登入AJ was silently fuming as he derobed.
He was actually sulking, but "sulking" wasn't very enigma-like, so he chose to call it fuming. It felt more dignified, even if the tight knot in his chest felt pathetic."You're sulking.""I'm not."Boo sat cross-legged on the bed, dressed in silk night robes, watching him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation."You can't be serious, AJ. It was nothing.""You spent the whole night alone with himThe stone walls of the watchtower offered little protection against the biting winter cold, but inside the small, isolated chamber, the temperature was a roaring furnace. Outside the narrow arrow-slits, a heavy, silent snow blanketed the jagged peaks of the dark mountains, the pale flakes drifting lazily through the crisp evening air. Inside, the only light came from a single, sputtering iron torch, casting long, dancing shadows across the floorboards.Boo sat on the edge of a heavy wooden chest, the absolute picture of elegant depravity. He was an omega of high standing, poised and refined in public, which only made his private lawlessness all the more intoxicating. His dark eyes were hooded, lashes wet, dilated with a wild heat as he tilted his head back against the cold stone, a wicked, knowing smirk playing upon his parted lips.His trousers had already been discarded onto the stone floor, and he deliberately kicked his pale thighs wide apart, completely exposing his swollen cu
The study was a heavy, suffocating mix of cedar, ink, weathered parchment, and the thick, dominating bite of Alpha pheromones.A fire worked itself in the massive stone hearth, fighting back the winter afternoon. Outside, the snow choked the rooftops of Embermoon, burying the fortress in brilliant, blinding sheets of white and silver under a dead, pale sun. But inside, the heat was sweltering, sticky enough that half the council had already ripped off their outer coats. Maps were plastered over every square inch of wood. Military reports rose in chaotic, uneven towers. Trade agreements bled into supply ledgers. Whole nations, millions of lives, had been bled dry and reduced to mere ink strokes and carved wooden blocks.And right in the throat of it sat Evren.The Alpha of Embermoon anchored the head of the war table, radiating the same blood-chilling, motionless menace he brought to the front lines. He wore a black military coat, the silver thread at his cuffs and collar catching the
AJ was silently fuming as he derobed.He was actually sulking, but "sulking" wasn't very enigma-like, so he chose to call it fuming. It felt more dignified, even if the tight knot in his chest felt pathetic."You're sulking.""I'm not."Boo sat cross-legged on the bed, dressed in silk night robes, watching him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation."You can't be serious, AJ. It was nothing.""You spent the whole night alone with him," AJ snapped, his voice low and gravelly deep as he aggressively ripped his shirt off and hurled it toward the bed."At the watchtower! I didn't even go to his room," Boo said, rolling his eyes as he leaned forward, the silk of his robe parting slightly. "We were just talking."AJ said nothing.The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating.He grabbed the scattered clothes off the bed and dumped them onto the dresser, his back rigidly turned. He was trying t
Morning arrived slowly over Embermoon.The first light of dawn spilled across fortress walls and snow packed courtyards, turning stone silver beneath the pale winter sky. Smoke drifted upward from dozens of chimneys while warriors changed shifts along the walls and servants hurried through corridors carrying baskets, breakfast trays and armfuls of firewood. The fortress always woke early. It had long before Evren was born and it would continue long after he was gone.High above the rest of the settlement, within the Alpha's quarters, Eira remained buried beneath enough blankets to survive a blizzard.Four days.She had been back in Embermoon for four days.Four days of sleeping in Evren's bed.Four days of servants.Four days of guards.Four days of luxury.Four days of hearing the same title.Mistress.Nobody said it cruelly. That would've been easier to ignore.The guards said it respectfully. The servants said it respectfully. Tina said it respectfully. Every person she encountered
"Mistress?"Holden looked genuinely offended. He stood on the opposite side of the war table staring at Evren like he'd just announced plans to burn down Embermoon himself. "You offered her to be your mistress? Forgive me, Alpha, but this is Eira we're talking about."Evren didn't even look up. His finger continued tracing routes across the map spread over the table. "Take Eastreach."Holden blinked."What?""Take Eastreach," Evren repeated. "It's smaller than Highbranch. We can secure it before winter and establish a permanent trade route before Sandspire notices what we're doing."Leander glanced up from a stack of reports and immediately groaned. "Moon Goddess, he's doing that thing again.""What thing?" Holden asked."The thing where he pretends we're discussing military campaigns because he doesn't want to discuss his personal disasters.""I am discussing military campaigns.""No, you're avoiding me." Holden folded his arms while Evren calmly moved another pawn across the map. "
Eira looked away, remaining silent. Evren watched her for a long moment before sighing. He wanted answers. Moon Goddess, he wanted answers. Seven years of questions had followed him into every battlefield, every council meeting, every sleepless night. But she was here now. Alive. Breathing. Close enough to touch."Fine." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Keep your secrets for one more night then. You're not going anywhere."Eira's throat tightened unexpectedly. He should have been angry. Maybe he was. The worst part was that he was trying not to be."In the meantime," he continued quietly, his hand settling against her leg, "you will stay here."Eira looked up. Something in his expression made her chest hurt. Not because he looked furious, but because he looked tired—exhausted in a way she had never seen before.Then he added, "You will be my mistress."The words hit her like a slap. Mistress. Not Luna. Not mate. Mistres
It was one of those days. A meaningfully boring one. Eira had been awake for nearly an hour already.Interestingly enough, she hadn't done anything. Her day was just starting unlike the others who had been running around. She had been awake because she couldn't find sleep. Her mind wasn't at res
Two days in Embermoon pack and it was glaring that they were being held hostage. Alpha Ethan couldn't possibly and didn't care about Evren's feelings or emotions. He had given a simple command. Get married and make an heir. The omega mate could be kept as a concubine. In those two days, Evren w
It was barely a week later when Evren was summoned by the Alpha of Embermoon pack. A pack he had heard of only in fragments, a pack that was surrounded by cold and were indeed very brutal. A pack which most packs would either make an ally or avoid entirely. Featherwaters was one of them. Which
Evren didn't let go of her right away. They stood longer than they should, water still dripping off him. Eira pressed her forehead into his chest again, right over his heart and he tightened his arm around her. "You smell like you were ready to kill someone," she said quietly. He huffed. "I was.







