LOGINKade’s head snapped up. “What?” I shouldn’t have said it. It was too soon, too direct, and if Claire found out I knew— But the damage was done. “The incense, Kade. The tea. The drugs Claire’s been feeding you for months to keep you compliant and confused.” I kept my voice level. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? That no one would notice?” He looked genuinely confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “The headaches. The tremors. The paranoia. The fact that you can barely make a decision without Claire’s input anymore.” I leaned forward. “You’ve been drugged, Kade. Systematically. For months.” “That’s—” He stopped. Looked down at his hands, which were trembling slightly. “That’s impossible.” “Is it? When did you last go a full day without Claire’s special tea? Without that incense she burns in your chambers?” “She was helping me relax. I’ve been stressed—” “You’ve been poisoned.” The word landed like a stone. Kade stared at me, and I watched the denial war wi
Kade’s head snapped up. “What?”I shouldn’t have said it. It was too soon, too direct, and if Claire found out I knew—But the damage was done.“The incense, Kade. The tea. The drugs Claire’s been feeding you for months to keep you compliant and confused.” I kept my voice level. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? That no one would notice?”He looked genuinely confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“The headaches. The tremors. The paranoia. The fact that you can barely make a decision without Claire’s input anymore.” I leaned forward. “You’ve been drugged, Kade. Systematically. For months.”“That’s—” He stopped. Looked down at his hands, which were trembling slightly. “That’s impossible.”“Is it? When did you last go a full day without Claire’s special tea? Without that incense she burns in your chambers?”“She was helping me relax. I’ve been stressed—”“You’ve been poisoned.”The word landed like a stone.Kade stared at me, and I watched the denial war with recognit
Kade’s POV The pack house felt heavier than usual as I made my way through the quieter corridors the next morning. The trials had paused for a brief rest day, giving wolves time to recover and elders time to deliberate on the standings. My body still ached from yesterday’s bouts, but the herbs Aria had given me continued to work their quiet magic, keeping the fog at bay and my thoughts sharper than they had been in weeks. Yet something else gnawed at me. Riven. The way he had looked when he walked into the dining hall last night, shock, then something darker flashing across his face before he shut it down. The stiffness in his bow. The way he had barely met my eyes on the trials ground afterward. He had been off ever since Aria returned, and it wasn’t just concern for the pack. There was something personal there. Something I couldn’t quite place. I had considered confronting him directly. Pulling him aside and demanding answers. But Riven was loyal, sometimes to a fault, and
Kade’s POV The pack house felt heavier than usual as I made my way through the quieter corridors the next morning. The trials had paused for a brief rest day, giving wolves time to recover and elders time to deliberate on the standings. My body still ached from yesterday’s bouts, but the herbs Aria had given me continued to work their quiet magic, keeping the fog at bay and my thoughts sharper than they had been in weeks. Yet something else gnawed at me. Riven. The way he had looked when he walked into the dining hall last night, shock, then something darker flashing across his face before he shut it down. The stiffness in his bow. The way he had barely met my eyes on the trials ground afterward. He had been off ever since Aria returned, and it wasn’t just concern for the pack. There was something personal there. Something I couldn’t quite place. I had considered confronting him directly. Pulling him aside and demanding answers. But Riven was loyal, sometimes to a fault, and
Kade’s POV The pack house felt heavier than usual as I made my way through the quieter corridors the next morning. The trials had paused for a brief rest day, giving wolves time to recover and elders time to deliberate on the standings. My body still ached from yesterday’s bouts, but the herbs Aria had given me continued to work their quiet magic, keeping the fog at bay and my thoughts sharper than they had been in weeks. Yet something else gnawed at me. Riven. The way he had looked when he walked into the dining hall last night, shock, then something darker flashing across his face before he shut it down. The stiffness in his bow. The way he had barely met my eyes on the trials ground afterward. He had been off ever since Aria returned, and it wasn’t just concern for the pack. There was something personal there. Something I couldn’t quite place. I had considered confronting him directly. Pulling him aside and demanding answers. But Riven was loyal, sometimes to a fault, and
Kade’s POV The pack house felt heavier than usual as I made my way through the quieter corridors the next morning. The trials had paused for a brief rest day, giving wolves time to recover and elders time to deliberate on the standings. My body still ached from yesterday’s bouts, but the herbs Aria had given me continued to work their quiet magic, keeping the fog at bay and my thoughts sharper than they had been in weeks. Yet something else gnawed at me. Riven. The way he had looked when he walked into the dining hall last night, shock, then something darker flashing across his face before he shut it down. The stiffness in his bow. The way he had barely met my eyes on the trials ground afterward. He had been off ever since Aria returned, and it wasn’t just concern for the pack. There was something personal there. Something I couldn’t quite place. I had considered confronting him directly. Pulling him aside and demanding answers. But Riven was loyal, sometimes to a fault, and
Aria’s povI stood outside Kade’s study for what felt like an eternity, my hand hovering just inches from the heavy oak door.My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain anyone passing by could hear it. Behind me, Olive lingered near the corridor’s edge, wringing her hands, her face pal
Aria’s POVI woke up aching everywhere.Every muscle felt bruised, every joint stiff, like someone had taken a hammer to me while I slept. My head throbbed dully, and my throat was raw. But I was alive, that was all that mattered.Olive was sitting on the little stool beside me, folding a damp clot
Claire’s POVThe moment we stepped outside, I braced myself for whatever loomed ahead.I expected Kade to explode, to shout, to demand answers, to let his anger tear into me the way I knew it could. I was already forming apologies in my head, excuses and explanations tumbling over one another, desp
Aria’s POVThe moment our lips separated, the dungeon air rushed back in smelling of rust and stone and the faint metallic bite of blood long dried.Riven’s forehead stayed pressed to mine.His breathing was ragged, uneven, like he’d run miles instead of just leaned forward a few inches.The chain







