로그인Merikh’s POV
The 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.
Maya's POVI sat in front of the Council members and the twelve elders of the Lycan tribunal looked down upon me.Their demanding voices echoed off the walls, layering judgment upon judgment."You have failed in your most fundamental duty as Alpha, Merikh," Elder Julian shouted, slamming his heavy palm against the table. "A breach of this magnitude on our central estate is unprecedented! An ancient fortress that stood unyielding through three centuries of continental war now lies charred and ruined because you allowed our vigilance to slip!""Your fa
Maya's POVI turned my full attention to containing the chaos on the estate grounds. Flames were still leaping across the west wing."Get the secondary hoses onto the roof!" I roared, throwing orders to the pack brigade. "Contain the blaze before it reaches the main structure!"I gathered a squad of elite warriors and led them into the smoke-filled halls of the administrative wing.We worked quickly, clearing out important files, border defense logs, and financial ledgers from my office, transporting them out of the burning building to the fortified safe house located at the edge of the estate."Check every room, every closet, and every corridor!" I ordered. "Ensure every maid, servant, and staff member is accounted for outside. No one gets left behind in this building."By the time the fire brigade finally subdued the roaring flames, the entire west wing was reduced to ash.I called in our specialized forensic unit, a elite team trained in covert investigation to conduct a sweep of t
Merikh’s POVThe doctor’s words hit me immediately like a blow to the gut. My knees almost buckled beneath me, but I forced my legs to lock into place, refusing to break down."Can I see her?" I asked, my voice strained.Before the doctor could answer, the doors clicked open again, and nurses wheeled Maya out into the hallway. Maya lay motionless on the mattress, her face pale and a bandage wrapped around her head."You may visit her," the doctor said, watching me closely. "Since you are her husband, I will grant you access to her private ward. However, only one person is permitted inside at a time to keep the environment quiet."I didn't answer as I followed the medical team down the hall, standing back as they transferred her to a bed inside a private room and hooked up her IV lines. When the nurses finally left, the room fell into a suffocating silence.I stood frozen in the doorway. Seeing her lying so helpless, her head wrapped and her wrist bandaged, tore through my composure. I
Merikh’s POVCold river water flooded my lungs, shocking my system back into consciousness and I struggled to keep myself from drowning.The SUV was upside down in the deep current, sinking deeper into the river, and the darkness swallowed us.Air bubbles surged upward as the impact was sudden. I wiped the blood from my eyes and immediately reached into the passenger side, my hands searching until my fingers caught Maya’s arm.She was completely unconscious, her body limp in the seat. And her hair danced in the water.
Maya's POV."Drop the gun, Maya," Merikh commanded, taking another measured step toward me.My knuckles turned white as I tightened my grip on the handle. "Stay back!"His eyes narrowed into slits. "Liam was poisoned."Silence fell over the ridge. I kept the barrel leveled at his chest, my chest heaving, but I didn't utter a word.Merikh’s face hardened as he registered my lack of shock. "You knew," he said, his voice dropping into ice. "You knew my son was fighting for his life, and you still left him exposed to whoever poisoned him.""Did you not hear what I just said?!" I snapped, tears burning my eyes as my voice broke with desperation. "My son is in that laboratory! Leo is breathing right now in that room! I am going to save him!""And how do you plan to do that?" Merikh asked, his voice too calm. "You pull those tubes, you unplug that life support without a portable medical transport crew, and he dies instantly on that concrete floor. What was your backup plan, Maya?"The words
Maya's POVThe steel pressed against the base of my skull, but my instincts took over before my mind could register the fear.I ducked beneath the guard's arm, driving my elbow back into his solar plexus. He grunted, stumbling back, but recovered fast, lunging with his knife. I caught his wrist, twisted it inward until his joint snapped and slammed my knee into his jaw.The blade clattered onto the ground. As he went down, I wrapped my arms around his neck, applying a chokehold until his struggles ceased completely.Breathing heavily, I dragged his limp body off the path and into the woods.As I pulled his collar to check for a pulse, a mark on the side of his neck caught my eye under the moonlight. I leaned in closer with my blood running cold. Inked clearly into his skin was the official crest of the Lycan pack territory.My brow furrowed in confusion. Why was a soldier guarding black-market facility wearing the mark of Merikh’s inner guard? Was he a double agent? A spy planted by M







