Masuk~Kael Blackwood I stared at the sky as I drained the last of the champagne, letting the bitter taste settle on my tongue.“Soon,” I muttered.Soon I would be with my family,A quiet laugh slipped out of me.Family?I didn’t have one.My mother was dead.My father sold me like I meant nothing.My sister died because of jealousy,because that same father chose another woman over her.My aunt was banished.And at the center of it all…Her.Iris.That was the name I was given, The name I was taught to hate…The woman who ruined everything.“I’m done, Kael.”I turned at the sound of her voice.Eunice stood behind me,composed, elegant, dangerous as always. Even after all these years, she carried herself like someone who had never truly lost power.“My aunt,” I thought.The only family I had left.“Thank you,” I said, nodding once.She smiled, but there was something measured in it tonight.“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.I let out a low laugh, leaning back against the railing.
~Iris POVThe room was warm, almost too warm, the curtains drawn tight against the late afternoon sun. I felt Duncan’s hands against my skin, his touch familiar, urgent. Two years had passed since Rowan and Alice had been taken for training with the witches, and in that time, Duncan and I had grown closer than I’d thought possible. Nights like these, when the world seemed distant, when only he and I existed, were rare.And yet, here we were,him leaning over me, lips brushing my neck, fingers tracing patterns that made me shiver. I had tried to be patient during the council meetings earlier, trying to remain composed while politics and threats simmered just beyond these walls. But now, now that he was here, the weight of all responsibility melted away under the heat of his hands.“Duncan…” I whispered, my voice shaky, but he silenced me with a soft, possessive kiss.“Shh… Iris,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “Shh.”I arched into him, heart hammering. His lips traveled over my shoul
~Iris POVThe sun had just begun to dip behind the western hills, casting long amber streaks through the tall windows of my private chambers. Mira sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the velvet sofa, a small smirk on her face as she held a video tape in her hands. I raised an eyebrow, curious and slightly wary.“You brought this?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.“I did,” Mira said, shrugging casually. “Thought you might want to see… how your little wolves are doing.”I froze for a moment. “Little wolves?”Mira rolled her eyes. “Rowan and Alice, Luna. That’s what they are now. Your children are officially beasts-in-training. No offense.”I crossed my arms, trying to suppress the tremor in my chest. “You mean… the twins.”“Same thing,” she said lightly, pushing the tape toward me. “Come on, watch. You might want to sit down.”I took the tape, my hands tightening around it. My heart was pou
~Duncan POVThe sun had barely crested the horizon when I left the estate, the air crisp and biting. My bag, heavy with maps, journals, and relics of the northern archives, rested against my shoulder, but even it didn’t weigh as heavily as the thoughts in my mind. Rowan and Alice,my children. my heirs,were still years away from truly understanding the power within them. A whole year had passed since they were entrusted to the witches for training, and I would finally see them again. Not just as the small, sharp-eyed children I left behind, but as young wolves approaching their first true test of adolescence.The journey was long, winding through forests that still carried the scent of winter, over mountains whose peaks seemed to scrape the sky, and across rivers that shimmered like molten silver. I kept my hands on the reins, though the carriage was guided by enchanted spells; control was something I never relinquished fully. Even after two years of absen
~Author POVThe northern sanctuary loomed ahead like something carved from frost and shadow. The walls, high and jagged, held an air of age that made even Alice pause. Rowan clutched his twin’s hand briefly, his small fingers barely reaching hers, a flicker of fear and curiosity crossing his wide blue eyes.Alice let him grip her hand. Not because he needed her, but because she knew her brother’s confidence wavered like the light at dusk. She was the fire to his storm, and he needed it now more than ever.The witches watched silently from the top of the steps, their eyes unreadable behind veils of dark silk and crystal ornaments. The moment the twins stepped inside, the air changed. Thick, potent, charged with energy. Rowan’s wolf stirred instinctively, thrumming beneath his skin, making his ears flick and his tail flicker with tension he barely understood.He tried to pull back, but Alice tightened her grip.“Focus,” she whispered,
~Author POVThe moment the gates closed behind the convoy…The moment Duncan left her hand to go meet the council ….Iris broke.Not in front of the council.Not in front of Duncan.Not in front of the guards or the servants or the watching eyes that fed on strength and weakness alike.No.She waited.She held it in.Until there was no one left to see her fall.The courtyard was empty now.Too empty.The echo of hooves had long faded into silence, leaving behind nothing but the ghost of what had just been taken.Mira found her on the steps.Standing.Still.Too still.“Iris…” she said softly.That was all it took.Iris turned.And the moment her eyes met Mira’s..The control shattered.“Ten fucking years.”Her voice broke on the words.Raw.Unfiltered.Mira didn’t hesitate.She stepped forward and pulled her into her arms.And Iris let herself fall into it.“They’re gone,” Iris whispered, gripping Mira’s shirt tightly. “They’re really gone…”Her shoulders trembled.Her breath uneven.
~AliceWhy the hell was Iris’s phone with him?My hand started shaking so badly I nearly dropped the phone.My father didn’t even like omegas. He’d never shown interest in anyone after Mom died. And Iris… Iris was mine. She’d always been mine.But the way he’d said “she’s not available”… like he ha
~AliceEvery time I closed my eyes, I saw Iris's face, the shock, the tears, the way she’d slapped me so hard my ears rang.I had to find her. Explain. Beg. Anything.I grabbed my keys and drove straight to Eunice’s private residence on the edge of campus, the sleek modern house my dad let her use
~IrisI didn’t even know what to do. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.I would have sworn on my life that Alice would never cheat on me.Well… I did. But it doesn’t matter.Sandra stayed on her knees for a second longer, intentionally licking Alice’s release from her fingers like my standing th
~DuncanWaiting until 8 p.m. felt like slow torture. Every minute dragged, the clock mocking me while I paced the study, whiskey untouched. At 7:55 I left the estate in the Mitsubishi, windows down, night air cutting sharp across my skin. Thorne followed in the SUV behind me.We pulled up to The O







