(Siena’s POV)Lila’s words about my father keep echoing in my mind, haunting me.I try to push them away so that I can focus on the task at hand—preparing for the upcoming negotiations and the competition.But they cling to me, tight, like claws digging into my chest, scratching at the edges of my t
The room is silent for a moment, and then the murmurs begin. The councilors exchange looks, their expressions thoughtful, impressed, but still skeptical.I can see the wheels turning in their minds, weighing the potential benefits against the risks.It’s too soon to tell if I’ve won them over, but f
(Raiden’s POV)“She outmaneuvered everyone.”The words are repeated so often that they feel like a chant, a reminder of just how much I’ve underestimated her.How did she pull this off? She had every reason to fail, every reason to crumble under pressure, but instead, she walked into that room and f
(Siena’s POV)The grand hall of the Lycanthrope Council gleams with an almost oppressive elegance.Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic light across marble floors, illuminating the faces of the pack representatives with an unforgiving brightness that reveals every calculation, every political maneuver
Now, it’s cold. Lifeless.I close my eyes and let out a shaky breath. The ache in my chest is familiar, a constant companion these past few years. It’s not just the absence of the bond—it’s the knowledge that Raiden chose someone else. That he looked at me, at the life we could’ve built together, an
(Raiden’s POV) The silence in my office is suffocating.A low hum from the fluorescent light overhead is the only sound, but it grates on me like nails on a chalkboard.I’ve read the same line on this report five times now, and I still don’t know what it says. Siena. Her words won’t stop playin
His words land like blows, each one harder to deflect than the last. I open my mouth to argue, but he doesn’t give me the chance. “You’ve made your feelings clear, Raiden. You rejected her. You chose someone else. You’ve spent years acting like she doesn’t matter, and now you want to claim her? Yo
(Siena’s POV)The irony of it all doesn’t escape me.I sit at the edge of the conference table, the official announcement of the third competition round still echoing in my mind:A pack unity challenge requiring Alpha and Luna to work together, leveraging their unique strengths.Unity. Cooperation.
Instinct takes over, primal and fierce, yet beneath each attack lies hesitation, reluctance. I lunge forward, jaws snapping, heart twisting painfully as Zion dodges skilfully aside, countering swiftly.Each strike, each blow, shatters more deeply into my conscience.I pin him briefly, my jaws inches
(Raiden's POV)The sky above Windhowl dawns blood-red, as if even the heavens condemn my foolish pride.I stand alone at the edge of the ceremonial grounds, where ancient trees tower solemnly, their branches stretched out like silent judges over today's proceedings.The clearing we chose for the due
How I’ll manage to look at him again, after hearing those words, I’ll never know.Entering his office, I find him already seated, his expression carefully neutral, his eyes guarded. My heart stutters painfully, and my emotions swirl chaotically. Silently, I extend the documents required for my depar
(Siena’s POV)“I've already forgotten about her.”Raiden's cold dismissal echoes through my mind, each word tearing into wounds I thought long healed, forcing my carefully constructed emotional walls to tremble, to fracture, threaten collapse.My legs swiftly carry me into the darkened forest, lungs
How did we come to this, Zion and I? Lifelong friends, now torn apart by jealousy, pride, and my own stubborn denial.Before either of us can speak again, a quiet, faint scent drifts through the open doorway—familiar and hauntingly sweet.Siena.My blood turns to ice in my veins, and my heart plumme
(Raiden's POV)The instant Zion utters Siena's name, something dark and primal explodes to life inside me.I'm standing by the window of my office, staring out at the twilight shadows creeping slowly across Windhowl, when he casually, confidently announces his intentions—words that slice through me
I stare at the compass, my fingers tracing the carvings as Horace stirs again, her emotions a mix of curiosity and reluctant admiration. “May it guide you home,” Raiden says quietly, his voice carrying an undercurrent of something I can’t quite name. “Whatever home means for you now.” His words
(Siena’s POV) I don’t sleep. Raiden’s words replay in my mind over and over, as insistent as the spring rain drumming against the windows of my temporary quarters.I love you, Siena.Not as a political arrangement or a convenient alliance, but for exactly who you are. For years, I longed to he
“My opposition was… personal rather than political.”The confession costs me more deeply than I could have anticipated.Admitting my pettiness, admitting my inability to separate emotion from responsibility—it feels like peeling away a carefully maintained facade, exposing wounds I’ve long worked to