LOGINAvery’s POV. A rough hand shook my shoulder, sending fresh spikes of pain all through my body. “Wake up, girl. I can get you out of here.” My body felt like it was floating in nothing as the hand gripped my arm, jostling me again and again until my teeth rattled. A fissure of light cracked through the never- ending darkness. I focused entirely on that light as the person continued to jolt my broken body. “ There's no time. Wake up if you want to live.” He shook me once more, the harsh movement finally jerking me fully awake. My eyes snapped open, my heart beating completely out of my chest, pounding against my ribs. A scarred, filthy face with brown eyes stared at me, only a few inches away from my face. The reek of sweat and cheap ale hit me. I shrank back against the thin mattress, staring at him in pain and confusion. Within seconds, reality came crashing down. I was choked out and kidnapped by three hooded rogues. And the man currently in my face, staring at me with a despe
Lucian’s POV We pushed deeper into the woods. The trees grew thicker with every mile, their branches weaving together overhead until they swallowed most of the moonlight. Leaves rustled above us as a cold wind howled through the forest, carrying the distant rumble of thunder. It took everything in me not to throw my head back and roar my fury into the night. To let my wolf tear through my skin and rip this forest apart tree by tree until she was back in my arms. One of the trackers called out. “Alpha! The wagon… It’s abandoned up ahead!” I moved faster, cane striking the ground sharply. The wagon sat crooked in the mud, one wheel broken, doors hanging open. I stepped up to the wreckage and ran my fingers along the rough, splintered wood, inhaling deeply, forcing her scent into my lungs. "She was here.” Vance approached cautiously. “The tracks continue north, but they split in three different directions. They’re trying to confuse us.” I slammed my cane against the wagon side,
Lucian’s POV. Avery’s scent still lingered in the room: sweat and a trace of warm vanilla that no amount of blood or dirt could erase. I sat at the edge of my massive king-size bed, the silver wolf-head of my cane resting across my thighs, fingers tracing the cold metal. After the woman from earlier fled, only the crackle of the fire and the faint ticking of the clock remained. Avery's interruption had left a different kind of tension in the air. One I intended to deal with the moment she got back. I would teach her about boundaries, and I would enjoy every second of her breathless submission. I shifted my weight on the edge of the bed for the fifth time in ten minutes. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to grow louder with each passing second. She should have returned by now. A simple trip to the lower sectors did not take this long, even for someone as stubborn as her. I rose slowly, the tip of my cane striking the floor. The mate bond between us was like a thorn burie
Avery's POV The first thing I noticed was the motion. Every bump and jolt sent pain through my head. Wood creaked beneath me, and chains rattled softly with every turn of the wheels. Then the smell hit me. The stench of horses, damp hay, and unwashed bodies filled the air. My sixth sense followed immediately, screaming that I was in danger. You're not safe. You're prey. These sounds turned my fear into a full-blown panic. Adrenaline rushed through me, but I stayed quiet. Still. Everything I had learned in Lucian’s manor told me to play dead until I had a chance to strike. Slowly, I cracked my eyes open, blinking against the darkness. I was in the back of a moving carriage. A rough, enclosed wagon with slatted sides that let in thin strips of moonlight. My cheeks pressed against the dirty floorboards, bits of dry hay scratching my face. Every bump in the road sent fresh pain radiating through my bruised body, especially the healing wound on my abdomen. Gods, was this what being
Avery's POV. My hand was still wrapped around the kitchen knife. Blood—Dorian’s—had gathered along the edge and dripped onto the worn floorboards. I watched it fall, each drop staining the wood a deeper red. My body trembled with the aftermath of what I had done. When had I become this person? When had my hands learned to threaten the people I once would have died to protect? The girl who used to braid Zara’s hair and dream of a simple life under the pack’s protection was gone. In her place stood someone unrecognizable, forged in the fires of life's cruelty. I wiped the blade on my already filthy skirt and slipped it back into its hiding place beneath the fabric. My legs felt wobbly, disconnected from the rest of me as I stepped out into the muddy street. The sun was already setting, casting a warm orange glow over the village. Torches flickered in the distance, but the narrow alleys between the houses were dark. The streets were beginning to empty as night drew closer, and a co
Avery's POV. Lucian froze mid-motion. His hand gripped the silver head of his cane more tightly. "You're in no position to make demands, Avery.” "It's not a demand. It's a condition," I shot back, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the terror thumping in my chest. "You want me to play the submissive, Luna? Then let me see my sister with my own eyes. Let me ensure she is breathing, or I swear I will ruin your inspection the second the royal guard steps through the gates." A slow, chilling smile touched Lucian's lips. He tilted his head, his dead, sightless eyes fixing on the direction of my face. He looked amused by my desperation. "Go," Lucian murmured, sounding as though he was done arguing. “Go remind yourself of the dirt you came from. But remember my terms—if you slip up when the King arrives, your sister pays the price." I didn't wait for him to change his mind. I turned on my heel and left the manor, the weight of his threat anchoring itself deep in my chest.
Lena's POV.Avery stared at me as if she were trying to decide whether I was lying. Then suddenly she stood.“I need to get dressed.”“Of course.” But I didn’t move.She hesitated for a moment, fingers tightening around the edge of the towel wrapped around her body. Then she pulled it loose.The fa
Avery's POV My heart slammed against my ribs. “You wouldn’t dare.” Lucian didn’t respond. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. “Five,” he said calmly. The word dropped into the room like a stone into water. “Four.” “Lucian—” “Three.” Panic flared in my chest. “I said I won’
Avery's POV.The moment my father’s gaze met mine, I froze in place. My father… here. Why is he here? Did Lucian invite him? I swallowed hard. The questions tumbled over each other in my mind. Was he coming to mock me? To claim I was still his? Or… was he here for me?I couldn’t move. Couldn’t spe
Avery's POV The kitchen door slammed closed behind me as the guards shoved me inside.I barely caught my balance before a sharp voice cut through the room.“Avery.”Marla stood near the main table, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes swept over me once, from my soaked hair to the water d







