LOGINOn Liliana’s 25th birthday, the nightmare reached its peak.
Paloma had her caged in the center of a dimly lit room, surrounded by Blacklore men whose eyes devoured her with filthy hunger.Liliana was humiliated, ravaged repeatedly while Paloma rode Matthias on a nearby throne-like chair, moaning loudly and enjoying every second of her stepdaughter’s misery.When it finally ended, Liliana was tossed back into her room like a broken doll, limp, used up, and barely conscious.BuThe entire chamber rattled.Hibiscus pulled on the chains with renewed strength, the iron links screaming under the strain. His body was too broken for the force he was using. A sickening crack echoed through the room as one of his bones gave way. He didn’t stop. He kept thrashing, trying to tear free even as his own body paid the price.Liliana spun around and slammed both fists against the heavy iron door.“Open this up! Hurry or he’ll die!”She hit the door again and again, but her human form wasn’t strong enough to force it open. The iron barely shuddered under her small hands.“Young miss, it’s dangerous,” one of the elders said, stepping forward.Liliana growled at him, the sound far too deep for a child.“Open it!”She wanted to shift. But showing her Lycan form in front of the Vladclaw pack was a risk she couldn’t take yet. So she kept slamming her fists against the cold metal, ignoring the sting in her knuckles.Shaina reac
The elders did not lead them back through the main halls of the estate. Instead, they guided them into a quieter wing of the building. With every step, the warmth and openness of the previous rooms faded. The tall windows that had filled the corridors with daylight disappeared. The pathways narrowed. Dim lanterns fixed along the stone walls cast long, flickering shadows that stretched and twisted with their movement. The voices of guards and servants grew distant until only their own footsteps remained, echoing against the cold stone floor. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became. The temperature dropped. The stone under their feet felt colder, damper. The silence pressed in around them like a living thing. By the time they reached the back of the estate, a large iron gate stood before them, guarded by several armed Vladclaw soldiers. The moment the elders approached, the guards stepped aside and unlocked the gate without a word. Beyond it was
When the Vladclaw soldiers checked Shaina and Liliana's identification cards, they exchanged a brief look.One of the guards glanced at the card, then at Liliana, before lowering his eyes to the identification once more as if making sure he had not read it incorrectly.Almost immediately, the captain's expression changed.Without making any attempt to lower his voice, he lifted the radio clipped to his shoulder."Headquarters, this is Border Post Three."A burst of static answered from the other end."The Moon Goddess' child has arrived at the border together with Luna Shaina. Inform the elders immediately."The transmission ended.At once, the atmosphere around the checkpoint shifted.The captain stepped toward Boren and returned the dagger with both hands before giving a respectful nod."Thank you for your cooperation."At the same time, the massive gates slowly rumbled open.Soon after, several Vladclaw vehicles rolled into position
The car moved through the late-night roads, its headlights carving through the darkness as the rest of the world lay quiet and still. The sky was heavy and starless, with only faint traces of moonlight slipping over the passing trees and the empty stretches of road. Everything outside felt hushed, like the night itself was holding its breath as they traveled toward Vladclaw territory.Inside the car, Liliana lay with her head resting in her mother’s lap, her eyes closed as Shaina gently brushed her hair with her fingers. Then Liliana spoke without opening her eyes.“Boren.”Shaina’s hand paused for a fraction of a second, her brows drawing together. She glanced toward the driver’s seat, confused, because she hadn’t caught any familiar scent from him at all.Liliana continued, still calm. “Why are you posing as the driver? I didn’t say anything when I recognized your scent earlier because I didn’t want to expose you.”A soft chuckle came from the fr
Three days later, Matthias arrived at the Redborne estate, where Liliana and Shaina were already waiting to welcome him home.The family spent lunch together, then the rest of the day in the easy rhythm of being at home, talking, resting, and enjoying one another’s company while the tension of the past few days slowly eased. By the time dinner arrived, the mood had settled into something warm and familiar.It was Shaina who brought up the matter first.“I’ve been thinking about the new facility,” she said, setting her fork down with a calm smile. “We still need to check possible locations for it, and I think it would be best if we started looking sooner rather than later.”Matthias’s expression changed almost at once. He looked from Shaina to Liliana, then paused when he saw the faint, smug little smile on his daughter’s face.He already knew.Liliana had gotten her mother to agree.Matthias leaned back slightly in his chair. “No.”Shaina blinked
Liliana waited in the healing ward until the injured shadow guard finally stirred.His eyes fluttered open, and the moment he recognized her, he tried to push himself up onto one knee.“Don’t,” Liliana said sharply, stepping forward. “Stay where you are.”The man hesitated, then obeyed, sinking back against the pillow.Shaina happened to enter the ward at that moment, and without a word she moved to his side, gently helping him settle more comfortably.“Rest,” Shaina said softly. “You’re safe here.”Liliana waited until his breathing steadied before she spoke again.“Report,” she said. “What happened?”The guard swallowed, his voice rough. “I was entering the chamber where Hibiscus was locked. Xazam was there. He’s now stationed as a servant delivering food for the berserked Hibiscus. I remained hidden while following him… to ensure his safety.”He paused, wincing as pain flared through his side.Liliana’s gaze sharpened. “Go on.”“But Hib
Since Liliana was born, Shaina and Matthias had become very busy with pack duties and business. But they always made sure to set aside time for their family. They ate dinner together most nights. They read stories to Liliana before bed. And on quiet mornings, the three of them would walk in the
On the third day apart from Shaina, Matthias felt the emptiness like a constant ache in his chest. His wolf paced restlessly inside him, craving her touch, her warmth, the way she always submitted so perfectly to him. Work at Redborne Tower dragged on, and every quiet moment made the mate bond pu
The weeks after their bonding turned into months of pure heat. Matthias and Shaina could not keep their hands off each other. Whenever Matthias finished his work early and came home to the mansion, Shaina would never leave their shared bedroom. She waited for him there, already wet and ready.The
For a week, the Redborne mansion buzzed with celebration. Shaina settled into her new life as Luna of the Redborne pack. Servants bowed when she passed. Her days filled with learning the layout of the grand house and planning small projects with the funds Matthias had given her.Matthias stayed bu







