HarlynI don’t move. Father glares at me as if he is willing to magically set me alight.“She clearly deserved it. How many men had she propositioned for it to get to the point that one decided she deserved what she offered?” Father’s words attack me.He thinks I deserved to be raped because I propositioned myself to too many men? I want to laugh, but my mind is silent, reeling from his new attempt to destroy my very soul.Why does he hate me so much??Why does he only see the bad?Why does he always see something bad, and I’m to blame? Even this, me getting raped, is somehow my fault.He can’t just accept it as truth. No, he has to find a way to blame it.“She was a victim, Father, and it is wrong to blame her,” Samuel speaks, and I don’t see why he bothered; Father’s view of me will never change.Nothing anyone says will make him change his view on this.“She’s your daughter, our sister, and you’re calling her those vile names. Names that no woman should ever be called Father.” Samu

Stefan“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” Harlyn asked, trying to pull away from me.“I need to talk, to explain something,” I say, and before I even process what I am doing, I am walking towards the guards outside of the room I often occupy when I stay here.They step back, and Harlyn struggles in my grip more.“Why are we here?” she asks. I walk into the room and close the door, finally releasing her. Now, though, I regret this choice. I didn’t realise until now that it was the room from that night.“I need to talk to you. Did I not already say that?” I press. Glancing down, I see her trying to keep the weight off her foot.“Why this room? You could have spoken with me in the halls.” Why did I come here?“This is my room. Your ankle can heal better here.” No, it can’t. God, what lame excuse is that? She looks at me like she knows it’s a lie. “Look, it’s my room. No one will interrupt you here,” I say, leading her to the sofa.“Your Majesty, I can’t stay here, my kids...I...” She st

HarlynI turn to the guards stationed at the palace’s imposing doors, a mixture of urgency and frustration swirling within me. I want to leave. I’ve had enough, and I’m missing Wayne far too much to stay any longer. If I leave now, I avoid my father; I will regret not waiting to say goodbye to my brothers, however.“I need to return to the Manor, pack my things, and leave, please,” I explain, feeling the weight of missing Wayne heavy against me and pressing down on me like a heavy burden.“I’m sorry, Miss, but you can’t leave,” one of the guards responds. Why can I not leave? It’s not like I’m anyone important. As if sensing my confusion, he continues, “Until the men return and confirm it is safe, no one leaves, and the gates remain locked for everyone’s safety.”His words only fuel my frustration. Why am I being held captive within these walls? The desire to argue, to demand that I be let out of not just the palace but the entire kingdom, threatens to overwhelm me.He’s right; howeve

StefanThe Earl and Samuel’s words have been on repeat constantly since I left Harlyn in that room.I know that I can’t deny it anymore. Harlyn was with me that night, and nothing I do can change that or make things right, especially not when she was exiled for it.Still, she has pups—my pups. I’m not sure how to approach that situation—actually, I’m not sure how to approach any of the situations. This isn’t like I have spoken to her throughout the years or that she trusts me.She doesn’t trust me, not even the smallest amount, so my approach to these things needs to be more planned—not that stupid attempt I made last night.That was wrong, and I realised when I walked away it would have looked like I was making light of her situation. I wasn’t. I should have just said it outright.I had to push every thought away about Harlyn and the pups. However, I couldn’t go into the battle with my mind lost in thoughts of her, them, and my mistakes.Luckily, Ghost seemed willing to agree and did

StefanI can see that Diandra is worried. Whoever this guard is has just confirmed she was beaten by the pups.“What are you trying to say?” King Fredric screams at the woman.“Princess Diandra, are you afraid of telling your father the truth of how you were, in fact, beaten up?” The woman looks at her.“You’re lying, I didn’t. Who are you anyway?” Diandra glares at her.“I’m Beta Jane, from Moonlore pack,” Jane explains.Diandra laughs. “Oh, you’re Harlyn’s guard; of course, you will say that.” Diandra continues laughing as if she can lie her way out of it.“True, but he’s not.” Jane points towards the door, and I turn to see Simon, a guard of King Fredric’s. Diandra’s mouth closes.Father goes to speak, and my mother shakes her head.“Please don’t interrupt, darling. I’m interested in what Princess Diandra will say now that her guard has witnessed it.” Mother smiles smugly. She’s set to humiliate Diandra, and I should stop this, but I don’t want to.“I didn’t get beat; they are kids