ログインI arrived at my father’s house in the late afternoon, when the sun had begun to soften and long shadows stretched across the compound.The familiar halls felt quieter than I remembered, the air carrying the faint scent of old wood and the herbal medicines my mother constantly prepared. I stepped into the living room and found her near the window, one hand resting on the back of a chair as if she had been waiting. The moment she saw me, a familiar, faintly pointed smile touched her lips. “Well, hello there,” she said, turning fully toward me. “Look who finally decided to pay us a visit.” “How are you, Mother?” I asked, crossing the room. I offered her a brief hug, careful and measured. She returned it with more warmth than I gave, her hands lingering a second longer on my back before she pulled away. She cupped my face between both palms, studying me the way she always had—searching for signs of exhaustion, of loneliness, of the life she believed I should already be living. “I’m
I was very angry. What the hell was wrong with Lucian? Why would he go to my father when I had specifically told him he needed to rest? Lucian was the reason my father was like this in the first place. My father had always loved him too much—enough that he had been willing to expose what he overheard that day. I had been left with no choice. I made certain he could no longer speak of it.If only he had never been there. If only he had never listened to that conversation.Aurelius—the man who called himself my father—had never seen me as anything more than an ordinary beta. A tool. A shield. He expected me to serve Lucian for the rest of my life. To stand behind a man who was soft. Too kind. Too blind to the knives already at his back. Even if Lucian was stronger, he understood nothing of the real currents moving around him. He walked through life protected by other people’s sacrifices and called it leadership.I was tired of living in his shadow. Tired of taking the fall. Tired
Days back!I was in my office reviewing a set of reports when my assistant knocked and informed me that someone was requesting an audience.“Who is it?”“It’s Hussain.”I didn’t look up immediately. My pen remained poised over the page for another second before I finally set it down.“Let him in.”A moment later the door opened and Hussain strode in without waiting for further invitation. His face was tight with barely contained rage, the kind that made the air around him feel heavier. I rose from my chair at once, already reading the storm in his posture.“Hussain. What brings you here?”“Aries, I have had it with Lucian.” His voice was sharp, almost shaking with the effort of keeping it under control. “That bastard thinks he can do whatever he wants simply because he is Alpha.”I raised both hands slightly in a calming gesture, stood up and walked toward him, putting myself between him and the desk. “Hey. Calm down. What happened?”“He barred me from the council.” Hussain’s jaw clen
Aries POVHours earlier.I had been searching the down floors of the old building for what felt like forever, moving from corridors to rooms, every sense sharpened for any trace of Eleanor. My pulse stayed steady, controlled, even as frustration began to edge in. Then I pushed open another door and stopped.Valeria stood in the center of the dim space, watching me with a slow, knowing smile already curved on her lips.“Where is Eleanor?” I asked, walking toward her without hesitation.She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, Aries… what do you think you’re doing?”“What do you mean?” My voice came out hard. I clenched my jaw until my teeth ached.Valeria took a few deliberate steps closer, never breaking eye contact. “Stop pretending to be someone you’re not. I can see straight through you, Aries.”My patience snapped thin. “What the hell are you talking about, you little bitch?”She burst into laughter—loud, sharp, and deliberately drawn out until she was satisfied. W
The fight was immediate and brutal. Fists, claws, and teeth clashed amid the shadows of the old building. Sunlight filtered through the broken windows, casting faint patches of light across the worn walls and massive support pillars. Bodies slammed against the walls as growls and the heavy sounds of impact filled the air.Valeria’s men fought hard, but they were losing ground fast—outmatched and overpowered. One by one, they began to fall. The moment Valeria realized her guards were being torn apart, she turned and ran toward the side exit.I tore free of the nearest opponent and sprinted after her. I caught her just before the door, slamming a heavy fist into the side of her head. She staggered, crashed to the floor. I hauled her up by the throat, lifting her until her boots left the ground completely.“Where is she?” I demanded, tightening my grip until she struggled for every breath, fingers clawing uselessly at my wrist.I didn’t care that Valeria had once been my first love. Not
I stared at him. The words didn’t make sense at first. “What do you mean you can’t find them?”“Alpha… Miss Eleanor is not in her room. The room’s empty.”My pulse spiked hard enough that I felt it in my throat. “And Zita?”Leo shook his head, clearly shaken. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I can’t find her either.”A cold, sharp fury mixed with something far closer to fear.“Dammit.”“What’s happening, Lucian?” Aries asked as he walked toward me.“Eleanor is nowhere to be found. Come on—let’s go find her,” I said. I was already moving.“Everyone stay here,” I ordered over my shoulder, voice tight. Then louder, to the remaining guards: “Call every available guard. Search the house and the grounds for Eleanor. Now!”I ran straight into the house, taking the stairs two at a time. Aries behind me. The hallway felt too quiet, too still. My heart was slamming against my ribs by the time I reached her door. I shoved it open.Empty.The bed was neatly made. The air held only a faint, fading trace of h







