LOGINMaeve.The fire surged through me, silver and endless, burning hotter than my blood, hotter than breath. My body shook, my mind split wide open, and voices pressed in from every side.End him. He is the curse. Tear him apart and you will be free.Johan’s voice slithered in, low and triumphant. You see now, little mate. He is not strong enough for you. He will never be enough. But I am. I always was.“No,” I gasped, clutching my head, though the fire burned down to my bones. “You’re lying.”Another voice, softer, colder. Alia. You are not Maeve anymore. You are the Vessel. The Moon’s weapon. You were never meant to love him. You were meant to destroy.“Stop!” I screamed, though the sound came out raw, broken.Through the storm, one voice cut through.“Maeve!” Carson. My name from his lips. Desperate. Fierce.I saw him through the blaze — his golden eyes wide, his body bleeding, burned, broken, yet still reaching for me. His claws dug into the ground as he crawled closer, refusing to le
Carson.The stone wall cracked as my body slammed against it, the air ripped from my lungs. Blood filled my mouth, hot and coppery, dripping down my chin. For a long moment, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.When I finally forced myself up, every muscle screamed, my claws dragging along the ground as I pushed. My vision swam, but one sight cut through the haze — Maeve.She was sprawled on the floor, her skin glowing faint silver, her hands pressed to her stomach, her breaths shallow. Blood pooled beneath her.“No,” I rasped, my chest tearing with the sound. “Maeve.”I staggered toward her, but shadows coiled up in front of me, Johan stepping out with that smug smile carved into his face.“Stay where you are, Alpha,” he said softly, tilting his head. “She does not need you anymore. She has what she needs. What we gave her.”I bared my teeth, my claws curling, fury rising hotter than the blood spilling from my chest. “If you touch her—”He laughed, low and sharp. “What will you do? Kil
Carson.Her throat was warm under my claws. Fragile. Easy to break.I lifted her higher, her feet kicking weakly, her silver eyes burning into mine with terror and something worse — pity.“Prey,” I growled, the word rough, jagged in my throat.But her lips moved, cracked and bloody, and the sound of her voice sliced through me. “Carson… it is me.”The beast snarled. It wanted her blood. Her fire. Her life.I tightened my grip, savoring the sound of her gasp.But then — her scent. Not just fear. Not just blood. That faint sweetness that had always undone me, even when I swore I could resist.My claws trembled.“No,” I snarled at myself, my chest heaving. “She is prey. Nothing more.”She touched my wrist, her fingers weak but burning with silver sparks. “You are not the beast. You are mine.”The words cracked something inside me. My chest burned, my head splitting with the clash between man and monster.“Mine,” I growled, pressing her tighter against the wall. “Always mine.”Her tears s
Maeve.Cold.That was the first thing I felt. Not the bite of winter or the chill of night — this was deeper, emptier, the kind of cold that pressed inside your bones and made your blood feel heavy.I opened my eyes to find nothing but black. Shadows stretched in every direction, endless, shifting like smoke, whispering words I couldn’t catch.“Carson?” My voice cracked, weak and small. “Carson, are you here?”Only silence.Panic burned hot in my chest. I staggered to my feet, my legs shaking, my claws sparking faintly with silver flame that barely lit the ground beneath me.Then came the voice. Smooth, familiar, cruel. Johan.“You finally came to me.”I spun, my claws raised, silver fire bursting weakly. “You.”He stepped from the dark like he owned it, amber eyes glowing, his mouth curved in a smile that wasn’t kind. “Don’t look so surprised, Maeve. You always belonged here.”“Liar,” I hissed, fire crackling between my fingers. “I belong with Carson.”Johan chuckled softly. “And yet
Carson.The world was red.Her scent, her blood, her fear — it filled me, wrapped around me, made my claws twitch with hunger. My chest heaved, my vision blackened at the edges, and there was no man left in me, only the beast.But her eyes.Silver. Wet with tears. Wide with terror.“Carson,” she whispered, my name breaking on her lips like it could hold me together.Something inside me cracked, but the beast howled louder, drowning it out.I slammed her against the stone again, my claws locked around her throat. Her body was fragile in my grip, too fragile, and yet the beast wanted more.“Prey,” I growled, my voice twisted and rough, unrecognizable even to me.She gasped, clawing at my arm, silver sparks flickering at her fingertips. “You are not the beast,” she choked. “You are mine. You are Carson. My mate.”Her words struck something deep, something buried under the black fire consuming me. For a heartbeat, gold flickered in my vision.Her lips trembled. “If you kill me, you will d
Maeve.Darkness.It wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t peaceful. It was heavy, pressing, filled with whispers that weren’t mine.I tried to breathe but there was no air. I tried to move but my body was stone.“Carson?” My voice echoed, thin, weak, swallowed before it could reach anywhere.No answer. Only shadows shifting, curling around me like smoke.Then a voice came, smooth and familiar. Alia.“You see? Even now, he loses himself. You chose wrong, Vessel. You bound yourself to a man who cannot save you.”I spun, my silver eyes straining against the dark. “You are not real. You are just a shadow.”She stepped forward, violet light bleeding from her hands. “Am I? Or am I the only one who tells you the truth?”My claws sparked faintly with silver flame, weak, fading. “Leave me.”Alia smiled softly. “I am not your enemy. Not truly. I am the one who sees what you are. And what you will be when you stop clinging to him.”A faint sound broke through the dark. My name.Carson’s voice, raw, broken. “M
Carson.Her body hit the stone with a sickening crack.“Maeve!”The roar tore out of me, half man, half beast. I dropped to my knees beside her, my claws shaking as I reached for her face. Blood trickled from her lips, her silver eyes dim but still open, still looking at me.No. Not me. At the thin
Maeve.The pain stopped.One moment the bond was screaming through my chest, searing like fire. The next it went cold. Empty.My breath caught, my claws digging into the stone as I fell to my knees. “Carson?” My voice cracked, raw. “Carson!”No answer. Nothing.I clawed at my chest as if I could dr
Carson. Her blood wouldn’t leave my claws. My mate’s scent was everywhere, thick and choking, and my heart ripped itself apart as I stared down at the body.“Maeve,” I whispered, my voice broken. “No. Not you. Not like this.”The bond inside me screamed, burning, twisting until I thought my veins
Maeve.The bond screamed louder and louder, every pulse like claws dragging through my chest. I dropped to my knees, clutching my stomach, gasping for air.It was me.The thought wouldn’t leave me. The whisper of the bond, the weight of it, burned me alive.Alia crouched in front of me, her violet







