MasukIrina Shawn returned to the communications room less than an hour after we sent the formal refusal to the Iron Covenant, and the expression on his face told me the response had already arrived. Sebastian stood beside me while we both waited for the decrypted transcript to appear on the main screen.Shawn activated the display and stepped back. “They answered faster than expected. The tone is no longer formal negotiation. It has shifted into open warning.”I read the message carefully before speaking. “They claim our refusal proves the crown intends to monopolize rare bloodlines for private power rather than shared stability. They also state that the three heirs will be considered legitimate targets for acquisition until the advisory seat is granted.”Sebastian’s voice stayed cold and precise. “They have just declared the boys open targets in writing. That ends any remaining question about how we classify this faction.”I turned toward him an
Irina Sebastian and I were reviewing the newest list of intermediaries when Shawn entered the communications room with an expression that immediately changed the tone of the morning. The boys remained under guard in the upper play area, which left us free to hear whatever fresh complication had arrived.Shawn set a tablet on the table between us. “A new group has begun moving against the remaining financial nodes we identified last night. They are not part of Vale’s network, and they are not northern family remnants. Early intercepts call them the Iron Covenant.”I picked up the tablet and scanned the first decoded messages. “Explain what the Iron Covenant actually is and why they are suddenly interested in the same bloodline records we are trying to shut down.”Sebastian read over my shoulder while Shawn answered. “They appear to be a coalition of lesser lycan lords and human financiers who have opposed crown co
Irina The boys had finally settled into deep sleep after the long day of extra guards and careful routines, and I found Sebastian waiting in the private quarters with the door already locked behind us. The weight of the captured men on the lower level still pressed at the edges of the night, yet the moment the latch clicked the external fight seemed to step back far enough for something more immediate to take its place.Sebastian crossed the small room and stopped directly in front of me. “I have watched you carry the interrogations and the boys and the leftover distrust all day without letting any of it break your focus. Tonight I want the focus to be only on what still needs repair between the two of us.”I held his gaze and felt the familiar pull that had survived every fracture we created. “Repair requires more than quiet evenings and careful promises. I need to feel that the man standing in front of me will choose this exact p
**272** Irina The boys had finally settled into deep sleep after the long day of extra guards and careful routines, and I found Sebastian waiting in the private quarters with the door already locked behind us. The weight of the captured men on the lower level still pressed at the edges of the night, yet the moment the latch clicked the external fight seemed to step back far enough for something more immediate to take its place.Sebastian crossed the small room and stopped directly in front of me. “I have watched you carry the interrogations and the boys and the leftover distrust all day without letting any of it break your focus. Tonight I want the focus to be only on what still needs repair between the two of us.”I held his gaze and felt the familiar pull that had survived every fracture we created. “Repair requires more than quiet evenings and careful promises. I need to feel that the man standing in front of me will choos
Irina Sebastian’s convoy returned to the warehouse just as the afternoon light began to fade, and I waited at the inner door with two guards while the boys remained under watch in their secured room. Shawn directed the team as they brought Xander inside, his injured leg wrapped in a temporary bandage and his hands bound securely in front of him. The sight of him under our control rather than the other way around settled something fierce and long overdue in my chest.Sebastian stepped out of the lead vehicle and walked straight toward me. “He is secured and conscious. The medical check confirmed the leg wound is serious but not immediately life-threatening, which means he can answer questions without delay.”I kept my eyes on the restrained figure being moved toward the lower level. “I want the first conversation to happen as soon as he is locked in the interrogation room. No extended medical delays and no private sessions that leav
Irina Sebastian finished his coffee while the boys continued arguing over the last piece of toast, and I used the moment to pull him a few steps farther from their hearing range. “Tell me the exact status on the compromised guard we locked down last night,” I said. “I need to know whether he gave up any additional names before Shawn finished the first round of questioning.” Sebastian kept his voice even so the triplets would not pick up the tension. “He confirmed the northern contact paid him through a series of prepaid accounts, and he admitted to sharing shift times for three separate days. Shawn already seized the accounts and traced the last deposit to a shell company that matches earlier Vale records.” I folded my arms and watched his expression carefully. “Does that shell company still have active connections we can use, or did they shut everything down the moment the attack
IrinaWho touched my mate?" he growls.I freeze entirely. I stare at the towering man in front of me, my heart thumping so hard I can feel it in my throat. "Your mate? No. That is impossible. I do not feel anything.""You are an unshifted omega, Irina," he snaps. His blue eyes flash with a dangerou
Irina The carriage jerked to a violent halt. My bones ached from the freezing, terrifying journey. The heavy iron doors swung open."Get out," the guard barked.I stumbled onto the frozen dirt. The Northern Keep loomed above me in the dark. It was exactly like the nightmare stories. Everyone knew
IrinaMy body ached. The heavy silk sheets smelled of dark cedar and rain, wrapping around me like a cruel reminder of the night before. I pulled the blanket up to my chest. The mating mark on my neck throbbed with a dull, constant heat.Xander stood by the window. He was already dressed in a crisp
Irina"You look absolutely pathetic, Irina."The voice drips with venom. I slowly turn away from the cracked mirror, my heart sinking into my stomach. My stepsister stands in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Stephanie is draped in a stunning red silk gown that hugs every curve of her b







