MasukDraven’s POV After I kicked Darla out of my room last night, I had the palace staff move every damn thing she touched and put it back where it belonged. I didn’t care how much money she claimed she spent or how hard she’d worked decorating it. None of it mattered. That wasn’t her place to do so. It never would be. She could wave that so-called contract in my face all day long, and it still wouldn’t change one simple fact. I never signed it. Everything about this stinks. Her father, Alpha Bernard, disappears without a trace, she suddenly shows up at my palace insisting she’s my future chosen mate, then produces a contract nobody has ever seen before. Bullshit. Every bit of it. Ash growls his agreement. “They tried to get rid of our mate. This is Plan B.” I don’t disagree. The attack on Elena wasn’t random. Neither was this. Someone is making moves, and every one of them seems to circle back to the same people. Needing to clear my head, I head for the shower. The hot water pounds
Elena’s POV I’ve been lying here for what feels like forever. Every time I manage to drift off, the throbbing in the back of my head yanks me awake before I can get any real sleep. Whoever said rest was the best medicine had obviously never been hit in the head with a chair. With a frustrated sigh, I reach over to the nightstand and grab my laptop. My body protests the movement, and a dull ache shoots through my shoulders as I pull it onto my lap. I flip the screen open and wait for it to come to life before logging into my encrypted account. It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve signed in. Normally, I check messages every day, even if I don’t take a job. Vanishing without a word isn’t exactly good for business, but after what happened on my last assignment, disappearing seemed like the smarter option. My fingers glide across the keyboard. They’re still quick, just not as fast as usual. Every now and then, pain shoots through the back of my head, forcing me to slow down. I hit En
Draven’s POV I storm through the palace doors long after midnight, every muscle in my body tight with exhaustion and rage. Tonight has been one disaster after another, and all I want is a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Instead, I have to deal with her. Why the fuck is she here? Has she completely lost her damn mind? Ash slams against the inside of my head with a furious roar. “She touched our mate.” “I know. Trust me, I know,” I try to calm him down so I can find out what the hell is going on. The moment I step into the grand entrance, Darla comes hurrying toward me with a bright smile plastered across her face as if nothing happened. “Babe!” she chirps. “I’ve remodeled for us. Come see if you like it.” I stop dead in my tracks. My brows pull together, and I rake a hand through my hair, convinced I’ve somehow stepped into the wrong palace. What the hell? I literally threw her out of my car less than an hour ago. She attacked my fated mate. Now she’s standing here acting like
Allan’s POV “What do you mean… claws?” I ask carefully, searching her face. I reach over and cup Elena’s cheek, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her forehead. Her skin looks pale beneath the harsh lights, and a dark bruise disappears beneath the bandage wrapped around the side of her head. She took one hell of a hit tonight. “Are you feeling alright, babygirl?” She slowly shakes her head. “I know what I saw.” The certainty in her voice catches me off guard. Elena isn’t dramatic. She doesn’t exaggerate, and she sure as hell doesn’t make things up for attention. Getting her to admit she’s hurt usually takes an act of God, so hearing her speak with this much conviction makes it impossible to brush aside. She lets out a quiet sigh before looking straight into my eyes. “Her hands… they had claws.” I don’t answer immediately. Instead, I study her face, looking for any hint that she’s confused or uncertain. I’ve known Elena for years. Long enough to recognize every sarcasti
Draven’s POV I knocked firmly against the front doors of the Black Claw Pack house and waited. Silence answered me. That alone struck me as odd. A pack house was never truly quiet. Someone was always coming or going, whether it was warriors, staff, or members stopping in to speak with their Alpha. I knocked a second time, waiting a little longer before trying the doorknob. The door wasn’t even locked. I slowly pushed it open and stepped inside with Darren and Byron at my sides. The grand entrance stretched before us, spotless and eerily empty. The air itself felt strange, almost as though the house had been abandoned in a hurry. Ash stirred uneasily. “Something isn’t right.” “I know.” The rest of my warriors filed in behind us, immediately spreading throughout the foyer while keeping a respectful distance. I slowly looked around before turning toward them. “I want every inch of this place searched. Every room, every hallway, every office, every damn closet. If someone is hiding
Draven’s POV I pulled my SUV onto the gravel road a few hundred yards from the Black Claw Pack. The tires crunched beneath us as the driver eased the vehicle onto the shoulder behind the long line of black SUVs that had already arrived. Darren and the others hadn’t wasted any time getting here. Their vehicles were parked neatly beneath the cover of the trees, hidden well enough that nobody inside the pack would notice them unless they were looking. The engine fell silent, and I climbed out, stretching both arms over my head as I rolled the stiffness from my shoulders. The drive should have given me time to cool off. It hadn’t. Every mile only made me angrier. Elena’s battered face refused to leave my mind. Every time I blinked, I saw her lying unconscious in that ring before Rico carried her away. Then Darla’s smug expression replaced it, followed by the words she so proudly admitted. My father sent his men. Ash hadn’t spoken much since then. He didn’t need to. His anger mirrored







