MasukKAEL’S POVI hadn't slept. Not even for a minute.I sat against the cold, damp stone wall of the subterranean cell, my eyes fixed on the heavy iron door as Ragnar's final words echoed relentlessly inside my head.Another Alpha showed her kindness.It shouldn't have mattered. Not in the slightest.Amara Everhart was not my Luna. I had made that decision publicly, before the entire gathering of the Twelve Kingdoms. I had chosen Tanya—a woman of political standing, grace, and noble heritage.The imperial kingdom knew it. The Royal Council knew it. And Amara herself certainly knew it.So why was my wolf still thrashing against its magic suppression chains, pacing back and forth in the dark corners of my mind like a caged beast?Who was he?I tried to push the question down, to smother it beneath sheer force of will. What did he want from her?"Enough," I growled aloud to the empty cell.My wolf snarled back, its voice raw with possessive fury: You want to know his name. You wa
AMARA’S POVMorning arrived far too quickly.The small red apple the elderly cook had secretly pressed into my hand the previous night had done little to ease the hollow, dull ache gnawing at my stomach.I sat quietly in Father's library, staring at the faded ink of an open history ledger while my thoughts wandered miles away.A gentle knock sounded against the oak door frame."Lady Amara?" Martha stepped into the room. "The dressmaker has arrived with your attire."I frowned, setting my quill down. "The dressmaker?"Martha nodded, her mouth drawn into a thin line. "Lady Vivian ordered your gown for tonight's function to be delivered directly."Tonight. The Duke of Ravencrest's charity banquet. I had been trying so hard to push the thought of it from my mind.Half an hour later, a young seamstress stood nervously inside my bedroom, holding a heavy garment bag as if it were fragile glass."My Lady..." She swallowed hard, avoiding direct eye contact. "I... I only followed the
AMARA’S POVI spent the rest of the morning in Father's library.The silence between the towering mahogany shelves was the only sanctuary left in the entire estate that didn't judge me. Ancient leather volumes lay open across the desk—detailed works on regional history, diplomacy, military strategy, and the governing legal frameworks of the Twelve Kingdoms.I had barely finished copying a passage on territorial trade rights into my notebook when the heavy library doors burst open."Lady Amara." A young maid bowed hurriedly, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "Lady Vivian requests your immediate presence in the east courtyard."I carefully capped my ink pen and closed my notebook. "Did she mention why?"The maid hesitated, shifting her weight. "No, my lady."That single answer was enough to make my stomach tighten into a knot. Vivian never summoned me without a specific purpose—and that purpose was rarely ever kind.AMARA’S POVThe east courtyard was unusually lively
AMARA’S POVI spent the rest of the morning in Father's library.The silence between the towering mahogany shelves was the only sanctuary left in the entire estate that didn't judge me. Ancient leather volumes lay open across the desk—detailed works on regional history, diplomacy, military strategy, and the governing legal frameworks of the Twelve Kingdoms.I had barely finished copying a passage on territorial trade rights into my notebook when the heavy library doors burst open."Lady Amara." A young maid bowed hurriedly, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "Lady Vivian requests your immediate presence in the east courtyard."I carefully capped my ink pen and closed my notebook. "Did she mention why?"The maid hesitated, shifting her weight. "No, my lady."That single answer was enough to make my stomach tighten into a knot. Vivian never summoned me without a specific purpose—and that purpose was rarely ever kind.The east courtyard was unusually lively. Several hig
AMARA’S POVThe morning sun streamed through the tall stained-glass windows of the Everhart Estate, bathing the grand dining hall in a warm, golden light.It should have felt comforting. Instead, it only served to highlight how cold and utterly alone I was inside these walls.The long, polished mahogany table could easily seat thirty guests. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, reflecting off silver cutlery that had been arranged with military precision.Vivian sat at the very head of the table in a rich burgundy silk gown, leisurely reading the morning newspaper while sipping dark tea from a china cup. Serena lounged beside her, her eyes glued to her crystal tablet as her fingers scrolled lazily through local high-society gossip.Neither of them so much as glanced up when I stepped into the room.I quietly pulled out my usual seat near the far end of the long table. Almost instantly, a footman signaled to a waiting maid, who stepped forward holding a small, silver-covered p
TANYA’S POVThe palace had become a place of ghosts.The grand, echoing corridors that had once reverberated with Kael's steady, imposing footsteps now felt hollow and cold. Every servant moved along the walls like shadows, barely daring to breathe too loudly for fear of shattering the fragile silence.Seven days.Seven whole days since the High Alpha had vanished beyond the northern mountains.With every passing sunrise, another piece of the kingdom's hope chipped away. Yet, while the court mourned and panick grew like poison... politics never slept.I stood before the floor-length mirror in my private chambers while two maids fastened the final silver clasp of my ivory gown."Perfect, Lady Tanya," one maid whispered in awe. "You truly look like a queen."I offered a gentle, modest smile through the glass. "A queen should never look perfect."The girls exchanged confused glances."A queen," I corrected softly, "should look dependable."I dismissed them with a graceful nod







