That afternoon, she slipped into the shadows of a disused corridor where the two guards awaited her. They were loyal not only to Lucian, but to her—men whose loyalty she had purchased whith years of whispers, favors, and promises. They looked unsettled, their hands restless on their weapons as Seraphine approached, her cloak drawn tight around her.“You told me it would be quick,” she hissed, her voice laced with venom. “You told me the poison would leave no trace.”Caden, the older of the two bowed his head. “It should have, my lady. We dosed him strong, enough to kill three men. But the healers—”“—kept him alive,” Seraphine snapped, cutting him off. “And now he looks at me as if he knows. As if he remembers.”The men exchanged uneasy glances. Seraphine stepped closer, her eyes sharp as blades, her tone dropping to a hiss.“Listen to me. If Lucian calls for you, you will swear you know nothing. That you saw nothing. If he presses, you hold your tongue. Deny. Deny until your last bre
By morning, it was the guards who noticed first. His tray was untouched, his body sprawled unnaturally on the floor, pale and sweating, his lips tinged with blue.“Xavier!” one shouted, panic lacing his voice as he clattered up the stone stairs. Within moments, a storm of footsteps filled the dungeon, Highland warriors spilling into the corridor with sharp commands and hurried movements.Lucian Wolfe himself arrived, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the fallen Alpha within the cell. He shoved the guards aside, kneeling briefly to examine Xavier.“He’s been poisoned,” Lucian growled, fury flashing in his tone. His gaze snapped to the nearest guards. “Get him to the infirmary. Now. And find out who brought the last meal down here.”Two men rushed forward, unlocking the cell and hoisting Xavier’s limp form between them. His head lolled, eyes shut, breaths shallow as they carried him swiftly out of the dungeon. The air seemed to vibrate with tension—the kind of tension that could
The Eastern Highlands fortress slept under a heavy veil of midnight. Torches sputtered in the corridors, their flames casting long, wavering shadows against the stone walls. Most of the warriors had retreated to their quarters, the silence broken only by the occasional clang of armor as guards changed posts.But Seraphine was awake.She stood before her mirror, her hands pressed to the wooden frame as she gazed at her reflection. The image that stared back at her was one she had crafted carefully: the flawless Luna, serene, composed, adored by her people. Yet beneath the mask, her heart beat a frantic rhythm.Lucian hadn’t listened. He had weighed her words, had acknowledged her reasoning, but he had not given the order. Xavier still lived. And as long as he drew breath in the cells below, Seraphine felt her position crumbling, a crack widening beneath her feet that could swallow everything she had clawed her way toward.Her lips curved into a bitter smile. If Lucian would not act, sh
The council chamber was heavy with silence after Garran’s words. Rayne lingered there a while, her fingers drumming absently against the table, though her mind was a tempest that refused to quiet. She only left when the torchlights began to dwindle, exhaustion forcing her to seek the solitude of her quarters.But she wasn’t alone.Outside the chamber doors, Jace stood in the shadows of the corridor. His back pressed against the stone wall, his breath tight in his chest, as if what he had overheard had stolen the very air from him. He hadn’t meant to stay. At first, he had come only to make sure she was safe, to speak with her when the council finished with their talks. But then he had heard her voice—low, vulnerable, confiding in Garran—and he couldn’t move. He couldn’t leave.And now he wished he had. Because the words cut deeper than any blade.Lucian Wolfe. Luna. Her heart wavering not for Valen, not for the legacy of her father, but for a man who had no place in their world.Jealo
Rayne stiffened in Jace's arms. For a fleeting second, she wanted to surrender to the warmth of it, to let it anchor her. But behind her closed eyes, it wasn’t Jace’s face she saw—it was Lucian Wolfe’s. The raw intensity in his eyes when he had asked her that impossible question. His voice, deep and steady, echoing in her mind like a vow: Would you love to be my Luna?Rayne slowly pushed herself free from Jace’s hold, managing a small smile to mask the storm raging within her. Jace didn’t seem to notice. His grin remained boyish, triumphant, as if her return alone had already healed everything broken between them.Cain cleared his throat beside her, deliberately breaking the moment. “We should take her inside,” he muttered, his eyes scanning the remnants of the territory. “There’s still much to discuss.”"Sure. Let's start with how you betrayed us and caused all of this." Jace snapped at Cain, "Rayne may have forgiven you, but we haven't."The packs roared in agreement with Jace.Betr
Seraphine was waiting.The moment she heard the news that Rayne had departed for Valen, her heart lightened in a way it hadn’t in weeks. She had seen the way Lucian looked at the woman—like she was both a curse and a salvation he could not escape. Every glance, every silence, every hesitation in his words when Rayne was near had pierced Seraphine like a dagger. But now… now the rival was gone.She didn’t let her joy show outright. Instead, she played the part of the dutiful Luna—the one Lucian needed when the burdens of his rule weighed heavily. She had learned long ago that her strength didn’t lie in brute force but in persuasion, in softness, in the subtlety of words whispered when he was most vulnerable.When Lucian returned to the Highlands council hall, she was the first to meet him. Seraphine approached her mate carefully. His shoulders were taut, his face shadowed, his eyes distant in a way that told her his mind was still following Rayne long after her departure. She despised