Chapter: The one who fed the houseThe truth did not explode.It settled.Like dust after a long disturbance, it fell quietly into place, coating everything with a clarity that could no longer be ignored.Gabrielle did not sleep.Neither did Alexa.By morning, the mansion felt like a held breath.Antonio arrived early, tension drawn tight across his shoulders. He carried a tablet, but it was the look in his eyes that told Gabrielle everything.“It’s her,” Antonio said without preamble. “I didn’t want to believe it.”Alexa felt the words before she understood them.“Show us,” Gabrielle said.Antonio placed the tablet on the table and began scrolling.“Small things,” he explained. “Too small to trigger alarms. Kitchen access logs overlapping with security rotations. Maintenance requests that rerouted guards. Deliveries that arrived early or late.”“Information disguised as concern,” Alexa murmured.Antonio nodded. “She never gave orders. She suggested. She listened. She remembered. She passed along what sounded harmless.
Last Updated: 2026-01-31
Chapter: The shape of a lieThe truth did not arrive loudly.It crept.It lived in pauses, in glances held a second too long, in routines that felt too smooth to be innocent. The kind of truth that did not announce itself but waited patiently to be noticed.Alexa felt it first.Not as suspicion, not even as fear, but as a subtle resistance in the air, like walking through a familiar room and realizing something had been rearranged while you weren’t looking.The mansion had always been alive. Now it felt… observant.She stood in the hallway outside the kitchen, listening to the low murmur of voices. Ava’s voice, calm as ever. One of the guards responding politely, deferentially.Too deferential.Alexa waited until the conversation ended, then stepped forward.“Ava,” she said lightly.Ava turned, smiling instantly. Warm. Maternal. Unchanged.“Alexa, dear. You’re up early.”“I couldn’t sleep,” Alexa replied. “Thought I’d help.”Ava waved her off. “You help by resting. Gabrielle would scold me if I let you work.”Al
Last Updated: 2026-01-31
Chapter: What she did not sayCordelia’s voice would not leave Alexa alone.It lingered in the spaces between noise, in the quiet hum of the mansion at night, in the pauses between conversations, in the moments when Gabrielle’s hand tightened around hers as if anchoring himself to something solid.“Enemies are closer than they appear. Distance does not equal danger. Watch each other’s backs keenly.”Alexa sat alone in the small sitting room off the west corridor, knees drawn up beneath her, a cup of untouched tea cooling on the table. The house was subdued in a way it had never been before. Even the guards moved differently, quieter, restrained, as though sound itself might fracture what little balance remained after Cordelia’s death.She had ruled through presence.Now her absence pressed heavier than authority ever had.Alexa closed her eyes.Cordelia’s final moments replayed again, her breath hitching, the urgency in her eyes, the way she had fought to say the name.“Not the obvious one. Not….”Not who?Alexa o
Last Updated: 2026-01-20
Chapter: The woman who would not kneelThe news broke without warning.A single headline flashed across Gabrielle’s phone as he crossed the living room:MADAME CORDELIA RUSHED TO PRIVATE HOSPITAL . CONDITION CRITICALFor a moment, the world stalled.Alexa felt it before he spoke, before the air in the room changed, before his phone slipped from his hand and clattered softly onto the marble floor.“What is it?” she asked, already standing.Gabrielle’s face had gone still in a way she had only seen during war meetings or executions on television, when emotion was locked behind steel.“Cordelia,” he said. “She’s at St. Aurelius.”Alexa’s breath caught. “Dying?”He didn’t answer.That was enough.They didn’t wait for Antonio. They didn’t alert the council. Gabrielle grabbed his coat, his keys, and Alexa’s hand in one fluid motion.“Now,” he said.The drive was a blur of red lights and sharp turns, the city melting into streaks of color beyond the windshield. Gabrielle drove faster than he ever allowed his security detail to, k
Last Updated: 2026-01-15
Chapter: Fault linesThe fracture did not announce itself with raised voices or slammed doors.It arrived quietly.Gabrielle stood alone in the west study, the lights dimmed low, the city bleeding into the windows beyond the glass. The mansion slept, but he did not. Sleep had become a stranger since the accident, since Cordelia’s call, since the realization that every hand reaching toward him carried an agenda.On the desk before him lay a single object.A Thorn insignia ring.Cordelia’s.Antonio had delivered it less than an hour ago, without explanation. That alone spoke volumes.Gabrielle picked it up, turning it slowly between his fingers. The metal was cool, heavier than it looked. A symbol of lineage. Authority. Control.A reminder.His phone buzzed softly.He already knew who it was. He answered without greeting.“You found my messenger,” Cordelia said.Her voice was steady, unbothered, as if she were discussing the weather rather than the exposure of a planted operative.“You planted him in my hou
Last Updated: 2026-01-07
Chapter: The house that listensThe mansion had never felt so small.Gabrielle stood in the surveillance room beneath the west wing, arms folded behind his back, eyes fixed on the wall of screens. The house looked peaceful from every angle,hallways gleaming, chandeliers glowing softly, guards pacing in their assigned routes. Order. Control.Illusion.The accident was days behind them now, but its echo lingered like a bruise that refused to fade. The screech of tires. The shattered glass. The way Alexa’s name had ripped from antonio’s throat when he thought just for a second that he’d lost her.Cordelia’s voice still rang in his head.“Protect her at all costs.”He intended to.That was why the house had become a cage. No one entered without clearance. No one left without explanation. Staff schedules had been quietly rearranged. Guards reassigned. Phones monitored. Conversations logged.And still,someone had tried to kill them.“ master Gabrielle.”Antonio’s voice came from behind him. Calm. Controlled. But there was
Last Updated: 2026-01-01
Chapter: Ripening seasonsThe months passed not with thunder, but with ripening.Summer deepened over Red Moon, turning the fields golden and the nights warm and slow. Life no longer felt fragile. It felt steady, predictable, and almost gentle.True to her word, Aria never forgot.Messengers from Iron Crest arrived at least twice a month , sometimes more, bearing woven baskets heavy with fruit, jars of honey sealed in wax, and clay bottles of fresh milk wrapped carefully in cloth.The first time it happened, I had cried.The second time, I laughed. By the fifth, it had become tradition.“She’s spoiling you,” Damon had muttered once as he inspected a particularly extravagant basket overflowing with figs and pomegranates.“She’s nourishing your heir,”I corrected, already reaching for a peach.Now, my pregnancy was impossible to ignore.My belly had grown round and proud, stretching beneath flowing dresses. My steps were slower, and my appetite was relentless.I ate at dawn, i ate at noon, and ate before bed.And
Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Chapter: The quiet goodbyeThe Quiet Goodbye The night air was warm, carrying faint laughter from the courtyard below. Through the open balcony doors, I could hear the men , Damon, Cory, and Antonio , their voices relaxed, threaded with the occasional burst of laughter. The sharp scent of wine drifted upward, mixed with the earthy smell of night grass. Victory still lingered in the air. Celebration still hummed softly beneath the packhouse roof. Inside my chamber, candles flickered gently as Aria helped me loosen the laces of my dress. She had always done this for me. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to. But tonight, her hands were slower and quieter. “You’ve barely spoken,” I said lightly, trying to lift the mood. “Did Cory exhaust you already with tales of battle?” A faint smile touched her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “He does like to relive every detail,” she admitted softly. I turned slightly to face her as she folded my dress carefully and set it aside. “I’m happy for you
Last Updated: 2026-02-23
Chapter: A seat at the tableThe morning after victory felt different.Not loud, not frantic, but full.For the first time in what felt like months, the breakfast hall was alive with warmth rather than tension. Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, spilling gold across the long polished table.And every seat was occupied.Damon sat at the head, relaxed in a way only peace could allow. Antonio to his right. Cory across from him. Eloise beside Antonio.And Aria? Aria sat among us.Not at the far end. Not rising every few minutes to refill cups or collect plates.Not dressed in the muted fabrics of a working omega.She wore deep blue that morning , the color rich against her skin. Her hair was styled simply but elegantly, no longer tied back for labor. A subtle Iron Crest insignia rested at her shoulder.She sat straight, composed, and radiant.Golden plates gleamed before her, identical to those set before the rest of us.The transformation was undeniable. She was no longer simply Aria of Red Moon.She
Last Updated: 2026-02-23
Chapter: Victory and claimI kept track of the days, and noticed that a week passed.Seven long, stretching days. Yet no word, no messenger, no falcon bearing a sealed letter.Red Moon remained standing, functioning, and breathing , but tension crept like fog through its halls. Patrols doubled. The elders whispered more frequently. Even the pups sensed something was off, their games quieter, their laughter less wild.I felt it too. Restlessness.An ache beneath my ribs that had nothing to do with pregnancy.But I refused to let anxiety consume me.Stress would not serve the life inside me.So I kept busy.Reviewed reports, met with captains, sat with omegas, listened to concerns, smiled when necessary, and breathed when alone.Each night, I stepped onto the balcony and searched the horizon.Each night, I whispered a prayer for the moon goddess to bring him back.**********It was near sunset on the seventh day.I was seated at the long dining table, forcing myself to eat despite the knot in my stomach. Bacon. E
Last Updated: 2026-02-22
Chapter: The quiet between heartbeatsThe pack was peaceful.Too peaceful.The kind of calm that pressed against the ears and made every distant sound feel exaggerated. No clashing armor. No commanding voices in the courtyard. No steady patrol rotations shifting at dawn and dusk with military precision.Red Moon breathed. But it breathed differently.From the balcony outside my chambers, I watched the empty training grounds below. A few younger wolves sparred lightly under supervision, but the intensity was gone. The seasoned warriors had marched out before sunrise two days ago.And with them, our mates, our anchors, our certainty.The wind carried only birdsong now, not the metallic scent of readiness.I rested a hand over my stomach.The bond between Damon and me felt stretched thin by distance, but not weakened. I could sense him focused, alive, and resolute.Still, absence is loud.********Eloise joined me first that morning.She didn’t announce herself. She simply leaned against the balcony rail, staring outward.“H
Last Updated: 2026-02-22
Chapter: Before the sunThe D-day arrived faster than any of us were prepared for.The sky was still ink-dark when the first horns sounded across Red Moon territory. Torches burned along the courtyard walls, their flames bending in the early morning wind. Armor clinked. Boots struck stone. Low murmurs of warriors greeting one another filled the air.From the grand staircase of the packhouse entrance, I watched them gather.Rows upon rows of Red Moon warriors.Disciplined, armed, and ready. The red insignia stitched across their chests caught the torchlight like embers.At the center of it all stood Cory.No longer the broken man staring at the sky.No longer the displaced brother confined to a guarded room.He wore fitted armor now,dark steel with subtle crimson accents Damon had ordered prepared for him. A sword hung at his hip. Another blade rested across his back.Antonio stood before him, handing him a final weapon , a short iron dagger.“For close quarters,” Antonio said evenly.Cory took it with a nod
Last Updated: 2026-02-21
Chapter: Stay away from meMarilyn’s POV It was already late.The packhouse had long settled into its nighttime rhythm of quieter footsteps, lowered voices, and the distant hum of patrol shifts changing.I couldn’t sleep.Liam had fallen asleep quickly for once, exhaustion claiming him the moment his head touched the pillow. I lay awake beside him, staring at the ceiling, thoughts circling like restless wolves.Annabelle’s warning and Selene’s silence.The invisible fracture spreading through Blood Moon.After a while, I slipped carefully out of bed and wrapped a robe around myself. I didn’t wake him.I needed air.The corridor lamps burned low as I walked toward the rear gardens. The night was cool, the moon high, silver light spilling over stone paths and trimmed hedges.I had barely reached the far archway when I felt it.That familiar scent of Selene.She stepped from the shadow of a column, already wrapped tightly in a dark robe as if she had been waiting or hiding.Her eyes widened slightly when she saw
Last Updated: 2026-02-23
Chapter: When strength faltersMarilyn’s POVThe tension didn’t fade after Annabelle was found.If anything, it deepened.The packhouse felt alert at all hours now like a body that refused to sleep for fear of being attacked again. Whispers traveled faster. Eyes lingered longer. Patrols doubled without complaint.And Liam? He grew sharper though not cruel, Just… stretched thin.I noticed it during training.The sun was high, heat pressing down on the sparring grounds. Warriors rotated through drills ,defensive maneuvers, formation shifts, coordinated takedowns.Liam stood at the center watching, correcting and pushing.“Again,” he ordered after a squad completed their formation.They were already breathing hard.No one argued, they reset and executed. One wolf stumbled during the pivot.Liam stepped forward immediately.“Your flank is exposed,” he said coldly. “If that was real combat, you’d be dead.”The warrior straightened. “Yes, Alpha.”“Again.”Rowan shot me a glance from across the field.He saw it too.The
Last Updated: 2026-02-22
Chapter: Two missing hoursMarilyn’s POVI didn’t notice at first.That was what terrified me the most.Breakfast in the packhouse was rarely quiet anymore. Annabelle had grown used to sitting with the omegas, laughing softly, listening more than speaking , but atleast she was present and healing.That morning, I entered the dining hall expecting to see her at the far table near the windows.She wasn’t there.I paused mid-step. Maybe she overslept. Maybe she was still in her room.I forced myself to relax and took my seat.But ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.Her place remained empty.I stood.One of the omegas glanced up at me. “She hasn’t come down yet, Luna.”My chest tightened.“I’ll check on her.”I walked quickly down the corridor toward her room, knocking twice before opening the door.Empty.The bed was made. The window shut. No signs of struggle. No scent of unfamiliar wolves.Just absence.My pulse began to rise. Maybe the library. Maybe the courtyard.I checked both still…..Nothing.That was when th
Last Updated: 2026-02-21
Chapter: Cracks in the foundationLiam’s POVMorning came too quickly.I woke before the sun.For a few seconds, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to Marilyn’s breathing beside me. Steady. Soft. Peaceful.I envied that peace.Carefully, I slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake her. She stirred slightly but didn’t open her eyes.Good. Let her rest.I dressed quickly and left the chambers, the corridor outside already beginning to hum with early movement.The air felt different.Not heavier. Just sharper.As if something unseen had shifted during the night.By the time I reached my office, Rowan was already there.He stood near the map table, arms folded, staring at the markings across the territory lines.“You’re early,” I said.“So are you.”I shut the door behind me.“Report.”Rowan didn’t waste time.“Two allied packs confirmed similar supply purchases over the past week,” he said. “Not as bold as Crimson’s case. Smaller amounts. Spread out.”I stepped closer to the map.“They’re adjusting,”
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Chapter: Beneath the same skyMarilyn’s POVHis office still smelled like ink, parchment, and tension.Liam’s arms were wrapped around me, but I could still feel the weight clinging to him. It didn’t disappear just because he allowed himself to lean on me. It only softened.For a moment.I tilted my head back slightly to look at him.“Come with me,” I said softly.His brows furrowed faintly. “Where?”“For a walk.”He glanced toward the desk automatically, then toward the files waiting for him.“They’ll still be there,” I murmured.His jaw flexed.I reached up, brushing my fingers along his cheek. “You need air. Not maps.”He studied me for a second longer.Then he nodded.The night air was cool when we stepped outside.The courtyard had quieted. Torches flickered along the stone walls, casting golden light across the training grounds now abandoned for the evening.We walked without guards. Without announcement.Just us.The forest beyond the packhouse was alive with soft sounds , crickets, rustling leaves, and dis
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Chapter: The weight he carriesMarilyn’s POVLiam had not been sleeping.Not truly.He left our chambers before sunrise most mornings , sometimes before I even stirred , and returned long after the packhouse had quieted for the night.His side of the bed had grown cold too often.Meetings. Reports. Patrol briefings. Border reinforcements. Interrogation strategies that now had no prisoners to test them on.Hope had risen when Alpha Daniel detained those men.Then it had shattered just as quickly.I could see it in Liam. In the tightness of his jaw.In the way he rubbed his temples when he thought no one was looking.In how his shoulders never fully relaxed anymore. He carried it all.The dead girls. The ones still missing. The pressure from allied packs.The unspoken expectation that an Alpha must fix everything.That evening, the sky had already darkened when I decided I had waited long enough.I walked toward his office quietly.The guards outside straightened but did not stop me.Light spilled from beneath the do
Last Updated: 2026-02-19
Chapter: Chapter 190Dear readers, as this novel finally comes to an end, I want to sincerely thank each and everyone of you that was involved right from day one. You guys are the real inspiration towards this novel, and the support shown to me was fueling my spirit. This isn't just the end, as I promise to keep writing
Last Updated: 2025-09-17
Chapter: Chapter 189Blair's POV The evening was chilly, and bustling with activities. There was a huge bonfire in the middle of the field where they were roasting most of the kills. The night was magical and enchanting. The past few months had been a hell of a ride, and I was grateful everything had finally come to a
Last Updated: 2025-09-17
Chapter: Chapter 188Blair's POV I felt very uncomfortable, it was as if the fetus in my womb was moving. "Why do I feel this way? Is the baby trying to claw out of me?" I asked the nurse. "Is it painful? Are you feeling any pain?" Aiden asked, covering my face with kisses. I can't really tell if I was feeling pain
Last Updated: 2025-09-15
Chapter: Chapter 187I could feel that my mate was in pain. My wolf grew weak, and wanted to comfort her. But there was no time for such. This maniac in front of me could kill me if care was not taken. I told Damon mentally to come take Blair away. He lunged at me again, but I dodged quickly, and clawed into his side,
Last Updated: 2025-09-13
Chapter: Chapter 186"Blair!! Are you okay? Don't worry, you're safe now.* Aiden's voice consoled me. I tried not to weep too loud so that they wouldn't suspect a thing. "Don't cry baby, I want you to shift into your wolf, and run as fast as you can. Can you do that?" Aiden's voice sounded calm and reassuring. I turn
Last Updated: 2025-09-13
Chapter: Chapter 185Erica's POV "Are you okay?" I woke up to Owie peering at me with a concerned look on his face. I must have screamed out loud from the dream I was having. Sitting upright, I avoided his eyes to remember everything I dreamt about. "Seems like you were having a nightmare. I want to hear all about
Last Updated: 2025-09-10