LOGINVanessa's POV Blood and Iron "Abel."The name slipped past my lips before I could stop it, a thin, fragile breath that instantly dissolved into the sterile air of the boardroom.He stared at me.Abel. Alpha of the Blood Moon pack—a small, almost insignificant territory nestled deep in the northern crags, yet notorious for housing wolves who bit far above their weight class. He was the only Alpha who had ever dared to look Ronan in the eye without flinching, the only man in the entire region who treated Ronan's suffocating authority as a mild inconvenience rather than absolute law. That was all in the past. But looking at him now, standing in the center of the executive floor, I felt no desire to reconnect. None at all.“Mine? No—not mate. But close. Dangerous. Strong,“ my wolf clawed frantically at the inside of my skull, her voice a low, obsessive hum that vibrated through my teeth. She was practically vibrating with a restless, inexplicable hunger, leaning forward as if desperate
Vanessa The fabric of the tailored charcoal suit felt entirely too crisp, too structured against skin that still remembered the ghost-weight of chains. I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my dressing room, smoothing down the lapels for the fourth time. The trousers were sleek, pooling slightly over black leather heels, and the silk blouse underneath buttoned high up to my collarbone, effectively hiding the faint, pale scars that lingered near my throat. I looked like a CEO. I looked untouchable.Inside, my stomach was a knot of ice and razor blades."We are marching into a den of wolves," my wolf paced restlessly along the edges of my mind, her claws clicking against bone. "They do not know our teeth. They will test us.""I know," I muttered under my breath, grabbing a heavy silver ring from the vanity and sliding it onto my index finger. Just something solid to anchor myself.When I walked down the grand staircase and entered the formal dining room, my father was already s
Ronan's POV The amber liquid in the lowball glass swirled in slow, heavy circles, catching the dim sliver of twilight that managed to cut through the heavy velvet drapes of my study.It was warm, burning the back of my throat like swallowed ash, but it was the only thing that managed to quiet the static in my head anymore. Five years. Five years of staring at the same four walls, ruling over a pack that felt more like a cage of my own making. Wild Bloomers hadn’t changed. The air still tasted like ozone and old iron, and the corridors still echoed with the heavy footsteps of wolves who didn't dare look me in the eye.A sharp, tentative knock rattled the heavy oak door.I didn't look up. "Leave."The door creaked open anyway.‘The pup,’ my wolf growled in the deep, dormant trenches of my mind, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that smelled of dry earth and stagnant blood. ‘Lock it away. She has no business smelling your weakness.’I slammed the glass down on the mahogany desk, the l
Vanessa's POV The sound of small, bare feet slapping rapidly against polished mahogany was my alarm clock these days."Ethan, I am not going to say it again!" I called out, my voice echoing down the long, sunlit corridor of the estate.A loud, mischievous giggle bounced off the high ceilings. He wasn't stopping. If anything, he was speeding up.I blew a stray strand of hair out of my face and broke into a jog, my socks sliding slightly on the hardwood floor. Five years. Five years of peace, of healing, of building a life that finally felt like my own, and it was entirely ruled by a five-year-old boy who had somehow inherited the stamina of a full-grown warrior and the stubbornness of a stone wall.I rounded the corner just in time to see his little legs disappearing behind the heavy velvet drapes near the grand staircase. He thought he was being stealthy, but the bottom of the curtain was shaking violently, and a small, muffled snort gave him away entirely.I slowed my pace, creeping
Vanessa's POV I lay still a moment before opening my eyes, my limbs heavy against the mattress, my eyelids refusing to lift on the first attempt. When I finally pushed myself upright, my shoulders dragged with the effort, and I sat there a second longer, blinking against the pale morning light spilling through the curtains.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, planted my feet on the cold floor, and crossed to the mirror, my steps slower than they used to be, my hand trailing the wall for balance.I studied the shape of myself in the glass, the round curve of my stomach stretching the fabric of my nightgown, and rested my palm against it without deciding to.Something fluttered beneath my hand.I went still, my breath catching in my throat.It came again, firmer this time, a distinct pressure pushing outward against my palm, and I felt my mouth pull into a smile before I'd even registered doing it, my other hand flying up to cover my lips."There you are," I whispered.The door s
Vanessa The first thing I learned about living at my father's estate was that peace had a schedule, and like everything else here, it had to be practiced.Every morning Maren woke me before sunrise, every morning I complained, and every morning she simply ignored me, holding out a small glass vial."Open your mouth," she said.I stared at it. "No."Her eyebrow lifted. "Vanessa.""It smells like something died.""That is because your senses are finally working properly again.""That's not reassuring."She pushed the vial closer. I leaned away. "You promised your father," she sighed."I promised to take the potions. I didn't promise to like it.""You also promised to stop arguing.""I don't remember that part.""You were unconscious when he said it."I narrowed my eyes. "That's cheating.""Drink."I took the potion, swallowed, and my entire face twisted at the immediate, bitter bite. Maren smiled faintly. "Better?""No.""Good." She took the empty vial back. "Your next dose is after br







