로그인The tension had been building all week. First, there were the reports. Then Draven was talking to his advisors nonstop. It all led up to the morning when Draven stood by the window. The morning light framed his silhouette. His expression was dark and hard to read.The rogues had attacked the border again. This time, they were more aggressive than before. Their last attack took out some outposts. This time it was different. They were getting ready for something.Draven turned to face her. His eyes looked tired."I need to go, Violetta. Our pack's security is at risk. I have to protect our territory."Violetta felt a knot in her chest. She kept her voice steady. "I know you have to go," she said. "I trust you." She stepped closer. "Promise me you'll be careful. You're not just fighting for the pack anymore."He took her hand. His touch was warm and comforting. "I promise, Violetta. I'll be back soon."Even as he spoke, she saw doubt in his eyes. There was more to this fight. It wasn't t
The days following that evening were filled with a rare peace. Though the world outside still swirled with the same tensions, the estate felt different—lighter. Draven’s focus had shifted. He spent more time at home, more time with Violetta and their children. They found moments of normalcy that they had once believed would forever elude them. He even managed to take a step back from the pack’s never-ending demands, allowing Violetta to breathe a little easier.Violetta, too, felt a weight lifted from her chest. There were still occasional doubts, shadows that lingered, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like the future was within their reach. There were no more secrets. No more whispers or hidden agendas. Just them.One morning, as she sat by the window, cradling a cup of tea, her phone buzzed.It was a message from Mara.I need to see you. Important.Violetta’s brow furrowed. Mara hadn’t been in contact for a few days, and with everything that had been going on, Violett
The days following the successful operation were quieter than expected.Draven didn’t take time to rest. Even with the mercenaries neutralized and the damage contained, his mind raced. Every decision felt heavy now—his family, the pack, Violetta, the twins. Everything was connected, and nothing was ever simple.Violetta noticed the change in him. He was more withdrawn, his thoughts always on the next move, the next threat. His eyes no longer held the sharp edge they usually did—now, they were haunted. As though the weight of everything had finally begun to sink in.She found him in the study late one evening, the same room where so many decisions had been made. The room that once felt like a place of power now seemed like a cage, his mind trapped inside it.She stepped inside without knocking, her presence like a breath of fresh air in the heavy silence.“Draven,” she said softly, moving toward him.He didn’t look up at first. His fingers were splayed out across the table, papers and
The drive back to the estate was quieter than usual. Violetta sat beside Draven, her fingers still resting against his. The soft hum of the car engine and the rhythmic swish of the tires on wet pavement was all that filled the space between them. No words were needed. For the first time in a long time, they didn’t have to explain themselves. They didn’t have to strategize. There was peace in the quiet. But even peace had a way of crumbling. As they neared the estate, Draven’s phone buzzed from his pocket. He glanced at it briefly before silencing it. Violetta noticed. “You’re still getting calls?” His eyes flicked toward her, the faintest flicker of regret passing through them. “Nothing important,” he said quietly. She raised an eyebrow. “Lies,” she said softly, her gaze returning to the road ahead. He chuckled, though it was half-hearted. “Okay, fine. It’s work. Always.” “You don’t have to lie.” He didn’t answer at first, his fingers tightening briefly on the steering wh
The storm didn’t follow them.By the time the car left the estate gates, the rain had softened into a quiet drizzle, and the sky had begun to clear. The tension from the war room still lingered, but something about the open road—about leaving the suffocating walls behind—shifted the air between them.Violetta leaned back in her seat, exhaling slowly.“For once,” she murmured, “we’re driving toward danger and it doesn’t feel… suffocating.”Draven glanced at her briefly.“That’s because you’re with me.”She turned her head slightly, raising an eyebrow.“That’s a very arrogant statement.”“It’s an accurate one.”She let out a small breath of laughter.It was soft.Unforced.And for the first time in days, it didn’t hurt.Draven noticed.Of course he did.His hand moved instinctively, brushing lightly against hers resting on the seat between them.“You needed that,” he said quietly.“I needed a lot of things,” she replied, her tone gentler now. “Peace. Sleep. Less chaos.”“And yet,” he ad
Night settled heavily over the King estate. The study lights were still on. No one had slept. The USB video looped again in silence, casting flickering shadows across the walls. Violetta sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself, while Draven stood near the desk—still, unreadable, but far from calm. Gerald broke the silence. “There’s something else.” Draven didn’t turn. “Say it.” Gerald placed a thin, old file on the table. “This came in through one of our older channels. Not digital. Hand-delivered.” Dimitri frowned. “By who?” “No name. No trace.” Draven finally turned. “What is it?” Gerald opened the file slowly. Dust lifted from the edges. “This… is older than all of us.” He slid the first page forward. A photograph. Faded. Yellowed with time. Violetta leaned closer. Her breath stilled. “That’s…” Selene. But younger. Much younger. Standing beside a man and a woman. Her parents. Draven’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you get this?” Gerald flipped t
Morning came wrapped in fog.It clung to the hills, the lake, the narrow paths between cottages—soft enough to look harmless, thick enough to hide intent.Violetta woke before her alarm, heart already racing as if it had been running all night. Mira was still asleep, curled toward the wall, breathi
The house stayed quiet long after they stopped talking.Not the heavy, suffocating silence from before.This one was softer.Warmer.Fragile.Like something sacred had settled between them.Violetta rested against Draven’s chest on the couch, her legs tucked under her, his arm wrapped around her sh
The next morning felt unreal.Like the world had been wrapped in cotton.Muted. Heavy. Distant.Violetta barely slept.Every time she closed her eyes, Mara’s voice echoed in her head.He doesn’t protect people. He uses them until they break.Then Draven’s face would follow.Blood on his knuckles.M
Draven was in the middle of a meeting when the manager’s message lit up his phone.VIP entry. Two women. One is Violetta. Private lounge. Male models hired.For a second, the room went silent.Not because anyone else noticed— but because Draven did.His jaw tightened. Slowly. Dangerously.“So,” he







