جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

“The warrior who shall be paired with this candidate is… Emily Carter!” Mistress Smith’s voice echoed through the obsidian rafters.The shock was a physical blow.Daniel pivoted in his high chair, a triumphant, blinding grin cutting across his rugged features. That look alone communicated a thousand secrets.“I have tracked your scent through every thicket, Princess… You would be stunned to learn how deeply I have mapped your soul.” I recalled the low vibration of his voice from the messages.When I had doubted their knowledge of our squad, I had foolishly excluded myself from the equation. But he knew me—perhaps better than I knew the wolf hiding within my own skin.Show me then, my protector. Show the Great Packs how clearly you see me!“Emily, synchronize your slate and prepare for the link,” the Mistress commanded.The ritual commenced.The initial six inquiries were trivial, merely testing the memory of the words we had traded over the table earlier. They matched every rune with

I paused at the threshold, my heart hammering against my ribs. Was I truly entering an Alpha’s private den? In the Silver-Run Territories, a female—especially one of the Hollowed—never entered a male’s quarters without a binding reason. The weight of the Moonlight Law felt heavy on my shoulders.“Enter, Emily,” Daniel said, a weary, supportive smile gracing his face. He looked utterly drained. My poor protector...Let us resolve this quickly so you can find your furs, Daniel. You have carried enough of my burden for one lunar cycle.Lucas was reclined on his sleeping furs, his runic slate resting atop his powerful thighs.“Daniel and Emily... I hope you both can cast aside the static of the Great Hall. We must harmonize our essence if we are to conquer the dawn,” Daniel said, his gaze shifting between the two of us.Lucas watched me, his expression a jagged obsidian mask. No matter how I tried to suppress it, the memory of those archived images flashed in my mind like a lightning stri

The atmosphere of the previous cycle, fraught with Lucas's biting frost, had shifted within the fortress of Emily's mind. Where once she felt only a stinging resentment for his arrogance, she now carried a flicker of quiet gratitude for the way he had shielded her from Ryan’s venom.Yet, it was Daniel who began to weave himself more tightly into the fabric of her spirit. His warmth was a hearth-fire in the frozen waste of the Academy, radiating a joyful energy that made her feel as though they had walked the ancient forests together since their first winters. Every stolen whisper and brief exchange left her floating in an ethereal bliss. She yearned for the moment the Watcher would finally step out of the shadows and claim her in the light of the moons.Great Mother, let the reveal be swift! I am starving for the truth.She clutched her runic slate to her chest, her mind racing. How could she bridge the distance between Sarah, the Hollowed pariah, and Daniel, the shining star of the A

Hearing that supportive tone, a wave of relief washed over Emily."Yes... I am unharmed," she murmured, disentangling her fingers from the servant’s tunic. She shifted her weight toward Daniel, who anchored her with a look of deep concern.Lucas stood just a step behind him. The Alpha heir was clad in a formal black ceremonial vest that made his presence feel even more imposing. His eyes were fixed on Emily, swirling with a darkness she couldn't identify. He looked too striking to be a creature of flesh and bone.Control your thoughts, Emily. This is hardly the moment to be captivated by him."Pay it no mind. I shall inform the Lodge Master that the error was ours. Tend to the shards," Daniel commanded the waiter, whose scent was still sharp with the tang of terror. Daniel kept a steadying arm around Emily’s waist, his other hand firmly clasping hers. "Steeling your spirit, Emily... there is no cause for shame," he whispered.His resonance was a balm to her frayed nerves.The warmth o

"That day," she started, her voice trembling like a leaf in a mountain gale. "You left the fortifying draught and the elk-meat on my training station when I stepped away for the Runic trials.""Ah... that morning," Daniel replied, a heavy sigh escaping him.So, he did remember.The confusion roared in her mind like a blizzard. Why would he deny the link now? Was this some cruel sport of the elite? But Daniel’s scent remained grounded, devoid of the sharp tang of deception. He seemed burdened by a truth he wasn't permitted to speak."I merely placed those offerings there because he commanded it of me," Daniel confessed.Emily’s breath hitched. "Commanded? Who has the authority to demand such a thing?""He was watching you from the shadows of the high balcony," Daniel explained, his eyes fixed on the frost-locked path ahead. "He saw that your 'Essence-Aura' was flickering from hunger, yet he knew your pride wouldn't allow you to break your focus. He had urgent matters with the Council o