AUBREYI lie in the darkness, staring at the ceiling as moonlight filters through the gossamer curtains. Sleep refuses to come, my mind churning with Lina's devastating revelations about the possibility that Jax might have manipulated my memories.What if everything I believed could be a lie?The thought makes my stomach clench with nausea. Even though nothing has been confirmed, even though we don't know for certain, just the possibility that my memories of that night, my loyalty to Jax, even my burning need for revenge could all be manufactured—it's terrifying beyond words.I turn restlessly in the massive bed, and my movement wakes Knox. His arm tightens around my waist as he stirs, pulling me closer against his warm chest."Can'
AUBREYThe narrow spiral staircase to Elder Lina's tower feels endless as I climb, my hand trailing along the cold stone wall for balance. Each step echoes softly in the confined space, mixing with the sound of my slightly labored breathing. I've been putting off this visit for days, but the diamond bracelet on my wrist—the one that somehow protected me from Jax's mental assault during the ceremony—deserves proper gratitude.Plus, I'm curious about her cryptic words. "Make the choice you already know in your heart." What did she mean by that?The scent of herbs and something else—something that tastes like old magic—grows stronger as I near the top. When I finally reach the heavy wooden door, I pause to catch my breath before knocking."Come in, child," Lina's
KNOXThe heavy oak door of my private study creaks as I pace behind my mahogany desk, afternoon sunlight streaming through tall windows and casting long shadows across scattered reports. Three days have passed since the Awakening Ceremony, and while the ritual itself was flawless—the wolf spirits blessing our union with ethereal beauty that still makes my chest swell with pride—everything afterward has felt wrong. Like watching storm clouds gather on what should be a clear horizon.Noah sits in the leather chair across from my desk, his wire-rimmed glasses catching the light as he studies a collection of documents with growing concern. The familiar scratch of his pen fills the silence between us, but I can see the tension in his shoulders that mirrors my own unease."Tell me about Nora's pack again," I say, stopping my restle
AUBREYThe sacred waters of the Moonlight Pool lap gently against the ancient stone edges, their surface reflecting the full moon like captured starlight. Knox stands beside me in the shallow water, his formal ceremonial robes clinging to his muscled frame as moonbeams dance across his skin. The entire werewolf kingdom surrounds us in a reverent circle, their faces upturned to witness this most sacred of rituals.This is it. The Awakening Ceremony that Jax demanded I sabotage.The thought makes my stomach clench with nausea, but Elder Lina's bracelet pulses warm against my wrist, a steady reminder of her words: Make the choice you already know in your heart."Are you ready?" Knox murmurs, his green eyes searching mine with tender concer
AUBREYThe morning light streaming through our chambers feels different somehow—warmer, more hopeful than it has in days. Knox sits on the edge of the bed, still wearing the clothes from last night's forest rescue, his dark hair mussed and his green eyes soft with the kind of tenderness I thought I'd lost forever."There's something we need to discuss," he says, his voice carrying that careful formality he uses when royal duty intrudes on personal moments. "The wedding arrangements."My stomach clenches, but not with the dread I'd expect. After last night—after he followed me into that corrupted grove, after he offered a truce instead of demands—something has shifted between us. The walls I've built feel less essential, less protective than they once did."The
KNOXI follow Aubrey's scent deeper into the forest. Her trail is erratic, panicked—the kind of desperate flight that speaks of terror rather than simple restlessness. My wolf paces anxiously beneath my skin, sensing our mate's distress through the bond that connects us despite the walls she's built between us."She's in pain," Liam growls, his presence sharp with protective fury. "Something has frightened her badly."I push harder through the underbrush, branches catching at my clothes as concern drives me forward. The fight between us has gone on too long. Whatever secrets Aubrey harbors, whatever truth she's protecting, watching her suffer while maintaining this distance is destroying us both.