LOGINEven with Willow by her side, Elara still felt stressed out just thinking about the fact that the welcome ball will be held in the Blood Court, under the mountain. Of all places... Why here? Amongst people who didn't really like her guts.The air was crisp and cool as Elara and Willow strolled through the grand, winding hallways of the Blood Court. Deep beneath the mountain, the ancient stone walls were lit by the warm, amber glow of iron torches, casting long shadows across the polished floors. It was a massive, imposing fortress designed to project absolute power...and right now, it was buzzing with the chaotic energy of the pre-party preparations.Elara looked up at the jagged vaulted ceilings, a small, knowing smirk touching her lips. "I still find it hilarious that the visiting Alphas think this gloomy and intimidating place is the entire heart of our pack. They genuinely believe the Bloodclaw pack just sits around in a dark mountain sharpening axes, gettingready to kill our e
Elara woke up before the sun was fully over the treeline, but for the first time in weeks, the heavy exhaustion was completely gone. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head, and blinked in surprise. The dull, constant ache in her lower back had vanished. Instead, a vibrant, humming warmth spread from the center of her chest down to her abdomen.She placed a hand over her stomach, a soft smile spreading across her face. The pup was quiet, but she could feel it a distinct, low current of pure Alpha power radiating directly from her child and channeling straight into her veins. It didn't feel heavy or domineering like Riven’s aura; it felt like a reservoir of clean, untamed strength.By mid-morning, Elara was a blur of energy around the house. She swept through the main rooms, dusting shelves and organizing the kitchen pantry. She spent an hour preparing a massive spread of food for the guards on duty, her body moving with a lightness she hadn't felt since before the pregnancy.
A sharp, tight ache in her lower back pulled Elara out of a deep sleep. She shifted, groaning softly as she tried to find a comfortable spot on the pillows, but the dull ache suddenly sharpened, wrapping around her abdomen like it was squeezing her stomach walls. Fuck... she was having contractions...Her breath caught in her throat. She gripped the edge of the mattress, her body stiffening as the muscle held her tight for several long, grueling seconds before finally letting go.Beside her, the mattress shifted instantly. Riven was awake before she could even draw a full breath, sitting up and pulling the blanket away to look at her."Elara?" his deep voice was rough with sleep, but his eyes were completely sharp. "What is it? Is it the baby?""Contractions... I'm having contractions," she panted, rubbing her palm against the side of her stomach. The skin there felt tight, hard as a rock. "Just a bad one. It’s passing... don't worry"Just as she was speaking, the walls of her
Zara’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
Power crackled from Elara like wildfire, her hair was blazing bright, her eyes were glowing silver-blue. The marble beneath her feet began to crack and splinter in the shape of a web around her feet. The light coming from her coiled tighter around Liliana, lifting her slightly off the floor like a
The whole pack remained frozen, their breath held in reverence, or was it fear, as Elara’s glowing hair crackled in the gloom, throwing strange silver light across the obsidian floor. No one spoke. No one dared. Not after the display they had just witnessed.Riven’s thumb swept once across her thig
Elara looked from above, on the throne, down to the bowing heads of the people and focused on looking around the large space, trying not to gape at how devastatingly beautiful the Blood court was. The second pack Alpha Riven ruled was beautiful!!! She had thought it was just a small community of o
The entrance to the Blood Court loomed ahead...a massive stone arch carved into the mountain itself, guarded by two armored wolves who stood straighter the moment they caught sight of Riven.They didn’t speak, but the deep bow that they gave was enough words for Elara.Then, they just stepped aside







