ANMELDENEthan finished the steaming bowl of bone broth and set the silver spoon aside with a quiet clink."The linens are a mess from the fever. Do you have a fresh set? I’ll swap them out." His face still held a ghostly pallor, but the steam from the shower had brought a hint of life back to his features."Go and dry your fur. I’ll handle the bed," I muttered. Looking at his hollowed-out expression, my frustration felt like a blunt blade—I couldn't find the edge to be truly angry with him."Where is the dryer? I can't track the scent of it."I stood and marched to the bathroom to retrieve it. He shadowed my steps, taking the device from me with a silent nod. While the hum of the dryer echoed from the tiles, I went to the bedroom and stripped the bed, smoothing out clean cotton and a fresh duvet. There was a strange, heavy rhythm to it—we moved with the tacit understanding of a mated pair who had lived in the same den for a decade.By nine that evening, the cabin was quiet until my comms devi
The enforcer was in no mood to satisfy his hunger. The bond between his Alpha and the Parker lineage had been strained to the breaking point, and with Ethan so physically compromised, his instincts were screaming. He suddenly entertained the dark thought that I might have finally snapped and finished the job in the quiet of the den. Consumed by a surge of overprotective panic, he abandoned all etiquette and shoved my bedroom door open.What he saw, however, was a scene that brought his frantic heart to a grinding halt.Ethan was sprawled across the linens, his powerful frame bare, eyes sealed shut in a motionless, heavy slumber.I was standing over him, clutching a thick wolf-pelt quilt. I hadn't expected the intrusion, and I felt the heat of surprise and embarrassment flare in my cheeks."What have you done to the Alpha?!" Brandon growled, his footsteps heavy as he lunged toward the bed, reaching out a trembling finger to detect if a pulse still thrummed in Ethan's throat.I couldn't
The following sunrise, Chloe Bennett woke to a hollow bed and an even emptier heart. She scrambled downstairs, her eyes searching the shadows for any sign of Ethan.Patricia Bennett looked up in surprise. "I’ve been tending the lower hearth since dawn, and the Alpha has not descended!"Chloe froze. "He’s not in the master suite. I only came down because he vanished from the room."Patricia’s face paled. "Heavens! Master Ethan is in no condition to go roaming!"The head servant hurried upstairs, her heart racing. She and Chloe scoured every chamber on the second level, but the Alpha was nowhere to be found.Chloe broke down, the tears falling fast. "It’s my failure... I was so exhausted from the watch that I didn't feel him leave the bed at all..."Patricia rushed back down and said, "I’ll query the perimeter guard. If the Alpha crossed the boundary, there will be a trace in the logs."The report came back moments later: Ethan had never breached the outer gates. Patricia gathered the h
It was barely five in the evening, so Uncle Daniel should have been deep into his shift at the archives, but I was surprised to find him bustling around the hearth of our small lodge."Daniel, did you abandon the pack records early today?" I asked, kicking off my snow-caked boots and setting the two pots of winter lilies on the rough-hewn table.Daniel stepped out from the cooking area, his expression a mix of sheepishness and resignation."Collins, I’m no longer overseeing the archives," Daniel explained quietly. "The High Elder’s kin brought in a younger, more 'connected' specialist to manage the digital transition.""Daniel, don't let their politics darken your spirit," I murmured, pulling my favorite uncle into a supportive embrace.He gave a soft chuckle, patting my shoulder. "I’ll survive... but why have you brought the scents of spring into this blizzard?"I glanced around the modest, weathered space we rented and shrugged. "I was passing the market on the way back from the tec
"Alpha Carter, is this the wolf you were hunting for?" the lead technician asked.Ethan gave a curt, shallow nod. "My thanks."The technician bowed and left us in the shadows. Ethan moved toward me, his eyes looking dull and sunken, yet they still held that terrifying intensity. "We need to speak.""Speak? I thought we were done with words," I said, my tone as sharp as a jagged ice floe.Ethan didn't argue. He reached out with a large, fever-warm hand and gripped my bicep, pulling me away from the prying eyes of the tech crew. He led me through the corridors and into a soundproof VIP lounge, slamming the door shut.His voice was a hoarse, gravelly rasp. "Collins, break your trail with Charles. Regardless of what he’s promised you, he is a snake in the grass. He will only lead you to ruin."I met his burning gaze. "Is this about my safety, or is it because you’re still trying to starve me out so I’ll sell the firm to Silvercrest?"Ethan’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. But before
The frozen arena was a coliseum of ice and innovation, a sprawling stage for a massive exhibition of technological mastery. Charles Whitaker had secured a pair of front-row tickets and invited me along; I had accepted without a second thought. I hadn’t ventured much into the world of mechanical advancement before, but the prospect of the "Ice-Brain" robotics display intrigued my inner wolf.The event kicked off at 2 p.m.Earlier that morning, Charles had escorted me to a high-end lodge for a meal. For the past several sunrises, I had humored his every request—whether it was a trek through the frost-valleys or dining in the upper-tier districts. Our dialogues were always polished, yet I could sense Charles felt the distance between us. My gaze remained flat, devoid of the spark of genuine attraction he was hunting for.Regardless, the Whitaker heir was patient; he was a hunter who knew how to wait for his prey.As we waited for our plates, the conversation turned to business. Charles s
"He isn't the monster you’ve painted him as, Collins," Natalie said, catching my wrist. "The rain is turning into a deluge. Do you truly feel no empathy for him at all?""What about empathy for me?" I asked, setting the tea down with a sharp click. "He’s never treated me with an ounce of respect. N
It was nine at night.The harsh Valerian wind whistled through the jagged peaks, sending dry, frozen leaves skittering across the pavement. I stepped out of the transport, my breath hitching as the mountain chill sliced through the thin fabric of my clothes.I gripped my bag and bolted toward the h
I watched the silver luxury sedan pull away, the tinted window gliding up to hide Ethan’s unreadable amber eyes. Between my fingers, I gripped the packet of tissues he’d shoved toward me—his palm’s lingering heat bled through the plastic, a stark contrast to the biting Valerian wind."Thanks," I mu
There wasn’t a shadow of a second heartbeat during my first checkup.I stared at the ultrasound in my lap, sitting in a daze on a cold bench in the pack clinic’s corridor. Just one week later, and the monitor had shown two distinct sparks of life. The healer told me the odds of a natural twin pregn







