Novels by Jessica Radcliffe

No one spoke on the way back to the main floor of the manor. Everyone kept quiet for the same reason—they were afraid the walls would remember anything they said. Even worse, they feared the stone would respond. Roland led the group, lantern held high. Damien walked closely to Elena, keeping one hand lightly at her waist as if trying to protect her from the thing she had touched. Gail walked next to her; the expression on her face was tight and directed inward, indicating that she had at least ten thoughts rolling around at once in her mind.Behind them, the warded hallway sat quiet. The corrupted wolf didn't plead, scream, or even breathe loud enough to be heard through the stone. That silence crawled under Elena's skin far worse than the wolf's pleading had."Don't look back," Roland said, not unkindly.Elena hadn't even realized she had turned back. She forced her gaze forward once more, but the memory of that final sane voice clung to her."Child of Two Moons. He sees you. Run—" H

For a minute, everything stood still, and Elena couldn't breathe. The weight of the wolf's words pressed on her. Suddenly, Roland swore in horror, shaking Elena free from her thoughts. Gail’s face had gone pale. “He felt your command,” she whispered. “All the way down here. Through layers of wards.”The lantern flame fluttered wildly, shadows crawling over the stone like living things. The air grew thick, charged. Elena felt power pressing from the other side of the wall—stuttering, broken power—not just his. Something was riding him like a parasite. A slick, oily presence slid along the edges of her senses. It didn't touch her. It was just there...just aware of her. It made her skin crawl....he is looking back...Peter scents through his work... Lyra warned with quiet urgency."Elena, step back," Roland ordered. She wanted to obey him. She really did, but the voice from behind the wall spoke directly to her, "Please...make...it...stop..."Her heart splintered at the sound of his ra

For a heartbeat, no one moved or said anything after the warrior's bombshell. His words hung in the air between everyone like smoke. Roland recovered first, his eyes sharpening in a way Elena had only ever seen when he was readying for a fight."Where?" He asked with calm Alpha authority."In the old lower storage corridors, my King,” the warrior replied, trying and failing not to shake. “We were doing the sweep you ordered. There’s a sealed door that shouldn’t be there. And something…inside it.""Show me," Roland ordered."I'm coming," Damien said, following.Elena stood before she had even made the decision. "So am I."Roland eyed her, and for a moment, she thought he'd refuse her. Then, his entire demeanor changed. “If this is what I think it is,” he said slowly, “it concerns you more than any of us. Stay close. You do not approach the threshold unless I say so. Understood?”The last word wasn't just a question—it was laced with authority. Elena's spine immediately straightened as

The first indication that anything was wrong came from the kitchens, but Elena didn't hear about it right away. She was still on the terrace, sitting on a low stone wall and holding a bottle of water that sweated lightly against her palm. Damien sat next to her with a protective arm around her waist.Elena was exhausted. Her entire body felt like a wrung-out towel. While her voice never raised above a whisper, that single command took everything out of her and reverberated deep in her bones. Roland had dismissed them with strict instructions to rest. “Your wolf and your magic just learned a new step. Do not try to sprint on the first day.”Together, they walked back toward Damien's rooms. He kept his palm on her shoulder, a comforting reminder of his solid, protective presence. She focused on the warmth of his touch and the rhythm of his breathing to avoid remembering how the power rushed out of her and slammed into the stone around her.You did not break anything. Lyra murmured. You

The old training terrace had always felt intimidating to Elena, but not today. Instead, it felt almost alive. Elena stood at the edge of the ancient stone circle as the late afternoon sun bled gold across the courtyard. The carved runes around the perimeter glowed faintly—older than Roland, older than the Eldermoon line, older even than the alliance of the packs themselves.“This place was built when our kind first learned to command,” Roland said, voice reverent. “Before wolves had titles. Before power had rules.”Elena swallowed deeply and wiped her damp palms on her jeans. Damien stood right behind her with his hands just above her waist, almost as if ready to catch her should she waver. “Don’t overthink,” he murmured softly. “Just breathe.”She tried—really tried. The second her feet crossed that circle, her heart rate sped up, and Lyra paced beneath her skin, restless and alert.Roland stepped into the center of the circle and motioned her forward. “Elena,” he said gently, “you

When Elena stepped outside, she found the terrace pleasantly warm from the afternoon sun. She hadn't realized how tense she was until Damien's calming presence wrapped around her. His smile instantly softened the worry that had been building in her chest since earlier that morning.Roland stood nearby with the calm authority of a man who had seen centuries of wolves rise and fall. His hands were clasped behind his back, his shoulders squared, and his posture effortless."Your magic training is complete?" he asked."For today," Gail said from behind Elena. "She made controlled contact."“Good.” Roland nodded once. “Then it’s time for her other half.”Elena’s heart tightened. “My other half?”“Your wolf,” Roland said. “Your aura. The part of you shaking the pack without meaning to.”Damien’s eyes flickered gold-blue, Lucian cutting close to the surface. “We’re ready.”Elena wasn't sure that she was ready, but she stepped forward anyway. She stood opposite Roland on the terrace in a posi