เข้าสู่ระบบDesiree’s POV“With you next to me? Always,” he whispers against my skin. “Let's go show them who rules the North.”The doors of the reception hall are thrown wide open by five o'clock sharp and cold breeze sweeps into the room, bringing in the peaceful breeze we didn't know we needed. I can hear the sounds of carriage wheels and horses going down the driveway. I smile. They are finally here. Gillian stands right beside me, his large hand coming down to clasp mine for a brief, reassuring second before he pulls his shoulders back, stepping into his full pha posture. How can I ring it a thousand times that I love my husband?I smooth down the front of my sapphire gown, taking a deep breath to settle the tiny flutter of nerves in my stomach. Tonight is about something really special to me. It's about how the business at the art treaty is blooming and how I am in my own element with no one trying to disrupt. And honestly, I am more surprised to hear Lyra tell me that she's not goi
Desiree’s POV My carriage ride back from the lake house is very fast and short and I can still inhale Leo and Mira's scent in my body as I get into the villa, the guards paving way for me. Looking at the grand stone house, I can already feel the familiar problem of pack drama settling right back onto my shoulders.It is exactly four o’clock when I step into the main foyer. The place is in absolute chaos with servants rushing back and forth with dangling trays filling the grand chandeliers, and straightening the long rugs. The Southern alphas are due to arrive in less than an hour, and everything has to look completely flawless to show them the Northern pack is stable and strong.Which is exactly the best idea given the fact that things have only been any better since. “Kael,” I call out, handing my coat to a waiting maid as I turn to him. “Are the perimeter guards in position for the arrival? I don't want any surprises when the carriages pull up the driveway.”“Yes, Luna,” Kael
Desiree’s POV The grand opening of the treaty program is only a few days away, and the first wave of Southern alphas is set to arrive by evening, which makes it normal for me to be very awake this morning. The house is a total mess of servants running around with fresh linens, cooks screaming in the kitchen, and guards checking the perimeter every five minutes.I walk down the grand staircase, wearing a simple but elegant dark blue dress with a soft cream cardigan over my shoulders. My hair is swept up securely, and I have my folder of guest lists tucked tightly under my arm. I am determined to get through this day without choking anyone.But of course, my good mood is entirely cut short the moment I reach the bottom of the stairs.Seraphina is standing near the large arched window in the foyer, holding a cup of herbal tea. She’s wearing a loose, flowing white gown that makes her baby bump look as big as a house. The moment she hears my leg hit the floor, her face shifts from a s
Gillian’s POV Can anything just get any better, really?I stare at the report case Kael left in front of me and then glare back at him.Null.Every single report case on the healer is null.They have got to be kidding me.“I think we should just let go of this case, Alpha,” Kael says, his voice very quiet as he looks at the floor. “It shouldn't be stressing you out like this. Let's start working on the treaty security instead. The elders are already pushing for us to move on.”“It shouldn't bother me that much?” I growl, my voice echoing off the walls of my study. I stand up, slamming both of my hands down on the desk so hard the wood cracks. “A healer died trying to bring the truth that no one knows except him... isn't that suspicious? You are telling me a pack elder gets executed on our own roads, and I am just supposed to turn around and check the guest list for a party?”“Alpha, the chief medical officer, looked at the body for three hours,” Kael says, his hands shaking just a l
Desiree’s POV “It was a setup,” Gillian says as soon as he enters the room again, slamming the door shut behind him.I'm already dressed, fastening the buckle of my belt. I'm ready to go to work because even though the healer is dead, the treaty work won't do itself. The grand opening is just around the corner, and prestigious people from the neighboring territories are signing up with us before the party comes up. I can't let a murder derail the future of this pack, no matter how much chaos is happening under my own roof.“Babe,” I call, stepping toward him and trying to calm his nerves down with a gentle pat on his chest.Gillian’s heart is hammering against his ribs like some trapped beast, his jaw so tight I’m worried his teeth might even have a crack. He runs a massive hand through his hair, pacing the length of our bedroom floor.“It's just insane. Freaking insane that nobody is to be trusted in this place anymore. How could I even let my guard down?” Gillian's worried voic
Desiree’s POV I cannot believe that at the end of the day, the peaceful bubble we built in the greenhouse doesn't even survive at all. Don't get me wrong, Gillian is everything, and more. By the time evening rolls around, the warm, air of the garden is a now filled with something even more dready that always seems to settle over this villa when the candles are lit. Today is the last full day of waiting. Tomorrow morning, the healer is supposed to walk through the front doors with the result that will either end this nightmare or change our lives forever. You could cut the tension in the dining room with a dull butter knife.The long mahogany table is fully set for dinner, with the scent of roasted beef and rich gravy, but nobody is actually eating.I sit at the foot of the table, my fingers tracing the side of my wine glass, my face a mask of total, unbothered calm.I’m wearing a dark emerald dress tonight, my hair pinned back sharply. Across from me, Seraphina is picking at
Desiree's POV If someone had told me a week ago that I would willingly choose Eliana to accompany me anywhere outside Gillian's territory, I would have laughed in their face and tell them to their face ‘In your dreams’But here I amStanding at the entrance of one of the most extravagant boutiques
Desiree's POV “Darling!” I call, running up to Gillian amidst everyone in the room. I cling to Gillian's shoulder like he is the only solid thing in the room that keeps shifting under my feets. I can smell his scents in my lungs, dark cedar and smoke, something that makes him more unique, and fo
Gillian’s POV I close my eyes, trying to restrain my anger as I hear footsteps. Can't mistake Desiree for her, Seraphina. Even in my private study room, her perfume still sinks into the room as she walks in. I can hear her heels clicking towards my side, irritation clinging to my body. Why don'
Gillian's POV Desiree lies in the center of my bed, unmoving except for the slow rise and fall of her chest. The healer's bandages wrap around her throat in clean white layers that look too bright against her skin. She has always been fierce, but now, seeing her like this feels wrong for me. I fe







