MasukEmmett’s POVThe heavy oak desk in the center of the study cast long shadows across the floorboards as the cool morning light filtered through the leaded glass windows. I stood up from the chair, rolling my shoulders to work out the lingering stiffness of the past few days, and extended my hand across the wood toward Isaac.Isaac took it, his grip firm despite the underlying pallor of his skin and the exhausted slump of his posture."You’ve been a gratuitous host, Isaac," I said, my voice carrying the steady, resonant authority of an Alpha who had spent far too long away from his own pack lands. "Truly, your hospitality has been deeply appreciated. But my pack requires my presence back home. We will be heading back soon."Isaac gave a slow, understanding nod, letting go of my hand as he offered a weary smile. "I understand, Emmett. Pack duties always come first. There’s no fault in returning to where you’re needed."I lingered for a moment, the pending union between our packs still ha
Zara’s POV "Ike! Ike, look at me, please, open your eyes," I choked out, my voice fracturing into a ragged, desperate sob.My hands shook violently as I reached out, gently grabbing his shoulders and carefully rolling him onto his back. More thick, dark blood spilled from his nose, smearing across his pale cheeks and staining the front of his shirt. His skin was ice cold, completely stripped of the warm, amber vitality that usually radiated from him. His chest was terrifyingly still."No, you don't," I whispered fiercely, tears finally breaking free and spilling hot down my face. "You do not get to leave me. Do you hear me, Ike? Wake up!"I pressed my palms flat against his chest, right over his heart, pouring every ounce of my remaining willpower and the desperate remnants of our bond straight into my hands. I began to push down, performing chest compressions with a frantic, unyielding strength, ignoring the searing pain in my arms and the vicious throbbing in my head."Breathe, dam
Zara’s POV “Zara... is it true?” Kali asked, her voice a fragile, trembling fracture in the heavy silence of the room. “Is what Kora saying... is it true? Am I the Shadow Wolf?”The question hung in the air between us, charged and terrifying, stripping away the last remnants of denial we had clung to. My heart hammered against my ribs, heavy and erratic. I looked down at Kali, seeing the sheer, unadulterated panic radiating from her posture. I wish I could tell her a comforting lie but there was no point in doing that. The truth was out, ugly and inescapable, and she needed me to anchor her before she completely unraveled.Slowly, I closed the small distance between us, sitting down on the edge of the mattress right beside her. I reached out, my fingers wrapping gently around her cold, rigid hands.“Look at me, Kali,” I murmured, keeping my tone as steady as I possibly could, though my own mind was spinning.Kali slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes wide, glassy, and completely dry. If i
Zara’s POvThe heavy wooden door shuddered under a violent second blow, nearly rattling the iron hinges out of the plaster frame.“Open it, Zara! I swear to God, I’ll scream it down the entire corridor for every guard and servant to hear!” Kora’s voice was pitched high with hysteria and malice, cutting through the thick silence of the room like a jagged blade.Panic spiked through my veins. If Kora exposed Kali right now, before we even had a chance to breathe, let alone understand the monstrous, terrifying reality of what had just happened in the forest, Emmett’s men would descend on this room in seconds. Kali wouldn't stand a single chance. The pack wouldn't hesitate; they would tear her apart to protect themselves, or worse, Emmett would turn her into a killing machine to fight every kingdom that had ever raised a brow at his pack. I glanced back at Kali. She was curled tightly into the corner of the mattress, her arms wrapped around her knees, trembling so hard she looked like sh
Zara’s POVThe heat blasted against my face, searing and unnatural. The man shrieked, a sound so primal and agonizing it sent a fresh wave of nausea through my stomach. He dropped Kali instantly, clawing desperately at his chest and arms and entire head where white hot flames danced across his skin, feeding on air that seemed to twist and warp around him.Kali hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, her wide, terrified eyes fixed entirely on her own shaking hands. Wisps of gray smoke still curled lazily from her fingertips.Kali. The Shadow Wolf? The pieces slammed together in my mind with terrifying clarity. Maduro must have known this too, no wonder he wanted Kali so badly! Kora had known all along. And if she didn’t, now she knows.All along the shadow wolf had been right under our noses and we didn’t know."What did you do, you freak?!" Kora’s voice sliced through the chaos. She had recovered from her initial shock, her face contorted into an ugly mask of rage. She lunged forwar
Zara's POVI pushed open the door to Kora’s room with more force than necessary, the wood creaking loudly in the quiet hallway. My head still throbbed from where she had hit me the night before, a constant, dull reminder of how close I had come to dying. But I couldn’t sit in that bed any longer, waiting for answers that wouldn’t come. I needed to know what Kora was up to. Anything — a note, a letter, a scrap of clothing with a scent — that would tell me exactly what she was planning. Who that man on the beach had been. And most importantly, who the Shadow Wolf was. That secret was the key to saving Ike, and I wasn’t going to let Kora keep it from me.The room was eerily neat, the bed made with military precision, the air still carrying a faint trace of her perfume, something sweet and cloying that turned my stomach. I moved quickly, my coat swirling around my legs as I searched the drawers, the nightstand, even under the mattress. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from th
Zara's POV I padded barefoot to the kitchen cabinet, the tiles cold beneath my feet, the silence in my house suddenly feeling too loud. My chest felt tight. Heavy. Like something had wedged itself between my ribs and refused to move.I pulled out a bottle of wine and grabbed a glass. I needed som
Emmett's POV. I felt like a volcano that was about to erupt. Hot, angry, seething. Like something wanted to explode in me and I wanted to see someone hurt. That person being Maduro. Ever since I was fifteen that had been my wish, to make him suffer like how he made me and my sister. I w
Kali's POV The mansion was eerie quiet and dark. There was no sign of movement either. Was everyone at the mating moon ceremony? Well if that was the case, this works perfectly for me. I can slip in and slip out without being detected. I rubbed my side. The burning sensation had increa
Kali's POV My heart was racing inside my chest and my skin suddenly felt too sensitive.Too sensitive to Aiden's touch. I managed to wiggle myself out of his hold, that was already loosening around my waist, and turned to look at him. "You're my mate."Aiden didn't even sound so sure. His expres







