登入Krista*It was surreal to stand in his room, holding undeniable evidence that Elder Miriam had betrayed her own pack and her own Alpha. This was the woman who had cared for him when he was at his weakest, who had helped manage the consequences of the bond breaking, and who had served Red Moon long enough to be trusted with the most private details of the Alpha's family. I had never thought of her as someone who might deliberately conspire against us. Even now, some stubborn part of me wanted to believe there was an explanation that would make the words on the page less damning.But there was no reasonable way to explain away what I had just read.Jacob laid the unfinished letter beside the other papers and returned to the reports. I watched as he sorted through them, his movements increasingly deliberate. His anger tonight was not the loud, explosive kind that made a room tremble. It was colder than that, contained behind a composure that made it difficult to tell how much effort he
Krista*“And when I came back with Luke,” I continued, my stomach twisting, “she could have put everything together. If she knew he was yours, she might have told Asher.”Jacob's expression hardened. The warmth that had lingered in his eyes after our kiss disappeared, replaced by the cold, ruthless look I had seen when he was dealing with enemies of his pack. He turned towards the window, but his attention seemed fixed on something far beyond the darkness outside.“Elder Miriam has been entrusted with more than most wolves in Red Moon,” he said. His voice was low, each word measured. “She is not only an Elder. She is the healer who has tended to my family, to my parents before me, and to the members of this pack for longer than I care to remember. She has had access to our medical records, our private affairs, and information about the condition of our warriors that few others would ever be permitted to see.”He paused, and the muscle in his jaw tightened.“If she has been feeding in
Krista*Something flashed through his eyes. It was so fleeting that I could not decipher it, but it was enough to remind me that the man standing before me was not simply the man who had held me close and kissed me as though I were his only refuge. He was Jacob Hollows, Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, a man who had carried the weight of an entire pack on his shoulders for years and who had never been afforded the luxury of falling apart when others needed him to stand.I knew that man. I had loved him, resented him, and spent far too long trying to convince myself that I no longer cared about him. Yet, even now, when I looked into his eyes and saw the burden he carried, my heart ached for him.Jacob opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped before he could say anything. A moment later, I felt it too: a gentle nudge against my consciousness, familiar enough that I recognised it immediately. Someone was reaching out through the pack link, seeking Jacob's attention. Given the urgency of t
Krista*The words were vicious enough that another woman might have recoiled from them. I did not. I had seen Jacob angry before, but there was something especially dangerous about the controlled fury in his voice now. He was not making an idle threat simply to frighten me. I understood the impulse more than I cared to admit.Still, I couldn't help the small smile that curved my lips. "That would be foolish," I told him.His brows lifted slightly. "Would it?""Of course. We couldn't very well interrogate her remains, could we?"For the first time since I had risen from the bed, something shifted in his expression. His mouth curved into a smile that was every bit as savage as the look in his eyes, a wolfish expression that reminded me just how dangerous my mate could be when someone threatened what belonged to him."You're right," he murmured. "It would be foolish."I stroked my thumb along his jaw, still smiling faintly. "I'm glad we agree.""Though I imagine it would be immensely sa
Krista*I drank my soup slowly, forcing myself to savor each spoonful of warm broth even though every other instinct in my body screamed at me to stop wasting time. I wanted to demand that Jacob take me to the meeting room immediately. I wanted to know which of his trusted Elders had betrayed him, how long the treachery had gone on, and what else the rogues knew about Red Moon because of it. The uncertainty gnawed at me, making it difficult to sit still, much less concentrate on the meal Jacob had insisted I eat before we joined the others.But the broth was soothing, and I had to admit that he was right. I could not afford to enter that meeting with my stomach empty and my strength compromised, especially after what had happened in the dungeon. The nosebleed might have looked insignificant, but the sudden pain and the terrifying emptiness I had felt when I thought I had lost my wolf had frightened me more than I cared to admit.Earlier, I had called for Serah so I could find out how
Jacob*Krista glanced at my arms around her, then back at my face. I could practically see the argument forming behind her eyes. She was clearly not pleased with being carried as if she were incapable of walking on her own, but perhaps she had finally understood that I was in no mood to negotiate. For once, she did not insist.I held her closer and continued toward the manor, keeping my pace steady unnder the moonlit sky. We had an Elder to identify, a traitor to expose, and a pack to protect. Whatever awaited us in the meeting room, I would face it with Krista by my side. But I would not watch her destroy herself in the process. Not again.We were almost at the manor when we ran into Laurel. She appeared along the path leading to the entrance, moving toward us with a purpose that seemed to falter the moment she noticed Krista in my arms. For the briefest instant, anger flashed across her eyes. It was sharp enough that I caught it even in the dim moonlight, but it disappeared almost
Krista“And then there’s Liam,” she said, her tone dripping with drama. “I heard he’s been sneaking off to the human town again. You know what that means, don’t you?”I raised an eyebrow, leaning in just enough to show I was invested. “What does it mean?”Greta’s voice dropped even lower. “He’s see
KristaI watched from a distance as Greta chased after her three boys, her voice carrying on the wind, strained and full of exhaustion. They were darting in every direction, little whirlwinds of energy, their laughter ringing out in the warm afternoon air. It was a familiar scene, one that made me
KristaI stared at my reflection, willing the hollow look in my eyes to fade, forcing my lips to curve into a passable smile. But the result looked as tired and insincere as I felt inside. Tonight, of all nights, I couldn't afford to let my emotions slip through the cracks. Tonight was about duty,
KristaAs I entered the house, the door creaked softly behind me, though the faint murmur of activity throughout the manor drowned out any noise I made. Before I could even take another step, one of the maids rushed toward me, her face flushed with anxiety as she fumbled with a small notepad in her







