CHAPTER 120

DRAKE POVThe first light of dawn was a pale, yellowish gold on the horizon, doing little to warm the chill that is deep within my bones. I stood in the pack house gardens, as the dew filled grass soaked my boots, but I barely felt it. My mind was a prison, and every corner of it was filled with the same image…Lillian’s eyes, wide with terror, just before she silently pleaded with me to break her own heart.How is she? The question kept replaying over and over in my chest. Did she sleep? Is she blaming me? Does she hate me now for that denial?The noise of gravel under shoes broke the morning’s quiet, and a young messenger, looking as sleep deprived as I felt, approached gingerly and bowed.“Alpha Drake,” he said quietly, “Alpha Kael requests an audience with you at your earliest convenience.” I do not turn. “Inform Alpha Kael that I am receiving visitors on the gardens this morning. The fresh air is…..necessary.”The messenger bowed again and hurried off, and I did not have to wait

Last Updated : 2025-11-03

CHAPTER 121

LILLIAN POVI could not sleep. The moment I closed my eyes, I was back in Elara’s chambers, watching the hurt in Drake’s eyes as I silently begged him to deny me. The sound of his ‘no’ was like a ghost that hunted my heart. Before the sun had risen properly, I was already dressed and moving, pulled by an overcoming need to see the one person who understood me.I pushed the door to mother’s chambers open slowly, and winced at the soft creak it made. She was lying peacefully in bed, with her chest heaving slightly. Not wanting to disturb her, I began to walk away.“What troubles you, my flower?” her soft voice called out through the dim lighting.I froze on my tracks. “I am so sorry, Mother. I did not mean to wake you.”Elena pushed herself up, with her eyes clear and awake despite the early hour. Then, she patted the space on the bed beside her. “Come. Sit. A mother senses her child’s heavy heart from a mile away. No matter the hour, you are always welcome.”I went over to meet her and

Last Updated : 2025-11-03

CHAPTER 122

ANDRE POVLucas and I left Drake’s study in a heavy silence, with the weight of his confession pressing down on us. We did not speak until we were well down the hallway, away from any prying ears.“Moon Goddess,” Lucas finally breathed as he ran a hand over his face. “He did not just step on the tiger’s tail, he pulled it out by the roots. Declaring war on a powerful Alpha in his daughter’s sitting room…. I knew he was stressed, but this…”“He is not just stressed, Lucas,” I nodded, with my mind racing through the fallout. “He is backed into a corner. A corner filled with silk and poisoned with Elara’s perfume. I can’t even blame him. That princess would try the patience of even a saint, and our Alpha is many things, but he is no saint.”“Us sympathizing with him is one thing,” Lucas murmured. “And dealing with the consequences is another. Kael’s pride is legendary. He will not just slink away. He will retaliate. We need to be ready for anything from economic sanctions to outright bor

Last Updated : 2025-11-05

CHAPTER 123

DRAKE POVThe dinner was a quiet, tense meeting until Lucas brought up the one topic that could cut through my personal problem.“I have had my men watching Hotel Le Patre,” Lucas said as he pushes his food around his plate. “The sighting was confirmed. Elias, the Eastern Pack’s Head Enforcer, is definitely staying there. He is in the same hotel as our ‘friend,’ Baron.”Ben, my ever reliable second Beta, raised his eye brows. “This cannot be a coincidence. Two suspects from different territories. Staying in the same place. They are planning something.”“That is what worries me,” I said as I lost my appetite. “I am growing dangerously impatient with this Baron situation. He is a distraction I can not afford, a buzzing fly while a wolf is at my throat. I need him dealt with, and quickly, so I can focus on the larger problem chewing at our borders.”Andre leaned forward with a grim expression on his face. “You focus on Alpha Kael and the political fallout. Let Lucas and I handle Baron. W

Last Updated : 2025-11-05

CHAPTER 124

LILLIAN POVI was folding a sweater into my suitcase when a sharp knock at the door made me jump out of my skin. I froze and sniffed the air cautiously, then a wave of relief washed over me as I recognized the familiar scents.“It is open, come in,” I called out as I relaxed the tension of my shoulders.The door swung open to reveal Salome and Lydia, with concern etched on their faces. “How are you holding up?” Salome asked as she stepped inside.I forced a bright smile on my face. “I have never been better, honestly. Just…getting a head start on packing.” I looked at their worried faces with guilt in my heart. “I am so sorry, both of you. It seems my issues are a constant source of worry. I never meant to drag you both into this drama.”Salome waved her hand dismissively. “Do not dare apologize. That is what friends are for. And for the record, you did not drag us, we jumped in willingly.”“She is right,” Lydia added, as she perched on the edge of my bed. “We are in this with you.”I

Last Updated : 2025-11-07

CHAPTER 125

DRAKE POVMy wolf was howling in triumph, for after weeks and weeks of agony, of denial and separation, she was finally in my arms. The feel of her skin, the scent of jasmine and citrus, just the way I like it, was a balm to my battered soul. Every nerve in my body was awake and screaming that this was where she belonged. All the political consequences, all the threats, they all faded into a dull buzz. The only thought that burned in my mind was a single, powerful command….Take her. Claim her. Mark her as yours, now!I leaned in, with all my focus on her lips, getting ready to seal this reconciliation with a kiss that would erase every painful memory.Then suddenly, a sharp mocking chuckle sliced through the air from behind us.I spun around quickly as my body instinctively shifted to place myself between Lillian and the threat. Elara leaned against the doorway, with a vicious, triumphant snail plastered on her face.“What are you doing here, Elara?” I snarled with a low growl.She lo