登入Fay's POVSomething was wrong and I knew it. No matter how much I tried to calm myself down and reassure myself I was overthinking the situation, I had this sick feeling that I was unable to ignore.I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.Liora had promised she wouldn't be gone for long but she was still gone. Maybe I should've tried harder to stop her from leaving, but she would've gone either way. She had promised not to go but she still had left because that was the kind of person she was. Once she made up her mind about something, it was hard to make her change her mind.I paced across her bedroom for what felt like the hundredth time, glancing toward the open window.The curtains swayed gently in the night breeze and every time they moved, my heart jumped.What if someone had caught her? What if Alpha Kael had found her?What if—"No."I shook my head."Liora is fine."I said the words aloud as though repeating them could make them true."She's fine."I walked toward the wind
Alpha Kael's POV(Several Moments Earlier)The moment I realized the gun had never been the real threat, everything fell into place.None of it had been a coincidence. Someone had wanted me away from the rest of the estate, someone had known exactly which weakness to exploit.And there was only one name that came to mind.Amarok.My jaw clenched. That bastard had somehow found another way to sink his claws into my territory.I turned toward the corridor."I don't have time for this" I said.The guard immediately raised the gun again."Don't move!"I stopped then slowly, I looked over my shoulder."You still don't understand what you've done" I said."I said I won't let you leave!" He threatened. "You think that weapon gives you power over me?" I asked.His hands trembled."It can kill you" he replied. I turned fully toward him."Perhaps, but you're forgetting something."His eyes narrowed."I'm an Alpha and you're pointing a weapon at someone who has been fighting killers since befo
Liora's POVI couldn't breathe. Amarok's words kept replaying inside my head. I stared at him, but somehow I wasn't really seeing him anymore.My mind had transported me somewhere else, back to every moment I had spent with Alpha Kael, every strange look, every unanswered question, every time he had touched me.Had all of it been a lie?My fingers curled tightly into the fabric of my dress."No..."Amarok watched me carefully."Liora."I shook my head."You're wrong. You don't know what you're talking about" I said.His expression hardened."I'm not. I've spent a considerate amount of time investigating your bloodline" he replied. "But you don't know Kael" I said."I know enough about him" he replied. My voice cracked."You don't" I countered. He took a slow breath."Then tell me I'm wrong" he said.I opened my mouth but nothing came out because I didn't know. I had always assumed my blood was dangerous.I thought perhaps that was why Alpha Kael hadn't killed me immediately. Maybe
Alpha Kael's POVThe barrel of the gun remained fixed on my chest, steadier than I would have expected.The guard's hands still trembled, but there was enough determination in his eyes to convince me he believed he could actually pull the trigger.I looked from the weapon to his face then I laughed and I took one slow step toward him."You are either incredibly brave or astonishingly stupid" I said.His grip tightened."Don't move. I mean it!" He said.I continued forward, my expression calm."You think pointing a gun at me will force me to change my mind?"His breathing became ragged."I don't have another choice" he said.I stopped only a few feet away."You had countless choices.""I exhausted all of them" he replied. "You exhausted your patience.""I exhausted my hope" he countered. For the first time since this absurd confrontation had begun, I looked at him properly.There were dark circles beneath his eyes, his uniform was creased, his beard had begun to grow unevenly.He loo
Liora's POVFor several long seconds, I couldn't breathe.Amarok's name echoed inside my head like the tolling of a bell.He stood beneath the silver glow of the moon as though he belonged to the shadows themselves. His dark cloak blended seamlessly with the night, and yet his piercing eyes remained fixed on me, unwavering and predatory.How had he gotten inside Alpha Kael's estate?This place was supposed to be impenetrable, every entrance was heavily guarded, every wall was patrolled.And yet, he was here, standing only a few feet away from me.My heart hammered against my ribs."You..."The word barely escaped my lips and Amarok smiled.He looked completely as I remembered him, his aura calm despite how dangerous I had heard he truly is."Liora, I've wanted to see you" he said, his voice was smooth.I instinctively took a step backward."What are you doing here?" I asked.His eyes softened ever so slightly."I'm here for you" he replied.My brows knitted together."For me?"He nodd
Alpha Kael's POVThe sweet, wild fragrance drifted through the corridors like a whisper, teasing my senses then a slow frown settled on my face."What are you doing now...?"She was supposed to be in her room. I had ordered her back there myself and Fay wasn't foolish enough to allow her disobey me.Which meant Liora might have snuck out.A sigh escaped me."You're becoming a troublesome habit."I changed direction without another thought as her scent continued to linger along the northern corridor.The torches lining the walls crackled softly, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Every few steps, I paused to breathe in again, allowing my wolf to separate her scent from the countless others lingering inside the estate.A small smile tugged at my lips despite myself."So, you've learned how to sneak around" I murmured.Interesting.The first time she'd attempted it, fear had practically poured off her. She had stumbled through the estate like a frightened rabbit.Tonight, she h
Liora's POVMy skin tingled as the maids’ hands glided over me, spreading oil down my shoulders, across the slope of my collarbone, over the curve of my breasts, down my ribs and over my waist. Their touch was careful, almost timid, as if I were a fragile artifact rather than a living woman.The s
I still remember the smell of smoke, thick and chocking, curling into my lungs, and the sound of my mother’s screams echoing through the house as she was slaughtered along with my father for trusting the wrong people.Though it has been a long time since that night, it is burned into me as if it ha
The Alpha Losing ControlKael’s POV“Your blood… shouldn’t exist.”The words left my mouth before I could stop them.For a moment, silence settled between us.Liora stared at me as if I had spoken a language she did not understand. Her breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling beneath the
Liora’s POV“She is dangerous.”Alpha Kael’s voice followed me like a shadow as the guards dragged me from the room.My feet barely touched the floor as they hauled me through the doorway, their grips iron-tight around my arms. The heavy doors slammed shut behind us with a thunderous boom that ech







