LOGINDaron’s POV“Hyah! Hyah!”“Whoa, whoa.”The horse came to a stop right at the edge of the restricted area.The ground was wet and slick with mud. Hoofprints and broken branches made their trail easy to follow.“Daron, if we rush in now, we’ll fall into an ambush,” Tan said across from me. We were still mounted. “Even though you’re trying to hide it, your back is not yet healed. The hunting event is imminent. You go back with Elena. I promise to bring them back.”My back from Lily’s whip. Forty-five lashes. Most were closed. But deep tissue takes time. Even for me.I raised an eyebrow at him. “We must find her before the Hour of the Duck.” I turned my horse. “Go back and bring Leo and some of our guards. Discreetly. I will continue the search on my own with Elena.”“Daron…”“That’s an order, Tan.”He clenched his jaw. “Alright. We will join you guys very soon.” He wheeled his horse and rode away.After Tan left, Elena and I sped off into the restricted part of the forest. Full speed.N
Daron’s POVI leaned back in the sturdy chair inside the hunting tent, the scent of damp canvas and woodsmoke thick in the air. Tan sat across from me, sharpening his blade with slow, deliberate strokes.“I knew Mason came back with Elena just because of Lily,” he said. “No other reason makes sense.”I smirked. “Without my permission, no one is taking her anywhere.”My wolf was quiet. He’d been quiet since I bit her. Not gone. Just… watching.Tan paused his sharpening. “What if she asks for him in return for the information she wants to give us?” “What do you think about their relationship, Tan?” I asked him, ignoring the question he asked.He raised an eyebrow. “She said he’s her family’s guard. Why? Are you displeased he survived?”“Displeased?” I scoffed. “I was only asking. They seem close, that’s all. Killing him again wouldn’t be difficult.”Tan gave me a knowing look. Sure. “Let’s look at this from my perspective. You both are enemies, but you’ve sucked each other’s blood and
Lily’s POVI bit into the apple hard, the crisp crunch filling the quiet room as I watched Daron from across the space. He sat at the center of his residence in a heavy wooden chair, maps and scrolls spread across the table in front of him. The air smelled of pine, smoke from the hearth, and the faint metallic tang of weapons oil. Preparations for the Wolf Lord competition had turned the entire pack into a hive of activity.“Why did you want to see me?” I asked around another bite. Daron looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. “The Wolf Lord competition has been moved up to tomorrow. With everything we’ve settled between us, it’s time for you to talk, Lily.sighed, grabbed another apple from the plate, and walked over to sit directly in front of him. “I don’t go back on my word. But first, you have to grant me something in return.”“What do you want?”“Freedom,” I said. “Not to leave here obviously. But I don’t want to be locked in the chamber like a prisoner again. Allow me to
Lily’s POVI pushed myself upright on the bed with a groan, my back still throbbing. The wolf doctor had just left after changing my bandages and forcing a bitter healing concoction down my throat. The room was spacious and unmistakably masculine…dark wooden beams crossed the ceiling, heavy furs draped the large bed, and a massive stone fireplace crackled on the far wall. Moonlight filtered through tall, narrow windows framed by thick curtains. This was Daron’s private quarters, deep inside the Alpha’s residence. Everything about it screamed power and control.I missed my father. I missed my siblings. The thought of them tightened my chest until tears blurred my vision. I had failed Mason. I had failed my entire pack. At first I refused to believe he was truly gone, but the longer I stayed here, the more it sank in…Daron had killed them. The weight of that truth pressed down on me like a stone.The door opening jerked me out of my reverie.Daron stood in the entrance, wearing a light
Daron’s POVThe pack was alive with activity when we finally arrived. Lanterns hung from every building, and the air smelled of roasted meat, pine, and the faint metallic tang of magic from the upcoming Moonlight Ceremony. Banners fluttered in the night breeze, celebrating both the festival and the Wolf Lord selection. My people moved with purpose, but I could feel the undercurrent of tension. Everyone knew what tonight meant.“Leo,” I ordered as we dismounted near the main square, “take Lily and the rest back to the residence. Tan, you’re with me to the palace.”“Yes, my Lord,” they answered in unison.I stepped into the palanquin one last time. Lily lay on the floor, still recovering from her wounds. I crouched beside her and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at me.“I’m in a very bad mood,” I said quietly. “And it’s only going to get worse once I reach the palace. Be a good girl and stay still. I don’t trust what I’ll do if you frustrate me again tonight.”She stared at me for
Daron’s POV“Leo, watch out!” I roared.Leo spun just in time. The Silver Moon soldier’s sword was already coming down, aimed for his neck. Leo’s claws shot out and ripped the man’s throat open, but not before the blade sliced across Leo’s arm. Blood sprayed across the dirt.The man dropped, gurgling. Leo stumbled.“Are you okay?” I was at his side in two strides, my hand on his shoulder. The alley behind the inn was narrow, slick with rain and blood. Bodies were everywhere. My men. Theirs. The air stank of iron and wet steel.“Yes, my Lord,” Leo said through his teeth. He was pressing his other hand to the gash. “It’s my duty to protect you, not yours.”“Rubbish,” I shot back. “It’s our duty to protect each other as Wolf brothers. I will never let you all die like this.” I grabbed his uninjured arm and hauled him up with one hand. He was heavy, but he was mine.The night air reeked of blood and sweat. The soldiers in disguised armor swarmed the courtyard and surrounding streets. My m
Lily’s POV“Father, allow me to go on this trip and find the black iron crystal.”I stood in front of his desk in the war room, still wearing my leather riding pants and tunic. My hair was tied back like a boy’s.My father, Alpha of the Red Moon pack’s weapon house, did not look up from the map. “L
Lily’s POVI woke to a dull, throbbing ache across my entire back. A soft groan escaped me as I tried to open my eyes. Sunlight filtered through a small window, casting warm patches across the wooden floor of what looked like a modest inn room. I wasn’t in the desert camp anymore. The air smelled o
Daron’s POV“My Lord, earlier in the cell I overheard you call that Red Moon pack young master ‘woman.’ Is she a girl?”Tan, my head warrior and closest friend, stood in my war tent with his arms crossed. I was sitting on a low stool, fiddling with a small dagger in my hand, turning it over and ove
Lily’s POVI squinted my eyes before fully opening them. The light hurt.I was on a cold dirt floor in a small tent that smelled like leather and old blood. Not a room. A prison tent. My hands were not bound, but my chest was on fire."I winced in pain and clutched at my injured chest. The bandage







