VioletEven the warm water couldn’t prevent my body from the cold that reached through my veins.No…It couldn’t be true.Adelaide, Alaric—there were nothing but names. Nobodies. They weren’t my parents because mine had already passed away. Claire and Greg from the Bloodrose pack. I was Violet Hastings, a werewolf, meant to be a healer. I wasn’t—My thoughts faded as tears reached the corner of my eyes.No matter how much I wanted to deny it, everything started to make sense. The isolated upbringing, the consistent issue with my eyes, the whispers growing up, the prophecies…the connection to Adelaide, and even the way the Soothsayer had addressed me.Was I really half witch?Was Adelaide really my mom, and how was he even certain?“Kylan?” I whispered, my voice trembling. A second later his hand brushed through my hair as if he hadn’t just dropped the biggest fucking bomb on me.“You think you’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t—Violet,” he stated calmly.His words hit me like a
Violet“I can take it.”I had to take it. For a moment, I thought about what it would mean. My whole life would change, and I would have to become someone I was not.I wasn’t sure if I could do that, or if I even wanted to. Was it worth it? But then again, wasn’t it exactly what I had been doing all along—pretending to be someone I wasn’t?“There’s more.”My body stiffened.More? Of course, there was. There was always more.“Yes?”“Once you step into Lyperia, you’ll lose a lot of freedom. You won’t be able to go where you want, do what you want—not without someone watching you.”“I can take it,” I said again, forcing the words out. I never had that much freedom, so that wouldn’t be that difficult—right?I prayed he was finished because I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle, but then he released another breath. “There’s more,” he said quietly.I closed my eyes, feeling slightly frustrated.“What now?”“As the future king, I have responsibilities. One of them is ensuring the Lyperi
VioletA sound of running water reached my ears, pulling me gently from my sleep. My breath hitched as I kept my eyes shut, too scared to open them.What if I was wrong, and I still couldn’t see?Memories from yesterday came flooding back—the pain, the fear, everything. After I had finished crying, Kylan had helped me put one of his dry shirts, carried me to his bed, and let me fall asleep in his arms. Even then, I had cried until I my tears had dried—because I had made a promise to the both of us to be stronger from now on.Starting today, no more tears.That was then, but now I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to face the day.How would I even survive another day in that darkness?My heart began to race, and I felt panic creeping in again.“No, Violet,” I whispered, clenching my fists as I forced myself to breath.Come on, think.What did Adelaide do?Unus. Duo. Tres.I started counting down, just like she had taught me. The words brought a strange comfort. They were working.Quattuor.
VioletKylan stepped aside, letting her in. She carried a bag in her hands, which I assumed held my things, but her expression was still confused, clearly waiting for answers.“I said good morning,” Kylan mumbled, breaking the silence.Trinity looked at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, almost looking ridiculous as she tried too hard to keep her eyes up. “Good morning.”Kylan hummed and then turned toward the closet. “I’m getting dressed,” he said, leaving.Trinity followed Kylan with her eyes until he was out of sight, then let out a breath. “Yeah, I’m a bit confused,” she said, tossing the bag in my direction. I caught it just in time.“Where the hell were you yesterday? Why didn’t you answer my texts? And wait—why is Kylan allowed to see you without glasses, and I’m not?”Her eyes suddenly locked on my hand, and she gasped. “W-Why are you wearing his ring?”I ignored her concerns, my mind drifting to my phone. It had been in my bag, and Amy had taken it. There was no way I
Violet“You told her about us being mates, but you never told her the truth about the glasses,” Kylan’s sharp gaze pierced through mine. “Or your eyes.”I turned away, grabbing the things Trinity had brought from the bed. “Why does it matter?”“Why does it matter?” His tone was calm. “Why didn’t you tell her?”I shrugged, brushing him off as I got off the bed. “I want to, but I can’t. I don’t want to freak her out.”“You trust her, don’t you?” he pointed out. “Then I don’t see the reason why you haven’t told her about your eyes—”“Just like I couldn’t see a reason why you hadn’t told Nate, your friend, about us being mates,” I shot back. The sarcasm in my tone was impossible to miss, and his brows furrowed.“You ignored me because you found out I’m a witch, Kylan,” I reminded him. “Let’s not do this.”He had done a little bit of research, pieced together that I was a witch, saved me, put a ring on my finger out of pity after telling me he grew up hating them—and now he thought he had
KylanOnly one thing ran through my mind as I walked the halls, heading to deal with the issue that had brought me to this point.Chrystal…She had crossed the line this time.I didn’t know exactly what Puppy had seen in her vision, but if it matched what the beast inside me was urging me to do, then it had to be close to the truth.I wanted to kill her for all she had done.Yes, giving Puppy the ring had been my decision, but tying her to me with the most precious piece of Lyperian stone was something I never wanted to do, not like this. Protecting her wasn’t a choice—it was an instinct.I felt bad for admitting it, but when she had offered to give back the ring after finding out how to deal with her eyes—I felt relieved.I cared for her, more than I wanted to admit—but the ring wasn’t given out of love.It was given because Chrystal had pushed me to it. Puppy needed that ring to protect her eyes, and I needed her by my side for now—because the feeling of hopelessness I felt when I
KylanChrystal looked at me in disbelief, her lips parting slightly as if she couldn’t process what she had just heard.Her chest rose with each breath. She shook her head, her hair swaying side to side. “No,” she said, her eyes shifting between me and Nate, looking for someone to deny it—but no one did.Certainly not Nate, since this was just as new to him.“No,” she said again, her voice filled with desperation.I knew she would react this way, and that’s why I didn’t want Puppy in the room. Chrystal was reckless, and had Puppy been here, she would’ve finished the job she failed to do last night.That’s why I had to tell her what the future would look like—so she would understand never to cross me again.I took a step closer. “Yes,” I stated. “Starting today, she is officially protected by the law of Lyperia—and you won’t bother her anymore.”She drew in a sharp breath but didn’t say anything.“She’s my mate,” I continued. “Your future queen. And you will treat her with respect.”Th
Kylan“Chrystal—” Nate tried again, and I lost count of how many times he had said her name. I held up a hand to stop him.“That’s all I have to say,” I replied, coldly.A sad chuckle escaped from her lips. “Wow,” her eyes lifted slightly. “Do you hate me that much? That you would choose a werewolf over me?”Hate?“No,” I said, staring her down. “The word hate isn’t strong enough. I despise you beyond words—always have.”Her face fell at those last words, and so did Nate’s, his gaze dropping to the floor.The truth was, I didn’t always hate her. We had some good times, once. But she needed to hear it, needed to understand that there was no going back, no room for her in my life—not now, not ever.Seeing her break, just like she had broken Puppy satisfied me. I wanted her to feel it, the weight of the consequences of hurting the one I cared about.Still satisfied, I left her dorm. As soon as I opened the door, a few girls in the hallway scrambled away, trying to make it seem like they
Violet My eyes were wide open as I stared at Aelius, my thoughts spinning out of control. He was my family—my great-grandfather? How could this even be possible? He was a Soothsayer. They weren’t even supposed to have families. “W-We are family?” I finally managed to get out, my voice trembling. Aelius nodded slowly, his expression calm. He was the first real family I had ever met face-to-face, and he had said it like it was nothing. “How?” Kylan demanded. Aelius sighed, reaching for a stick by the fire, then stirred it around. “Adelaide’s father, Aries, was my grandchild,” he said simply. “Although he skipped the eyes. Some have it, some don’t…most don’t.” I tried to piece the information together but didn’t get far. The only thing I was sure of was that Aelius had to be at least over a hundred years old—probably even more. I glanced at Kylan, who looked just as confused as I felt. None of this made sense. “If you’re related,” Kylan asked further, his brow furrowe
VioletKylan and I exchanged a glance. It wasn’t too late to run, and part of me wanted to.He had even called him the foul-mouthed crown prince. Just the thought of this man knowing everything about us, including some details we didn’t know ourselves, terrified me.It was Kylan’s plan to come here, and after the darkness I had felt, I fully stood behind his decision—but now I was unsure.All he had to do was give me the signal, and I would run out of here.“Sit,” The Soothsayer’s voice dominated the cave before Kylan could even think about it.It wasn’t much of an invite—more of an order.I lingered for a moment before deciding to join the Soothsayer at the campfire, dragging Kylan with me, and took a seat on the plaid on the ground. I kept my distance from the Soothsayer while Kylan still had his hand in mine, as if he was ready to spring into action at any moment.He had followed my lead. Even though he had convinced me to come here, he didn’t force me into anything. He let me deci
VioletKylan’s eyes were on the dark road as we drove through the quiet night. All I could see were the bright headlights of the car, but hopefully Kylan could see a bit more than that.We had snuck out just before curfew and were on our way to find the Soothsayer, hoping to get some answers.The silence gave me enough time to think.First, about the darkness I felt when I laid eyes on Chrystal, and second, about Esther and her strange behavior earlier, which had pushed Kylan to immediately fish for answers.Could I really not trust her?And if I couldn’t, what if Kylan had calculated it all wrong and she had seen that we left Starlight?Along with those thoughts, I also had to deal with guilt.Guilt toward Nate, for him not getting to choose his sister, and guilt for Trinity, who had asked me earlier where I would be tonight, and I told her I was staying with Kylan.I really wanted to tell her everything, all of it—and she had the right to know. But now that I knew Dylan was a reckle
VioletKylan squeezed my thigh in response, as if to say, good job.Esther’s face twitched for a moment, but then she quickly masked it with a smile. “So you don’t need me to expel those girls for you?” she asked.“No,” I shook my head, although that solution would make my life a whole lot easier.“Well,” Esther now tapped her desk with her ten fingers, “the suspension will last at least a week, so you will have some time to think about it.”I simply nodded, keeping my lips pressed together.“Very well,” she said, her smile growing tighter. I could tell by the look on her face that she looked anything but pleased, surprised even, that I didn’t take up her offer.As tempting as it sounded, it was much better this way. I wasn’t going to lie, Esther almost had me—but I had already thought this through. Although Chrystal tried to kill me, going after the Beta’s daughter, a noble, would not do me any good as Kylan’s mate.“Can we go now?” Kylan asked in a hurry. “Or did you want to ask any
VioletNervously, I glanced from Kylan, who sat beside me, to Esther, who stood with her back turned, staring out of the window.She had taken us to her office, only to let us sit in silence—and my anxiety shot through the roof as I thought of a thousand reasons why she might’ve wanted to see us.Did I do something wrong?Would she take back the pass for the strike now that she knew who I was with?If it was just to congratulate me on being Kylan’s mate, she could’ve done that at the door, so what was it?Was it about Adelaide?Every now and then, Esther let out a sigh, but just as I expected her to say something, we were met with silence again. Kylan already seemed to be over it, matching her sighs with his own as he sat with his arms crossed.“Have you already made up your mind about what you’re going to say?” he asked impatiently when he couldn’t take it anymore.“Kylan!” I hissed, slapping his knee.“Or can we go now?” he finished. “It’s been a long day, for both of us.”Esther tu
VioletI squeezed my eyes to take a better look as an old, short man shuffled into the hall, supported by a wooden cane. His lips stretched into a smile, his eyes locking on me.“No so fast, Sir,” a woman’s voice called out from behind him, trying to keep up with his steps. She looked like some kind of assistant.“Shut up,” the man said, waving her off as he struggled to walk toward us, his gaze never leaving mine. “I’m perfectly fine.”“Sure, why not,” I heard Kylan mutter under his breath.“Who is that?” I whispered, curious.“Principal Sterling,” Kylan answered.I blinked in surprise, my eyes darting back to the man who clearly needed a hand.Principal Sterling?It was the same man who was always on brochures and pamphlets, but I had never seen him before.“I thought he was too old to walk, and hasn’t left his chambers in ages,” I murmured. “What is he doing here?”“What do you think?” Kylan replied, releasing my hand as Principal Sterling finally reached us.This time I could take
VioletDazed, I stared at the glass window in front of me, watching as Fergus and the king were deep in conversation. Their mouths moved, but the thought of not knowing what was being said was suffocating.Fergus was alone, facing the king and his entourage, who stood behind him like an army. Usually, this was done with more people present—family, the beta, and so on—but he had brought this upon himself the second he came here without thinking it through.I glanced at Kylan, who hadn’t let go of my hand ever since he reached out to me. His grip was strong, but his expression calm.Between the two of us, I was definitely stressing the most—and the whispers coming from the students behind the closed-off glass door on both sides didn’t help. I had no desire to look, knowing it would only add to my nerves.Kylan whispered, breaking the silence. “Did Fergus bring up—”“That thing I am?” I finished, glancing up at him. “No. I could tell he wanted to, but something was holding him back.”Kyl
KylanI looked at the king, waiting for him to speak up as his expression changed about ten times within ten seconds.We both knew he was lying. He didn’t care about her being a werewolf because he knew she was from the royal bloodline, and that wouldn’t be the first in our family. Yes, she was a witch—but only half, and that was not enough to hate her the way he did—which meant all that mattered to the king was that she was half hers…Adelaide.What was it with that woman?“If you’re so determined to keep her,” The king said after a long pause, “she can stay as one of your mistresses.”This time, I froze for a moment, clenching my fists in anger. Mistresses? The audacity of him to make such a statement, especially after he had torn everything apart to make Mom his mate, all while keeping the woman he truly loved by his side.He had only tolerated Mom out of greed because he didn’t want to lose her while he could’ve taken her as his mistress instead of giving her the life she didn’t de
KylanI glanced over my shoulder as Puppy disappeared into the woods with Alpha Fergus. Then I focused ahead, walking the path on the opposite side of the woods with the king right beside me.Behind us, at a respectful distance, was his entourage, including Beta Jack—and the Lyperian guards.The king walked with his head held high, as he usually did, his steps confident, and his air suffocating. His presence always had a way of sucking the life out of everything around him, and at times—I feared people would see me as the same.Truth was, I didn’t want to be anything like that man, but ever since childhood, my entire persona had been built around him. I had always gotten the feeling that I was expected to be like him—cold, cruel, heartless—while all my other brothers at least had the chance to be their own person.Unfortunately, things were different for the son of the Lycan king’s mate, and had been even more complicated after becoming the crown prince.The only one I began feeling l