Se connecter"Do not lower your chin, Ren," Lyall whispered. He squeezed my hand tightly under the heavy velvet tablecloth. His deep voice barely pierced the deafening roar of the Grand Hall.I tightened my fingers around his massive hand. I kept my head held high. I refused to let the empire see my fear.The Welcome Banquet was a suffocating sea of silk and solid gold. Thousands of Lycan nobles packed the massive room. They drank dark wine from heavy crystal glasses. They laughed loudly. They tore into roasted meats with sharp teeth. But their eyes constantly darted toward the high table. They stared directly at me. Their gazes burned with open, violent hostility. They whispered vicious insults behind their hands. They wanted me to break. They wanted me to run away.I sat right beside the King. I wore the heavy silver wolf crest over my heart. The cold metal rested firmly against my skin. It was my only shield against the venom filling the room.Lyall rubbed his thumb gently over my knuckles. His
The royal kitchens felt exactly like the belly of a furnace.Flames roared from massive stone hearths. Thick white steam hissed from boiling iron pots. Dozens of frantic cooks screamed orders over the deafening clatter of chopping knives and slamming oven doors.Sweat stung my eyes. I wiped my forehead with the back of my wrist. My hands were raw and covered in painful, weeping blisters from two weeks of brutal labor.I did not care. I survived the burning of the Silver River pack. I survived ten agonizing days in a rattling carriage with Ren’s dagger practically pressed against my spine. A little heat and a few blisters were not going to stop me."I need three girls for the high table!" the Head Butler roared. He slammed a thick wooden cane against a chopping block. "The King's wine needs to be served right now! Move!"A tall, pretty maid next to me immediately rushed forward. She reached for the polished silver serving tray.I sharply kicked my heel out.The maid's heavy leather boo
I stood at the massive glass window of the royal guest chamber. I looked down at the sprawling courtyard of the Goldcrest Kingdom.Thousands of Lycan soldiers marched in perfect formation below. Heavy iron carriages carrying the empire’s wealthiest nobles rolled through the massive gates.I smiled. I adjusted the stiff gold collar of my dark Alpha regalia. I grabbed the highest-ranking medals of the royal court and pinned them sharply to my broad chest.My plan worked flawlessly.I burned the Silver River pack to the ground. I vanished into the dark woods. I tracked Princess Eliana during her royal hunt. I staged a perfect, heroic rescue. Ten days later I walked right up the sweeping white jade steps of the most impenetrable fortress in the world.
Lyall's POVI stood in the doorway. The heavy wood of the oak doors splintered against the stone walls.My golden eyes scanned the bedroom. The scent of bitter soap and fresh blood hit my nose. Freezing water covered the marble floor.I saw my mate. He stood shivering in the center of the room. He was shoved into heavy crimson silk. His wet hair clung to his forehead. A harsh red handprint marked his pale cheek.Five women in gray uniforms surrounded him. The Head Maid stood right next to him. Her hand was raised to strike him again.My wolf violently slammed against my ribs. Pure blinding rage flooded my veins.I stepped fully into the room. A deep monstrous rumble tore from my throat. The floorboards actually shook under my heavy boots.The five servants froze completely. The color drained entirely from their faces. Their eyes went wide with pure terror."Get your hands off my mate," I commanded. My voice was a dark lethal weapon.The Head Maid snatched her hand back. She dropped to
I paced the massive marble floor. My bare feet slapped the cold stone. One step. Two steps. Turn around. Repeat.Deep shadows swallowed the corners of the royal bedchamber. The sun had dipped completely below the horizon. Outside the tall glass windows, heavy carriages rolled steadily over the courtyard cobblestones. The clanking of armor and the loud booming voices of noblemen echoed through the thick glass.The Welcome Banquet was starting. The entire empire was gathering right below my feet. My stomach twisted into tight painful knots. I rubbed my sweaty palms against my thighs. Where was Lyall? He promised he would return quickly.The heavy oak doors suddenly swung open.I spun around. I took a quick hopeful step forward."Lyall?" I called out.Five unfamiliar women marched inside. They wore crisp identical gray uniforms. They carried heavy wooden buckets, thick velvet garment bags, and stiff iron brushes.I stopped instantly. My muscles tensed. I lowered my center of gravity. I
The Queen Mother finally stopped pacing. She stood towering over my kneeling figure, her shadow completely engulfing me in the dim light of the fire.The silence stretched until my lungs burned. Then, a cold, ruthless smirk pulled at the corner of her lips."You are a very ambitious little rat," she murmured, her voice dripping with equal parts disgust and dark approval. "To walk into the lion's den with such a treacherous proposition... it shows you have teeth. But remember this: you are nothing but a vessel. A temporary, invisible womb. If you ever dare to bare those teeth at me, I will have them pulled from your skull.""I am entirely yours to command, Your Grace," I whispered, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the floorboards.She turned away and walked gracefully toward her massive, claw-footed mahogany desk. She reached beneath her heavy velvet robe and produced a small, ornate silver key from a chain around her neck. She slid it into a concealed lock hidden beneath the desk drawe
Hearing my name on that man’s lips, spoken with such vile intent, made my skin crawl. It was a desecration. I’d always been too fair, too slender for a pack wolf. My features were too fine, my lips too full, my hair a dark, unruly cascade that fell into my eyes. They whispered I looked more like a
Mate! Mine! Fenris was still howling in my head, desperate to break free and finally reach the mate he’d waited so long to see. But it was impossible. Kane shoved me away like I was something contaminated, and my body slammed into the marble floor once again. A sharp crack echoed through the room
"Omega, come here." The command was soft, but it carried the weight of a mountain. The air pressure in the room shifted. I didn't respond immediately; I desperately wanted to run away, to flee this room and this humiliation.On the bed, Vera pouted. She cupped her breasts, leaning down to try and
"You filthy Omega! An Alpha is not for you to crave!"The crack of Vera’s hand against my cheek echoed through the hallway like a gunshot. The force of it knocked me off my feet, and I hit the marble floor hard, pain shooting through my shoulder and hip.I lay there for a moment, dazed, the coppery







