LOGIN“You.”
The word still hung in the air as Eirene swallowed hard. The world around her seemed to shrink, as if the motorcycle headlights shining on her face were all that remained. The engines growled low behind the men, sending vibrations through the ground and into her soles, stiffening her calves.
Eirene looked at the big man who had just pointed at his own chest and said that they wanted her, not anyone else. His eyes were those of someone who had done this many ti
It was late at night, yet Yoren’s office was still filled with light. The golden chandelier cast a warm glow over the large desk covered in documents, tablets and black folders. Outside, the sky had turned completely dark, leaving only the faint reflection of city lights in the distance.Yoren sat in his chair, leaning slightly back. His face looked as calm as usual—too calm—even though, since that afternoon, his mind had been filled with endless thoughts of Eirene.On the other side of the desk, Naomi checked the tablet in her hand as she delivered the final report on their departure before dawn. “The private jet was moved to the eastern hangar an hour ago, Alpha,” she said. “The elite team has been divided into two security groups. The first group will accompany you to Gardeno, while the second group will remain in Velmora.”Fabrizio stood not far from the desk. He listened to Naomi’s report while reading documents containing the schedule for the Lunar Sovereign Conclave meeting.“B
The sky outside the window began to change colour. Streaks of orange slowly crept across the western horizon, gradually engulfing the pale blue of the afternoon until the entire sky appeared warm. Ironically, however, it left Eirene feeling empty and unimpressed.Eirene sat quietly on the edge of the bed. She did not move in the slightest. Both her hands rested on her lap, and her gaze remained fixed straight ahead, piercing the large glass windows stretching from floor to ceiling. The faint twilight glow fell across her pale face, making her appear even more fragile.The room was silent—too silent. The stillness filled every corner, leaving only the soft hum of the air conditioner and the occasional whisper of wind from outside.Inside Eirene’s mind, however, the complete opposite was happening. Everything there felt unbearably noisy, filled with her conversation with Yoren replaying endlessly.Eirene’s final question had simply been left hanging. She had received no answer at all, n
Yoren left the room as though he were fleeing. Although the door closed softly behind him, Eirene’s voice still echoed clearly inside his head:“What did those kisses mean to you?”Yoren's steps halted briefly in the corridor. His jaw hardened. His breathing felt heavy, as though each breath stabbed his chest.Coward!The word appeared suddenly in Yoren’s mind. He, who had always stood strong against countless obstacles and faced down various alphas, territorial wars and betrayals, not to mention the threat of death, had retreated simply because of a woman’s eyes.Yoren closed his eyes for a moment. He had almost lost control in that room—almost.Something inside him had nearly collapsed when he saw Eirene’s tear-filled eyes and heard her voice tremble with disappointment. He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything he had done was precisely because he cared too much, but he could not.Yoren’s concern was the true source of the problem. It was far too great and fa
Eirene’s consciousness slowly returned; everything still felt hazy. Her body felt both light and heavy at the same time, as though she were sinking into a bottomless void. Distant voices sounded like echoes, sometimes drawing near before fading away again.Eirene’s head was throbbing painfully. Her eyelids felt heavy. Yet, amidst it all, she faintly sensed something warm and firm around her hand.Eirene slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, the bedroom ceiling wavering before gradually becoming clearer. The scent of medicine filled her nostrils, while the soft beeping of the IV machine echoed beside her.A voice sounded a second later, filled with worry and hope: “Eirene, are you awake?”Eirene’s heart seemed to stop for a moment. Her vision slowly sharpened until she could finally see the figure before her clearly.Yoren was sitting in the chair beside the bed. He was looking at her with an unreadable gaze.Eirene froze for a moment before realising that Yoren was h
Fabrizio stood in front of Eirene’s tightly closed bedroom door for a long time. He stood completely still, worried that Yoren might call for him at any moment. He stayed on guard, but no summons came.The silence continued endlessly, stretching out over an uncertain passage of time and making Fabrizio even more alert. He knew the situation inside was not good. He had known Yoren for far too long not to understand the meaning behind that kind of silence.Yoren was in turmoil. That was bad—very bad.Fabrizio took a deep breath before finally gathering his courage. He knocked on the bedroom door once, then entered. He already knew what the outcome would be, but he tried anyway. “Alpha.”Yoren did not turn around. He was still sitting beside Eirene’s bed with his head slightly lowered. He held Eirene’s hand as though he was afraid to let go of it for even a second.Fabrizio continued, speaking carefully. “You need to pay attention to your own condition as well.”Yoren remained silent. He
Yoren drew a deep breath. His chest felt tight as a wave of emotions—anxiety, anger, fear and frustration—crashed over him all at once, until his head began to throb painfully.It had been far too long since Yoren last saw Eirene. Now, he had just received news that she had collapsed.Yoren tried to remain calm, but it was extremely difficult. Unfortunately, he ran into Paige in the palace corridor at the exact moment he was on the verge of losing control.“Thank you for your concern, Paige,” Yoren said heavily, “but no.”He did not even truly look at her. His mind was already far away at the Aurelion Residence, counting the seconds anxiously, as though something terrible would happen if he arrived even a few minutes late.Yoren turned towards Ruth. “Ruth, escort Paige out.”Ruth nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”Paige's expression froze for a split second before returning to normal. She was simply too accustomed to controlling her emotions. Her smile blossomed gracefully once more, as though not
Fabrizio’s office was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of the air conditioner and the cold glow of the computer screen, which was still on. The curtains were half open, allowing the newly risen moonlight to seep in faintly and cast indistinct shadows across his face.Several phot
Naomi was standing behind the main reception desk when she heard the sound of high heels approaching. She did not even need to look up to know who was coming. The overpowering scent of expensive perfume, the confident stride and the air that caused the guards at the front entrance to straighten u
Yoren's face hardened. With firm emphasis, he said, “I'm fine.”His words were brief and flat, almost like an order for the conversation to end there and then. However, Ruth was not fooled. She could see that he was unwell, so she decided to stay. Instead, she stood before him,
Eirene did not actually leave immediately after her conversation with Bradley that night. She tried to hold on, convincing herself that she was strong enough to not return. She was old enough to not be tied to a house that had never truly accepted her. However, that resolve always crumbled whenev







