The council chamber of Valen territory was quiet that afternoon, the heavy stone walls absorbing the silence that clung between the two figures seated within. The fire crackled in the hearth, but its warmth did little to ease the chill that crept over Rayne’s skin. She sat opposite Garran, her posture steady, her eyes firm, yet her fingers tightened against the armrest of her chair.She had made her choice. Now she had to say it aloud.“Garran,” she began, her voice even but carrying the weight of a thousand battles, “I have decided. I will accept Lucian Wolfe’s offer. I will be his Luna.”The words hung in the air like smoke, impossible to ignore. Garran’s jaw tightened, the faintest flicker of surprise in his eyes before he masked it behind his usual stern calm.“You mean to leave Valen?” he asked quietly.Rayne shook her head, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. “Not leave. Protect it in a way only I can. Lucian and I… we were never meant to be divided. Every battle I’ve fought,
The trap had been set in silence, and silence was how it snapped shut.For days, Lucian Wolfe said nothing, moving through the keep as though nothing had changed. He sat at Seraphine’s side during meals, shared her bed at night, and let her curl against him as if she still held his loyalty in her hands. To the outside world, nothing was amiss. To Seraphine, he seemed the same—distant at times, burdened by the weight of Alpha duties, but still hers.And that was exactly what Lucian wanted her to believe.The false plans had left the keep, passed into shadows through the hands Seraphine trusted most. Lucian’s men tracked every whisper, every footstep, every shift in the dark. And then, like a hawk circling its prey, the truth returned to him.The “southern ambush,” a battle that never truly existed, had reached ears it never should have—enemies lying low in the hills, remnants of Xavier’s broken forces, stirred by bait that only Seraphine could have released.Lucian had his answer.It w
Later, as Lucian Wolfe lay beside Seraphine in their chamber, her body curled possessively against his, Lucian stared into the darkness above. Her breath was warm against his chest, steady, trusting. To her, he was ensnared in her web still, blind to the poison dripping from her tongue.But inside, Lucian Wolfe was sharpening his knives, not of steel, but of patience and deception. He would wait. He would watch. And when the truth revealed itself, there would be no escape—not for Seraphine, not for anyone.For the first time since becoming Alpha, Lucian was preparing for war not against his enemies, but against the woman who wore his mark.And if she really was a traitor, it would be way easier to sever their bond.-----The morning sun bled softly through the tall windows of Valen Keep, gilding the cold stone with warmth it hadn’t known in months. The territory was alive again—the sound of warriors training in the yard, the scent of fresh bread from the kitchens, the heartbeat of a p
Lucian Wolfe’s fists curled at his sides, but he gave no outward sign of disbelief or acceptance. “You expect me to believe this?”“Believe it or not,” Xavier said, shrugging faintly, “the truth does not need your approval. She wanted Rayne dead, Wolfe. Do you understand? She begged us to take her out. Rayne Valen was a threat to her seat at your side, and she feared the sway that woman had over you. Seraphine knew you still carried a fire for her, and it burned her alive inside. So she made a deal—her loyalty for our blades. She sold you your own weaknesses.”Lucian’s chest rose and fell with slow, controlled breaths. Every instinct screamed at him to strike, to silence Xavier, but reason anchored him still. He needed more.“And now?” Lucian asked, voice low. “Rayne is gone from my side. What does Seraphine want of you now?”Xavier’s grin turned sharp, venomous. “Me dead. Of course. Did you think the poison in my cup was an accident? Oh no. That was her hand. You see, once Rayne was
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