They reached the one of server room, the large space filled with rows of blinking terminals. But it was the figure at the central console that sent a bolt of ice through Jake’s veins. A man stood hunched over the controls, fingers flying across the keys. The glow of the screens reflected off his sharp features, his presence exuding quiet menace. Lila stiffened. "That’s not possible..." she whispered. The man turned, his lips curling into a smirk. "Surprised to see me, Lawrence?" Lucas went rigid. "Who the hell is that?" "Damon," Lila said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He was supposed to be dead." Jake’s grip on his weapon tightened. "Clearly, he's not." Damon chuckled, stepping away from the console. "Oh, come on. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a backup plan? Lila, you of all people should know better." Lila’s expression darkened. "What did you do?" Damon spread his arms. "I took everything. Every file, every secret you’ve ever hoarded. And now, I decide
"We need to leave. Now." Lila Screemed "You can’t be serious." Lucas’s voice was sharp, disbelief laced in every syllable."I am," Lila replied, her expression unyielding. "I’m going to Vestbroke. I don’t have a choice.""Like hell you don’t," he snapped. "You nearly died, Lila. And now you think you can just—""I have to," she interrupted, her voice steady but carrying an edge of desperation. "If I don’t, we all suffer the consequences. You don’t understand what’s at stake."Jake exhaled slowly, watching the exchange with narrowed eyes. "Lila, we get that this is important, but you’re barely standing. What happens if you collapse before we even get there?"Lila squared her shoulders. "I won’t."Lucas let out a frustrated scoff. "Oh, so now you’re immortal? That explosion almost killed you. You lost your arm, for crying out loud! You can barely breathe without wincing, and you think you can handle a trip to Vestbroke?"Lila’s jaw tightened. "I don't need your permission.""Maybe not,
"This is a terrible idea." Lucas’s voice was tight with frustration, his fingers drumming impatiently against his knee. He sat in the passenger seat, eyes fixed on Lila in the back. "You keep saying that, yet here I am," Lila said smoothly, crossing her legs. Jake, behind the wheel, sighed. "You two gonna do this the entire trip?" "If she stops being impossible, then maybe," Lucas shot back. Lila smirked. "Impossible? You act like I had a choice. You know as well as I do that we can't be apart for long—not without consequences." Lucas clenched his jaw. He hated that she was right. Their mate bond had grown too strong. If they had left her behind, the pain of separation would have been unbearable. But that didn’t mean he had to like this arrangement. Jake flicked his gaze toward him. "Look, man, I get it. But we’ve got bigger problems than you and Lila being in the same car." Lucas exhaled sharply. "I know that." He turned back to Lila. "But that doesn’t mean I trust yo
NEXT "Because no one else is," Lila snapped. "Because he's not just hiding—he's planning something." Lucas’s stomach churned. Rikkard of the Snow Court wasn’t someone to take lightly. Unpredictable. Dangerous. A killer. "How bad is it?" Lucas asked. Lila took a slow breath. "Bad enough that if we don’t stop him, it won’t matter what the Drakkons want. He’ll get there first." Jake shot her a quick glance. "Get where?" Lila hesitated again, but then she said it. "The Arctic." —--------------------------- The Arctic Invasion Plan:"That’s impossible." Lucas shook his head, trying to process Lila’s words. "No one’s reckless enough to try that." Lila let out a humorless laugh. "Then you don’t know Rikkard." Jake cursed under his breath. The Arctic was Drakkon territory. No one entered without consequence. "Why would he go there?" Jake demanded. "Because he’s not just going," Lila said. "He’s invading." Lucas’s breath caught. "Invading? You’re saying he’s taking
Lucas rubbed his temple, frustration evident in the sharpness of his voice. "Let’s say for one insane second that you’re right—that these creatures were real, that they fought against gods. How does that explain them disappearing without a trace? Things that powerful don’t just vanish.""They didn’t vanish," Lila murmured. "They were erased."Jake let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "You’re asking us to believe that an entire species, one powerful enough to challenge gods, was just wiped out? No survivors, no remnants, nothing?""Not nothing," Lila countered. "Their power remained. Buried, hidden, sealed away by those who feared what it could do."Lucas exhaled, staring out the window at the vast emptiness beyond the road. "And now Rikkard is looking for it.""He’s not just looking," Lila said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He’s close to finding it."Jake gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. "That’s what you’re really afraid of, isn’t it?"Lila swallowed ha
"Are you sure this is the only way?" Jake’s voice cut through the low hum of the engine, his fingers tapping impatiently against his knee."No, I just enjoy dragging myself to the most cursed place imaginable for fun," Lila shot back, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.Lucas exhaled sharply from the driver’s seat, his grip tightening around the wheel. "Both of you, cut it out. We’re almost there."The tension inside the vehicle was suffocating. The journey to Vestbroke had been long, the roads desolate and winding. They had only stopped a handful of times—to refuel and grab a quick bite to eat. None of them were particularly thrilled about the destination, least of all Lila.She could already feel the cold creeping into her bones as they neared the abandoned manor. It loomed ahead like a shadow from the past, its dark silhouette stark against the moonlit sky.She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening in her lap. "We shouldn’t be here."Jake turned to look at her, catching the unease i
Lucas stood in the doorway, arms crossed, unimpressed. "I take my eyes off you two for five minutes, and this is what happens?"Lila’s lips curled into a smirk, wiping the corner of her mouth. "You jealous?"Lucas’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t take the bait. "We have more important things to focus on. Both of you, get your heads straight."Jake chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Always such a killjoy."Lucas ignored him, stepping further inside. "We should check the rest of the house. Make sure we’re alone."Lila nodded, forcing herself to push away the lingering heat of Jake’s kiss. There would be time to think about that later. Right now, they had a mission to complete.As they moved deeper into the manor, the unease never left. Lila knew this place held secrets—secrets that could change everything.And she wasn’t sure she was ready for them.________"It's locked," Jake muttered, running his fingers over the decayed wood of the manor’s front door. "Are you sure this is th
The room was a void where once there had been power. Towering racks of data, wires humming with life, encrypted knowledge stored within an iron fortress. Now, nothing but dust and the faint scent of burnt metal.Her mind spiraled, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what had been taken from her. The security system, the firewalls she had meticulously designed—bypassed. Violated."How?" Jake demanded. "You had security measures in place. Nobody should've been able to get in without your codes."Lila turned on him, her voice sharp as a blade. "I don’t know, Jake! That’s the problem! Someone walked right past my defenses and took everything! Do you understand what this means? The information stored here—the treaties, the blackmail, the leverage we had over every pack—if it gets out, everything falls apart."Lucas stepped toward her. "Lila, breathe."But she couldn't. The realization of her loss clawed at her throat, suffocating her. Her world—her carefully constructed empire—had been r
Lila’s words lingered in the air like a challenge.“Let’s make a new plan. Because something tells me Rikkard isn’t the only ghost who’ll be showing up.”Jake gave her a cautious look, sensing something unspoken underneath her defiance. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?”She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she walked back toward the small table near the window where her satchel lay. She reached inside slowly, fingers brushing past the notebook she’d been scribbling in since they arrived in Venut. But it wasn’t the notebook she was after.It was the small, battered silver device hidden beneath it—no bigger than a deck of cards. It hummed faintly in her palm, the casing warm to the touch.Jake’s brow furrowed the moment he saw it. “What is that?”Lila looked at him, then at Lucas, her eyes steady. “I wasn’t just sitting here waiting for you two to come back. While you were keeping Rikkard busy, I was busy too.”Jake crossed the room in two strides. “Lila—what
Jake didn’t move until the elevator doors slid closed behind Rikkard.Lucas let out a breath that was more of a growl. “He’s gone. For now.”Jake ran a hand down his face. “That was too close.”Lucas turned to him, voice sharp. “We need a plan, Jake. If he gets even a hint of the truth—about her—he won’t stop until he finds her.”“I know,” Jake muttered. “That’s why we’re going to give him something else to chase.”Lucas raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”“A misdirection,” Jake said, already walking toward the lounge bar where a bottle of aged scotch was quietly calling his name. “He’s desperate. He wants answers. We give him just enough to feel like he’s getting somewhere, but not enough to lead him to Lila.”Lucas followed him warily. “You want to lie to him.”Jake poured a finger of scotch and downed it. “Yes. I want to lie so well that he doesn’t think to look any closer.”Ten minutes later, they found Rikkard leaning against a column in the hotel lobby, like a man half-expect
“You’re joking, right? Please tell me this is some twisted prank,” Lucas muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving the figure lounging by the fireplace.“I wish it were,” Jake replied quietly, jaw clenched. “But that’s him. That’s Rikkard.”Lucas swore under his breath. “Of all the days… why the hell would he show up in Venut?”“I don’t know,” Jake admitted, hands fisted in his jacket pockets. “But we need to play this smart. We can’t let him know about Lila.”Lucas inhaled sharply and nodded. “You sure he hasn’t seen her?”“Positive. He only saw us. Let’s keep it that way.”The plush lounge of the hotel was dimly lit, scented with expensive cologne, polished leather, and cigar smoke. Rikkard was seated casually on a velvet couch, legs crossed, swirling amber liquid in a crystal tumbler. His demeanor was relaxed, almost amused—but Jake could see it. The glint of calculated menace in his eyes.Jake took a breath and approached with Lucas, every step deliberate. They stopped jus
“Tell me you’re joking,” Lucas muttered, his voice low and edged with tension.“I wish I were,” Jake replied, running a hand through his damp hair. “But he’s here. In Venut. I saw his convoy near the North Quarter twenty minutes ago.”Lila blinked. “Wait, Rikkard? As in—the Rikkard?”Jake gave a grim nod. “The Mad Alpha himself.”Lucas straightened from where he sat beside Lila on the hotel bed, his entire body going rigid. “How the hell did he find out we were here?”“Doesn’t matter,” Jake said. “What matters is that he’s here. And if he’s sniffing around, it’s not just to catch up over drinks.”Lila’s face lost all color. “You told me he wasn’t a threat anymore.”“I told you what I needed to so you’d sleep,” Jake said quietly, shame flickering across his expression. “But clearly, I was wrong.”“Perfect,” Lucas growled. “Just what we need—another lunatic Alpha throwing his weight around.”“Not just another lunatic,” Jake said, voice clipped. “He’s the lunatic. The one who ripped out
“…She’s alive,” Lila repeated, quieter now. “I just don’t know where.”Lucas’s hand tightened briefly on her shoulder before he let go, stepping back to give her space even as his eyes lingered with worry. Jake returned to the window, gaze hard and focused.The silence that followed was the kind that spoke louder than words.Then—Knock. Knock. Knock.Not soft. Not tentative.The kind of knock that didn’t ask permission.Jake’s head snapped toward the door. Lucas was already moving—one hand reaching into the drawer beneath the minibar, where he’d hidden a blade and compact gun. Lila rose too, pulse leaping as the door handle turned despite the locks still being in place.Click.“Jake,” Lucas said, tone sharp.Jake strode toward the door and yanked it open an inch just as the locks disengaged, bypassed from the outside.The man who stepped in didn’t belong in any polished hotel suite. His mere presence dimmed the luxurious lighting, as if shadows followed him in.Rikkard.He was as unm
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Lucas murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.“You didn’t,” Lila whispered back, her voice still drowsy. “I was already half-awake. I just didn’t want to move.”“You were sore,” he said gently, guilt flickering across his features. “I can feel it in your muscles.”“I’m fine,” she said, but he was already moving, sliding from the bed with careful grace.Jake’s voice floated in from the other room. “She’s not fine if she’s wincing in her sleep.”“I wasn’t wincing,” Lila muttered, rolling her eyes even as her cheeks flushed. She tried to sit up, only to wince slightly at the sting between her thighs. Damn it.Lucas was already wetting a towel from the tiny sink across the room. “Don’t lie to me, little wolf,” he said with an affectionate smile that didn’t quite mask his concern. “You’re strong, but you’re not indestructible.”Jake appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, his eyes scanning her with that piercing protectiveness that made her squirm mor
A Morning of Warmth and Wariness:“Lucas… your knot’s still in,” Lila mumbled, voice raspy with sleep.“I know,” he murmured against her shoulder, lips brushing her skin. “Didn’t want to wake you. You were peaceful.”“I’m not now,” she grumbled, stretching slightly and wincing at the soreness spreading through her hips.His arm tightened around her waist. “Sorry. I lost control.”“You didn’t.” She turned in his arms to face him. “I gave it willingly. Don’t take that away from me.”He searched her face, his eyes dark with concern. “You’re sore.”“I’m alive,” she said with a soft smile. “And I’m with you. That’s enough.”Lucas exhaled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Still… I should’ve been gentler.”“You’ll make up for it,” she teased, and for a moment, the heaviness in the room eased.The cabin bedroom was dim, the blinds half-drawn against the gray light of morning. Somewhere beyond the walls of this quiet space, the engines hummed low and steady. But here, wrapped in warm
“You’re safe now,” Lucas whispered, his knot still pulsing deep inside her.But safety was only one part of it.Lila trembled, her body molded against his, the fullness of his knot keeping her grounded and overwhelmed in equal measure. Her breath hitched, shallow and stuttered, as her inner muscles clenched around him again—an aftershock, or maybe the prelude to something more.Lucas didn’t move.Didn’t demand.He simply waited.And that, more than anything, unraveled her.“I can’t move,” she breathed, eyes clenched shut.“Yes, you can,” he murmured, brushing hair from her face. “You’re not broken, Lila. You’re not fragile. Not anymore.”Her fingers dug into the armrest, breath catching.Lucas leaned forward, his lips at her ear. “I want you to move. I want you to ride it. Take what you need from me.”Her heart stuttered.This wasn’t a command.It was a gift.Her legs ached. Her body throbbed. But still, she shifted—slowly, hesitantly—testing the taut pressure where their bodies remai
Lila’s breathing had slowed, her body molded to Lucas’s as though it belonged there—because it did. But the storm inside him hadn’t yet passed.Not even close.The feel of her, bare and vulnerable in his arms, only fueled his craving. His wolf still paced beneath his skin, restless and territorial, demanding more—demanding all of her. Every breath. Every sound. Every submissive gasp she hadn’t dared give anyone else.Lucas’s voice was low against her ear. “Up. On your knees.”She blinked in surprise.Still curled in his lap, wrapped in the thin barrier of his jacket, Lila hesitated.Lucas didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.His fingers skimmed under the fabric, trailing down her spine. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”Her heartbeat kicked harder, not out of fear—but recognition.She moved. Slowly. Carefully. She slid from his lap and turned, positioning herself between his legs, kneeling. The soft carpet beneath her knees contrasted with the burn in her chest. The jacket slipped