로그인Elara's povI had hoped I was wrong. I had been hoping for the last hour that I was completely wrong and that what I was monitoring would just stabilize on its own so I would not have to say this out loud to them. I wanted more than anything for the numbers to change, for her heart rate to smooth out, and for the internal bleeding to just stop without me having to break their hearts right after such a beautiful moment.But I was not wrong. The monitors did not lie, and my own instincts were never off when it came to things this serious.I looked at Rowan, my heart heavy but my face completely serious. I needed to tell him quietly and directly because he deserved that. He was the Alpha, he was her mate, and he needed the truth without any sugarcoating."Rowan, we have a situation," I said, my voice barely above a whisper so I would not scare Mira, though I knew she could probably see the panic in my shoulders anyway. "The poison damage that complicated the labor has left Mira's system
Mira's povI heard the cry before I even saw her. That small, furious sound completely cut through everything else in the room. It cut through the thick exhaustion that made my limbs feel like lead, through the lingering stabs of pain, and through the terrifying fear that had been gripping my chest for hours. The moment that sharp noise hit my ears, I started crying before I even realized what I was doing. Warm tears just started spilling over my eyelashes and running down my temples into my hair.Elara moved quickly but carefully, lifting the tiny bundle up. "Here she is," Elara said, her voice thick with emotion as she placed the baby right onto my bare chest.I looked down at my daughter for the very first time, and the entire world went completely quiet. All the noise, the rushing of blood in my ears, and the frantic thoughts in my head just vanished into nothing.She was perfect. She was so small and red and looked completely furious about being out in the cold world, her tiny
Rowan's povElara caught my eye from across the room and gave me a look that made my stomach completely drop. She walked over to me slowly, keeping her steps quiet, and pulled me aside into the small corner by the window so Mira would not hear us talking. The air in the room felt incredibly heavy, and every single second felt like it was ticking by in slow motion."The poison damage from before is affecting Mira's body exactly the way I warned you it might," Elara said, her voice dropping to a very low whisper. "Her system is under way more strain than it should be right now. It is slowing everything down in a way that is creating a really big risk for both of them."I looked over Elara's shoulder at Mira, who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, her face pale and covered in sweat. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice shaking just a little bit. "What do we need to do? Tell me how to fix it."Elara placed a hand on my arm, looking straight into my eyes with a completely serious
Tobias's povCato formally withdrew his territorial claim the following morning. He did not even show his face in the main hall to do it. Instead, he sent a written notice straight to the council desk early in the morning before the sun was completely up. Along with the withdrawal, he requested safe passage back to the northeast territory. He offered a trade for his freedom. He promised a full account of Brennan's entire operation and a complete list of everyone who was involved in it.Rowan granted it without a second thought.I walked into Rowan's office later that morning and threw the signed safe passage papers onto his desk. "I thought that was pretty generous of you," I said, crossing my arms. "The guy was ready to steal half our land yesterday."Rowan did not look up from his desk right away. "It was practical, Tobias," he said, finally raising his eyes. "Cato's information is worth way more to us right now than his punishment would be. Locking him up just makes him a martyr f
Mira's povI was right in the middle of a sentence when the heavy oak doors of the chamber swung open. The sudden creak of the hinges cut me off completely. I froze, my mouth still half open, as Rowan walked into the room. Tobias followed a step behind him, carrying a heavy leather case by the handle.The room went immediately tense. You could actually feel the drop in temperature. All the chatter from the delegates died instantly. I stopped talking and just watched them. Rowan looked around the room, his face totally blank, completely unbothered by the fact that he had just ruined my flow."I am sorry for the interruption," Rowan said. His voice was calm, but it filled the entire room. "I have information relevant to this session that absolutely could not wait."He glanced over at me. I didn't want to make a big scene, so I just gave him the smallest nod. I took a slow step back from the center of the floor, letting him take the spotlight.Rowan walked over to the long table, took th
Rowan's povI was standing outside the council chamber when Tobias's message came through on my phone. I pulled the device out of my pocket, read the text quickly, and felt a cold surge of pure anger rush through my veins. The text was short but told me everything I needed to know. I did not waste a single second standing around or overthinking the situation. I turned on my heel and walked straight to Brennan's quarters myself, my boots hitting the stone floor with heavy, angry thuds.When I reached the room, the door was already open. My two warriors were inside, standing by the bed. They had already found exactly what Tobias had suspected was there. It was a heavy locked case hidden deep under the bed, and one of the warriors had a small metal tool in his hand. He had opened the lock in under a minute flat."We got it open, Alpha," the warrior said, stepping aside so I could look down at it.I leaned down and looked inside the open case. My jaw clamped shut tightly. Inside were thi
MIRA’S POVThe heavy doors had closed behind Finn, but his voice still seemed to ring in the chamber. My hands were pressed against my stomach, my fingers digging into the fabric of my dress. I could feel my heart hammering against my ribs. Rowan was standing nearby, his shoulder bleeding, but my
Finn’s POVI stopped outside Mira’s door before leaving, the heavy wood of the portal a barrier between my world of power and the woman who refused to submit.The guards straightened immediately when they saw me, the sharp click of their heels hitting the stone floor echoing through the narrow corr
FinnIsla hesitated, her eyes searching mine for a reassurance I wasn’t sure I could give. “What if that wasn't enough? What if he brought in outside Seers? What if he demanded she be examined by neutral parties?”“It wasn't,” I said sharply, cutting her off before the doubt could take root.A heav
Finn’s POVThe shadows in my study seemed to stretch and crawl, growing impossibly long as the fire in the hearth died down to a dull, angry orange. I didn't sit. I couldn't allow myself to sit. I paced the entire length of the floor, my boots rhythmic against the dark wood—back and forth, back and







