<i>Zephyrine </i>


    Finished


    With the gentle breeze swirling around, I savored the moment of being in his arms. I loved how solid he felt and how protectively he held me. Tender, yet strong. But then the memories came flooding back, clenching my heart.


    “You gave a perfect speech,” he murmured softly, and I lifted my eyes to his face.


    “I did?”


    At my question, he smiled gently.


    “Well, apart from the burst ofughter. I mean the war part, that Ashmeres aren’t weak just because you didn’t fight for five years.”


    I swallowed at his words and leaned back against his arm, my fingers sliding over his chest, across that tender mat of hair, and down to the runes etched in his skin, which I traced lightly with my fingertip.


    “You know… I always believed a day like this would only be about Varyn,” I murmured softly. “My brother. That he’d take the throne and rule over us all.“.


    “You’d make a good Alpha too.”


    “Maybe not.” My whisper cracked, goosebumps rising on my skin as my voice shook. “Maybe not, Lycan. Maybe I’m not as strong as I think I am. As the world thinks I am.


    He must have heard the condemnation in my voice, the buried frustration, because he pulled back to look at my face. The moment he saw the tears, he froze. I saw his eyes widen in awe, then he sat upright, stunned.


    “Zephyrine…”


    “Five years ago I lost everything, Lycannar.” I sniffed. “I lost who I waspletely. I lost my father, my mother, my brother… and my peace.”<fnbe0f> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? fin?novel</fnbe0f>


    My sigh trembled as I fought to continue, swallowing back the tears choking me, though my heart ached unbearably.


    “I found my parents‘ ashes and brought them home, but… I couldn’t find Varyn. My brother. That battle… something happened that day, and he vanished into thin air.”


    He listened silently, his gaze steady, never interrupting.


    “I was given the prize of defeating the demons in private. They hailed me as the goddess of war but at what cost? I couldn’t sleep in my own bed peacefully. Each time I close my eyes, it’s the demon war general I see. The nightmares drag me back, again and again, to that bloody day.”


    I sniffed again, sighing to steady myself.


    “I can’t give up on my brother, Lycannar. Varyn is the best brother, like you are to your sisters. Loving, protective, supportive. Since no body was found, I refuse to believe he’s dead. I’ve sent men searching for


    him.”


    GO


    I nodded to myself, gulping.


    22%


    Finished


    “After five years, word finally came. A merchant who sells mirrors brought me tangible proof, news of Varyn’s whereabouts. That was the trip I took.”


    I searched his eyes, noticing the shift in them, though he said nothing.


    “I… through that, I found him, Lycannar.” My jaw set. “I didn’t see him directly, but he is an Ashmere. I can feel his energy. Yet I couldn’t do anything to save him. I am a warrior, and Varyn gave me nothing but loyalty all his life, and still I failed him. I retreated. The most humiliating thing an Ashmere can do. Since then, after confiding in my beta and my closest friend, I promised them I would make a n, define our next movement but in truth, I don’t know what to do. Any mistake could cost Varyn his life. Any rash step could make him bleed, and I could never forgive myself if that happened. Never. I don’t know what to do, Lycannar. I don’t even know who to trust… or who I shouldn’t trust when even…”


    “The Imperium Council.” Lycannar’s gentle voice cut in, making me go still.


    “Lycannar?”


    Instead of answering, he reached for his fur cloak on the floor. From within, he pulled out a cylindrical ss just like the one he had once used to send a letter to his brother Hades.


    He extended the ss toward me, his gaze tender, solemn.


    “Letters. I’ve sorted the dates. Go on, read them. You’ll understand why your whole family was wiped out in the war five years ago.”


    I froze, cold creeping through me as I epted the ss in confusion. His eyes were steady, carrying a weight as if he had known all along, as if he already held the answer.


    I clutched the ss and watched him rise to his feet, dressing in silence. My heart pounded painfully. Slowly, I opened the lid and drew out the letters, a chill seeping into my bones as I began to read.


    Send Gifts


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