Eugene stepped into his room, the door clicking shut behind him with a finality that echoed in the silent hall outside. His boots scuffed against the polished stone floor as he crossed to his bed. Every step sent a dull ache radiating from his left arm, the one that had been pierced by the rogue wolf’s fang laced with poison. He flexed his fingers, testing the mobility. The movement sent a sharp sting through his muscles, but it was nowhere near the excruciating pain he had felt in the infirmary.“Damn it,” he hissed, gripping his wrist as a spasm shot through his forearm. A knock came at the door. Before Eugene could answer, Max stepped inside, his expression grave but with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. The Beta paused at the sight of his Alpha hunched over.“Eugene, I’ve seen to it. Ava’s gone,” Max announced firmly. He set his hands on his hips as he delivered the report, his voice laced with cold triumph. “She was escorted off the estate. Her things were thrown out afte
The heavy door slammed shut behind Desmond as he stormed into his room, the walls of the dimly lit chamber vibrating with his fury. The air felt tight, charged with an anger so sharp it might split the stone itself. Seraphina slipped in after him, her eyes gleaming with venomous intensity, and Jack followed, his steps tentative but his expression deeply troubled.The tension in the air was so thick, it could be cut by a knife. Desmond’s fists clenched and unclenched as he paced before the large fireplace. “Did you see them, Seraphina? Did you see those fools?” His voice thundered off the walls, rattling the few ornate paintings that adorned them. “They didn’t move. Not one guard obeyed me. They acted like I was nobody. Like I was some low-born omega!” He slammed his fist into the mantel, sending a crystal vase crashing to the ground.Seraphina’s voice was sharp enough to cut glass. “Eugene is getting too comfortable with his power. The guards look at him and see an Alpha king. Th
The doors of the grand hall groaned as they were pushed open. Ava’s feet dragged against the polished marble floor, each step echoing ominously through the space. At the far end of the hall, raised upon a dais of black stone, sat Alpha Eugene. The massive throne he occupied loomed above the gathering, its carved wolf heads snarling on either side of the seat. His sharp eyes burned with unspoken fury as they fixed on Ava, who was now forced to kneel by two guards at the foot of the dais. His fingers tapped idly on the armrest, a sound that filled the heavy silence like a drumbeat of doom.Seraphina, regal and tall, stood with her brows furrowed in concern. Kaelyn lingered near Becca, a sly smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. Desmond paced restlessly near the back of the hall, his eyes flickering between Ava and Eugene.“Alpha Eugene,” Max announced, “Ava has been brought before you.”A hush fell as every eye turned to the throne.Eugene leaned forward, his voice low and col
The low hum of the morning wind swept through the corridors of the Blackwood estate, carrying the scent of dew-soaked earth and the faint tang of blood. Eugene winced as he swung his legs over the side of the infirmary bed. His arm pulsed with a dull, stubborn pain that radiated from the angry dark wound just above his elbow — the price he had paid for fending off rogue wolves in the woods the night before.Even as the poison still lingered in his veins, the Alpha’s eyes burned with unspent rage. His breath came slow and measured, but each inhale was a struggle against the sharp ache knotted in his arm. Two male servants stood by his side, their faces pale with worry. One held out Eugene’s heavy black Alpha robe lined with silver embroidery, while the other adjusted the leather belt around his waist.“You shouldn’t be moving so soon, Alpha,” one of the servants dared to whisper, voice trembling.Eugene’s eyes flashed with cold steel. “I decide when I move,” he said flatly, shrugg
A chill hung in the grand hallway of the Blackwood estate, the morning sun spilling through the towering windows in pale streaks of gold that did nothing to warm the air thick with tension. Desmond’s boots echoed ominously on the polished marble floor as he paced, his dark brows knitted in thought. Ava lingered between them, eyes darting from face to face as though searching for an ally in the tense silence that followed the earlier chaos with Eugene. Her hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves, belying the storm of fear swirling in her blue eyes.“Well,” Desmond broke the silence, his voice low and grave. “Now that Eugene’s fit of rage has passed and he’s stopped insisting Ava go with Max, we have something far more important to discuss.”Seraphina lifted her chin, emerald eyes narrowing. “You mean the rogues.”Jack stepped forward, his boots scraping against the stone floor. “Exactly. Last night, Alpha Eugene and Kaelyn were attacked by rogue wolves. But we’ve confirmed no
The late afternoon sun poured a honeyed glow across the mansion’s grand courtyard, lighting up the stone walls with warmth. Ava’s heels clicked on the polished floor of the west wing as she strolled beside Luna Seraphina. Ava’s eyes sparkled with mischievous triumph as she leaned close to her Luna.“You should have seen Becca’s face, Luna,” Ava said, her voice soft and giddy with malice. “She was pale as milk. I heard her telling Mira how Eugene called her Kaelyn last night. He was delirious, apparently, but you should have heard the crack in her voice when she said it.”Seraphina gave a low, musical laugh that echoed against the stone pillars. “So our stoic Becca was finally reminded she’s not so secure after all.”“Oh, it was delightful,” Ava continued eagerly, brushing a stray curl from her cheek. “I didn’t even have to do much—just a whisper here, a suggestion there. I told her Kaelyn has been casting those innocent eyes at Alpha Eugene, practically throwing herself at him.”Se