LOGINLENORA“Punished!?”The word tore out of me before I could stop it. I pushed myself up on the bed, ignoring the sharp, burning pain that shot through my body. It was worse around my shoulder and neck, spreading like fire beneath my skin, but the shock of his words drowned it out.Orion didn’t move.“Yes,” he replied, his voice tight, controlled in a way that immediately made my chest constrict.I stared at him, my breath coming faster. “I got bitten by a… a vampire-werewolf thing,” I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “Isn’t that punishment enough? I might not even survive and—”“Don’t say that.” His tone cut through mine, sharp and immediate.I froze.The intensity in his voice made something inside me falter, but the fear already clawing at my chest didn’t stop. It only grew, twisting tighter, dragging memories I didn’t want to feel back to the surface.“I didn’t know, Orion,” I whispered, my voice breaking as my fingers curled weakly into the sheets. “Please d
ORION“Lenora!”Her name tore out of my throat as I caught her before she could hit the ground again, her body limp against mine, far too light, far too cold. Blood soaked through my fingers where I held her, warm and slick, and the metallic scent of it mixed with something far worse.Venom.My pulse spiked violently as I tightened my grip on her and ran.Branches lashed against my arms, snapped beneath my boots as I pushed through the forest with no regard for anything but speed. The world blurred around me, the distance between the forest and the castle stretching unbearably long.Noctari venom didn’t give time.It didn’t wait.It killed.Faster than wolfsbane. Faster than silver. Once it spread through the bloodstream, it shut everything down—organs, instincts, even the wolf itself.“Stay with me,” I muttered under my breath, my voice rough as I glanced down at her pale face. “Lenora, stay with me.”She didn’t respond.Her head lolled weakly against my chest, her breathing shallow,
LENORA“Orion!”My voice tore out of my throat before I could stop it, raw and sharp, echoing through the clearing as the creature lunged at him.Everything happened too fast.One moment, Orion stood between me and the Noctari, his body tense, eyes blazing with a fury I had never seen before. The next, the creature’s arm twisted unnaturally, its claws elongating in a grotesque, jagged stretch before slashing across his chest.I gasped, my breath hitching painfully.“Orion!”But he didn’t fall.He didn’t even flinch.The claws had torn through his shirt, slicing skin beneath, but he barely reacted. His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing as if the pain meant nothing, as if it only fueled him further.“Is that all?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, laced with something that made my pulse stutter.The Noctari tilted its head, its lips stretching into a crooked, unnatural smile. “You bleed,” it rasped, its voice scraping against the air like broken glass. “Good. That means you can break
ORION“Is everyone secured?”My voice cut cleanly through the tension hanging in the war room. Every head turned toward me, the air thick with unease, anticipation, and the faint metallic scent of fear that even trained warriors could not fully suppress.“The inner gates are locked, Alpha,” one of the guards replied quickly, straightening as he spoke. “All patrol units are in position.”I stepped forward, my gaze hard as it swept across them. “And the women and children?”“They’ve been moved to the lower quarters,” another answered, but his tone lacked certainty.I stopped in front of him, my presence enough to make his shoulders stiffen. “Moved is not secured,” I said coldly. “Tonight, they won’t go for strength first. They’ll go for vulnerability. Fear spreads faster that way.”His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Yes, Alpha. We’ll double the guard.”“Triple it,” I corrected sharply. “And no one leaves the castle. Not for any reason.”A murmur of agreement followed, but I barely hear
LENORA“Run.”The word hadn’t fully settled in my mind before my body reacted. I turned and bolted.Pain tore through my ankle the moment I pushed off, sharp and vicious, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My breath came out in ragged bursts as I forced my legs to move faster, branches whipping against my arms and face as I plunged deeper into the woods.Behind me, I heard it, but it was not running.It walked. A slow, deliberate crunch of leaves underfoot, unhurried and controlled, like he had all the time in the world. A low whistle cut through the night air, eerily casual. “Come out, come out, little wolf…” his voice drawled, amusement lacing every syllable.My stomach twisted violently.I stumbled forward, catching myself against a tree before I could fall. My fingers scraped against rough bark as I pushed off again, ignoring the sting, ignoring the dizziness clawing at the edges of my vision.“I’m not a wolf,” I whispered under my breath, though the words felt hollow even to me.The
LENORAI stared at the door for a long time after Orion left.The silence he’d abandoned behind felt heavier than his presence. It pressed against my chest, tightening with every passing second, until breathing itself became an effort. My fists curled slowly at my sides as his words replayed in my head; Stay in your room. Wait until the hunt is over.No explanation or trust. Just orders.“Not happening,” I muttered under my breath, my voice low but firm.If he thought I would sit here like some obedient prisoner while the entire world shifted outside these walls, then he clearly didn’t know me at all.I pushed myself to my feet and began pacing, my mind racing faster than my steps. The door was locked. The windows… I turned sharply toward them, eyes narrowing as an idea began to form.The curtains swayed gently with the night breeze, silver moonlight spilling across the floor. Slowly, deliberately, I approached the window and pushed it open wider. A cool gust brushed against my skin,
~Eric~I woke with a violent jerk, my chest heaving as though I had been running for miles, my heart slamming so hard against my ribs that it felt like it might break free entirely. The darkness of my room pressed in around me, thick and suffocating, and for a moment, I could not separate dream fro
~Lenora~By the time the full moon arrived, I had begun to understand just how vast this place truly was.For two days, I wandered.Not aimlessly, though it might have looked that way to anyone watching, but with quiet intent, mapping the corridors in my mind, learning the turns, the hidden alcoves
~Lenora~The warmth of the crystal bath wrapped around me like a gentle embrace, seeping into my skin, easing the faint restlessness that had been building beneath the surface since I woke. The water flowed steadily, its soft current brushing against me in a way that felt almost alive, as though it
~Eric~And just like that, the past came rushing back, the times when we would spend the day together, strolling through the forest. Lenora sat there.Her legs swung lightly over the edge as she smiled at me, her expression bright, her eyes filled with a warmth I had not seen in a long time.“You a







