Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

Lucian's pov I didn't sleep.Not because I didn't try. Madame Voss had brought a chair, the same chair I had sat in the first time Cressida lay in this bed. I had pulled it close to the mattress, close enough that I could hold her hand without reaching. Close enough that I could feel her pulse beneath my fingers.All these were messed up, really really messed up.Her nose had stopped bleeding.Voss had cleaned the blood from her face, from her lips, from the collar of her uniform. She had checked her pupils, her heartbeat, her breathing. She had done everything she could."She's stable," Voss had said. "But she won't wake until she's ready.""When will that be?"Voss had looked at me, her old eyes were kind. "When she knows she's safe."I had nodded abc right aster Voss left but I had stayed.The hours passed like stones rolling uphill.The fire burned low, candles guttered. The moon rose and fell outside the window. Yet, I watched Cressida's face. Watched the rise and fall of her ch

Lucian's povThe lockdown was over.I felt it the moment I stepped out of my quarters. The corridors were alive again; wolves laughing, shoving each other, trading insults like currency. The torches burned brighter. The tapestries on the walls moved faster, like even the magic was relieved.No more curfews. No more enforcers at every corner. No more whispers about vampires in the shadows.Just the academy. Just the pack. Just the way it should be.Kade fell into step beside me, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. "You look almost human today.""I feel almost human today.""The girl?"I didn't answer.And Kade smirked. "That's what I thought."We walked toward the training yard. The morning was cold...the good kind of cold, the kind that made your breath fog and your cheeks sting. Wolves were already sparring in the yard, their grunts and shouts echoing off the stone walls.Then I heard the yelling.Not the usual yelling; the competitive kind, the kind that came with a good fight. Th

Lucian's povThe day started badly and got worse from there.My wolf was restless, pacing beneath my skin, whining about something I couldn't hear. The curse pulsed in my chest like a second heartbeat.And somewhere in the academy, Cressida Ashcroft was probably doing something that would give me a heart attack.I dressed slowly. Skipped breakfast and walked to my first meeting already feeling so exhausted.The council meeting was in the east tower.Not the one that had collapsed...the new one, hastily rebuilt, still smelling of fresh stone and magic. The windows overlooked the frozen gardens. The tapestries on the walls showed wolves hunting, wolves feasting, wolves kneeling before the first Alpha.I hated that room.Marcus Voss was already there, standing by the window, his arms crossed, his face carved from stone. Elder Marlow sat at the head of the table, her gray hair coiled in a tight bun, her fingers steepled beneath her chin. Elder Thorn was beside her, broad and silent. Elder

Lucian's povThe moment Niko Volkov walked through those doors, something ugly coiled in my chest.I didn't understand it at first. I couldn't name it. It was hot and sharp and irrational, the kind of feeling that made my wolf snarl and my hands curl into fists and my stomach twist into knots. Niko was a good player. A good wolf. He had left Blackfrost because his father was sick, not because he had any quarrel with me or the academy. He had been Cressida's drama partner. Her friend. Her...She ran to him.Not walked. Ran. Her skates scraped against the ice, and then she was throwing her arms around his neck, and he was lifting her off the ground, spinning her in a circle, laughing that stupid charming laugh, and her dark hair was flying, and her face was radiant in a way I had only seen when she looked at me...My wolf snarled.Loud enough that wolves nearby flattened their ears.She's just happy to see him, I told myself. He's just a friend. This means nothing.But it didn't feel li

Lucian's povI was mad as hell.Not the kind of mad that made you punch walls or break things. This was deeper. Uglier. The kind of mad that settled into your bones and poisoned everything it touched. I hated this. Hated the way I had shouted at her. Hated the way she had looked at me; tears in her eyes, betrayal on her face. Hated the way Niko Volkov had stood there, watching and waiting.Most of all, I hated myself.Because I knew why I had shouted. Because I knew why my wolf was snarling. Because I knew why the sight of Cressida in someone else's arms made me want to tear the world apart.She was mine.And I was losing her.The patrol was supposed to be routine.A few enforcers. A quick sweep of the eastern border. Nothing exciting. Wolves did this every night. I had done it a hundred times if not a thousand.Tonight, everything grated."Alpha, the eastern fence needs repairs.""I'll handle it.""The vampire situation...""I said I'll handle it.""The council is demanding..."And t