MasukDesmond took another step toward Ariel.“Speak,” he repeated, his voice lower now but far more threatening.Ariel’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, her fingers tightened together until her knuckles turned pale.“It’s… about Jack,” she said carefully.The moment the name left her lips, Desmond’s expression shifted subtly but unmistakably.Ava noticed it immediately and so did Seraphina.“What about him?” Seraphina asked, her tone sharp with suspicion.“I saw him with Alpha Eugene.” she said.Desmond’s jaw tightened.“That’s not surprising. He’s been lingering around them more than usual” he said coldly. Ariel shook her head quickly.“No, Alpha… not just lingering.”Ava leaned forward slightly, her curiosity rising.“What do you mean?”Ariel took a breath steadying herself, her voice trembling slightly.“He knelt before Alpha Eugene and he… swore loyalty to him” she said. The words hit like thunder.Ava’s eyes widened, Seraphina’s mouth parted slightly in disbelief and Desmond went st
The journey back to the estate felt longer than it should have.Ava walked beside Desmond in silence, her thoughts in chaos, her emotions tangled between fear, confusion, and disbelief. She kept glancing at him, hoping he would say something to explain but Desmond walked ahead like nothing had happened.Finally, Ava couldn’t hold it in anymore.“Alpha…” she said, her voice careful but strained.Desmond didn’t slow.“What is it now?” he replied, irritation clear in his tone.Ava took a breath.“That proposal… with Alpha Leonard…”Desmond remained silent while Ava clenched her hands slightly.“You can’t be serious.”That made him stop. He turned his head just enough to glance at her, his expression unreadable.“I don’t make jokes about power,” he said.Ava swallowed.“I’m not saying it’s a joke,” she said quickly. “I’m saying it’s—”“Necessary.”The word cut her off and Ava blinked.“Necessary?” she echoed. “You offered him half the territory!”Desmond’s gaze sharpened.“And?”Ava shoo
Jack walked beside Mira in silence, his mind still replaying everything that had just happened.They turned down a quieter hallway, far from the main activity of the estate. The walls here were lined with tall windows that let in the soft glow of the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the polished floors.Mira slowed her pace then stopped.“There,” she said gently, gesturing toward a small alcove tucked between two pillars.A simple wooden bench sat there, partially hidden from view.Jack followed her without question and they both sat down.Mira exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly as she tilted her head toward him.“You really did it,” she said softly.Jack let out a small breath.“I guess I did.”Mira smiled faintly.“No, not ‘I guess.’ You actually did it” she corrected.Jack glanced at her.“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” he admitted.Mira’s smile softened.“I could tell.”Jack leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared ahea
The camp fell into a stunned silence after Desmond’s words.It echoed in Ava’s head like a thunderclap, loud and disorienting, refusing to settle. Her breath came out uneven as she stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.What is he doing?She took a step forward instinctively, her voice rising before she could stop herself.“My Alpha, this—”“Silence.”Desmond didn’t even look at her but the command was sharp.Ava’s lips parted, the rest of her words dying in her throat as his aura pressed down, not violently, but firmly enough to remind her of her place.Across from them, Skye stepped forward, her shock turning quickly into anger.“You’ve lost your mind. You think you can just walk into our camp and suggest something like that?” she said, her voice sharp with disbelief.Desmond’s expression didn’t change, he didn’t even spare her a glance.“I didn’t come here to speak with you,” he said flatly.Skye’s eyes flashed.“I don’t care who you came to speak with,” she snapped. “This af
Ava could feel the suffocating sense of being watched pressing in on her as she walked with Desmond and their captors.“Move.”The command came from one of the guards behind her, sharp and impatient. Ava flinched slightly and quickened her steps but Desmond, however did not.He walked at his own pace, as though he were not surrounded by enemies.“Keep up,” another guard snapped at him.Desmond didn’t even glance in his direction.“If I wanted to be rushed, I would have come here running” he said calmly.The guard stepped forward, his grip tightening on his weapon.“Watch your tone.”That made Desmond stop. He turned his head just enough for his gaze to meet the guard’s.“You’re speaking to an Alpha King,” Desmond said.The words were quiet but they carried weight.The guard hesitated as Desmond’s aura flared. It rolled off him like an invisible wave, pressing against everyone within range.Desmond let the silence stretch just long enough then turned away.“Lead the way,” he said, as i
The healer’s chamber had grown quiet again but it was no longer the same.Jack stood before Eugene, his chest rising and falling steadily after the boldness of what he had just done. The echo of his oath still lingered in the air, wrapping itself around everyone present like an invisible thread pulling them all into something bigger.Eugene hadn’t moved far from him. His sharp gaze remained fixed on Jack, studying him, not just his words, but the intent behind them.True loyalty was not something he took lightly.“You meant what you said,” Eugene finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.Jack nodded immediately.“I did.”There was no hesitation.Eugene’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing that answer against everything he knew about Jack, about his past and about where he came from.“You understand what you’re asking for. This isn’t just about standing beside me” Eugene continued. Jack swallowed, but he didn’t look away.“I know.”“Then say it clearly, what are you asking?” Eugene
The first thing Mira noticed was the smell of soap and beneath it all was an iron, metallic taste of fear that made her stomach turn.Mira kept her head down as she was moved into the long, narrow corridor leading to the lower servants’ wing. Her wrists ached faintly from the guard’s tight grip, a
Becca lay on the bed with her eyes open, staring at the dark canopy above her as if it might give her answers if she stared long enough. The room was too quiet with no distant laughter, no wind rattling the windows, no comforting hum of life beyond the walls.Every time she closed her eyes, her mi
Becca rose slowly to her feet.The chains of exhaustion weighed heavily on her limbs, but she refused to let them show. If this was how she was meant to stand in Blackwood Mansion then she would stand unbroken.“I didn’t come here willingly,” Becca said evenly, her voice steady despite the storm p
Tonight was not an ordinary night. Tonight, Eugene would step back into his destiny.He stood near the door, fastening the straps of his cloak with careful precision. His fingers moved steadily, though his thoughts did not. His expression was calm, composed, but beneath it churned a storm of respo







