MasukAdella's POV The journey had been longer than I expected, yet somehow it did not feel exhausting the way I thought it would.Maybe it was because of Tera.Or maybe it was because this was the first time in a long while that I felt like I was breathing without pressure sitting heavily on my chest every second.I sat on the branch of a large tree, gripping it tightly while glaring down at Tera who stood below with both hands on her waist, staring at me with complete disappointment.“You are seriously embarrassing me right now,” she said.I narrowed my eyes.“You are the one who forced me up here,” I complained.She rolled her eyes dramatically.“For the hundredth time, I did not force you,” she replied. “I simply told you climbing trees is useful.”I scoffed softly.“Useful for who exactly?” I asked. “Monkeys?”Tera burst into laughter immediately, bending slightly while clutching her stomach.“Oh, the future Lycan heiress is scared of trees?” she teased.“I am not scared,” I snapped q
Alder's POV I did not realize how tightly I had been gripping the edge of my desk until my fingers began to ache.The report lay open in front of me, the ink staring back at me like it expected a reaction I was not ready to give, and I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair as I pressed my fingers against my temple, trying to steady the thoughts that refused to arrange themselves in any meaningful way.I let my hand fall back to the desk before lifting my gaze toward the door.“Edrick,” I called.The door opened almost immediately, as though he had been waiting outside, and he stepped in with his usual composed expression, bowing his head slightly.“My Alpha?” he responded.“Send for the council,” I said, my voice steady despite the tension lingering beneath it. “I want them gathered now.”He nodded without hesitation.“It will be done,” he replied before stepping out again.I leaned back once more, letting out a quiet breath as I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts drifting unwilli
Adella's POV I stood in the middle of my room, staring at the small bag resting on the edge of the bed, my fingers still gripping the fabric as though letting go of it would suddenly make everything feel too real.Was I truly ready for this?The question lingered quietly in my mind as I drew in a slow breath, my eyes moving across the room that had started to feel less foreign over the past weeks, a place that had slowly begun to accept me even when I had not fully accepted myself.I tightened my hold on the strap of the bag before finally releasing it, pressing my lips together as I glanced at the mirror beside the wardrobe, my reflection staring back at me with a calm I was not sure I truly felt.“You cannot keep standing there forever, Adella,” I muttered softly to myself, lifting a hand to brush a strand of hair away from my face as I let out a quiet breath.I had packed only what I needed.Clothes that would not slow me down.A few essentials.Nothing unnecessary.Because this w
Alder's POV I was already irritated before she walked in.The documents spread across my desk had barely held my attention for more than a few minutes, my eyes moving over the words without truly reading them, my mind drifting back to everything that had happened at the Lycan kingdom, to the face I could not erase no matter how hard I tried, to the way my chest had tightened when I saw her standing there alive, untouched, powerful in a way I had never imagined.Adella.I clenched my jaw slightly, forcing myself to look back down at the parchment in front of me, but the letters blurred together, meaningless under the weight of my thoughts.Then the door burst open.I did not need to look up to know who it was.“What nonsense did you tell my father?”Lilian’s voice cut through the room, sharp and demanding, her heels striking the floor as she walked in without waiting for permission, her presence as intrusive as always.I leaned back slightly in my chair, lifting my gaze to meet hers,
Adella's POV I stepped out of the hall with my thoughts still tangled, my mind replaying every word that had been said inside, every glance that had been thrown in my direction, every expectation that now rested on my shoulders, and I tried to steady myself as I walked forward, reminding myself that I had chosen this, that I had spoken up on my own, that no one forced those words out of me when I accepted the mission.My guard walked a step behind me, silent as always, her presence steady and watchful, and I was about to say something to her when my steps slowed on their own.Sigil.He stood not too far ahead, his posture relaxed in a way I had not seen in a while, his shoulders slightly loose, his expression lighter than usual, and beside him stood my guard.No.Not my guard.The same woman who had woken me up.They were talking.Not just talking.Laughing.I stopped without realizing it.Something in my chest tightened, a strange feeling that I did not immediately understand, and I
Adella's POV I did not want to wake up.It felt like I had only just closed my eyes when I felt something soft tap against my arm, a light nudge that barely pulled me from the depth of my sleep, and I shifted slightly on the bed, burying my face deeper into the pillow as I let out a quiet groan.“Please,” I murmured, my voice thick with sleep as I waved my hand weakly in the air. “Just let me sleep a little longer, I am still tired.”The tapping came again.A little firmer this time.My brows furrowed as I shifted again, my body protesting at the disturbance, and I dragged the blanket slightly higher over my shoulder, trying to ignore whoever it was.“Go away,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes still closed as I turned to the other side.Another tap followed.My patience snapped.Without opening my eyes, I reached blindly for the nearest pillow, grabbing it before throwing it in the direction of the disturbance with more force than I probably should have.“Did you not hear me?” I s
Brooke's POVI pushed the heavy doors open harder than necessary and they slammed loudly against the stone wall behind them, the sound echoing through the corridor while the guards stationed outside my mother’s quarters immediately straightened the moment they saw my face. The anger inside my chest
Alder's POV The words Lilian had just spoken did not settle into my mind immediately because there are moments when the human body reacts before the mind fully understands what has been said, and I could feel my chest tightening slowly while my gaze remained fixed on her face as if I were waiting
I closed my eyes for a moment because the anger inside my chest was starting to feel like something alive and breathing, something warm and suffocating that pressed against my ribs whenever I thought about the way Brooke spoke to me as if I were some broken thing he could kick aside whenever it ple
Alder's POVI was seated behind the wide wooden desk in my office, carefully going through a stack of documents that had been brought in earlier that morning by the council scribes, and the longer I stared at the pages the more I realized that ruling a pack was far less glorious than most young wol







