LOGINKaelPresent hour…"What?"An emissary from IronClaw Pack?Dead?For several long seconds, my mind tried to process Craig's words. IronClaw had sent two emissaries for the celebration; Beta Jasper and one other emissary. Every representative a pack dispatched carried the authority of an Alpha, and harming one was considered an unforgivable offense between packs.An emissary dead inside my territory… This was no longer an internal dispute anymore… It could become war.I turned toward Maya. Her expression had stiffened, her eyes wide with shock.From everything I'd witnessed since arriving, I could already piece together what had happened.They had somehow tried to pull Lyra into another one of their disgusting schemes. Except this time, my woman hadn't fallen victim. Instead... their own trap had somehow claimed someone else's life.My jaw clenched.I had intended to punish them severely for targeting Lyra yet again. But this… This had spiraled into something far beyond childish jeal
LyraA few hours earlier...My head snapped toward the entrance as moonlight spilled into the darkness through the open doorway.For one terrifying second, my heart nearly stopped.A tall figure stood there. Broad shoulders, dark silhouette, just standing there motionless.My fingers dug into the floor beneath me. The figure stepped forward. My throat tightened."Oh, gods..."The moonlight finally illuminated his face, and relief hit me so hard that I nearly cried."Ronan..."He crossed the distance between us almost instantly."Lyra!"His voice was sharp with alarm. The moment he reached me, he dropped into a crouch beside me. Concern filled his eyes as they scanned my face, but at the same time, he sniffed the air and frowned, his hand going straight to his nose."What happened?"I really tried to answer, but my thoughts felt tangled, heavy, and disoriented. My mout
Maya“And what exactly did I do this time?”My blood ran cold.No.That voice…My entire body stiffened as I slowly turned toward the doorway.The moment my eyes landed on the figure standing there, arms crossed over her chest, looking calm and completely unharmed, the air seemed to leave my lungs.Lyra.For several seconds, I could do nothing but stare. My mind simply refused to process what I was seeing.How?How was this possible?The women standing outside had parted to make way for her, shocked just as I was.Whispers immediately broke out among them."Wait… isn't this Lyra?""But... if she's here...""Then who is inside?"My pulse began hammering against my ribs. I looked at Lyra, then toward the bed, and back at Lyra. A sick feeling settled in my stomach.No.Something was wrong.Lyra was supposed to be the one under those sheets. She was supposed to be the center of the scandal.Then who—My gaze snapped toward the bed.The figures beneath the sheets remained motionless. A sen
Kael“Alpha Kael, I must admit, the reports hardly do justice to what you've accomplished.”I lifted my gaze from the wine in my hand to find Beta Jasper of IronClaw Pack smiling across the table.The celebration was still in full swing, music drifting through the hall while servants moved between tables carrying trays of food and wine.Jasper raised his glass toward me.“The expansion of your mining operations has been remarkable. Everywhere I go, people are talking about it. Even the southern pack territories have heard about how well your ore business is doing.”Several men around the table immediately nodded.“He's right.”“The growth has been impressive.”“You've built something many packs could only dream of.”I offered a small smile.“Thank you.” I took a sip of wine without saying anything further because I already knew where this conversation was heading.Every single one of them had a reason for sitting at this table… and none of those reasons had anything to do with celebra
LyraThe realization hit me like a punch to the chest."Isolde!" My voice cracked. "What are you doing? Open this door right now!"For a moment, there was only silence.Then I heard her soft and shaky voice through the thick wood."Forgive me, Ms. Lyra. I had no choice."The words drained the blood from my face."What?"Then I heard retreating footsteps moving away quickly."Isolde!" I slammed both palms against the door. The impact stung, but I barely felt it. "Isolde, come back! What is the meaning of this?"No answer.Only the sound of her footsteps growing fainter and fainter until they vanished completely. And then there was nothing except the darkness pressing in around me.A deep sense of unease settled heavily in my chest. Something was terribly wrong.I slowly stepped away from the door.My breathing became shallow. The room suddenly felt smaller than before, the walls seeming to inch closer with every passing second.Then I noticed the strange scent again. The same scent I h
Lyra“Is Maya's little performance the reason you look like this?”I froze halfway through lifting my drink.That voice.I turned around and found Ronan standing behind me with one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his dark trousers.Unlike most of the guests dressed in elaborate ceremonial attire, Ronan looked effortlessly put together. He wore a fitted black jacket over a charcoal-gray shirt, the sleeves rolled slightly above his wrists. The outfit was simple compared to the lavish clothing around him, yet somehow it suited him perfectly.His dark hair was slightly messy as usual, giving him that carefree appearance that always seemed to follow him wherever he went.He had actually shown up… Which meant he must have been in a good mood after all."Well?" he asked.I rolled my eyes and waved my hand dismissively."No. It actually means nothing to me."Ronan raised an eyebrow."The dress?""The entire performance." I downed the rest of my drink. "I already know it was one of May
LyraThe smell of burning flesh choked the air.It clung to my throat with every breath I took, thick and suffocating, carrying the metallic scent of blood so strongly that my stomach twisted violently.I stood frozen in what looked like a wasteland. My breathing became uneven as I slowly turned ar
KaelThe clang of metal echoed faintly across the arena as warriors moved in circles, sweat dripping down their bodies beneath the harsh afternoon sun. I stood in the center of the training grounds with my arms folded behind me, watching them carefully.“No,” I barked sharply, and Jack, the warrio
Kael“Fucking asshole!”I rubbed my temple in irritation as Asher's furious voice exploded inside my head.“Will you shut up already?”The damn mutt had been yelling at me nonstop ever since I left Lyra's room.“No, I won’t shut up!” Asher barked furiously. “What the hell was that?”I shot back, “Y
LyraGrowing up, I had always been told that there was no greater love in the world than the love in a matebond. It was deeper than love, stronger than loyalty, and more powerful than anything else.But then, I had also been told about the darker side of the bond. A love this strong could become a







