What do you think of this new character, Valen? How do you believe he'll bring chaos into Elara and Magnus' lives? Thanks for reading! If you're liking the story, consider voting with gems or leaving a comment.
[ELARA]For a long moment after Valen disappears into the crowd, I find myself wondering if he was real. Because nothing about him felt real. The way he looked at me seemed otherworldly. His very face and the grace with which he moved felt… unreal. He truly worked to distract me and unburdened me, strangely. And the fact that he knew my name, but referred to me as Lady and not Princess. I haven’t seen him here before in court. I’d remember him if I had. Having a ruby embedded in place of one of your eyes certainly makes you stand out. I’m involuntarily looking for him in the crowd—trying to find the wisp of his black robes, embroidered with gold thread—when Lord Brook approaches.“Have the next dance with me, Princess Elara,” he says, with a grin on his face that makes my skin crawl.I shake my head, forcing a polite smile. “Forgive me, Lord Brook, but I do not feel like dancing anymore,” I tell him. ‘Especially with you,’ I hold myself back from adding, though the thought lingers on m
Several hours later, deep into the night, I find myself leading my pack members to their assigned quarters on the orders of King Eldric. His revelation that they would stay until after the wedding horrified me, especially when I realized he meant Ruelle and Alpha Zander’s wedding.The guests’ quarters are located on the west end of the palace, on the lowest floor carved into the ground. The moment I step inside, a suffocating sensation fills the air. The rooms are spacious enough, but their windowless nature and lack of breeze make them stifling. It feels eerily similar to the servants’ quarters I visited earlier while searching for Beatrice.These are not really for guests, I think to myself. The thought gnaws at me as I glance around. Despite this, Alina seems enchanted, her eyes wide with amazement at the modest furnishings. In her view, they are luxurious compared to what we have in Mistral Hollow. I can only imagine her reaction if she saw my chamber, with its large ruby-clad mir
[ELARA]“Elara?” Magnus says my name again, his voice a mix of worry and something else I can't quite place. He crosses the room with purposeful strides, stopping just a few steps away from my bed. My eyes flicker nervously to the pillow concealing the poison vial before meeting his golden gaze. My heart hammers against my chest, and I know he can hear it. His expression shifts from concern to confusion.‘Talk to him,’ Lila’s voice echoes in my mind, but I can’t find the words or the will to speak. Does he know I've been threatened to poison him? Did he see me hide the vial? Does he think I’m going to betray him?“Elara,” he repeats softly, his tone pleading.As he takes an uncertain step closer, I finally find my voice. I stand up abruptly, holding my breath. “Magnus,” I whisper, my voice trembling.He steps back, his eyes widening in alarm. For a moment, he looks afraid, as if he’s broken something fragile between us. He swallows hard before speaking, his voice hoarse. “You didn’t c
[ELARA]“And what if I do?" Magnus challenges, his voice dropping to a whisper, but the intensity of his words slices through the air.His eyes widen as he realizes what he has just said, words he can’t take back. I fold my hands around my arms, holding my breath as I tear my gaze away from him. I feel vulnerable, almost naked, standing here in front of him. The distance between us feels unbearable, a chasm I cannot cross. “I suppose you can care,” I answer meekly. My voice comes out all strange, and I feel foolish. I turn away and walk to the open window that looks over the Cursed Gulf. The waves crash violently against the shore, and for a moment, I wish they could swallow me whole. “What harm will that do?”“It can kill you,” he answers without missing a beat. His gaze burns into the back of my head.Please don’t look at me, I think to myself. Not right now. Not when I should be thinking about how to poison you.‘You don’t want to poison him,’ Lila’s voice interrupts my mind.I ha
[MAGNUS]I toss and turn the whole night over the diwan, finding no sleep. The cool night air does nothing to quell the heat in my mind. Shadows dance on the walls, cast by the flickering candlelight. My eyes repeatedly flicker to Elara’s sleeping figure on the bed, and every time, I relive the moment we shared.Slipping away that I care for her. Slowly unlacing her gown as I hear her heart race. The shiver that ran through me when I accidentally brushed her skin. The undeniable urge to deliberately graze her bare back with my fingers. Our breaths mingling with each other. The look of longing in her green eyes as she eyed my lips. And the almost kiss.My body betrays me. Every time I look down at myself, I'm still aroused. I'm a fool. The most foolish fool to ever exist. And Creed agrees every time I whisper it to myself through the night.How can I so easily lose control of myself? This is not something that has troubled me before.Chopping Lord Brook’s fingers was a reckless move—I s
[MAGNUS]I keep my eyes glued to the new sand clock, focusing on the purple swirls that begin at its neck and diffuse to either side as Lord Roland is made to read out the new roles. His voice is hesitant at best as he reads, “The role of Alpha Regent has not been changed. It still belongs to Lord Wieser. So is the role of War Chief—”“Fool,” Eldric mutters lazily, leaning back and placing his hand on the new table. His expression remains unreadable, but his tone carries a hint of disdain. “Don’t read it all. Just the new ones.”Lord Roland wipes the sweat from his brows before he proceeds, “Forgive me, Your Grace. Lord Hylas, you no longer serve as the Moon Priest. You’ve been replaced by Lord Steele.”Lord Hylas’ face twists in pain and he leans forward, his knuckles white against the polished wood of the table. Before he can protest, Eldric interjects. “You’re a shame. No man who speaks the word of the Goddess curses as often as you do.”There goes a man who sided with my father wh
The wind whispers through the open window, carrying a faint scent of jasmine that mingles with the pounding of my heart. “Alina can’t marry him, Alpha. She’s weak,” my father begins, his trembling voice resounding in the pack’s courtroom. Beta Collis smirks at him from where he stands beside Alpha Zander before he comments, “A weakling for a weakling. What can be a better match for the twisted Prince of Caelondor?” I grit my teeth, suppressing a curse. Beta Collis has never been kind towards my family but his remark was unnecessary. "Alpha Zander," my father continues, ignoring his fellow Beta's words. His shoulders are slumped and he looks older than his years. "The pack healer says she might not live long." My stepmother stifles a sob as she clutches the sides of her robe. A rush of whispers arise from the pack members bearing witness to this meeting. I nervously glance around and hear people talk sympathetically about my stepsister, Alina. It's unfortunate what happene
[MAGNUS]I recline in the bathtub, the warmth of the water enveloping me as the palace servants go about their tasks. Steam swirls in the opulent chamber, the scent of chamomile lingering in the air and my mind wanders through the labyrinth of lies spun by my detested uncle, the king.As the palace servants meticulously wash me, their eyes averted, I stare at my own half-naked reflection in the mirror. I'm not disabled; it's a fabrication concocted by my uncle's twisted mind, fueled by his hatred and fear. The king seeks to undermine me, to strip away any sense of power or influence I might possess. He's afraid of what I could do to him. But it's time to reclaim my power, turn the tables on my enemies, and catch them off guard.Alistair, my loyal beta werewolf, stands guard outside the chamber, a silent guardian of my secrets.As I rise from the bathtub, the servants hastily rush to cover my body with linen. Alistair makes his way toward me before his eyes follow a servant as she walk