LOGINThe high doors of the King’s private bedchambers were slammed shut against the frantic noise reverberating throughout the Amber Court. Outside, heavy boots thundered down the corridors as Garrett’s vanguard enforced an immediate, uncompromising lockdown. Inside, the chamber was a tempest of raw panic and suffocating dread.
Rosalie lay motionless on the massive, velvet-draped poster bed, her face drained of all color, her sk
The high doors of the King’s private bedchambers were slammed shut against the frantic noise reverberating throughout the Amber Court. Outside, heavy boots thundered down the corridors as Garrett’s vanguard enforced an immediate, uncompromising lockdown. Inside, the chamber was a tempest of raw panic and suffocating dread.Rosalie lay motionless on the massive, velvet-draped poster bed, her face drained of all color, her skin cold as mountain river stone. Her dark velvet gown had been cut away at her throat by the head healer, revealing blue, swollen veins tracing a terrifying web down her neck toward her chest. Her breaths were faint, ragged gasps that rattled softly in her throat, each one weaker than the last.Three senior court healers hovered over her side, their hands trembling so violently that silver vials of moon-lily oil and powdered dragon-root clattered uselessly agains
The air inside the King’s private war study felt thick enough to choke on. The eerie violet light from Morana’s spell had faded back into the warm, flickering yellow of the hearth, but the cold lingered, seeping into the very mortar of the stone walls.Dominic stood near the high mahogany desk, his massive chest heaving, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his neck strained against his collar. The bitter sting of defeat tasted like ash in his mouth. To have the entire eastern wing stripped and searched, to have every man inspected down to his bare flesh, only to yield nothing, it was a humiliation that burned through his Alpha veins like liquid fire. And not to mention how his men must be feeling right now."A stronger witch..." Rosalie murmured softly, breaking the suffocating silence. She stood near the edge of the map table, her hand resting over her round belly, her finger
The heavy oak doors of the war study were thrown wide as Dominic stormed down the eastern gallery, a terrifying storm of golden Alpha aura crackling around his massive frame. Behind him, Garrett and Killian sprinted with drawn broadswords, their boots striking the polished marble like rapid gunfire. Down the grand corridor, the high-pitched, agonized groan of the violet shockwave still resonated off the high stone arches, sending waves of panic through the assembled ranks of the vanguard."The eastern wing!" Dominic roared, his voice echoing through the vaulted ceilings like a thunderclap. "Isolate the corridor! No one leaves this wing!"Up ahead, near the high stained-glass archway overlooking the inner courtyard, a cluster of heavily armored guards had broken formation. Whispering loudly and clutching their weapons, they swarmed around a figure who had collapse
The thick, gray fog of the Whispering Crags seemed to roll down the mountain alongside them, clinging to the heavy cloaks of Killian and Alam as they escorted Morana through the gates of the Amber Court. The witch moved with silent, ghostly speed, her dark woolen robes rustling like dry raven wings against the damp cobblestones. Beneath her deep hood, her milky-white eyes were fixed on the looming stone spires above, a faint, mocking smile playing upon her withered lips.As they reached the heavy double doors of the inner keep, the guards on duty immediately drew their steel, their boots scraping back against the marble in absolute terror. They knew the legends of the Witch of the Crags, a creature of dark magic and ancient blood-craft whose very name was whispered to frighten young pups into obedience.Garrett was already waiting in the archway, his hand resting tightly on the pommel o
The morning mist hung over the Northern valley like a heavy, suffocating shroud, dampening the sound of hooves striking cold river stone. High above, the jagged black peaks of the Whispering Crags clawed at a pale, sunless sky, marking the treacherous boundary where the wolf territories bled into the ancient, untamed Southern wildlands.Killian pulled the hood of his dark leather cloak lower over his brow, his golden-brown eyes sharply scanning the dense thicket of pines framing the narrow mountain pass. Beside him, Alam rode with silent, fluid posture, his hand resting comfortably on the hilt of his curved blade. Both horses snorted softly, their white breath plumes mingling with the frigid mountain air."We are off the official court maps now," Killian said quietly, his raspy voice barely carrying over the distant howl of the mountain wind. "The King’s authority ends at the riverbed. P
The silence inside the King’s private war study was heavy and absolute.The morning sun had fully cleared the horizon, casting long beams of pale yellow light through the balcony windows, illuminating the quiet dust motes dancing in the air. Samantha’s body had been quietly removed by Garrett’s most trusted lieutenants, leaving only the dark mahogany desk, the cold hearth, and the suffocating weight of an unsolved conspiracy.Dominic stood by the glass, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. His bandaged chest throbbed with a dull ache, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the clawing, violent frustration burning inside him.Garrett paced near the cold hearth, his face etched with deep lines of exhaustion. Killian leaned against the heavy oak doorframe, his sharp, golden-brown eyes fixed on the floorboards, while Alam s
Rosalie stood in the center of her cramped attic. Her eyes were fixed on the broken mirror in front of her. She has freshly showered, and her skin glows.Stepping out of her ragged clothing, she stared at the beautiful dress she had stitched out of torn dresses of Carolina.Rosalie put on the dress
Dominic dismounted the beast in one fluid, predatory movement. His massive hand wrapped around her arm, tugging her down with him. The moment her bare, bruised soles made contact with the freezing cobblestones of the courtyard, Rosalie's knees turned into compl
The thick, copper taste of Dominic Varkov’s blood coated Rosalie’s tongue, a metallic brand that felt like a permanent iron shackle around her soul. The ancient incantations chanted by the trembling High Priest still echoed in the freezing night air, vibrating
The silence of the clearing was deafening. Thousands of eyes were pinned on Rosalie Ashford, but she only had eyes for Prince Cassian. There was so much pain in her teary eyes as she pleaded with her eyes, but he didn't offer her a single glance.The silver threads of the mate bond were still puls







