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
“You surprise me,” he said after a while, voice low, “Every time.”“That makes two of us,” I murmured.“I thought you were trying to stay away from me.”“I am.”His jaw flexed. “And yet you’re here.”I swallowed. “You asked.”That earned me a half-smile. “I could’ve ordered.”“But you didn’t,” I sai
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
He sees the wolf. The soul. The truth underneath the mask, she replied. That’s more than most have ever bothered to look for.“The suspense is killing me, you know that, right?” Emma’s voice broke through my thoughts.I blinked, slowly lowering the parchment. My fingers smoothed it out automatically
LilaThe first hint of morning slipped through the curtains, casting pale gold across my face. I lay still beneath the silk sheets, the cool fabric a stark contrast to the warmth lingering on my skin from the night before.Too many feelings still tangled in my chest from last night. My lips still ti
“You surprise me,” he said after a while, voice low, “Every time.”“That makes two of us,” I murmured.“I thought you were trying to stay away from me.”“I am.”His jaw flexed. “And yet you’re here.”I swallowed. “You asked.”That earned me a half-smile. “I could’ve ordered.”“But you didn’t,” I sai