LOGINNoahI woke with a jolt.Something was wrong. I felt it deep in my bones, a primal warning that made my wolf stir beneath my skin. My eyes snapped open, and I lay perfectly still, listening.The wagon had stopped. Outside, I could hear the murmur of voices—Adrian and Elias, their tones low and tense. The sound of horses shifting restlessly.And something else.Something in the trees.My wolf pressed against my skin, alert and protective. I felt a low growl building in my chest before I could stop it.I sat up slowly, my hand pressed against my stomach. The baby shifted uneasily, as if sensing my fear."What is it?" I whispered.My wolf didn't answer. But it didn't need to.I knew something was out there.I climbed out of the wagon carefully, ignoring the ache in my back. The guards barely glanced at me—they were too busy watching the treeline.Adrian and Elias stood a few feet away, their bodies tense, their hands resting on their weapons."Get back in the wagon," Adrian said without
EliasI rode beside Adrian in silence.The tension between us was so thick I could taste it. Every few seconds, my eyes drifted to the wagon ahead, where Noah was hidden from view.I hated not being able to see him.Adrian's jaw was tight, his hands gripping the reins so hard his knuckles were white. He was watching the wagon too, his gaze fixed on the canvas covering."He needs rest," I said finally.Adrian's eyes flicked to me. "I know.""The road is too rough. He's pregnant. He should be in a proper bed."Adrian's expression hardened. "Do you think I don't know that?"I shrugged. "I think you don't care."He pulled his horse to a stop so suddenly that I had to do the same."Say that again."I met his eyes. "You heard me."The air between us crackled with barely contained violence. My wolf was snarling beneath my skin, ready to fight.Adrian's wolf was doing the same."You think this is easy for me?" His voice was low and dangerous. "You think I wanted to drag him across the kingdom
NoahThe wagon lurched beneath me, and my stomach rolled with it.I pressed a hand against my mouth and breathed through my nose, trying not to be sick. The morning sun was too bright, the road too bumpy, and my body too exhausted to handle any of it.The baby shifted inside me, a slow roll that made me gasp."You're okay," I whispered. "We're okay."I didn't believe it. But I needed to say it anyway.The wagon hit another rut, and I groaned. My back ached constantly now, a dull throb that never quite went away. My wrists were raw from the ropes, my throat dry from thirst.I hadn't eaten in almost a day.The wagon stopped suddenly. I heard footsteps approaching, heavy and deliberate.Then the back swung open, and Adrian's face appeared."You're sick."I looked away. "I'm fine.""You're pale. You're shaking." He climbed into the wagon, and I pressed myself against the wall. "When did you last eat?""Doesn't matter.""It matters to me."I laughed bitterly. "Since when?"Adrian's jaw tig
KaelI found Tyrene in her chambers, packing a small bag.She froze when she saw me in the doorway. Her eyes darted to the window, then back to me, calculating her escape route."Going somewhere?"She forced a smile. "Kael. I was just—""Don't." I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. "Don't you dare lie to me again."Her smile faltered. "I don't know what you're talking about.""Where is Noah?""I told you. I don't—""Tyrene." My voice was ice. "I know about the tunnel. I know about the servants. I know you drugged him."Her face went pale. "That's not—""I found the cup." I pulled it from behind my back and held it up. "The sleeping powder is still at the bottom. Elena identified it."Her composure crumbled. "You don't understand.""Then explain it to me."She looked at me for a long moment, her expression flickering between fear and defiance. Then something shifted in her eyes."He was ruining everything."I said nothing."Ever since he came here, you've been obsessed with
NoahThe wagon lurched beneath me as I pressed myself into the corner.My wrists were still bound, the ropes digging into my skin every time I moved. My body ached from the rough ride, and my stomach felt hollow with hunger and fear.But I didn't make a sound.I had learned long ago that silence was sometimes the only weapon I had left.The wagon stopped suddenly. I heard voices outside, familiar and unwelcome."Open it."Elias's voice.The back of the wagon swung open, and moonlight flooded in. I blinked against the brightness, refusing to look up."Get him out."Hands grabbed my arms, pulling me upright. I stumbled as my feet hit the ground, but I didn't try to steady myself. Let them drag me. Let them carry me. I didn't care anymore.Elias stepped in front of me, his green eyes burning with barely contained fury."Look at me."I stared at the ground."I said look at me!"His hand grabbed my chin, forcing my face upward. I met his eyes for one second, then looked away again.Elias's
KaelI woke before dawn with a strange feeling in my chest.Something was wrong.I couldn't explain it, couldn't name it, but my wolf was restless beneath my skin, pacing back and forth like it sensed danger I couldn't see.I dressed quickly and walked toward the east wing where Noah was staying. The corridors were quiet, too quiet, like the whole castle was holding its breath.When I reached his door, I knocked softly.No answer.I knocked again, harder this time.Still nothing.My wolf surged forward, and I pushed the door open without waiting.The room was empty.The bed was made, untouched. The window was closed. Everything was in its place, neat and orderly, like nobody had been there at all.But Noah's scent was fading.And the floor beneath the bed had been disturbed.I crossed the room in three strides and dropped to my knees. The wooden panel was loose, barely visible unless you knew where to look.I pulled it open and stared into the darkness of the hidden tunnel.Cold fury
NoahMy eyes snapped open. The room was dark except for the faint glow of moonlighthrough the window. For a moment, I lay still, then I heard it. Foot steps far away, dozens of them.My wolf surged awake inside me, every muscle in my body tightened. The sounds were distant, but they were there, rhy
NoahThe room Mira had given me was small, but it felt safer than any place I had slept in for years.A narrow bed stood against one wall, covered with clean blankets that smelled faintly of herbs. Sunlight filtered through the window every morning, warming the wooden floor. There were no guards ou
NoahBy the third day, I wasn't sure how much farther I could go.My feet hurt with every step.The soles of my boots were caked with mud, and my legs felt like they belonged to someone else. Every muscle in my body ached.I leaned against a tree and forced myself to take a slow breath.The forest
Adrian The pain woke me before dawn.It always did now.I sat upright in my tent, breathing through clenched teeth while the familiar ache spread through my chest. The rejected bond some days it felt like a knife, other days it felt like something worse.Like an empty space that refused to heal.I







