LOGINMia didn’t go back to sleep.She tried.She really did.She lay there, eyes closed, body still, forcing herself to breathe slowly like that would somehow shut her mind off.It didn’t.Every time she got close, his voice slipped back in.“Lie.”She groaned and flipped onto her other side.“This is so annoying…”It shouldn’t be this hard.She had handled worse. Way worse.People. Situations. Emotions.So why was this one guy getting under her skin like this?She sat up again, frustrated, dragging both hands down her face.“Okay. Enough.”If sleep wasn’t coming, then she wasn’t going to sit here fighting it.—Morning came faster than she expected.Not because she slept.Because she didn’t.Mia was already dressed by the time the rest of the house started waking up.She needed distraction.Movement.Anything that wasn’t thinking.The training grounds.Perfect.—The place was mostly empty when she got there.A few early risers here and there, but no crowd.Good.Mia grabbed a wooden staf
Mia didn’t sleep well.She told herself it was nothing. Just a long day. Too much going on.But every time she closed her eyes, her mind dragged her right back to that room.To him.To the way he looked at her like he could see straight through whatever she was trying to hide.It was annoying.Worse than annoying.Because he wasn’t even wrong.She turned on her bed again, dragging the pillow over her face.“This is stupid,” she muttered into it.It didn’t help.After a while, she gave up.The room was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that makes your thoughts louder instead of calmer.Mia sat up, running a hand through her hair before swinging her legs off the bed.A walk.That’s all she needed.Just fresh air. Clear her head. Reset.Nothing more.—The hallway lights were dim, most people already asleep.Good.Less chance of running into anyone.She moved quietly, arms folded as she walked past the empty corridors, her footsteps soft against the floor.Everything felt… normal.To
Mia was the one who broke first.Not by stepping away.Just by breathing.A shaky inhale that gave her away completely.Zade caught it. Of course he did.His eyes didn’t leave her face, but something in his expression shifted—subtle, but there. Like he’d just confirmed something he already suspected.“Say it,” he said quietly.Mia frowned. “Say what?”“That you don’t feel it.”Her grip tightened around the towel again.“I don’t,” she said, too fast.Zade didn’t even react to the lie. He just watched her for a second longer, like he was deciding something.Then he stepped back.Just like that.The space between them opened up again, and the sudden distance made Mia feel… off. Like something had been pulled away too quickly.“Fine,” he said.That was it. Just one word.But it hit harder than anything else he’d said.Mia blinked. “Fine?”Zade ran a hand through his hair, turning slightly away from her. “If that’s what you want to go with.”“That’s not—” she started, then stopped.Because
The water still clung to her skin long after she stepped out of the pool.Mia could feel it—cool droplets tracing slow paths down her neck, slipping past her collarbone, disappearing beneath the thin fabric of her singlet. But it wasn’t the water that made her pulse uneven.It was him.Zade hadn’t moved.Not even an inch.He stood a few feet away, arms relaxed at his sides, but there was nothing relaxed about him. His eyes were locked on her—not casually, not accidentally—but with a focus so intense it felt like pressure against her skin.Mia swallowed.“Why are you looking at me like that?”Her voice came out softer than she intended.Zade didn’t answer immediately. His gaze flickered—just once—down her body, then back up to her face. That small movement alone made her breath hitch.“You walked out like you didn’t know I was here,” he finally said, voice low.“I didn’t,” she replied quickly, though even she could hear the weakness in it.A corner of his mouth lifted—not quite a smile
The door didn’t open immediately.Zade stood there, hand still on the handle, like something on the other side was thinking about letting him in… or deciding not to.Mia felt it too.That quiet.Not normal quiet. Not night silence. This one felt… aware.“Zade…” she whispered.“I know.”He pushed the door.It creaked open slowly.Inside, the room was dark—but not empty.The window was open. Curtains moving with the wind. The air smelled wrong… like damp earth and something metallic underneath.Zade stepped in first.Mia followed, slower.“Stay behind me,” he muttered.“I’m not a child.”“Tonight, you are.”She didn’t argue.That alone told him something was off.The room looked untouched at first glance. Bed neatly made. Table in place. Nothing broken.But—Zade’s eyes shifted.The floor.Barely visible… but there.Marks.Not footprints.Claw marks.Dragging across the wooden floor like something heavy had been pulled… or something had resisted.Mia saw it too.Her breath caught.“…Tha
The moment we stepped out of the hospital, the air felt… wrong. Too still. Too quiet. Like everything was holding its breath. Lucian didn’t slow down. One arm steady around Mira, the other slightly out like he was ready for anything. Arin stayed close to me this time. Closer than usual. That alone told me he felt it too. “Where are we going?” he asked quietly. “Main gate,” Lucian answered. No hesitation. No second guessing. Straight out of Ironhaven. My grip tightened slightly around Arin’s hand. Something in my chest wouldn’t settle. “You feel it too, don’t you?” I said under my breath. Lucian didn’t look at me. “Yes.” That was enough. We kept walking. Fast. Purposeful. The guards we passed stepped aside immediately. No one stopped us. That should’ve made me feel better. It didn’t. If anything… it made it worse. Too easy. Way too easy. Mira shifted slightly. “Why does it feel like we’re sneaking out?” she muttered. “We’re not sneaking,” I said. “Feels
Darius. That was the name they whispered with awe and fear, but only I, the Alpha of Ironhaven, truly understood the weight it carried. Nine months, nine months I had searched for Ivy. Nine months I had burned through forests, villages, and smaller packs in pursuit of the one who had humiliated m
With the thought of Kellan just behind me, following my footsteps from the shadows, I use the dust, but it still felt like he could see through even though. I ran to my room. The guards clearly hears footsteps and feel presence, they now are on high alert, searching the area. The dust made me feel u
The guard did not knock. He only opened the door and said, “The Alpha requires you." The Alpha’s private chamber smelled of iron and winter incense. Curtains the color of old wine blocked most of the light. At the center table lay the circlet-black iron woven like thorned vines, polished to l
I found him lying on the cold stone, barely breathing. Wolfsbane had carved weakness into his limbs, hunger hollowed his cheeks, and yet the defiance in his eyes hadn’t fade “Rowan,” I whispered, kneeling beside him. My hands trembled as I touched his shoulder. He was so glad to see me, trying







