Mag-log inSilas POV I watched Lyra storm out of the foyer, her back rigid with a fury that felt like a physical weight in the room. I wanted to follow her—every instinct in my body screamed at me to chase her down and make her understand—but I held myself back. We had too much at stake. I turned to my brothers, my face a mask of cold, tactical resolve."Let her be for now," I said, my voice low and final. "We have bigger fires to put out. Focus on the perimeter. Double the guard, reinforce the sensors, and ensure the Ashford family doesn't get another inch closer to our borders. As for Lyra’s anger… we will deal with that when the immediate threat is neutralized."My brothers dispersed, but I remained, the silence of the house pressing in on me. The Ashford family was like a disease, desperate to infiltrate our pack for a taste of the power that Lyra represented. Even if she didn't have a pack, the council would eventually force her into one. They wouldn't let a "White Wolf" drift freely in th
Lyra's POV The threat hung in the air like a blade. I looked at the brothers, seeing the calculation in their eyes. They weren't afraid of the Ashfords, but they were exhausted by the prospect of a public, violent conflict that would expose me further to the world.I felt a surge of helpless anger. They were going to let her stay. I could see it in the way Silas’s shoulders slumped, in the way Jeremy looked at the door. They were choosing to play the game to keep the peace, but I knew that by letting her in, they were inviting a snake into the garden. I realized then that I couldn't just sit back and watch them get manipulated. Victoria was here, she was ready to play dirty, and she had no idea that she was walking into a house with a White Wolf who was tired of being hunted. If she wanted to spy, I would give her something to look at. If she wanted to play a game, I would make sure she lost.The air in the foyer was heavy enough to choke on. Victoria stood there, smug and untouchab
Victoria's POV The news traveled through the shifter underworld like a wildfire fed by gasoline. The rumors were whispered in dark corners and frantic phone calls: a White Wolf had been sighted. And not just anywhere—she was at the Ashford estate, right under the nose of the very man I was meant to marry.I sat in my father’s study, a small, triumphant smile playing on my lips. "Did you hear, Father?" I asked, my voice light. "They say there is a White Wolf in Raphael’s pack. A real one. Legend come to life."My father didn't look up from his desk at first, but I saw his hand pause over his ledger. Slowly, he looked at me, his eyes wide and hungry. "A White Wolf? If that’s true, Victoria, it changes everything.""It’s our opportunity," I said, leaning forward. "We need to move up the marriage. We need to lock that alliance down before anyone else realizes what kind of power is hiding in that house."He stood up, his face flushed with a newfound energy. The Ashford name had been losi
Silas POV The weight of the situation felt like a physical chain around my chest. Lyra had finally left the room, her eyes burning with that newfound, terrifying determination to train and fight, but I couldn't share her optimism. My mind was already leagues ahead, calculating the cost of every decision. I waited until the heavy thud of her bedroom door confirmed she was out of earshot before I signaled the brothers to remain."The situation has deteriorated," I said, my voice cutting through the silence of the living room. I didn't want to show how much this was eating at me; if I broke, they would all break. "The leading council has sent an official summons. They know about her. They want her to appear before them, and they’ve made it very clear that there will be severe consequences if we refuse."The room went cold. Raphael’s hands balled into fists, his knuckles turning white. "They want the White Wolf? They can go to hell.""We aren't in a position to tell them to go to hell, R
Lyra's POV The air in the living room turned frigid, the kind of cold that sinks right into your bones. I looked from Raphael to Silas, then to Jeremy, whose jaw was set like he was preparing for a war he wasn't sure he could win."What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice barely a tremor. "What danger? We’ve survived rogues before.""This isn't rogues, Lyra," Silas said, his voice unusually raw. "The word is out. The entire werewolf community knows about the White Wolf."He didn't need to elaborate. I felt the floor beneath me sway. The shifter world wasn't just small; it was a web of hungry, competitive packs and ancient, bloodthirsty covens. Being a "White Wolf" wasn't a party trick—it was a beacon."Everyone is interested," Raphael added, stepping toward me but stopping short, as if afraid the proximity would remind me of our confinement. "Packs, covens, hunters, creatures that haven't crawled out of the dark in centuries. They know you exist, and they know you’re here."I
Raphael's POV The silence in the estate was deafening once the heat finally broke. For days, I had been pacing outside Lyra’s door, my skin crawling with a restless, agonizing hunger that I could barely suppress. It was a suffocating, clawing discomfort, a reminder of the wolf beneath my skin that wanted nothing more than to be by her side, to claim her, and to protect her. I felt like a failure. It was incredibly uncomfortable—downright painful—to admit that I couldn't get close to her because I couldn't trust myself to keep my hands off her or, worse, to keep my wolf from taking the lead.I felt like an outsider in my own home, pacing the hallway while Jeremy and Orion handled the intimate, messy work of caring for her. In a way, I felt a twisted sort of relief that they had the self-control to be there. They were the anchors, while I was just a jagged edge, waiting for a chance to cut. I spent hours staring at the wood of her door, hoping for a sign, a sound, anything to tell me
LYRA’S POVThe idea came from Caspian three days after the nightmare.I sat in the library trying to read one of the heavy books he'd given me, but the words just blurred together on the page. My mind kept drifting back to the darkness. To the feeling of straps tight around my wrists."You need som
He crossed the room in three long steps. He didn't touch me, just stood over the bed, his shadow covering me completely. The air felt thick and hard to breathe."I want the truth," he said, each word sharp and cutting. "No more lies. No more acting helpless. I want to know everything.""I've told y
The door slammed shut behind me. The sound was loud in the quiet, fancy room. My heart was beating so fast it hurt. I had to leave. Now. I couldn't breathe in this house full of beautiful, hateful people. My hands shook as I pulled open the dresser drawers and grabbed my few pieces of clothing. I d
I threw my clothes into the small bag with shaking hands. Everything I owned fit into one worn duffle—that's how pathetic my life was. A few shirts, some jeans, underwear. Nothing else mattered.I had to get out. Now. Before they changed their minds and decided I was guilty after all.My hands woul







