“Bow to me, Ember.” Alpha Thorne commanded, his voice low and sharp. She glared up at him. “I’d rather die.” His wolf demanded he take her, but she refused to kneel. The pull between them was dangerous and impossible to ignore. Taken from her pack and forced into servitude, Ember knows exactly who Alpha Thorne is, and she swore to hate him. But as the bond between them grows, one choice could destroy everything.
View MoreThe room was quiet as Raphael, Ragnar, Caden, and Luna Zyrah all watched her, like the fate of the world depended on the words sitting heavy on her tongue. Ember swallowed, her throat was tight but she already knew the answer. She’d known it the second Ragnar helped them that night in the woods and from how he treated and protected his sister. But knowing didn’t make it easier.She didn’t want to hurt Raphael, not with the way his eyes were pleading and desperate and full of history she still didn’t understand. He was with Kaya when she had being taken to Thorne’s mansion and he no doubt protected her too.But this wasn’t about comfort or friendship, or even who came first. This was about who Kaya needed now.Ember shifted her gaze slowly, locking eyes with Raphael calmly despite the weight in her chest.“She’ll need someone strong,” she said quietly. “Someone who won’t hesitate in making decisions that’s best for her.”Then she turned to Ragnar.“It should be you. I’m trusting you to
A ruckus echoed through the quiet halls of Bloodveil, dragging Ember out of her sleep rudely. The distant sounds of shouting were loud and tore through the silence of the night. She jolted upright, eyes wide, her heart pounding as her feet hit the floor. Barefoot and still half asleep, Ember rushed out of her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she ran down the staircase. She nearly tripped over the debris scattered on the ground, but she kept moving, adrenaline taking her through every step.By the time she reached the courtyard, the chaos was obvious.Caden was in the center of the chaos, shouting at Thorne’s guards who stood in a tight circle around him and Raphael. The tension was thick like a fight was about to break out any second.Ember caught sight of a familiar figure, struggling against a few of Thorne’s guards beside that, who were holding him back with all their strength. His face, although it was bruised and bloodied, was unmistakable.Ragnar.Without thinking, Embe
Thorne stood in the courtyard with his arms clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if he could stare hard enough to bring her back to him. The morning air was cold. General Halister stood a few steps behind him, silent until Thorne finally spoke.“Well?”“They were there,” Halister said, his voice low. “Serene and Darius. In an inn on the edge of the border. But by the time my men got there…” He shook his head. “they had disappeared with no trace”Thorne didn’t react, he barely seemed to care. Darius was a coward, and he would see him from a mile away if he ever tried anything. Serene was undoubtedly miserable with Darius who had nothing to offer her, in terms of wealth which she desperately craved. His mind was elsewhere. “And Bloodveil?” he asked, turning slightly. “Bloodveil is stable,” Halister replied. “Guards are posted day and night. Nothing unusual to report.”“Still just a playground for the guards?”Halister hesitated. “Yes, for now.”Thorne turned ful
Back at Bloodveil, Luna Zyrah, recovered, sat up in the bed, her sharp eyes cutting through the dim light of the room. There was no softness in her tone when she spoke. “How did you survive all these years, Ember?” Her gaze flickered to Caden for a second, but she didn’t acknowledge him further. Ember stood stiffly beside the bed, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I survived. Day by day.”Caden leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, avoiding eye contact, clearly uncomfortable with the moment.Zyrah didn’t waste time. “I missed you. But I want the truth. How’d you end up here?” Her eyes locked on Ember’s, calculating. “Sold to Thorne’s pack, I hear? Must’ve been a hard bargain.”Ember’s stomach twisted. She avoided her mother’s gaze. “It wasn’t easy,” she said quickly, skimming over the details. “But I managed.”Silence settled between them, thick with unasked questions yet Zyrah’s sharp eyes never left her. “Have you met him yet?”Ember’s heart stuttered. “What do you mean
Stella sat with her back against a tree, the small carving knife gripped in her hand as she worked on the piece of wood, shaping it little by little into the form of a wolf. Her strokes were slow and careful, the quiet scrape of blade against bark echoing around her.Then, some movement. She barely had time to react before a figure slipped into view from her side, moving too quietly for comfort. She shot to her feet, the knife gripped tightly in her fingers, heart hammering against her ribs.Collin.The moonlight caught the glint in his eye, a wicked, amused expression pulling at his mouth. He hadn’t meant to be caught, or maybe he had.Stella took a slow step back, her wary gaze locked onto him. “What do you want?”Collin tilted his head, his hands tucked into his pockets like he had all the time in the world. “Relax, little wolf,” he said, voice smooth and too easy. “Just curious. You and Caden, huh?”Her grip on the knife tightened. “That’s not your business.”Collin let out a low
Ember stood on the crumbling balcony of what was once her family’s mansion, the wind cold against her skin as she stared out over their ruined territory. The sight of it still made her angry, this place, once filled with life, was now nothing but decayed. Bloodveil belonged to Thorne now.And inside her… so did a piece of him.Her hand moved to her stomach, the weight of her secret pressing on her heavier than ever. But before she could sink too deep into her thoughts, a voice tore through the silence.“Ember!”She turned sharply to Caden’s voice, the urgency in it sending her pulse racing. It was coming from their parents room.Her heart pounding, she rushed inside, her footfalls echoing through the abandoned halls until she reached the doorway. Caden was hunched over their mother’s still form, his hands gripping the the sheets. He looked up at Ember, his eyes wide with disbelief.“She twitched,” he breathed. “I think she’s about to wake up.”Ember rushed to her mother’s side, pressi
Serene let the warm water cascade down her body, sighing in pleasure as it melted away the tension in her muscles. It was a rare luxury and one she intended to enjoy. The bathroom door was locked, and she had no plans of leaving anytime soon, no matter how loudly Matteo pounded on the other side.“Serene!” He yelled, his voice was furious. “Get out. Now.”She smirked, tilting her head back to let the water run over her face. “I’m busy,” she called back lazily.His fist struck the door again, the sound echoing through the walls. “You think you can just waltz in here and make yourself at home?”“Yes,” she answered simply.A growl followed, then heavy footsteps pacing outside. She heard the shift in his breathing, the way he was holding back the full force of his rage. He wanted to kick the door down, she could feel it, but he wouldn’t. A moment later, his voice turned cold. “You have five seconds before I drag you out myself.”Serene only hummed in response, dragging her fingers throug
Serene reached the gates of Matteo’s estate, her dress wrinkled from her journey, dust clinging to the cloth. She had run the whole way in her wolf form, then stole the dress from a small clan on the way, but none of that mattered now.She was back.The guards stepped in front of the gate, blocking her path. “You’re wasting your time,” one of them said lazily as he ran his gaze over her.Serene lifted her chin. “Open the gate.”The other guard snorted. “You think you can just walk back in? After what you did?”Her jaw clenched, but she kept her voice steady. “I said, open it.”“You got kicked out for spreading your legs for Thorne,” the first one sneered. “Matteo doesn’t want you.”“Maybe you didn’t hear me,” she said, stepping closer. “Open. The. Gate.”The guards laughed, shaking their heads. “Or what? You’ll beg your way in? Or maybe you’ll suck…”Her eyes flashed gold and the smirk on his face disappeared.“You really want to test that theory?” she asked, her voice low and deadly.
Darius stood in the middle of the wreckage, blood dripping from the wound on his arm where a splinter had torn through flesh in his rage. The room was a disaster with broken furniture and shattered glass littered on the floor. None of it mattered though, Serene was gone. Back to Matteo, to comfort, back to a life that suited her, and she was going to kill his child. He didn’t blame her though, she was never meant for cheap inns and uncertainty, or scraping by with nothing but empty promises. He had nothing to offer her anymore.A sharp, impatient knock sounded at the door. He didn’t move. The door creaked open, and the innkeeper stepped in, pausing as he took in the mess. His eyes narrowed in irritation. “What the hell is this?”Darius didn’t respond.The man huffed, stepping further inside and crossing his arms over his chest. “You think you can tear up this place and just stand there?” His voice rose with frustration. “I want you out. Now.”Darius exhaled, slowly flexing his finger
TWO YEARS AGO Ember’s POV I held my brother tightly against my chest, his fifteen year old body trembling against my eighteen year old one. “I’m so cold, Ember,” Caden said to me, his teeth were chattering violently. “I know,” I whispered, even though my voice trembled more than I wanted it to. “Mum will be back soon, okay? Just hold on.” I ruffled his hair and rubbed his back, hoping the small gestures would bring him comfort, or at least distract him. The truth was, I was worried. Mum had left us to hunt hours ago, long before the rain started pouring. She had no hat, no umbrella, nothing to shield her from this storm. My eyes kept darting to the tent’s entrance, half expecting her to appear, soaked but safe. The tent flapped wildly in the wind, its thin fabric offering us little protection. Every so often, the entrance slit would fly open, letting in cold rain and streaks of mud. I had tried to secure it, but the pin was too weak against the force of the wind. Caden’s arms ti...
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