LOGINSalome’s POV
"You owe it to yourself to at least listen," Rigoberto’s voice had echoed through the receiver last night.
I had spent an hour staring at the blank screen of my phone after the call ended. He was wrong. I didn’t owe that family anything. Not my time, not my forgiveness, and certainly not another second of my life. But I did owe myself a clean break. I needed to walk away without any strings attached. That meant facing the fire one last time.
Salome’s POV"The international investors are all seated, and the registration logs are open for your final validation, Chairperson," Benedict said.He stepped away from the double glass doors, keeping his head bowed as he took his position behind my right shoulder.I sat majestic at the head of the massive mahogany boardroom table. The polished glass surface stretched out before me, reflecting the sharp white glare of the overhead lighting fixtures. The room was completely silent. Hundreds of executives, elder pack council representatives, and global syndicate investors sat in long, tight rows along the perimeter walls, their eyes fixed entirely on my face. No one moved. No one whispered.I picked up the primary ledger file from the center stack. The paper felt crisp and heavy against my fingers.Clementine stood by the heavy glass entrance doors. She wore a sharp black blazer, a bright, triumphant smile breaking across her face as she lifted a thick parchment document. The paper bore
Jeremiah’s POV "The medical transport vehicle just left the lower perimeter fence," Benedict said.He leaned against the rain-streaked glass of the garage exit booth, his eyes fixed on the retreating red tail lights.I did not turn my head to watch the car vanish into the damp city streets. My hand stayed in my pocket, my fingers curled around my encryption token. "Is the driver moving him straight to the private wing?""Yes," Benedict said. He looked at his hand device, sliding his thumb across the panel to lock the tracking loop. "Barnabas has been completely silent since the fated bond snapped. The medics said his pulse is stable, but his inner wolf is entirely unresponsive. He is catatonic." Sovereign let out a deep, satisfied breath inside my mind. The ancient wolf settled down into the dark corners of my thoughts, his long teeth disappearing behind his lips. The territorial threat was over. The rival was broken."The Richardson name is officially off the main registry," Benedict
Salome’s POV"Look closely at what you are losing, Barnabas," I said.I held the thick parchment paper between my thumb and forefinger. The official ink of the marriage certificate looked dark under the flickering bulbs of the concrete corridor.Barnabas stayed on his knees, his palms flat against the damp floorboards. His teeth bared into a weak, desperate line as he looked up."Salome, please. We can delete the files. We can rebuild the drawing room at the villa. Just drop the charter claim.""The charter claim is already processed," I said.I looked down at his shaking shoulders. I did not feel the old grief. I did not feel the stinging heat that used to crowd my chest when he came home smelling of cheap vanilla. There was only a cold, smooth space behind my ribs.I stepped forward, my good leg taking the weight while my injured thigh muscle throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache.Barnabas reached his hand out toward my shoe. His fingers stopped an inch from the leather, his knuckles g
Jeremiah’s POV "The elevator shafts are completely dead, Alpha," Benedict said. He sprinted past me on the wet concrete layout. His leather soles made a sharp slapping sound against the floorboards as he took the stairs three at a time. I did not stop to check his position. My hand gripped the heavy iron rail of the staircase, my weight shifting instantly as I pushed upward into the narrow corridor. The damp air from the open parking bays below carried the scent of rain and old motor oil. Sovereign was fully awake inside my head, his silent roar vibrating behind my teeth until the skin across my forehead felt tight. The beast wanted blood. He wanted to snap the bones of the man who had dared to cross our boundary lines. "Keep your teeth behind your lips, Sovereign," I growled back in my thoughts. We reached the third-floor landing in less than twenty seconds. The fluorescent bulbs along the wall flickered twice, buzzing like angry flies against the concrete ceiling. Barnabas sto
Salome POV "The brass key is sticking in the lock, Salome," Clementine said.She turned the iron loop with both hands, her knuckles cracking in the quiet corridor. The smell of old paper and dust filled the narrow space between the storage shelves.I leaned my weight on my good leg, my injured thigh throbbing from the long walk up the stairs. "Give it a firm twist to the left. The internal pins are old."The lock gave a heavy, metallic snap. Clementine pulled the metal safety drawer open, her fingers sliding inside to extract a bundle of thick parchment sheets."This is the original file from fifteen years ago," she said, laying the papers flat on the steel table. "Look at the registration stamps at the top of the deed."I stepped closer, my shoes scuffing the grey floor tiles. I ran my fingers over the dry paper. The Vane family crest was pressed into the corner, but beneath the dark ink, the original layout lines showed a different boundary marker."They altered the grid coordinates
Barnabas’s POV "Get inside the car before the local patrol counts the minutes we have been idling by this kerb," Portia shouted. I did not move from the shadow of the structural awning. The cold rain came down in hard, straight sheets, splashing off the black tarmac and soaking through the fabric of my leather shoes. I tried to strike my silver lighter, but my thumb kept slipping against the damp metal wheel. The small flame died instantly. I tossed the useless piece of metal onto the wet concrete path and stared through the tinted passenger window of the sedan. Portia leaned across the front seat, her hand slamming against the passenger door lock to pop the plastic tab. Her face looked completely distorted behind the glass, her eyes wide with a frantic, pulsing energy that made my stomach turn. "I am not going back to the drawing room, Portia," I said, stepping closer to the car frame. "The drawing room is empty anyway," she hissed, her voice rising over the steady drum of the do
Salome’s POV"You look like you're drowning in paperwork, Barnabas," I said, my voice as smooth as the polished mahogany of his desk.I didn't wait for an invitation. I just walked in. The door clicked shut, sealing us in the quiet of the Alpha’s office. I kept my face neutral, a perfect mask of the
Clementine’s POV“I love Salome,” Barnabas said.The words hung in the air like a bad joke. He whispered them as if they were a holy confession, his voice cracking just enough to make me want to gag. I stared at him, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. I th
Salome’s POV“Does it sting when I apply the pressure here?”Healer Beatrice moved my head to the side with a light touch. The room smelled like lemon cleaner and old herbs. I sat on the hard paper of the exam table while she dabbed at the jagged red line near my hairline.“I’m fine, Beatrice. It’s
Salome’s POV“Come on, just one more,” Portia said, though her voice lacked its usual sweetness. “I’m only starting to find my rhythm.”I looked at her, then shifted my gaze to Barnabas. He remained a statue, refusing to meet my eyes. Margot stood off to the side, her arms crossed and her mouth set







