Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Tonight wasn’t supposed to matter for someone like meThe other girls gleamed and sparkled while I struggled with a dress twice my size. Selene had only slid the notice of my invite under my door three hours ago. I could still recall how wide my eyes were when I read the notice. I had checked the name three times, tracing the ink like it might change if I looked long enough. It didn’t. The moon goddess couldn’t have cared about rank if she picked me. That was what I told myself, it was what I needed to believe.The ceremony began, high priestesses walked the line slowly with an open scroll. An audience was present, the scent of wolves, perfume, candle and smoke along with a silence heavy enough to choke on.Even the air felt expectant. Waiting and watching. Prince Adrian stood at the altar, his face devoid of emotion, as though this could only be a formality. As he walked, girls around me vibrated with an excitement I couldn’t understand even as the air seemed to bend to his every

LENAMy body was trembling.“Alpha kael,” Elder Marsh said and the room went still. My mind was blank but my wolf had backed into a corner.Who was Alpha Kael?And why was my wolf acting…strange?My eyes flickered, landing on Cara. A coldness seeped into my skin as something glinted in her eyes. Pity…guilt? It was gone before I could understand it. Guards came out of nowhere, surrounding me and my body went still. Surely they weren’t serious…My father was at the corner, his lips set in a thin line, eyes faraway.“Father…”“Come with us,” one of the guards demanded and I stood my ground. There was no way they would force me to go if I didn’t want to go. “Father!” I called again but he would not look at me. My eyes watered as I stepped forward but a firm hand had engulfed my arm, claws sunk into my flesh and I let out a horrid gasp.I only had a few seconds to breathe before I was dragged and that was when he finally looked at me.I should have known. If he didn’t defend me once wh

LENA“Lena.” His voice cut through the dining hall like a final verdict.I froze mid-step, my fork still half-raised from the plate I had been aggressively eating out of sheer frustration. Kael’s earlier words still echoed in my head—experiments in the bedroom—and my brain refused to decide whether I was supposed to be furious, terrified, or just insulted.I turned slowly, glaring at him. “If you’re about to say something insane again, I would prefer you keep it to yourself.”A faint amusement flickered across his face as he leaned back in his chair, completely unbothered by the way every maid in the room suddenly pretended the air itself was fascinating.“I already said it,” he replied calmly.My grip tightened on the fork. “Yes. And I’m still trying to decide whether I should stab you with this or throw it at your head.”One corner of his mouth lifted. “You’re very creative for someone who hasn’t eaten properly in days.”“That’s not an answer,” I snapped, pushing my chair back. “Wha

LENA“DOWN!” Commander Varik’s voice thundered across the room as wolves lunged into motion around us.The bullet tore past my face so closely that heat grazed my skin before it buried itself into the stone wall behind me. Glass shattered everywhere. People shouted over one another while guards overturned the massive council table for cover.My body locked in place and Kael’s hand wrapped around my wrist instantly.“Move.” The sharp command cut through my panic and suddenly I was stumbling toward him as another shot blasted through the broken window. Stone splintered beside us and someone cursed violently near the entrance.My heart slammed painfully against my ribs while Kael pulled me behind one of the pillars lining the hall. His body positioned itself directly in front of mine without hesitation, broad shoulders shielding me completely from the shattered side of the room.“What the hell is happening?” I asked breathlessly.Nobody answered as another gunshot cracked through the air

LENAThe healer arrived just after sunrise, when the estate still felt half-asleep and the light outside the windows was pale enough to make everything inside the room look colder than it already was.I was sitting on the edge of the bed when she entered, hands folded neatly in my lap as though I had been waiting for permission to exist in my own body. The door closed softly behind her, followed by the faint click of metal locking into place.That alone made my shoulders tense.“You don’t need to look like that,” she said gently, setting her satchel on the table near the window. Her voice was calm in a way that didn’t feel rehearsed, just practiced from years of dealing with frightened people.“I don’t know what I look like,” I replied flatly.A small smile touched her lips as she stepped closer. “Terrified of healers, apparently.”“I’ve met worse.”“Have you?” She asked, raising a brow while pulling out a small vial of golden liquid.I studied her carefully. “I’ve met people who smil