MasukEmmett’s POV Her fingers were relentless against the leather of my belt, fumbling for a second before the metal prong slid free with a sharp, metallic snap. The sound echoed in the damp, steam-filled quiet of the bathroom, a tiny punctuation mark to the sudden, almost drastic change in the atmosphere.My breath caught in my throat, hot and ragged. Just a moment ago, I had been the one holding the line, the one preaching patience and restraint. I had looked at the pale, haunted hollows of her face and sworn to myself that I wouldn’t touch her like this, not while she was drowning in whatever terror had chased her out of the woods, not while she looked like a stiff breeze could shatter her into a million pieces.I had told her I wanted to wait. I had told her she needed to feel safe first.But my noble intentions dissolved into ash the second her gaze locked onto mine. There was no hesitation in her eyes now, no timid submission. Instead, there was a dark, burning hunger, a desperate,
Emmett’s POVThe single word hung suspended in the quiet air of the hallway, raw and loaded with a sudden, suffocating weight.“Kali?”I stood frozen in the threshold of my room, my chest tightening as my eyes swept over her. Up close, the sight of her sent a cold, jarring shock straight through my veins. She looked entirely ghostly, her skin practically translucent, drained of any natural color, and her eyes wide with a deep, haunted terror that she was frantically trying to swallow down. The vibrant, warm energy that usually seemed to surround her had vanished, replaced by a chilling fragility that made my beast claw restlessly beneath my skin.I reached out slowly, my fingers brushing against her icy cheek. “Where have you been? What happened to you?” I asked, my voice dropping to a low, rough murmur of concern.Kali flinched slightly at my touch, leaning into it for a fraction of a second before pulling back. She avoided my gaze, staring down at the floorboards as a hollow, trembl
Emmett’s POV The 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
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 POV My eyes snapped open. I wiggled out of his grip, shoving him so hard he started backwards, his eyes popping open in shock. "Zara what did I..." "What did you say?" His brows scrunched together in confusion, only for a split second. "That you're mine." I scoffed. He had to b
Kali’s POV My heart hadn’t stopped pounding since Zara left my room. Every thump echoed in my ears like a war drum, each beat a reminder that I was living on borrowed time. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the faint shimmer of light bleeding in through the curtains, my hands trembling in m
Zara's POV The late afternoon sun bathed the training grounds in soft golden lights as I stepped onto the field, balancing a small box of cupcakes in my hands. The scent of sugar and vanilla drifted up, mingling with the earthy smell of dust and sweat from the sparring soldiers. My eyes swept t
Zara's POV I turned to Isaac, quirking a questioning brow at him. What was his deal with Ben? Some step brother's rivalry shit? And why did he call Isaac a coward? Isaac just turned to me, forcing a smile like that was supposed to be a kind of explanation. I return my gaze to the desser







