LOGINNOELLE The rest of the day drags by in a haze. I sit through the final lectures in a fog, nodding at Blue when she whispers something about the hunters on campus and nodding at Blair when she chatters about the pool party. I keep glancing at my phone. I turned it back on after the fight, but the screen stays blank. No messages. No calls. Nothing from Azren.Every time I close my eyes, I see his face in that corridor. And the hurt in his eyes… I can’t get it off my mind.By the time the last class ends, I'm practically vibrating with the need to fix this.I grab my bag, mutter a quick goodbye to Blair, and hurry towards the exit. All I can think about is getting home, apologizing, crawling into his arms and telling him I didn't mean to hurt him.The penthouse is too quiet when I burst through the door."Azren?" My voice echoes off the marble. But I get no answer whatsoever.I check the kitchen, the living room, and our bedroom. The bed is still made from this morning. His coat is
The voice is not mine. It echoes inside my head, layered, possessive and furious. I gasp softly, stunned. My fingers twitch in Cooper's grip. My heart is racing now, pounding too hard.What was that?I pull my hand back instinctively. Cooper blinks. And all of a sudden, colour returns to his face. The tension in his shoulders eases, his breathing steadying.I stare at him, confused. Something happened just now, but I can't for the life of me figure it out.He leans closer, close enough that his breath brushes my ear."Thank you," he whispers. "You're the best."I go completely still."...What?" I breathe.Behind us, Blair gasps."Cooper?!"He leans back in his seat, stretching slightly like he just woke up from a nap instead of... whatever that was."I feel great," he says, smiling.Then he gestures lazily towards me. "Noelle fixed it."My brain glitches, struggling to process what just happened. I have a feeling something went wrong just now. But I can't prove it, and it's
NOELLE I wake up already annoyed. My insides are buzzing with the need to hurl something at the wall and scream all kinds of profanities because I clearly remember my dearest husband telling me we were going to head out together. I definitely didn't imagine it.And then what did he do? Hypnotized me like I'm some fragile little doll... and went off to handle things alone.My jaw tightens as I sit up in bed.The sheets are still warm. The faint scent of him clings to everything. It should calm me. It doesn't. It only pisses me off further."...Idiot," I mutter under my breath.By the time I'm dressed and ready for school, I've already decided something very important.I'm mad.I will act mad. And I will act it very well.Azren is waiting by the door when I step out. I do wonder if he slept out here, crippled by guilt. Or if he crawled out of bed early and rushed out here to pretend. Knowing how he can't keep his hands off me, I'd say...the latter is more likely to be correct.Hi
AZREN The warehouse reeks of rust and something rotten. Levi is practically vibrating beside me as we approach the rusted side door. His hands are clenched into fists so tight his knuckles are white. I can smell the fear rolling off him in waves.I, on the other hand, feel... oddly calm. As though every nerve ending is lit up and humming with beautiful, dangerous, sweet electricity.I place a hand on Levi's shoulder, squeezing."Stay outside," I tell him gently. "If I don't come out in ten minutes, run. Don't be a hero."Levi never met his wolf, never shifted and never manifested his vampire form. His demon aura is weak. He's basically almost human. He has resented this for the longest time. But he has no idea what I would do to trade places with him."Azren—"I don't wait for the rest. I push the door open and step inside.The ward slams into me the second I cross the threshold. A shimmering wall of magic that locks around my limbs like invisible chains. My muscles seize, my b
AZREN The phone is barely at my ear when I hear the wet hitch in Levi's breathing."Azren..." His voice cracks like he's been crying for hours. "She's dead."My stomach drops.I straighten, one arm still wrapped loosely around Noelle's waist. She senses the shift immediately and goes still against me."Who?" I ask, my voice low."The mother of my child." Levi's words come out strangled. "They killed her. The New Order. They took the baby."For a second, my brain struggles to understand what he’s just told me. I blink, trying to process."Levi... are you drunk?"A harsh, wet sob cracks through the line."I wish I was," he chokes. "I have a kid, Az. A daughter. She's only two months old. They have her. They said they won't release her until you show up."My mind is spinning."When the fuck did you become a father?"He lets out another sob. "It was a mistake. I didn't know. They sent that girl to me on purpose to get a child from the Lakewood lineage. They’re threatening to use her
NOELLE Azren won't look me in the eye. Something is terribly wrong. My chest tightens with dread. "Az..." I utter softly, moving closer. "You're scaring me." He exhales slowly, dragging a hand down his face. My heart starts to beat faster. "...They gave me an ultimatum." A cold weight drops into my stomach. "An ultimatum?" I echo. "What kind of ultimatum?" He finally looks at me. "They want the veil fixed," he tells me. I nod automatically. "We already knew that—" "Using you." I gape at him, my stomach knotting. "...What?" "They believe the golden wolf is the only thing strong enough to stabilize it," he continues, his voice low. My pulse starts racing. "Azren..." "They gave me two weeks." I blink at him. "...Two weeks to do what?" He doesn't look away this time. "To succeed." My throat goes dry. "...Or?" The pause that follows feels like it stretches forever. "...Or I die." My eyes go wide, my head spinning. "What do you mean... die?" I whisper. He doesn't
AZREN I’m being selfish. I fucking know that. But, for once, I want to feel real peace. I need it. And she’s the only one who can give it to me. That’s why I have stalked her for months since learning that she’s my fated mate. My woman.“Remember what happened earlier when I fell asleep wit
NOELLE A shiver runs through my body as he ravages my lips like a hungry beast. This kiss is different from the ones from that night. My knees are shaking, my legs barely holding me up. "Fuck," he breathes against my lips, his deep voice ragged. I clutch at his shirt for dear life, moaning as
NOELLE Azren stares at me like I've lost my mind. What he doesn't know is that I am desperate. My heart is going haywire in my chest, tears stinging my eyes. The thought of going back to the hell I just barely managed to escape from is terrifying. All I can do right now is hope that he'l
NOELLE Holy shit. Did I really just say that? The words hang in the air like smoke, thick and daring, and I can see the exact moment they hit him. Azren's eyes darken to midnight storms, his nostrils flaring as if he's scenting my arousal all over again.My heart slams against my ribs, bu







