LOGINALPHA CADEN'S POVThe phone remained tightly clutched in my hand as I stormed out of my office without bothering to close the door behind me. My heart pounded relentlessly against my ribs, and although every step sent sharp pain through my body, I ignored it completely because the message on my screen had erased every other discomfort I had been feeling. The words were painfully short, yet they carried enough weight to destroy years of carefully buried secrets. Eli found out. I did not know exactly what he had discovered, but I knew it had something to do with Mila. She would never have sent such a message unless she had stumbled upon something that should have remained hidden forever. My breathing became uneven as I walked faster through the palace corridors, paying no attention to the guards and servants who immediately bowed their heads in greeting. Every second felt like another opportunity for the truth to spread beyond our control, and after everything Valthera and I had sacrif
ALPHA CADEN'S POVThe taste of blood had become so familiar that I no longer reacted whenever it filled my mouth. I leaned forward over the edge of my bed and allowed another stream of dark blood to spill into the silver basin the healers had placed beside me days ago. My chest rose and fell unevenly as another violent cough forced its way through my throat, sending fresh pain across my ribs until I had to grip the edge of the mattress to steady myself. The room smelled heavily of herbs, incense, and medicine, yet none of them had succeeded in slowing whatever was happening inside my body.The healer standing across the room lowered his head after watching me cough again. His expression had gradually changed over the past few days from confidence to uncertainty, and now there was nothing left inside his eyes except quiet pity. "Alpha..." he began carefully. "Please allow yourself more rest." A bitter smile crossed my lips. "Rest will not undo a thousand-year-old promise." He lowered h
ALPHA CADEN'S POVThe taste of blood had become so familiar that I no longer reacted whenever it filled my mouth. I leaned forward over the edge of my bed and allowed another stream of dark blood to spill into the silver basin the healers had placed beside me days ago. My chest rose and fell unevenly as another violent cough forced its way through my throat, sending fresh pain across my ribs until I had to grip the edge of the mattress to steady myself. The room smelled heavily of herbs, incense, and medicine, yet none of them had succeeded in slowing whatever was happening inside my body.The healer standing across the room lowered his head after watching me cough again. His expression had gradually changed over the past few days from confidence to uncertainty, and now there was nothing left inside his eyes except quiet pity. "Alpha..." he began carefully. "Please allow yourself more rest." A bitter smile crossed my lips. "Rest will not undo a thousand-year-old promise." He lowered h
DORIAN'S POV"I'll leave soon."The words settled heavily inside the room.For several seconds, I simply stared at Sera.The fire crackled softly in the background.The curtains swayed gently from the night breeze.Everything appeared peaceful.Yet her statement had just shattered whatever peace remained inside me.I didn't want to hear those words.Not from her.Not now.Not after spending an entire day believing I had lost her.The thought alone was enough to make my chest ache.Sera lowered her gaze immediately after speaking.As though she regretted saying it aloud.As though hearing the words made them more real.I slowly crossed the room until I stood directly in front of her.Neither of us spoke.Neither of us moved.For a long moment, all I could do was look at her.The woman who had somehow become the center of my world without my permission.The woman I had spent years pretending did not affect me.The woman whose absence had nearly driven me insane.I gently lifted her chin
DORIAN'S POV"Who are you?" The question hit me harder than any weapon ever could. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Sera stood several feet away from me, her eyes filled with confusion and caution as she stared directly at me. Not at Dorian Voss. Not at her mate. Not at the man who had spent the entire day searching for her. She was staring at a beast. At a creature she didn't recognize. The realization hurt more than I expected.A low whine escaped my throat before I could stop it. The sound surprised both of us. Then suddenly, a violent sensation tore through my body. Pain exploded across every muscle. My legs buckled immediately. The room spun. Another growl escaped me as I stumbled backward. The transformation was happening again. Only this time it was moving in reverse. I felt the fur receding beneath my skin. My bones shifted painfully. My claws retracted.The process wasn't as violent as transforming into the wolf, but it still felt like my body was being forced into a sh
SERA'S POV"Your time in the Voss Palace has ended." The words echoed through the dark space long after The One stopped speaking. A chill crawled down my spine immediately. Thousands of shadow-like figures remained kneeling around me, their heads bowed as though they were witnessing something sacred. Not one of them moved. Not one of them spoke. Their silence somehow frightened me more than if they had all been screaming. I swallowed hard and stared at The One.For the first time since I arrived in the strange place, anger pushed through the fear. Because I was tired. Tired of cryptic statements. Tired of secrets. Tired of being treated like a piece on somebody else's game board. Most importantly, I was tired of people discussing my life as though I had no say in it. "What does that even mean?" I demanded. The sound of my voice echoed throughout the endless darkness. Unlike the first time I visited this place, blood did not immediately pour from my mouth. The realization made me frown
ALPHA CADEN'S POVThe silence that settled inside my office after Valthera's revelation felt heavier than any battlefield I had ever stood upon. Neither of us spoke immediately. Neither of us moved. The weight of what she had just said lingered between us like an invisible blade hanging over our he
ALPHA CADEN'S POVIt has been long since I have felt this pf pea e in this Voss palace and for a moment, I knew it wouldn't last long. Even after everything that had happened over the years, after wars, betrayals, executions, and secrets that had buried entire bloodlines, there had always been nois
DORIAN'S POV"Eli." The name landed inside the room like a weapon. For a moment, nobody moved.bNobody breathed. The healers surrounding Sera's bed exchanged confused glances while I stood frozen beside her, staring at her face as though I had somehow misheard what had just happened. But I hadn't. I
DORIAN'S POV"Sera!"My voice echoed through the corridor as the healers pushed her bed toward the emergency wing.The wheels rattled violently against the polished floor while healers and guards rushed around us. Their faces were pale. Their movements were frantic. Nobody knew what was happening t







