로그인I reach up to trace the mark I gave him on his neck. “Thank you for everything, Theron.” With him, I’ve been happier than I ever thought possible. No matter what Stoneheart tries to pull, I’m never going back there.Theron pulls me closer, burying his face in the crook of my neck. His warm breath sends little shivers across my skin. “I should be the one thanking you. I spent too many years looking for you in the faces of strangers,” he murmurs. “I thought I’d lost you forever. Now that you’re here, I’m not letting anyone take you away from me. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be, and I’ll stand beside you through every red strand in your hair, every tear, and every time you break another bed.”I laugh and twist around until I’m straddling his lap. The water splashes over the sides of the tub. “You really mean that?”“Every word.” His grey eyes are intense as they search mine. “Even the part about the beds. We can afford it.”I rest my forehead against his, breathing him in. For a
Zephyra The dream comes again. I’m running through that same impossible forest, the ground sucking at my feet like wet sand.The shadow waits ahead, taller and imposing than it was the last time, wrapped in the crimson moonlight I was born under.My body moves on its own, pulled toward him like a moth to flame. When his cold fingers brush my throat, I don’t scream. I already know it would only make him angry. Tilting my head, I bare my neck. When his mouth presses against my skin, the bite doesn’t hurt. It feels right. Like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this mark.I wake up gasping, my hand flying to my neck. There’s no wound there, only Theron’s mark pulsing warmly under my fingers. My heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my teeth.‘Tell him,’ Scar snaps at me, pacing restlessly in the back of my mind.‘You’re letting that shadow mark us in our sleep while Theron thinks we’re safe. Tell him the truth before the shadow stops being just a dream.’I sit up in the middle o
“Mostly to make sure you haven’t died of exhaustion.” I push off the frame and walk in, trailing my fingers along the bookshelf. “You look like shit, by the way. Handsome shit, but still shit.”He huffs a tired laugh, setting the book aside. “Flattery won’t get you more access to my library.”“Too bad. I was planning to steal a few more of your dusty old volumes.” I scan the room. “So... do you want to tell me why you look like you haven’t slept since Naya showed up dead?”He rubs his face but stays silent.I tilt my head, studying him. “You know, for someone who let his ex break him apart, you’re doing a poor job as Beta, which is expected.” His hand freezes, and he lets out a long sigh. “Not everything is a joke, Anya.” The teasing dies in my throat. I watch the tight line of his jaw, the way a muscle ticks in his cheek. He really is heartbreakingly handsome, even when he’s falling apart. It’s annoying how much I notice it.“Leave.” he says, his voice flat and dead.“I despise tra
Anya House arrest has officially taken me from being a prisoner to being an investigator. I don’t mind it at all. Anything else is better than sitting around and staring at the same walls until I lose my mind. What I do mind is dead bodies. For a witch who has done her fair share of vile things, I still hate the sight of a dead body. It’s even weirder that the body belongs to Naya, given that I worked with her father. She’s sprawled carelessly and I know someone just dropped her and walked away. Her eyes are wide open, staring at the sky like she’s still shocked she took her own life. Baron probably ordered them to dump her like trash. He seems entirely unconcerned with anything that doesn't involve killing his enemies.“She panicked,” Baron says, folding his arms. “She knew we were after her and chose the coward’s way out just as she was leading us to the hideout.”I almost roll my eyes so hard it hurts. Does he have rocks for brains? I wonder what makes him the General. It certai
For a second, I think Mirella might lunge at me. Part of me hopes she does, just so I have a solid enough reason to kill her. Instead she starts laughing. The sound is broken and ugly, turning into ugly sobs that shake her whole body. “You’re going to lose everything,” she mutters. “When that thing you serve is done with you, there won't even be bones left to bury.” I gesture to the guards at the door. “Drag her out. If she speaks another word again, cut her tongue out.”Mirella doesn’t fight as they drag her away. She stares at me the entire time, eyes full of pure hatred. I don’t deserve that look. If anyone does, it’s her dead husband for dragging me and the entirety of Stone Heart into this nightmare in the first place.Brianna steps beside me, folding her arms. “I was wondering when you would finally lock her up. That one has been causing problems for my sisters and me.”I turn to her. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want the truth.”Brianna raises her brow. “How much
He’s already powerful enough to flatten a kingdom, so why the hell wouldn't he just fetch her himself? Instead he’s got me dancing with Lycans like it’s not a death sentence for a wolf. Unbelievable!I look down at my wrists again and I swear I can see the strings holding them. I even hear voices laughing somewhere in the back of my head. I know they’re not real, but the feeling stays stuck in my throat like a bone. I can’t stand it anymore. All of this is happening because of him.I storm out of my room, heading for the basement where the witches have set up their sanctum. They know something. I can feel it in all of my bones.Brianna is already waiting outside the door, arms folded, violet eyes locked on me. Her face is calm. She doesn’t bow. She doesn't call me Alpha. It’s just another reminder that while I wear the title, I’m not the one holding the leash on this pack.“It’s done,” she says before I can even open my mouth.I stop, staring her down. “What the fuck do you mean it’s
Theron “Show your respect to the moon goddess,” the head priest of Eboncrest, Priest Jeff, says. He has said these words to kings before me, and if the elders have their way, he will say them to kings long after I am gone. I lower myself to my knees before him, while the elders stand in a wide
Zephyra Ever since the unfortunate incident at Camala’s gathering, I’ve been sulking. I barely speak to myself or to Roxy, because somewhere deep inside, I’m convinced it was all my fault. Blaming myself when things go wrong is something I’ve always done. It feels natural, almost necessary, eve
I don’t like the direction this is going. I don’t want to believe her. “If my body had been tampered with,” I shake my head, “I would know.” “You don’t even know how your real mother died,” she continues, her voice edged with worry. “And you struggled to remember your last name when the healer as
My fingers twitch, wanting to clutch at my dress, but I resist. Roxy warned me not to appear fragile, not to show weakness or they would never respect me. But how am I supposed to look strong when my chest feels hollow and my pulse won’t settle? “I greet you all on behalf of my lady,” Roxy says







