ANMELDENBoxes continued moving past as servants hurried toward Alpha King Eugene's chambers. Some carried folded dresses, others carried books, jewelry cases, blankets, and personal belongings.Every single box felt like an insult to Kaelyn and every single box was making Becca angrier by the second.Mira stood beside Becca with her arms folded tightly across her chest. She was equally irritated.The moment Becca and Mira approached, Kaelyn stepped directly into their path."Stop."Becca immediately sighed."Not today."Kaelyn ignored her. Her eyes remained fixed on the boxes being carried away then back to Becca."What is going on?" She demanded. Becca already knew where this was heading and she rubbed her forehead."Kaelyn—""No, I want an answer" she cut her off.Mira rolled her eyes."Then perhaps ask the person who ordered it."Kaelyn immediately turned toward her."I wasn't talking to you" she retorted. Becca sighed."I honestly don't know why Eugene is doing this" she said.Kaelyn na
Jack walked through the hallway with his hands behind his back, his expression dark and unreadable.His body still ached from his spar with Max. The bruises across his ribs reminded him of it with every step, yet physical pain wasn't what occupied his thoughts.His conversation with Desmond was.Jack clenched his jaw.For the hundredth time since leaving the dungeon, he found himself questioning whether he had made the right decision, or if he had made the biggest mistake of his life.His footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor."Am I really doing this?" he muttered to himself.The question sounded ridiculous because deep down he already knew the answer.He had made his choice, or at least he thought he had.Desmond's words continued replaying inside his head. He hated that every time he walked into a room, people remembered who he used to serve.He hated the suspicious looks, he hated that no matter how much he sacrificed, no matter how many times he proved himself, somebo
Kaelyn had never felt so humiliated in her entire life.The moment she returned to her room after the coronation, she had barely managed to keep herself together.The image kept replaying inside her head, again and again.Eugene choosing Becca, holding Becca's hand, helping Becca onto the platform, publicly declaring his love and worst of all, the way he had looked at Becca, as though nobody else in the room existed.Kaelyn sat on the edge of her bed, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Nearby, her son slept peacefully in his crib, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside his mother's heart.Ava stood near the window, watching. She knew Kaelyn well enough to recognize the signs.Finally, Kaelyn broke the silence."Did you see her face?"Ava already knew who she meant."Becca?"Kaelyn laughed bitterly."Who else?"Ava remained silent. That only encouraged Kaelyn further."He chose her. He chose her in front of everyone" she said, her voice cracked slightly.Ava slowly crossed
The dungeon remained cold and damp.Torchlight flickered against the stone walls, creating dancing shadows that stretched across the corridor like restless ghosts.Desmond now stood behind the iron bars of his cell, his fingers loosely wrapped around the cold metal as he studied Jack.Jack stood a few feet away, his expression hard and unreadable while Seraphina remained nearby. She had absolutely no intention of leaving.Jack glanced at her."I wanted to speak to him alone" he said.Seraphina folded her arms."Well, I say no" he said.Jack's jaw tightened."This doesn't concern you."The statement made her laugh."Oh, it absolutely concerns me" she argued.Desmond smirked."I agree with Seraphina.l" he said.Jack looked irritated then Seraphina moved closer to the cell."If you have something to say, say it."Jack stared at her for several seconds then finally sighed, clearly realizing she wasn't going anywhere."Fine."The silence that followed felt heavy and Desmond waited patientl
The excitement and noise of the coronation slowly faded behind them as Becca and Mira made their way through the long hallways of the Blackwood estate.For the first time all day, Becca finally felt like she could breathe. All she wanted was to lock herself inside her room, crawl into bed, and forget the entire day had happened.For a brief moment, things felt normal again, almost peaceful then Becca sighed. Her smile faded and the exhaustion returned."I'm tired."Mira immediately noticed the change."I know" she replied. "Everything feels exhausting lately" Becca added.Mira gently squeezed her arm."You've been through a lot" she said.Becca nodded quietly.Eventually they reached her room and the familiar sight brought immediate relief."Finally."Mira opened the door."You can rest now" she said.Becca smiled softly."Thank the Moon Goddess" she replied. The two women stepped inside then immediately froze when they saw the room was in complete chaos.Several maids were moving a
The Blackwood dungeon was a far cry from the lavish halls above a d deep within one of the larger cells sat Desmond.He leaned against the stone wall with one leg stretched before him. His clothing was still stained from the events of the coronation, his hair was slightly disheveled.Yet somehow he looked far too comfortable for a man who had nearly been executed only a few moments ago.One of the guards stopped outside the cell and glared."You should look more worried."Desmond didn't even bother opening his eyes."Should I?"The guard scowled."You're only alive because Alpha Eugene showed mercy."Desmond chuckled."Did he?"The guard frowned."You think this is funny?"Desmond smiled lazily."A little" he replied. The guard's face darkened immediately."You won't be laughing when Alpha King Eugene decides your punishment" he said.The second guard nodded."You've caused enough problems" he added.Desmond's smile faded, only slightly but the guards noticed and that made them happy
The safe house had fallen into an unnatural stillness, as though even the air feared to disturb what was happening between Max and Mira. From a distance Becca stood frozen, her nails digging into her palms as she watched the scene unfolding. She hated this, every second of it.Becca took a step f
The crescent moon hung beautifully in the sky, shining down on the chaos that was about to errupt down below in the forest now that Max and Eugene had been seen by one of the tracker unit wolves.For a fraction of a second, no one moved and it was like the forest held its breath.Then the man shout
Morning crept into the dungeon like a pale light sliding through the iron bars, cold and hesitant, as though even the daylight was afraid to disturb the silence that had settled over Jack during the long hours of the night. He had slept in jarring bursts, more dozing than resting, his mind trapped
When Becca pushed open the door to one of the bedrooms and stepped inside, she exhaled with relief.“Two bedrooms,” she announced after a quick look around. “Not bad for a place that looked like this.”Mira stepped in behind her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Two bedrooms?” Eugene repe







