battle he was fighting just as much as I was.“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.Lucien didn’t answer at first. He just kept walking, his boots crunching over the brittle remains of what used to be stone pathways. The ruins of Varyn’s stronghold were all that remained of a once-mighty empire, now nothing more than a decaying relic of power long lost. And yet, it was here that we hoped to sever our ties to the void. To remove the curse that had shaped both our lives, to erase the fate that seemed to hang over us like a specter.Lucien finally spoke, his voice low. “I never thought we’d be here. Not like this.”I met his gaze, a flash of understanding passing bet
“Lucien,” I whispered, my voice barely above a tremor, the letter shaking between my hands. The wax seal, still warm with the recent press, bore a symbol I could never mistake. It was Varyn’s—his mark, the same mark I had seen burned into the old tomes and whispered in the shadows of the pack’s darkest corners.Lucien’s fingers grazed mine as he reached for the letter. His intense gaze softened, and for the first time in days, I saw something like unease flicker in his stormy eyes.“What does it say?” His voice was low, strained.I unfolded the letter slowly, the weight of it pressing against my chest. The words on the parchment were short and cryptic, and yet they carried the weight of a prophecy I had never hoped to hear again.“A god who walks as a man is still bound to fate.”I felt the cold air in the room grow heavy as if the walls themselves were closing in, drawn tight by the threat in those few words.Lucien’s jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “Varyn,
I never imagined that standing beside Lucien would feel so... heavy. The weight of his silence, the pressure of his thoughts, it all pressed against me like an invisible storm. But this time, it wasn't just the looming danger of his past decisions or his oppressive presence that worried me. It was his own struggle—Lucien, the once-immortal Alpha, now feeling the pull of his humanity."How do you feel?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could think them through. The question felt small compared to everything we had been through, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to know. His face remained stoic as ever, but there was a subtle tightness around his eyes, something that spoke volumes without a single word.He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "I feel... weak," he admitted, his voice low and strained. "The power I once had is gone. And without it, I'm just a man. A man who has spent his life commanding others, and now..." He paused, glancing up at the throne that once felt so fitti