Chapter 27 Dahlia’s POV “A key?” I whispered, as my voice caught in my throat. Axel didn’t answer. He was already moving toward the center of the chamber. The runes on the walls were no longer just pulsing; they were beginning to bleed with a soft, golden light that made

Chapter 26 Dahlia’s POV The gravel bit into my feet through the thin soles of my indoor shoes, but I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t. Axel was a dead weight in my arms, his small body still radiating a faint, residual heat that felt like the hum of a low-voltage

Chapter 25 Dahlia’s POV “Indispensable p> The word felt like a slap. It wasn’t a word for a father; it was a word for a line of credit or a piece of machinery. It sat there between us, cold and metallic, poisoning whatever was left of the air in the

Chapter 24 Dahlia’s POV Nate hadn’t just been “looking” for us. He had been tracking us. He had been studying our children like specimens long before he ever “rescued” us from the Gala. But that wasn’t the worst part. In the center of the room, sitting on a pedestal, was

Chapter 23 Nate’s POV “Dahlia, please. Don’t be like this. Try to see the good in all of this. At least we are safe,” I pleaded, as the words felt like ash in my mouth. I reached out for her arm, but the way she flinched made me pull back

Chapter 22 Dahlia’s POV The silence that followed was deafening. Nate was huffing, his nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. I was shaking, tears of frustration hot on my cheeks. In the corner, I heard a small whimper. We both turned. The three of them

Chapter 21 Dahlia’s POV “Cupcakes p> The word was so mundane, so innocent, but coming from Ariana’s mouth it felt like a death sentence. It was a memory from the Gala, the last thing Gina had been obsessed with before the black oil took her. “Run,” Nate hissed, the word

Chapter 20 Dahlia’s POV The root-hand reached the top of the ledge. It started to wrap its fingers around Axel’s waist. Axel blinked. The white glow in his eyes flickered. He looked at the giant hand, then at me. For the first time, I saw the fear come back into

Chapter 19 Dahlia’s POV “Mommy, the stones are singing,” Axel whispered. His voice wasn’t childish anymore. It was ancient, like a hundred voices speaking at once. “They’re so hungry. They’ve been hungry for a hundred years p> One of the Hollowed leaped from the wall. Nate intercepted it mid-air, his

Chapter 18 Nate’s POV Every time my claws sank into one of those shadow-men, my paws felt like they were being dipped in acid. They didn’t have hearts to puncture or throats to rip. They were just constructs; vessels for a malice that felt older than the pack itself. “Alpha!

Chapter 17 Dahlia’s POV I looked at my children; Aidan and Ariana asleep on the couch, and Axel dreaming in the bed. I realized then that Gina wasn’t the monster at the top of the food chain. She was just the one who had opened the door. I wondered if

Chapter 16 Dahlia’s POV “Where is that nurse p> I had seen her with Gina before, they seemed pretty close. If anyone knew anything about the black lily or its antidote, it had to be her. Two guards dragged the head nurse into the room. She was pale as a

Chapter 15 Dahlia’s POV Nate frowned, as he approached us. “Dahlia? What are you doing p> I couldn’t say poison. I couldn’t say Gina. I just pointed at Axel’s mouth, as my eyes widened with terror. Axel didn’t answer. His eyes suddenly went wide, his pupils blowing out until the

Chapter 14 Dahlia’s POV I pressed my back against the far wall, away from the shared bars. “You’re the source. You’re what’s helping her siphon the pack p> “I am the conduit,” the voice barked. “Every night, at the stroke of midnight, she comes to the mountain’s heart. She brings

Chapter 13 Dahlia’s POV Nate’s hand on my waist was the only thing keeping me upright as the lab doors swung shut, locking us in with the three High Elders and a woman whose screams were loud enough to wake the dead. The mask lay on the floor between us.

Chapter 12 Dahlia’s POV “Sit,” I commanded. My doctor’s voice was the only thing I had left to protect me. “If you want your booster, I need a fresh sample. I can’t administer a hormonal stimulant without checking your current levels p> Gina glared at me, but she sat. She

Chapter 11 Dahlia’s POV The air in the living room felt like it was about to catch fire. Nate’s shadow stretched across the floorboards, pinning me against the couch where Axel lay unconscious. That word “son” was screaming in my head. It was a truth I couldn’t bury anymore with

Chapter 10 The first morning at the cottage started with a heavy fog that clung to the trees like a wet blanket. I was in the small kitchen, trying to make breakfast before the children woke up when a soft knock at the door made me freeze. It was barely

Chapter 9 Nate didn’t take the “evidence” of Mark Vance lying down. He was an Alpha; he was used to getting what he wanted through sheer force of will. But since he couldn’t fight a dead man, he did the next best thing: he used his power to change the

Chapter 8 Dahlia’s POV The surgery took six hours. By the time I stepped out of the operating theater, my back was aching and my hands were stiff, but Elder Thomas was stable. I had removed the blackened tissue around his heart. The tissue hadn’t just been rotting, but was