Chapter 38
The moment we left the hall, Cecelia grabbed my arm.
“I cannot believe you let her talk to you like that,” she hissed.
Knox snickered, he must have been waiting outside. “What, you wanted her to throw a goblet at Brielle’s head?”
Cecelia scoffed. “It would have been satisfying.”
I sighed. “It was a trap. They wanted me to react.”
Cecelia frowned. “So you’re just going to let them get away with it?”
Knox smirked. “Who says she’s letting them get away with anything?”
Cecelia turned to me, eyes narrowing. “Liana.”
I gave her a sweet smile.
Trust me.”
Her lips parted, then closed. She let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. But if you need help, you tell me.”
I nodded.
Knox chuckled. “This is going to be fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “You keep saying that. What exactly do you think is going to happen?”
Knox slung an arm around my shoulders, grinning. “You, my dear Luna, are about to make history.”
I didn’t know if he meant that in a good way or a terrible way.
Maybe both.
+15
Later That Evening I stood in front of my mirror, studying my reflection.
The dress I wore was deep crimson, elegant yet commanding.
I was going for a short movement in a carriage.
Cecelia had insisted on it. “A Luna does not wear soft colors when she’s preparing for battle,” she had said.
She wasn’t wrong.
Because tomorrow?
Tomorrow was the beginning.
The start of the games.
The Northland nobles would arrive.
And Amira?
She would have her first taste of what it meant to go against me,
I exhaled slowly, my fingers grazing the cold metal of the dagger strapped to my thigh.
Let them come.
I was ready.
The carriage rocked gently as we rode through the castle grounds, the sound of hooves clattering against stone filling the air. Cecelia sat across from me, her hands folded in her lap, watching me with that all–too–familiar, assessing gaze
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Chapter 38
“You’re quiet,” she finally said.
“I’m thinking.”
She scoffed. “That’s never a good sign.”
I smirked but didn’t argue. My mind was already miles ahead, spinning through the details of the summit, the night of diplomacy, and the arrival of the Northland nobles. Everything had to be perfect. Controlled. I couldn’t afford missteps, not with so many eyes watching, waiting for me to fail.
Cecelia tapped her nails against the armrest. “They’ll arrive tomorrow morning. The Northland wolves. Their representatives, at least. The Rebel King won’t be there himself, but his people? They’ll be watching closely. Looking for cracks in Alaric’s rule. Looking to see if you’re weak.”
I didn’t flinch. I knew what was at stake. “Then I suppose I should make sure they see what I want them to.”
Her lips curved slightly. “And what is that?”
“That I’m not someone they can walk over.”
Cecelia let out a quiet hum of approval. “Good. Because if there’s one thing I know about the Northlands, it’s that they hate weakness. The moment they suspect you’re soft, they’ll try to undermine you. And that’s without considering the noblewomen you’ll have to handle.”
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I already have enough to deal with between Brielle and Amira.”
“Oh, you don’t think they’re your biggest problems, do you?” Cecelia gave me a pitying look. “Sweetheart, the noblewomen coming to the summit? They make Brielle and Amira look like kittens.”
That made me pause.
I had spent years surviving in a world where I was treated like nothing. I had endured Amira’s cruelty, Max’s rejection, the scorn of an entire pack that had never wanted ine. But if Cecelia was saying that what was coming was worse…
“I’ll spend the evening doing research,” I said. “I want to know everything about them. Who their allies are. Their weaknesses. If they have rivalries. If any of them owe debts to the capital.”
Cecelia arched her brow. “You’re not playing fair, are you?”
I met her gaze, unflinching. “Why should I?”
She let out a slow chuckle. “Oh, I think I’m going to enjoy this.”
The carriage continued forward, carrying me toward whatever fate awaited. But if they thought they were stepping into a game they could control, they were sorely mistaken.
Because I was done being a pawn.
This time?
I was playing to win.
I was glad to be in a tunic. The layers of heavy gowns, the stiff corsets, and the endless etiquette lessons had been suffocating all day. But here, in the quiet sanctuary of the library, dressed in something that actually let me breathe, I finally felt like myself again.
The library was massive–endless shelves of ancient tomes stretching high into the domed ceiling. The candlelight flickered softly. casting golden glows against the deep wooden panels. It smelled of parchment and dust, a place filled with secrets and forgotten knowledge.
Exactly what I needed.
I moved between the towering bookshelves, running my fingers lightly over the spines of old books, searching for anything that would help me understand the Northland nobles–their politics, their alliances, their weaknesses. If I was expected to face them, I needed every possible advantage
But my fingers hesitated over another section.
Books about curses
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Chapter 38
I bit my lip, my gaze flicking toward the thick, leather–bound tomes filled with legends of dark magic, broken souls, and the monsters that walked among us.
I had seen something that night on the battlefield. Felt something.
And Alaric–he had changed because of me.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep moving.
I would only read a little. Just enough to understand.
I pulled a book from the shelf, carefully flipping through the pages as I settled into one of the deep armchairs by the fireplace. The words blurred together as I read, my mind caught between stories of men who had been cursed into beasts–some who never found their way back, others who had only one chance before they lost themselves forever.
A chill ran down my spine.
The stories were all the same.
The cure was always the same.
True, undiluted love.
I exhaled sharply, closing the book.
What a cruel fate.
A curse that could only be broken by something as rare as love.
I leaned back into the chair, letting the warmth of the fire seep into my skin.
And then-
A shadow moved across the room.
I stiffened, my fingers tightening around the book.
“Lurking in the dark, are we?”
The deep voice sent a shiver through me.
I turned my head slowly.
Alaric stood just beyond the flickering glow of the firelight, his ice–blue eyes gleaming in the dimness.
I swallowed. “I was researching.”
He stepped closer, his gaze flickering to the book in my lap before returning to my face.
I knew what he saw.
The curiosity.
The silent questions.
His expression hardened. “You shouldn’t be here.”
I raised a brow. “It’s a library”
His jaw ticked. “It’s nearly sundown.”
I linked. “And
He exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking back at me. “I told you before, I warned you.”
i frowned “Warned me about what?”
His gaze darkened “What happens when the sun sets”
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Chapter 38
I felt my pulse quicken.
The dream–the vision–of fire and blood, of a beast tearing through flesh.
I stood slowly, my fingers gripping the book. “Tell me the truth, Alaric.”
He stilled.
I stepped closer, my voice quiet but firm. “What are you so afraid of me seeing? I have seen your beast, so what are you trying to hide.
His expression remained unreadable, but his hand curled into a fist at his side.
The last sliver of sunlight disappeared beyond the high arched windows.
And then-
A sharp gasp left my lips.
A ripple passed through him, a slow, violent tremor. His breath hitched, his eyes flashing from blue to something darker, something inhuman.
His shoulders strained, his entire body tensing as though he were fighting something deep within him.
He turned away abruptly, his hands braced against the bookshelf. “You need to leave.”
I didn’t move.
His voice dropped lower. Rougher. “Liana. Leave.”
But I didn’t.
Instead, I reached out, my fingers brushing against his forearm.
His body jerked at the touch, as if he hadn’t expected it.
His breathing was ragged now, his muscles locked.
But he wasn’t hurting me.
He wasn’t losing control.
I took another step closer. “You’re still you.”
He let o
ut a harsh, bitter laugh. “For now.”
“Then I’m not leaving.”
His head snapped toward me, eyes flashing. “You are testing my limits.”
I tilted my head, my heart pounding, but I didn’t step back. “Then what happens if I don’t?”
