LOGINCHAPTER 101: I'M MAKING YOU A PROMISE ELENA:The silence that followed my father’s departure was heavier than the calm that preceded a storm. I watched Adrian, the man who had terrorized me, saved me, and finally claimed me, slowly fall apart. He marched toward the wine cellar, his movements stiff and mechanical. I stood back, my heart aching as I watched him reach for a bottle of expensive whiskey. He didn't bother with a glass. He poured a shot, downed it in one go, then poured another. His hands, usually so steady when he was wielding power or training his wolves, were shaking as he dragged them through his dark hair.I couldn't just sit there and watch the light go out of his eyes. I walked over, my bare feet silent on the floorboards, and slid my arms around his neck from behind. I pressed my cheek against his back, then leaned in close, kissing the shell of his ear."I have no idea how my dad got all that information," I whispered. "I swear, Adrian, I didn't know he was coming.
CHAPTER 100: A DANGEROUS TWISTAdrian:Darius rose to his feet with a slowness that felt like a predatory stalk. He towered over the table, his eyes filled with such bottomless contempt that it felt like he was looking at a pile of trash rather than the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. The silence in the room was brittle, ready to snap at any second."I will leave, Adrian," Darius said, his voice a low, raspy scrape against the quiet. "But do not, for one second, think that this is over. You think you have evidence? You have a deck of cards made of glass, and the first time the wind blows, your whole house is going to come crashing down."My blood went cold, then immediately turned to steam. I stood up, pushing my chair back with such force it clattered against the floor, and stepped into his personal space. I was two inches taller, and I made sure he felt every bit of that advantage. I looked him dead in the eye, my chest barely an inch from his. "Is that a threat, Darius?""Call it what
CHAPTER 99: I WANT OUT OF THIS ALLIANCE ADRIAN:The air in the living room was so heavy it felt like breathing underwater. Darius glared at me from across the table like he was ready to rip my throat out with his bare teeth.“Darius, tell us exactly why you’re here.”Darius didn't hold back. He launched into a tirade about how he’d handed his daughter over to seal an alliance, not to be treated like common dirt. "Elena was meant to be your mate, Adrian, not your personal slave! You’ve breached the terms of our agreement and I want out of this alliance, effective immediately."I let out a slow, deliberate breath, keeping my expression schooled. "It’s not happening, Darius. The alliance was iron-clad for ten years. The terms were clear: anyone who tries to pull out before that time is up forfeits their entire pack to the other. You walk away, you lose everything."Darius slammed his fist on the table. "No way! I never agreed to such nonsense! I’d never sign away my legacy just so we co
CHAPTER 98: WHAT A SURPRISE!ELENA:“Can I call you Mummy?”Hearing Liam say that melted my heart.Despite the throbbing pain in my head and the exhaustion weighing down my limbs, Liam’s request hit me right in the soul. He was just a little boy looking for a place to belong, and I was suddenly the one who’d helped him find it.Theo stepped in quickly, his hand resting on Liam’s shoulder. "Liam, she can't be your mom. Elena is only nineteen. She’s still just a teenager herself."Liam didn't care about the logistics of age. He just stared up at me with those big, hopeful eyes, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout that could melt stone. I couldn't help it—I squatted down right there in the living room, bringing myself down to his eye level."Of course you can call me Mom," I said, my voice soft. I reached out and took his small hands. "Can I call you my son?"Liam’s face lit up like he’d been handed the moon. He nodded eagerly, and before I could even blink, he was throwing his arms aro
CHAPTER 97: VICTORY AT LAST ADRIAN:I looked at Elena. She looked battered, but her eyes were glowing with a power that terrified me in the best way possible. The air in the arena had grown heavy as everyone waited. Some of them looked at me like I was crazy when I gave the order to let the contest continue. Because Elena had just been attacked with a weapon. How did I expect her to continue fighting?I ignored their look of confusion. But then the silence was broken by the frantic buzz of a mind-link. Clement’s voice hit my head, sharp and panicked.“Alpha, have you lost your mind? The girl was just knocked out cold a minute ago! You want to send her back into the ring with a concussion? She’s going to get killed!”I kept my face like stone, watching Elena stand tall in the center of the ring. “Trust me, Clement,” I responded. “If I just force the officiator to hand her the win, the pack will call me partial. They’ll say I fixed it for my mate. She needs to end this herself. She ca
CHAPTER 96: LET THE CONTEST CONTINUE ADRIAN:I knew those snakes would try to manipulate the contest. Purity and Anna were desperate for the Luna position, and desperate people are dangerous. I already left the bed before Elena woke up, and I wasn't in the stands with the council—I was exactly where I needed to be: in the control room, surrounded by monitors, watching every square inch of that arena.When Elena walked onto the stage, I saw her eyes scanning the crowd. She was looking for me. I felt the urge to go out there and fight this battle for her. But I held myself down, telling myself that if I did something irrational, everything would be ruined, and Elena was going to lose. So I focused on watching the monitor. It was all I could do to keep from walking out there and pulling her into my arms.She really needed to do this on her own. And all I needed to do was make sure she wasn't cheated. She stood there, looking so small against the massive platform, yet she held herself wi
CHAPTER 4: THE PACKAGE IS HEREELENA:I kept my face pressed against the cold glass of the window as the SUV sped away. I didn’t care if I looked pathetic; I just wanted to memorize every detail. The stone gate of our estate, the crooked oak tree where Kamala and I used to hide from our tutors, and
CHAPTER 3: GETTING MARKED BY THE COLD ALPHA ELENA:I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching the man who had ripped my heart out three years ago act like he owned the very air I breathed.After he finished whispering those threats in my ear, Adrian finally turned his attention to my father. It w
CHAPTER 2: I KNOW WHO YOU AREELENA:As soon as my father made that statement, the silence in the room became heavy. It felt like a physical weight pressing down on my lungs, making every breath a struggle. I stood there on that dais, the rubies on my red dress feeling like drops of frozen blood ag
CHAPTER 1: THE RED SACRIFICE ELENA:“Wow, you look amazing, Elana,” Kamala said as she watched me put finishing touches to my makeup. She was my best friend and the Beta's daughter. So we practically grew up together. “Thanks girl,” I said, leaning into the mirror to fix my lip gloss. With a smil







