جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 160

THE CEREMONY While getting ready, I couldn’t shake the unease settling deep in my chest. Today felt… heavy,Like the air itself was warning me. I stared at my reflection for a long moment before reaching for the book Granny had given me. After a brief hesitation, I slid it carefully into the inner folds of my gown, hidden from sight just in case. I had learned the hard way that instincts were never to be ignored. A soft knock sounded on the door. “Maya,” Zack’s voice came through, respectful as always. “It’s time.” “I’m coming,” I replied, taking one last look at myself before standing. He led me down the long corridor toward the hall. With every step, my heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but from awareness. Whatever today held, I would face it head-on. As we drew closer, my eyes caught a familiar figure. Councilor James’ daughter. She was moving toward Liam with deliberate confidence, her posture too bold, her smile too practiced. I knew immediately what she was

A TOUCH MEANT TO kILLThe tension in the room was thick—so heavy it felt like it pressed against my skin. No one spoke, yet the silence screamed. The councilors lingered, pretending to admire the hall, the decorations, the guests, when in truth they were hunting. Watching. Waiting for a crack, a mistake, anything they could use. It was almost laughable.If they had real accusations, they would have spoken by now. I straightened my posture, schooling my expression into calm authority, even as a strange dizziness crept up on me. The world tilted slightly, like the ground beneath my feet wasn’t as solid as it should be. My head throbbed, slow and dull at first, then sharper.Focus, I told myself. Not now.Nyx wasn’t mine to command, but my wolf stirred uneasily, confused, restless. Something was wrong—very wrong—but showing weakness in front of the council would be the worst mistake I could make.Councilor James was the first to break the silence, offering a tight smile. “Well then, You

THE HEALER "Argh,what the hell went wrong?”My scream echoed through the cave, raw and furious. Everything had been planned. Every move. Every step. There was no room for failure, yet here I was, staring at ruins instead of victory.The warrior knelt before me, his head bowed low, fear rolling off him in waves.“Liam’s mate, my lady,” he said carefully. “She interfered. The warriors are saying she’s… not ordinary. They claim she’s some kind of ancient healer. Her powers are different and really strong ”“Ancient healer?” I snapped, my eyes flashing. “That’s impossible!”My nails dug into my palms as rage surged through me. Liam was never supposed to have a mate. Never. I had been sure of it. I thought she was nothing more than a convenient arrangement—some weak little pawn he placed beside himself to strengthen his claim and silence the council.I laughed bitterly.“So I was wrong,” I muttered. “Very wrong.”The thought burned. Not only did he have a mate—but she was powerful. Power

SHIELDING MAYABeing back on my feet should have felt like a relief, but instead, guilt weighed heavily on my chest.Every time I looked at Maya, all I could think about was everything she had endured while I lay helpless in bed. The council, the poisoned alphas, the constant threats, and yet she stood firm, holding everything together when I couldn’t.And then there was the issue of the little girl.The thought of her never left my mind since Maya mentioned it. Over the past few days, Maya and I visited her often at the pack hospital. We never went empty-handed—flowers, small gifts, anything that might help. One of the healers Maya contacted had suggested surrounding the girl with pleasant scents."She responds to them,” Maya had said quietly one afternoon as she arranged fresh flowers near the bed. “See how calm she looks?”I nodded. The girl’s fingers twitched slightly, her breathing steadier whenever the room filled with floral fragrance.“It’s like she grew up around this,” I mu

Just like we planned, Alpha Daniel’s warriors began arriving at the royal palace.From my office window, I watched them file through the gates in disciplined rows, their auras steady, and alert. These weren’t ordinary fighters—they were trained for war for the kind of chaos Selene thrived in. Seeing them there gave me a small sense of relief, even though I knew relief was a luxury I couldn’t afford yet.“They’re early,” Damon said beside me, arms crossed as he observed the movement below.“That’s Alpha Daniel for you,” I replied. “He never waits for disaster to knock before he locks the door.”Damon gave a dry chuckle. “Good. Because whatever’s coming won’t knock.”More arrivals followed. The alphas and lunas from the packs the council had banished packs that had been silenced, threatened, and pushed to the edge simply for refusing to bow—also came forward. Many of them had sought refuge under Shadow Pack before, which made their loyalty complicated, but today, they came anyway.I nee