LOGINThe primal snarls of those rogues were meant for each other, not for him. Why had she reacted as if she were under the knife?"The streets are too volatile today, Hayden! We are returning to the academy grounds this instant!"The instructor tightened her grip on Hayden’s arm, hauling him away from the scent of fresh blood.That afternoon, I steered my sled toward the High Council’s Enforcement Bureau.Five cycles ago, Andrew Parker’s brother, Victor Brooks—before he had pledged himself to his husband—had bled Parker Industries of nearly three hundred million gold marks before vanishing into the untamed Northern wastes.Despite the trail of evidence being clear as a winter moon, the local enforcers were toothless. The territory Victor had fled to was a lawless expanse that recognized no Valeria extradition treaties, meaning he was safe from our claws as long as he stayed within those jagged borders. Furthermore, Victor had scrubled his scent and assumed an entirely new identity once he
Chloe scrubbed at her eyes with a coarse tissue, her voice sounding like gravel grinding on ice. "Could there be sensory arrays in this suite? Is it possible that our... entanglement last night was captured by a recording crystal?"Mason scanned the frost-etched molding and the dark corners of the timber-framed room. "There shouldn't be... right? This is a five-star peak lodge. I’ll howl for a lawsuit if they’ve breached our privacy like that!""Dispatch your enforcers immediately to sweep for hidden lenses!" Chloe commanded, her voice regaining its sharp, clinical edge."Right... on it..." Mason mumbled, scrambling to gather his discarded furs.Earlier that morning, I had personally escorted Shea to her advanced training academy. Once she was settled within the safety of her reinforced classroom, I paced toward the sector where the younger pups were taught.After the tense meal with Collins Parker the previous day, Brandon and I had reached a singular conclusion: the digital ghost wh
The den was silent as the winter moon reached its peak. Layla sat up in her furs and pulled a small block of dark chocolate from beneath her pillow. "Grandpa Elio told me to sneak this to you, Hayden," she whispered, her voice like the rustle of dry snow. "He was worried your stomach would be growling after the Alpha’s punishment. Hurry up and finish it before the scent spreads!"Hayden shook his head, his jaw set. He was a wolf who took his lashings with pride.Layla’s hand vanished back under the pillow, fumbling through the wool. Suddenly, she produced a second, identical square of chocolate."This one is from Dad," she murmured, her eyes wide. "He’s worried about your strength, too. Just eat one of them, Hayden! We can split the other. Please?""Did Dad really tell you to bring that to me?" Hayden asked, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the two wrappers. They were from the same hoard."That’s right! Actually, they’re both from Dad. He told me to say the first one was from Grandpa
I sprinted toward the technical operations deck the second the alert flashed on my HUD."Our Director isn't on the ice today, Alpha Carter."The floor supervisor looked like he’d seen a winter wraith. He clearly had no idea why the King of Silvercrest was standing in his server room, but judging by the lethal frost in Ethan’s eyes, he knew Mike had crossed a very dangerous line."Perhaps I should escort you to the President's den!" the supervisor stammered just as I burst through the doors.I approached Ethan, feeling the heat of his fury from across the room. "Let's take this to my office," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the adrenaline.He had clearly come here to hunt Mike for whatever had transpired between them. Mike hadn't scented a word of it to me, but seeing Ethan this livid, I knew it wasn't just a minor skirmish on the ice.Once we were inside my office, Ethan and Tyler Dawson took to the leather sofa while his personal enforcers stood guard at the threshold."What'
I knew I’d have to face that ice-queen eventually. Shea was fading, and Chloe Bennett’s surgical skills were the only thing that could mend her mind. As the primary Alpha protecting the Silvercrest lineage, I couldn’t afford to be too ruthless with the woman who claimed to be my mate—no matter how much I wanted to snap at her games.About thirty minutes after I’d retreated from the banquet hall, Brandon Hayes’ scout emerged from the lodge. He wasn’t alone. A rowdy pack of executives followed him, led by the golden-haired rogue, Mike."Our Director of Operations is leading the charge to the subterranean tavern to keep the ale flowing," Brandon’s scout whispered, clapping Brandon on the shoulder. "I remember you can hold your spirits, Hayes. Join us. I’m beginning to think he’s more of a brother-in-arms to Collins than a lover... usually, a mated pair doesn't act this distant. Follow the scent when you’re drinking with him."Brandon was stunned, yet a spark of hope flared. If Mike was m
My wolf-senses tracked the slight droop in Ethan’s posture as the shadows of the Silvercrest Citadel lengthened.A mysterious Alpha in Collins’s den? A ghost with no scent-trail in the Southern registries?"Brandon, instruct your contact to shadow this 'Mike' night and day," Ethan growled, his voice vibrating with a low, primal frequency. "I need to know if he’s a rogue, a mercenary, or something worse."Brandon adjusted his glasses, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I’ve already set the watch, Alpha. Though, if I’m being honest, I find it hard to believe Collins would choose a mate like that. He’s the polar opposite of you. A wolf doesn't change their preference in a lead Alpha so drastically."Ethan toyed with a silver dagger on his desk, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Mason claims that Collins’s pup has sought him out twice. Collins is too protective to allow a yearling to roam the neutral rinks alone. Someone else is pulling the strings.""You suspect the Director
The terror in Mason’s eyes was so absolute it looked as if the winter madness had finally claimed his sanity.“Mason! Don't let the shadows take you! You’re within the sanctuary of the medical wing now. You’re under protection! The rogue collectors can't touch you here!” Margaret cooed, hovering ov
I shook my head, the fatigue from the bumpy journey through the Kingdom of Valeria’s foothills settling deep into my bones. "It’s going to take us another three hours to trek back to the city, Dad. We should just start moving now.""Let’s get some fuel in you first. You haven't had a proper meal si
I carefully wiped the remaining dampness from Ethan’s skin, pulled the heavy faux-fur duvet up to his chin, and tucked him in securely. By the time I had rinsed the basin in the en suite and returned to the darkened bedroom, his breathing had leveled into the rhythmic cadence of a deep, restorative
Who did Collins Parker think he was to lacerate his soul this way? The Alpha of Silvercrest was not a male to be trifled with, yet he looked devastated.“What’s your take on the Parker heir, Tyler?” Brandon asked, leaning against the mahogany bar.“He’s just another university student at first glan







