LOGINChapter 24Killian’s POVThe heavy double doors clicked shut, leaving behind a silence so absolute it felt heavy enough to crush the air right out of my lungs.I stood in the center of the dimly lit suite, my bare chest heaving, the faint scent of cedar and rain mixing with the faint, fading metallic trace of her blood. I stared at the dark hallway long after her frantic footsteps vanished down the stone corridor.She hadn't cried.She had stood right in front of me, her body trembling so violently I thought her bones would snap, her face pale as a corpse, and she hadn't shed a single fucking tear. She had just looked at me with those wide, hollow eyes, dropped a quiet venom into the air, and turned on her heel."Never insult my baby that way."The words echoed off the stone walls, sharp and jagged, slicing straight through the cold armor I had built around myself. I ground my jaw tight, a muscle ticking hard in my cheek."Stubborn, arrogant little bitch," I growled into the empty roo
Chapter 23Evelyn’s POVI sat frozen in the wooden chair, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird as I waited for a single drop of humanity from the monster standing over me. I had bared my soul. I had begged. I had laid down every piece of my pride, bleeding and raw, desperate for him to see that I was nothing more than a broken victim caught in his dark world.For a fraction of a second, as the dim crimson light caught the sharp angle of his jaw, I thought I saw a flicker of doubt in his dark, swirling eyes.Then, his face hardened into stone.Killian let out a low, bitter laugh—a harsh, barking sound completely devoid of humor that cut through the quiet room like a serrated blade. He tossed my cracked phone onto the side table with a dismissive flick of his wrist and took a step closer, his broad shoulders blocking out the faint light until his massive shadow completely consumed me."No," Killian said, his voice dropping into a flat, icy register that made the blood
Chapter 22Evelyn’s POVThe sudden silence in the red room was louder than the frantic, desperate screams that had filled it moments before.The heavy tempo stopped. The rhythmic, punishing friction of skin against skin died down into the harsh, ragged sound of Killian’s chest heaving for air. I kept my eyes snapped shut, my jaw locked tight, and my legs squeezed together so hard that my muscles trembled under the strain. I refused to look. I refused to let him see the terrifying, humiliating way my body had traitorously responded to the dark pull of his bond."Get your clothes on and get out," Killian’s voice cut through the dim crimson light. It was cold, sharp, and completely devoid of warmth or satisfaction—just a flat, ruthless command."Killian...?" the woman whimpered, her voice shaky, breathy, and clearly stunned by the sudden, dismissive change in his tone."Through the back door. Now."I heard the frantic rustle of silk and leather as the woman scrambled off the mattress, he
Chapter 21Evelyn’s POVThe air in the room was thick, heavy, and sickeningly warm. It smelled of raw leather, sweet vanilla perfume, and the heavy, metallic undertone of male dominance that made my chest tighten until I could barely breathe.Every single nerve in my body was screaming at me to stand up, turn around, and run until my lungs burst. But I couldn't move. My knees felt like they were made of thin glass, and the dark, suffocating pressure of Killian’s Alpha aura held me pinned to the cold leather chair like a ghost trapped in a nightmare.I kept my eyes glued to the dark stone floor between my feet. I pressed my palms flat against my knees, digging my short nails deep into the fabric of my jeans, using the sharp physical pain to keep myself grounded.Just stay alive, I whispered to myself, repeating the words like an ancient, rhythmic mantra in my head. Just survive this night. Get through the month. Get the money for Mom.My mother was still sitting in that cold, sterile h
Chapter 20KILLIAN’ POV The quiet satisfaction from my encounter at the border evaporated the second I stepped back onto the second-floor landing.The heavy oak doors to my master suite stood wide open. The room was cold, empty, and silent. The plush silk duvet on the four-poster bed was pulled back, the sheets still bearing the faint imprint of a small body, but Evelyn was gone.My jaw clamped shut so hard my teeth dragged together. A dark, possessive anger roared through my veins, instantly drowning out any lingering thoughts of the old King’s picture or the million-dollar bounty."Where is she?" I barked into the empty hallway, my Alpha aura flaring so hard the heavy glass wall sconces rattled against the wallpaper.Dominic stepped around the corner, holding a tablet in his hands, but he stopped dead when he saw the dark expression on my face. "She's down in the main kitchen, Killian. Nana tried to stop her, but—"I didn't wait for him to finish. I turned on my heel and descended
Chapter 19KILLIAN’s POVI didn't rush. An Alpha never let his inner circle see him sweat, regardless of what Marcus or any other desperate pack leader thought they were pulling at my borders.I slowly turned my gaze away from Evelyn’s pale, defiant face on the bed to stare at Dominic, who was still catching his breath in the doorway."Marcus thinks he can rattle my gates?" I muttered, rolling my eyes so hard it was a miracle I didn't strain something. "The bastard couldn't even keep his own mate fed, and now he wants a war on my front lawn."Without another word to Evelyn, I stepped toward the heavy mahogany armory cabinet bolted to the bedroom wall. I punched in the five-digit biometric code, the digital lock chiming softly before the heavy steel doors swung open. Reaching inside, I bypassed the heavy rifles and grabbed a pair of custom, high-caliber silver-alloy handguns. I checked the action on both, loaded the heavy magazines with two sharp clicks, and tucked them into the leathe







