Elowen’s POVThe five minutes stretched longer than I intended.Theron’s warmth, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the way his fingers lazily traced patterns on my back—it was dangerously comforting. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe that things could be this simple.But they weren’t.With a deep breath, I pushed against his chest. "We really need to get up."He groaned but loosened his grip, rolling onto his back. His dark eyes, still heavy with sleep, locked onto mine. "You’re the one who stayed."I scowled, sitting up. "You didn’t give me much of a choice."Theron smirked, but before he could say anything else, the bedroom door burst open."Finally, you're awake," Alaric said, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. His piercing gaze flicked between me and Theron, and his jaw ticked slightly. "We’ve got a problem."I threw the blanket off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "What now?""More rogues spotted near the southern border."My stomach
Elowen’s POVThe kiss lingered between us, a fragile moment of warmth in the storm we were about to face. Alaric’s hands tightened on my waist as if he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.But I couldn’t afford to stay in this moment. Not when war loomed over us.I pulled away, my breathing uneven. "We need to prepare," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Alaric exhaled through his nose, clearly frustrated but nodding nonetheless. "Ranon and Theron are already gathering the warriors," he muttered. "We leave at dawn."Dawn.That left only a few hours.I turned toward the window, staring out at the darkened sky. Somewhere out there, Ezekiel's forces were waiting. They wouldn’t stop coming for me.For my blood.Alaric moved behind me, his warmth pressing against my back. "We’re going to end this, Elowen."His voice was full of certainty. Of promise.I wanted to believe him.I turned in his arms, resting my forehead against his chest. "No matter what happens," I whispered, "promise me
Theron's POVThe forest was a blur of shadows and moonlight as we raced through the underbrush. Ranon cradled Elowen against his chest, her body limp and alarmingly pale. Her blood had soaked through his shirt, staining it a deep crimson that glistened under the faint light. Each labored breath she took was a testament to her fading strength.Beside them, I ran, every step sending jolts of pain through my battered body. My ribs ached, likely cracked or worse, and a gash above my brow sent warm rivulets down my face, partially obscuring my vision. But none of it mattered. The only thing that did was the woman hanging onto life in Ranon's arms.Alaric, slightly ahead, kept glancing back, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. He pressed two fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. His face tightened."Her pulse is weak," he growled, voice raw. "She's losing too much blood—""Don't say it," I snapped, my voice sharper than intended. "She's not going to die.""Theron—""
Theron’s POV Days bled into nights, and still, Elowen remained confined to the bed, her body slowly knitting itself back together with every excruciating hour. The once vibrant spark in her eyes hadn’t fully returned, but her chest rose and fell steadily, and that was enough to keep me breathing. The scars on her skin were healing, but the silence between us—the way she flinched when she dreamed, the way her hands trembled when she tried to lift a spoon—those were the wounds we couldn’t see. Each of us took turns helping her bathe, eat, walk down the long corridor of the mansion, and each time, we watched the strongest woman we’d ever known lean on us in a way she never had before. Alaric never left her side at night. He sat quietly in a chair beside her bed, his fingers loosely curled around hers as he whispered apologies she couldn't yet answer. His eyes, once hard and unforgiving, had softened in her presence, guilt clinging to every breath he took. “She used to hate being hel
Elowen’s POVThe academy gates loomed ahead, familiar yet foreign.It had been weeks since I’d last walked through them—weeks since blood stained my hands, pain etched itself into my bones, and the world I once knew unraveled at the seams. And now, as the morning sun streamed down, casting a golden glow on the stone path, I felt… off-balance.Not weak. No, I wasn’t that anymore.Just changed.Alaric’s hand hovered close to my back without touching, his gaze scanning the students like they were threats. Theron flanked my right, silent and unreadable, while Ranon walked a step ahead, his arms folded, jaw clenched as always.Their presence was suffocating… but not in the way it used to be.Now it was protective. Devoted. Desperate.Students turned to stare, whispers already rising like a wave."She’s back.""Is that her?""Did you hear what she did to Ezekiel?""That’s the witch with the triplet alphas..."Every whisper hit me like a blade. Not because I cared about what they thought—but
Elowen’s POVThe academy halls were hushed now, lit only by faint moonlight filtering through the tall windows. Everyone had been ordered to rest after the incident, but rest was a foreign concept to me tonight.I found myself drawn to the library—a place of stillness, of worn pages and silent thoughts. The fire was lit in the hearth, casting a warm, golden glow across the shelves.I sank into one of the old leather chairs, arms folded around myself. The moment I closed my eyes, the sound of the summoning echoed again—the screaming runes, the creature’s hiss, the way my magic had clawed its way out of me like it had a mind of its own.A hand gently touched my shoulder.I looked up.Theron.He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked at me, gaze heavy, stormy as always.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked finally, his voice low.I shook my head. “Didn’t want to close my eyes and see that thing again.”He nodded and lowered himself into the chair beside me, resting his elbows on his knees, hand
Elowen’s POV The afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the academy towers, casting long shadows over the courtyard. Most students had gone inside, their laughter and conversation fading down the stone corridors, but the four of us lingered.Theron sat beside me, his thigh pressed lightly against mine, his arm stretched behind me along the bench. Alaric was pacing nearby, distracted, while Ranon leaned against the tree, head tilted back, eyes closed—but I knew he wasn’t sleeping. He was listening. Always listening.There was something peaceful about this moment… but there was also a quiet tension brewing beneath the surface. I could feel it in the way Alaric’s jaw tightened with every few steps, in the way Theron’s fingers twitched, like he was ready for a fight.“You’re all on edge,” I finally said softly, glancing between them.Theron didn’t deny it. “It’s been too quiet. After what happened in class…”“They’re regrouping,” Alaric muttered, his voice low. “Whoever tried to trigg
Elowen’s POV The academy felt colder that night, even though the air was warm. A strange stillness had settled over the corridors—like something was watching. Waiting.After the incident in combat class, the triplets hadn’t left my side once. Not even for a minute. I appreciated it, even if I didn’t say it aloud.But tonight, I needed a breath. Alone.I slipped out while they were distracted in a strategy meeting with the head of security. My footsteps were quiet against the marble floors as I wandered toward the library tower. The scent of old parchment and dust always soothed me—it reminded me of quiet moments before everything turned chaotic.I was halfway up the spiral staircase when the hairs on the back of my neck stood.Something was wrong.Too quiet.I turned slowly.A figure dropped from the ceiling beams above, silent as a shadow, blade already drawn.“Elowen—!” a voice roared behind me—Theron’s.But he was too far.I raised my hand, magic sparking instinctively from my fin
Elowen’s POVThe next morning training courtyard buzzed with energy, but beneath it all, I felt a tension inside me like a bowstring pulled too tight.Theron’s words from last night still clung to me: I believe you.And yet, I woke up this morning feeling heavier. Like I was wearing a second skin made of doubt, stitched from every look, every whispered word behind my back, every way I had to hold myself together when I really just wanted to fall apart.I joined the others late.Alaric was already sparring with two older students in one of the inner rings, and Ranon stood by the weapons rack, hands gripping the hilt of a training sword too tightly. He hadn’t looked at me since Caelum’s arrival.Because he doesn’t trust me… or because he knows he’s starting to doubt himself?Caelum stood at the edge of the field, watching everything like it was a chessboard, his golden eyes a constant, quiet burn on the back of my neck.The Academy had given him instructor privileges. Of course they had
Elowen’s POVThe evening air was heavy with the scent of pine and smoke. The training grounds were mostly deserted, cloaked in twilight shadows. The Academy behind me buzzed faintly with life—distant voices, laughter, doors creaking open and closed—but out here, it was still.I didn’t mean to come here. Not really. But my feet had carried me toward the old sparring arena. The place where Ranon had first kissed me. Where so much had begun to shift.Where I was beginning to shift.I stood in the middle of the stone circle, the moonlight silvering my skin, when I heard the footsteps.Slow. Confident.I turned before he could speak.“Didn’t expect you to be the kind who lurks in shadows,” I said.Caelum stepped into the light, golden eyes gleaming with amusement. “And yet here we are.”He wore black again, always black. A dark shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. A sword hilt peeked over his shoulder—ornate, ancient, wickedly curved.He looked like sin incarn
Elowen’s POVRanon didn’t let go of me for a long time.We stood beneath the moonlight, the soft hush of night surrounding us, his arms around my waist like he could shield me from whatever threat Caelum represented.But no embrace, no wall of muscle and fury, could quiet the fire building beneath my skin. Not this time.“I don’t trust him,” Ranon said, voice low and dangerous, his chin resting against the crown of my head. “Not with that power. Not with those eyes. And especially not with you.”“I don’t either,” I whispered. “But he knows something. Something about me. About my bloodline.”He pulled back just enough to look at me. “Elowen, don’t chase answers from someone who sees you as a weapon.”“He doesn’t see me as a weapon,” I murmured. “He sees me as a queen who doesn’t know she’s already wearing a crown.”Ranon’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing like the words had cut deeper than they should’ve. “You’re ours, Elowen. Not his. Don’t let him twist what we’ve built.”“I’m not le
Elowen’s POVThe whispers hadn’t stopped since the kiss.I could still feel Ranon’s lips against mine, still see the stunned expressions on the faces around us as he kissed me in the courtyard—bold, public, possessive. I wasn’t just the girl recovering from a brutal battle anymore.I was the girl claimed by the Alphas.And now, I was also the girl everyone whispered about.Whispers always grow louder when power is involved.I had just begun adjusting to this new rhythm of life at the Academy. Every hallway I walked down came with stares, tension—envy. The triplets barely left my side anymore. Ranon was the most obvious, his touches lingering longer than before, his eyes burning with unspoken promises. Alaric became sharper, his words edged with something protective and territorial. Theron… watched. Quietly. Intently. As though he knew something none of the others did.And then… he arrived.The great hall was unusually packed for a midday assembly. The hum of conversation buzzed with c
Elowen's POV Ranon didn’t move immediately after making his declaration.His arm was still gently looped around my waist, his chest rising and falling with quiet intensity, like he was holding back every raging emotion inside him. I could feel the heat of his skin, the subtle tremble in his fingers. He had just said all of that—to everyone—and still stood tall, unwavering.But as the whispers grew fainter and the students slowly began to disperse, the only sound I could hear was the thunder of my own heartbeat.“Come with me,” Ranon said softly, his lips brushing the edge of my ear.I nodded, barely able to find my voice.He led me away from the garden path, around the back of the Academy grounds, through the small gates that led to the older training fields. The moon cast a pale silver glow over the grass, and the quiet hum of crickets filled the night air.We stopped near the edge of the field, where the trees started. The shadows danced across his face, but even in the dim light,
Elowen's POVWarmth.I woke to it—not just from the soft morning light spilling through the windows or the thick blankets tucked around me, but from the steady presence beside me.Alaric.He was still here, sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand entwined with mine. He hadn’t let go all night.His thumb stroked the back of my hand absentmindedly, his eyes focused out the window. I studied the sharp line of his jaw, the small crease in his brow, the faint stubble that had grown overnight.He looked tired. But he also looked peaceful.I shifted slightly, and his gaze snapped to mine instantly.“El,” he said softly, his voice still hoarse with sleep, but there was a smile in his eyes.“Morning,” I whispered.He leaned forward, brushing his lips gently across my forehead. “How do you feel?”“Like I got trampled by a herd of wolves,” I said with a dry laugh. “But… better.”Alaric chuckled quietly, relief flashing across his face. “You scared me half to death, you know that?”“You and the
Elowen’s POV The academy felt colder that night, even though the air was warm. A strange stillness had settled over the corridors—like something was watching. Waiting.After the incident in combat class, the triplets hadn’t left my side once. Not even for a minute. I appreciated it, even if I didn’t say it aloud.But tonight, I needed a breath. Alone.I slipped out while they were distracted in a strategy meeting with the head of security. My footsteps were quiet against the marble floors as I wandered toward the library tower. The scent of old parchment and dust always soothed me—it reminded me of quiet moments before everything turned chaotic.I was halfway up the spiral staircase when the hairs on the back of my neck stood.Something was wrong.Too quiet.I turned slowly.A figure dropped from the ceiling beams above, silent as a shadow, blade already drawn.“Elowen—!” a voice roared behind me—Theron’s.But he was too far.I raised my hand, magic sparking instinctively from my fin
Elowen’s POV The afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the academy towers, casting long shadows over the courtyard. Most students had gone inside, their laughter and conversation fading down the stone corridors, but the four of us lingered.Theron sat beside me, his thigh pressed lightly against mine, his arm stretched behind me along the bench. Alaric was pacing nearby, distracted, while Ranon leaned against the tree, head tilted back, eyes closed—but I knew he wasn’t sleeping. He was listening. Always listening.There was something peaceful about this moment… but there was also a quiet tension brewing beneath the surface. I could feel it in the way Alaric’s jaw tightened with every few steps, in the way Theron’s fingers twitched, like he was ready for a fight.“You’re all on edge,” I finally said softly, glancing between them.Theron didn’t deny it. “It’s been too quiet. After what happened in class…”“They’re regrouping,” Alaric muttered, his voice low. “Whoever tried to trigg
Elowen’s POVThe academy halls were hushed now, lit only by faint moonlight filtering through the tall windows. Everyone had been ordered to rest after the incident, but rest was a foreign concept to me tonight.I found myself drawn to the library—a place of stillness, of worn pages and silent thoughts. The fire was lit in the hearth, casting a warm, golden glow across the shelves.I sank into one of the old leather chairs, arms folded around myself. The moment I closed my eyes, the sound of the summoning echoed again—the screaming runes, the creature’s hiss, the way my magic had clawed its way out of me like it had a mind of its own.A hand gently touched my shoulder.I looked up.Theron.He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked at me, gaze heavy, stormy as always.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked finally, his voice low.I shook my head. “Didn’t want to close my eyes and see that thing again.”He nodded and lowered himself into the chair beside me, resting his elbows on his knees, hand