로그인KIERANShe nods slowly, her fingers still on the plant.“I do. And I share them.” She pauses, then adds quietly, “Lucian also mentioned his suspicion about your connection to her.”My jaw tightens.“That’s—”“A private matter, yes. You made that clear.” She turns to look at me fully, her eyes direct but not unkind. “But Kieran, Daciana is more than just my guard. She’s my friend. One of the few people in this palace I trust completely.”“Which is why she needs better protection than she’s currently receiving,” I say, keeping my voice level.“Is that really why you’re so concerned?” Astra asks softly. “Or is there something else? Something you’re not telling us?”I meet Astra’s gaze steadily, weighing my options. The truth will change everything. But if I want to keep Daciana close, if I want to protect her properly, I have no choice.“I want Daciana to serve as a liaison for my delegation,” I say finally.Astra stiffens, her expression hardening.“A liaison.”“Yes. She would coordinat
But I know. The scent, faint as it is beneath the rot and blood, tells me everything. This is the one who hurt her. The one whose poisoned claws tore into her flesh.I think of the female alpha, one of the wild wolves that follow Daciana. The desperate way she clawed at my door, her whines frantic and urgent. I think of how I found Daciana, her body so cold, so badly injured, her blood everywhere. Too much blood. Far too much for anyone to survive.But she survived. Barely.Rage, white-hot and consuming, floods through me.I reach down, my claws extending, and plunge my hand into the corpse’s chest cavity. Its ribs crack under the force. My fingers close around what’s left of the heart, cold and lifeless, and I rip it free. It turns to paste in my grip, oozing between my fingers. I crush it completely, watching the remains fall to the forest floor like mud.“Let the animals have him,” I say coldly. “His face is beyond identification anyway.”Aaron and Ferin exchange glances but say no
The temperature in the room plummets. Lucian goes very still, his expression shifting from casual interest to sharp focus.“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Daciana was injured, yes, but tortured? What are you talking about? I’ve only heard she was hurt in an attack. I’ve been too busy with official duties to find out more.”My eyes cut to Seth. He stiffens.“You don’t know?” I ask, my voice quiet but dangerous. “Your Commander has been ruthlessly working a soldier under his command.”“Ruthlessly?” Lucian looks at Seth, confused.Seth’s jaw tightens.“Daciana concealed the details of an attack on Alpha Kieran two weeks ago. She was punished. I made her do night rounds.”Lucian goes still.“You made her do night rounds while she’s one of the Queen’s guards?”“It’s up to me how to discipline my people,” Seth says.“Daciana is not your people,” Lucian retorts, his voice sharp. “She is Astra’s people. She may be under your command, but her punishments have to be discussed with the Queen fir
I sit in the shadows of Daciana’s quarters, watching her sleep. The room is lit by a single candle, which casts flickering light across her pale face. She looks smaller somehow, curled on her side beneath the thin blanket, her breathing shallow and uneven.She’s growing fragile. Day by day, I watch her fade, and it tears something vital inside me.Her brow furrows suddenly, lips parting on a silent gasp. Her fingers curl into the sheets, knuckles white. I recognize the signs immediately. A nightmare taking hold, pulling her into whatever darkness haunts her sleep.I lean forward, extending my hand toward her. Magic flows from my fingertips, gentle as moonlight, wrapping around her consciousness like a protective cocoon. It’s an ability few possess, this capacity to touch another’s dreams, to soothe the troubled waters of their mind. I learned it years ago, practiced it in secret, never imagining I’d use it like this.For her.The tension bleeds from her features. Her breathing evens o
DACIANAMy eyes snap open, meeting his, as the rest of my body goes rigid.“What wolves?”He smiles now, just a slight curve of his lips.“I already know of your gift, little wolf. I will not tell anyone, so you don’t have to lie to me.”My heart hammers against my ribs. He knows. He knows! How long has he known? Since that day in the forest when—Before I can process this, the door opens.Selene steps inside, and the moment she sees me awake, her face crumples.“Daciana!” She’s at my bedside in an instant, and I can see the tears she’s trying to hold back. “I’m so happy to see you awake. It’s been two days, and I was so worried—”“Two days?” This is news to me.“Yes. You lost so much blood.” She grabs my hand, squeezing tight. “I really laid into Seth for forcing you to work such long hours. This is his fault.”“Selene.” My voice comes out sharp now. Reproachful. “You shouldn’t interfere.”“Nonsense.” Her eyes flash with anger. “It’s because you were so exhausted that you were attack
THE FIRST NIGHT of rounds isn’t terrible.The second is harder.By the third, exhaustion is a living thing inside me, clawing at my bones.Seth has me scheduled every single night. I walk the perimeter from midnight to dawn, then report for my regular duties with the Queen at seven in the morning. I’m getting maybe three hours of sleep total, if I’m lucky. And even that precious time is plagued with nightmares that jerk me awake, gasping desperately.The herbs Selene gave me sit unused in my pocket. They would knock me out for six hours, but I only have three. I can’t risk oversleeping and missing my duties. Can’t risk Seth having one more reason to question my loyalty.So, I don’t take them. And I don’t sleep. A week in, I’m barely functional.My hands shake when I grip my sword. My reflexes are half a second too slow. The world has taken on a hazy, dreamlike quality that makes me question what’s real.“You look like death,” one of the other guards says during a shift change.“Thanks
Elara's POV And beside her, pale and sick-looking, stands Daciana. Her dark eyes meet mine for just a second before she looks away, guilt written across her face.“Sit,” Blackwood commands, gesturing to the empty chair beside Harper.I move toward his desk but remain standing. “What’s going on?”
Kael’s POVI’m silent, bored out of my mind. If it weren’t for the mystery surrounding the missing female shifter, I wouldn’t tolerate this gathering. But somebody here knows something. I’m certain of it.“And your tracking abilities! Papa says you’re legendary. I bet you could find anyone, anywher
Kael's POV“Why are we in a human town?” Elara asks as we walk down the cobblestone street, her green eyes taking in the bustling marketplace around us. “The forest would be a more direct way to the capital.”I adjust the bag on my shoulder, eyeing her carefully. She has been like this for days—war
Kael's POVMy hands clench into fists by my side but my voice is carefully neutral. “Is that so? Maybe we should swing by your old pack. I’ll pluck their eyes out. If they wouldn’t let you read, they shouldn’t be able to, either.”“Wh–what?” Elara’s shocked voice has me pausing, and I glance down







