ANMELDENArya’s POVI cleaned the claw marks slowly, working carefully around the deepest one. Henry held still for me the whole time, only flinching when the antiseptic stung.“Sorry,” I said.“It’s fine,” Henry said, his jaw tight. “Keep going.”I pressed the bandage over his skin and smoothed the tape across it.“You look like something is on your mind,” Henry said.“There is, actually,” I replied.“Ask me anything,” Henry said.“What you said to my brother. About the throne, about disrespecting the Alpha King and Talia,” I said, keeping my eyes on the tape. “Was any of it true?”“All of it,” Henry answered.“You’re certain?” I asked.“I was in the room when it happened, Arya. I saw it myself,” Henry replied.I sat down on the stool across from him. “Tell me what happened.”“After the war, Solon didn’t recover as quickly as everyone hoped. The antidote cleared the toxin, but not before it damaged his organs and weakened his wolf. Recovery will take a long time,” Henry explained.“I know abo
Nolan’s POV“Clean up this mess,” I ordered the guards and omegas that were still in the dining hall. They put the tables back, wiped up the spilled food and drinks, and swept away the broken dishes.I led Talia out of the dining hall. Her movements seemed sluggish, and I caught her pressing a hand to her stomach. Then, I heard her stomach growl."You didn't eat, did you?"Talia tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "No, I barely ate anything before Henry and Geoffrey started arguing.""Let’s go back to the pack house. Clara can get you something to eat, and you can rest,” I suggested.“No, not yet,” Talia refused. “What if Geoffrey finds them before they reach the hospital? He’s upset and knows where they’re going. I need to check myself.""I can send two guards to watch over them,” I offered. “They’ll tell me right away if something happens.""That won’t work," Talia said, shaking her head. "Guards can’t warn us fast enough if they start fighting again. And next time, Henry
Nolan’s POV“ENOUGH!”Talia’s command rolled down the hall, heavy with the Alpha Queen’s aura. Every wolf dropped to the floor. Marco grabbed the wall to steady himself.“They’re already fighting,” I said, and ran.The dining hall was chaotic. One table was flipped, another shoved aside. Broken dishes and spilled stew covered the floor, filling the air with the sharp smell of herbs and meat. Wolves pressed against the walls, eyes wide and ears flat. Near the door, a woman crouched in front of two shaking children, her arm out to shield them.Henry and Geoffrey stood a few feet apart, breathing hard and glaring at each other.Talia stood between them, gripping the back of a chair so hard her knuckles turned white. Her chest heaved as she tried to stay in control. Arya stood at her side, pale and tense, fists clenched. She glanced at the twins behind a toppled bench, worry in her eyes, then straightened her shoulders.“Marco, clear the room.”“On it!” Marco barked, striding forward. “Ev
Talia’s POV"It's fine," Arya said through gritted teeth. I could tell she was lying."Alpha Geoffrey." I forced a civil smile. "Go ahead.""Alpha Henry. My Alpha Queen." Geoffrey nodded, acting polite. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you? Years, Arya, and now here you are, just having lunch as if nothing happened."“Trying to have lunch,” Arya muttered.Geoffrey laughed, but there was a look in his eyes that made my skin crawl. He then reached over and ruffled Arya's hair. "Honestly, I almost forgot what you looked like.""Stop that," Arya said, jerking her head away and flattening her hair with a scowl. "I'm not a child. Eat your food and leave.""Leave? I just found you again, Arya." Geoffrey spread his arms, looking around the table for support. "You're really going to push me away like that? In front of everyone?""You know what I mean. We have time to catch up. It doesn’t have to be right now," Arya said. I smiled, glad she wasn’t falling for Geoffrey’s tricks.‘He n
Talia’s POVArya’s eyes went from me to Henry and back again, and I watched her arrive at entirely the wrong conclusion.“Are you betraying Alpha Nolan?”“Arya, let's take a breath.”“No.” She shook her head hard, answering herself before I could get a word in. “No. You wouldn’t do that. Not you.” Her eyes cut to Henry. “It’s him, then. He’s the one who wants you.”“That is not what is going on here.”“You don’t have to cover for him,” Arya said, her voice cracking. “I’m not stupid. I just saw him hugging you right now.”“You don’t have context. Give me thirty seconds to explain,” Henry said, stepping toward Arya.“I don’t have thirty seconds," Arya said as she was backing out of the doorway. “Enjoy your conversation.” She was gone down the corridor before either of us had moved.Henry got out the door first. I went after them with one hand under my belly, silently cursing as I couldn't run as fast as I wanted. When it became obvious I wasn’t going to catch her, I stopped in the middl
Talia’s POVI walked to Henry’s room and knocked. He opened the door, his eyes wide when he saw me."Luna Talia, what are you doing here?" Henry said as he stepped aside. "You came all the way here?""I did. It's just a hallway, Henry. Not a mountain trail," I said as I stepped inside."You’re having twins." He said it as calmly as always, which somehow made it worse. "You could have mind-linked me. I would’ve come. You don’t need to be on your feet. You need to be resting.""Seriously, Henry? I’m pregnant, not fragile. Do you tell all the pregnant women here not to walk down a hallway?"“No. Goddess, no,” Henry said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I only meant that if you needed something, I’d rather come to you than have you come to me. That’s all. I apologize.”When I didn’t answer, Henry started to panic. He kept searching for the right words. When I felt I'd messed with him enough, I finally smiled. "Relax. I'm not upset. You’ve gotten so serious as you’ve gotten older."He exhaled







