The heavy oak doors shut behind them with a soft thud, muffling the noises of the mansion. Crane strode in first, shoulders tense, his frame towering like a storm waiting to break. Alex followed at an easy pace, but his fingers twitched slightly as he raised a hand. Without waiting for permission, he pressed his palm against the carved wood, murmuring words under his breath. A faint shimmer rippled across the office like heat on stone—silent, invisible, but strong enough that even a supernatural being would strain against it. The air itself seemed to grow thicker, as if the room now existed outside the rest of the mansion. Sealed. No one was getting in, and nothing was getting out. Crane’s golden eyes lingered on the shifting haze before it vanished. He grunted. “Overkill.” Alex leaned lazily against the door, pretending nonchalance though his heart thudded faster than usual. “You asked for privacy. I gave you privacy. You
Lara’s lashes trembled against her cheeks. She wasn’t awake, not really — but she wasn’t lost in ordinary sleep either. Her body lay still on the bed, but her mind… her mind was somewhere else. Somewhere blurred, fragmented, voices whispering in the distance like echoes through a stone corridor. Her lips moved faintly as if answering questions that none of them could hear. Alex stood at the foot of the bed, his jaw clenched, eyes darkening as the faint shimmer of energy began to coil around her temples. Her skin glowed faintly, too warm, veins of silvery light threatening to pulse beneath her skin. “Everyone out,” he ordered sharply, his voice cutting like steel. Peter frowned, unwilling. Yousef hesitated too, for once not laughing or teasing. But the way Alex’s eyes flared left no room for argument. The air itself seemed to shiver, as if obeying. Peter was the first to step back,
Ella’s chamber was a storm of silk and broken glass. Vases that once held fresh lilies lay shattered across the floor, shards glittering like cruel diamonds beneath the dim light. She had ripped the curtains from their rails, clawed at the velvet pillows on her bed until the feathers spilled in a mockery of snow, and her breath came in ragged gasps, hot and desperate.Her hair, usually combed into perfection, now stuck to her damp face, strands clinging to the salt of her tears. She paced, barefoot, kicking porcelain pieces as if punishing them for existing. Every step screamed frustration, every movement a testament to the fury that burned through her veins."Her," Ella spat aloud, her voice breaking in the silence. "Always her!"The name Lara rolled on her tongue like venom. A weak, plain, undeserving girl—yet Crane looked at her, guarded her, as if she was the rarest jewel. And Ella? Ella who had stood beside him in battles, who had sharpened her c
The forest swallowed Crane’s heavy steps, the air growing colder the deeper he went. His wolf ran wild beneath the canopy, paws digging into the soil as if it could claw out the confusion gnawing at his chest. He stopped by the old riverbed, where moonlight reflected faintly even in the day, panting as his chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. But his mind would not quiet. Lilune. The name throbbed like a wound he thought he had buried centuries ago. Ella’s venomous tongue had dragged it back to life, and now, with Lara’s unconscious body flashing in his thoughts, everything inside him felt tangled. He shifted back into his human form, sweat dripping down his temples as his hands shook. His wolf raged, pacing restlessly in his head— mate, mate, mate— but his heart resisted, chained by memories. Crane slammed his fist into a tree, bark splintering under the force. “Damn it!” His voice cracked, raw
The dining hall was bathed in the pale gold of morning, sunlight spilling through tall windows and laying a warm glow across the long table. Breakfast had already been laid out—steaming bread rolls, platters of fruit, and trays of spiced meats—but the real heat wasn’t coming from the food. It was from the two people who kept stealing glances at each other from opposite ends of the table.Lara entered quietly, Peter hovering just behind her like a shadow. Her hair caught the light, her skin soft with the subtle glow that came with sleep and the life growing inside her. She gave a small, polite smile as she slid into her seat.Crane had been there already, posture rigid, his wolf humming beneath his skin the second she appeared. His eyes followed her every movement, sharp but softened in a way only she seemed to draw out of him. He tried to eat, but his appetite faltered—the only thing he craved sat across the table, delicately reaching for a slice of bread.
An Hour Ago At Crane's Mansion....Azzez slipped away from the breakfast table without a sound, his departure masked by the casual hum of conversation in the dining hall. Nobody noticed the tiny white warbler with a gold-streaked wing dart through the open balcony doors and vanish into the morning air. He was good at disappearing—too good.The flight back to his mansion was brisk, his mind circling the same questions it had carried since yesterday. As soon as his talons touched the marble balustrade of his private terrace, his body shimmered, feathers dissolving into flesh, bones lengthening, until he stood once more in his own skin.Don was already waiting at the front steps, arms folded, the crisp morning light catching in his sharp eyes. He didn’t greet him. They never wasted words on pleasantries when the air between them was heavy with unanswered questions.Inside the dim-lit study, the scent of polished oak and old parchment wrapped around t