Gianna’s POVA wind screamed in my ears as I dashed back to the village, the bloody blouse stashed in my cloak. I could feel each foot getting heavier than the last, but I refused to slow down. Not now. Not when everything was at long last falling into place.The darkness of the night was complete, but my thoughts were in order.Perrin would see this. He would move on, because he would have to.He’d have to pick me.I tore down the block to my apartment, locking the door behind me and sitting down against it as I panted. I removed the blouse little by little, stretching it across the table, my hands trembling.It looked... real enough. The blood was dry and dark and cracking around the edges. The rips in the fabric were vicious, deliberate.For a second, guilt skittered along the furthest outskirts of my mind, a dim voice saying that I should be reminded what this was about.But I shoved it away.There was no room for guilt. Not anymore.After that, I spent the entire night getting re
Chapter 133QUINN'S POVIt had worked. I could feel it in my bones.They thought I was dead.Good. Let them think that.I leaned up against a tree, panting for breath. Every part of me ached. My head spun. But my mind, at least, was not.Gianna. Theodore. They were behind it.And Perrin—A new wave of pain cut through me, and I winced, more intense than any physical hurt.Had he already mourned me? Had he already moved on?I closed my eyes tight and pushed the questions out of my mind. I couldn’t afford to break. Not yet.I had to get back.I had to finish this.If Gianna believed she’d won, she was as dumb as I ever gave her credit for being.The trees stirred about me, and I saw a movement—a black form slipping among the trees.My heart stuttered painfully.Someone was following me.Panic flooded, but I held myself still, forced myself to breathe through the panic.The figure drew nearer, becoming more distinct in the hazy pre-dawn light.A man.Familiar.Terrifying.Dorian.I nearl
QUINNHe closed the space between us in two strides, gripping me by the shoulders.“You’re alive,” he murmured frantically. "You're real."The corners of my vision went moist, but I nodded. "I’m real."He pulled me into himself, holding on with all his might, his arms strong and fierce, his grip desperate, as if he could keep me with him in this life through sheer force of will.I allowed him to hold me for a moment.Let myself breathe him in.Remind myself why I had worked so hard to make it back.And then I eased back.I looked at Gianna who, like the rest of us, was utterly immobile, her expression one of sheer horror ingrained on every perfect line of her face.“You lied,” I said, the words slicing through the heavy air.She tried to speak, but no words would come.“You showed him that blouse,” I said. “You let him think I was dead.Gianna balled her hands into fists. "You were dead," she spat before she caught herself.The words hung between us, weighted and damning.Perrin looke
QUINNThat plan fell into place more quickly than I had anticipated.Theodore had been training himself already, setting traps I wasn’t even aware were there, and I didn’t even realize.Whispers in the council.Rumors sowed like seeds, waiting to sprout and poison.Documents.Decrees.Secrets that Perrin had believed laid to rest long ago.Theodore had been patient.Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.And at the hub of this all — me.---That night, as the estate hummed with the intelligence of my "banishment," I lolled.Dorian, the ever faithful dog, was with Quinn—practicing, watching, doing nothing.Perrin's been holed up in the solar, full of grief and anger and too far gone to see anything but his own unhappiness.Perfect.I strode, in the dark of the night, into the Council Chamber where I was cloaked in black.The big table was bare, the wide window behind it open to the night air.On the table, I spread the documents Theodore had handed me—sealed orders that bl
QUINNAlora's jaw tightened."And the witnesses listed?" she demanded.I smiled thinly."Nonexistent. Fabricated names. Cross-ref the council's register of residents."Another aide scrambled out of the room to do just that.They were in front of me now, the terrible beat of my heart resounding in my ears.“You were played,” I said softly. "Somebody in this council--or near to it at least--wanted to get Perrin killed.I held for a minute, allowing my words to hang."And they almost succeeded."---Gianna’s POVI pressed close to the arch on the far balcony, hidden in the shadows of a stained wood pillar.My nails clawed into the hard stone railing.No.This is not how it was supposed to be.She should’ve been weeping.He should’ve been destroyed.Instead—Instead she’d flipped it all on its head with just a few pieces of paper and that maddening, unbreakable fire in her voice.I wanted to scream.I wanted to tear the whole god-damned building down with my bare hands.But I kept myself
QUINN“You should not need to be prepared for this,” he said, his voice low. “You should not have to battle monsters to be with me.”“I’m not scared,” I whispered.And I wasn’t.Not anymore.Perrin bent and lay his forehead against mine. For a moment, the rest of the world fell away. There remained only his heat, his strength.But it didn't last.A knock shattered the moment.“Alpha,” Dorian spoke from behind the door. "We have a situation."Perrin sat up again, already rolling from the bed toward the door. I went after him, heart throbbing faster.Dorian's face was dark as we entered the hall. His sleeve had been ripped, and dried blood was smeared down his forearm."What happened?" Perrin demanded."West patrol attack," Dorian replied. "Three guards down. The import was unmistakable.” No deaths, but … The message was clear.He offered a sheet of parchment.Perrin jerked it up, read quickly the large, scrawled letters:"You cannot protect her. She will bleed. You will watch."No sign
Perrin's POVThe fires were still burning when the sun rose.I stood outside the estate, boots planted in bloodstained grass, and watched as my warriors dragged the last of the bodies away. Smoke climbed slow and heavy into the pale morning sky. It felt like the air itself had gone heavy, like the world was weighed down.Gianna was dead.Theodore was dead.It should have felt like peace.Instead, it felt like waiting.Quinn stood at my side, wrapped in my jacket. Her small hand clutched my arm tightly. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. I could feel her fear, her anger, her strength.We had survived.But something told me it wasn’t over."Alpha," Dorian said as he came up, his voice low. "We've checked the grounds. No more enemies. No more threats."I nodded but didn’t move. My gut twisted. I knew better than to trust a quiet morning."Double the guards," I said. "I want two at every entrance. Rotate them every three hours. No one gets tired."Dorian gave a quick nod and jog
Perrin's POVThe next morning came with rain.It fell hard and cold against the roof, soaking the grounds and washing away the blood stains on the stones. The sky stayed dark and heavy, matching the mood of the pack.I sat at the long dining table with Quinn beside me. Food sat untouched in front of us. Neither of us felt like eating.Dorian came in, dripping wet, holding a soaked piece of cloth in his hand. His face was pale, his jaw tight."What is it?" I asked, standing up.He dropped the cloth on the table. I stepped closer and saw what it was.A piece of one of our patrol uniforms. Torn. Bloodied."Found it by the north woods," Dorian said. His voice was low, careful. "No sign of the patrol itself. All three are missing."Quinn stiffened beside me. Her hand found my arm, squeezing it tight.Missing.Three of our trained fighters, gone without a sound."We need to go," I said.I grabbed my jacket and headed out with Dorian and four others. Quinn wanted to come, but I made her stay
Quinn’s POVThe estate felt different the next day. It was as though the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something. I couldn’t shake the unease that clung to me like a second skin. Every shadow seemed to shift, every creak in the floorboards made me jump, and every time the wind howled outside, my heart would race.I knew something was coming. I could feel it deep in my bones. But what? What were we waiting for?I stepped out into the courtyard, my eyes scanning the horizon. The morning fog had lifted, but the chill of the air still hung heavy, even though the sun was rising. The cold seemed to seep into my very soul, and I wrapped my arms around myself to stave off the shiver running through me.Perrin was standing near the large oak tree, his back straight, his eyes narrowed as he looked out at the woods. He didn’t notice me approach, and I couldn’t bring myself to disturb him. He was always on edge now, always searching for something that wasn’t there, alway
Quinn’s POVI barely slept that night.Every time I closed my eyes, the shadows seemed to reach for me. The sound of creaking wood under the pressure of footsteps echoed in my mind, even though no one was there. I had grown used to feeling the weight of fear pressing against my chest, but tonight, it felt heavier. The kind of weight you can’t shake off.I got up early, before the sun was fully out, and walked down the halls of the estate. The silence was suffocating, but it was nothing new. We had all gotten used to the quiet, to the hushed voices that filled every room, and the constant, unspoken worry that hovered over us like a stormcloud. I hated it.But I hated what was happening to my pack even more.I found Perrin in his office as usual, his back stiff as he stared at a pile of papers on his desk. The papers were nothing new either — patrol reports, food supplies, water checks. All the things that should have been routine by now, but everything had turned upside down.“Morning,
Perrin's POVThe days after the ambush passed slowly.Even though we had killed two of the attackers, the pack stayed tense.People barely spoke.Kids were kept indoors.Mothers clutched their babies close, looking around like something would jump out of the shadows any second.I didn’t blame them.We had fought back, yes.But the enemy hadn’t stopped.If anything, it felt like we had made them angrier.More patrols went missing.Animals were found dead near the borders — torn apart, left to rot.A warning.The air itself felt heavy.Like the forest was holding its breath, waiting for something worse to come.One morning, Dorian came running into my office, a wild look in his eyes."You need to see this," he said.I followed him outside,It was near the training fields. Someone had carved another message into the earth, deep and wide enough that you could see it from the estate windows.Only this time, it wasn’t words.It was a symbol. A circle, broken down the middle, with sharp arrow
Perrin's POVThe next morning came with rain.It fell hard and cold against the roof, soaking the grounds and washing away the blood stains on the stones. The sky stayed dark and heavy, matching the mood of the pack.I sat at the long dining table with Quinn beside me. Food sat untouched in front of us. Neither of us felt like eating.Dorian came in, dripping wet, holding a soaked piece of cloth in his hand. His face was pale, his jaw tight."What is it?" I asked, standing up.He dropped the cloth on the table. I stepped closer and saw what it was.A piece of one of our patrol uniforms. Torn. Bloodied."Found it by the north woods," Dorian said. His voice was low, careful. "No sign of the patrol itself. All three are missing."Quinn stiffened beside me. Her hand found my arm, squeezing it tight.Missing.Three of our trained fighters, gone without a sound."We need to go," I said.I grabbed my jacket and headed out with Dorian and four others. Quinn wanted to come, but I made her stay
Perrin's POVThe fires were still burning when the sun rose.I stood outside the estate, boots planted in bloodstained grass, and watched as my warriors dragged the last of the bodies away. Smoke climbed slow and heavy into the pale morning sky. It felt like the air itself had gone heavy, like the world was weighed down.Gianna was dead.Theodore was dead.It should have felt like peace.Instead, it felt like waiting.Quinn stood at my side, wrapped in my jacket. Her small hand clutched my arm tightly. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. I could feel her fear, her anger, her strength.We had survived.But something told me it wasn’t over."Alpha," Dorian said as he came up, his voice low. "We've checked the grounds. No more enemies. No more threats."I nodded but didn’t move. My gut twisted. I knew better than to trust a quiet morning."Double the guards," I said. "I want two at every entrance. Rotate them every three hours. No one gets tired."Dorian gave a quick nod and jog
QUINN“You should not need to be prepared for this,” he said, his voice low. “You should not have to battle monsters to be with me.”“I’m not scared,” I whispered.And I wasn’t.Not anymore.Perrin bent and lay his forehead against mine. For a moment, the rest of the world fell away. There remained only his heat, his strength.But it didn't last.A knock shattered the moment.“Alpha,” Dorian spoke from behind the door. "We have a situation."Perrin sat up again, already rolling from the bed toward the door. I went after him, heart throbbing faster.Dorian's face was dark as we entered the hall. His sleeve had been ripped, and dried blood was smeared down his forearm."What happened?" Perrin demanded."West patrol attack," Dorian replied. "Three guards down. The import was unmistakable.” No deaths, but … The message was clear.He offered a sheet of parchment.Perrin jerked it up, read quickly the large, scrawled letters:"You cannot protect her. She will bleed. You will watch."No sign
QUINNAlora's jaw tightened."And the witnesses listed?" she demanded.I smiled thinly."Nonexistent. Fabricated names. Cross-ref the council's register of residents."Another aide scrambled out of the room to do just that.They were in front of me now, the terrible beat of my heart resounding in my ears.“You were played,” I said softly. "Somebody in this council--or near to it at least--wanted to get Perrin killed.I held for a minute, allowing my words to hang."And they almost succeeded."---Gianna’s POVI pressed close to the arch on the far balcony, hidden in the shadows of a stained wood pillar.My nails clawed into the hard stone railing.No.This is not how it was supposed to be.She should’ve been weeping.He should’ve been destroyed.Instead—Instead she’d flipped it all on its head with just a few pieces of paper and that maddening, unbreakable fire in her voice.I wanted to scream.I wanted to tear the whole god-damned building down with my bare hands.But I kept myself
QUINNThat plan fell into place more quickly than I had anticipated.Theodore had been training himself already, setting traps I wasn’t even aware were there, and I didn’t even realize.Whispers in the council.Rumors sowed like seeds, waiting to sprout and poison.Documents.Decrees.Secrets that Perrin had believed laid to rest long ago.Theodore had been patient.Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.And at the hub of this all — me.---That night, as the estate hummed with the intelligence of my "banishment," I lolled.Dorian, the ever faithful dog, was with Quinn—practicing, watching, doing nothing.Perrin's been holed up in the solar, full of grief and anger and too far gone to see anything but his own unhappiness.Perfect.I strode, in the dark of the night, into the Council Chamber where I was cloaked in black.The big table was bare, the wide window behind it open to the night air.On the table, I spread the documents Theodore had handed me—sealed orders that bl
QUINNHe closed the space between us in two strides, gripping me by the shoulders.“You’re alive,” he murmured frantically. "You're real."The corners of my vision went moist, but I nodded. "I’m real."He pulled me into himself, holding on with all his might, his arms strong and fierce, his grip desperate, as if he could keep me with him in this life through sheer force of will.I allowed him to hold me for a moment.Let myself breathe him in.Remind myself why I had worked so hard to make it back.And then I eased back.I looked at Gianna who, like the rest of us, was utterly immobile, her expression one of sheer horror ingrained on every perfect line of her face.“You lied,” I said, the words slicing through the heavy air.She tried to speak, but no words would come.“You showed him that blouse,” I said. “You let him think I was dead.Gianna balled her hands into fists. "You were dead," she spat before she caught herself.The words hung between us, weighted and damning.Perrin looke