Mag-log inFive’s POV Five days of scraps of food. Barely enough water to keep me alive. Five days of sleeping against cold stone, waking to the sound of guards passing outside the door and wondering whether the next time it opened would be the last time I saw the light of day. My body was beyond weak. Every movement hurt. My stomach had long since stopped growling. Hunger had turned into a dull, constant ache that I barely noticed anymore. My limbs felt heavy, my head occasionally swimming whenever I stood for too long. But my mind still moved with that same unrelenting determination. If anything, it had become sharper. Elijah had visited enough times to confirm my suspicions. And every time he left, he took another piece of my hope with him. It brought an ache to my chest at the reality of it, but somewhere deep down, I still hoped I was wrong. I still hoped this was all some terrible misunderstanding. “Five,” he whispered as he once again stepped into the holding room. “Things co
Five’s POVFive days of scraps of food.Barely enough water to keep me alive.Five days of sleeping against cold stone, waking to the sound of guards passing outside the door and wondering whether the next time it opened would be the last time I saw the light of day.My body was beyond weak.Every movement hurt.My stomach had long since stopped growling. Hunger had turned into a dull, constant ache that I barely noticed anymore. My limbs felt heavy, my head occasionally swimming whenever I stood for too long.But my mind still moved with that same unrelenting determination.If anything, it had become sharper.Elijah had visited enough times to confirm my suspicions.And every time he left, he took another piece of my hope with him.It brought an ache to my chest at the reality of it, but somewhere deep down, I still hoped I was wrong.I still hoped this was all some terrible misunderstanding.“Five,” he whispered as he once again stepped into the holding room. “Things could go right,
Five's POV'All you've done is whine and throw tantrums.'The words echoed in my head. Over And over.And over again.Not because they were cruel, but because they had been true. All I'd done since I got here was throw tantrums. I'd gotten information, but nothing useful. Just history. It wasn't always like this. So what? I still didn't know if the human pack existed, what Fifty-nine had truly been after. I still hadn't gained the freedom Twelve had died for. I balled my fist. The only way out of this situation was to be bred. I let out a bitter laugh. I had come this far, had killed my own friend with my hand, just to end up with the faith I'd been avoiding?No.I refuse. Something surged from within me. Something that made my entire body jolt. My vision sharpened, my senses becoming alert. My focus zeroed on one point. On one goal. I was done being the victim, done being the predator. It was time to prey. That was the last thing on my mind before Elijah walked into
Lucien’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
549’s POV"You’ll never return to us." Twelve’s words echoed in my head. The dread tinged with melancholy made it sound more like a sentencing than a prediction. I stood on the far end of the line, my gaze on the floor, my shoulders squared, chest pushed out—just the way we were taught. My body
549’s POV “What did they say?” Twelve asked as she twisted the cap of her water bottle. I shrugged, trying to act casual. “I passed.” She froze, then her eyes snapped to mine. I looked away, unable to bear the pity that swirled in those grey orbs. “Oh five forty nine,” she sighed, droppin
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 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







