LOGINCHARLOTTEThe wind was howling again.It rattled the windowpanes and made the torches along the corridor flicker, throwing long, shivering shadows across the stone walls. I’d gotten used to the sound of the palace breathing at night but tonight felt different. Uneasy. Charged.Maybe because I couldn’t sleep.I’d spent the last hour pacing back and forth in my chamber, my mind still clouded with thoughts of Jeffrey—his pale, still face, the sound of his coughing, the way his hand had felt so cold in mine. No healer had been able to wake him, and every passing day made it harder to breathe.And yet, somewhere deep inside me, there was a voice whispering that this wasn’t the end. That someone had done this on purpose.I stopped pacing and glanced toward my mother’s old chest, sitting half-covered in dust near the corner of the room. She’d brought it with her when she came here years ago, but it had remained sealed ever since. I never had the heart to open it, she always said it contained
CHARLOTTE The room went deathly still the moment Jeffrey began coughing. At first, it was faint but then it grew sharper, harsher, until droplets of red stained his hand.“Jeffrey?” I gasped, my voice breaking as I rushed to his side.He stumbled backward, one hand gripping the edge of the table for balance, his face pale as death.“Jeffrey!” I called again, louder this time, panic rising like fire in my chest.He tried to speak, to reassure me, but instead another cough wracked his body. Blood sprayed across the polished marble floor. The blood stain glared up at me, and my heart nearly stopped.Gasps filled the council chamber. And from the look on their faces, they all feared that Jeffrey had gotten a deadly disease.One of the elders whispered, “The Alpha is ill, he must have been hiding it.”Another muttered something about a curse. A few rose from their seats and began to murmur, their words were so vile one would think they had an issue with the Jeffery before now. Now I final
EMMALAINEThe maid knelt before me, her trembling fingers carefully brushing over my ankle as she cleaned away the dried stain from my skin. Her hands were clumsy, too slow for my liking.“Not that color,” I snapped impatiently, glaring down at the tray of polish beside her. “The red one, not this dull thing. Do I look like someone who wears peasant pink?”The maid flinched. “I—I’m sorry, my lady.”Before she could finish, the door burst open with a loud bang, slamming against the wall.I turned sharply, my irritation rising like a wave. “What in the Goddess’ name..”Evelyn stormed in, her eyes wild and her chest heaving. “Get out!” she barked at the maid, who jumped and scrambled away, nearly tripping over herself as she fled the room.I straightened, frowning. “Evelyn, what’s the meaning of this?”She slammed the door shut behind her, pacing the room like a caged wolf. “You’re not going to believe what I just heard.”I tilted my head, annoyance giving way to curiosity. “Then stop pa
CHARLOTTEThe door slammed open so violently that the sound echoed through the entire chamber, making me jump. My hand jerked, and the porcelain teacup I was holding trembled dangerously close to spilling.Before I could even react, a man stormed in. His eyes, silver and stormy, locked on me as if I’d just stepped out of his deepest memory.I froze. My heart stuttered in confusion as he came closer, every step deliberate, every breath unsteady.He was tall with an aura of dominance that nearly rivaled Jeffrey’s, but colder, more ancient. His power radiated through the room, pressing against my chest, stealing my breath.Then… he stopped right in front of me.For a long moment, he said nothing. He simply looked at me with trembling hands that hovered in the air before one finally reached forward.His fingers brushed my cheek.Softly. Almost reverently.“You…” His voice was rough, like it hadn’t spoken this name in decades. “You have her eyes.”I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe. My e
ALPHA JEFFREY The grand treaty hall was alive with tension. Every corner buzzed with murmurs and half-heard arguments. The banners of twenty-seven packs hung from the vaulted ceiling. I sat at the head of the long marble table. Yet even from that height, I could feel the strain that pressed against the room. Every alpha here carried his own hunger, his own desperation.“Let the meeting commence,” I said, my voice echoing through the hall.Instantly, the chatter fell away. Dozens of eyes turned toward me.I took a breath and began. “We are gathered to discuss the renewal of the Unity Treaty, one that ensures peace, trade, and shared protection among all packs under the Silvermoon Alliance. Each of your territories benefits from the border patrols and medical supplies funded by this treaty, and in turn, the crown expects stability and loyalty.”Murmurs rippled again. Alpha Varron of the Shadow Ridge Pack rose to his feet first, his face drawn and tired. “Your Majesty,” he began, voic
LIAMThe first thing I felt when consciousness dragged me back was pain.Sharp, searing pain sliced through my arm. My vision blurred for a moment, and I hissed under my breath, trying to move. My body ached like it had been hit by a truck. Which, considering the explosion I remembered before everything went black, wasn’t far from the truth.I blinked several times, forcing my eyes to adjust to the harsh white light above me. A hospital ceiling. Machines humming beside me. I looked down and saw my arm wrapped in thick bandages, an IV line taped into my skin.“Damn it,” I muttered, jaw tightening as I shifted my arm and felt the sting. The last thing I remembered was the car veering off the highway and then flames. Whoever did that wanted me gone for good.My lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. They failed.I reached for the table beside the bed and grabbed my phone. My fingers trembled slightly, but I ignored it and dialed a number. The moment I heard the familiar voice on the







