Wearing a hooded cloak that looked far too dramatic for someone sneaking through the woods—but of course she still somehow made it look graceful. The hood was already slipping back as she stepped into the clearing, the moonlight catching the edges of her face.Carlos blinked, momentarily stunned. “Took you long enough.”Laura arched a brow. “You look like you were about to give up.”“I wasn’t,” he said quickly. “I was just—thinking.”“Hmm. Must’ve been exhausting.”Carlos scoffed, then pushed off the tree. “And here I was, ready to be nice.”“Now that would’ve been a surprise.”She tugged the hood fully down and stepped forward, her boots barely making a sound against the grass. The distance between them closed slowly, naturally, like neither of them were quite sure how to stand still around the other.Carlos watched her carefully. “You came.”“You asked.”“That doesn’t mean much these days.”“I don’t break promises,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “Not the ones I choose to keep.”
Their faces were barely inches apart. His hands had braced themselves on either side of her head, his breath warm against her cheek. Her heart was pounding—no, slamming—in her chest.Laura didn’t breathe. Couldn’t.Neither did he.The moment stretched—taut and loaded—like the silence before a storm.She stared into his eyes, dark and unreadable in the shadows. And he stared right back, searching for something in her expression. Something that wasn’t just fear or shock.Something real.And maybe he found it. Because he didn’t move.Didn’t smirk.Didn’t speak.He just looked at her—like she wasn’t the Alpha’s daughter. Like she wasn’t the girl who’d been sheltered, judged, trained like a soldier in silks.Just… her.Just Laura.And for a moment, she didn’t push him away.She didn’t yell.She didn’t remember the warnings or the rules or the hundreds of reasons this was dangerous.All she could think was:Why does this feel like it’s already too late?—Carlos was now sitting comfortably
The manor’s halls had fallen into a tense silence by the time they returned. Moonlight spilled through the high windows like silver knives, too cold, too sharp. And yet, even that couldn’t prepare the household for what happened next.Luna Valencia was already waiting in the entrance hall. Dressed in midnight-blue robes with her long hair braided like a crown, she stood still—unnervingly still—her expression unreadable. The moment she saw Laura step through the doors behind her mate, something shifted in her eyes.Anger. Disappointment. And something darker.The kind that no one dared name.Gasps filled the grand hallway. The maids who had been lingering nearby scattered. Guards stood frozen. No one moved.Except for Levi.“Mother!” he shouted, his voice echoing louder than the slap that had just split the air. He rushed forward, stepping between his little sister and the woman who had delivered the blow.Laura didn’t raise her head.Her cheek stung. Her ears rang. But it was the look
The tree was ancient—its branches thick like arms carved by time itself. It stretched toward the sky as though trying to touch the stars, and somehow, Carlos had convinced Laura to climb it.She wasn’t sure how it happened, honestly.One moment they were walking. The next, he’d grinned at her, pointed upward, and said, “Come on. You’ve never seen the world properly until you’ve seen it from above.”Now, they sat at the very top. Perched carefully on the thick crook between two branches, leaves rustling gently around them. The wind kissed their faces, carrying with it the scents of the forest—wildflowers, damp moss, and the distant tang of river water. The moon shone bright and full, casting silver light over the sweeping landscape.From up here, the world didn’t look broken.It looked endless.Laura hugged her knees to her chest, watching the valleys and hills roll on forever. A few lights flickered from a distant village. Stars blinked lazily overhead.Carlos leaned back against the
"Oh, look who's here."The voice was teasing, light—but it cut clean through the cold silence of the woods.Laura froze.Slowly, she lifted her head and followed the sound upward. There, lounging lazily across the low branch of a pine tree, was a boy with dark tousled hair and eyes that gleamed like the stars peeking through the forest canopy. Carlos Solmere. Arms folded behind his head, legs dangling, looking completely at ease—as if this forest was his home and the night itself had come to amuse him.She wiped the tears on her sleeve quickly, straightening. She didn’t want to look fragile. Not in front of anyone. Especially not him.She wiped the tears on her sleeve quickly, straightening. She didn’t want to look fragile. Not in front of anyone. Especially not him."What are you doing here?" she asked, voice calm. Cold, even.Carlos tilted his head and grinned. "I could ask you the same thing, my lady. Wandering in the middle of the night, all alone? You’re lucky I’m the one who fou
Laura hit the dirt hard, her back slamming against the cold earth as Helda’s wooden staff knocked her off balance for the third time that morning.“Again,” Helda barked, though her tone was gentler now—almost apologetic.But Laura didn’t hear her. Not really. Her ears were ringing, her arms trembling from strain, her lungs burning with the sting of failure. She grit her teeth and pushed herself up on shaking legs.Above, from the stone balcony overlooking the training grounds, the Alpha and Luna stood like silent statues.Watching.Judging.The Luna’s expression was unreadable, her arms crossed over her chest. But it was the Alpha whose silence cut deepest. His posture stiff, his jaw locked, eyes narrowed with the kind of cold disappointment that had followed Laura since the moment she’d shown her first signs of strength—but not enough.Not as strong as her brother.Not enough to lead.The final strike came too fast.Helda moved with calculated precision, sweeping Laura’s legs and kno