Kael’s POVThe silence of my chamber was thick and satisfying. The walk back from the dining hall had been necessary.I needed to get away from the collective scent of Lyra’s poisonous fury and the pathetic scent of the Emerald girl’s humiliation. But the victory was mine. I had used my shadow to shatter my parents' pretense of control, and it felt cleaner than any political maneuvering.I poured myself a dark whiskey, the amber liquid sharp and grounding. The silence, however, wasn't empty. It was filled with the fragile, sharp scent of Rebecca’s fear and the fresh, undeniable memory of her small body pressed against my lap.I walked over to the cot where she was sitting, huddled against the cold stone wall, trying to disappear.“You didn’t eat,” I stated, my voice flat.She flinched, her soft, frightened eyes darting up to my chest before dropping again. “I was not commanded to eat, Alpha.”“A flaw in my command, then,” I corrected, taking a slow sip of the whiskey. The fact that s
Last Updated : 2025-11-09 Read more