Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 81 - Chapitre 90

I had never felt so close to losing control. Never experienced the kind of internal war that threatened to tear me apart from the inside out.The sensation was foreign and terrifying, like discovering that a weapon I had relied upon for years had suddenly developed its own agenda, its own desires, its own plans that didn't necessarily align with mine.And that was what made my decision final. I would drag the truth out of her, whatever it cost me in terms of pride or comfort or peace of mind. I would confront this mystery head-on rather than let it fester and grow until it consumed what remained of my sanity.If my wolf was right about her—if she was somehow connected to the restlessness that had been building in my chest since sunset—then I would identify the source and eliminate it before it could threaten the order I had worked so hard to build.And if she was the key to understanding what my wolf wanted from her, then I wou

I gave a hollow laugh that sounded more like a sob. "And have him drag me out of bed himself? Have him decide that my illness is just another form of disobedience that needs to be corrected?" I shook my head, the movement sharp with bitter knowledge. "No, thank you. That would only make things worse."Mira's lips pressed together again, but she didn't argue. She had seen enough of Kael's methods to know I was right. Instead, she helped smooth the folds of my midnight-blue skirt, her careful touch a small gesture of comfort in a world that offered so little kindness.The dress was beautiful—I had to admit that much. Silk that shimmered in the candlelight, cut to flatter without being immodest, dyed in a shade that brought out the color of my eyes. But it was also a costume, carefully chosen to present me as Kael wanted the world to see me. Not as a person with thoughts and feelings of my own, but as an extension of his will, a living symbol of his victory over

He didn't answer immediately, which somehow made everything more terrifying. Instead, he rose from his chair in one slow, deliberate movement, each muscle shifting with predatory grace. The action seemed to take forever.Every inch of his considerable height towered over my smaller frame as he began to circle the desk with measured steps. He moved like a wolf stalking wounded prey, taking his time because he knew the kill was inevitable.My body screamed at me to step back, to put distance between us, to do anything other than stand frozen in place like a rabbit caught in an open field. Every survival instinct I possessed demanded immediate retreat from the danger approaching me.But my feet stayed rooted to the carpet, anchored in place by something stronger than conscious will. Not by my choice—I would have fled if the decision had been mine to make—but by Selene's influence, her presence overriding my natural responses."Do

KAEL POV:I should have felt satisfied.The confrontation had played out exactly as I had thought —her face red, pulse stuttering beneath my fingers, her lies as transparent as the finest glass. I had pressed her with questions she couldn’t answer, pushed her against boundaries she couldn’t defend, and she had behaved exactly as I expected.That should have been enough.The familiar pattern—the confirmation of my dominance, the reassurance that my control remained absolute, the knowledge that nothing in my territory moved without my permission.I released her from my grip, stepped back to give her space to breathe and remember her place. The matter was closed, decided, finished. She would return to her chambers and I would return to the important work that actually deserved my attention.But my wolf didn’t agree.The moment I turned from her, intending to dismiss h

I tried to ignore him—or at least maintain the pretense of ignoring him—but my body betrayed my intentions. My hand slid from her wrist up to her shoulder with deliberate slowness, savoring the way she tensed under my touch. Then higher still, fingers wrapping around the delicate column of her throat with possessive certainty. Not squeezing—not yet, not quite—just holding, testing the fragility of the life pulsing beneath her skin. Her pulse fluttered wildly against my palm like a moth beating itself against a window, racing as though it might break free of her body altogether if it could just move fast enough. The frantic rhythm was intoxicating in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge.I leaned in, eliminating what little space remained between us. Close enough that my breath stirred the loose strands of dark hair that had escaped from whatever style Mira had arranged them in. She shivered violently at the sensation, and for one reckless heartbeat, my wolf sur