LOGINFor a beat, no one spoke. Then, he lowered Kaelani gently until her feet touched the ground, but he didn’t let go—his fingers slipping into hers, holding on like it was the most natural thing in the world. Kaelani’s gaze dropped to their hands. The contact stilled something inside her. No one ha
“You do.” He let his gaze drop—just for a second—to the space between them, the inches that still separated them. Then back to her. “But I meant it when I said I’d never leave you again… that was real.” A brief pause—not for effect, but because he meant it. “Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s me
Kaelani’s smile hit him harder than anything else had. For the first time, it was meant for him. Julian stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him and shutting out everything beyond it—the chaos, the noise, all of it. In here— was his peace. His heart. His whole world. He move
The room. The light. The faces. A breath caught in his chest. “Kaelani…?” His focus sharpened. His room. His packhouse. Familiar walls and scent. But something was wrong. His gaze moved quickly—his mother at his side, Jace by the window. No Kaelani. Julian pushed himself upright, pain tear
She didn’t look at him. “Julian Hale… fugitive status removed.” Another keystroke. “Jace Romano… fugitive status removed.” Her fingers paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. “Garrick Blake… charges dropped.” A quiet tap followed. “Release scheduled for… tomorrow morning.” Then—
A brief pause. “Am I wrong?” Councilor Voss didn’t answer. He simply watched her for a moment longer before speaking. “What is it that you want?” Kaelani held the room for a moment. “What I wanted the day I stood before you in the Chamber of Elders,” she said. “What I asked for then.” “To liv
The sun had climbed higher by the time Kaelani finally left the house. The air was warm, the streets busy, the kind of ordinary noise that should’ve drowned out the thoughts still buzzing in her head. But Julian’s voice lingered — that low, careful tone from the morning call replaying like an itch s
Julian’s fingers tightened around the canteen until the metal creaked. “You always said emotion made an Alpha weak.” “I said letting it rule you makes you weak,” James corrected. “Pretending you don’t feel it? That’s just stupidity.” A muscle jumped in Julian’s jaw. He looked away, to the far edge
Her throat tightened at his words, though she kept her tone steady. “I’m fine.” There was a pause on the line, a faint rustle, then his voice, lower now. “Oh…are you sure? Because if you need—” “Yes,” she cut in, sharp. “I said I’m fine.” Her grip on the phone tightened beneath her trembling hand,
Julian sat alone in his office, the early morning sun spilling across Kaelani’s file. His gaze lingered on the line he couldn’t let go of: Origin: Lycan. Secondary Origin: Unknown. His thumb brushed the edge of her photo, that grainy image of a too-young girl with storm-gray eyes. “What are you?”







