تسجيل الدخولThe elderly woman nodded her head frantically, her eyes wide with fear. Brythil released her arm at once. She wasted no time hurrying from the room, the door clicking shut behind her.Silence settled between us.Brythil turned back to me. He approached the bed slowly, then leaned down and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear with unexpected gentleness.“I promise to take care of you,” he said, a soft smile touching his lips, “and our child.”I stared at him, horrified. “But… we’re not married. We’re not even engaged.”He straightened, the smile still there but firmer now.“Then we fix that,” he said simply. “We’ll get married. But first, we need to make sure your pregnancy stays hidden for now.”My heart stuttered. “Why?”His amber eyes darkened. “Because if people find out,” he answered quietly, “they are going to try to get rid of it. And we don’t want that, do we?”I shook my head quickly, then nodded in agreement, the weight of his words settling heavily in my chest.Brythil’s sm
The voice was cold and deep, cutting through the stunned silence of the ballroom like a blade. Every head turned toward the entrance. And there he stood: the stranger from the forest. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Long dark hair falling past his shoulders. Those same molten amber eyes that had burned into me beneath the trees now locked onto mine across the crowded hall. The black formal clothes he wore did nothing to soften the raw power emanating from him. He looked exactly as I remembered—and somehow far more dangerous. I blinked hard, certain I was hallucinating from the fall, from the slap. But I wasn't. What was he doing here? He started walking toward me. The crowd parted instinctively, as if some primal instinct warned them to step aside. His gaze never left me. When he reached the place where I still knelt on the cold marble, he stopped. One large hand extended toward me, palm open. Gently, almost carefully, he helped me to my feet. I stared up at him, wide-eyed, words failin
The next day...Naeja and Kael’s engagement party was to be held at the palace, a glittering affair meant to display the future king and his chosen queen before the entire pack. Naeja had made certain I would be there. She had gone to Kael herself and requested that I be assigned to serve. I was certain she did it only so she could flaunt her victory and rub every moment of it in my face.I had begged her that morning, my voice low and desperate. “I’m not well. Please… assign someone else.”She had looked at me as if I were something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her shoe. “You’ll serve, Gwenriel. And you’ll do it with a smile.”“There are plenty of other maids,” I tried again, forcing myself to remain respectful. “Just for tonight. I don't feel right.”Naeja slowly rose from her chair, her crimson skirts whispering over the polished floor. She circled me like a predator sizing up wounded prey. “You don't look sick to me.”“I've been feeling dizzy since yesterday.”She stopped di
He covered my mouth with one hand and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling me to keep quiet. His eyes flicked toward the main corridor, listening. When no footsteps approached, he slowly withdrew his hand. Then he tugged the scarf lower. “What are you—” He turned my head to the side with careful but firm fingers, exposing the mark completely. His gaze sharpened as he examined it. “Where did you get this mark?” I forced myself to look at him. “It’s just a scratch, Your Highness.” His frown deepened. “A scratch? The mark on your neck has a clear diamond shape, and you’re telling me it’s a scratch?” His voice dropped. “You’re lying to me.” I shook my head quickly. “No. No, I assure you, Your Highness. It really is just a scratch.” He leaned even closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “That mark belongs to—” “Prince Kael!” Naeja’s voice rang out from the main corridor, bright and searching. “Damn it,” Kael muttered under his breath. He released me at once and stepped
My eyes widened.I clutched the side of my neck, fingers pressing against the tender mark. The memory slammed into me. The stranger in the forest, the way he had bitten down hard while I clung to him.Oh no. No, no, no.This was bad. Had Naeja and Lady Margret already seen it? Was this the reason for the scent everyone kept reacting to?I stripped and stepped into the shower, scrubbing until my skin turned pink and raw. I needed that scent gone. The worst part was that I still couldn’t smell anything on myself. I had no way of knowing whether it had left or not.When I stepped out and changed, I checked the mirror again. The mark remained, dark and fresh. I dug out wipes and healing lotion, applying both carefully, hoping they would fade faster.“Gwen!” Madame Bailey’s voice barked through the door. “How long does it take to shower? Get out here this instant!”“Coming,” I called as I stepped into the hall.She stood waiting with the same bucket of laundry. The moment I appeared, she l
He started to speak.“What are you—”The rest of the question never left his mouth. My knees gave out, and I collapsed against his chest, my forehead pressing into the solid warmth of him. His arms caught me instinctively.“Are you in heat?” he asked, his voice low and careful.I shook my head lazily against him. “Heat… elixir,” I managed. The words felt thick on my tongue. “Mate with me.”The request slipped out before I could stop it. Even I was startled by the raw need in my own voice, but I didn’t take it back. I couldn’t die. Not yet. Not like this.He went still. “Do you know what you’re asking me to do?”I lifted my head and looked at him. Worry and something like concern were written clearly across his face. He didn’t look like the rough, filthy males of the pack. He looked… different. Almost like a gentleman. For a fleeting second, I wondered if I could trust him. If I let any of those other wolves near me, Naeja would brand me a slut before the sun rose, and the shame would







