I realized—struck suddenly, sharply—that I had never done this before. Never just... laid with her. Offered comfort without expectation.When she had been with Silverclaw—back before everything shattered—I would fall asleep with her sometimes after long, heated nights. After I'd taken her to bed w
DEREKI would deal with Cassandra. But not yet. Not before I took care of the woman in front of me.Elena sat on the bench like her bones might give out at any moment. Her skin was pale, almost ashen, and her hands trembled faintly even though she tried to hold them still in her lap. The wind caug
I had chased after him, or tried to. My body hadn’t responded the way I wanted it to. Every step had felt like dragging my soul uphill, barefoot and bleeding.By the time I caught up, he was already barking orders at the Captain of the Guard. Already demanding arrests. Already setting things in moti
DEREKFor a moment, I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.Maggie’s confession echoed in my ears—loud, ugly, final.Cassandra.Cassandra had hired rogues to attack Elena. The day of our wedding.I stood rooted to the floor, staring across the small interrogation room at Maggie’s battered figure, my heart
ELENA“Because of… you?” I said, unable to keep the confusion out of my voice.Maggie’s face crumpled. Tears fell silently down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails on her pale skin.She nodded once. A tiny, broken movement."I’m Logan’s fated mate," she said.The world tilted sideways.I just star
DEREKI stood outside the heavy reinforced door, my arms crossed, my wolf pacing just beneath my skin.I hated this.Every instinct screamed at me to be in there, standing beside her. But Elena had asked to speak to Maggie alone, and I understood why.Maggie would never talk freely with me sitting a
ELENAThe low fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, washing everything in a sterile, humming glow.Maggie sat across from me, wrists cuffed, the chains on the table between us rattling softly every time she moved. Her eyes were red, her mouth pressed into a thin, trembling line. She looked like a ghos
I gave a dry laugh."Welcome to being the Moonstone Princess," I muttered.He smiled faintly."You need a vacation."I arched an eyebrow at him."Last time I tried to take a vacation, I was held hostage and nearly lost our son."He winced. "Fair point."The corner of my mouth twitched despite myself
ELENAThe car hummed steadily beneath us, eating up the endless miles of asphalt stretching toward the northern border.I sat stiffly in the back seat, arms crossed tightly over my chest, watching the pines blur past the windows in shadowy smears.Derek sat beside me, his presence filling the small