MasukDariusThe silver thread of the needle felt like a hot wire against my skin as the tailors made the final adjustments to my formal tunic. I stood on the pedestal in my chambers, arms outstretched, a sacrificial lamb being dressed in the finest silks of the Silver Circle."The fit is perfect, Alpha," the head tailor murmured, his voice sounding thin and distant, like he was speaking through a layer of cotton. "The embroidery matches the Fenrir crest on your chest. A perfect union."I looked into the floor-length mirror. The man looking back at me was a stranger. I was wearing midnight-blue silk, trimmed with silver fur, and the Crest of Fenrir hung heavy and cold against my sternum. But my face, was a mask of pale, sweating marble. Every few seconds, the edges of my vision would fray, the stone walls of the room flickering into grey ash before snapping back into place."Darius?" Aveline’s voice came from the doorway.I didn't turn. I couldn't. If I moved too fast, I was afraid I’d fall
KaelThe forest didn't feel like my own anymore.Every tree, every rock, every scent trail of the pack should have felt like a map etched into my DNA. But as I sprinted through the undergrowth in my wolf form, my massive paws hitting the frozen earth with a rhythmic, bone-jarring force, the world felt like a poorly rendered painting. The colours were too sharp, the wind felt too cold. Overall, something felt quite off but I couldn’t place my finger around it.I was supposed to be hunting. Or rather, I was trying to outrun the itch inside my skull.Focus, Alpha.Behind me, the pack followed. I could hear the heavy breathing of Drew and the other wolves, their presence a steady thrum in the back of my mind. We were tracking a rogue, a scent that Miller had picked up on the southern border. It was foul and smelled heavy like rotting meat and something else that I couldn’t wrap my head around. It didn't belong to a wolf, and it certainly didn't belong to any witch I’d ever encountered.I
KaelThe broadsword bit into the wooden training post with a thud that vibrated all the way up to my shoulders. I didn't stop to admire the depth of the cut. I ripped the blade out, pivoted on my heel, and brought it down again, wood splinters flying like shrapnel.I was agitated. No—I was beyond agitated. I was restless in a way that made my wolf want to pace the perimeter of the territory until my paws bled."You’re going to need a new post by noon if you keep that up, Alpha," Drew called out from the edge of the pit. He was leaning against a stone pillar, picking at a callus on his thumb. "Save some of that for the hunt tonight.""The post doesn't talk back," I growled, not breaking my rhythm. "Which makes it better company than half the Council members currently clogging up my hallways."The Fenrir estate was crawling with them. Silver Circle witches, Southern Pack delegates, and every two-bit diplomat looking to get a piece of the alliance. All here for a wedding that felt more l
DariusI opened my eyes, and for a heartbeat, the world was a blurred smudge of gold and cream. My head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache, a throb behind my eyes that felt like a door slamming shut over and over again. I blinked, trying to clear the fog, expecting to see the dark-timbered beams of my room back in my pack where I had gone to bed the previous night iinstead, I saw a canopy of pale lilac silk.I bolted upright, my breath catching in a throat that felt like it had been scraped raw. This wasn't my room. Fuck, where the fuck was I? I winced and grabbed my head immediately from the sudden pain that shut along my spine. The room started to shift into focus and I realized where I was, I was in her room. I was in the Fenrir pack house."Darius?” Her eyes fluttered and she stared at me, she ran her fingers along my skin. I wanted to pull away but I remained still, “Are you okay? You’re shaking."The voice was like a bucket of ice water to the chest. I spun my head toward the l
KaelThe echo of the door slamming was still vibrating in the floorboards when I finally found my breath. I stood in the center of the room; my hands clenched into fists so tight my claws were starting to bite into my palms. His scent lingered in the air and it made everything hurt even more."Dammit, Darius," I hissed into the empty room.I turned back to the nightstand. 9:02 AM. The sun was still streaming in, the dust motes dancing in the light as if the world wasn't falling apart. It was a beautiful, normal morning. That was the problem. Darius was seeing monsters in the shadows of a sunny room, and I was the one left trying to hold the walls up.I grabbed a shirt and pulled it over my head, my movements jerky and filled with a restless, angry energy. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. Miller had seen the ruins. It was just the burnout playing tricks on a mind that had been pushed too far. But as I grabbed my keys, the disappointment in his eyes flashed in my mind again. Stay in yo
KaelMy eyes flickered open and the first thing I caught was the sun. It cut through the gap in our heavy blackout curtains like a blade, too bright and too cheerful for the weight settling in my gut and the race that was in my chest. I sat up, the silk sheets sliding down my skin, and for a split second, I felt a wave of pure, unadulterated relief.The bed was solid. The room was exactly as it should be. No flickering reflections, no stuck clocks, and no weird trees."God, I slept like a dead man," I muttered, my voice thick with sleep. I reached over, ruffling Darius’s hair. I wanted to pull him back into the pillows and forget the fever dream of the previous night. "You okay? You look like you just went ten rounds with a poltergeist."He didn't move. He was staring at his hands, his face a mask of pale, rigid terror. "How did we get back?"I blinked, propping myself up on one elbow. The relief I felt started to sour into worry. "Get back from where? We went to bed after the wake, D
DariusI slapped a hand over my mouth immediately the words spilled out. Fuck! I didn't mean for that to come out, my eyes bulged out which was similar to that of Luca who stood, petrified by what I had said. His mouth opened and closed for a second, trying to form words to say."You’re lying," he
DariusThe tension in the room was thick and even a knife could cut through the entire atmosphere. My heart pounded with fury, hitting my ribs hard and fast. Elena looked like she was about to explode with frustration, her eyes swirled with this storm of need, like she would die if she didn't have
DariusElena stood up from her chair, adjusting her robe around her. In her hand, she clutched the small leather pouch I recognized from my room, it was a collection of keepsakes I had kept to remember my parents and some of the important things that formed part of my memories."You’ve been very bu
ElenaThe door clicked shut behind the foolish boy, leaving me alone with my brother. I let out a long, shaky breath, trying to calm the fire burning in my chest. Xerxes was now leaning against the window frame, watching the scenery as if he hadn't just insulted my intelligence. He was always like







