EVA'S POVHow did she know? How did she fucking know?!I was stressing out, and I hated that I couldn't show it. I wanted to throw that pain out there, not swallow it. It only made things worse.No, the worst part was how stuck in my head I became. Camille was clueless before. Before she touched me, all our argument was about was past grievances. But the second she touched me, something shifted. I saw the way the demeanor on her face changed.As if somehow she gained the information from touching me. Did the healer have more secrets?I scoffed at the thought. What blessing had the heavens thrown into her lap this time, and more importantly, how was I going to silence her?Killing her would be the easiest route. But Camille was currently a hot topic. Taking her out, especially with Milana already dead, would raise questions. There was no telling how far the abilities of the granddaughter of Abigail De'Crescent could go. I mean... five years ago, I watched her get drowned in a rubble o
CAMILLE'S POV"Amity, isn't it? I've been expecting you."Facing someone just as volatile as Eva, I couldn't throw caution to the wind. Everything about Amity told me she was trouble. She seemed a lot like Eva, perhaps even worse. I watched the maid's face morph from fear to curiosity."You planned this?""I cannot plan the actions that people take, but I can do my best to predict them. My prediction just happened to be dead on."The girl nodded, taking one look at the guard, who still had his gun ready for her before returning her gaze to me."And why were you expecting me? Am I the card you want to use against your sister?""You are no ace to me. You are probably just as bad as her," I retorted. "You knew the sins that Eva had committed, and you stood by her side? Where was your loyalty to your Alpha and your pack?""Loyalty?" The girl scoffed. "Where was the pack's protection for those of us that were deemed runts? They demand from us when they give us nothing? I do not think so.
CAMILLE'S POV"What the fuck?!" The guard mouthed, clocking his gun even closer to Amity's face. "Did you just admit to being an accomplice of murder?"Amity's eyes were fixated on mine, not the man who had a gun in her face. "Call your man to order.""He is not my man," I replied, a chuckle almost leaving my lips.The guard felt offended by her statement. His gun grazed her neck, the silver-plated machine searing her skin from mere touch. "I am a first guard sentinel of the fourth division. Loyal only to my king and my superiors."That confidence, that cockiness disappeared, and I watched her stumble back. "You tricked me...""Did I?" I asked.I didn't wait for an answer. I simply continued. "I gave you the choice to stand by me or against me. You chose your own stand. You chose yourself. Not me or Eva. I didn't ask you to ramble about aligning yourself with the genocidal maniac. That wasn't me. That was all you. Your cockiness was your downfall. You have freed Hector of the charges
DIMITRI'S POVI continued to stare at her body. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have any idea how to move on from this.I had figured I would hurt Milana with my choice, but I didn't expect it to end up like this. I never wanted it to end like this."Milana," I whispered, hoping it would turn out to be just some bad dream."Wake up, Milana." I urged, shaking her limp body. It was stiff. Her head was blue and drained of blood. I felt a hand grip my shoulder, and I turned to face the figure. It was Neal. He had that look on his face. The one that was supposed to tell me that everything was okay. Only this time, it wasn't fooling me. "Dimitri, I think we should take her to the morgue."Hearing the morgue made me visibly angry. The morgue would mean this was permanent. The morgue would mean that Milana was not coming back. I shook my head, refusing to accept what Neal was suggesting. "No, we can't just take her to the morgue like she is some lifeless object," I snapped, my voice lac
EVA'S POV"What do you mean Milana killed herself?" Was the retort that came back.I remained silent, allowing myriad thoughts to collide within the man. I barely knew him; our interactions had been few and far between, leaving us as mere acquaintances. Yet, I understood he was a rational man, making this perhaps the most dangerous game I played.But I tried not to dwell on how quickly a shift could happen. It didn't matter if Dorian Legrand was a man of science. He loved his daughter. Love, I noticed, was irrational. "I don't know what else to say. She was found this morning. She... She hung herself."A chuckle escaped my lips, but I masked it as a sob. I was that good."Why would Milana do that?" The pitch of his voice kept rising. "I know my daughter. She is not like that. If she was... If she were suicidal, I would have known. I, of all people, would have known. I talked to her two days ago, and she seemed fine.""She seemed fine to me, too," I whispered, acting like the words we
CAMILLE'S POV"Beta Neal," the sentinel bowed in response. But Neal had his eyes trained on me. "You can leave," he told the sentinel.The sentinel immediately obeyed, leaving just the two of us."I received news of Eva's servant's arrest on charges of accessory to murder, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, accessory to bioterrorism, and manslaughter. With such substantial allegations, it's certain that Eva will face significant time behind bars. Why hesitate to act?" Neal inquired."Because I worry about Dimitri. He is currently grieving the death of Milana. He thinks it is a suicide now. I just want to make sure he can manage the truth before I spill that Eva murdered her. This is someone he trusted. I'm not sure how he will take having his whole world crumble before him. I have been through that hell once, and it is not easy to recover from.""Wouldn't leaving Eva to roam free be more dangerous? I always had a bad feeling about the woman, but I never got anything solid. This reve
CAMILLE'S POVShe was the one who gave me my name. I reached for her face, hoping to comfort hers. But my hands wouldn't bend to my will.As quickly as it came, the sight in front of me began to dim. "No... No..."I watched helplessly as the memory of my mother's gentle face and her loving words faded into most. The sense of disorientation that washed over me while it happened was the worst. The comforting warmth of the past dissolved into the cold reality of the present.I was blinking back tears while lingering traces of the vision vanished. The light covering my body slowly dimmed, and slowly, the familiar surroundings of my bedroom came back into focus.I lay there for a while. Coping. Whatever my wolf hoped to achieve by showing me that memory, it was working. I did feel better. It was nice not to feel so alone. "You've always been with me?" I asked my wolf, knowing very well she could as well bury herself in my subconscious again. "Always." She replied. "The dark cannot e
SPECIAL CHAPTER THREE: ABIGAIL AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special chapters serve to shed light on the perspectives of minor characters, providing insight into their roles in the unfolding narrative."The merging is near. If the stillborn is the reason for this, I will allow her breath for now," I mused, more to myself than Ophelia."What?" The girl seemed genuinely horrified by my stance. My eyes shifted back to her as she fidgeted with her phone before meeting my gaze. "Camille does not sound alright. She needs us."I chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. You speak as if you're her family, as if you care for her. Yet, you're merely spying on her for favors.""I'm not claiming to be superior. But Camille seems to be going through hell, all because of your vengeful vendetta. If you hadn't brought that forsaken child back to life, Camille wouldn't be enduring this torment.""Vengeful vendetta?" I scoffed. "The mother of that girl killed my daughter. She orchestrated Bo's unnatural death. I couldn't even
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