LOGINTHIRD PERSON POV Standing in the central security room, the air was incredibly thick and heavy. General Gideon typed rapidly on the main console keyboard. Kai stood directly behind him, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, refusing to blink. Halil paced near the concrete wall."The engineering team just restored the localized server data from last night," Gideon announced, his voice tight. "I am pulling up the camera feeds for sector twelve.""Play it," Kai commanded harshly.The large flat-screen monitor flickered to life. The footage was grainy, shot in black-and-white night vision.On the screen, a rusted iron grate covering a drainage pipe violently kicked open. Nora spilled out into the snow. She looked exhausted, her clothes covered in thick mud.Watching her scramble to her feet, Kai’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached.She didn't look like a terrified hostage. She looked determined. She touched her stomach briefly, whispered something to the empty air, and started runn
THIRD PERSON’S POV "I am completely freezing my ass off," Carter muttered, pulling his thermal collar up over his chin. "Why are we out here so early? My shift wasn't supposed to start until noon.""Because the Alpha is losing his damn mind," Hayes replied, kicking a rock out of his path. "That blackout last night sent the entire Packhouse into a panic. Halil wants every single inch of the perimeter swept before breakfast."Briggs came to a sudden halt, and held up a gloved hand."Shut up," Briggs ordered, his voice dropping into a tense whisper."What is it?" Carter asked, immediately raising his rifle."Do you smell that?" Briggs sniffed the freezing air, his Lycan senses flaring. "Smells like raw copper. And... shit. It smells like a slaughterhouse."Moving cautiously past a cluster of thick bushes, the three guards stepped into a small clearing.Carter froze dead in his tracks. His stomach violently heaved."Goddess above," Hayes choked out, taking a staggering step backward.The
THIRD PERSON’S POV Suddenly, heavy boots blurred across the snow. Before I could even react, Jax rounded the trunk of the oak tree. He lowered his silver-laced pistol, pointing it directly at my chest."Don't shoot!" I screamed, dropping the bag and raising my hands.Sasha walked around the tree right behind him, holding a high-powered flashlight. The bright beam hit my face, blinding me completely."What the hell?" Sasha gasped, lowering the light slightly. "Jax, look at her face. That's the human. That's the stray the King locked in the basement!"Lowering the pistol slightly, a cruel, victorious smile stretched across the guard's face."Well, look what we found wandering in the snow," Jax sneered, stepping closer. "The Alpha's little hostage. How did you get out of the secure levels, princess?""Please," I begged, taking a slow step backward until my spine hit the tree. "Just let me walk away. You don't have to tell Halil you saw me. Pretend I was never here.""Are you kidding?" J
Gripping the rough canvas of the duffel bag, my knuckles turned completely white.Sitting on the edge of the lumpy mattress, the heavy silence of the basement cell felt like a physical weight pressing down on my chest. Faint yellow light bled under the gap of the heavy steel door. Out in the corridor, the two massive enforcers Halil assigned to guard me were muttering back and forth."Did you catch the game last night?" the first guard, a man named Miller, asked lazily."Missed it," the second guard, Davis, replied with a heavy sigh. "Garrick had me running perimeter drills until two in the morning. The Alpha is completely losing his mind over this shadow beast. He wants every single fence line double-checked.""Can you blame him?" Miller snorted. "The King got his chest ripped open. If it wasn't for this stray locked in here, he'd be dead.""Don't call her a savior," Davis warned, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper. "Rossi says she summoned the damn thing. She's a witch, Miller.
NORAStaring into the cracked glass of the servant's mirror, I barely recognized the face looking back at me.Weeks ago, a timid, terrified girl arrived at these gates, desperate for approval and willing to take whatever abuse the Virelli pack handed out. Bruises still shadowed my jawline from Kai’s grip, but the hollow, defeated look in my eyes was gone. That frightened girl died the moment Maeve told me about the heartbeat fluttering inside my ribs.Reframing my posture, I squared my shoulders. Motherhood wasn't going to make me weak. It was turning me into an army.A sharp tap echoed against the heavy wooden door of the servant room.Unlocking the deadbolt, I pulled the door open just an inch. Maeve slipped inside quickly, carrying a bulky duffel bag under her arm. She locked the door behind her with a sharp click, breathing heavily."You missed dinner," Maeve whispered, dropping the bag onto the squeaky metal cot. "Garrick asked if you were still feeling sick from the sparring mat
HALIL’S POV "You put guards on her door?""Two enforcers," I nodded. "Twenty-four hours a day. She doesn't take a single step without my permission. She gets fed, she gets a bed, but she does not see the sun until we figure out how to break this curse permanently."Kai let out a long, heavy breath. He looked down at the jagged scars ripping across his ribs."Does she talk to the guards?" Kai asked quietly."No," I replied. "Garrick reported that she just sits there. She hasn't screamed or fought since the trial. I think she finally understands her place in all of this.""Good," Kai muttered, grabbing his glass of water. "Let her sit in the dark. Maybe the isolation will break whatever twisted connection she has to the beast. As long as she is locked down, we control the board.""Exactly," I agreed, feeling a small sense of relief wash over me.We had a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it contained the threat. Nora was locked away, safe from the council's murderous panic, but completely n
HALIL’S POV I clenched my hand around the edge of the Ebony table, as surges of electric current splintered through my chest. Fucking hell! A devilish smirk lined the corner of my lips. “This might just be our chance at easing the grief.” I spat. Kai grunted, and didn’t say a word. My Gamma Chi
NORA’S POV I was stunned to my bones, too stunned to move. I gaped as the drama unfolded around me. My heart bled like someone was ripping it out of its cage. For a few minutes, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. The world was spinning around me, and everyone seemed to be okay. I
NORA’S POV “Don’t worry, there’ll be no need for that anyway.” I pulled away, as the maid tried to cover the scar on my face with makeup. The maid didn’t say anything, yet the glaring question was all over her face. A soft knock sounded against the door, “I’ll take it up from here, you may leav
NORA’S POV My heart stomped against my chest as I made my way to the lavish waiting area that led to Alpha Aiden’s office. I grabbed my clutch in one hand, my other hand trembled lightly. His secretary walked out of his office, her expression inscrutable. “He’s busy…” Her voice came out indiffere







