Penelope’s POVThe attack came at dawn, and it came for me personally.“Commander!” Ryan burst into my office without knocking. “Three assault teams moving directly toward your position. This isn’t random—they’re coming for you specifically.”“How close?”“Five minutes, maybe less. They’ve broken through the outer perimeter.”I grabbed my weapons and armor. Assassination attempt. The Rogue King was done playing games with territorial expansion—now he wanted to cut off the head of the resistance.“Evacuation routes?” I asked, strapping on my chest plate.“All compromised. They’ve positioned snipers along every escape path.” Ryan’s face was grim. “We’re trapped here until reinforcements arrive.”“How long for backup?”“Twenty minutes minimum.”Twenty minutes. Against killers who’d had weeks to plan this assault. We’d be lucky to last five.“Get everyone to defensive positions,” I ordered. “And send an emergency signal to Darkwood territory. We need—”The world exploded.The office window
Julian’s POVI should have known something was wrong the moment I saw the attack formation. Three weeks of intelligence gathering, and the Rogues had never moved like this before—too patient, like predators waiting for specific prey.“Get to the communications bunker!” Ryan shouted over the explosions. “We need intel on their movements!”I nodded and sprinted toward the bunker, but my gut was screaming warnings. The enemy wasn’t pushing hard enough. They were holding back, waiting for something.Waiting for someone.I slipped around the back of the building and into the forest where I’d hidden my gear. My hands shook as I pulled on the black cloak. Every instinct told me to stay Julian, to keep my head down and survive this battle as just a spy.But people were dying out there. And they needed their mysterious guardian.The moment I stepped out of the trees wearing the mask, I knew I’d walked into hell.“Target acquired, sector seven!”My blood turned cold. They weren’t calling out ene
Kelsey’s POV“Oh honey, you look exhausted,” Mrs. Whitmore said as she poured my tea. “Is little Alexander keeping you up at night?”I settled into the floral armchair, making sure my face showed just the right amount of tired-but-happy motherhood. “He’s teething, so nobody’s getting much sleep. But Dominic’s been wonderful about taking the night shifts.”The other women made sympathetic noises. These coffee gatherings had become my favorite part of the week—a room full of influential wives who loved nothing more than a good gossip session.“Speaking of sleep,” Janet said, stirring sugar into her cup, “my daughter Emma came home from that new combat training program completely wiped out. They’re working those girls like they’re preparing for war.”“Because they are,” Martha replied sharply. “Did you see the news about fourteen-year-old girls learning sword fighting? Sword fighting! When I was fourteen, I was learning to bake bread and sew buttons.”I leaned forward slightly. “It’s so h
The Rogue King’s POVThe stench of blood filled my underground chamber like rotting meat. Bodies of my fighters had been returned under cover of darkness—seventeen corpses. Another perfect operation turned into a massacre by that phantom bastard.“Tell me again,” I snarled at Larry, the only survivor from the eastern settlement raid. His left arm hung in a makeshift sling, blood seeping through dirty bandages. “Every detail about what you saw.”“He came from nowhere, sir.” Larry’s voice shook. “One second the civilians were running like we planned, the next second Riley and Davis were down with their throats cut.”“How did he move?”“Fast. Faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. Like he knew exactly where we’d be before we got there.”I slammed my fist into the concrete wall, feeling skin split against rough stone. Blood dripped down my knuckles, but the pain felt good. Real. Unlike the ghost that was making me look like a fool.“Three operations!” I roared at the assembled lieutenants who
Dominic’s POVThe drive to Penelope’s house was like torture. Debbie sat in the back seat with her arms crossed, staring out the window with the kind of stubborn silence that meant I’d really screwed up this time.“We’re here, sweetheart,” I said as we pulled into the driveway.She didn’t respond. Just unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her school bag, and climbed out like I’d personally destroyed her favorite toy. Which, in a way, I had—her time with Alexander had become the brightest part of her week.“Debbie—”The car door slammed shut.I watched her march up the front steps, small shoulders rigid with hurt. Six years old and already learning that adults broke promises, that family meant disappointment wrapped in complicated explanations she was too young to understand.The front door opened before she could knock.“There’s my girl!” Penelope appeared, pulling Debbie into a fierce hug, but over our daughter’s red curls, her green eyes found mine with a look that could have melted steel
Dominic’s POVThe sound of Debbie’s laughter drifted down the hallway as I climbed the stairs toward the nursery. She’d been spending more time here lately, eager for these afternoon visits with Alexander and Kelsey.Too eager, maybe.Kelsey’s voice, soft and understanding. Debbie’s voice, younger and more emotional than usual.“…and sometimes I wonder if she even remembers I exist,” Debbie was saying.I stopped outside the door. Through the crack, I could see Debbie sitting in the small chair beside Kelsey, carefully holding Alexander’s bottle while he fed.“That must feel awful, sweetie.” Kelsey’s voice held just the right amount of sympathy. “When parents get so caught up in their work that they forget about the people who need them most.”“It does feel awful. Like I’m not important enough for her to notice.”My hands clenched into fists. What the hell was Kelsey doing?“You are important, Debbie. You’re the most important thing in the world. Any real mother would know that.” Kelsey