"You knew, didn't you?" My voice trembles, but not with fear. With fury.Lucien stands across from me, arms crossed over his broad chest, his expression unreadable. The flickering firelight casts shadows over his face, making him seem even more distant, more untouchable."Some fates can’t be changed, Cassia." His voice is calm, too calm.I take a step forward, my hands clenched into fists. "That’s not an answer."He exhales, a muscle in his jaw tightening. "And what do you want me to say? That I knew? That I kept it from you?""Yes!" I snap. "Because that’s exactly what you did."For a moment, I expect him to deny it, to lie. But he doesn’t. Instead, he turns slightly, his gaze drifting toward the darkened window."Your father was doomed the moment you married me, Cassia. There was nothing either of us could do to stop it."The words hit me like a slap. My stomach twists, nausea rising. "You could have warned me."Lucien meets my eyes then, and for a fleeting second, I see something t
"You want freedom?" Lucien’s voice was low, a dark promise wrapped in silk. He stood too close, the scent of cedar and frost surrounding me. "I’ll give it to you—if you agree to my terms."I stiffened, forcing myself to hold his gaze. I wanted to hate him, to recoil at his presence, but the weight of his words coiled around my mind like a snake."What terms?" I forced the words out, my throat tight.Lucien’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. He reached out, brushing his fingers against my wrist. A spark jolted through me, something I didn’t understand. His touch was light, teasing, and yet it carried an unspoken command."You will stand beside me, as my queen." His voice was steady, unwavering. "Not just in name, but in power."I sucked in a breath. "You expect me to rule beside you?" My voice was sharp, disbelief cracking through it."I expect you to act as my mate," he corrected, watching me too closely. "To strengthen this pack. To be more than a prisoner."I la
"Get away from him!" the rogue snarled, his blade glinting in the dim light.Lucien stood rigid, his breathing heavy, blood dripping from a shallow cut on his forearm. His eyes flickered with something dangerous, something primal, but I stepped between them, my heart pounding."Cassia, move," the rogue hissed. "You don’t know what he’s capable of."I knew exactly what Lucien was capable of. He had spent weeks breaking me, controlling me, twisting me into something he could own. But right now, I wasn’t sure if he was the worst threat in the room."I won’t let you kill him," I said, my voice firm.The rogue’s jaw clenched. His name was Eryk. He had been the one feeding me information, sneaking me supplies, whispering promises of freedom when I thought I had none. But he didn’t understand what I had just realized. Killing Lucien wouldn’t free me. Not yet."He’s our enemy, Cassia," Eryk said again, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger.Lucien chuckled darkly, wiping the blood fro
I jolted awake, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. Something was wrong. My skin burned as if invisible flames licked at my flesh. I flung the blankets aside and pushed up the sleeve of my nightdress.My heart stopped.A dark, swirling mark curled along the inside of my wrist—black as ink, pulsing with an eerie glow. It hadn’t been there last night.I reached out to touch it, but the moment my fingers brushed the strange symbol, a jolt of power surged through my veins. I gasped, pulling back, my pulse hammering.“What the hell…”The door burst open.Lucien stood in the doorway, his chest bare, his muscles tense as his sharp golden eyes locked onto mine.He must have sensed it too.His gaze dropped to my wrist, and for the first time since I’d met him, I saw something that looked like fear flicker across his face.He took slow steps toward me, his movements careful, and calculated.“Do you even know what you’ve done?” His voice was quiet, but there was something lethal behind it
"Cassia, move!"Lucien's voice was a harsh command, but I barely had time to react. A monstrous creature lunged at me, its blackened claws slashing through the air. I ducked, rolling across the blood-streaked marble floor just as its talons scraped against the stone.I had seen monsters before—beasts of war, cursed rogues—but nothing like these. Their eyes glowed a sickly green, their skin twisted and unnatural, moving like shadows given flesh.The castle was chaos. Pack warriors fought desperately, outnumbered by the dark creatures that poured in through shattered windows and broken doors. Screams echoed through the halls, a mix of agony and battle cries.Lucien was beside me, sword flashing in the dim light as he cut down another creature. Blood splattered across his face, but he didn’t flinch. His movements were precise and efficient. A true warrior.I lifted my hand, feeling the burn of power thrumming beneath my skin. I still didn’t fully understand what I had become, but I didn’
"Your mother wasn’t who you thought she was."The words slithered into my ear like poison, twisting through my mind with a sickening chill. I stood frozen, staring at the woman who had ruined my life—my stepmother, Morgana. Her lips curled in a slow, knowing smile as if savoring the way my breath hitched.I clenched my fists. "You're lying."Morgana laughed, the sound sharp as glass. "Am I? You really think your precious mother was the saint you’ve built her up to be?" She took a step closer, her presence suffocating. "Do you know why your powers were sealed away? Do you even understand the magic that runs through your veins?"My body tensed. The magic inside me had awakened, roaring to life in the face of danger, but I barely understood it. It had been buried so deep, hidden beneath years of helplessness, that I still wasn’t sure of its full strength.Lucien stood behind me, his posture rigid. "Enough," he growled. His voice was laced with something I couldn’t quite place—something c
"You were never supposed to see that."Lucien’s voice was a low rasp, thick with something between anger and regret. My breath came in sharp gasps, my body trembling as the vision faded, but its ghostly imprint lingered behind my eyelids.I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think.All I could see was my mother—alive, standing before a younger Lucien. They weren’t fighting. They weren’t enemies. They were allies.Lucien had lied."You knew her," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roaring in my ears. "You knew my mother."Lucien didn't answer.I sat up, my body drenched in cold sweat. My hands curled into the sheets beneath me as I turned to face him. "Tell me the truth."Lucien’s jaw tightened. The muscles in his neck tensed as if he were fighting an internal war. "Cassia—""Don’t you dare lie to me again." My voice shook, but there was steel beneath it. "You knew my mother. You knew who I was all along."Lucien exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. "It’s complicate
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I glared at Lucien. His face was unreadable, his golden eyes dark with something I couldn’t name. Anger? Fear? Regret? I had no idea, and that infuriated me."You knew my mother," I said, my voice tight with accusation. "You knew her, and you never told me. Why?"Lucien exhaled slowly as if measuring his words before he spoke. "Cassia, some truths are more dangerous than lies."I scoffed, stepping forward, refusing to let him tower over me. "Don’t give me riddles, Lucien. I deserve the truth. I’ve spent my whole life being lied to—by my father, my stepmother, and now you. I want answers!"His jaw tensed, a flicker of something flashing across his face before it vanished. "You think you want answers, but you don’t. Not really."I reached for him, gripping his wrist before he could turn away. "Don’t you dare walk away from me? Not this time. Tell me what you know about my mother!"Lucien’s eyes burned into mine, his muscles coiled li
My breath comes out in shaky gasps, my heart racing in my chest. The Keeper looms before us, towering, its presence suffocating in the air. His form is an enigma—shrouded in shadows, like a living void. His eyes, black as the abyss, penetrate me.Lucien stands beside me, his presence is as solid as ever, yet his usual steely composure is replaced with something I haven’t seen before: fear. His jaw tightens, fists clenching at his sides. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move, as if the air around him is too thick to break.I feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder, a small comfort, but my mind is consumed by the Keeper. This ancient being before us holds the power to alter everything. To change our fate.The Keeper’s voice echoes through the space, as cold as the grave, “I’ve waited for this moment, little wolf. To test the limits of your strength. You think you can save him?”I open my mouth, but the words catch in my throat. My gaze shifts to Lucien, his face a mask of determination, but
“Do you hear that?” My voice was barely a whisper, and I strained my senses to catch the faint sound that echoed from the depths of the shadowed realm. We had entered this place not by choice but out of desperation. A world between worlds, a limbo where the lost and forsaken souls were bound, trapped in endless torment. This was the prison where Lucien was trapped, where the essence of those who had fallen from grace lingered, unable to move on.“What is it?” Arawyn, my closest ally, and protector, asked, her voice tight with apprehension. I could feel her unease radiating from her, her normally composed demeanor shaken by the weight of this place. She was a seasoned warrior, but even she had her limits.“I don’t know,” I said, my eyes scanning the landscape ahead. The sky above us flickered with unnatural colors, the swirling hues of violet and crimson casting an eerie glow over the endless expanse. The ground beneath our feet was cracked and jagged as if it had been torn apart by so
I stepped forward, feeling the pull of something beyond the veil of reality. The air around me shimmered as if it were made of liquid light. My heart pounded, the rhythm syncing with the pulsing glow that surrounded us. This place, this strange world we had entered, was unlike anything I had ever encountered. It wasn’t just the colors—shifting in shades I couldn’t name—but the very sensation of being here. It felt unreal and yet, at the same time, undeniable. There was weight to it, a heaviness in the atmosphere that weighed down on my soul.I could feel the presence of my companions behind me, their breathing shallow, and uncertain. We had crossed into a realm between realms, a world suspended between life and death, where the laws of nature and time seemed to bend and twist. The ground beneath us was soft, like the deepest sand, yet it didn’t give way beneath our feet. It was as though we were walking on air, hovering just above a surface that shifted with each step.“Is this…real?”
"Do you believe in fate, Cassia?" His voice echoed in the stillness, sharp and disembodied, yet so real I could feel his breath on my neck. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a sudden cold sweat trickle down my spine."No," I replied, my voice firm despite the tightening in my chest. "Fate is a lie told to keep us in place."The mist swirling around us seemed to thicken, the shadows elongating into strange, shifting shapes. The portal in front of us flickered, its edges glowing faintly, like the last remnants of a dying star. But just as I thought we might be able to cross into the realm beyond, something changed.A figure stepped forward, so suddenly that I couldn’t even react in time. It was cloaked in shadow, its features hidden beneath the hood. Yet, I knew who it was before it even spoke."You are not welcome," the figure growled its voice a low, gravelly whisper that resonated through my bones.I froze, my blood turning to ice. The Guardian of the Gate had appeared.Lucien had
The air was thick with an unnatural chill as we ventured deeper into the forbidden lands. The trees towered over us, their twisted branches like skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky, blocking out what little light remained from the setting sun. The ground beneath our feet was soft, as though the earth itself had grown tired of bearing the weight of time. Every step felt like a warning, a reminder that we were walking on the ground not meant for mortals.I had never been this far from the pack’s territory. The stories of the forbidden lands were whispered in fear, told in hushed voices by the elders to keep us from venturing too far. They spoke of ancient magic, of rifts between worlds, and of dangers beyond our comprehension. But I had no choice. Lucien, my Alpha, my husband—or the man who was once my husband—was lost to me, pulled into a realm beyond the mortal world. And I would stop at nothing to bring him back.The others were close behind me, their eyes scanning the surroundi
The air around me buzzed with an energy I couldn’t quite explain. My body hummed, both with the power that I had finally learned to control and the anticipation of what was to come. Every fiber of my being was ready for the next step, but there was a gnawing ache in my chest—a fear that no amount of magic could erase."Are you sure about this?" Caden’s voice was soft, yet firm, as if he too was carrying the weight of this decision. I turned toward him, meeting his brown eyes with a steady gaze.“Lucien is out there. Somewhere. I can’t just walk away from him,” I replied, my voice filled with an emotion I hadn’t let myself feel in so long—hope.Caden gave a small nod, his lips pulling into a tight line. I could tell that he understood the depth of my words, that he knew just how much I had suffered, yet still—somehow—how much I loved the man who had once tormented me. “I’ll go with you,” he said, his tone resolute. "You don’t have to do this alone."“I know. I’ve never been alone. You’
I hadn’t expected this.A hooded figure stood before the palace gates, the fabric of his cloak flowing like shadows in the dim light of dusk. I had been pacing within the palace, the weight of my responsibilities heavy on my shoulders. I had almost convinced myself that Lucien was lost forever—that his absence, his death, had been the final, inevitable end to our tangled story. But then the guards came rushing in, breathless, their eyes wide with shock."The man at the gates," one of them said, his voice trembling. "He claims he has a message. For you, Your Majesty."A message. My heart skipped a beat, but I buried the tremor beneath the surface. "Let him in," I ordered, my voice steady, though my thoughts were anything but. I had not known peace since Lucien’s disappearance. His memory haunted every waking moment of my life. Could this man bring me answers? Or was it just another cruel twist of fate?The hooded figure was escorted into the throne room. I studied him with careful eyes
I stood at the balcony of the palace, gazing out over the land that Lucien had fought to protect. The sky was a dull gray as if the heavens themselves wept for all we had lost. My fingers traced the edge of the stone railing, cold and firm, much like the reality I had come to accept. He was gone.The war had ended, and the battle was won, but at what cost? I had gained everything, yet the price was unbearable. Lucien, the man I had come to love despite all the darkness that had surrounded him, was lost to me forever.I could still feel his presence in the corners of my mind, in the spaces between my breaths. He had been my tormentor, my savior, and in the end, he had been my love. The contradictions were maddening. But it was those contradictions that had made him who he was. A man who had loved with all the ferocity of his broken past and, in doing so, had given me the strength to rise above my own chains.I didn’t know how to rule without him. We had been a team, his fierce leadersh
"Lucien," I whispered, barely able to make the words escape my lips, my heart heavy with the weight of everything I knew was about to happen.He stood before me, the air around us crackling with energy. His golden eyes locked with mine, and in that moment, everything I had ever feared and wanted collided. There was a fire in his gaze, a fire that burned for me, for us, for the world we were trying to save—yet it was tinged with sorrow, an almost unbearable sadness."Cassia," he replied, his voice low, almost a growl. "This is the only way. You know that, don't you?"I nodded, my throat tight with the grief I could no longer suppress. My body was trembling—not from fear, but from the deep sorrow of knowing that everything we had fought for, every moment we had shared, was leading up to this. Lucien was about to make the ultimate sacrifice, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."I love you," he whispered fiercely as if trying to etch those words into the very fabric of my soul. "