The study is dimly lit, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows along the stone walls. The scent of old parchment and polished wood lingers in the air, mixing with the faintest trace of something floral—probably the Queen’s preferred incense.I step inside, careful to keep my expression neutral. The King and Queen are seated behind the grand oak desk, their faces unreadable. But I can see the difference.King Damon looks tired.Not wary, not stern—just tired. His ink black hair now streaked with the silver of stress, is slightly disheveled, the usual sharpness in his eyes dulled by something I can’t quite place.Queen Rhoda, on the other hand, is as composed as ever. Regal, elegant, and completely in control. She’s the one who speaks first.“Delilah.” Her voice is smooth, her tone betraying nothing. “We have given further thought to your mating bond with our son.”I don’t move, don’t react. Instead, I wait.A beat of silence. Then—“We have decided to recognize it.”The wor
I sit on the edge of Caspian’s bed, staring at the darkening sky through the massive windows. The deep hues of violet and burnt orange bleed into the horizon, mirroring the turmoil inside me. My fingers grip the plush comforter as my heartbeat drums a steady rhythm against my ribs.Any moment now, the King and Queen will announce my mating to Caspian—to the entire pack officially.So if anyone was hoping that it was a fluke or that the king and queen would never permit it, tonight is going to be solid proof that it's real.That it's happening.I will become the future Queen of the Lycans.Aries hums in amusement, his presence a warm, golden hum in my chest. "Queen Delilah. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, sweetheart?"I scoff. "That’s what you’re thinking about right now?""Oh, forgive me for reveling in our victory. Should I be gnawing my nails like some weakling over whether these royal mutts accept you?" He stretches lazily. "Because, frankly, I couldn’t care less. We won, darl
The Grand Hall is alive with the hum of voices, the clinking of silverware against fine porcelain, and the rich, earthy scent of roasted meats and spiced wine. Candles flicker in their golden sconces, casting a warm glow over the long banquet tables draped in deep emerald cloth. The air carries a celebratory charge, thick with the lingering energy of the King’s announcement.I stand beside Caspian, my hand loosely clasped in his. His presence is a steadying force against the waves of Lycans approaching us. Each one bows their head in respect before addressing him first."Your Highness."Then, their gaze shifts to me, hesitant at first, but there’s no hostility now—only submission."Princess Delilah," they say, one by one, the title still foreign to my ears.A few of them murmur apologies, their voices laced with guilt."We misjudged you.""We will stand by you as we do our Prince.""You have our loyalty now, as our future Queen."I nod, accepting their words with as much grace as I
The air in our chambers is warm, carrying the lingering scent of firewood and the faint scent of Caspian’s cologne. The grand feast in our honor had stretched late into the night, and though my body is exhausted, my mind is far from settled.Caspian shuts the door behind us, locking out the world. His silver eyes flick to mine, dark with something unreadable. Power lingers in the room, the weight of the King’s decree still settling in my bones.Princess Delilah.The title feels foreign, like a crown that doesn’t quite fit."You’re quiet," he murmurs, stepping closer. "Too quiet."I shrug, toying with the jeweled pin in my hair. "I suppose I’m still processing."Caspian smirks, tilting his head. "Processing the fact that you’re no longer an outcast? That you’re royalty now?"I roll my eyes. "That, and the fact that half the Lycans who once wanted me gone are now swearing loyalty to me like it’s the most natural thing in the world."He chuckles, reaching for my hand. His touch is warm
"Delilah, get up!"Aries' voice is sharp, urgent, slicing through my sleep like a blade.I groan, shifting deeper into the warmth around me. Caspian’s arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, his breath steady against the back of my neck.My body hums with the remnants of last night, a delicious ache lingering in my limbs.I smile, letting myself bask in the memory."Delilah, you have to wake up now!" Aries snaps, his voice echoing in my mind with such force that it makes my head throb.I sigh, shifting slightly. "Aries, what—""Wake. Up. Now. Wake Caspian. MOVE!"Before I can process the command, the estate alarms blare, shaking the walls with their piercing wail. The sharp, repetitive noise jolts me fully awake.Caspian stirs, his arms tightening around me before his silver eyes snap open. His body goes rigid. “What the hell—”I sit up quickly, heart hammering in my chest. “Aries, what’s happening?”His voice is a low growl in my mind. "Cain. He’s here."Everything inside me goes
The waiting area is dimly lit, the air thick with unspoken tension. Cain sits in one of the leather chairs, legs spread wide, arms draped over the armrests like he owns the place. His smirk is lazy, arrogant, completely unbothered by the enforcers stationed around him.They stand like statues, unmoving, but I can see the way their eyes track his every breath. They know what he is. What he’s capable of. The two rogues with him sit on the ground, engaged in a casual muted conversation. Theo is missing from the group.Caspian and I watch from a distance. He hasn’t spoken much since we got back. His gaze is fixed on Cain, silver eyes unreadable.“I don’t like this,” I murmur, crossing my arms.Caspian sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Delilah—”“I mean it,” I cut in. “Something feels off.”He turns to look at me, exhaustion clear on his face. “You’re exhausted. You should go back to bed.”I scoff. “Yeah, because I can totally sleep while Cain is sitting there like the world’s smug
Something is wrong.The feeling grips me tight, gnawing at the edge of my consciousness as I step into the packhouse. There’s a subtle shift in the air, something almost imperceptible, but Aries senses it before I do."Something reeks." His voice slithers into my thoughts. "And it’s not just the rogues this time."My eyes sweep the waiting area, where enforcers stand guard, their backs straight, their eyes locked on the two rogues who accompanied Cain. The men sit stiffly on a bench, their gazes lowered, but there’s a restless energy about them—coiled tension beneath the surface.Cain is nowhere in sight. He must already be inside the study, speaking with the king.Ethan stands in front of the doors, arms crossed, the weight of his duty evident in his stance. When he notices me, his expression softens, and he offers a small, knowing smile. I return it, forcing a semblance of calm, even as the uneasy feeling in my gut refuses to settle.Then I notice someone.An Omega, lingering ne
I step out of the waiting area, my heart still steady but my mind spinning. The weight of Aries' power lingers in the air, crackling like a storm that hasn't fully passed."Did you see them?" Aries hums in my head, practically purring with satisfaction. "The way they dropped like dead leaves in a winter storm? And I barely even touched them."I roll my eyes. "Barely?""Mmm," he muses, stretching lazily within my consciousness. "That was less than five percent of my power, sweetheart. Just a little nudge."I pause mid-step, eyebrows shooting up. "Five percent?""Five," Aries repeats smoothly. "The rogues are barely more than skin and bone. Their bodies are weak, their spirits even weaker. Of course, they fell apart." He scoffs. "But did you see the enforcers? The well-fed, highly-trained Lycans? They looked like they were about to crumble, too. Imagine if I had used even ten percent. It would’ve been a massacre."A laugh bubbles up before I can stop it. "You’re impossible.""No, darlin
The scent of blood lingers thick in the air, mixing with the damp earth beneath my boots. The moon barely cuts through the thick canopy of trees, casting long shadows over the fallen bodies. Their lifeless forms lie sprawled across the ground, the fight drained from them. It was over fast—too fast. Three rogues, dead before they even had a chance to scream. It’s not satisfying. It’s just... work.Ethan nudges one of the corpses with his boot, his expression bored. "Well, that was disappointing," he mutters, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I was hoping they’d at least put up a decent fight. Maybe throw a punch or two. But no, they just flopped over like dead fish. Pathetic."I wipe the blood off my blade, watching as the crimson soaks into the dirt. The forest is quiet now, the only sound the rustle of leaves in the wind. "They weren’t fighters," I say, my voice even. "Just scouts. Testing the borders. Seeing how far they could push before we pushed back."Ethan scoffs, stepping
The market square is bustling, the air thick with the scent of fresh bread and ripe fruit. I weave through the crowd, my basket swinging at my side, when I see him. Darius. My heart skips a beat, then plummets. He’s standing by the fountain, his dark hair catching the sunlight, his posture relaxed and confident. But it’s not just him. There’s a girl beside him, her laughter ringing out like a bell, too loud, too close. She’s beautiful, with black curls and a smile that seems to stretch too wide. They’re leaning in, heads almost touching, and my chest tightens.I shouldn’t care. We’re not officially mated yet, but we’re fated. He’s mine, and I’m his. So why does it feel like a knife is twisting in my gut?His head snaps up, as if he senses me watching. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the world narrows to just him. His lips curl into that familiar smirk, the one that makes my stomach flutter even when I know it shouldn’t. He raises a hand, beckoning me over. My feet move before
The dining hall hums with the clinking of silverware and the low murmur of conversation. The long wooden table is overflowing with roasted meats, steaming vegetables, and goblets of deep red wine that glisten under the flickering chandelier light. The air smells of rosemary and thyme, mingling with the faint metallic tang of the silverware. I move quietly around the table, refilling glasses and serving plates, trying to stay invisible. It’s a skill I’ve perfected over the years—being unseen, unheard. But tonight, my hands tremble, my thoughts a chaotic mess.At the head of the table, Alpha Rowan, my uncle, commands attention effortlessly. His hard golden eyes sweep over the council members as he discusses pack resources, his deep voice cutting through the room like a blade. He’s dressed in his usual dark tunic, the fabric tailored to perfection, the golden crest of Moonhaven embroidered on his chest. He looks every bit the Alpha, every bit the man who holds my fate in his hands.
I sift through the files in my father’s royal study, the scent of aged parchment and oak filling the air. The fireplace crackles in the corner, casting flickering shadows across the dark walls lined with books of law, history, and the many conquests of Golden Crest. My father’s meticulous handwriting marks the margins of various documents, but one file catches my eye—a thick, yellowed folder labeled 'Moonhaven Case'.I pull it out and flip through the contents, my brow furrowing with every page. Moonhaven. The wolf pack that somehow broke out of Golden Crest’s authority. A lawless land, untouched by the kingdom's rule. And yet, here it is—a case file, an unresolved issue, one that should have been dealt with ten years ago.I clench my jaw. How the hell did my father let this slide?I slam the folder shut and lean back in the chair, my fingers drumming against the polished wood of his desk. This is unacceptable. A pack operating outside of our rule is a direct threat to our sove
The kitchen is hot, steam rising from the pots on the stove and clinging to my skin like a second layer. My arms ache from carrying the pail of milk, the weight of it pulling at my shoulders. I’m not built for this—not like them. My human body is weak compared to theirs, and the cook never lets me forget it.“Hurry up, girl!” she snaps, her voice sharp as a whip. “You’re slower than a snail in winter. What’s taking you so long?”I bite my tongue, forcing myself not to respond. She’s been scolding me all morning, even though I’ve been on my feet since dawn, scrubbing floors, peeling vegetables, and hauling supplies. Nothing I do is ever enough for her. “I’m sorry,” I mutter, setting the pail down with a thud. My hands are trembling, and I can feel the blisters forming on my palms. “I’ll try to be faster.”“Try?” she scoffs, her hands on her hips. “You should be doing, not trying. Useless, that’s what you are. A human in a wolf’s world. What good are you?”I flinch at her words, but
Theo’s room smells like him—like rain and something faintly metallic, like the edge of a storm. I’m on my knees, scrubbing at a stubborn stain on the wooden floor, my hands raw and stinging from the soap. The pack house is never clean enough for them, and neither am I. But Theo’s room is different. It’s quieter here, softer. The walls are lined with books, and the bed is always unmade, like he’s just rolled out of it. I don’t mind cleaning this space. It feels like the closest I’ll ever get to being part of something.The door creaks open, and I freeze. He’s here. I don’t look up, not right away. I keep scrubbing, even though my hands are trembling. I can feel his eyes on me, heavy and unreadable. “You don’t always have to do that,” Theo says, his voice low and steady. I finally glance up, and there he is, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed. He’s wearing a dark sweater that makes his hair look even lighter, almost golden in the dim light. He sends me a small smi
The grand hall of the estate is eerily silent, save for the steady click of my father’s polished shoes against the marble floor. He stands in front of me, arms crossed, exuding the usual 'I-am-your-father-and-you-will-listen-to-me' energy. My mother is beside him, a perfectly composed ice sculpture in a designer dress, her sharp grey eyes—our sharp grey eyes—assessing me with the usual judgment."You're in charge while we're gone," my father announces, his voice firm and unyielding, as if he hasn’t already said this a hundred times.I don’t respond immediately, my hands shoved into the pockets of my tailored jacket. Instead, I glance out the tall windows, where the late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the estate grounds. The weight of his words settles over me, heavy and familiar. "I’m aware," I finally say, my tone low and measured.He raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my lack of enthusiasm. "This isn’t a joke, Caspian. The rogues are becoming bolder. They’re not
(Before Goldencrest)The scent of pine and damp stone lingers in the air as I scrub the floors of the waiting area in the packhouse, the soapy water cool against my raw, reddened palms. The bristles of the brush scrape against the wooden planks, the repetitive motion soothing in a way that almost lets me forget where I am—what I am.Almost.Boots clunk against the floor, tracking dirt and grime over the freshly scrubbed surface. No one spares me a glance, no one acknowledges the work I do. It’s expected of me, the human among wolves, the weakest link in a pack that prides itself on strength. Even if my mother was once Alpha. Even if my uncle is now the reigning one. None of that matters. I’m nothing but an obligation, a stain they haven’t yet scrubbed away.A shadow falls over me, and before I can look up, the metal bucket beside me clatters to the ground. Water spills across the floor, soaking into my pants, drenching the small space I just finished cleaning."Oops," a voice draw
The music swells around us, soft yet powerful, the perfect melody for a moment like this. My hand rests in Caspian's, and my other rests lightly on his shoulder as we glide across the ballroom floor. The golden chandeliers overhead bathe us in warm light, making everything shimmer—my silver gown, the golden embroidery on Caspian’s regal suit, the crown atop his head, and the one newly placed upon mine.The ceremony was breathtaking, a moment forever etched in my soul. I was not just Caspian’s mate now—I was his queen, standing beside him in every sense of the word. And now, at the reception, with laughter and celebration all around us, I finally allow myself to breathe, to feel the joy that tonight has brought.Caspian pulls me closer, his breath teasing my ear as he murmurs, “I have half a mind to steal you away from all these people.”I smile, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “And risk the wrath of Cassidy? She’s spent a week planning this. I don’t think even you, King of Gol