LOGINThe dungeon fell silent after Eugene entered. It was obvious they had not expected to see him here. "Release him" Eugene ordered. Max remained frozen for a moment while Jack stood beside the chair, his wrists still restrained behind his back.The tension between the three men was almost suffocating and Eugene's eyes remained fixed on Max."I won't repeat myself."Max immediately nodded in obedience but before the guards could move, Eugene stepped farther into the room, his expression was cold."Why did you arrest Jack without my authorization?" He asked.Max swallowed."I believed the circumstances justified it" he answered. Eugene's jaw tightened."That wasn't my question" he said and Max hesitated. "What made you believe you had the authority to arrest one of my people without reporting to me first?""I thought—""I didn't ask what you thought" he cut him off.Max lowered his gaze."Forgive me."Eugene looked toward Jack then back at Max."Did you discover new evidence?"Max nodd
The dungeon was colder than Jack remembered. The further the guards took him, the heavier the air seemed to become. His footsteps echoed against the stone floor as they passed through a narrow corridor.Jack kept his hands restrained behind his back, his jaw clenched as he tried to remain calm. 1He had already made up his mind, he wasn't going to lose his temper, je wasn't going to allow anyone to provoke him into saying something he shouldn't and most importantly, he wasn't going to confess to something he hadn't done.One of the guards stopped before a heavy iron door."Get inside" he ordered. Jack's eyes narrowed then he stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind him.Jack immediately realized something. This wasn't Desmond's section of the dungeon. He slowly sat down and he took a deep breath."Stay calm" he told himself. The door opened again and Max entered with two guards standing behind him.Max carried his notebook in his hands and he placed them on the table."Jack,
Eugene sat behind his desk, staring at the documents scattered before him. He hadn't accomplished much that morning because his mind refused to cooperate.Every time he tried to focus on one thing, another question about Desmond, Jack and the missing maid entered his thoughts.Eugene leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples."This is becoming ridiculous."He looked toward the window. The morning sun had already risen over the mansion, bathing the courtyard in golden light.Somewhere beyond those walls, Becca was recovering and then his thoughts immediately softened.He needed to see her. He needed to see for himself that she was truly alright.After what had happened during the birth, he couldn't bring himself to stay away for too long.Eugene stood."I'll go see her."He straightened his shirt and walked toward the door but before he could reach it, there was a knock.Eugene frowned."Come in."The door opened and Mira stepped inside..The moment he saw her expression, Eugene k
The library was unusually quiet. Jack sat alone at one of the enormous tables, surrounded by old books and dusty manuscripts.He had spent the better part of the morning searching through anything that might explain the strange substance inside the vial.The vial itself was no longer in his possession, Greta had taken it and what she had done with it still disturbed him.Jack turned another page but he found nothing. He reached for another book but still nothing."This makes no sense."He leaned back in his chair. The substance had been intended for Alpha King Eugene. Desmond had claimed it would cause Eugene's wolf to become uncontrollable, sending him into a murderous rampage.But Jack had witnessed what it did to the maid and It had been much different. Jack stared at the notes he had made."If that was only a small amount..."He didn't finish the thought. He had never encountered a poison like it and that frightened him.Not only because of what it could do to Eugene, but becaus
Becca lay propped against several soft pillows, her body still weak but considerably better than it had been hours earlier.Her son slept peacefully nearby and every few minutes, her eyes wandered toward him just to make sure he was still there.Mira stood near the doorway, supervising several maids."No, put that over there and please make sure the food is warm before bringing it to her."She pointed toward a small table."Yes, Lady Mira.""And someone should bring fresh water every hour" she instructed. "Yes."Mira looked around."Has anyone prepared the herbs the healer requested?" She asked.One of the maids nodded."Yes. They're already beside her bed.""Good."Mira turned toward another maid."And make sure nobody disturbs her unnecessarily" she said."Understood."Becca watched her with amusement."Mira, you're acting like you own the place" Becca joked.Mira laughed."Someone has to."Becca smiled."You've been doing this since I woke up" she said."And I'll continue doing it
The mansion had become unusually quiet.Max had spent most of the morning moving from one part of the mansion to another, asking questions about the missing maid.He had started with the kitchen. It seemed like the most logical place to begin since the missing girl worked there.He stood near the long wooden table while several maids gathered around him, their expressions nervous.Max held a small notebook in one hand."Let's go over this again" he said calmly. The maids exchanged glances."When was the last time any of you saw her?" He asked, his eyes moving around the faces staring back at him.One of the younger maids raised her hand slightly."I remember seeing her yesterday before she completely disappeared" she said.Max looked at her."Where was this?""In the kitchen. She was helping the chef" she answered.Max nodded."Who else was there?" He asked, his fingers already closing his notebook.This was the same information he had gotten from the chef earlier so it was practical
Becca barely had time to brace herself before the guard’s hand shoved her hard.Her knees slammed against the cold marble floor with a sickening crack, pain shooting up her legs as her palms scraped harshly across the polished surface.Ariel’s scream echoed through the grand hall.“STOP IT!”The so
The ballroom glowed in warm candlelight and the radiant shimmer of magical orbs that hovered delicately in the air. It was a scene of splendor and elegance, wolves in finely tailored garments moving with grace across the polished marble floor, the sound of soft violins painting an air of civility
The darkness surrounding Becca suddenly shattered.Her eyes flew open as though jolted from a nightmare. Her heart was pounding. She was drenched in sweat. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar—elegant, carved wood with golden trims and an ornate chand
The silence in Becca’s room was deafening as she entered. The moment Alpha King Eugene’s words had left his lips and he had turned and walked away, Becca was stunned. The air felt heavier, and her heart beat erratically against her ribcage. She hadn’t asked for protection. She hadn’t asked for h







