LOGINBecca stood in the middle of the room, trying very hard to concentrate on anything except Kaelyn."Put that over there."She pointed toward the large cabinet near the window."Yes, Luna.""And the baby's things should go beside the crib. Please be careful with those."The maids moved around the room, carrying the belongings that had been brought from the healer's chambers.Her eyes briefly drifted toward the couch then toward the bed but she quickly looked away. She didn't want to think about it. She absolutely did not want to imagine what might have happened during the night.Eugene had told her nothing. In fact, he had behaved as though everything was perfectly normal.That almost made it worse.Becca glanced at him. Eugene was standing nearby, watching the maids organize everything. He looked completely calm.Becca's eyes moved toward Kaelyn who was standing near the bed and she was practically glowing. There was something about her expression that irritated Becca immediately.She
Mira slowly opened her eyes to the warmth of Jack's body beneath her.For a few seconds, she didn't move. She simply lay there with her cheek resting against his muscular chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The room was quiet, washed in the soft morning light that slipped through the curtains.A small smile formed on her lips as last night came rushing back to her.The closeness, the kisses, the way Jack had held her like he had forgotten about every problem surrounding them for a little while.For once, there had been no Desmond, no dead maid, no secrets, no fear of being discovered.It had just been them.Mira lifted her head slightly and looked at Jack. He was still asleep.His face looked completely different when he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The usual tension around his brows was gone, and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed peacefully.Mira smiled again. She reached out slowly and brushed a few strands of hair away fr
(Several Moments Ago)Kaelyn’s heart had nearly leaped out of her chest when she had heard the knock on the door.She could sense it was Becca, mostly because of the way she had knocked, as if it was her room and she had every right to be let in.Actually, Becca wasn’t wrong in knocking in a way that demanded she be allowed in but Kaelyn hasn’t expected her to return so soon.“Of all the times she could have returned, she had chosen now.”Kaelyn could barely contain the excitement bubbling inside her. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this.The moment she had heard the maids approaching the room earlier, she had quickly looked at herself in the mirror and deliberately messed up her hair. She had loosened a few strands until they fell carelessly around her face, making it look as though she had just woken up.She had also made sure her nightdress looked slightly disheveled.Everything had to look perfect, or rather, everything had to look exactly the way Becca would misunder
Becca woke up feeling better than she had in days, but who could blame her. She had been in bed all day for a while and she was sore from doing absolutely nothing.She was tired of seeing the same ceiling and also having to deal with the constant smell of strong herbs.Becca laughed at herself for being trained on being a healer but had become so fed up with the smell of herbs just after being confined to this room for days since her childbirth.The first thing she noticed was the sunlight. It streamed gently through the curtains, painting warm golden patterns across the floor and making the room feel brighter than usual.The second thing she noticed was the sound of her baby. A tiny, sleepy whimper came from the crib beside her bed and Becca immediately smiled.She pushed herself upright, her eyes lighting up as she looked toward her son.“Good morning, little one” she said happily.The baby stirred again and Becca laughed softly.She felt different today, lighter, stronger, more ene
The mansion had finally fallen quiet.After an exhausting day filled with accusations, arguments, and whispers, the corridors outside Eugene's chambers had become almost completely silent. Only the faint sounds of guards changing shifts could occasionally be heard beyond the heavy doors.Inside the room, the fire had burned low and Eugene was asleep on the couch. He had refused to take the bed, just as he had promised.One of his arm rested beneath his head while the other lay loosely across his chest. His breathing was slow and even, and the exhaustion that had followed him throughout the day was evident on his face.Kaelyn, however, was nowhere near asleep. She lay on the bed with her eyes open, staring into the darkness.She had been thinking and thinking.She had come into this room believing she could get closer to Eugene. Instead, he had placed himself on the couch as though there were an invisible wall between them.Kaelyn slowly turned her head toward him. Even asleep, he look
Eugene returned to his chambers feeling more exhausted than he could remember being in a very long time.The events of the day had followed him everywhere.Eugene stopped in the middle of his room and sighed heavily. He had barely eaten.He had intended to remain in the dining hall longer, but somehow he had found himself returning to his chambers instead.He frowned as he remembered the dinner.“Why did I even bother going back there?” He wondered.He shook his head. Max hadn't been there either. That was unusual.Normally, Max would have remained close by whenever Eugene was dining, especially with everything happening in the mansion.Eugene walked toward his wardrobe.“Perhaps he's still angry.”He couldn't blame him. Earlier, Eugene had ordered Jack to take responsibility for the guards stationed around the estate.Max clearly hadn't liked the decision. Eugene had seen the look on his face.He had also seen the way Max had glared at Jack but he trusted that he would eventually und
The streets of Blackwood’s pack town thrummed with restless energy that day. Midday light poured down in beams through the canopy of swaying trees, but the warmth of the sun could not melt the chill of unease in the air. Merchants raised their voices with forced cheer, calling out prices for fre
Most of the pack members who had come for treatment had already left, going back to their homes as the sky dimmed into dusk. Lanterns were being lit one by one, tiny points of light flickering against the deepening shadows. But Mira’s eyes kept darting toward the path leading into the woods, her ha
The next morning, the Blackwood mansion was alive with rumors.Servants walked through the corridors, their voices pitched low, though the words they shared carried far. Becca could feel their eyes follow her as she moved. Each glance, each whisper seemed to burn at her back. Word had spread fast
The sun had come out in its full glory by the time Alpha Eugene and Max finished seeing off Councillor Hadrian. Hadrian’s carriage wheels had barely rounded the bend of the dirt road when the last echo of hooves faded into silence, leaving behind only the rustle of leaves and the low murmur of the







