CAMILLE'S POVOnce Neal left, I called Megan to come and babysit the kids since it was a Saturday. "Miss Gallagher, are you alright?" She asked as soon as she arrived. "Those men were really scary.""I'm fine," I assured her. "You won't have to spend so much time with the kids today. I should be back sometime in the afternoon."Megan nodded. "And the men, they won't show up again, will they?""Of course not," I promised her again. "They simply needed my help then. They aren't bad people."Once that was settled, I left Megan with the kids and flagged down a taxi to drive me to Ophelia Cottonwood's home. Ophelia was a talented maternity witch who had left her coven; the Begonia because they wouldn't allow her to use her talents on women who weren't affiliated with the coven. In the back of the taxi where I sat, I thought about her. Ophelia was also the only one that I hadn't hidden myself from. She knew who I was and she had kept my secret for years. So when I revealed to her that m
CAMILLE'S POV"I..." I tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. I was still reeling from the new vision I had gotten and the witch pointing a ball of hot fire in my face did not help matters one bit. "Speak!" The witch shrieked as the fireball inched close. "I am a sister," Ophelia yelled back in response. My heart raced as tension crackled in the air. The witch holding me at bay with a ball of fire seemed to ease her stance at Ophelia's declaration. That shift gave me the slim opportunity to turn to Ophelia's side. Like me, there was a witch with Ophelia. She wielded a blade made entirely of air dangerously close to the nape of Ophelia's throat that it drew blood. "A sister?" The one with the sword of air scoffed. "I do not know you.""I am Ophelia Cottonwood," Ophelia retorted, clearly offended. "Practically a legend within these walls."The mention of Ophelia's name seemed to ripple through the air, sparking recognition even in the face of scepticism."Cottonwood?" The
CAMILLE'S POVThe Supreme looked like she was about to refuse. I watched her face as she considered it and when she opened her mouth, I expected to be hit with a blatant no. "Girls," she finally spoke. "Take our guest here to the graveyard."She accepted? I turned to Ophelia, trying to read her body language. It was stiff and there was shock in her eyes. Probably because she also could not believe that the supreme of the coven gave in to my demands. The Supreme followed my gaze and chuckled when she realized that it was Ophelia I was staring at. "Can Ophelia come with me?" I asked. "No," was her response. "I have a business to discuss with her. It would be in your best interest to dally on to the graveyard."I clenched my fists. I didn't feel comfortable. Leaving Ophelia felt like I was throwing her to the wolves. It didn't matter if Ophelia had already promised that she wasn't a slave and returning to the coven only meant there would be more restrictions on what she could do and
EVA'S POVAdele's words rang in my ear a hundred times."Trash is trash and at the end of the day, a nobody is a nobody."I almost had it all at the tip of my fingers. Everything was going to be mine. But she returned. The rage blinded me for a second and I punched into a wall. I didn't care if my bones shattered, I needed to distract my brain. The pain consuming me came from there. Not my battered hands. Why? Why had she shown up now? Five years and she had been silent. Has she been plotting this? "Eva," I heard a familiar voice. I turned to face her. Milana was frantic as she jogged my way. "What is going on?"What was going on? My life was about to be over. Unless..."Milana," I forced a smile and hid my battered hand. "Why are you here? You aren't supposed to be here.""I heard your pack is here. But the whole palace seems so tense and no one will tell me anything.""Oh... Dimitri must have spread the word." I responded. "I am not sure if it is in my place to say.""I'm confus
CAMILLE'S POVIt made sense. But for some reason, I still refused to comprehend it. Records wouldn't be above lying. It's been done a thousand times. But a big coverup involving a coven I had been told time and time again wanted nothing to do with even other witches; it was a bit too much to accept.Still facing the witches, who seemed as confused as I was, I realized this secret was a well-kept one. "I need to see the supreme," I mentioned and continued back to the entwined tree. I passed through the barrier and back into the coven, not minding the whisper or the watchful eyes of the coven sisters. When I reached the chamber of the supreme, there was a warlock guarding the front door. He warned me not to get too close, warning me with what looked like a whip of air. Whatever fear of the unknown I had was gone. I was hungry for answers. "I need to speak with the supreme.""You will have to wait," the warlock retorted. "She is having a word with one of our own."I was frustrated, bu
CAMILLE'S POVOphelia must have noticed the shock written across my face."Camille, is everything alright?" she asked, concern etched into her features.Turning to face her, I clutched the phone tightly in my hands. "Ophelia... Dimitri knows who I am," I blurted out, the weight of the revelation heavy on my shoulders.Without another word, Ophelia enveloped me in a tight embrace. "It's alright," she murmured, her voice a soothing balm against my anxiety.But I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. Neal had promised to keep my identity secret, yet here we were, exposed to the dangers of Dimitri's world far sooner than anticipated."If he knows who I am, it's only a matter of time before he realizes the kids are his," I confessed, the fear evident in my trembling voice. "I'm scared, Ophelia. That world is dangerous. It's terrifying. I can't bear the thought of putting them through what I went through."Ophelia gently smoothed my hair, offering what little comfort she could. But deep d
DIMITRI'S POVWhy was it so hard to be mad at her now that I was in front of her?She looked... Beautiful. It was the first time I had seen her without her mask. Whatever doubt I carried about Cameryn ever being Camille was gone. Cameryn was Camille. Both women were one and the same. She looked just like she had done the first time I set my eyes on her in the councilroom. But there was something else. It wasn't the madness pumping in my blood or the animal inside pleading to be set free. She had changed. She had grace.I watched her eyes widen as I asked the question I still couldn't wrap my head around. "...how are your kids mine?"We stood dangerously close. Skin touching and eyes pinned on one another—a bad idea. But I couldn't help myself. "What are you going about?" She finally broke the silence. "My kids aren't yours.""You're lying," I told her. I didn't need to listen to her heart to know she was. Her silence hadn't even been the admission of guilt. It was her eyes. She pul
DIMITRI'S POVIf I could reject her, would I be able to do it? I had told myself my word was my honor, but seeing my mate in such a state because of the words I had spoken while I was drunk and torn between what my beast wanted and what I was bound by honor to do shattered me completely. The thought didn't linger for long. If I were in control, I wouldn't do it. I couldn't. But she didn't know she had that power. She didn't need to. "No," I replied. "If the heavens put us together, there must be a reason for it." "You would disregard Lady Milana?"My jaw tensed. It was foolishness to hold on to the bond. I could tell her and be done with all this mess. But would that really solve anything? I was bound to her mate bond or not. I had kids with her. As much as I wanted to blame the beast for my indecision, this was all me. I did not want to let Camille go. "I would not disregard Milana. I promised to marry her.""So what about me, Dimitri? You would keep me as your mistress?"The