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’
I’d met half a dozen council hopefuls in this room over the past month. All of them wore the same expression—deference gilded with hunger.I expected another version of that as I stepped inside.What I found instead was the bride candidate Vanessa.She was alone and waiting. Seated, poised in a figu
LilaThe morning air was tight with anticipation. I felt it before I heard the announcement—something electric weaving through the halls, sharp as static before a storm. Word spread faster than usual.By the time I entered the common hall for breakfast, the other candidates were already whispering.
He’s asking for a chance, Ruby said. You’re allowed to want it.I pressed the envelope to my chest, the paper warm from the heat of my palm.I didn’t know if this was another game, or something real. But either way, I’d just been invited to walk back into the wolf’s den.I stared at the letter for a
LilaThe dress hung on the armoire door like a question I didn’t know how to answer.I stared at it while the light shifted across the room, dragging the minutes toward a dinner I was not ready for.It all felt surreal. Like I’d dreamed the note and was about to wake up to it being some cruel joke.
LilaI paused at the threshold of the greenhouse, breath catching. This place was spectacular with stars caught in glass panes overhead. It felt like a delicious secret.Damon stood a few steps inside, waiting; his dark shirt rolled at the sleeves, collar slightly open, the kind of rugged perfection
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
LilaThe shift was subtle, but I felt a distance in Damon’s gaze. The way his expression cooled just slightly when I entered the room. No trace of the man who had kissed me with fire or sent heartfelt notes in the morning.And I had no idea why. If Vanessa had told him who I was I’d be expelled or d
I turned from the window. “Send her away, Ronan. And make sure no one follows her out.”He left without another word. And I was alone in a room where everything I thought I knew about loyalty had just been shattered.I left the study not long after Ronan. The corridors were quiet at this hour but I
DamonThe fire in my study had burned low, casting thin ribbons of amber across the desk. I didn’t need warmth tonight. I needed answers.Ronan arrived just after first bell, punctual as always, though I knew him well enough to spot the tension riding his spine. He shut the door behind him with quie