CAMILLE'S POVWhen eight struck, there was a knock on my door."Who is it?" I asked, staring at the door as the knob twisted open. The apparel told me the nice-looking woman was a servant. "Luna Camille, dinner is ready. Would you be coming downstairs to eat, or should I bring the food to you?"I shut the records of Victor Blossom. It wasn't going to give me any results since the pages had been ripped out of it. I considered my options. Avoidance. It was the easier option. But for a reason, I didn't want it easy. The cat was out of the bag now, and I wouldn't miss any opportunity I had to spite Eva. She needed to be reminded of the threat I posed now that I existed again. "I'll join them at the table," I told the servant.She bowed solemnly before leaving, shutting the door back in place. I looked at my children, who were still fast asleep. They would never forgive me if I went to eat alone. So I gently roused Sophia and Collins from their slumber, murmuring soft words to wake t
CAMILLE'S POVI turned to Dimitri. Had he deceived me? Sure, the revelation would not have changed a lot of things, but he had led me on. Why didn't he mention it, I wondered."Well?" Milana jerked me out of my thoughts.I looked at her. She was on edge. Her eyes were red and bulging from their socket. She looked different from the woman I saw when I walked into the lounge of the castle the very first time.Then I turned back to Dimitri, who looked like the light had been drained from his soul. The jarring sight of sunken eyes and the frustration peeking behind his perfect mask of indifference caused a memory to burn into my mind.I remembered what it was like in the council room while I was being hounded by my fellow werewolves for a crime that I did not commit. The last straw had been Hector coming down to face me. A mate was the goddess-given gift. So, despite his flaws and his cheating ways, I had somehow still expected some support from him. I had ignored the scorn he plastered o
EVA'S POVIt was jarring sitting there and learning that Dimitri was somehow mates with Camille. The night couldn't get any worse. It was cruel, really. I thought about it. If she followed through, she would be Luna of the Lily of the Valley, Queen of the Lycans, the granddaughter of Abigail De'Crescent, and a healer. How could that be fair? But there was a silver lining. Watching Milana go batshit crazy. Initially, I had been wary about converting Milana to my side. The woman was weird. But the rollercoaster of revelation must have gotten to her.Seeing her stand her ground against Camille solidified it all. I sat there, watching it all. A woman falling into ruin for love. Was this how Adele had destroyed herself? For fickle emotions? When Milana excused herself, I took one of the unopened bottles of wine and followed her.The visit to Adele's cage hasn't been a waste after all. I was bursting with inspiration again.When I found Milana, she was on the balcony of her room."Hey,
CAMILLE'S POVThey all left, leading me to deal with the aftermath of their mess. I looked back at my children.Sophia looked like she was going to cry, and Collins seemed so afraid. This was the one thing I was trying to avoid, and somehow, it had found its way to me regardless. "Camille," Neal reached for me to comfort me. But I shook away his hands. "No," I told him, my eyes brimming with tears unshed. "I refuse to let this take its course the second time.""I understand what you mean, Camille. But Milana is no harm. She is just going through a phase. It simply is an emotional response.""That is how it starts. Uncontrolled emotions lead to a world of hurt. I know that better than anyone.""Mommy?" Collins chipped in.I froze, realizing I was tethering the edge of insanity. When I turned to face my children, I managed a strained smile, suppressing the storm raging within me that threatened to tip over. I wasn't going to lose it. Not for this. "Everything's alright, my loves," I
CAMILLE'S POV"No," His hands shot to my mouth, muffling the words that were about to escape, and somehow it worked.I hesitated, guilt consuming me because I had just attempted to do the very thing that was done to me. Sure, I had a good reason. But it didn't justify my actions.I took that guilt and crammed it somewhere dark. I didn't need it now. I could get crippled by it later. I didn't care. This wasn't just about me. My children were in the picture now.As their mother, I had to be capable of anything—even betrayal."You promised that it had to be my decision."I dropped his hand, a tear escaping my eye as I faced him."It is clear to me that you will not choose," I told him.He didn't have an answer. Because he knew it was true, too.While he battled his internal demons, I summoned the courage to say the words again. My wolf was against it. She was screaming in my head repeatedly to think. Think of what a match of fate meant. Think of how rare it was to get one, not once, but
CAMILLE'S POVA stretcher was brought, and Dimitri was out in it and wheeled to the kingdom's clinic.It was my first time there. But the smell of antiseptic and the bright white light caused my heart to drown in despair.I watched as an oxygen mask was placed on his face, and the nurses who took over from the sentinels wheeled him deeper into the clinic. "You cannot go in," A nurse told me as I watched Dimitri disappear from my line of sight.I pushed her hands away, wanting to defile her order. But I was a nurse myself, and this was protocol. I took a step back upon reevaluation, sucking in a breath and combing through my hair before turning back to face the nurse."Will he be alright?" I asked. The nurse paused before answering. "We will do our best. "It has been a while since his disease has gotten this violent. But you shouldn't worry. We have the best Lycan doctors. His Majesty will be alright."I hoped so. I truly hoped so. I continued to pace around in the hall when Neal fo
SPECIAL CHAPTER ONE: OPHELIA COTTONWOOD AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special chapters serve to shed light on the perspectives of minor characters, providing insight into their roles in the unfolding narrative.Guilt and frustration lingered in me when I ended the call with Camille. I looked down at the bus tickets for three to Wentworth in my hands. A reminder of my failure. It would be only a matter of time before she found out.Turns out I was painfully right.There was a shift in the air. Power that extraordinary could never be hidden. I turned back to catch her hovering over me. Her pristine white hair looked like the sun against the warm light of my kitchen."You disappoint me constantly, Ophelia." The supreme blatantly told me. "You were the one who told me everything was under control. You were the one who convinced me not to interfere when the Lycan king fished her out. You said she had a new alias. You said she hid her face when she worked. So I chose to listen to you this one time. The
CAMILLE'S POV"So you will have him die?" Neal chipped in almost immediately. "What the fuck happened to you, Milana? It's like I don't even know who you are anymore."I watched Milana's face contort into something bitter. What Neal said hurt her. But she quickly composed herself. "I am not doing this because I am selfish." She retorted. "I expected you, of all people, to see that."Neal stepped forward. "Well, I don't. What I see is a woman letting her jealousy turn her ugly."Milana scoffed, looking at Eva for support. Eva must have gotten the message because she joined her new soul sister to strengthen the blockade that Milana had created with her body."You are protecting her an awful lot. If I weren't certain you had a little sugar in your tank, my mind would take this in a completely different direction."Milana then stepped forward, her face inches away from Neal. "You might have gotten your loyalties muddled up, but I am here to remind you. She might be his fated mate. But I
CAMILLE'S POV I took a deep breath as the massive ornate doors of the Lycaon Church slowly creaked open. My heart was pounding like crazy - this was such a huge moment. As the doors parted, a sliver of light spilled in, and I stepped forward, the delicate lace veil over my head obscuring my vision and hiding the intense emotions I felt from the hundreds of eyes watching me enter. The air inside was cool and thick with the sweet smell of incense. I could hear the rustle of fancy silk dresses and reverent whispers as everyone turned to watch me walk down the aisle. Soft, beautiful piano music began playing, a serene piece I had chosen myself to start off this grand ceremony. As I made my way up the gold carpet that seemed to glow like a path of light before me, the veil cast everything in a sort of ethereal, dreamy haze. I could feel the intricate embroidery on my exquisite gown as my fingers brushed against the fabric - it was an actual work of art, adorned with symbols of our histo
CAMILLE'S POV"No..." Eva shuddered when the weight of her sentence finally settled in. "No..."She ran towards my feet and knelt, her eyes wide with desperation. "I know what you want, Camille," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "You want me to beg for all the horrible things I've done. And I understand now, I do. I'm sorry for being so cruel. But two wrongs don't make it right. This is inhumane! A collar is a for a dog.""A troubled dog." I corrected as I knelt down to meet her gaze."I'm only being a good sister, Eva," I said softly. "You were raised wrong by your mother, Adele. Despite everything, I didn't think you deserved to suffer for something your mother and my grandmother had a hand in creating. So this is your chance at a new beginning, Eva. Be good."Eva's face twisted in disgust. I watched her muster the courage to do it. At first, fearing that the collar would catch on to her nefarious intentions if she tried to spit on my face. The second the collar caught a whiff of he
EVA'S POV (THREE DAYS AFTER THE EVENTS OF RAVENFORD)Three days of pure torture had passed. There was no clean drinking water, bath, or even a basin to wash my face or hair. The guards were rough whenever they could be, and I had only been given a decent meal once. So, panic seized me when I heard keys rattling in the lock of my cell, and the door creaked open.I looked up and saw three guards approaching. With each step they took, I shrunk back further."You can't kill me. I haven't been tried yet. I'm innocent."One of the guards stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face. I dropped to the floor, shuddering from the impact."You whiny bitch! You kill one of our own and try to harm our prince, and you have the audacity to call yourself innocent. You have no idea how much every one of us is fighting not to take your life and be done with it." Through gritted teeth, I managed to speak, "I am Eva Dumont, future Luna of the Lily of the Valley pack, and a cursed beast like you
DIMITRI'S POVI turned away from the Deltas, my mind already buzzing with plans. Their eyes followed me, filled with a mix of worry and resolve. They knew what we were up against and grasped the dangers. This was no time to hesitate."Follow me," I commanded, heading toward my chambers. The guards moved with me, their steps precise and silent, a result of years of training. The atmosphere was thick with the seriousness of our mission.Once inside my bedroom, I went straight to the dressing table and grabbed my phone. I dialed quickly, the familiar number bringing a brief sense of comfort in the chaos. Ginger answered almost at once."Ginger, it's me again. Back to business. I have three men with me, so the spell needs to be done twice."There was a short pause before Ginger's calm, reassuring voice came through. "No problem, Dimitri. I can manage that."I set the phone down on a dresser and turned to the first sentinel guard. "Step into the rune. Ginger, start the spell."The guard an
CAMILLE'S POV The necrotic green glow exploded out of me, shattering the windows and shaking the very core of the building. The door I had transmuted into a wall disintegrated completely. The light consumed everything, and when it finally died, my eyes struggled to adjust to the debris and the afterimage of that sickly glow. My breath came in short gasps, and I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the scene before me. Amid the wreckage, I saw Abigail not far from where I stood. She lay on the floor, her eyes wide and filled with shock. A tremor ran through me as I wondered if the spell had worked. Had I failed? Abigail’s movements drew my attention. She stared at her hands, her expression one of bewilderment. Then, her gaze shifted to the ceiling. The rune I had drawn to seal her magic was now fractured, broken by the cracks that laced the ceiling. Fucking hell! She rose to her feet, power radiating from her as she turned to face me. “I gave you the opportunity to touch a r
CAMILLE'S POV The space around me seemed to thrum with the weight of Asmodeus's words. "The rune is known as the Sigil of Perdition," he said, his voice low and measured. "It is an ancient power, capable of manipulating the fabric of reality in ways that no ordinary spell can." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I emboldened myself to ask the question that mattered the most. "But, will it work?" Asmodeus's gaze met mine. It looked like he was almost disappointed that I would ask. "Well, I hope so," he replied. "What I am gambling on is your raw strength, Camille. You are much stronger than Abigail. I felt it when you awakened. The demon blood that runs through your veins is not recessive like it was with Bo." I frowned, not fully understanding. "What do you mean by that?" Before he could answer, a bright light assaulted my eyes, turning my vision completely white. Panic tugged through me as I tried to blink away the blinding light. My senses felt dulled, as if I were suspen
DIMITRI'S POVI awoke with a start, finding myself on the cold, hard floor. The chill sent shivers through my body. Blinking rapidly, I struggled to shake off the haze of unconsciousness. As my vision cleared, I noticed intricate rune drawings on the floor beside me, softly glowing in the dim light. My heart sank as I recognized the teleportation sigil. Beside it lay Neal, motionless, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.That could only mean one thing. Camille had knocked him out cold, too, and gone to Abigail alone.An admission that heavy made my skin crawl.“No, no, no,” I muttered, my body starting to tremble. “Camille, what have you done?” I approached the rune, my steps heavy and reluctant, each one echoing my growing dread.Without wasting time, I turned and opened the door, my mind racing. I needed help, and I needed it fast. I hurried down the hallway, my thoughts a chaotic swirl of worry and rage. I was angry at Neal, and more importantly, I was angry at myself.
CAMILLE'S POVI tried to keep my eyes open, but I was unable to, and my whole world turned dark.When I blinked my eyes open, I found myself in a blank white space. I turned around, seeing no exit and no door. I looked down at my body and noticed it phasing in and out, looking whole one second and translucent the other second. I whispered, "Where am I?"A voice whispered from behind me, "You've lasted longer than I expected."I turned to face the voice and saw a handsome, pale-skinned man, shirtless, with what looked like liquid darkness covering his body from his hips downward. He had horns that curled back from his forehead.I recognized him from the memory of Abigail. He was the demon Abigail mentioned was her mate. "Asmodeus," I whispered."In the flesh," he retorted.I took a step back, uncomfortable and unsure of what this meant. Was I in hell? What had I done to deserve hell?"Why am I here? Why are you here?"Asmodeus replied, "You are here because you are tethering between l
CAMILLE'S POVHearing her sound so callous of people's lives reminded me of someone. It reminded me of Eva. In fact, they were more alike than I would love to admit. Vindictive. Myopic and downright cruel.I forced myself to stand. It was hard, but I could manage. My body had started to heal itself. "The Galdinas suffered for a sin they had no idea of. They had no idea what they did to deserve such a fate, but they still suffered because you were spiteful of your father? Do you know what that did to me and my son?" I demanded, my voice rising with every word. "Do you know what that did to my mate?"It was clear that Abigail didn't give two shits about my pain. As long as the Galdinas were involved, she seemed perfectly capable of blocking out her empathy if any still even remained. But seeing no remorse on Abigail's face set my blood on fire. I charged at her and swung with all my might, knowing damn well this was a fight I couldn't win but not caring regardless. She easily dodged