LOGINCHAPTER 92 AVA’S POV "Let him in, Maya," I said softly, sliding my hand out of Draken's grip so I could sit up a bit straighter against the pillows. Draken didn't move immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the door, his jaw tightly locked as his massive frame radiated a cold, protective warmth. I reached out, pressing my hand against his forearm until I felt the stiffness in his muscles begin to yield. "He just returned from the borders, Draken," I murmured, keeping my voice low and easy. "He is your brother. Go review the guard rotations with the vanguard. I will be fine." With a heavy exhale, Draken rose from the edge of the mattress. He didn't look pleased, but he respected my boundaries. He offered a tight nod to Maya, threw his mantle over his shoulder, and strode out of the room. The door groaned shut behind him just as Kael stepped through the side threshold. The Alpha tension left the room with my husband, replaced by the scent of frost and pine needles that clung to
CHAPTER 91 DRAKEN’S POV "I am riding across the border," I said, my voice cutting through the quiet room. Thorne stood near the weapon rack in my chamber's study. He stepped into the light, his armor clattering. "No, Sire. You cannot leave." I snapped my head up, giving him a glare, "Every hour we sit here doing nothing, that thing deletes who she is. I will not sit here while my mate dissolves three rooms away." "And you won't have a kingdom to return to if you cross that river," Thorne countered, his voice steady. He didn't even blink under my stare. "The council is already testing the fences. They are questioning your leadership and demanding answers about an heir. If you vanish from the fortress right now, the high lords will pull the foundations down. Your absence is exactly what the traitors are waiting for." The harsh reality of his words hit me hard. He was right. A king didn't have the luxury of a simple hunter. My crown was an anchor pinning me to this seat while my wo
CHAPTER 90 DRAKEN’S POVThe bitter scent of Madame Lira’s temporary portion still hung in the air of the royal bedchamber. I sat on the edge of the grand mattress, my chest rising and falling as I watched Ava. The fear that had dominated her eyes in the Seer’s chamber had finally begun to recede. Her breathing was steady now, her small fingers slowly uncurling from where they had been gripping my shirt.Gently, I slid my hand out of her loose grip tucking the bear furs securely around her shoulders. I leaned down, pressing my lips to her forehead for a single, lingering second. Then, I rose.Thorne was already there, standing like an iron statue in the dim twilight. I walked straight up to his shoulder, keeping my voice low enough to escape the ears of any lingering palace maids. “Find out how Moonbane entered her body,” I commanded. “Consider it done, your majesty.” he rumbled. “Quietly,” I added, my eyes flashing with a warning. “No accusations. No public arrests. And absolute
CHAPTER 89 AVA’S POVI sat in the armchair, a leather-bound book on Northern history resting in my lap. My eyes scanned the text, tracing the dark ink characters with a steady focus, but it was useless. I had been staring at the exact same paragraph for nearly twenty minutes. Every time my eyes reached the final sentence, the beginning of the page simply vanished from my thoughts, leaving nothing but a blank, frustrating fog. It was like watching ink dissolve in water, and the harder I tried to grab the slipping thoughts, the faster they slid away.A few feet away, Draken sat at the small writing desk with his arms crossed. Every time the pages of my book rustled, his golden eyes would drift away from the stack of border reports to fixate entirely on my face. He had been like this all morning, trailing me through the royal wing with a protectiveness that made the entire room feel incredibly small, as if the stone walls themselves were pressing inward.I finally set the book down on m
Chapter 88THORNE'S POVWe didn't waste time informing the rest of the High Council about our decision. The fewer people who knew how serious the Luna's condition had become, the better. The council already had enough reason to question her.By the time the night swallowed the valleys, I had gathered a vanguard escort. We quietly escorted Madame Lira through the lower gates of the inner courtyard, slipping out into the mountain before the court politicians could track our departure.The wind howled like a wounded wolf as our stallions finally reached the ridge, the silhouette of Master Eldrin’s old research archive rising out of the snow. The stone tower was choked with centuries of thick ice.Madame Lira stepped down from her saddle, her boots sinking deep into the snow. She didn't hesitate, she walked straight toward the iron doors of the archive building, her cane tapping on the ground.The place was completely untouched and the door was still fully sealed.Lira stopped at the thre
CHAPTER 87 DRAKEN’S POV The closed doors of my private solar did nothing to silence the council's voices in my head. I stood by the window, watching gray mountain fog crawl over the battlements. My warning had silenced them for now, but I knew Silas well enough to know it wouldn't last. Behind my ribs, Fenris paced restlessly making my blood simner. A familiar thudding sound of boots echoed from outside and the door clicked, swinging open just enough to let in a draft of air before closing. I didn't turn around, I knew the weight of that stride. “What did the council say after I left?” I rumbled, my eyes tracking a distant pine tree struggling against the wind. “They said nothing, Sire. Your warning was sufficient to pin them to their seats,” Thorne replied. His voice carried its usual discipline, but there was a hitch at the end of the sentence. His armor clattered as he stopped a few paces behind my shoulder. “But that is not why I followed you.” I shifted, turning my head
CHAPTER 4The court of vultures. AVA'S POV.Two days had passed since I almost stabbed him with that silver letter opener. The King’s suite felt like a cage. Draken hadn’t touched me since that night. He slept in the armchair by the window, eyes open every time I woke up, gone by the time I preten
CHAPTER 3 AVA'S POV As we walked down the dim hallway of the Royal wing, the shadow at the far end finally stepped out into the light. It was a man. And he looked terrifyingly similar to Draken. He possessed the same towering frame and broad, built shoulders. But his features were softer, framed
CHAPTER 2 AVA'S POV He sunk his fang deep down my neck and the mark was set. A wave of pain crashed through me as the bond took hold, and my knees felt weak. When he finally pulled back, the weight of the situation settled in. "I don’t want this," I gasped, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I don’t
CHAPTER 5ShadowsAVA'S POV. I felt a hand like iron wrap around my ankle. Before I could fall, I was pulled backward. Draken had flown up the ivy. He caught me mid-air as I tumbled from the wall. his body shielding mine as we slammed into the grass at the foot of the wall. He rolled, taking most







