LOGINTRACYCamera flashes exploded like rapid artillery fire against the tinted glass doors of the Silver Tower.Surviving this political snake pit tonight meant keeping my spine perfectly straight, even as the traditional suppressant medicine burned a slow, toxic path through my veins. I had to smile. I needed to walk into that grand ballroom and prove to three hundred predatory elites that I wasn't just Chandler’s broken, dying human luggage.Sean’s massive hand flattened against the bare skin of my lower back.Heat radiated from his calloused palm, instantly chasing away the damp chill of the storm."Breathe." Sean murmured the command, his warm breath brushing the shell of my ear. "They are just politicians wearing expensive suits.""Politicians who want me dead." Adjusting the bodice of my black silk gown, I kept my eyes locked on the towering mahogany doors ahead. "If I don't establish my place tonight, they will tear your corporate portfolio apart. I have to hold my ground.""Let th
EANLightning flashed outside the tall arched windows of the grand drawing room.Protecting my territory meant I had to face every single threat before it reached my inner gates. Alpha Blackwood sat in the leather armchair across from me. He wore a dark wool coat, smelling strongly of whiskey. His thick beard was trimmed short, and his dark eyes gleamed with pure greed."You look distracted, Sean," Blackwood grunted, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Word travels fast in the northern peaks. People are saying the great Alpha of the Northern Peak is losing his edge over a sick human.""Watch your tongue," I warned, keeping my posture entirely relaxed against the sofa cushions."I am just stating facts." Blackwood scoffed, flashing yellow teeth. "Your northern patrols are understaffed. Your borders are wide open. And you spent the last forty-eight hours playing nursemaid to Chandler Gaunt's discarded trash. Hand over Chandler's debt to my pack. Let us handle the south
TRACY"Tracy?" Sean stepped closer, his heavy brow furrowing. "What is it?"I opened my mouth to answer.Nothing came out.A deep, agonizing cramp seized my lower abdomen. The pain didn't build; it exploded. It radiated straight up my spine, paralyzing my vocal cords. The Lunar Decay. Without the AI finalizing the synthetic enzyme, the disease was completely free to ravage my body again.Dropping the laptop onto the duvet, I doubled over.A wet, metallic taste flooded my mouth.Pressing my hand to my lips, I coughed hard. A wet, tearing sound echoed in the quiet room. Pulling my trembling hand away, bright crimson blood coated my pale fingers. "Blood." Sean’s voice dropped an octave, the sound scraping against the walls."It's back," I gasped, clutching my stomach.The adrenaline completely abandoned my veins. The room spun wildly. Gravity pulled my heavy shoulders down, forcing me sideways onto the mattress.Sean lunged. He caught my head before it hit the mahogany headboard."Marcu
AUTHOR’S POVCold blue lights hummed inside the basement server farm of Zach Enterprises. Keeping the company’s multi-billion-dollar AI secure required total isolation, but Clara ignored every security protocol in the handbook. She swiped her level-four access badge, leading a tall, handsome man in a tailored navy suit right past the restricted boundary.Rain lashed aggressively against the high security windows near the ceiling."You really shouldn't be down here," Clara whispered, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her manicured finger. "Sam tracks every single entry after midnight.""I love a woman who breaks the rules." Julian leaned closer, his expensive cologne masking the sterile smell of ozone and hot metal.He offered a devastating, smooth smile. Clara giggled, her cheeks flushing a deep, vibrant red. She practically melted against the nearest server rack. Julian stepped past her, running a long finger along the edge of the master administrative terminal."This runs the
TRACYCarpet fibers burned the soles of my bare feet.I'd been trying so hard to wrap my head around what'd happened in the last three hours. Pacing the length of the master suite living room, my arms stayed tightly wrapped around my ribs. The roaring fireplace did absolutely nothing to chase away the freezing terror sitting heavily in my stomach. Sarah was in a coma downstairs. A lethal dose of poison sat somewhere in the forensic lab.A sharp knock echoed from the heavy suite doors."Come in," I called out, my voice cracking slightly.Marcus stepped into the room. He looked exhausted, his tactical gear damp from the storm raging outside. Behind him, two women shuffled nervously into the warm light.Martha and Elise.Both cooks wore wrinkled, dirty uniforms. Their eyes were swollen and red from hours of crying in the underground cells. They looked like terrified prisoners walking to the gallows."You asked to see them, Luna." Marcus stepped aside, keeping his hand resting near his si
SEANRipping the iron-reinforced door of the guard barracks straight off its hinges seemed like a perfectly reasonable start.I wasn't going to rest until I found the bastard.Two dozen off-duty guards scrambled out of their bunks, grabbing weapons, their faces pale with shock."Line up!" Marcus roared, stepping over the ruined door. He racked the slide of his tactical rifle. "Every single man against the far wall! Move!"Boots pounded against the wood. Men shoved each other out of the way, desperate to comply with the Beta’s command.Stalking into the room, my combat boots left heavy, muddy footprints. Pure, feral rage burned a hole straight through my chest. My wolf practically clawed at my ribs, demanding blood."Alpha," the shift commander stammered, stepping forward with his hands raised in submission. "We did not authorize a drill.""This is not a drill." Closing the distance, I grabbed the commander by his tactical vest and shoved him violently against a metal locker. The steel
Tracy Xander’s POV Back at my desk, I set the documents down and carefully pulled out the bond dissolution agreement from the stack. My fingers lingered on the paper for a brief moment, as though grounding myself in the reality of what I had already set in motion. There was no need for devices or
Tracy Xander’s POV “Luna Xander, the results confirm Lunar Decay, and it has already spread through your body. Are you certain you do not wish to inform your family?” “It is not necessary,” I replied, my voice calm, almost detached, as though I were speaking about someone else’s fate instead of m
Tracy Xander’s POV Sam Zach had been two years ahead of me back when I was still in school, a name that carried weight even then, someone whose work people followed long before they ever met him in person. Years ago, when his company reached a point where progress stalled and nothing seemed to mo
Tracy Xander’s POV After all these years, the man had not changed. He was still composed to the point of distance, dignified, restrained, and even more controlled than I remembered. Five years ago, when I visited my mother’s brother, Tim, within his quiet territory near the outskirts, I met a man







