جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

"I..." Rowan swallowed hard, his dark eyes fixed on Isolde’s trembling form. A bitter tang of regret twisted in his chest, making his inner wolf whine under his breath. "If I had never thrown Eloise away for Meredith, none of this blood-debt would be crushing our pack right now."Isolde’s clawed fingers shook violently as she snatched up her communication stone, dialing my line with a desperate, animalistic cry. The moment the connection locked, she fell to her knees on the cold floor, her voice cracking into high-pitched sobs."I was wrong! By the Moon Mother, Eloise, I know I was wrong! Please, speak to High Alpha Lucan for me—save my life!""Why should I raise a finger for you, Isolde?" I answered, my tone flat and icy through the stone, echoing through her quiet office."I will clear your name across every territory! I'll tell the Moon Bards it was all a tragic mistake! I'll accept any punishment, any covenant terms you set!" Isolde wept, clutching the stone against her chest as i

Meredith sat in front of the vanity mirror, slowly painting her lips with deep crimson paint. Now that the situation had devolved into absolute chaos, she had already begun to thrive on the raw thrill of playing two male wolves off each other. Thinking about how Rowan had groveled at her feet only hours ago, a triumphant, wicked grin stretched across her features. She had secured a high-ranking Alpha's loyalty, and she was on the verge of claiming the Golden Spear Award for Best Female Performer. In her mind, a soft, fat human like me was no longer worthy to walk in her shadow.Still, she wasn't foolish enough to sever her ties with Rowan completely just yet. Alienating the heir of the Silverhowl Bard Guild before her contract was signed would ruin her leverage.What if she let her grip slip, and Rowan crawled back to my feet?She had spent months using every sweet scent and calculated touch to rip Rowan away from me; she wasn't about to watch him run back to my arms. The memory of my

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Rowan slammed his fist onto the timber desk, his eyes flashing a dangerous, dark crimson as his inner wolf snarled at her.“Fine, I won't say another word,” Meredith shrugged casually, taking a slow step toward the side of the chamber. She could clearly feel the shift in his scent—the lingering trust was gone, replaced by bitter, rotting anger.Rowan was a male wolf, driven by territorial pride and bloodlines. No matter how much he had lusted after Meredith, no Alpha could ever truly stomach being cuckolded by another male. Looking at the herald rumors flooding the crystal screens, imagining that I might have played him for a fool while secretly bonding with another lord, his heart was turning into absolute stone.Meredith knew him inside and out. Seeing that he had no words left to defend me, her lips pulled back into a wicked, triumphant smirk.“You suspect her in your soul too, don't you?” she purred, leaning against the doorframe. “Stay out of my way, Ro

"Take your position for the next presentation," the stage manager whispered, rushing past me with a fresh golden envelope.The heavy curtain swung open as the host took the floor to restore order after the guards carried Meredith away. The entire hall was still buzzing from her shameful fall, but I stepped back to my mark on the stage without a single shake in my hands."The judges have tallied the final votes for Best Female Lead," Director Jacob announced into the crystal rune, sliding the new card out for the crowd to see. "The Golden Spear goes to Iris of the Northern Moon Pack!"The crowd broke into polite applause as Iris walked up to accept the trophy, her long gray tail brushing against her velvet dress. I smiled and clapped for her, keeping my head high as I walked back down the stage stairs to return to my front row seat. The drama from earlier didn't touch my heart at all because I knew I did nothing wrong.Across the back aisle, Quentin Vane stood near the exit doors, his

"No!"Kayden barked the word, slamming his fist onto the edge of the iron medical bed before Meredith could even finish her sentence.He stared down at her pale, sunken face, his teeth grinding together in pure panic. "Are you out of your fucking mind, Meredith?! The Alpha Council is already auditing your nomination! As long as you keep your mouth shut and swear you never touched Quentin, I can still bribe the lower elders to clear your name! But if you drop those recordings now, you confirm to the whole realm that you were in his bed!""So what if I confirm it?!" Meredith shrieked, her voice cracking as she clawed at the white bedsheets, her bloody nails ripping the heavy linen. "You think I give a shit about my rank now?! I lost the baby, I lost the Golden Spear, and Quentin ran like a coward the second the lawkeepers moved in! I have nothing left to lose, Kayden!"She leaned forward, her red, unhinged eyes burning with pure, toxic venom. "Quentin has private rune recordings of him