LOGINKaelI barely slept.Even after Kingston left my room earlier with his eyes hard, his voice too calm, and the weight of suspicion hanging between us like a knife, I couldn’t bring myself to close my eyes long enough to rest. My stomach twisted. My pulse thudded in my ears. My brother’s gift… or curse… the ability to detect lies. I had lied to him, and even though he didn’t confront me further, I knew he felt it.He always felt it.When I finally drifted off, it was a restless, shallow sleep. So when my phone buzzed violently against the bedside table, my heart flew to my throat.I snatched it up, blinking through the blur to read the message.It was from my personal servant Mara.My lady… there was an attack in the pack last night. The one who attacked…I think it was your high school friend.My blood froze. Every muscle in my body went stiff.
Kingston pov Sleep held me in a heavy grip until the sharp trill of my phone sliced through the darkness. At first, I thought it was part of a dream something warped and distant but the sound came again, louder, more insistent. My eyes shot open.I reached blindly for the phone on the bedside table, the screen glowing harshly in the dim room. River’s name flashed across it.A call from River at dawn was never good news.I sat up instantly.“River?” My voice was thick with sleep and unease. “What’s wrong?”“King…” River exhaled shakily, the kind of breath a warrior shouldn’t have to make. “We were attacked last night.”My entire body went cold.“What?”“They took Rio,” River continued. His voice broke not with weakness, but with fury he was trying and failing to restrain. “The pack’s head guard. They… they dragged him off before we could stop them.”I sh
Ella’s POVThe sound that pulled me from sleep wasn’t loud, just a gentle knock, followed by the soft creak of the ship’s door. My eyes fluttered open sluggishly, the remnants of the restless fear from the night still wrapped around me like a second skin. For a split second, I forgot where I was, the wooden walls and faint rocking of the ship foreign enough to make my heart race…Then I saw the familiar face leaning over me.“Ella,” Thompson whispered, his voice low and soothing. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I came to check up on you.”The pack’s doctor. The man who had insisted on joining us despite Kingston saying the journey was too dangerous. His presence now felt like a thin thread of stability, something warm in this sea of uncertainty.I slowly pushed myself up. “How long was I asleep?”“Couple of hours,” he answered with a gentle smile, though it didn’t ma
Ella’s POVThe creature’s words had not left my mind since the encounter in the tunnel. Even now, lying on the narrow bed prepared for me on the ship, I could still hear the echo of her voice, warning of a price a big one that would be demanded before we reached our destination. I stared at the ceiling above, tracing the faint cracks in the wood as my mind replayed every detail of the encounter. Every bruise, every trembling movement, every fear filled glance of that mysterious figure haunted me.Had I made the wrong decision? Was this journey, undertaken to save Kingston from the curse, a mistake? My hands instinctively clenched the sheets, nails digging into the soft fabric as if the act could tether me to some sense of control. Yet, no matter how tightly I gripped, the unease remained, twisting through my chest like a live thing.I turned my head slightly, catching the faint outline of Kael rest
Kingston’s POVThe market stretched before us like a living mosaic vibrant colors, bustling activity, and the sounds of laughter, chatter, and commerce weaving together in a chaotic harmony. I let myself breathe, taking in the scene as Ella walked beside me, her fingers intertwined with mine. There was something grounding about her presence, something that anchored the storm of my thoughts. Despite the curse, despite the looming danger, we were together and in that, there was a measure of peace.Ella’s eyes lit up as she watched the merchants and townsfolk, bright smiles playing across faces that seemed untouched by the weight of the world, their energy unlike anything I had ever seen in the typical werewolf settlements. Here, the people thrived, not just survived. The colors of the fabrics they sold were dazzling: deep purples and scarlets, gold trimmed cloth that shimmered in the sunlight, fresh fr
Kingston’s POVI stepped out of Ella’s cabin, my body still carrying the warmth and weight of her presence, but my mind was frayed. My wolf whined low in my chest, an echo of something I hadn’t felt in years pain, worry, and fear all tangled together. It was more than just concern for the journey; it was instinct, primal and raw. My wolf sensed the part of me that had felt alive now dulled, deadened by the weight of the curse that refused to release its grip.I staggered slightly, pressing a hand against the doorframe as my wolf complained again, its voice echoing through my mind. This is the mark of a dying Alpha… part of you is already gone.The words hit me like a blade. My heart hammered in my chest. Six hours on the ship and it already felt as though we hadn’t covered half the distance. The endless expanse of water mirrored my own unease. My wolf’s pain surged with every lapping wave, a reminde







