LOGINMarcel:Fury rode me like a second skin.It burned hot and relentless as I stormed down the corridor toward my quarters, every step heavy with the promise of violence. Servants shrank back. Guards stiffened and looked away. They all felt it, the thing in me that the Council had named, sharpened, and unleashed when rogues needed to disappear… when I knew that they needed to die.“Alpha... you told me to wait for you” Theia’s voice reached me just as I entered my quarters. “Should I bring Lia?”The growl that tore out of my chest wasn’t a warning.It was a threat.And I knew that she read through it easily… much like everyone else.“No.”She didn’t hesitate. She bowed her head and vanished down the corridor.Good.Tonight, Lia would only get hurt.And she was the last person that I would have wanted to harm.I shoved the door open, rage slamming against my ribs like it wanted out. My vision burned gold, the glow bleeding into something darker, something older. This was why I was who I w
Lia:I waited.The consort hall was louder than usual, voices curling around me like smoke, sharp with amusement and hunger. The girls circled close enough to watch, far enough to pretend they weren’t.“So,” one of them said lightly, eyes flicking to my neck, then back to my face. “Every night, was it?”Another laughed. “Bold words to say in front of Elara. I almost admired it.”“They say that the gathering is already done. You should have been called by now, but you know… the Alpha must be enjoying his chosen Luna rather than dealing with a consort.” Another said, looking at me as if I was some kind of game that they found themselves enjoying.I didn’t rise to it. I stood straight, calm on the surface even as my pulse ticked louder with every passing minute. Even as doubt crept through me in a way that I knew should be deemed and considered unhealthy.“He’ll call,” I said simply. “Once he is done with whatever duties he has to take care of as Alpha.”The certainty in my voice made a
Isobel:I saw it in his eyes the moment he heard that I was the one who invited her over.And everyone in the room could feel the tension despite the music playing, despite the clatter, the drinks, and this little entertainment night.The tightness of the air.The sharp flare of his dominance.My son had always worn his emotions like a blade, controlled, lethal, but unmistakable once drawn.And now… I knew very well that he was angry. Good, this would teach him to play such games, and to allow him to have someone to think that they could hold any control over him without my permission.Marcel crossed the hall toward me, his steps measured but furious beneath the surface.“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, the kind of quiet that warned of violence. “Because you have clearly crossed a limit that you shouldn’t have.”I did not look away from Katherine as I answered. “Nothing. I don’t think that I did… but do enlighten me, son.”His jaw tightened. “You invited her. The one person tha
Marcel:“I will call for Lia when the gathering is done.” I told Theia who nodded.“What if you are late, Alpha? Should I let her wait?” She asked, and I shook my head.I didn’t plan on staying late, but her question was still a valid one. And I knew not to let her wait for too long.“No.” I said calmly. “Tell her to go and rest in my room. I will be seeing her when I am back.”“But, Alpha…”“I trust that she is not going to do anything.” I said, stopping Theia.“Alpha, it is not about trust. But if you open that door, then it is not going to be closed easily. Others will talk, and that talking is not going to get you, or her, anywhere that will be in your benefit. Plus, if anything was to happen, she would be the first suspect.” Theia said, looking me in the eye. “I can understand that you want her close, but my job here to protect her as much as I would protect you.”I looked at her and nodded, knowing that she of all people didn’t play the games the others did. She didn’t fight aro
Lia:“What are you planning to wear?”“I mean, it is not like anyone is going to see us. We are going to be here in the harem. To say the least, it might be a headmistress or another consort, but the Alphas won’t catch sight of us.” Another commented.The gathering spread through the consort hall like wildfire.Alphas were coming, powerful ones, territorial ones, men whose presence alone shifted the balance of a room. The girls buzzed with anticipation, excitement sharp and glittering, dresses already being discussed, smiles practiced in mirrors.I sat apart, listening more than watching.I knew that neither consort was going to be seen, nor were they going to be noticed by the men that they wanted seeing them. Unless the Alpha aimed on giving one of them as a ‘gift’ to another, then I doubted that this was going to be the case.Then I felt it.The pause.The shift.One of the consorts’ gazes snagged on my neck.“Well,” she drawled, tilting her head, eyes gleaming, “the Alpha must be
Marcel:The day dragged on longer than it should have.Meetings blurred together, territory reports, supply routes, lingering unrest from the Council’s collapse. I handled it all on instinct, my mind sharp but restless, pulled elsewhere no matter how much discipline I forced onto it.It wasn’t until Vladimir entered my office that the tension finally shifted. “You are going to be late for today’s gathering.”“I doubt that this is why you came here, Vladimir.” I said, and he chuckled, shaking his head at me, clearly amused.“No, it is not.” He said, stepping inside. “But it is one of the things that I need to remind you about. The other packs have gotten distracted from the mating thing that happened between you and Elara, and you abandoning it midway, or they didn’t seem to care enough about it to put any pressure on the subject. But it does not mean that they are going to completely forget. And it is events and gatherings like this one that would keep the alliances.”“I would leave t







