Mag-log inFord’s head snapped toward her, his eyes wide with surprise at her blatant rudeness.Just as he was opening his mouth to say something, I let out a soft, melodic laugh that didn't reach my eyes."Wow. Is that how you talk to your Luna, Tanya?" I said smoothly. "Have you forgotten your manners along with your dignity?"Tanya’s eyes narrowed, her face flushing with anger. Then gave me a slight, mocking bow. "My apologies, Luna," she sneered. "I didn't see you there in the shadows."She started to rise, but I took a step toward her, my presence cold and absolute. "Did I ask you to stand?"Tanya froze halfway up, her eyes darting to Ford for help. But Ford was too busy staring at me, his mouth slightly agape.The silence stretched until Tanya, realizing no one was coming to her rescue, sank back into a deep, submissive bow."Keren," Ford said, his voice low as he reached out to touch my arm. "Let it go," he urged. "She said she didn't know you were standing there, and she’s apologized."I
Keren’s POV“…I’m telling you, you’re doing too much—”“At least I’m doing something, unlike you—”“Enough.” I snapped, getting tired of their childish squabbling. Ford and Fabian froze mid-argument, their attention snapping toward me at the exact same time. My gaze was fixed past them. My entire had narrowed on the swing of a blonde ponytail and the familiar, feline grace of a woman who haunted every nightmare I’d had for half a decade.Ford frowned slightly. “Keren what are you looking at?”Fabian followed my line of sight, his brows knitting together. “What is it?”“That’s her,” I whispered, more to myself than to them.“Keren?” Ford’s voice sharpened. “Who—”“I’ll be back,” I cut in quickly, already stepping away.Both of them straightened.“Back?” Fabian echoed. “Where are you going?”“Carry on,” I said, waving them off like they were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “I want to check something out.”I heard someone call my name behind me but I didn’t turn.If I did, I w
Keren’s POVThe morning after the lake was a fever dream I couldn't sweat out. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom heat of Ford’s breath on my lips and heard the desperate, broken honesty in his voice. I was furious with myself. I had spent five years building a fortress of ice, only to let it start melting because of a few well-timed apologies and a sunset.I was weak. And in this pack, weakness was a death sentence.By the time the sun hit the courtyard, I had made a decision. If Ford wanted to play with my emotions, I would show him exactly how much of a strategist I had become. I would overcompensate. I would bury the "soft" version of Keren so deep she’d never find the surface again.The twins arrived at my suite together to take Maverick to his first private training session. Ford looked at me with a hopeful, tentative light in his eyes, likely thinking our moment at the lake had changed the game. I didn't even look at him."Fabian," I said, my voice warm and laced w
Keren’s POVThe lake at the edge of the Silver Moon estate was the only place where the air felt thin enough to breathe. It was a mirror of dark, glacial water surrounded by towering pines that whispered in the mountain breeze. I sat on a flat, sun-warmed rock, my knees pulled to my chest, watching Maverick.He was a few yards away, crouching in the tall grass at the water’s edge. He wasn't growling or pushing anyone today. He was just a boy, his tongue poked out in concentration as he tried to track something moving through the reeds. For a few minutes, I allowed myself to forget the "Soul Seed," the Alpha Prime gene, and the shadow of Bree hanging over my neck.Then, the air changed.The scent of spice and rain-soaked earth hit me before I heard the snap of a twig. My body reacted before my brain did. A hum of electricity sparked in my marrow, a magnetic pull that made my skin feel too tight for my bones.I tensed, my hand instinctively reaching for the silver blade hidden in the fo
Fabian’s POVThe morning air was biting, a cold lung-full of mountain mist that usually helped me clear the cobwebs of the night. I was on my third mile around the residential hub of the Silver Moon compound, my boots hitting the gravel in a steady, rhythmic thrum. My wolf was restless, pacing behind my ribs, still vibrating from the pride I’d felt watching Maverick send that bully flying.I rounded the corner near the warrior barracks, slowing my pace as I approached a group of teenagers loitering near the training racks. They didn't see me coming—my scent was downwind—and their voices carried clearly through the crisp air."Did you hear?" one of the boys whispered, leaning against a wooden post. "Alpha Ford cheated on her. That’s the real reason she vanished five years ago.""Shut up, no way," a girl replied, her eyes wide. "Alpha Ford? He’s practically a monk. He hasn't looked at a woman since she left.""I'm telling you, the Luna said it herself! She told him right there in the li
Keren’s POVThe four walls of the guest suite were starting to feel like a cage I had built for myself. For three days, I hadn't let Maverick past the threshold. We watched cartoons until the colors blurred, played with plastic cars on the rug, and ate every meal from trays brought by silent, watchful guards.My dream about the lab, the man with the yellow eyes, and the forgery had settled into my bones like a cold fever. I was paralyzed by a new brand of paranoia. If the Ashfords wanted him as a weapon, and the Vales wanted him as a result, then the only safe place for my son was behind a locked door with me.Maverick started whining and dragging his little body across the bed like a dramatic old man who has been imprisoned for years instead of a five-year-old who just discovered boredom exists.“Mommy,” he groaned, flopping onto his back with a sigh so exaggerated I almost rolled my eyes, “I am soooo bored.”I didn’t answer.My eyes stay glued to the TV, but I’m not watching it.







