FAZER LOGIN- WILLOWThe brass latch on the ladies' lounge door clicked shut behind me, instantly cutting off the roar of the gala orchestra outside.I leaned against the marble sink, letting out a long, heavy breath as I looked in the massive gilded mirror. The sleek midnight-blue dress Noah had picked out looked incredible, but three hours of dodging high-society elders and ignoring corporate gossip was enough to give anyone a pounding headache. I grabbed a paper towel, dabbing a few drops of cold water on my neck."Enjoying your final hours as a free woman, Willow?"I didn't even have to turn around. That shrill, condescending voice echoed off the polished tile like nails on a chalkboard.Sherlyn stood in the doorway, wearing her deep scarlet gown, her tight blonde ringlets bouncing as she crossed her arms. Her mouth was twisted into that same vicious, predatory smirk she’d been sporting out on the ballroom floor."Sherlyn," I said, tossing the paper towel into the brass bin and turning arou
- WILLOW"I swear to God, Marcus, if you spill one drop of espresso on my tactical vest, I'll assign you to border patrol in the eastern swamps for six months," I said, adjusting the cuffs of my black formal jacket in front of the mirror.Marcus snorted and tossed a file onto my desk. "Relax, Commander. The GPS signal on the decoy drives is solid. The silver sedan stopped right outside Lord Lambert's estate in Sector Two ten minutes ago. They think they've got us by the throat.""Let them celebrate," I smirked, checking my sidearm in its hidden shoulder holster before buttoning the jacket over it. "Makes it ten times sweeter when we hit 'em on the assembly floor tomorrow."I grabbed my keys and left my quarters, heading down the polished marble corridor toward the main reception hall.The capital was practically bursting at the seams tonight. Delegates from all fifty packs poured into Luidel, filling every hotel room, pavilion, and private lounge in the city. We couldn't walk five ste
- WILLOWThe door to Dexter’s private quarters slammed shut behind us with a loud, ringing crash that rattled the glass-framed maps on the wall.I didn't even have time to blink before Dexter backed me up against the heavy oak paneling, his large hands slamming flat on either side of my head. His dark eyes were wild, blazing with fury and panic that he was barely keeping locked down."What the hell were you thinking?" Dexter growled, his face inches from mine, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous growl. "Sneaking off to an abandoned warehouse to meet your ex-mate alone. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?""I was gathering intel!" I shot right back, pushing hard against his chest with both hands. "I didn't need a babysitter, Dex! I handled Callum in ten seconds flat, exactly like I planned!""That's not the point!" He didn't budge an inch, his heavy frame trapping me against the door. "You didn't tell me! You just walked out into the dark like your life is some disposable v
- WILLOWThe air inside the abandoned south transit warehouse smelled of cold dust and rusted iron, and stale food.I stood near a cracked shipping crate under a flickering overhead bulb, crossing my arms over my leather jacket as I listened to the hollow echo of footsteps approaching from the loading bay."Willow?"Callum stepped out from the shadows. He looked ridiculous in his tailored wool coat, walking through a grime-covered freight yard like he was touring a luxury estate. He stopped a few feet away. A breathless, desperate grin plastered across his face. He actually looked relieved."You came," Callum said, taking a step closer and reaching out like he wanted to grab my arm. "I knew you weren't stupid enough to stay with that psycho. Look, I brought the transport vouchers and the exit pass right here in my coat pocket.""Keep your hands to yourself, Callum," I said, stepping back and keeping my tone ice-cold. "And stay away from me.""Come on, Willow, stop playing hardball,"
- WILLOWI was walking back from the supply closet holding a stack of blue folders when I heard them. Two junior administrative clerks were standing by the water cooler in the third-floor hallway, whispering back and forth like a couple of middle-schoolers trading gossip behind the bleachers."I'm telling you, it's some kind of dark charm," one of them hissed, her eyes darting over her shoulder as I turned the corner. "Nobody from Ashbourne Pack just walks in and wraps King Noah and Dexter around their finger like that. She definitely used a binding rune or some dirty magic.""Right?" the other one scoffed, loud enough for me to hear every word. "Look at her. Severed bond, zero family backing, and she's walking around like she owns the palace. Poor King Noah and Dexter don't even realize they're being played. Lord Lambert was right. She's just a parasite."I didn't stop walking. I didn't snap back or give them the satisfaction of seeing my hands shake. I just kept my stride steady, dr
- WILLOWThe grand reception room looked like a museum for people with way too much money and zero taste. Massive gold-framed oil paintings covered the high walls, and the marble floor was polished so bright people could see their own reflection looking back up at them.Lord Lambert was sitting on the velvet couch like a king on a fake throne. He had silver hair slicked back tight, wearing a sharp charcoal suit with a silver council pin pinned to his lapel. Sitting right beside him was a girl who couldn't have been older than twenty-two, dressed in an emerald green silk gown. She had perfect posture, her hands folded neatly in her lap, looking around the room like she was waiting for someone to clean the floor before she walked on it.Two heavy estate guards stood behind their couch, arms crossed, trying to look terrifying.Noah was leaning against the grand fireplace mantel, his arms folded, looking completely unbothered. Dexter stood a few feet away, hands jammed into his dark jack







