Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Lucian's pov I was in the middle of a lecture when the door opened.The Professor stopped mid-sentence and the entire class turned. A young wolf I didn't recognize stood in the doorway with shaky hands. He looked at me like he was delivering a death sentence."Alpha," he said. "The council requires your presence. Immediately."I winced instantly as I heard that.I had been avoiding the council for days. Ever since I walked past Cressida at the fountain. Ever since I let my pride get in the way of fixing what I had broken. I knew they were watching. I knew they were waiting but I just didn't care.Until now."What's this about?" I asked.The messenger swallowed. "Your... Pet. Cressida Ashcroft. She's been accused of assault."My blood went cold."Assault?""Against Sha Konstantinou."And I was already walking toward the door.The council chamber was colder than usual.Elder Marlow sat at the head of the table, her gray hair coiled in a tight bun, her fingers steepled beneath her chin.

Cressida's povI felt lighter than I had in days.Not completely light...there was still something heavy pressing at the edges of my chest, something that whispered this won't last, something that reminded me of the council and Sha and the curse and everything else that wanted to tear us apart. But lighter than before. Enough to breathe without it hurting. Enough to walk through the corridors without flinching every time someone looked at me.We had made up.Lucian had apologized. Not the polished Alpha version he used with the council, not the careful, measured words he used with the enforcers. This had been raw and real and his voice had cracked. His hands had shaken. He had looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered, and for a few minutes, I had let myself believe it.I still wasn't sure what we were. What this was. But for the first time in days, I wasn't drowning in the uncertainty.Soon, it was afternoon and I was walking back to the dormitory after classe

Cressida's povI didn't sleep even wink.Not because I wasn't tired. Yes, I was exhausted...the kind of exhausted that made your bones ache and your eyes burn. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. The way he had looked at me before Kade appeared. The way he had kissed my cheek like it might be the last time.Then I heard the howling.It started around midnight. Distant at first, then closer. Wolves running and hunting. Wolves crying out to each other in the dark. I sat up in bed already rocking myself and Raven was already awake, her face pale."What's happening?" she whispered."I don't know."But I knew. Something had gone wrong on the eastern border. Something bad enough that made Lucian run. Something bad enough that the pack was still howling hours later.I couldn't bring myself to fall asleep.The morning came too slow.Yet, no message. No note. No Lucian. He didn't even show up for breakfast, none of them did.I dragged myself to class with Ember tucked into my jack

Cressida's povThe strong nagging feeling started around midnight.Not even a thought or a worry. Something deeper. Something in my chest, right behind my ribs, like a string pulled taut. It tugged at me and kept tugging and wouldn't stop at all.I sat up in bed and found Raven was finally asleep across the room, her dark curls spread across her pillow and her breathing were slow and even. Ember was curled at her feet. Everything was normal.But then, except it wasn't.I pressed my hand to my chest and it was pounding so hard. Not from fear. Not from anxiety. Something else was bothering me.Lucian.The thought came out of nowhere. Or maybe it had been there all along, waiting for me to notice."Cressida?"Raven's voice came out all groggy and concerned."I'm fine.""You're sitting upright in the dark. At midnight.""I couldn't sleep."Raven sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Is it him?"I didn't answer."Cressida.""I don't know.""You've been staring at the wall for an hour." She swung he

Cressida's povWhen I opened my eyes, everyone was fussing over Lucian.Not me. Him. Wolves crowded around his bed, blocking my view, their voices overlapping in a blur of worry and commands. Madame Voss was at his side, her hands pressing bandages to his wounds, her face was tight from concentration. Kade stood at the foot of the bed, barking orders at enforcers I didn't recognize.Meanwhile, I was on the floor.Not on purpose. I didn't remember falling. I just remembered the sanctuary crumbling, Lucian carrying me, and then nothing. Now I was sitting against the cold stone wall, my legs stretched out in front of me with my back aching.No one looked at me.I tried to stand and yet my legs wouldn't hold me. My arms shook when I pushed against the floor. Every part of me felt hollow...like someone had scooped out my insides and left nothing but empty space."Cressida."Lucian's voice. Weak and strained.I looked up to see that he was reaching for me. His hand stretched across the gap