LOGINCaspian The old man looked at me like he'd seen a ghost. Not a stranger and not an unwelcome visitor, but a fucking ghost.For a moment neither of us moved.Rain battered the roof overhead while cold wind slipped through the half-open doorway. Water dripped from my coat onto the wooden porch, but I barely noticed.The old man's face had gone completely pale. His eyes remained fixed on mine, on my eyes, on the thing he'd recognized.Then, very slowly, he reached for the door."You need to leave." The words weren't angry and weren't hostile either. If anything, they sounded frightened.That was somehow worse."No." I planted my hand against the door before he could close it. “I need to talk to you.” “No. You can't.” The old man's shoulders visibly tensed. "You shouldn't be here.""Then tell me why." I muttered and his jaw tightened. For a second I thought he might answer.Instead he looked over my shoulder, into the darkness beyond me, like he expected someone else to appear, lik
Caspian The investigator called again three hours later, and for the life of me, I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. I was standing in front of the window when my phone vibrated.The sky outside had already darkened, turning the estate grounds into little more than shadows and distant lights.I hadn't stopped thinking since our last conversation. Not about Daisy,nor about the council and not even about the witness either. If there was one person on my mind since the call ended, it had to be my father. Every road seemed to lead back to him and every answer seemed to circle around his name before disappearing into silence.Why? I asked myself, but I didn't get the chance to dwell on that before my phone buzzed again.“Hello.” I answered immediately. "What now?"The investigator didn't waste time."I've located the witness."“What?” My entire body went still.."You found him?""Yes."“Okay.” I turned away from the window. "Where is he?""That's the problem."Of course
Caspian The office felt too quiet.I stood motionless beside my desk, my phone pressed tightly against my ear while the investigator's words echoed inside my skull.It's connected to your father.The sentence shouldn't have affected me as much as it did.My father had been connected to countless things over the years. Businesses, alliances, decisions and even enemies.That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the hesitation in the investigator's voice.The caution, the discomfort like he was scared of stepping on any toes or starting a bloody fire. Men didn't sound like that unless they were afraid of what they were about to say."What exactly does that mean?" My grip tightened around the phone as I asked coldly.“Look.” he started , but trailed off and believe me when I said I hated the silence crackling through the line."Caspian...""No." My voice hardened instantly. "Don't start dancing around it now. You called me."Another pause, then a slow exhale followed. "I can't explai
Caspian Three days..Three fucking days. That was how long it had been since Daisy had spoken to me. She hadn't argued with me, she hadn't snapped and she hadn't rolled her eyes at me either. Nothing, just three days of pure silence. At first, I thought she simply needed space. After everything that had happened, after the council, after the argument, after the questions about her parents, I figured she would cool off eventually.She hadn't and every attempt I'd made had been ignored.Notes, messages, meals sent to her room and even excuses to cross paths with her.Nothing worked.Either she wasn't there when I looked, or she somehow managed to disappear seconds before I arrived. The more it happened, the more convinced I became that it wasn't accidental.She was avoiding me, deliberately and the realization sat like a stone in my chest. My wolf hated it and restless wasn't even the right word anymore.He paced constantly beneath my skin. He was agitated, irritable and fucking poss
Daisy "What kind of favor?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it.Across from me, Elias simply looked at me. He was calm, unbothered and definitely infuriating, then he smiled slightly."Not yet.""What?" I blinked."I said not yet."“What do you mean, not yet?” I stared at him, because surely that wasn't his answer. It couldn't be. "You literally just brought it up.""I know.""You can't be serious." My eye twitched, I was almost certain it twitched."I am.""Elias.""Daisy."The urge to commit violence grew stronger by the second and for several long moments, neither of us spoke. Then I folded my arms tighter."You want something.""Correct.""You want me to agree to it.""Also correct.""And you're refusing to tell me what it is.""Very good."I hated him, I genuinely, sincerely hated him. The worst part? He was over the moon about it. "What kind of ridiculous logic is that?""What can I say?” His shoulders lifted slightly. “I'm still deciding.""What?" The irrit
Daisy The realization sat heavily in my stomach.Elias wasn't refusing to answer, he was negotiating, which somehow felt infinitely worse.For several seconds, neither of us spoke.He stood near the doorway, calm as ever, while I stared at him trying to decide whether I wanted to scream, leave, or throw something.Possibly all three.Finally, I folded my arms. "What do you want?"“Oh.” His eyebrow lifted. "Straight to business.""I don't have the patience for games." I huffed. "That's unfortunate." "It wasn't a compliment."The corner of his mouth twitched and I guess this was the best time to say that I hated when he looked amused, especially when I was suffering."What?" I snapped."Nothing.""Liar.""Frequently."I narrowed my eyes, because the man was impossible and it was starting to get on my nerves. "Do you want money?" I asked.For the first time, Elias actually laughed, not loudly or warmly, but just enough to make me instantly regret opening my mouth."Oh, Daisy." The
Daisy Waking up felt wrong. It wasn't exactly painful, but I felt heavy, like my body had been dragged underwater and only partially pulled back up again.For a few seconds, I just lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to remember where I was, why my chest still felt tight, and why exhaustio
Caspian The door didn’t move. It hadn’t moved in minutes, or maybe even longer. I didn’t know, I wasn't sure anymore. I’d stopped keeping track the second they took her inside.My boots struck the floor in a sharp, measured rhythm as I paced the length of the corridor, turned, and did it again.
Daisy The word desire didn’t just sit between us. It didn't want to believe it, but the more I fought the word, the deeper it sank inside me It coiled low in my stomach like something alive, something dangerous, and something that didn’t ask for permission before making itself at home inside me
Daisy The library was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t just large, it was overwhelming.Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, dark wood polished to a quiet sheen, and lined with books that looked older than anything I’d ever seen. Ladders rested against some of them, tall and narrow, like t







