LOGINMaya's POVI stood by the window of Merikh’s suite, staring out at the lights of the capital.Behind me, Merikh lay deep in a sleep, Dr. Evan’s bio-monitors clicking softly in the quiet room.My original plan had been simple: walk into Red Leaf’s corporate headquarters, bypass the security of my late father’s old study and retrieve the capital key.But looking at the map of the corporate sector, the reality of the trap set in.Caleb’s security forces patrolled every corridor of the Red Leaf building. If I walked through those front doors, I would be captured or killed before I even reached the ground floor.I needed another way.I walked over to the secure desk in the corner of the room, picked up a device, and dialed a set frequencies that hadn’t been active since my father’s death.The line hissed with static for three long seconds before a rasped voice answered."State identification," the voice said. It was Uncle Kenneth."Kenneth, it’s Maya," I said, keeping my voice low and urge
Merikh’s POVMy head throbbed with ache and my muscles felt heavy, as if my veins had been filled with lead. I moved my head slightly against the pillow, my throat dry.Maya sat in a chair pressed right against the edge of the mattress. Her eyes were rimmed with red from lack of sleep, her dark hair pulled back into a loose braid over her shoulder.She held a damp cloth in her small hand, gently wiping water across my forehead."Maya," I rasped, my voice low.She froze, her hand pausing against my skin before she quickly set the cloth in a basin of water on the nightstand. "Merikh. Don't try to sit up too fast."I ignored her warning, digging my elbows into the mattress and forcing my upper body upright.A spike of dizziness hit my brain, making the room tilt but I gritted my teeth and pressed my back against the headboard. I looked down at my hands, they were still but my skin felt pale and cold."What time is it?" I asked, looking toward the window."Past seven in the morning," May
Maya's POVMerikh hovered over me, his eyes wide, vulnerable, and fixed on my face as he waited for my response."No," I said, my voice firm, and without a trace of hesitation. "I do not love Caleb. Whatever I felt for him died the moment he kicked me out of my own pack, locked me in that laboratory, tortured my son, and tried to destroy our lives. There is nothing left of him in my heart."Merikh let out a slow breath. A wave of visible relief washed across his features and for a second, his posture softened.Then, his body went rigid.He froze over me, his muscles locking tight. A low, pained grunt escaped his throat. He tried to push himself up off the mattress but his arms buckled beneath him. He rolled off the edge of the bed, landing hard on his feet."Merikh?" I sat up quickly, clutching the sheet to my chest.He didn't answer. He stood beside the bed, his back turned to me, his broad shoulders shaking.I watched his hands, they were trembling uncontrollably, his fingers spasmi
Maya's POVI stood beside Merikh, looking down at the wide square. Below us, thousands of pack members and local citizens had gathered.They stood shoulder to shoulder, filling the plaza from the central fountain all the way to the outer market gates.I gripped the cold ledge, my muscles tense.After weeks of public executions, military arrests and propaganda, I had prepared myself for a guarded and hostile crowd.Merikh raised his hand, activating the central broadcast system. His voice echoed clearly across the entire square."Citizens of the Capital," Merikh announced, his deep voice steady and calm. "We have gathered here today not to pass judgment but to correct an injustice committed by corrupt men inside our high council."He stepped back and gestured toward me. I stepped forward to the podium, opening the ledger containing the exoneration files."Under sovereign review," I declared, my voice carrying through the public speakers, "the capital court has officially struck down al
Merikh’s POVI left my royal escort at the archway and walked down the street alone, carrying a binder stamped with the sovereign seal.My destination was a small, neat cottage near the edge of the training grounds, the home of Sergeant Klaus, one of the twelve guard soldiers killed during Caleb’s mountain raid.I stepped onto the porch and knocked twice on the door.It opened to reveal Klaus’s widow, Elena. Her face was pale, her eyes dark and hollowed by grief.She looked at my broad frame, then at the sovereign seal on the binder, her expression hardening instantly."Alpha," she said, her voice dry and cold. "Have you come to remind me that my husband died acting as a pawn for traitors?""No, Elena," I said softly, unbuckling my belt and setting my gun on the porch railing before taking a step back. "I came to tell you the truth, and to ask for your forgiveness."She stared at me, startled by the gesture before stepping aside to let me enter the small sitting room.I sat at her kit
Maya's POVI sat on the edge of the bed in the boys' room, running my fingers through Leo’s soft hair.Liam was across the rug, stacking wooden blocks into a tall tower, completely engrossed in his game.Leo lay on his side, his hands clutching the edge of my clothes, his eyes wide and fixed on the door leading to the main corridor."He won't hurt you, sweet boy," I whispered softly, leaning down so only he could hear me. "Merikh brought us here to keep us safe. He isn't like Caleb."Leo pulled my shirt tighter in his fist. He shook his head slowly, his lip trembling."He's big," Leo whispered back, his tiny voice barely a breath. "And his eyes look like the men with the needles. He's going to send me away when you're not looking.""He won't," I assured him, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "He wants you here. I want you here.""I only trust you, Mamma," he muttered, burying his face into my waist. "Only you."My chest tightened. Rebuilding Leo's trust was not going to be a mat







