LOGINCHAPTER 78KADEThe palace had been buzzing since dawn with final preparations for the Lunar Accord Ball. Servants rushed through every corridor carrying trays of crystal goblets, armfuls of black and silver roses, bolts of midnight-blue velvet for last-minute draping. Musicians tuned instruments in the grand hall. Guards doubled at every entrance, checking invitations with quiet efficiency. The air smelled of fresh wax, lilies, and polished wood. Tonight would be loud, crowded, glittering, and full of eyes. Exactly the kind of night someone might choose to strike.I stood in the small private office just off the east wing that I used when I needed silence. The room had no windows, only a single lamp and a heavy desk. I closed the door behind me, locked it, and pulled the burner phone from my inner pocket. The number I dialed belonged to the guard I had assigned to shadow Lord Seraph weeks ago. No name. Just a code: Shadow-7.The line clicked open on the second ring.“Shadow-7 reporti
CHAPTER 77ROWAN He looked at me for a long second then said in his deep low voice “Hey baby.”I froze right there in the middle of the room because they never used pet names and hearing him call me baby in that calm steady tone caught me completely off guard. My mouth opened but no words came out for a few seconds as I just stared at him trying to process it. Finally I managed to say “Baby? Since when do you call me baby?”Kade’s lips twitched. He walked over to me slowly and took the shopping bags from my hands setting them down on the chair beside the bed. “The others are still going over paperwork,” he said quietly answering the question I had not even asked yet. “Dante and Lucien will be busy for a while longer. It is just us right now.”Before I could say anything else he leaned down and kissed me. It was not soft or gentle like I expected from the quiet king. It was deep and hungry his mouth claiming mine right away as one of his big hands slid to the back of my neck to hold m
CHAPTER 76ROWANWe finally arrived at the massive shopping mall in the heart of the capital after what felt like the longest car ride ever because Varynia had spent the entire drive talking nonstop about all the stores she wanted to hit and how she was going to make sure I got proper clothes for the Lunar Accord Ball instead of the boring palace stuff they kept pushing on me. The moment we stepped inside the cool air-conditioned space with its bright lights and endless rows of shops I felt a little overwhelmed but also excited.Varynia grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the escalators as she said loudly “Okay first stop is the designer floor because I need new heels and you need something that does not make you look like a sad royal doll. Then we are hitting the accessory stores because you cannot show up to the ball without a killer mask or at least a nice watch."I laughed and tried to keep up with her fast pace while people stared at us because Varynia was basically vibr
ROWAN Later that day I was sitting on the edge of my bed still trying to process everything that had happened the night before when the door to my room burst open without a knock and Varynia stormed in like a hurricane wearing a bright yellow top and jeans with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She had a huge grin on her face and was already talking before she even fully stepped inside. “Rowan get your ass up we are going shopping right now. I need new shoes and you need to get out of this room before you start growing roots in the carpet. I already cleared it with the guards and I swear if the kings try to stop us I will scream until they let us go because you deserve a normal day after all the royal bullshit you have been dealing with.”I looked up at her and smiled a little because her energy was always contagious even when I was still sore and tired from last night. “Shopping sounds good,” I said standing up slowly and stretching my arms above my head. “I could use some fresh air
CHAPTER 74ROWANThe next morning I woke up slowly with the heavy warmth of bodies pressed all around me and the soft sound of steady breathing filling the quiet room. Dante was on my left with one arm draped possessively over my waist and his face tucked against the back of my neck. Lucien was on my right with his leg thrown over mine and his hand resting low on my stomach. Kade lay behind Lucien but his arm reached across to rest on my hip like he needed to keep contact even in sleep. I stayed still for a long moment just feeling the weight of them the heat of their skin and the way their bodies surrounded me completely. I carefully slipped out from between them trying not to wake anyone as I stood up on shaky legs. My body was sore in the best and worst ways every muscle aching from the way they had used me last night and my ass felt tender and used but I could not stop the small smile that tugged at my lips when I remembered how they had held me and touched me and made me feel wa
CHAPTER 73ROWANThat evening the palace finally grew calmer after the long exhausting day of preparations for the Lunar Accord Ball and the constant noise of servants rushing around with ladders and decorations and the loud arguments about where to place the flowers and banners had slowly faded into a quiet hum that made the entire building feel almost peaceful again. I was sitting on the edge of my bed still wearing the comfortable hoodie and pants I had changed into after helping Varynia with the last of the centerpieces when the door to my room opened without a knock and Dante stepped inside looking as composed and cold as always but with a faint tightness around his eyes that told me the day had been harder on him than he would ever admit.I stood up quickly my heart giving a little jump because I had not expected to see him tonight and the sight of him after the chaotic preparations made something warm and nervous flutter in my chest. I walked over to him without thinking and wr
CHAPTER 21ROWANI stumbled out of the restroom with my heart pounding so wildly in my chest that I could barely hear anything over the rush of blood in my ears, my gala suit completely soaked through with warm, sticky crimson that dripped down my arms and splattered onto the polished marble floors
CHAPTER 22DANTE The gala had finally drawn to its exhausting close, with the last notes of the orchestra fading into silence and the guests beginning to filter out through the grand doors in a slow, elegant procession that always marked the end of these obligatory displays of power and unity. I s
CHAPTER 26ROWANI was still lying in bed that afternoon, staring at the ceiling and trying to process everything that had happened at breakfast, when the door to my room burst open without even a knock, and Varynia strode in like she owned the entire palace, her blonde hair bouncing with every con
CHAPTER 23LUCIENThe words had barely left my mouth when the air in the ballroom shifted, turning thick and electric with tension that I could practically taste on my tongue like the sweetest kind of poison. Dante stood frozen in front of me, his grey eyes narrowing into slits of pure ice as he pr







