Se connecterCHAPTER 10:ELENA:The tension in that dining room was so thick it made the room feel so suffocating. I’d officially reached my limit. Purity was still clinging to Adrian like a desperate vine, and Adrian was vibrating with a quiet rage that made the silverware hum.I didn't want to give them another second of my time. I chewed and swallowed my last bite of bacon, washed it down with a long sip of cold water, and stood up. I gave a polite, stiff bow to the two Alphas at the head of the table."Thanks for the breakfast," I said, my voice smooth and totally unaffected.I turned on my heel and headed for the stairs. Behind me, I heard Silas clear his throat, that gravelly voice of his echoing in the hall. "One minute, the girl is behaving like she was raised in the streets," he mused, "and the next, she’s acting like a lady. Interesting. In a short while, we'll find out what's in this package."I didn’t look back. I didn't care what he thought about my upbringing. I just wanted to be alo
CHAPTER 9:ELENA:As soon as I got into my new room, I ducked into that massive closet, grabbed a thick, silk floor-length robe that felt like a cloud, and tied the belt tight around my waist.When I walked back into the dining room a few minutes later, the vibe had shifted. The blond girl whose name I now realised was Purity had already claimed the chair right next to Adrian, her body practically glued to his side. Honestly? That was okay by me. That was exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to sit near his dark energy anyway. I had a job to do, and my father’s voice was still echoing in my head, telling me to make friends with his warriors.I scanned the table. There were two other guys sitting there, both of them built like tanks but with faces that didn’t look quite as miserable as Adrian’s. I picked the good-looking one with the kind eyes and the sharp jawline. I walked over, pulled out the chair right next to him, and sat down with a grace I didn't even know I had.I spread the l
CHAPTER 8: JUST GETTING STARTED ELENA:The moment Adrian’s fingers grazed my back as he zipped down the red dress, I felt that disgusting shudder crawl up my spine. He thought I was "affected" by him. He thought I was some cheap girl getting wet because he touched my skin.He didn’t know the half of it.I was leaning into his touch because a few minutes ago, my father’s voice had hissed through the micro-comms in my collar, telling me to play the part. *“Keep an eye on him. Make friends with the guards, his Gamma and Beta. Then, you try to find what their plans are concerning the Black-Quartz Ridges in our land. Every piece of intel brings us closer to bringing that pack to its knees. Do not fail me, Elena.”*I didn't want to fail my Dad. And I was ready to do almost anything to achieve the goal, including leaning into his touch. But Adrian wasn't buying the act. He gripped my shoulders, his hands like iron clamps, and spun me around so I was forced to look into those icy blue eyes.
CHAPTER 7: I'M HERE TO BE YOUR RUIN ADRIAN:"What do you want, Purity?" I asked, my voice flat.She looked small in the dim light of the hallway, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. "I noticed how restless you were," she whispered, her eyes searching mine for a flicker of the man she thought she knew. "You were tossing and turning. When you got out of bed and headed out... I got worried, Adrian. I decided to check on you."I reached out, my hands landing on her shoulders. I could feel her trembling slightly, but my touch wasn't one of affection—it was an anchor, meant to keep her in place so she’d listen. "I’m fine," I said, my tone firm. "You don’t need to worry about me. I just need some air."I dropped my hands, the contact broken, and turned to go back to Elena's door. But I hadn't even taken two steps before I felt her fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me back."Come back to bed, Adrian," she pleaded, her voice thick with the insecurity she tried so hard to hide. "L
CHAPTER 6: IT'S YOUR MASTER ELENA:I heaved a sigh as I watched the door click shut and I heard Adrian’s heavy footsteps fading down the hall. His voice still echoed in my head, telling me to break a single rule of his and experience what's worse than death. What a devil!I stripped that red dress off and let it slide against the floor. I stepped away from it and turned it inside out, my fingers trembling as I hunted through the expensive fabric. My dad had told me the tech was state-of-the-art, woven into the very soul of the garment.After more than three minutes of searching, I found it hidden inside the thick, reinforced hem of the neckline, right under the heavy ruby embroidery. It was tiny—smaller than a grain of rice—a micro-circuitry board that looked like a stray thread until you felt the hard plastic casing. There was another one stitched into the waistband, a flat, flexible strip that acted as a high-frequency antenna. It was genius. To anyone else, it just looked like ext
CHAPTER 5: A MATE AND A MISTRESS ADRIAN:I stepped out of the room as the door clicked shut behind me, leaving Elena Thorne alone with her tears and her tall tales. She really thought she knew me. She really thought a bullet to her boyfriend's head was the peak of what I could do.She had no idea. Death is a mercy in our world. It’s the living that's the hard part.Getting mated to that girl today wasn't in my plans. Not even close. I had my life mapped out: I had a fiancée, a future, and a schedule. I was supposed to mark Purity at the next full moon. But things change fast when pack survival and old blood feuds collide. My father, Silas, didn't give me a choice, and the Thorne Pack didn't deserve one.I’m turning thirty in a few months. Most Alphas have a "goddess-given" mate by the time they're nineteen, but I don’t buy into that fairy tale bull. I rejected my first mate years ago. I don’t believe in destiny; I believe in power and revenge.My heart didn't turn to stone for no rea







