LOGINBROOKS“Zade…” My voice cracked.I caught him before he hit the ground, my knees slamming into the dirt. His blood was warm, spilling fast, coating my hands before I even realized what was happening.Lady Natasha stood frozen, the dagger still slick in her grasp, her eyes wide in disbelief. The reality hit her too late.She just killed her own son.“Zade,” I whispered again, shaking, pressing both palms over the wound in his chest. Blood kept seeping through my fingers, no matter how hard I pushed. “No, no, stay with me. You have to heal, please—”But he wasn’t healing.The light from the wound flickered darkly, black energy pulsing beneath his skin. My heart lurched. The dagger. It was enchanted. Whatever poison it carried was eating through him from the inside out.His breathing was shallow, broken. His eyes fluttered, unfocused, the blue in them fading into silver.“Why?” I whispered, my tears falling onto his cheek. “Why would you do that?”He smiled faintly, the corners of his li
ZADEThe war was still going on. On the battle field, we still had the upper hand, Natasha’s army falling. But it didn’t feel like it. Not with Brooks gone.I paced outside what was left of the command site. Inside the tent, medics worked on Stephan, his arm bent at an angle that made even Heath look away. The mate bond we all shared with Brooks pulsed. She was alive. I could feel it. We all could.Stephan groaned when the medics tried to reset his shoulder. I pushed forward and helped hold him steady, ignoring the sting of glass still buried in my palms. The bone clicked back into place with a sharp crack, and he hissed through his teeth, sweat sliding down his temple.“I’m fine,” he muttered, voice tight. “We need to find her. Now.”“I’ll go.” Heath spoke, his voice cracking halfway through, rough and desperate. “She’s out there alone. I won’t lose her again.”Stephan tried to push to his feet but stumbled, his strength bleeding out faster than he could hide.That’s when I made
STEPHANThis was the night.I stood in the command center surrounded by screens that flickered with drone feeds and red digital lines marking troop positions. Voices filled my earpiece, updates, confirmations, requests, but they all blurred into one long hum in the back of my mind. My eyes stayed sharp, but my chest felt tight.I have never seen so many people ready to die in a single night.Heath was already at the frontlines, leading the main Romano force. His voice had come through the comms earlier, steady and confident, even though I could tell he was just as tense as I was. Zade was supposed to be marching with Lady Natasha’s army by now, pretending loyalty until it was time to strike.Around me, soldiers and aides moved with practiced precision, calling out readiness reports, fine-tuning the shields, syncing artillery drones. I nodded where I needed to, gave orders when I had to. But every few seconds, my eyes strayed toward the corner of the tent.Brooks sat there, wrapped
ZADELying had become second nature to me when it came to feeding Lady Natasha cock and bull.It was easy.I told her that Venita had been passing information to the Romanos. That she was still obsessed with Stephan and she’d started feeding intel to the enemy.She believed me instantly. She looked me in the eye, proud of me, telling me that I did the right thing. Told me I’d proven myself worthy, finally.If only she knew.Now I was sitting across from Stephan and Heath in our hideout, a map spread across the table between us. “She’s moving sooner than expected,” I said, tracing the inked lines of the map with my finger. “Lady Natasha’s invasion is set for the eve of the full moon. Her formation is that the main force will come from the west and the smaller units will infiltrate from the lower ridge.”My brother hummed.“Her priority is Brooks,” I added. “Somehow, she already knows her powers are manifesting.”Heath’s head snapped up, eyes narrowing. “And how the hell would she kno
ZADEWhen I got the message that something was wrong with Brooks, nothing else mattered.I didn’t even wait for details before I hopped into my car, telling Liora to cover for my absence at the lair so that my mum won’t be suspicious. When I reached the edge of the old ruins, the place we used for discreet meetings which was just a mile from the Romano pack house, Stephan and Heath were already there, waiting for me.“Where is she?” I demanded, breathless, heart hammering in my throat. “What happened to Brooks?”Heath’s eyes flashed, his shoulders squaring. But he said nothing, of course. Stephan, on the other hand, kept looking between me and Heath as if expecting a fight to break out.“She’s at the palace infirmary. Unconscious,” he finally responded to me. “She’s getting worse, and it’s beyond anything we can control.”“What do you mean ‘beyond control’?” I asked, trying to steady my breath. Stephan’s jaw tightened. “The royal physician said her powers are manifesting earlier tha
BROOKS“Summon the royal physician. Now!” My voice cut through the infirmary, and the maid bolted without hesitation.Heath remained glued to Brooks’ side, crouched low, his hand hovering just above her arm like he wanted to touch but couldn’t. His jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grind.“She’s burning alive,” he muttered. “I can’t just stand here—”“I know,” I said sharply, because if I let him keep going, I’d lose my own control. I looked at her again, her lips dry, her breath uneven.The royal physician came in a couple of minutes later, her gaze sharpening the moment it landed on Brooks.“My lords, I must ask you both to step out,” she said gently but firmly. “I need a clear space to examine her.”“No.” Heath’s answer was immediate and guttural. “I’m not leaving her.”I stepped forward, placing myself between him and the physician. “It will only take a moment,” I said low, steady. “She’s not sending us away. She’s trying to help. We’ll wait right outside the door.”Hea







