Liard’s POV I sat at the head of the long war table, my fingers drumming against the wood, barely listening as Elder Garron spoke. The room was thick with tension, the air stale with the scent of burning firewood. Warriors stood around me, their gazes sharp, their shoulders tight. Rhider was seated to my right, rigid with frustration, his jaw clenched."Alpha," a scout spoke up, his voice firm but cautious. "The dragons have been spotted again-closer this time. They are no longer keeping to their lands."A low murmur ran through the room, and I felt my muscles tighten. This wasn’t just another minor border disturbance.Elder Garron exhaled sharply. “This is not a mere scouting mission. They are testing us, watching for a weakness.”Across the table, Rhider’s fingers curled into fists. “Then we should act before it’s too late.”I studied him for a moment, noting the fire in his eyes, the sharp way his shoulders pulled back. He wanted a battle.But war wasn’t about acting on impulse."
Liard’s POV The training grounds echoed with the sharp clash of steel. My muscles burned as I swung my blade, each strike harder than the last, each movement more precise. I needed this. The distraction. The pain. The mind-numbing repetition that kept my thoughts at bay.Because last night, I didn’t go to her.And I knew she would find me.I felt Helena’s presence before she spoke. She didn’t rush in, didn’t demand my attention. She just stood there, watching.I forced myself to continue sparring, blocking a warrior’s strike, countering, pushing forward."You didn’t come," her voice finally broke through the morning air, quiet but sharp.I didn’t respond immediately.I wanted to tell her I couldn’t, that duty held me back, but the truth was much worse. I was afraid. Afraid of how much I wanted her. Afraid of what she did to me.Instead, I deflected. "More warriors were injured in last night’s ambush. We need to focus on the war ahead."Her silence was loud."You made a promise," she
Liard’s POV The letter was still clenched in my fist. “Leave your land. You are not strong enough to keep it.”The parchment crinkled beneath my grip as I stood at the war table, surrounded by my generals, every one of them looking to me for answers I didn’t have.“We fortify the northern ridge,” Garrik said. “It’s the most vulnerable now that the dragons have crossed.”“No,” I snapped. “We let them think the ridge is exposed. We draw them in, then strike from the eastern flank.”Murmurs of approval rippled through the room, but I barely heard them. My thoughts weren’t here-not entirely.They were back in the silence of my chambers, where the scent of her still lingered on my sheets. Helena.She had haunted every moment of my restless night, and even now, the echo of her voice warred with the sound of battle plans.I dismissed the council with a nod, letting them argue amongst themselves.I needed air, space and her.Later that dayThe sound of laughter caught my ear as I crossed the
Helena’s POV The air was still thick with ash and smoke, though the flames from the scouting battle had long since died down. I stood at the window of the infirmary, my hands trembling around a jar of salve I hadn’t even realized I was holding.The war had finally arrived. And with it came chaos.The door creaked open, and I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Rhider always had this presence about him, steady, grounded, and entirely too observant for his own good.“Helena,” he said, voice quiet but firm.I looked at him over my shoulder. His golden armor was dusted with soot, and a fresh cut marred his cheek. Yet, he stood tall, Alpha-born and battle-tempered.“You need to be ready,” he said. “It’s time.”I turned fully now, setting the jar down. “Ready for what?”His gaze met mine, steady and unflinching. “For the worst. The dragons won’t send another warning. They’ll strike fast. If you’re needed to heal warriors on the frontlines, you’ll be sent.”My heart tightened.I knew th
Helena’s POV The fire had long since burned down to embers, but the heat in my chest had not cooled.I sat alone in the quiet of my chambers, my hands resting in my lap, the tips still stained with blood that wouldn't wash out,no matter how hard I scrubbed. It wasn’t the soldiers’ wounds that haunted me tonight. It wasn’t even the distant rumble of drums signaling troop movements or the scouts returning from the outer woods with grim news of dragon skirmishes.It was the silence after. The silence when I was left with my thoughts-dangerous, treacherous thoughts.I hadn’t gone to Liard.He had summoned me again, a quiet knock at my door earlier that evening, followed by a messenger who said, “He waits for you in the old stone passage.” The same place we had once made love. The same hidden chamber that still smelled of fire and skin.But I never left my room, because this time… I couldn’t. The danger wasn’t just from outside the walls-it was inside my blood.Seraphina’s words earlier s
Liard’s POV The war table was crowded, yet the silence was deafening.I stood at the head of it, arms crossed over my chest, jaw clenched, my gaze darting across the map. Red markers littered the borders, burnt villages, missing scouts, fallen posts. Every hour, more came in. Every one of them a threat I was meant to stop.Rhider was at my side, silent, unreadable, but I could feel the tension rolling off him like heat from flame. Across the table, my generals exchanged uncertain glances. The atmosphere in the tent was heavy, thick with nerves.And yet, all I could think about… was her.Helena.Her face in the candlelight. Her breathy whispers against my neck. The way her body trembled when I touched her. The way she looked at me like I was still worth saving, even when the rest of the world wasn’t sure.I hadn’t slept. Not properly. My body had collapsed in the early hours from sheer exhaustion, but my mind hadn’t rested. My dreams had been filled with dragon fire—and her screaming
Liard’s POV The war horn shattered the silence before dawn.Its echo rolled down the mountainside like thunder, stirring the warriors in their tents, the beasts in the woods, and the ghosts in my mind. I stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the eastern ridge, where smoke bloomed like a dark omen across the trees. The dragons had finally moved.They were here.Rhider stood beside me, armored and silent. His jaw was tight, his eyes sharp, golden and glowing faintly beneath the rising sun. My sister stood further back, trying to hide her fear. I didn’t blame her.“Mount up,” I said, voice low but firm. “We ride.”Within minutes, the camp transformed into a war machine. Horses stomped, blades gleamed, and the wind carried the crackle of fire magic already burning in the east. The dragons weren’t waiting. They wanted a message sent. And I would answer them with steel.We rode hard, Rhider and I at the front. Warriors fell in formation behind us like the spine of a beast ready to bar
Rhider’s POV The fire was still in my bones.Even hours after the battle, after the blood had dried and the last wounded soldier had been treated, I could still feel it humming beneath my skin, like a second heartbeat.I stared at my hands as I dipped them into the washbasin behind the barracks, scrubbing away the dirt, the ash, the blood. But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the tremble wouldn’t stop. Not from exhaustion. No, something else. Something worse.Because what I’d done today wasn’t natural. I’d moved too fast. Heard things no wolf should have heard. Survived wounds that should’ve split me in two and Liard had seen it.He hadn’t said a word, his expression unreadable as ever, but I knew my Alpha. I knew the way he studied me, like I was suddenly a puzzle with a missing piece he was desperate to find.Seraphina… Gods.My throat clenched as I thought of her scream when that winged beast lunged for her, the wild panic in her eyes, and the way she’d crumpled into me once I caugh
Helena’s POVThe stillness of morning did nothing to soothe the storm inside me.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the pale light seeping through the high windows. My limbs ached from the effort of yesterday’s healing, but it wasn’t the bruises or cuts that haunted me—it was the words of the dragon scout, rasping through the night air like a curse:The prince walks among you.No name. No direct accusation. But the moment I heard it, my heart clenched around a single truth I had buried for years.Rhider.I rose from the bed, palms clammy, and wrapped a shawl tightly around my shoulders. The corridors were quiet. Only the gentle clatter of armor and whispered prayers of the healers echoed through the walls.When I passed by the training yard, I paused.Rhider, there he was. Sword in hand, sweat darkening his tunic, muscles coiled like a predator in motion. He moved like a vision carved from war itself, flawless, fast, impossibly precise.Too fast.I knew the limits of a werewolf’s
Seraphina's POVHis hands were still on my skin, the warmth of his body pressed against mine beneath the tangled furs of the healer's tent. My heart hadn’t settled. Neither had my thoughts. Not even after the way he… oh my God.He fucked me like a man possessed. Like he needed me more than he needed air. It hadn’t been gentle. It hadn’t been slow. It had been rough, desperate, maddeningly perfect. Every thrust, every bite, every growled moan against my throat had carved itself into the marrow of my bones.And I had begged for more.Rhider’s breath was still uneven behind me. His arm lay across my waist, anchoring me to him as if afraid I might vanish if he let go. Part of me still wondered if this was a fever dream. If I’d wake alone, untouched, unloved.But I wasn’t. I was his and he was mine. I turned my face slightly, just enough to feel the soft brush of his lips against my temple."You’re trembling," he whispered. "I’m not cold."No. I was burning.Every nerve in my body still ec
Rhider’s POV The fire was still in my bones.Even hours after the battle, after the blood had dried and the last wounded soldier had been treated, I could still feel it humming beneath my skin, like a second heartbeat.I stared at my hands as I dipped them into the washbasin behind the barracks, scrubbing away the dirt, the ash, the blood. But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the tremble wouldn’t stop. Not from exhaustion. No, something else. Something worse.Because what I’d done today wasn’t natural. I’d moved too fast. Heard things no wolf should have heard. Survived wounds that should’ve split me in two and Liard had seen it.He hadn’t said a word, his expression unreadable as ever, but I knew my Alpha. I knew the way he studied me, like I was suddenly a puzzle with a missing piece he was desperate to find.Seraphina… Gods.My throat clenched as I thought of her scream when that winged beast lunged for her, the wild panic in her eyes, and the way she’d crumpled into me once I caugh
Liard’s POV The war horn shattered the silence before dawn.Its echo rolled down the mountainside like thunder, stirring the warriors in their tents, the beasts in the woods, and the ghosts in my mind. I stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the eastern ridge, where smoke bloomed like a dark omen across the trees. The dragons had finally moved.They were here.Rhider stood beside me, armored and silent. His jaw was tight, his eyes sharp, golden and glowing faintly beneath the rising sun. My sister stood further back, trying to hide her fear. I didn’t blame her.“Mount up,” I said, voice low but firm. “We ride.”Within minutes, the camp transformed into a war machine. Horses stomped, blades gleamed, and the wind carried the crackle of fire magic already burning in the east. The dragons weren’t waiting. They wanted a message sent. And I would answer them with steel.We rode hard, Rhider and I at the front. Warriors fell in formation behind us like the spine of a beast ready to bar
Liard’s POV The war table was crowded, yet the silence was deafening.I stood at the head of it, arms crossed over my chest, jaw clenched, my gaze darting across the map. Red markers littered the borders, burnt villages, missing scouts, fallen posts. Every hour, more came in. Every one of them a threat I was meant to stop.Rhider was at my side, silent, unreadable, but I could feel the tension rolling off him like heat from flame. Across the table, my generals exchanged uncertain glances. The atmosphere in the tent was heavy, thick with nerves.And yet, all I could think about… was her.Helena.Her face in the candlelight. Her breathy whispers against my neck. The way her body trembled when I touched her. The way she looked at me like I was still worth saving, even when the rest of the world wasn’t sure.I hadn’t slept. Not properly. My body had collapsed in the early hours from sheer exhaustion, but my mind hadn’t rested. My dreams had been filled with dragon fire—and her screaming
Helena’s POV The fire had long since burned down to embers, but the heat in my chest had not cooled.I sat alone in the quiet of my chambers, my hands resting in my lap, the tips still stained with blood that wouldn't wash out,no matter how hard I scrubbed. It wasn’t the soldiers’ wounds that haunted me tonight. It wasn’t even the distant rumble of drums signaling troop movements or the scouts returning from the outer woods with grim news of dragon skirmishes.It was the silence after. The silence when I was left with my thoughts-dangerous, treacherous thoughts.I hadn’t gone to Liard.He had summoned me again, a quiet knock at my door earlier that evening, followed by a messenger who said, “He waits for you in the old stone passage.” The same place we had once made love. The same hidden chamber that still smelled of fire and skin.But I never left my room, because this time… I couldn’t. The danger wasn’t just from outside the walls-it was inside my blood.Seraphina’s words earlier s
Helena’s POV The air was still thick with ash and smoke, though the flames from the scouting battle had long since died down. I stood at the window of the infirmary, my hands trembling around a jar of salve I hadn’t even realized I was holding.The war had finally arrived. And with it came chaos.The door creaked open, and I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Rhider always had this presence about him, steady, grounded, and entirely too observant for his own good.“Helena,” he said, voice quiet but firm.I looked at him over my shoulder. His golden armor was dusted with soot, and a fresh cut marred his cheek. Yet, he stood tall, Alpha-born and battle-tempered.“You need to be ready,” he said. “It’s time.”I turned fully now, setting the jar down. “Ready for what?”His gaze met mine, steady and unflinching. “For the worst. The dragons won’t send another warning. They’ll strike fast. If you’re needed to heal warriors on the frontlines, you’ll be sent.”My heart tightened.I knew th
Liard’s POV The letter was still clenched in my fist. “Leave your land. You are not strong enough to keep it.”The parchment crinkled beneath my grip as I stood at the war table, surrounded by my generals, every one of them looking to me for answers I didn’t have.“We fortify the northern ridge,” Garrik said. “It’s the most vulnerable now that the dragons have crossed.”“No,” I snapped. “We let them think the ridge is exposed. We draw them in, then strike from the eastern flank.”Murmurs of approval rippled through the room, but I barely heard them. My thoughts weren’t here-not entirely.They were back in the silence of my chambers, where the scent of her still lingered on my sheets. Helena.She had haunted every moment of my restless night, and even now, the echo of her voice warred with the sound of battle plans.I dismissed the council with a nod, letting them argue amongst themselves.I needed air, space and her.Later that dayThe sound of laughter caught my ear as I crossed the
Liard’s POV The training grounds echoed with the sharp clash of steel. My muscles burned as I swung my blade, each strike harder than the last, each movement more precise. I needed this. The distraction. The pain. The mind-numbing repetition that kept my thoughts at bay.Because last night, I didn’t go to her.And I knew she would find me.I felt Helena’s presence before she spoke. She didn’t rush in, didn’t demand my attention. She just stood there, watching.I forced myself to continue sparring, blocking a warrior’s strike, countering, pushing forward."You didn’t come," her voice finally broke through the morning air, quiet but sharp.I didn’t respond immediately.I wanted to tell her I couldn’t, that duty held me back, but the truth was much worse. I was afraid. Afraid of how much I wanted her. Afraid of what she did to me.Instead, I deflected. "More warriors were injured in last night’s ambush. We need to focus on the war ahead."Her silence was loud."You made a promise," she