LOGINChapter FifteenThird Person POVBrendan could not believe what he was seeing. His brother's rogue wife had just walked out of the Alpha's bedroom, wearing cartoon pajamas, looking completely relaxed like she owned the place. The two of them had slept together? But their relationship was supposed to be terrible. Everyone knew Christian did not love his wife. Everyone knew she was just a means to an end.Brendan had seen Violet many times over the years. He had watched her at pack gatherings, always hovering near Christian, always trying to catch his attention. He had seen her cry in corners when Christian ignored her. He had heard the maids whisper about how she would wait up all night for a husband who never came home. He had laughed at her, pitied her, despised her for her weakness.But the woman standing in front of him now was nothing like that."What are you wearing?" Brendan sneered, gesturing at her pajamas. "Clothes like that will not seduce my brother. If you are trying to wi
Chapter FourteenViolet POVThe bathroom door had barely closed behind me when I heard footsteps in the hallway. Heavy, deliberate footsteps. Christian's. My heart lurched. He had heard me. Of course he had heard me. The pack house was quiet at this hour, and I had not exactly been subtle about my sudden dash to the bathroom.I leaned against the sink, forcing my breathing to slow. My face was still pale, my hands still trembling, but I could not let him see any of that. I grabbed a towel and wiped my face, then straightened my shoulders and opened the door.Christian was standing in the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that looked almost like concern. Almost. I had learned not to trust almost."I heard you," he said. "Are you sick?"I forced a laugh, waving my hand dismissively. "Sick? No. I just ate too much gelato. Amelia and I went a little overboard. You know how it is."He studied my face for a long mome
Chapter ThirteenViolet POVHis face was so close I could see the small scar above his eyebrow, the faint lines around his eyes that came from years of frowning. Christian was sniffing me. Actually sniffing me, like an animal trying to catch a scent. His breath was warm against my skin, and I felt goosebumps rise on my arms.It was strange. Dangerous. But I understood immediately what he was doing. He was checking for the pup. The pregnancy he suspected but could not confirm. My heart pounded, but I forced myself to stay still. I couldn't flinch. Could not give him any reason to be suspicious.My scent masking held. I had been practicing it since my wolf awakened, and it was getting easier. Christian's expression shifted as he pulled back slightly. Disappointment flickered across his face before he masked it. He had found nothing. No trace of a pup. No hint of pregnancy.I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and stepped back, putting distance between us. I crossed my arms and
Chapter TwelveViolet POVThe café was small and quiet, tucked away on a side street away from the main shopping district. Amelia and I sat by the window, our shopping bags piled on the empty chairs around us. The afternoon had been surprisingly pleasant. I had bought clothes I actually liked, eaten food I actually wanted, and for a few hours, I had forgotten about the mess waiting for me back at the pack house.Amelia stirred her coffee, her expression troubled. "Violet, I can't stop thinking about the pregnancy. What if Christian finds out? What if he figures out the fake report was a decoy?"I took a sip of my tea and shrugged. "He will not find out. I can hide my scent."Amelia's eyes widened. "Hide your scent? Since when can you do that?""Since my wolf awakened," I said. "There are a lot of new abilities I am still discovering. That is one of them."Amelia leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Violet, that is not normal. A wolf that awakens late is usually weaker, no
Chapter ElevenThird POVIn the dim office, lit only by a lone desk lamp, Christian drums his fingers against the desk while Healer Melvin stands pale yet resolute and Beta Marcus watches in silence.The thought of Violet carrying his child and fleeing with his heir claws at his mind. Yet the reports before him clash, one denying the pregnancy, the other confirming it, leaving him restless and torn.Melvin spread his hands wide, his voice earnest. "Alpha, I have served this pack for three decades. My reputation speaks for itself. I do not make mistakes about something as significant as a pregnancy. The Madam is with child. I performed the examination myself."Marcus shifted uncomfortably. "Then how do you explain the second report? It came from your own hospital, Healer. With your signature on it."Melvin's jaw tightened. "I don't know how to explain this, but I can guarantee that your wife is indeed pregnant, Alpha.."Christian leaned back in his chair, studying the healer's face. "T
Chapter TenViolet POVThe afternoon sun felt warm on my face as I walked away from the pack house, the weight of the signed divorce agreement tucked safely in my bag. Three million dollars sat in my bank account, and for the first time since waking up in that hospital bed, I felt like I had some control over my own life. The money would give me options. Options meant freedom.I found Amelia waiting for me near the pack's eastern gate, exactly where we had agreed to meet. She was pacing back and forth, her phone pressed to her ear, her face tight with worry. When she saw me, she ended the call abruptly and rushed toward me."Violet, thank the Goddess," she said, grabbing my arm. "I have been trying to reach you. We have a problem."My heart skipped. "What kind of problem?"Amelia pulled me aside, away from the few pack members who were passing by. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The pregnancy test. I was so afraid Christian would find out, so I used my connections at the hospital to
Samantha POVThe winter sun hung low in the sky, pale and gentle, casting soft golden light across the snow covered garden. Icicles dripped from the branches of the ancient oaks, and the frost on the rose bushes sparkled like crushed diamonds. It was cold, but the glass walls of the winter garden
Samantha's POVMy dress was beautiful, made of fine silk in a creamy beige-yellow color, the straps deliberately falling off my arms and a long slit on my left leg. My hair was loose and well-groomed, light makeup on my face; I looked beautiful. Tori and Ysabelle had excitedly prepared me so that t
Samantha POVThe blade caught the light, and I knew I was going to die.Ranulf stood over me with the dagger raised, his grey eyes empty of anything but cold resolve. The guards held my arms pinned behind my back, their fingers digging into my wrists hard enough to leave bruises. I could not move.
Third POVThe throne room had never felt more like a cage.Maddox sat on the cold stone steps before his empty throne, his wrists bound in heavy iron chains that ran to anchors bolted into the floor. The silver in the metal bit into his skin, leaving welts that wept and healed and wept again. He h







