FAZER LOGINLillian’s POVElder Rex chuckled, the sound dark and menacing as it echoed through my office. “A cheat,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “That’s what you are now, Lillian. You’re not any different from that cheating Alpha of Moonstone Pack you claim to hate so much. Aaron betrayed his mate, and now you’ve done the same thing to Dorian. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”The comparison to Aaron felt like a slap across the face, but I forced myself to stand taller, to not let him see how deeply his words were cutting. “You were stalking me,” I accused, my voice shaking with anger. “Following me, watching me. How else would you know where I was last night or what happened?”“Does it matter how I know?” Elder Rex asked with a dismissive shrug.“It matters because I was drugged last night,” I said, my voice growing stronger as the pieces clicked into place. “Someone gave me something that made me lose consciousness, that made me lose control of myself. And f
Lillian’s POVMy secretary was already moving toward the intruder, her small frame trying desperately to position itself between the stranger and me. “Sir, you need to leave right now or I’ll call security….”“It’s alright,” I said, my voice coming out steadier than I felt as I stood up behind my desk. My wolf was on high alert, every instinct screaming danger, but I refused to show fear to this man who’d forced his way into my office. “Don’t worry about it. Let him stay.”“But….”“I said it’s fine,” I repeated more firmly. “Close the door on your way out. We need privacy for this conversation.”My secretary looked uncertain, clearly uncomfortable leaving me alone with someone who’d been forceful enough to push past her, but she obeyed my command and backed out of the office, pulling the door closed behind her.The moment we were alone, I crossed my arms and fixed the stranger with a hard stare. “You wanted to talk so badly that you forced your way into my office. Fine. We’re talking.
Lillian’s POVThe tension between us was thick and suffocating, hanging in the air like a physical weight that pressed down on both of us. We stood there on the balcony, barely two feet apart, but it might as well have been miles for how distant and unreachable Dorian suddenly felt.I couldn’t explain to him what had happened last night. Couldn’t find the words to tell him that I’d been drugged by someone in his own pack house, that I’d woken up in a strange room with no memory of what I’d done or who I’d been with, that I might have made a terrible mistake while under the influence of whatever they’d given me.The shame and fear of it kept the confession locked in my throat, choking me with everything I couldn’t say.At the same time, I found myself studying Dorian’s face, looking for signs of his own guilt. He looked haggard and stressed, his eyes carrying shadows that suggested he hadn’t slept well. And there was something in his expression. Had he done something with that woman a
Dorian’s POVI’d been pacing my office for hours, back and forth across the same stretch of floor until I was surprised I hadn’t worn a groove into the wood. Panic churned in my gut, though I kept my expression controlled and neutral whenever anyone looked my way. An Alpha couldn’t afford to show fear or uncertainty, especially not now when everything seemed to be falling apart.Last night, after Lillian had walked out on me in the middle of our argument, I’d tried immediately to go after her and explain properly what was happening with the unconscious woman and the elders’ schemes. But she’d been moving too fast, too angry to listen, and by the time I’d finished ending my call with Elder Rex and made it to the hallway, she was already gone.I’d called her phone repeatedly, letting it ring and ring, but she never answered. Each unanswered call made my anxiety spike higher, my wolf growing more agitated with each passing minute that I couldn’t locate my mate or confirm she was safe.Af
Lillian’s POVI tried to move away from the guard, tried to force my legs to carry me back toward safety, but I was too weak to do anything more than sway unsteadily on my feet. My mind kept insisting I’d been poisoned, that this was like the tea incident all over again, but the feeling was strange, different from what I’d expect from poison.It felt less like dying and more like being drunk. My limbs were heavy and uncoordinated, my thoughts fuzzy and scattered, and worst of all, my wolf was acting completely unlike herself. Instead of being alarmed or defensive, she was reacting to the bare-chested guard in front of me with interest, with want, pushing forward in my mind in ways that felt wrong and confusing.“Get away from me,” I tried to say, but the words came out slurred and barely coherent.The guard didn’t respond, just stood there watching me with an expression I couldn’t read through my blurred vision. I needed to get to my room, needed to find Dorian or Alanna or anyone w
Lillian’s POVHours passed and the woman still hadn’t woken up. I watched from the doorway as Alanna checked her vital signs repeatedly, mixing medications and observing her with growing concern. The guest room felt heavy with an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the occasional clink of glass vials and Alanna’s quiet muttering.“This doesn’t make sense,” Alanna said, more to herself than to me as she checked the woman’s pulse again. “She should have regained consciousness by now. Alpha command can cause fainting, yes, but not this kind of prolonged unconsciousness. There should be some response by now.”“Maybe she’s faking it?” I suggested, though even as I said it, I knew it sounded paranoid and petty.“Her vitals suggest genuine unconsciousness,” Alanna said, frowning deeply at the woman’s still form on the bed. “Her breathing is steady, her heart rate is normal, but she’s completely unresponsive to any stimuli. I can’t find any medical reason why she’s still out like this. No h
Lillian’s POVI tried to act strong in front of Celeste, in front of Alanna and Aiden, in front of the guards who watched my door and the staff who served my meals. I tried to project confidence and calm, to show that I wasn’t intimidated by anonymous threats or poisoning attempts or shadows in hal
Dorian’s POVI was about to tell the stranger that I don’t have time for whatever conversation he had to say. But before I could form the words, a loud commotion erupted from far across the hotel lobby.Shouts rang out, followed by the sound of glass shattering and something heavy crashing to the f
Dorian’s POVI looked at Marcus more carefully, trying to read what he wasn’t saying outright. His carefully chosen words and the tension in his posture told me there was more going on beneath than just friendly advice.“That sounds less like advice and more like a threat,” I said, crossing my arms
Dorian’s POVI’d spent hours in the Alpha council chamber, enduring what felt like the longest meeting of my life. The ornate room was filled with Alphas from across the region, all posturing and positioning themselves for advantage in the wake of of collapse pack. What struck me immediately was th







