MasukDAPHNEThe full-length mirror in the corner of the bedchamber reflected everything in the harsh light of the wall torches.I stood completely naked in front of the tall glass. The room was warm now, the heating wards restored, but my skin felt hot for a different reason.I stared at my reflection. My eyes traced the full, heavy swell of my breasts, the soft curve of my stomach, and the wide sweep of my hips and thighs.A sudden, sharp memory from the southern keep hit me like a blow to the chest.I could still hear Tristan’s cold, smooth voice echoing in my mind from two years ago. We had been standing in his dressing room before the autumn banquet, and I had been trying on a dark blue silk dress that his personal tailor had altered for me. Tristan had walked up behind me, resting his hands lightly on my waist, looking at us in the mirror just like this."You have such a sharp mind, Daphne," Tristan had whispered near my ear, his tone deceptively gentle, almost romantic, as if he were
DAPHNEThe stone walls of my bedchamber were ice.Outside the high narrow windows, the blizzard howled like a wounded animal, throwing hard sheets of snow against the dark glass. Midnight had passed two hours ago, and the temperature inside the keep was dropping fast.The ancient heating wards had failed.Earlier in the evening, a massive surge of frost magic from the mountain pass had cracked the primary rune stone in the lower basements. The mages were working down in the dark, trying to fix the central lines, but the stone floors were already freezing. Cold air seeped through the heavy tapestries and filled the room with a thick, biting draft.I sat on the edge of the large wooden bed, shivering uncontrollably beneath three layers of heavy wool blankets.My body was exhausted. The lingering trauma from my broken mate bond with Tristan was making the cold ten times worse. When a female rejects a mate bond, her body loses its internal warmth for months. My chest felt hollow, my limbs
MALAKAIThe northern snow was thick near the border.Five southern scouts were hiding in the pine trees. They thought the storm would hide them. They were wrong. The scent of southern mud and cheap horse sweat was easy to track across my land.I did not take my royal guards. I went alone.I caught all five of them in a deep ravine two miles inside my territory. I pinned them against the freezing rock wall and began my interrogation. I wanted to know what Tristan told them to look for. I wanted to know how many men were left standing at his front gate after the grain loss.The lead scout spilled everything in five minutes. He told me Tristan was desperate for information about our lower vaults. He told me the southern garrison was already angry about the missing food and ready to turn on their commander.Once he finished talking, I killed four of them.I broke the leader's neck first. I crushed the chest of the second one against the rock face. I killed the third and fourth with my bar
DAPHNEThe secure terminal on the wooden nightstand chimed three times.It was two in the morning. Outside the stone window, the mountain wind blew hard against the dark glass. Inside the bedroom, two iron torches burned on the wall, throwing warm light over the heavy furs on the large bed.I sat on the edge of the mattress, wearing a black silk shift that stopped at my mid-thigh. The black silk collar rested tight around my throat, and the smooth obsidian stone pressed flat against my skin.Malakai sat right behind me on the bed. His chest was bare, his skin warm, and his dark hair fell loose over his broad shoulders. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest. His hand rested on my stomach, his large fingers pressing into my skin through the thin silk."You are thinking about the numbers again," Malakai said into my ear. His voice was low and rough."I am waiting for the system report," I said, turning my head to look at him. "The southern supply dep
DaphneThe stone courtyard was busy with guard patrols, armorers, and servants carrying heavy iron pots from the kitchens.The morning air was cold, but the sun was clear above the northern peaks. I stood near the main weapons rack, wearing my fitted wool dress and dark leather boots. Around my neck, the black silk collar rested snugly against my skin, the polished obsidian stone catching the morning light.I had a heavy leather binder in my arms containing the updated guard schedules for Vault 4. Ever since we brought the southern supply trains through the mountain pass, the garrison had doubled its shift rotations."Look at her standing there like she owns the keep," a sharp female voice sneered from the well wall.I stopped flipping through the parchment pages. I did not turn around immediately."She is just a fat southern stray," another female voice replied, laughing softly. "She has no wolf. She has no pack blood. She just uses her heavy body and cheap seduction to bewitch the A
MALAKAII sat at the dark wooden desk in my private study, checking the guard logs from Vault 4.The three corporate supply trains Daphne had redirected from Tristan were parked in the lower depot. My men were unloading ten cars of grain, five cars of medical kits, and eight cars of refined steel. Daphne’s code had stripped Tristan clean, and he was still sitting down south, looking for a traitor in his own guard.The heavy wooden door opened without a knock.Torin walked in, holding a polished rosewood box tied with a bright red silk bow."A courier brought this to the main gates ten minutes ago," Torin said, placing the box on my desk. "It came from Alpha Cassian."Cassian was the richest Alpha in the central province. He owned silver mines, controlled the primary trade roads, and thought his wealth gave him power everywhere he went."Why is Cassian sending boxes here?" I asked."It is addressed directly to Daphne," Torin said. "The courier said Cassian wanted her to open it persona







