Chapter 185 Chapter 185

Chapter 185 Chapter 185
Serena’s POV

I clenched my jaw as the maid stammered out her words, her hands fidgeting nervously by her apron. “My Lady… I only thought it wise to inform you… the Kings, they aren’t… well, they aren’t entirely against Lady Mira.”

I turned sharply, eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”

She flinched under my gaze. “I overheard, My Lady. Lord Kai and Lord Rowan were discussing… ways to prove her innocence.”

I waved her off before she could finish, resisting the urge to hurl my cup at the wall. Not again. How many times must Mira prove she’s their perfect little Luna before they finally see her for what she is?

She had abandoned them. She left without a word. And yet… They were still searching for excuses to defend her. My hands curled into fists.

She should have been nothing more than a memory by now—an unfortunate mistake in the Kingdom’s history. Yet she haunted every hallway of this castle like a ghost no one wanted to exorcise.

I stormed across my chamber, pacing like a wolf locked in a cage. The velvet curtains fluttered as a breeze slid through the window, but it did nothing to cool the fire simmering in my chest.

And then came the real spark.

I had heard whispers—small, cautious ones—that the Kings were planning to invite Anton Tourmalaine.

My heart dropped.

He was coming here?

I felt a coil of fear wind tightly around my spine. My fingers paused mid-step as I moved to the mirror. I stared at myself—poised, composed, powerful—but inside, panic clawed at me like a feral thing.

I could not—would not—let Anton ruin everything.

His presence alone could unravel months of carefully placed lies. One wrong word from him and everything I’d worked for, all the seeds of doubt I’d sown in the minds of the court and clan alike, would wither in the sun.

No. It had to be now.

I couldn’t wait.

I had already reclaimed the orphanage. A victory, yes—but not enough. My fingers trailed across the edge of my desk where a scroll sat half-written. I dipped the quill again and continued where I left off.

To the esteemed workers of the Western Trading Posts,

I write to you not as your former supervisor, but as a humble servant of Blackwood’s economy. I implore you, if your hearts deem me worthy, to petition the Crown and remind them of our shared prosperity in my tenure…

I scrawled the rest quickly, including instructions: Speak of success. Speak of order. Speak of how much better things ran under my watch.

I folded the letter and handed it to Jael, the maid

“Take this to the trade messengers. Quietly. No questions.”

Jael bowed and left.

Good. That would take care of the second piece.

But there was still one more problem.

Lucian.

I needed him. His chaos. His beast. Another rampage could bring doubt back to the Crown—make them question Mira again. If she truly calmed him once, maybe her absence was making him worse. It was perfect.

Except…

They had locked him up like a cursed prince in a fairy tale.

Extra guards. Reinforced doors. Even the healers avoided his wing now.

I rose from my chair, adjusting my emerald gown. Perhaps I could at least try to get close. At least observe. There were ways of slipping things past the guards, if it came to that.

I stepped into the corridor, mask of calm sliding over my face. But as I turned the corner, I halted.

There—walking with slow, deliberate steps—was her.

Mira’s  aide.

A young woman with burning eyes and an expression that made my skin crawl.

She didn’t speak. Didn’t blink. Just stopped as our paths crossed and stared at me with a look that felt like a dagger to the heart. Cold. Calculating.

She said nothing. Just… watched.

For a full minute.

And then walked past me. 

I stood there, heart thudding. For the first time in a long while… I didn’t feel in control.

Damien’s POV

The guards stood straighter when they saw me approaching.

I gave them a curt nod and motioned for the door to be opened. One of them hesitated, giving me a wary look. “He’s… not been calm today, My Lord.”

“I figured,” I muttered.

The door creaked open.

The room inside was dim, only lit by a few torches. Lucian sat on the far end, his back to me, legs folded beneath him like a stone statue. His once wild hair now hung around his face in messy waves, and his shirt was rumpled from his tossing and turning.

I stepped in quietly.

“Lucian.”

He didn’t move.

“I came to see how you’re doing.”

Silence.

“I know it’s not ideal… being locked up like this.”

His voice was hoarse when it finally came. “It’s not the walls that bother me.”

I took a step closer. “Then what is it?”

“She left,” he said simply.

I felt the weight of his words in my chest.

“I woke up… and she was gone.”

“She had to leave,” I said. “It was her decision.”

“I know,” he whispered. “But she didn’t say goodbye.”

There was something broken in his voice. Something raw.

I sat across from him. “Lucian, you have to understand… Mira didn’t leave because she didn’t care. She left to find answers. For you.”

He looked at me then, eyes bloodshot, lips trembling.

“Do you think I’ll ever be normal again?”

I swallowed. “I think you’re stronger than you realize.”

“But I’m still cursed. Still dangerous. They watch me like I’m a monster.”

“No one—”

“Don’t lie,” he snapped.

I paused.

He stood abruptly, pacing. “Even you haven’t told me everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s more,” he said. “I feel it. Everyone’s hiding things. About her. About me.”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

He laughed bitterly, voice rising. “You still think I can be saved? That Mira’s just going to show up one day with some spell and all of this—” He gestured at his shaking hands. “—goes away?”

“She will come back,” I said firmly.

Lucian shook his head. “You don’t know that.”

And then…

He screamed.

A raw, guttural sound.

And in a heartbeat, he lost control.

The air cracked as his body rippled with power. Muscles surged, bones shifted. His face contorted as the beast took over.

“Lucian!” I shouted, standing.

But it was too late.

He roared and thrashed. The table snapped in two. The shelves exploded in a shower of books and glass. The bed was flipped, mattresses torn open like paper.

I stood my ground, gritting my teeth.

“Lucian, stop! You’re not this thing!”

But the beast didn’t hear me.