LOGINDevlin Ashford has spent her whole life being the daughter her family always forgot. Inside the high walls of the Edevane stronghold, built to keep lycans and wolves out and everything else rigidly in, she learned early that love in her family was a privilege distributed by usefulness and she had never been the most useful child. That distinction belonged to Mara, her older sister, who was beautiful and charming beyond words. When their father arranges Devlin's engagement to Corvin Hale, son of a neighboring chief, it is the first time in her life she has been given something that feels like a future. Corvin was at least decent and had a bright future as the youngest son of a Chief. Mara decides that's too good a future for someone like Devlin. Her parents make him choose, marry Devlin and live as just the youngest son of a Chief or marry Mara and become the chief of Edevane. Corbin makes a choice without thinking twice, he chooses the more attractive sister with a bright future tied to it. Inciting Incident Devlin goes over the wall with just forty coins, a knife and an extra set of clothes. She doesn't make it far before she's captured by slave hunters. In the borderlands auction market, the mate bond snaps in place between her and the lycan king, Ronan. That night he marks her in his room.
View MoreThe smile on Ronan's face vanished, the instant the door swung open."We have one chance," he murmured.The fortress beyond his chambers had settled into the silence that came before dawn. Torches burned along the stone corridors, their flames shinning in the cold draft that drifted through Vael Keep.Devlin tightened the dark servant's cloak around her shoulders."If Corvin refuses to listen?"Ronan's golden eyes met hers."Then we will improvise."Without another word, he reached for her hand.The moment their fingers brushed, the strange pull of the bond warmed her skin.He let go almost immediately."Stay close."They slipped into the corridor like shadows.The castle felt different at night.Empty.Watching.Every distant footstep echoed through the stone halls.Every flickering torch show strange shapes that looked like wolves waiting to pounce.Ronan led her through forgotten servant passages, narrow staircases hidden behind old tapestries, and abandoned storage tunnels that
Corvin swallowed hard, the sharp tip of the blade leaving a tiny red bead of blood on his throat and repeated, "Wren? His face drained as I lower the letter from his throat and stepped back. He rubbed the small cut with shaky fingers starring at me like I had become a stranger. “Then tell me why Wren keep mentioning dawn?" He asked me his voice cracking. “Because the treaty isn't about peace,it's about ownership.” I said, ”Once those papers are signed Aldric controls the trade route, the mines the boarder gate and every chief who depends on them." Corvin swallowed hard. Uncertainty filled the room which made it feel smaller and colder than before. “Do you think you will be made chief, they will use you until your signature dries and they will discard you.” I continued. Corvin opened his mouth, but no words came out. He closed it and looked away understanding now that I understood his weakness better than anyone else. Wren had support, wealth, promises, legitimacy, everything h
The gravity of what we were about to do settled into the marrow of my bones. I knew Wren would come for us, but that wasn't what kept me up at night. We were defying her; we were literally burning down an alliance that had been the law of the land since before any of us were born.If we failed, by morning would bring our own executions. And If we succeeded, we would be running for our lives anyway.But I looked into Ronan’s golden eyes, and the fear he had evaporated, now replaced by a cold, sharp focus."The diplomat’s quarters are at the apex of the southern wing," he whispered, stepping toward the heavy oak paneling that masked the entrance to the servant tunnels. These narrow stone corridors were built into the very bones of Vael Keep, designed to keep the human staff invisible. Tonight, they were our only salvation. "Aldric assigned three Thorneclaw guards to guard Corvin’s door—supposedly for his 'protection', but the message is very clear, to ensure he doesn't go anywhere
The moment the door clicked shut, Ronan turned to me, gripping his hands on my shoulders. His eyes were widely open, they were dark with an agonizing mix of fury and fear."Why did you agree to that?" He asked, he whispered harshly. "We could have captured her, and I will just end everything here.""And then what, Ronan?" I asked, as I couldn't hold myself any longer, a tear finally dropped from my eye. "Aldric would have slaughtered you. The Thorneclaws would have destroyed everything. You know she has my tokens, so she knows what we are to each other."Ronan pulled me closer to his chest, burying his face in my hair. He held me so tightly that I could barely breathe, his heart beating in perfect sync with mine."I don't care about the pack laws, Devlin. All I care about is you. The moment I smelled that human's blood in the hallway, I thought" he paused and breathed out, "I thought I had lost you."I smiled and whispered, "You didn't lose me," I then held tight his leather armor,
Our carriage ride to Veal Keep was dark, fast and exhausting. The atmosphere was filled with dread and tension. Despite the long distance of this journey, the king said no words. He was so wrapped in a heavy, moody silence. As if the tensed ride wasn't enough, the moment we casted our eyes on Vea
Devlin's POVThe sobs had started to die down. Only the redhead had continued to cry for days on end. I wasn't the only one captured. There were others from the five chiefdoms, men and women who had ended up here the same way I had, through bad luck or bad timing or, in my case, jumping over a wal
Devlin's POVI dragged myself deeper into the forest, terrified at the idea of my father and Corvin sending guards to drag me back inside the walls of Edevane for punishment. Every step cost something. My body made sure I knew it. The headache had settled into a dull continuous throb behind my ey
Ronan's POVThe last maid had tried to put hemlock in my tea. One of my guards had caught her before I drank it and she had not even tried to run. Just stood there in the kitchen and looked at him. My beta had wanted to make an example of her and I had let him because I was tired and because the






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