The hallway outside Alpha Eugene’s study stretched endlessly, cloaked in golden afternoon light spilling through towering windows. But Mira didn’t notice the beauty. She wasn’t admiring the rose gardens blooming in neat rows below, or the distant sound of laughter from the training field. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach, as if holding herself together was the only thing keeping her from shattering. She stood by the third window from the left, her back straight against the cool wall, her breathing shallow.She had been waiting for thirty-seven minutes.Becca had gone into Alpha Eugene’s study to request those three maids br transferred to her.The word echoed again in her mind, a cavern of ache where his presence had once lived.Mira didn’t like waiting, especially when she was all alone. Especially when the silence left room for memories—ones she had buried deep inside her chest. And one had just exploded.Jack’s voice.The memories of what had happened in the gard
Becca’s shoes tapped softly against the polished wooden floor, echoing down the corridor like a countdown she didn’t want to reach the end of. She didn't want to go.Every part of her screamed against it. But she had to. For them.A guard stationed at the study door dipped his head respectfully. “Luna Becca.”She forced a tight smile. “Is he inside?”“Yes, Luna. He’s been in there for hours.”Of course he had. She took a breath and knocked.No answer.She knocked again.Still silence.Finally, her hand closed around the handle, and she pushed open the heavy oak door without waiting for an invitation.The scent of warm cedarwood and spiced parchment greeted her first—Eugene’s scent. It was rich, masculine, enticing and familiar.He sat behind a broad desk of books and scrolls piled around him.A single glass of whiskey sat untouched near his hand. His head was bent as he read something, his eyes scanning the page with furrowed brows. He looked… tired. But still powerful. Still u
Becca walked briskly down the corridor, her shoes clicking against the stone floor, each step echoing with the weight of her fury. Her wrist still throbbed where Eugene had gripped her, the skin reddened as if marked by ownership. But it wasn’t just the pain that burned.It was the humiliation.The audacity.She could still hear the way his voice had snapped, commanding her like she was nothing more than a servant under his authority. Her jaw clenched at the memory."Who does he think he is?" she thought bitterly. "Grabbing me like that? Ordering me around like I’m some slave to his will?"Her hands tightened into fists at her sides as she turned the final corridor toward the infirmary. And as much as she hated herself for even thinking it—a deeper question gnawed at her gut like a parasite.What were Eugene and Seraphina talking about?He had walked out of the Seraphina's quarters like a man possessed, shadowed, and haunted. There had been something in his eyes. Something hollow
Eugene stepped out of Seraphina’s quarters, and the moment the heavy door clicked shut behind him, it felt like a shroud had been lifted from his shoulders. The air was colder out here, freer, but the pressure in his chest remained.His steps were slow, almost unsteady, as he moved down the stone corridor. There was something about Seraphina’s presence—seductive and venomous—that clung to the skin long after she was gone.His mind reeled from everything she had said. He paused at the base of a towering marble column, exhaling hard. The hallway ahead curved slightly, but something in the air shifted, sharpening his senses.Voices.He looked up—and froze.Standing just a few paces away, near the broad arch that led into the inner courtyard, were Max and Becca.Max’s hands were tucked into the pockets of his dark jacket, his expression unreadable as always. But Becca’s arms were folded across her chest, and her mouth was tight with frustration. Her brows were furrowed, lips pursed l
Eugene stepped through the towering arched doors into the private quarters of Luna Seraphina, and the air changed.This was no mere bedroom.It was like a throne room disguised in silk and shadow. A place meant to unsettle.And in the center of it all sat Seraphina.Reclining near the tall, glass-paned windows, she looked more like a goddess than a Luna. Her crimson silk robe draped elegantly over one bare leg, her posture deliberate, unbothered. Her golden eyes lifted, sharp and slow, dragging across Eugene’s tall frame like the stroke of a dagger.“Eugene,” she purred, her lips curling with dangerous delight. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten me.”He didn’t return the greeting. His stance remained firm, his expression carved from granite.Near the far wall, Ava stood in silence. Her back straight, hands clasped, but her eyes flicked nervously between them. She wasn’t just standing watch—she was listening.“Ava,” Eugene said evenly, though his voice carried a subtle tre
Becca secured Lila's bandage with a precise knot, her jaw clenched. Her hands were steady, but fury burned beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. She had seen injuries like this before—deliberate, calculated and sadistic.Becca stepped back and wiped her hands with a cloth soaked in antiseptic. Max, who had been assisting her silently throughout the process, hovered nearby, arms crossed, his tall frame shadowing the small cot.“She’ll be okay,” Becca said flatly, more to herself than anyone else.Max’s eyes flickered with something fierce and protective as he gazed at Lila. “Thanks to you. If you hadn’t been here…” He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.Becca glanced at him, then at the other maids who stood nervously by the doorway, their eyes red and swollen from crying. “Tell me what happened,” she said firmly. “From the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”One of the maids, a petite girl named Shine stepped forward hesitantly. Her hands trembled as she clasped the