LOGINShe reached blindly behind him, twisting the heavy brass faucet to shut off the freezing spray. She grabbed a thick towel from the heated rack, draping it over his broad, shaking shoulders as she gently led her heartbroken Alpha out of the bathroom and into the quiet dark of the bedroom.Fennigan moved like a man entirely hollowed out. Leela guided him to the edge of the mattress, gently pushing on his chest until he lay back against the sheets. Stripped of his armor and completely naked, his massive frame shivered violently in the cool air of the room, the freezing water finally catching up to the crushing emotional shock of the night.Leela looked down at her own soaked clothes, the icy fabric clinging uncomfortably to her skin. She couldn't hold him like this, and she couldn't bring that freezing cold into their bed.Turning her back for just a few seconds, she moved swiftly. She peeled off her heavy, wet garments, dropping them onto the floorboards with a soft, wet slap and leavin
Fennigan didn't say another word at first. He simply reached out, flipped open the heavy, leather-bound covers of the ledgers, and slid them down the center of the long oak table.The silence in the room grew suffocating as the books were passed from hand to hand. The visiting Alphas leaned in, their expressions morphing from guarded curiosity to absolute, stomach-churning horror as their eyes scanned the meticulous, clinical handwriting detailing decades of slaughter.Alpha Maxon, a grizzled leader from the eastern territories, abruptly pushed the ledger away, his face pale beneath his beard. He looked up at Fennigan, his brow furrowed in a mixture of disbelief and deep, existential dread."So you're saying your father built this entire, elaborate life based on a lie?" Maxon asked, his voice rough. He glanced toward Leela, fully aware of the rumors surrounding the Blackwood Matriarch's immense abilities. "How did he hide from your Luna, if she has the power you say she has? For that
Leela left the bustling corridors near the dining hall and followed the familiar, bright sound of her son's babbling straight into one of the smaller, quieter sitting rooms.There, she found Toby and Sarah exactly where they had been earlier. Caspian was sitting between them, still deeply fascinated by the brightly colored picture book spread out on the cushions. As Leela walked in, Toby let out a booming, unguarded laugh at something the toddler had just done—likely imitating another animal with entirely too much enthusiasm.Leela smiled, the warmth of her pack settling deep into her bones, completely washing away the last lingering shadows of Draven's disrespect. She stepped into the room and leaned down, effortlessly scooping a giggling Caspian up into her arms."Alright, you two," Leela teased gently, shifting the heavy toddler onto her hip. She offered the two lethal guards a highly suggestive wink. "You're going to need some time without babies if..."She let the sentence trail
Leela smiled, a genuine, wicked little curve of her lips that promised absolute hell for Draven later tonight."Okay, my wolf," Leela whispered softly against his mouth, the tight knot in her chest finally unspooling. "We'll pretend I'm some fragile flower."She leaned up, wrapping her free arm around his thick neck, and pressed a deep, grounding kiss to his lips. She needed the solid, unshakeable heat of her Alpha to completely wash away the lingering, slimy irritation of Draven's arrogance. Fennigan responded instantly, his large hands tightening possessively on her waist as he pulled her flush against him, entirely willing to give her whatever anchor she needed.But right in the middle of their kiss, a tiny, sticky third party decided she was being entirely left out of the affection.Briar, still perched comfortably on Leela's hip and sporting a thick, messy beard of blueberry muffin crumbs, let out a happy little squeal. The toddler leaned forward, squishing her little face right
Elana turned her head, her silver eyes locking onto Leela’s with the fierce, unshakeable confidence of a Matriarch who had survived decades of political warfare."We haven't smelled a single spike of unnatural guilt," Elana continued smoothly. "We haven't caught a single nervous glance toward the perimeter, or intercepted a single whispered conversation about the capital. These packs are exactly what they appear to be: independent, tired of the Council's overreach, and completely oblivious to the Vault."Leela let out a slow, grounding breath, but the tight knot of anxiety in her chest didn't completely unravel. She shifted Briar higher on her hip, her gaze drifting back to the tree line beyond the sprawling lawns."I know," Leela said softly, a small, troubled frown pulling at her lips. "I know the perimeter is secure and the women are clean. But..." She hesitated, shaking her head slightly as if trying to physically dislodge the feeling. "Something just feels off. Like a shift in th
Fennigan watched Draven's broad back disappear down the long, sunlit hallway, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.Beside him, Jax mirrored his Alpha's rigid stance, his Beta instincts humming on high alert beneath his relaxed, welcoming facade.Fennigan knew that every single Alpha arriving today would readily accept this excuse. Waiting for the sun to go down and the ale to flow before gathering the leaders was the traditional, expected rhythm of a pack celebration. It made perfect logistical sense to them.But beneath the guise of generous hospitality, the delay was a highly calculated, ruthless strategy.The High Council absolutely knew about Damon’s demise. Fennigan had literally shipped his father's corpse to the capital in a pine box. While the Council likely chalked the assassination up to a brutal, internal pack power struggle, executing a former Matriarch's husband without warning was a massive, aggressive statement.By forcing the allied Alphas and their entourages to mingle
Five miles away, Jax was a shadow among shadows. He watched through thermal binoculars as the Annex security lights flared, indicating the party was well underway."The distraction is working," Jax whispered into his comms. "The Council is so busy being offended by Leela’s dress and Fenn’s temper t
"Target is the sub-basement vault," Jax signaled, his voice a cold, mechanical clip. "The Council is busy staring at the Luna’s jewelry. They won't notice us taking the floorboards out from under them. Go dark. No survivors if we’re spotted. We bring back the truth or we don't come back at all."He
The drive to the Vane Estate Annex was a study in tension. Inside the darkened SUV, the only light came from the faint, emerald pulse of the stone at Leela’s chest and the rhythmic glow of the dashboard.Fennigan reached across the leather seat, his hand finding Leela’s. His grip was firm, groundin
Fennigan was standing in front of the full-length mirror, exhaling a sharp breath as he adjusted the collar of his charcoal suit. His mind was a chaotic map of the Vane Estate Annex—security rotations, exit points, and the precise timing Jax would need to ghost past the perimeter sensors.Then, the







