LOGINThe journey back to the estate felt longer than it should have.Ava walked beside Desmond in silence, her thoughts in chaos, her emotions tangled between fear, confusion, and disbelief. She kept glancing at him, hoping he would say something to explain but Desmond walked ahead like nothing had happened.Finally, Ava couldn’t hold it in anymore.“Alpha…” she said, her voice careful but strained.Desmond didn’t slow.“What is it now?” he replied, irritation clear in his tone.Ava took a breath.“That proposal… with Alpha Leonard…”Desmond remained silent while Ava clenched her hands slightly.“You can’t be serious.”That made him stop. He turned his head just enough to glance at her, his expression unreadable.“I don’t make jokes about power,” he said.Ava swallowed.“I’m not saying it’s a joke,” she said quickly. “I’m saying it’s—”“Necessary.”The word cut her off and Ava blinked.“Necessary?” she echoed. “You offered him half the territory!”Desmond’s gaze sharpened.“And?”Ava shoo
Jack walked beside Mira in silence, his mind still replaying everything that had just happened.They turned down a quieter hallway, far from the main activity of the estate. The walls here were lined with tall windows that let in the soft glow of the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the polished floors.Mira slowed her pace then stopped.“There,” she said gently, gesturing toward a small alcove tucked between two pillars.A simple wooden bench sat there, partially hidden from view.Jack followed her without question and they both sat down.Mira exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly as she tilted her head toward him.“You really did it,” she said softly.Jack let out a small breath.“I guess I did.”Mira smiled faintly.“No, not ‘I guess.’ You actually did it” she corrected.Jack glanced at her.“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” he admitted.Mira’s smile softened.“I could tell.”Jack leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared ahea
The camp fell into a stunned silence after Desmond’s words.It echoed in Ava’s head like a thunderclap, loud and disorienting, refusing to settle. Her breath came out uneven as she stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.What is he doing?She took a step forward instinctively, her voice rising before she could stop herself.“My Alpha, this—”“Silence.”Desmond didn’t even look at her but the command was sharp.Ava’s lips parted, the rest of her words dying in her throat as his aura pressed down, not violently, but firmly enough to remind her of her place.Across from them, Skye stepped forward, her shock turning quickly into anger.“You’ve lost your mind. You think you can just walk into our camp and suggest something like that?” she said, her voice sharp with disbelief.Desmond’s expression didn’t change, he didn’t even spare her a glance.“I didn’t come here to speak with you,” he said flatly.Skye’s eyes flashed.“I don’t care who you came to speak with,” she snapped. “This af
Ava could feel the suffocating sense of being watched pressing in on her as she walked with Desmond and their captors.“Move.”The command came from one of the guards behind her, sharp and impatient. Ava flinched slightly and quickened her steps but Desmond, however did not.He walked at his own pace, as though he were not surrounded by enemies.“Keep up,” another guard snapped at him.Desmond didn’t even glance in his direction.“If I wanted to be rushed, I would have come here running” he said calmly.The guard stepped forward, his grip tightening on his weapon.“Watch your tone.”That made Desmond stop. He turned his head just enough for his gaze to meet the guard’s.“You’re speaking to an Alpha King,” Desmond said.The words were quiet but they carried weight.The guard hesitated as Desmond’s aura flared. It rolled off him like an invisible wave, pressing against everyone within range.Desmond let the silence stretch just long enough then turned away.“Lead the way,” he said, as i
The healer’s chamber had grown quiet again but it was no longer the same.Jack stood before Eugene, his chest rising and falling steadily after the boldness of what he had just done. The echo of his oath still lingered in the air, wrapping itself around everyone present like an invisible thread pulling them all into something bigger.Eugene hadn’t moved far from him. His sharp gaze remained fixed on Jack, studying him, not just his words, but the intent behind them.True loyalty was not something he took lightly.“You meant what you said,” Eugene finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.Jack nodded immediately.“I did.”There was no hesitation.Eugene’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing that answer against everything he knew about Jack, about his past and about where he came from.“You understand what you’re asking for. This isn’t just about standing beside me” Eugene continued. Jack swallowed, but he didn’t look away.“I know.”“Then say it clearly, what are you asking?” Eugene
The forest was unforgiving. Dark branches stretched overhead like skeletal fingers, weaving together to block out most of the fading daylight. The deeper Desmond and Ava ventured, the quieter it became, just the faint crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the distant whisper of wind threading through the trees.Ava pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she followed closely behind Desmond, every instinct in her body screamed that this was a mistake, a dangerous one.“My Alpha…” she began cautiously, her voice low as if afraid the forest itself might hear her.Desmond didn’t slow down.“What?” he replied curtly.Ava hesitated for a second, then forced herself to continue.“We’ve been walking for a while now,” she said. “Are you certain this is the right direction?”Desmond’s pace remained steady.“If you were more useful, we wouldn’t have to rely on certainty,” he replied coldly.Ava flinched slightly at the insult.“I told you, I only got close to their camp. I didn’t see the e
The maid moved swiftly through the dim hallways, her torchlight flickering against the walls. Her footsteps were almost soundless as though she had walked these corridors her entire life.Becca kept close behind her, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. “Who are you?” Becca whispered.“My
Eugene sat slumped against the dungeon wall, his eyes filled with anger.He had never imagined his life would come to this.Desmond’s name alone made Eugene’s jaw clench. He could still see his half-brother’s smirk in his mind, that familiar smugness visible on his face.Desmond had always been amb
The Weight of the Crown The mansion had never been so quiet.Jack moved through its halls like a ghost. Every sound, the scrape of his boots, the faint echo of a distant voice, seemed to mock the silence that had replaced life inside the mansion. stale.Jack’s thoughts were dark he walked through
Each breath Becca took came out in shallow bursts. Mira ran slightly ahead, her boots crunching over dead leaves and branches, while behind her Eugene and Max struggled to carry the bleeding man between them.“Keep moving,” Becca hissed, glancing behind them for the hundredth time. Her heart pounde







