Zephyrine

Blood

For the first time in five years, 1 saw it spilled again mercilessly.

#Finished

The bman /bwho hade to defend Apex wasn’t just some ordinary warrior. His stance said it all. What made him even more unnerving was what followed.

After slicing the rogue Alpha down in one clean strike, he simply returned his de to its scabbard… and vanished into the shadows from where he’d emerged.

There he stood. Apex’s bodyguard, still and silent behind the throne. A statue made of death.

Jurrek set his jaw and exhaled sharply.

The Moon Goddess had told him he wouldn’t spill blood today. He returned to his seat without a word, and the hall sank into thick silence.

From where I sat, I watched Apex raise his eyes to meet mine, just for a moment. Then, he turned his gaze to the rogue Alpha still gasping for breath.

Surely he’d call for a healer. That was my innocent thought until the air suddenly shifted band /bApex finally moved from his golden throne.

He knelt beside the dying rogue, quiet band /bcalm. He took a de from a nearby guard. No ceremony, no hesitation, and drove it into the bman’s /bchest.

Once. Twice. Again. Again.

Blood sshed across the marble and the steps of the throne. The rogue’s gasps turned into nothing. Just silence. Just death.

The chamber watched in frozen awe. No kne dare speak or make a move and even his two elder sisters only bstare /ba though they have grown ustomed to that dark side of him.

That’s how the rumors described him. Apex the Cursed. The stories hadn’t lied.

He stood, blood dripping down his face, and returned to his throne. Guards rushed to clear the corpse. Maids followed, scrubbing the marble dean until it bwas /bas if nothing had happened.”

The music had long since stopped. The dancers had long since frozen. Ka had quietly slithered back to her seat.

Then Apex’s uncle, the King’s advisor, approached with trembling hands and ced the crown on his head.

“All hail the new Lycan King,” the man dered.

“All hail,” the crowd echoed. Still shaken, hollow.

Goosebumps crawled over my skin.

Not because of the crown on his head but because his eyes never left me. Not for one bsecond/b.

“Are you okay?” Dessyn cornered me the bmoment /bI stepped out of the throne broom /band I exhaled.

“Zephyr… she pressed.

Tin fine,” I said, steady despite the pounding in my chest.

She studied me with worry and I can understand. The Rogue Alpha had mentioned Varyn and I know so well bDessyn /balso wouldn’t be too okay, given the fact that my brother and her had a thing in the past. The tension still clung to the air like

Tisper 17

smoke, Tusk had fallenb, /band the afterparty loomed just beyond the doors

Desiyo tipzed my hand gently

“Come have a drink in the hall. The feast is already starting”

Toffered a faint smile and was alrout to follow when he stepped into view.

Nymath

He stood in our bpath /blike a wall. Dessyn immediately froze, eyes narrowing in contempt. Then she turned to me.

Finished

“I be fine. Go on”

She hesitated, but nodded and left.

Now it was just me and Nyroth. His expression unreadable until awe broke through the cracks.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low and I raised a brow

“Zeph…we were mated for five years. We went through everything together and now, just because of one nce from a king. you’re leaving me for him? Because he has more power?”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t in the mood for his nonsense. I turned to walk past him but he caught my wrist.

“Zeph…” His voice faltered. “You can’t stay here.”

“Why?”

“The Lycan King. He’s dangerous. Unstable. That look in his eyes when he watches byou /bit’s not normal. You need to leave.”

The gaze. That’s what bthis /bwas about?

I pulled my wrist free and looked him in the eye.

“We’re nothing now, Nyroth. We promised to reject each other, remember?”

His frown deepened. He took a step closer, lowering his voice.

“You’re losing your bmind/b. I’m trying to protect you from a bloodthirsty psychopath. A freak. Did you see what he did to that rogue? What if he gets obsessed with you? You think you can handle someone like that?”

I thought of the heat in Apex’s eyes. The way it burned through me.

“I don’t care if he’s obsessed with me.” I said, steady as stone. “And you shouldn’t either. Who I end up with is none of your concern.”

I turned to walk away but he grabbed my wrist again, tighter this time.

Zeph…”

Footsteps interrupted him.

A figure approached. Apex’s messenger, expression nk, bowing deeply before me.

“Mydy,” he said. “The King requests your presence.”

Nyroth’s gripb–/btightened. Rage. Jealousy.

Good.

Let him feel it. Let him know what it means to be reced.

972PMP P

I yanked my wrist free and gave a nod to the messenger.

“Lead the way”fnf7b2 For more chapters visit FindN0vel/fnf7b2

Finished

Though I was surprised I have been summoned by Apex. I never know he’d request for me but in order to rub it on Nyroth, 1 epted the binvitation /bband /bhonor it.

I followed the messenger down a dim corridor, leaving the afterparty, the bloodstains, and Nyroth behind.