Morrigana’s breath caught, the words cutting deeper than she’d expected. But she wouldn’t let him see the wound. Instead, she straightened, her nails biting into her skin. “She’s manipulating you,” she hissed. “She’s making you weak.” Cove exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose as if this conversation exhausted him. “She isn’t making me anything, Morrigana.” Morrigana took another step, voice dropping into something darker, something sharp enough to draw blood. “She is nothing, Cove. A thief. A liar. She doesn’t belong here. And the longer you let her stay, the more she will rot everything from the inside out.” Cove’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. So Morrigana pushed further. “You think she won’t betray you?” Her voice turned cruel, slicing like a blade. “She already has. She came here to steal from you. She shoved your hand away in front of everyone. She will turn on you the moment it suits her. And when she does, you’ll regret ever looking at her like she
His body was failing him, but his mind remained sharp; too sharp for the kind of visitors who were about to darkened his doorstep. Then came the knock. Firm. Confident. Jack wondered who it was before they had opened the door and stepped in. Raven stood there with that damn smirk, leaning against the frame like she belonged there. And beside her, a man Jack had only heard about in whispers; Conan. Cold eyes. A predator’s stance. A presence that felt like death itself had stepped into his home. Jack’s grip tightened on the wooden cane in his hand. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.” Raven’s smirk widened, but spoke, her voice dripping with mocking innocence. “Just thought we’d drop by since we were in the neighborhood.” Jack let out a dry, mocking chuckle. “Oh, please. You know you don’t have to lie to an old man. What do you want?” Raven stepped a bit closer without consent, her gaze sweeping the room. “Then let’s have a chat, shall we.” “I don’t ch
Lycia walked toward the trees behind the open field, intending to take her usual path to the hidden glade where she practiced her powers. The air was calm, the sky a soft shade of blue. But a prickle of unease ran down her spine. She felt eyes on her. Unseen but heavy, like a shadow clinging to her every step. Instead of following her usual route, she turned toward the town, blending into the winding streets, letting the hum of daily life swallow her presence. Perhaps it was paranoia. Or perhaps it was instinct. Then laughter. Light and full of joy, carried by the wind like a song. It made her stop. Something about it felt familiar, like a memory she couldn’t quite reach. Slowly, she turned, her steps drawn toward the sound, toward the warmth of something she didn’t know she had been looking for. The sounds were made by Cubs The cubs rolled and tumbled, their tiny claws kicking up dust. Between playful growls and nips, they muttered in hushed, excited tones. “You’re too slow!”
"You’re shaking," Cassian murmured, his fingers pressing possessively into Doyle’s thigh. Doyle let out a low, breathless chuckle. "You wear me out, you bastard." Cassian smirked, dragging his lips lower, down Doyle’s throat, his collarbone, over the sensitive spots still buzzing from their last round. Doyle arched into him, a whimper slipping free before Cassian pinned him down again. Cassian gripped him tighter, holding him down. "If Lucas catches us…" Doyle laughed, a dark, wicked sound, even as his breath hitched from the aftershocks of their encounter. "Relax." He ran his fingers through Cassian’s damp hair, tugging him into another deep, messy kiss. Cassian groaned into it, biting down on Doyle’s bottom lip before sucking it between his teeth. Doyle shuddered, moaning, but Cassian suddenly pulled away, eyes dark. "You’re playing a dangerous game," he whispered, his hand trailing up behind Doyle’s thigh, spanking his ass just enough to make him gasp again. Doyle licke
"The Silver stone Pack arrives in a few days," Alpha Cove said, his voice firm as he unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the contents quickly. "Alpha Damien is the Alpha of the Silver stone Pack and the Alpha is a strategic player. This isn’t just a simple meeting. This could shift the balance in our favor securing him as an ally standing with us against our enemies; if we handle it corre..." He paused, turning to look at Lucas, who was standing at the table, hands resting on its edge but with his mind clearly elsewhere. "Lucas! We need to be sharp," Cove continued, his tone unwavering. "We can’t afford any mistakes. I need you to coordinate the preparations. Make sure everything is in order before they arrive." Lucas nodded absently, not fully processing the words. His mind kept drifting back to Doyle and the lingering scent he had caught earlier, that faint trace of someone else. The nagging feeling refused to leave him. It clawed at the back of his thoughts, demanding attent
"About time," she drawled, crossing her arms. Oric walked in with a smug grin, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. “Had something to take care of,” he said with a shrug, as if that explanation should satisfy her. Morrigana raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, what’s this? Did you stop to pick flowers along the way?" Oric smirked, his usual confidence evident. "Spying requires a little finesse, Morrigana, not impatience," he said, his hands still tucked in his pockets. "But I suppose that's a concept only a sentinel could understand." He tilted his head, his face gleaming with mischievous content. Morrigana rolled her eyes. "Spare me the wisdom, Oric. Just tell me what you found before I die of curiosity." He studied her for a moment, as if debating whether to make her wait just to be annoying. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he relented. "She walks alone every now and then slipping away before dawn. This time she went deeper into the woods than usu
He was shirtless, his body still sweaty from the intense training he was having. His developed muscles flexed, but he welcomed the ache. It kept his mind from wandering, or thinking about the problems he had. Life as an alpha isn't all that easy you know. Being in his garden wasn’t the usual thing for him. But he did not come here to take a walk. The garden was her place—it was quiet. Something about the silence gave him peace of mind. And he needed to clear his mind. Training had been his escape, his way of silencing the chaos swirling in his thoughts, and he didn’t want to do it at the training ground. He wanted to be away from everyone else, away from the drama. Then he heard it. A soft fragile sound that he knew was unusual. It didn't belong to the winds or the trees. It was a sobbing sound. Someone was sobbing. And he wondered who it was. He slowed his steps, brow furrowing as he followed the sound. And there; behind the raspberry bushes was someone, curled in on herse
“And maybe they’re right. Maybe you’re right. I’m just a thief. But I do it to survive. To cater for Jack.” Her words sank into him like stone. Cove stepped forward, slow. Measured and Careful. “You know, people fear what they don’t understand,” he said. “You are an outsider. I think that’s pretty normal. And you’re stubborn.” She scoffed bitterly. “Yeah, well. That didn’t get me far, did it?” He sat down on the grass, a few feet away. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to see her clearly in the fading light. They sat in silence, the weight of it not entirely uncomfortable. For a second, the world narrowed to just this: two people who had no business understanding each other—yet somehow, did. Cove studied her face. The bruises under her eyes. The way her lips trembled. She looked like she was falling apart. And it shook him— and deep in his heart for some reason he knew how much he wanted to stop it. He surprised himself by asking, “Do you want to talk about h
“Put your clothes back on,” he said coollyAlpha Cove’s eyes stayed on the paper, though he hadn’t written a single word in minutes. The ink had dried at the tip of his quill. Across the desk, Luna Anya remained gloriously nude, draped across his chair like temptation incarnate.His voice, when it finally came again, it was sharp ice.“You’re a Luna, Anya. A married werewoman with an Alpha husband. And yet you come to my office thinking of someone else other than Alpha Damien in between your thighs?.”Luna Anya blinked, caught off guard by the words from Alpha Cove’s mouth, and the shift in his tone.Cove stood, pushing the chair back. His gaze was no longer distracted—it was cutting.“Your infidelity disgusts me. You think being wrapped in silk and seduction excuses being a slut?”Her face twisted. “Excuse me?”“Yes, you heard me right,” Cove growled. “If you want to offer yourself like a whore, that’s your business. But not in my office. Not while pretending your union with Alpha Da
“She isn’t supposed to matter to me." Alpha Cove spoke quietly, just a bit louder than the fire burning behind him“She is just… a thief.”He said it like a mantra, like repeating it might magically rip her from his thoughts. But the truth laughed at him.He didn’t know if he was trying to convince or lie to himself. But neither seemed to work.He leaned back in his chair, his gaze didn’t stick to the paper he was writing on. It drifted, again, to the thought of someone he couldn't shake out of his mind.Lycia.Since her capture, he has always been drawn to her. And the fact she reminded him of Freya his lost lover, made his feelings for her strongerHe hated that he was drawn to her.And then there was Alpha Damien.The man oozed arrogance like cologne; strong, nauseating, and impossible to ignore. His voice still echoed in Cove’s mind like a bad song stuck on repeat: “I want her as my maid of honor while I’m here,”As if she were some party favor. As if she were nothing.Cove’s jaw
So later that night.The music had thinned. Laughter faded into tired murmurs. The feast was ending.Morrigana returned to the grand hall, slipping back beside Anya like she had never left.Damien, glazed with wine and slouched in his seat, barely noticed her return.But Anya did.Anya leaned over, murmuring something to the guards before brushing her lips close to Damien’s ear. “You’ve had enough wine for tonight, darling. Come. Let’s retire.”The guards moved to escort him. He didn’t protest, he never did when Anya used that voice.Before Anya could rise too, Morrigana gently caught her wrist with a gracious smile. “Forgive the interruption, Luna Anya,” Morrigana said smoothly, her tone laced with just enough sweetness to coat the malice underneath. “Alpha Cove asked for you. Said it’s urgent, southern wing, his study precisely. Something about... discussing some personal affairs.”She leaned in slightly, voice dropping like a secret shared between women.“Sounded rather... pri
Back to the lycan hall, Damien was still toasting in the name of gods no one believed in, making a mockery of the etiquette with every raised goblet in Cove’s estate.He lifted yet another drink, eyes lazily raking over the crowd—until they stopped. And saw her. Again. Lycia.She moved across the hall, a tray of goblets in her hands, serving guests with quiet poise. Her steps were graceful, almost regal. Too graceful for a servant.Damien’s gaze sharpened. A slow grin tugged at his lips. With naughty thoughts running through his head. “I want her as my maid of honor while I’m here,” he said, as if it were the most casual request in the world.Everyone on their table was a bit surprised by the request of Alpha Damien. I mean the request was quite unexpected. Cove’s voice sliced through the din, sharp and immediate. “That’s not happening Alpha Damien.”Damien’s goblet paused mid-air. His jaw clenched. He didn’t even glance at Lycia again. Morrigana, seated nearby, perked up like
Lucas walked back into the grand hall, jaw tight and unhappy. He had just come from the garden; where Seth’s voice had wrapped around him like silk. Every word had felt like a caress in disguise. A trap. Now, inside, laughter crashed like waves, wine shimmered; but it all felt distant. Blurred. Because Seth was still in his head. He slid into his seat, fingers curling around the table’s edge like he needed to anchor himself. One breath. Two breath. He was fine. He had to be. Then came the heat. The scent and presence of you know who. Seth. He took the seat beside him, much too close, their knees brushing. “You left in such a rush,” Seth said, voice a velvet blade. Lucas didn’t look at him. His spine stiffened. His face remained forward. He tried to focus. But none of it worked. Not when Seth watched him like a prey, patient and hungry. The hall continued burn bright. Spiced wine floated like temptation. Laughter erupted mostly from Damien, who was already mocking t
Lycia needed to see more.She brushed past a distracted guard, walking directly to the courtyard. “The whole damn courtyard feels like a theater rehearsal,” she muttered, slipping into the light.She almost numbed into a servant wobbling under a stack of velvet boxes.“Careful with that peasant,” Alpha Damien was said. “That Obsidian Talon alone could bankrupt your bloodline, crafted by Veyron the Elder himself.” He said boastfully, looking at everyone as Alpha Cove walked closely to himLycia arched a brow. “Must be nice to travel with your ego gift-wrapped.”“Well, well,” Damien said, polished boots crunching over the gravel as he spread his arms with theatrical grace. “Still broody. Still stern. Honestly, Cove, I’m starting to think you sleep standing up in a coffin.”He paused dramatically, tilting his head with mock concern.“Cove, you really should try smiling. Or drinking. Or, gods forbid…” he leaned in, voice lowering like a secret brushing Cove’s ear. “Getting laid. You lo
“Open the gates! Now!” a commanding voice echoed from the estate’s watchtower. “Move those damn carts, you fools!” barked another voice, the commander, his tone sharp with impatience. “Get those horses under control before they crush someone!” Warriors scrambled to clear the path as the carriage convoy rolled in, wheels grinding over cobblestone. "Ehh! That’s Vanor steel on the trim," one of the guards muttered under his breath. "Wait... Is it really him?" "Who?" The guard slapped the back of his companion’s head playfully, a grin tugging at his lips. “Idiot. You don’t know anything, do you? "Naigel, come on! You always hit me. That’s not fair" he called out, his voice gentle but laced with concern. “That’s the Silverstone Pack’s alpha. How do you not recognize him?” He chuckled, shaking his head. "I swear, sometimes I wonder if you're even paying attention." "I thought he never left the North..." Before the conversation could go any further, the commander stepped forwa
“And maybe they’re right. Maybe you’re right. I’m just a thief. But I do it to survive. To cater for Jack.” Her words sank into him like stone. Cove stepped forward, slow. Measured and Careful. “You know, people fear what they don’t understand,” he said. “You are an outsider. I think that’s pretty normal. And you’re stubborn.” She scoffed bitterly. “Yeah, well. That didn’t get me far, did it?” He sat down on the grass, a few feet away. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to see her clearly in the fading light. They sat in silence, the weight of it not entirely uncomfortable. For a second, the world narrowed to just this: two people who had no business understanding each other—yet somehow, did. Cove studied her face. The bruises under her eyes. The way her lips trembled. She looked like she was falling apart. And it shook him— and deep in his heart for some reason he knew how much he wanted to stop it. He surprised himself by asking, “Do you want to talk about h
He was shirtless, his body still sweaty from the intense training he was having. His developed muscles flexed, but he welcomed the ache. It kept his mind from wandering, or thinking about the problems he had. Life as an alpha isn't all that easy you know. Being in his garden wasn’t the usual thing for him. But he did not come here to take a walk. The garden was her place—it was quiet. Something about the silence gave him peace of mind. And he needed to clear his mind. Training had been his escape, his way of silencing the chaos swirling in his thoughts, and he didn’t want to do it at the training ground. He wanted to be away from everyone else, away from the drama. Then he heard it. A soft fragile sound that he knew was unusual. It didn't belong to the winds or the trees. It was a sobbing sound. Someone was sobbing. And he wondered who it was. He slowed his steps, brow furrowing as he followed the sound. And there; behind the raspberry bushes was someone, curled in on herse