LOGINSIGRUN"Big fu.cking idiots," Varul muttered as the door slammed shut behind the last person.I hid my smile in my hand as I watched him angrily stalk back to the mirror and clean up his shaving with a small towel. He yanked on a fresh pair of dark trousers, stepping into it with smooth, practiced efficiency.I sat up straighter, resting a hand on the furs as my brow furrowed, remembering what his Beta had said. "What was Darren talking about? Time for what? The opening ceremony of the Moonlight Festival doesn't begin until sunset."Varul pulled a dark, heavy tunic over his head, his tone dropping into a flat, business-like rumble. "The feast begins at sunset, princess. The High Hunt begins now."A cold knot tightened in the pit of my stomach. "The High Hunt? You mentioned it last week, but you said it was just the opening ritual.""It is the opening ritual," Varul said smoothly, fastening a broad leather belt around his waist. "The Alpha King and the hundred pack leaders ride into th
SIGRUN“Ah!” I moaned, throwing my head back as I rode my husband at his demanded pace.His large hand around my throat tightened with just enough pressure to make me delightfully lightheaded, sending a thrilling, dangerous shiver shooting straight down my spine.He was moving too slow beneath me—a pure, mind-bending torture, but I couldn't hurry the pace. I had learned over the last fortnight that even when I was on top, Varul held all the power in this bed.So I rocked gently on his c0ck, submitting myself to his slow, punishing thrusts.The fortnight following our revelation in the bathhouse had flown by in a blur of intense training, quiet stolen moments, and a terrifyingly deep emotional pull that grew stronger by the day. But in the privacy of our chambers (my own private chambers were practically useless at this point), Varul was untamed.His glowing amber eyes tracked every breath that left my lips, his calloused thumb stroking the sensitive skin under my jaw while his hips ro
To understand why the word magic spits like poison from the mouths of the Northern High Council, one must first dismantle the polite lies written in the realm's histories.The realm's history preaches that magic was outlawed out of simple fear. In the South, where human kingdoms rule beneath golden banners, magic is viewed as a corrupting, unnatural perversion. Human scholars teach that magic carries no honorable history—that those born with spellcraft in their blood are inherently manipulative, driven by an erratic instinct to bend the minds and wills of ordinary men. To the South, magic is an evil disease that ruins empires from within.But in the frozen expanse of the North, magic was not feared for what it could build or destroy. It was despised for what it attempted to collar.Centuries ago, before the borders were sealed with iron and blood, and long before the bitter blood-feud between humans and werewolves ever began, the realm was infested by those history remembers simply as
SIGRUN"Sigrun, breathe."Varul’s voice cut through the roaring in my ears, heavy and commanding, but the underlying edge of tension in his tone was impossible to miss.His large hands slapped flat over mine, pinning them firmly against his broad, bare chest, submerging the volatile heat of my palms beneath the surface.The moment his skin touched mine, the blue static sparking across my knuckles gave a sharp, violent crack—like a miniature bolt of lightning trapped under the water. The shockwave rippled through the pool, sending a small splash over the stone lip."Breathe, princess," he growled softly, leaning his face down until his nose was pressed against mine, forcing me to look directly into his glowing amber eyes. "Ground yourself. Look at me."I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a sharp, ragged breath of the humid air. I fought the violent tempest raging inside my chest, forcing the blinding white rage back down into the dark corners of my mind.Slowly, the frantic buzzing in my ve
SIGRUN"Tell me about your father."I felt him tense behind me in the bath. He was quiet even as his fingers mindlessly drew lazy circles on my shoulder.The warm water sloshed gently around us, the steam rising toward the high stone ceiling of the private bathchamber, but the comfortable, hazy warmth of the room evaporated in an instant. The lazy circles against my skin stopped entirely. His hand remained resting on my collarbone, but it had grown heavy, the muscles in his broad forearm locking up until they felt like solid granite against my back.I bit my lip, instantly wishing I could reach out into the foggy air and yank the words right back into my mouth.Stupid, Sigrun. Really stupid.We had been having such a good evening. After the heavy, heartbreaking weight of the burial ceremony in the Talon Fang valley, we had ridden back to the castle quietly. And when he had carried me into the steaming waters of his private bath, it had felt like a temporary sanctuary from the rest of t
SIGRUNOur destination wasn't a bustling market or a lively village square.As the stallion slowed to a walk, we entered a solemn, misty valley tucked between two massive, jagged cliffs. The air here smelled different…thick with the melancholy scent of burning pine and damp earth.“Talon Fang pack,” Varul informed me. “It is where the dead scouts come from.”We stepped into a wide clearing, and my breath caught.Hundreds of people were gathered in silence. They were dressed in dark, heavy furs, standing in a wide circle around a series of freshly dug graves and stone pyres. The only sound was the crackle of the flames and the low, collective humming of a mourning song that vibrated through the very dirt beneath the horse's hooves.It was a traditional werewolf burial ceremony.Varul dismounted smoothly, then reached up, his large hands wrapping around my waist to lower me to the ground. He didn't leave my side; his hand slid down, his gloved fingers wrapping firmly around mine, anch
SIGRUNThe morning air carried a sharp bite that made my nose tingle as I stepped out into the courtyard.A stable hand was already waiting beside my mare.The sight of her immediately improved my mood. Never thought there’d come a day where I missed a horse, but here we were. She lifted her head
“Well, thank gods, ye snapped out o’ it, yer highness. What was all that about?” Rita said, giving me a stern, matronly look. Although she seemed friendly enough, she scared me a little. Thankfully, she didn’t give me time to answer as she bustled forward and fussed with my hair and clothes, all t
“Arghhhhh! Stay away from me, you perverts!” I scrambled to my knees on the bed (come to think of it, it was a really soft bed. The strangeness of it registered somewhere in my mind but I was far too occupied at the moment to think too much of it), and eyed the two (frightened?) women fearfully.
SIGRUN I was half asleep when I heard some muffled whispers. I probably forgot to turn off the TV before going to bed. I groaned lazily. I was too comfortable to get up. I was already snuggling the sheets and feeling pleasantly warm. With my eyes still closed, I tried to communicate with the







