Mag-log inShe nearly choked on her words when Maxwell’s foot slid higher along her leg. By then, his entire body had turned slightly toward her, his left leg resting over his right as he slowly brushed his foot up and down her leg. To anyone watching, he looked completely focused on her explanation. In reality, he was taking advantage of the moment to get closer, and every touch made it harder for Victoria to keep herself composed.“We… we should also build an irrigation system,” she continued, her voice slightly breathless as she forced herself to concentrate. “Even during a drought, there should still be underground water that we can reach. If we find a way to bring that water to the surface, it could help keep the crops alive until the dry season ends. Once we stabilize things, we can also focus on reforestation. I read that humans have a profession called Plant Ecologist. They study how plants, especially trees, affect the environment.”“According to their research, tree roots can reach dee
What caught Victoria even more off guard was seeing Maxwell seated directly beside her. It suddenly made sense why he was attending the meeting. He was representing the Northern Pack. That meant he was Alpha Damon’s son and had been acting as the pack’s proxy Alpha for the past three years while his father fought the vampires on the frontlines alongside Carlisle.Victoria remembered that the Northern Pack had faced one problem after another during those years. The dark energy coming from the Demon Realm’s gate had begun spreading through the surrounding lands, while the growing number of corrupted monsters had caused constant trouble for the people living there. Yet despite everything happening, almost nothing had been heard about Alpha Damon’s son. No one seemed to know where he was, what he was doing, or even what he looked like.Finding out that Maxwell was that mysterious heir came as a surprise.For one thing, Maxwell and Damon didn’t even share the same surname. More importantly
“To be honest, Your Majesty, I can’t give you a definite answer,” the Royal Alchemist admitted. “There are simply too many unknowns. The Princess’s pheromones were far stronger than anything I’ve ever recorded, and there could be other factors we haven’t discovered yet. For now, all I can advise is that we prepare for the worst. When their heat and rut return… we may have no choice but to let them mate.”The Alpha King’s eyes flared with anger.“Have you lost your mind?” he roared. “Those three can barely control themselves now. If they lose control again, they’ll tear her apart. Victoria doesn’t even have her wolf back yet. Do you want my daughter broken beyond recovery?”The Royal Alchemist immediately lowered his head.He could feel the Alpha King’s fury pressing down on everyone nearby. And honestly, he couldn’t blame him.Nothing about this situation was normal.Everything about Victoria and her three fated mates broke the rules they had known for generations.That was exactly wh
All three of Victoria’s fated mates had fully shifted.Carlisle’s enormous midnight-black wolf stood at the front, fangs bared as he snapped at the other two, warning them to stay back. But neither Sylas nor Maxwell paid him any attention. They kept pacing, searching for an opening as they tried to get around the Royal Guards blocking the path to Victoria’s palace.“Didn’t the Royal Alchemist create a suppressant?” the Royal Beta asked urgently. “We may have to use it before it’s too late.”The Alpha King’s body tensed.“No!” he barked immediately. “That suppressant is still experimental.”His face grew darker as he remembered the Alchemist’s warning.“The side effects are even worse than the rut or heat itself. It can suppress the symptoms for a while, but when they return, they come back twice as strong. They could completely lose control.”His hands tightened into fists.He hated the choice in front of him.If he did nothing, his daughter’s three fated mates might be driven entirel
The Queen followed his gaze.Both Maxwell and Sylas were clearly struggling. Their bodies shook slightly, sweat covered their foreheads, and their eyes had lost their usual calm. Their fists were clenched so tightly that their knuckles had turned white as they fought every instinct telling them to run after their mate. It looked like they were using every bit of willpower they had just to stay where they were.Before the Queen could say anything, the Royal Beta’s voice echoed through the Alpha King’s mind.“Your Majesty, the doctors have completed Alpha Carlisle’s examination and…”He never got the chance to finish.The Alpha King’s expression instantly darkened.“Ha! Let him die for all I care!” he growled, anger flaring all over again at the mention of Carlisle.“No, Your Majesty. The doctors believe Alpha Carlisle has entered rut. And it’s severe. If it continues, he may lose control completely.”Those words made the Alpha King’s heart sink.His head snapped toward Maxwell and Syla
Victoria took a shaky step back, her eyes moving nervously between Maxwell and Sylas.“I… I need to leave,” she said, struggling to steady her voice. “There are some things I need to take care of.”Maxwell instinctively reached for her, wanting to stop her, but Victoria quickly stepped away. Her breathing was uneven, and her body felt like it was burning from the inside out, yet she still refused to let him touch her. She wasn’t ready to face any of this. Finding out she had three fated mates had already turned her world upside down, and now her own body seemed to be working against her.Before her father could answer through the mind link, Victoria turned and hurried away.At the same time, loud groans echoed through the palace’s medical wing.“Ugh!”Carlisle twisted painfully on the examination bed, his whole body trembling.The Royal Beta stood nearby, completely stunned. He couldn’t tell if Carlisle was putting on a show after the beating or if the Alpha King had actually hit him
Tori’s POV I immersed myself in my work, hoping it would help numb the pain slowly consuming my heart. As night descended, no one reached out to me or even sent a mindlink, leaving me feeling utterly isolated, as if I had been cut off from everyone. But I pushed those thoughts aside and focused o
Victoria's POV Raquel didn't need to complete her statement. The unspoken words hung in the air, allowing everyone to fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. Speculation spread like wildfire through the hall. What Raquel truly wanted was for everyone to believe that, as Carlisle’s curren
Tori’s POV As instructed, I put on something nice, a dress I had been holding onto, hoping for the day I could wear it in front of Alpha Carlisle, sharing a quiet dinner together. I never imagined that day would come so soon. After washing up and dressing, I applied light makeup to conceal the exh
Tori’s POV The next day, the sun glaringly pierced through the curtains. I couldn't remember when I had fallen asleep the night before, but as far as I recalled, I dozed off in the woods after crying the entire night. But now... I looked around and saw that I was back in the Alpha suite. I was







