Masuk{The Edge of the World}The shiny black car stopped outside the royal estate's art wing, its engine making a soft sound.Inside the studio, it was quiet and smelled of oil and paint. Adam stood by the door, his big body blocking the light as he looked down at Betty."We have to head back," Adam said, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly rasp. "Our father called a sudden meeting at the estate. Something about the Council uproar reaching his ears."Aiden scoffed from near the window, rolling his shoulders as he wiped blood off his knuckles with a white rag. "The old man can wait. I'd rather stay here and watch the stray paint.""We're going, Aiden," Adam insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument, though his eyes stayed on Betty's golden curls. He turned back to her, stepping directly into her space until her back brushed against the edge of the wooden easel.Betty instinctively took a half-step back, her heart doing a hopeless, erratic flutter against her chest. She hated how e
WARNING: DARK ROMANCE / EXPLICIT CONTENT: [The following chapter contains heavy themes of dark romance, psychological abuse, explicit graphic violence, corporal punishment, non-sexual stripping, and intense emotional trauma suitable only for mature adult readers (19+)]{The Price of Failure}The floor of Alpha Pious's personal study was made of shiny black stone that reflected the light from the candles like dark water.Sheryl was standing in the middle of the room. She wore a fancy silk top that was buttoned up to her neck. She was breathing hard and trying not to shake her hands. The big wooden doors behind her were closed and locked.At the far end of the room, behind a massive desk, sat Alpha Pious.He didn't seem like a father. He seemed more like a bad guy. His purple eyes were cold and showed no feelings as he slowly took off a leather leash from his side, which was like a weapon made with silver and soaked in a dangerous plant called Wolfsbane. Sheryl could smell something l
{The Studio and the Shadow}The big double doors of Silver's art studio closed, taking Betty into a place very different from the harsh concrete halls of Brentwood Academy.The air here smelled of linseed oil, turpentine, dried lavender, and clean canvas, not wet lockers and the bad smell of teenage meanness. Sunlight came in through big skylights on the north side. It lit up wooden easels, jars full of brushes, and bright, unfinished oil paintings all over the room.Betty stood by the door, her bare feet on the warm wooden floor, holding her big grey t-shirt like a shield."Relax, Betty," Silver said lightly, tossing her paint-stained rag onto a nearby stool and pulling the wooden brush from her spun-gold hair. She walked over to a small kitchenette corner, poured two cups of warm tea, and handed one out. "My brothers aren't going to storm back in here for at least an hour. You're safe."Betty hesitantly took the ceramic mug, her fingers wrapping around the warmth. "I... I shouldn
{The Scent of Awakening}Sheryl walked quickly down the hallway of the West Wing, making a loud noise with her shoes on the shiny floor. She wore a fancy silk shirt that was done up tight all the way to her chin, hiding the nasty purple marks Aiden had left on her neck. Her face looked very angry, but inside, she felt like she was falling apart.Behind her trotted Tessy, Jamie, and Vivian, keeping a safe distance as they watched the queen of Brentwood storm toward Dave Miller's private recovery room.Sheryl pushed the door open without knocking.Dave was sitting up on the medical cot, his face pale and swollen, his shattered fingers wrapped in thick white bandages, and his broken ribs bound tight beneath a hospital gown. When he saw Sheryl standing in the doorway with her squad behind her, a pathetic flash of hope crossed his eyes."Sheryl..." Dave croaked, his voice cracking. "Did you... did you fix it? Did the Alphas do anything to those psychotic bastards? My hands feel like they
{The Assembly of Fools}The tall ceiling of the Great Assembly Hall reflected the loud and heated discussions of thirty senior Alphas.Sheryl stood on the raised marble platform at the front of the room, her hands tightly clasped in front of her. She wore a high-collared silk blouse, buttoned all the way to her chin to cover the dark purple marks on her neck left by Aiden. Her face showed stiff anger, but inside, she was filled with a deep, humiliating rage.Beside her on the platform stood Robby and Hector. Both Beta boys were trembling like leaves, their faces bruised, their hands bandaged, looking like terrified survivors forced to testify before a war tribunal."Look at them!" Sheryl's loud, raspy voice rang out across the hall, drawing every eye to the front. "Look at what our so-called Lycan Princes did to two loyal students of Brentwood!"The gathered Alphas shifted in their seats, whispering furiously among themselves."They dragged Dave Miller across the gym floor like an ani
{The Lions' Den}Aiden didn't bother wiping the blood off his skin before slamming through the double doors of the High Council Chamber.The large mahogany doors slammed against the stone walls with a loud noise. He walked directly to the middle of the horseshoe shape, took a heavy carved leather chair, and dragged it across the marble floor, making a screech that caused half of the pack elders to wince.He turned the chair around, sat in it backward, and put his muddy, blood-stained combat boots directly on the polished table—right in the middle of Lord Miller's important family papers.His red hair was messy and wet with sweat, and dark blood was spread across his jaw and knuckles. His uniform jacket was unbuttoned, showing his strong chest.Mr. Aaron stood quietly behind him, holding his silver cane with his hands folded, and shaking his head a little. The butler understood that Aiden was trying hard to test the elders as much as possible—and it was succeeding."Aiden," a stern v
{The Price of a Secret}The first hit on the wood made Betty scream, a rough sound that got stuck in her throat."Where is she? Where is that whoring little stray?"Dave's voice echoed down the hallway, shaking the floorboards in Betty's small attic room.Betty was past the point of fighting. She c
{The Lion's Den}Ruby Miller really did not like Betty at all. As she stood in the nice, tiled-floored entrance of their home, she felt a lump in her throat.She felt that everything about this moment was a nightmare. Ruby was the kind of girl who was way too fake; she could pretend to be a sweet
{THE PRINCES OF BLOOD } Betty was completely sure the guy with golden eyes was going to kill her. The way he stared at her felt not just threatening, but also like it was the end. He moved closer, his boots making noise on the rough ground of the alley. Before she could scream, he grabbed the c
{THE BROKEN MIRROR} Betty wished she had not gone to the school cafeteria to eat, just like every morning. She had spent the first ten minutes of the lunch period standing in the hallway, staring at the double doors and thinking about her chances. There were a thousand hidden spots around Brent







