"Why should I believe you? Why should I risk Ava’s safety on the word of a stranger?" Kaelen asked quietly."Because," Davrek said, voice softening, "if I’m wrong, then I deserve whatever comes next. But if I’m right, then you’ll want to listen before it’s too late."Zylan narrowed his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line. "You’re playing a dangerous game.""So are you," Davrek replied.Kaelen studied him for a long moment, then finally spoke. "You’re not the first ghost to come looking for Ava. Won’t be the last.""I’m not here to haunt," Davrek said quietly. "I’m here to help."Zylan snorted. "Help? You think you’re in a position to help anyone?""Help is all I have left," Davrek said, voice cracking just slightly.Kaelen’s gaze hardened again. "Then you’d better prove it."Davrek nodded slowly. "I will."The guards shifted uneasily, sensing the fragile balance in the room.Kaelen slammed his hand against the bars, startling one of the guards."Lies will not protect you down here. Yo
"There! He just slipped past the stables!""I see him! Don’t let him reach the outer gates!"Boots thundered against the cobbled ground as two of Kaelen’s elite guards tore through the inner courtyard. Their cloaks flared behind them like shadows under torchlight. Above them, the evening had turned to a bruised hue, casting long shadows across the narrow passages. The scent of smoke, sweat, and damp stone lingered in the air.Davrek darted past a wooden cart, toppling it to block their path. He moved fast for someone unarmed, but the guards were faster. They vaulted over the debris, gaining on him with every heartbeat."Corner him! West wall!"Davrek veered into an alleyway, only to find another pair of guards already blocking the other end."It’s over," one of them growled, drawing his blade.Davrek skidded to a halt. He glanced around, searching for another escape route. But there was none. His chest heaved as he raised his hands slowly."I have no weapons. I won't resist.""You alr
“So this isn’t about me,” she murmured. “Not really. It’s about Kaelen. About me choosing Kaelen. About me choosing to live again.”Her hand balled into a fist.“That’s why he waited until now. Until the wedding.”Zylan nodded grimly. “And why he destroyed the gown.”Ava’s mind flashed back to the vicious slashes across the silk. The raw, jagged claw marks. There had been rage in those tears. A personal fury.“He wanted to make it feel like I was being punished,” she whispered. “Like this happiness—this chance to move forward—was something I had no right to.”Her eyes shimmered, but she blinked the tears back, refusing to let them fall.“Well,” she said, her voice hardening, “he’s wrong. Because I do have the right. To rebuild. To feel. To love.”A moment passed before she added quietly, “Even if it scares me.”Zylan’s gaze softened, but he didn’t speak. He knew better than to offer comfort too soon. She wasn’t ready for it. Not yet.Instead, Ava inhaled deeply, then looked back at he
"Zylan, did you see this? Tell me you see it too," Ava's voice cracked with disbelief as she held up what remained of her wedding gown.Zylan stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the delicate silk and lace that had once flowed like water. Now, the fabric hung in shreds, deep claw marks torn through the bodice and skirt like a beast had mauled it. He approached silently, his gaze hardening."This wasn't an accident," he muttered, running his fingers over one of the jagged slashes. "These marks... they were made with intention. Someone did this on purpose."Ava's hands trembled as she laid the ruined dress down on the bed. "It was supposed to be ready for the final fitting in three days. It took weeks to design. And now..."Zylan placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'll find out who did this. I promise."She looked up at him, eyes burning with a mix of grief and fury. "Do you think this has to do with the note? The one left at my door?"He nodded slowly. "It could be. Someone
“Kaelen, what is this?” Ava’s voice trembled slightly as she held up a worn, yellowed parchment, its edges brittle with age and stained by time.He glanced over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the old Zolano seal pressed into the corner of the document. A pang of unease flickered across his expression. “Where did you find that?”“In the archives,” Ava answered softly, her fingers running carefully over the faded ink. “It was hidden beneath a stack of other papers—like someone didn’t want it to be discovered.” She hesitated, then looked up at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. “It’s a pact, Kaelen. You promised to marry a noble’s daughter from the Zolano clan.”Kaelen’s jaw clenched tightly. “That was many years ago... and it was made under duress.”“Duress?” Ava echoed quietly, leaning closer. “What happened? Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”Kaelen’s breath hitched as he exhaled deeply, the weight of old memories pressing down on his shoulders. His v
"You're quieter than usual," Kaelen remarked, watching Ava from across the room.She looked up from the scroll in her lap, the one she had been using to note down her ideas for the wedding ceremony. "I'm thinking.""About the dress? Or about the eyes watching you?" His tone was low, sharper than usual.Ava hesitated, then folded the scroll. "Both. I feel them everywhere, Kaelen. The looks. The silence that follows when I enter a room. It's not just disapproval. It's... hatred."Kaelen strode toward her, his boots thudding heavily against the stone floor. "Let them glare. They'll learn to live with it. Or leave."She met his gaze. "That's easy for you to say. You don't have to eat with them, walk the corridors alone, feel the air grow colder whenever you pass."His jaw clenched. "Then I won't let you walk alone.""That's not the point," Ava said softly. "They won’t stop because you protect me. They’ll just hide it better."There was a knock at the door.Zylan stepped in, his expression
“You’re serious?” Ava’s voice trembled slightly, though she tried to steady it. “You’re going to tell them—just like that?”Kaelen stood before the tall ceremonial mirror in the war hall, adjusting the collar of his dark cloak. “Yes,” he said plainly, meeting her reflection with calm certainty. “I’m not hiding this, Ava. Not you.”“But the elders—” she began.“Will listen,” he interrupted. “Or they’ll learn to.”Ava folded her arms across her chest, pacing a few steps behind him. “You’re the General, Kaelen, not the King.”“Exactly,” he said, turning now to face her. “But no one commands more respect in the field or among the ranks. I’ve led them through wars. It’s time I lead them through change.”Her eyes narrowed. “And you think marrying a human servant is the kind of change they’ll follow?”“I think they’ll resist,” Kaelen admitted without hesitation. “But I also think they’ll have no choice.”Ava’s breath hitched as she met his unwavering gaze. “What if they turn on you for this?
Unsolicited Advice “It is being rumored that our own General has fallen for a slave,” she started, her voice laced with a hint of disapproval.“Evelyn has also been spotted with the person of interest. Pack members feel she's an outcast, possibly a rogue, and if so, then that means danger to The Blood Moon pack,“ Helen added firmly, her sharp gaze locked onto me.My eyes lowered slightly, my brow furrowing. The fact that she referred to Ava as a rogue or an outcast didn’t sit well with me or my wolf. A low growl rumbled in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral.I cut in immediately, my voice steady, “And what might be your advice on this matter, Helen?”She exhaled, shifting slightly in her seat, as if preparing to make a well-crafted argument. “Well...” She paused, adjusting herself into a more relaxed posture, though I could sense the sharpness in her words before she even spoke them.“I think we should be vigilant and mindful of whom we allow into our personal space, let alon
Kaelen's POV I was in my office trying to make up for the days I missed been in the pack when” Zylan alarms. “One of the Council member is here to see you.”My eyes furrowed. This late? I quickly glanced over at the wall clock ticking on my left side. Definitely late for any form of meeting with any Council member at this moment.I am certainly not in the mood to indulge myself in any formal conversation with an Council member. Even though they are well regarded as high-ranked members in the pack due to their age and past service, I feel most of their ideologies and opinions over certain matters are archaic. They believe they know more than even their leader and insist their opinions should be implemented.“Which of them?” I posed the question.“ Helen.”A deep low growl rumbled in my chest. I frowned at the acknowledgment of who I was about to let disturb my peace.Helen is a subtle strategist who knows how to weave her way to her desired outcome. Beneath the beaming smile on her f