ログインWhen 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
Something in Lyressa’s chest shifted at the look on his face. “I had trouble sleeping,” she said stiffly. “Of course you did.” Draevyn handed her a goblet of dark wine. She accepted it before she could second-guess herself. And the night unfolded from there. They played games Lyressa had never
The way Draevyn approached Lyressa had been… disarming. Not arrogant. Not swaggering the way some Unseelie warriors carried themselves when they stepped into Seelie territory. Draevyn moved with quiet confidence—measured, deliberate steps across the throne room floor. His storm-gray eyes lifted t
“What you’re wearing is fine,” he said simply. “It’s only fabric.” He stepped closer and extended his hand toward her. For a moment Kaelani hesitated—not out of reluctance, but out of the strange flutter building in her chest. Then she slipped off her sandals and placed her hand in his. His finge
They bolted. Branches whipped at Julian’s face as they tore through the undergrowth, boots pounding over roots and stone. The forest exploded into motion behind them. The sentinel charged. Fast—far too fast. Its footsteps weren’t heavy; they were wrong, a rapid skittering thud that gained ground







