LOGINI froze, my fingers stilling beneath the water as his words sank in. My father. Here. The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. The bathwater that had been warm moments ago now seemed to grip my skin like ice. “What do you mean he’s coming here?” My voice came out low, almost strangled. Caius hesitated by the door, his hand still on the handle. “The Birdsclaw patrols found survivors at the border. Your pack’s territory was attacked two nights ago—rogues, maybe more than rogues. The elders thought it best he join the summit for his safety. He’ll be arriving by evening.” For a heartbeat, all I could do was stare at him. My father—Alpha Corvin—never left the mountains unless something was truly dire. If he was coming here, that meant the damage was worse than Caius was letting on. “Are they alive?” I whispered. He looked away. “Some.” My stomach twisted. The names, the faces—I didn’t even want to think of who some excluded. I gripped the edge of the tub, the
The moment he was gone, the silence pressed in, thick and suffocating. I could still feel him, his heat, his breath, the phantom echo of his body caging mine. Every nerve in me screamed to chase after him, to drag him back and finish the argument in a way that would leave us both ruined. Instead, I just stood there, trembling, until the ache in my chest turned into something sharp. Hatred. Not for them, but for this. For the goddess. For the bond. For the way it kept tying me to men who couldn’t decide whether to claim me or cage me. Finally gathering my strength I walked, out into the gardens, tracing my way back to the lake where I almost had Darius right where I wanted him. Almost. Such and annoying word Lightning flashed across the horizon, throwing silver light over the lake below. My reflection rippled in the water wet hair, red eyes, a hollow look I barely recognized. Maybe I was the curse they all feared. I stayed there until the torches burned low and the halls w
“Apparently I shouldn’t be anywhere,” I shot back, stepping into the doorway. “Especially if it makes any of you look bad.” Draven’s face remained unreadable. “You don’t understand what’s at stake….” “Then make me understand,” I snapped. My voice echoed in the chamber, shaky but louder than I expected. “Why haven’t you told anyone? If you say I am yours Why are you all pretending like I’m nothing when the bond is—” I broke off, swallowing hard. “When it’s driving me insane.” Daemon moved first, frustration flashing in his eyes. “Because they’ll see you as a threat. A wolfless girl tied to three alphas? They’ll think it’s an omen, ” I froze. Wolfless . He called me wolf-less. “How did you know?” I whispered, avoiding eye contact. “What?” They asked, genuinely confused at what I was implying. Lifting my head to meet their gaze “Wolf-less…..you called me wolf-less. How did you find out?” “Oh….we figured it out. Not everybody is as dumb as you think.” Daemon smirked,
The murmurs hadn’t yet died down when a voice, soft but sharp as a blade, sliced through the air. “If it’s alliances we’re talking about…” Charlotte. She rose gracefully from her seat, all silver gown and venomous poise. The kind of beauty that had teeth. Her father, Lord Varyn, ruled one of the richest border territories, and the kind of man whose loyalty could turn wars. As much as Draven and his brothers were true born Lycan and the strongest in all the lands, they still very much needed Lord Varyn’s armies. And she was a fair exchange. She smiled sweetly, and deliberate. Her gaze landing on Draven. And I knew that second what she had in mind to offer l. “…then perhaps the solution is simple. If Alpha Draven were to mate with me, the Varyn forces would stand with the summit’s cause. My father would send his troops to reinforce the unprotected packs in the North — immediately.” The hall went dead silent. The words hit me like a slap, not for what they meant, but for
The night felt different. No music, no laughter, just a suffocating silence broken only by the clink of goblets and the low murmur of men and women who could tear kingdoms apart with a single command. The hall was lit by the pale glow of silver chandeliers, their light bouncing off armor and polished marble. The scent of wine, smoke, and dominance thickened the air. This wasn’t another night of celebration. It was politics, I caught the Cauis’s eye at the other end of the table, he looked tired. I sat near the edge of the long table, beside Maris, who kept her head bowed respectfully, though her hand brushed mine in silent reassurance. At the far end sat the brothers……Draven, Daemon, and Darius, all dressed in black, all wearing the same unreadable expression. Looking breathtaking. My mouth watered and wetness pooled in my center. Each carried a different kind of danger. Draven’s stillness was sharp as a blade. Darius’s restraint simmered, barely contained and very much avo
Maris didn’t say a word as we walked, but I could feel her eyes flick toward me now and then, curious. The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air damp and heavy with the scent of earth and wet ground. The corridors were buzzing with movement as servants and warriors hurried about, preparing for the evening’s gathering. I tried to ignore the way their whispers followed me the daughter of no pack, the girl who disappeared and somehow returned under the protection of the Lycan brothers. But Liana’s voice still echoed in my skull like poison. “Maybe I should tell them the truth, that you can’t even shift. That you’re just a wolfless, broken thing pretending to belong here.” Her hand had nearly connected with my face before I caught it mid-air, fingers digging into her wrist. I’d stared straight into her eyes, the part of me that used to fear her long gone. She’d hissed, jerking free, promising she’d destroy me one way or another. Now my palm still burned from where I’d grabbed he







