"Can we go somewhere private to talk?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as I tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His promise has stirred something within me, a longing to share the full story of my past. I'm curious to see how he'll react, to gauge if he'll see me differently.
"Sure," he agrees, his hand finding mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. He leads us to his office.
As he settles behind his desk, I take a seat opposite him, my fingers fidgeting in my lap. Nerves flutter in my stomach. Opening up about this part of my life is never easy. Maybe it would have been easier if we had just been regular mates, but we're not. But as I consider what I have to lose by telling him, I realize it's not much. He can't use my past against me or my family. At worst, it might change how he sees me, but perhaps not in a negative way.
I lift my gaze from my lap, my eyes locking with his. Those mesmerizing green orbs seem to calm the s
The sun hangs low in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of orange and pink as it prepares to give way to the encroaching night. In a clearing surrounded by towering trees, their leaves rustling in the strong gusts of wind, Nickolas and I face each other, both poised for combat.I pant hard, my chest heaving with each labored breath. Strands of hair, having escaped the confines of my bun, cling to my sweat-drenched face while others dance wildly in the wind. I swing on my feet, hands raised and fisted, as if ready to strike. And I want to, I desperately want to land a punch on Nickolas, but I know he would see it coming a mile away and easily block it.I push saliva down my raw throat, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. We have been training for hours now, and the toll on my body is evident. My muscles ache, and exhaustion threatens to overtake me at any moment. We've been training for hours now, and it's been absolute hel
"Lord Easterlin," Nickolas calls, his voice commanding attention as he swiftly moves to stand in front of me, effectively blocking me from Lord Easterlin's view."Your Majesty," Lord Easterlin responds, the color gradually returning to his face after having paled while staring at me. Shit! I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. This is not good. Not good at all."What has brought you here?""I have urgent matters to discuss," Lord Easterlin says, tilting his head to the side, trying to get another glimpse of me."Wait for me in my office. I will meet you there in a few minutes.""As you wish, Your Majesty." He bows and turns to leave, but not before sneaking one last peek at me over Nickolas's shoulder.I bite my nails, my mind racing with the possibilities of what would happen now that he saw my eyes and noticed the change in my scent. Lycans already whisper about my uncanny resemblance to
NICKOLASI steal a glance from the road, my eyes drawn to Amelia as she sits silently in the passenger seat of my sleek Bentley. Strands of her damp hair cling to her porcelain face, still wet from the rushed shower I had insisted she take. My own hair is barely dried, dark locks plastered against my forehead. I know she must be starving, her stomach hollow with hunger. But all of that has to wait. Her safety is the only thing that matters now.She turns to look at me, baby blue eyes wide and searching as my fingers reach out to tuck an errant curl behind her ear. Those eyes tug at my heart, begging me to explain why I pulled her from the castle and now speed her away to some unknown destination. Sighing, I pull my hand back, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. As much as it pains me to keep her in the dark, to see the confusion and hint of fear swirling in her gaze, I know it’s for the best. She can’t know where we&rsquo
I stride into my uncle’s office. The sight that greets me isn’t far from what I expected. Aunt Ava sits rigidly in her chair, her foot tapping an angry staccato against the polished hardwood floor. Uncle Leo, in contrast, appears outwardly calm, his expression inscrutable as he waits for me to take a seat and explain the situation.Steeling myself, I sink into the chair opposite Uncle Leo, acutely aware of Ava’s seething presence beside me. The tension in the room is palpable. I can see this talk going very horribly, but hopefully, with my life and Amelia’s safety on the line, it won’t.“Why the hell did you bring that animal into my home?” Ava snarls, her voice dripping with venom. The word ‘animal’ sends a sharp pang through my chest, my jaw clenching with the effort to bite back a heated retort.“Because you need to protect her,” I reply evenly, rubbing my temple in a futile attempt to stave of
The sound of my footsteps echoes through the dimly lit dungeon as I stride purposefully toward the center of the room. The air is thick with the coppery scent of blood and the weight of impending violence. I’ve just returned from saying goodbye to Amelia, who wasn’t thrilled about staying with Ava but understood the necessity better than my aunt did. My plan is to quickly finish my business here and retrieve her later.As I approach the center of the room, I find Lord Easterlin and a guard standing a few feet away from a man suspended from the ceiling. His body is a canvas of bruises and blood, the crimson liquid dripping steadily onto the stone floor below. This is the reason Lord Easterlin sought me out earlier while Amelia and I were training. He’s doing everything in his power to convince me he’s not in league with his daughter and to atone for his mistake in allowing her to slip away and nearly kidnap Amelia again.“Patrol Officer Hen
Amelia stares at me, her eyes wide with shock as they roam over my scarred body, taking in the myriad of marks that crisscross my skin and the fresh blood of Henry's that paints me in a gruesome tableau. I can practically hear the thoughts racing through her mind. Disgusting. Ugly. He must have done something to deserve it. Thank heavens, we're enemies; otherwise, I'd be stuck with someone so repulsive. My heart clenches painfully in my chest, knowing with absolute certainty that those are the thoughts consuming her. Even if we weren't enemies, my scars would have ensured we never ended up together."Who hurt you?" Amelia's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, snapping me back to the present. She takes a step closer, tears glistening in her eyes, and I feel a surge of anger and betrayal. She's mocking me, pretending to care when I know she doesn't feel an ounce of genuine concern. It's all a lie, a cruel joke at my expense, and it hurts more than I ever thought possible.
The following day, I make my way downstairs to the dining room for breakfast with Ava and Leo. Leo doesn’t have to eat, being a lycan, but he chooses to do so because he doesn’t want Ava to ever have to eat alone. I find it heartwarming that he would do something so small yet meaningful for her. I pause at the entrance, my breath catching in my throat at the sight of an unexpected figure occupying the seat beside my usual place. Even from behind, I would know that proud tilt of the head, those broad shoulders anywhere. Nickolas.He turns at the sound of my approach, his expression as unreadable as ever, those green eyes giving nothing away. I search his face desperately for any hint that he's missed me these past few days as fiercely as I've missed him, but his features remain an impassive mask. Swallowing hard, I force my leaden feet to carry me forward until I sink into my chair, the silence between us stretching taut as a bowstring.Nickolas doesn'
I jolt awake, my skin slick with sweat. The air in my room is thick and heavy, the heat pressing down on me like a physical weight. Blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, my eyes widen in horror as I take in the sight before me - roaring flames licking at the walls, devouring everything in their path.Panic seizes me, a scream lodging in my throat as I stumble from the bed, coughing and choking on the acrid smoke that fills my lungs with every gasping breath. The fire seems to have originated in the closet, the flames climbing higher and higher with each passing second. I can't begin to fathom how this nightmare started.I lurch towards the door, my only thought to escape, to flee the inferno that threatens to consume me. But as my fingers close around the handle, a blinding white light explodes through the room, the force of it sending me flying backward. I crash into the vanity table, the glass shattering beneath my weight as I crumple to the floor in a heap of li