LilaThe morning was still dark when we were roused. Cold enough that the dew froze silver on the palace stairs. I dressed in silence, heart thudding louder in my ears. By the time I joined the other candidates in the training yard, my breath fogged in the air, curling like mist.Beta Ronan was alre
LilaThe late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the palace gardens, its golden light shimmering on the surface of the reflecting pool. I had sought solace here, hoping the tranquil ripples would steady the turmoil within me.The events of the past days had left me on edge, and the cool breeze d
Vanessa’s ultimatum pressed into my skin like a bruise. Stay away from Damon. Or else. I turned the words over and over in my head as I walked the long corridor toward the upper terrace.I hated her smug face, her cruel delight in finding something she could finally use against me. But what I hated
LilaFloor-length mirrors lined every wall, distorting the space with reflections of the candidates. It felt like standing in a dream…or a trap.Another day, another selection trial. With each passing round, the number of us shrank—and the pressure curled tighter around my ribs.After Vanessa’s thre
“Unusual,” he murmured. “Earthy. Fresh.”Vanessa smirked from the sidelines, her own vial already praised for its “seductive elegance.”Ronan passed the vial to Damon. The moment he lifted it to his nose, I felt the heat rise up my neck, the anticipation killing me slowly.He inhaled, deeply. And th
LilaI slipped past the last row of hedges and walked until the sounds of the palace faded behind me, trading marble and mirrors for grass and dusk. The outer gardens were quieter this time of evening, even my breath sounded too loud in my ears.The scent trial had left my insides feeling raw and ex
A breeze stirred between us, tugging at the hem of my skirt.“I want to be chosen,” I said. “Not used. Not tolerated. Not evaluated like a potential weapon.”Damon’s mouth parted like he was going to speak—but no sound came out. And that silence, it gutted me.I should’ve stopped there. Should’ve tu
DamonThe hairpin burned a hole in the corner of my desk.It sat in the open, harmless in appearance—silver, slender, shaped like a crescent moon—but it may as well have been a dagger.It wasn’t just a trinket. It was Natalie’s. I remembered the curve of it in her hair the night she died. And now I’
The man reached us in a few long strides, all easy confidence and noble polish. He was handsome, I’d give him that—classic profile, wind-swept dark hair, eyes the color of expensive tea. Polished. Disarming.“Lady Elena,” he said first, bowing with an easy grace that struck a sour chord in my gut. “
LilaThe sun filtered through the slats of the carriage window, turning the cobbled road outside into gold-dappled ribbons. An official break from palace walls, a sanctioned “cultural immersion” outing for the Luna candidates.The irony was that most of us spent the ride rehearsing how not to look o
LilaThe palace looked the same, but it didn’t feel the same.I stepped through the east entrance just after dawn, my boots silent on the polished stone. The hall was empty, save for a pair of guards posted at the end of the corridor. One of them blinked in surprise when he saw me but said nothing,
LilaMy mother lay still beneath thick blankets, her breath shallow but steady now. The sharp rise and fall of panic from two days ago had eased into something fragile, but survivable. Her cheeks held a faint flush again, and the dark hollows beneath her eyes had softened slightly.It should have be
She never existed at all.The longer I stared at the folder, the more I wanted to tear it apart and pretend I’d never seen it. But that would make me a fool three times over.The fire in the hearth crackled faintly now—Ronan must’ve relit it on his way out. But the warmth didn’t reach me. In this mo
DamonOutside, the courtyard stirred with the usual sounds—guards drilling, candidates murmuring in clipped, polite tones. But in my office, the silence pressed in on me like fog, heavy and muffling. The only sound was the sharp scratch of my pen against parchment as I signed off on trial amendments
My fingers curled into fists. “You would let her die just to punish me?”“I would let a great many things die to keep this Pack on top,” he said evenly. “Including illusions of usefulness. You’re only back now because you’re scared.”“No,” I said, breath sharp. “I’m back because I care about her. An
LilaThe scent of pine and damp earth hit me the moment I stepped from the carriage. Nightfall Pack always smelled earthy. And like wet stone and forgotten promises thanks to my father.The estate loomed quiet and gray under a sky streaked with morning haze. It looked the same, but didn’t feel the s
But I couldn’t.I turned and walked out of the room with the truth still burning on my tongue and my heart breaking all over again.The guards didn’t say a word as they escorted me down the corridor. I didn’t expect them to. But their silence felt like a verdict.I held my head high anyway.My boots