LOGINCarlisle reached for the door, intending to enter, but the omega hurriedly stepped in front of him.Her entire body trembled under the pressure of facing an Alpha, yet she refused to move aside.“Alpha Carlisle, Luna Raquel needs rest,” she said, her voice shaking despite her effort to remain composed. “She only just survived a dangerous situation. The doctor will be out shortly. Please wait a moment.”Carlisle stared at her.An omega had just blocked her Alpha from entering a room inside his own territory.He had never encountered something like this before.The longer he looked at her, the more suspicious he became. He didn’t want to believe Raquel was hiding something. Nor did he want to consider the possibility that someone within his own pack might be plotting against her.Either possibility was troubling.If someone truly intended to harm Raquel, the consequences would be catastrophic. The royal family was already involved. Any further incident could bring their wrath crashing d
After listening to everything Carlisle had revealed, Gamma Sylas found himself growing increasingly uneasy.The more he examined the situation, the less he believed any of it had happened by chance.There were simply too many coincidences.Too many events had lined up at exactly the right moment, each one pushing the situation toward the same outcome. In Sylas’s experience, that usually meant someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.A troubling possibility slowly began taking shape in his mind.What if Raquel had wanted Victoria gone?What if Beta Marcus had helped her?And what if they weren’t the only ones involved?The thought sent a chill down his spine.Unfortunately, suspicion wasn’t evidence. Worse, the person he suspected belonged to the royal family.Accusing a royal without proof was dangerous enough. Suggesting that a royal princess had deliberately conspired against another pack member was even worse. One careless accusation could easily be interpreted as slander, an
“Wait… Alpha Carlisle, are you telling me that the woman you brought back was the missing princess? And you never thought to tell any of us?”Gamma Sylas stared at him in disbelief.His voice remained controlled, but only barely. Beneath that thin layer of restraint was anger powerful enough to crack stone.Carlisle could see it clearly.The fury burning behind his eyes.And honestly, Carlisle couldn’t blame him.From Sylas’s perspective, hiding something this important wasn’t simply irresponsible. It was reckless.Worse, it had affected Victoria.His Luna.The woman Sylas had spent years protecting. The woman who had suffered because of his decisions.Every painful step of the disaster that followed seemed to trace back to one secret after another, and now Sylas was discovering that Carlisle had hidden the existence of the missing princess from the very people responsible for helping him protect the pack.It was a miracle he was remaining as calm as he was. And Carlisle had no doubt
“Protect the young Alpha! Don’t let any more vampires near him!”The command echoed through the air. Just as Damon expected, the sight of their injured lord drove the vampires into a frenzy. They charged toward Carlisle from every direction, desperate for revenge. Ironically, that made things easier for the werewolves. Focused enemies made careless enemies. While the vampires fixated on Carlisle, other warriors attacked them from behind and cut them down. Without meaning to, Carlisle had become the perfect bait. The fighting grew even more brutal. Despite his strength, Carlisle’s healing couldn’t compete with the Vampire Lord’s regeneration. Every injury slowed him a little more, while the ancient vampire steadily recovered from wounds that should have crippled him. Recognizing the danger, Damon coordinated closely with Carlisle. The two Alphas began alternating attacks. While one engaged the Vampire Lord, the other retreated briefly to recover. Then they switched and repeat
Mating between different species was incredibly rare, and pregnancies resulting from those unions were rarer still. Most stories ended in tragedy long before a child could ever be born.Yet Raquel was alive.More than that, she was far enough along in her pregnancy that nobody could miss it. Her swollen stomach ruled out most of the explanations Carlisle had considered. After turning the problem over in his mind repeatedly, he arrived at the only conclusion that made sense.At some point during her captivity, Raquel must have found her fated mate.As for where that mate was now, Carlisle didn’t need to ask.The silence surrounding the subject said enough. If the man were still alive, Raquel would have mentioned him. The most likely answer was also the saddest one.Her mate was dead.Even so, another issue remained. Raquel bore no visible mating mark. Without a formal bonding ceremony and an acknowledged mark, tradition would consider the pup she carried illegitimate.A bastard.Under
Carlisle forced himself to stay focused.One arm supported the princess securely against his chest while his free hand remained available in case he needed to open a door or react to an unexpected threat. The situation was becoming more dangerous by the minute. He could already feel the enchantment woven into his cloak weakening. Soon, its concealment magic would disappear entirely.There was no longer any reason to stay inside the palace.For now, retreating was the only sensible option.Keeping Raquel close, he retraced his route through the fortress, moving as quietly as possible through corridors and stairwells.As he walked, a question surfaced once again.How did he know she was truly the missing princess?The answer came from a memory he had never forgotten.Years ago, when he was still a child, his father had taken him to the royal palace. During that visit, Carlisle had caught sight of a little girl playing in the gardens.Even now, he remembered her clearly.Long waves of go
With a smug bounce in my step, I descended into the dungeon only to freeze in place the moment I caught sight of the open cell gate from a distance. My heart skipped a beat. At first, I assumed the guards had simply forgotten to close it in their panic while rushing the healer to the pack hospital
Victoria's POV Sylas's body shook with the strain, his knees almost giving out beneath him, but he refused to stop. The muscles in his arms and neck stood out sharply, veins raised as he pulled against the chains with everything he had. Sweat ran down his face, his jaw locked tight as he forced hi
Victoria’s POVAfter all, werewolves were prideful creatures. Once a pack rose to prominence respected and revered by others losing that status was a bitter pill to swallow. To fall from power and become a source of shame, mocked and looked down upon by the very packs that once respected them... ho
Victoria’s POVWith a flick of his hand, he signaled one of the others.A moment later, a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over my bloodied form, shocking me back to consciousness. I gasped, my body trembling violently from the chill and pain. My head barely lifted beforeCrack!Another lash tor







