LOGINWhen they returned to the Blackthorn packhouse, Julian expected to find his mother in one of her usual places—the sunroom overlooking the gardens, or the small sitting alcove near the east corridor where she liked to read. She wasn’t there. He checked the parlor. The dining hall. Nothing. A fai
Julian sat at the kitchen table, tension still visible in the tight line of his shoulders as Kaelani moved at the counter, finishing the last touches on their breakfast. “I would have ripped his head clean off his shoulders,” he said quietly, though there was nothing casual about the way he said it
Lyressa’s expression softened, though there was quiet gravity beneath it. “The moment Draevyn fell, the illusion fell with him,” she said. “They saw clearly what they had refused to see. That they turned away from their rightful queen out of fear and ignorance.” Her gaze did not waver. “They were
Surprise flashed across Kaelani’s face as her eyes flicked briefly to Lyressa before returning to Julian. “I had some business to attend to,” she said. “I wasn’t gone that long. I thought you’d still be asleep.” Julian didn’t respond out loud. “You can’t just leave like that,” he said through the
Elara’s crying still echoed through the courtyard when Kaelani lifted her hands. Violet light flared outward from her palms in a sudden, controlled surge, rippling across the pack grounds in expanding waves. The energy arced over rooftops, threaded through the treeline, and sealed overhead in a vas
Kaelani glanced down at her palm, the cut sealing before her eyes. Garrick stepped forward. Slowly, intentionally, he lowered himself to one knee before her and placed his hand over his heart. “I, Garrick Blake, pledge my allegiance to Kaelani Blake of Silveredge. As Alpha. In loyalty. In service
His mother’s breath caught, her eyes wide with quiet astonishment. Then, with a tender ache in her voice, she whispered, “Oh, Julian…” Her hand reached out, fingers brushing the collar of his shirt. “But wait, that means you’re marked.” Julian gently took her wrist and lowered it, shaking his head
His wolf, already seething, exploded with fury — jaws snapping beneath Julian’s skin. Even Julian cringed. The very thought of her pregnant with his children made his head spin. He could practically see them — spoiled, entitled, carbon copies of their mother in both bite and arrogance. Elara moved
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
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







