LOGINMaya's POVMy hands shook violently as I picked up the burner phone and pressed redial. My heart pounded against my ribs as it rang for a while before it connected."I was wondering when you would call, Maya," Caleb’s voice boomed softly through the speaker, filled with arrogant delight. "I knew you wouldn't keep me waiting long.""Is Leo really alive?" I demanded, gripping the phone until my knuckles turned white. "Why did you fake his death, Caleb? Why put me through that agony?"Caleb let out a cold laugh that made my stomach churn. "Your questions are utterly hilarious. Do you honestly think I wanted a weak, sickly child like Leo attached to my name? He was a complete insult to my public image. I wanted the boy dead, Maya. I truly did."He paused, a smug breath passing through the line. "But I changed my mind. I felt a small flicker of sympathy for him. He is my flesh and blood, after all. My first child.""Sympathy?" I scoffed, a bitter edge cutting through my voice. "You felt sy
Maya's POVI stopped dead in my tracks, my towel clutched against my chest, as my eyes locked on Merikh standing inside my room. His fingers hovered above the box sitting on my dresser.My heart pounded against my ribs. I immediately stepped closer, my voice filled with tension. "What are you doing here?"Merikh turned toward me, his eyes slowly scanning down my exposed shoulders and legs. I caught the subtle movement of his throat as he swallowed greedily before quickly averting his gaze.He cleared his throat, adjusting his posture. "I came to speak to you about the schedule you said you would draft out."A sickening weight settled in my stomach. Liam was lying unconscious in a critical state just down the hall, and Merikh was standing in my bedroom asking about a timetable to make another child.Was he really that desperate to replace his son already? Did Liam mean nothing to him the moment he was incapacitated?The agonizing memory of Caleb came to mind.Caleb had treated our chil
Merikh’s POVI lunged forward, dropping to my knees beside Maya, and immediately took Liam from her arms. His small body was heavy, cold and limp."What happened?" I demanded, cradling his head carefully.Maya choked back a sob, tears streaming down her pale face. "I was with him in the dining room... I left him briefly to go up to my room. Not even five minutes later, a maid came running to tell me something was wrong."I tilted Liam’s jaw back and opened his mouth. A faint and bitter scent caught in my throat. My jaw clenched tight. Drugs."Thomas!" I bellowed toward the hall. "Get the pack doctor to my room immediately!"I scooped Liam into my arms, rushing down the corridor to my private quarters. I laid him flat on the mattress just as the doctor burst through the door, carrying his emergency kit. Maya waited outside while the doctor began his examination.Twenty minutes later, the doctor stepped out into the hallway and turned to me. "He will survive, Sire, but he is in critical
Merikh’s POVThe high council chamber was stifling, the air filled with the scent parchment, and brewing political hostility. I sat on the carved stone throne at the head of the long table, resting my chin on my knuckles as twelve elders stared back at me."The border security network suffered a localized blackout across sectors two and three," I stated, my voice cutting cleanly through the murmurings. "A small vanguard tripped the south perimeter wire as a decoy to draw our primary patrols away. We identified the systemic vulnerability, patched the firewall, and fortified the eastern ridge. The threat was contained."Elder
Maya's POVInside lay a single velvet-lined box. I reached in and lifted the lid. Sitting on the black cushion was a black burner phone and a heavy brass locket.My fingers shook as I picked up the locket. I pressed the small release latch on the side. It didn't snap open to reveal a portrait or a lock of hair.Instead, a tiny blue micro-screen came to life inside the brass frame.It was a real-time digital feed. A green line spiked across the display, accompanied by a beep.My breath hitched because I knew that s
Maya's POVCaleb slumped forward in his chains, his head drooping as he passed out from the pain."Wake him," I ordered flatly.A guard splashed a bucket of ice water directly over his face. Caleb sputtered, gasping violently as he jolted awake. He screamed, clutching at the thick bandage secured over his left eye, his entire frame trembling as blood seeped through the white fabric."Maya, please!" he sobbed, his former arrogance completely dissolved. "Please... let me go! I’ll leave! I’ll never set foot on Lycan land again!"I stared down at him, my expression distant. "Your weapons and your dignitaries' assets are now property of the Lycan pack. You will return to Red Leaf, Caleb. But you will not travel by car."He looked up through his remaining good eye, horror dawning across his pale face. "What are you talking about?""You will undergo a walk of shame," I said, leaning over the table. "You will walk back to your border on foot, stripped down to your underwear. My pack members w







