LOGINI was already standing by the door, dressed in a simple, high-collared gown that felt more like armor than silk.Lena was huddled in the corner, her eyes red-rimmed. I squeezed her hand one last time before stepping out into the hall.The Great Hall was a cathedral of shadow and stone. At the far end, the Council of Elders sat on a raised dais, looking like a row of gargoyles in woolen robes. Malrik sat in the center, his face a mask of smug righteousness.Kieran and Rowan stood on opposite sides of the floor, creating a literal tug-of-war with the air in the room. Kieran’s jaw was set, his hands clenched at his sides. Rowan looked pale, his golden eyes darting between me and the silver goblet resting on a pedestal in the center of the room."Iris of the South," Malrik’s voice boomed, echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "You stand accused of using dark arts to sow discord between the Kings and defy the sacred laws of the North. You claim the gift of prophecy to shield your insolence.""I
The corridor was silent after Malrik’s departure, but the air felt brittle. Lena was still trembling against my side, her small frame racking with the aftershocks of a terror that was never supposed to happen this early. In the original text, Lena’s persecution by the Elders was a slow burn, a series of minor cruelties that built up over weeks until I was forced to choose between her safety and my standing in the pack.By standing up to Malrik now, I’d skipped the "Patience and Virtue" entirely. I had traded the role of the suffering heroine for the role of a political threat."You should go back inside, Iris," Rowan said. His voice was no longer the smooth, seductive purr of a suitor; it was sharp with the realization that the girl he thought he knew was gone. He looked at Lena, then back at me, his brow furrowed. "Malrik is the head of the Council of Elders. You didn't just insult a man; you insulted the tradition that keeps this pack from tearing itself apart.""Tradition is just a
The heavy iron bolt slid into place, and for the second time in two lives, I was a prisoner in the Northern Alpha’s suite.Only this time, I wasn't shivering and dripping wet from a capsized boat, nor was I being pressed against the door by a furious Kieran while he demanded I admit I belonged to him. I was dry, fully clothed in my travel dress, and currently dragging a heavy oak vanity across the floor to block the secondary door to the bathing chamber.I knew the timeline. In the original book, this was the night Rowan was supposed to tap on my window and lure me out to the river for a secret rendezvous. That bad decision would lead to the boat capsizing, Kieran dragging me back here like a sack of potatoes, and a very steamy, semi-abusive make-out session that would only be interrupted by Elder Malrik slut-shaming me from the hallway.I was not in the mood to be slut-shamed by a geriatric werewolf today."Iris," Rowan said, his voice a low vibration in the quiet room. He was leanin
The heavy iron bolt slid into place, and for the second time in two lives, I was a prisoner in the Northern Alpha’s suite.Only this time, I wasn't weeping into the silk pillows or wondering if I’d ever see a cheeseburger again. I was leaning against the balcony railing, counting down the seconds in my head. In the original Chapter One, this was the moment the "Romantic Tension" peaked. Kieran was supposed to burst back in, smelling of pine and fury, to demand I "accept the bond." Then Rowan would intervene, leading to a shirtless brawl that ended with me fainting in a heap of lace and drama.But I had already disrupted the spy plot. The "Author" was probably up there in the clouds, screaming at her celestial keyboard because I wasn't following the prompts."You're very quiet," Rowan said. He was sitting in the high-backed velvet chair, his long legs crossed at the ankles. He looked like a painting of a prince, but I knew that under that tunic, he was ready to spring. "Usually, by now
The lock on the door didn't just click; it thudded. It was the sound of two men losing their minds because their favorite toy had developed a mind of its own.I paced the length of the fur rug, my cloak discarded on the bed. I could hear them whispering in the hallway—the low, vibrating rumble of Kieran’s growl and the sharp, clinical tone of Rowan’s counter-arguments. They weren't fighting about the Shadow Pack anymore. They were fighting about me.When the door finally opened, they didn't come in alone. Two guards took up positions outside, and the Alphas stepped in, shutting the world out behind them.Kieran looked like he was vibrating. The air around him felt hot, thick with the scent of a thunderstorm. Rowan was the opposite, cold, poised, and terrifyingly observant. He pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit."Sit down, Iris," Rowan said. It wasn't a suggestion.I sat. I didn't have much of a choice. Kieran hovered behind me like a dark cloud, his hands resting on the bac
The morning dragged on with agonizing slowness. Every time the heavy clock in the hallway chimed, I felt a jolt of anxiety. I knew the timeline. Right now, in the Great Hall, the elders were whispering about my "strange behavior," and Kieran and Rowan were likely one word away from shifting and tearing the table in half.The Author loved this part. It was supposed to be the "clash of kings," where their obsession with me made them sloppy. But while they were measuring their egos against each other, the back gate of the stronghold was usually left poorly guarded. That was how the spy got in."My Lady, you are pacing again," Lena said, her voice full of worry. She was folding laundry near the bed, watching me with wide eyes. "Perhaps a bath would help? I can bring up the lavender oils.""No time for lavender, Lena," I said, stopping at the balcony edge.I looked down into the courtyard. I could see the guards milling about. They were bored. They thought they were safe behind stone walls







