로그인Hazel POVThe garden was quiet when I stepped outside.It was early evening, and the sky had turned soft shades of gold and lavender. White and cream flowers lined the stone path, their petals catching the last of the sunlight. A simple wooden arch stood at the end of the aisle, wrapped in ivy and pale roses. There were no crystal chandeliers. No golden thrones. No hundreds of nobles watching with judgment in their eyes.Just a small gathering of the people who mattered.My mother stood beside me, holding my hand. She had helped me get ready in the small cottage at the edge of the estate. The dress I wore was simple — soft ivory silk that flowed gently over my body. No heavy train. No sparkling jewels. Just a delicate lace overlay and a crown of wildflowers in my hair. I had chosen it myself.“You look beautiful,” Mom whispered, her eyes shining. “Your father would have been so proud.”I squeezed her hand. “Thank you for being here. For everything.”Lucas stood a few feet away, holdi
Hazel POVThe Royal Palace felt different this time.It wasn’t the cold, intimidating fortress it had been during my first tense meeting with Lady Elara. Nor was it the chaotic stage of the canceled wedding. Tonight, the grand dining hall glowed with warm candlelight and soft golden chandeliers. Fresh flowers adorned the long table — white lilies and cream roses, chosen deliberately to honor the simplicity I preferred. The air smelled of roasted herbs, fresh bread, and something faintly sweet.This was not a council meeting. This was a family dinner.Kael was three months old now, sleeping peacefully in a bassinet beside me, wrapped in the soft yellow blanket my mother had finished knitting. He had grown so much — chubby cheeks, dark hair like his father’s, and eyes that were starting to shift toward a deep hazel. Every time he smiled at me, my heart felt too big for my chest.Asher stood beside me, his hand resting protectively on the small of my back. He wore a simple black suit, bu
Hazel POVThe Royal Palace had never felt more intimidating than it did on this particular afternoon.I stood outside the private sitting room where Lady Elara waited, my hand resting protectively on my very round belly. Eight and a half months pregnant now. The baby was active, kicking steadily as if sensing my nerves. My simple but elegant maternity dress — chosen carefully by Asher — felt both too plain and too formal at the same time. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.Asher stood beside me, his hand on the small of my back. He had offered to come with me, but I had gently refused.“I need to do this alone,” I told him the night before, resting my head on his chest while Kael slept peacefully in the bassinet beside us. “She needs to see me as I am. Not as your shadow.”Asher had kissed my forehead, his hand resting protectively on my belly. “You are stronger than you know. She will see that. But I will be right outside if you need me.”Now, as I stood outside the priv
Hazel POVKael was six weeks old when Asher began proving his love in ways that left me breathless.It started quietly one morning. I woke to the soft sound of our son’s breathing and the warmth of sunlight streaming through the curtains. Asher was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with Kael cradled against his bare chest. Our baby looked tiny in his father’s strong arms, but completely safe. Asher was humming softly — an old lullaby I didn’t recognize — while Kael slept peacefully.I watched them for a long moment, my heart swelling with a love so deep it almost hurt.When Asher noticed I was awake, he turned and gave me that rare, gentle smile he saved only for us. “Good morning, beautiful.”“You’re up early,” I whispered, sitting up slowly. My body was still healing, but the deep exhaustion of the first weeks had begun to ease.“I wanted to let you sleep,” he said, carefully placing Kael in the bassinet beside the bed. He leaned over and kissed my forehead, then my lips
Hazel POVThe Royal Palace felt like a different world the second time I walked through its halls.This time, I was not crashing a wedding. I was not the scandalous intruder in a cheap white dress. I was the woman Asher had chosen — the mother of his heir — and I was here by invitation.Lady Elara had requested a private audience. Just the two of us. Asher had offered to come with me, but I had gently refused.“I need to do this alone,” I told him the night before, resting my head on his chest while Kael slept peacefully in the bassinet beside us. “She needs to see me as I am. Not as your shadow.”Asher had kissed my forehead, his hand resting protectively on my belly. “You are stronger than you know. She will see that. But I will be right outside if you need me.”Now, as I stood outside the private sitting room, my heart hammered against my ribs. Eight and a half months pregnant. My belly was very round, my steps slower, my body heavy with the life I carried. I wore a simple but ele
Hazel POVThe Royal Palace’s Grand Hall had never felt so vast or so final.I sat in the front row of the assembled council, my hand resting protectively on my rounded belly. Kael was only three weeks old, but he was already the center of my world. He slept peacefully in the bassinet beside me, wrapped in the soft yellow blanket Mom had finished knitting. Asher stood at the center of the hall, tall and commanding in his formal black suit, his presence alone enough to silence the room.Today was the day Callie Voss would face justice.The hall was packed. Nobles, alphas, and high-ranking pack members filled every seat. Reporters lined the back walls, cameras flashing discreetly. The air was thick with anticipation. This was not just a trial. It was a public reckoning.Callie stood in the center of the floor, flanked by two guards. She looked like a ghost of the woman who had once walked down the cathedral aisle in diamonds and triumph. Her platinum hair was pulled back severely. Her de







