Zev sat on the wooden log by the lake, the late morning sun casting a golden shimmer over the water. The calm breeze ruffled his dark hair as he tossed pebbles into the lake, each ripple matching the thoughts swirling in his mind. His friends—Kian, Riven, and Drey—were sprawled around him, finishing the last bites of their packed meal. But they weren’t focused on food anymore.They were focused on Zev. Or rather, the confession he had just dropped like a bomb in the middle of their peace.Kael had asked Zev to marry Ashara.And Zev… had said no.“You did what?” Riven stood up so quickly he nearly kicked his flask into the lake. “Tell me you’re joking.”Kian’s jaw dropped. “Zev. Are you out of your mind?”Drey, usually the quietest among them, just stared at Zev, stunned.“I said no,” Zev muttered again, raking a hand through his hair. “I told Kael I need time.”“Time?” Kian echoed incredulously. “Time to do what? Lose your damn mind?”Zev didn’t respond immediately. He was too busy tr
The morning sun filtered lazily through the dense branches outside Carlos’s mansion, but inside, the air was cold and tense. Luca stepped into the bathroom, his face blank, movements robotic. He ran a hand through his midnight hair, splashing water on his face, trying to wash away the unrest simmering beneath his skin. It didn’t work.He tugged a black hoodie over his broad frame, not bothering to fix his slightly tousled hair. Like every other day, he would now blend in among the humans at college—pretending. Pretending he belonged in a world that moved too slowly, that tasted too dull.He hated it.He hated the fake smiles of the human girls who flirted with him. He hated the lifeless lectures, the pointless social events. Most of all, he hated that to maintain the façade Carlos had built, they had to walk among humans every single day. But lately, one thing—no, one person—was making this charade unbearable.Ashara.She had clawed her way into his thoughts like a ghost he couldn’t e
The fireplace crackled softly in the corner of Carlos’s vast study, casting shadows that danced across the ancient walls. Books—leather-bound, heavy with time—lined the shelves, and a thick, musty scent of parchment and ink hung in the air. Carlos sat at his desk, hunched over a tattered manuscript written in a forgotten tongue. His eyes scanned the lines with the intensity only centuries of wisdom could carry.Then, the heavy wooden door creaked open.Carlos didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The cadence of the footsteps, the faint trail of restrained irritation—it was Erin. He set the book down gently and turned his head, his sharp features illuminated by the dim lamp on the desk.“You’re restless,” Carlos observed calmly, his voice low, ageless.Erin stepped in and closed the door behind him. His usual arrogance was missing. He didn’t pace or smirk. He simply walked to the chair in front of his father and sat down, his expression solemn.Carlos leaned back in his chair, stu
Zev carried a plate of warm chicken rolls and stepped softly into Ashara’s bedroom, where she was dancing—eyes closed, headphones in, completely lost in her own world. Her movements were free and wild, graceful yet chaotic, and Zev hesitated by the doorway, entranced. It was hard to tell whether what he felt was admiration or the sudden surge of something more intense.He should be worried—her father was planning to arrange her marriage to him—but watching her like this stirred something raw and real in him. He loved her. He always had. And now… the line between father’s choice and his own feelings blurred dangerously.Ashara finally noticed him standing there. Her spine stiffened, and she yanked out a headphone.“Zev!” she yelped, cheeks reddening like sunrise. She hopped down from the bed and grabbed the plate from his hand. “Don’t stare!” She juggled the plate, trying to hide both her blush and the dinner in her hands. “I—I wasn’t dancing for an audience!”Zev shook his head, smili
The house was dark, still wrapped in the heavy silence of the night when Kael stepped through the door. The faint scent of grilled spices drifted from the kitchen, soft light glowing behind the glass pane of the door. He followed it, his boots silent on the polished floor.There, bent over the counter, was Zev.The young man was carefully folding a warm chicken roll, the sleeves of his hoodie pulled up, his hair a little messy from sleep—or lack of it. Zev didn’t look up at first. But Kael had been a warrior too long not to be noticed, even in silence.“I knew you’d come back tonight,” Zev said softly, without turning.Kael walked in, not bothering to reply yet. He leaned against the kitchen doorway for a moment, watching Zev finish wrapping the roll in parchment and place it on a plate. It was strange, seeing someone else in his kitchen so comfortably—but he also knew why Zev was here.“You stayed the whole day,” Kael said finally, walking forward.Zev nodded and looked at him. “I co
When Zev pulled into the long, winding driveway of Ashara’s wooden mansion, an unsettling silence wrapped around the place like fog on a winter’s morning. The house stood still—too still. Not a single bird chirped, not a leaf stirred.Ashara was clinging to him like a second skin, her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of his shirt as if letting go meant falling apart completely.“Ashara,” Zev whispered, brushing a kiss against her forehead, “we’re home.”She didn’t move. Her gaze was fixed on the front doors, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest.As they stepped inside, the silence deepened. Zev’s voice broke it like a crack of thunder.“Kael!” he called out.No answer.“Uncle Kael!” he tried again, louder.Footsteps echoed from the hallway, and one of the housemaids appeared at the edge of the staircase. Her face was pale, nervous.“Sir…” she spoke softly, wringing her hands. “Alpha Kael left the mansion in the afternoon. We don’t know where he went or when he’ll retu