Reyna I stretch, the familiar lumpy bed beneath me making me groan. With the dust motes fluttering in the air and the cold chill seeping from underneath the door, it is clear that today will be a brutal one. As I sit up in bed, my eyes slowly adjust to the dim lighting of my wine cellar, which serves as my makeshift bedroom. Every day is the goddamn same; when will my life get better than this? As I swing my legs out of bed, I can't help but notice the softness of the garment I'm wearing; immediately, a foreign sensation prickles my skin, making me feel both curious and uneasy at the same time. I look down, realising I’m wearing the sleek, black dress Malachi bought me, not my usual comfortable sleepwear. Wait. If I’m wearing this dress, then—my heart speeds up as I turn to really look at my room. My eyes squint, as if trying to bring the picture into focus. My hands fly up to my temples, massaging them as if that would iron out the wrinkles in my thoughts. “The Alphas,” I breath
Reyna I am having a hard time believing that my Alphas would do something like this to me. We bonded, we claimed each other, and I know their hearts by now. It may be a short time, but I know them… I feel them. “Think about it, Reyna,” Shae urges, her voice trembling with a strange mixture of desperation and triumph. “Haven’t you wondered why you’ve felt so... calm, so placid since you met them? They’ve been dimming your fire, quenching your spirit. I’ve come to free you from that.” I step back, suddenly wary. Her words, laden with urgency and supposed concern, make me pause. Could it be? Could the very sources of my love and comfort be the architects of my suppression? But then, another thought enters my mind: If my Alphas have been tasked to poison my mind, what is Shae’s role in this? Is she truly here to liberate me, or is she another layer in this intricate web of manipulation? My eyes narrow as I scrutinise her. “How convenient that you show up now, revealing all these supp
CassianI’m sitting on the terrace outside of my office and staring off into the distance trying to shut away my thoughts. So far it’s not working; so far all I can think is how much of a failure I am.When Reyna ‘died’, I was the only one who refused to feel my link to her. I was the only one who didn’t want to admit that I thought she was still alive… all because I didn’t want to get my heart broken again.It’s the second time I failed Reyna, it’s all I seem to do. Now she might be gone from us forever, before I can even apologise for my carelessness.But I suppose there’s no point in being morbid about these things. We still have a chance to get Reyna back from whatever depths she’s fallen to, and to make things right. It won’t be easy, I know this… but I fought and ended a war I never started, so nothing’s impossible. My cell phone starts buzzing on the glass tabletop in front of me, and when I see the Caller ID, I immediately get a chill up my spine.“Yes?”“Alpha, there’s a pro
ReynaEvery nerve ending feels like it’s on fire. My vision is blurred, and it’s almost as if I’m looking through red cellophane– everything is crimson. Why does it taste like I’ve swallowed ash? “...na, listen to me, please! You don’t want to do this!”Hmm? That voice… I know that voice. Frowning, I turn my head from side to side to see where that voice is coming from and, as I take a step forward, I see him.On his knees, with his hands behind his back, is Rune. He’s peering up at me with wide, desperate eyes and as he moves to get on his feet, the sound of a whip snaps through the air and he grunts as he falls forward.I try to cry out and run toward him, but my body doesn’t seem to obey; instead I am rooted on the spot and watching as five more slashes come down on his back.“Enough! You’ve betrayed her, you know you have! Nothing you say will make her change her mind, not after catching you with him!” A voice filled with malice echoes to my left, and my body feels so heavy that
ReynaI don’t know what I manifested, but I am back in the forest dreamscape again. My heart thuds so loudly that I can hear it echo in my ears along with the crunching of dead leaves underfoot. I walk as if being pulled by a string, even if I wanted to walk away from this or wake myself up, I know I couldn’t. So I allow myself to be dragged to wherever I’m being pulled toward and as I come to a clearing, I see the beast with galaxies in its eyes again.It sees me and nods its massive head before looking off into the distance. I frown at this, not only because I am not stopping in front of the beast again, but because I am pulled toward where it’s looking.It’s a massive light in the distance, hidden in what seems to be a cave against a mountain.The glow intensifies as I approach it, and the brilliant blaze emits a sweet, smoky scent that fills the air. As I am led into the colossal cavern, I can’t help but notice the intricate patterns etched into the walls, resembling some sort of
ReynaWe’ve been travelling for a full day and half a night; the warmth of the previous land giving way to something far colder. While we make our way to the Frozen Throne, I am mesmerised by the scenery that surrounds us, a unique combination of icy coldness and vibrant life that seems impossible.The land here is like nothing I have ever seen before; trees growing right out of frozen ground and sleek ice, their trunks and branches intricately wrapped in layers of ice and snow. Yet, surprisingly, they don’t seem lifeless or dormant.Then there are the flowers—blooms in shades of icy blue, blood crimson, and lavender, shimmering in the sunlight as if kissed by frost. It defies logic, the notion that such delicate beauty could thrive in this arctic realm. Yet here they are, like tiny miracles scattered across the snow, as if sewn by the hand of some God or Goddess.My eyes widen as I notice movement in the distance. White, fluffy creatures, almost ethereal in appearance, dart between
MalachiThe moment we set foot in Boreas’ frozen kingdom, I can feel the chill cutting through my bones—yet it’s invigorating. I look around, and for the first time, I’m at a loss for words. It’s an awe-inspiring landscape, like stepping into a living snow globe. The sky above us is a crystal-clear blue, and the trees have an ethereal beauty, adorned with both snow and lively green foliage. Against this snowscape, ice sculptures stand as sentinels, shimmering in the sunlight, intricate and exquisite in their frozen elegance.I think Reyna would love it here, seeing as she loves lovely landscapes.Cassian nudges me, snapping me out of my reverie, and Rune gives me a look that can only be described as wonder mixed with sadness. We all know the stakes, and we’re fully aware that this surreal beauty masks an underlying tension.As we approach the castle, the giant, ice-covered gates open seemingly on their own, though I can sense the elemental power that commands it. Standing at the thre
RuneThe air around Embereign is thick with the smell of charred wood, molten rock, and despair. The once-glorious Kingdom of Fire had been gutted, like a hunter’s prey. It isn’t the fire of home and hearth, of passion and warmth, but the fire of destruction, of a kingdom on the brink of collapse. It clawed at my senses, but I pushed through as I walked with the men who have become closer to me than any brother. Nothing matters more than Reyna right now, and by the looks of things, Shae has already begun her manipulation.When we landed in Frozen Throne two days ago, I caught a whiff of what I thought was Reyna’s scent. But neither Cassian nor Malachi caught it. I was certain it was her, but why would she be in Frozen Throne of all places?I sigh as we walk ahead, trying to pinpoint where Reyna’s scent could be coming from, but nothing seems to be a clear lead. Fuck, I would do anything to hold her in my arms again, to tell her how much she means to me; to all three of us.But then