Katherine povAfter what felt like hours, I finally reached the door. Stretching my hands out, I reached for the handle but instead of drawing closer, it drew farther away from me. It was being opened on the outside. “Well look who we have here!”I froze on my steps, chills running up and down my body knowing I was caught even before I could attempt to escape. The door to the barn had swung open and I just stood there in shock and fear of what might happen next. “I actually believed it was just a rumour that you were alive,” James said. James. He was one of the palace guards when my father ruled, he was always so quiet but there were times I heard him make funny jokes. “Is she awake?!” I heard someone yell from outside. “Yeah!” James yelled in return. I was caught already, I was done for. “Do as I say and play along if you want to live Katherine.”My eyes shot open in hope when I heard him whisper in a lower tone to me. Meeting him, I believed he had join forces with Casto a
Brenda Pov“Stop! Guys! Hold on!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, running after Jude, Jade, and Grey who seemed to be engrossed in a conversation and did not hear my cry from a distance or most likely chose to ignore me.“What the hell guys?!”My eyes shot wider when I heard him scream. “She has something to say,” Nathan added, his voice probably louder than mine. I felt a blossom inside me and wondered if this was what people referred to as butterflies in their bellies. However, I had no time to think about how Ethan made me feel. “Oh, apologies. We were too engrossed—”“They have her!” I remembered how much I was gasping for air from the shock and fear I got from panicking. “Katherine!”My words were broken down, but I believed they understood the message I was trying to give because right one cue, Jade and Jude dashed right past me, towards the direction of her room. Grey stayed behind though, his eyes widened in horror. “Who has?” He was the only one logical enough to get mo
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