MasukZara’s face went completely pale, her grip on the towel tightening so hard her knuckles turned white. She took a step toward him, her eyes wide with shock. "What exactly do you mean by that? Did you sleep with Elara while she was trapped in your territory when you kidnapped her?"Lucan stiffened, the confident smirk instantly vanishing from his face. "Zara, no...it’s not...that's not what happened. I just mean the timing of the pregnancy is...""You just mean what, Lucan?" Zara demanded, her voice cracking as she stared at him. "Did you touch her? Do you love her?""I didn't...I mean, she was here, and I thought..." Lucan stammered, his tongue suddenly feeling too thick for his mouth as he scrambled for an explanation. "It’s a tactical lie, Zara. The bond between them is...""Oh, please!" Morgana cut in, her voice slicing through Lucan's stuttering like a blade. She stepped forward, looking at Zara with a vicious, satisfied grin. "Don't let him lie to your face. He didn't touch he
Back at the NightLight Pack, everything seemed...normal.The bathroom door was cracked open, letting out a steady stream of warm steam. Lucan stood in the hallway, his shoulder pressed against the wall, staring at the frosted glass. Inside, the blurred shape of Zara was moving under the running water. The scent of her body and the herbal soap filled the small space. His heart beat fast, his mind completely focused on the heavy pull of the mate bond.He was so buried in his own head that the rest of the house didn't exist.A hand slapped hard against his shoulder but Lucan didn't even feel it enough to move.The hand struck him again, followed by a sharp jab to his back."Lucan!"Morgana’s voice broke the trance. Lucan jumped, spinning around as his instincts flared. His boots scraped loudly against the hardwood floor as he backed up, his chest heaving as he stared at her.Morgana stood there with her arms crossed, a look of pure disgust on her face."Are you finished?" she ask
Riven laid her back onto the large mattress, ignoring every question she brought up about the whispers between him and Dorian. Before he could even pull his arms out from under her, Elara’s palms were flat against his chest, digging into his shirt."Riven, I’m serious," she said, her voice dropping into that quiet, stubborn register he knew too well. "Your hand was right on the western line of that map. Are you crossing into NightLight territory are you planningto invade them? Is it worth it?"Riven stayed braced over her, not moving, like a solid wall of heat and muscle, his shadow completely blocking out the bright moon light filtering through the bedroom curtains. "Elara. Let it go.""I’m not letting it go. It’s my family's blood in that dirt," she said, her voice cracking slightly with an frustration that had been brewing all afternoon. She tried to shift her hips, to wedge enough space between them to sit up, but he was too heavy, too intentionally there. "If Lucan is coming
While Riven’s face was hard with thoughts running through his head, Elara bowed her head and focused on breathing in deeply...fucking hell...goddess knows she was too pregnant to be dealing with things like this... Elara’s mother finally heaved a heavy sigh, packed her herbs into the leather bag she had brought in and stood on her feet, stretching. "Alright, you two. I’m heading back home to prepare more potions and tonics for you... your pregnancy is advancing very quickly... i need to get you and your body more prepared for the deliveryof the pup... it will notbe as easy as the gestation pero... trust me...Take care of her, Riven."She looked over at Willow, who was still slumped on the sofa, aggressively chewing her nails, anger still evident on her face from what her mother had just explained and revealed..."Come on, Willow," Selena said, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "Let's leave the couple in peace."Willow groaned loudly, rolling her head back. "Can I stay here inst
The afternoon sun filtered softly through the heavy curtains of the mountain house, casting long, warm lines of light across the floor. Elara sat on the plush sofa, her hands resting naturally over the noticeable swell of her stomach.The door to the sitting room clicked open, and Selena walked in. She carried a familiar leather medical bag, her face softening the moment she saw Elara."Look at you," Selena said gently, setting her bag on the side table. "Every time I visit, it feels like you've grown an inch overnight.""It feels that way too, Mother," Elara said, offering a small, tired smile as Selena knelt on the floor beside the sofa. "Riven is nearly losing his mind. I think he checks my pulse every twenty minutes while I'm sleeping.""I check it every twenty minutes because you're important to me, Elara... I check it because you’re carrying my entire world," Riven's deep, gravelly voice cut in from the next room.Riven stepped into the room from the adjoining study. His m
Lucan stared at Zara for a long moment, his face completely unreadable. He looked past her, catching the eye of the lead enforcer waiting by the double doors."Take them to the cells," Lucan commanded. "Keep them separated until I decide our next move."Zara’s eyes widened, her sarcastic attitude vanishing instantly. "The cells? Are you out of your mind, Lucan? We just handed you the exact key to destroying Riven, and you're throwing us in a dungeon?""You are prisoners," Morgana said, leaning back in her chair with a sharp smile. "You're traitors who fled your own pack. You don't get to walk into our territory and dictate terms.""We gave you a weapon!" Theron growled. He stepped in front of his daughter as the guards advanced, his chest heaving. "Without our information, you'd be sitting here waiting for your own wolves to cut your throat. We deserve asylum, not chains.""You'll get a cell until I verify your story," Lucan said, his voice flat. "Move them."The guards lunged
When Elara blinked her eyes open, the spinning parlor was gone, replaced by the familiar dark wood ceiling of their bedroom at the mountain house.Sitting right at the edge of the mattress was Riven. He wasn't asleep. He was sitting completely rigid, his golden eyes staring down at her with an in
The heavy oak door swung open, and Riven walked into the parlor, bringing the scent of cedar and dark shadows with him. Dorian was right behind him.The second the door cleared, Willow abandoned the table and practically threw herself into Dorian's arms. The stoic beta caught her effortlessly, bu
From her vantage point by the ancient stone altar, Elara kept her eyes locked on the crowd. She had been tracking the familiar flash of her sister’s dark hair as Willow practically batted her way through the celebrating wolves. When Willow had suddenly stopped, her shoulders dropping in a moment
Death had never felt more fucking welcome than on Elara's own birthday. The entire pack was outside, waiting to celebrate her life, but inside, her own mate was slowly killing her, burying her alive with his words that cut deeper than any sword or teeth. "... Elara… Can you hear me? This damn b







