Mag-log in“I think I’ve heard enough.” But Garrick didn’t stop. “When you turned eighteen… and you were still wolfless,” he said, the confession weighing in his voice, “I’ll admit… I used that.” He dragged a hand over his face. “For my own benefit. And for yours.” He shifted slightly, like the words them
Her gaze flicked back to him. “Couldn’t use all that money of yours to get something a little more… upscale?” Garrick let out a faint breath, his attention following hers as he looked around the cell. “My family cut me off,” he said. “Completely.” His jaw tightened slightly. “They’re my only ti
The cell held the kind of darkness that never fully lifted, even when the lights came on. It smelled old—damp stone, rust, something faintly sour like mildew that had settled deep into the walls over time. The air felt stale, unmoving, as if it had been trapped there too long. Somewhere beyond the
Her grip tightened slightly. “And that was before you came to me in my dream.” Tessa’s eyes searched hers, steady, certain. “Kae… believe it or not, I always knew you were… different.” A faint smile touched her lips. “I mean, I didn’t think supernatural different—but this?” she huffed a quiet b
“After a while, they just… closed it down.” She let the silence sit for a second before finishing. “I tried to get a loan to save it,” she added, quieter now. “But I was denied… didn’t make enough.” A small, apologetic breath. Her eyes softened, guilt threading through her voice. “I’m sorry.”
Kaelani reappeared in the entryway of her home. It was night. Quiet. Still. But the darkness didn’t feel unfamiliar anymore. It didn’t press in. Didn’t suffocate. It settled around her—familiar, almost comforting. The shadows seemed to embrace her, welcoming her back as if she had never left—
Julian stood in front of the full-length mirror, silent as the tailor circled him, adjusting the jacket seams with careful precision. The room smelled faintly of pressed wool, starch, and his mother’s wine. She sat across from him on a velvet chair, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of red i
Julian’s hands balled into fists, every tendon tight as steel. His breath came sharp, jaw clenched against the pressure building beneath his skin. The wolf clawed at the edges of his control, demanding release. Demanding blood. Nobody threatened her. She was his. No—she was theirs. His body loc
Julian’s lips pressed into a thin line, his father’s words landing heavier than he wanted to admit. His father’s glare hardened. “So what’s changed, Julian? Aside from you sneaking off and fucking around with some whore?” Julian’s wolf surged, teeth bared in his chest — feral, outraged, snarling a
The packhouse was quiet, bathed in that pale stillness that came just after sunrise. Julian parked in the drive, cutting the engine and sitting there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel like it might hold the answers to the chaos in his head. He exhaled, rubbed a hand over his face, and stepp







