Mag-log inAUTHOR’S POVGlass shattered against the heavy stones of the fireplace, sending jagged crystal shards scattering across the Persian rug.Alpha Magnus kept his arm raised for a fraction of a second, his chest heaving under his tailored suit jacket. A dark, vicious snarl twisted his scarred face. The spilled whiskey hissed as it hit the hot embers in the grate, filling the office with the bitter scent of burning alcohol.Standing dead center in the room, Beta Ronan did not flinch. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, staring straight ahead."Seven days," Magnus growled, his voice dropping into a lethal, chest-rattling register. Dropping his arm, he turned to face his second-in-command. "Seven days, Ronan. Do you know how many resources I have poured into this hunt?""Every available Enforcer unit is deployed, Alpha." Ronan kept his tone flat, devoid of emotion. "We have thermal drones scanning the northern ridges. We have checkpoints on every major highway.""And what do you have
AMBERLYSmoke from wood-fired ovens hung thick over the village market.The small, neutral settlement existed off the grid, hidden deep in a valley between three major pack borders. Rogues, exiles, and humans running from their pasts blended together here. Nobody asked questions. Nobody cared about your last name.Walking down the cobblestone street, I breathed in the heavy scent of roasted lamb, cinnamon, and wet earth. My hair was still damp from the shower, hidden under a thick black beanie.Maya’s stall sat at the very end of the market square.She was arranging small, hand-carved wooden charms on a velvet cloth. Maya was a rogue shifter, cast out from the Southern pack years ago for refusing a forced mating arrangement. She wore a patched denim jacket and had a silver hoop pierced through her left eyebrow."You look less like a ghost today," Maya called out, not looking up from her charms."Thanks." Stopping at her stall, I picked up a small wooden wolf pendant. "I think the moun
AMBERLYDust coated the back of my throat, tasting like copper and dry earth.Briggs swung his large right arm, aiming a heavy haymaker directly at my jaw. The mercenary was huge, built like a concrete bunker, and his knuckles were wrapped in thick leather tape. Yesterday, that punch would have terrified me. Today, he moved in slow motion.Ducking under his arm, my black training boots dug sharp and deep into the loose soil. The traction held perfectly. Pivoting on my heel, I drove my elbow hard into his exposed ribs.Bone cracked loudly in the quiet clearing.“Uurgh!” Briggs grunted, stumbling sideways and dropping his guard.Vance didn't wait. Rushing me from the left flank, the second mercenary slashed a blunt rubber training knife toward my stomach."You're telegraphing your shoulders, Vance!" I shouted, dropping my center of gravity.Wind rushed past my ear as the rubber blade missed my face by a fraction of an inch. Instead of pulling back, I stepped inside his reach. Grabbing h
AUTHOR’S POV Gravel crunched under the tires of the silver sports car.Cutting the engine a block away from the estate gates, Victoria slipped out of the driver's seat. The dashboard clock read 3:14 AM. The air was freezing, but her skin still felt warm, humming with the lingering memory of Kaelen's touch.The thought of the fuck had her pussy tingling again.Walking past the sleeping security guards, she bypassed the main entrance. Slipping through the manicured hedges, she unlocked the side conservatory door using a master key she stole from the head butler three years ago.The house was dead silent.Tiptoeing up the grand marble staircase, she held her breath, praying the old floorboards wouldn't creak.Reaching the third floor, she pushed the heavy oak door to her bedroom open."You missed curfew," a voice spoke from the shadows.Victoria jumped, her heart slamming against her ribs. She slammed her hand against the wall switch, flooding the massive, sterile bedroom with bright ch
AUTHOR’S POVWind whipped salty sea spray over the jagged rocks, stinging Victoria’s cheeks. Pulling her oversized cashmere cardigan tighter around her shoulders, she stepped carefully toward the edge of the precipice. Below, the dark ocean violently crashed against the stone, sending white foam shooting into the cold night air.Kaelen sat on the hood of his vintage Bronco just a few yards back from the drop. Resting his elbows on his knees, he held two steaming paper cups. He wore a faded band tee and ripped jeans, looking effortlessly comfortable in the freezing coastal breeze."You actually showed up," Kaelen called out over the sound of the crashing waves."Don't sound so surprised." Navigating the uneven gravel in her designer boots, Victoria walked over to the truck and let out a loud sigh. "I needed to get off the estate. If I stayed in that house one more hour, I was going to set my father's study on fire."Holding out a paper cup, Kaelen offered a lopsided smile. "Black coff
JORDAN Nodding, I threw the roots into the stone bowl. Grinding the pestle down, the dried plants snapped and crunched. A sharp, spicy scent filled the air, burning the back of my throat just from breathing it in."Get a pot of water boiling," I ordered, focusing on crushing the ingredients into a fine powder.Amberly moved quickly, filling a small metal pot at the sink and slamming it onto the gas stove. She twisted the dial, the blue flame roaring to life.We worked in tense silence. Dumping the crushed obsidian powder into the mortar, I mixed it with the red herbs. Once the water reached a rolling boil, I scraped the mixture into the pot.The water instantly turned a violent, bubbling crimson.A foul smell erupted from the stove. It smelled like sulfur, rust, and burning hair."Oh, god," Amberly gagged, taking a step back. "That smells like actual trash.""It's not meant to taste good." Stirring the boiling liquid with a wooden spoon, the mixture thickened into a dark, muddy syrup
Jordan Draven’s POV“I forgot to ask for your name.” I heard Emberly say as I closed the door to the ward. Who does he even think he is? The hospital always made me restless. From the day I lost my sister at the hospital. A reminder that strength meant nothing when the people you lived with were
Amberly POVI wrapped my hands around my chest, trying to suppress the cold breeze coursing through me as Grandma Alder was carried away from us.One moment, she was in my arms while the emergency team lifted her onto a stretcher, and the next, she was disappearing behind swinging double doors with
Amberly POVMate?The way he had held my neck as though I was an abomination when he heard the word ‘mate’ made my heart skip. I was sure if I didn't try as possible to push his hands away from me and run like my life depended on it, I would have been dead by now.A shaky breath escaped out of my
Amberly POV Today was my first day at college in the southern pack, somewhere I never thought I would be, and the craziest part?I was disguised as a boy. I sat stiffly in the third row with my chin lifted up, trying to keep things in check and not try to let them notice feminine changes in my bo







