Georgina Sinclair's POV:The cold morning air clings to my skin just when I finish my run around the eastern ridge. My muscles burn just the way I like it and the sky is still tinted with a bluish gray. The world is quiet this early. It is still holding its breath before the weight of the day settles in.I pause under the old ash tree by the edge of the cliff and let the crisp wind to bite at my cheeks. Below, the forest stretches endlessly with thick mist and greeneries. I inhale a few times to steady my breath. But soon, there's a movement that catches my eye near the path.A young omega approaches me with hesitant steps. He first bows the moment our eyes meet while keeping his tone respectful."Luna Georgina, Old Keith wishes to speak with you."There it is. I knew it would happen eventually. One of the old council was bound to come forward after knowing the situation. I nod my head once to show that I understand."Did he say what it's about?" I asked."No, Luna. Only that it is im
Georgina Sinclair's POV:The next few days unfold with a strange stillness that puts me on edge more than chaos ever could.Danica is still around and flitting through the hallways like a cursed melody that never stops repeating. But she doesn't provoke me like before. Not directly. She just tosses out her little barbs wrapped in sugar but then she glides away before I can draw blood. Like she's been advised to play nice.But I don't care. Not really.Not when there's so much for me to do as the Luna of this pack. I have meetings with the inner circle. I work on strengthening the border defenses. I sometimes visit the infirmary to make sure the healers have everything they need for the winter season. I see the children in the southern wing for their monthly evaluations. I also spend long and quiet hours in the strategy room while going over the old records of past Lunas to see their choices and their mistakes.Because I don't plan to repeat them.I don't have the time to obsess over R
Georgina Sinclair's POV:It's time for our dinner now.The word sounds more like a challenge than a routine necessity tonight. I'm not that hungry. But I'm not about to give anyone the satisfaction of thinking that I am hiding in my room and licking my wounds they inflicted. So I fix my dress before heading down the grand staircase.The hall smells of freshly baked bread and roasted meat. It smells familiar and comforting even. But when I get closer to the dining area, I can already hear her voice before I see her.Danica."Oh! You girls have such sharp eyes!" Danica cooed to a group of young omegas while her hand is waving through the air like she's conducting a private symphony. "Yes. Alpha Ryan gave this to me. Isn't it stunning?"I round the corner and finally see it. There is a new necklace around her neck. It's gold and glistening through the chandelier with a pale lavender gem set in the middle of it. It's one of those stones often sold by desperate healers claiming to stabiliz
Georgina Sinclair's POV:The next morning arrives in a quiet stillness. It's the kind that lingers on the edge of something unresolved. My schedule is mercifully empty today. There are no gatherings, no visitors and I do not have to smile merely for show.I am enjoying a cup of chamomile tea slowly while curled up in an armchair by the window with my leg tucked under me. I am also observing the grey sky cover the estate like a mood. There is a storm brewing. I can sense it in my bones. Or maybe it is just the aftermath of yesterday.Either way, I want to go out. I need some fresh air and not the kind of air from this suffocating mansion. Maybe I can go somewhere where the shopkeepers are being too nosy to care, to smell a lot of scents that don't remind me of betrayal and to feel some soft fabrics where I can run my fingers through. Maybe I need some little shopping therapy to distract myself.I should probably ask Ver to accompany me. I make a mental note to call her in an hour and a
Georgina Sinclair's POV:After leaving my room, the first thing I do is double lock the door. I twist the handle twice then check it again just to be sure. After that, I stalk to the windows and snap them shut one by one before drawing the thick curtains together with a sharp tug. No one is going to see what is happening inside. No one is going to hear whatever I say. I want the walls inside my room to close in like a vault. I want to feel it like my own skin hugging tight to my body after too many years of pretending I wasn't suffocating in this marriage. So when the last curtain falls and the lock clicks one final time, I let out a slow and bitter exhale.Danica.Her scent still lingers faintly inside the room and clinging to the air like mildew. I can still smell the sugary-sweet perfume she always wears that's supposed to make her seem gentle and maternal. But for me, it is just making my stomach churn.Soon, my eyes flick to the vanity. The one drawer that she was opening. Of al
Georgina Sinclair's POV:By the time the gates of the estate come into view, the sun is starting to dip lower in the sky and smearing burnt orange and gold across the horizon like some melancholy painting. The drive has taken longer than expected because of traffic, rain and my own scattered thoughts. It all conspires to stretch the day to its limit.I drive through the iron gates without much thought. The guards are already familiar with my car. The gravel crunches beneath the wheels while the mansion looms in front of me. It looks grand, cold and distant in a way that doesn't bring me any comfort now. It should feel like home. It should be a place where I can finally breathe.But today... Today it feels heavy.I step out of the car and stretch my back with a quiet wince. Then I grab my purse. The main doors open before I even reach the stairs. One of the household staff is already anticipating my arrival. I don't say much and just gives them a small nod of acknowledgement. I'm too