FAZER LOGINCiara’s POVI stared at the people on the floor and staggered backward, my mind still trying to process the sight of powerful men kneeling like criminals awaiting execution. My heel caught on the edge of the rug and I started to tip...Strong arms slid around my shoulders from behind, steadying me instantly. That familiar scent...pine, smoke, leather, and something darker and warmer wrapped around me.“Careful, little moon,” Dax murmured against my ear, voice low and rough. “Don’t hurt yourself. Or the pup.”My heart did that stupid little jump I hated so much, the one that made my stomach flip and my cheeks heat even though I knew better. I steadied myself and mumbled a quick “Thanks,” and stepped sideways just enough to put a sliver of space between us. Eyes were on me. Dozens of them and I could feel the weight.Dax didn’t let go completely. His hand stayed at the small of my back lightly and possessively, a silent claim that said she’s mine without him needing to speak a word bu
Ciara’s POVI stepped out of my room feeling strangely refreshed, like sleep had washed away the smell of fear that had clung to my skin for days, but I knew better than to trust peace in this house because in the Blackthorne empire calm was usually just the silence before something ugly happened.The meeting downstairs was scheduled in twenty minutes and I had decided to go early this time because I was tired of being the woman people whispered about like a disease. I was tired of hearing my name dragged through teeth that smiled at me during dinner and cursed me the second I turned my back. If I was going to survive here, I needed to stop hiding in rooms like prey and start walking these halls like I belonged.Ella appeared at my elbow like a shadow, eyes wide and worried.“Madam, master said you don’t have to come down early,” Ella said gently as she followed behind me, always two steps back like a well-trained shadow.I only nodded and kept walking.Not come down early… yeah right
Ciara’s POV“I’m waiting, Ciara.”Dax’s voice cut through the noise in my head and I blinked, forcing my expression to stay steady even though inside me thoughts were crashing into each other like drunk cars on a rainy highway. He stood there watching me with that terrifying calm he always wore when he was seconds away from doing something irreversible, his posture relaxed, hands behind his back like a king waiting for tribute while a woman’s life literally hung in the balance at his feet.I swallowed slowly and glanced down at Vivienne who was still on the marble, mascara streaked across her face like war paint gone wrong, her lips trembling, chest heaving, eyes darting between me and Dax like she was trying to guess which one of us would be her executioner.The deep, vicious, honest part of me wanted to walk over, press the barrel of a gun to her forehead, and pull the trigger. Because I knew. I fucking knew she’d helped Jasper. Maybe not with the poison itself, but she’d known. Sh
Ciara’s POV"GUARDS!"Dax’s voice cracked through the courtyard like a gunshot and the force behind it almost knocked the breath out of my lungs. The air itself seemed to vibrate as his Alpha aura rolled out in a violent wave, thick, suffocating and absolute. For a terrifying second I thought my knees would give out but somehow… somehow it felt like the pressure curved around me instead of crushing me but Vivienne was not so lucky.She's slammed face-first onto the stone floor with a choked scream, her hands clawing uselessly at the ground as if she could dig herself into safety. The servants around us dropped instantly to their knees, foreheads almost touching the tiles, bodies trembling like leaves. Even Jasper, who still had one arm loosely around my waist from helping me up, went rigid beside me. I felt his chest rise sharply as he fought to breathe under the weight of his father’s rage.That was the real power of the man they called the Blackthorne Alpha. One word from him an
Ciara’s POVI woke up with a loud yawn and the first thing that hit me was the rich scent of food. My eyes snapped open and I froze for a second, disoriented, before reality slowly settled back into place. Servants were already standing around the room like silent statues waiting for my first move. Some held trays covered with silver lids, steam curling lazily into the air. Others stood beside racks of clothes that looked too expensive to even touch. The curtains were half drawn, letting in soft morning light that painted everything gold and unreal.The moment I pushed myself up, they all bowed.“Good morning, Madam.”Their voices were calm, respectful and perfectly trained. It still felt strange hearing that word directed at me like I actually belonged in this world.Seeing them like this made something in me soften and I couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto my lips. I’d been receiving this kind of treatment since I got discharged two days ago and no matter how many times
Ciara’s POVI was wolfing down breakfast like I hadn’t eaten in weeks when Dax sat across from me quietly watching.“Do you want to tell me anything, Ciara?” he asked and I froze mid-bite.My stomach twisted instantly, not from the food this time but from the invisible knife always hovering over my throat. One wrong word. One careless truth that slipped and everything I was trying to protect could be wiped out before sunset.I swallowed slowly and forced a shy smile, lowering my gaze like a wife who had nothing to hide.“No… nothing,” I mumbled.Then I resumed eating like my life depended on it because it did, silence was safer than honesty and secrets were the only shield I had left.“Okay then,” he said calmly after a moment. “Once you’re done, prepare. We’re going home. We have a lot to do.”He stayed a few seconds longer, like he wanted to say more, like something was weighing on him too. Then he stood and walked out.The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I released a brea
Ciara’s POV “You are a fucking fool, Ciara! Why the fuck would you sacrifice your happiness for this twisted, greedy family?! You dumb or is your skull empty?!”Inara’s voice cracked as she paced behind me. I sat at the vanity, brushing my hair in slow, mechanical strokes, waiting for the Blackth
(This chapter and the next few Chapters will be smut, dear readers if you ain't comfortable, please skip. Also note that this isn't incest. T for Thanks. I appreciate your reading, please drop a review plsss, it will go a long way helping this newbie author)Ciara’s POV“Are you okay, little moon?”
Ciara’s pov.Breakfast was normal as usual but the food cooked today was making me puke but I was never trained to say no to what I was offered."Why the fuck are you twisting your face like that, huh?!" My mother in-law snapped all of a sudden and that caused me to jump in fear."Mom! Stop shoutin
Ciara’s POV “You’re pretty smart, solving this problem, dear wifey.”Jasper’s voice was warm, almost proud, as he leaned over my shoulder watching the screen. I tapped the final sequence of codes, quick, precise and the breach alert vanished from the dashboard. Clean, silent and gone.“It’s a min







