INICIAR SESIÓNGillian’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 The next morning after the blasting evening with Lyra is really quiet and with a suffocating tension that fills the whole place. Gillian is everything for me. Honestly, I need to sing praises every single time because he definitely knows my calm. According to the head housemaid, Lucius took Freya into the main town to show her the high-end jewelry shops, obviously, she's all about that, and Seraphina is reportedly still sleeping off the "exhaustion" of yesterday’s outdoor excursion.I stand in the center of our bedroom, buttoning up a soft, cream-colored knitted cardigan over a simple tank top and pair of comfortable dark jeans. My hair is tied up in a loose, messy bun, a few stray pieces framing my face. There is no gallery work today,and the treaty spreadsheets can wait until the afternoon. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can just breathe under the courtesy of Lyra. To her quote ‘My children's godmother shouldn't be stressed too much.’And honestly, th
Gillian's POV “Heyyyyyyy,” Ronan interrupts the quiet tension in the air with a loud, awkward laugh, stepping forward from the edge of the porch. “I think you picked mine, Seraphina.”He pulls a small grin onto his face, holding up his hand to show a matching silver coin tucked between his fingers. “I bought that token off a merchant in the Northern market last week. Thought the crest looked really cool. Honestly, I just realize I am holding my breath here because I thought I lost my lucky piece.”A sigh of relief escapes my lips, the icy grip around my chest loosening instantly. I don't miss the sharp flash of disappointment that crosses Seraphina's face, her sweet smile turning into a tight, ugly line for a fraction of a second before she catches herself.“Yours?” Seraphina asks, her voice dropping its high, squeaky pitch as she stares down at the silver in her hand. “Yours is the Northern crest? But... it smells exactly like the Alpha’s villa.”“Well, I do spend about twelve hour
Gillian's POV “How the hell are you coping, man?”Rhydian’s rough voice comes from behind me, followed by a heavy slap on my shoulder. I don’t turn away from the water immediately. I just stare out at the lake, watching the small waves lap against the wooden dock. The cool breeze is a relief, but even out here, the thick, messy tangle of my life follows me.Just without my damn knowledge. “I’m not,” I grumble, taking a slow sip from the glass of ale in my hand. “I’m one mistake away from throwing my brother and his new woman into the lake, and if Seraphina says the word ‘baby’ one more time in that fake, sweet voice, I might lose my mind completely.”Rhydian lets out a loud, booming laugh that echoes across the shore. He leans his big frame against the wooden railing next to me, his sharp eyes scanning the porch where the women are gathered as if my life right now is a sickening joke to him. Crazy crazy “You’ve got a circus on your hands, Gillian,” Rhydian says, his tone softenin
Desiree's POV “You wouldn't dare!” That is all it took to allow Seraphina tag along to the coronation party. Lucius went against the idea of cutting ties with Dickson, reminding him of how he helped their father in one way or the other. The irony of life is almost laughable because you cannot t
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
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







