LOGINZlata
It was my first official visit to another pack as the king's mate, and Julian laughed, watching me flip frantically through my outfits."It's just Colin's pack. He's family — no need to be so polished. Relax, angel."I looked at him — just jeans and a black shirt. And still, he looked like a god. With that body and that face, he'd look stunning in a potato sack.For me, going out in just a shirt in autumn wasn't an option; I felt the cold like any huJulianI was already running before I understood why.Zlata's pain came down the bond like a blade going in under my ribs, and I was out of the council chamber mid-sentence, taking the east stairs four at a time with Elders shouting somewhere behind me.Inside Luna's quarters, Zlata was half-conscious on the floor with Tessa, Julia, and Fiorella panicking around her."She's about to give birth!" Tessa exclaimed, grabbing my hand, digging her nails into my flesh without realising it."Impossible. She isn't due for—"The words died in my throat as I saw the puddle spreading beneath her. Liquid and blood, and far too much of it.I scooped her into my arms and ran."Zlata, wake up." She didn't react. Her eyes stayed shut, the long lashes trembling as her eyelids moved restlessly beneath them. "Angel. Look at me."Cold sweat broke across my forehead. It couldn't be. We had survived Valeria's schemes, her sister's ambush, the rogues. My queen could not die on me now. Not from this. Not from
ZlataFour months later"You're eating not for two but for four, Your Majesty," Tessa laughed, and my fork froze mid-air.I'd only had a club sandwich, a Caesar salad, and a slice of cheesecake. Not so much… well. It was a lot, considering I'd had breakfast two hours ago."Dear, ignore her. Eat as much as you want," Julia said.I sighed. Tessa, usually plump, had somehow lost weight while pregnant, and with seven weeks still to go, she looked like a woman on a magazine cover. I, on the other hand, was due in a fortnight and had the shape of a large balloon. I looked down at my swollen feet and set down a fork loaded with brownie.Julia leaned over for a glass of water, and as her collar slid, I gasped, spotting a fresh mating mark.Julia went pink. "Harley and I mated yesterday," she mumbled."Congratulations! Took you long enough," Tessa said. "The poor man was terrified you'd never accept him.""I'm a mother. I wanted to be sure Rafe was comfortable with him first.""Oh, Rafe adores
Zlata It was the day of the trial. I went out early for a walk, trying to organise my scattered thoughts. I found Julia sitting on a bench in the garden. "Julz." I sat down beside her and covered her hand with mine. "I can imagine how shocking this is. But Harley is your mate. Consider his feelings too." "Luna." She sighed. "I understand how he feels. Finding his fated mate and having her not want him." Her thumb worked at a loose thread on her skirt. "But Tim will always be in my heart, and he's Rafe's father. How do I explain to my son that a new man is taking his dad's place? And I'm not ready for a relationship myself." "Then tell Harley that. Start slowly, as friends. Introduce him to Rafe gradually and see how the boy reacts. Rafe is a lovely child, but he'll need a father figure one day, and Harley is a good man." "It's easy for you to say." It came out sharper than she meant it, and I watched her flinch at her own voice. "Forgive me, Luna. I only—" She pressed her hand
ZlataI did not go to Thalia that night. I slept in Julian's arms, went to the Royal Academy and the clinic the next day, and only after lunch did I make my way down to the dungeon.The stairs leading underground pulled up memories I had spent months trying to bury."You are in the palace, Zlata. You are safe," Coco murmured, like a lullaby, and I let out a slow breath.No smell of mould. No dripping water, the way there had been in the Glowing Moon dungeon. The air was a little heavier down here, but the flowery scent of the upper halls still reached me. I came to Thalia's cell — if it could really be called a cell. It was a comfortable room, with a bathroom, a queen-size bed, a table, an armchair, a TV, shelves of books, and even air conditioning.Thalia sat on the bed studying her nails, looking far fresher and better fed than the last time I'd seen her."Sister. You came." She sprang to her feet — and her face darkened when she saw that I hadn't stepped inside and that two guards
JulianDistress came rolling through the bond, sharp enough that I set down the papers mid-sentence and was moving before I had decided to move.I needed no explanation the moment I saw them. Cassandra sobbed into her hands at the garden gate. Zlata walked back toward the palace, her spine straight and her shoulders all wrong.Again, her so-called mother had tried to bend her. And it didn't take a genius to know what she'd been begging for. Thalia's freedom.“Say the word,” Tyr growled. “I'll have her put over the border and told never to breathe our air again.”Not yet. Zlata first.I found her in the bedroom, sitting on the sofa, staring at the wall."Angel?"She turned to me with an expression I couldn't read, and that frightened me more than tears would have."Julian, I'm tired." Her voice was flat and very calm. "Just tired of living up to everyone's expectations. Of doing everything perfectly and losing anyway. I'll never forgive myself…" She swallowed hard. "Maverick's death."
Zlata"My dear, I know you hate me — but please, help me one last time," Cassandra rasped.Her face was twisted with pain. The once-proud, polished Beta female now looked like an unkempt old woman.I said nothing.Cassandra stepped closer and reached for my hand. I yanked it away."Aurelia, please, don't be cruel. Your sister's trial is in three days. Plead for her."I didn't move, didn't speak. I only waited to see how far Cassandra would go before she heard how absurd she sounded. But she read my silence the wrong way — took it for my defenses melting, for me giving in, the way I had a thousand times before.Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Not the natural kind, born of sorrow, but forced — a better performance."Aurelia, you have a heart of gold. I know you'd never let your sister die. Just speak to your mate. I'm certain he'd soften her sentence."I smirked. "Soften it? Thalia murdered the royal prince — the twin brother of the werewolf king — and you expect her sentence
Aurelia I spun around. She was clutching her stomach, sobbing loudly as the china and soufflé lay scattered across the floor."You tried to poison me!" she yelled. "You're jealous that I have a pup and you wanted to kill him!"Travis, my mother, and Jordan rushed in as if they had been waiting behi
Aurelia"Alpha, the Luna was indeed in the clinic today for a check-up," the healer began, giving me a dismissive glance. "But she is not pregnant. In fact, her uterus is far too weak; she will never be able to conceive."I blinked, my heart hammering against my ribs. I could feel the soft, steady h
AureliaThe scent of antiseptic hit my nostrils, and my eyes flew open. My mother's displeased face was the first thing I saw."Finally awake?" she spat.No "How do you feel?" No "What happened?" Just words that sounded like a criminal accusation. My father stood next to her, arms folded, his expres
Aurelia"Luna, you are six weeks along."My eyes filled with tears. For weeks I had been waking to a dull ache low in my belly, and I had come to the clinic braced for bad news. Not this."The placenta has not fully attached, so the pregnancy is fragile," the healer went on, his voice turning carefu







