LOGINI took a deep, shuddering breath of the freezing air. Before I could take my first step out into the freezing snow, Nora suddenly gasped, her eyes widening as if struck by a realization."Wait—stop, Luna, stop!" she whispered urgently, grabbing my arm and pulling me back into the shadowed doorway just as the biting wind howled outside.I stumbled, my heart leaping into my throat. "Nora, what—?""The woods," she breathed, her face pale with dread as she frantically reached into the deep pocket of her apron. "I almost forgot. The rogue attacks along the northern ridge have been on the rise like mad these past few weeks. Entire hunting parties have come back half-mauled, and travelers don't even make it three miles past the border before . . . goddess, Elara, if you walk out there smelling like a weak, starving human, a pack of starved rogues will tear you to pieces before you even reach the treeline."My blood ran cold. I knew how dangerous rogues could be. Even the pack warriors strugg
Nora's face crumpled as she looked at me. Tears filled her tired eyes, and she let out a shaky breath before gently covering my trembling hand with hers. "Oh, my poor, sweet child," she whispered, her voice cracking as she brushed a lock of matted hair away from my face. "They've broken everything, haven't they?"I stared up at her, the last of my defensive walls finally crumbling into dust. I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't want to die here, forgotten on a cold stone floor, while the pack cheered for my replacement."Please, Nora . . ." I sobbed softly, the plea tearing straight from my soul. "Take me away from here. Please . . . just help me get out."Nora didn't hesitate.The uncertainty in her eyes disappeared, replaced by determination. She glanced down the empty corridor, away from the noise and cheers coming from the courtyard, then tightened her arm around my waist to keep me upright."Quiet now, child. Don't try to speak," Nora whispered, her hands trembling a little a
Elara's POVThe moment Lucien's final bite sealed the bond in the courtyard below, my legs gave way. I fell hard against the cold stone floor, unable to stop myself. A cry of pain escaped me, but the cheers rising from the courtyard drowned it out almost immediately.It wasn't just pain in my neck; it was a total, catastrophic collapse of my entire nervous system. Something inside me broke.The pain hit so hard that I couldn't even scream at first. The bond between us tore apart inside my chest. It felt as though someone had reached into my body and ripped something out with their bare hands. The pain spread through me, burning so badly that I could barely breathe. I tried to take a breath, but it felt like swallowing broken glass. My chest tightened, my whole body shook, and even my bones seemed to hurt. Each beat of my heart made it worse, until I could no longer tell where one wave of pain ended and the next began.I curled up on the cold flagstones, shaking uncontrollably. My fing
Elara's POVThe cold stone pressed against my back as I stood in the abandoned corridor, listening to the celebration outside. Cheers echoed through the archways, carrying Lucien and Stella’s names across the snow-covered grounds. Everyone was celebrating their union, and with every cheer, I was reminded that life had gone on without me.My neck still hurt, but I barely paid it any attention. Instead of returning to my room, I found myself walking toward the courtyard. I made my way down the stone steps and passed the empty guard posts before reaching the upper gallery. From there, I could see the gathering below. I gripped the railing and stepped into the shadows, hoping no one would notice me.The courtyard was filled with wolves, all gathered around the marble altar. Their excited chatter grew louder as I searched the crowd for one familiar face.Then I saw him.Lucien stood at the center of the altar.I forgot how to breathe.He wore the Alpha's fur-trimmed mantle, his dark hair s
Elara's POV"Lift her!" Greta snapped, her voice cracking with sheer, unadulterated panic. "Get her out of the kitchen before someone comes down here! Move!"The two male wolves didn't hesitate. They hauled my limp, half-conscious body off the flagstones, my head sagging back as cold sweat slicked my forehead. Every step they took up the narrow servants' stairwell jarred my broken ribs, sending white flashes of agony through the suffocating haze of my mind. I couldn't keep my eyes open; the world spun in dizzying wheels of black and gray.They practically dragged me down the hallway and slammed open the door to my room, throwing me unceremoniously onto the narrow mattress. My head hit the thin pillow, a groaning rasp escaping my lips."Go get Bran," Greta ordered the younger wolf, pacing the small space like a caged animal, her hands twitching as she scrubbed at the drying blood on her palms. "Now! Tell him it's an emergency, but don't you dare say a word to anyone else on the way!"M
The impact sent pain shooting up my back. I couldn't catch my breath, and my body folded forward. My chin struck the edge of a heavy oak bench before I lost my balance and hit the floor again. I coughed hard, gasping for air. A metallic taste spread across my tongue, and when I touched my lip, my fingers came away with blood."Pick her back up," Greta ordered, her voice laced with venomous delight as the crowd of servants drew closer, their taunts growing louder, feeding off the violence. "Let's see how much of that bread stays in her stomach once we're through with her."Strong, unyielding hands hauled me up again by my arms, pinning my shoulders back so tightly I felt my joints strain. I tried to pull away, tried to twist out of their grip, but my starved human body was no match for their sheer brute force. Every gasp of air hurt my bruised ribs; every tremor in my legs threatened to pull me back into the dark tide of unconsciousness.Greta stepped closer and wrapped her hand around
LARAI opened my eyes to a white ceiling.The room was spacious and spotless, and the sharp scent of medicine lingering in the air told me immediately that I was in a clinic. I pushed myself upright, but the nauseating smell twisted my stomach violently.A soft hand rested against my back before I
My heart rate rose sharply, despite being in a near-unconscious state. I've always been afraid of the dark. A natural phenomenon that werewolves loved and eagerly anticipated. The endless shadows between the trees, the suffocating silence, the feeling that something unseen was always watching... it
Selene didn’t speak at first.She simply stood there, her expensive heels planted firmly in my line of vision, the faint scent of her rose perfume cutting through the damp, soapy air of the laundry room. I kept my head down, my raw fingers still moving mechanically over the last sheet, scrubbing ev
Overnight, everything had changed.I was no longer allowed to sleep in the bedroom I once shared with Matteo. Instead, I was ordered to move to the maids’ quarters. I had less than three days to gather my belongings and disappear from this pack forever.When I reached the small, dimly lit room, I p







