Here is a summary with spoilers of The Hunted Heir
Hours after the last book ended, we return to Dacre—bruised and bloodied, having earned a few punches from his father, Davien, the rebellion leader, for letting the Princess Heir, Verena, escape. Dacre still feels betrayed, convinced she was a liar, yet he can’t shake the need to find her. The question remains—will he bring her back or help her escape for good?
Davien addresses the rebellion, announcing that Verena had been in their grasp but slipped away. His orders are clear: find her. Dead or alive, she cannot return to the castle. Among the rebels is Wren, Dacre’s sister, who secretly hopes Verena stays far from the rebellion for her own safety.
The hunt begins. Dacre sets out alongside Eiran (a former love interest), Davien, and two other high-ranking rebels. They track Verena, but they aren’t the only ones searching—the king’s men are after her too.
Verena has been running for days. Exhausted and starving, she stumbles into a small village, finally able to sit and eat. There, she meets an old rebel bartender who warns her that while the village opposes the king, they’ve lost faith in the rebellion’s leadership—specifically Davien, whom they now see as a power-hungry madman. It’s also revealed that the rebellion’s ultimate plan is to place Dacre on the throne once the war is won.
Continuing her escape, Verena is captured—just before the king’s men could reach her. Her captor is none other than Eiran. He offers a temporary truce, allowing her to rest. But he also tells her the truth: if the rebellion catches her, she will die. And if her father finds her? No one knows. The queen is dead, leaving Verena as the sole heir. Their conversation drifts to magic and mates, making Verena wonder—why does her magic only seem to manifest when she’s near Dacre?
Meanwhile, as the hunt continues, Dacre struggles with Verena’s absence. He has decided—despite everything—that he cares for her. He overhears Davien discussing their new plan. Instead of killing Verena, they will use her as bait to force the king into surrendering his magical reserves—power stolen from his people during the tithe. Once Dacre learns that Eiran is expected to deliver Verena at the southern shore, he abandons the hunting party. He will find her himself.
It doesn’t take long. He tracks Eiran and Verena, and when he sees them together, a fierce possessiveness overtakes him. Logic be damned—Verena is his.
Verena, meanwhile, senses her magic stirring but doesn’t understand why. She and Eiran continue south but must separate briefly before regrouping. The moment they part, a guard ambushes Verena, tackling her to the ground, ready to drag her back to the castle. The next thing she knows, the guard is dead. She assumes Eiran saved her—until she realizes it was Dacre.
Without hesitation, Dacre takes her away from both Eiran and the king’s men. Verena fights back, stabbing him in the leg, but he doesn’t falter. They argue, and she swears she will never trust him again. Dacre doesn’t care—he just needs her to trust him for one day. Long enough to get her out of the kingdom.
A tentative truce forms as they travel south. But before they can make it far, they hear Eiran calling for Verena. Dacre, knowing time is running out, shoves all the money he has into Verena’s hands and tells her to run—find the first boat she sees and leave.
As she takes off, Dacre turns to face Eiran. Their conversation is tense. Eiran accuses Dacre of throwing everything away for a girl. Before Dacre can respond, Davien and the rest of the hunting party arrive. Eiran immediately announces he was attempting to retrieve Verena, while Dacre declares that he has chosen Verena over the rebellion.
From the shadows, Verena emerges—having overheard everything. Her magic hums at her fingertips, raw and ready. In that moment, the choice is made. Dacre stands with her now.
Together, they unleash their power, striking down the rebels. One of them dies. There is no turning back.
They flee to the southern village, where Dacre secures a room for them to hide. He leaves briefly, bribing a ship captain with all his money—and his most prized possession, a dagger from his mother—securing their passage out of the kingdom. The ship departs in two days.
During those two days, Dacre and Verena grow closer. They admit their regrets, their betrayals, but also that they would do anything for each other. In a quiet moment, they unknowingly exchange ancient vows meant for mates. Though neither speaks of it aloud, both now believe they are bound together by fate.
The morning of their departure, disaster strikes. The king’s men find them. Verena fights back, using her magic to incapacitate some guards, but it’s not enough. They hold a knife to Dacre’s throat, forcing her to surrender. She makes a desperate promise—she will go with them if they let Dacre go.
The soldiers comply. They put Dacre on the ship that was supposed to carry them both to freedom, sending him away.
Verena is taken back to the castle. Upon arrival, she is brought before her father. There is no warmth in his gaze, only fury. Without hesitation, he begins beating her, demanding answers. He wants her to admit she has magic, to reveal the location of the rebellion’s hidden city. But Verena refuses to break.
The book ends as the king calls for a healer. Not out of kindness—but so he can torture her, heal her, and do it all over again.
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