เข้าสู่ระบบBut then, I see her face. That radiant joy, the pure happiness glowing in her eyes like sunlight breaking through clouds. She’s carrying on a new life. She deserves this moment of perfect, untainted bliss.I can’t ruin it. Not with my paranoia. Not when I might have imagined it. Not when telling her would mean guards flooding the gardens and Kael locking her away in fear.She deserves better than that.“Nothing.” I force a smile, pushing off the wall even though my hands are shaking. “Just got dizzy for a second. I’m fine.”Her brow furrows worriedly, but before she can press me, I take her hand and pull her forward. “Come on. Kael’s waiting.”We’re off again, but my eyes keep darting to windows, to shadowed corners, to doorways and alcoves—anywhere Zane might appear. Anywhere he might be, watching.My wolf paces frantically, whining, sensing my fear but unable to pinpoint the source. Every shadow looks wrong. Every reflection in the polished marble could be him.He was there. He saw
I change quickly, the familiar weight of my uniform calming me somewhat. But even freshly dressed, I can’t erase the feeling of Seth’s hands on my skin, his mouth on mine, the way he claimed me over and over.Focus, Selene.I’m fastening the last button when Zane’s request about the Queen replays in my mind.“The next time you have one of those lunches scheduled, you should tell me. We could meet up afterward.”My fingers pause. I should tell Elara. Not because it’s urgent—Zane can’t do anything without me facilitating it—but because she deserves to know. She should be aware, prepared.I glance at the clock again. If I hurry, I can stop by her chambers on the way to my shift. Just a quick warning, and then I’ll go to work.Decision made, I grab my bag and slip out of Seth’s quarters.The palace corridors are busy with afternoon activity—servants carrying linens, guards changing shifts, nobles drifting toward the dining halls. I weave through them, my healer’s robes granting me passage
I step through the doorway and freeze.This isn’t a room. It’s a suit.My quarters in the healers’ wing were practical—one small bedroom, a kitchenette barely large enough to heat tea in, a bathroom where I could touch both walls if I stretched. But this? The living area alone could fit my entire old space twice over. Plush furniture arranged around a stone fireplace, shelves lined with books and military memorabilia, tall windows overlooking the palace grounds, with heavy curtains pulled back to let in the afternoon light.Through an archway, I glimpse a kitchen—an actual kitchen, with proper counters and even a table. Beyond that, a bedroom door stands ajar, revealing what has to be the largest bed I’ve ever seen.“Do you like it?”Seth’s voice pulls my attention back to him. He’s moving through the space with quick, jerky movements—grabbing a shirt draped over a chair, snatching up what looks like training gear from the floor near a window, shoving everything into a basket with bar
I inhale deeply through my nose. “You waded through it?”“I had to. Zane was dying.” Her voice drops. “The mist was so thick I could barely see. But I could smell the blood, hear him breathing. I just… I had to reach him.”“Fuck.” The word comes out harsh. My mind races through the implications. “That mist—it’s not normal magic. My wolf can sense it’s wrong. Dangerous.”“What is it?”“I don’t know yet.” I stand and move to the bathroom, where I fill a glass with water at the sink. “But it’s obvious you’ve entered that forest more times than you know. That mist is doing something to you, Selene. Controlling you somehow.”She shivers despite the warmth of the room.A thought occurs to me, and I stop halfway back to the bed. “Wait. You talked about the mist just now.”“Yes.”“When we questioned you about that night, you never mentioned it.” I move closer, studying her expression. “You said there was nothing unusual. Just Zane, injured and alone.”She’s quiet for a few seconds, thoughtful
I shift immediately after her, and then we run.My larger wolf form leads the way, splashing into the shallows. The red mist is spreading rapidly across the water now, but it seems thinner here, weaker than it was on land. Still dangerous, but not as concentrated.Our paws churn through the lake, sending up great sprays as we barrel toward the shore. The moment we hit land, we’re sprinting full speed through the forest, the red mist billowing around our legs like living smoke. It tries to cling to us, tries to creep up our bodies, but our movement keeps it from getting a solid grip.Selene’s smaller wolf struggles to keep pace with my longer stride, so I stay close, ready to grab her by the scruff if she falters. Her lungs must be burning—mine certainly are—but she doesn’t slow down, doesn’t stop, doesn’t take a breath.The trees blur past us in streaks of shadow and moonlight. Branches fly across our fur, and roots threaten to trip us, but we keep running.Finally—finally—the red mis
My hands shake as I pull off my shirt and place it quickly over her head, working her arms through the sleeves. She doesn’t react to my touch, doesn’t acknowledge my presence at all. Just stands there, swaying slightly, waiting.“Selene, wake up.” I grip her shoulders, trying to get her attention. “Come on, little wolf.”Nothing. Her vacant stare remains fixed somewhere beyond me, seeing something I can’t.I’m about to physically carry her back to bed when I hesitate.I need to understand what’s causing this. Where she’s going. What’s controlling her? What the hell has been happening to my mate while I’ve been blind to all of it.There’s only one way to find out. Instead of waking her, instead of carrying her back to safety, I make a decision.I’m going to follow her.I step aside, letting her continue forward. She moves past me at once, resuming that same steady, unnatural walk.I shadow her through the corridors, my senses on high alert. She moves with unsettling certainty, as if sh
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
Kael's POVBut it’s her eyes that destroy me. Those bright green eyes that once sparkled with life and hope are now glassy and unfocused, the light in them fading like dying embers. One eye is blackened and nearly swollen shut. She is staring at nothing, seeing nothing, and I can feel through our p
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
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?”







