LOGINRey is still asleep on his chest. The morning light spills over her hair like molten gold, and something breaks open inside him again, that familiar ache, that possessive heat, that need. He tightened his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. She stirs but doesn’t wake, her breath warm against his skin. ‘I shouldn’t feel this way. I’ve bedded dozens of women. I’ve had obsessions before. But none of them ever made me feel this unhinged, this aware, this… alive.’ He thought silently. Rey is different. Dangerously different. His wolf paces restlessly beneath his skin, whispering the same maddening thought since last night.MARK HER. MAKE HER YOURS. NOW.He exhaled sharply. “It’s not time,” he whispered to himself. Yet his fingers slide up her spine, memorizing every curve, every softness, every reason he is slowly losing control.She shifts again, and her eyes flutter open, those eyes that make his sanity wobble.“Morning, Alpha,” she whispers, voice still husky with sleep.He s
Karl’s fingers drummed against the edge of the carved wooden table, the sharp metallic rhythm echoing the restlessness he felt.He had been pacing the halls of his private chambers for almost an hour. When Rey finally arrived, the faint sound of her steps echoing in the polished stone corridors. His wolf had been restless all evening, senses straining for her presence, and when he caught her scent mingling with the faint trace of danger, his temper flared, not with anger, but with a deep, possessive hunger.She had escaped danger, yes but she had returned. And that was all that mattered.The moment she entered the room, he stepped forward, blocking her path instinctively. His eyes roamed her form, every curve, every movement, memorizing her like a predator marking territory. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?” His voice was low, almost gravelly, trembling on the edge of control.Rey met his gaze calmly, her lips curved in the faintest smirk. “I survived,” she said softly, “
The night air was unusually still. The Ember Pack’s forest rarely went this quiet, not even the owls dared to make a sound. Maren had gone out to fetch herbs Rey needed for her nightly tonic, the one that helped suppress her power spikes. She was careful, as always, carrying a small lantern, humming softly to keep her nerves steady.But then… the air changed.A cold wave of energy brushed past her, thick and suffocating. The flame in her lantern flickered violently before dying, plunging her into complete darkness.Her heart stilled.Someone was here.“M–My Lady?” she called weakly, turning in a full circle. “If this is a prank, please stop…”A low, guttural growl answered her from the shadows. It wasn't an animal. It was human, yet feral. The voice that followed sent ice crawling down her spine.“I thought you’d be harder to catch, little witch’s pet.”Maren’s breath hitched. A dark silhouette emerged from behind the trees, tall and draped in black. His aura radiated power, ancient,
The air in Karl's chamber hung thick with fury. The scent of burnt leather still lingered from where Rey's magic had lashed out sending him staggering back. His hand trembled as he touched the faint scorch on his chest, his veins pulsing like they were on fire. She'd thrown him off using a power no ordinary she-wolf could wield. Karl slumped into the nearest chair, gripping the arm rest. His chest throbbed, heat crawling beneath his skin where her power had touched him. He unbuttoned his tunic, his eyes widening as he saw something strange, etched faintly across his chest was a crescent shaped mark glowing under the moonlight. He rubbed it roughly but it didn't fade. “What the hell…” The mark pulsed once, burning faintly before cooling again. He gritted his teeth. ‘No one touches me and lives’ he thought darkly, but deep inside, something unsettled inside him. It wasn't just the pain, it was the familiarity. That Mark mirrored the one he'd seen before. Long ago before he
Silence filled the room right after his voice echoed off the walls. She's my fucking mate. The words hung in the air, heavy. Karl's chest rose and fell rapidly, his claws unsheathed as he stared at Rieka's pale face. The fear in her eyes should have satisfied him as he has seen that look from countless enemies but tonight, it only burned him from inside. Rieka's lips trembled as she tried to find her voice. “Mate?” She whispered hoarsely, clutching her dress. “You… you said you'd never take another mate after…” “Don't mention her name,” He snapped, moving away from her. The ghost of Uriel's scream clawed at his skull, louder than before. Every night, he saw her burning, her eyes locked on his, filled with fear and disappointment. Her cries becoming louder. He slammed his fist into the wall, creating a hole in the wall. “Get out, Rieka. Before I forget the reason I kept you alive.” Rieka flinched. “Karl, what…” “I said out!” He growled, his voice laced with the deadly aut
Rey pulled the cloak tightly around her shoulders as she followed Maren through the dense woods. The sound of distant howls echoed faintly behind them, too far to be threatening, yet close enough to remind of the dangers ahead of her as she was crossing the enemy lines.“Keep your head down” Maren whispered, “The northern patrol changes shift every one hour and it's almost an hour since I left the pack. Once we pass the border into the pack, no one must know I helped you.”Rey nodded silently. Her heart pounded loudly, her thoughts drifting back to the past. Once, these woods had been her home. Now she walked into them as a stranger with so much caution, stripped of her name, her face. When the both of them finally slipped past the border mark. Maren pressed a hand to her chest and muttered a silent prayer. She turned to her slightly with a smile on her lips. “Welcome back… to the Ember pack,”Rey's throat tightened. Welcome back. That word carried a lot of weight. By dawn, the scen







