🔥 What will happen when night falls? Will Becca truly go through with it, or will her heart betray her words? And when desire and strategy collide, which will be stronger—the deal she made, or the love she refuses to admit? 👉 Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Kaelyn shifted uncomfortably on the cold bench, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She wasn’t sure why she had agreed to this conversation in the first place. Being in Desmond’s company, even with the moonlight softening his sharp features, always set her on edge. He was smooth, charming, dangerous—all wrapped into one man. And now Seraphina stood nearby, her presence prickling the air with tension.Desmond leaned lazily against the bench’s backrest, every inch of him exuding confidence. His dark eyes glittered as they followed Seraphina, who had stopped only a few feet away. She looked radiant, as always, her hair shining like a crown beneath the moon. Her hand rested lightly against her belly, a silent reminder to all of what she carried—the future she believed would secure Desmond’s power.Desmond pushed off the bench with grace. He strode to Seraphina, his smile devilish, his movements deliberate. Without hesitation, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a h
The room was too quiet.Becca’s breath caught in her throat the moment the heavy oak door closed behind her, sealing her inside with him. The scent of cedarwood and iron filled the air—Alpha Eugene’s scent, commanding, masculine, suffocating. Her heart pounded against her ribs, fighting between instinct and doubt.Eugene stood by the tall window, the moonlight casting sharp silver lines across his body. His robe, black and loose, clung to his wide shoulders but gaped at the chest, leaving muscles bare and dangerous. He looked both like a warrior and a king who had nothing to hide.Becca’s fingers twisted nervously around the hem of her gown. It was a dress meant to make her look regal, desirable even. Yet she felt like prey wrapped up for the hunter’s feast.Her eyes met his, and the world seemed to shrink.“Becca,” Eugene said softly, his voice like thunder muted by distance.She swallowed, her lips parting as if to answer, but the words tangled in her throat.This wasn’t suppose
Becca stood in front of the mirror, staring at the unfamiliar girl staring back at her. The reflection wasn’t ugly. No, not anymore, but still, she didn’t recognize the woman in the glass. The woman in the mirror looked determined. But behind that determination lurked uncertainty which was an unease that coiled in her chest. Mira’s hands were busy rifling through the rack of garments the seamstress had sent earlier. She pulled a dress, held it against Becca’s figure, frowned, and then discarded it on the bed. She repeated the process with a second, then a third. “Nothing feels right,” Mira muttered under her breath, though loud enough for Becca to hear. “Too stiff. Too much fabric. Too bold. Too simple. Ugh!” Becca said nothing. She kept her eyes on the mirror, fingers curling into the silk belt of the robe she was wearing. She had told Eugene earlier that day. Her words were still etched into her mind like carved stone: ‘We should do it. Tonight.’ The look in his eyes when she
The hallways of the mansion carried sound in strange ways. Even when Kaelyn walked with her head down and her steps quiet, she could hear the faint hiss of whispers that silenced the moment she passed. She could hear the rustle of skirts when maids gathered in corners, their words clipped short but their eyes lingering. The subtle, knowing glances of guards who pretended to look elsewhere but failed to mask their smirks. It was suffocating. Kaelyn kept her chin high despite the heat crawling across her cheeks. She told herself not to care—that gossip was nothing more than wind, fleeting and meaningless. Yet each murmur pricked like a thorn beneath her skin, each whisper a sharp reminder of what she had done. As she reached the archway leading into the mansion’s inner courtyard, she caught the sound of two voices just beyond. “Did you hear? She told Alpha Eugene she loved him.” “And after everything Luna Becca has done for her? What kind of guest betrays like that?” “Pathetic.
The council hall was nearly silent, save for the gentle scraping of quills and the faint shuffling of parchment. Councillor Hadrian exhaled deeply and set aside his quill. His knuckles cracked as he flexed his fingers, weary from the endless ink and decisions. At his right, Councillor Margot pushed her chair back and stood. “It is late,” she murmured. “We should adjourn before dawn finds us still debating scraps of parchment.” There was a low murmur of agreement from the rest of the council. One by one, chairs groaned as the councillors prepared to leave. But before the heavy doors could be unlatched, they swung open on their own, wide and forceful. Alpha Desmond walked in. His presence filled the room instantly. He carried with him the raw, feral authority of an Alpha who was unaccustomed to waiting—or being denied. “Still here?” Desmond’s voice cut like steel through the silence. “I thought you were the ones who claimed to work swiftly in matters of the crown. Yet days pass
Mira’s arms ached slightly as she balanced the silver tray of Becca’s snacks. The fragrance drifted upward, soothing and delicate, but Mira herself was anything but calm. Because behind her, Max followed like a stormcloud. “Are you going to ignore me all the way up this hall?” Max’s voice was tight, a low growl that matched the tension in his stride. Mira exhaled sharply through her nose. “I’m not ignoring you, Max. I just don’t think this is the time or place for another one of your interrogations.” “Interrogations?” He snorted. “That’s what you call me trying to keep you safe?” Mira stopped suddenly, spinning on her heel so quickly the tray wobbled. Max’s hands twitched as though to steady it, but he forced them back to his sides. His dark eyes burned into hers. “You embarrassed me in front of half the kitchen,” Mira said, her tone flat but her cheeks still hot with remembered anger. “All because I was talking to Jack.” Max stepped closer, his broad shoulders casting her in