LOGINI forced my legs to move again. By the time I reached the outer gate, I was breathing hard, my lungs burning from the hurried journey back. The guards turned the moment they saw me and stared in disbelief, their eyes widening with shock and relief. Then one shouted, “She’s back!” The cry spread through the village like wildfire. “Lady Cressida has returned!” Soon I was surrounded by relieved faces, some reaching out as if to confirm I was truly there. I hadn’t expected anyone to notice my absence, yet their concern touched something deep inside me. A young guard hurried forward, his face pale with exhaustion. “My lady, thank the Moon Goddess.” He glanced nervously toward the fortress. “You have to go right now. They’re about to execute the gate guards from the night you disappeared.” The words stole my breath. “What?” My blood turned cold as he explained in a shaking voice that Elara had ordered their deaths for failing to keep me safe during wartime. They were already
For a long moment, I simply stood there, staring at the empty chair. My eyes searched every corner of the little hut. The wooden beams overhead felt heavier in the silence. Dust floated lazily in the slanted rays of morning light that pierced the small windows. The kettle continued to simmer over the low fire. Soft bubbles rose steadily, releasing soothing waves of mint and lavender that wrapped around the room like a gentle embrace. Everything was exactly the same as before I turned around. Everything except her. “Hello?” I called cautiously. My voice sounded small and uncertain against the quiet. No answer came back. I stepped farther inside, my boots scraping softly on the worn floorboards. The sound felt too loud in the stillness. I expected her to step out from behind a curtain or from another room, but there wasn’t another room. A strange feeling settled over me. It crept along my spine like cold mist. Maybe she hadn’t disappeared at all. Maybe she had simply de
The fire continued to crackle softly between us, but I barely heard it anymore.Eight days.The words echoed inside my mind until they lost all meaning. I stared into the flames, hoping they would somehow arrange themselves into a different answer. Eight days wasn’t enough time to end a war. It wasn’t enough time to find a king during a war. It wasn’t enough time to save the man I loved from a curse that had haunted his bloodline for generations.Across from me, the old woman quietly picked up my empty cup and poured more tea as though nothing extraordinary had happened. Her movements were slow and steady, completely untouched by the storm raging inside me.The sweet scent of herbs drifted through the little hut.I couldn’t understand how everything around us could remain so peaceful when my entire world had just fallen apart.My hands wrapped around the warm cup without thinking. They were trembling so badly that the tea rippled against the sides.“I have to go.”The words escaped b
I didn’t realize tears had begun slipping down my face until one landed on the back of my hand. I quickly wiped them away, but another followed. “So…” I whispered, struggling to steady my voice. “It wasn’t the contract.” The old woman slowly shook her head. “No.” “It wasn’t the thirty days.” “No.” “It wasn’t fate choosing me over everyone else.” A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “No, child.” She leaned back in her chair. “You were different because somewhere along the way… he forgot you were supposed to leave.” The words settled deep inside me. I thought back to my first days at Blackstone. Lucian had barely looked at me. Every conversation had been short. Every kindness reluctant. He had treated me like another responsibility, another obligation he wished he didn’t have. Then things had begun to change. Not all at once. Little by little. I remembered the first time I had made him laugh. It had been so unexpected that even he had looked surprised
The world lurched violently beneath my feet. The battlefield disappeared as though someone had blown away thick smoke. The screams faded into nothing. Even the cold wind that had carried the cries of dying warriors melted away into unexpected warmth. I blinked slowly. The little hut came back into focus around me once more. The crackling fireplace cast flickering shadows. For several long seconds I couldn’t move at all. My chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as I stared at the dancing flames. My hands were trembling so badly that I curled them into tight fists to stop the shaking. I could still see him clearly in my mind. The First Alpha King. His knees pressed against the cold stone floor. His face was wet with tears as he begged desperately for the impossible. I had never imagined someone so powerful could look so utterly broken and vulnerable. The old woman hadn’t moved an inch. She sat quietly across from me as though she had all the time in the world.
The battlefield faded before my eyes. The cries of warriors became little more than whispers carried away by the wind. Even the smell of blood slowly disappeared until only silence remained between us. I looked at the old woman beside me, my heart still aching from the sight of the Alpha King holding his dead mate. The image of his broken form lingered in my mind like a scar that refused to heal. “What choice?” I asked quietly. The seer didn’t answer immediately. Her blind eyes seemed to pierce through layers of time itself. Instead, the world around us shifted once more. Colors swirled and blended in a dizzying dance. The valley dissolved like smoke, replaced by endless roads, changing seasons, and distant mountains. It felt as though years were passing in the blink of an eye. “The war ended,” she said at last, her voice echoing with ancient sorrow. “Blackstone mourned its queen. The entire kingdom wore black for months, their banners lowered in collective grief.” “
Cressida’s POV I lay on my narrow bed staring at the stone ceiling. Two whole nights had passed and Lucian had not sent for me. The silence felt heavy and suffocating. My wolf paced inside my chest, restless and jealous. What was he doing? Was he with another woman? The thought made my stomach
~Cressida The night before had been full of passion and desire, the kind that left me breathless and aching in the best ways. I was starting to get used to it. To like it. Lucian inside me, the low growl in his throat when he pulled me closer—those memories lingered like a secret warmth as I st
Zara’s POV I woke up on the cold, dirty floor of the slave prison. My back burned like fire from the silver whip marks. Two nights had passed, but I was still not fully healed. Every small movement sent sharp pain through my body. I forced myself to sit up anyway. The other slaves kept their di
Cressida’s POV I stood frozen outside the door, the thin crack revealing a scene that shattered my world. Alpha Kael’s deep, guttural moans filled the room as he thrust into her with raw, punishing force. My best friend Zara clawed at his back, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Yes!







