LOGINJACE“I AM FIT!”Kael’s declaration erupted from him, half roar and half speech. His voice cracked as though the words had been trapped in his throat for days.He had finally said it.Relief swept through the chamber. I hadn’t realised how long I’d been holding my breath until my knees nearly buckled. I caught the edge of the stone table, gripping it to steady myself.Across the room, Rorik’s smile vanished.Liam shot to his feet. “He is obviously unfit! It took him forever to say three words! An insane man will never admit he is unfit. Look at his eyes! His hands! He’s shaking like a pup! He’s drugged or mad, or both. You all saw it!”“SIT DOWN, PRINCE LIAM!”Kael’s roar struck the chamber like thunder.He had risen from the throne, though he swayed so badly that I feared he would collapse. His claws dug into the wooden armrests until they creaked beneath his grip.I silently begged him to sit.Standing only made his condition more obvious. If he lost control now, Liam would turn his
JACESomething was wrong with Kael.I had watched him enter the chamber that morning, watched him sit on the throne and endure the accusations without lashing out. Even when Rorik presented the forged letters, Kael had managed to defend himself without giving Liam the outburst he wanted.But now he was fighting something I could not see.His hands were clenched around the throne’s armrests. His claws had begun to emerge, and the muscles in his jaw stood out sharply beneath his skin.He was trembling.I had made certain he drank no wine that morning. I had checked his chambers myself and removed every bottle I found. I had insisted he eat meats and broth before dressing, and I had made him rest early the previous night.I had done everything I could to keep him steady for this hearing.Then I remembered the tonic.An hour before the trial, I had ordered a servant to bring a calming mixture for him. Kael’s hand
KAELThe day of the trial finally arrived.Liam had come prepared for war.Ten warriors disguised as ordinary guards and escorts waited outside the Great Hall, while six elders from High Hill occupied the stone bench against the far wall. They held the authority to judge an Alpha’s fitness to rule, the same men my father had treated with caution despite his power.Liam intended to take my throne, willingly or by force.He had prepared for both.I entered wearing my full regalia. My black tunic was fastened beneath a mantle of silver fur, and the heavy crown rested on my head for the first time in weeks.It felt too tight.The pressure against my skull worsened with every step, but I kept my chin raised. I would not let Liam see me falter before the hearing began.Jace walked beside me in his Beta blacks.He had barely spoken to me that morning. His expression remained controlled, his gaze fixed ahead. Anyone watching might have thought he was simply performing his duties.I knew better
LILYThe work became so much that I could barely breathe.It was never one task. It was everything, from the moment I opened my eyes until my body could no longer carry me.Pound the grain. Carry water. Sweep the floor Eleanor had already ordered me to sweep an hour earlier. Wash the villagers’ clothes. Cook. Scrub the pots. Start again.My arms ached down to the bone. My lower back felt ready to snap, and the pup sat so low in my belly that I had to waddle to keep my balance. Every step sent pain through my hips.That afternoon, I was pounding grain to separate the chaff, the way Eleanor had taught me.I lifted the heavy pestle and brought it down. Turned the grain with my bleeding hands. Lifted it again.Sweat ran down my back and into my eyes. My arms trembled so badly that the pestle wobbled each time I raised it.I should have stopped.I knew that.But Eleanor had already complained twice about how slow
KAELI reached my chamber still burning with anger.I didn’t sit. I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door.“Bring Jace to me. Now.”The guard outside bowed and hurried away.I paced while I waited, my boots striking the stone.I was King.He was my Beta.He could not keep treating me as though I were nothing.The guard found Jace outside the palace gate.“My lord, the King commands your presence.”Jace looked at him.“Tell him I’m tired and hungry from the many scrolls he made me read today. Tell him exactly that.”The guard stared.“My lord, please. He will be angry if I return without you.”“He is already angry. Tell him I’m tired. I’m hungry. That’s my answer.”Jace mounted his horse and rode toward his house.The guard watched him disappear down the road before returning to my chamber. He stood in the doorway, eyes fixed on the floor.“My King, I couldn’t find him. He had already left.”“What kind of childish rebellion is this?” My voice rose. “He thinks he can ignor
LILYI fainted beside the hearth.One moment, I was stirring the soup, the wooden ladle heavy in my hand. The next, the heat became unbearable. Smoke stung my eyes, the smell of boiling herbs turned my stomach, and the weight of the pup low in my belly seemed to drag me down.The room tilted.The ladle struck the pot with a sharp clang.I reached for the hearth, but my fingers caught nothing. My hip hit the floor, followed by my side. Pain flashed through my lower belly.Everything went black.When I woke, Eleanor stood over me with a wooden bucket.Before I could speak, she tipped the water over my face.I jerked upright, coughing and choking as cold water streamed down my neck.“Eleanor!”She set the bucket aside.“Get up.”I stared at her, waiting for the worried expression I had once known so well. The hand reaching to help me stand. Some sign that she had been frightened when I fell.There was nothing.“What happened?” I asked, struggling to sit up. “I felt dizzy, and then I—”“Yo







