Nobela ni Tassi Blake

Time: Saturday, December 14, 2024 | Morning Location: The Pantheon Penthouse, The Olympus CasinoThe penthouse was unnaturally still.The only sound was the frantic, insistent buzzing of a tablet on the marble coffee table, vibrating against the cold stone like a trapped insect. A priority alert from Leo.Ava, wrapped in a black silk robe, picked it up. Her hands were steady. The screen’s cold light illuminated her face as it flooded with news alerts.Her eyes scanned the brutal headlines. They were a coordinated assault, a digital blitzkrieg launched across every platform, from Vegas gossip sites to legitimate financial news outlets.VEGAS VIPER IN HONEYTRAP FAIL: VOLKOV HEIRESS CAUGHT IN MONACO ATTACHÉ'S SUITETHE SERPENT'S SEDUCTION: Did Katya Volkova Try to Sleep Her Way into the Elysian Charter?VOLKOV-MONACO DEAL IN JEOPARDY? INSIDERS CLAIM FAMILY INFIGHTING AND SCANDAL THREATEN BILLION-DOLLAR PARTNERSHIP.Below the headlines was the photo. It was a masterpiece of humiliation. K

Time: Friday, December 13, 2024 | Early Afternoon Location: Private Dining Room, "Le Cirque" at the Bellagio -> Luc de la Fontaine's Penthouse Suite, The WynnThe private dining room at Le Cirque was an intimate cocoon of silk and velvet, a world away from the casino floor's desperate hum.Katya sat across from Luc, poised and deadly. She had chosen her outfit like armor: pristine white silk blouse and severe black pencil skirt. Every line calculated to project power and control.He was devastating. Dressed in a relaxed but flawlessly tailored suit, he guided their conversation with easy charm, speaking of art and finance with equal fluency. This was a man who understood power—not just how to wield it, but how to savor it.The lunch was an exquisite dance of courtship. He listened intently when she spoke, his dark eyes full of admiration. He laughed at her sharp, cynical jokes. He made her feel like the only woman in the world, a queen whose intellect captivated him as much as her bea

Time: Thursday, December 12, 2024 | Evening Location: The Onyx Room, The Olympus CasinoThe Onyx Room was a sanctuary of shadow and sin, hidden deep within the sub-basement of the Olympus.The air was thick with the scent of hand-rolled Cuban cigars, twenty-year-old scotch, and the quiet, electric desperation of men gambling away fortunes they couldn't afford to lose.The only sounds were the soft, hypnotic whisper of cards on fresh felt and the gentle, rhythmic clink of heavy poker chips, a sound like falling coins in a king’s tomb.Katya Volkova sat at the center of the table, a venomous orchid in a room full of dangerous men.She wore a deceptively simple, backless black gown that showcased the elegant, pale line of her spine.Her platinum hair was a sculpted marvel, catching the low light.Her expression was one of bored calculation as she watched the chips move across the table, her ice-blue eyes missing nothing.Across from her, Luc de la Fontaine leaned back in his chair, a pic

Time: Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Late Evening Location: The Pantheon Penthouse, Damian's StudyAn hour later, the study door opened without a sound.Damian sat behind his massive oak desk, a king on a throne of dark wood and polished steel.The only light in the room came from a single, low-angled desk lamp, casting long, stark shadows that swallowed the corners of the space.It illuminated the faint lines of concentration on his face as he reviewed financial reports on a tablet.The air smelled of old books, expensive leather, and his faint, clean cologne.He looked up as she entered.Ava wore a simple black silk robe, its belt cinched tight at her waist.Her hair, still damp from a shower, fell in loose waves around her shoulders, framing a face that was pale but resolute.His grey eyes swept over her, cool and assessing.He said nothing. He simply watched, waiting for her to make the first move.He had set the terms of their bargain.Now, he waited for her to honor the contract.

Time: Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Late Evening Location: The Pantheon Penthouse, The Olympus CasinoThe silent ride back to the penthouse was a suffocating ordeal.The armored SUV glided through the Vegas night, the city's glittering lights blurring into meaningless streaks of color against the thick, bulletproof glass.Inside, the air was heavy with unspoken fury. It smelled only of expensive leather and the chilling scent of Damian's contained rage.Ava sat pressed against the far door, every muscle in her body coiled tight. Damian was a statue of coiled violence beside her, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his jaw a hard, unforgiving line.He hadn't looked at her since they left the reception.He hadn't spoken a single word. The silence was louder than any accusation.The private elevator's ascent was soundless, a smooth, swift climb that felt like a descent into the depths. The faint chime as it arrived at the penthouse sounded like a death knell in the quiet.The doors slid ope

Time: Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Evening Location: The Bellagio Hotel & Casino, East Wing BalconyAva stood before the mirror in the men's restroom, her reflection a stranger she was just beginning to recognize.The woman staring back had a wildness in her eyes, angry redness on her neck where Damian had marked her, and a defiant set to her jaw that was entirely new.Her hands, still trembling with the aftershocks of adrenaline and forced pleasure, fumbled with the broken clasp at the back of her dress.It was useless. The delicate metal hook was torn from the thread, a casualty of his rage.With a steadying breath, she abandoned the effort. She pulled a section of her dark hair over her shoulder, a curtain to hide the damage.It was a temporary fix at best. She looked one last time at the woman in the mirror—disheveled but unbroken—and walked out.She moved with purpose, heading not back to the ballroom, but down the marble-lined corridor toward the east wing.She needed air. She n

Sunrise bled across the training grounds, painting the splintered wood of practice dummies in hues of orange and blood. I sought him there.Damon stood facing the dawn, but his stillness wasn't peaceful; it was the loaded quiet before a storm breaks. He turned as my footsteps crunched on the gravel, his dark eyes immediately finding mine, sharp and challenging."You sought me out."His voice was low, rough from the previous day's declarations and defiance. There was no trace of the pleading vulnerability from before, replaced by a hard edge."We needed to speak."I replied, stopping several feet away, deliberately maintaining distance. My own Alpha presence settled around me, calm but firm."Your… performance… in the Great Hall yesterday requires clarification."A humorless smirk touched his lips."My performance? I stated a truth. I claimed what is mine by right of the Goddess.""Did you? Or did you try to chain me with a public declaration, hoping to force my hand?"I countered, ste

"...and we will rebuild, stronger than before!" Alpha Marcus's voice strained, echoing slightly in the tense silence of the Great Hall. He gripped the edge of the dais, knuckles white. Beside him, Beta Elara shot me a sharp, warning glance from the corner of her eye. Stay still. Don't draw attention.Too late for that. Every wolf in the hall knew the score, more or less. The whispers hadn't stopped since the battle. Now, their gazes flickered between me, standing stiffly near the edge of the platform, and the powerful Alpha leaning against a far pillar.Damon. His dark eyes weren't on Marcus; they were locked on me, intense and calculating. He'd shifted tactics since our last clash. The raw frustration was banked, replaced by a chilling strategic focus. It felt like being stalked.Marcus, desperate to regain control, puffed out his chest. "We prevail thanks to the courage within this pack! Thanks to Silver Crescent's own," his gaze flickered possessively towards me, "Seraphina, whose

I ran a critical hand over the newly repaired stonework near the main gate, testing the mortar. Two younger warriors stood nearby, awaiting instructions. Further down, Torvin was part of a crew resetting heavy timber supports. He kept shooting nervous glances my way."Torvin," I called out, my voice carrying easily over the sounds of work.He jumped, fumbling the rope he held. "Y-yes, Alpha-Seraphina?""Those lashings," I pointed towards the top support beam. "They look loose from here. Check them again. Properly this time."He scrambled up the rough scaffolding, his movements jerky with fear, nearly dropping his mallet. He fumbled with the ropes, his hands shaking visibly.A low chuckle sounded behind me. Damon. He leaned against the gate archway, arms crossed, watching Torvin's clumsy efforts with unconcealed amusement mixed with something colder."Fear can be motivating," Damon observed quietly, his gaze flicking from Torvin back to me. "But it rarely leads to quality work."I igno

The air in the makeshift council room remained thick with tension, but the focus had shifted. Spread across the table wasn't just a map, but specific architectural drawings of the damaged outer wall section – the very breach point near where I’d fought, where I’d shifted. Alpha Marcus traced a line with a worried finger."Reinforcing it quickly is paramount. But our timber stores are low after the attack, and the quarry work is slow."Damon leaned forward, instantly taking charge, his Alpha presence filling the room. "My warriors can secure the breach temporarily. Stone River technique uses interlocking shields and reinforced bracing. Faster, more secure than a hasty timber patch." He glanced briefly at Marcus, then his gaze settled on me, assessing. "We can have it fortified by nightfall."His offer sounded logical, efficient. But it was also an assertion of dominance, a solution that bypassed Silver Crescent resources and expertise, implying they weren't capable. It placed his wolve

Dust motes danced in the shafts of afternoon light slanting through a cracked window arch. The corridor still smelled faintly of blood and fear, overlaid now with damp stone and cleaning herbs.I stood near the shattered entrance to the kitchens, directing two younger pack members clearing debris. My flank throbbed beneath its bandage, a dull counterpoint to the sharp clarity flooding my senses."Careful with that beam," I ordered, my voice sharper, carrying more easily than it ever had before. "Check if it's stable before moving anything else."The two wolves jumped, nodding quickly. "Yes, Alpha-Seraphina." The title still felt strange on their tongues, awkward but respectful.A heavy presence approached from behind, the familiar scent of pine and storm cutting through the dust. Damon. He stopped just beside me, his gaze sweeping over the damage before landing on the bandage visible beneath the tear in my borrowed tunic."You should be resting," he stated, his voice rough. He looked

The immediate flurry of snarls and desperate yelps died down. Silence descended, thick and heavy, broken only by the ragged panting of wolves and the distant sounds of continued fighting elsewhere in the compound. The corridor air hung thick with the coppery tang of blood and the lingering stench of rogue fear.Pack members, shifting back to two legs or still on four paws, stared. Not at the injured, not at the dead rogues littering the stone floor.They stared at me.My silver fur, matted in places with dark blood, seemed to absorb the dim light. Power still thrummed beneath my skin, a wild, intoxicating current I was only just beginning to comprehend. My wolf body felt… right. More real than the human form I’d inhabited for years.Whispers broke the silence."By the Moon..." Torvin breathed, his earlier arrogance completely gone, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief and maybe fear. He stood half-shifted, frozen mid-transformation.Beta Elara, her face pale but composed, took an involunta