LOGIN“I knew about the arrangement,” she said. “I agreed to meet you because it made sense on paper. You’re respected. Influential. Close to Nolan. It was supposed to be… manageable.”“And then?” he asked quietly.“And then I started falling for you,” she said, voice breaking. “And that wasn’t part of th
Third person POVLance stood outside Isla’s door longer than he meant to.It was an unfamiliar hesitation, one that sat wrong in his chest. He was used to action—decisions made quickly, words spoken plainly, problems confronted head-on. Pacing corridors and second-guessing himself was not his style.
My wolf stirred, uneasy.“Has anything changed recently?” I pressed. “In her routine. Her responsibilities.”He hesitated.“She’s been working more closely with the elders,” he admitted. “Especially on trade and logistics. Some of it overlaps with Pine Ridge.”There it was.I kept my expression neut
Nolan POVThe announcement came through my secure line just after dawn.I listened in silence as my communications director outlined the plan, her voice crisp and efficient as always. Dates. Format. Moderators. Security protocols. The first major debate of the election—broadcast live across the king
The bond flared softly, not painfully. Not insistently.Just warm.Later, when the packhouse had settled and the boys slept soundly down the hall, Nolan and I retreated into the quiet of our shared space. There were no grand declarations, no frantic urgency.Just hands, warmth, and the steady reassu
Ellie POVThe news should not have surprised me. My trust had been tested and taken advantage of so many times at this point. I should have expected that someone as stubborn and determined as Kieran would play dirty.I shouldn’t have been surprised.And yet, I was.Claire had seemed like such an hon







