ANMELDENDEVONThe grandfather clock in the hallway chimed seven times.Precise.I liked precision. It was the only thing I could control in a world that insisted on resetting itself every time I was killed by the woman I loved.I stood by the head of the mahogany dining table, pouring a glass of dark red Cabernet. The liquid swirled against the crystal, blood-red and rich. I didn’t drink immediately. I just watched the double doors at the far end of the room.They opened.The air in the room shifted instantly. It wasn’t just a change in pressure; it was a shift in gravity.Irene stood in the doorway.I had ordered the dress myself, a calculated move. It was black, sleeveless, with a plunging neckline that stopped dangerously low, exposing the creamy skin of her chest. The fabric clung to her curves like a second skin, spilling down to the floor in a pool of midnight silk. Against the black, her red hair was a violent explosion of color, cascading over her shoulders like fire.She looked like
DEVONApple juice.It was crisp, sweet, and cold against the back of my throat. I took another sip, the condensation on the glass wetting my fingertips, and leaned back in the velvet armchair I’d pulled to the side of the bed.The room was silent, save for the rhythmic hum of the central air and the soft, uneven breathing of the woman in the bed.Irene.She was still asleep. The sedative pinch I’d given her back at the engagement party—was it only twelve hours ago?—had been precise. I didn’t use drugs. I didn’t use magic. Just anatomy. But the stress of the night, the emotional toll of seeing me, and the wolfsbane I had pumping into the air had kept her under longer than usual.I checked my watch. 10:03 AM.We were making good time. In the real timeline, I hadn't even known what she looked like, yet... I had caught a glimpse of her during an entreaty and had gotten immediately obsessed.Then, few days later, I heard she was getting engaged with Voltage which is why I started that war
DEVONI sat in the driver’s seat, the lights cut, parked on a ridge overlooking the Ironfang ceremonial grounds. The darkness inside the car was comforting. Below me, the engagement party was in full swing.Alpha Theo had chosen the West Field for the occasion. It was a sprawling expanse of manicured grass usually reserved for combat training, but tonight, it had been transformed into a grotesque display of wealth. Massive white marquees glowed with golden fairy lights, open-sided to let the night breeze through. Tables draped in white linen were arranged in a semi-circle around a raised dais. Servants moved like ants, carrying trays of roasted venison and sparkling wine.It was a waste of resources. It was a waste of time.But my eyes weren’t on the decor. They were locked on the woman sitting at the center of the high table.Irene.In this loop, she wore sage green. It fitted her perfectly, along with that red hair I had once fisted while we fucked against my office mahogany desk.
DEVONThe sound of Alpha Rowan cutting into his steak was enough to make me want to burn the building down. Scrape. Clink. Chew.I sat at the long mahogany table, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. I didn’t drink it. I just watched the light catch the alcohol, counting the seconds. In exactly three seconds, my father, Raymond, would clear his throat and offer Rowan more wine.One.Two.Three.“More vintage, Alpha Rowan?” Raymond asked, his voice eager, bordering on pathetic. “It’s from the southern vineyards. A spoil of war.”“Don’t mind if I do, Raymond,” Rowan chuckled, holding out his glass.I closed my eyes for a brief moment. I had lived this dinner before.In the real timeline, I flipped the table and killed Rowan before the appetizers arrived. I sat in silence until the dessert came, bored out of my mind. Then, I walked out before the main course, in a blood-stained shirt.But tonight was different. Tonight, the clock in my head was ticking louder than usual.Twe
DEVONI stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in my quarters, adjusting the collar of my black dress shirt. My movements were fluid, practiced over a thousand lifetimes. I looked younger, sure. The heavy scars of the Great War hadn't etched themselves into my skin yet, and the silver at my temples was gone. But the eyes—the eyes were the same. Cold. Ancient. Hungry."You’re staring again, sir," Zane said from the doorway. He was hovering, as always."I’m admiring the view, Zane," I replied, my voice like grinding stones. "It’s rare to see a dead man looking so fit."Zane laughed nervously, thinking I was making a joke about the Northern Front. He had no idea I was talking about the version of me I’d seen disemboweled in a timeline he would never remember. To him, I was the hero Beta who had just secured our borders. To me, I was a ghost that would die more than a dozen times, murdered by the love of his life."The Alpha is waiting downstairs. Dinner is served," Zane informed m
DEVONThe engine hummed. Rain lashed against the tinted windows of the SUV, that blurred the world outside into streaks of grey and green.I didn’t need to look out to know where the time loop had taken me. I didn’t need to check the date on the dashboard to know when we were. The universe, in its infinite sense of irony, had a twisted sense of humor.I was back."We are here, Beta," the driver announced, his voice trembling slightly.I didn't answer. I just stared out the window.We were parked on the outskirts of the Ironfang Pack’s cemetery. Rows of jagged headstones poked out of the earth. A small crowd had gathered under a cluster of black umbrellas near a fresh grave.My eyes locked onto her instantly.Irene.She stood at the front, the rain soaking into her black dress, plastering it to her skin. She wasn't holding an umbrella. She was holding a portrait.It was Baron.I felt a cold, sharp smirk threaten to pull at the corner of my mouth, but I held it back. I knew exactly whos
Irene's POVThe sun bled out behind the pines when I reached the clearing. Gideon was already there, arms crossed, jaw tight."He left at dawn," he said before I could speak. "Silverclaw delegation. Some border dispute up North. Won't be back for two days."Two days.My pulse kicked hard. "That's t
I paced the cramped living room of Brielle's house, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached. It had been a day since that disastrous announcement, and every second felt like a countdown to my breaking point. Gideon had promised to swing by with updates, and I needed them now. Anything to fuel
When I got back, my hand was shivering as they hovered over the door to knock. I take a deep breath and knocked.He opened the door himself, shirt sleeves rolled up, looking effortlessly handsome. Sick bastard. “Irene. Come in.”I brushed past. “Make it quick.”He guided me to a table, food laid ou
Dawn came too soon. I dressed plainly, in a new mini dress I had gotten during the week, clevage out in the open, a small scale wounded around my neck to hide the fading marks, and headed to the Pack house. Guards nodded me through—Silvercrest ones, of course.The penthouse was guarded. Father had







