LOGINFreda. I was in the middle of a dream when the sound started. It was a heavy, rhythmic thumping on my door. My room in the servants' quarters was always quiet, tucked away in the back of the palace. I sat up, my heart jumping into my throat. "Freda! Open up! Alpha’s orders!" I rubbed my eyes, my mind spinning. The Alpha? It was nearly midnight. He had already taken the tea bundle from me earlier that evening. Why would he want me now? A cold feeling started in my stomach. Whenever Alpha Julian called for someone, it was never to say thank you. It gave my blood pressure a lift. Each call from him was for mischief, and I knew it. I opened the door, shivering in my thin nightgown. Two guards stood there. They didn't look at me. Their faces were like stone. "The Alpha requires your attention," one said. His voice was cold. "Is he in the study?" I asked, my voice small and shaking. "Just follow us." “One second, let me change this…” “Come with us, Freda. Now!” We didn't
Julian The air in the shack felt like it was freezing over. I stared at the pile of brown powder on the table. It looked innocent. It looked like medicine. But to me, it looked like a betrayal that cut deeper than any blade. "That’s impossible," I snapped, my voice cracking in the small room. "This is exactly what I took from the palace. The maid in charge of the Luna’s tea is the one who brought it to me directly this evening as per my order." The Old Woman didn't flinch. She just looked at me with those milky, ancient eyes. "I don't care who brought it to you, Alpha. I know my craft. I know the scent of the death I brew. This? This is not it. This is something else entirely." A short, nervous, yet awkward laugh escaped my mouth. I stepped closer, my shadow looming over her. "Are you trying to play games with me? Are you trying to maneuver your way out of a mistake? Because if you gave me the wrong batch and Diane is growing stronger because of your clumsiness, I will make sure y
Julian I arrived at the palace with fury and rage. I stood in the dim light of the hallway corridor, my shadow stretching long against the stone wall. I spotted Freda; she was probably going to her room or doing that last routine check before it was bedtime for the others."Freda," I called, calm but authoritative.She turned instantly. Upon seeing me, her head bowed low, her hands trembling as she clasped them together in front of her. She walked toward me. "Yes, Alpha?""I need the tea," I said, my voice low, a secret, dangerous hiss. "The new batch. Bring me all of it. Now."She nodded without questions, and she scurried away. In less than seconds, she returned with the package wrapped in a paper bag in a way that made it unidentifiable.I snatched it from her hands and marched toward the door. I wanted the night air to cool the fire in my blood, but it only made the flames grow.A few minutes later, I was in the car, alone. No guard. I didn't request one. I drove to the edge of t
Celine The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in bruises of purple and orange. I gripped the steering wheel of my car, my neck stiff from a long day of crunching numbers and dodging Julian’s hard glares whenever he came around my station. Working in this place for two days already, I could already attest that there was a lot going on beyond the eyes of the ordinary: the gossip behind Diane, the elders, the division. As much as I would love to relay everything to Diane, there are just things one turns a blind eye to. But that courage? That authority? Never in the twenty-plus years I have known Diane have I seen her exude that much confidence. Yes, she was a very confident fellow—stood out, yes—but that was before the arrival of that monster from the west. And now, seeing her regain her stance, standing back on her feet, taking authority of the pack? It gave me joy and happiness. Seeing Julian look like he's being sidelined, with all that Alpha parade being shut b
Julian. The door to my office didn’t just open; it hit the wall with a crack that sounded like a bone breaking. I didn't care. I was past the point of being civil. I was past the point of being a husband. Diane was growing wings—big, golden wings that were starting to cast a shadow over everything I had built. She was getting comfortable in that chair. Too comfortable. As expected, Silas was already there when I came in, leaning against the window with his arms crossed. He didn't even flinch at the sound of the door; he just looked at me with those cold, calculating eyes. "She’s growing wings, Julian," Silas growled, pacing the length of the room like a caged beast. "Tiny, annoying wings. And the earlier we clip them, the better it will be for everyone." I stopped at my desk and let out a laugh. It wasn't a happy sound; it was sharp and jagged. "Can you imagine? She sat there and looked me in the eye while she stole half my reward. My own wife. The woman I brought back from
Diane. "Are you regretting it now?" I didn’t respond at first. I couldn’t. My throat felt like it was full of sand. I kept my head down on the desk, hiding my face. I felt like the world was crumbling around me, and the only person seeing me fall apart was the man who had pushed me to be strong. "Please," I finally whispered into the wood. "I don’t want to talk right now.” I heard the door click. Dom had walked in and locked it. I felt the air in the room change. His presence was like a heavy weight, pulling me out of my dark thoughts. I heard his shoes thumping on the carpet as he came closer. "So, what happened to that lioness in the boardroom ten minutes ago?" he asked; his voice was rough. "Where did she go? Because all I see here right now is a mouse." I raised my head slowly. My eyes were red and my lashes wet. I looked up at him, feeling small in my big leather chair. Dom was standing right in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at me with those
DomJulian had rushed out ten minutes ago, after leaving orders on things he wanted and things he didn't, and leaving me to handle some mess.Now, my job was to find Diane. She was already in the gallery wing with those high-society Council wives.I walked down the long, sun-drenched corridor. My b
Diane "The Beta, Where is his suite?" I asked a passing maid.She stopped and bowed low. "The Beta's suite, Luna? It’s prepared at the far end of the west wing.""Thank you," I said.I turned and headed toward the west wing. It was a part of the house I rarely visited. It was quiet and secluded. A
Diane"Hello?""Hello, Diane," he said. His voice was warm and deep, like a memory of better times. "How are you, child? How is your health?"I blinked, kind of confused. "I'm fine, Uncle Anthor. I’m doing okay. And you?”“I’m fine. This old man is striving. But it's about you this morning. How are
Diane.I picked up my fork and pushed a piece of fruit around."Yesterday," I started. My voice was low but steady. "How did it go? The meeting?" I asked, trying as much as possible to make everything sound normal.Julian didn't even blink. He took a slow sip of his coffee. "It was fine, honey. Jus







