LOGINKaelen’s POVI had spent months convinced that true power was something you fought for with broadswords and royal decrees, until I woke up at seven in the morning and realized an eighteen-year-old girl had just controlled my brain with four quiet words.I sat up in my wide bed, staring blankly at the sunlight streaming through the balcony curtains. For the first time in nearly three months, I had actually slept four straight, uninterrupted hours. There was no feverish pacing, no violent headache, and my hands weren't shaking against the sheets. Through the locked wire behind my left ear, the bond was humming with a gentle, steady, and bizarrely calm thrum coming directly from her wing.My inner wolf was sitting unusually quiet in my chest, content, practically stretching his paws out in the sun inside my mind.I dropped my face straight into my palms, letting out a breathless, disbelieving laugh into the empty room.It hit me with the force of an iron sledgehammer. Her telling me to g
Elara’s POVAuditing royal financial ledgers is normally a tedious nightmare, but when you realize you can use basic pack law to terrorize the Head Steward over silk curtains, it suddenly becomes the highlight of my week.I dragged Rhea and Wren through the gilded arches of the main reception hall, my silver-trimmed charcoal coat brushing against the as the Head Steward shuffled beside us, sweating through his fine wool tunic. I held a thick parchment register in one hand, pointing a finger directly at an obscene entry under the court's decorative budget."Five hundred pieces, Steward," I said flatly, my voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "Explain to me why the High Court approved five hundred pieces for imported gold leafing on the Alpha King's private reception chairs.""My Lady, the traditional protocol for the solstice reception dictates—" the Steward squeaked, his hands trembling as he wrung his sleeves."Traditional protocol is a polite word for embezzlement," I interrupted
Kaelen’s POVI used to think that running a kingdom required brilliant military strategy, but lately, it felt more like trying to maintain my dignity while my soul was tethered to a woman who treated my entire heart like a chew toy for her dog.I was sitting at the head of the war table, staring blankly at a detailed map of the eastern border patrols, while three senior commanders argued about supply routes. I wasn't hearing a single word about forage rations or horse numbers. Behind my left ear, the locked mate bond was humming with a bright, absurdly relaxed wave of Elara’s unbothered satisfaction. She was down in her wing, casually drinking spiced tea and enjoying the quiet after single-handedly dismantling my High Court's corruption in under five minutes.Idris stopped mid-sentence while explaining the vanguard rotation. He set his charcoal marker down, crossed his arms over his tunic, and cleared his throat so loudly that the two eastern commanders flinched in their seats."Your
Elara’s POVIf I had known that executing traitors would require sitting through four solid hours of formal heraldry announcements, I might have just let Maverick chew up the High Court charters three days ago.Sitting at the head bench in a silver-trimmed charcoal coat, I rested my chin casually against my palm while the court herald droned on about land surveys. Beside the royal throne, Kaelen stood in his full black dress uniform, looking like an iron statue, but through the locked wire behind my ear, his wolf was practically thrashing around in bored frustration.I didn't waste another second. I picked up the brass gavel and slammed it flat against the wooden block, shattering the herald's monotonous monologue into a dead silence."That's enough," I said, my voice cutting through the grand chamber like a razor.The Royal Quartermaster, Lord Vane, was standing in the center of the floor, his fat hands bound in iron shackles, his face blotchy and pale. He opened his mouth, preparing
Kaelen’s POVI caught Lyra shrinking back into the shadows of the garden arcades, her face twisted in that ugly, toxic envy. She was staring at Elara like she still had a single shred of leverage left in this court.I didn't hesitate. I didn't care that we were standing in the open courtyard."You two," I barked, pointing a gloved finger at two elite enforcers standing near the fountain. "Place Lady Lyra under double surveillance immediately. Escort her straight to her quarters. If she so much as steps onto a garden path without a formal escort, throw her into the lower cells.""Yes, Your Majesty!" The guards echoed, marching toward the shrubs as Lyra went dead pale, violently scrambling backward before being cut off by their broadswords.I turned back around, taking a step toward Elara as she dismounted her grey stallion. My chest was still thrumming with the high-voltage adrenaline of the ride, my wolf desperate to walk beside her down the eastern gallery, to keep her in my line of
Elara’s POVThe tavern’s upstairs quarters were small, drafty, and smelled strongly of aged pine and damp wool.Because the entire lower floor was packed with recovering villagers and vanguard enforcers, there was exactly one private bedroom left for the royal party. Kaelen had immediately pulled his Alpha rank, shutting down any argument from Wren before taking full control of the room's arrangement. He stubbornly insisted that I take the soft, wide feather bed near the hearth while he dragged a narrow, ridiculously short wooden bench right in front of the locked door."I'm sleeping right here," Kaelen had declared flatly, trying to sound like a stoic, noble guardian who was selflessly keeping watch over my safety.The heroic facade lasted about four minutes.What the Alpha King hadn't factored into his grand plan was Maverick. The giant, fluffy Caucasian Shepherd pup had somehow managed to sneak into Wren’s rear saddlebags before we left the capital, and he was currently operating a
POV: ElaraA sudden, violent gasp tore through my throat.My chest forcefully expanded, drawing in a massive, burning lungful of air that tasted shockingly sweet, entirely clear of mold and the suffocating stench of copper and rot.I bolted upright, my heart hammering against my ribs as I threw my
POV: ElaraThe rattle of heavy iron chains against the damp stone floor was the only sound left to mark the passing of time.I coughed, a violent, hacking spasm that tore through my chest and left the metallic taste of blood pooling in the back of my throat. My cheek remained pressed flat against t
POV: ElaraThe doors of the ceremonial hall slammed shut behind me, muting the eruption of shouting voices and shattering glass.I marched down the stone steps, the layers of my gown brushing against the gravel as I crossed the dark courtyard. The royal enforcers stationed at the gates stared at me
POV: ElaraThe grand courtyard of the Voss pack estate was completely transformed for the evening. Red banners bearing our pack symbol hung from the stone arches, and torches lined the long driveway, casting a flickering, dramatic orange glow over the gathering crowds.Because we were hosting the n







