LOGINI’m pinned to the ground, unable to form any words. My mind races back through every detail I’ve tried to piece together since the day I met her. Zephyra waking up in Kaelen’s pack with no memory of where she came from. Kane claiming she fell from the sky, as if some invisible hand placed her there. The massive Archive doors—the same ones that have drained the life from every Lycan scholar who dared touch them—unfolding for her without killing her.“So we all knew she was the Crimson Moon Queen, right?” Anya asks.Silence blankets the room. The answer is entirely too clear. Deep down, I’ve probably always known it on some level, but never let myself dwell too much on it. Now, there is no hiding from it.“Double the palace protection,” I bark at Jareth. “I want more guards watching over her.”“And you think she’s going to want that?” Jareth counters.“It doesn’t matter what she wants if it’s for her safety.”“Yeah, try telling her that with how often she loses control,” Jareth scoffs a
Theron They both glance at each other awkwardly, and that tells me they were up to something, but I don't give a damn about whatever she and Jareth were doing before I walked in. My mind is still fixed on the bloody confession I dragged out of Kane last night. I drop the mutilated black book onto the table. My jaw is still tight thanks to that bastard Kane. I haven’t been able to focus on healing myself because I haven’t had proper rest to do so, and even Grimm feels restless under my skin, pacing because he wants us to rip Kane apart but for now he’ll live. Killing him will only cause an alpha riot. I look directly at Anya. “Did you find anything concerning this Zhodin in any of the books you went through?” Anya shifts on her feet, her fingers nervously zipping up the front of her shirt before she squares her shoulders, trying to act like there’s nothing off. ‘Those two are fucking!’ Grimm barks, and I nearly wince at how loud and irritated he sounds about something that isn’t
“You sound desperate, Beta.” I smirk, leaning into the tease. It wouldn't be nearly as fun if I didn’t get under his skin first. “I thought you hated witches. Or are you finally developing a taste for us now?” A low growl rumbles from his chest. I plant my hand right over his heart, feeling how fast it’s racing. “You still haven’t gotten over her, have you?” “My personal life is none of your business,” he rasps, though he doesn't pull away. “It becomes my business when you’re standing this close and growing hard from just thinking about me.” My hand brushes lightly over the bulge in his trousers. His jaw clenches as I lift my knuckles to my lips and slowly lick them, letting him watch my tongue glide over the part I used to touch him. His breathing hitches, and his jaw clenches as he looks down at me. “Shit,” he mutters so low, I almost miss it. I drop my hand and take a step back, smirking. “My offer died the moment you decided to treat me like I was not desirable enough.” I tur
Anya Back in the archive, things have changed.Cleaners move around quietly with masks over their faces, wiping down shelves and floors that haven’t seen a proper touch in centuries. It took me days of careful spellwork just to make the magic in here less dangerous to normal shifter’s noses and lungs. It’s safer now, but only barely. Anyone who walks in still needs protection if they plan to stay long. Stronger shifters can handle the place, I guess. I’ll just have to find out.For me, though? This place feels like magic heaven. The old power in the air makes my bones hum in the best way. The last time I felt magic this electrifying and alive was back in Molbor, and that feels like another lifetime now.I wish I could go back. Part of me misses the familiar streets, the smell of Magnolia oil, the way magic used to flare around me and give me goosebumps especially at the public parks. But what’s the point of missing home when no one there actually valued me? I asked to leave. The que
“You’ve been busy, Theron,” Kane says, his voice carrying that same lunatic edge as his sister. “Tearing out hearts in the lobby because you’re bored? I believe you know there’s something called hunting. If you needed a kill, you could have just gone into the woods.”He pants hard, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction. “I also heard you lost the Luna to a room that hasn't been opened in centuries. It’s quite a bit of drama for one day, isn’t it?” “Get out, Kane,” I warn, my voice dropping to a dangerous rumble.“You killed my sister in cold blood.” He ignores me, wiping blood from his hand onto his trousers. “She pushed my mate into that archive, knowing exactly what would happen.”He scoffs. “So my sister is dead because she pushed a girl into a library? A girl who shouldn’t have been there in the first place? A girl who’s currently a vegetable in your bed?”‘Why is this pet still breathing?’ Grimm snarls.Kane walks forward until he’s standing inches from me. He’s fuming, and
Theron“It’s going to be alright, Your Majesty.” Kalb, who has been mostly silent, tries to offer comfort, but it does nothing for me. It is impossible to believe anything will be alright while Zephyra lies unconscious on the bed. I know she’s alive. I can feel it through the faint thrum of the bond, and I can see her chest rising and falling, but her eyes are still shut. Her skin is a sickly shade of pale, almost translucent, making the spreading red strands in her hair stand out even more. Every time her breathing hitches, my own chest tightens like someone’s squeezing it.If she doesn’t wake up...I shove the thought away fast. I know what I’m capable of when I lose control, and thinking like that won’t bring her back.“She isn’t healing properly,” Kalb whispers. The soft blue glow under her palms fades as she pulls away from Zephyra’s side. “Her body is still weak from all the archive’s magic she absorbed…”“Are you saying she won’t wake up?” I growl, unable to prevent it from s
TheronMy steps are measured and purposeful as I move through the wide palace halls. Several of my men follow behind me, clad in their guarded uniforms, their presence silent but watchful. I’m heading to another meeting, this one called by the elders and I was summoned only minutes ago.I don’t at
TheronMy heart kicks back into motion after being silent for who knows how long. The first beat slams into my chest, hard enough to steal my breath, and then another follows. I open my eyes carefully, watching how the ceiling above me swims for a moment before it settles. From the uncomfortable l
Zephyra “Remember, you must do everything to make sure the king likes you more than he already does.” Roxy says for what feels like the hundredth time.Even back in my bedroom, she continued to lecture me on the things I needed to do to avoid getting on the king’s bad side.We leave the palace gro
ZephyraThere’s an empty chair close to him, positioned right beside Khaisha. The moment I notice it, my heart jumps into my throat. I don’t hesitate.I move my legs as fast as I can and take the seat, just as he commanded. I don’t dare slow down or question it. Taking too long to obey will earn me







