로그인Lucien’s POVFor a long, drawn-out moment, she didn’t say anything.But I could hear the sound of her rapid breathing, each breath shallow and uneven. I could smell the faint hint of anger wafting from her, sharp beneath the lingering scent of fear.She was angry. Good. "If you carry my pup," I continued, keeping my voice steady, "Elvis cannot touch you."The room fell completely quiet.Even her breathing seemed to falter. "A human carrying the King's offspring," I explained, "is protected under pack law. Inviolable. No elder, no lord, no council member can make a claim against your safety or your movements without going through me directly."I finally turned to her again. I watched her carefully.There was something almost absurd about how still she had become.Like her mind had stopped moving while it tried to comprehend what I had just offered her.Protection.Freedom, in a twisted sense.All for something she clearly wanted no part of.Her expression was doing several things i
Lucien’s POV‘Kill.’My wolf slammed against the barrier with a violence that rattled through my bones.I clenched my fists against the desk, knuckles whitening, and held him back through sheer force of will.Cato kept his head bowed.He had delivered the report in the careful measured tone he used when the information was bad and he knew it—Five had been found in the library. Elvis had been waiting. She had been taken to the holding room in the east wing, which was not a cell but was close enough to one that the distinction barely mattered.“How long?” I asked.“Six hours, my king.”Six hours. Elvis had had her for six hours.My wolf threw himself forward again and I pushed back, my jaw clenching so hard it ached.“Leave,” I ordered.Cato left without another word, which was the correct decision.I stood, my legs automatically moving in the direction I wanted it to without thinking. It had been a trap. Elvis had brought her up at the council meeting and threatened her knowing I w
Five's POVHis eyes were glued to me, watching my face with a blank expression. He had done this before. I could tell by the way he focused, the way he spoke pleasantly. He was good at this. And while I might not have experience like him, I had reason. Reasons not to fall into his trap.My mind drifted to Fifty-nine.Years of shared meals and whispered fears and I had never once seen her for what she was until a gun was pointed at my head.This man had been dangerous since before he opened his mouth."You're very quiet," he observed. "For a slave who breaks into restricted libraries." He tilted his head. "Who the King assigns personally, dresses in his own sigil, and defends before the full council." 'Defends before the full council.'The king had defended me. My pulse hammered in my chest. That familiar treacherous warmth moving through it.Now's not the time to unpack that. Not when my faith rested in the hands of a dangerous, sly man. "One begins to wonder what exactly she is
Five’s POVHis words rang in my head. “Stay away from him.”“The only warning I intend to give you before this becomes something I can’t protect you from.”“Something I can’t protect you from.”I had fallen right into his trap.The something the King couldn’t protect me from. The exact situation he had warned me about. His aura pressed down on me, dark and eerie in a way that made goosebumps rise on my skin. I swallowed, forcing my body to keep from trembling. It wasn’t fear I felt. No. It was something else. Something darker. Warning bells rang in my ears. But it was too late.I had been caught. Cornered like a rat with nowhere left to run.A prey. Once again a prey. “Rise.” One word. Uttered with such authority, it almost rivaled the King’s.I looked up. He wasn’t what I expected.That was the first thing.I had expected someone overtly dangerous. Someone whose threat announced itself.Instead he was—pleasant looking.That was the word. Pleasant. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, t
Five’s POVThe king had known. I recalled the words from earlier, the words Cato had spoken. Warning me to stir clear of the library. The king had known all along that I’d been to the library and he had said nothing. It made no sense. And my reaction made no sense either.Because for the first time, I’d been tempted to obey. Not because it was necessary for survival, but because I wanted to. And I hated it. I hated that my treacherous soul was bonded to him in a way I couldn’t fight against. So I left the room that night. Simply because I needed to remind myself of what was at stake. Of every reason not to trust him. I moved through the halls quietly, practiced. I needed this.That was what I told myself as I moved through the dark.He had known about the library.He had said nothing.And I had felt warmth. I hated it. I hated it the way I hated the mate bond too, because it was happening inside me without my permission, rewriting things I needed to stay fixed.The library
Lucien's POVElvis's expression didn't change. But something behind his eyes did—a small sharp adjustment, recalibrating."My king," Elder Crane started carefully, "the principle of the matter—""The principle," I cut in firmly, turning to look at him, "is not your concern."Crane's mouth closed. He was close to a line and he knew it, could see it. I looked around the table slowly, making the eye contact deliberate and unhurried, letting each elder understand individually that I was not reacting. I was deciding."She is my slave," I continued, my voice carrying that low evenness that the room had learned over the years to treat as more serious than volume. "Assigned to my chambers. Operating under my authority." I paused. "Which means her movements—and her discipline—fall under my jurisdiction exclusively."'Mine!' My wolf growled, threatening to burst out and prove it. I clenched my fist, holding him back. "Of course, your majesty," someone murmured. "No one is suggesting otherwis
549’s POV The buzz of my alarm clock brought me back to life. It was 6:45am on the third moon day. Which meant— My room door burst open, and a familiar head of brown hair walked in. My reaction was instant, almost instinctive. I wrapped my arms around my body, trying—but failing to cover my br
549’s POVIt was time. For the first time, I wasn’t clad in a white dress. I wore a black trouser and a black turtleneck top. It felt… thrilling, like my first real act of rebellion. I was getting out of here with my friends. We’ll find other humans, find that paradise I’d dreamed of. We’ll be
549’s POV The forest swallowed me whole. Branches tore into my skin, as I moved, roots caught my feet—making me stumble. But I didn’t slow down, I couldn’t. The voices behind me were multiplying, flashlight beams cutting through the trees. I ran until my legs stopped working properly. Unti
549’s POV“What’re you doing?” I whispered. She didn’t respond, just kept the gun pointed at me with steady hand.Her eyes were fixed on me, cold and calculating. “Answer me!” I snapped, my throat feeling raw, my head starting to pound. “You can’t leave this place.” She finally responded, her vo







