Chapter Eleven: The Poisoned Gift

The morning light felt like a physical weight against my eyes. I hadn't slept. The image of the woman in the restricted wing, the one who looked so much like me, was burned into my mind. My father’s crest on that door was a brand I couldn't ignore.A soft knock at the door made my hand go instinctively to the dagger hidden under my pillow. I didn't say come in, but the door opened anyway.Seraphina stood there, wearing a smile that was far too bright for the hour. She looked polished, her gold hair perfectly braided for the hunt. In her arms, she held a bundle of deep green silk."I know things have been... tense," she said, her voice dripping with a sweetness that made my teeth ache. She walked toward the bed, laying the fabric out. "The traditional hunt starts in an hour. I wanted to bring you this peace offering".I stared at the dress. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, a hunting habit reinforced with leather at the joints. It was exactly what a high ranking wolf should we

Chapter Twelve: The Alpha’s Challenge

The wind off the Hudson River was a serrated blade, cutting through the thin silk of my blouse. I stood on the edge of a rusted pier, the skeletal remains of a warehouse looming behind me like a giant ribcage. New York didn't sleep, but it felt dead out here. There were no neon lights, no honking yellow cabs. There was only the smell of salt, oil, and the sharp, metallic tang of shifting wolves.Darius stood beside me, his long coat snapping in the wind. He hadn't said a word since we left the Silver Moon mansion. He didn't have to. The air around him was so heavy it felt like it was bruising my skin. He was a wall of cold, silent power. I was the shadow standing in his wake."Stay close," Darius said. His voice was a low vibration that I felt in my teeth more than I heard in my ears. "And do not speak unless I tell you to".I looked at him, my jaw tightening. The shadow wolf inside me, Nyx, let out a low, mental snarl. She didn't like being told what to do. Neither did I."I'm your

Chapter Thirteen: Doubt and Desire

The green silk dress lay in a heap on the floor like a dead snake. I stood in front of the vanity mirror in my new suite, my breath coming in short, jagged bursts. My skin was a map of red, angry welts where the silver-wolfsbane had tried to eat its way into my marrow.Nyx had swallowed the worst of the poison, but the physical toll was heavy. My hands shook as I reached for a basin of cool water. Every movement felt like rubbing salt into an open gash. My side was the worst, a long, blistering burn where the laced fabric had pressed tightest during the ride back .I dipped a cloth into the water and pressed it against my ribs. I hissed, my vision swimming with white spots. The pain wasn't just physical. It was a reminder of Seraphina’s smile and Kael’s silence. It was a reminder that in this house, I was surrounded by predators who wanted to see me rot.A soft click at the door made me freeze. I didn't have my dagger. I didn't have my wolf on the surface. I was just a girl with raw s

Chapter Fourteen: The Sister’s Spite

The morning air in the packhouse was thick with the smell of fried grease and forced smiles. I walked into the dining hall, my boots echoing on the polished wood. Every head turned. The whispers followed me like a swarm of flies, but I didn't give them the satisfaction of looking back.I had Kael’s horse. I had the King’s favor. And according to the bruises fading on my skin, I had my sister’s absolute hatred.I saw them at the head table. Kael was picking at a plate of eggs, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. His eyes jumped to mine the moment I entered, a flash of that soul crushing regret I had seen in the garden last night. He looked at my lips, then quickly looked away, his jaw tight.Seraphina sat beside him, draped in silk that cost more than most pack members made in a year. She looked pale. There was a frantic, sharp edge to her beauty today, like a glass vase that had been glued back together.I took my seat near Darius. He didn't look up from his coffee, but the air aroun

Chapter Fifteen: The Trap is Set

The Great Hall was a cage of expectations. I stood on the raised dais, the black silk of my dress a sharp contrast to the gold and silver decorations. Darius was a mountain of cold at my side. He didn’t need to shout to be heard. His silence was louder than a scream."I want to ensure the health of the Silver Moon heir," Darius said. His voice echoed, bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. "And I want to celebrate the bonds that hold this pack together."I watched Seraphina. Her hand was plastered to her stomach. Her face was the color of sour milk. She knew. She knew the ceremony would look for the soul spark of a child. She knew it would lay bare the truth of her bond with Kael."We will hold the Mate Recognition Ceremony tonight," Darius announced. "Under the peak of the moon."A murmur rippled through the pack. It was an ancient rite. It was a truth teller. It didn’t just show if you were mates. It showed the strength of the connection. It showed if there was a new life blooming.Sera

Chapter Sixteen: The Ghostly Bond

The air near the Moon Pool was thick with the scent of damp moss and ancient stone. It was a place of silence, a place where the moon was supposed to speak to our souls. I leaned against the cold granite wall, my hand clutching my left wrist. Underneath the heavy leather cuff, the grey, dead skin was screaming. It wasn't the stinging rot I had grown used to. It was a pulse. A rhythmic, heavy throb that matched the heartbeat of the man standing five feet away.Kael looked like a wreck. His eyes were bloodshot, the amber glow of his wolf flickering behind his pupils like a dying candle. He stood in the shadows of the archway, his chest heaving as if he had run miles just to find me."I felt it, Lyra," he whispered. His voice was raw, stripped of the Alpha pride he usually wore like a shield. "In the hall, when you touched me. I felt the snap. The pull."I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream. Instead, I felt a wave of nausea roll through my stomach. The bond was supposed to be dead. It