Chapter: Chapter 5.I should have knocked. Instead... I stood there. Listening. "She's been planning this wedding for months," Vivienne said. Her voice was soft. Almost affectionate. That was what hurt the most. Because it was the same voice that had comforted me when I cried after my parents' anniversary. The same voice that told me I deserved happiness. "Well it's definitely going to be a memorable one," Vivienne continued Then Lucien answered. "She's been useful." The hallway seemed to tilt. Useful. That was all I was? "...The council won't question it," Lucien said. I frowned. Council? "What about the evidence?" Vivienne asked. Evidence? My grip tightened around the insulated dinner bag. Every instinct screamed at me to knock. To walk inside. To laugh about whatever misunderstanding this was. Then Lucien answered. "It'll be enough to throw her out." The blood drained from my face. Throw her out... Who? There was only one person they had been talking about. Me. A strang
Last Updated: 2026-07-24
Chapter: Chapter 4.My fingers tightened around the edge of Rowan's desk as he picked up the recorder. Rowan picked up the recorder but didn't press play. "You expect me to believe this?" "I expect you to listen. You haven't yet." His thumb traced the edge of the device. "A recording can be edited." "I know." "A conversation can be taken out of context." "I know." "So tell me why I shouldn't assume this is an elaborate attempt or scheme to drag me into Silver Crescent's politics." I held his gaze. "Because if I wanted to manipulate you, I would've come with tears instead of evidence." His expression remained unreadable. "You assume tears would work." "They might've." "They wouldn't." "I figured." A long silence settled between us. His office suddenly felt much larger than it had a moment ago. "If I press play," Rowan said, "and this turns out to be exactly what you claim..." He set the recorder back on the desk. "...everything changes." "For whom?" "For you."
Last Updated: 2026-07-06
Chapter: Chapter 3.Rowan didn't reach for the envelope immediately. Instead, he looked at me. Not the envelope. Not the photographs peeking through the opening. Me. "You've been carrying this around all day?" I nodded. "And you've already looked through everything?" "More times than I care to admit." He rested his palms on the edge of his desk. "Then tell me why I shouldn't assume this is fabricated." The question stung. Not because it was cruel. But because I knew I'd ask myself the same thing. "I would." His brows lifted. "If our positions were reversed, I'd think the same." For the first time since I'd arrived, I saw genuine approval flicker across his face. "You expected me to question you." "I expected you to throw me out." "I considered it." "I know." His lips twitched. "I'm still considering it." "I know." "You seem to know a great deal." "I had a long drive to think." That earned the ghost of a smile. Then it disappeared. He finally picked
Last Updated: 2026-07-05
Chapter: Chapter 2.The silence that followed my proposal was almost unbearable. Rowan didn't laugh. He didn't look offended. He simply stared at me as though trying to decide whether I'd suffered a blow to the head on my journey here. Finally, he spoke. "I receive unusual requests." His voice remained maddeningly calm. "But this one is new." "I'll take that as a compliment." "I didn't intend it as one." "I know." The corner of his mouth threatened to move again. It was the closest thing to amusement I'd seen from him. "You've crossed into enemy territory," he said, "without an escort, without a treaty, and most importantly without permission from your Alpha." "I don't need his permission." His gaze sharpened. "An interesting answer." I held his eyes. "It's also the truth." For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The fire crackled quietly between us. Rain drummed against the windows. Rowan walked back toward his desk, poured two cups of tea, and placed one in f
Last Updated: 2026-07-05
Chapter: Chapter 1.Rain blurred the windshield as my cat rolled toward the private gates of Blackthorne Estate. My phone buzzed again through the cup holders. Lucien Calling... I declined it. A second later, another call. Vivienne Calling... I laughed. Not because anything was funny. Because it had taken them six hours to realize I was gone. The drive to Blackthorne territory had taken the better part of the day. "State your name." The security guard's voice came through the speaker beside the gate. I lowered my window. "Cora Vale." Silence. Then: "...Please wait." The guard's expression changed immediately. He stepped away, speaking quietly into the microphone clipped to his lapel. You can feel the tension already. I'd expected to be stopped. Questioned. Maybe even arrested. Black SUVs escorted me from the gate to the main house. Men in black suits, each wearing a discreet earpiece, watched me with professional caution. They were trained security. They di
Last Updated: 2026-07-05
Chapter: PrologueAt six years old, I lost my parents.I still remember the night the wind carried screams through our home. The scent of blood and smoke. Little hands clutching my mother’s torn dress while the Silver Crescent warriors said “shh” and pulled me away. By morning, the only things left of my life were a necklace around my neck and a name I was too young to understand the weight of. At twenty-one, I lost the only family I thought I had. The Silver Crescent Pack raised me. They taught me how to bow, how to smile, how to carry myself like the future Luna I was supposed to become. For fifteen years I was a good orphan. The grateful one. I memorized Alpha Lucien’s favorite tea, the way his jaw tightened when he was lying, the exact pitch of his voice when he said my name like I belonged to him. Because everyone insisted he was my destiny. The Moon Goddess had paired us. The elders had blessed it. My entire life was a road paved straight to his side. A week before our wedding, I overhe
Last Updated: 2026-07-05
LOGIN
