LOGINLyon’s POV
I sat at the large mahogany desk in my office, staring at a stack of merger contracts.The city was quiet fifty floors below me. I was working hard to keep my mind on the numbers and the legal terms. I wanted to forget the smell of the mountains and the sound of the elders' voices. This penthouse was supposed to be my sanctuary. It was the one place where I could just be a man in a suit.The soft chime of the private elevator echoed through the living room. ILyon’s POVI sat at the large mahogany desk in my office, staring at a stack of merger contracts. The city was quiet fifty floors below me. I was working hard to keep my mind on the numbers and the legal terms. I wanted to forget the smell of the mountains and the sound of the elders' voices. This penthouse was supposed to be my sanctuary. It was the one place where I could just be a man in a suit.The soft chime of the private elevator echoed through the living room. I looked at the clock. It was early for Christie to be home from the lab, but I felt a surge of relief anyway. I set my pen down and stood up. I wanted to see her. I wanted to tell her that the work was finally moving forward and that we could have a quiet dinner together.I walked out of the office and into the open living area. "You’re early," I said, a smile starting to form on my face.The elevator doors slid open. The smile died instantly.It wasn't Christie. It wa
Christie’s POVThe fluorescent lights of the lab were starting to make my head ache. I had spent hours double-checking the stabilizers and making sure the serum batch was safe. By the time I stripped off my lab coat and washed my hands, the building was nearly empty. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. My work was back on track, and for a moment, I had forgotten all about the chaos of the mountains.I walked out of the heavy glass doors of the research center. The evening air was cool, and the sun was just starting to dip behind the city skyline. I expected to see the black car Lyon usually sent for me. I was looking forward to the quiet drive and seeing him at the penthouse. But as I scanned the parking lot, I didn't see his driver.Instead, there was a sleek silver sedan parked in a far corner. A woman was leaning against the driver’s side door. She was wearing a trench coat, and her hair was pulled back tightly. Even from a distance, I recognized the posture. It was Kendra.I fr
Christie’s POVThe sun was barely up when my phone started buzzing on the nightstand. The sound was sharp and loud in the quiet room. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. I had only been asleep for a few hours. My body felt like lead and my eyes were heavy. But the phone didn't stop. It kept vibrating until the wooden table began to rattle. I reached out and grabbed it without looking."Hello?" I muttered. My voice was thick with sleep."Christie? It’s Miller from the lab," a man’s voice said. He sounded stressed. "I am sorry to wake you so early, but we have a major problem. We were running the new testing on the last batch of blood samples. Something is wrong. The data is all over the place and the stability is dropping."I sat up instantly. The fog in my brain cleared. I was a professional. When work called, I didn't have time to be tired. Those samples were critical for the serum research we had been doing for months. "What
Christie’s POVThe car ride from Lyon’s penthouse to my house was quiet. I sat in the back of the car he sent, watching the city streets pass by. My mind was still back in the mountains, but my body was exhausted. All I wanted to do was walk into my room, close the curtains, and sleep for a whole day. When the car pulled up to the driveway, I took a deep breath. I knew that walking into this house meant dealing with a different kind of war.I opened the front door and stepped inside. I dropped my bag by the door and started walking toward the stairs. I didn't even get to the first step before I saw her.Anna was sitting on the sofa in the living room. She had a magazine in her lap, but she wasn't reading it. She was looking at the door, waiting. As soon as she saw me, her face twisted into a scowl. She looked at me with bad eyes. She looked like she was looking at something she wanted to throw away."So, you decided to show up," Anna said. Her voice was sharp and loud. "Where have you
Lyon’s POVThe heavy front doors of the estate slammed shut behind us. I didn't look back. I kept my hand firmly on Christie’s lower back as we moved down the stone steps. The mountain air was cold and sharp, but it felt better than the stale, recycled oxygen of the royal wing. Ren was standing by the black SUV, his head bowed. He didn't ask questions. He just opened the door."The keys, Ren," I said.He handed them over without a word. He knew I wasn't in the mood to be driven. I needed to feel the steering wheel in my hands. I needed to be the one in control of the speed. I helped Christie into the passenger seat and walked around to the driver's side. The engine turned over with a low, powerful growl that seemed to vibrate through the gravel. As we pulled away, I caught a glimpse of the estate in the rearview mirror. The lights were still on in the Great Hall, but the building looked small and hollow. I accelerated, the tires spitting dirt as
Lyon’s POVThe wood of the door groaned as Kael kicked it again. I knew his scent. I had taught him how to hold a spear when he was barely a teenager. Now, he was outside my door, shouting about how I had grown soft. He and the others were only this brave because they knew I didn't want to kill my own blood. They were banking on my restraint."Open up, Lyon!" Kael shouted. "We aren't the elders. We don't care about your stories of the Great Frost. We want a leader who doesn't hide behind a human woman. If you won't come out, we’re coming in to drag her out ourselves!"I looked at Christie. She wasn't shaking. She was standing by the bed, her eyes fixed on me. She knew what was about to happen."Stay behind me," I said.I didn't shift or even growl. I reached out and pulled the heavy iron bar back. I did it slowly, letting the sound of the metal scraping echo through the hallway. Then, I turned the handle and pulled the door open.The hallway was full of men. Kael was in the front, his







