JADE PovMy blood boiled with anger as I watched the council's woeful display of decision-making. I couldn't fathom how they could be so blind to the consequences of their actions. Standing there with my brother and Jasmine, I had to endure the painful ordeal of hearing the council members' proposition.They callously suggested that we should return Jasmine, tearing her away from our side, and take back Katherine in a misguided attempt to avoid war and mitigate further loss. The very idea left a bitter taste in my mouth. How could they believe that sacrificing one person for the sake of appeasement would bring any true resolution?I clenched my fists, feeling an overwhelming surge of indignation. The council's incompetence enraged me. They failed to see the bigger picture, the human cost of their decisions. They were willing to play with lives, treating them like pawns on a chessboard.Jasmine stood beside me, her eyes filled with apprehension and vulnerability. I couldn't bear the th
Katherine povSusie.My heart skipped a beat, and I swiftly turned around to locate the source of the sound. However, my joy quickly turned to concern as I noticed Susie's mother hastily covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes pleading with me to stay away. She shook her head and I could have sworn I saw tears cloud her eyes. So I stepped back, I stopped. Seeing Susie brought me a sense of relief, knowing that she was safe, but I couldn't ignore the fear that clouded the expressions of both mother and daughter. It sent shivers down my spine.In that moment, my disdain for Casto intensified. They had stripped these people of their freedom, confining them in a state of constant fear and oppression. The sight reinforced my determination to fight against the oppressive forces that had taken hold of our once vibrant and free community.I lived these few months in joy while my people suffered and even now that I had returned, I was helpless and they remained hopeless. I felt a mix of
Katherine Pov “A holmgang?” Castro raised his brows, laughing out loud for a moment. “Is something amusing to you?” I glared daggers his way. “I refuse,” he shrugged. “You can’t, even the council knows that you cannot do that. If you do, the entire kingdom will by law be forced to turn against you and pick a new ruler by themselves. Your head will be cut off and as will mine but unlike you, both our deaths are a price I’m willing to pay,” I explained, knowing that the consequences were too brutal for him to reject. His gaze changed from a playful smile to a death glare at me. I had fearlessly challenged my sworn enemy to a fight to the death, leaving him with no option to refuse. The stakes were incredibly high, and the outcome would determine both our fates.In my heart, I firmly believed that only two possibilities awaited us: either I would lose my life, or Casto would suffer his ultimate defeat. If I were to fail in the fight, I acknowledged that I had no rightful claim to r
Epilogue Katherine Pov “You’re going to die with the child in your womb.”I stood stunned as Castro revealed the shocking news – I had a baby growing inside me, amidst the fierce fight raging between us. This discovery hit me like a thunderbolt, as it began to make sense of the mysterious waves of sickness I had been experiencing lately.I had never even thought about the possibility of being pregnant. My reduced sense of smell and sight had gone unnoticed, and not even I or anyone else had picked up on the signs. The realization that I carried a new life within me was both thrilling and worrying, a bittersweet discovery in the middle of our clash.I grappled with the conflicting emotions rushing through me. On one hand, the news of my pregnancy filled me with a sense of wonder and the promise of a new life. Yet, the timing could not have been worse, as I found myself locked in a high-stakes duel with my sworn enemy, Castro.How Castro had uncovered this information remained a myste
Katherine Pov "You look pretty" Fera, my wolf says almost breathless.Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear. "Someone looks happy" A soft voice whispers into my ears, tearing my gaze away from the mirror to see my bestfriend and bride's maid, Kayla standing beside me. "Of course I'm happy" It was my mating ceremony after all and plus, my mate was someone I truly loved. I couldn't possibly be happier. "You've got yourself quite a catch, Katherine" Eliza says, brushing my hair slowly as her gaze meets mine in the mirror. "Lord Castro is the best man there is out there"She was right; I couldn't deny it. "And, Katherine has every right to be as high as a kite right now" Jezzy, my third bride's maid chimed in a singsong voice. "Her mate is none other than her childhood crush!"I bit down on my lower lips; trying to suppress a blush. It is true that I've had a crush on Castro since we were young. That's why I was more excited to see what the
Katherine Pov I was shivering in my stead but I tried my best not to let it show else Castro would think that he had the upper hand--and maybe he did-- because When I was finally able to snap out of my fear, I diverted my gaze to my father's head on the ground as my anger began to burn deeper within me. As tears slid down my cheeks, I raised up my head to meet Castro's gaze. His sword was still aimed at my neck unflinchingly. My gaze moved between Jasmine, my cousin and him one more time before I questioned. "What do you think you are doing, Castro?""What does it look like, Katherine?""A coup?"Castro smirked. "You're right!""But why?""Why?" Castro repeats as if he didn't hear me properly the first time. "Because all 'this' " He gestures at entire palace. "Is supposed to be mine"A part of me still wanted to be in denial. A part of me still hoped that Castro wasn't using me and actually had feelings for me. "It's still going to be yours after our mating ceremony so why?!""Li
Katherine Pov I find myself descending downwards in a black void of emptiness. I couldn't see my hands or feet though. I was just...there. "Where am I?" I asked not waiting to hear a reply but out of the darkness came light from above. And descending from the light in a white apparel was Selena herself, the moon goddess. "Are you awake now, Katherine?" Selena inquired, extending her hands out to me. "Are you ready to come home with me?"I shook my head. "No""Why?""Father, my brother..I have to avenge them and I need to protect the palace against the likes of Castro and Jasmine," I explained. "If I don't do this, I'm not sure my spirit can be at rest""Then what do you suggest I do?""Please Selena, give me a second chance at life. I have to protect all that I couldn't do before because I was blindsided by love""Why don't I give you that second chance but take away your past memories?. It won't do you good if you are driven by revenge--""Revenge is the only reason I want to liv
Katherine Pov It's been seven days since I woke up in this forest, seven days I'd managed to survive with no food or water. Seven long dreadful days. And I didn't have the strength in me to go on any longer. The silence this situation engulfed me in left me with nothing to think of rather than Castro's betrayal which kept on playing over and over again in my head like a broken caseete. My anger coupled with hunger made me thirst for revenge all the more. Each day that went by reminded me of my last memory with Castro; hearing his sinister laughter with Jasmine's as I faded into a big, dark oblivion of emptiness. It's a pity that those were the last things I remember. And with that, I found the will to get up once again and leave this goddamn maze-like forest. "Over there!" Fera says excitedly. "There's a mountain"I let out a frustrated hiss. "With the way you were excited I thought you saw a pond of water or something""We would never know until we get there right?"Staring a