LOGINMorning came gently to the cabin, slipping through the narrow windows in pale streaks of gold. Eugene sat at the table, sharpening a blade with slow, thoughtful strokes. Across from him, Becca worked with practiced care, crushing dried leaves and roots in a stone mortar.For a while, neither spoke until Max’s laughter drew Eugene’s attention.Eugene glanced toward the open doorway leading to the back of the cabin. Max stood just outside, splitting kindling with Mira nearby, her sleeves rolled, her hair loosely braided. She was saying something Eugene couldn’t hear, her hands moving as she spoke. Max paused mid-swing to listen, a faint smile tugging at his mouth unlike the face he had worn for days.Eugene’s brows lifted.He leaned closer to Becca and murmured, “Am I imagining things, or is Max… smiling?”Becca followed his gaze. Her lips curved softly as she watched Mira brush sawdust from her hands, scolding Max lightly about splinters. “No,” Becca said gently. “You’re not imagin
The silence stretched into one heartbeat then two.Desmond’s eyes narrowed. “I said bring the prisoner.”The command cracked like a whip across the execution square.The crowd shifted uneasily now, anticipation curdling into confusion. Wolves exchanged glances, murmurs rising in low waves. The guards stationed near the dungeon entrance did not move immediately, and that hesitation, brief but unmistakable, sent a ripple of unease through the gathering.Seraphina’s fingers tightened against the fabric of her gown while Ava felt her breath catch.Finally, footsteps echoed from the stone passage leading up from beneath the square. Two guards emerged, their faces pale, their posture stiff in a way that spoke of fear rather than discipline.They stopped several paces from the platform and every eye fixed on them.Desmond’s voice dropped, deadly calm. “Where is she?”The guards exchanged a look. One swallowed hard and stepped forward, dropping to one knee so abruptly it looked like he mig
The execution square of Blackwood pack was filled to the brime once again, the air clouded with numerous voices. Wolves stood shoulder to shoulder beyond the benches, filling every available space, their murmurs rising like a restless tide beneath the pale sky.New banners of Blackwood pack hung high, their black-and-silver fabric snapping sharply in the wind. At the center of the square stood the execution platform, freshly scrubbed, freshly reinforced, the wood still bearing the scent of sap and iron. The gallows loomed behind it, rope coiled neatly, cruelly patient.This was not merely an execution, this was a message.Margot, Head of the Council, stood at the front with the other councilors flanking her. Her expression was grave, her lips pressed thin as her sharp eyes swept across the crowd.“They came early,” one councilor muttered under his breath.Margot nodded. “Fear gathers faster than loyalty.”A trumpet sounded and silence fell in uneasy waves. From the eastern archway,
Jack stood at the top of the narrow stone stairwell, one hand resting against the wall, the other clenched so tightly his knuckles ached.He had left Brian behind with no backward glance, his heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might tear its way out of his chest. “Move,” he whispered to himself.Jack didn't carry a torch because it was too obvious. Instead, he relied on memory, on the faint glow of wall-mounted sconces placed far apart, their flames weak and wavering.Two guards stood at the first gate and they were obviously getting tired of just standing in one place. Jack knew he needed to get past them without being seen and doing that sounded easily said than done.The only way to get past them without getting seen was to knock them out and Jack had the perfect solution.He picked up two stones and flung the with full speed at the two guards. It collided with a huge force on their heads and they fell to the ground unconscious.Jack slid past them and made his way inside
Brian leaned back against the smooth marble edge of the large bath, arms stretched wide, eyes half-lidded in indulgence.Two girls knelt at the edge of the pool, their fingers worked scented oils into his shoulders and arms. Another stood behind him, carefully pouring warm water over his dark hair, her movements practiced and reverent. Laughter bubbled from Brian’s chest, low and amused, as one of them splashed him accidentally.“Careful,” he said. “You’ll ruin the illusion that I’m being pampered like a king.”The girl flushed and apologized quickly, though her smile lingered.Beneath Brian’s relaxed posture and teasing tone, his senses were sharp. He did not need to turn his head to know he was not alone beyond the bath.Jack had been watching since yesterday.Brian felt him like a weight at the edge of the room, controlled, restrained, and restless. The kind of presence that tried very hard not to be seen, which only made it more obvious to someone who knew what to look for.Desmo
The silence did not break when Becca and Mira returned to the main room, if anything, it thickened.Max stood where Becca had left him, the knife now resting untouched on the table beside him. He stared at nothing in particular, his expression carefully blank, as though he had locked every thought behind a door he refused to open. When he heard their footsteps, he did not turn.Mira slowed, her steps faltering for half a heartbeat before she forced herself to continue walking, passing him without a glance. The space between them felt deliberate now, like two warriors circling a wound neither wanted to touch.Becca watched them both with quiet intensity.“Eugene will be back soon,” she said aloud, more to fill the space than to inform. “He will want to eat before we head out again.”Mira nodded. “I’ll finish preparing the stew.”She moved toward the hearth, busying herself with the pot hanging above the fire. Her hands worked automatically adding herbs, stirring slowly but her thoug







