LOGINBOOM. BOOM."Who the fuck hits a pack gate at this hour?" Hollis growls, checking the heavy iron bolt on the door before looking at the wall clock.He grabs a long broadsword from the wall mount, flicking on the wall lanterns while I step back toward the shadow of the archway, my pulse hammering against my throat. No good news ever arrives before dawn in the lowlands.Hollis wrenches the heavy timber door open, his blade raised—and we both freeze as the massive, towering silhouette of an Alpha fills the entire doorway.The cold night fog swirls around his broad shoulders, casting dark shadows over his carved jaw line. His chest is heaving, his dark travel cloak caked in fresh mud and road dust. It takes my brain three full seconds to register the golden glow burning in his eyes."Everett!" I gasp, my voice choking in my throat."Brielle," High Alpha Everett Hawthorne rumbles, pushing past Hollis into our hall without waiting for an invitation, his golden eyes locking onto mine with ab
Brielle Whitmore POVMy wolf is practically purring beneath my ribs, so completely lulled by the familiar scent of damp pine, woodsmoke, and wet earth.Everyone at Whitmore Hill House was ridiculously overjoyed when Hollis and I pulled up in the war-carriage yesterday. That’s the thing about growing up in a pack house full of rowdy, thick-headed males: they flash their fangs fast, they throw punches faster, but they forgive and forget almost instantly. They questioned my sudden, unannounced return from the Crownstone District for all of five minutes, fussing over me like I was a high-born guest for the first night, before dragging me right back into our chaotic daily pack rhythm.Hollis and I handle the cooking, while the Whitmore brothers scrape the pots and violently wrestle over who gets the last hunk of venison.I cast a glance around our small, rustic timber kitchen and let out a soft, aching sigh. It is cozy, ringing with memories of Elise Whitmore and Warren Whitmore, but it is
I step forward, closing the distance in two broad strides and sweeping my arms around her small frame, pulling her tightly against my chest. "I know, my sweet wolf, I know. But I need time to clear the corruption from this territory, and you need a safe sanctuary to grow into the powerful female you were born to be.""You're discarding me!" she screams suddenly, her small hands forming tight fists and slamming directly into my chest with all the frantic, raw strength of a distraught young wolf. "Daddy, no! You promised you would never send me away! You're abandoning me just like Mom did!"Her tears break into full-blown, violent sobs. She writhes in my grip, her small fists pounding against the heavy leather of my tunic over and over again, her short nails clawing at my chest."I am so sorry, Mags," I whisper into her silver hair, my own eyes burning with hot, unshed tears. "I am so, so sorry—""No, you're not! You monster! You cold, ruthless bastard!"The venom in her young voice is
Everett Hawthorne POVThe communication stone on my mahogany desk flared three separate times before dying out into a dark, cold grey."She cut the link," I growl, my claws extending enough to gouge deep, bloody grooves into the polished wood of my desk.I slam my calloused fist onto the surface, sending a crack radiating through the timber. She made it brutally clear that she wants nothing to do with me, my bloodline, or my territory ever again. The sweet, addictive scent of pine and wild honeysuckle that usually lingers around my quarters is already fading, replaced by the bitter tang of betrayal.Yet, when I step into the Grand Foyer of the Hawthorne Grand Hotel the following morning, my wolf refuses to accept the cold reality. He paces behind my ribs, snapping his fangs, searching every corner for her presence.I stand near the entrance for hours, ignoring the whispers of low-ranking pack members and high-born elders as they pass. No Brielle Whitmore."Looking for the ghost of you
Everett Hawthorne POVThe sight of Brielle Whitmore standing in the doorway of my residence with pure, crushing betrayal bleeding from her dark eyes tore a hole straight through my chest."I swear on my bloodline, Brielle, I never touched her!" I roar, taking three furious steps toward the open threshold, my golden wolf-eyes flashing with desperate, terrifying heat.Brielle does not say a single word.She turns on her heel and bolts down the torchlit stone corridor, her boots pounding against the floorboards as she flees the Hawthorne Crown Residence. The scent of her raw, agonizing heartbreak lingers in the air, sweet pine and wild honeysuckle twisted into something sour and suffocating.I reach the private Alpha lift just as the heavy bronze doors seal shut, locking her face away from me behind solid metal."High Alpha!" Alton Mercer shouts, rushing up the stairwell with his broadsword drawn, three elite Hawthorne guards trailing right at his heels. "We heard shouting from the upper
"Argh!" I jerked my head back in absolute disgust, spitting onto the stone floor.She tasted of bitter herbs and cheap cherry liquor. It was repulsive. My wolf recoiled inside me, demanding Brielle’s sweet scent of wild honeysuckle and pine. I wanted nothing to do with this treacherous snake.Then, a subtle shift in the air made my heart freeze.The heavy iron door of the residence was standing half-open. Standing on the threshold, frozen in absolute shock, was Brielle Whitmore."Everett?" Brielle whimpered, her voice trembling so hard it barely carried across the room. "Veda?"She stood there holding a leather folder of pack logs, her dark eyes wide and fixed on the two of us—on Veda pinned against the wall beneath me, her dress open to her waist, and my face inches from hers.I instantly released my grip on Veda’s throat. The border female slid down the stone wall to her knees, clutching her neck while a wicked, triumphant grin spread across her mouth."Brielle," I gasped, stepping
"Put down the cup, Nia," Kairo said.His deep voice vibrated straight through my bones. My whole body jumped, and my heart went fast, hitting hard against my ribs. I turned around quick, my bare legs shaking in my short pink dress.Kairo Adeyemi stood right there in the middle of the crowded party.
"This is Omari's sister," Kairo introduced his date. Short and to the point. He never wasted energy on excess words, did he."Oh my gosh," the woman's squeal startled me. "Callum Hayes! I am such a fan." Her voice was high-pitched, and she beamed like a hundred-watt light bulb. She turned her gaze
"You look beautiful, Nia," Callum said.His eyes burned as his hands wrapped around my waist. I wore a sleeveless, V-neck red dress that fell down my body, softly hugging my curves. It revealed more skin than I was used to, but it fit this type of elite gathering hall. My hair was up in a fashionab
I opened my eyes and saw Kairo watching me. He was sitting at my small desk, his huge body looking way too big for the wooden chair. He had his pants on, but his bare chest was on full display. I could not believe last night. I had liked him since my first year at Moonridge Academy, and I never tho







