LOGINKade’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 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
Aria’s POVMorning light filtered through the grimy windows, turning the dust motes into dancing stars.I woke to the sound of Olive knocking frantically on my door.“Luna! Luna, are you alright?”I sat up quickly, disoriented. The wardrobe I’d shoved against the door last night loomed like a silen
Aria’s POVNight fell over the Cold Palace like a heavy curtain.I stood at my bedchamber window, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear beyond the tree line. The temperature had dropped sharply, and despite the fire crackling in the hearth, cold seeped through the old stone walls.Olive had
Kade’s POVI stood in the living room, watching through the tall windows as the carriage rolled away down the long drive, disappearing into the tree line.Good riddance.Aria was finally tucked away in the Cold Palace, out of sight, out of mind. As good as gone.It wasn’t the clean break I’d wanted
Aria’s POVThe next morning came too quickly.I woke to the sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor outside my small room, voices raised in hushed instruction, the scraping of furniture being moved.For a disorienting moment, I thought I was back in the main house, waking to the chaos of servant







