Roman landed in a blur of fur and claws onto the stone balcony of the Warfur Pack Alpha’s office with a controlled growl. His gold eyes gleamed under the setting sun before he walked through the opened balcony doors. The shift came mid-step, bones crunching and reforming until Micah strode into the room barefoot, body slick with sweat and eyes sharp with leftover adrenaline. He barely glanced at the shifting hologram screen Laurie tapped on as she entered through the office door.“The hunt didn’t turn up much?” she asked without looking up, her voice tight but calm.Micah huffed, still breathing hard from the last stretch back as he stalked to the desk. He looked down at the notes Laura had spread across his desk–parchment and crystal, dried herbs and half-burned sigils. He reached for the map pinned at the center and marked off an
Everyone waited, breath held, as if Archie's next inhale might mend the rift threatening to split the room in two. But he didnāt stir. His chest remained still. His skin, though no longer blotched with poison, was still far too pale.Xenia knelt beside him, hands limp on her thighs. Even she looked unsure now.Ducheās nostrils flared. āThis is an act of war!āLaurie stepped protectively in front of Archie, her magic trailed across her palms like fading embers. āWeāre saving him from the likes of you,ā she spat.āAnd look at him now. Is this what peace looks like?ā He pointed at the werewolves gathered on the far side of the table. āThey trespass in our halls, they bleed their cursed magic into our bloodlines, and nowānow they play gods with our kin.ā
King Renald and the Alpha King Gerald sat at the end of a long table inside the council chamber. Renald was flanked by stiff-backed soldiers and a few wary elders. Gerald sat with his warriors with a calm expression, which only seemed to make Renald even more nervous.Xenia entered, Micah on her right, Cristobal on her left. She moved to the center of the chamber while Micah and Cristobal greeted the kings. She knew she didn’t have much time so she got to work. She pulled out a dagger, causing the guards to go for their weapons.“It’s fine.”Both Cristobal and Micah assured them as Xenia drew blood and painted runes on the long table. With Nova’s guidance she closed her eyes, heart steadying, breath syncing to the subtle rhythm of the room. Nova drew forward, her eyes burning whit
Micah opened the door to the room that smelled of lavender and potatoes, but nothing could mask the overwhelming scent that made his chest ache: warm vanilla and winter blossoms. Xenia. His mate.The atmosphere had completely changed, softened. The girls had rearranged the space with blankets and cushions, forming a nest of makeshift beds. Most of them were already dozing or curled up in conversation. And in the center, Xenia lay atop the stripped mattress, one arm protectively draped across her belly. Even in sleep, tension clung to her. Her brow creased, her breathing shallow. She twitched now and again, caught in some restless dream.Delilah, seated nearby with a damp cloth in hand, looked up as he knelt beside the bed. “Don’t worry,” she said gently, reading the concern in his eyes. “The doctor came. Said she’s just… spe
Micah left to get a private session with the kings. Cristobal went to round up Serif and the girls, and any guards who were willing to stand by their side. Before she could move in to help her mother stopped her.āPlan or not, baby girl, you look about two seconds from toppling over again,ā Delilah gestured for the girls to come over.āIām fine,ā Xenia insisted, but her voice was losing steam.āNo, you aināt,ā Frieda replied flatly. āYouāre holdinā on by a thread, and even your sass canāt hide that.āāIf this plan is going to work you need to be at your best,ā Delilah added.āYour mother is right,ā Nova agreed. āYou have been pushing yourself way too much, Xenia. We need the rest.ā
āArchie didnāt disappear, Your Majesty,ā Xenia continued. āHe was attacked by an assassinā¦ā she paused for dramatic effect. ā...hired by Commander Edmund Duche.āThe grand hall erupted in chaos. Micah and the rest looked at Xenia with shocked expressions. No one would openly accuse someone in the royal family of something like this. So openly. Yet, Xenia was calm, watching King Regaldās expression.āSheās right,ā Cristobal said flatly, stepping forward. āAside from the assassination attempt, we were attacked on the seas by one of Ducheās warships. Even Archie couldnāt stop them with the secret signal.āDucheās expression darkened. āThis is treasonāāāYouāre one to talk about treason,ā Micah snarled, his voice thick with restrained fury. āYouāve twisted the court with fea
Micahās vision tunneled. All he could see was Ducheās smirking face. Roman roared beneath his skin, clawing to the surface. He lunged forward, teeth bared, the shift rolling over him so fast his bones cracked mid-stride. "Alpha Micah, stand down!"The Alpha King Geraldāās voice boomed through the chamber, the command washing over Micah as he stopped just short of tearing Ducheās throat out. His dark eyes swept over Micah, then softened slightly as they fell on Xeniaāon the bruises, the raw skin, and the trembling of her hands. His jaw tightened, and when he spoke again, it carried a weight of controlled fury. "There will be no more cruelty here. Not today. Not under this roof." Beside him, King Renald rose slowly from his throne, the lines of grief on his face deepening. His gaze locked onto Xenia with a fury barely restrained.āThis woman,ā he said coldly, āwalks free while my daughter is in a coma, while yours is in a coma.ā Renald descended the steps, each footfall echoing acros
The gates to the dungeons at the Alpha King kingdom slowly creaked open. Micah waited patiently, taking a deep breath before venturing forward with the escorted guards. Months had passed since the war, since Melaniaās defeat. It should have been the dawn of peace. Instead, the condition of the princesses had shattered the fragile trust between the kingdoms. Their blood, though spilled by Melaniaās cruelty, had left an ugly stain that no one seemed willing to wash clean. The humans and werewolves alike demanded justice. And Commander Ducheāthat rat bastardāhad fanned the flames with lies.Micah stopped walking when he noticed a figure by the cell he was walking toward. He quickly bowed with the other guards as the Alpha King walked out from the shadows.āYou know Iām only doing this because of the promise I gave your father,ā the Alpha King spoke.Micah smiled and nodded. āI heard the Luna Queen might have alsoāāDonāt,ā the Alpha King growled. āIf it was up to me, I would've beheaded
Micah barely grunted as the witchfire singed his shoulder, his body shielding Xeniaās. Smoke curled off his skin, but he stayed upright, golden eyes blazing.āRemember! Thatās not just Lillian,ā he growled. āMelaniaās in there.āLaurieās eyes widened, magic crackling around her fingertips. āThat explains the strength. Lillian wasnāt this powerful before.āCristobal readied his sword, standing at Xeniaās side with a smirk aimed at Micah. āThen letās put her down before she gets any stronger. You can keep up, wolf-boy?āMicah grinned. āTry not to fall behind, soldier.āLaurie stepped forward. āYou two can measure egos later. Sheās still attacking Xenia.āXenia had just rolled behind a boulder, her face pale but determined. She picked up a fallen branch and brandished it like a spear.Laurieās magic swirled around her like a storm. āWeāre gonna need everyone. Iāll try to trap her between veils. If we can weaken Melaniaās grip, we might be able to push her back.āThe group fanned out, ins