MasukKhaisha reaches over and squeezes my hand. “That’s how he loves, Zephyra. All or nothing. He’d do anything, including hurt himself to save the ones he loves.”“That’s the problem. I don’t want him doing those kinds of things for me. It makes me feel… guilty,” I mutter. But as I lift my eyes, Khaisha’s jaw is clenched. Her gaze drifts past me, staring blankly out the window.Even though her hand still rests on mine, offering comfort, her mind is clearly somewhere else. I’m about to ask what’s wrong when a sharp knock sounds at the front door.Before either of us can say a word, Sky lets out a joyful squeal. “I’ll get it!” We hear her scramble up from the hallway floor and head for the entryway.“Fuck!” Khaisha jumps to her feet. “Sky, no! I’ve told you a hundred times not to open the door unless—”But Sky is already gone, her little feet pattering across the floor. I rise from my chair, heart skipping as I hurry after them, but I hear the door creak open.Reaching the living room, Sky
Jareth crosses his arms, stepping into my line of sight. “If we wait here, he gets the upper hand. If we move first, we at least stand a chance of controlling the fight.”“It’s suicide!” I yell. “How do none of you understand? He’s not like the rogue wolves we've faced. He’s been hurting people for centuries. He’s patient. He’s smart. He’s—”“Precisely why we cannot sit here and wait for him to choose his next target,” Anya interrupts. “He’s already deciding which village burns next, which innocents die, and when he'll step back into this very bedroom. If we use my tracking spell, we seize the initiative.”I look between Jareth and Theron, my heart sinking as I realize I’ve already lost this argument. I know they aren’t acting out of blind rage, but that only makes my words feel useless. I’m terrified. I still remember the danger I felt when Zhodin stood in this room, and I wish they would listen to me.Theron takes my hand, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “You will never be ful
Zhodin brings his mouth close to my ear, his voice low and cold. “Two Lycans cannot mark the same female.” “Let me go!” “But with his demise… you become mine.” My eyes widen. A snarl rips from my throat as Scar surges forward and takes control of my limbs. My fist flies straight into his face, smashing into his nose. He barely reacts. Blood trickles from his nostrils, but he chuckles, baring his teeth at me. With a gentle push, he releases me and turns toward the open balcony. At the same moment, the door bursts open and a massive black Lycan skids into the room. My heart leaps when I recognize Theron. Smirking, Zhodin leaps onto the top rail and throws himself down just as Theron lunges to tear him apart. Khaisha rushes in right behind, raising a hand to stop the guards from following her inside. “Zephyra, goddess, tell me you’re okay.” Theron shifts back to his human form in a fluid motion and is already in front of me. His fingers sweep over my cheeks as he cradles my fac
He doesn’t move or speak. He holds one of the ancient books Anya brought back from Jareth’s study, calmly flipping a page with long, elegant fingers.Completely unbothered by me watching him, he doesn’t look up at first but he arches a single brow as his eyes scan the texts. Even in the dim light, I catch the faint glow in his grey eyes and the red moon tattoo on the side of his neck.Shit.What is he doing here?My fingers tighten into white knuckled grips on the blanket. His eyes finally lift from the page and settle on me and shit, I feel completely naked.Zhodin.“Hello, Zephyra,” he murmurs, his jaw flexing as he tilts his head to observe me. “It’s about time we spoke properly, don’t you think?” I yank the sheets tighter against my chest and scramble backward until my spine hits the headboard. My breathing is fast and it gets worse with every second that passes. I can’t feel Scar as much, she’s hiding somewhere deep inside of me and there’s something about him that terrifies bot
Khaisha stares at me for a couple of seconds, her jaw tight, before she finally mutters, “You are the Crimson Queen.” Scar moves restlessly inside my chest. I open my mouth to argue, to deny it, but my throat suddenly feels like it is coated in dry sand. Khaisha tucks her hair behind her ear. “I know it’s a lot to take in right now, especially since you literally just woke up. Maybe I’m an idiot for dumping all of this on you.” ‘At least she knows,’ Scar grumbles. Cold sweat breaks across my skin. My eyes sting, and the room tilts as the words sink in. I know what Crimson-born queens are. I have heard the stories. It is practically the only thing Anya has rambled about since she got caught snooping through the texts in Jareth’s library. “So I’m not only cursed,” I whisper, staring at my hands. “Now I’m a problem that people are dying for.” ‘We’re not cursed. Anya explicitly said it.’ Scar snaps. “Hey,” Khaisha snaps too, leaning in and grabbing my hands to ground me. “Loo
ZephyraWaking up feels like trying to swim through deep water when you don’t know how to swim. My body is heavy, every limb aching deep into my muscles, but there is also this bizarre sensation tingling right under my skin. It is persistent, a little ticklish, and in my dizzy haze, it almost makes me want to laugh.Blinking weakly at the ceiling, I try to piece together how I got back to my quarters and where Theron is.‘We spoke to him this morning, remember?’ Scar mutters weakly in my head. Her response brings a sudden flood of memories: our brief conversation earlier, me humming to him each time he asked a question, while fighting to keep my eyes open. And then the archive. Camala.Khaisha is sitting in the chair right beside my bed. Her elbows rest on her knees, and she keeps nervously pushing her hair back from her face. The moment our eyes meet, she bolts upright.“Zephyra,” relief washes over her puffy face. She leans forward and snatches my hand, squeezing it tight. “You idi
ZephyraThere’s an empty chair close to him, positioned right beside Khaisha. The moment I notice it, my heart jumps into my throat. I don’t hesitate.I move my legs as fast as I can and take the seat, just as he commanded. I don’t dare slow down or question it. Taking too long to obey will earn me
Zephyra The king slowly pulls out of me, and I wince at the sting that follows. The soreness between my legs is familiar and it is something I've felt before, but tonight it isn’t as unbearable as I remember. It still aches, still reminds me of what just happened, but it doesn’t feel like punishme
Theron“What do you mean you don’t remember?” The question leaves me before I can tame my voice. Her answer wasn’t what I expected, not even close.I was certain she would say she attended her shifting ceremony like every young wolf in other packs. Instead, she tells me she doesn’t recall it. That
“Uncle Nathan has always been an idiot. Can’t even handle my big sister.” Naya puts a piece of potato into her mouth and hums at the taste. Nathan growls at her disrespect and walks towards me. He pulls me up by the shirt and punches me in the face for making him unconscious. With my eyes seeing







