Greg's povI was still staring out the window when he finally spoke.Cleared his throat like he was bracing for impact.“There’s… something else you need to see, Alpha.”I turned my head slowly, the weight of my thoughts already too much to bear. His voice carried that careful tone the one people use when they know the truth might break you further.He stepped forward and handed me a folder.“What is it?” I asked, taking it with stiff fingers.“The financial report. From the treasury. The full debt and expenditure records… for the past five years.”I flipped it open lazily at first. My eyes skimming through rows of numbers, projected growths, declining reserves, pending loan repayments. But then I saw the total.
Greg's pov The wheels of the wheelchair screeched across the polished stone floor as I forced the chair forward, furious with how slow it all felt. I hated this weakness. Hated how I had to use my whole damn upper body just to get across a room I used to pace in seconds.When I reached the window, I planted my hands on the sill and stared out at the city I once ruled with ease. My pack of which I now only ruled half of it. She took it from me.No… seduced it from me. Vanessa or Nadia or whatever name she had. I growled under my breath.How the hell did I fall for her? How did I not see it?I remember the way she looked at me that first night with soft eyes, like she saw right through the arrogance and scars. She didn’t flinch when I barked orders or raised my voice. She smiled, laughed even, and touched me in a way that drew me towards her. I wanted her to be the Luna of this pack and rule besides me but she had ulterior plans from the beginning and I just realized that now. I gr
Greg's povThe applause was still ringing when I turned to Thelma.“Take me out of here,” I hissed.She blinked. “What?”“I said take me out. Now.” My voice came out low, guttural, seething.The smile still hadn’t faded from Varic’s face. That smug bastard. Sitting there like a god among men, with her by his side like a damned crown.Nadia.My Nadia.My hands trembled on the armrests. I wasn’t sure if it was the rage or the weakness. Probably both. My whole body buzzed with fury, but I couldn’t even stand and that fact alone made me want to scream.“Greg ” Thelma leaned closer. “Just breathe. You’re making a scene.”“I don’t care.” I jer
Nadia’s pov The hall glittered like starlight had spilled across marble floors. Golden chandeliers floated above, their flames swaying to the soft music played by the court’s finest ensemble. Nobles shimmered in silks and polished boots, laughter echoing as they sipped wine too expensive to taste. But beneath the merriment was something colder. Watchful. Tense.At the head of the long, arched table sat Varic, draped in obsidian armor etched with the royal crest. His hair had been neatly pulled back, his features no longer sickly, but sharpened—like a blade freshly honed. He looked every bit the Alpha King they feared. And seated beside him, dressed in deep crimson velvet, was me.Nadia.His bond.His chosen.A different kind of silence followed me as I took my place beside him. The kind that crawled along skin. That said, She’s not one of us… and yet she is.The food arrived in procession — dishes too elegant to eat, carried by gloved servants under the watchful eyes of Varic’s priv
Greg's pov The world always looks smaller when you’re staring at it from a goddamn wheelchair.I used to stand at this very balcony and see kingdoms in the stretch of land beyond lands I conquered, people I ruled, fear I commanded. Now? Now I see shadows and ghosts, and a reflection of a man I barely recognize in the glass.My hands gripped the railing, fingers trembling from the strain. Every breath burned in my chest like I’d swallowed fire. The cold air didn’t help. Neither did the silence.Behind me, I heard the soft shuffle of feet.“You shouldn’t be up,” Thelma’s voice cut through the stillness like a chisel to stone. Gentle, but firm.I didn’t look at her.Didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes.“I’m fine,” I muttered, leaning harder into the railing. My legs quivered beneath me, useless as ever. “I’m not some feeble old man needing to be tucked in like a damn child.”“You’re not feeble,” she said, walking closer. “But you’re not well either. You should rest, Greg.”“Rest?”
Nadia’s pov The moonlight spilled through the tall arched windows, bathing the stone walls of the palace in a silvery sheen. I lay there beside Varic, his body warm and steady, the rhythm of his breathing grounding me yet sleep refused to come. Every time I closed my eyes, the weight of everything we’d endured bore down on my chest like a stone.Sleep wouldn’t come.Not even with Varic’s warmth beside me, or the steady rhythm of his breathing grounding me. My body longed to rest, but my mind refused to follow. So I slipped from the bed silently, wrapped myself in a robe, and padded barefoot down the long, echoing halls of the palace.The stone was cold beneath my feet. The air was still.Too still.My wolf stirred, restless as if sensing something I didn’t yet understand. I told myself I only needed a walk. Just a few minutes to clear my head and shake off the weight pressing down on my chest.Quietly, I slipped out from under the covers, careful not to wake him. He stirred, mumbling