It was a simple interaction. I walked past a worker carrying warm linens, and the scent of lavender wafting off of them was calming. My linens didn’t smell like that, and I would like it if they did, so I stopped her. “Excuse me,” I said. “Do you work in the laundry?”“No, Luna,” the middle-aged w
I laughed in his face.“What’s changing, Elroy? What changes are you even trying to make?”“The high council was set up to avoid a dictatorship, I can’t just—”“Set up by who? Let me guess, the ancestors of the people who are currently on the council? There’s nothing you can say or do that will make
My fingers hovered over my phone, trembling slightly as I responded to the email from Lycanthrope Life magazine. The prestigious publication's request for an exclusive interview burned brightly on the screen, a beacon of opportunity... and risk.I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "This is it,"
I smiled, full of pride for the beautiful creation that Jordan made me. Now she could get the recognition she deserved for it.“It turned out so much better than I’d imagined,” I said honestly. “I had the idea, but the actual creation was done entirely by Jordan Hanna, my personal maid. Can you beli
I felt my eyes flash with cold fury, my hand clenching by my side as Rita’s father kept yammering on about how ‘unfair’ and ‘excessive’ his daughter’s punishment was. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and people were already starting to gather."Mr. Blackwood," I began, k
A burst of energy surged through my veins as I faced the crowd, their faces open with disbelief. The newfound power of my presence hummed beneath my skin, intoxicating yet controlled. I squared my shoulders, chin lifted high."I stand before you as your Luna," I declared, my voice ringing clear acro
I retreated to the Pearl Room, leaning against the door the moment it clicked shut behind me. Now that I was alone, the adrenaline starting to peter out, all I could think about was that scent.It still lingered in my nose, the same way Elroy’s enraged profile seemed seared into my eyelids. My hands
My footsteps echoed through the stone corridor, each footstep matching the pounding of my heart. The council room loomed ahead, its ornate wooden doors a silent sentinel guarding my fate. Beside me, Elroy's face was a mask of concentration. His brow was furrowed in thought but I knew better than t
Elroy POVAs we ran, I felt more powerful than I ever had before, and the feeling was so heady I could almost understand how some alphas fell prey to its corruption.But along with that new power came an increase in my balance and in my self-awareness. I knew it was because of Olivia at my side, fly
“First, please, why was Louisa talking about how you were kidnapped? You think she was lying?”I waved the question away. “Louisa only lies when she’s talking. Obviously, she’s trying to con me into something, but I’m not going to waste my time listening to her.I could tell Elroy wanted to keep tal
Olivia POVLouisa stared at me, but while I tried to look back at the actual woman speaking to me, all I truly saw was my bully, the woman giggling in delight as she slept with my fiancé, and the person who had tried to take everything from me. I wanted to challenge her to combat, transform, and bre
How could I explain myself to her now? How could I ever make up for my actions?The door to the antechamber opened, and a young servant walked in. I had made a study of Olivia’s life in the palace since her wedding, and I knew the servant’s name was Jordan.I stood, and Jordan looked at me with impa
Louisa POVI sat in some anonymous antechamber in the palace and basically felt like shit.I was young, but I’d had many experiences. I’d run with the pack under a full moon. I’d attended, and excelled at, Lunaris’s top schools. I’d challenged an alpha who wouldn’t respect my space, and I won, thoug
Elroy POV“Your political affiliation with a woman you ‘married’ while she was unconscious is of no concern to this council,” Elder Juarez scoffed.“Moonshadow holds a proxy marriage as binding,” Greg said.“But I don’t,” Olivia told him. “The thought of the political power you exerted over me is si
Olivia POVIris and I rode back to the palace in a car Elroy sent to the Moonshadow Keep at dawn. Rodin was with us because Iris refused to leave him behind.It would have been different if the beta actually had a passion for cooking or dreams of being a chef, but once Iris told him he’d make an exc
Olivia POVI had achieved a kind of patience while waiting for Iris to finish her analysis. Rodin was quietly helpful, and Brady had returned from her errand to organize getting Iris whatever equipment she needed.I was so impressed watching her. How nice it would be to have a demonstrable skill, so
Elroy POVHer room was empty, but that didn’t alarm me at first. There were many places throughout the palace where she could be reading or napping or hosting a return visit from one of the pack leaders.But even as I walked the halls, I knew she was doing none of these things. I could feel her miss