Adrian's pov The council chamber was stifling—thick with incense, thick with tension, thick with the sound of every last noble in the South muttering behind raised hands. I took my place at the defense table, Kayla on my left, Ingrid just behind her, and Hector flanked by two guards at my right. Shackles still circled his wrists—Augustine’s petty flourish, I suspected—but the key was already in my pocket. Councilman Augustine rose from the dais, crimson robe brushing the marble floor. His thin mouth curled into what he must have thought was a statesman’s smile. “Let us begin,” he proclaimed, voice echoing beneath the vaulted ceiling. “In light of Alpha Adrian’s recent… indisposition, this chamber must decide whether Lord Hector remains in custody. Treason against the alpha is not a trifle.” You’d know, I thought, watching his knuckles tighten on the podium. He spun toward the benches. “I propose that Lord Hector remain locked up until we conclude a thorough investigation.
Adrian's PovI slipped through the palace corridor just after dawn, boots still dust-stained from the northern roads. The familiar gilded sconces were dark, but the scent of beeswax polish and garden roses whispered home. First stop: Kayla. I hurried into my room—and froze. The sheets were still made, the pillow cold. No shawl draped over the chair, no shoes tossed haphazardly by the foot of the bed. She hadn’t been here all night.I would have expected that since we had made up, she would have moved back in to our room. So why wasn't she here. Panic lanced through me. I pivoted, crossing the marble hall in six long strides, and rapped on the door of the room she’d claimed after our last argument. “Kayla?” I called, forcing calm into my voice. “Can we talk?” No answer. I tried the latch—it was unlocked. I stepped inside. She stood by the dresser, dark hair spilling over her shoulders, fingers trembling around the ribbon of her under-dress. Eyes red, cheeks blotched. And the s
Adrian's pov I tried to stand from the make shift bed. “Sit. Down,” Tamara snapped, stepping in front of me like a wall of iron and maternal judgment. “You just got half your back sliced open and injected with godess-know-what. You’re not going anywhere, Adrian.” I glared at her from where I sat on the hospital cot inside the northern palace. “I’m fine.” “You’re bleeding through your bandages.” “I’ve had worse.” Tamara arched a brow. “What, like the time you challenged Jack to a sword duel while half-drunk because he insulted your pack’s hunting tactics?”Jack was her ex who we had now bonded with. “First of all, I wasn’t drunk,” I muttered. “Just… mildly wine-influenced. And second—he deserved it.” She smirked and crossed her arms, clearly not buying it. “You’re not healing like you should. That poison they hit you with? It’s laced with some kind of suppressor. You won’t be back to full strength for at least two days.” “Two days?” I repeated, horrified. “I don’t have two da
Adrian's pov I woke up gasping for air, my throat dry, limbs heavy, and my head pounding like I had been smashed into a wall. My eyes fluttered open to dim light flickering from a lantern hanging on a cracked stone wall. A cell. I was in a damn cell. The taste of iron lingered in my mouth, and every muscle in my body screamed in protest when I tried to sit up. My wrists were chained, and my shirt was torn. My body, still recovering from the last attack, wasn’t healing fast enough. “Kayla…” I muttered, panic rising as her name slipped from my lips. I tried pulling at the chains, but they only rattled in response. Where was she? Had they gotten to her? Was she safe? Did she even know I’d been taken? Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor. Two men entered the cell—dark robes, grotesque twisted symbols inked across their arms, and one of them dragging a rusty sword across the floor. “Well, well,” the taller one sneered, stopping in front of me. “The mighty Alpha Adrian.
Kayla's pov I was sitting by the window in my room, arms folded against my chest, watching the clouds roll by when Ingrid burst in. "Luna Kayla," she said breathlessly. Her hair was a bit frazzled, and her eyes were wide with something between worry and disbelief. I didn’t look away from the clouds. “Let me guess. The maids have caused another scandal? Or has Councilman Augustine decided I’m a threat to national security again?” “No,” she said, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. “There are two new women in the palace.” That got my attention. I turned slowly. “What women?” “They arrived this morning while you were still sleeping. I didn't know who they were so I asked around and I heard from one of the maids that they are from prominent families—one from the western hills, and the other from the council’s own ranks. And…” She trailed off. “And?” I raised an eyebrow. “They were being introduced as potential Luna candidates.” My stomach dropped, but
Adrian's pov I’d never been so nervous sending flowers before. It had taken me fifteen minutes just to write the damn note. What could I say that didn’t sound desperate, but still showed how much I needed her? In the end, I’d scribbled the note and sent it. When her reply came back that she agreed — they were just a few words but I had to stop myself from fist-pumping like some adolescent. The whole day, I kept checking the time. I hadn’t been able to focus on work, hadn’t been able to sit still. But dinner... dinner had been worth every agonizing second of waiting. She looked stunning, even though she hadn’t tried to dress up. Or maybe it was because she hadn’t tried. She’d smiled at me nervously, and when she agreed to give us another shot, it felt like I could breathe again. And then the sex —goddess, the sex. It was amazing. I ran a hand through my hair now, staring at her sleeping form. Her hair spilled across my pillow, her cheek nestled against her arm, lips still parted
Kayla’s POVAdrian's lips were warm, insistent, and familiar in a way that made my knees weak. As he kissed me, everything else—every unanswered question, every hurt, every shattered hope—faded into the background.I gasped when his hands slid to my waist, pulling me against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, clinging to him like he was the only thing holding me together. Maybe he was.The taste of him was addictive. Soft lips, a groan buried deep in his throat, his thumb stroking along my jawline like I was the most delicate thing he’d ever touched. But there was hunger behind the tenderness—weeks of unspoken longing crashing into this one moment.“I missed you so much,” he whispered against my lips, voice ragged.“I missed you too,” I breathed, and it was the truest thing I’d said in weeks.He picked me up effortlessly, carrying me toward the bed like I weighed nothing. When he laid me down, he hovered above me, searching my eyes for any hesitation. There
Kayla's pov I stared at the torn edge of the diary page again, as if it might stitch itself back together if I stared hard enough.It didn’t.I sighed and pushed the book away, frustration curling in my stomach like a fist. That was the third one. Three different entries, all damaged. All ripped from history just as they started to say something real—something important.And I had no idea who was doing it.Ingrid swore she didn't know how it happened and ofourse i believed her, But that didn’t make the missing pieces magically reappear. And until I figured out what they were hiding from me, I couldn’t rest.I leaned back in the chair by my bedroom window, pressing the back of my hand to my eyes.A knock at the door made me sit up fast, heart thudding.“Ingrid?” I called.No answer. Only silence.I stood and walked to the door cautiously, opening it just enough to peek through.No one was there.But on the floor, neatly arranged, was a bouquet of creamy white roses and pale pink lilie
ingrid's pov Connor— the Connor my heart raced for—had never mentioned being married. Not once. Not during our quiet walk. Not when he stood too close. Not when he smiled at me like he saw something more. “He never said anything about being married,” I murmured, almost to myself. The woman tilted her head. “Interesting. Well, I suppose I’ll go find him now. He is supposed set up the date for your Alpha and my mistress. Thank you.” And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving me frozen in the doorway. A date? What did she mean by date? A long time passed before I could even move again. My hands shook as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Maybe it was a lie. Maybe she was just trying to tease me. But why would she do that? And what if it wasn’t a lie? What would that mean for me and Connor? My wolf whined in pain but I tried to tell myself the truth. I didn’t belong here. I had known that from the start. I was a maid. A loyal servant. A shadow. But I ha