Novels by Dorathy Charles

Serena’s POV"You're scared of me." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.Damien pauses mid-step. Slowly, he turns back to face me. The hallway is empty now. Just us. His smile is still there, but something behind it shifts. "Scared?" He tilts his head. "That's an interesting word.""You're watching me like I'm a bomb about to go off." I keep my voice steady. "Either you're scared, or you're waiting for me to explode." He doesn't answer right away. That silence tells me more than words would. "You're smarter than they said," he murmurs finally. "Who said?" His smile returns. Wider this time. Wrong."Everyone talks, Serena. You'd be surprised what people say when they think no one important is listening." He steps closer. Not threatening. Not quite. But close enough that I have to fight the urge to step back."Here's some free advice." His voice drops low. "In this pack, the ones who survive aren't the strongest. They're the ones who know when to stay quiet." "Is that what y

Serena’s POVI don't scream. I want to. The fear is right there, clawing at the back of my throat. But I swallow it down and force myself to think.Someone was in my room. While the whole mansion was in chaos. While wolves ran through the halls and guards shouted orders, I stood in Marcus's study, learning my blood could end everything. Someone slipped in here, scratched open my window, and left a threat on my floor, next time, he won't reach you first. My hands shake as I read the words again, he, Kael.They're talking about Kael. I fold the paper carefully. Slide it into my pocket. My fingers are steadier than they should be, but my mind is spinning too fast to catch up. Who?The question circles like a vulture. It could be anyone. A wolf loyal to Damien. Someone paid by the enemy pack. Or someone closer. Someone I've already met. Already spoken to.Marcus's voice echoes in my head. Someone inside this mansion told them exactly where to find you. I look at the window again. The scra

Serena’s POV“What did he tell you?”Kael is waiting outside Marcus’s study like he never left.I stop so fast that my shoulder hits the door behind me. He steps closer at once, filling the hall, blocking the light, blocking my way out. His cut shoulder is wrapped now, but I can still smell blood under the clean shirt he changed into.For one wild second, I almost tell him everything. That Marcus said our bond is worse than forbidden, that if one of us dies, the other dies too, that someone inside this house sent wolves to my window, that his own father told me not to trust him.Then Marcus’s last words hit me again.Trust no one. Not even Kael, so I lie.“Nothing useful.”Kael goes very still. He knows. Not what I’m hiding. Just that I’m hiding something. His eyes search my face, slow and sharp. “Try again.” “I said nothing useful.”“Serena.” Just my name. But the way he says it makes my spine lock. I push past him, or try to. His hand closes around my wrist before I make it two step

Serena's POV"That's not possible." The words leave my mouth, but they sound far away. Like someone else is speaking through me.Kael stands in the doorway, chest heaving, eyes burning gold. The fury on his face is terrifying. But underneath it, I see something worse, fear, he's afraid of me."Kael, you need to calm down." Marcus moves between us slowly. Carefully. Like approaching a wild animal. "Calm down?" Kael laughs, but there's no humor in it. "You brought her here knowing what she is. Knowing what the prophecy says. And you didn't tell me.""I was going to.""When?" Kael's voice explodes through the room. "After she destroys everything? After I'm dead?"The word hits me like a punch. Dead. Because of me. My legs give out. I sink into the chair behind me, clutching the pendant so hard the edges dig into my palm."I would never hurt you." The words come out broken. Desperate. "I didn't even know about any of this until tonight."Kael's gaze snaps to me. The intensity makes me fli

Serena’s POV"You're lying." The words come out before I can stop them. My voice sounds strange. Hollow. Like it belongs to someone else entirely.Marcus doesn't flinch. His golden eyes stay fixed on my face, patient and calculating. "I understand this is difficult to hear," he says calmly. "But I assure you, I'm not lying." I stand up so fast the chair scrapes against the floor. My legs feel weak. My chest feels tight. Everything feels wrong. "I'm nobody." My voice shakes. "I'm just a girl whose mom remarried. I don't have special blood. I don't have prophecies attached to my name. I'm nothing."Marcus closes the ancient book slowly. Sets it on his desk with careful precision. "Your father," he says quietly. "What did your mother tell you about him?" The question catches me off guard. My thoughts stumble."He was a pack warrior. Loyal. Strong. He died protecting our territory two years ago." The words come out automatically. Rehearsed. The story I've told myself a thousand times.Mar

Serena’s POV"Who was that?"The hallway is still loud around us. Guards rushing. Doors slamming. The whole mansion was awake and unsettled. But my eyes are fixed on the staircase at the top of the hall. On the figure who was standing there watching me. Gone now. Like he was never there.Kael follows my gaze. His jaw tightens. "His name is Damien Wolfe." His voice is flat. "My Beta." "He was watching us," I say. "From the stairs. During all of this." Kael doesn't answer. Which is an answer. The chaos eventually settles.Guards take their positions. Wolves return to their posts. The mansion pulls itself back together with the quiet efficiency of a pack that has done this before.Kael disappears into a room with three senior wolves and doesn't come back out. I stand alone in the corridor, scraped palms, dirty knees, and no idea what to do with myself."Serena." I turn. A woman pushes through the thinning crowd toward me. Warm eyes. Curly hair. Moving like someone who belongs here but ha