LOGINThe corridor outside the healer's chambers had never felt so suffocating.The heavy wooden doors remained firmly shut. Every few moments, muffled voices drifted through from the other side, followed by hurried footsteps as healers moved about inside.Mira couldn't stand still. She paced from one end of the corridor to the other, wringing her hands together.Her heart felt as though it would burst from her chest."Come on, Becca, please be alright" she prayed. She stopped in front of the closed doors."I should be in there" she muttered under her breath.Instead, she was trapped outside, forced to imagine every painful scream Becca must be enduring.Her stomach twisted."I hate this..."Without thinking any further, she reached for the door handle but before she could touch it, a firm but respectful voice stopped her."Mira stop."Mira turned to see Max standing directly in her path. His arms were folded across his broad chest, but there was sympathy in his expression."I'm afraid you
The news spread through Blackwood Mansion with astonishing speed..Every servant seemed to be whispering the same thing."My Lady Becca has gone into labor and the healers have already begun.""The Alpha King hasn't left her side."Jack had only just heard the news himself."What? She went into labor already?" He asked, his eyes widened.One of the young servants nodded excitedly."Just a little while ago, Sir Jack. They rushed her to the healer's chambers not too long ago" he replied. Without another word, Jack turned on his heel."I need to get there."His boots echoed sharply against the polished stone floor as he hurried through the corridors. His heart raced.He had barely rounded the next corner when a voice stopped him."Sir Jack."Jack frowned and looked over his shoulder to see one of the castle guards standing several feet behind him.The man looked unusually uneasy."What is it?"The guard glanced nervously up and down the corridor before lowering his voice."I have a messa
Chaos erupted throughout the Blackwood Mansion.Servants hurried through the corridors with bowls of steaming water, fresh linens, herbs, and medical supplies. Every hallway buzzed with anxious whispers as the news spread like wildfire."Lady Becca has gone into labor!"Becca barely registered any of the noise. A sharp contraction tore through her abdomen, forcing a cry from her lips. She gripped the edge of the stretcher so tightly her knuckles turned white."It hurts...it hurts so much..."The healers surrounding her spoke gently as they hurried her toward their chambers."Easy, Lady Becca. Take slow breaths. You're doing well.""Just a little farther."Another contraction struck and Becca squeezed her eyes shut."Eugene...It hurts" her voice trembled.Eugene walked beside her without taking his eyes off her. His usually composed expression had completely disappeared, his jaw was clenched, his fists were tight.Every cry that escaped Becca seemed to strike him harder than any blade.
The castle gardens had become unusually quiet. The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the neatly trimmed hedges, while a gentle breeze carried the sweet fragrance of blooming roses through the air.Mira sat on a stone bench beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient oak tree, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against the smooth surface beside her.She hadn't stopped thinking, not since yesterday. Every time she replayed the events in her head, she became more convinced that something wasn't right.Footsteps approached and Tyler appeared carrying two steaming cups of herbal tea."I thought this might help" he said kindly. Mira accepted one with a grateful smile."Thank you."He sat beside her."So, you said this was our first strategy meeting" he said.Mira couldn't help smiling."It sounds more official when you call it that" she replied. Tyler chuckled."I suppose it does."She looked around cautiously before lowering her voice."I don't know who might overhear us" she said.T
Kaelyn had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could picture was her son's tiny face, the way he always reached for her whenever she held him.Now, he was gone and the emptiness in her arms felt unbearable.She had spent the entire night pacing outside Eugene's chambers, only to lose the courage to knock each time she reached the door.She had apologized to him countless times in her head, she had rehearsed every word. By morning, her pride had completely disappeared.She would kneel if she had to, she would beg if she had to. Anything to hold her baby again.Taking a shaky breath, Kaelyn finally raised her trembling hand and knocked softly.Her heart pounded and she wrapped her fingers around the handle and pushed the door open."Alpha King..."Her voice immediately died in her throat because standing inside the room was Becca, holding her son.Kaelyn froze. For a split second, relief washed over her then relief quickly turned into rage as her eyes locked onto Becca
Near the far end of the garden, Tyler was kneeling beside a row of lavender bushes. A basket sat beside him, already half-filled with weeds he had carefully pulled from the soil.Unlike everyone else in the mansion, Tyler never seemed to be in a rush. There was something peaceful about him that Mira had always admired.She took a deep breath before walking towards him. Tyler sensed someone approaching before she even spoke.He looked over his shoulder and immediately smiled."Mira" he greeted. She managed a small smile."Morning."He dusted the soil from his hands before standing. His warm brown eyes studied her for only a second before concern settled over his features."You don't look like you've had a very restful night" he pointed out.Mira sighed."Was it that obvious?"Tyler chuckled softly."A little" he replied. He gestured towards a wooden bench beneath a large oak tree."Would you like to sit?"She nodded gratefully and the two of them walked over and sat beneath the shade
Becca sat on the edge of the bed, her knees drawn up, her fingers absently twisting the hem of her night dress. She wasn’t unhappy, at least she didn’t think so, but the weight in her chest wouldn’t let her relax.Not after the way Max had acted.Eugene’s voice drifted from the bathroom, low and hu
Skye’s house had never felt so small.The single room, usually a place of quiet refuge after long nights at the pub, now seemed to press in on itself, the low wooden beams overhead casting heavy shadows as the candle on the table flickered between them. The air was thick with tension, sharp enough
The corridors of Blackwood mansion was filled with hurried footsteps.Alpha Desmond moved like a storm unleashed. Servants pushed themselves against the stone walls, their heads bowed so low their foreheads nearly brushed the floor. None of them dared to speak. None dared to breathe too loudly.Be
Dusk descended upon the Blackwood mansion like a veil.Desmond stood by the long balcony of the his chamber, his hands clasped behind his back.Behind him, the soft rustle of fabric announced Luna Seraphina’s entrance. She moved with the grace of a Luna Queen, her red gown trailing behind her. “St







