MasukTyler stared at Becca for several seconds. He had asked the question, but now that it hung between them, he could see exactly how uncomfortable it had made her.Becca's lips parted slightly, but no answer came. She looked away then back at him and away again.Tyler understood she was struggling and somehow, that realization made his heart beat faster."You don't have to answer me," he said quietly.Becca looked at him."I thought you wanted an answer” she said, surprised at his words."I do” he admitted as his voice softened. "But I don't want you to feel pressured into giving me one."Becca swallowed. This concerned taken a turn which she didn’t even expect."I honestly don't know what to say” she said honestly.Tyler nodded slowly."That's already an answer” he said."It isn't” she replied."It tells me you're confused."Becca sighed."I shouldn't be confused” she muttered as she fingers dug into her chest."Why?"She looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious."Bec
Kaelyn walked deeper into the forest, her footsteps becoming heavier with every step.She barely noticed the branches brushing against her arms or the dry leaves cracking beneath her feet. Her mind was too occupied with the conversation she had just had with Alpha Eugene.The heir.Those words kept echoing in her mind.Eugene had been clear. Becca's child was his heir.Kaelyn clenched her fists as she continued walking. She hated the thought. She hated everything about it.For months, she had believed that her son would naturally have a place beside Eugene. Perhaps not immediately, perhaps not in the way she had once imagined, but she had always believed that being Eugene's firstborn would mean something.Now, everything had changed.Becca had given birth to a son and Eugene had already decided what that meant.His heir.Kaelyn's lips tightened. She wasn't ready to accept that but she also knew she couldn't confront Eugene about it again without thinking carefully.She needed a plan a
Becca watched Tyler carefully and for a few seconds, neither of them spoke.The healer had quietly stepped out of the room, leaving them alone. The soft sounds of the mansion barely reached the healer's chambers, and for the first time since Becca had given birth, there was a strange calm around her.Tyler, however, looked anything but calm.He had been standing beside the bed with the basket of fruits still resting on a nearby table. His expression changed the moment Becca asked the question."Tyler..."He swallowed."Yes?""Is it true?" She asked again.Tyler looked away and Becca watched him carefully. For a moment, he looked as though he had forgotten how to breathe then he gave a small laugh."I think you should eat something. You haven't eaten properly” he said.Becca blinked."Tyler.""Those fruits are fresh. I brought them because I thought—""Tyler” she interrupted him.He stopped and Becca stared at him."Don't change the subject” she said.Tyler rubbed the back of his neck.
Mira's words seemed to hang in the hallway long after she had spoken them."Are you on Desmond's side again?”The moment the question left her mouth, she wished she could take it back.Jack didn't answer immediately, he simply stared at her as the hallway suddenly felt colder.Seraphina stood beside him with her arms folded, watching the exchange with an unreadable expression. Mira could see something change in Jack's face.It wasn't anger. At least, not the kind she had expected. It was hurt.A deep, unmistakable hurt.Mira's heart sank."Jack..." she started but he looked away.For a brief moment, Desmond's voice echoed in his mind and Jack clenched his jaw.“You actually thought they would trust you? You stood by us once. You think they'll ever forget that? Everyone will always wonder which side you're truly on.”He remembered the cold amusement in Desmond's eyes. He had told himself those words meant nothing, he had refused to believe them but now Mira was standing in front of hi
Becca slowly opened her eyes. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling above her.The room was quiet. Soft morning light filtered through the curtains, painting pale golden lines across the walls. The scent of herbs lingered in the air, but unlike the previous morning, it no longer made her feel like she was trapped inside a healer's chamber.She took a slow breath then another. Something felt different. She felt much better.Becca moved her fingers beneath the blanket and flexed them. There was still some weakness in her muscles, but the horrible heaviness that had consumed her body yesterday was almost gone.She carefully pushed herself upright then a small smile appeared on her lips."I can actually sit up without feeling like I'm dying” she said.The healer, who had been arranging several bottles on a nearby table, immediately turned around."Please don't say things like that."Becca chuckled."I'm sorry."The healer walked toward her and placed the back of her hand ag
Jack walked beside Seraphina through the quiet hallway, his expression still tense from everything that had happened.Neither of them spoke for several moments. The events of the past few days had left the mansion feeling different.There was suspicion everywhere. Whispers followed people through the corridors, guards were watching everyone more closely, and even ordinary conversations seemed to carry hidden meanings.Jack finally broke the silence."I still can't believe Desmond did that” he said.Seraphina glanced at him."Why are you surprised?" She asked."I expected him to be angry with me but he practically handed me over to Eugene."Seraphina shrugged."You betrayed him."Jack stopped walking."That doesn't mean he gets to accuse me of murder” he said.Seraphina turned toward him."But it means you should have expected consequences” she replied.Jack stared at her."You really think I deserved that?" He asked."I think you knew what you were doing when you turned against him” s
The garden was the only place in Blackwood that still felt normal.Becca stood barefoot in the damp grass, her toes sinking slightly into the soft earth as the early morning chill crept up her legs. The cold should have bothered her, but it didn’t. She welcomed it because it reminded her she was s
Becca walked quickly, not because she was afraid but because if she slowed down, she would start thinking and if that happened, she would start remembering Seraphina’s face in the garden.That cold, perfectly composed face twisted by fury mixed with her harsh words."You are nothing here."Becca’s
Seraphina had never been known for patience but today, the anger inside her was something else entirely.It coiled in her chest like a living thing, tightening with every step she took through the halls of Blackwood Mansion.The mansion felt different when she was angry.Maids pressed themselves ag
The door had shut with a sharp, echoing thud and silence rushed in immediately enveloping the space.Becca stood rigid in the center of the bedchambers, her shoulders squared, her chin lifted in defiance that she refused to let crack. She could feel the weight of the room pressing on her with its







