All Chapters of The Wolves' Empress.: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Sierralya “Throw her in the dungeons.” “Father, please.” But what came out wasn’t a howl. Not really. Something between a whine and a howl. My wolf form, gigantic, white, and terrifying even to myself, had just awakened on the night of the blood moon. An hour ago I’d been in the courtyard. Birthday lights, music, people smiling… My eighteenth birthday. That felt like a lifetime ago. The same ceremony every wolf goes through when they are of age. Except now what should have been like a night of celebration had turned into my greatest nightmare. Eighteen years of whispers and hypocritical mockery aimed at the powerless princess all climaxing this single night. Tonight was supposed to prove them all right, but when the light of the blood moon caressed my skin, something ancient woke inside me. White fur sprouted along my arm, sweeping through like wildfire, my hands carved into claws. When this change was complete, I was massively larger than any wolf they'd seen. “The chain

King Aldric“The prophecy.”King Aldric Ainsworth was at the head of the table. He said it plainly. No shouting. Still, no one spoke after.“Your Majesty, we don’t actually know what it means” — Lord Caspian started.Aldric cut him off. “A power surge on a blood moon. From inside my palace. From a White Wolf.” His fingers pressed into the wood. “Strong enough to shake the empire.”Caspian swallowed. “She’s only eighteen. Your daughter. Your blood…”“That’s exactly the problem.”The words came from High Councilor Theron. Flat. Certain.The room went quiet.“The prophecy says the one who unites the wolves will come from our bloodline,” Theron continued. “If it’s her, then every Black Wolf pack, every fringe clan, every discontented mutt in the empire will follow her.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “She becomes a banner. A rallying cry.”No one spoke for a moment.Finally, someone asked, very carefully, “What do we do?”“We could send her away,” Caspian said. “Far. Somewhere

Sierralya Keholts raised one hand. His wolves stopped advancing. “I just want to talk to my sister,” he said. His voice was the same. The same voice that had read me bedtime stories when I was small. That had taught me to climb the old oak in the palace gardens. Three nights. It felt like three years. “Let her speak,” Keholts said, looking at Kael. “Please.” I stepped towards him. Keholts' face, I'd never seen him look like that. Tired, desperate, scared. “Sierralya.” My name came out rough. “Come home. Please.” “Home?" The word tasted bitter. "You mean the dungeon?” “That was one suggestion, and Father didn't refuse it." Keholts looked away. “I'll protect you.” “The way you protected me when they threw me in chains?" The words came out sharper than I meant. “When they locked me in the darkest cell they had and left me to rot?” “What was I supposed to do?” Keholts's voice broke. “He's the king. My father. Our father. I can't just.” “You're his heir,” I said. “His favori

The plan was simple. Too simple. Which meant it might actually work.I outlined the plan quickly. "We camp at the old watchtower ruins. The one we passed two miles back. It's three miles from your border, close enough that your scouts can reach us if we need backup, far enough that the hunters will think we're still running scared.""And then what?""Then we let them come.""At least this way, we choose when they find us. Where they find us,” I said. "It's insane," Kael said."It might work," Darius countered.Kael looked between us like we'd both lost our minds."If even one of them gets past us?""They won't." I stepped closer to him. "You won't let them. And if they do…" I took a breath. "I can protect myself now. You've seen what I can do.""You can barely control it.""Then I'll learn.""By putting yourself in danger?""By making my own choices." The words came out harder than I intended. "I'm tired of running, Kael. I'm tired of being protected like I'm helpless.Kael stared a

Mira led me to a room with a small bed, a woven blanket, and no windows. A cell, really just one without bars and locks. “Kael will be down the hall, the fifth door to the left. The door doesn't lock from outside. You can try to run, though I wouldn't recommend that.” “I'm not running.” “ We'll see about that.” She turned to leave, then stopped. “ One last thing. The Black Wolves do have a saying: Trust is earned by blood, not words. Remember that tomorrow.” I stood at the center of the room, listening to her footsteps fade down the hall. I couldn't sleep. I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, listening to my heartbeat. The council could vote to execute me tomorrow. Send my body back to my father as a message, or they could keep me as a prisoner. The knock made me jump “Who's there?” Kael stepped inside. “Kael, you scared the hell out of me.” “Good. This means you are paying attention.” He closed the door behind him. “ You can't sleep.” “No. Can you?” “Me