登入Rosemary’s POV The heavy wooden front door clicked and swung open again. I quickly pulled my awareness back from the mindlink, forcing my face to go completely blank. Inside my soul, Celine and Nikolai were still tethered, but I had to hide the electric spark of hope buried deep within my chest. The handsome man stepped back into the warm light of the cottage, dusting a microscopic speck of ash from his dark velvet sleeve. He looked entirely unbothered, as if he hadn't just been ordering a ruthless army of killers to burn down innocent villages. "You really shouldn't stress yourself by listening at doors, sweet Rosemary," he said, his voice light and casual as he walked over to the sideboard. He poured himself another splash of red wine, the crystal decanter catching the amber glow of the oil lamp. "Those rogues out there," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to keep his attention entirely on me. "They are monsters. They are murdering families at the border, and you spe
Rosemary’s POV After the terrifying conversation with the man in the gold-trimmed tunic, my body completely gave out. The emotional shock, combined with the heavy remnants of the sleeping drug still running through my veins, left me dead tired. I curled into a tight ball on the edge of the velvet sofa, pulling my arms around myself as the fireplace crackled quietly in the corner, waiting through the long, agonizing hours of the day. As the sun began to dip below the horizon again, bringing a second evening of captivity, the heavy wooden doors of the cottage creaked open. I didn't move. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to be fast asleep, but my ears strained to catch every sound. Heavy, muddy boots stamped across the expensive silk rug. "We are losing too many members, Master!" a rough, gravelly voice barked, filled with panic and anger. It was a rogue. "The Moon Claw warriors are savages! The King turned into a monster when he realized the girl was gone. He slaughtered dozens of
Kieran’s POV The silver crystal bit deep into my palm, drawing a tiny line of blood that mixed with the mud on the tunnel floor. I barely felt it. The only thing I could feel was the terrifying, echoing silence where Rosemary’s beautiful soul should have been. I stood up, the darkness of the stone tunnel closing in around me, ready to roar my orders to the guards. But before I could take a single step back toward the castle, a chaotic wave of panicked voices flooded my mind through the pack link. *Alpha King! We are under attack!* Marcus’s voice cut through the link, breathless and desperate. *The eastern border patrols are down! Rogues—hundreds of them—have just breached the outer walls! They are tearing into the lower village!* "Damn it!" I hissed, my golden eyes flashing in the dark. I sprinted back through the iron door and into the hallways, my boots slamming against the stone. The peace of the coronation evening was completely shattered. As I burst back into the grand hall,
Rosemary’s POV I pressed myself harder against the wooden wall, my hands gripping the fabric of my dress as he took a slow, casual step toward me. "Who are you?" I demanded, forcing my voice to sound steady, though my hands were shaking violently. "What do you want with me? If you know what is good for you, you will let me go before the Alpha King finds this place." The man let out a low, amused chuckle, walking over to the small gold-trimmed table to pour himself a glass of dark red wine from a crystal decanter. "The Alpha King is currently tearing up the northern borders, sweet Rosemary. He thinks Vance and Drake took you to their home packs. He won't be finding this cottage anytime soon." "Tell me your name," I snapped, my blue eyes glaring at him. "Names have power, little bird, and I don't think I will give you mine just yet," he smiled, taking a slow sip of his wine. He walked over to a high-backed leather chair and sat down, crossing one elegant leg over the other, chattin
Rosemary’s POV A heavy, pounding ache behind my eyes was the first thing that greeted me as I slowly pulled myself out of the dark. My throat felt completely parched, burning with the dry, chemical aftertaste of the sweet drug they had forced down my throat. I groaned softly, trying to lift my arm, but my limbs felt as heavy as lead weights. I opened my eyes, blinking frantically against the soft, warm light of the room. I wasn't in the damp, terrifying dirt tunnel anymore. I was lying on a plush, velvet sofa inside what looked like a cozy forest cottage. But as my vision cleared, I realized this wasn't a normal hunter's cabin. The walls were built from expensive, polished mahogany wood, a beautiful silk rug lay on the floor, and a crystal oil lamp sat on a heavy gold-trimmed side table. It was perfectly kept, showing a level of immense wealth and expensive taste that felt entirely out of place in the middle of the deep woods. I tried to sit up, but a sudden wave of dizziness for
Kieran’s POV I dropped the heavy feather quill onto the parchment, the thick black ink forming a bold, permanent line as I signed my name at the bottom of the final alliance scroll. "There," Marcus muttered beside me, leaning over the grand wooden table to blow gently on the wet ink. "The northern border treaties are officially sealed, Kieran. Your father would have been proud of the iron terms you managed to extract from those lords today." "My father didn't have to worry about securing five different pack lines at once," I replied, my voice a low baritone as I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I was completely exhausted by the endless political chatter, but the thought of my mate instantly brought a wave of absolute peace over me. I looked up, a soft smile already forming on my lips as my eyes automatically traveled toward the grand glass doors near the edge of the hall. I expected to see the deep, shimmering midnight-blue of her silk dress catching the light of the rose gardens. I







