Masuk[Selene’s POV]The heavy wooden doors of the war room were closed completely tight. The massive castle was perfectly quiet.I sat at the very head of the long, dark oak table. I was sitting directly in the King's heavy chair. The thick, carved wood felt perfect against my back. I rested my soft, clean hands on the armrests. I traced the shape of the roaring wolf carved into the dark wood with my fingernail, feeling the deep scratches in the old timber.I smiled softly to myself in the dim light.My husband had not stepped foot inside this room for some time now. King Cillian realized his feral little pet was gone forever, the great Alpha Warlord had completely fallen apart. He locked himself in his dark, cold study. The castle guards whispered in the hallways that he drank dark ale until he threw up on the floor, and then he just kept drinking. They said his glowing golden eyes looked completely dead. They said he did not speak to anyone.He was broken. And I loved every single second
He did not ask me if I agreed. He did not ask for my permission. He just stated it as a permanent fact.I pulled my knees back to my chest. I buried my dirty face deep into the thick, dark fur. I breathed in deeply.The heavy pelt smelled exactly like Kaelen. It smelled like wild pine trees, dark mountain dirt, and pure safety. Because Kaelen was a true, powerful Alpha, his strong scent naturally acted like a calming drug on my terrified human brain. My racing heart slowly calmed down to a normal rhythm. My tense, painful muscles finally relaxed. My physical body completely surrendered to his heavy protection. I felt safe from the guards. I felt safe from the cold.But as I sat there, soaking in his massive warmth, a crushing, terrible emptiness opened up wide inside my chest.My human brain felt safe. But deep inside my so
[Elian’s POV]A strange, rich smell woke me up.It was not the smell of dirty water. It was not the smell of wet rock, stale sweat, or human fear. Those were the only smells I had known since I was dragged into the black mountain. But this was different. It was the heavy, mouth-watering smell of hot meat, roasted fat, and salted bones.I opened my eyes slowly. The tiny, dry cave was dark, lit only by the faint, flickering yellow glow of the torches burning very far down in the main tunnels. I was still lying flat on the soft, dry moss. The massive, heavy pelt of dark wolf fur was tucked tightly around my freezing shoulders.I pushed myself up onto my elbows. My body felt incredibly heavy, like my bones were made of solid lead.Ka
[Martha’s POV]Vane leaned forward. A dark, ugly smile spread across his face. He looked incredibly proud of himself."I dropped off the tools," Vane laughed. "But I also carried a little gift from the old cook in the kitchen. She gave me all her silver coins to bring a heavy wool blanket to the feral beast."My heart did a happy jump in my chest. He is talking about it, I thought. He really did take it to him."You played delivery boy for a cook?" a guard mocked him."Shut up and listen," Vane sneered. He reached into his heavy leather coat. He pulled out a large, heavy velvet bag. He threw it onto the wooden table.Clink. The heavy sound of pure gold coins echoed in the quiet room. The other guards gasped, their eyes going wide with greed."The cook gave me silver," Vane said smoothly. "But Princess Selene gave me pure gold. Before I left the castle, I showed her the things the cook gave me to give the boy. She told me to take the blanket, but not to give it to him."My hands start
[Martha’s POV]The old stone floor of the castle kitchen was freezing under my thin shoes.It was past midnight. The huge castle was mostly quiet. The main fires in the great hall had burned down to nothing but glowing red coals. Out here in the scullery, I was the only person left awake. My back arched with a deep, sharp ache. My hands were covered in dry, white flour and completely wrinkled from washing dishes in hot, soapy water all day.I picked up a heavy wet rag and wiped down the long wooden cutting board. My breathing was slow and tired in the empty room.I stopped wiping and looked toward the small, dirty glass window near the ceiling. Outside, a terrible winter storm was screaming around the tall stone towers. Thick, white snow blew hard against the glass. The wind sounded like a wild animal howling in the dark.I shivered, pulling my thin gray wool shawl tighter around my shoulders.I thought about the boy.It had been four days since I gave all of my saved coins to the cas
I woke up, and for the very first time since I was thrown into the iron cage on the back of the wagon, my teeth were not chattering.I kept my eyes closed, completely confused by the sensation. I was not shivering. The awful, deep ache in my bones from the freezing water was gone. Instead, a heavy, thick blanket of heat covered my entire body. I could smell dry dirt, sweet moss, and the wild, sharp scent of pine needles.Slowly, the memories of the night before came rushing back into my mind.The burned blanket. The terrible letter from Martha. The pitch-black water. And then, the massive, glowing red eyes of the rogue Alpha who broke a solid oak club with his bare hand.My eyes flew open.I was still lying in the small, dry cave carved into the rock wall. The thick, dark wolf fur was tucked tightly around my shoulders. I pushed myself up quickly, my heart hammering against my ribs. I looked toward the entrance of the cave, expecting to see Kaelen sitting there, waiting to hurt me.Bu







