Ember woke with a gasp, her chest cold with sweat, Thorne was already on his feet, hurriedly pulling his trousers on as the screams continued, echoing through the night. “Fire!” Someone screamed again.Ember threw on her robe and rushed out, her feet hitting the cold floor. She caught up just as Thorne yanked open the door. In the hallway, Kaya and Ragnar were already there, Kaya looked in their direction, her eyes wide.“What’s happening?” Kaya asked, falling in step beside Ember.They didn’t need an answer. Smoke drifted in through the windows, stinging their nostrils. Down the east wing, flames licked the lower edge of the wall, but it was already dying down as dozens of servants and workers were there, dousing the last of it with buckets of water.One of the builders stood beside the mess with his arms folded, jaw tight as he observed the wall. “It was the torch holder,” he said loudly, like he wanted everyone to hear. “The design was unstable. The wood caught from the wind draf
Months later, Kaya lay her head on Ragnar’s chest, staring down the length of his lower body. He had been away in Silvercrest, sent to conquer and organize the remains of the territory for Alpha Thorne, who had claimed it and merged it with his own. Kaya had wanted to join him, or at least visit, but he insisted she stay behind.He’d been right. When he returned, he came home with so many wounds she wondered how he’d managed to survive at all. Matteo’s pack, what was left of it, hadn’t surrendered without a fight.After Matteo’s death, they tried to regroup and choose a new alpha. Since Matteo and Serene had produced no heir, chaos followed. They kept fighting among themselves until Ragnar arrived and took it in Thorne’s name.Ember had thrived. She transformed from the underfed, trafficked girl who had lost her family, to a strong, vocal Luna. The pack moved in tune with her, following her guidance like waves to the moon. She softened Thorne in a way that made him even stronger, and
Ember ran all the way to one of the guest rooms, her heart pounding. Killian tried, and failed, to warn her about overexerting herself.What now?The question kept reverberating in her head, all sorts of situations flashing through her mind, each worse than the last.She reached the door, her senses picking up Stella’s choked sobs. She pushed it open just as Ragnar and Kaya arrived as well, and there she saw Stella hunched over the bed, where a figure lay still. Gertrude.Her heart clenched even before the thought had fully formed.The pack doctor stood behind Stella, her gaze meeting Ember’s as she gave a small shake of her head.Gertrude was dead.But how? Why?Ember restrained herself from asking as Ragnar gathered his sister into his arms, comforting her with a stony expression on his face. He tried to stay strong, but his eyes betrayed him.They all stood in silence, Stella’s sobs piercing each and every heart.After Stella had been taken to a different room by Ragnar, Kaya stood
Ember held her breath. This was it, the moment that defined and crowned her decision to stay with Thorne and follow him. Not with violence, but peace. To show him that some apples did fall far from the tree.For so long, she had refused to see the darker side of her parents, instead dwelling on the false belief that Alpha Thorne, and Thorne alone, had been responsible for them losing their pack, their home, and their family.But her mother’s actions had proved otherwise. Going as far as nearly murdering her own daughter just to uphold a lie, even after being exposed and, ironically, shielded by Thorne’s mercy.Ember had done her best. Caden had tried to lead with violence but had seen her vision, and in his own way, had fought to prove he was worthy of reclaiming his birthright.Now, it all rested in Thorne’s hands.As she felt the steady rise and fall of his chest behind her, she sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess, that her mate would find it in his heart to be merciful, to be
The stairs blurred under Thorne’s feet as he hurried toward Ember’s wing, his heart thrumming with emotion. His mate, his Luna, was awake.The thought kept echoing in his head with every step. Wild, relentless, and it drowned out everything else.He pushed the door open, walking to the bed in long strides just as she raised her head at the sound of his entrance. She smiled tiredly, but with genuine joy.He sank into the bed and held her, his hand cradling the back of her neck, pressing her into his chest in a tight hug. She was warm. His arms trembled from how close he’d come to losing her.“You’ll choke me back to unconsciousness,” she wheezed from somewhere within his hold.He loosened it instantly, letting out a shaky breath of relief. Cupping her face, he peered into her eyes, searching. “How do you feel?”He scanned every detail from her pupils, the flush in her cheeks, to the curve of her lips, looking for anything out of place.“I feel fine. Like I’ve just roused from a deep sl
The scorching sun bore down on the earth, as Thorne stood in front of the pack house, flanked by his guards in their wolf forms. He zeroed his gaze on the group of wolves bounding toward him, dust rising in their wake.The one in front carried a white flag in its mouth, a sign of negotiation, or truce. Surrender was unlikely. They most probably knew his pack was currently weak, they wouldn’t just surrender. Not for any reason.His own men, part of the wolves stationed at the gate and perimeter, escorted the incoming group. They ran in formation, keeping the outsiders boxed in, ready to strike the moment anything went wrong.The foreign wolves slowed, stopping a safe distance before him, surrounded on all sides by Thorne’s guards.The leader stepped forward, and Thorne saw the second flag clearly now, even though he’d already guessed. Ashen Pack. So Riad had finally made a move. He wondered why they sent scouts first and not the whole army. Maybe Riad was biding time. Maybe he was stal