로그인Ariel's heartbeat pounded violently against her ribs, each thud loud enough that she was certain Alpha king Desmond could hear it. Her hands trembled at her sides, and no matter how much she tried to steady them, they refused to obey.Desmond didn’t move. He stood there, watching her approach, his expression unreadable but his eyes were sharp, cold, and filled with something that made her stomach twist violently.Ariel swallowed hard as she closed the distance between them, her steps slowing despite herself.“I—”She didn’t even get the chance to finish.Desmond moved fast.His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a force that made her gasp, and before she could react, he dragged her down the hallway.“A-Alpha—!” she stammered.“Quiet,” he snapped.His voice was low but it cut through her like a blade.Ariel’s breath hitched as she stumbled after him, her feet barely keeping up with his pace as he pulled her along. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, the dim lights blurring a
Max walked through the hallway, his steps heavy, his jaw clenched so tight it felt like it might crack under the pressure. Every breath he took was sharp, uneven, laced with frustration he couldn’t seem to shake.Seraphina’s words still echoed in his head and his hands curled into fists.“Damn it” he muttered under his breath.It wasn’t just her. It was everything that had happened tonight. Max exhaled harshly, dragging a hand through his hair as he turned another corner, the dim light flickering across his face.“I should’ve seen it, I should’ve known…m” he said quietly. But he hadn’t and that hurt the most.His steps slowed slightly, his chest tightening.“I trusted you,” he whispered.Even now, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.Max scoffed bitterly at himself.“Pathetic,” he muttered.Maybe Seraphina was right. Maybe he was because despite everything, he still cared.His steps resumed, sharper now as he tried to push the thoughts away.Max stopped walking, his body stiffened s
Mira slowed her steps, crouching slightly as her eyes scanned the forest ahead.Ava had been there just moments ago.“She was right in front of us. She couldn’t have gone far” Mira said.Jack moved beside her now, lowering his voice further.“She’s trained,” he said. Mira’s jaw tightened slightly.They moved forward again, slower this time, more cautious. Every step was deliberate, careful not to make unnecessary noise. The forest floor crunched softly beneath their boots, but they kept their movements quiet.“She’s definitely trying her best to find their camp,” she added.Jack exhaled softly.“If she succeeds…”Mira didn’t let him finish.“She’ll report back to Seraphina, and she won’t wait”she said.Jack’s jaw tightened.Mira’s steps slowed again, her mind racing.“If Seraphina finds Skye before the duel then it won't be good” she whispered.“It’s over,” Jack said.“Not just for Skye, for all of us” Mira added.Jack looked at her because they both knew what that meant.Mira clench
Seraphina stood unmoving at the center of the room, her chin slightly lifted, her gaze locked onto Max with coldness.Max didn’t back down, not even a little.“I told you, stay away from her” Max said, his voice low but firm.Seraphina’s lips curved.“And I told you, I don’t take orders from you ”she replied, her voice dripping with mockery, Max’s jaw tightened.Seraphina stepped forward slowly, closing the gap between them inch by inch, her presence suffocating, her aura sharp and biting.“You’re really testing your limits tonight,” she murmured.Max didn’t move.“Maybe I am,” he said. “Max didn’t resist but he didn’t yield either.“You’re not the only one who got betrayed,” he said quietly.Seraphina froze then her grip tightened.“You’re comparing us?” she asked, her voice dangerously low.“No, I’m saying I know what it feels like” Max said. Her eyes searched his for weakness but she found none.“You don’t know anything,” she said.The tension between them reached a breaking poi
The long corridors stretched endlessly, lit only by scattered lanterns that flickered against the stone walls. The silence was thick, broken only by distant footsteps, the occasional murmur of guards, and the quiet hum of a place that never truly slept.Mira’s arms were crossed tightly, her brows drawn together in worry as her gaze stayed fixed ahead of the hall but her thoughts were elsewhere, fixed on Max.“I don’t like this,” she muttered under her breath.Beside her, Jack glanced at her, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, though there was nothing casual about the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.“You’ve said that three times already,” he replied gently.Mira sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration.“And I’ll say it again. I don’t like this" she said.Jack let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no mockery in it.“I figured.”They turned down another corridor, their footsteps echoing faintly in the stillness.Mira slowed slightly, her shoulders
Brian moved through the halls with purpose.His steps were sharp, impatient, echoing loudly against the marble floors as he strode down the long hallway. His jaw was clenched so tightly it ached, his fists curling and uncurling at his sides as if he were already preparing to strike someone.“This is a joke, a complete joke” he muttered under his breath, his voice low but venomous. His eyes burned with fury as he turned another corner, barely acknowledging the guards stationed along the walls. They stiffened as he passed, sensing the tension radiating from him, but none dared to speak.Brian didn’t care. His mind was on Eugene.“That man walks in here like he owns everything, like he didn’t destroy lives, like he didn’t tear everything in my life apart” Brian continued, his voice tightening.His breathing grew heavier.“I should have killed him when I had the chance.”His hands tightened in a fist.“I won’t let this go. I don’t care about this ‘truce’ and I don’t care about this due
Pain came back in fragments. First, it was sound of ringing, distant and warped, then the smell of smoke and broken wood followed by the ache.Becca groaned softly. Her eyelids fluttered, heavily before finally opening.The night sky swam above her, broken by flickering orange light which meant fir
Becca’s lungs burned as she pressed herself deeper into the narrow space behind the collapsed shelves.Dust clung to her hair and skin, mixing with sweat and blood she didn’t know was hers or someone else’s. The air was thick with smoke, fear, and sickness all feeling choking and heavy. Around he
Eugene stood with his hood still drawn low, his posture relaxed in a way that was anything but. Alpha power coiled tightly beneath his skin, contained only by sheer will. Max stood a step to his left, his shoulders squared while Skye leaned casually against the wall as though this weren’t a privat
The steam from the tub had begun to slowly disappear into the air and that was the first thing Becca noticed as she sat rigid on the edge of the massive bed, her back straight, her hands clenched so tightly in her lap that her nails cut into her palms. The air still smelled of soap and crushed her







