MasukBELLA I have never heard a man cry like this. He's trying to breathe. But grief won't let him."Rhain..."He doesn't hear me. Or maybe he can't. His fingers claw frantically through the grass as though he's searching for something impossibly small."...my baby..." His voice barely reaches me.I take another hesitant step. The moonlight catches the tears pouring down his face. I've seen him looking sick and half-dead. I've just never seen him look so... broken.My heart feels as though it's trying to tear its way out of my ribs."Oh, Rhain..."Another shudder tears through him. His whole body folds over itself, his forehead hitting the ground.His hands clutch fistfuls of earth. And then... He screams. The sound doesn't sound human. It rips out of him so powerfully that I flinch hard.It's raw. A sound born from centuries of grief finally finding somewhere to escape."I'M SORRY!"The mountain shudders. I stare in horror.The clouds...There weren't any. Now, dark storm clouds ra
BELLA The room feels smaller, the air thicker. Rhain simply waits, patient as always."Tell me," he says softly.I draw in a shaky breath, the air rattling in my lungs. "I was pregnant."The words slip out barely louder than a whisper. Rhain doesn't move or even blink."It was yours."The color drains from his face, leaving his skin ashen. "What?""It was yours," I repeat, my voice cracking. Fresh tears roll down my cheeks. "I didn't know at first. I only knew I kept getting sick. I couldn't eat without throwing up. I was exhausted all the time... I'd wake up shaking, cold sweat clinging to my skin."My hand drifts unconsciously to my stomach, pressing against the fabric of my dress as if I could still protect what was lost. "But every time you held me... it stopped. Your scent made the nausea disappear. My wolf would calm. I could finally sleep."A sob drags out of me, thick and painful. "I thought I was just lovesick. I was so stupid."Rhain shakes his head immediately, his v
BELLA The crowd settles into eager silence as Supreme Elder Varyn steps into the stone circle, his silver staff striking the ground once."The Trial of Strength shall now begin."A roar of approval rises from the gathered pack, and I grip the arms of my chair.Rhain rises slowly, rolling one shoulder with a faint wince. He is still pale, yet he carries himself like a king. Opposite him, Valtor stands with lazy grace, brushing invisible dust from his dark coat.The two young alphas who had volunteered earlier exchange nervous glances, clearly regretting their decision.Varyn clears his throat. "According to sacred law, challengers must first defeat one another before facing the candidate."The first young alpha puffs out his chest. "I volunteer!""So do I!" the second blurts.Valtor sighs. "I really don't think this is—""Excellent!" Varyn beams.The fight is over in seconds. Valtor sidesteps the first punch, catches the second without looking, and flicks his wrist. The wolf spi
BELLA Dozens of eyes turn to me, expecting and believing that I can do something I have no idea how to do.My hands start shaking.I walk over, the guards moving out of the way, and kneel in front of the boy, pressing my fingers to his forehead. His skin is ice cold.I close my eyes and try to reach for whatever power they think I have. Nothing happens.So I try harder.I place both hands over his chest and reach for the power that once healed Rhain. Sweat gathers at the back of my neck. I can feel the crowd leaning in, holding their breath.Still nothing happens."No..." the woman whispers.I try again. And again. Each time more desperate than the last. My palms grow hot, then cold. My head starts to pound. But the boy doesn't move. He doesn't even twitch.I'm not enough.The thought leaves a foul taste in my mouth.Around me, the murmurs begin. I can feel the disappointment pressing down on my shoulders."I'm sorry," I whisper, barely able to get the words out. "I'm so sorry
BELLA Rhain's body goes rigid against mine. In an instant, the soft, vulnerable man from moments ago disappears. He carefully pulls out of me and helps me up, quickly fixing my dress and smoothing my hair with quick hands."We've searched the eastern paths already,” I hear Elder Varyn say.Another elder speaks tiredly. "They are adults. Perhaps they simply wanted privacy.""No," Varyn snaps. "You didn't see the signs."A chill runs down my spine. Rhain's head tilts slightly as he listens."What signs?" the other elder asks.Varyn is quiet for a moment. Then he says, "The warding stones activated."Rhain stiffens."The outer perimeter detected something trying to enter the valley."The elders fall silent.One of them finally whispers, "Another hunter?"Before anyone can answer, the footsteps grow louder. Torchlight flickers between the trees, and then Varyn steps into view. He comes to an abrupt halt.His eyes move from me to Rhain, then down to our rumpled clothes and the gra
BELLA I slide down his body slowly, my hands trailing over the hard planes of his chest and stomach. Rhain watches me with dark, hooded eyes, his breathing already uneven. When I drop to my knees in front of him, his jaw tightens."Bella..." His voice is thick with emotion.I look up at him as I unbutton his pants and free his length. He's already hard and heavy in my hand. I wrap my fingers around his girth and stroke slowly.His head falls back against the tree with a groan.I lean in and drag my tongue along the underside of his length before taking him into my mouth. My eyes water and I try not to gag.He's so big, he can barely fit in.Rhain's hand immediately finds my hair, not pushing, just holding, like he needs something to steady him."Mmm..." he breathes.I take him deeper, hollowing my cheeks and working him with my mouth and hand. Tears leak from my eyes as he hits the back of my throat.His hips twitch forward before he forces himself to stay still. The low sounds
RHAIN I've been called madman, lunatic, tyrant, monster, devil. None of them come close. The truth is far simpler: I am a dead man walking who has finally found the only woman capable of killing me... and I can't stop craving her. Bella lies beneath me on black silk sheets, her blind greyish b
BELLA The sheets beneath me are impossibly soft, like cool silk sliding over my skin. Too soft for a prisoner.I freeze for a moment, my heart kicking against my ribs. This is not the cell. Not even close.Fragments return in pieces: the king’s lips on mine, his arms lifting me, the low
BELLA A startled sound slips out of me, swallowed instantly by the warmth of his lips. My mind goes blank. His kiss is not rough like I expected. It's slow. Almost like he's memorizing me. My fingers curl into the fabric of my dress as heat settles low in my belly, my lady parts stirring. His
BELLA “If he’s not here for Betsy, who’s he here for then?” Steven demands through gritted teeth. My heart starts pounding so hard, it feels like I’m about to slip into cardiac arrest. “He keeps saying the other one,” the messenger blurts out, and Steven growls in f







