MasukViktor knew something was wrong the moment he heard the laughter.It wasn't the laughter itself.It was the confidence behind it.He remained crouched beneath the balcony, his body perfectly still as Alpha Cyrus and Marcus continued their conversation above him. The information he'd overheard had already confirmed his worst suspicion.Linda was inside.And she was being used as bait.His jaw tightened.For one brief, dangerous second, the ancient vampire considered abandoning caution altogether.He could tear through the mansion.He could rip apart every guard standing between him and Linda.He could drag Alpha Cyrus from that balcony and make him regret ever touching the woman Viktor had spent centuries searching for.But Linda came first.Always.Viktor pushed himself away from the wall and vanished into the darkness.He moved silently along the side of the mansion, allowing his senses to spread through the building.One heartbeat.Then another.Several more.But Linda's presence wa
The forest swallowed Viktor whole.Ancient trees towered over him as he moved through the darkness with supernatural speed, his boots barely touching the damp earth before he launched forward again. Cold wind slashed across his face, carrying the scents of pine, wet moss... and faint traces of wolves.His crimson eyes narrowed.He was close.Very close.Every second that passed tightened the knot in his chest.Linda.He had spent centuries mastering patience. He had survived wars, betrayals, and kingdoms that had risen only to crumble into dust. Yet none of those trials had ever unsettled him the way one frightened woman had.The memory of her walking away from his mansion refused to leave him.The hurt in her eyes.The disappointment.The accusation.He deserved every bit of it.He should have answered her questions.Instead, pride had spoken louder than love.Now he was running through enemy territory because he couldn't bear the thought of losing her.Never again.Not after finally
Darkness refused to release her.It wrapped around her mind like heavy chains, dragging her deeper every time she tried to rise.Then came the throbbing.A sharp, relentless ache spread across the back of her head.Rose groaned softly.Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening.At first, everything was nothing more than shifting shadows. Damp stone walls surrounded her, illuminated only by a single lantern hanging from an iron hook above.The smell hit her immediately.Moist earth.Rust.Blood.She frowned.Where...Her heartbeat skipped.She tried to move.Metal clanged.Rose looked down.Cold silver shackles locked both wrists to the arms of a heavy iron chair. Matching restraints circled her ankles, each engraved with ancient runes she recognized immediately.Suppressing runes.Whoever had imprisoned her had prepared carefully.She inhaled sharply."Wolfsbane..."No wonder every vein in her body still burned.Even her vampire blood struggled to heal."So... you're finally awake.
Bella stood frozen beside Dave Stark as silence settled over the courtyard like a storm waiting to break.Luda's declaration still echoed through the air."I will claim what should have been mine from the beginning."Even the wind seemed to stop.The members of the Supreme Council exchanged unreadable glances, their ancient eyes moving from one man to the other. They weren't merely looking at two rivals.They were weighing the fate of an entire kingdom.Dave's hand tightened around Bella's fingers until she felt the tremor beneath his calm exterior.Only she knew him well enough to recognize it.He wasn't afraid.He was furious.Hilda stirred restlessly inside Bella."He's barely holding himself together," her wolf whispered. "If Luda says one more word...""I know."Bella gently rubbed her thumb across the back of Dave's hand.The simple touch was enough.His breathing steadied.His blazing silver eyes softened for only a heartbeat before turning toward the Council once again.Elder
The words of the Supreme Council hung in the night air like the toll of an ancient bell.No one spoke.Not Bella.Not Dave Stark.Not even Luda.A cold breeze swept across the courtyard, stirring Bella's hair as Hilda shifted uneasily beneath her skin.Something is wrong... her wolf whispered.Bella agreed.This wasn't how tonight was supposed to unfold.Only moments ago, the Supreme Council had arrived to escort Dave back to the royal capital for the final rites before his coronation. Instead, everything had changed in the span of a few sentences.Luda had challenged destiny itself.Dave's expression remained unreadable.Only Bella, who knew him better than anyone else, noticed the subtle tightening of his jaw.His patience was hanging by a thread.The tallest elder, draped in silver ceremonial robes embroidered with ancient runes, stepped forward. His piercing eyes settled on Luda."You claim royal blood.""I do.""You understand the consequences of making a false declaration before
The afternoon sun hung low over the mountains, painting the sky in shades of amber and crimson as the black Range Rover Sentinel rolled through the towering iron gates of the Silvermoon Pack.Rose remained motionless inside the SUV.Her fingers tightened around the leather strap of her bag while her heartbeat echoed louder than the engine.She hadn't stepped inside these grounds in years.Every stone pathway...Every towering oak...Every brick of the Alpha Estate......carried memories she had spent years trying to bury.Some wounds healed.Others simply learned how to hide.The vehicle came to a smooth stop before the mansion.The chauffeur hurried around and opened the rear door."My lady."Rose forced herself to smile."Thank you."As soon as her feet touched the ground, Hilda's warning echoed faintly through Bella's mother's wolf bond.Be careful...Rose inhaled deeply."I have to save Amanda."No fear...No hatred...No painful memory......would stop her today.***********The
Moonlight washed the clearing in cold silver as the Lycan emerged from the shadows.His massive frame moved with lethal grace, black fur catching the light until it gleamed like polished onyx. Bella gasped and scrambled for the clothes scattered near her, pressing the fabric to her chest as if it c
Lunch was usually loud—voices overlapping, laughter spilling, trays clattering—but the moment Bella took her seat at the Hybrids’ table, an unnatural stillness crept in.Joy and Eve sat beside her, shoulders tense, eyes alert. This was the first time they’d joined the table while Serena was present
Bella noticed Dave Stark’s name before she even registered the vibration of her phone.Her heart leapt, light and reckless, the way it always did when his name appeared. She’d saved his contact with a simple white heart—nothing dramatic, nothing loud. Just quiet certainty.She fixed her gaze on the
Dave Stark gently set Bella down on the bed as if she were some precious but dangerous merchandise.With one hand pressed against the side of her head and the other reaching out for her, he came close to her as if the only thing that kept him sane was to close as much space as he could between them







