I woke up hearing the peaceful songs of the birds. Slowly sitting up in bed, my heart drummed a calm rhythm in my chest.

Was it real? Had I rejected Kios? Had I truly walked into the arms of the Alpha King Deus Blackthorn?

Or was it all some fantastical dream, made by my mind seeking a different end to my story?

But all of my thought vanishes when I still smell his faint scent.

The way he had stood between me and my fate, the way he had marked me, declared me as his queen. It couldn't have been a dream. I stood up and walked towards the mirror. My fingers instinctively went to the place on my neck where his mark still throbbed faintly beneath my skin.

A knock at the door interrupted me from my daydreaming. "Annika," Deus's deep and calm voice filtered through the door. "Are you awake? I was wondering if we could have breakfast together."

My heart tripped again. A king, my new mate, asked me to breakfast. Wrapping a robe around my nightgown, I open the door slowly. I found Deus standing there dressed in a simple black tunic and trousers. His silver hair was loose over his shoulders. His red eyes, though ever intense, softened when they landed on me.

"You barely ate yesterday, and you passed out right after I marked you. I thought I'd coax you with fresh tea and a bagel sandwich, " he said, holding a tray.

My cheeks heated upon remembering what happened. I can't believe I passed out before him. "Would you mind telling me, Deus. Who helped me clean up while I was knocked out?"

A mischievous grin flashes on his handsome face. "Who do you think?" My jaw dropped.

"Just kidding, I ask some of my trusted maids to help you." That put my mind at ease.

"I can't believe a King is bringing me breakfast," I uttered as I opened the door widely. He arched a brow. He placed the tray on the bedside table, and I started to make the tea.

"Of course. I intend to take care of my mate." I was sipping my tea when he said that, which caused me to burn my tongue a little. "Are you okay?" He asked while handing me a napkin.

"Please, Deus. Stop saying things that can cause me a heart attack."

He relaxed in his seat. "Why? All I have said is true and sincere." I smiled at him. I ate in silence, even though sometimes I catch him staring at me.

Just as I took the last bite of the sandwich, the ground trembled. I froze. Deus's eyes narrowed. "Stay here, Annika." Upon saying those words, he vanishes.

I get up quickly, not following what he had ordered. I change into a more suitable dress and dash towards Deus's scent.

The door burst open. Warriors flooded the hall.

"Annika!" a harsh, familiar voice barked.

My father, Alpha Theo.

I felt the air leave my lungs as my father stepped forward, flanked by Kios and elite warriors from our former pack. Kios's eyes were blazing, not with sorrow or regret, but pure, unfiltered rage.

"You will return with us. Now, " my father said, his voice thunderous. "You belong to us still."

Deus hid me from them. "I belong to no one." Finally, I answered back.

"You think you can make a fool out of your blood? You've embarrassed your family, betrayed your mate bond, and now you run to the Alpha King like some cheap courtesan?"

"Careful, Alpha Theo. You forgot whose territory you're standing on." Deus' presence swallows the hall. Intimidating each of them.

"You have stolen my daughter."

"I haven't stolen anything. Annika made her choice. I honored it."

Kios surged forward. "She is mine!" Seeing how he reacts and the bloodlust in his eyes. He is not the Kios I have known. He masked his intention perfectly so that I could let him fool me back then.

"I was never yours, not truly."

Kios' snarl echoed. "Do you dare speak that way to me? "

Deus men appeared like shadows, silently flanking us. Tension gripped the air. Then came a voice, low and venomous, chanting a language I didn't recognize.

A sorcerer. How come?

"No!" I cried, sensing the burst of power aimed directly at me.

A shield of energy snapped into place just in time. Deus had thrown himself in front of me. The magic rebounded, slamming into the walls.

"You will regret this, Kios." He whispered. "Attack!" He roared.

The hall exploded into chaos. The warriors shifted and started to attack each other, claws, teeth, and magic clashing in a whirlwind of noise.

I ducked, my eyes searching for Deus amid the fury. Kios lunged at him only to be thrown back by Deus. They spar with each other with their hand. They have not shifted. My father helped Kios and threw Deus against the wall. I can't see any pain in his face, but a pure rage he needed to vent. Every punch he laid, weighted anger, I didn't know where it came from.

His eyes are gleaming red, his presence growing stronger. And the only thing I can sense from him is death.

I stood up and ran towards him. If he does not stop, he can kill Kios.

"Deus! Deus, stop!" I stand between them. I pulled him away from Kios, who was now on the floor, bleeding heavily. Kios rise again. He stumbled, chest heaving, and pointed at me.

"This isn't over! You will regret turning your back on me, Annika! I will come back for you! I swear it."

Deus retaliates behind my back, but I stop him.

Before anyone could land a finishing blow, the remnants of the attackers vanished. Retreating through magic, smoke, and shame.

Silence settled. I turned towards Deus. He stood tall, his expression now calm—too calm. He looked at me and pulled me into a hug. He wrapped his hand around me, keeping me so that no one could get me.

"You are bleeding," I softly whispered as I hugged him back.

His gaze dropped to his arms, which protected me from the spell. The sleeves were torn, revealing bruises, deep scars, and magical burns etched into his flesh.

My throat tightened. "You, you should not have done that. You hurt yourself saving me."

He looked at me, almost amused. "You were safe. That's all that mattered."

I moved closer, my fingers gently tracing the edges of a burn. "I should have known."

"You shouldn't have to carry the guilt for the actions of others."

"I still do,"

I murmured, unable to meet his eyes.

Deus caught my chin between his fingers, lifting it gently.

"Annika, you are not alone anymore."

Tears prickled in the corners of my eyes. "You didn't hesitate. You shielded me without a second thought."

"Because I will always protect you, no matter what."

That single sentence wrapped around my heart like armor, and for the first time in so long, I believed in someone.

And that belief felt like the beginning of something new.

Something I can hold on to.

Something worth fighting for.