04
Remi’s POV
The full moon hung low in the sky, casting its silver light over the royal grounds as we prepared for the hunting ceremony. The air was thick with anticipation, the familiar scent of the forest mingling with the sweet, earthy aroma of the wild. It was a tradition, this hunt, one that honored the Moon Goddess herself. And while it had always been an nuent for the covale this year was different Crown Prince Raegan had suggested something unusual–inviting
prominent alphas and high–ranking wolves from other packs. I wasn’t sure why, but the idea had been accepted, and now here I was, standing among the most powerful wolves in the kingdom
Laurent, my mate, was by my side. I wasn’t used to that word yet, though it seemed more and more appropriate each day. His presence, his strength, was a comfort to me. But tonight, with so many eyes on us, I could feel the weight of judgment pressing down. It wasn’t easy being the center of attention, especially when I hadn’t asked for any of it
The ceremony began, the forest alive with the sound of howls and the rustling of the underbrush. Laurent immediately slipped into his element, his wolf instincts taking over as he joined the hunt. I watched him, admiration swelling in my chest. He was a force to be reckoned with–quick, powerful, a leader through and through. But what caught me off guard wasn’t his prowess in the hunt, it was what happened afterward.
One by one, Laurent presented his catches to me. His alpha pride didn’t need the validation of the crowd, but he offered each catch to me as if I were the queen of the pack. I took the offerings with a nod, appreciating the gesture.
And then, of all people, Crown Prince Raegan approached me. The prince, who had shown interest in me from the beginning, held out a magnificent stag he had taken down during the hunt. His gaze lingered on me, as though waiting for my approval
I froze, unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate his kindness, but I wasn’t used to being the object of such attention. Especially not from someone like him. Raegan was royalty, the future of this kingdom, and here he was offering me his spoils of the hunt–while Bianca, standing nearby, fumed in silence. I didn’t want to
make a scene, so I accepted it with a polite nod.
Bianca’s presence was like a storm cloud hovering over us. I could feel her eyes on me, the sharp, burning jealousy in her gaze. Her posture was stiff, her lips set in a tight line. She hadn’t made a move, hadn’t said anything yet, but I knew she was about to
As if on cue, Eros appeared, his shoulders tense with fury. His eyes locked onto the stag in my hands, and then, without a word of greeting, he spoke. His voice was low, venomous.
“So now you’re flirting with anyone who gives you attention?” Eros sneered, his words meant to sting. “Did you
think I wouldn’t notice?”
I blinked, taken aback by the accusation. “Excuse me?” I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief.
Eros stepped closer, his anger bubbling over. “You’ve been acting like a little flirt, haven’t you?” He looked at me with disdain, as if I were beneath him. “First Laurent, now Prince Raegan… What’s next? You think you can just jump from wolf to wolf and not face the consequences?”
The insult hit me harder than I expected. The mark of my past, the broken mate bond, was still raw, still fresh in
me, trying to move on from the betrayal and the pain. But here he was, acting as if he had any right to dictate how I lived my life.
my memory. I had spent so long trying to forget the man standing befor
I felt the anger rise in me, a boiling heat that couldn’t be contained any longer. I couldn’t just take it anymore. “Enough,” I said, my voice steady but ice–cold. “Our mate bond was severed long ago, Eros. You don’t have right to stand there and lecture me.”
His face twisted in fury, and before I knew it, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with a vice–like grip. “You think you can just move on from me?” he growled, his eyes burning with rage. “You belong to me.”
I yanked my arm away, the sharp sting of his touch still lingering. “No, Eros. I don’t belong to you. Not anymore. And I’m not going to let you drag me around like some possession. Our bond is broken. You lost the right to call me yours”
My words only fueled his rage. He reached for me again, his hand grabbing my wrist with force. This time, I didn’t resist. I didn’t need to. Laurent was already there.
3:49 PM
Sepet Faughter of the Alpha
“Touch her again,” Laurent’s voice rang out, low and menacing, “and I will make sure you regret it.”
Eros turned, startled by Laurent’s sudden appearance, but his anger didn’t dissipate “Stay out of this, Laurent,” he sneered “She’s not your mate. She was mine.”
Laurent’s eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity as he stepped forward, his entire body radiating power. “She is my mate now,” he growled. “And if you ever lay a hand on her again, I’ll make sure you never get the chance to again.”
The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with the promise of violence. But just as I thought it might escalate into a full–blown fight, Crown Prince Raegan stepped forward, his voice cutting through the standoff like a
blade
“Enough.” His tone was commanding, but there was an underlying tension there, as if he knew something was about to unfold that he wasn’t prepared for. “It’s time for the ceremony. We’ll deal with this later.”
The announcement didn’t do much to quell the rising storm, but it did shift everyone’s attention. We moved reluctantly to the center of the clearing, where a ritual circle had been drawn in the dirt. The full moon bathed everything in silver, the glow of its light reflecting off the ceremonial table where the royal potion was placed.
Raegan spoke, his voice carrying over the gathered wolves. “Tonight, at midnight, we will finally learn the truth
about the missing princess. The Moon Goddess’s light will reveal whether Bianca is truly the heir”
I felt a cold shiver run through me as he spoke, my heart racing with unease. The ceremony was steeped in
tradition, one that had been passed down for generations. The missing princess, born on a night of a full moon, was said to share a unique connection with the Moon Goddess. Raegan explained that if Bianca drank the royal family’s special wolf potion tonight together with everyone here, the surrounding area would glow under the full moon’s light
-proving once and for all if she was the true princess.
Bianca’s face turned pale at the mention of the potion, her eyes flickering nervously. The tension in the air was thick, and I could see how much the weight of the moment was affecting her.
Remi’s POV