Shadow Knights Aphmau Novels & Stories

"He was a predictable, short-sighted obstacle driven by vanity and fear. You can bargain with fear, Liam. You can manipulate vanity. The Shadow is different. It doesn't operate on political logic, territorial ambition or economic leverage. It is an apex hunter tracking a specific frequency." With a swift swipe of her thumb, she activated the sync-pad. A translucent blue holographic map of the high northern ridges bloomed into life above the scarred oak table, casting a cool azure glow over their faces. Several tracking nodes along the outer perimeter were blinking with erratic fading gray signals. Liam leaned over the map, his massive frame effectively blocking the ambient chill of the room

But it was the final page that made my blood freeze. A handwritten note, dated two weeks before I met Declan. Attachment is liability. Emotion is weakness. The next arrangement must be purely transactional. No history, no connections, no possibility of genuine feelings. Find someone desperate enough to accept terms without question. Someone who needs me more than they could ever want me. Below it, in different handwriting, was a response. Marcus's handwriting. I found someone who fits the profile. Hartley Sinclair. 24, fashion assistant, brother dying of leukemia. Perfect candidate. Desperate, isolated, and unlikely to develop genuine attachment given the circumstances. Proceeding with surve