The safehouse was quiet. Too quiet.Aiden sat at the dining table, reports spread before him. The numbers blurred together—supply routes cut, rogue attacks climbing, whispers of betrayal spilling through every pack. He scrubbed a hand down his face, exhaustion dragging at his bones.Behind him, the couch creaked. Dante sprawled across it like a king in exile, one arm flung over the backrest, golden eyes watching him with infuriating calm.“You’re going to wear a hole in those papers if you glare any harder,” Dante drawled.Aiden didn’t look up. “Maybe I’ll wear one in your face instead.”“Promises, promises.”The heat that flared in Aiden’s chest had nothing to do with anger. He shoved the thought down, scribbling notes he couldn’t read.Outside, the guards kept watch—half Blackthorn, half Veyron. The uneasy alliance crackled even in silence. Wolves shifted restlessly on the perimeter, scenting the night air.They never saw the shadows slip past.Julian’s instructions had been clear.
The council chamber smelled of blood and suspicion.Aiden sat stiff at the long oak table, the wound on his arm hidden beneath a fresh bandage. His father loomed at the head, flanked by elders whose expressions were carved from stone. On the opposite side, Lucien Veyron sat like a shadow, golden eyes cold as winter.Between them, silence crackled.Finally, Elder Morrell broke it. “Another attack. Rogues, yes—but in Veyron colors. This is not a coincidence.”Murmurs rippled. Eyes slid toward Dante.Aiden’s chest tightened. He could still feel the fight in his bones—the rogues’ claws, the heat of Dante’s back against his, the way they’d fought in sync like two halves of a whole. He wanted to defend him. Wanted to scream.But his father’s warning echoed: You may never be ready to lead.Dante lounged in his chair, golden eyes glinting with lazy defiance. “If I’d ordered the hit, Blackthorn wouldn’t be sitting here breathing.”“Convenient defense,” Elder Morrell snapped.Lucien’s gaze was
The whispers hadn’t died.Three days since the gala kiss, New York was still fed on it like wolves on a fresh kill. Screens flashed headlines every hour, tabloids churned out speculation, and pack forums boiled with opinion.Some called it weakness. Others called it treason. A few, mostly young wolves drunk on romance and rebellion, called it destiny.But in the Blackthorn estate, it was shame.Aiden walked the halls with his head high, but every time he passed another wolf, he heard it—the shift in tone, the too-quick silence, the half-hidden smirk. Pups snickered. Elders muttered. Even his father’s men looked at him differently, as if the kiss had stained him more than any wound ever could.At the training yard, one of the younger enforcers sneered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Careful sparring with him. He might kiss you instead of killing you.”Laughter rippled.Aiden’s fist connected with the boy’s jaw before the laughter had even died. The wolf crumpled in the dirt, and sil
The city devoured scandal like blood in the water.By dawn, the kiss was everywhere. Every news site, every gossip feed, every pack forum. Grainy photos splashed across front pages: Dante’s hand gripping Aiden’s waist, Aiden fisting Dante’s shirt, mouths locked in fire.“Forbidden Heirs Exposed!”“Peace Pact or Secret Affair?”“Blackthorn Weakness: Love or Betrayal?”Wolves whispered in bars, in boardrooms, in streets. Some laughed. Others sneered. A few—too few—looked curious.At the Blackthorn estate, the council chamber was a furnace.Elders lined the long oak table, faces grim. Adrian sat at the head, fury controlled only by the tightness of his jaw. Aiden sat rigid at his side, sweat slick on his palms.“Do you understand what you’ve done?” one elder snapped. “The packs are calling this a circus. How can we follow an heir who makes a mockery of our alliance?”Another growled, “This was a mistake from the start. Blackthorns and Veyrons cannot unite.”Their words cut, but none hurt
The gala glittered like a trap.Crystal chandeliers dripped gold light over velvet drapes, champagne glasses sparkled on silver trays, and the air buzzed with laughter too sharp to be sincere. Wolves from every pack in New York crowded the ballroom, wrapped in designer suits and glittering gowns, their perfume masking the musk of power beneath.Aiden hated every second of it.He stood rigid beside Dante, jaw clenched, tie choking him. Cameras flashed endlessly, blinding, each snap another reminder that the council had shoved him into this nightmare. Show unity, they’d said. As if standing shoulder to shoulder with his enemy would convince anyone of peace.Dante, of course, thrived. Golden eyes glinted under the lights, his smile smooth and dangerous. He worked the crowd with infuriating ease, clinking glasses, tossing smirks, brushing past reporters like he owned the room.“You look like you swallowed nails,” Dante murmured without turning his head.Aiden ground his teeth. “Maybe I di
The conference room stank of stale coffee and frustration. Maps covered the table, red circles marking rogue activity. Reports stacked high beside half-drained glasses of water. The weight of too many sleepless nights hung in the air. Aiden leaned over the table, stabbing his finger at the map. “They’re pushing toward the river. If we don’t cut them off now, they’ll carve a path straight through Midtown.” Across from him, Dante leaned back lazily in his chair, golden eyes glinting under the overhead lights. “And if we charge in now, we’ll be walking into their ambush. They want us desperate.” “So your plan is what?” Aiden snapped. “Sit back and let them run over us?” “My plan,” Dante drawled, “is to not be an idiot. You strike fast, you burn out. You wait, you win.” Aiden’s jaw clenched. His wolf snarled, restless. “Funny. I thought Alphas led from the front, not from a leather chair.” For a heartbeat, the room went still. Dante’s smirk widened. Then he leaned forward, bracing