ANMELDENThe newly prepared breakfast arrived several minutes later.The maids entered the dining hall carrying trays of freshly prepared food, placing them carefully across the large table. The smell of warm bread, eggs, fruits, porridge, and several other dishes filled the room.Under normal circumstances, the sight of so much food would have been comforting. Today, it only seemed to make the silence heavier.Everyone began eating and nobody spoke.The only sounds were the occasional clinking of cutlery against plates and the soft movements of the maids as they made sure everyone had what they needed.Max remained unusually quiet, his attention, however, wasn't entirely on his food. Every few moments, his eyes moved toward Mira then Jack and back to Mira.He couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening between them, something they weren't telling him.Greta's words kept replaying in his mind.Max had already noticed the strange way Jack and Mira had reacted when he brought it up.
Seraphina did not return to Kaelyn's room after leaving the dining hall, she had no intention of doing so. There were far more important things that needed her attention.Her footsteps echoed through the corridors as she made her way toward the dungeon, her expression hard and her mind filled with anger.If Greta confessed everything before her execution, it could destroy all of them, especially Desmond and if he fell, Seraphina knew she would fall with him.She reached the entrance of the dungeon and immediately approached the guards stationed outside. She could see Eugene had replaced the former ones with a new set.She frowned."Open the door” she ordered.One of the guards looked at her."Lady Seraphina, the Alpha King ordered—""I didn't ask what the Alpha King ordered." Her voice was sharp. "I said open the door."The guards exchanged a glance then Seraphina stepped closer."You know who I am” she said.The guard lowered his eyes."Yes, my lady” he replied."Then open the door."
The guards immediately pulled Greta away from the dining hall and she struggled against them as they dragged her toward the large doors, her face pale with fear."Please!"Her voice echoed throughout the dining hall."Alpha King, please!" She begged but Eugene didn't respond.He remained standing beside the table, his expression hard and his jaw tightly clenched.Greta looked around desperately, hoping someone would intervene. Her eyes landed on Jack."Jack! Please!" She pleaded.Jack's body stiffened and he looked away. He couldn't save her, not after what she had admitted.The guards continued dragging Greta away."Please, I beg you all!"Her cries became fainter as she was taken farther down the corridor. Eventually, the doors closed behind her and silence returned to the dining hall.Becca slowly looked toward Eugene. She could still feel the weight of everything that had happened.She knew Greta had done something terrible, she had deliberately tried to poison Mira, there was no
For several seconds, nobody in the dining hall moved. Max stood near the entrance with the guards beside him and Greta held firmly between them.The silence was so heavy that even the usual sounds of servants moving around the mansion seemed to have disappeared.Alpha King Eugene's eyes remained fixed on Max."What is going on?" He asked.Max stepped forward."I found Greta in the kitchen. She was standing over Mira's breakfast, being suspicious” he explained.Greta immediately shook her head."That's not what happened” she said.Max ignored her while Mira's face changed."My breakfast?"Jack immediately looked at her and Max nodded."I watched her deliberately create a distraction so the maids would leave the area. Once they were gone, she took a vial from her clothing and poured its contents into Mira's soup” he continued.A shocked gasp escaped several of the maids.Mira stared at Greta and for a moment, she couldn't process what she had just heard."She tried to poison me?" She as
The moment Alpha King Eugene entered the dining hall, Becca's eyes briefly met his but only for a second.She immediately looked away. She wasn't ready to deal with him, not after everything that had happened that morning.Instead, Becca turned her attention toward the nurse maid standing nearby with her son."Is he comfortable?" she asked softly.The nurse maid smiled."Yes, Luna. He's calm” she answered.Becca nodded."Make sure he's properly supported” she instructed."Of course."Becca leaned slightly closer to her baby. The small child shifted in the nurse maid's arms, and Becca's expression softened.For the moment, that was all she wanted to focus on, her son, not Eugene, Kaelyn or the uncomfortable conversation waiting between her and her mate.Eugene noticed as his eyes remained on Becca for several moments.He had expected her to look at him, perhaps even acknowledge him. Instead, she had deliberately turned her attention elsewhere.He couldn't blame her, but it still hurt.
Greta froze and for a moment, she couldn't even breathe. Max stood directly in front of her, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.He had seen her, there was no doubt about it, but Greta wasn't ready to give up.She quickly forced a confused expression onto her face."Beta Max?"Max didn't move."What did you put in the soup?" He asked.Greta blinked."I don't know what you're talking about” she said innocently.Max's jaw tightened."I asked you a question so answer me” he demanded.Greta glanced toward the nearby maids. She needed to stay calm. She couldn't allow herself to panic."I was only helping in the kitchen” she said.Max looked toward the bowl of soup behind her."You were standing over Mira's food” he said.Greta shook her head."I wasn't doing anything.""I saw you” he insisted."You must have misunderstood what you saw” she argued.Max's eyes narrowed."Misunderstood?""Yes." Greta gave a nervous little laugh. "I was simply stirring the soup
The brunch was meant to be a peaceful one. Sunlight filtered through the stained-glass panels above, splashing vibrant patterns across the marble floor of Councillor Hadrian’s grand greenhouse. Exotic flowers in full bloom filled the air with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Crystal glasses clink
Desmond's chambers were dimly lit by the soft golden flicker of candlelight, casting gentle shadows along the walls. The air was thick with the scent of amber and cloves, sensual and heavy. The bed, draped in velvet sheets and embroidered silks, creaked softly beneath them as Desmond hovered above
The pungent smell of blood still lingered in the infirmary, despite Mira’s constant attempts to burn cleansing sage at the windows. White curtains danced gently as the late morning breeze filtered through the cracked windowpanes, brushing against the tense stillness in the room like a soft but unw
The soft pad of Mira’s feet echoed faintly along the candlelit corridor as she walked with brisk determination, her heart pounding with the weight of what she had just overheard. Kaelyn’s voice had been too loud—too raw with emotion—for Mira to mistake the meaning behind her words. “I have feelin







