The air in the chamber was charged, thick with the remnants of everything that had just happened. My skin still hummed from the pull of their power, the way their combined presence seemed to wrap around me like a living force, both protective and possessive. But beneath that, another current swirled — uncertainty, sharp and biting.
Kael hadn’t moved from his position against the wall, though his eyes tracked me with unnerving precision. His expression was unreadable, as if he were weighing me against some invisible scale only he could see. Cassian, on the other hand, was pacing — a slow, deliberate stride that carried the faint scent of leather and the low rumble of an almost-growl beneath his breath. Draven leaned back in his chair, all false ease, but I could feel the tension in him too. And then there was Lucien — the calm center of the storm, though his silver gaze betrayed a flicker of something dangerously close to fear.
“What you&rs
The air in the Alpha council chamber was thick, so heavy with unspoken tension that I could almost hear the weight of it pressing against my ears. The four Alphas stood around the obsidian table, each radiating their own brand of dominance—an intensity that would have sent any lesser wolf groveling on the floor. But I was no lesser wolf, and after last night’s revelations, I couldn’t afford to be intimidated.Jace’s eyes were the first to lock with mine. Deep amber, burning, his gaze carried the unspoken promise that he wouldn’t let harm come to me. But there was something else there too—fear. Not for himself. For me.“We can’t delay this any longer,” Ryder said, his tone sharp enough to slice through the silence. His midnight hair fell into his eyes, shadowing the storm in them. “The Elders want her delivered before the Blood Moon. If we don’t act—”“We’re not handing her
The moon hung like a silver coin in the ink-black sky, its glow spilling over the clearing where the four Alphas stood with me in the center, our breaths visible in the cool night air. Everything felt sharper—every sound, every scent—like the earth itself was holding its breath.Aiden’s hand was warm on my shoulder, his voice low but steady. “We don’t have much time. The bond is pulling tighter.”I swallowed hard, aware of the invisible tether thrumming in my chest. It wasn’t just one connection—it was four, braided into something far stronger than I could fully comprehend. The pull of it was both a comfort and a cage.“What happens when it snaps into place?” I asked, my voice betraying the hint of fear I couldn’t hide.Darius, his eyes a smoldering gold under the moonlight, stepped closer. “It won’t snap, little one. It will lock. Once it’s complete, nothing—not eve
The air in the war council chamber was thick enough to chew on, heavy with the scent of dominance, power, and unspoken tension. My four mates—Kael, Darius, Rowan, and Lucien—stood at the four corners of the circular table, their very presence making the walls feel smaller, the ceiling lower. I could feel the silent currents running between them, a mix of unity and rivalry, as if each one wanted to protect me but also prove they could do it better than the others.“You’ve all read the scout reports,” Rowan said, his tone clipped. His ice-blue eyes flicked to me before returning to the map spread across the table. “The Shadowclaw pack’s forces are closer than we anticipated. They’re moving under the cover of the Red Moon cycle. That means their power will be heightened, and—”“And they’ll try to take her,” Darius interrupted, his deep voice rumbling through the chamber. He didn’t look at
The weight of the silence in the room was almost suffocating. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears as I stared at the four men who had upended my life in every possible way. Their eyes—each unique, each dangerous—were locked on me like I was both their salvation and their curse.Cassian’s jaw ticked, his fingers flexing as if resisting the urge to reach for me. “Say it,” he demanded quietly, the words edged with a tension that coiled around the room.I swallowed hard, my voice a whisper. “I’ll stay.”The shift in the air was immediate. A strange, almost primal satisfaction flashed across their faces, but it was quickly tempered by something deeper—something darker.Ronan moved first, stepping closer until his shadow spilled over me. “You don’t just stay, little mate,” he murmured. “You belong.”Before I could respond, Killian’s voice cut through,
The heavy silence that followed the Council’s announcement weighed on the hall like a suffocating fog. Aria could still hear the words echoing in her mind—The prophecy demands sacrifice.She didn’t know whether to scream, run, or laugh in disbelief. Instead, she stood there frozen, heart pounding so violently it almost hurt.Kael was the first to react. “No.” His voice was sharp, final, as though the single word could undo the decree. “We’ve given you our loyalty, our warriors, our blood. You will not take her.”The High Seer, draped in silvery robes that caught the moonlight, did not flinch. Her pale eyes seemed to pierce through them. “This is not about taking. This is about destiny, Alpha Kael. The four of you were bound to her for a reason. That bond will anchor her… but one of you will have to release it.”Darius stepped forward, jaw tight. “Release it? Do you have
The air in the council chamber felt heavier than the mountain winds outside. The elders had just left, their expressions carved from stone, leaving me alone with the quadruple alphas. Four sets of eyes—silver, gold, storm-blue, and ember-red—pinned me in place like prey.No one spoke. Not at first.The silence was worse than shouting.Finally, Kael stepped forward, his dark hair falling across his brow, silver eyes molten with restrained fury.“You shouldn’t have gone alone.”“I had to,” I said, my voice tighter than I meant it to be. “If I didn’t bring proof, they would never believe us about the rogues’ alliance.”Ronan’s jaw flexed, storm-blue eyes narrowing. “And what if you hadn’t come back? What if the rogues had decided you were worth more dead than alive?”I clenched my fists. “Then at least you’d know I tried.”D