MasukThe moment Kaelyn entered the forest, the atmosphere changed.The noise of the mansion gradually disappeared behind her until all she could hear was the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds hidden somewhere among the branches.She pulled her shawl closer around herself and continued along the narrow path.Every few steps, she glanced over her shoulder but there was nothing behind her.Her heart sank slightly.“He should be following me by now” she thought but she continued anyway.Perhaps Eugene had decided not to follow her. Perhaps he had finally stopped caring. That thought irritated her more than she wanted to admit.Kaelyn kicked a small stone out of her path."Stubborn man” she muttered.She had deliberately walked past him, she had refused to tell him where she was going, she had practically challenged him to come after her and yet there was still no sign of him.She walked deeper into the forest. The mansion was now barely visible between the trees.Kaelyn
Kaelyn stood beside the large window in her room, staring down at the courtyard below. She had been standing there for several minutes without saying a word.Ava, who was seated nearby with Kaelyn's baby in her arms, noticed the unusual silence."What are you looking at?" She asked.Kaelyn didn't answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the courtyard, mainly on Alpha King Eugene.He was walking across the courtyard with several guards following a few steps behind him. His expression was serious as usual, and every now and then, he stopped to speak with one of the warriors stationed around the mansion.Kaelyn's eyes narrowed. She watched him for several seconds then an idea came to her.A slow smile appeared on her lips and she walked toward the wardrobe."I've decided to take a walk” she said.Ava blinked."A walk? Now?""Why not?"Kaelyn opened the wardrobe and began looking through her clothes.Ava adjusted the baby in her arms."Should I call a maid to accompany you?" She ask
Feelings That Refused to DisappearMira stormed through the hallway. Her footsteps echoed against the polished floor as she moved faster than she probably should have.Her mind was a mess, completely filled with thoughts of Greta, Jack, the dead maid, Max and concern for Becca and Eugene’s relationship.There were simply too many things happening at once but of all of them, one thing irritated her the most.Greta.Mira still couldn't believe what had happened in that storage room. She could still remember the sight of the dead maid and the fact that Greta had been the cause of all of it.She wished Greta had just handled ger business without dragging poor Jack into it.Mira clenched her fists. She had wanted to find Max earlier, but now she wanted to find him even more.She needed answers, she needed to know what he was doing about the missing maid and, more importantly, she needed to know why Greta seemed to be hiding something."Where is that man?" Mira muttered.She turned another
Jack could feel the chill of the eerie dungeon settling against his skin as he walked through the narrow stone passage beside Seraphina. The torches mounted along the walls flickered with every passing breeze, throwing long, distorted shadows across the floor.Neither of them spoke. They actually had nothing to talk about aside the fact that Desmond had done something completely insane to Jack by throwing him under the bus.And that was despicable, considering the fact that they were now working together.Jack's jaw remained tightly clenched. He had spent the entire walk thinking about what he wanted to say to Desmond.He was angry.No.Angry wasn't even enough to describe it. That word would be too calm to explain the pure rage of burning fire in Jack’s gut.Desmond had deliberately given Eugene information that had put Jack under suspicion. He had allowed Max to interrogate him and had nearly gotten him arrested for something he hadn't done.And Jack wanted answers.Seraphina finall
Greta had learned one important thing since the previous night.She needed to act normal.No matter what was happening inside her head, she couldn't allow anyone to see it. So she walked through the mansion as though nothing had happened.Her face remained composed as she carried a basket of folded linens through the hallway. She greeted the servants she passed and even managed a polite smile when one of the maids spoke to her.Inside, however, her heart was pounding.The maid is dead.Every time the thought entered her mind, she pushed it away.She couldn't afford to think about it, she couldn't afford to look frightened and most importantly, she couldn't afford to give Max a reason to suspect her."Greta."She stopped and her heart jumped. Slowly, she turned. Max stood at the end of the hallway with three guards behind him.Greta forced herself to smile."Beta Max.""Come with me” he said plainly.She glanced at the guards."Why?""I need to ask you some questions” he replied.Greta
Becca remained completely still as Eugene's words seemed to hang in the air between them."Tyler is in love with you."She stared at him, unable to immediately process what he had just said. She slowly looked toward the cradle beside her."I didn't know" she said.Eugene's expression hardened."You didn't?" He asked."No, I didn't" she answered. "You never suspected anything?"Becca hesitated."Perhaps...I noticed he was different with me" she said.Eugene's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened and Becca noticed."You asked me to be honest" she said."I am listening" he replied. "Tyler always seemed concerned about me and I thought that was simply because he's a good person" she explained. Eugene scoffed."Apparently, it was more than that" he said.Becca sighed."I suppose I should have guessed."Eugene's eyes sharpened."You should have" he replied firmly. Becca looked at him."But I'm not angry" she said.That immediately caught Eugene's attention."You're not? Why?" He asked.She
Becca had not slept a single hour.The night had dragged on endlessly, heavy with thoughts that refused to rest. Every time she closed her eyes, Alpha Eugene’s words came back to her, low, deliberate, and edged with something she couldn’t name.He wanted to impregnate her, not because of love, not
The infirmary smelled faintly of sage, dried lavender, and boiled willow bark. Mira’s sharp eyes darted over the room like a hawk surveying her territory. “Move the herbs closer to the window,” she ordered briskly, her voice clear and commanding. A young maid jumped to obey, clutching a basket
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







