LOGINNixon’s POV"You are going to burn the entire east wing down if you keep that up," a sharp voice cut through the damp heat.I did not turn around.My knuckles were raw from scrubbing the blackened copper pot.The head chef stood by the heavy timber prep table.Her eyes were fixed on the silver tray in my hands."It is finished," I said.My voice sounded like gravel grinding under a boot.I had been awake since three in the morning.My eyes burned from the fumes of diced onions.My skin smelled of crushed peppers and grease.The chef stepped closer.She did not bow.She looked straight into the pot."The Grand Luna does not eat mush," she said."It is not for my mother," I said.Her fingers froze on the edge of her stained linen apron.She looked at me properly then.The silence stretched between us until the iron pipes in the wall began to hiss."The human girl," she whispered."My mate," I corrected.I gripped the cold handles of the tray tighter."She does not belong here, Alpha,"
Simone’s POV"Say those words again."The lead elder did not look up from his papers. His thumb pressed hard against the heavy bond paper."Not guilty."I kept my spine perfectly rigid. My boots gripped the cold stone floor of the chamber.The lead elder raised his head. His eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Not guilty?"A low murmur started in the back row of the gallery. It grew louder.I did not turn around to look at them. I kept my eyes locked on the front bench.To my right, a floorboard creaked.Mother shifted her weight on the high wooden bench. Her fingers clamped onto the carved armrest. Her skin turned a sharp, bloodless white around her knuckles.The lead elder leaned across the massive desk. "Are you entirely certain of this plea, Luna Simone?""Why would I tell a lie to this council?"My voice did not shake. I forced the air steady through my lungs.The murmurs behind me turned into sharp whispers. Somebody cleared their throat with a loud, wet sound."I believed this circle
Simone’s POV"Open the door before they break it down!" Zoey hissed.I bolted upright.The mattress springs groaned under my weight.My eyes burned in the pitch black of the bedroom."Get out," I rasped.Zoey did not move from the threshold.Her fingers twitched against her wool skirt."The sentinels are in the corridor," she whispered.I dropped my bare feet onto the floorboards.The morning chill shot straight up my spine."Why are they here?" I asked."The elders," Zoey said.She swallowed hard.The sound was incredibly loud in the small space."They want you in the circle," she added.My breath caught in my throat."Now?" I asked.Zoey nodded once.Her chin trembled in the dim grey light."They are calling it a tribunal," she said.I stood up.My knee joints clicked."Find my green dress," I said.Zoey rushed to the wardrobe.The heavy wooden doors creaked open."They will see the marks if you wear that one," she said."Good," I muttered.I wanted them to see.I wanted every singl
Scout’s POV"Do not let the water go cold, Luna," the omega whispered.She backed out of the door.Her slippers clicked against the hard tile floor.The heavy oak door clicked shut in the frame.Silence filled the small space.I reached for the first button on my tunic.My fingers shook against the cold metal.My muscle fibres throbbed from the strain of the last three hours.I pulled the fabric apart.Dried blood filled the weave of the cloth.It peeled away from my ribs with a wet, tearing sound.I dropped the shirt onto the floor.It hit the tiles with a heavy thud.I looked down at my bare stomach.Dark grey bruises ringed my hip bones.A long scrape ran from my ribs down to my waist.The blood had dried into a black crust along the edges.I stepped toward the copper tub.Steam rose in thick sheets from the surface.I lifted one foot over the rim.The heat scorched my skin.I gripped the edge of the metal tub until my knuckles went white.I lowered myself into the water.An involu
Scout’s POV"Keep your weight on me," Christopher muttered.My heel caught the edge of the stone tiling."I am trying," I said.My breath hitched in my throat.Every step felt like dragging lead through my veins. The skin across my ribs burned with a sharp, heavy throb."You are shaking," he said.His fingers gripped my arm tighter."The infirmary was freezing," I said."The corridors are worse," Christopher replied.August walked five paces ahead of us. Her spine was a rigid line. Her chin stayed high. She did not look back once to check on my progress.A shadow shifted near the archway behind us."I did not get to properly introduce myself," a voice called out.The sound was smooth. Soft. It felt like honey poured over a blade.I stopped.My balance wobbled.Christopher caught my elbow before my knee buckled completely.Iris stepped out from the dim light of the doorway. Her hands were folded neatly over her stomach. Her white dress did not have a single wrinkle."I am Iris," she sa
Ezekiel’s POV"One day, this face will fail me," I whispered to the steam on the glass.I leaned closer to the mirror.I gripped the silver tweezers.My skin pulled tight under the metal tip.I pinched a single grey hair near my temple.I yanked it out.The sharp pain hit my nerve endings instantly.It felt clean.It felt controlled.I stared at the tiny bulb of the root.Another small piece of decay, destroyed.People called this look distinguished.They called it handsome for a man of my years.I despised that phrase.It felt like a timer ticking inside my skull.I squeezed a dollop of cold gel onto my palm.I rubbed my hands together until the chemical lather turned thick.I smeared it over my jawline.I dragged my fingers upward against the skin.Forehead.Cheeks.The bridge of my nose.I rinsed with water that burned my skin red.I pressed the heavy Egyptian cotton towel into my face.My mobile buzzed twice against the marble counter.I picked it up.Simone Cranberry had sent a t







