ANMELDENZARIA'S POV From my spot on the dark balcony, I had a perfect view of the courtyard. The heavy iron doors directly beneath me groaned open, and Cassian walked out into the flickering orange light of the bonfires.He went out completely alone. No guards. He didn’t need them.The second his boots hit the snow, the whole mood in the courtyard shifted. His energy rolled across the stone pavilion like a heavy, invisible wave. I could see the Bloodmoon horses immediately panicking, their riders struggling to keep them steady. Even the tough warriors at the front of Garrick’s line took a step back, their faces turning pale under their helmets. The sheer force of his presence seemed to push against the cold night air, making the entire space feel tight and dangerous.Garrick sat on his horse, his eyes locking onto Cassian. The difference between the two men was crazy. Cassian looked like a mountain, solid and entirely untouched by the cold or the tension. Garrick looked like a ghost. He got
ZARIA'S POV The messenger’s words felt like a physical blow to the room. The sudden silence in the art gallery vanished, replaced by an instant wave of high-alert panic. The guards by the doors didn't even wait for a command; their hands dropped straight to the hilts of their swords.Cassian stood perfectly still for a second, his dark hair falling into his face. I could feel the exact moment his energy shifted from a protective mate back to a ruthless king. The fur on his jaw disappeared completely, and his long claws slid back under his skin, but his expression stayed cold.He turned to his lead commander, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet rumble that made everyone freeze. "Lock down the entire inner perimeter right now," he ordered. "I want the archers on the walls. I want them armed and ready to fire on my mark."The commander nodded quickly, his heavy armor rattling as he listened."And do not let Garrick or his men set a single foot inside my private palace," Cassian a
ZARIA'S POV The air behind me turned freezing cold. My human survival instincts, the ones that had kept me alive through years of torment, screamed at me to move, but my body couldn't react fast enough. I could feel the sharp, phantom bite of a blade inches from my shoulder blades. The ceiling assassin had caught me completely off guard, dropping from the darkness of the rafters like a spider. I braced myself for the pain, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my dagger as I tried to twist my body around to at least take a piece of him with me.Before the cold metal could pierce my skin, a sound tore through the gallery that shook the very foundation of the palace.It wasn't a human scream, and it wasn't a normal wolf's howl. It was a deafening, primal roar of pure, unadulterated fury that vibrated right through the stone floorboards and shattered the glass panes of the nearest arched window. The heavy oak doors of the art gallery flew off their hinges, splintering into pieces aga
ZARIA'S POVThe entire banquet hall went dead silent in a fraction of a second. The booming laughter, the clinking of heavy silver glasses, and the loud music from the musicians all vanished in an instant, replaced by a heavy, suffocating quiet that made my ears ring.Cassian’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He didn't even look at the shattered crystal on the table, the sharp fragments scattered over the food, or the water soaking quickly into the polished wood—his sharp gaze tracked my eyes straight down to the terrified servant’s hands. The man was still holding the gold pitcher, but his fingers were shaking so violently now that the metal rattled loudly against his rings. The pale powder caked between his knuckles was completely exposed for everyone at the head table to see.The spy realized he was caught. He dropped the pitcher, the heavy gold clattering loudly against the table and spilling dark wine over the linen cloth, and turned on his heel to run toward the back exits.
ZARIA'S POV The grand banquet hall was absolutely beautiful. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from the high, vaulted ceiling, throwing a warm, brilliant light over hundreds of high-ranking wolves and visiting Alphas from the East. The long tables stretching across the room were packed to the brim with massive silver platters of roasted meat, fresh winter fruits, and heavy chalices filled with dark wine. The entire room was a loud, chaotic mix of booming laughter, deep voices, and the heavy, overlapping scents of a dozen different powerful packs. It was an overwhelming display of wealth and power, designed to show the rest of the continent exactly what the northern kingdom was capable of.But the exact second Cassian led me through the massive double doors and toward the head table, a sudden, heavy silence fell over the entire room.The change from a deafening roar to absolute quiet was jarring, making my ears ring. Thousands of eyes shifted instantly, tracking every single step I took a
ZARIA'S POVThe palace was completely loud. Even all the way up in my bedroom, tucked away in the residential wing of the estate, I could feel the low, steady thrum of the music vibrating through the heavy stone floorboards. The air outside my windows was thick with the rich, mouth-watering smells of roasted meat, heavy winter spices, and burning pine wood drifting up from the massive kitchen hearths in the courtyards below. The grand banquet for the Eastern Alliance was finally here, and the entire palace had spent the last twenty-four hours turning into a chaotic mess of frantic preparation.Inside my room, Camilla was practically running in circles around me. She had been twisting, pinning, and re-pinning my hair for the last forty-five minutes, her brow furrowed in absolute concentration. She was completely determined to make it look perfect, wanting it to match the magnificent midnight-blue silk dress Cassian had given me."Seriously, stop moving your head," Camilla mumbled aroun
ZARIA'S POV The rough, familiar hands of the pack warriors clamped down on my shoulders, ripping me backward off the cold stone altar. "Get your hands off me!" I choked out."Stop it! Let her go!" a frantic voice screamed from the side of the altar.I forced my head up and saw Maya rushing forwar
ZARIA'S POV The thunderous cheers of the pack hammered against my skull, each roar feeling like a physical blow to my chest. I leaned heavily against the open double doors, my hands gripping the carved wood just to stay upright. My vision was still terribly blurred from the poisoned tea, warping t
ZARIA'S POVThe suffocating silence of the corridor shattered as a pair of sharp, hurried footsteps came clicking around the far corner."Zaria? Oh my God, there you are!" Maya’s voice boomed down the hallway, laced with frantic energy. "What is taking you so—"Behind the heavy velvet curtains, a s
ZARIA'S POV"Oh my God, you look so perfect. You are just the right choice for Alpha Garrick, Zaria."Those were the sweet, supportive words my elder sister, Cynthia, whispered as she lovingly braided my hair and laced me into my white maiden silks. I trusted her completely, believing today would b







