"What are you doing?" I tried to crawl away, but my body wouldn't cooperate. The drug had left me helpless."Creating a masterpiece," Astrid's voice was almost sing-song. "Wait until the pack sees their Luna like this - clothes in tatters, marked up like a common whore. I think I'll take pictures. S
Sylvia's POVPain lanced through my body as Astrid's knife traced another line across my skin. The storage hut's musty air was thick with the metallic scent of my blood, and through the haze of whatever drug she'd forced down my throat, I could feel my wolf growing weaker with each new cut."You kno
"Now do you understand?" Astrid's voice was almost gentle as she traced the knife along my cheek. "No one is coming for you. No one cares about the pathetic excuse for a Luna you've become.""You're wrong," I whispered, though doubt gnawed at my heart. "The pack-""The pack?" She laughed. "They're a
Sylvia's POVThe tension in the storage hut was suffocating. Blood - my blood - pooled beneath me as Lucas held me protectively against his chest. Raven stood blocking our path, his face a mask of barely controlled fury. Behind us, Astrid lay slumped against the cracked wall, her chest rising and f
"Tell me, Alpha Raven," the King's words dripped with disdain, "is this how you honor your responsibilities? By attending a banquet while your Luna is butchered?""Your Majesty, please," Astrid rushed forward, her face a mask of desperate innocence. "There's been a terrible misunderstanding. Sylvia
Sylvia's POVThe throbbing pain from my stomach wound was nothing compared to the ache in my heart as I watched the guards drag Astrid and Tommy away. Despite everything she'd done to me - the torture, the permanent scars, the attempt to destroy my future - I couldn't let the entire pack suffer for
Raven lowered his head and captured my lips, I clenched my teeth, but he sucked my lips forcefully, "Mmgh..." My lips were aching from the suction, and a low moan escaped my throat.Raven took the opportunity to press his tongue against my slightly parted lips, forcefully exploring my mouth, entangl
Sylvia's POVLucas's eyes met mine across the room, their golden depths swimming with a mixture of fury, pain, and something deeper that made my soul ache. I wanted to scream that this wasn't what I wanted, that my body's response to Raven was nothing but the cruel joke of our mate bond. But shame
"You can't be serious," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "These young wolves need proper guidance, not reckless-""What they need," Astrid interrupted, her voice sharp, "is to learn real combat. No more of this dancing around each other, pulling punches, playing it safe." She turned to addr
Sylvia’s POVDespite the fury still burning in my chest after yesterday's confrontation with Raven, I couldn't abandon my responsibilities to the pack. The young wolves shouldn't suffer because of the politics between their Alpha and Luna.So, as dawn painted the sky in shades of pink and gold, I ma
"Think about it," he insisted, turning me to face him. "She'll be directly under your supervision. You'll know exactly what she's doing, where she is-""Oh, like how I knew she was planning to torture me? Like how I knew she was going to use my father's knife to try and destroy my ability to have ch
Sylvia’s POVThe moment Raven's words about Astrid helping manage pack affairs registered, something inside me snapped. The audacity of it - the sheer insanity of suggesting my would-be murderer should help run the pack - sent a wave of hysteria through me."If you think I'm going to work with her,"
"Fine," I conceded. "But stay on your side of the bed."He nodded, though something possessive flashed in his eyes. We prepared for bed in tense silence, the space between us feeling both too vast and not vast enough.Sleep was elusive that night. I lay rigidly on my side, acutely aware of Raven's p
Sylvia's POVThe silence stretched between us as I stood at the window, still processing the scent of Astrid's perfume on Raven's skin. My fingers gripped the windowsill until my knuckles turned white, trying to anchor myself against the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me."Sylvia," Raven
When I finally emerged, wrapped in a towel with water still dripping from my hair, I found Raven waiting in my room. My body tensed immediately, remembering his forceful treatment earlier."Sylvia," he began, taking a step toward me. "I need to apologize."I wrapped my robe tighter around myself, ma
Sylvia's POVI fled down the corridor, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls as I ran from that scene, from my name spoken like a forbidden prayer, from the confusion and hurt that threatened to overwhelm me. I didn't stop until I reached an empty alcove, pressing my back against the cold stone
I jerked away from his touch, anger overriding the mate bond's pull. "I belong to myself. What happened just now... that was biology, nothing more.""Biology?" His laugh was cruel. "Your body tells a different story. You can't deny how you responded to me.""Because of the mate bond!" I wrapped the