TALIA'S POV
I keep dreaming about my execution and it's the worst of nightmares I have ever had. Life has never been this harsh. My body has become so weak that I can't even pull myself up to stand on my feet. I would definitely die on my own if they let me stay in here for a day longer. But I guess my five days of imprisonment are already over.I am now counting seconds with a racing heartbeat before soldiers walk in through the door to get me. There is no good way of preparing yourself for an execution. Doesn't matter how many times I keep telling myself that it's better than dying slowly of thirst in here.I just hope that whenever my young siblings are they can at least eat and drink. They will have no one to look after them even when they fall sick. I really wish I can go back to that moment when we let mum accept the Queen's invitation. I would spit on that messenger's face and tell him to tell his Queen to f off. it's too late for that now.The sound of the heavy doot clicking open sends waves of shock through my very weak body.I keep my eyes closed even as footsteps get very close. But I immediately open them when I slap Lands on my right cheek, heavy enough to make my vision blur.Six men surround me, two of them look down at me while the rest smile devilishly."Time to go meet your creator bitch!" One snarl and smacks me on the face again. I gasp in pain but I am too weak to get away or defend myself. What's the point of attempting it anyway, I can't really get away or harm them."Did you think we would take pity on you because you begged to be punished in place of your evil mother? We already know you are a family of little devils. You all deserve death!" Another one says and Lands a kick on the side of my stomach. It knocks air right out of my lungs. My eyes squeeze shut as the pain becomes unbearable."You knew about your mum's plan to kill our prince, didn't you? We will make this a lesson to others with evil minds like you and your mother! You will soon be begging us to let you die!"I keep my eyes closed and don't see which one of them is speaking. Two hands take hold of my wrist and they start dragging me out of the room.I try to stand and walk on my own but it becomes impossible. The soldiers pull me past the cell door and keep dragging me down the corridors of the massive palace as we head out.The people we pass by stop to stare and yell out insults at me. I decided not to let my brain process any of the things they say. I also shut my eyes again so I don't have to see them.Soldiers marching by my side keep muttering more insults and I block them out as well.We did nothing wrong and I am not letting their insults convince me otherwise. What I however cannot ignore is the sound of the palace gates clicking open and the sudden loud cheering of a crowd. My eyes fly open just as the soldiers let go of my hand and I fall flat on the ground in front of the angry mob.They are all people that I know. Some used to be friends with our mother. But they immediately start throwing all kinds of staff at the. Stones and bottles land on my head and body, making me curl up in pain.The soldiers step away from me to give the crowd the opportunity to hit me as they please."Kill the bitch!" Someone in the crowd yells.I use my hands to shield my head as whips and blows rain on me. I can't believe people have been fooled by the Queen and her family to believe that I, my mother and my siblings are an evil family. That we are envious of the Prince's ideal powers. It's the most unfair execution that has ever happened in this Kingdom.Someone steps hard on my left-hand fingers and literally breaks every one of them. My screams fall on deaf ears as more kicks and punch land on every exposed part of my body.Most of the heavy blows are aimed at my head and shielding it becomes impossible. A punch hit the bridge of my nose and blood flows out through the nostrils. My death is so not far, actually, I can almost taste it."Stop!" prince Evan's unmistakable authoritative voice roars and the mob immediately scatters away from me.I already feel like I am about to breathe my last. It's too late for anyone to save me. All those kicks and punches must I've left several of my bones broken. I can feel my wrecked body finally giving in to the strong pull of death."Your Highness, the king ordered that we let the people that feel wronged by her deeds punish her." I hear one of the soldiers explain to the prince. One of my eyes is already swollen shut after the slaps I received from the soldiers. I try to open the other but its vision is totally blurred."You know that is against the rules, right?" I hear the prince reprimand the soldiers."Yes. But the king wanted her tortured so no one else will ever dare try what she and her mother did." Another soldier tries to explain."Letting a mob lynch her is still against the rules. Besides, no one knows if she actually knew of her mother's stupid plans.' The prince argues. He doesn't sound as pissed as before. Did he learn the truth? I don't hear the soldiers replied. So I guess they are now acknowledging their mistake. I wait to hear the prince speak again."Give the girl a quick death!"Oops! Guess nothing changed. I had hoped he would say that I will be left alone even though I would still die anyway. The so-called perfect being only wanted to make sure that the rules are followed."Yes sir!" I hear the soldiers agree unanimously.My dwindling heartbeat picks up speed as I listen to the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching. I tense in anticipation when they halt next to me and my one blurry I can see a tall, shadowy figure of a soldier with a sword smirking down at me."I am honoured by this opportunity to send you to the list another side, witch!" He mutters before plunging the sword deep into my chest.The sharp pain makes me gasp. Then darkness immediately envelopes me. My life doesn't flash in front of my eyes. I only feel like I am falling into a dark void.EVAN'S POVKilling a young girl for her mother's sins is totally wrong. Some stupid laws like families being allowed to suffer in place of their evil loved ones need to be rectified.No one has ever offered to be punished in place of their family member before. So no one noticed the awkwardness of that law before now.The girl may have made the stupidest of all decisions, obviously having been fooled by her awful mother. But I kind of admire her bravery and unwavering resoluteness.No teenager has ever outwitted my father's council before. They just didn't think a girl of her age would even know of such laws. But she did and dazzled everyone.I wish my mate will be like her. Not just beautiful but brave and smart as well. Everyone may call her decision to die in place of her mother stupid. But the truth is it was the most selfless decision this Kingdom has ever witnessed.She just wanted to save her family. Be the one to carry all the blame and pain. But of course, that would not happen. An evil murderer could not have been left to go home freely just because her selfless daughter decided to suffer in her place.What I shouldn't allow is that her siblings were sold as slaves as well. Those kids were too small to have been part of their mother's plot. They are going to suffer for something that they probably didn't even know was happening.But it's too late for me to change that now. Mother really wanted to get the family she thinks is full of evil out of our Kingdom as fast as possible. I don't know which slave master they were sold to. But mother had soldiers take them away even before the money got paid.I was too angry to care about the innocent souls that may suffer for someone else's crimes. We just wanted the whole family out of our Kingdom. We made mistakes and it's too late to correct them. Things like these are the ones that prove that I am not so perfect. I make mistakes too, especially when enraged.Perhaps things will change the day I will meet my mate. Maybe she will be lovely and smart enough to help me think well even through anger.Something feels off though. Like I had a connection with someone but it doesn't exist anymore. I feel like I lost something important yet I can't figure out what it is.THREE YEARS LATERTALIA'S POVI yawn and stretch out while still laying flat on my bed with my eyes closed. I can already feel the rays of the sun warming the room through my bedroom window.I rub my sleepy eyes before blinking them open. Everything surrounding me looks different and I gasp in shock. The room I am in looks nothing like my bedroom. It's fancy and colourful, two things I have never been a fan of.The curtains that now hang on the window are pink and larger than the tiny blue ones I used to have. Several framed pictures hang on the walls making the room look like a small, overly decorated gallery.I try to think about what may have happened. Then all the memories come flowing in. The match, the soldiers, King's council. . . The execution! Oh my God! How comes I am standing here breathing again? And whose room is this now? Did another family pick up our own?I have heard stories of rebirth before. Tales of a few people that actually died and then came back to life later.
TALIA'S POVWalking through the gates of this palace again makes my blood start rushing through my veins. The moment that I was drugged out by soldiers and a mob was allowed to lynch me keeps replaying in my head.I was so helpless and extremely weak then. I couldn't even fight a single soldier. I should feel safe now, but my heart thrombs the moment too many eyes turn to look at me. Even the outside of the palace is full of people. I see faces that I used to know, my mother's and Taylor's friends, all their eyes turn to stare at me. My whole body quivers. Can they so easily recognise me?Then I see men smiling amorously and I sigh in relief. They don't recognise me. They are just staring for some weird reason."She is gorgeous!" I hear one of the girls whisper to her friends."Yeah, she must be noble. You know her?" Another asks in a voice just as low.It's strange that I can hear them. "I don't know her. But she does look kind of familiar." The first girl answers and my heart throb
EVAN'S POV"I have gathered everyone that she spoke to, Sir. But I am also afraid that they too don't know much." My servant says in an anxious voice. "Let them in, I will question them myself," I order. He bows again and leaves my office.Apprehension can actually make breathing hard. Why the f did she run?She is literally the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. She wore no makeup or jewellery, yet her natural beauty was honestly breathtaking.She looked extraordinarily just like I imagined my mate would be. I knew she was in the room the moment I inhaled that alluring scent, nothing in this world can smell so good and pure. The strange thing is despite looking like an angel among humans, her stunning features did look familiar. But I could have only seen such beauty in a dream. I will chase her to the edge of the world if I have to."Try to relax. Your girl will come back to you. Just give her a day or two." My mother tries to comfort me. She may have been right abou
TALIA'S POVHaving powers is apparently the only good thing that has happened to me since I came back to life. I have lost everything else, my family, our home and now the hope of ever having a loving mate.I no longer know where I am headed to anymore. My former plan can no longer work. The fact that I cannot walk into the palace without prince Evan smelling my scent also means that I have no means of getting near the Queen. There is no point in being alive as long as I cannot find my family. They are the people I want to protect."Hey, why do you look so sad? You didn't like the party?" The woman that I met fast after coming back to life makes me halt."Where are you going?" She asks. I look around. I had no thought about where I am headed to. I just had my legs carrying me towards wherever. But seemingly I am on the road towards what used to be our home. I am in fact a few metres away from the small gate."The people that live there now won't welcome you." She informs with the same
THIRD PERSON'S POVThe Queen wears a troubled face as she walks fast down a corridor and bursts into a magnificent bedroom with a king-size bed and the most exquisite furniture. Some of which have been decorated with gold. It's too extravagant even for a royal bedroomHer husband lays down on his back on top of the bed covers, his eyes gazing at the ceiling as he appears to be thinking deeply."We need to talk." His Queen states as she matches to bed and sits on the edge."I already heard that Evan's beautiful mate is Talia's cousin if that is what you wish to tell me." He replies without taking a glance at her."Then I guess the news you haven't heard is that . . that is a lie." She says and he finally turns his head to look at her."What do you mean?""Miss Abram was my best friend before she tried to poison our son. She didn't have any nieces or nephews. The girl lied!" She says, sounding clearly too certain of what she believes is the truth. Yet the husband shakes his head in disa
TALIA'S POVI thought the soldiers were going to only hurt me during the night but so far I have bypassed over a dozen of them and answered their questions about whether I have seen an incredibly beautiful and tall young lady with pitch black, wavy hair and bright brown eyes.Good thing is that my very kind host advised me to dress like a widow and hire a carriage instead of walking. I put on a hat and a veil to hide my face. The soldiers wouldn't expect a young lady to be blessed in the long dresses of a widow anyway.I am headed to the north to start the search for my mother, Taylor and Michael. Hopefully, they got bought by one of the arrogant alphas.My host did warn me that this was going to be a long journey. I thought she was exaggerating but I have been on this carriage for over eight hours and we are yet to get to the border.But I can now see a long line of posts far ahead so I think we are finally close. I think I will let myself sleep for the rest of the journey since I am
EVAN'S POVI had to retreat to my room to mull over my next move. I still feel like I have been wrecked inside. Every time I let my eyes close the appalling image of my mate's dead body lying in the dirt and her blood soaking the soil pops up in my mind.Three full years may have passed since I witnessed that awful scene but I now remember every second of it like it happened a few hours ago.All I cared about was avenging my servant's death. It didn't matter if we went too far and hurt people that were not responsible for the atrocious crime that was committed.I kept telling myself that the girl made her own decision and she probably was just as evil as her mother. Her death didn't make me feel better about my servant's death. It in fact made me realise what a mess we had made in our insane quest for justice.By now the true culprit, the mother, is either dead or truly regretting her actions. Her stupidity has made so much in my life go wrong.I don't regret being mated to her daught
TALIA'S POVThe sun is about to set, but we are finally here. The palace of Silver Moon Park stands tall in front of us. It's quite huge considering that Silver Moon is a small pack.I hand my driver his pay and step off the carriage. We had time to talk about the truth and he is no longer afraid of me. He is the first person I have met that is open-minded enough to accept that even members of the royal family could be evil."You have the money to buy them back if they are in there?" He asks."No. I plan on pretending that I have the money. Once I see them I will use my powers." I answer."You have to look like a noblewoman for them to believe that you want to buy slaves." He advises. I take off the widow's gown and stuff it into my bag. I am left in a lovely blue dress that I had underneath."Yeah, that looks fantastic." He approves. "The other thing you need is a servant to escort you.""Why?""Rich noble ladies don't travel alone and they definitely don't carry their own bags."I