Se connecterLycan’s POVI felt it before I fully understood it. The force of it.Not imagined or misread.It was real.She had pushed me back. I stood where I had steadied myself, my gaze fixed on her, my breathing controlled but my mind wasn’t.That shouldn’t have happened.Not like that.Not from her.And yet…It did.“You adjusted.”The words I had said earlier echoed in my head, but now they carried more weight than I intended. Because that wasn’t just adjustment.That was the response.Precise.Targeted.My jaw tightened slightly. She stood across from me, shoulders squared, her stance no longer uncertain. The energy around her had settled, not gone, but contained in a way that hadn’t existed before.Not stable.But closer.And that…That changed everything.I stepped forward again, slower this time.Not cautious.Measured.She didn’t step back.Didn’t brace.She just watched me, her gaze sharp, waiting.Good.That told me enough.“You didn’t lose control that time,” I said.It wasn’t a ques
Kaelira’s POVThe energy didn’t settle. That was the first thing I noticed.Even after I stepped back, after the distance snapped between us, the feeling stayed. Not as sharp, not as violent… but there. Restless and watching.I forced my breathing to steady, but it didn’t fully obey.“What was that?” I asked again, quieter this time but no less demanding.He didn’t answer immediately.Of course he didn’t.His gaze was fixed on me, sharper than before, like he wasn’t just looking anymore, he was measuring. Calculating something he hadn’t accounted for.“I don’t know,” he said finally.A lie Or worse…A partial truth.My eyes narrowed slightly. “You hesitated.”“And you didn’t?” he shot back.That stopped me.Because I had.Just for a second.That moment when the power surged when it recognized him.I had felt it.Not confusion.Not fear.Recognition.I clenched my jaw. “That wasn’t normal.”“No,” he agreed, his tone quieter now. “It wasn’t.”Silence stretched.Heavy.Charged.The air b
Darius POV“Does it hurt today?”Seraphine’s voice was soft, carefully measured, like every word had been weighed before it left her lips.I didn’t look at her.“No.”A lie.Not because of the bond but because of her.She shifted slightly beside me, the faint rustle of fabric drawing my attention despite myself. I kept my gaze forward, fixed on nothing in particular, watching the servants move through the courtyard below.Controlled.Orderly.Predictable.Unlike the tension building under my skin.“You should rest more,” she said, stepping closer. “You’ve been distant.”I almost laughed.Distant.That was one way to describe it.“I have responsibilities,” I replied, my tone flat.“You always have,” she said gently. “But this is different.”Of course she noticed.That was the problem.Seraphine noticed everything but only what she wanted to use.I finally turned to look at her.Her expression was perfect.Concerned.Soft.Convincing.If I hadn’t read that report, if I hadn’t seen the d
Kaelira’s POVI didn’t answer him immediately.His question hung between us, sharp and deliberate.Do you even know what you are?I held his gaze, refusing to let even a flicker of uncertainty show on my face. My fingers curled slightly at my sides, nails pressing into my palm, not enough to hurt, just enough to ground me.I tilted my head just slightly. “If you’re expecting me to look confused, you’re wasting your time.”His expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes sharpened.Good.Let him look.Let him try to pull something from me.He stepped closer, slow and controlled, like he was testing how much space I would give him.I didn’t move.“I asked a question,” he said.“And I heard you.”Silence stretched.I could feel it again that same pull from earlier, the one that hadn’t gone away after the vision ended. It lingered beneath my skin, quiet but persistent, like something waiting.Watching.Reacting.To him.I ignored it.“I don’t have all the answers,” I said finally.
Lycan’s POVThe vision didn’t fade the way it usually did. It lingered.I stood still long after it should have ended, my breath measured, controlled but my pulse wasn’t. It thudded once, heavy, then again, sharper this time, like something inside me had shifted out of place.That had never happened before.Visions came and went. Fragments, distorted memories. Lies dressed as truth. I had learned not to trust them. Learned to treat them like echoes and nothing more.But this felt different and real. I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face as I forced my thoughts into order. The room around me came back into focus, stone walls, dim firelight, the faint scent of iron and ash clinging to the air.But the image stayed.Not just in my mind but in my body too.I clenched my jaw.“She saw it too.”The words left my mouth before I could stop them.A quiet realization.Dangerous.I straightened, every instinct sharpening at once. That was the only explanation. The timing had been exact
Darius POVThe moment I received the sealed note, my instincts warned me not to open it carelessly. The healer’s hand had pressed it into my palm with that quiet urgency reserved for truths too dangerous to voice aloud. No explanation, no preamble, just the seal. I recognized it. I had sanctioned this kind of discretion years ago, and it never failed.I sat behind my desk, the fading light from the tall northern windows casting long shadows across the polished wood. The quiet of my office felt brittle, as if one wrong movement could shatter it completely. My hands rested on the parchment, and I didn’t reach for it immediately.Trust, I realized suddenly, was a fragile thing, especially when it concerned Seraphine. I had believed her, or at least allowed myself to. Her calm, measured demeanor. Her voice, soft when it suited her. The gentle insistence of her words.All of it had been a performance.I finally broke the seal. The soft crack echoed louder than I expected. My wolf stirred
Kaelira’s POVThe morning air bit sharp against my cheeks as I moved through the corridors of the Ironfang estate. My steps were measured, careful, though the hollow ache in my chest weighed heavier than any exhaustion my body could feel. Seven years of being tethered, bound, contained and now, f
Darius POVSomething wasn’t right. The thought had been sitting in the back of my mind for days now, quiet, patient, waiting for me to stop ignoring it.Tonight, it refused to stay quiet.I stood by the window, staring out at the training grounds below. Wolves moved in formation, their movements sh
Kaelira’s POVI didn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it again..fire.A man on his knees.And a truth I couldn’t prove.I pushed the blanket off and sat up, jaw tight, fingers pressing into my temple.“Your father begged…”I exhaled sharply.“No.”Not like that.Something was wrong.Not
Lycan’s POVHer face didn’t change. That was the first thing that stayed with me after I left her.Not her words.Not the way she stood her ground.Not even the way she demanded proof like she had the right to question me. It was her face.Still.Steady.Unafraid.Not a flicker of guilt.I moved th







