LOGINElara’s POVI was absolutely mad at him.Furious. Seething. Ready to claw his eyes out with my bare hands.The way he'd questioned me about the ‘wolf in the woods’—the way he'd looked at me like I was some kind of traitor, some kind of unfaithful wife who couldn't be trusted… He had no right. No right at all.He was literally fucking a whore on our wedding night. That made me wonder… were we really married? Our vows were ‘exchanged' as such. We just signed papers. I didn't even read through the entire thing. It was all bullshit about being a ‘perfect, little, good wife'! I hadn't given it much before… but now… But now, as I stormed through the corridors, my anger slowly began to cool. And in its place, something else emerged.Doubt.Maybe I should tell Dustan. Maybe I should swallow my pride and just... tell him the truth.About Kael. About the connection I felt. About the impossible, inexplicable fact that I seemed to have another mate apart from my husband. It didn't make sense
Dustan’s POVI stared at Lyria. Thank the Moon, my mind was still struggling to process what I'd just heard… otherwise I would have just shredded the trespasser on the spot. Did she really just—did she actually eavesdrop on us—"The hell are you doing snooping around in my garden?" I growled, my voice low and irritated. "Did I not forbid you? Do you have a death wish?"But unlike before, Lyria seemed completely unfazed by my roar. She took a couple of shy steps forward, swaying her hips as she played with the strand of her hair that she was tucking behind her ear. Her smile was infuriatingly smug."Alpha," she purred, her voice dripping with false innocence. "I couldn't not hear this conversation. It was quite... revealing."She reached out and touched my arm, her fingers squeezing my bicep. I flinched at the contact, my skin crawling at the audacity. "Get your hands off me," I snapped.She ignored me completely, leaning forward until her lips were almost brushing my ear. Her brea
Dustan's POVThe All Alpha meet had been a disaster.Three hours of arguing, posturing, and thinly veiled insults. Alphas from every territory had gathered in the great hall, their egos filling the space more than their efforts.They'd talked in circles, each one more concerned with protecting their own borders than with the larger threat."Your security is lax, Cassian. That's why they got through.""Our patrols are stretched thin. Maybe if the western packs contributed more—""We've already given more than our share. It's not our fault your wolves can't handle a few rogues."On and on it went. Accusations. Deflections. Blame shifting.And through it all, I sat in my wheelchair, gritting my teeth, trying not to lose my temper. They looked at me with pity or contempt—I couldn't decide which was worse. The crippled Alpha. The broken wolf. The man who couldn't even protect his own mate.I'd tried to contribute. Tried to share what I'd learned from the files Cassian had given me. But my
Dustan's POVI didn't sleep that night.Elara had been placed in our chambers under heavy guard, Cassian's men were posted at every entrance. I'd wanted to stay with her, to watch over her, to make sure she didn't disappear again. But something had stopped me. The memory of that kiss? The way she'd melted into another man's arms? I don't know. I just didn't want to face her alone. So I'd retreated to my study, nursing a glass of whiskey I hadn't touched, staring at the walls until dawn broke.The morning light crept through the windows. I rubbed my eyes, my body aching from the shift the night before. The Rage wolf was still there, coiled just beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to break free.I heard the sounds before I saw them. The clatter of armor. The bark of orders. The hurried footsteps of servants running back and forth. Too much noise at the break of dawn could only mean one thing, preparation. Something was happening.I wheeled myself to the window and looked down
Dustan's POVI had been roaming these cursed rogue lands for what felt like an eternity. My Rage wolf form consumed me completely. A beast of pure fury, driven by a singular purpose…find mate. Find Elara.The forest blurred past me as I ran, my massive paws devouring the ground. Trees became shadows, the night air filled with the scent of pine and earth and blood. I had already torn through two rogue patrols that had been foolish enough to cross my path. They had paid for their insolence with their lives.But none of them had given me what I wanted. None of them had told me where she was.Or perhaps the Rage wolf wasn't patient enough for interrogation. And the dead didn't talk. My heart pounded against my ribs, a relentless drumbeat of desperation. The bond between us was faint—muffled, as if something was deliberately blocking it. I had felt it flicker once, a surge of fear so intense it had nearly brought me to my knees. And then nothing.She was alive. I knew that much. I could
Elara's POVThe massive black wolf crashed through the treeline like a thunderbolt, his golden eyes blazing with fury. Thank the Moon, Kael was back. He was a blur of shadow and rage, launching himself at Sera before she could bring her claws down on me.Sera screamed as Kael's jaws clamped around her arm, wrenching her away from me. She tumbled across the muddy bank, scrambling to her feet with inhuman speed."Alpha!" she shrieked, her voice twisting between adoration and betrayal. "Alpha, stop! What are you doing?"Kael shifted mid-leap, his body reforming into human shape as he landed between me and Sera. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving, and I'd never seen him look so terrifying. His golden eyes were rimmed with red, his claws fully extended, his teeth bared in a snarl."Stay away from her," he growled.Sera's face contorted—the black veins pulsing beneath her pale skin, her yellow eyes flickering with something between madness and heartbreak."She bewitched you!" Sera s
Elara's POVI was expecting something grand.Or at least intimidating.Instead, when the heavy doors of the King’s castle opened and I was led inside, the place felt eerily empty.Not abandoned—but quiet in a way that made my skin prickle.No crowd was there waiting to mock me.No curious nobles whispe
Dustan's POVRoric wheeled me away from the corridor where Elara had just hurried off. I kept my face blank, my eyes forward, my hands resting on the armrests of the chair. The mask was firmly in place.But inside, something twisted.I had seen her face when she looked at me. The way her smile had
Elara's POVI closed the door after shoving Lyria out and leaned against it.My forehead pressed to the cool wood. My hands were shaking. My heart was pounding. My entire body thrummed with the aftermath of what I'd just done.I'd finally confronted her! Finally I had given her the taste of her own
Elara’s POVI didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until my chest started hurting.The hall had gone dead quiet—like the kind of silence that pressed against my ears. The kind that told me something was about to go very, very wrong.And it did.“Lord Vale,” the attendant called out.My stomach







